Volume 2: Winter’s End
Since entering the game, players who died from starvation accounted for thirty percent of the death toll. In addition to this, fifty percent of players succumbed to the cold, while the remaining twenty percent faced accidents or illnesses…
It can be said that in these short few days, the audience witnessed various ways of death and for the first time realized the true horror of “Winter’s End”. This game world truly leaves no room for anyone; it relentlessly forces players to walk toward death.
The location where Ye Qian entered the game was far from ideal. It was an abandoned mining area, naturally distant from human habitation due to its long neglect. Upon searching, he only obtained a dagger and a few pieces of ore. Although the quality of the dagger was good, it couldn’t fill his stomach.
After leaving the mining area, the path behind him was covered with thick white snow, making it nearly impossible to discern. Coupled with the impact of the snowstorm, walking became even more challenging. What’s worse, Ye Qian had not yet discovered the residence of the original inhabitants or any source of food.
From the beginning of the game until now, Ye Qian could be said to have received no sustenance, no water, and no food. If he weren’t inherently strong, he probably wouldn’t have made it this far. In the game, food was the primary source of energy, and now, even the formidable Ye Qian had reached a critical point.
In the live stream, various messages expressing concern and sympathy filled the screen. Over the past few days, those in the audience seemed to be more tormented than Ye Qian himself. Despite Ye Qian’s icy demeanor, his steady footsteps, and sharp gaze that remained intimidating, every minute made the viewers worry that this powerful man might collapse in the next moment. If Ye Qian were to fall, it seemed to symbolize the collapse of humanity’s hope for victory in this “Winter’s End”.
Now, the sudden appearance of the micro-city Baiyan Forest Base in the game scene almost brought tears to the eyes of the entire audience. After days of suffering, there was finally a glimmer of hope. The excited emotions became uncontrollable, and the barrage of comments and gifts in the livestream was dazzling.
“Native inhabitants’ ruins!”
“Food, things, food, things, food!”
“Ice King remains as calm as ever!”
Countless viewers were already boiling with excitement. Their attention was tightly focused on the appearing forest base, carefully scanning every visible corner, unwilling to miss even the slightest possibility of finding supplies. However, even after searching through the employee dormitories and the staff canteen, no edible food was found. Now, only a two-story studio building remained unsearched in the forest base.
At the same time, some comments started to appear on the public screen barrage.
“This Baiyan Forest Base looks so familiar!”
“Has someone been here? Why does it feel so clean with no supplies at all?”
“No, I can’t bear it. Is God Ye going to starve to death here?”
Ye Qian still showed no expression at this moment. He pushed open the door of the studio, the sound easily drowned out by the howling snowstorm. Dim light accompanied by a cold temperature swept into the room.
Standing at the door, Ye Qian lowered his head, silently observing the somewhat messy row of small footprints on the ground for a moment. Only then did he step into the room. His large footprints immediately covered the small footprints left by Shu Xun, like a powerful and irrational invading beast blocking out the sunlight, waiting to devour something.
Above the barrage, some viewers finally realized that this scene, which seemed somewhat familiar, was the forest base discovered by the sensational mini guy not long ago. Looking at the row of small footprints inside the wooden house, there was no doubt that this place had been visited by that little guy.
“Is God Ye really going to starve to death?”
“Where’s that little guy? God Ye, quickly look for him, I really want to see~~”
“The little guy probably can’t eat much. God Ye still has a chance! If it doesn’t work, rob the little guy! Go, go, go! God Ye, show us your ruthless style!”
“I imagined God Ye robbing the little guy, hahaha, I can’t, let me laugh for an hour first…”
“What little guy? What happened during the time I was away?”
The public screen discussions were lively. Not only Ye Qian, but all the viewers were diligently searching the wooden house, hoping to find traces of the little guy. However, apart from the messy footprints and the emptied wooden house, no one discovered any sign of the little guy.
Ye Qian was in the same situation. After searching both floors of the wooden house, he found no traces of another person. However, the illogical size of the footprints on the floor and the missing supplies reminded Ye Qian that someone had been here before, and it was highly likely they had already left.
The audience’s excitement slowly turned into tension because they shared the same perspective as Ye Qian. Therefore, they understood that Ye Qian hadn’t found any food, and it seemed that all the food in the entire small building had been collected by someone.
“What’s the situation now? I bet that little guy could only take away one apple. Is there only one apple in this wooden house?”
“Starving! Starving!”
“…”
“Look at the coffee table! There’s a bowl of water!”
“Water, water, water! It looks clean! God Ye, God Ye, look at the coffee table!”
The subdued atmosphere suddenly took a turn as both food and a clean water source were equally precious. With Ye Qian’s experience, he had already analyzed that melted water couldn’t be directly consumed, making a clean water source extremely rare. Dying of thirst and starving were equally risky.
Ye Qian also noticed the seemingly clean water on the coffee table. His tall figure stood in front of the sofa, contemplating under what circumstances a bowl of water would be left there. However, he clearly did not come up with a satisfactory answer.
Is it a trap? Or a chance for survival? This was everyone’s question and the choice that Ye Qian had to face now.
At this point, it was already too late to leave and search for other food. Ye Qian could feel the energy in his body about to deplete, and once the energy supply ran out, a player would be forcibly logged out, which in this survival game meant death.
In the end, Ye Qian picked up the brown wooden bowl placed on the coffee table. After staring at it for a moment and finding no apparent issues, he drank more than half of it.
There was a moment of silence in the live stream, everyone waiting quietly. But one second, two seconds, three seconds passed…
Ye Qian remained expressionless, standing there. There was no sign of discomfort or comfort. Soon, the chat room became lively again. In Ye Qian’s deadpan-themed livestream, if you didn’t understand self-amusement, you were behind the times.
Amidst congratulations in the chat, although water wasn’t food, it could replenish energy and temporarily alleviate hunger, serving as a brief extension of life.
Ye Qian glanced at the more violently raging snowstorm outside the window and ultimately decided to stay here for the time being. Since it was the Baiyan Forest Base, there must be a Baiyan forest nearby. Perhaps he could try hunting.
With this in mind, Ye Qian prepared to take a temporary break. He naturally chose the sofa nearby, then leaned back, relying on the sofa cushion to make himself more comfortable. However, in the silent space, a muffled hum suddenly sounded. Ye Qian, who had been half-closing his sharp eyes, instantly opened them wide, a glint of sharpness appearing in his gaze. At the same time, his body leaped up quickly, jumping away from the sofa.
So, under the cold gaze of Ye Qian, the sofa cushion moved slightly, and then, from the gap between the cushion and the sofa, a furry little head popped out.
In Ye Qian’s deadpan gaze…
In the dead silence of the chat…
Shu Xun only stuck out his little head and stopped the following actions. Squinting his big eyes, he also scrutinized this suddenly arrived stranger. The two, one big and one small, stared at each other with their eyes, creating a somewhat delicate atmosphere. The chat remained in dead silence, as if not wanting to disturb a certain balance. They strangely felt that this small entity, not even the size of a palm, exuded an inexplicable aura. In those half-closed black eyes, there was wisdom, contemplation, and a hidden sharpness.
After a prolonged gaze, Ye Qian finally made a move. The sharpness and hostility in the eyes of the tall man gradually dissipated. He walked past the part where Shu Xun was, sat down on the other side, and still maintained the inscrutable coldness on his face. The sharp eagle eyes showed no friendly signals.
Shu Xun pulled himself out from the gap in the sofa, propping himself against the cushion, and continued to scrutinize this person. Shu Xun remembered that this person was the high-tier god-level player named Ye Qian, whom he saw the first time he entered the game’s live stream.
No one spoke, and the atmosphere seemed a bit awkward, though Shu Xun didn’t perceive this emotion from Ye Qian’s face. Under Shu Xun’s gaze, Ye Qian extended his slender hand toward the brown wooden bowl on the coffee table. Shu Xun followed the gaze and realized that the water in the wooden bowl was almost gone. Amid his confusion, he saw Ye Qian lifting the wooden bowl.
It wasn’t until the wooden bowl reached Ye Qian’s lips that Shu Xun’s brain reacted—he was going to drink water! In an instant, the little furball exploded, bouncing up and directly jumping into the wooden bowl. With two chubby paws tightly gripping the edge of the bowl, it seemed like the little furball wanted to snatch the bowl back. However, in his haste, the furball forgot that he was already inside the bowl.
Ye Qian’s movement came to a successful halt as Shu Xun bounced into the wooden bowl, creating small splashes of water. Cool droplets gradually landed on Ye Qian’s face. Ye Qian’s eagle eyes silently watched the anxious little furball in the bowl, but he remained silent.
The chat on the live screen immediately exploded with cute emojis, accompanied by numerous teasing comments…
“Quick, look! Ye Qian robbed a bowl of water from a furball, and now the furball is trying to steal it back!”
“Ahahaha! Because of snatching a bowl of water, he ended up delivering himself to Ye Qian’s mouth!”
“Drinking it down with water, just perfect, *burp*.”
“Give up, furball. You can’t beat God Ye!”
Author’s note:
One day, a new media outlet interviewed Shu Xun about the first gift received from his lover.
Shu Xun sprawled on the sofa, enjoying the gentle strokes from General, his military officer lover, and upon hearing the question, he instantly turned into a fluffy ball.
General paused for a moment, his face filled with reminiscence, and then continued calmly stroking the mouse. Inner thoughts: Received a pile of cookies from our little one~~ and peach-flavored ones too~
Shu Xun looked horrified: What’s there to reminisce about bathwater?
On the possibility of having brainwaves in sync with the deadpan…
