CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER258-A FRUITFUL HARVEST

Seeing Owen not resist, the little Ice Soul Beast approached his face and, with a swift motion, extended its small paw to scratch him.

Owen chuckled softly, and before the cub could land its scratch, he grabbed its nape, simultaneously sealing its power with his own.

The little Ice Soul Beast, finding itself lifted like a common cat, immediately grew furious.

It roared in anger, clawing at Owen in vain as its paws were too short to reach him.

"Keep roaring, and I might just cook you up for dinner!"

Despite its power being sealed, the continuous roars of the little beast somewhat exasperated Owen, who then glared fiercely at it, eyes glowing red.

Seemingly understanding Owen’s words, the little Ice Soul Beast’s roars subsided, and it nuzzled Owen’s arm in an attempt to appease him, eliciting an eye roll from Owen.

"A bully when strong, a coward when weak," he remarked.

The beast let out a few more cries, its eyes conveying not cowardice but a plea for understanding.

This little Ice Soul Beast’s intelligence was likely not inferior to that of humans, reminiscent of a similar creature housed in the empire’s royal palace, revered as a guardian beast.

Owen placed the creature in his embrace, gently stroking its smooth fur.

"Owen, you’re finally back," Melita approached with hopeful eyes, saying, "What is that? It’s so cute!"

She immediately noticed the little Ice Soul Beast in Owen’s arms and lunged forward, attempting to snatch the cub.

Sensing danger, the little beast puffed up its fur and scrambled frantically into Owen’s embrace.

Melita’s expression gradually stiffened, a hint of indignation rising within her as she reached for the little Ice Soul Beast nestled in Owen’s embrace.

Why should Owen hold it and not her, especially when she considered herself far more appealing than Owen?

Despite its sealed powers, the little Ice Soul Beast remained agile, darting around on Owen’s body to evade Melita’s attempts to capture it.

Initially cautious about physical contact with Owen, Melita’s restraint dissolved in the face of the beast’s defiance.

She began to lunge at Owen, even wrapping her arms around his waist from behind when the Ice Soul Beast fled there, in a bid to seize it more swiftly.

Owen, left with no choice, caught the little beast that had scrambled onto his shoulder.

"Just let her hold it for a while," he conceded, placing the little Ice Soul Beast into Melita’s arms, then teasing, "Keep hugging me, and you might never get married."

Melita’s eyes brightened as she finally held the little Ice Soul Beast, but upon hearing Owen’s remark, she stepped back warily, eyeing him.

"Have you cast some spell on me, making me lose my senses?" she accused.

Bella couldn’t help but retort directly to Melita, "Hmph, you were the one rubbing up against Owen."

"Bella..." Olivia panicked, unprepared for such a remark from the usually calm Bella.

"I..." Melita was momentarily flustered but quickly regained her composure, defiantly meeting Bella’s gaze.

"So what if I hugged Owen? You could do the same!"

"You!" Bella, caught off guard by the comeback, was at a loss for words.

Melita, seizing the shift in the atmosphere to her advantage, hummed triumphantly and said to Bella, "I always knew your attitude towards me was feigned. I haven’t forgotten how you’ve always been against me in the past!"

Moving closer to Owen, she hugged his arm, continuing her gloating.

"And now, I’m even holding his arm. Can you?"

Bella fell silent, her expression freezing.

She couldn’t understand why she had spoken out like that moments ago.

"Let’s not fight," Owen said with a bitter smile, the situation he dreaded most unfolding before him.

"Let’s leave the past in the past. We now face a common enemy."

"Right, it’s not a big deal. Let’s calm down," Olivia quickly stepped forward to mediate.

"Hmph, I’m not angry," Melita snorted.

Bella shook her head lightly, smiling, "Olivia, I’m fine."

Owen sighed in relief, seeing that their argument hadn’t escalated further.

"Let’s go. We haven’t searched the Ice Soul Beast’s cave yet. There might be something valuable," Owen suggested, confident that the cave nearby was the Ice Soul Beast’s lair.

With a smile, he led them towards the cave.

Upon reaching the Ice Soul Beast’s den, the little beast immediately leapt from Melita’s embrace.

With its short little arms outstretched, it stood guard at the cave’s entrance.

"You won’t let us in, will you?" Owen asked, his face breaking into a smile mixed with a hint of menace.

The little Ice Soul Beast showed fear in its eyes but remained steadfast at the entrance.

Owen sighed, recalling what he had heard from the people at the mountain’s base about discovering the body of an adult Ice Soul Beast.

It must have been its parent, not wanting Owen and the others to disturb its family’s remains.

"Let’s go. On one condition: you’ll have to follow me from now on." Owen looked intently at the little Ice Soul Beast, waiting for its response.

He wouldn’t mind breaking into the cave if it didn’t agree.

The little beast’s eyes sparkled, and it scurried into Owen’s embrace.

"Owen, are you really deciding against entering the cave?" Melita expressed her doubt over Owen’s decision.

It was a golden opportunity, after all.

Ice Soul Beasts are incredibly rare, on par with guardian beasts of the nation.

Although the cause of the adult Ice Soul Beast’s death was unknown, the remnants it left behind would undoubtedly be valuable.

She thought it surprising that Owen would give up such an opportunity for a small Ice Soul Beast.

If people knew, they might consider it foolish.

Owen nodded, offering no further explanation.

With Owen’s decision made, Melita naturally had no objections, but it certainly gave her a new perspective on him.

Bella and Olivia were also surprised but didn’t voice any objections.

Having spent time with Owen, they had come to understand him better.

Sometime later, the group came across a particularly rare cave.

Judging by its ancient entrance, it seemed untouched for many years.

"Melita, stand behind and protect them," Owen instructed as he disabled the cave’s protective spells, signaling to Melita.

Aware of the potential dangers within the cave, Melita nodded and replied, "Okay."

Only then did Owen proceed into the cave, unsure why.

The night pearls inside had long since lost their luster.

Owen took a night pearl from his pocket and held it in his hand to better see ahead with his naked eyes.

"Is this a night pearl? It’s so beautiful!" Olivia whispered in awe.

As a noble, night pearls weren’t unfamiliar to her, but Olivia’s family wasn’t wealthy.

"This pearl was quite a challenge to borrow from Marchello. He’d rather gnaw on bark than sell it, which tells you how important it is to him," Owen explained, handing out three more night pearls to the trio behind him.

Indeed, Owen had managed to borrow four night pearls in total, which were said to possess miraculous powers.

The sound of water droplets began to echo around them, sharpening everyone’s focus.

After a quarter of an hour, Owen led them to a vast area filled with treasures.

This place appeared to be the heart of the cave.

"Don’t touch anything," Owen immediately cautioned Olivia as she reached out toward the treasures.

"Why?" Olivia asked, puzzled.

Owen didn’t respond immediately, instead carefully scanning the surroundings.

After a moment, he concluded, "This is indeed a beast’s lair, but it seems to have been gone for a long time."

The creature must have been extraordinary to accumulate such wealth, and what use would it have for all these riches?

Suddenly, a dense aura swept over them from not far away.

At the same time, a fruit emitting a green glow began to rise slowly from the lake in the cave.

Owen, feeling an instinctual pull, turned to look at it, his body trembling with an intense craving that surged from his being into his mind.

"This is a Life Fruit!" Melita’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Each Life Fruit contains countless essences of life, capable of healing even the gravest of wounds in a short time, provided one hasn’t died.

Beyond that, Life Fruits can enhance one’s constitution and extend lifespan, making them one of the most precious items in the world to countless people.

"You can divide those treasures among yourselves; this fruit is very important to me. I will compensate you later," Owen said, immediately heading towards the lake where the Life Fruit had risen.

Moments later, Owen reached the Life Fruit.

Without pausing, and merely an inch away, he quickly picked the Life Fruit and tucked it into his pocket.

"Let’s go," Owen called out to them after seeing they had finished collecting the treasures, joining them swiftly.

The women nodded, excitement sparkling in their eyes.

Although the Life Fruit was the most precious item, they understood that without Owen, they might never have found this place, let alone claim any of the treasures.

Owen was their pillar of support.

"Owen, remember you owe us compensation," Melita reminded him, her broad knowledge making her acutely aware of the Life Fruit’s value.

"Sure, let’s get out of here first.

Whatever you request, I’ll try my best to fulfill it," Owen chuckled lightly, his mood significantly uplifted by acquiring the Life Fruit.