Volume 2: Winter’s End
The monitoring screen continued to play, and Lie Yang’s gaze suddenly paused. He then pointed at the positions of those dozen people and said abruptly, “This little girl is the survivor.”
The surveillance footage was still in an enlarged state. Among the group of more than ten people, there was a seven or eight-year-old girl wearing red winter clothes. The girl struggled to break free from the ropes, crying out something. However, the individuals transporting them seemed to be avoiding something. They immediately drove away after placing the group south of the city. More than ten pairs of ice-blue eyes silently gazed towards the north of the city. The broad central street resembled an unfathomable ravine, severing their hopes of returning.
After more than ten minutes, one person managed to free themselves from the ropes. In their ice-blue eyes was a faint indifference. After helping others untie the ropes, the girl in red tried to run back to the north of the city but was stopped by the others. The group with blue eyes stood silently south of the central street for a moment, then eventually turned towards the south and left. For some reason, at the moment they turned, Shu Xun felt a sense of impending danger.
The group of over a dozen people clearly had no specific destination, aimlessly walking the streets. Yet, they all uniformly walked farther and farther away, seemingly never to turn back or glance at the north of the city again.
At 12:40, three minutes before the surveillance ended, the footage still showed no traces of blue light. The residents gathered in the north of the city seemed to have relieved themselves of the burden of worry after expelling those with blue eyes. Most residents returned home to rest, while those in the south of the city lingered in the streets.
At 12:41, chaos suddenly erupted in an area where a crowd had gathered. People scattered in fear, and the warm winter quickly zoomed in on the screen. In the chaotic central area, someone was disappearing—arms, legs, body, and finally, those terrified eyes vanished, leaving no trace behind.
The surrounding crowd panicked and dispersed. At the same time, similar chaos erupted in other parts of the Micro City. The disappearing individuals seemed random, with no discernible pattern. Consequently, the direction in which the crowd fled became incredibly chaotic. During the escape, people continued to vanish, and those who touched the disappearing individuals also disappeared without a trace within seconds. This phenomenon intensified the chaos, and in just one minute, nearly a third of the residents gathered in the north of the Micro City had disappeared.
At 12:43, which was the last minute of surveillance, something even more perplexing occurred. The panicked crowd, without any warning, collapsed one by one. The eruptions were equally irregular, creating widespread panic in the Micro City as if it were the end of the world. The disaster, however, was silent, leaving no trace, as if the Grim Reaper had descended, harvesting lives with an invisible scythe.
Many disappeared, and even more fell. Those who fell did not rise again. When the footage was zoomed in, their pupils could be seen dilating, eyes filled with fear, confusion, and despair. Even without physical contact, it was evident that they had died in an instant.
One minute later, the Micro City fell into silence. There was no sign of life in the entire surveillance footage. Streets were littered with corpses, and the city became eerily quiet. The cold wind and snow blew by, seemingly wanting to bury these unattended corpses on behalf of someone. Soon, the surveillance ended, and those frightened and bewildered eyes became the last image of the micro-city.
Inside the monitoring room, there was a prolonged silence. Witnessing the death of an entire city is an indescribably heavy feeling.
Finally, Shu Xun’s soft voice broke the silence. “Do we have surveillance footage from the North Toll Station?”
Nuan Yang checked and nodded. “The cutoff date is also October 15th. Do you want to see it?”
Shu Xun extended his chubby little hand and counted his fingers. Seeing this, Lie Yang couldn’t help but chuckle. “If it’s not enough, you can borrow my fingers. And if that’s still not enough, I have two antennae.”
Counting his fingers, Shu Xun looked up at Lie Yang, with a face of disdain. “You’re really dumb. Even ten fingers are not enough, no wonder you need long antennae.”
Lie Yang: “…” Wait a minute, did something get misunderstood here?
In the live broadcast:
“Hahaha, this is definitely the most miserable roasting of the Zerg’s antennae.”
“So the Zerg’s long antennae can be explained like this. Shu Xun’s wisdom is unparalleled!”
“Why is our king so eloquent? Why does he always get defeated by a cute dumpling!”
“I’ve never seen our king so pitiful. But if it’s explained like this, what about the brothers who are centipedes in their true form?”
“This strange little thing is annoying. If it weren’t for Ye Qian backing it up, how could it be so confident!”
“Upstairs! Get ready to eat your words.”
In the monitoring room, Shu Xun seemed to have finished counting his fingers. “Start checking from September 3rd and look for the day when there was traffic congestion at the toll station.” September 3rd, in Qing Mo’s notebook, was the day when the temperature suddenly dropped, marking the world’s first step towards the winter’s end.
Previously, at the toll station, Shu Xun deduced the early occurrence of the accident by comparing the thickness of the snow on the road and the accumulated snow inside the broken car windows. According to the notes, the first heavy snowfall happened on September 6th, so the accident must have occurred between September 3rd and September 6th.
The surveillance footage was quickly adjusted, revealing that from September 3rd, vehicles entering the Micro City were continuous. It seemed that the sudden drop in temperature had prompted many people to rush to the Micro City. However, the traffic on the first day remained smooth. As time passed, the number of vehicles entering the Micro City only increased, until September 4th when traffic congestion began at the toll station. Progress became slow, and a long queue formed outside the toll station, gradually forming the scene that Shu Xun and the others initially witnessed.
“Vehicles are appearing, right here,” Shu Xun, with his large, pitch-black eyes, stared unblinkingly at the surveillance footage. At the same time, he spoke up to alert the others. In the surveillance footage, it was late at night, and a familiar car entered the frame. It was captured by the outermost surveillance camera at the toll station.
The vehicle that had been hit slowly came to a stop at the end of the queue. Nuan Dong zoomed in on the scene, but due to the late hour and the distance, only two people could be seen inside the car, a man and a woman, yet their specific features were unclear. In the late night, the long queue of cars was almost motionless. The prolonged wait seemingly agitated people’s emotions. Two cars, due to friction, eventually led to a conflict. This incident, added to the already slow progress, came to a complete halt. Some people got out of their cars to intervene, others gathered to watch, and more people stayed inside their vehicles to escape the bitter cold.
The conflict lasted for a considerable amount of time. After three to four hours, the onlookers gradually dispersed. However, chaos erupted soon after. The crowd that returned to their respective vehicles suddenly became emotionally charged again, some frightened individuals abandoned their cars and fled, others looked around anxiously, seemingly searching for someone, and many more angrily pounded on other vehicles as if searching for someone. Panic quickly spread because Shu Xun knew that most of the vehicles at the toll station did not contain bodies or people.
As expected, those angrily pounding on car windows also noticed this situation. Their emotions intensified, and more and more people got out of their cars, seemingly afraid to stay alone inside. The crowd further dispersed, searching through the vehicles.
Shu Xun’s gaze remained tightly focused on the accident-involved vehicle. The man in the driver’s seat appeared somewhat nervous, taking out a pack of cigarettes and chain-smoking. However, because the vehicle was close to the outskirts, no one had searched this area yet. The woman in the passenger seat seemed to be awakened suddenly. The man immediately extinguished his cigarette, trying to calm her down. But at that moment, on the wide road behind the vehicle, a car appeared in the surveillance footage at an extremely fast speed.
Following that was a violent collision; the disaster unfolded in an instant. The owner of the rear car died on the spot, and the situation of the collided vehicle was extremely serious. The sudden accident at the end of the car queue instantly attracted the attention of most people, and the crowd began moving towards this scene.
The man in the driver’s seat seemed to lose consciousness for a moment but quickly regained awareness. Because the man was wearing light-colored clothes, Shu Xun noticed a large bloodstain on his chest. The situation of the woman in the passenger seat was even more critical because the long-haired woman remained motionless.
As Shu Xun had speculated, the man laboriously opened the deformed car door, got out himself, and then went around to the passenger side to carry the woman out. They ran towards the Micro City. Those who rushed to the rescue also assisted or helped clear the way. However, under the continuous jolting, the unconscious woman woke up. Even though her vision was not clear, Shu Xun could see those blue eyes.
The scene seemed to freeze the moment the woman opened her eyes. Subsequently, the reacting crowd’s expressions changed drastically. The hands that had just assisted turned into restraints on the man’s continued progress in an instant. The gathered crowd stopped the man from moving forward and emotionally expressed something. Some even approached, seemingly attempting to separate the two. The man, however, was like an enraged leopard, refusing to let go. If it weren’t for holding the person in his arms, Shu Xun did not doubt that the two sides would engage in a fierce confrontation.
The woman’s injuries were severe, compounded by the constant delay and jolting. In a short moment, she seemed to lose vitality and became motionless.
Seeing this, the surrounding people stopped their entanglement. They seemed to be discussing something, and some appeared to want to approach and comfort the man. The man, however, held the lifeless body in his arms like a statue, unmoving. Eventually, some shook their heads, sighed, and walked away, while others remained emotionally charged, staring hatefully at the man and the corpse in his arms, as if ready to rush up and commit murder at any moment.
In the extreme cold, the man’s clothes had frozen from the blood. In the pitch-black night with no end in sight, the crowd gradually dispersed.
The next morning, the entire toll station was silent, without a soul in sight. Those who were entangled the night before were nowhere to be found. Only the man still stood there, holding the corpse. The blood had long since frozen, chilling to the bone.
The morning light poured down but carried no warmth. In the crisp morning light, the man lifted his head, revealing a pair of ice-cold blue eyes. Looking at the deserted toll station, the man coldly curled his lips, revealing a cold and mocking smile. Then he turned around, carrying the woman’s corpse, and disappeared slowly on the long and empty road under the chilly morning light.
The surveillance footage remained unchanged for a moment, and finally, it turned pitch-black. Unbeknownst to them, two hours had passed, and the traffic bureau’s office building’s connections failed again.
Shu Xun began to ponder, pulling on the hair in front of his forehead. The abrupt interruption of the bloodstains was due to the blood freezing in the extreme cold. However, why did the man’s eyes turn blue overnight? Why did the man show an extremely mocking smile at the end of the surveillance footage? Were the people who disappeared overnight his doing? What puzzled Shu Xun even more was why this world vehemently rejected people with blue eyes.
“Let’s go, to the southern half of the city,” Nuan Dong said, getting up and leaving first. His voice was extremely indifferent, creating a sense of distance that made Lie Yang have no desire to communicate. Lie Yang looked at Ye Qian, who had a poker face, and ultimately shifted his gaze to Shu Xun.
Sensing Lie Yang’s gaze, Shu Xun made a snorting sound, jumped along Ye Qian’s shoulder, and slipped into his pocket. After Shu Xun readjusted to a comfortable position, the few of them quickly left the monitoring room, descended the stairs at a rapid pace, and, after a moment, reached the ground floor.
Outside the office building, the snowstorm came at them, seemingly even more intense. The outline of the Micro City became exceptionally blurred at this moment.
“Let’s go to the library first, it’s on the way. Plus, the library is in the northern half of the city. Then we can go to the City Bureau, the Research Institute, and the Weather Station one by one,” Shu Xun said from inside the pocket with a muffled voice. Ye Qian and Nuan Dong continued walking, obviously pondering just like Shu Xun.
Lie Yang was bewildered. “How do you know the library is on the way and the other routes?”
Ye Qian and Nuan Dong didn’t even look at him. Shu Xun also fell silent. After a while, a muffled voice came from the pocket. “Did you use your antennae to watch the surveillance just now? Wasn’t there a panoramic view of the Micro City?!”
Lie Yang had never realized so clearly before that the brain was a good thing, and he was so lacking in it. How could he say that, in such a strange situation, he completely ignored the structure and distribution of the Micro City? What’s more frustrating was that, even after concentrating for two hours, Lie Yang became more and more confused.
In the live broadcast room, the Zerg race was in an uproar, evidently more than just Lie Yang used their antennae to watch the surveillance. Other players were enjoying the rare sight of the confident Lie Yang being repeatedly teased, and he seemed powerless to retaliate, creating an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
“Come on! Those who used their antennae to watch the video, line up!”
“Queue 1.”
“Queue 2.”
“…”
“If you didn’t use antennae and also didn’t pay attention to the map, how should we count that? I completely didn’t understand it; it feels like my brain is tangled.”
“I only know that Nuan Dong’s speculation is reasonable. The cause of the electronic devices malfunctioning is not only the low temperature but also something else because the surveillance cutoff date is after the inexplicable deaths of Micro City residents, not when the blue light descended.”
“It’s too complicated. Let’s wait for Little Dumpling to reason it out. But in such a complex situation, can Little Dumpling’s little brain really figure it out?”
The live broadcast room was immersed in a heated discussion. In the Micro City, the group was moving quickly. Lie Yang was pondering while on the way, but his antennae were tangled up, and he couldn’t figure it out. Unfortunately, the snowstorm outside was too severe, making communication difficult. Shu Xun was curled up in Ye Qian’s pocket. Lie Yang, with his antennae bundled up, along with the other two poker-faced individuals, managed to reach the library.
Lie Yang had been to the library once before, but he only looked at a few maps, including the Micro City map, national map, and world map. At that time, Lie Yang thought it was a good harvest. However, standing in the grand library now, he suddenly felt a bit uneasy. Nevertheless, he briefly explained his previous visit and findings.
The Micro City library is quite large. Despite having only three floors, it occupies a vast area. Standing inside, there is a sense of clarity, devoid of the oppression and confinement typically felt in buildings. Without much explanation, Ye Qian and Nuan Dong respectively went to the second and third floors to browse materials, while Shu Xun stayed on the first floor to check the extensive collection of magazines and newspapers.
Lie Yang naturally stayed on the first floor. Obviously, he understood that his intuition and insight were much weaker compared to both the Phantom and Human. Though unwilling to admit it, even a little dumpling was evidently more reliable than himself.
The reliable dumpling was standing on tiptoes, examining a newspaper rack, seemingly searching for something. If it found something valuable, it would climb up the wooden shelf, take down the newspaper, and roll it up. Lie Yang found the sight amusing and after watching for a while, he took a few steps forward, caught the rolled-up newspaper from the dumpling, and simultaneously placed the dumpling on his shoulder. “This way is much more convenient. If we keep going at this pace, aren’t you afraid the survivors will escape?”
Shu Xun steadied the small body and didn’t refuse Lie Yang’s action. “No, the blue-eyed ones may have had many people leaving the Micro City, but the child won’t. A child’s dependence is the strongest. At first, she desperately wanted to return to the north half of the city, perhaps because her home or parents were there. However, later, the north half of the city became frightening for her, yet she didn’t want to leave. That’s why she has stayed in the Micro City until now.”
Lie Yang switched to another newspaper rack, taking down the newspapers Shu Xun pointed out while smiling. “Well done, you’re the smartest. You can figure this out.” Lie Yang thought the little dumpling would hum again, proudly puffing up its tiny chest to say something, but after a long wait, there was no response. Turning his head, he saw the little dumpling raising its small head, lost in thought.
In reality, Shu Xun wanted to say that he wasn’t smart; he was just good at empathizing. That little girl was just like he used to be, bewildered and at a loss but stubbornly unwilling to leave, choosing to stay in the northeast. Was it really just out of curiosity? Children also have their pride, though it might seem childish and immature. Speaking of which, he didn’t know how his family in another time and space was doing.
“Hey, say something; I’m not used to this.” Lie Yang pointed at Shu Xun’s little head with his hand.
Shu Xun turned his head, using a claw to push away Lie Yang’s hand. “Even if I say it, you won’t understand. Find the materials; I’ll tell you the results later.”
Lie Yang shrugged helplessly and continued searching the newspaper racks with the little dumpling. Time passed quietly in the spacious library. Lie Yang’s figure moved slowly as Shu Xun extended his chubby little fingers, directing the search from newspaper racks to magazine shelves. After collecting everything, it was an hour later.
Finding a large table, the two began to review the materials. Shu Xun had gathered information from the past ten years, with the newspapers and magazines from the last two years being the most abundant. Shu Xun had somehow moved onto Lie Yang’s head, holding one of his antennae to prevent himself from falling off. As Lie Yang earnestly examined the information in the newspapers, occasionally encountering perplexing points, Shu Xun subconsciously twisted the antenna in his hand, and Lie Yang did the same.
In the quiet space, only the sound of flipping paper remained. After an unknown amount of time, Nuan Dong walked down from the second floor, holding a stack of books. Surprisingly, he gave Lie Yang a rare glance before continuing to read books expressionlessly. Moments later, Ye Qian also descended from the third floor, holding a stack of books as well. Clearly, he had organized materials that might be useful. After coming downstairs, he also glanced at Lie Yang.
Although Lie Yang’s mental power was not as high as the other two, his formidable strength made him naturally sensitive to glances. Sensing the gazes of the other two after being ignored for a while, Lie Yang couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph.
Time always passed quickly when people were focused. When Shu Xun and Lie Yang finally finished reviewing the magazines and newspapers, the other two had also browsed through the books. Shu Xun stretched lazily, then leaped down from Lie Yang’s head with a thud, landing on the table. He then tugged at his own hair and walked around the table a couple of times, preparing to share the clues and questions he had found. However, when he looked at Lie Yang, his gaze froze for a moment, and then he awkwardly averted his eyes.
Lie Yang, who was already dizzy from absorbing a lot of information, noticed the little dumpling’s gaze. He flashed what he thought was a gentle smile.
Shu Xun’s small body stiffened, and he took two steps back, avoiding Lie Yang’s gaze. Lie Yang looked at him with confusion.
In the live broadcast chat:
“Screenshots! Screenshots! Lie Yang’s intelligence is tangled, and even his antennae are tangled. This must be saved!”
“Hahaha, Shun Bao Bao seems to unconsciously tie Lie Yang’s antennae into a dead knot.”
“Do you remember God Ye’s wolf form ears? When the furball is thinking, its little paws seem very mischievous. If there’s nothing else, it tugs at its own hair; if there’s something else, it tugs at something else. The ears are wrapped like a little quilt, and the antennae are tied into a bow. Hahaha!”
“Poor God Lie, but I have a premonition that this scene is bound to be officially recorded for commemoration. Pu, I hope God Lie won’t cry when the time comes.”
“Our king can’t be this silly! Where is the majesty of the Emperor Butterfly? However, the antennae are tied nicely. Take a screenshot for keepsake.”
“Our king might not have woken up yet. Wake up quickly!”
In the library, Lie Yang finally seemed to realize that his antennae were not right. He unrolled them, revealing a butterfly knot upside down.
Lie Yang一一
No wonder Ye Qian and Nuan Dong glanced at him when they came downstairs. It turned out to be because of this. Lie Yang’s antennae flexibly moved, quickly undoing the butterfly knot and returning to their normal state. Looking at Shu Xun, who had already moved to the other side of the table, Lie Yang raised an eyebrow and beckoned with his finger.
Shu Xun, feeling guilty, walked slowly to Lie Yang, tapping his little short legs. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He took off his small backpack and started searching inside. Soon, he found the target.
“Here, this is for you!” The small creature held up its chubby paw, looking serious.
Lie Yang squinted and carefully examined it. Only then did he see the tiny hand holding a jar of honey, almost the size of a soybean.
Lie Yang: “…”
Although he knew this was the characteristic storage state of items with spatial compression, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Lie Yang tried to maintain a poker face as he reached out to take the honey jar. Once it left Shu Xun’s palm, it returned to its normal size. Lie Yang nodded in satisfaction, bounced it a bit, then shrank it again and put it into his pocket.
Slyly, the little mouse, feeling a bit guilty, admired, “A spatial item, your luck is pretty good.”
Lie Yang confidently smiled, revealing his sharp teeth. “Of course, I killed twelve players and got this spatial compression item. Luck is on my side.”
Shu Xun “…”
Shu Xun: “I also have peach-flavored biscuits, do you want some?”
In Lie Yang’s heart, he was already laughing. He didn’t expect the clever little dumpling to be so timid, getting scared and tangling its mind just like him. At this vast winter’s end, there were so many players for him to kill. The little guy surprisingly didn’t realize this simple fact.
In the end, just as Shu Xun, with a reluctant expression, was about to place the biscuits into Lie Yang’s hands, Ye Qian reached out, grabbed Shu Xun by the collar, and pulled the little dumpling back. At the same time, he gave Lie Yang a cold glance. Lie Yang looked regretful, but he had no intention of pursuing the matter.
Shu Xun quickly realized that the claim of killing twelve players was obviously unreliable. So, he rubbed the biscuit box against his small furry face, carefully placed the biscuits back into the innermost layer of his backpack, hummed, and then waved his paw at Lie Yang in a cutesy manner before starting his own speculation and narration.
“Firstly, the most straightforward inference from the surveillance video is that the world’s descent into ruin is not caused by just the blue ultra-low-temperature energy; there’s another strange, invisible energy that can devour people. To complicate matters, there may even be a third kind of energy that can cause instant human death. Secondly, these three energies, as they appear now, do not coexist with the blue light; they do not appear simultaneously. At least, that’s what the current data suggests. The emergence of the new energy often accompanies scientific research, as reported in the news I’ve gathered.”
With that, Shu Xun pointed to a carefully organized stack of newspapers on the table. “Starting from three years ago, in the year 2330 of the game world, several countries in this world organized the extraction of a new type of ore called Blue Amber Crystal Stone. This ore possesses extremely high energy, and the manifestation of this energy is very mild, with a high conversion rate. The research progressed quickly, and within two years from development to utilization, it gradually matured.”
“However, Blue Amber Crystal Stone is only found in the deep underground layers, and extraction is restricted. Consequently, it currently only involves the promotion of some high-end fields. Blue Amber Crystal Stone can be converted into large amounts of electrical and thermal energy, and it is also an extremely rare applied material. In this world, it is called the Miracle Crystal Stone because, according to research results, with the right method, the Blue Amber Crystal Stone can be converted into any existing energy in this world. This also means that this world is about to enter another stage of development.”
“But with the development of crystal stone energy, problems began to emerge. This is the chaotic panic record in the Notebook. A very small number of users experienced supernatural phenomena around them, and these few individuals shared a common trait—blue eyes. Blue eyes are not common in this world, but they have always existed, like some rare genetic trait. Initially, blue eyes were even objects of admiration because no one would dislike that clear and gentle blue.”
“However, gradually, people were horrified to discover that those living around individuals with blue eyes were disappearing. The disappearances mostly occurred at night, silently, especially among those living alone. No one even knew what was happening. This phenomenon plunged people into panic, and at the same time, there was an extreme aversion to those with blue eyes. However, there was no direct evidence indicating a direct connection between the disappearances and those with blue eyes, so it was impossible to take direct enforcement measures. This is also why the residents’ sleep patterns in the surveillance videos of the Micro City were so peculiar. People feared silently vanishing into the darkness of the night, and wandering in the streets and crowds gave them a sense of security.”
“Later, before this issue could be resolved, winter arrived. Starting from the sudden drop in temperature on September 3rd to the first heavy snowfall on September 6th, the entire northern hemisphere plunged into extreme cold. As social life further descended into chaos within just a few months, people could not find the source, and their emotions sank into despair. During this time, some people questioned the new energy source, but the Blue Amber Crystal Stone remained as mild as it was initially, seemingly capable of accommodating everything.”
“Subsequently, a report from a biologist caused a global sensation. Blue Amber Crystal Stone had life, and it was speculated to be a manifestation of another form of life. This creature lived in the underground world, appearing gentle and harmless. However, once exposed to the air, it would continuously absorb large amounts of heat. If the crust structure were damaged, the vast amount of Blue Amber Crystal Stone stored inside the planet would melt and relentlessly absorb heat, causing the entire planet to enter an ice-sealed state. Although this theory could explain the sudden onset of winter, it could not explain why people were disappearing. In addition to this explanation, there were also reports of alien invasions, theories about nature’s punishment, and the revival of ancient creatures. However, none of these theories had as strong an impact as the theory of the crystal life form.”
Starting from three years ago, Shu Xun narrated the basic changes that occurred within the past three years, along with some valuable discussions and clues he deemed important. Despite people’s desperate efforts to save the world, the temperature continued to decline. Until it reached its demise, half a year had passed since the onset of the dire winter. Given the rapid spread of the freezing conditions, it was feared that the southern hemisphere was also in a similar state of ice sealing.
“If Blue Amber Crystal Stone can melt and absorb a considerable amount of heat, further evaporating to form a blue glow that still requires absorbing a large amount of thermal energy, then the storage of Blue Amber Crystal Stone inside the planet should be enormous. However, as mentioned before, along with the new energy source, it seems that more than one type of energy appeared. This energy leads to the disappearance of the population and instantaneous death. Unfortunately, only a very small number of people have witnessed all of this,” Shu Xun explained. After listening to Shu Xun’s account, Lie Yang’s tangled mind finally cleared up. However, the revelations also stirred up endless emotions and regret. The development of new energy signifies progress but also entails taking on unknown risks.
Shu Xun nodded in rare agreement with Lie Yang. “This inference can explain the sudden onset of winter well. However, the situation at the toll booth indicates that blue-eyed individuals can generate blue eyes later in life. Moreover, the connection between blue eyes and the other two invisible energies, as well as the ultra-low temperature blue light, seems to exist. It would be great if we could find the person whose eyes turned blue,” Shu Xun said. He could never forget the man’s supremely mocking smile before leaving with the corpse. However, Shu Xun also understood that in a vast and desolate world, the chances of finding one specific person were exceedingly small.
After organizing his own information, Nuan Dong also pointed to a stack of books beside him. Obviously, his information wouldn’t be as detailed as Shu Xun’s, given the significant difference between books and newspapers/magazines. “Like Shu Xun, I searched for some books on new energy sources. Interestingly, all these books affirm Blue Amber Crystal Stone, making it seem like mild tolerance has become synonymous with Blue Amber Crystal Stone. In addition to this, there are also books about blue-eyed individuals. It’s evident that, before the disaster occurred, blue-eyed people were highly sought after. There were even many legends about them, such as the belief that they were extraterrestrials who migrated in ancient times. Many ancient records also deified blue-eyed people, suggesting that they possessed abilities beyond ordinary individuals.”
Nuan Dong’s account was essentially consistent with Shu Xun’s previous narrative, but it was more detailed, especially regarding the magical properties of Blue Amber Crystal Stone. This made them keenly aware that the key to passing through might lie in this Blue Amber Crystal Stone. As for blue-eyed individuals, if they could unravel the relationship between blue-eyed people and energy, there was a good chance they could find the whereabouts of the disappeared humans.
After Nuan Dong finished speaking, everyone’s attention turned to Ye Qian. With a poker face, he coldly remarked, “In the ancient era of this planet, about 230 million years ago, there was a Zerg era that lasted for about two thousand years. Blue butterflies were dominant, but later became extinct.”
Shu Xun and Nuan Dong both showed understanding expressions, clearly comprehending what Ye Qian was trying to convey.
Looking left and right with a perplexed expression, Lie Yang couldn’t fathom what Ye Qian’s abrupt narration meant. Why did they all have clear expressions, was Ye Qian teasing him?
Seeing this, Shu Xun retold Ye Qian’s words. “In ancient times, there was a type of blue butterfly that dominated, but suddenly became extinct when the Zerg era ended. Why could a blue butterfly be at the top of the food chain? This is obviously unreasonable. Therefore, there must be a problem with the blue butterfly itself, and the Blue Amber Crystal Stone, deeply buried underground, is likely related to the blue butterfly. Because at the moment when the blue light appeared, we all saw blue butterflies dancing inside. Perhaps Blue Amber Crystal Stone is the dormant state of the blue butterfly, and the dire winter’s end might be the revival of ancient life—that’s the idea.”
Lie Yang almost flipped the table. If this complex situation wasn’t explained clearly, who could understand it? Was Ye Qian trying to tease him? But even more tiring was being the only seemingly normal person among them. And why couldn’t a butterfly be at the top of the food chain? Wasn’t there a huge emperor butterfly right in front of them that everyone was blatantly ignoring? Frustrated, Lie Yang raised his antennae, feeling like this might be the most exhausting game he had ever played in his entire life.
Shu Xun tilted his little head for a moment, then jumped down with a pat on Lie Yang’s hand, comforting him, “It’s okay, I understand. Butterflies have wings, not brains; it’s normal.”
Lie Yang “…” Can I just squash this little dumpling with my hand?
After the exchange, the group set out again, heading towards the central street to find survivors. Considering the time of day, they planned to rest near the central street for the night and gather some supplies.
Leaving the library, Lie Yang looked back at the buildings that were in disarray due to the snowstorm. He had also visited the library, but all he gained were a few maps. These three individuals, on the other hand, had deduced much of “Winter’s End” and gained an intuitive understanding of the game world. Could it be that he was just not smart enough? No, no, no, it must be that these three were just too abnormal. With this thought, Lie Yang regained his confidence, strode southward, and continued on his way.
The group’s movements were swift, especially after they had a clear goal in mind. The snowstorm continued its relentless assault, rendering the world a vast expanse of white. The three towering figures swiftly traversed the streets. In less than an hour, they arrived near the central street.
Standing on the central street, Shu Xun finally understood why Lie Yang, who was casual about everything, used such extreme terms to describe the difference between the north and south cities. The awe-inspiring, mind-shaking sensation couldn’t be conveyed through surveillance videos.
The central street, wide and smooth to the south, presented the entire city covered in a thick, snowy white carpet. The buildings were adorned with silver, resembling the most tranquil scene of a city after a snowfall, awaiting someone to disrupt it by humming a tune and strolling through the streets at dawn. To the north, covered with the same thick layer of white snow, was the deepest, mournful mourning. Even with the bodies buried, it couldn’t conceal the devastation of half the city and the already decaying breath of death.
And the central street, like a great divide, split the city in half—one side, a false paradise; the other, a real hell.
