Pirate: It’s not a phantom beast, it’s a phantom god!

Chapter 382 Beauty Under the Crimson Moon
“Can you please give some more power to me”

"A light and green fruit (I really want to mature quietly, green fruit)"

"Don't stop coz you've been chacing around"

Ossie left the whining beef balls in the room, closed the door, and hummed a little tune as she went to the back of the camp.

Here is a small, natural open-air hot spring... The hot spring, less than two square meters in size, is steaming and filled with mist, creating a stark contrast with the snow-covered landscape and biting wind in the distance.

Perhaps due to the geothermal activity, there was virtually no snow accumulation within a hundred meters, replaced instead by numerous unidentified green plants... This is why this place was chosen as a temporary campsite.

【Ringo】There is no pleasant scenery, nor any mineral resources...and whether it is due to the altitude or some other reason, it is snowing heavily all year round.

In the minds of the people of Wano Country, there is nothing here except for samurai graves and tombstones scattered everywhere and a few ancient temples... It is basically a semi-barren land, second only to Oni Island as an 'isolated island'.

However, Ossie really liked this place; the cold, quiet, and snow-covered environment always gave her the feeling of a forgotten land.

shuh~
With a few quick kicks off her boots, she tossed off her coat and underwear cleanly and neatly, and without even tying up her hair, Ossie jumped into the hot spring with a "plop!" and immediately let out a comfortable gurgling sound.

"Gulu gulu gulu~"

"Mmm~ That feels good~"

"As expected, only the hot springs here are truly refreshing!"

In Lingou, small hot springs like these are almost everywhere, but apart from two hot spring hotels in the city, the rest are just left undeveloped.

On the one hand, the locals are busy with samurai duels all day long and have no time or interest in running hot spring hotels... On the other hand, most of the merchants from other places are also deterred by the harsh natural conditions here.

Let alone whether the high-ranking officials and nobles in the city would be willing to abandon the picturesque "Hot Spring Town" of Jiuli and condescend to come to this remote and desolate wilderness to soak in some open-air hot spring while admiring wild graves and buns.

For example, to develop hot springs in Lingou, the first step would have to be a passionate brawl with the local komainu (guardian bears) and komainu (wolves)...

After all, 'only the living have the right to run a hot spring inn!'

It's important to know that this place is not only known for its fierce local customs, but also for its animalistic tendencies.

Therefore, given the inherent disadvantages of the natural environment and the existence of superior alternatives, the hot springs scattered throughout [Ringo] can only benefit wild animals.

However, this situation is now quietly changing. With the arrival of all kinds of beasts, the once deserted forests outside the city are gradually becoming more lively.

Light and his crew are now genuinely planning Wano Country as their own country.

This plan is not simply about building a few weapons factories or laboratories. Rather, it is a plan that, based on a detailed study of the country's natural geography and human resources, fully leverages the locational and human resource advantages of each township to create a complete, diversified, efficient, and interconnected industrial chain across the country.

In places like [Linghou], the initial plan included the construction of several large ice-harvesting factories and breweries... Currently, apart from the ship's doctor who stayed behind, everyone else in this temporary camp has gone out to work.

These past few days, Osei had been bored, so she followed the exploration teams and took a quick tour of Wano Country... and Ringo was her last stop.

She fell in love with the place at first sight... For Ossie, soaking in a hot spring in the snow and ice was a much better experience than soaking in those hot spring inns run by widows in [Kuri].

I don't know why business over there is so good; all the animals from Bai Shou are crowding in like dumplings being dropped into a pot!
Osei's current state is like taking a nap in his bedroom on a sweltering summer day, wrapped in a blanket with the air conditioning set to 16 degrees Celsius.
Things with such strong contrasts always have a unique charm.

……

Quietly leaning against the edge of the hot spring, Osi removed the mask from her face and casually placed it on the rock wall beside her.

The hair, a pure, unblemished crimson, fell naturally down the dark blue rock face and disappeared into the milky white hot spring water.

The rising steam blurred her face, and Ossie comfortably closed her eyes... The brilliant red eyeshadow appeared even more mysterious and profound in the mist, complementing her fair and beautiful face and exuding a captivating charm.

Ossie is a beauty, both when she speaks and when she doesn't.

The growth of a phantom god does not strictly follow the laws of time, but is closely related to the control of power... For example, Ra was already an adult in his twenties a few years ago.

The same goes for Ossie now. Theoretically, she should be around thirteen or fourteen years old like Obe, but she looks like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old, a young girl in her prime.

What was once 'cute' has, under the influence of power, grown into a stunning beauty.

Fine snowflakes drifted down silently, and a six-sided frost crystal landed right in the hollow of her collarbone. Instead of melting immediately, it lingered briefly in that undulating curve, trembling slightly with her breath.

The sun had quietly set sometime earlier, and the moonlight took its place, pouring down on the snow-covered plain... More snowflakes drifted through the gaps in the trees, weaving crystalline trails amidst the rising mist.

……

"Click~"

After an unknown amount of time, a soft clicking sound broke the peaceful and beautiful scene under the moon.

"Ok?"

Ossie opened her eyes, and her golden pupils instantly overshadowed the full moon in the sky.

She looked in the direction of the sound... A pure white komainu, with only its ears and four black feet, was stealthily creeping towards her.

The komainu's front paws were already near his shoulder; the 'click' sound he'd just heard was from when the komainu accidentally stepped on his mask.

"..."

The komainu and Osei stared at each other face to face, and a dramatic expression of surprise and embarrassment, similar to that of a human, appeared on its face.

In just a moment, the little fox, which was clearly not yet an adult, fixed its gaze and bit at Osiri's shoulder above the water, then forcefully shook its head from side to side as if tearing at it.

"Aww!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

"..."

Ossie just watched the other person's efforts to bite and didn't fight back.

She waited until the other person got tired of biting and reluctantly stopped, then she reached out and grabbed the back of the other person's neck.

After wiping the drool off Su's shoulder with the little fox's soft, white fur, Ossie brought the other person in front of her and examined her closely.

"What is that? A raccoon dog? Or a bear?"

"It looks kind of familiar."

"嘤嘤嘤!"

Seeing the fox still fidgeting and thrashing about in his hands, Ossie simply tossed it into the hot spring for a rinse.
"Gululu~"

After being swished around in the broth like a lamb roll, the little guy, now soaking wet, finally stopped struggling. "Eek~"

The little fox drooped its head and let out a weak whimper.

"Hey?"

"That sound... could it be a fox, not a raccoon dog?"

Ossie released the other person's neck, then placed both hands under their ribs and lifted them up.
"But that's not how foxes are called, is it?"

"Hey?"

Upon hearing this, the little fox seemed to understand and raised its wet little head in confusion.
Come on, learn from me!

"One, two, three~ Three, two, one~"

"The Great Chu will rise! Chen Sheng will be king!"

"..."

""

Hearing the strange syllables coming from Osi's mouth, the little fox stared with wide, round eyes, its tiny head filled with great confusion.
Is that how foxes are called?

Its little tail wagged twice, and having been separated from its mother since it was a kitten, it tried to strain its voice, striving to learn the 'authentic' fox call.
"Eek... Eek~"

"Hey~"

Unfortunately, the little fox's throat structure isn't yet developed enough to speak Chinese.
"Tsk~ So it really doesn't work~"

Hearing the awkward whimpering, Ossie was somewhat disappointed.

"Well, in the end, he's just a country bumpkin, so it's normal that he can't learn the elegant Chinese language."

"Don't ask for too much."

After placing the komainu on the stone wall by the hot spring, Ossie lost interest... She waved her hand, indicating that the other party could leave.

"Hey?"

"Let's go, let's go~ Let me take a quiet bath for a while."

"Hey~"

Seeing the little fox shake off the water and leave the camp's backyard with several glances back... before turning and walking towards the room where Niuwan was, Ossie seemed to remember something.

"Hmm? I see~"

"No wonder it looked familiar and bit me the moment we met; it turns out it's the fox that's always following Uncle Purple Head around!"

"I think it was also called something like 'pill'~"

Ossie, who has a photographic memory, always forgives things she doesn't care about.

"Forget it~"

wow~
After shifting to a more comfortable position, Ossie looked up at the sky, gazing at the bright, clear moon.

"Sigh, so much free time~"

"I wonder what Sister La is doing now~"

"And Jack and Yamato, I wonder if they're eating their milk properly..."

"Boss Kaido is probably watching those noisy Noh plays with that giant Orochi again."

"That fat Quinn is probably out there with his cronies, dancing with geishas in the red-light district right now."

"And Ober should still be holed up in the newly built laboratory."

"As for that guy Jhin... what will he do?"

……

The bright moon shines on the snowy frontier, and the Milky Way flows westward through the long night.

[Light Moon], [Heavenly Moon], [Frosty Moon], [Wind Moon], [Rain Moon]... This country, born around the moon, has remained tranquil and peaceful for thousands of years, just like the full moon in the sky.

The people of this country continue their daily routines as they have for thousands of years, lighting their own lamp among thousands of lights in the moonlit night.

And tonight, through the flickering lights of the city, one can vaguely see the shadows of a family huddled together, weaving something together...

The annual fire festival is approaching. This is the first fire festival since the new general took office, and it must be held in a grand and solemn manner.

Everyone wants to take this opportunity of grand celebration to pray for blessings for themselves and their families in the coming year, hoping for continued peace, joy, happiness, and good health.
……

In places untouched by moonlight, changes unprecedented in centuries are quietly taking place on this land.
In [Rabbit Rice Bowl], the prison and the mining plant are planning to merge.

In [Hundred Dances], the blueprint for the expansion of Blade Port is only one step away from being modified.

In Ximei, small farms are preparing to trial-plant new overseas crops next year.

On Ghost Island, the foundation for the magnificent palace of the beasts has already been laid.

In Jiuli, the Beast Construction Team, who had spent a day collecting dust at the weapons factory, were traveling together.

They were shouting and discussing whether to go to Miss Pavilion in the east for a seafood meal or to Mrs. Minase in the west for a cup of hot spring milk first.
The start button has been pressed, and everything is moving forward at a slow but unstoppable pace until the day when these accumulated changes, guided by a trigger, completely spark a revolution.

In some darker corners, those who have been lying in wait are also waiting for that day to come.

Fengyue was polishing his armor, Yuyue was maintaining his sword, and the bedroom of Kangjia and Bingwulang was brightly lit, with shadowy figures moving about...

While Ushimaru was trying to get the apple out of his mouth, the little fox Ushimaru helped him with his little paws.
……

Bringing her thoughts back, Ossie closed her eyes again, letting time flow by in this world.

Volume 5: Isolated Countries

Finish

(End of this chapter)