Ark Chess Player.

"Run away!!"

At noon, in the late afternoon, and in the late afternoon, the five earthly branches (午, 未, 申, 酉) desperately tried to escape, but no matter how fast they ran, they could not escape this harsh winter.

The black ice crystals transformed into streaks of light, shooting straight through and hitting one after another the black-clad warriors.

The true purpose of these black ice crystals is not to transform into ice blades, but to guide the arrival of cold waves.

A chilling current swept through the air, and whether it was You, who tried to melt the ice crystals with fire magic, Wu, who dragged the ice crystals along in an attempt to escape, Shen, who forcefully pulled the black ice crystals out of his body, or Wei, who unfortunately had his head pierced by the ice crystals and died on the spot, all of them remained in various poses, turning into ice sculptures, leaving marks on the ground.

Xu and Hai's expressions changed drastically. They abandoned their defenses, letting the high-explosive crossbow bolts hit them, and dragged their heavily wounded bodies as they fled for their lives.

"They've escaped! Keep firing, don't let them get away!!"

Yeti Number One roared wildly, its eyes turning red.

"Yang Ge, don't chase!"

Petrova quickly stopped her.

Yeti One wanted to ask why, but when it saw the older sister's figure falling in the distance, all its questions were stuck in its throat.

He stopped in his tracks, stunned and frozen in place, feeling as if all the blood in his body had frozen.

—Longmen City.

The Winter Official of the Great Yan Astronomical Bureau, who was leisurely strolling, suddenly trembled violently. He abruptly looked up in the direction of the strange change in the heavens and earth, took out his astronomical instrument, and watched as the copper needle spun rapidly. A look of wild joy gradually spread across his face. As the Astronomical Bureau's sorcerer in charge of the winter calendar, the Winter Official had been collecting items related to ice magic, even people… He had countless ice magic users who had been refined into magical artifacts!

"This power is mine!"

After performing divination and locating the celestial globe, which trembled in his palm, the Winter Official was filled with joy.

The stronger the better! We can send Wei Yanwu's men first, and once those Shadow Guards are all dead, we'll send in the Guard Bureau. Whether the enemy is an Infected from Reunion or not, we have to take them down first! Even if they weren't before, they have to be now!

"All personnel, assemble!"

As Dong Guan picked up the communicator, he began to imagine how to refine this power...

—The other end of the Longmen slum.

The shelter that Alexander Swail and the slum dwellers built in a day and a night is now a dilapidated ruin.

They survived the Reunion Movement's attack and Mephisto's Originium dust, but they couldn't escape the Black Cloak massacre from Lungmen.

It's less ironic and more... tragic.

When Lin Lu arrived, Lungmen Senior Superintendent Alexander Swell was fighting fiercely with his weapon, but his fighting ability was barely comparable to Swire's. It was clear that being brutally beaten by Black Cloak was inevitable; the two were simply not on the same level.

If it weren't for Amiya, Huang, the borderless army's sentries, and Arno helping to hold off the Black Cloak, he wouldn't have been able to hold out until Lin Lu arrived.

"Are you still holding on?"

Lin Lu reached out and helped Swell, who was lying on the ground panting heavily, to his feet.

When he arrived in the slums, the men in black raincoats ran away, perhaps out of fear of him.

"of course."

Swell clutched his wound, breathing heavily.

He looked at the wrecked shelter behind him and felt a sense of emptiness.

The scene of everyone in the slums desperately building shelter last night was still vivid in his mind—a testament to their collective effort, now easily destroyed. And the person who single-handedly destroyed it all happened to be connected to Yan Kingdom and Longmen, which made him feel even more exhausted.

Lin Lu did not try to comfort him.

This is not as simple as destroying a house and killing a few local infected people in Lungmen.

This is a blood feud.

A blood debt that will never be settled.

Just then, a strange phenomenon appeared in the distant sky.

Black snow fell on Lin Lu's silver-white hair.

Lin Lu was stunned for a moment. He raised his hand and cupped the black ice crystals in his hands, and the snowflakes melted in his hands.

His fingers trembled slightly, his lips pursed, and he murmured softly.

"Froststar?"

Chapter 424 The Yeti

Longmen slum.

Amidst the ravaged ruins, Froststar lay with her eyes closed on the flat ground cleared by the Yetis.

The Yetis shivered, their limbs stiff from the cold despite wearing protective arm protectors and gear, and they nearly fell asleep.

To carry her older sister inside, they took turns passing her around like a production line, moving her with utmost care. Froststar was incredibly light, not heavy at all; the Originium crystals within her body had seeped out and transformed into a cold current, making her so light it was almost heartbreaking.

“I have confirmed that all the survivors I could contact have left.”

Petrova leaned against the frost-covered wall, rubbing her arms as if trying to regain some warmth.

"There must have been at least five thousand Reunion Movement members who were tricked into coming to Lungmen by Talulah and Mephisto, right? Now, less than two hundred have returned. Perhaps the number of infected people who escaped from the Lungmen main body through the passage is even more than these people." Big Bear sighed deeply as he looked at the dark cloud-covered sky, where black ice crystals danced and stained the ground with the colors of the infected.

"They lived without knowing what they were living for."

"They died without knowing why."

"Big Bear said softly, gazing into the distance, unable to find his way home."

"The escape route has collapsed. Now we only have two paths. Find a new passage and fight our way out of the Dragon Gate from somewhere else. There's another option..."

"Stop talking, I choose the second one."

“I haven’t said what the second option is yet,” Big Bear laughed.

"Anyway, the first one sounds unreliable." Yeti Number One didn't give Big Bear a friendly look. "Big Sister has exhausted herself fighting off those people in black raincoats, and she probably won't wake up for a while. If we follow your first idea, do we have a way to get Big Sister away? If those people want to leave, I won't object. I'll stay and wait for Big Sister."

“…I agree with Young.” Petrova raised her hand to indicate her stance.

The Reunion soldiers present looked at each other, exchanging opinions privately, and discussing whether they should abandon the Yetis and leave.

The phantom crossbowmen quietly adjusted their weapons and equipment. They knew that no matter what path lay ahead, battle was inevitable. This was probably the experience of veteran soldiers: don't look to the distant future, focus on the present.

"If only my father were here."

A Yeti spoke slowly, feeling helpless and confused, unsure of what to do next.

"If Uncle were here, those people definitely wouldn't be able to hurt Big Sister. Uncle would beat all the people who bullied Big Sister to death."

"Alright, what's the point of saying all this? Big Daddy's probably on his way to Chernobog right now, he's going to settle scores with Talulah. Instead of thinking about unrealistic outcomes, we should think about what to do now... Have you all thought it through?"

When Big Bear saw the Reunion Movement soldiers approaching, he vaguely guessed what they were thinking.

"We... have decided to take a gamble. Staying here and holding out probably offers no hope. The passageway has collapsed, and even if the Lungmen people don't come looking for us, we can't get out... We want to find a new exit." The Reunion soldier stammered, feeling ashamed. They were the ones who lured the Black Cloak to the Yeti Squad, and now they were abandoning them to seek a way to survive.

"Okay, let's go."

Big Bear didn't stop them. Everyone has their own ambitions, and he wouldn't force these people to stay and die with them.

The man gritted his teeth; he would rather the Yetis curse him than suffer this.

Before turning away, he left a message: "If we find a new way out, I will come back to find you."

The remaining two or so squads of Reunion soldiers all left, and in an instant, the ruins became even more spacious, making it feel much cooler.

"what about you?"

Big Bear looked at the phantom crossbowmen and asked.

The Phantom Crossbowman shook his head slightly and sighed, "We watched Faust grow up. He wasn't particularly talented, but he was hardworking. Shooting, tactics, activating Originium Arts—he practiced relentlessly even when he was just a little kid. Now that he's died here, well… it's not bad for us old guys to stay and keep him company. We are warriors, and as long as we keep fighting, we will all die one day."

"how about you?"

Big Bear turned around and looked at the swindler uncle who was trembling and rubbing his hands on the ground.

"Huh? Didn't you say that if we both survived, we'd get vodka?" The man was stunned, his expression changing. "You're not planning to stand me up, are you? I helped hold off two people, I've done my part for the Reunion Movement, I've shed blood for Big Sister. You can't treat me like this! What kind of world is this? Good people should be held at gunpoint!"

"...You're not part of Reunion at all, okay?"

Big Bear realized that this lonely old man who claimed all his comrades were dead was not a member of the Reunion Movement at all. With such strong skills, single-handedly holding off two black-clad women, he was practically half as strong as Big Sister.

"Never mind, my older sister said that you have to keep your promises."

Big Bear pulled a bottle of vodka from his pocket and shouted, "Brothers, come and have a drink to warm yourselves up!"

Yeti Number One's eyes widened. "Didn't Big Daddy say we weren't allowed to bring alcohol?"

“Drinking is not allowed during marches.” Petrova raised her hand and nudged him. “If you don’t want to drink, then get out of here.”

"No, no, no, I want to drink, I want to drink."

Yeti Number One rushed over, and another slender Yeti also came over, staring longingly at the bear.

"I want to drink too..."

He said somewhat shyly.

"No, you're only fifteen. You're not old enough yet."

"But...I've never drunk this before! I don't want to die without ever tasting the flavor of my hometown..."

The boy hung his head in dejection, terrified, with a feeling that he was going to die this time. But he dared not cry, because his older sister had told him not to cry, that he couldn't cry yet, because... the battle wasn't won. He had to save his tears, until the injustices of this world were eradicated, until they were free, so that he could cry his heart out in the wilderness, in the snow, in the wheat fields.

"Give him some to drink."

Petrova reached out and hugged the boy's shoulder, urging the bear on with her eyes.

Big Bear said helplessly, "I'll listen to you. Come on, bring the water bottle over, everyone have some. Hey guys over there, come and get some too!"

A full bottle of vodka was distributed to everyone present, and each person could only drink a small cup, but they all laughed.

Petrova set an example by raising her glass and calling out, "A toast to my elder sister and father!"

The entire Yeti team raised their glasses: "To Frostnova and Patriot!"

The Phantom Squad also raised their glasses: "To Faust!"

The crowd stared intently at the conman.

The middle-aged man was stunned. At a time like this, why would you still try to trick him?

"Homage to the great BIG BOSS!!"

The swindler raised his glass high, full of bravado, and downed the wine in one gulp.

This time, he wasn't lying.

Chapter 425 Extremely Stubborn (Third Update)

Although the Yetis didn't know why this old man stayed there, since he was willing to fight alongside them, then... there was nothing wrong with that.

One more person means one more source of strength.

The Yetis couldn't help but smile, raised their glasses, and toasted.

The youngest snow monster curiously licked the wine in its glass. At first, it didn't feel anything, so it confidently took a sip. A few seconds later, the strong liquor hit, making it feel like it was on fire, and it couldn't stop hiccuping while holding the glass.

"It's funny, but I suddenly remembered those people from Rhodes Island, and that man my older sister had a crush on for five years." Petrova turned to look at the unconscious Frostnova. As a woman, she could understand why her older sister would have such fantasies about that person.

She is loyal, charismatic, and exceptionally good-looking.

Big Bear's expression stiffened, and he said in a low voice, "Why do you miss them?"

"That steaming cat, the black rabbit forcing itself to act like a little adult, and that guy that older sister keeps talking about—aren't they all interesting?" Petrova joked. "The older sister searched for that guy for five years—five of the most precious years of a young girl's life, all spent waiting. Thankfully, she finally found him. I've met him, and he's an impeccable person. I approve of this marriage!"

"You've only known him for a short time, and you already know he's good?!" Big Bear said, somewhat displeased.

"They're a perfect match, a match made in heaven, who gives you the right to object, you monster?" Snow Monster Number One, drunk, immediately dissed Big Bear. "I saw it all. Dad used too much force and almost hit Big Sister. That guy let go to protect Big Sister and almost got punched to death by Dad. I respect him as a real man!" Snow Monster Number One raised his glass and finished the last bit of wine.

Big Bear had nothing to say; he was also there.

"If... I mean if..." Big Bear muttered as he drank his wine in silence, "If we persevere, and that person comes... I can be his best man at his wedding to Big Sister! I'll do anything as long as he can save her!"

“Okay, then I’ll be a bridesmaid!” Petrova agreed.

"what about me?"

"Yeti Number One asked drunkenly."

Big Bear rolled his eyes at him and sneered, "You can be a flower boy. With your intelligence, you'll just be responsible for walking in front and scattering flowers."