Volume 2: Winter’s End
The blizzard lasted for a full two days without showing any signs of stopping even as night approached. It wasn’t until the noon of the fifth in-game day that the sky began to clear. The sun, still obscured by clouds, appeared for the first time since Shu Xun entered the game world.
After a day of contemplation, Shu Xun had organized his supplies and prepared himself mentally. The forest, undulating with hills that weren’t steep but seemed endless, made it difficult for Shu Xun to estimate its size. The optimal direction seemed to be heading back to Shu Xun’s initial spawn point, where the terrain was relatively flat. If there were native inhabitants in this world, flat terrain increased the likelihood of finding structures.
Since the decision to leave was made, Shu Xun wasted no time. He filled every small pocket of his clothes with nuts, carrying a few more in his arms. The already chubby little ball became even rounder.
The forest was teeming with animals, like the squirrel encountered before. Without a certain level of strength, Shu Xun would have easily been killed by the determined squirrel. One should never underestimate any creature in the natural world, especially when disaster strikes and food becomes scarce; every lifeform can unleash surprising power.
The location of Shu Xun’s tree hole was at the edge of the forest, chosen hastily due to the sudden blizzard upon entering the game world. Now, this location facilitated Shu Xun’s departure from the forest.
Following the direction in his memory, Shu Xun quickly left the forest. Standing at the top of a hill, he gazed upon a vast, white world. The terrain appeared remarkably flat, and the sunlight, though filtered through the clouds, provided a clear view, bringing a sense of openness and relief.
Taking a deep breath of the brisk air, Shu Xun, with his short legs, ventured forward into the unknown.
Simultaneously, the rare good weather brought relief to most players. The respite allowed them some breathing room. Since entering the game world, all communication with the outside had been severed. Thus, the surviving players were unaware that within just four days, the death toll had already reached ten percent, a figure continually rising.
Now in the official room of the game platform, the commentator has changed, and the holographic images occasionally switch randomly. The commentator is explaining the current situation. “As you can see, the snow in this world cannot be directly consumed, and the melted snow water cannot be directly drunk. Some players have discovered that snow water must be heated and boiled before consumption; otherwise, it may trigger an infection. Without medication, players will die within two days. However, in the world of ‘Winter’s End’, fire is a very precious resource…”
In the audience seats, the spectators have various expressions. Some are expressing their opinions and comments, some are speculating with a serious look, and others are sending gifts to their favorite players. However, most players are captivated by the scenes in the game.
The difficulty of ‘Winter’s End’ exceeds everyone’s imagination. The initial equipment consists of a single-layered garment with almost no cold resistance. Blizzard rages, shelters are hard to find, food is scarce, and there is a water crisis. Only a very small number of god-tier players, relying on their judgment and adventurous spirit, have found traces of the indigenous people’s activities. However, the help provided is not substantial. So far, no one has guessed the conditions for completing the game, and they can only survive in this difficult situation.
“The scene has changed, and it’s a forest. It seems that another player has found traces of indigenous activity. So far, such players are still less than a thousand. Let’s take a look at this lucky one,” commented Purple as the interface switched. However, the player’s trace was not visible on the screen.
The other commentator, Xiyue, suddenly brightened his eyes. “Enlarge the screen; I think we’ve tracked something strange.”
The image gradually zoomed in. When the scene became clear to everyone, there was a momentary blank on the lively public screen, and the audience’s expressions also turned blank, as if they doubted their own eyes.
The first thing that came into everyone’s view was a vast and flat mountain road covered in white. As the image continued to zoom in, a row of shallow footprints appeared in the field of vision, followed by the little round figure earnestly taking small steps. This tiny figure, almost easy to overlook, had soft black short hair and a chubby, childlike face. The features were clearly in a toddler state, and a touch of vivid red between the eyebrows was particularly eye-catching. It covered a bit of innocence, adding a hint of sharpness, yet this soft sharpness didn’t convey any sense of threat; instead, it seemed exceptionally tender.
After a brief blank on the public screen, comments flooded in instantly.
“66666…”
“Oh my, whose child is this? Why so small? Is this a beast clan member? But there are no beast clan characteristics!”
“So adorable! So adorable! Raise your hand if you want to steal this child!”
“Look at the poor baby, all frozen, even the little feet are all red. Heartless game developers!”
“Which careless adult left the child unattended, not even aware that the baby fell into the nutrient pod. Is the little one scared to tears?”
“It’s snowing! Time to go home and bring the child in!”
With various comments pouring in, the audience section exploded. After the initial surprise, they speculated how such a little one managed to survive until the fifth day, and judging by the spirited appearance, it seemed like the child was doing quite well.
The two commentators were also caught off guard by this situation. Their expressions showed a slight surprise, but they quickly regained their composure. Xiyue smiled with keen interest. “This might be the youngest player in our game. Just received the system’s public data: this little player is less than 1 year old, human, and a fully awakened natural. The little one seems to have landed on the edge of the White Rock Forest. The scale of this forest campsite is quite decent, and they should be able to find some supplies.”
At this moment, Shu Xun was unaware that he had made an appearance on the live-streaming platform. On one hand, Shu Xun lacked the awareness of live streaming, and on the other hand, the probability of being switched to the live broadcast was not very high. Most of the streaming platform’s perspectives followed the god-tier players to provide a better viewing experience for the audience.
Shu Xun’s unexpected appearance on the livestream instantly made him popular. Unfortunately, Shu Xun had not left any information online, and people couldn’t gather more details about him. However, this didn’t stop enthusiastic viewers from sending gifts. So, Shu Xun, who was eagerly trying to earn Star Points, was still unaware that he had suddenly gained thousands of Star Points. If Shu Xun knew, there might be a mix of confusion and joy, possibly doing a little happy dance in place. Influenced by the environment and nature, Shu Xun had unknowingly embarked on the path of a money enthusiast.
On the other side, in the game world, Shu Xun had walked in one direction for a long time and unexpectedly discovered a road. The presence of the road confirmed Shu Xun’s belief that there were original inhabitants in this game world.
As he walked, Shu Xun pondered and made some speculations. When clearing the snow to find nuts, Shu Xun noticed that the leaves buried in the snow were still green, albeit a dull green. This indicated that the leaves did not naturally fall off.
Then there was the squirrel. Squirrels mostly foraged in late summer and autumn, adept at storing food. When the cold winter arrived, squirrels would hibernate in their nests until the following spring. These observations seemed to tell Shu Xun that the harsh winter in this world wasn’t a natural occurrence; it happened suddenly, catching even nature-sensitive animals off guard. So, what about the original inhabitants of this world? If the game background was based on a real setting, this harsh winter’s end was a reflection of a real-world scenario.
Following the road, Shu Xun didn’t walk for too long this time. The scenery ahead changed: amidst the vast whiteness, a different color appeared. Though mostly covered by white snow, that hint of color was still prominent. Upon closer inspection, Shu Xun discovered several houses and piles of wood stacked like small hills.
Pausing in thought, the excitement of seeing the houses made Shu Xun run eagerly towards them. At the entrance, Shu Xun also noticed a large truck loaded with sturdy logs, seemingly transporting wood. Shu Xun couldn’t see inside the driver’s cabin, but from a distance, it seemed empty.
The appearance of the vehicle informed Shu Xun that the game’s era and technological development were likely very similar to the modern Earth Shu Xun once knew. Moreover, the variety of life forms shouldn’t differ much. At least, there were squirrels. The only question remaining was whether the advanced life forms in this world were humans.
During Shu Xun’s intensive knowledge acquisition, he learned that the emergence of advanced life forms among similar species was no longer rare. After a period of exploration and experiments, it was discovered that the universe followed its own developmental rules.
Concerning newly discovered life-bearing planets, excessive interference during the transition could lead to the collapse of the planet’s existing order and the disruption of the life chain. In order to protect diversity and promote the development of life-bearing planets in the universe, the five major races jointly signed a treaty. The treaty stipulated that, regardless of the native inhabitants’ race on the newly discovered life-bearing planets, the five major races were not allowed to interfere with their development or make unauthorized contact with them.
Only when the development of a life-bearing planet faced a crisis or was on the verge of extinction could the five major races, based on the severity of the disaster, intervene through different means. The diversity of life and the multiplicity of development were considered the enduring path for advanced life forms in the universe.
Now, the discovery of the road and vehicles led Shu Xun to speculate that the true background of the game “Winter’s End” was likely a life-bearing planet experiencing the Frost Period. Moreover, the native inhabitants of this planet were probably humans, but their level of development was still far from the cosmic era, remaining in the modern technological age.
