Volume 2: Winter’s End
Shu Xun was still immersed in the surprise of not having to walk by himself. Ye Qian had already prepared and pushed open the door. The biting cold wind immediately rushed in. Shu Xun reached out to pull the scarf up again, only revealing half of his face. In his dark, sparkling eyes, there was a glint, and a small vermilion mole between his eyebrows seemed exceptionally dazzling in the vast white world.
Following the same path as before, Shu Xun guided Ye Qian in that direction. The small wooden house behind them was quickly engulfed by the snowstorm, disappearing without a trace.
Ye Qian’s long legs were evidently much faster than Shu Xun’s short ones. They reached Baiyan Forest earlier than Shu Xun had estimated, and this wasn’t even Ye Qian moving at full speed.
In just two days, the mountain and forest had not undergone significant changes, and the traces Shu Xun left behind were already covered by the white snow. Standing at the edge of the forest, Shu Xun climbed out of Ye Qian’s pocket. “This forest is quite large, with local wildlife. We can head southwest along the Weishan mountain range. But before that, there’s something I need to get.” As he spoke, Shu Xun slid down along Ye Qian’s clothes.
Ye Qian stood on the snowy ground, allowing the little dumpling to slide down, and then watched as it scampered towards a Baiyan Tree, leaving a trail of tiny footprints that stood out. Following the footprints, Ye Qianl took graceful steps.
Meanwhile, the live chat was filled with urging comments:
“Ye Qian, catch up! The little dumpling is about to be blown away!!!”
“God Ye, it might be better to put Shu Xun in your pocket. I always feel like Shu Xun is going to fly away.”
“The snowstorm is so strong, the little footprints of the dumpling will be blown away so quickly.”
Shu Xun lowered his head and quickly reached the destination. Seeing the almost ice-covered small tree hole in front of him, Shu Xun extended his sharp claws and broke the ice layer with a couple of swipes, then climbed inside.
The live chat reacted with amusement:
“God Ye, catch up! Catch up!”
“This action seems a bit challenging for Ye Qian. Can Ye Qian fit inside? I remember Ye Qian is a giant wolf bloodline awakener; knocking down trees is possible…”
“What is the little dumpling doing? The way it kicks its short legs when climbing inside is so cute!”
Ye Qian squatted down in front of the Baiyan Tree, his tall figure almost blocking all the light. A small head soon popped out of the tree hole, disdainfully pointing to the side, gesturing for Ye Qian to move aside.
The live chat burst into laughter once again. Ye Qian was actually being snubbed, the all-powerful god being snubbed by a teammate!
In the eyes of the audience, the usually aloof Ye Qian unexpectedly complied, moving to the side as indicated by the little dumpling. He continued to squat beside the tree hole, his towering figure appearing strangely heavy in this snowy and cold winter world, yet exuding an inexplicable sense of security.
“Suddenly, I feel like my God Ye is inexplicably cute, what’s going on?”
“Was Ye Qian this obedient? I don’t believe it! I might be watching a fake livestream!”
“Ahh, so cute! If Ye Qian transforms into an animal and squats beside, haha, the blood bar is already empty!”
“Requesting animal form! Requesting animal form! By the way, what’s the animal form of the little dumpling? Is it a little milk wolf? Why else would they be so compatible?”
Unfortunately, Ye Qian couldn’t see the livestream, so naturally, he couldn’t fulfill the audience’s strong requests. Of course, even if he could see, Ye Qian would probably maintain his poker face and completely ignore the requests.
After a while, Shu Xun finally packed the Baiyan nuts and a few mushrooms he had collected into his small backpack. In a cheerful mood, he crawled out of the tree hole and waved his chubby hands in greeting Ye Qian, indicating that his matters were resolved.
Ye Qian extended his palm, opening it in front of Shu Xun, who adeptly walked up with his small short legs, making a pattering sound. There wasn’t much verbal communication between the two, yet an unexpected understanding existed.
Back in the warmth of his jacket pocket, Shu Xun immediately extended his hands to rub his slightly cool chubby face before pointing in the southwest direction. “The Weishan Mountain Range is quite long, passing through Micro City. Presumably, that’s also the origin of the city’s name. Micro City is in the southwest direction, with Micro Lake and Baiyan Town near the mountain range. We just need to head in that direction. As for how deep into the Weishan Mountain Range we go, that’s up to you.”
As a treasure-seeking mouse, Shu Xun naturally possessed an extremely strong sense of direction. This was their reliance and innate talent for exploring various continents. Despite Shu Xun being quite young, he was confident in his sense of direction.
Ye Qian seemed to have no doubts about Shu Xun’s guidance, taking confident steps toward the southwest without hesitation.
“I remember Ye Qian seems to be a bit directionally challenged. Is it okay to follow the little dumpling?”
“Don’t mention it; I almost forgot! This game doesn’t have an intelligent navigation tool. Haha, let’s wait for these two to get lost…”
“No wonder God Ye almost starved himself!”
“Little dumpling seems to have a good sense of direction. In these weather conditions, even high-level players can easily lose their sense of direction. The little dumpling looks very confident.”
“Hope God Ye doesn’t take the wrong path. Going straight along the mountain range should be a shortcut. I wonder if they can reach Micro City before Lie Yang.”
In the raging snowstorm, the world turned into a monochrome palette. Walking within it felt like stepping into an illusionary realm. This scenery was also a subconscious hypnotization. If players spent a long time in such an environment, losing their way was secondary; their judgment and emotions could easily be affected.
Of course, Ye Qian didn’t seem to have such troubles at the moment, as he had a little dumpling grinding on Baiyan nuts, occasionally crunching them. When the little dumpling crushed the nuts, it would tug at Ye Qian’s clothes and then offer the milky-white fruit pulp to him. Ye Qian wasn’t hesitant about it, accepting the Baiyan nuts and eating them.
Shu Xun’s earlier speculation about the origin of the name “Micro City” was quite accurate. During the time spent in the wooden house, besides crafting a set of clothes, Ye Qian also lingered for a long time in the second-floor study. After all, this was where Ye Qian encountered the first indigenous site, and the study stored a wealth of information about the in-game native world.
In the study, Ye Qian found dictionaries and numerous books. In the interstellar age, even for non-awakened individuals, the development of their cerebral domain had advanced significantly. Learning a new language was a breeze for modern humans, especially for Ye Qian, known as a deity with exceptionally strong mental power and learning abilities. Consequently, within just a few hours, Ye Qian had already mastered the language of this world.
As for the multitude of books in the study about the Baiyan Tree, Ye Qian also briefly perused them, gaining a better understanding of the characteristics of the Baiyan Tree. The tree itself possessed a hardness and resilience almost comparable to rocks, hence its name. The fruits of the Baiyan Tree were also considered delicious, with a substantial quantity of Baiyan nuts being harvested and sold annually, in high demand. Baiyan nuts had exceptionally high caloric content, making them a favored food for many jungle creatures, either for storage or consumption to provide sufficient energy to endure the harsh winter.
Ye Qian didn’t know if Shu Xun had read related books, but he didn’t want to reject the thoughtful actions of the little dumpling. Moreover, in such low temperatures without an enclosed space, it was impossible to sleep in the open air. Falling asleep would lead to an unending slumber.
Shu Xun knew about the characteristics of the Baiyan Tree. The answer was affirmative. Shu Xun had spent more time in the small wooden house, meticulously studying the study as well. Information about the high-calorie Baiyan nuts was naturally stored in Shu Xun’s mind. Similarly, Shu Xun was aware that since leaving the forest base, Ye Qian’s next rest would only be possible by finding a cave or reaching the vicinity of the Micro Lake, or locating an indigenous house. Otherwise, sleep would be elusive. Consequently, Shu Xun, while gnawing on nuts, offered the pulp from cracked nuts to Ye Qian.
Ye Qian didn’t ask, and Shu Xun wouldn’t say. The two continued their journey in silent accord. Ye Qian’s pace was swift, and by the time darkness set in, they had covered quite a distance. Ye Qian had no intention of stopping for the night. Before meeting Shu Xun, Ye Qian had walked tirelessly for five days without rest. Now, with a food supply, traveling through the night was the optimal choice.
Briefly stopping on the wind-shielded side of a Baiyan Tree, they ate some biscuits, and Ye Qian set off again.
The night was as dark as ink, a dense blackness engulfing the entire world. No moon adorned the sky, and the snowstorm persisted. Shu Xun’s vision was severely disturbed, but the basic sense of direction remained intact, ensuring they stayed on the general course. No one spoke. Amidst the howling wind and snow, even footsteps were barely audible.
As midnight approached, Shu Xun curled up in the pocket of the upper garment, yawning widely. The little one, appearing exhausted, rubbed its eyes, trying to stay awake. However, soon the small head drooped slowly with Ye Qian’s steps, seemingly on the verge of sleep. Yet, it quickly jolted awake, shaking its little head vigorously, gazing into the dark world ahead.
Ye Qian lowered his head, observing the furry little head nestled on his chest. Despite the apparent weariness, the little dumpling remained silently vigilant, determined to shoulder the responsibilities of being a teammate. This determination was oddly cute.
Finally, as Shu Xun’s head nodded once again, Ye Qian slowed his steps, reducing the body’s jolting. When the little dumpling’s head drooped against the edge of the pocket, Ye Qian gently raised his hand, placing the small creature into the pocket. He even arranged the cotton fibers inside, blocking the cold air.
In the pocket, nestled in soft cotton, Shu Xun slowly drifted into sleep. Through the fabric, the warm chest provided enough heat, offering Shu Xun a small warm nest to endure the ice-covered landscape and spend a cozy night.
Amid the black night, Ye Qian once again stepped forward, his figure swiftly weaving through the jungle, heading towards the southwest.
Meanwhile, in the live stream chat, a lively scene unfolded. Real-world and in-game time happened to be synchronized for some players who were getting ready to log off and rest. However, Ye Qian’s unusually gentle demeanor caught them off guard, and in a dazed state, he bid them a good night.
“I must be dreaming. Something’s off with my God Ye today!”
“Little dumpling is definitely a baby wolf and Ye Qian’s nurturing instincts have awakened!”
“My God Ye can’t be this warm. Where’s my aloof God Ye?”
