The Domain of Fear
Lilith's face turned pale with fear.
At that moment, her pet dragon, which had been sleeping in the forest, seemed to be awakened by the roar! The once-sleeping dragon was now wide awake, but...
Clearly, both Lilith and Freyr heard the dragon let out a mournful cry!
The dragon's cry was filled with fear!
Freyr and Lilith rushed towards the forest where the dragon had been sleeping. They found Lilith's flame dragon awake, looking around anxiously and letting out uneasy roars. It was clearly frightened.
Lilith quickly ran up to it, raised her hand, and hugged one of the dragon's claws, chanting a spell softly. A faint light emanated from her small hand. Although it was weak, the dragon gradually calmed down.
Its roars turned into low whimpers, and finally, the dragon lowered its head and lay down again, drifting back into sleep.
After casting the spell, Lilith seemed very tired. Freyr approached and noticed that she was unsteady on her feet. He gently supported her arm and whispered, "What happened?"
"I-I don't know. It seems like Lielie was scared, just now…"
"Have you calmed it down now?" Freyr asked. Seeing Lilith nod, he continued, "There was an earthquake and that strange roar. You heard it too, right? It came from the north side of the island... I suspect there's something on this island that we haven't discovered yet... maybe some kind of beast."
Lilith's face turned even paler. Though she was naive, she was still smart.
A beast? What kind of beast could make such a terrifying roar? What kind of beast's roar could frighten a dragon?!
"I need to go check it out," Freyr suddenly declared.
"W-w-won't it be dangerous?"
"Dangerous..." Freyr shook his head. "I don't know. But one thing is certain, this island isn't simple... Look around, there aren't any animals, not even birds! What does that tell you? I suspect there's some fearsome creature on this island, turning it into its territory, which is why there are no other animals. Regardless, we can't leave this island anytime soon. I need to figure out what's going on. Otherwise, we might encounter that creature unexpectedly... You heard that terrifying roar, didn't you? We need to scout the situation so that if we encounter it, we can be prepared and have a plan."
Lilith nodded vigorously. "I-I-I'll go with you!"
Freyr's expression turned serious. "No! Listen, silly girl, you need to stay here and watch over your big pet! What if the roar happens again and the dragon gets scared? You need to take care of it and calm it down. Besides... you're so clumsy, bringing you along would be troublesome. You don't have shoes, how can you traverse this island barefoot to the north?"
"..." Lilith couldn't argue. She thought for a moment, then looked at Freyr pitifully and lowered her head. "Okay."
Freyr picked up a long stick and set off. He didn't go through the forest but chose to follow the beach around the island's edge, skirting the forest to the north. This might take a bit more time, but it could be safer.
The weather was foggy, and Freyr was convinced there was something dangerous on this island—some "beast," presumably. Knowing this, traveling through the forest would be too risky.
Heading north, just as he neared the northern end of the island, Freyr spotted some low trees at the forest's edge with intriguing fruit.
Large, round fruits hung from the trees, and Freyr felt a surge of excitement as he ran over and picked two. But he was quickly disappointed.
These large, green fruits were hollow, much like dried gourds from Freyr's previous world.
Still, Freyr decided to gather several of these large "gourds," tying them to the vine around his waist. If he encountered a dangerous beast, he could run to the sea. These hollow gourds could serve as makeshift flotation devices, allowing him to jump into the water if necessary.
Finally reaching the island's northern tip, Freyr was stunned by what he saw!
The northern part of the island was still forested, but everything was covered in frost!
The beach and the surrounding forest were blanketed in thick frost, as if a small ice storm had just passed through. But it was even more alarming because the climate here couldn't possibly support such a storm!
Moreover, the frosty area was oddly localized! The rest of the island remained unaffected!
Freyr's mind raced as he surveyed the area.
He scanned the horizon, searching for something, but the thick fog made visibility extremely low. He ran along the beach for a while, then searched the nearby forest. Examining the frost on the ground, he dug through it and made a discovery.
The soil beneath the frost was still warm and moist. This frost had appeared suddenly... perhaps by magic?
Freyr quickly ran to the sea. Standing at the shoreline, the waves lapping at his legs, he strained to see out over the water...
Through the fog, he thought he saw something drifting on the surface—a large object, indistinct but with a discernible outline.