Chapter 433: Chapter 381: Didn’t Even Leave a Little More for Me

"I see." The team leader felt a pang of regret. ’What a shame,’ he thought. He had been hoping to make some extra cash.

The 12th District was different from the others. Situated on an ice plain, it had vast stretches of No Man’s Land and bordered the North Sea. This made it one of the closest regions to the Sea Clan, second only to the Sea Area itself. Members of the Sea Clan would even occasionally come ashore to do a bit of business.

The relationship between the Sea Area and the Beast Alliance wasn’t great, but they weren’t sworn enemies like the Heavenly Beast Clan. Nor were they as insular and xenophobic as some of the more primitive communities.

Precisely because of its proximity to the Sea Area and the North Sea serving as a natural defensive shield, the 12th District was classified as one of the Central Districts, even though it was on the fringes of the Beast Alliance. It could at least protect itself, even if it couldn’t fully develop, and the Beast Alliance would still provide support.

The 12th District was vast and had few Mutant Species, so many Mixed Breeds and Beastmen who couldn’t make it in other districts flocked there.

To make management easier, and given the small permanent population, the 12th District’s property regulations were different from other zones. As long as you were willing to pay, you could buy or build a house in the outer district. However, the associated costs were high. This meant the outer district still struggled to retain ordinary Beastmen. For a chance at more resources, even the Mixed Breeds mostly headed for the Inner City District.

Anyone who left a house vacant but still paid for its upkeep was clearly not short on cash. The maintenance fees were far more expensive than the cost of the property itself. The 12th District offered favorable land acquisition policies to attract residents, and buying a house outright was cheap, too. Even if it couldn’t convince people to stay, it could at least maintain a flow of people in and out.

This was especially true for females from other districts. They might just be looking for a novel experience and would only stay a few days out of the year. Collecting those maintenance fees was easy money.

But to his dismay, some other security guard had already taken the job.

The team leader glanced back, sighing inwardly once more. ’Such a shame.’

Making money was secondary. The real prize was the chance to get to know that cute young lady.

Then he had an idea. He opened his personal info page on his terminal and held it out to the two males. "You can add me as a contact. Next time you need anything, just call me directly. I do more than just house maintenance. If you need a guide, or recommendations for sleds and hotels, I’m your man. The Inner City District is notorious for ripping off newcomers like you. I’d advise you to find a trustworthy guide."

Alex and Barto didn’t really care about getting ripped off. As long as Gu Ning was happy, money was no object.

But they knew it would bother Gu Ning a great deal. If she found out they’d been overcharged, she’d probably dwell on it all day.

This team leader seemed reliable enough.

Ordinarily, both of them would have questioned him thoroughly, but their minds were elsewhere. They just wanted to get this over with.

Alex was about to open his terminal to add the team leader’s contact info when Barto stepped in front of him, adding the man first. "This is my house," Barto said. "I’ll contact you if I need anything."

"Alright," the team leader replied. "Feel free to reach out if you need anything at all."

Alex’s gaze lingered on the fox for a moment. He lowered his wrist and walked over to Gu Ning, who was waving at him.

The team leader started to follow, but Barto grabbed him and asked in a low voice, "Who’s in charge of this area?"

The team leader gave him a strange look. "Aren’t you the one paying the property management fees?"

"I mean the person in overall charge," Barto said.

"The houses here are pretty spread out," the leader explained. "We manage them in small teams. You’ll have to find the specific person you’re paying the fees to."

It was a private gig, a side hustle for the security team members. Even colleagues who knew each other wouldn’t reveal their clients’ information.

"WOOF! BA!"

Standing on the sled, Gu Ning saw that Barto still hadn’t moved. She waved at him, and Cook helped by barking for him.

"Coming!" Barto called back.

Seeing it was getting late, Barto suppressed his questions, deciding he would find another chance to ask the team leader later.

He walked to the vehicle and glanced back at the log cabin. He placed the case of Crystal Stones he was holding in the car, closed the passenger-side door, then hopped onto the sled. Shoving Cook aside, he stood behind Gu Ning and wrapped his arms around her.

"Great," Lanuo muttered, seeing he was the only one in the vehicle. "Guess bringing this car was a waste."

Just as he said that, a faint sound came from the roof of the vehicle.

Philinos had landed on the roof.

Lanuo knocked on the roof. "You want to drive?" He wanted to catch a little nap.

There was no response.

Lanuo took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses, and started the vehicle, following the sled.

’I need to find time to have a serious talk with Alex. Once we get to Zone 5, I’m not putting up with these guys anymore.’

*

The sled and the off-road vehicle pressed onward, soon shrinking into a tiny dot on the vast, snowy plain.

Long after they had departed, a Beastman figure emerged silently from the woods behind the log cabin.

The Beastman wore a greyish-white coat, with a hat and mask of the same color, allowing him to nearly merge with the snowy landscape. He stood on a snow-covered slope, watching until the two distant specks vanished completely from sight before heading toward the log cabin.

The Beastman didn’t use the front door. Instead, he slid open a wooden panel at the back of the cabin and ducked inside. He stood in the middle of the living room, observing the signs of a recent search. His gaze fell upon the broken staircase, and his brow furrowed slightly. Walking over to the stairs, he moved a pile of junk to reveal a smashed hidden compartment beneath the floorboards.

The Beastman crouched, reaching in to pick up the three pitiful Crystal Stones left inside.

After a moment, a soft chuckle echoed through the quiet cabin.

It was a mix of exasperation and resignation.

Staring at the three Crystal Stones in his hand, the Beastman pulled down his mask and sighed. "You little mutt. Couldn’t even leave your big brother a few more."

Kaper shook the Crystal Stones. Their faint blue light shimmered against the glowing silver patterns on his palm. "At least you left me something," he mused. "Otherwise, I’d have to whip you."

With that, he stood up and prepared to go upstairs.

After taking a single step, Kaper paused. He turned back, tossed one of the Crystal Stones into the hidden compartment, and moved the junk back into place. Then, using the edge of the broken staircase for leverage, he leaped up to the second floor.

A moment later, the sound of a sharp inhale, followed by a heavy exhale, drifted down from the second floor.

Kaper stared at the utter mess on the second floor. His gaze fell on the empty space where the sled race trophy used to sit, and a vein in his temple began to throb.

He paced around the cluttered floor a few times before collapsing straight back onto the bed, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

Lying there amidst the swirling dust, Kaper contemplated his dog’s life—acting as both brother and father—and wondered where it had all gone so wrong.

’Was I too strict with that mutt, Cook? Did he think that as soon as I was dead, he should gleefully clear out the entire family savings?’

’Or was the little mutt just asking for a thrashing?’

’Or maybe I’d thrashed him so much I scrambled his brains, making him forget every single thing I ever told him.’

After lying on the bed for a while, Kaper sniffed the air. He caught the thick, lingering stench of a wolf in heat and frowned in disgust, rubbing his nose as he sat up.

’It wasn’t any wolf I know.’

’Why would Cook be with that group? Shouldn’t he be with Vine?’

’What is that treacherous lion plotting?’

Kaper sat with his head bowed amidst the swirling dust, his eyes fixed on the faintly glowing, silver-blue patterns on his left hand. He pressed his temples, pulled his hat and mask back on, and stood up to leave the log cabin.

’I have to get that trophy back.’

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