Chapter 99: Lost Snow Mountain 02

"F*ck!!"

This was Mian Yang's exclamation as he ran.

"F*ck???"

This was the collective gasp from the audience in the live streaming hall.

...F*ck.

This was Qin Fei's true reflection of his current mood.

Why did he always encounter acquaintances in every instance?

Although A-level players were scarce, it was reasonable for the system to balance out the strength among players in the instances by placing concurrently live-streaming A-level players in the same instance.

But...

Qin Fei gazed at the staggering figure rushing towards him, his expression conveying a myriad of emotions that defied words.

Why did it have to be him?

Why, of all people, was it him?

This question perplexed Mi Yang even more than Qin Fei.

He felt that his lifetime's worth of luck had been spent the moment he met Princess Feifei – oh, forget it, what princess? It was all a deception by that heartless guy!

Ever since he met Xiao Qin, his luck seemed to have vanished like a punctured balloon, deflating swiftly and leaving behind only a flaccid rubber skin.

Below him was a steep snow-covered slope that proved challenging to navigate.

The players had struggled just moments ago, their steps alternating between deep and shallow as they covered merely a few hundred meters.

Yet now, Mi Yang ran with an unwavering, fearless determination.

The people behind were utterly stunned by this sudden turn of events.

Regaining their composure, they hurriedly followed suit.

Mi Yang was incredibly swift and reached Qin Fei's side in no time.

"Darling—"

A terrifying word slipped out, but Mi Yang managed to suppress it with immense self-control, pushing it back down his throat.

Mi Yang was on the verge of losing his mind!

He couldn't comprehend why, despite being in a different scenario where he hadn't activated Mama Wang Mingming's NPC appearance, he still utterly lost control when he saw Xiao Qin.

That familiar feeling surged fiercely from the depths of his soul, surging with each heartbeat into his bloodstream, coursing through every limb and bone.

Help, help, help!

He didn't want to become a mother without any pain, oh god!

Was this damned maternal love going to haunt him for the rest of his life??

Qin Fei looked at him and felt that his desperate struggle, accompanied by gurgling sounds, made him appear as if he was on his last breath.

"Sigh," Qin Fei let out a breath.

Mi Yang finally regained control of his vocal cords, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Why are you sighing??"

Shouldn't it be him who should be sighing?

There had to be a limit to one's misfortune, right? Why did this guy have to torment him in the previous instance and then chase after him into this one to continue the torture?

"You've advanced to Level C?" Mi Yang frowned at Qin Fei, a bit annoyed.

Why did he choose to level up at this particular moment? Not earlier, not later.

Qin Fei held up a finger between them and shook it. "Not quite."

Mi Yang: "?"

Then, Qin Fei's voice drifted from ahead, "I've advanced to Level A."

Mi Yang: "!!!!!!!!!!"

Mi Yang didn't know why, but without asking any questions, he firmly believed Qin Fei's words.

Perhaps it was the inexplicable trust a mother had in her son (??)

Anyway, Mi Yang's teeth were now itching with envy.

Comparing oneself to others could truly be infuriating!

If glares could kill, Qin Fei would have been pierced through by Mi Yang's stare.

However, Qin Fei's composure was beyond ordinary comprehension.

If one were to compare his emotional fortitude to an object, it would resemble the resilience of ten bulletproof vests stacked together.

Miyang's glare didn't faze him in the slightest.

"Remember, keep calling me Feifei here as well," Qin Fei said with a grin, his almond-shaped eyes curling up like those of a fox.

His life was now incredibly valuable, so he couldn't afford to reveal any unnecessary information.

Miyang rolled his eyes but agreed. "Fine, fine, fine."

As they spoke, Miyang lifted his gaze to look at Qin Fei.

Butterfly had issued a wanted notice for Qin Fei throughout Central City, and Miyang had seen it, naturally.

Qin Fei hadn't been in the Law Realm for long and had never participated in a Showcase Match, so few people had seen his true appearance.

The hand-drawn sketch that Butterfly had commissioned actually bore a strong resemblance to Qin Fei.

But sometimes, just a slight three-point difference could lead to a ten-point disparity.

The butterfly had requested an image of Qin Fei in the werewolf community, dressed in a school uniform, appearing to be around sixteen or seventeen years old.

This appearance didn't entirely match Qin Fei's usual aura.

Mi Yang examined Qin Fei from left to right.

Perhaps to create as much disparity as possible between himself and the wanted poster, Qin Fei had tied up his already semi-long, scattered hair at the back of his head.

The spacious windbreaker enveloped his slender and slightly thin figure, with the corners of his eyes reddened by the biting cold wind.

Perhaps it was because this snowy plain was too cold that when the young man in front of him wasn't smiling, he seemed to exude a faint, detached chill.

This was vastly different from the sunny and diligent model student portrayed in the wanted poster.

Hmm, judging by this, one could say they resembled each other about fifty percent.

As long as Xiao Qin steadfastly denied any connection, others would likely have no way of proving otherwise.

As long as they didn't encounter those reckless desperados who cared only for their own gain.

Compared to them, their Princess Feifei was relatively safe.

Mi Yang observed Qin Fei closely, and the more he looked, the more he found this guy quite attractive.

...Why was there a sense of pride swelling up in his heart?

It was like the pride one feels when they say, "My child is growing up."

Mi Yang: "I'm not really eager for that kind of recognition."

Qin Fei noticed the person across from him staring at him and couldn't help but twist his expression in amusement. "What strange thoughts are running through your head now?"

Mi Yang snorted. "Mind your own business."

He frowned. "Stop smiling, do you hear me?"

Once Xiao Qin showed his signature, gentle-as-spring smile, the resemblance between his face and the one on the wanted poster would skyrocket.

After a long conversation, the remaining players finally managed to catch up with great effort.

There were three men and one woman in the group of four.

From a considerable distance, they couldn't clearly hear what the two were discussing.

They only vaguely heard Mi Yang call out "darling" at the beginning.

The way the two interacted made it evident that they knew each other.

The expressions of the four players instantly became intriguing, their contemplative gazes drifting back and forth between the two individuals.

Mi Yang's reputation preceded him, and most high-level players were familiar with him.

Thus, their scrutiny mainly fell on Qin Fei.

Facing a few somewhat intrusive glances, the young man stood silently with his hands by his side, not showing any signs of anger or annoyance.

He was naturally fair-skinned, but after being exposed to the freezing snow for so long, his complexion had become even paler, devoid of any blood color.

His lips were an extremely pale shade, like the last cherry blossom petal of spring that had fallen to the earth, appearing as if it would crumble at a gentle touch.

Those light-colored eyes seemed to hold two pools of clear spring water, transparent and pure.

Recalling Mian Yang's panicked rush towards him just now, shouting "baby," the players immediately wore expressions of understanding.

Who would have thought that Mian Yang was into this kind of thing!

He had quite a refined taste, it seemed.

Tsk, tsk.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

So, was this player bound to Mian Yang in the dungeon?

Since A, B, and C-level players could share dungeons regardless of their levels, forming a team through binding was a common practice.

In most bound teams or fixed partnerships, members usually complement each other with their respective strengths, achieving mutual success.

However, there were also those whose abilities fell short but harbored lofty ambitions, and they just happened to possess attractive appearances.

This gave them the confidence to cling onto stronger players.

The expressions of several gamers shifted slightly. Some gazes became more blatant, while others averted their heads.

Mi Yang was quite perceptive. Upon noticing the amused smile on the opposing gamer's face, his complexion instantly turned ashen.

But there was no way to explain such situations. The other party hadn't said anything offensive, and trying to argue against it would only make matters worse.

Mi Yang's ears flushed with anger.

He turned his head to look at Qin Fei, who appeared incredibly composed. When their eyes met, Qin Fei pursed his lips and offered a gentle, soft smile.

Mi Yang: Damn it!

Can you please stop being charming at a time like this!

"Didn't I tell you not to laugh?"

The four players' expressions shifted once more.

Wow! They weren't even allowed to smile at others!

What kind of harsh canary play was this?

Mi Yang: "..."

He knew it, as long as he encountered this guy, nothing good would come out of it.

Standing on the edge of the cliff, he looked down and saw the two players still struggling to climb up the snowy slope.

The six of them waited for a moment before successfully meeting up with the duo.

After a brief exchange of names, they began sharing information.

"Are there any others?"

The male player who spoke was named Ding Li, around 20 years old, with thick black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, giving him the appearance of a typical male student one might find in a science and engineering university library.

The system had announced 20 players, so with Zhou Li's disappearance, there should be 19 left.

Yet, only eight players were present here.

The two who had climbed up from the slope shook their heads upon hearing this. "No idea. It seems like there were only the two of us down there."

When they first woke up, they had checked their surroundings and didn't spot any other players within their line of sight.

Ding Li's gaze darkened slightly.

None of them had seen other players when they awoke either.

Where had they gone?

Within a very short span of time, it seemed that the snowstorm was intensifying.

The air was no longer still, as howling winds swept up from the depths of the cliff, carrying rough particles that scraped against their cheeks, causing a stinging sensation akin to being cut by steel blades.

Qin Fei involuntarily curled his fingers, drawing his hand deeper into his sleeve.

Cold.

It was unbearably cold.

The players' equipment was insufficient to sustain them in such frigid temperatures for prolonged outdoor activities.

They needed more specialized cold-weather survival and mountaineering gear; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to survive in this snow-capped mountain.

Apart from Mi Yang and the inconspicuous Qin Fei, all the other players present were either B or C rank.

In this instance where teamwork was evidently crucial, the players instinctively turned their gazes towards the A-rank player with the most presence.

"What should we do now?"

This instance was rather peculiar. They were immediately abandoned in a barren mountainous snowy terrain, receiving no information beyond the system's initial briefing.

There were no rules.

No guiding NPCs were present either.

This made everyone sense an obscure sense of crisis.

Sometimes, in a world of rules, the absence of rules could be the most deadly.

Rules signified death, but they also signified hope for survival.

Rules were the guiding principles for players' actions within dungeons.

Now, without any rules, everyone was utterly clueless about what they should do.

The players turned to Mi Yang, and Mi Yang instinctively looked to Qin Fei.

His experiences in the werewolf community seemed to have transformed into an ingrained pattern of behavior, deeply etched into his bones.

He reacted subconsciously without the need for any thought.

The other six players were taken aback by this.

It seemed that things were not quite as they had imagined. Why would the big shot need to listen to this delicate and dependent person?

Everyone discreetly sized up Qin Fei's face, attempting to find any trace of reliability in his features.

It was a challenging task.

Aside from the young man's relatively calm expression, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him.

However, judging someone by their appearance was never wise, especially not in an instance like this.

Despite their mixed thoughts, no one revealed their emotions on their faces. Instead, they all silently watched Qin Fei, waiting for him to speak.

"We need to search for supplies."

Under the gaze of seven pairs of eyes, Qin Fei calmly stated their top priority at the moment.

"Assault jacket, quick-dry thermal underwear, specialized snow boots, and woolen socks."

Qin Fei looked at Ding Li standing before him, reciting the names of the items he was wearing as if listing them on a checklist.

"Our attire is ample proof that we were well-prepared before ascending the mountain," he said.

The players nodded involuntarily.

"Yet, this is far from sufficient."

As mentioned in the scenario background, they were from the Mountaineering Club of University Y and had organized numerous group activities during their four years of college.

As an experienced team, their equipment should have been more extensive.

It was implausible that they only had their clothes on to reach such a high altitude; there must have been other gear.

Walking sticks, compasses, sunglasses to protect against snow blindness, tents, sleeping bags, and thermal water flasks...

All these essential supplies, which should have been carried by each person, were now nowhere to be seen.

"I reasonably suspect that during our climb, we set up camp at some point within the mountain and stored our belongings there."

Then.

Something unexpected must have occurred within the camp, causing the climbers to flee in panic without choosing their direction.

That was the only explanation for their scattered yet not too distant locations, each of them unconscious across the snowy mountains.

The young man's voice was clear and gentle, his tone unhurried, as if possessing a magic that could soothe restless hearts.

The unease brought on by the unknown dissipated subtly under his words.

"I-I think what you're saying makes sense," Ding Li nodded repeatedly. "But..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Qin Fei knew what he wanted to ask.

He was wondering where they should look for the camp.

One of the two players who had come up the slope was named Duan Nan. Hearing this, it seemed like something had triggered a thought in him:

"I believe the camp should be situated at a higher elevation."

"Considering the thickness of the snow that has accumulated on us, we haven't been unconscious for too long. When we climbed up just now, I noticed a couple of footprints that were still partially exposed."

This indicated that they had run downward from above.

Qin Fei nodded. "When camping in the mountains, one would typically choose a gently sloping area with some form of shelter nearby."

Judging from the terrain, the campsite was likely located on the leeward side of the slope above them.

He then turned to Mi Yang.

Mi Yang spoke succinctly, "Let's go."

After standing here for only a few minutes, he was nearly frozen solid. His knuckles throbbed with dull pain, making it difficult for him to bend his fingers.

Though the snowshoes kept his feet relatively dry, his toes were already starting to ache.

Qin Fei's decision was spot on. At this moment, they could do nothing other than search for the camp.

A moment too late.

They might freeze to death right there in the snow.

The eight of them formed two rows, advancing slowly up the mountain.

The snowfall and wind grew stronger with each passing moment.

Only after the players started climbing did they realize how arduous it was to ascend a mountain in such harsh conditions. Without the aid of snow poles, simply taking each step firmly without slipping was a significant challenge.

"Everyone, pay attention. Walk in the footprints of the player ahead of you."

Amidst the howling wind, Qin Fei turned back and shared his expertise on scaling a snowy peak. He and Mi Yang led the group, bearing the brunt of the fierce snow and wind. Their voices were shredded by the gusts, carried away to unknown distances.

The players behind them continued their forward march with expressionless faces, mechanically following Qin Fei's advice.

It was unbearably cold.

Every drop of blood in his body seemed frozen into icy shards, struggling to flow through his veins with great difficulty.

Each breath brought searing pain to his lungs. Amidst the intense frost, it felt as if a blazing fire was consuming his chest, clouding his senses.

Duan Nan walked in the second row, painstakingly searching for Qin Fei's footprints.

Despite the prints being right beneath his feet, his vision appeared blurred by a blanket of white, as if something had obscured his sight.

Duan Nan knew that he was beginning to experience mild snow blindness.

After trudging for over ten minutes, they managed to reach where Mi Yang and the others had awakened, but this spot was unsuitable for camping, with no signs of any previous encampment.

They still had to ascend further.

His head was foggy, as if it had been filled with a bottle of thick paste.

Though the temperature within the dungeon was indeed frigid, under normal circumstances, players' physical resilience shouldn't have deteriorated so rapidly within less than half an hour.

It was clear to everyone that this was the pressure exerted on them by the instance dungeon.

Duan Nan opened his attribute panel and saw that his Sanity Points were indeed plummeting rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, it dropped two more points.

He uncapped a potion and drank it, and the pathetic number flickered slightly, barely increasing by one point before falling back down.

Duan Nan smiled bitterly.

Players were unable to resist the constraints of the instance dungeon. It seemed that their only hope for survival was to find the camp as soon as possible.

Looking up, Duan Nan saw Qin Fei's head, covered by the hood of his windbreaker. He opened his mouth, speechless.

He had to say something.

Something to keep himself lucid.

Otherwise, he would faint.

But what should he say? Duan Nan felt dizzy, as if his brain had lost contact with his eyes and body.

"Among us... Is there a dead person?"

After a moment, Duan Nan heard himself ask this question.

...

The air seemed to freeze for a second at the sound of his inquiry.

Qin Fei paused in his steps, and Mi Yang looked over at him.

Qin Fei's expression remained unchanged, and he continued walking at the same pace, making one wonder if that brief hesitation was just an illusion.

By Duan Nan's side, Ding Li's forehead twitched fiercely.

"Why are you bringing this up now?!"

Ding Li had a higher mental resistance. Although he was also feeling dizzy and disoriented, his condition was significantly better than Duan Nan's.

He could still think, still reason, clearly realizing that this was by no means an appropriate time to delve into such a discussion.

All their energy was devoted to barely maintaining their ability to move.

There was no longer any room for distraction in searching for the traitor within.

At such a moment, with the troops' morale scattered, the only path that awaits everyone is one of certain death.

Ding Li smiled forcefully to diffuse the tension, "Anyway, I believe the deceased is not among us."

In fact, he also harbored doubts, but he didn't dare to show the slightest hint of it.

"There are 19 in total, and we only have 8 here."

Even statistically, the likelihood of the deceased being among their group was relatively low.

The atmosphere remained deathly still.

Duan Nan stood there in a daze, as if he couldn't read the tension in the air. Ding Li sighed and attempted to change the subject:

"I wonder, in your opinions, why did this group of mountaineering club members rush out of the camp in such a panic?"

They must have encountered something terrible.

A player at the back, struggling to regain his composure, joined the discussion, "Could it be an avalanche?"

Qin Fei, walking at the forefront of the team, didn't turn back and simply replied, "No."

The player was slightly unconvinced, "Why not?"

Isn't an avalanche the most common disaster on a snow-capped mountain?

It would make perfect sense for them to panic and rush out of the camp due to an unexpected avalanche.

Qin Fei's voice was torn apart by the wind, coming through faintly from ahead,

"If it were... an avalanche... we would be buried under the snow."

The players were knocked out on the surface of the snow, as evidenced by the snow piled on their bodies.

In fact, during an avalanche, it was impossible for humans to escape at their normal speed.

Hence, once caught in its path, they would inevitably be buried alive.

And if the avalanche had been slight, they wouldn't have fainted in the snow at all.

"I have to say," Qin Fei coughed softly, as if something had come to mind.

"It feels like we've been driven here by something."

Something, whether it was another creature or not, had assaulted their camp.

Judging from the attire of the group, Qin Fei deduced that this unknown entity likely struck during the night, targeting the unsuspecting mountaineering club members as they were about to sleep.

As the words faded, the group fell into an even deeper silence than before.

The instance had already begun for quite some time, yet the players were still unclear about their objectives. Yet, one piece of bad news after another had already bombarded them relentlessly.

The sky had subtly turned gray, with clouds swirling above their heads.

Qin Fei hid most of his face inside his collar, making it impossible to discern his expression.

Ding Li's leg muscles ached subtly, causing him inward frustration.

That mysterious camp they were seeking – in truth, it was all based on their speculations.

Did it really exist?

What if it didn't—

Ding Li shuddered at the thought.

Players feared nothing more than encountering such ambiguous scenarios; sometimes, they wouldn't even know how they met their demise.

Duan Nan's condition worsened, and Ding Li had no choice but to support him as they moved forward, or else Duan Nan would wander off course like a lost soul from time to time.

If this continued, things would only get worse.

If this continues...

Ding Li opened the live stream's bullet screen, and the words that floated across his vision were sparse, carrying an overwhelmingly pessimistic tone.

"Why haven't we found the campsite yet?"

Actually, it's not necessarily true... Why do they believe that player so readily? Could it be just because he's handsome? (laughs)~

"My eyes are nearly blinded by the dazzling snow."

Ding Li took a deep breath.

But in the next second,

"Tent!!!"

A sudden cry, several decibels higher, echoed from behind.

Immediately, the player realized that such loudness was inappropriate in the snowy mountains and hastily covered their mouth.

Players' eyes lit up at the cry.

They looked up, gazing ahead.

Beyond the hillside, where dark clouds roiled, and behind a few crooked pine trees, several tattered tents emerged from the snow.

There were clear signs of snow having been swept away on the ground, with logs and a scattering of backpacks lying untidily about.

The zippers of the tents were unfastened, their openings wide open, revealing nothing but darkness inside, like the menacing maws of beasts.

The group came to a halt.

The players seemed infused with energy, whispering among themselves as they stared at the campsite.

Duan Nan even appeared much better, pressing his lips together and offering a weak smile.

Ding Li stared at the camp for a long while, but the smile on his face gradually froze.

"..."

He reached out and tugged at Duan Nan's sleeve.

"Is there someone in that tent?"

From a distance, it seemed like there were two legs stretching out from the side of the tent.