C8 Beauty and Monster!

Zhao Zhe had never experienced the embrace of a girl, despite his years. Now, he found himself enveloped by one who had just bathed; her soft hair caressed his cheek, and a delicate fragrance from her body filled his senses, bringing a sense of peace and contentment. The hug, though frail, conveyed a warmth reminiscent of a mother's tender love.

However, this moment of bliss was fleeting. Suddenly, Zhao Zhe was spun and flung through the air, uttering a startled moan as he went.

Confused, Zhao Zhe couldn't grasp what had just occurred. He initially suspected that Xiaoxue had lost her restraint and launched a surprise attack when he was most vulnerable, using seduction to slow his reaction. By the time he hit the ground, he was at a complete disadvantage, seemingly at her mercy.

"Master! Run!" The shout reached Zhao Zhe before he could even attempt to rise. The cry didn't align with his previous assumption. Xiaoxue was urging him to flee? But hadn't she just ambushed him?

Reacting instinctively, Zhao Zhe spun around, only to be met with a terrifying sight—a snow-white beast had Xiaoxue pinned to the ground. As it prepared to leap again, its sights set on Zhao Zhe.

"Enemy alert!" His assistant's voice rang in his head.

"Shut up!" Zhao Zhe snapped back. He was painfully aware of the danger. It dawned on him that Xiaoxue's earlier action of throwing him aside was an act of protection. The beast had leaped in, targeting Zhao Zhe, who stood before Xiaoxue. She, facing the creature, had spotted the threat first and, in a critical split-second, had pushed Zhao Zhe out of harm's way to intercept the beast's initial attack.

Fumbling for the military knife he carried, Zhao Zhe's hands shook. He was no stranger to fights, but facing this snow-white creature was a first. His human instinct to tense up in the face of the unknown was undeniable.

"Master, run!" Xiaoxue, previously overpowered by the beast's front hooves, had managed to rise and was now grappling with its hind legs. The creature's front hooves were already airborne, lunging for Zhao Zhe, but Xiaoxue's intervention caused it to stumble. Despite her efforts, the powerful beast, dragging Xiaoxue along, still managed to land on Zhao Zhe.

In a moment of sheer panic, Zhao Zhe finally managed to draw his military knife and lunged at the white-furred beast. His movements were driven by instinct, his mind clouded with fear and alarm. The aim and force behind his knife were off, and to make matters worse, the creature's fur was so smooth and resilient that the blade failed to penetrate its body, instead slipping and stabbing at empty air.

As the monster pinned Zhao Zhe down with its front hooves, he got a clear look at the creature. It was an enormous white rat, the size of a small calf, with sharp teeth that promised deadly intent. Its mouth gaped open, revealing fangs that dove straight for Zhao Zhe's neck.

Zhao Zhe was stunned, unsure of what to do next. He had never encountered such ferocity in any of his previous fights—this was a matter of life and death, and the creature before him was no human; the inherent fear of monsters was enough to overwhelm him.

At the critical moment when Zhao Zhe's neck was about to be viciously torn, a small hand intervened, desperately blocking the monster's mouth. Xiaoxue was risking her own life to save his. The monster's jaws clamped down, and the arm that had courageously obstructed its path was punctured with bloody holes, splattering Zhao Zhe's face with blood.

The shock forced Zhao Zhe's mouth agape, and as the taste of salt hit his throat, a wave of clarity washed over him. Xiaoxue had once again put her life on the line for him. Now, she was locked in a struggle with the beast, her injured arm still caught in its mouth, putting her at a severe disadvantage and in imminent danger.

Zhao Zhe snatched up the military knife and dove into the fray, but the fight was too fierce. Before he could land a blow, he was sent flying by a powerful kick, losing his grip on the knife in the process.

With a thunderous crash, the shelves in the hall toppled over, scattering food and tools across the floor. Zhao Zhe had barely managed to stand when a rolling object sent him tumbling, nearly knocking his teeth out.

As Xiaoxue's strength waned, Zhao Zhe grew desperate. He grabbed whatever he could from the ground and thrust it at the monster. But this object wasn't a knife; it seemed to do no harm to the creature's hide, which paid him no mind. On closer inspection, Zhao Zhe realized, to his astonishment, that he was holding the electric baton he had previously stored at the bottom shelf. He had forgotten about this potent weapon, which he never would have left within Xiaoxue's reach had he remembered—what if she had turned it against him?

Zhao Zhe slammed the switch, and with a resounding crash, the monster poised to harm Xiaoxue was electrified and flung away! Xiaoxue was safe, but she barely had time to register the injury on her arm before she snatched up the military knife Zhao Zhe had dropped and lunged at the creature.

What ensued was a scene of such savage brutality that it was scarcely fit for human eyes. The seemingly frail Xiaoxue wielded the military knife, battling the ferocious, wild beast in a clash so fierce it seemed to darken the sky and shake the earth. The outcome of the struggle between the beauty and the beast was still uncertain as blood sprayed in torrents, drenching Zhao Zhe from head to toe.

Zhao Zhe, looking like a fool, dodged to the left only to be splattered with blood, blinding him. He hastily ducked to the right, but unexpectedly, the monster's hoof caught him, sending him tumbling to the ground in a most humiliating fashion. He was the epitome of helplessness.

At last, the battle reached its conclusion. Both the monster and the beauty lay on the ground, the monster atop Xiaoxue, as silence fell. A rivulet of blood meandered along the terrain, pooling at Zhao Zhe's feet.

"Are they both dead?" the assistant inquired.

Scrambling to his feet, Zhao Zhe exclaimed, "No, no, please, let that girl be alright."

"Why are you so concerned about her now?" the assistant questioned. "Didn't you say you'd let her leave after finding out the situation?"

While moving the monster's body, Zhao Zhe retorted, "You don't understand a thing. There's real danger in this time and place. With my current abilities, surviving is a challenge. Having someone to guide me would make things much easier. This is your fault for letting someone play the mission without providing the Goldfinger. You expect me to wait until the first mission is complete, but by then, I might already be dead. What good is the Goldfinger if I'm not around to use it? Hey, don't you die on me. Please, don't die."

Xiaoxue lay weakly on the ground, covered in blood. Zhao Zhe was genuinely frightened. It had not been easy to encounter a living person, and through their ordeal, he had come to trust her. If she were to die now, finding another person to trust would be a daunting task. Without someone familiar to guide him, navigating this time and space would be all the more arduous.

"Wake up, wake up, don't die, please don't die..." Zhao Zhe pleaded, shaking Xiaoxue's shoulders.

"Master... please stop shaking me, I'm... I'm alright," Xiaoxue opened her eyes, her face smeared with blood, presenting a ghastly sight.

Relieved that she was okay, Zhao Zhe realized the white-furred creature must have perished. "Xiaoxue, thank you. You've saved my life twice now, which cancels out the time I saved you today. I still owe you one," he acknowledged.

Xiaoxue responded with reserve, "Master, you shouldn't speak like that. You saved my life and offered me refuge. I belong to you now, and it's my duty to save you. My life cannot be compared to yours."

Debating the nuances of human rights with Xiaoxue seemed futile, so Zhao Zhe refrained from further discussion. He carefully lifted her onto the bed before turning his attention to the white-furred creature.

"Master, that's a snow rat. The sudden weather change must have driven them to seek shelter. I'm not sure how this one got in here, but thankfully, it was alone. A pack would have spelled disaster for us," Xiaoxue explained from the bed as she attempted to mend her shredded clothing before trying to rise.

"Stay in bed," Zhao Zhe insisted.

But Xiaoxue was determined, "I'm alright, Master. We wouldn't have suffered this much if it hadn't ambushed us. What was that round thing? It felt like it bit me."

Zhao Zhe slapped his forehead, realizing he must have accidentally shocked Xiaoxue with the electric baton. Surprisingly, she had not only withstood the shock but had also managed to counterattack effectively. It appeared that the human constitution in this place was not as he had previously imagined.

The rodents that lived in the snow were aptly named snow rats. They might have been ordinary mice before the extreme climate wreaked havoc, but now they seemed as formidable as wolves. It was indeed fortunate that they had managed to kill one.

Zhao Zhe was about to drag the corpse outside and bury it in a snow pit when Xiaoxue intervened, "Master, hold on a moment. I need to take its eyes."

Startled, Zhao Zhe exclaimed, "Ah, why do you need its eyes? If you're hungry, I have plenty of food here. Whatever you want to eat, I can provide something even better."

The assistant's voice echoed in Zhao Zhe's mind, "Master, just because she saved you once, you're changing your stance? You have no principles. You should keep evaluating her."

Zhao Zhe rebuked the assistant, "Be quiet. The evaluation is over; there's no need for further scrutiny. She could have easily killed me or manipulated someone else to do it, but she didn't. That proves her genuine purity and kindness."

As Xiaoxue turned the snow rat's body over, she explained, "Master, aren't you aware? The eyes of all wild beasts are snow nuclei. And if you're really lucky, you might find a Crystal Heart. That's quite valuable and can be traded for a lot of food."

Snow nucleus? Crystal Heart? Zhao Zhe was bewildered. The assistant in his consciousness quickly defended itself, "Don't ask me. I'm merely the time travel assistant. My duties are limited to navigating through time and coordinating missions. Beyond that, I know nothing."