Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 234 - 1 Landmark Existence_1

Chapter 234: Chapter 1 Landmark Existence_1

"We must stop them, she cannot step even half a foot into here. Otherwise, disaster will descend immediately; the world will be on the edge of destruction," a man shrouded in a cloak, his face hidden behind a comically childish bear mask, murmurs in a secret chamber. The serious atmosphere, the flickering candlelight, the slanting shadows, and his somber tone accentuated the eeriness and mystery behind the silly grin of the bear mask. "That is why every one of us must give our all. We must be committed to either succeed or perish. Only in this way can we strike them down beyond their range of alertness."

"My lord, older brother," A timid voice of a girl, presumably no older than twelve based on her tone, speaks from behind a small rabbit mask beside the bear mask. "Can we really do this? You know, the enemy is... Are we truly capable of overcoming them together?"

"Do you remember how our father taught us?" A voice filled with nostalgia emerged from under the bear mask, "A true warrior should never hesitate because of doubts about his odds of winning. In face of challenges, there is only one thing a warrior should do—battle and then embrace victory."

"Of course, I remember. I dare not forget Father’s teachings," The owner of the rabbit mask punches her fist against her chest. "Even though Father has abandoned us, I will always remember his guidance."

"Therefore, do not fret over whether we can win." The bear mask lifts his head and says, "As long as we fight with all our might, everything can be overcome."

"Yes, my lord, older brother," The rabbit mask responds ardently. "We will never fear."

"Good. All of you here are my best friends." The bear mask scans the chamber amidst the dim candlelight. In the chamber, there are many figures, sitting or standing, each wearing a peculiar animal mask. There are wolves, lions, nightblade leopards, mountain goats, bison, tiger sharks, various kinds of beasts and fishes represented. "I believe you all understand the gravity of the situation. I hope you will lend me your strength, for the world and the future. Be the wind beneath my wings, and let me soar with your power."

"We understand the severity of the situation, we can lend you our strength," The boar mask, complete with two tusks, taps the teeth on his face. "But can we change these foolish masks first? I’m afraid that if we battle evil with these ridiculous faces, we won’t beat them to death but rather laugh them to death."

"We won’t win," The soil-colored fat cat mask speaks in a somewhat hoarse and husky voice of a young female. "Before our adversary is laughed to death, we would surely die of shame."

"We can’t change them," The little rabbit girl argues anxiously. "The masks are worn to show..."

"We know, the masks symbolize our determination to sever ties with the past," A young man wearing a plains wolf mask, still wet from saliva, replies. "But do we really need that determined expression on such terrifying masks?"

"I’m so disappointed in you all!" Exclaims the bear mask hit the table hard. "You, who can face formidable enemies without fear, are you saying you are afraid of a few masks? If you can’t even bear this small sacrifice, how can we successfully stop that person’s evil plan? How can we prevent her arrival?"

"Alright, alright, you’re the leader, you decide," All the animal masks listlessly wave their hands. "If it’s just wearing a mask, we’ll bear with it. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"That’s it," The bear mask swings his fist with a cry of enthusiasm. "Everyone, keep your spirits up! Everything depends on our actions in the early new year. Let’s prepare well. We do everything for victory, for the future!"

"For the future!" The atmosphere in the secret chamber suddenly becomes impassioned. Everyone shouts with absolute confidence, as if they’ve already seen the glory of saving the world.

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In Yarran Continent’s City of Knowledge, winter holds its own distinct charm. Climate in Yarran is hot in the north and cold in the south, and the Neutral Land of Rhea lies towards the continent’s southern end. So, when the new year approaches, snowflakes often flutter around the City of Knowledge. During this time, you can often see carefree children running and chasing each other around the city streets and alleyways, adding a lively and vibrant feel to the cityscape. And of course, it isn’t just the children. The fluttering snowflakes attract people of all ages to venture out into the cold, seeking joy and innocence amidst the falling snow.

Compared to other city districts, the Fox Street district is rather remote and hence less crowded, with only the occasional passersby who hesitate to mar the pristine snow with their footprints.

"Let’s go, hurry up." A pair of teenage girls, around fifteen or sixteen years old, are walking while tugging at each other. "It’ll be dark soon if we don’t hurry."

"But, I feel so scared." The quieter girl speaks cautiously, "Those rumors are terrifying."

"Don’t worry, I’m here." The lively girl patted her budding chest and energetically pushed the quiet girl forward. "I’ll protect you, no worries at all."

The two girls were playfully making their way forward when suddenly, a head dangled upside down from the branches of a roadside tree. It wouldn’t be accurate to call it just a head. It was a whole human hanging there, his feet hooked on the branch and body swinging towards the ground. But because he was dressed in white, he blended with the pale snow under the dim winter sunset, giving the illusion of a disembodied head on first glance.

The hanging head flashed a charming toothy grin, his eyes brimming with affection as he looked at the two girls, and began to recite in a strange singsong tone, "On such a cold winter’s day, it breaks my heart to see two beautiful young ladies out in the elements. Why don’t I invite you for a drink in the shop up ahead? We can discuss our dreams and life stories, and then...ah!"

"Ahhhhh, he’s here, he’s here, pervert be gone," the quiet girl suddenly screamed, a scream rivalling the Banshee’s Howl, and blindly swatted her handbag at his handsome face with all her might, "Begone, begone, begone!"

The man hanging upside down fell from the tree with a thud, landing headfirst in the snow. This startled the quiet girl, who had just slightly opened her eyes, into another round of screaming and handbag assault. "Ahhh, his head fell off but his eyes are still open, so scary. Begone, begone, begone!"

"Hahahaha." The lively girl pulled the quiet girl away from the upside-down man and ran off, laughing as she did so. "He appeared, he appeared, I knew it, I win, I said he would show up, hahaha."

"I feel like I’ve been turned into some strange curiosity." Naturally, the man hanging upside down was Pannis, now buried in the snow with limbs splayed out. He mumbled to himself, "God, why do girls always run away from me?"

"Because you’re a total pervert." Vivian, who had just returned from school and seen everything, walked over to Pannis and prodded his head with her magic staff, "I just thought of something. Is it because you’re so overwhelmed with guilt that you no longer find spiritual self-torture meaningful, so you’ve started physically punishing yourself now? If that’s the case, do let us know, the three of us would be more than happy to help you know, hehehe."

"I’m not a pervert," Pannis protested as he raised his face, covered in fresh snow, "And I’m not torturing myself. I’m just in pursuit of beauty, it’s not a crime. I am not the one at fault, the world is."

"Really?" A threatening voice drifted over from Catherine, who had been slaving away cleaning the snow in the yard. She had guessed what happened the moment the screams rang out but did not dare to intervene out of embarrassment. Only now did she finally show her face.

"Ah? Cat...Catherine, sure is a big snow day today, hahaha, nothing happened just now, I was just cooling off in the snow, hahaha." Pannis jumped out of the snow, scratching his head and laughing heartily, "Really, that’s all, I absolutely did not attempt to chat up some girls and then get knocked off a tree, absolutely not."

"Ah, this idiot is a lost cause," Vivian commented, slapping her forehead and walking back to the mansion with her staff, "In a way, his existence really is a miracle."

"One month, just one month since we returned from the Shining Forest," Catherine roared, grabbing Pannis by the collar, "In just one month, you’ve already become a sightseeing spot on Fox Street."

"Do you even know what a sightseeing spot is? You’re now as iconic as the Plane Tree Avenue on Manias Street, the Hexagram Mage Tower in the Mage District, and the Central Business Street in the Commercial District. Many bored folks purposely bring their girlfriends here, just to bet on when you’ll appear. Everyone laughs at our house when they pass by here, it’s so embarrassing! I’m even considering erecting a memorial plaque in your honor at our doorstep for passersby to see."

"Wait a minute, I have a very important question," Pannis suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Catherine’s tirade, "Why a memorial plaque? I’m not dead yet!"

"Hehe, hehe," Catherine lowered her head, her hair falling over her eyes and she answered in a chilling tone, "Yeah, I almost forgot, you’re not dead yet, can’t have a memorial plaque."

"Right? See, I told you something wasn’t right," Pannis agreed, nodding in satisfaction.

"But that’s not a problem," Catherine let go of Pannis’s collar and slowly reached for her one-handed sword. "It will be, very soon, very quick. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your memorial plaque is beautiful. Your death will not be in vain."

"I don’t want to die," Pannis, seemingly having seen the tangible grudge surrounding Catherine, frantically scuttled towards the mansion, "Help! Vivian, Catherine’s gone mad, help!"