Winter was not completely over, and the cold wind blowing from the sea into the forest seemed to penetrate one's skin and reach the bones.
Huggins' "acquaintances" took camping gear off the boat, set up tents, lit a campfire, put on a large pot, poured in fresh water, and then added diced vegetables and dried meat that had been prepared beforehand. They cooked it until it was about 80% done, and then added raw cheese to continue cooking.
Todd watched the soup turn milky white, inhaling its sweet and cloying aroma, and swallowed hard. But when he actually tasted it, he regretted it; the rich, sour flavor was simply unpalatable. He considered putting down his wooden bowl, but seeing the others wolfing down their food, he realized this was the result of careful preparation.
He pursed his lips, gritted his teeth, and, imitating others, gulped down the entire bowl of soup in one go, ignoring the protests from his tongue and stomach. His face revealed a natural and unpretentious bliss, and he uttered loud praises without reservation.
Upon seeing this, the "acquaintances" showed rare joy and satisfaction on their faces, and spoke louder as they responded to the monk's praise.
Todd looked around, but Karin was nowhere to be seen.
Harkins glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and unusually, started meddling in other people's business, asking casually, "You and Black Sheep have nothing going on, right?"
Todd hesitated for a moment, then briefly recounted his conversation with Karin that day in just a few sentences.
The man put down the bowl, frowned, and said, "Among those of different species, it's not common to introduce or inquire about each other's abilities."
The monk looked somewhat surprised: "But I remember you told me..."
Huggins nodded: "That's right, I did say so myself, but before that, you also let me know about your abilities."
Todd recalled the scene and realized that he was right. His actions after regaining his sight were tantamount to revealing his "clairvoyance" ability to the other party.
With some confusion, he asked the man, "Since you are both mutants, why are you so secretive about your abilities?"
"For them, the abilities of the mutants might be their last resort for escaping or fighting back in a crisis. If they casually reveal their abilities to others, they are essentially exposing their escape methods to them." The man poked at the fire with a branch, as if remembering something, and continued, "Moreover, mutants are not as united as you imagine; fighting and hunting occur frequently."
Huggins put down the branch and looked into Todd's eyes: "The fact that Black Sheep told you about her abilities wasn't a casual thing; it means she truly trusts you."
“Trust…” Recalling that petite figure, Todd felt a warmth spread through his heart. He stood up, left the campsite with a single sentence: “I’m going to find her.”
The man watched his figure gradually disappear and slowly smiled.
Todd searched for a long time and finally found Karin by a large rock on the beach.
The girl sat on a rock, hugging her knees, pouting as she looked at the raging waves before her.
When he finally found her, Todd didn't know what to say first.
Hearing the noise behind her, Karin turned around and glanced at the monk, snorted, and turned back around angrily.
Todd walked slowly to the large rock and simply sat down next to her. He glanced at the girl, who was about his age, and his mind was filled with countless thoughts. In his previous life, she would probably just be a high school student, passing notes in class, going shopping and singing with friends after class, and secretly wiping away tears while watching TV at home.
Girls this age are too young, even if they were my students.
But in this other world, from the very first moment he saw her, he felt an unusual sense of familiarity and inexplicable closeness, and wanted to get closer to her and understand her.
Why?
Todd had thought about this question, but had no answer.
Now, looking at her dark, soft hair in the wind and gazing into her clear, bright black eyes, he finally found the reason.
Lonely.
The other world brought him immense loneliness.
Familiar scenes, familiar life, familiar people, all vanished in an instant, leaving behind a completely unfamiliar and dangerous environment.
The first thing I do every morning when I open my eyes isn't thinking about what to eat for breakfast, but rather how to survive the day; every time the sun sets and darkness falls, I don't think about the new movie I haven't seen this week, but worry about whether I'll see the sun rise tomorrow.
Every day is filled with this kind of suffering, endlessly repeating itself.
At that very moment.
A girl with black hair and black eyes entered his world. Even though her features and language were quite different from those of the person in his previous life, the faint traces of her past life were enough to make Todd feel like a lonely traveler struggling to survive in the winter night, wanting to approach and warm himself upon discovering a glimmer of light.
Ultimately, Todd's feelings for Karin weren't love, but rather a dependence on and longing for his past life.
"Feel sorry……"
Karin might not understand those two words, but Todd knew what his words meant.
He picked up a small pink seashell from the ground and placed it in the girl's hand: "Put it in your hand, and don't let me see it."
The other party was completely confused, but still did as instructed.
Todd used his clairvoyant ability to point to Karin's right hand.
The girl hid the conch shell behind her back again.
This time it's my left hand...
Right hand, right hand, left hand...
After about ten times, Todd looked at the girl's curious and inquisitive face, pointed to his eyes, and said, "My supernatural ability is X-ray vision."
Karin suddenly realized.
A moment later, she suddenly remembered something, let out a scream, and clutched her chest.
Todd chuckled and patted his head: "Don't worry. This X-ray vision can penetrate skin and flesh to see internal organs and bones, but it can't just penetrate clothes."
The monk thought to himself, "I also deeply regret this 'flaw' in this supernatural ability."
Seeing that the girl's expression gradually calmed down, he tentatively asked, "Aren't you angry anymore?"
Karin pouted and said fiercely, "No! I'm still angry! I'm angry that you brought me to this lousy place! There's nothing to do, it's incredibly boring!"
Todd was sweating profusely. "I never said I was going to bring you. It's like you insisted on coming along..."
Knowing that reasoning with a woman is useless once she gets into a tantrum, Todd remained silent for a while.
Just as Karin secretly turned her head and stole a glance at him.
The monk suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard of playing cards?"
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