Chapter 957 Frostjade Whetstones
Although Monarch Blizzardpaw had high strength as a Paragon-level Winter Cat, there were many things he couldn't resolve with strength alone.
Or rather, even with Paragon-level strength, it wasn't enough to solve his tribe's problems.
Leon realized that the toll on Monarch Blizzardpaw's mind had been much greater than he thought.
Monarch Blizzardpaw had to watch the young Winter Cats starved to death helplessly.
Furthermore, he still had to procure food after the sea monsters returned to the sea region when other adult Winter Cats were too weakened to hunt.
Monarch Blizzardpaw may have very well been the only Winter Cat capable of hunting during those trying times.
The amount of work that Monarch Blizzardpaw had to put in for the continuation of the Winter Cat Tribe during each of these food crises was unimaginable.
As such, it wouldn't be strange for Monarch Blizzardpaw to wish he could put everything down after meeting someone who could provide better care for his tribes.
The Winter Cats had better reproduction than humans. Yet, their population does not even exceed the tens of thousands due to the difficulty of living in the cold north.
Leon couldn't understand how much perseverance was needed to continue this grueling lifestyle for hundreds of years.
"It must have been very difficult managing the tribe on your own," Leon commented.
"It was," Monarch Blizzardpaw nodded. But then, he shortly added, "But don't be mistaken. If it's for the tribe, this Monarch can continue to endure these hardships until this Monarch's life expires."
"The reason this Monarch readily agreed isn't just because you have the capacity to supply such large amounts of food at a moment's notice. More importantly, you have the power to protect the Winter Cat Tribe."
"Toiling in the cold north, not knowing when the next meal may be… You know, it's not bad to a big tree—and a fairly big one at that, to take shelter under," Monarch Blizzardpaw stated.
Leon immediately understood that Monarch Blizzardpaw had mistaken him for someone extremely powerful due to his dragon aura.
Monarch Blizzardpaw wasn't wrong, but not exactly right either. He was indeed powerful, but his strength was unbalanced.
Nevertheless, after exchanging words for some time, Leon's group built a closer relationship with Monarch Blizzardpaw and the Winter Cat Tribe.
Following the conclusion of their talk, Monarch Blizzardpaw guided them to a relatively big entrance that led to the Winter Cat Tribe hidden beneath the thick icy surface of the frozen sea.
However, the so-called big entrance was only in comparison to the other smaller entrances. It wasn't made according to human standards.
It was wide enough, but it wasn't high enough.
"It looks like we will have to crawl inside," Leon commented wryly.
"Ahem…" Monarch Blizzardpaw coughed and awkwardly said, "We don't usually receive human guests around here…"
Monarch Blizzardpaw wanted to show his hospitality to Leon's group. As such, he was ashamed that he had to make his honored guests crawl to the tribe.
"Meow, meow, meow, meow!"
"Meow, meow, meow!"
The nearby Winter Cats suddenly meowed at Leon's group just as they prepared to crouch down and crawl into the opening.
It was clear that the Winter Cats were saying something to them. But unfortunately, Leon and the others could not understand the Winter Cats' language.
"What are they saying, Monarch Blizzardpaw?" Leon inquired.
"They are requesting you all to wait. They wish to repay you for the food by making it more convenient for your group to enter the tribe," Monarch Blizzardpaw translated.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Leon said.
"Meow, meow!"
The Winter Cats meowed at Leon again when he attempted to crawl into the opening, causing Leon to pause and glance back at the Paragon-level Winter Cat for further translation.
"They insist," Monarch Blizzardpaw stated.
Leon shrugged his shoulders and conceded, allowing the Winter Cats to work on making the passageway bigger.
Nevertheless, Leon and the others got to see the sharpness of the Winter Cats' fangs and claws in effect.
Thanks to the celestial ice power of the Celestial Ice Spark, the frozen sea was incredibly firmer than ordinary ice.
Its hardness could even compare to the defense of Rank 1 Transcendents.
Even so, the Winter Cats tore through the ice easily with their sharp fangs and claws.
Elizabeth and the other ladies could all see that no matter the strength and age of the Winter Cat, their fangs and claws all possessed a sharpness that could tear through a Paragon's defense.
At that moment, Aria was still holding Snowhisker in her arms.
"You have such sharp claws too, don't you? What will happen if you accidentally scratch me with them?" Aria uttered while playing with Snowhiskers's paws.
"Meow!" Snowhisker replied and retracted its claws as if it had understood Aria's words.
"Oh?" Aria noticed its subtle action and beamed, "Are you trying to be considerate of me? You are so precious."
She fed Snowhisker another piece of sea monster meat from her interspatial ring.
Nevertheless, the Winter Cats were very quick with their work. They only took a short incense worth of time to enlargen the passageway for Leon's group to enter completely.
After thanking the Winter Cats for their work, Leon followed Monarch Blizzardpaw in the ice passageway and quickly reached the Winter Cat Tribe.
Everyone was astonished by the time they arrived.
The Winter Cat Tribe's location was much deeper than everyone had anticipated.
It wasn't just hidden under the thick ice; the Winter Cat Tribe was located at the bottom of the frozen seafloor.
The homes weren't just made of ice. There were also stone and dirt houses, which looked closer to primitive shelters.
Even so, the tribe was surprisingly not as cold as the surface.
However, among the other things found in the Winter Cat Tribe, the blue-colored stones the Winter Cats used to sharpen their claws and fangs caught Leon's interest,
"Are you interested in the Frostjades, Lord Leon?" Monarch Blizzardpaw inquired after sensing Leon's gaze. "You certainly have a keen eye for treasures, Lord Leon."