From Robinson Crusoe

Chen Zhou and the other two thought that the heavy snowfall that had blocked the mountains would soon end, but none of them expected that this was just the beginning.

The continuous blizzards have kept the snow shelters hidden ever since they were blocked up.

Standing at the cave entrance every day, all you can hear is the howling wind, and the chill seeping in from outside is becoming increasingly biting.

……

During the day, the cave remains pitch black, with only an oil lamp lit on the dining table next to the stove.

The furs hanging all over the other side of the cave wall and the stench that permeated the entire cave made everyone feel as if they had returned to ancient times, to that most primitive era.

Chen Zhou was still feeling tired. He had been very sleepy lately, and he would sit on a bench and look at the cave entrance, and then fall asleep.

At this moment, he propped his face up with his arm, close to the oil lamp, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

Paul was still studying his wine.

Bi Kai sat opposite Chen Zhou, looking very dejected.

With such heavy snowfall, even people have difficulty going out, so the fate of the deer is predictable.

In the past few days, he had tried to go out and check on the deer herd, but the snow outside the cave was too thick and the temperature was too cold. No matter how hard he tried, he could not cross the vast snowfield to reach the forest at the foot of the mountain.

More than a week has passed since the heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, and even under the most optimistic scenario, the deer herd has probably been wiped out.

Even when living in a cave, one always needs something to look forward to.

Paul channeled his energy into playing with the sawtooth tiger and brewing wine, while Chen Zhou battled physical discomfort, spending each day in a daze of sleep.

Bi Kai poured all his energy into the deer herd, but now that the deer are gone and he can't go out, he's practically a walking corpse.

……

The pine nuts stored inside the cave are enough for three people to eat for a year, and there is also enough firewood for heating.

The thick mountain structure proved to be an effective insulation layer, preventing cold winds and blizzards from penetrating the cave. As long as the stove was kept burning, the cave remained warm all day.

Sometimes, when the wind outside was calm and the main gate was closed, the room temperature could even reach 25 degrees Celsius. It was so hot that everyone took off their animal skin clothes and squatted at the entrance of the cave to experience what it meant to be "both hot and cold."

The only inconvenience was getting the meat.

Worried that the stored meat would spoil, the three of them froze all the meat outside. Each day, they would only take out enough for the humans and the sawtooth tiger to use and hang it in the snow shelter. They would then take it into the cave to thaw when they needed to cook.

The "stone safe" where the meat was stored was not far from the cave entrance, about 20 meters away.

This distance is normally just a few steps away, but after heavy snow closes the mountain pass, it becomes extremely difficult to get there.

After the first two heavy snowfalls, the snow shelters were almost completely covered. Several more snowfalls followed, and although the wind thinned the snow layer, the entire hillside was still completely covered by thick snow.

At this point, the only way for Chen Zhou and his two companions to get out was to carve a tunnel out of the snow.

To this end, they selected firewood, chopped out the general outline with axes, and then refined the details with knives. They made several wooden shovels to dig snow, and then went outside to work together wearing animal skin clothes.

Clearing a path through snow more than a meter high was extremely strenuous, especially with Chen Zhou, the main force, having greatly weakened his stamina. Paul and Bi Kai must have exerted tremendous effort to clear the path from the cave entrance to the meat safe.

However, neither of them felt tired after finishing their work.

The cave is dark, and to save oil, only four or five oil lamps are lit each day.

Whether it's bear oil, glyptodon oil, or earthworm oil, none of them are suitable as lamp oil. They not only have a strange smell when lit, but the light is also dim, barely able to illuminate anything beyond a meter.

Living in such a low-light environment for a long time will naturally make people feel depressed.

At times like these, having some outdoor activities is actually a good thing.

Although it is cold outside the cave, there is never a lack of light, as snow itself is made up of extremely fine ice crystals that can reflect light.

In the days immediately following the snowfall that covered the entire mountain range, before the wind had polluted the snow with sand and gravel, the whole world was bright and clear when you went outside. If it weren't for the howling wind and biting cold, some people might have thought that this was paradise or the legendary Kunlun Wonderland.

When the three of them first stepped out of the cave, they were so brightly lit that they could hardly open their eyes, like vampires who had been trapped in an ancient castle for many years.

In short, everything outdoors is a novelty at this time.

Having grown up in the Jiangnan region, Bi Kai had never seen such northern scenery before.

Chen Zhou, a northerner, had never seen such heavy snow in all his years of life.

Even Paul, who lived in Siberia, a place where snowstorms were common and the climate was notoriously harsh, was amazed by the sight.

Of course, while the sight was extraordinary and rare in one's life, no one would agree to let the snow continue for a while longer.

Because of the heavy snow that kept people indoors, and with everyone so bored they were practically growing horns on their heads, Chen Zhou told Paul and Bi Kai a joke.

The joke is about a heavy snowfall. A landlord was drinking and enjoying the snow in his courtyard, while an official and a scholar were drinking with him.

Seeing the auspicious snow, the landlord recited: "The heavy snow falls to the ground."

The official replied, "This is an auspicious sign from the royal family."

The scholar immediately replied, "What harm is there in taking another three years?"

Before anyone could respond, someone outside the courtyard shouted, "Bullshit!"

Their current situation is somewhat similar to this joke. The snow scene is beautiful, but if it continues for a long time, no wonder people will curse.

……

Outdoor activities are always brief, as it is too cold outside. Walking in the snow and being blown by the wind makes one feel as if even their blood is frozen and unable to flow.

Huddled in the cave, Chen Zhou often wondered about the current situation of the other challengers.

Since the last supply drop, no new challengers have been spotted, and it's unknown whether they are alive or dead.

If there are still some challengers left, how many are left, and how long can those remaining people last?
The temperature seemed to be dropping every day, and the gradual decrease was like the footsteps of death, intensifying the panic in everyone's hearts.

The cave remained dark every day. If the sawtooth tiger hadn't been still growing, the three people inside wouldn't have even noticed the passage of time.

The side effects of the gene-editing injections will soon be over.

However, before Chen Zhou could return to his prime and take Paul and Bi Kai out for activities, he already noticed a serious problem—

Paul seems to be showing signs of claustrophobia.

Because he disliked the smell of tanned leather, Chen Zhou almost never went to the other side of the cave. Even if he did go there, he would only take a quick look and leave soon.

The three of them and the sawtooth tiger relieved themselves in the snow not far from the cave. The cave, which was over 100 square meters in size, looked very large, but because there was only one ventilation opening and the cave entrance was not kept open for long periods of time to keep warm, the air inside was actually quite stuffy.

In this situation, if excrement is piled up inside the cave, not to mention the growth of bacteria, it probably won't be long before no one can stand the smell inside the cave.

In the past, Chen Zhou only thought that the three of them were taciturn and rarely spoke because their lives were too boring.

The slowed thinking may be due to side effects, or it may be due to excessive sleepiness recently, without paying close attention to Paul and Bi Kai's condition.

It wasn't until Paul prepared breakfast as usual that Chen Zhou took a bite and discovered that the proportions of pickled offal, meat, and pine nuts were completely reversed, that he realized something was wrong.

At first, he thought it was Paul's carelessness that caused such a terrible meal.

Unexpectedly, after asking a few questions, Paul consistently avoided him, neither apologizing nor explaining, and simply walked towards the wine he was brewing. Only then did Chen Zhou realize that something was amiss.

He followed Paul to the wooden stake where the wine had been stored, only to find that Paul's wine had long since spilled. The stake was covered in mold, with only a small pile of half-rotten berries and pine nuts remaining inside.

Paul, however, ignored this situation and mechanically continued the process of scooping water, smelling it, and tasting it.

Only then did Chen Zhou realize that Paul had psychological problems.

Long periods spent in a dark, enclosed environment, with no entertainment to relieve mental anguish, all one sees all day are furs hanging on the walls, preserved entrails, and deep, mysterious crevices leading to unknown destinations...

Add to that the constant sound of the wind outside, the simple flooring inside, and the monotonous colors.

These scenes are a silent torment to anyone's psyche, especially for someone like Paul who comes from the modern world.

There are countless forms of entertainment available today to help people pass the time.

In addition to the more oppressive and worse environment and food than prison, there is also endless pressure from the challenges.

Chen Zhou knew that a typical symptom of claustrophobia was hallucinations.

In his view, Paul was in this stage.

If left untreated, these symptoms would worsen, causing Paul to suffocate, experience shortness of breath, lose control, and even uncontrollably try to escape the cave, ultimately freezing to death outdoors.

Fortunately, Paul's claustrophobia symptoms are currently mild and have not yet reached the stage where medication or even an MRI scan is necessary for treatment.

During this period, as long as communication with Paul is increased and he is allowed to go out every day, his condition will improve or even be cured.

As for why Bi Kai, who was also in the cave, didn't encounter a similar problem to Paul, Chen Zhou believes this is partly because Bi Kai came from ancient times—

It is said that if I have never seen the light, I can endure the darkness.

Bi Kai was one of those people who lived in darkness for a long time. During the late Ming Dynasty, the people were in turmoil and suffering. To put it bluntly, the environment at that time was probably not better than here. Compared with the two, a little loneliness and torment was nothing.

On the other hand, as an outstanding martial artist, Bi Kai, though young, had already formed his own set of understandings, which was his interpretation of martial arts and the way of the sword.

With the support of this comprehensive system, no matter how great the setbacks Bi Kai encounters, as long as his understanding remains unshaken, his will, and even his entire being, will not collapse.

Think back to the days when Gao Yao was seriously injured and fled from the grasslands back to the mountains. Although he was outdoors, the physical pain and mental anguish he endured must have been much more severe than they are now.

If Bi Kai could endure those kinds of days, then a mere ten days or so of darkness and confinement was nothing.

Moreover, there is a saying in martial arts about "seclusion," and perhaps in Bi Kai's eyes, this kind of life is also a disguised form of seclusion.

……

Upon discovering that Paul was experiencing psychological problems, Chen Zhou immediately "removed" him from his position as chef and handed over the cooking duties to Bi Kai.

He then chopped up the few pieces of rotten wood that Paul treasured, along with the dregs inside, and burned them as firewood. He also cleaned up the furs on the other side of the cave.

He began to force Paul to talk more, to play more with the saw-toothed tiger, and even made three huge wooden dice. When they had nothing to do, he would bet with Paul on sports, such as one hundred push-ups or one hundred squats.

Of course, Chen Zhou's greatest hope was that the snow would stop soon, the temperature would rise slightly, or the wind would be stronger and the sun would be hotter, blowing away the snow on the sunny slopes so that they could go outside.

People with early symptoms of claustrophobia will not be able to resolve their problems in a short time, even if they receive treatment from other sources, if they do not go out to relieve their inner stress in time.

Chen Zhou did not want Paul's psychological problems to continue to worsen.

Keep in mind that this may only be the beginning of getting through the tough times; there are at least two or three more months to go.

This is like participating in a 42-kilometer full marathon. If you can't keep going after just two kilometers, you're destined to fail.

If Paul's psychological problems are not resolved and he is kept in the cave for the next few months without being allowed to go out, he will surely go insane.

Even if Paul were forcibly tied up in the cave, it would be meaningless for him to return to his own world after the challenge was over, having completely gone mad.

Perhaps their country needs heroes, but not mad heroes.

……

Just as Chen Zhou was hoping for warmer temperatures, the Time and Space Administration seemed to have heard his wish, as the sun shone high in the sky and a wild wind blew.

In just a few days, the snow that had accumulated on the sunny slopes was blown away layer by layer and melted away layer by layer.

With the melting snow forming ice, the mountainside of Baihar finally revealed its original appearance, with both rocks and shrubs reappearing in view.

However, when Chen Zhou, filled with excitement, walked out of the cave with Paul Bikai and headed into the distance, he was shocked to discover—

On the southern grasslands, a scarlet crescent moon hangs quietly in the center of the sky.

Its appearance was far less majestic and magnificent than the initial airdrop supply; it carried a chilling, sinister aura.

Like the first beacon to appear, it hangs there, unaffected by day or night, a reminder to all living challengers—

The supplies are right here.

The difference is that, unlike the relatively distant first beacon, this supply is very close to Mount Baihar, estimated to be only 80 kilometers away when viewed from the mountainside.

Chen Zhou could reach this distance in less than a day if he exerted all his strength.

The wind was strong on the mountainside, and the three people who went out were wrapped in animal skin clothes, their eyes squinting from the glare of the snow.

Chen Zhou remained silent, gazing at the crescent moon in the distance, having already made his decision.

Hey~
The saw-toothed tiger, which was running alongside the three, stopped when it saw that all three had stopped and looked into the distance with them. The usually talkative Tiger Two even let out a questioning cry.

Before Paul and Bi Kai could speak, Chen Zhou took the initiative to express his thoughts.

"Paul, Brother Bi, it's not that I think you're a burden."

However, this supply mission is of utmost importance, and every second counts. I'm afraid I'll have to leave you all behind and act first..." (End of Chapter)