Volume 2: Winter’s End
Seeing Ye Qian and Shu Xun appear, the eyes of the people waiting there lit up. However, when they saw Bai Ya, their expressions became more guarded. Bai Ya didn’t mind and continued to smile calmly.
“How is it? Did you find the research institute? Why haven’t we cleared the stage yet?” Lie Yang’s expression was extremely conflicted. Without a doubt, with Lie Yang’s speed, this much time was enough to search the entire island, but evidently, he had gained nothing regarding the location of the research institute, let alone any clues for clearing the stage. Helpless, he had no choice but to return to the gathering point, only to find that Nuan Dong and Gray had surprisingly arrived there ahead of him, also with no findings. Everyone naturally placed all their hopes on Ye Qian and Shu Xun, who had yet to appear.
Even prepared for an immediate clearance, in the game, a team could consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of ten members. As long as both sides agreed to become teammates, the system would automatically initiate the team formation process. Generally, unless there were specific requirements, as long as one person in the team cleared the stage, the system would consider all other players in the team to have cleared it as well.
Shu Xun spread his chubby little paws helplessly. “We found the research institute and discovered the truth about the Winter’s End, but there’s no clearance prompt. So, there must be another clearance condition.”
Lie Yang’s antennae instantly knotted, and then he looked melancholic. “We only have up to eight hours, and the absolute freeze is about to arrive. It’s already too late.”
Shu Xun shook his small index finger. “No, no, no. We found Blue Amber Crystals and some potions. If our speculations are correct, they can help us survive in the temperature of the absolute freeze.”
Shu Xun was about to continue explaining the previous events and the speculations about the effects of Blue Amber Crystals and potions when Ye Qian directly took out a potion and handed it to Lie Yang.
Lie Yang naturally reached out to take it, his attention captured by the faintly glowing light blue potion. He asked with curiosity, “Is it this potion?”
Ye Qian answered coldly, “Yes.”
Shu Xun: “?” Why does something feel off?
Lie Yang opened the potion, raised it, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one go.
Shu Xun: “…”. Finally understanding what was wrong, one with high intelligence and one with negative intelligence—so the one with low intelligence automatically tried the potion, while the intelligent one only said one word throughout and gave a flawless answer.
After drinking the potion, Lie Yang seemed to savor it for a moment. When he regained his senses, he found everyone looking at him thoughtfully. “What’s wrong?”
Shu Xun scratched his head and coughed lightly before speaking. “How’s the taste?”
“No taste at all,” Lie Yang said, and then his expression suddenly stiffened. “You guys haven’t drunk it.”
Shu Xun looked perfectly natural. “Of course not. Who would drink such a strange thing?”
Lie Yang immediately glared at Ye Qian, who remained expressionless. “Hmm.” After a brief silence, Ye Qian spoke coldly again. “It seems drinkable.”
Witnessing the entire process, Bai Ya: “…” Suddenly feeling fortunate to have safely lived until today.
Bathed in the “care” of everyone’s gaze, Lie Yang: “…”
Because of Lie Yang’s “voluntary” self-experimentation, everyone gained a visual understanding of the light blue potion. According to Lie Yang’s description, the potion had no taste but was filled with a long and profound life force. Additionally, it contained immense energy. The body experienced a marvelous sense of expansion, a feeling that even extended into an indeterminate period, making it impossible to predict when it would end. However, what could be confirmed was that there was a peculiar intuition in the body, vaguely indicating that there was no need to fear the extreme cold. At least during the duration of the energy, there was no need to worry about any low temperatures, as if it were a natural trait of some creature.
Shu Xun tugged at his hair, contemplating. Based on his earlier speculations, Shu Xun had already deduced that this potion should be an LP potion containing a significant amount of life force. For the indigenous inhabitants of this planet, it almost had a life-reviving effect. However, he hadn’t expected the potion to have such a powerful effect on the evolving cosmic race. Shu Xun suddenly realized that this planet’s ability to attract an invasion from an advanced civilization was not without reason; the value of Blue Amber Crystals was probably far beyond their initial estimates.
While Lie Yang adapted to the potion’s reaction, Shu Xun briefly recounted the previous experiences. In the meantime, Bai Ya’s teammates arrived at the gathering point one after another. The reactions from everyone were neither rejecting nor actively accepting. Even with alternative clearance conditions, everyone realized that the game was not far from its end. With more and more truths revealed, their steps toward the finish line would only get faster. Game players heading to this island would increase, including military professional teams from various races. In such a situation, traveling with a reasonably strong military team was a quite wise choice.
Soon after, just as others were preparing to take the blue potion, Lie Yang suddenly stopped everyone’s actions. He frowned, and a confident face now displayed a hint of uncertainty. “I have a strange feeling. I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but this potion seems to affect mental power.”
This statement from Lie Yang instantly made the atmosphere more solemn. To maximize the players’ safety, the virtual bodies created through the game had very strict protective measures. The developer of these protective measures was the Phantom Tribe, known for their high mental power. In the vast universe, no life form with mental power higher than the Phantom Tribe had been discovered. Therefore, game players never worry about their mental bodies being damaged in the game world.
Lie Yang closed his eyes, seemingly experiencing the sensation of his body. The conflicted expression on his face didn’t fade. “Even more bizarre is that this effect seems to be positive. I can’t be sure of my current situation in reality, but my virtual body feels exceptionally good right now. It’s like every cell has been transformed by abundant energy, and there’s even a kind of explosive force that can break through myself.”
Breaking through oneself, in the present era, was definitely not as simple as imagined, especially for someone like Lie Yang who had reached a certain level of strength. When all energy approached a saturation state, wanting to further enhance one’s strength became increasingly difficult. However, now, on a planet set against a technological backdrop, a single potion effortlessly made Lie Yang utter words about breaking through himself. The energy of this potion was already terrifying.
Facing this situation, everyone fell into a brief silence and deep contemplation.
Ye Qian held the light blue potion, glanced at it, then opened it expressionlessly and drank it all in one go. Subsequently, Nuan Dong did the same, without any hesitation in his eyes. Gray took a look, scratched his head, and directly consumed the potion. Shu Xun, with his chubby little paws hugging the potion, helplessly discovered that he had no spare hands to open the container’s mouth. Trying to bite it with his teeth, he found that the smooth vial had no grip.
Amid his dilemma, a slender hand reached out, effortlessly opened the vial, and then casually patted Shu Xun’s little head.
Shu Xun looked up at Ye Qian, who still wore the same expressionless face. He didn’t even offer a reference opinion, making it seem like he wasn’t the one who just opened the vial. Shu Xun blinked, then drank the potion. Seeing this, the others naturally didn’t want to lag behind the little dumpling and directly consumed their potions.
In the live stream comments:
“Is it really okay to be so casual? After all, it’s a potion that affects mental power.”
“No, Lie Yang’s feedback was positive, and actually, before Lie Yang took it, Ye Qian should have already made some judgment about the potion.”
“Even the little dumpling drank it. Admirable courage!”
“If it were me, I would never be so reckless!”
“The strong have their own judgment methods. I feel like they’ve stumbled upon a treasure; maybe they can really make a breakthrough in reality! Remember the official announcement before the game started? The rewards for ‘Winter’s End’ need to be explored by the players themselves, and the rewards will reach a historic high!”
“The person above sounds so reasonable!”
Audience opinions on this light blue potion varied greatly.
As for Shu Xun, the reason he dared to take the potion was not only because he didn’t sense any danger but also because he felt an exhilarating sensation when he held the vial. It was akin to the feeling he had when he held that hundred-year-old ginseng, perhaps even more intense. The nature of a treasure-seeking mouse told him that this potion was undoubtedly a rare treasure.
Initially, Bai Ya was happily watching Shu Xun challenge the vial, but he was stopped by Lie Yang, who was trying to prevent him. Bai Ya looked on as Shu Xun drank the potion entirely. “They’re fine, but what about you, little dumpling? Do you know how serious the consequences can be if your mental power is damaged?”
Shu Xun wiped his little mouth, the gentle energy filling his body making him contentedly burp. Seeing Lie Yang’s displeasure, he beckoned him over with his chubby hand. Lie Yang, despite his unhappiness, obediently approached, his eyes showing clear confusion: What’s going on?
Shu Xun reached out and touched Lie Yang’s antennae, then soothingly rubbed them, speaking in an incredibly earnest and cute little voice, “Thank you.” Lie Yang’s initial irritability vanished instantly, replaced by a slight blush.
The scene looked incredibly harmonious and warm. However, from a certain angle, the audience saw a different picture. Lie Yang bent down, leaning against Ye Qian’s straight and tall figure. Ye Qian remained expressionless, while Lie Yang’s face turned slightly red.
Even those who knew that things weren’t as they appeared couldn’t help but express laughter and suggestive expressions. The viewers who had just entered the livestream room were even more shocked. When did these two powerful players become so close? Although it seemed a bit out of place, why did Lie Yang look so shy?
Meanwhile, on the island, there was indeed someone caught in strange fantasies. It was a member of Bai Ya’s team, and surprisingly, a female player. Before everyone could react, her eyes suddenly lit up, staring at Ye Qian and Lie Yang with a look of desire. Uncontrollably murmuring to herself, “Two major races, two powerful gods, love and rivalry, almost equal in strength, with a slight difference in intelligence. Is Lie Yang going to be suppressed?”
Although the girl’s voice was very soft, in the quietness of the night, coupled with exceptionally keen senses, the result was a muffled sound. Lie Yang blocked Ye Qian’s powerful kick, and the two quickly separated several meters after a brief clash.
Veins bulged on Lie Yang’s forehead, and his fists creaked. Ye Qian’s gaze was sharp as a blade, his face still devoid of expression.
The girl who had been murmuring to herself fell silent in the explosive battle between the two. Although the confrontation was brief, the instant burst of immense energy had already cracked the ground, causing heart-pounding fear. It also made the girl realize that these two were fierce beasts, difficult even to be friends, let alone the possibility of being together.
Holding up his chubby little hand, Shu Xun, who had not yet put it down, observed the slightly awkward atmosphere and tugged at his hair to change the subject. “This potion should have no side effects, considering both the sensations and logical reasoning. Taking the potion is the best and only choice. Without it, we can’t survive under Absolute Ice Seal, leading to a game failure. The potion also has no authority to take us out of the game world. Moreover, until now, this is probably the only item we have encountered that can be called a game reward. This potion is an unknown choice, but it’s also a condition restriction leading to success.”
