Becoming Their Guiding Spirit

# Chapter 48: A Strange Settlement Early the next morning.

The temperature warmed back up to around ten degrees. Compared to the extreme cold of the night, the contrast was simply too great. The three of them, squeezed into a tiny, cramped sleeping bag, were even sweating from the heat.

Upon waking up.

All three were a bit tired, having not gotten a good night’s sleep at all. They had even had some strange dreams.

Jessica dreamt that her face was being forcefully pressed into a huge mass of balloons, nearly suffocating her.

Franka, on the other hand, dreamt that her body was mysteriously paralyzed, with something slippery like a snake wrapped around her leg.

And Liskarm dreamt that a face-hugger was latched tightly onto her face.

After a simple breakfast and packing up the tent, the three of them, laden with bags, started walking in the direction Ceobe had pointed out yesterday.

”Is that little girl still following us?”

Franka asked tentatively, then turned around. In the distance, an orange-yellow figure quickly ducked behind a tree. She seemed to think she was well hidden, but the massive pile of weapons on her back was completely exposed, giving her a rather dim-witted appearance.

”Isn’t it a bit pitiful to just leave her here like this...”

Jessica was just a young girl, after all, and very soft-hearted. She couldn’t bear the thought of such a cute little girl wandering alone in this wilderness. Another reason... her doggy head was just too cute. She had gotten addicted to petting it yesterday. If they could become companions, wouldn’t she be able to pet it every day?

”First, we’re not here on vacation. Second, we’re not a charity. She was born and raised in Bolívar. We’re going back to Columbia after we finish our mission. We can’t possibly bring her back to Columbia with us.”

”Mmm~”

Although Jessica was reluctant, what Franka said was true.

They paid her no more mind and continued walking northwest.

Of course.

Ceobe was very obedient.

She followed carefully behind them the whole way. Whenever they turned back, she would nimbly hide, though she was spotted every time. Only at lunchtime would she proactively come out, just like last night, offering her head for a few pets in exchange for some food.

It took them the better part of a day. Just as night was about to fall.

They finally passed through the forest and entered a long-awaited plain. In the distance, a city of no great size appeared in the center of the plain. This must be the place with a lot of people that Ceobe had mentioned.

It was a traditional city, not a mobile one, and the not-so-high city walls made of brick and tile reminded them of ancient times centuries ago. Compared to the incredibly modern Columbia, this city was rather backward and dilapidated. It didn’t even have electric lights for basic illumination; the city gate was lit by traditional torches. It couldn’t even be described as a city, but rather a small settlement.

Due to the damaged vehicle.

They couldn’t carry much food. The barbecue grill and some of the heavier meat had to be left behind in the truck. Moreover, they only had two meals’ worth, but Ceobe had already eaten through seven or eight-tenths of the food in Franka’s backpack. They urgently needed to enter the city to resupply and ask for their precise location. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to bring Ceobe along, but...

They couldn’t afford to feed her...

She alone could probably eat half a month’s worth of rations for their entire group in just a few days.

At this moment, they really envied Lucas Reeve.

In his soul state, he didn’t need to eat, didn’t have to worry about hunger or cold, and didn’t even have to walk on his own.

As the group moved away from the forest.

Contrary to their expectations.

Ceobe didn’t follow. Instead, she stood motionless at the edge of the forest, watching them leave from afar. Then, she reluctantly turned her head and disappeared into the jungle.

”Yi...”

Just as they were about to reach the settlement not far away, Lucas Reeve suddenly sensed that something was amiss.

In his soul state, he could see many invisible auras that normal humans couldn’t. This was one of the few advantages of being a soul.

This settlement didn’t look large.

But from the outside, the whole place seemed to be enveloped by a ring of ethereal gray gas, giving Lucas Reeve a very strange feeling.

”What is it, Mr. Reeve?”

Franka turned sideways, looking at ’Jessica’ beside her.

”There’s something strange about this settlement. In any case, be careful.”

”Understood...”

Lucas Reeve’s reminder made Franka and Liskarm tense up, looking as if they were facing a great enemy. If Lucas Reeve said so, he must have his reasons. Magallan, however, glanced at Jessica in confusion...

Who was Lucas Reeve?

She had heard Franka call out that name more than once on their journey.

Had little cutie Jessica changed her name?

But it sounded like a male name from Yan.

The four people and one soul cautiously approached the entrance of the settlement. The settlement wasn’t large; it could even be described as a village, the kind you could see from one end to the other. The houses inside were simple, either brick-and-tile buildings or simply wooden huts. Each household had a small vegetable garden by the door for growing whatever they liked.

However.

All these vegetables were withered and listless. Many plants had already completely rotted away.

Terra’s environment was incredibly peculiar.

In the wilderness, the temperature would drop to extremes at night, but in places where people lived, it wasn’t so absurd. In some areas, even if they were just a hundred meters apart, it was possible for one side to be tens of degrees below zero at night while the other side was above zero. It was a truly bizarre temperature difference.

The arrival of the four outsiders in the settlement was like a few pebbles tossed into a stagnant pond that had been still for years, instantly creating ripples.

Many villagers looked towards the newcomers.

Some were afraid, some curious, some hid back in their homes...

Only one white-haired Perro girl, dressed very plainly but with a very cute face, timidly approached them and asked nervously.

”Hello... excuse me... who are you?”