Chapter 70: Winter's Embrace

Roar!

Chen Mo's gaze was calm; he nodded, indicating he understood.

He wasn't particularly panicked.

Leaving aside whether these tentacled monsters would come here, most marine supernatural beings dislike terrestrial environments, making their chances of conquering land extremely low.

Even if they truly wanted to conquer land, by the time they reached the Great Snow Mountains, Chen Mo believed his strength would surely have grown to new heights.

Who will eat whom at that point is still uncertain!

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Early the next morning.

Colonel Kalam then brought many people and livestock to the Ice Lion Territory.

"Your Majesty, the Committee has approved your deal. These are the Gluttony Pigs."

He pointed to the three large white pigs beside him.

Apart from being noticeably larger than ordinary pigs, these Gluttony Pigs were not much different.

Chen Mo glanced at the Snow Treading Fox Leader; Bingli understood immediately and directly led the livestock that Colonel Kalam had brought out.

"These are the people willing to reside in the Ice Lion Territory, Your Majesty the Lion King."

Chen Mo scanned the crowd; there were roughly a thousand people.

He noticed that the number of youths was not small; most were ordinary people, with only two Awakened individuals.

Many of those who chose to come here were survivors of Sunset Town, or people who felt affection or even reverence for the Ice Lion.

Seeing the enormous Ice Lion before them, they were somewhat afraid but not panicked.

Sensing the Lion King's scrutinizing gaze, they lowered their heads, daring not to meet his eyes.

"Roar!" (To join the Ice Lion clan, one must still pass a trial.) Having said that, Chen Mo had the Snow Treading Foxes unleash Phantom Ice Technique on these people, drawing out their inner fears or dark sides.

Soon, the humans on the snow began to act in various ways—some went mad, some felt fear, and some wanted to attack those nearby.

The expressions of the vast majority changed; only a few could keep their eyes clear, even realizing they had been caught in an illusion.

One of them was a black-haired, black-eyed youth who looked like a person from Dongxia.

Chen Mo slowly approached him; the youth awoke from the Ice Illusion Technique, and before his eyes loomed the massive Ice Lion King.

He not only did not retreat, but instead dropped to one knee.

"Your Majesty the Lion King."

Chen Mo gave the Ice Sky Sprite a glance; it flapped its wings, drew out Ice Silkworm Silk, and assisted the Ice Lion King in linking with the person before him.

"Roar?" (What is your name?)

"My name is Bai Qi, a person from Dongxia."

"Roar?" (Are you not afraid of me?) "I am a little afraid, but I know you will not harm me. Back in Sunset Town, you slew the Ice Armored White Rhinoceros, saving me and my mother."

Bai Qi spoke fluent Chinese.

"Roar!" (So you came to repay your gratitude?)

Chen Mo glanced at the youth's attribute panel; his awakened ability was Ice Spear Technique, with a total combat power of 56 points.

As an Awakened with considerable strength, if he wished to stay in Winter City, that would certainly be possible.

"Hmm."

The youth nodded.

"Besides that, I want to become stronger to protect my mother and those I wish to protect."

Bai Qi slowly spoke.

In the previous disaster, his father died protecting him and his mother.

Thus he hoped to gain greater power.

He felt that aligning with the Ice Lion King was a better choice, so he came of his own accord.

"Roar!" (From now on you will be their leader.) Chen Mo said calmly.

He needed someone akin to a captain to manage all the humans; human thoughts are complicated, making management a hassle.

But if he selected a captain, he would only need to manage that captain.

If the captain proved inadequate, he could simply replace them.

At the same time, the trial had ended.

Everyone awoke from the illusion.

This trial screened out those with ulterior motives, leaving over three hundred people.

These would be the first batch of humans to live in the Ice Lion Territory.

"Your Majesty the Lion King, are you truly not considering taking in a few more people?"

Colonel Kalam felt it a pity.

Over three hundred, far below his expectations.

Chen Mo said nothing, merely gave Colonel Kalam a calm look; this former colonel immediately fell silent.

"Then Lion King, I'll head back first."

With the mission completed, Colonel Kalam felt inclined to withdraw.

Mainly, the Ice Lion King's pressure on him was immense; even without releasing aura, just standing before him made him feel overwhelmed.

After Colonel Kalam left, the remaining people stood anxiously in place, mostly lowering their heads, daring not to meet the Lion King's gaze, their eyes filled with confusion and unease.

They did not know what fate awaited them next.

"Roar!" (Sang Qi, tell them the upcoming arrangements.) After Colonel Kalam left, Chen Mo's gaze turned to Sang Qi beside him.

"As you command, Lion King."

Sang Qi slightly bowed, then walked to the front of the crowd.

"Don't worry, everyone. Since you've chosen to join the Ice Lion Kingdom, your safety will naturally be guaranteed. As for food and more resources, you'll need to work hard to obtain them yourselves."

Sang Qi held a horn and spoke slowly.

That young warrior, after staying a while in the Ice Lion Clan, had become much more mature.

"Next, you will go to a small town. As long as you complete the corresponding work each day, you will obtain food, and the food is supernatural flesh! If your luck isn't terribly bad, becoming an Awakened is practically a sure thing!"

Chen Mo did not intend to place these humans on the snow mountain, but settled them in a town closest to the Great Snow Mountain, Sunset Town.

He also planned to build farms and pastures beside Sunset Town.

After the Ice Horn White Rhinoceros invaded earlier, most of the town's residents still chose to leave.

This small town has now almost become an empty town.

There, some houses remained standing, saving these people the trouble of building their own homes.

I really am a lion who thinks of others.

"Just like me, I was once merely the most ordinary signal soldier in the army. After pledging allegiance to the Lion King over two months ago, I am now a high-level supernatural Awakened."

He used himself as an example, starting to paint pies for these people.

He also felt somewhat sentimental.

He suddenly felt immense gratitude for having been captured by the Ice Lion King back then, and through a twist of fate became the first human to follow the Lion King.

Upon hearing this, many people's eyes showed a hint of longing.

After Sang Qi finished speaking, ice spiritual power condensed before him, and the dozens of people in front of him felt their bodies warm and full of strength.

【Winter's Embrace】

It enhances other beings' cold resistance and slightly boosts strength and spirit.

This is the ability Sang Qi awakened after breaking through to high-level supernatural.

Thanks to his talent, it is also a support-type ability; he sometimes feels he is a natural-born "Nurse Mother Holy Body"! After sensing the miraculous power Sang Qi released, everyone's eyes filled with hope.

Supernatural power—who wouldn't want to possess it? (End of chapter)