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ArabicArknights: Soul Knights of Terra — Chapter 21
Chapter 21: The Girl in the Snowy Plains
Time rewound slightly, shifting the focus to Third’s side of the wasteland.
A solitary, faint candlelight flickered against the desolate expanse of the frozen plains, casting long, wavering shadows over the figure trudging through the drifts. Third waded through snow that swallowed his calves with every agonizing step. The raging blizzard had finally died down, leaving behind a suffocating, icy silence.
Looking out toward the horizon, there was nothing but rolling white hills, withered trees encased in frost, and an endless, blinding emptiness.
“It doesn’t look like there’s any prey out here at all…”
Third muttered to himself, his voice swallowed by the wind. He habitually raised a hand to scratch his head, only to drop it awkwardly when his fingers brushed against the cold, hard surface of his exposed external skull.
Releasing a heavy sigh, he opened the mental link.
[Third: Eldest, how is the situation on your end? Did you find anything?]
[Eldest: I found something over here.]
The projected image displayed a rather bizarre creature. It had a swollen, yellowish abdomen protected by a black, metallic-lustered spiked carapace, dragging itself sluggishly across the frozen earth.
[Third:…Can that thing actually be eaten?]
[Eldest: No idea. I’m bringing some back to study first. How about you?]
[Third: It’s all white out here. I can’t see a single thing but snow.]
[Eldest: Why don’t you try using your summon? By the way, can the Shadow Wolf be used as a hunting dog to track prey?]
[Third: Good point. Let me try.]
With a mere thought, the darkness cast beneath his boots began to boil. The shadow surged outward, defying the ambient light as it expanded like a living organism, rapidly rising into a three-dimensional mass.
A heartbeat later, a massive wolf woven entirely from living darkness stood tall upon the snowy plains.
Third tentatively reached out a hand. The Shadow Wolf immediately lowered its massive frame, obediently laying down in the snow and actively pressing its snout against his palm.
The touch was not a hollow void. Instead, it carried a resilient, tangible weight, feeling exactly like thick fur woven from highly condensed energy.
“It’s clearly a construct made of shadows, yet it feels completely real…”
He scratched the underside of the beast’s jaw. The wolf’s glowing scarlet eyes narrowed into slits of pure pleasure.
“Do you actually have self-awareness?” Third asked in a low murmur, genuine curiosity bleeding into his tone.
“Roar…”
The Shadow Wolf let out a deep, guttural purr, arching its heavy head further into his palm, acting entirely like an affectionate pet. Even without understanding the exact meaning behind the sound, that clear, obvious sense of dependence made Third feel incredibly strange.
“I’m counting on you. Help me look for anything nearby that we can use as food.”
The beast seemed to understand the command perfectly. It rose to its feet, raising its dark muzzle to sniff the freezing air.
Under Third’s surprised gaze, the massive creature coiled its muscles and executed a vigorous leap. Instead of landing on the snow, it slipped directly into its own cast shadow, sinking beneath the surface as if diving into a pool of dark water.
Third blinked, stunned. “It has that kind of function too?”
He lowered his head, staring in confusion at the shadow stretching from his boots. Tentatively, he reached down and pressed his fingers against the darkness.
The sensation was entirely alien. It wasn’t the biting cold of the snow beneath, but a strange, viscous void—like pushing his hand through a thick membrane of water. His arm actually reached straight inside the ground!
Just as he prepared to explore this bizarre phenomenon further, the shadow in front of him violently fluctuated, expanding outward like a disturbed pond.
A massive lupine head breached the surface.
Third took two quick steps back to give it room, but his entire body suddenly stiffened.
Along with the wolf’s head, the shadow was dragging something else out from the void. It was… a girl?!
She was an Elafia, possessing soft, snow-white hair that cascaded down her shoulders and a delicate pair of antlers resting upon her head. She wore thick, slightly worn winter clothing, her face pale from the biting cold, and her slender arms were tightly clutching a woven basket covered by a white cloth.
Their eyes met.
Third: “…”
Alina: “…”
A brief, deadly silence blanketed the snowy plains.
When the girl registered Third’s distinctly non-human appearance, sheer panic flashed across her features. Her small frame trembled violently in the freezing wind.
But after a few agonizing seconds of realizing that the terrifying figure was simply standing there, making no aggressive moves or threatening gestures, her breathing began to steady. Her wide, fearful gaze darted back and forth between Third and the massive Shadow Wolf sitting beside him.
Gathering every ounce of her courage, her pale lips parted, and she spoke.
Her voice was crisp and melodic, ringing clearly through the cold air—but Third couldn’t understand a single syllable of it.
A heavy wave of embarrassment washed over him. His summon had clearly misunderstood the assignment and kidnapped a living person. Worse still, the giant wolf didn’t realize the severity of its mistake at all. It sat proudly in the snow, happily wagging its dark tail.
The girl had managed to calm herself further, now looking up at him with cautious curiosity. Third felt a massive headache throbbing behind his temples.
He shot the Shadow Wolf a withering glare.
“I told you to find food! Why did you bring back a living person? Do I look like a monster that eats people?!”
The wolf’s ears flattened against its skull. Its tail drooped instantly, and it slumped against the snow, looking utterly miserable.
“Awoo…”
Seeing the beast’s aggrieved, pitiful display, Third’s irritation melted away. He sighed heavily, opening his mouth to issue a new command.
Just then, the Elafia girl spoke up, her voice timid and trembling.
“Hello… do you need food?”
Third nodded automatically. “Yeah, I do…”
He froze.
Third whipped his head back toward her, his eye sockets widening in absolute shock. “You can speak Chinese?!”
Startled by his sudden shout, the girl shrank back, clutching her basket tighter against her chest.
“Chinese? Do you mean… Yanese?”
Realization struck him like a physical blow. He remembered Fourth mentioning a nation in this world modeled heavily after ancient China, known as Yan.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding, following her lead. “Right… are you from Yan?”
“No…” The girl shook her head gently, her white hair swaying in the wind. “A friend of mine taught me this language.”
Having offered her explanation, she immediately steered the conversation back to her primary concern, looking up at his skeletal visage with genuine worry.
“Do you need food?”
Third nodded silently, his gaze drifting downward to lock onto the covered basket in her arms.
Alina followed his line of sight. When she looked back up, the last lingering traces of fear in her eyes had completely dissipated.
“Um… I have food right here,” she offered softly.
The realization finally clicked in Third’s mind. The Shadow Wolf had found food—it just happened to find a person carrying it!
He shot the wolf a helpless look. The beast let out a perfectly timed, mournful whimper.
“…Sorry. I blamed you for nothing.”
Third reached out, heavily rubbing the top of the wolf’s head. The creature instantly perked up, its massive body springing to life as it began circling Third incessantly, kicking up clouds of white powder. Dizzy from the motion, Third was forced to clamp a hand down on its restless head, expertly scratching its chin until it let out a deep, vibrating purr and finally settled down.
Watching the bizarre interaction, the corners of Alina’s mouth rose into a faint, unconscious smile. But remembering her own precarious situation, her expression quickly sobered.
“Um…” She gathered her courage once more.
Third stopped petting the wolf and gave her his full attention.
“I can give you this food.” She held the heavy basket out toward him, her clear eyes filled with a quiet pleading. “Could you please… let me go?”
A fresh wave of embarrassment hit him. He really wasn’t some deranged kidnapper or a man-eating monster!
“You…” Third paused, deliberately softening his raspy voice to sound as gentle as possible. “What is your name?”
“Alina,” she answered honestly, her grip on the basket tightening. “My name is Alina.”
“Alina…” Third repeated, his tone losing all its remaining edge. “You can leave whenever you want. I am incredibly sorry about this. My friend completely misunderstood my instructions.”
“I asked it to find food, so it… brought you here.”
He looked at the basket again. He hesitated, warring with his own conscience, before finally biting the bullet.
“I apologize for frightening you, but… could you possibly spare a little bit of that food for me? There is… a child at home who is starving. I promise I will pay you back for it.”
“A child?” Alina blinked, stunned.
In the span of a single breath, her expression transformed from cautious fear to fierce, overriding concern. Without a word, she stepped forward and shoved the entire heavy basket directly into Third’s arms.
“Eh?” Third stumbled back half a step, completely caught off guard.
“Please, hurry and take this to the child!” Alina urged, her voice ringing with unquestionable urgency. “It is the coldest time of the year! A child needs food to stay healthy—they absolutely cannot go hungry!”
Third stared down at the basket, then back up at her. She had surrendered all her supplies without a second thought. The sheer selflessness of the act made a heavy knot form in his chest.
“You… aren’t you afraid I’m lying to you?”
Alina tilted her head up. Those clear, deer-like eyes locked onto his, piercing straight through his terrifying exterior.
“Are you lying to me?”
Facing a gaze so pure it felt like it was reflecting his very soul, Third shook his head slowly.
‘I feel like if anyone dared to lie to those eyes, they’d be struck down by lightning on the spot…’
“Then it is fine.” A warm, radiant smile bloomed across Alina’s pale face. “Please, accept it.”
Third gripped the heavy woven wood, his heart warring with a chaotic mix of emotions.
“You gave everything to me… what about you? Won’t you be in serious trouble when you go back empty-handed?”
He took in her thin winter coat, the biting wind tearing across the plains, and the terrifying reality of the frozen wasteland. Being out here alone, with no supplies…
Her smile never wavered.
“I will be fine. With Ta—cough! With my friend’s help, our food supply is still relatively stable. And besides…”
She looked out over the snow, her breath pluming in the freezing air. “The feeling of hunger is a terrible thing. Your child is starving. Please, go home quickly.”
Third stared blankly at the little white deer standing in the snow.
This… this girl was an actual angel!
The basket in his hands felt infinitely heavier. An indescribable, protective emotion surged violently within his chest.
“Wait right there,” Third commanded, his tone suddenly firm and absolute. “I am going to send you back immediately. But before that, I need to give you something in return for this.”
Alina waved her hands frantically, stepping back. “No, there is no need—”
Third ignored the refusal, his mind racing. What could he possibly give her? He didn’t carry ordinary currency, and handing a civilian his specialized weaponry was out of the question.
His gaze swept over the Shadow Wolf waiting patiently by his side, and an idea sparked.
The darkness beneath his boots boiled violently. Several thick, fleshy vines erupted from the snow, thrashing and dancing wildly in the freezing air.
The massive shadow instantly eclipsed Alina. She let out a terrified scream, instinctively stumbling backward and losing her footing in the deep snow.
Third lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground.
The physical contact sent a jolt of surprise through him. She was unbelievably light. Even through the layers of her winter coat, he could feel the fragile thinness of her arms.
Too light.
He shook his head, violently casting the extraneous thoughts aside. Focusing his mind, he seized control of the thrashing shadow vines, forcing his will upon them.
A harsh, sizzling sound echoed across the plains as the dark matter was forcibly compressed. The massive, terrifying vines shrank inward, condensing until they formed a single, spiral-patterned seed no larger than a walnut.
It rested quietly in the center of his palm, stripped of its terrifying aura, looking like nothing more than a smooth, dark stone.
Third held the seed out to her, his voice dead serious.
“Take this. If you ever encounter danger that you cannot run from, throw this seed directly at the enemy.”
“It will instantly violently expand into the vines you just saw. It will attack whatever threatens you and buy you enough time to escape.”
Alina stared at the black seed resting in his palm. After a long, hesitant silence, she reached out, gently took it, and tucked it safely into the inner pocket of her coat.
“Th… thank you.”
Third nodded, opening his mouth to ask which village she belonged to, wanting to ensure she had a safe route back—
Inside the [Mental Chat Group], Second’s panicked screaming suddenly exploded in his head.
[Second: Everyone get back here right now! We have a massive problem! Ifrit ran into the Dungeon!!!]
[Eldest: What?! I’m coming back immediately!!!]
Dungeon…
The Dungeon!!!
Third’s entire body jerked violently. He knew exactly what the Dungeon was. It was a complex hellscape crawling with lethal traps and endless hordes of monsters!
And Ifrit, a literal child, had just run inside.
His violent flinch startled Alina, her eyes widening in renewed alarm.
Third had no time to comfort her. He spun around, pointing a trembling finger at the Shadow Wolf.
“You take her back safely! Drop her off exactly where you found her!”
“Protect her with your life, and do not cause any trouble! The second she is safe, you return to me immediately!”
The beast nodded, habitually lowering its massive jaws to grab Alina by the collar of her coat.
Furious, Third slapped the hard bone of its forehead, making the giant wolf stumble back into the snow.
“Idiot! Put her on your back!”
“Awoo…” The wolf whimpered pitifully, but obediently crouched low to the ground.
Without wasting another breath, Third grabbed the completely dazed Elafia and hoisted her onto the beast’s broad, shadowy back.
“I am so sorry, but I have a life-or-death emergency at home! I have to send you back now! Hold on tight!”
Before Alina could even process the words, thick, rolling shadows erupted from the wolf beneath her. The darkness surged upward, swallowing both the girl and the beast whole.
A split second later, the shadow collapsed inward, vanishing from the snowy plains without a trace.
Third stared at the empty patch of snow where they had just been. He sucked in a ragged breath of freezing air, forcibly suppressing the blind panic threatening to consume his mind.
‘Go home!’