Mr. Death in the Steam World

Moen tried taking a few steps to the left, and the snowflakes on the left immediately dispersed.

I took a few steps to the right, and the snowflakes on the right also moved aside.

It was as if an invisible hand had held up an umbrella over his head, keeping all the snowflakes out.

Looking at the snowflakes dancing above his head, Moen seemed to understand something.

He stopped, closed his eyes, and released a wisp of magic from his fingertips, merging it into the surrounding snow.

The snowflakes gathered around him, forming a slowly rotating snow ring around his body.

The ice crystals shimmered with tiny lights in the sunlight, like a ribbon woven from starlight, enveloping his entire body.

Moen was so absorbed in the feeling that he didn’t notice the Death Note behind him opening on its own.

The pages turned on their own without any wind, rustling as they came to rest on a blank page.

Blood-red ink stains emerged from the paper, each stroke outlining ornate characters—

【Frost and Snow Protection: You are a friend of the Ice and Snow Spirit, who will provide you with assistance.】

[Introduction: The snowflakes told me you're a good person]

This is a rare passive spell that, once inscribed, will automatically take effect even without the use of magic.

The moment the pages closed, Moen opened his eyes.

This was the first time he had obtained a technique through his own insights, and it felt incredibly novel.

He looked down at his hands and noticed a small handful of snow had appeared in his palms.

The snow wasn't as icy and biting as before; instead, it had a warm, refreshing coolness.

The trust of the Ice Spirit?

"Never mind." Moen snapped out of his thoughts and gently placed the snowflakes from his palm back on the ground.

"There's no use thinking about it so much, let's go back first and talk about it then."

He turned around, preparing to walk back the way he came.

He quickly froze on the spot.

He then realized that everything around him was white, and the footprints he had made on his way there had long been covered by the fresh snow, leaving no trace.

Standing in the middle of the vast snowfield, he completely lost his way.

"..."

Moen looked around, unable to tell which way was which, let alone find Chloe's igloo.

He tried to recall the route he had taken, but all he could see in his mind was a blurry white space, with no landmarks to refer to.

Just as he was about to bite the bullet and randomly choose a direction to try his luck, the snowflakes around him suddenly started to move.

They all tilted in the same direction, like an invisible hand drawing an arrow in the snow.

Moen paused for a moment.

"Are you... giving me directions?"

The snowflakes swirled around, as if nodding.

Moen's lips curled up slightly.

Thanks.

He seemed to understand what Chloe meant by "the snow can talk."

Following the direction indicated by the snowflakes, I took a step forward, and before long, the familiar outline reappeared in my sight.

Chloe remained seated in front of the igloo, her chin resting on her hands, her hair swaying slightly in the wind.

Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Moen emerge from the snowstorm.

"You're back."

"Hmm." Moen walked up to her, squatted down, and took out the large piece of frozen meat from his arms, waving it in front of her.

"Look, I've found food."

Chloe didn't care about being chubby; she stared straight into Moen's eyes.

"Xue told me that you saved a wolf cub."

Moen paused for a moment, then chuckled. "You really can communicate with snow."

"Mm." Chloe nodded.

"Xue also told me that the little wolf was injured, and you healed it with fire. Then its mother took you to find food."

"You know everything now, don't you?" Moen put the frozen meat on the snow beside him, plopped down on the steps, and let out a long sigh.

Chloe turned her head to look at him.

"I want to ask you, why didn't you kill it?"

Moen was taken aback.

His instinct was to say something like that he was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to harm young lives.

These words are both dignified and pleasing to say.

But looking into those clear, bright eyes, he swallowed his words.

He could lie to anyone, but he simply couldn't bring himself to lie to this girl.

"Because I saw its mother there," Moen confessed honestly.

"That adult snow wolf was watching me from not far away. If I dared to touch that cub, it would definitely pounce on me and bite my throat out."

"With my current strength, I can't win."

After he finished speaking, he touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly.

Chloe stared at him for two seconds, then burst out laughing.

The laughter was clear and crisp, carrying far across the vast wilderness.

"You really are a good person."

Moen felt even more embarrassed.

"Am I a good person? I only refrained from fighting because I couldn't win."

"You could have killed that wolf cub and run away," Chloe said, tilting her head as she looked at him.

"Xue told me that you have the ability to darken the surroundings. Although it won't last long, it will be enough for you to escape."

Moen's lips twitched. Xue really did tell her everything.

"But you didn't do that," Chloe continued. "You chose to save it."

"Whether it's because you couldn't beat it or for some other reason, the result is the same—you saved it."

She paused, then reached out and caught a falling snowflake.

"Snow treats everyone fairly."

"The little wolf is hungry and wants to eat meat, and you are hungry and want to eat the little wolf too, that's how it should be."

"But you chose not to eat it, and that is kindness. Kindness doesn't need a reason; kindness itself is the reason."

Moen remained silent for a long time.

Chloe's values ​​are completely different from those of ordinary people; she has her own logic.

In her view, the law of the jungle is a given, but so is kindness.

The two are not contradictory.

"You're a strange child." Moen shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"You're a strange adult too," Chloe said seriously.

"Xue just told me that not all people in gray robes are good people anymore."

"If the other grey-robed men came here and saw me, they would only want to take me away by force."

"You're something else, not only do you not force me, but you also want to build a house here and live here."

Moen gave a wry smile.

"Maybe so."

The two remained silent for a while. He took a deep breath and channeled his magic into his right hand.

"Red Dragon's Claw".

He kept the amount of magic output to a minimum and gently touched the surface of the frozen meat.

The ice melted rapidly under the heat of the flames, and the surface of the flesh sizzled.

The fat sizzled in the high temperature, filling the air with a rich aroma of meat.

Moen swallowed hard.

He hadn't smelled food for a very, very long time.

Since his transmigration, every bite of food he has eaten has tasted like cardboard; dishes that should have been delicious have no flavor in his mouth.

But here, in the Akashic Records, possessing the body of this historical figure, he becomes a living person again.

His heartbeat, body temperature, hunger, and even his sense of smell—everything told him that he was alive.

Moen tore off a piece of roasted meat, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

This is by no means a top-notch delicacy; in fact, it has a slightly burnt and bitter taste due to being overcooked.

But for him, this was the most sumptuous meal he had ever had since he transmigrated.

He chewed greedily, tears welling up in his eyes and dripping down his cheeks onto the snow.

Chloe looked at him quietly, without asking why or offering any words of comfort.

She stood up from the steps, reached out her little hand, and gently patted his back.

As Chloe took the photos, she looked northwest, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

The filthy smell over there seems to be getting stronger.

However, Moen is already very tired, so it's better not to tell him.

The girl prayed quietly, praying that her peaceful life would never be disrupted.