It was supposed to be a casual game, but the Long March dungeon brought tears to everyone's eye

This is a death lie that everyone can understand.

On this snow-capped mountain, "taking a break" is like taking a lifetime.

Hawkeye fell silent.

The best course of action for an NPC who is dying and incapacitated is to abandon them.

Bringing along the old squad leader will only drag the whole team down.

This was Hawkeye's original idea, but now he has changed and will not give up easily.

But what's the use of transformation?

He'd already seen the grayed-out system notification!

[System Warning! "Old Sergeant" has entered a "near-death" state!]

In Hawkeye's eyes, this is a plot-driven death, the most ruthless rule in the game.

Any effort is futile in the face of a plot-driven death!

But just then...

"Bullshit!"

A deafening roar echoed across the mountain ridge.

Kuang Ge's eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged bull.

He slammed the heavy iron pot on his back onto the ground with a loud "bang".

He pointed at the old squad leader and roared, word by word.

"Nobody's fucking leaving!"

"You listen to me!"

"It was my fault for not keeping a close eye on Xiaohu; he fell down!"

"Old Li's mess is now on my shoulders!"

"If you dare die in front of me again, I... I'll jump off this cliff and die with you!"

Kuang Ge's words were incoherent, but they were unwavering in their resolve.

The old squad leader looked at Kuang Ge with surprise, but there was also a complex sense of relief in his eyes.

These new recruits are different from the previous ones.

Kuang Ge walked up to the old squad leader, bent down, and without saying a word, carried this man, who was once as reliable as a mountain but was now as light as a piece of dry wood, on his back.

[System Warning: You have entered "Overload x2" state!]

[WARNING: Your health is rapidly decreasing! You will die within 60 seconds if you do not discard your inventory immediately!]

A bright red warning light filled Crazy Brother's entire retina.

The old squad leader's burning body temperature was pressing against Kuang Ge's back through his cotton-padded coat.

Meanwhile, Madman's body, already at its limit, was emitting a groan of collapse.

But he just gritted his teeth and straightened up again.

Then he turned around and roared at Hawkeye and the soldiers who were stunned.

"What are you looking at!"

"I'll carry him on my back if I have to!"

"Set off!"

After saying that, he took a step.

That step seemed to have used up all his strength.

He trampled a deep hole in the snow beneath his feet.

In the live stream, all the viewers went crazy.

"Brother Kuang! No! This is a plot device! You can't save him!"

"You'll die! You'll die with him!"

"Holy crap! This is the first time I've ever seen a player dare to go against the system!"

"That's fucking...that's what real men are like!"

Hawkeye watched Madman's swaying back as he didn't retreat an inch.

Looking at the old squad leader who was on Kuang Ge's back and had fallen into a semi-conscious state.

Even the usually rational Hawkeye had reddened eyes.

Screw the optimal solution, screw the plot-driven death.

Hawkeye silently stepped forward, threw away everything he could from his backpack, leaving only a gun and a few bullets.

Then he walked over to Kuang Ge, reached out, and supported one of the old squad leader's legs, sharing some of Kuang Ge's weight.

"Shut up." Hawkeye said succinctly to the still-screaming Madman, "Save your energy."

Kuang Ge stopped yelling.

He simply grinned, revealing a smile that looked even uglier than a grimace.

"it is good."

……

Altitude: 4,800 meters.

The snow-capped mountain pass is visible in the distance.

The last few hundred meters, however, seemed like an insurmountable chasm, blocking everyone's way.

The air was so thin it felt like it had been sucked out.

Kuang Ge and his group had to stop and bend over with their hands on their knees after every step.

Like a fish out of water, I gasped for breath for five minutes.

Crazy Brother carried the old squad leader on his back, while Eagle Eye supported him from the side.

The two of them formed a mobile fortress, moving step by step towards the mountaintop.

All that could be heard in Kuang Ge's ears, besides the sound of the wind, was the heavy breathing of himself and the old squad leader.

One heavy, one light.

One urgent, one leisurely.

It was as if two hearts were beating simultaneously inside his body.

Ruanru's eyes have recovered somewhat, and she can vaguely see some light and shadow.

She neither cried nor made a fuss.

He just clung tightly to the straw rope wrapped around the old squad leader's arm.

Even though the old squad leader was unconscious and Eagle Eye was holding the other end of the rope, she refused to let go.

Because at the other end of the rope, that mountain-like man was burning his own life.

"Cough...cough cough..."

The old squad leader on Kuang Ge's back suddenly coughed violently.

He seemed to have regained some of his senses.

It was a final burst of energy before death.

He started talking nonsense.

Under the "Deep Memory Retrospection Filter" that Luo An had just loaded, the old squad leader's ramblings were no longer vague syllables, but clear fragments filled with deep emotions.

"The water...the water's boiling..."

"Nannan, bring the noodles..."

"Dad will... give you a wide slate..."

The illusion of that steaming bowl of minced meat noodles reappeared before Kuang Ge and his companions once again.

This time, however, the old foreman by the stove had a hint of weariness in his smile.

"Company commander...you can go in peace."

"I've brought the team to you."

"It's...it's that kid from the Zhao family, we couldn't keep him...I'm so sorry..."

The illusion shattered.

The old squad leader's voice, once again, sounded weak in reality.

He lay on Kuang Ge's back, struggling to lift his head and look at the mountaintop ahead.

"Crazy Kid..." the old squad leader called out to Crazy Brother.

"Hey! Class monitor! I'm here!" Crazy Brother responded immediately.

"Get over...get over this mountain..."

"Will... we then see spring?"

The old squad leader's voice was filled with childlike anticipation.

Kuang Ge stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth.

spring?

Beyond the mountains, there are still mountains.

It is a continuous, endless white wasteland.

There is no spring here.

Hawkeye, standing to the side, looked at the system panel, at the old sergeant's status bar which had turned completely black, and the constantly flashing "Vitality Loss" warning, and sadly concluded:

"His physiological indicators have fallen below the minimum threshold for sustaining life."

"He...maybe he really won't make it to the top of the mountain."

Perhaps, it was Hawkeye's own hope, a hope he himself was unwilling to give up.

But his words instantly ignited all the live streams.

"You old scoundrel Luo, come out here! I'll kill you!"

"If you dare to write anything that kills the old sergeant! I swear! I'll find out your studio address and send you razor blades every day until you go bankrupt!"

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! There must be a hidden ending! There must be a way to save him!"

"Please...please...don't let him die before spring arrives..."

Countless gifts exploded on the screen like crazy, and countless viewers wept uncontrollably in front of their screens.

For the first time, they hated the identity of "player" so much.

Because they realized that they could do nothing but watch helplessly.

Kuang Ge couldn't hear the cries of anguish in the live stream.

All he heard was the old squad leader's words: his anticipation for spring.

Kuang Ge remained silent for a few seconds.

Then suddenly he grinned and squeezed out a smile with all his might.

His voice was hoarse from lack of oxygen and excitement.

"right!"

"Don't worry, squad leader!"

"Turning over there will bring spring!"

"There are flowers! There is grass! There is a vast plain covered with blooming rapeseed flowers!"

"And...and your daughter, she's waiting for you on the other side of the mountain!"

"Wait for her, cook her that bowl... the biggest bowl of minced meat noodles!"