The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 308. How are you.... alive?

Tyler stumbled forward, his feet dragging slightly as he was pulled into the village by Leon. His mind was in turmoil, the events that had just transpired playing on repeat in his head like a broken record.

The Frost Silver Wolf.

The Gina and the three girls frozen solid and got shattered by the wolf.

His breathing was uneven, it’s lot to take in. He felt incredibly helpless.

Before he could dwell on it further, something suddenly crashed into him.

It wasn’t a harsh impact—rather, it was soft, warm, and filled with a familiar scent that drifted through his senses like a comforting breeze.

Tyler barely had time to register what was happening before arms wrapped around him tightly.

"Tyler!"

He stiffened for a second before recognizing the voice.

"...Catherine?"

Catherine clung to him, burying her face into his chest as she let out a shaky breath. "Thank goodness you’re back..."

For the first time since stepping back into the village, Tyler felt relaxing.

Catherine’s warmth.

Her trembling arms.

The way her fingers clenched onto his shirt as if she was afraid he’d disappear again.

Tyler exhaled softly and lifted his arms, returning the embrace.

"...Yeah. I’m back."

His voice was quiet, carrying both sadness and relief. He had been on the verge of losing himself due to the events happened but this - this moment - grounded him.

Catherine pressed her lips against his in a gentle, lingering kiss. Tyler instinctively responded, wrapping his arms around her waist as they lost themselves in the moment. Neither of them cared about anything else—only the warmth they shared.

After a while, Catherine pulled away slightly, her blue eyes filled with worry as she studied his face. "You’re hurt."

Tyler hadn’t even noticed the full extent of his injuries until she said it. Now, as the adrenaline wore off, exhaustion crashed over him like a wave. His body ached, his wounds stung, and the bitter cold still clung to his skin.

"...Yeah," he admitted, forcing a small smile. "But I survived somehow."

Catherine wasn’t convinced. She could see through the mask he was putting on.

Before he could protest, she slipped her arm around his waist, helping him stay upright. "Come on," she said softly. "Let’s get you home."

Tyler hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the darkening sky. A strange feeling settled in his chest—unease, uncertainty. The village looked the same as before, but something felt different.

Shaking the thought away, he nodded and let Catherine lead him toward the warmth of her home.

Tyler gave her a grateful nod, allowing her to guide him back to her house.

’Leon’, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, snorted and turned on his heel, walking away without another word.

Tyler barely paid attention.

Mathilda felt little jealous but she is not sure if she is jealous on Tyler or Catherine.

As Tyler and Catherine moved through the village, neither of them spoke.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.

Rather, it was a silence that shared each other warmth.

They simply walked together, step by step, until they reached her house.

Once inside, Catherine gently helped him onto the wooden cot.

Tyler leaned back, sighing. The exhaustion in his bones felt unbearable now that he was finally somewhere safe.

Catherine, on the other hand, wasted no time. She quickly fetched a cloth and a small bowl of water, kneeling beside him as she began tending to his wounds.

Tyler watched her work in silence.

Her brows were furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. It was clear she was upset, though whether it was because of his injuries or something else, he wasn’t sure.

"Do you feel mentally exhausted? Do you wanna use my body to get rid of the frustration?" Suddenly Catherine asked with a teasing tone.

She took his hand and pressed against her breast. Seeing Tyler’s blank look she chuckled and brought his hand inside her dress. fгeewebnovёl.com

Tyler felt the familiar warmth and softness, but now is not the time for that.

He took his hands back, making Catherine pouted.

Tyler sat on the wooden cot inside Catherine’s house, wincing slightly as she dabbed a wet cloth over the bruises on his arm.

He glanced at Catherine for a second.

"What?" Catherine asked when he stared at her like that.

"How can you talk about it after something like that happened?" Tyler asked in confusion.

"Huh... You mean the Silver Wolf. Don’t worry it won’t come inside the village. Usually, wild beasts don’t step inside the village," Catherine explained while tending to his wounds. "But if any do try to come near, we use these Beast-Repelling Pillars to keep them away."

Tyler stared blankly at her, still processing the events that had unfolded. The Frost Silver Wolf had killed four of their companions right before his eyes. He had seen their bodies freeze, their expressions frozen as they turned into statues of ice. Then they were shattered into pieces. And yet, Catherine sat before him, speaking as if nothing had happened.

"Aren’t you sad?" Tyler finally asked, his voice quiet, uncertain.

Catherine looked up from his wound with a puzzled expression. "Why would I be?"

His brow furrowed as he silently muttered. "We lost people..."

She blinked at him, then smiled gently. "Oh, you mean because we couldn’t gather as much as we wanted? Well, it’s a little disappointing, but there’s always next time."

Tyler’s breath caught. That was not what he meant. He had been expecting grief, sorrow—anything that acknowledged what had happened to Gina and the others. But Catherine’s face remained calm, untouched by sadness.

His stomach twisted into knots.

"Oh , are you perhaps sad because you didn’t do my other hole?" She blushed and whispered.

She again took his hand and placed on her butt.

"Do it now..." She Whispered and tried to remove his pants.

Before he could say anything else, a sound from outside made him freeze. Voices—cheerful, familiar voices.

Catherine stood up in frustration and walked to the door, opening it to greet the newcomers.

Tyler turned his head toward the entrance, and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Standing outside were four girls.

Gina.

And the other three herb-gathering girls.

The same girls he had watched die.

Tyler’s hands clenched into fists as he felt the air around him grow heavy. His mind refused to process what he was seeing. He had seen their frozen corpses shatter into lifeless pieces. And yet, here they stood—smiling, chatting casually with Catherine as if nothing had happened.

His breathing grew shallow.

"What... How are you girls alive?" he blurted out.

The conversation outside halted. All four girls turned their gazes toward him. Their expressions weren’t hostile, nor were they particularly warm. Instead, they looked at him with confusion—like they were seeing him for the first time.

Tyler’s stomach sank further. He had spent the last few nights with these same girls, sharing laughter, warmth, and even intimacy. But now, the way they looked at him was different. Cold. Distant.

"What are you talking about—?" Catherine began, stepping back inside. But then, something happened.

Her eyes suddenly went blank.

Lifeless.

The same thing happened to the four girls outside.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, the emptiness in their gazes disappeared.

Catherine blinked a few times, shaking her head lightly, before smiling again.

"Ah... These are the herb-gathering girls," she said in a normal tone. "But for some reason, they weren’t able to join us this time."

Tyler felt his body stiffen.

The girls outside nodded in agreement, their movements eerily synchronized. They cast fleeting glances at him, but not the way they had before. No playful teasing. No familiarity. Just quiet, reserved curiosity—like he was nothing more than a stranger.

Tyler’s heart pounded violently in his chest.

Something was wrong.

Very, very wrong.

His memories felt hazy, like something was slipping through the cracks of his mind. He tried to recall the exact events of the gathering week, but it was as if fog had settled over everything.

He still remembered going into the forest. He remembered doing intimate things with Catherine during gathering. He remembered the caves.

But the others?

Gina’s betrayal?

It was slipping. Like sand through his fingers, the memories blurred and twisted.

He still recalled something had happened. But when he tried to grasp the details, his head throbbed painfully, as if his mind refused to let him remember.

Catherine smiled at him again, unaware of his inner turmoil. "I’ll go prepare some food. You must be tired."

Tyler watched her disappear into the house, his hands trembling slightly.

He turned his gaze back to the girls outside.

Gina smiled politely before walking away, the others following her lead as if nothing had happened.

Tyler sat there in stunned silence. His eyes also turned lifeless for a second.

Then his eyes turned back normal.

He smiled at the girls , "Come inside..."

The memories of the past few days had been rewritten.

But now, no one remembered. Not Catherine. Not the villagers. Not even Tyler.

He only remembered going to gathering with Catherine, the other girls were completely not in the memory.

He remembered Leon’s ambush, Mathilda’s secret. But he totally forgot everything happened between him and the four girls.