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Luo Wei said casually, "Let's call him Shilute."
The little stone man reminded him of the tree-like creature from a certain movie, so he chose a name that had neither Chinese, African, nor Runic origins. Hela, hearing it, couldn't decipher the reference but didn't bother to question it.
"You'll be called Shilute from now on, understand?" Luo Wei patted the stone figure on the head.
"嘤嘤嘤." Shilute blinked innocently, making it unclear if he understood or not.
Suddenly, he opened his mouth and exclaimed, "Hey!"
Though Shilute couldn't speak yet—or perhaps ever—there was a strange, intrinsic connection between him and Luo Wei, a resonance between creator and creation. Through this link, Luo Wei could faintly sense his emotions.
Hungry?
After pondering for a moment, Luo Wei retrieved a piece of dry rations and handed it to Shilute.
The little stone being bit into the food and immediately spat it out, repeating the action with visible disgust, as though he had bitten into gravel while expecting food.
Not fond of dry rations?
Stones, maybe?
Luo Wei looked around, picked up a few small stones, and offered them to Shilute.
To his astonishment, Shilute eagerly devoured the stones, swallowing them whole with evident delight. He let out another excited, "Hey!"
He really eats stones…
Luo Wei quickly grabbed a large boulder, smashed it with his hammer, and began feeding the fragments to Shilute one by one.
Strangely, despite the boulder being larger than Shilute himself, the little creature consumed the entire thing without growing or excreting anything. There was no sign of change.
Shouldn't digestion follow some natural law?
"嘤嘤嘤!" Shilute pointed to his mouth, clearly indicating he wasn't full yet.
"Still not full?" Luo Wei sighed. "You'll have to wait until evening."
Having rested long enough and with Hela personally guarding him earlier, Luo Wei wasn't about to waste more time. He nodded toward her, and the two resumed their journey, with the stone glutton trailing along.
They continued their hunt, following the previously set route to the next meeting point.
Days passed.
In the dense forest, Hela walked ahead, while Luo Wei dragged a slain golden-horned rhinoceros behind him. The sheer weight of the beast made it a taxing task.
Meanwhile, Shilute sat atop the rhino's back, curiously observing his surroundings as he nibbled on stones.
"Wow—"
A bird call echoed from the sky—a massive eagle flew overhead. Although it wasn't a rare species, its size was exceptional, with a wingspan over ten meters, making it an unusual sight even in the Norn Forest.
Luo Wei raised his hand, channeling the sacred power of the Holy Light.
Hand of Reckoning!
The holy strike agitated the eagle. Irritated by the provocation, it swooped back, claws outstretched, aiming directly at Luo Wei's head.
At that critical moment, a faint gleam of shadow passed.
Hela's sword soared through the air, piercing both wings of the descending eagle with surgical precision.
The eagle spiraled, flailing as it crashed to the ground. It struggled a few times but couldn't rise again.
Hela bound it with enchanted chains and continued dragging it alongside the other prey.
Soon, the familiar meowing of flying cats echoed in the air—the landmark sound of a gathering point.
"Your Highness, you've finally arrived!"
As they stepped into the clearing, Heimd appeared, a wide grin plastered across his face.
Both Hela and Luo Wei were a bit surprised. "Heimd? When did you escape the trolls?"
"On the second day we encountered them," Heimd explained, hopping slightly. "Asgard's forces attacked, and Lord Odin himself came to my rescue."
Luo Wei frowned. "Why are you so giddy?"
Heimd leaned in, grinning conspiratorially. "I've spent the past few days scouting for major prey. You won't believe what I found!"
Luo Wei didn't even try to guess. "What?"
Heimd's eyes sparkled. "A dragon's lair! I saw the beast with my own eyes—just east of this point, about 800 meters—"
"Shut up!" Hela interrupted sharply, casting a subtle glance toward the other side of the gathering.
At that very moment, Skadi arrived with two of her followers. One of them, blindfolded and carrying a longbow, bore an uncanny resemblance to Hoddle.
"Roxas!" Heimd exclaimed in a whisper.
Roxas and Hoddle shared more than just physical similarities. Both were blind and possessed extraordinary perception. While Hoddle's was likely psychic, Roxas was known for his near-supernatural hearing.
If Roxas had overheard Heimd's excited declaration, they were in trouble. The chance of Skadi intercepting the dragon now loomed large.
Heimd's face darkened with guilt, shrinking into silence.
"Let's submit our prey," Hela said calmly, and together with Luo Wei, she dragged the rhinoceros and the fallen eagle to the officials at the center of the meeting point.
From opposite ends, the two royal hunting parties converged—Hela's group and Skadi's. Hunters and Light Elves nearby turned their gazes, observing the two princesses.
"You've made quite the haul," Skadi commented, noting the rhinoceros and eagle.
It was a fair observation. Compared to Skadi's single catch—a crystal deer—the difference was stark.
"There are stone creatures in the Norn Forest?" Roxas spoke up, referring to Shilute. "But humanoid creatures aren't allowed as prey in the Hunting Festival, per the rules."
"He's my companion, not prey," Luo Wei clarified.
Roxas gave a slight nod. "Understood."
Then came Skadi's bombshell: "I believe the dragon in the east should bring this Hunting Festival to a close."
Hela's eyes narrowed, and Heimd groaned, smacking his forehead.
Though he meant no harm, Luo Wei couldn't help but feel frustration.
A dragon! If they'd kept the discovery to themselves, victory would've been all but assured. But now, with Skadi's team in the race, it would be a contest.
Heimd turned apologetically. "I'm sorry, Your Highness Hela…"
Hela's expression remained composed. She smiled and met Skadi's eyes directly. "Good luck."
That night, both hunting teams gathered at the assembly point, preparing for the dragon hunt.
Since the secret was out, there was no need to withhold information.
Hunters gathered around a spread-out map. Heimd pointed to a marked location. "The dragon's lair is here. There's only one, an adult, but not particularly powerful. We can bring it down—but…"
He hesitated.
Hela finished the thought for him. "But our challenge won't be the dragon—it's our rivals."
"…Skadi's team knows about the dragon too," Heimd added. "They'll probably move at dawn, same as us."
The race for the dragon—and the fate of the Hunting Festival—had just begun.
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