'Why are there Beastmen here?!'
The thought flashed through Sergash's mind, but she quickly suppressed her confusion. She dove into the snow, blending in with the white surroundings and using it to mask her scent from the Beastmen's keen sense of smell.
A short distance away, Semia did the same, hiding herself with a practiced silence. She gripped the bone spear at her waist and quietly observed the Snow Forest.
Before long, three Beastmen clad in thick wolf pelts and bone ornaments stomped into view, their footsteps heavy and dull.
The brawny Beastman in the lead gripped a crude skull hammer. He first had the other two patrol the area. After they found nothing unusual, he walked over to the snow elk, whose blood had already frozen into Ice Crystals.
"An ice spike... Magic?"
The Beastman crouched, dipped a finger in the blood, and licked it. He then ran a hand over the elk's body, feeling for any lingering warmth.
"Someone was hunting here. They didn't get far."
