Volume 2: Winter’s End
At the same time, in the official live stream of the game “Winter’s End,” scenes were randomly switching. On this new day, countless players were still perishing in the harsh winter. The commentator expressed regret, offering strategies based on the players’ causes of death. However, in this survival game, strategies did not guarantee absolute victory.
“Now, let’s switch to some god-tier players and see how these gaming gods manage to survive in this brutal game and whether they have made any new discoveries,” commentator Xiyue announced, following the routine. Scenes of several high-level players were displayed, revealing that most of them were struggling for survival. Despite seven days passing in the game, there was little substantial progress for most players, including the high-level ones who were still teetering on the edge of life and death.
“My king! It’s my king! Did he discover something flying in this weather?” exclaimed Purple, shaking her tendrils above her head, with her gaze fixed on the game screen. “This route, based on the latest data released, seems to be heading towards the Micro Market.”
Xiyue nodded, confirming Purple’s speculation. “Exactly, Micro Market is one of the cities with the densest spawn points in this continent. Well-known god-tier players like Lie Yang and Ye Qian were both spawned near Micro Market. Currently, it seems that Lie Yang’s actions are significantly faster than Ye Qian’s. At least, as of yesterday, Ye Qian was still in the suburban area and showed no intention of heading to Micro Market.”
“As far as I know, up until now, no player has reached Micro Market. We haven’t received any information about the specific situation in Micro Market either. It looks like my king is going to be the first player to reach Micro Market. At this speed, in less than two days, my king will enter the downtown area of Micro Market, and we might witness the first city ruins beneath this winter’s end.”
In the official live stream, congratulatory voices erupted, mostly from the Zerg. In the game world, there naturally existed conflicts and struggles among the five major races, especially in games involving resource rewards where competition was particularly fierce.
“Congratulations to my king for soon making history!”
“Emperor Butterfly is indeed dominant, and Lie Yang himself is a god-tier player. With flight capability, Micro Market is practically guaranteed!”
“What about my God Ye? Where is he?”
“Did Ye Qian fall? Is anyone streaming with God Ye? Progress report! How can God Ye be surpassed!”
“I streamed with Ye Qian before, but his face was too dark, and he seemed to be starving. Wisely stopped streaming, didn’t dare to continue.”
“Hahaha, the one above definitely missed the point. God Ye is busy raising children…”
“Raising children? Isn’t this a survival game? When did it turn into a parenting game? Is your God Ye hallucinating from hunger?”
“Ye Qian is definitely hallucinating! Come and watch my king’s stream, where luck and strength are combined!”
As the barrage in the live chat was about to descend into chaos, the official live stream switched scenes once again, this time, to the location where Ye Qian was. In a small wooden house, various winter clothes were scattered on the wooden floor. Ye Qian leaned against the bed, one long leg stretched out, the other bent, one hand casually resting on the knee, and the other holding a toothpick, leisurely enjoying post-meal fruits.
Ye Qian lowered his head, focused on watching the ground, and everyone’s attention shifted accordingly. Immediately, they saw a small creature holding a long needle and thread, diligently sewing something. The little one scurried around, occasionally resting against Ye Qian’s long legs when tired, and Ye Qian would promptly offer a toothpick with fruits attached. After a break, the little creature continued its busy sewing. Ye Qian occasionally extended his hand to help adjust the needle and thread. The atmosphere seemed extraordinarily harmonious as if it were just daily life, devoid of any signs of a survival game.
The official live chat fell silent for a moment and then erupted once again.
“I need to go eat; I might be hallucinating from hunger. Hahaha! To the one who mentioned hallucinations earlier, does your face hurt?”
“Oh my, is Ye Qian always this different from others? What’s going on? Why did a little creature suddenly appear!”
“Is the little creature sewing clothes? Ah, so cute! God Ye, help the little one; it looks tired.”
“Lonely life, oh, lonely life!”
“Hehe, your Ye Qian is just raising a child. We’re still in the outskirts; it’s destined to fall behind my king.”
“My God Ye can clear the game just by raising a child. Why bother working so hard?”
The arguing viewers at this moment were unaware that one casual remark had hit the mark. None had anticipated that Ye Qian in their eyes, due to raising a little creature, would eventually achieve a laid-back victory.
Official commentator Purple was covering their face with her feelers. “So cute, so cute! I heard about the smallest player when Dongwen was commentating before, and today, I finally get to see it. But won’t God Ye eat it?”
Xiyue’s face darkened, and he said in exasperation, “Purple, why are you so afraid of Ye Qian, or do you have some misunderstanding about Ye Qian? Does Ye Qian look like someone who would eat anything that comes his way?” Xiyue touched his chin and added, “Even if he wants to eat, he’ll have to wait until it grows up. It’s too small right now.”
Purple recoiled in terror, curling up his feelers. “Humans are so scary!”
Xiyue: “…” How to explain the significance of eating in this context! Communication barriers between different races are indeed not that easy to overcome. Xiyue wisely chose to skip this topic. “We can see that Ye Qian has gained a new teammate, and it seems they are not lacking in supplies. Ye Qian even used local game world resources to make cold-resistant clothing. In these harsh winter conditions, maintaining body temperature is a crucial matter. Let’s see what route Ye Qian and his little teammate will take next…”
The commentary continued for a moment, and due to the rule restrictions, the game scene switched again after a while. Almost simultaneously, the popularity of Ye Qian’s livestream room soared once again, firmly maintaining its position at the top of the platform. It’s evident how strong the combination of this master player and a cute little bundle brought a novel sensation to the audience.
“What exactly is the little dumpling sewing? Sorry, I didn’t understand.”
“Not understood +1”
“Seems like two small bags, they are so tiny, what could they hold?”
“I bet Ye Qian is also confused, looking so serious.”
“When is God Yet setting off? He’s already behind Lie Yang!”
Here, the livestream room was filled with various comments. On the other side, after numerous difficulties, Shu Xun finally completed what he wanted to sew. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with satisfaction, he picked up the finished product, then, under the attentive gaze of Ye Qian and billions of viewers, he lifted his little feet, put one small bag on each foot, and then, quite contentedly, strolled around for a couple of laps.
Audience: “…”
Ye Qian, with a deadpan expression: “…”
“Pfft! So, these are socks?”
“So, the bags are meant for the little dumpling’s tiny feet.”
“The dumpling’s skills need improvement!”
“Hahaha, Ye Qian probably is also bewildered.”
“Ye Qian spent the entire morning making a set of down clothing, and the dumpling spent the whole afternoon making a pair of socks. Perfect.”
Inside the wooden cabin, Shu Xun seemed quite satisfied with his creation. Though it was just a pair of simple small bags, at least he wasn’t barefoot anymore. After putting on the socks, the entire little dumpling appeared more spirited. Ye Qian, expressionless, watched for a moment, did not comment, and quietly put away some fabrics and the sewing kit.
After noon, the storm outside the cabin showed no signs of abating. Shu Xun, pulling his hair in contemplation, finally took out a map and spread it out in front of Ye Qian.
Ye Qian reached out to help the little dumpling open the map and then stared blankly without any reaction.
Seeming accustomed to Ye Qian’s silence, Shu Xun stood on the map, stepping on the icon of the Baiyan Forest Base. Then, he extended his small hand and pointed in a direction. “My original plan was to go here.” As he spoke, he took small steps toward the destination on the map, explaining along the way. “This is a freshwater lake, the closest indigenous activity point to the forest base. After replenishing some supplies here, we continue south to reach Baiyan Town and then head to the downtown area of Micro City…”
In the quiet room, only the sweet voice of the explanation echoed, and the little dumpling earnestly moved its short legs on the map, systematically explaining the available resources and various speculations along the way. Next to the map, Ye Qian sat cross-legged, his sharp gaze moving slowly with Shu Xun’s movements. His expressionless face showed no emotion, but the thoughtful gaze indicated that he was attentively listening to the little dumpling’s explanation and considering its feasibility.
After a moment, Shu Xun conveyed his thoughts clearly, then looked up at Ye Qian with a questioning expression in his big eyes.
Even the cold Ye Qian couldn’t continue to maintain silence. He raised his hand and pointed to the location of the Baiyan Forest. “We’ll go here first, then follow the mountain range to Micro Lake, Baiyan Town, and the downtown area of Micro City.”
Shu Xun tilted his head and looked for a moment, nodding in agreement. The Baiyan Forest was not far from this forest base, and with Ye Qian’s speed, two hours would be sufficient.
As for why Ye Qian wanted to go to the Baiyan Forest, Shu Xun guessed for some reasons. For people with strength, the forest meant abundant animal and plant resources, and it was also an effective way to understand the biological species in this world. Shu Xun had initially thought of walking near the mountain range, but considering his own strength, he had to give up. Now, with Ye Qian as such a powerful teammate, Shu Xun was happy to catch a ride.
After reaching a consensus on the upcoming route, the two began to organize their supplies, packing everything they might need into their backpacks and pockets.
In the live chat, the atmosphere was optimistic.
“Did you notice? The little dumpling is quite smart, organized, and knows his limits. I guess even without Ye Qian, the little dumpling would do just fine.”
“The little dumpling is incredibly lucky. Is that backpack a system backpack? Seems like it’s the only one so far!”
“They’re finally setting out. Let’s wait for Ye Qian and the little dumpling to create miracles!”
Inside the wooden cabin, Shu Xun had already packed his backpack, wrapped his scarf, and stood on the coffee table looking ready to go. It seemed like he was just waiting for Ye Qian’s command to jump off the table, confidently stride out of the small cabin, and face the raging snowstorm outside.
However, in reality, when Ye Qian was also ready, he reached out, lifted the little dumpling from the coffee table, and effortlessly placed it in the pocket on the left side of his chest.
Shu Xun fidgeted for a while before adjusting to a very comfortable position. Holding the edges of the pocket with both hands, he poked his head out with some effort. Underneath his feet, he felt a soft touch. It turned out that Ye Qian considerately placed a layer of cotton inside the pocket. Not only did it make Shu Xun more comfortable inside, but it also provided excellent insulation against the cold.
