A rollback after death? Then let them offer their loyalty!

The bed was indeed narrow; even if both of them tried to stay close to the edge, there was almost no gap between them, and their arms inevitably touched lightly.

The kestrel stiffened visibly for a moment, and an unnatural look flashed across its face.

"Take turns keeping watch, just like before." Lin Yu's voice was very close:

"Relax, you're only expending more energy by staying tense like this."

The falcon didn't respond, but after a short while, Lin Yu could feel the muscles in the arm next to his relax slightly.

She still had her back to him, her chestnut ponytail spread out on the pillow, emanating a very faint scent, masked by the smell of leather armor and dust.

Outside the shed, eerie footsteps and mutterings came and went.

The initial stiffness and wariness gradually broke down under the combined effects of the sustained low temperature and the body's accumulated fatigue.

The kestrel's body unconsciously curled up slightly, an instinct to resist the cold.

The Ring of Sanction that Lin Yu contained, even in the confined space and at close range, acted like a stable heat source, radiating a warmth that was hard to ignore.

In the dream, or in a half-awake state, the body's intuition often overrides rational control.

The kestrel felt the warmth coming from behind becoming clearer, dispelling the chill that seeped into its spine.

In a haphazard turn, she unknowingly reduced the already minuscule distance, her back gently pressing against Lin Yu's side.

Lin Yu seemed to be sleeping soundly and did not respond.

This subtle contact startled the falcon awake for a moment after a brief daze. She instinctively tried to move forward again, but there was no room left on the edge of the bed.

She pursed her lips and ultimately didn't move. The warmth felt real, while the outside world was cold and full of malice.

Reason told her that maintaining body temperature and physical strength was more important.

However, things didn't stop at simply keeping warm back to back.

Perhaps because he was used to sleeping with Su Wan and Anna, Lin Yu turned over and his hand naturally reached forward.

First, the falcon felt the arm across her waist, heavy and with an undeniable force, pulling her towards the source of warmth.

The two were lying on their sides, but now she was pressed against Lin Yu's chest, a closer fit.

Through the leather armor and clothing, she could clearly feel the rise and fall of the other person's chest and steady heartbeat, as well as the continuous heat emanating from him.

The kestrel immediately woke up, its body tensing instantly, and its hand quietly gripped the hilt of the short knife hidden at its side.

But the person behind him was breathing steadily and slowly, as if it were just an unconscious movement.

She hesitated for a few seconds, trying to gently move the hand away, but Lin Yu's arm was strong and powerful, as if it were welded to her waist.

Her slight struggle only made the arm tighten around her, enveloping her in warmth even more tightly.

Her soft buttocks gently pressed against Lin Yu, while Lin Yu was unintentionally pressing against her.

So sturdy, so magnificent.

The kestrel blushed, but there was no way to retreat.

"...Lin Yu," the red falcon called softly.

A muffled murmur came from behind, and the grip on his arm loosened slightly, but he still didn't let go.

The kestrel took a breath and finally slowly loosened its grip on the hilt.

She told herself that this was just to keep warm and to maintain her condition.

The warmth behind me was so tempting, dispelling the chill in my bones and the gloom brought by the whispers of the outside world.

Her resistance gradually softened under the weighing of her physiological instincts and reason.

But it's not over yet.

After a while, the hand that was wrapped around her waist started to get a little restless.

Lin Yu seemed to find the leather armor's stiffness uncomfortable enough, so he unconsciously and slowly moved his palms upwards along the curve of his waist.

Red Falcon froze, almost jumping up, but the hand had already crossed her ribs, its warm palm covering the area below her chest, beneath her leather armor.

Although it wasn't a sensitive area, this intrusive contact made her scalp tingle.

She tried to break free again, pushing her elbow back.

Lin Yu let out a muffled groan of dissatisfaction in his sleep, his arm tightening, not only did he not move it away, but his hand remained stubbornly in place.

His fingers were even slightly clenched, as if he were measuring something in his sleep.

Lin Yu's chin rested unconsciously on the top of Hong Jun's head, his warm breath brushing against her hair.

The kestrel's face flushed red in the darkness, half with anger and half with some indescribable embarrassment.

She had never had such close and intimate contact with a man before.

In the survival rules of the Ash Wasteland, there is only vigilance and fighting, no warmth, and certainly no such blurred physical entanglement.

She tried to break free slightly again, but was met with an even tighter restraint.

Moreover, the kestrel sadly discovered that being embraced like this was indeed...warmer!

Even my cold toes started to warm up.

"I want more, warmer, tighter hugs..." the falcon thought to itself.

Lin Yu's hands were also warm, even though he was currently holding her two soft mounds of flesh.

Reason and instinct, vigilance and comfort, clashed fiercely in this cramped and cold shack.

In the end, the kestrel gave up struggling.

She stiffly remained in the embraced position, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the unfamiliar presence coming from her waist and lower chest, forcing herself to rest.

She told herself that this was just a temporary measure, a way to survive.

Once dawn breaks and the trial begins, all of this will be forgotten... Well, Lin Yu is too fierce; he can't possibly ignore something this big!

The kestrel bit its lower lip tightly.

Behind her, where she couldn't see, Lin Yu's lips twitched very slightly.

It was indeed an accident at first. After waking up, I found that the person in front of me didn't seem to mind much, so I decided to let it go.

After all, it's quite awkward to explain now.

Moreover... the kestrels are good at throwing their young.

......

The night was spent in this subtle act of "warming up".

As dawn broke and the assembly whistle shattered the morning silence, the two opened their eyes almost simultaneously.

The kestrel moved forward immediately, breaking free from the embrace, its movements as swift as a startled bird.

Of course, she was not startled.

The kestrel's face was expressionless, but a faint blush lingered behind its ears.

She quickly straightened her leather armor and hair, and hung the dagger back on her waist, as if nothing had happened last night.

Lin Yu also sat up, looking completely at ease, as if he wasn't the one who had been automatically following Wen Nuan in his sleep, his arm acting very restlessly.

"It's time to go," Lin Yu said calmly.

Red Falcon nodded, not daring to look at Lin Yu.

Although I hate to admit it, my heart did race last night because of Lin Yu.

If it weren't for the trial, her first priority right now would be to change her panties.

Without much thought, the falcon pulled its hood up again, covering most of its face.

"Regarding the deduction about the other half of the third door," her voice returned to its usual cool tone, and she spoke slightly faster:

"I suspect that 'cannot see or read' may point to a kind of 'cognitive harm'."

The trigger might be actively reading or understanding specific text, while the method... could be related to forgetting or misinterpretation; this is just speculation.

"Understood." Lin Yu stood up and stretched his shoulders.

The two walked out of shed number 17, one after the other.

In the morning light, the two seemed to have transformed back into the calm, independent, and distant test-takers they were when they first met on the train.

There were fewer people in the square than yesterday.

Some of the trial participants wore undisguised fatigue and lingering fear, their eyes darting around.

There were some dark stains on the floor that hadn't been completely cleaned up yet.

Many others, however, gazed with burning eyes and a fierce fighting spirit at the twenty massive doors at the end of the square, which were now faintly gleaming with different lights.

The officer ascended the platform once more, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Trial participants, the final moment has arrived."

The door is about to open.

Choose your starting point, and then go in.

The trial begins!

"Boom—!"

Twenty massive stone doors slowly opened inwards at the same time.

Behind the door, a thick fog of bizarre colors churned, seemingly connecting twenty strange and fantastical otherworlds.

Hundreds of trial participants swarmed toward the twenty doors like moths to a flame.

Lin Yu did not act immediately. His gaze quickly swept over the subtle features revealed when the doors were opened and the aura emanating from inside. Combining this with the information from Red Falcon, he quickly made a judgment.

He looked at the kestrel, and the kestrel happened to look at him as well.

The two nodded almost imperceptibly, then turned and walked toward the first door they had chosen.

Lin Yu chose the seventh door from the left, while Hong Jun went to the adjacent eighth door.

They tacitly avoided choosing the same door; teaming up would result in being marked and encountering targeted calamities.

Maintain independence, but adjacent doors may offer unexpected opportunities for collaboration when necessary.

Lin Yu stopped in front of the seventh giant door.

The thick blue fog behind the door churned, as if countless tiny points of light flickered within it.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The thick fog instantly engulfed him.