Chapter 147: The Icy Wall and Lingering Fears

Just as dawn was breaking, Bai Yu and Ellie Roth began to advance steadily along the ice wall. Though their hopes were slim, they pressed on, wondering if perhaps a breach or some hidden gate might exist within the formidable ice wall. Bai Yu herself didn’t truly believe such things were possible. Their method of travel remained unchanged: Bai Yu carrying Ellie Roth through the air, as it was undeniably the swiftest way to proceed.

Bai Yu no longer mentioned any compensation from Ellie Roth.

After all, yesterday’s foot massage had left Bai Yu with a slight sense of unease. To think that the young lady of a prominent family would humble herself to give her a foot massage. Perhaps it would be best to refrain from such jokes in the future.

‘Lest Ellie Roth awaken some undesirable habit,’ Bai Yu mused inwardly.

Lost in thought, Bai Yu’s arms tightened around Ellie Roth instinctively.

Ellie Roth’s figure, while well-proportioned, was not overly voluptuous. Thus, Bai Yu’s tight embrace immediately caused her a degree of discomfort. Concurrently, the thrilling sensation brought a blush to Ellie Roth’s cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” Ellie Roth turned her head, looking at Bai Yu as she asked.

“Ah, no, nothing at all. I was just lost in thought for a moment, pondering a few things.” Bai Yu quickly shook her head, loosening her arms slightly from around Ellie Roth. While Ellie Roth’s development wasn’t exaggerated, the softness and tactile sensation were quite pleasant. Unwittingly, Bai Yu had taken a rather ‘reasonable’ advantage, and the sensation was quite pleasant.

Ellie Roth frowned. She wasn’t sure if Bai Yu had done it on purpose, but even without her current situation, she knew certain areas were not to be casually touched. Ellie Roth, as the young lady of the Charlotte Family, was acutely aware of matters concerning personal privacy, having received systematic instruction on such etiquette. However, she truly had no experience, nor the inclination or mood to act on such things.

‘Never mind,’ Ellie Roth sighed inwardly. After all, she had only managed to teleport the Curse Seal Blade and some basic provisions from her wondrous items storage, leaving her with virtually nothing else.

Food was out of the question, and even water was unavailable. Consequently, she was now entirely dependent on Bai Yu for survival, a reality that compelled her to remain silent to a certain extent.

After all, her upbringing in the Charlotte Family made it impossible for her to owe anyone. This was a matter of her self-respect and pride. Yet, yesterday, when she had massaged Bai Yu’s feet, she hadn’t felt any humiliation. In fact, she simply couldn’t tear herself away from Bai Yu’s delicate, fair feet. She was certain that even in her most focused and excited moments, she had never been so engrossed. But Bai Yu had managed it. The excitement she experienced in that scenario was even more intense and thrilling than when she fought with all her might.

Her blood was practically boiling, surging through her veins.

‘Is this the power of a nemesis?’ A profound shock rippled through Ellie Roth. ‘What a truly terrifying opponent.’ To achieve such intensity from merely pressing a foot… what if it were something else? Ellie Roth felt a surge of fear. ‘I must be careful. What if I do something improper?’ she thought, a blush rising to her cheeks.

“Ellie Roth,” Bai Yu suddenly called out, startling her.

“What is it? Is there something else I need to do?” Ellie Roth asked nervously, which made Bai Yu look at her suspiciously.

“What’s wrong with you? I just wanted you to look at those things on the ground.”

“Oh, I see…” Ellie Roth felt a slight disappointment, but instantly regained her composure, looking in the direction Bai Yu indicated. The moment she looked, Ellie Roth noticed something was amiss, her brows furrowing. Below the ice wall, layer upon layer of bones were piled up. Judging by their appearance, they didn’t seem to be animal bones, but rather human-like. Even if not human, they were certainly from humanoid creatures; the shape of the skulls didn’t lie.

“These are…” Ellie Roth murmured, an idea already forming in her mind.

“They’re probably people who tried to cross over, either falling from the ice wall or dying by some other accident,” Bai Yu said softly, controlling her wings as she slowly descended.

“Should we go down…?” Ellie Roth’s voice was small, and to Bai Yu’s surprise, she detected a hint of fear in her tone.

“You’re actually afraid of these things? Surely the souls of those you’ve slain far outnumber these…” Bai Yu remarked with exasperation. She had witnessed Ellie Roth mercilessly slaughtering pirates on the open sea—a sight utterly devoid of fear. This unexpected contrast in Ellie Roth’s character piqued Bai Yu’s interest.

“That’s completely different! These skeletons are nothing like people who have just died!” Ellie Roth pouted, then added, “And I’m not scared; I simply detest such things.”

Ellie Roth insisted stubbornly.

“Alright, alright. If you’re scared, just stay close to me.” Bai Yu shook her head, understanding Ellie Roth completely now. This was indeed fear. And indeed, fear of skeletons was understandable, for it was a primal terror etched into human genes, a sentiment Bai Yu could well comprehend. Yet Bai Yu felt nothing, and Ellie Roth only wanted to see if there were any clues.

Perhaps it was because she was no longer truly human; after all, while a Witch might appear indistinguishable from a human woman, she was, in essence, an entirely different species.

Bai Yu continued walking along the pile of bones, observing their clothing. Seeing these skeletons confirmed that life had indeed existed here.

Bai Yu frowned, noticing the varied attire adorning the skeletons. Some even wore clothing from the last century, while others sported modern sportswear. This made Bai Yu wonder if all these people had been accidentally teleported here. This seemed far too outlandish. If such were truly the case, various Arcanist organizations would undoubtedly be alarmed by the situation. The sheer number of skeletons here was terrifying. And though the individuals who had been transported here might not have been Arcanists themselves or possessors of wondrous items, it was evident they were far from ordinary people. After all, the sudden disappearance of Arcanists wasn’t usually a mystery, and if such events occurred frequently, it would surely draw significant attention to teleportation Arcanist arts and wondrous items. No one desired to find themselves in such a place after a single teleportation.

After a few cursory glances, Bai Yu stopped paying attention to the skeletons; prolonged exposure to such sights could certainly affect one’s mood. Continuing to investigate here would yield no further progress, so it was better to keep moving forward.