Chapter 228: Are They Teammates? (4)

At the summit stood a Frost Beast.

No...

Not a real Frost Beast.

It was a Frost Beast sculpted entirely from snow.

Zhen Xing and Yuan Ze remembered <Ice Paradise> all too clearly.

Back then, He Yu had built the great Frost Beast an almost identical snow sculpture.

The Frost Beast had been absolutely delighted.

Time had passed.

The Frost Beast was gone.

Four instances had come and gone, along with countless brushes with death.

Yet now...

Standing atop this snowy mountain, they saw almost exactly the same scene.

It felt as though time had suddenly reversed.

As though memories had overlapped.

The snow Frost Beast lay quietly on the ground.

Its head faced toward them.

Its eyes gazed ahead, as if waiting...

Expecting someone.

Clamped gently between its teeth was a flower.

Looking closer...

It was unmistakably a Frost Flower.

"...The Frost Beast..."

Eugene murmured.

The lingering trauma the Frost Beast had left behind made him instinctively glance around.

The summit was nothing more than a bare, snowy plateau.

Much smaller than the one in <Ice Paradise>.

One glance was enough to take in the entire area.

Apart from the snow Frost Beast...

There was nothing.

No people.

No sounds.

Wanrenzhan also peered over the edge.

After studying it carefully, he frowned.

"There's no life here."

"So who built this Frost Beast?"

"And judging from the condition..."

"It can't have been here for more than a day."

Snow continued falling.

If it had been built long ago...

It would already have been buried beneath fresh snow.

Its shape wouldn't still be recognizable.

Since it was still mostly intact...

It couldn't have been made more than a day ago.

Perhaps only a few hours earlier.

Someone...

Or something...

Had come here and built a Frost Beast.

A Frost Beast holding a flower in its mouth...

There was only one possible culprit.

Blue-Eyes.

The expressions of Wanrenzhan and the others subtly changed.

—Him again?

—Why does he haunt us everywhere?

Even though they now knew who he really was...

Even though he was technically their idol...

Every single thing he did was flirting with He Yu.

That alone was enough to sour their mood.

—As a result, none of them felt particularly friendly toward Blue-Eyes Li Zhan anymore.

Wanrenzhan snorted.

"Hmph."

"If he has time to build a Frost Beast..."

"Why is he still hiding instead of showing himself?"

The moment He Yu heard the words "Frost Beast," he froze.

Then he looked up.

"Let me see."

Wanrenzhan, Zhen Xing, Eugene, and the others only had to stand upright to peek over the edge.

He Yu rose onto his tiptoes...

But still couldn't see.

His expression immediately darkened.

"Shorty."

"Can't see?"

Wanrenzhan tilted his head with a raised eyebrow, having noticed immediately.

He Yu: "..."

His face grew even darker.

He really hated...

Being called...

Shorty.

He wasn't short.

These Federation warriors were simply gigantic.

【Bullet Screen: "HAHAHA! He God is so adorable!"】

【Bullet Screen: "His face totally darkened. It's so obvious."】

【Bullet Screen: "I don't know why, but when Wanrenzhan called him 'Shorty,' it somehow sounded ridiculously affectionate. I'm shipping them again, wuwuwu."】

【Bullet Screen: "He Yu has amazing chemistry with literally everyone, not just Wanrenzhan."】

Nearby...

Ling Buchen couldn't suppress the smile curling at his lips.

His eyes were full of amusement as he watched He Yu.

Taking a deep breath, He Yu prepared to climb up himself.

Ling Buchen extended a hand.

"I'll help you."

At the exact same moment...

Wanrenzhan also reached out.

Without giving He Yu any chance to refuse, the two lifted him together from opposite sides until his head finally rose above the edge.

Zhen Xing and the others all turned to look.

Especially at He Yu.

Their eyes brimmed with laughter.

He Yu remained expressionless.

"What's so funny?"

His face was blank.

But the dangerous aura radiating from him was unmistakable.

Zhen Xing cleared his throat.

Though his voice still carried a smile.

"Nothing."

"We should appreciate the scenery."

The mountaintop stretched out before them.

The adorable snow Frost Beast rested peacefully beneath the morning sun.

Behind it...

The sun had only recently risen.

Golden rays poured across the snowy ground, making both the snow and the Frost Beast sparkle brilliantly.

The first crimson light of dawn painted the highest peak in the world...

Creating an indescribably beautiful picture.

The entire group lined up side by side.

Only the tops of their heads peeked above the cliff, each of them hanging onto the mountainside.

The sight was both ridiculous...

And strangely heartwarming.

Sunlight bathed them all in warmth.

Facing the light...

He Yu's fair jade-like face almost seemed to glow.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

His gaze never left the snow Frost Beast.

Then he thought back to the place where he had first entered this instance...

—That guy had intended to meet him here.

Perhaps...

He had imagined countless different reunion scenarios.

Among every version of Blue-Eyes...

The great Frost Beast had always carried the greatest regret.

At that time...

He had possessed no memories.

He couldn't speak.

He had merely existed as an ordinary Frost Beast.

Unable to truly express what he wanted to say.

His death...

Had been a real death.

So...

This was probably his lingering regret as well.

Unfortunately...

When He Yu had been transferred into another instance, everything had gone wrong.

Blue-Eyes had encountered an accident while changing the instance.

As a result...

He hadn't been able to meet He Yu here as planned.

He Yu wasn't disappointed.

Knowing he was still alive...

Was enough.

No matter what trouble Blue-Eyes had encountered...

Or whatever reason prevented him from appearing...

He Yu would find him.

No matter where in this world he was hiding.

Looking at the Frost Flower held gently in the Frost Beast's mouth...

The snowy summit bathed in sunrise...

He Yu smiled softly.

Warmth filled the eyes behind his rimless glasses.

—He had received the gift.

His gaze drifted from the snow...

To the sky...

Then to the endless sea of clouds.

The mountain stood so high that the summit seemed to float among the heavens.

Like a fairyland.

He Yu spoke quietly.

"It's beautiful."

Standing beside Wanrenzhan...

Zhen Xing smiled faintly.

Still looking ahead, he spoke softly.

"In District One of the Federation..."

"There's Mount Wulu."

"It's the tallest mountain in the Federation."

"And also the most beautiful."

"Without an S-rank expert leading the way..."

"Ordinary people simply can't reach the summit."

"Even flying equipment can't function properly there."

"But if you do make it..."

"The entire summit blooms with District One's unique Ice Snow Flowers."

"They bloom at the exact moment the sun rises."

"The first rays shine across the snow..."

"And the flowers burst through the ground."

"Every blossom opens at once."

"It's breathtaking."

"One of the Federation's Ten Most Beautiful Landscapes."

"But..."

"As soon as the sunlight disappears..."

"The flowers immediately wither."

"They become snow once again."

"Vanishing without a trace."

"If there are too many people..."

"Or if it's too noisy..."

"The flowers will also wither."

"And they can never leave the summit."

"No preservation method works."

"The moment they're taken away..."

"They all become snow."

"And lose every bit of value."

Zhen Xing's gentle narration painted an unforgettable scene.

He Yu's gaze drifted into the distance.

As though he could already see it.

Softly, he said,

"Once we're out..."

"We have to go."

Ling Buchen's eyes curved into crescents.

"Alright."

"We'll warm a pot of wine..."

"And gather together."

Wanrenzhan grumbled,

"With that tiny body of yours, there's no way you'll make it up there alone."

"If you beg me..."

"I'll accompany you."

Siya rolled her eyes.

"Beg?"

"The moment He Yu says the word..."

"You'll be running faster than anyone."

Wanrenzhan: "..."

Eugene grinned.

"I'm coming too."

"I'll bring equipment from Mechanical Planet."

"We can even spend the night on the summit."

Gedai added,

"I'll bring nutrient solution."

Yuan Ze looked speechless.

"...Only you would think of nutrient solution."

"We won't need it."

"Who's going to drink nutrient solution while warming wine?"

"We'll cook something good instead."

Duan Yuchen laughed.

"Then count me in too."

Tang Ke raised a hand.

"Take me as well."

"I've never been there."

"I spent all my time getting stronger."

"I never had time to travel."

Qiong smiled brightly.

"How could you leave me out?"

"I'm definitely going."

Bo Jingshan simply added,

"Me too."

He Yu smiled softly.

"Alright."

"It's a date once we get out."

"Mm."

"A date after we get out."

—So...

Everyone had to survive.

Survive...

And keep that promise.

【Bullet Screen: "Wuwuwu... This suddenly feels so heartwarming."】

【Bullet Screen: "Yeah... Just seeing everyone's heads poking over the edge is hilarious. They're so adorable."】

【Bullet Screen: "I wish I could join them after the competition..."】

【Bullet Screen: "Don't worry. Siya will definitely post pictures on social media."】

【Bullet Screen: "I'm literally crying. Every single one of them has to survive. If even one is missing, I'll be devastated!"】

—

He Yu looked at everyone.

"So..."

"Shouldn't we actually go up now?"

—He truly had a remarkable talent for ruining the atmosphere.

All the complicated emotions...

The longing...

The worries...

Instantly vanished.

Everyone silently collected themselves.

Zhen Xing leaped onto the summit first.

Standing above He Yu, he reached out.

Wanrenzhan clicked his tongue unhappily.

Still...

Together with Ling Buchen, he lifted He Yu upward.

He Yu stretched out his hand.

Zhen Xing grabbed it.

Their hands clasped.

With one pull...

He Yu reached the summit.

The others climbed up one after another.

The summit wasn't large.

Everything could be seen at a glance.

Once everyone arrived...

They discovered exactly what they'd expected.

Besides the snow Frost Beast...

There was absolutely nothing else.

Duan Yuchen frowned.

"Strange."

"This mountain is so unusual."

"There should definitely be a mission."

"So why isn't there one?"

The group searched every corner.

They still found nothing.

Standing beside the Frost Beast...

He Yu reached out and gently touched the Frost Flower held between its teeth.

His gaze was deep.

Nothing showed on his face.

【Bullet Screen: "Another day of missing the big Frost Beast."】

【Bullet Screen: "Blue-Eyes is the big Frost Beast. I miss both the Frost Beast and Blue-Eyes, wuwuwu."】

Zhen Xing and the others gathered around He Yu.

Each shook their head.

None of them had discovered anything.

Standing farthest away, Eugene walked over.

The ground trembled slightly beneath his steps.

Deep in thought, he said,

"Could it be..."

"That there simply isn't a mission here?"

The moment he finished speaking...

A familiar system announcement echoed through the air.

【Snow Summit Mission 28 triggered: This snowy mountain should not exist in such a warm place. Therefore, remove all snow from the mountain. Complete the mission to receive 280 points.】

Everyone: "..."

Gedai frowned.

"So..."

"The mission has to be triggered?"

Qiong nodded.

"Exactly."

"There really is a mission here."

"We successfully activated it."

"Now we have to remove every bit of snow from the mountain."

Tang Ke shivered.

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"There's so much snow."

"How could we possibly move all of it?"

If equipment were usable...

It wouldn't be difficult.

The problem was...

None of them could actually operate their equipment.

They could only take it out of storage and use it as ordinary tools.

Rapidly clearing an entire mountain of snow...

Was impossible.

Duan Yuchen scratched his head.

"...I'm more curious about the meaning of Mission 28."

After thinking for a moment, Zhen Xing answered,

"It probably means there are at least twenty-eight missions."

"Either someone has already completed twenty-seven..."

"Or it's simply this location's mission number."

Every contestant remaining in the Top 100 was powerful.

It wouldn't be surprising if others had already discovered and completed missions.

He Yu spoke calmly.

"It's the mission number."

"The number probably corresponds to both difficulty..."

"And points."

—He had already guessed that.

—The Bullet Screen had confirmed it as well.

Other contestants had already triggered missions.

Their mission numbers were even lower than this one.

And naturally...

Their rewards were worth fewer points.

Wanrenzhan cracked his neck.

"Why overthink it?"

"Let's finish this mission first."

"Then complete another one."

"We'll figure out the pattern soon enough."

Yuan Ze nodded.

"Crude wording."

"But he's right."

Hearing the praise...

Wanrenzhan immediately lifted his chin proudly.

Looking straight at He Yu.

Like a peacock showing off its feathers.

He Yu couldn't even be bothered to glance at him.

Instead...

His eyes slowly swept across the surroundings.

Filled with contemplation.

He never joined their discussion.

Bo Jingshan frowned.

"The snow is still falling."

As long as it kept snowing...

Removing all the snow was practically impossible.

Eugene looked around before shaking his head.

"No."

"Didn't you notice?"

"The snowfall is lighter than when we first arrived."

"The summit should be colder."

"The snow should actually be heavier."

The higher they climbed...

The colder it became.

Logically...

The snowfall should increase.

Yet here...

It had weakened.

Siya suddenly understood.

"So as the sun rises..."

"And the outside temperature increases..."

"The snowfall will eventually stop!"

Zhen Xing stretched out a hand, catching a snowflake.

He nodded.

"Exactly."

"The snowfall is already getting lighter."

"When the temperature reaches its highest point..."

"It'll stop completely."

Wanrenzhan's eyes lit up.

"Then we'll wait until the snow stops..."

"And move everything afterward."

Everyone: "..."

Ling Buchen sighed quietly.

"If you wait until it stops..."

"It'll already be too late."

"Whether it's snowing now isn't important."

"What matters..."

"Is whether it starts snowing again later."

Wanrenzhan blinked.

Then finally understood.

Gedai stretched his neck.

He pulled out a piece of equipment and used it as an ordinary tool.

Gathering snow together...

He rolled it into an enormous snowball...

Then pushed it off the mountain.

The idea had come directly from watching the Frost Beast.

The others immediately got to work.

Zhen Xing lifted He Yu onto the snow Frost Beast.

"Sit here."

"Rest."

"We'll handle it."

Eugene laughed.

"Hahaha!"

"Yuyu."

"You finally found a situation where you're completely useless."

Wanrenzhan folded his arms.

"With that combat power..."

"You should just rest."

"Don't get in the way."

He Yu: "..."

Ling Buchen ignored them.

"Don't listen to those idiots."

"Are you cold?"

He Yu shook his head.

Wrapping the Frost Beast coat more tightly around himself, he replied,

"I'm fine."

"This coat is incredibly warm."

Then, with complete composure, he reminded everyone,

"Be careful."

"Don't fall off the mountain and kill yourselves."

Eugene narrowed his eyes.

"Yuyu..."

"Were you just worrying about us?"

He Yu merely smiled.

He offered no answer.

"Hahahahaha!"

Eugene burst into laughter anyway.

Around them...

Everyone else started laughing too.

【Bullet Screen: "They're getting along better and better. I don't even want to imagine what it'll be like if one of them dies..."】

【Bullet Screen: "Knock on wood! Don't say things like that!"】

—

Wrapped snugly inside the fluffy Frost Beast coat...

He Yu sat atop the snow Frost Beast.

The thick white fur concealed almost his entire body.

From a distance...

He looked like a smaller Frost Beast sitting atop a larger one.

Only upon getting closer could anyone recognize He Yu's face.

Against the snowy white fur...

His skin appeared even fairer.

Even more jade-like.

His delicate features—

Eyes.

Nose.

Lips.

Every one of them was flawless.

Perched atop the Frost Beast...

His cool, detached temperament blended perfectly into the snowy landscape.

He looked as though he belonged there.

Like an immortal.

The others busily transported snow.

Yet every time they passed by...

They couldn't help stealing another glance at him.

Seeing him somehow made them feel even more energized.

They pushed their giant snowballs with increasing enthusiasm.

Especially Wanrenzhan.

Ever since the previous instance...

It was as though some hidden switch inside him had been flipped.

Around He Yu...

He behaved exactly like a peacock in full display.

Showing off at every opportunity.

He removed his coat.

His strong, muscular arms were fully exposed.

Every snowball he pushed was deliberately the largest possible.

Each time he passed He Yu...

He intentionally showed off both his strength...

And his physique.

Duan Yuchen rolled his eyes.

"Wanrenzhan."

"Stop parading those giant snowballs in front of He Yu."

"You'll end up hurting him."

Wanrenzhan looked up.

Everyone was glaring at him disapprovingly.

Silently...

He pushed the snowball farther away from He Yu.

At the same time he muttered,

"As if I'd ever hurt He Yu."

"You're all just jealous."

Despite his grumbling...

He carefully stayed well away from He Yu afterward.

【Bullet Screen: "Haha! He Yu is so spoiled. Everyone treats him so well."】

【Bullet Screen: "Because he deserves it."】

【Bullet Screen: "I'll admit He Yu is capable, but everyone else is working themselves to death while he's sitting there resting? How is that fair?"】

【Bullet Screen: "Mind your own business. They want He Yu to rest. Go try joining them and see whether they'd let you rest too."】

【Bullet Screen: "He's the brain of the team. Since when does the brain do manual labor?"】

【Bullet Screen: "Don't waste time. Report and block that guy."】

【Bullet Screen: "Nah. Let's roast him first, then report him."】

A handful of viewers continued criticizing He Yu.

No matter how perfect someone was...

There would always be people who disliked them.

Fortunately...

Those comments were usually overwhelmed almost instantly.

Fans of Zhen Xing...

Eugene...

Wanrenzhan...

And many others quickly joined in to defend him.

At that moment...

Gedai wiped away his sweat and shook his head.

"This won't work."

"There's no way we'll remove all this snow before it stops."

"There's simply too much."

"We need another solution."

Wanrenzhan snorted.

"You're all too weak."

"If there were ten of me..."

"I'd finish this easily."

"You're just slowing me down."

As he spoke...

He deliberately glanced toward He Yu.

Showing off yet again.

Eugene looked at him.

"No brain."

Wrapped in the fluffy Frost Beast coat, He Yu looked up at the sky.

Then he suddenly spoke.

"It's very warm outside."

"Under normal circumstances..."

"It shouldn't be snowing here."

"But..."

"It's as though this entire place is covered by a dome."

"It separates the inside from the outside."

Everyone frowned thoughtfully.

He Yu lowered his gaze toward them.

"In other words..."

"The heat inside can't escape."

"It can't exchange temperature with the outside."

Everyone's eyes immediately lit up.

Zhen Xing.

Ling Buchen.

Eugene.

Qiong.

Duan Yuchen.

All spoke simultaneously.

"Raise the temperature!"

"Fire!"

Gedai smacked his forehead.

"I must've climbed myself stupid."

"How did I not think of that?"

Siya smiled bitterly.

"I was stuck too."

Wanrenzhan walked over to He Yu.

Looking completely confused.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you all talking about?"

Eugene looked at him deeply.

Then at He Yu beside him.

Finally, he sighed.

"Wanrenzhan..."

"So you actually do have a brain."

It just...

Wasn't located inside his own head.

Wanrenzhan: "???"

【Bullet Screen: "HAHAHAHAHA!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Eugene's basically saying He Yu is Wanrenzhan's brain!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Wanrenzhan doesn't have one himself, so he borrows He Yu's instead."】

—

Once they had a solution...

Everything progressed quickly.

They split into two groups.

First, they gathered every Firestone and every piece of equipment capable of producing flames.

Although equipment couldn't be used in combat...

Its basic functions still worked.

Back in Inferno Hell...

They had obtained Fire Grass.

Now...

Ling Buchen.

He Yu.

Wanrenzhan.

And Duan Yuchen each took one out.

Crushing the plants...

They mixed the juice into the snow and scattered it all around the mountainside.

Fire Grass was an excellent alchemical ingredient.

Once crushed...

It also became an incredibly powerful accelerant.

Wanrenzhan.

Zhen Xing.

Duan Yuchen.

Ling Buchen.

And the others with the best stamina hurried downhill to gather firewood.

He Yu and the rest remained halfway up the mountain.

He pulled out the familiar lighter.

Then ignited a Firestone.

A roaring blaze erupted instantly.

Yuan Ze grabbed He Yu.

Leading him quickly back toward the summit.

There was no time to worry about appearances.

He Yu simply cooperated without complaint.

They waited beside the snow Frost Beast.

The fire spread upward from the mountainside...

While Zhen Xing and the others ignited the lower slopes.

Once the snow atop the summit melted...

The rest of the mountain would follow.

The mission required them to remove the snow.

If the snow became water...

Didn't that also count as removing it?

The invisible barrier had originally been meant to hinder them.

Instead...

They used it to trap the heat inside.

When He Yu began sweating...

When the Frost Beast started melting...

The mission was already more than halfway complete.

He Yu quietly watched the snow Frost Beast.

He reached out and gently touched it one last time.

Then withdrew his hand.

And looked away.

By noon...

Every trace of snow had melted.

Zhen Xing and the others climbed back to the summit, soaked from head to toe.

They were covered in mud.

It was obvious the climb had been anything but easy.

Seeing the muddy summit...

Ling Buchen blinked.

"That's it?"

"We're done?"

He Yu nodded.

"Yes."

"It's complete."

Eugene inhaled deeply and shook his head.

"That was way easier than I expected."

"I thought it'd be incredibly difficult."

"Maybe this instance isn't that hard after all..."

Zhen Xing remained much more rational.

"There are easy missions and difficult missions."

"We simply found the right solution."

"So this one became easy."

Duan Yuchen looked around curiously.

"What about the rewards?"

【Snow Summit Mission 28 completed. Points and item rewards obtained.】

The points were distributed automatically.

One glance was enough to confirm what they had wanted to test—

The points were divided equally among everyone who had participated.

Their hypothesis had been confirmed.

At the same time...

The item rewards appeared before them.

Three Verification Cards.

Instantly...

The atmosphere became tense.