Jing Yuan just smiled, not answering.
“Rest while you can.
We need to get inside.”
“Mhm.” Curiosity won anyway.
“Are you really not cold?”
Since last night he’d been in a single layer.
Near a fire in a windbreak, fine.
But out here?
Even in the Far East, they respect the cold.
How was a Dragon man out-Bear-ing the Bears?
Bear viewers lingering in Dragon chat wondered the same:
[He’s in something that thin and keeps his temp?
Incredible…]
[Are Dragon bodies all this cracked?]
[Oh Lord, my uncle in Siberia wouldn’t try that (shock.jpg).]
[They say Dragon folk all know kung fu—maybe that’s “inner force”?
(wow.jpg)]
Helpful Dragons answered:
[Yes, you’ve found us out.
Jing Yuan knows kung fu.]
[Shame Chief is off—he’d explain the science (doge.jpg).]
[As everyone knows, we resist the cold with righteous qi (muscle.jpg).]
…
Jing Yuan shook his head—about to spin a yarn—when he spotted an Everwinter Wraith angling toward them.
“Not the time to chat.”
Taliya followed his gaze, saw the long-hafted glaive, and tensed.
She snapped her AK’s safety off, stepped ahead to shield him.
“Move!
This one’s nasty!”
She’d met one before and tried bullets.
They’d done nothing but draw aggro.
She’d run a long time to shake it—miserable.
And now another.
As the subordinate, she moved without thinking, taking the job of guarding Boss.
Even knowing how tough it was, at least he could retreat—he wasn’t armed.
If she couldn’t stop one with a gun, how would he fare without?
Jing Yuan chuckled—and planted his feet, hands clasped behind him.
He eyed the AK with interest.
He’d only ever seen it in games and videos—never up close.
Bear Nation’s “family heirloom.”
He also wanted to see whether Blue Star firearms worked on Zone monsters.
When he didn’t budge, Taliya panicked.
“Why are you standing there?
Run!”
Even as she spoke, the Wraith felt them and accelerated.
“Damn it—” she swore, shouldered, aimed, and squeezed.
Casings spat; rounds found their mark.
Good aim, good control.
She’d paid attention during training.
But the 7.62s barely slowed it.
They didn’t even break the plating—just scratched it.
Jing Yuan sighed inwardly.
So much for “family heirloom.” Overhyped.
Taliya couldn’t understand him at all.
She’d told him to run and he stood there.
Was he slow?
That thing laughed at AK fire—if he didn’t start moving, neither of them would.
Just as she wrestled with ditching him and bolting, he moved— not back, but forward.
He’s mad.
The cold has fried his brain.
Then her eyes flew wide.
He lifted an empty hand—and gripped thin air.
From nothing, an old-fashioned long saber answered his call.
She’d never seen that shape—blade and hilt near the same length, the whole weapon as tall as a man.
Black-gold, etched with complex patterns she couldn’t read, lightning coiling faintly along its lines—mystical.
He’s not… actually going to cut it?
Mystical or not, a saber’s still a saber…
Yes, the Zone had named him—first to kill a Snowboar King, resource manifestation, national reward.
But she’d never met the king.
With no reference point, she’d assumed it was just… a big pig.
Maybe he’d gotten lucky.
The Wraith, though—that she knew.
It had chased her for miles.
Bullets couldn’t touch it.
How would a blade?
Her doubt didn’t last.
He flowed forward.
The man-high blade spun in his hands—casual, almost lazy—and fell.
Air cracked; gold lightning skittered along its edge.
Impact.
A monster nearly immune to firearms staggered, then collapsed into powder.
O—one-shot?
Taliya forgot to breathe.
Her attitude shifted from trust to awe.
People follow those who’re stronger or richer.
But when the gap becomes ridiculous, there’s only reverence.
He dismissed Flint-Dream.
To him, clearing small fry was routine.
He bent to pick up the dropped frost crystal like roadside trash, walked back, and tossed it to her.
“Stow that.
Might be useful.”
She blinked back and cradled it with both hands, studying it before tucking it carefully away.
His eyes lit.
He promptly fished out every crystal he’d stuffed on his person and piled them on her.
He was running out of pocket space.
With a personal backpack on legs, why not lighten his load?
Watching fistful after fistful of crystals, she was numb.
One crystal per monster.
How many had he killed?
And that saber—where had he pulled it from?
He wasn’t being lazy, not carrying it himself.
He’d tried; Temporary Space only took resource-node goods.
Random drops like crystals didn’t fit.
The Zone was “humane,” but not that humane.
His Bear girl sidekick took it in stride.
After seeing him work, she didn’t question orders. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Without knowing what the crystals did, she made space in her pack for them anyway—and even offered, “Want me to carry Mimi?
Then you can fight with both hands.
I had a cat at home; I know how.”
The kitten poked a head out at its name—locked eyes with her—and withdrew in disdain.
Taliya: “…”
[Mimi: Let me see who wants to hold Lord Cat.
Oh, it’s you.
Never mind (disdain.jpg).]
[Another day, another Mimi roast.
Lol~]
[You think you deserve to look at me?
(hmph.jpg)]
[Thanks, Mimi.
I believe again—real love is between the same sex (heart.jpg).]
[Whoa, same—]
Even Bingbing fell for Mimi, asking the audience for cat-care tips—an aspiring litter-scooper already.
…
Jing Yuan spread his hands: What can I do?
For now, Mimi’s small enough to ride his chest, claws anchoring him during fights.
Later… they’d see.
After a short break, they moved on.
Strangely, the closer they drew to the city, the more Wraiths appeared.
For hours, Jing Yuan lost count of the cuts.
At one point, killing one spawned another immediately.
Luckily, they weren’t getting stronger, and 18% progress still trivialized them.
Trailing behind, Taliya felt lucky she’d “joined.” Reaching the city alone would’ve been impossible—her AK couldn’t even handle one of these, let alone waves.
“Notice anything?” Jing Yuan asked suddenly, breaking her reverie.
“Notice what?” she blinked.
“We haven’t seen a monster in a while.”
“That’s… good, right?” She’d felt bad all morning, watching him do all the fighting.
He shook his head.
“It means something has already cleared the area around the city.”
She thought—and saw it too.
By the earlier pattern, monsters should have been densest near the walls.
Suddenly there were none.
Something was guarding this city.
Zone natives?
She tensed and opened her mouth to ask what to do.
A familiar chime rang—
Thank you so much for reading until the end.
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