Man on the ark, forced to become king

"Tch~, no, sorry, I couldn't help it, tch~"

"Well……"

Chen's face turned red, his cheeks puffed out, making him look like a hamster, all puffed up in anger.

She looked at the dumpling lying in her palm, then at her fingers, and began to question her existence.

It's clearly...right, isn't it?

This is the exact same step, the same kneading method, but why do the results not match at all?

"It's good, it's good, it's already very good."

Melina held back her laughter and picked up a dumpling that Theresa had made earlier to compare it to.

It must be said that some things are indeed made better by the contrast with their peers.

The difference is immediately apparent when compared.

Compared to the bizarre 'spiky' thing Theresa created, Chen's at least resembled a dumpling, which was much better.

"Why is this..."

Chen was a little discouraged, but she didn't give up. She felt that it was just a mistake, and if she tried a few more times, she would definitely be able to get it right!

So when Theresa came back from the house with a towel, she saw a small pile of long, thin 'dumplings' lying haphazardly on her cutting board. Chen was squatting next to her, puffing out his cheeks and sulking, while Melina stood beside her, grinning from ear to ear.

As it turns out, a hand that can wield exquisite swordsmanship may not be just as skillful at making dumplings.

"Is it all wrapped up? Can we cook it now?"

Theresa glanced at it twice, but didn't sense anything was wrong.

She wasn't very familiar with this kind of food. She had eaten it in Longmen, but had never actually made it herself. She had only heard about the process from Nian earlier.

Although what she was eating was slightly different from what she was consuming...

But for this kind of thing... as long as you wrap the filling with leather, it should be considered a success, right?

Chapter 116 The Red Dragon of the Icefield, A Preparedness to Die

Some people are enjoying hot pot and steamed dumplings around an Originium stove in a small courtyard, while others can only trek through the freezing cold.

People's joys and sorrows are not shared; that's just how the world is.

In the battle on the ice plains, facing the threat of the inner guard, the already desperate group of infected people gathered together, and the 'Reunion Movement' that was barely cobbled together collapsed.

As it turns out, many people don't know what gratitude is. They won't risk their lives for a small favor in their eyes, and when faced with a crisis, their first thought is to run away.

When the majority of people start to act, those who are wavering and undecided will blindly follow suit.

Supplies were looted, and the infected were routed, fleeing in panic to the desolate, icy plains, even if it would cost them their lives.

After a major battle, the Reunion Movement was rendered ineffective, and due to a lack of supplies, only a handful of people survived and remained steadfastly by Talulah's side.

Fortunately, there were still Yetis and Shield Guardians.

When Talulah became extremely weak due to excessive use of her strength, the Shield Guard and the Yeti took on their responsibilities as always, leading the Infected across the snowfield to find food that could barely fill their stomachs, and finally found a village that had been abandoned at some unknown time on the snowfield.

The village was deserted, and the houses were dilapidated and ravaged by wind and snow, left unattended.

But at least it's a place to stay, much better than being stuck on the cold, snowy plains.

After some repairs and adjustments, the Integration Movement has temporarily settled here to recuperate.

If they hadn't encountered the Ursus patrols, this small village would have been enough for them to escape the cold winds of the snowfield.

However, even after the repairs, there weren't many usable houses in the village, so everyone inevitably had to squeeze together. As the leaders, Talulah and Frostnova received small privileges, as did Alina.

The three of them occupied a small room by themselves.

crackle~

The burning firewood crackled twice, startling Talulah, who was dozing by the fireplace.

She and Frostnova naturally didn't need a fire, but Alina did, especially since living with Frostnova would cause her coldness to spread uncontrollably. If no fire was lit, the temperature inside the house would probably be almost the same as outside.

Gazing at the leaping flames in the fire, Talulah couldn't help but recall that scene from many days ago.

A golden shadow appeared out of thin air, effortlessly repelling an enemy far beyond their capabilities, and also driving away the black snake.

These days, although she can still feel weak, she enjoys the feeling of ease.

The person who used to chatter in her head was banished, and no one was affecting her thoughts. She truly felt that she was Talulah, and nothing else, or something else that was going to become.

However, this gift of fate did not come without a price.

Their next task is to attack Chernobog and capture the city.

The unknown entity that Koschche calls the 'Golden Tree' requires the Reunion Movement to attack Chernobog, and that's how Talulah understands it.

With Reunion's current strength, attacking the city would be like throwing an egg against a rock, with no chance of victory. To be honest, Talulah didn't want to do that. She cherished the lives of every infected person and didn't want to lead everyone to Chernobog to their deaths.

However, they probably have no choice.

That powerful figure was terrifyingly strong, and the Reunion Movement had no right to refuse his demands.

Moreover... whether she goes or not, Yelena will definitely go back, along with the Yeti and the Shield Guard.

Thinking of this, Talulah couldn't help but turn to look at the white rabbit huddled alone in the corner. These days, Yelena had become colder than usual, and even the Yetis had lost their smiles.

No one could laugh, because they had lost their leader and father.

Even if she were alone, Yelena would definitely go to Chernobog and do everything she could to take over the place and find her father.

Yetis and Shieldbearer, no one will give up.

Are they the main force of the Reunion Movement now, or have they always been?

The current integration movement is like a horse-drawn carriage being driven into a fog where no one can see the road ahead; no one knows whether what lies ahead is an abyss or something else entirely.

After all, it's still not strong enough.

If only she had that person's strength...

"Big sister! Big sister! Something terrible has happened!"

Call ~

The door to the house was pushed open from the outside, and a biting cold wind rushed in, causing even Talulah to shiver. A yeti wearing a white cloak stood outside the door, its face obscured by a mask, but its voice conveyed a persistent anxiety.

"what's up?"

Froststar stood up from the corner, and Alina, still half asleep, was also startled awake.

"It's the army, the Ursus army, not a patrol!"

"what?"

Talulah's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How could this be, at this time?"

She looked at the sky outside the door. A few white stars dotted the gray night sky. Why would the Ursus army march in the dark and appear at dawn?

And they weren't just a patrol; they were Ursus's regular army?

The combat effectiveness of a regular army and a patrol team is worlds apart; their quality and equipment are simply not on the same level!

These past few days they've been moving across the ice plains, and everyone, including the Shield Guards, is already exhausted. Facing the Ursus regular army at this point is undoubtedly a very dangerous situation.

"Do you see clearly?"

Yelena walked over expressionlessly; her expressionless face was indeed perfect for handling emergencies.

"Look closely, our scouts spotted Ursus troops five kilometers away. It's a force of at least three hundred men, accompanied by heavy armored vehicles, so they must be carrying heavy firepower. They're heading straight for us!"

"A force of three hundred men, heavily armed?"

Talulah and Yelena both felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

Three hundred people, that's the size of a battalion!

With armored vehicles and heavy firepower, the identities of those people are no longer a question; they must be from the Ursus Army Group, truly elite troops.

How to do?

For a moment, Talulah was in a state of utter confusion.

Retreat? Relocate?

No, it's too late...

Five kilometers is a short distance for regular troops traveling by vehicle. By the time they give the order to gather everyone, the armored vehicles will probably be almost at the door!

Pretend to be a poor villager? The Shield Guards' equipment and weapons can't be hidden!

Moreover, there are many infected people here, and if they encounter Ursus's regular army head-on, there is a high probability that the enemy will open fire directly.

"Pass the word down and wake everyone up. Move to the direction we scouted earlier. I'll buy you some time."

The only option now is to send men to intercept the advancing army halfway, thus buying time for the rest to evacuate.

Faced with the heavy firepower of a regular army, this was tantamount to suicide, and it was virtually impossible to come back alive.

However, someone has to do it, otherwise everyone will die.