After breakfast, Kimhant went back to quietly printing his newspaper, while Chang Long and the others lounged on the lawn in front of the house under the shade of a large tree, discussing where to go next.

"There are so many places to visit on this island. Should we go to Longshan City first? If you'll go there, we can lead the way!"

Oliang suggested.

"That's right! Longshan City has a vast territory and many attractions. Maybe Firetail might even find some relatives there,"

Draco agreed.

"But since we're already in Kirisakura, why don't we visit the Queen's Cave to the north of the city first? It'll be fun, I guarantee!"

Valentine proposed, catching everyone's interest.

"You're guaranteeing that, Mi!"

Wet Trash Can asked, laughing.

"Yes! I once joined a group of many friends with the same profession to challenge it. It was a lot of fun, but we had to run for our lives,"

Valentine explained with a smile.

"Really! What kind of monsters are in the Queen's Cave, Mi?"

Peach Blossom asked, intrigued by the idea. Thinking that the cave's name really suited her!

"On the way to the Queen's Cave, you'll encounter Yetis, Snowmen, and Polar Bears, but mostly you'll find Yuki-onnas,"

Valentine recalled. The monsters she named were all from cold climates.

"What level are they, Mi?"

Chang Long asked, glancing at Davy-chan and Hisa-chan, who were drinking from gourd-shaped sake bottles from the Sanada clan, with Kitsune happily using the Horn of Abundance to refill them.

"The levels vary, mostly above 40, and the highest is around 60. The higher-level ones are fewer, but there are so many of them. Especially when you step into the Queen's Cave, there's hardly any time to rest!"

Valentine explained excitedly.

"In that case, we need to prepare warm clothes!"

Aden suggested.

"That's up to you. The system isn't designed to be extremely cold, but it's noticeably cooler than usual. Except when you encounter monster skills or weather changes... But you should know this as a ninja,"

Valentine said, eyeing Aden. People who had come to accept profession change quest had to travel to the snowy landscape in the north of Kirisakura City.

"I'm not good with the cold. I saw that there was snow, so I never ventured north of the city,"

Aden replied with a smile.

"What do you think, brother? Should we visit the Queen's Cave before heading to other cities!"

Peach Blossom asked Siegfried, sitting next to her.

"Sounds good. Since we're here, we should explore as much as possible, just as Miss Valentine suggested,"

Siegfried agreed. Everyone then decided to visit the Queen's Cave north of Kirisakura.

After packing their belongings and stocking up on food and water, Chang Long, equipped with the convenient Cone of Abundance, sat comfortably waiting for everyone to be ready. Just as they were about to set off, Kimhant came running towards them with a stack of papers.

"Completely forgot about this guy!"

Draco chuckled, seeing Kimhant hurrying towards them with a look of urgency.

"Master, I finished printing. Oh! Where are you all going?"

Kimhant shouted happily but was puzzled to see everyone with travel bags ready to go.

"We're going to explore the Queen's Cave. You want to stay and sell your newspapers, right?"

Chang Long laughed lightly, having indeed forgotten about Kimhant.

"No way! I want to go too. I'll leave these 500 copies at the system shop first. Please let me come along. Please, please, please!"

Kimhant pleaded like a child, not wanting to miss the fun and the opportunity to gather news without much danger, considering the group's high skill levels.

"You think you'll sell that many? You printed a lot,"

Peach Blossom teased.

"Come on! Don't jinx it. I'm sure they'll sell out in ten minutes!"

Kimhant declared confidently, pounding his chest.

"Well, you seem sure of yourself. Let's see then!"

Chang Long said, leading the group out of the house. Kimhant hurried to the system's teahouse to leave his newspapers for sale. The group waited for ten minutes to see if Kimhant's claim would come true.

"What's the name of your newspaper, anyway? You never told us,"

Oliang asked as he sat on a bench under a cherry blossom tree, common in Kirisakura.

"And how much does it cost?"

Wet Trash Can asked, also curious, as he knew almost nothing about Kimhant's newspaper.

"My newspaper costs 20 coins per issue because it's all in color. The name is, uh..."

Kimhant replied, hesitating when he had to say the name.

"Hm?"

Everyone looked at him with interest. Why was he hesitant to reveal the name of his newspaper?

"Well… It's called The Reaper's Whisperer! Since master funded it, I wanted to honor her, so I used that name…"

Kimhant finally revealed. The newspaper's name was quite unconventional. Typically, it would be something like Reaper News or Reaper Daily!

"It doesn't sound like a newspaper at all,"

Valentine laughed.

"Yeah, it sounds more like a skill name,"

Draco shook his head, laughing. Chang Long looked exasperated as she glanced at her wristwatch, noting the time almost up.

"30 seconds left…"

Chang Long reminded. Kimhant flinched; there was no sign that his newspapers were selling as he had boasted.

"Hmp, I need to pull out the big guns!"

Kimhant muttered to himself before heading towards the teahouse where he had left his newspapers, under the curious gazes of his friends.

"That guy is so stubborn!"

Peach Blossom complained irritably, annoyed that they had to wait for the newspapers to sell instead of heading out to explore with Chang Long.

"Come on! Let's see what he's planning,"

Siegfried said, leaning against a nearby cherry blossom tree, watching Kimhant with interest.

Kimhant acted as if he were browsing the consignment section, where newspapers from the Journalists and Writers Association were also sold. He grimaced before pretending to be indecisive about which newspaper to buy, flipping through both under the bewildered gaze of the shop owner.

"What is he doing? Why is he pretending to read when he wrote them himself?"

Wet Trash Can shook his head, baffled by Kimhant's actions.

"So that's the tactic he mentioned..."

Chang Long said, trying to suppress a laugh. Before anyone could ask her what she meant, Kimhant exclaimed loudly.

"Oh! This one has a clear picture of the Ocean Dragon! You can even see the elemental gems embedded in its brow!"

Kimhant's loud announcement caught the attention of the teahouse customers and passing players.

"Ah! and here's the detailed account of the recent raid on the Crow Group! They even interviewed a high-ranking member of the Sanada Clan!" (This was one of the rewards Kimhant had requested, ensuring that the Sanada Clan would not give interviews to any other journalists other than him.)

Hearing this, the players quickly gathered around to check out the newspaper Kimhant was holding. Once they confirmed the content was as he described, they scrambled to buy The Reaper's Whisperer, selling out in less than a minute.

"Impressive move!"

Oliang complimented as Kimhant rejoined the group.

"Hehe, it's nothing really!"

Kimhant scratched his head, blushing at the praise.

"Do you have a copy left for us to see?"

Wet Trash Can asked, now curious about the newspaper's contents after Kimhant's extravagant promotion.

"Of course! I saved one copy for everyone to look at," Kimhant said, pulling a newspaper from his bag and handing it to Wet Trash Can first.

"Now that the newspaper business is settled, let's head to the Queen's Cave. It's quite a trek to get to the end of the cave!"

Valentine urged once more.

"Whoa, are you planning to go all the way to the end of the cave, Miss Mi?!"

Draco asked, astonished.

"Yes! Let's go,"

Valentine replied with a bright smile and immediately offered to lead everyone to the northern city gate.

Less than a kilometer from the northern city gate, Chang Long's group began to feel the chill in the air. The snow thickened as they progressed. Near the city, there were plenty of players hunting monsters since their levels were not too high. But the deeper they ventured into the mountains, the fewer players they encountered.

"So, Mi, is this 'far' distance you mentioned referring to the distance to the Queen's Cave?"

Oliang asked after they had been walking for quite some time without reaching their destination. The monsters in the area were quite challenging, especially the yetis. These creatures were massive, fierce, and tough, requiring the group to work together to bring them down.

"We're almost there. It's taking longer because we have to fight along the way,"

Valentine explained.

"Look! Is that the Queen's Cave, Mi?"

Kimhant asked excitedly when he saw a large ice cave ahead.

"That's it, Kimhant. That's the Queen's Cave,"

Valentine confirmed with a smile, quickening her pace as she led everyone to the entrance.

"Alright, just a heads up. Keep your essential items easily accessible because we won't get many breaks inside. The cave is like a maze, so stay close together,"

Valentine advised loudly over the howling wind. Everyone arranged their necessary items such as crystals, placing them in special pockets on their shirt and pants for easy access.

Once everyone was ready, Valentine led them into the cave. Snowballs were hurled at them as a greeting, causing Chang Long's group to scatter in surprise, evading the snowballs. The cave entrance was guarded by several snowmen, who started throwing snowballs chaotically upon spotting the intruders.

"Damn, why are there so many? Usually, there aren't this many monsters at the entrance!"

Valentine exclaimed, hiding in a side passage and peeking out to see snowballs flying everywhere. Obstructing the view of the cave.

"This is bad!"

Aden, who had followed Valentine, exclaimed when he realized it was just the two of them.

"Hoo~ Where is Master Chang? I don't want to be stuck with Oliang and Draco!"

Peach Blossom wailed, realizing she was with the two guys with no signs of Chang Long or Siegfried.

"Hoo~ Boss. Master. Where did everyone go?"

Kimhant panicked, finding himself alone with Kitsune.

"How did I end up alone here..."

Wet Trash Can muttered, looking around in confusion at the empty, eerie surroundings.

"Where did everyone go..."

Chang Long wondered aloud, seeing that only Siegfried was with her. There was no sign of the others.

"I think we should keep moving forward. Going back won't help us find anyone, and the snowballs from those snowmen have blocked our way back,"

Siegfried suggested calmly.

"Uh-huh... let's go."

Chang Long took the lead down the single path ahead. Siegfried pulled a torch from his bag, smiling slightly as he followed closely behind her.

Along the way, they constantly encountered Yuki-onna, who came to greet them with relentless attacks. After a long battle, they finally managed to take a break. Peach Blossom seemed the most comfortable, having two bodyguards looking after her, so she did not have to exert herself much. On the other hand, the unluckiest and most exhausted member was Wet Trash Can, who had to navigate the journey alone.

"Geez! They start off all pretty, but turn scary as hell when they attack. Reminds me of ghosts from Ju-on!"

Wet Trash Can grumbled to himself, already afraid of ghosts, which made the battles even more terrifying for him.

Yuki-onna appeared as beautiful women in spotless white kimonos, with skin as white as snow and faces flawless when calm. Their eyes were blue like ice crystals. They usually emerge silently, spreading a chilling aura before unleashing snowstorms on their enemies. Their faces turned terrifying during the attacks.

"Yuki-onna, level 45, preparing to attack!"

The system alert caused Wet Trash Can, who had just started to relax, to jump in fright. He pressed his lips together tightly, not wanting to turn and face the Yuki-onna behind him.

"Intruder, die!"

"Aaahhh!" Wet Trash Can screamed at the top of his lungs, throwing his dignity to the wind as he ran away like a terrified girl.

"That sounds like someone screaming... I hope everyone's alright!"

Valentine said, glancing around from her position with Aden, both sitting back-to-back.

"I'm sure they're fine. I checked the friend list earlier, and everyone's still there. But calling them might not be a good idea since they might not be able to answer, hehe,"

Aden said, chuckling.

"Let's keep moving! We don't want to be the last ones to the Queen's Chamber,"

Valentine smiled, and Aden nodded as they stood up to continue their journey.

Meanwhile, Kitsune and Kimhant were in a tough spot. Luckily, with Kimhant now at level 50, he could help Kitsune fight without being a burden, much to his delight. Not only was he not a hindrance, but he also managed to help his boss take down the Yuki-onna quickly.

"Boss, what did master say?"

Kimhant asked, putting on his dark sunglasses to avoid seeing the Yuki-onna in their horrifying forms.

"Master said she's at the cavern where the ice is blue in the cave,"

Kitsune replied after communicating with Chang Long telepathically.

"Let's hurry and catch up then. I miss her already,"

Kimhant said eagerly. Though he was proud of his own abilities, he felt less safe staying with just Kitsune as the risk of serious injury or worse was higher than staying with the group.

"What's wrong with being with me, hmp?"

Kitsune gave Kimhant a sharp look, as if reading his thoughts.

"Woah! It's not that being with you isn't good, boss. It's just that I haven't had a chance to take any pictures. If we meet up with the master, I'll have more opportunities to snap some shots. Besides, the cavern where master is sounds really interesting,"

Kimhant quickly explained, but Kitsune seemed uninterested in listening and yawned.

"Let's go,"

Kitsune said, leading the way.

"Aw... boss is just messing with me."

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