It was not human.
It was a creature he had never seen before.
It was entirely ice blue, translucent, like a large mass of solidified jelly, bouncing across the ground. It had no features, and its round body looked... even a little comical.
Was this thing harmless?
The moment the thought arose, he forcefully suppressed it. In this unfamiliar world, any judgment based on "common sense" could be fatal.
He stared intently at the "jelly," watching it bounce aimlessly in the forest clearing.
Then, it bumped into an exposed rock.
The instant of the collision, a sudden change occurred!
The "jelly's" body suddenly contracted inward, and then, with a 'poof,' a sharp, ice-cold icicle shot out like an arrow, piercing the tree trunk with a 'thunk' and instantly freezing a small patch of white frost onto the bark.
Lu Hongze's blood almost Frozen.
The speed and power of that icicle—if it had hit him, it definitely would have pierced his body! His fingertips were numb with lingering fear.
The law of survival was brutally engraved into his mind once more: Beauty equals danger.
Lu Hongze watched the thing bounce farther and farther away in the bushes.
But the thing, which had been bouncing away in another direction, suddenly stopped.
Lu Hongze's heart tightened, and he instinctively drew his body in even further. It was this minute movement that caused his elbow to accidentally snap a dead branch.
"Snap."
The slight sound was like thunder in the silent woods.
It was startled instantly, its body swelling up before it shot out a sharp icicle with a decisive 'poof'!
The icicle grazed the branches above Lu Hongze's head, the cold air it generated raising goosebumps on his scalp, and the few leaves it struck were instantly coated in white frost. Unable to hide any longer, he scrambled backward, looking utterly pathetic.
The "gurgling" sound immediately became rapid and wary, quickly closing in on his position!
Just then, rhythmic footsteps sounded behind him as well.
"Gurgle gurgle!"
The thing made a strange noise, its body contracting again. A second icicle was already condensing, aimed directly at the direction where he couldn't fully dodge!
Another crisis followed immediately—the rhythmic boot steps in the distance suddenly stopped, then became rapid and wary, quickly closing in on his position!
He couldn't hide anymore!
In a flash of lightning, Lu Hongze abandoned all plans of hiding.
Fear was no longer a facade; it was a genuine emotion that completely overwhelmed him.
But it was useless. His face was pale, and he watched helplessly as the deadly icicle was about to be fired—
"Hey! Look here!" A clear, vibrant female voice, like sunlight breaking through the clouds, suddenly rang out from the side and above!
Almost simultaneously, a scorching streak of light tore through the air!
"Swoosh—Boom!"
An arrow wrapped in flame accurately struck the Ice Slime! The fierce Pyro element reaction triggered a small explosion; ice shards and steam scattered everywhere, and the Slime, instantly countered, vanished completely before it could even cry out, leaving behind only a small puddle of rapidly Melted ice water and a faintly glowing core.
Footsteps lightly landed nearby, and the clear voice approached with concern:
"Are you okay?"
A figure agilely leaped down from a nearby low cliff and landed lightly. It was a Damselette wearing a red Rabbit-ear Headpiece, with brown hair draped behind her. In her hand, she held a uniquely styled Wooden Longbow. Her Amber eyes were bright and clear, and now, filled with unconcealed worry, she quickly walked up to him and crouched down.
"English? Doesn't sound quite right? Although the pronunciation is similar, it doesn't feel like English," Lu Hongze thought to himself as he looked at the Damselette in front of him.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Seeing he didn't react, Amber switched to a simpler question, simultaneously gesturing to herself to indicate a check-up.
It was English, the pronunciation was similar, and he recognized some words, but it was definitely not the English he used to know.
This realization was like a basin of ice water, completely extinguishing the slight Warmth that had just risen due to his rescue. He had held onto a sliver of hope that perhaps this was just some remote region he didn't know about. But now, that last bit of fantasy was also shattered.
This place was a complete and utter Other World.
Language, writing, creatures, physical rules... everything needed to be learned from scratch.
Immense loneliness and panic, like icy tides, submerged him once more. His face was paler than before, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Amber watched his suddenly changing expression and more violent trembling, assuming he was terrified. She quickly softened her voice and reassured him:
"Don't be afraid! The Slime is gone. I took care of it! You're safe now."
Lu Hongze tentatively spoke:
"Can you understand what I'm saying?"
Amber's movement paused. She listened carefully to the strange and unfamiliar language, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion. Her Amber eyes were full of friendly concern, but also clear bewilderment.
She shook her head, her tone soothing:
"My apologies, but I cannot comprehend your words. Your language...it bears a resemblance to that of Liyue."
Although he couldn't understand her sentences, Lu Hongze roughly grasped her meaning from her expression and the shake of her head.
No. Absolutely not.
Amber looked at his instantly defeated face and his dull eyes, and her heart clenched. She realized that the language barrier made comfort extremely difficult, and the boy's condition was clearly terrible.
She stopped trying to communicate verbally and immediately took more direct action. She untied the Waterskin from her waist, removed the stopper, and held it directly to his lips, using gestures to signal him to drink.
The wet touch of the clean water brought back a shred of Lu Hongze's consciousness. He instinctively took small sips, relieving the burning in his throat, but the coldness in his heart did not diminish at all.
While he was drinking, Amber stood up, went to the riverbank to retrieve her handkerchief, wet it, and returned.
Seeing that he had finished drinking, Amber put away the Waterskin and took out the dampened handkerchief.
"Here, let me wipe that for you. A young man should always keep himself clean."
She spoke softly, and though she knew he couldn't understand, she conveyed her goodwill through her tone.
She extended her hand, not touching him rashly, but first indicating the wet handkerchief in her hand before carefully and gently wiping the mud and tear stains from his cheeks.
Lu Hongze instinctively flinched but did not pull away. The cold dampness touching his skin brought a moment of clarity. He closed his eyes, letting Amber work, his long eyelashes trembling restlessly like the wings of an injured butterfly.
The cloth wiped across his forehead, swept past his delicate nose bridge, and carefully brushed his beautifully shaped lips, which were slightly peeling from dehydration. Murky water dripped down his chin, gradually revealing his original skin tone.
As the dirt was wiped away bit by bit, Amber's movements slowed. Her Amber eyes, usually full of sunshine and vitality, were gradually filled with incredible astonishment.
The last bit of mud was wiped off, revealing his complete appearance.
It was an extremely delicate, even beautiful face. His skin was an almost transparent white, resulting from a lack of sun exposure. Now, due to the previous fright and crying, his eye corners and nose tip were tinged with faint pink, which only added to a sense of fragile vulnerability. His features were soft and refined, with slender eyebrows, a straight but not rigid nose bridge, and well-formed, pale lips.
The most striking feature was his eyes. They had just been brimming with tears from fear, and even though they were lowered now, their beautiful shape was still evident. The outer corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and when he timidly lifted his gaze to look at someone, it naturally conveyed a sense of innocence and pleading, easily stirring anyone's protective instincts.
But this beauty was not healthy; rather, it suggested a frailty typical of someone who had been pampered indoors for a long time and shielded from hardship. Combined with his tattered clothing, bare feet, and current desperate situation, it created a highly impactful contrast.
"You are...breathtaking"