Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The dark space before the game had become the norm, and once again, Xi Yu entered without any trace of unease.

On the contrary, the intense pain from his fatal wound completely disappeared after leaving the game, and he immediately felt much lighter.

A dazzling snowflake effect flashed across the screen, and the familiar chubby cat reappeared, holding its paws up.

This time, it was wearing a thick down jacket. After meeting, it sneezed, rubbed its small nose, and said, “00777th streamer, Xi Yu, congratulations on passing the first round of the selection challenge!”

Xi Yu forced a smile and softly asked, “Are you here to announce the rules for the next round?”

“Well… you'll know the rules once you enter the game!” The chubby cat scratched its face, instantly showing a cheerful expression. “I’m here to give you your prize!”

Xi Yu was confused. “A prize?”

The chubby cat put its hands on its hips and announced, “Streamer Xi Yu has killed the boss Xing Tian in the 'Galactic Odyssey' dungeon, completed a hidden mission, and will receive a rare item as a special reward!”

No matter what the item was, as long as it was useful for the next round, Xi Yu was naturally happy to accept.

But to his surprise, the NPC wobbled its furry paw in a ridiculous manner and handed over a piece of talisman paper that looked completely out of place with its appearance.

The talisman was old and yellowed, with strange patterns drawn in fresh blood, making it feel cold and eerie to the touch.

Xi Yu couldn’t help but feel uneasy. “Is this for the next dungeon? Does the dungeon have something to do with supernatural events?”

“That’s right!” The chubby cat answered quickly, then immediately covered its mouth, panicked. “Oh no, I can’t reveal too much information!”

Xi Yu helplessly folded the eerie item that he had risked his life to obtain.

The chubby cat cleared its throat again. “There are three minutes left until the second round of the selection challenge begins. Are you ready?”

Xi Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Previously, Mr. Lin said that the fate of the eliminated streamers would be decided by the audience—”

“Well…” The chubby cat seemed indifferent. “Currently, 57% of the audience supports a reset!”

Xi Yu frowned.

“You’re not eliminated yet, why worry about it?” The chubby cat turned its attention back to Xi Yu, grinning and showing its sharp teeth. “I hope you can survive the second round. I’m really rooting for you!”

After saying that, it stretched out its forelimbs and meowed, “Stay warm!”Before Xi Yu could respond, a biting cold wind suddenly blew towards him, forcing him to squint his eyes.

The wind grew stronger and stronger.

There was nothing to rely on around him. His long body struggled to hold on for a moment, but he was eventually swept into the depths of the hurricane, losing all vision!

[Streamer body weight check completed]

[Physiological functions, normal]

[Brainwave transmission frequency, 6.5hz, normal]

[Server loading…]

[Selection Dungeon: No. 02]

[Dungeon Name: Island of Nightmares]

[Activation time: April 4, 2046]

[Online audience count: 201,143,764]

The biting cold!

…Before Xi Yu could fully grasp the situation, his mind was flooded with these sensory recognitions.

The fragile human body meant nothing in the harsh natural environment. He forced his trembling instincts down, crawling up from the icy cold, only to realize that he was in a desolate forest at night.

The remaining tree trunks in the forest were dense, and covered with thick snow, making it difficult to discern the direction.

The cold wind grew stronger with each gust.

Confused, Xi Yu tried to slowly walk through the snow while quickly checking his gear.

Fur-lined boots, a snow-white and ancient-looking short cotton robe, with soft white fur sewn into the collar, were enough to protect him from the cold.

Besides the talisman prize still in his arms, there was also a small bagua mirror.

The blood-red moon broke through the dark clouds.Xi Yu picked up the mirror and examined it carefully, nearly startled by the sudden broadcast that echoed from it—

[This round of the game is a collaboration between Haishi Entertainment and the famous sandbox online game "Extreme Cold Realm"!]

...

[Confused traveler, welcome to the Island of Nightmares]

[There is no sunlight, no life, no food, no fire, no hope…]

[But you must struggle against the cold and survive… In this round of the game, survival is the only thing you need to focus on!]

[Game time is 120 hours, remaining number of players: 300]

A sandbox game… survival… and it’s even advertising for another game…

Xi Yu raised an eyebrow but didn’t feel much pressure because of it.

It seemed that this time he didn’t need to push the storyline or complete any missions, and since the rules didn’t forbid player versus player combat, the rate of going from 500 to 300 should be faster than expected. Anyone who tried to provoke him would have no chance.

He pursed his thin lips and continued to fiddle with the bagua mirror, finally figuring out how to use it.

Upon pressing the mechanism, it projected two small icons: one with a small person icon showing 500, probably indicating the remaining players, and the other with a bone icon, showing 0/206...

What does this mean?

Xi Yu reached out to touch it.

After fiddling with the small bone icon, the broadcast voice echoed again.

[Hardy traveler, in order to help you survive, the gods have left countless ice chests in every corner of the Island of Nightmares...]

[Each person can open three ice chests per day, with a chance to receive supplies, weapons, or even encounter monsters or curses. It is also possible… to uncover the bones of the Snow Gentleman…]

[Everything… will be according to the will of the gods…]

Xi Yu grew more cautious upon noticing the NPC's name: Snow Gentleman?

The broadcast voice continued explaining.[The Snow Gentleman is a terrifying undead being suppressed deep within the Eastern Blackwater Mountain and is the master of the Island of Nightmares…]

[In five days, he will break the seal and immediately begin indiscriminate attacks! Until the number of remaining streamers is insufficient!]

[At the same time, once the streamers collect 206 pieces of his bones, the seal will be broken in advance...]

[So please be cautious of the temptation of the ice chests, do not let the shadow of death arrive prematurely…]

Xi Yu finally understood. It turned out that there was a boss at the end of the game to ensure the number of survivors would meet the company's requirements. However, if the streamers had bad luck, they might trigger the boss earlier.

Speaking of bad luck...

Xi Yu couldn't help but look around: Where is Luo Xi?

In the dim snow forest, suspicious shadows overlapped, but he didn't see that guy.

Just as Xi Yu was about to continue walking, he sensed an uneasy gaze and called out, "Who's there?!"

A strong figure slowly appeared from behind a nearby tree.

Xi Yu clearly saw the other person's cold, sharp features and hesitated, "…You're following me?"

The one who had been spying on him was Mo Yi. He was still staring with his dead-fish eyes and sneered in rebuttal, "Who’s following you? I just happened to be born nearby."

"I don't mean anything by it. I hope you focus more on your own progress. Good luck making it through." Xi Yu wasn’t angry. He had no particular goal for now, so he turned around and started walking back.

Mo Yi clenched his fists but still said, "Don't wander around. It's not as peaceful here as you think."

Following his gaze, Xi Yu noticed huge footprints in the snow beside Mo Yi's feet, which appeared strangely eerie in the silent forest.

Just then, a familiar mocking voice suddenly echoed from the tree, "No need to worry about whether it's peaceful or not. Stay out of other people's business, and you might live longer."

Xi Yu smiled and said, "Luo Xi?"

Luo Xi, also dressed in ancient thick cotton clothes, jumped down from a high spot and grabbed Xi Yu’s arm, saying, "Come with me."

Xi Yu didn’t resist and followed him, step by step.

Mo Yi, who had been left behind, lowered his eyes and stared for a while before turning and disappearing into the mysterious, barren trees.The life-and-death struggle on the Star River ship felt like a frightening dream. With the complete end of that story, all the tension and pain turned into things of the past.

But Xi Yu didn’t forget the fragments of memory that mysteriously resurfaced, nor did he forget the sudden clarity of his mood.

He casually glanced at Luo Xi and asked without thinking, “Who is Ling Xue?”

Luo Xi, who was looking up to determine the direction, paused for a moment, then asked after some reasoning, “Did the rabbit make up something to mess with you?”

Xi Yu insisted on asking, “Who is she?”

Luo Xi replied, “Someone I knew from before. Three months ago, she got eliminated while saving me.”

Although the words were said lightly, they caused many thoughts to arise in Xi Yu’s mind.

Xi Yu knew that Luo Xi wasn’t as selfish and heartless as he appeared on the surface; he was even quite loyal.

Ling Xue's name sounded like a clever and intelligent girl, who sacrificed herself to save him. Could Luo Xi really not care?

Thinking this, Xi Yu felt an unexplained sense of anxiety. He suddenly grabbed Luo Xi and stopped him, “Do you like her?”

Luo Xi, who was focused on finding the way, was momentarily stunned. Looking into Xi Yu’s eager and sincere eyes, he mischievously teased, “What does that have to do with you?”

Xi Yu slowly released his hand, his expression dimmed immediately, and he started walking forward absentmindedly.

Luo Xi wasn’t a block of wood. He could somewhat sense Xi Yu’s mood but didn’t understand why he suddenly cared about him so much. He could only follow behind and joke, “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve been hit hard. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you have a crush on me.”

“Shut up! Who has a crush on you? Have some self-awareness!”—If the audience could see the comments, they would definitely be saying this.

But Xi Yu remained silent, his expression even fading to nothing, as he continued stepping through the snow.

Luo Xi found it amusing, his mood starting to improve, and even his steps became more relaxed. “Actually, it’s nothing. Before, I was always doing placements on my own, and I just happened to be close to her and the rabbit. I didn’t expect to be paired with her, and even less so that I’d fall into someone else’s trap. By the time things went wrong, it was too late for regrets. You should understand, I don’t like depending on others, and I definitely don’t like others losing something because of me. That’s why I feel guilty. Is that strange?”

Xi Yu didn’t focus on anything else, finally asking, “So, you don’t like her?”

Luo Xi laughed out loud. “Whether I like her or not, what’s it to you?”

Xi Yu: “If you like her, I’d feel uncomfortable, and might even want to kill her again!”

Luo Xi was struck by his unexpected harsh words. He suddenly ruffled Xi Yu’s cold and soft short hair. “You know the rabbit talks nonsense. It’s nothing. Let’s just finish the open audition first.”In fact, Xi Yu knew very little about Luo Xi and was somewhat skeptical of his words.

But before he found a chance to clarify things, he suddenly felt the danger of something rapidly approaching from behind!

Almost at the same moment, Luo Xi used all his strength to drag Xi Yu away—right where he had been standing, a black arrow was precisely shot down!

The arrow embedded itself in the snow and vanished in an instant.

In an environment close to darkness, being sniped while unarmed was extremely difficult to defend against.

Xi Yu's expression changed slightly. He quickly whispered, "Run!"

Luo Xi, of course, didn’t hesitate, immediately moving with Xi Yu through the snow, struggling against the difficulty of the terrain, squinting to determine the direction. "11 o'clock, there's some wild grass!"

If he wasn't mistaken, the arrow seemed to have been shot from above.

The enemy’s high vantage point made it very difficult to guard against.

As Xi Yu confirmed Luo Xi’s safety, he crouched into the greyish-white tall grass, using their light-colored clothes to slow their movement and blend into the camouflage.

By a stroke of luck, at this moment, the strange red moon was once again covered by dark clouds, and the forest was plunged into complete darkness.

Luo Xi tightly gripped Xi Yu's hand and silently shushed him.

Xi Yu held his breath and stayed completely still, following Luo Xi's lead in the cold grass.

Swoosh—

Swoosh—

Heavy footsteps pressed down on the snow, growing closer and closer, accompanied by heavy breathing and muffled grunts, sounding like a wild beast.

Through the grass, which moved slightly with the wind, Xi Yu vaguely saw a massive white shadow.

The thing moved to within five meters of them, then stopped and began to circle back and forth.

Luo Xi gave Xi Yu a signal with his eyes.

Xi Yu nodded.Just as they were about to make the first move, the sound of people chattering nearby suddenly reached their ears!

The white giant shadow was immediately drawn away, and its massive form slowly disappeared as it walked on the snow.

Seizing this opportunity, Luo Xi suddenly pulled Xi Yu up. After struggling to discern the direction through the growth of branches, he hurriedly dragged Xi Yu southward, desperately escaping.

For the next few minutes, the two of them rushed forward in haste, unable to speak a word.

Although they didn't encounter any further terrifying attacks, the increasingly harsh cold was like a dull blade, torturing their nerves.

Their feet had gone completely numb, and their strength was nearly exhausted. The sharp wind hitting their faces felt as if it was cutting their skin.

It seemed that in this survival-themed scenario, no elaborate setups were necessary to slowly drag them into the depths of death.

Luo Xi did not relax. With every segment of their journey, he would leave hidden marks on trees or the ground with pebbles.

Xi Yu exhaled a breath of white mist and asked, "So, can the rabbit find us like this?"

"Smart. We've played survival games together before and made an agreement," Luo Xi continued walking, his gaze fixed on the endless desolate wilderness ahead. "Otherwise, with such a large map, it would be impossible to meet up."

Xi Yu couldn't think of any solution at the moment and nodded silently.

Luo Xi smiled faintly. "It's fine. They'll be able to take care of themselves. The most important thing for us is to find a shelter from the wind. The temperature is already dropping steadily. If we keep rushing around without a plan, we'll really be in trouble trying to maintain core body temperature."

"Yeah, when we have no objective, we should prioritize conserving our strength," Xi Yu agreed. "But I fear the game designers aren't so kind."

"Don't worry too much. Our hidden score was high in the last round, so the clothes we got this time are still relatively warm," Luo Xi sighed. "I even saw other streamers with really flimsy equipment."

Only then did Xi Yu remember the talisman. As he walked, he took it out from his chest. "Right, I killed Xing Tian, so I have an extra reward."

Luo Xi gave him an interested glance.

Xi Yu unfolded the fragile talisman, and immediately a broadcast reminder sounded.

[Item: Blood Talisman: Burn at the Shen Yin Temple in the southern part of Nightmare Island to summon NPCs and inquire about specific item locations.]

After hearing this, Luo Xi raised an eyebrow and said, "That's a good item. In this round, everyone has to rely on opening the ice crates to get resources. If there's an NPC guide, at least we can get a powerful weapon."

"Speaking of which..." Xi Yu looked at him uneasily. "Opening ice crates is just like a lottery, you..."Luo Xi: ".........."

Xi Yu smiled faintly: "Don't worry, the game is definitely fair."

Luo Xi, who had been tricked into countless rainbow roads by himself, was noncommittal and dryly said, "Let's find a hiding place first."

After a difficult journey, the two of them finally walked out of the barren snowfield full of dead trees before their stamina ran out, encountering a small frozen stone mountain.

The windward side of the stone mountain had a bearable temperature, and there was a sparkling light in the snow.

Xi Yu relaxed and kicked away the annoying snow as he crouched down, saying, "This must be the ice crate, huh? There are quite a few."

Sure enough, seven or eight small ice boxes, about the size of a palm, were quietly lying in the white snow, their abnormal shimmering surfaces indicating their item status.

Luo Xi stopped Xi Yu's arm: "Wait, let's find something for self-defense."

Xi Yu helplessly watched him bring two frozen hard stones. After receiving them, he quickly and skillfully smashed open one of the small boxes.

A faint glow scattered like dust, and not far away, an old wooden box appeared out of nowhere.

Luo Xi cautiously and slowly opened it, discovering it only contained practical items like ropes, thin blankets, and fire starters, with nothing unusual.

"Not bad," Xi Yu casually smashed another one.

The corner of Luo Xi's eye twitched.

A hunting knife dropped nearby with a 'clink.'

Xi Yu smiled.

The unlucky one almost wanted to cry.

Xi Yu said, "I'll just open three of these every day. I'll open them all if I want to. If you're scared, you can just hide further away."

Saying that, he smashed open another small ice crate!

It wasn't that he was scared; he was just a little jealous.

Luo Xi silently watched as Xi Yu got a small bag of rice, then stood up and said, "Let's go."Xi Yu tried smashing again, but those seemingly fragile little items had become indestructible. He was a little skeptical: "What are you talking about? You try opening one too. At worst, we get nothing."

Luo Xi didn't like to back down, and had never done so before, which was why he could "enjoy" misfortune time and again.

Hearing the urging, he didn’t hesitate any longer. He stomped on the nearest ice crate.

When the light faded, it seemed as though something strange had been released. Along with an ear-piercing howl, a small finger bone fell at Luo Xi's feet.

Xi Yu was surprised: "This... Could it be Snow Lord's bone?"

Luo Xi frowned and opened his gossip mirror item, only to see the bone icon had already changed to: 2/206.

"Looks like you're not the only one." Xi Yu helplessly comforted: "Try again, you won’t keep getting unlucky."

Luo Xi pressed his lips together and stepped on it again.

The box disappeared, and everything around the snowy field went silent. Nothing happened.

Xi Yu glanced at Luo Xi's expression, and a bad premonition rose in his heart. In the next moment, a fierce growl came from behind him!

Luo Xi, who had been prepared, instantly grabbed the hunting knife and directly faced the giant wolf charging at him!

The wolf that attacked was larger than most adult men, with sharp fangs and glowing red eyes. It looked terrifying.

Xi Yu crouched in place, not moving, watching Luo Xi fight the beast as if venting his frustration. He couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.

Furious, Luo Xi didn’t hold back and struck the wolf’s eyes with two powerful punches, directly slashing its throat!

As blood splattered everywhere, the wolf’s body turned into black mist and disappeared.

Xi Yu couldn't hold back his laughter any longer: "You really are this unlucky, I finally believe it."

Luo Xi turned around, panting, and saw Xi Yu’s rarely bright smile. He couldn’t help but laugh helplessly: "Have you given up? Let's find a place to rest. I’ll set some traps nearby."

Saying that, he picked up some rope from the wooden box and walked away with a frustrated step.

Xi Yu gradually stopped smiling as he remembered what Du Li had firmly said: the luck of streamers was actually a bonus for these types of lottery events, so it was likely just a segment of data in the chip. So why was Luo Xi’s luck so bad?

Was it truly his character that was unlucky, or had it been deliberately adjusted?This question currently has no one to answer.

Xi Yu shook his head, took out an old fire starter, carefully studied it, and with quick movements, smashed the wooden box and set up a small fire by the rocks.

At this point, the temperature had already dropped to nearly minus thirty degrees. If they didn’t find a way to maintain their body heat, most streamers wouldn’t survive five days just sitting there.

On the other side, Luo Xi had already set up several simple traps, mainly to guard against anyone sneaking up on them. He cautiously patrolled the area twice, but didn’t find any suspicious traces, so he turned toward the small flickering fire in the dark.

As he passed the remaining ice crates, he couldn’t help but frown.

Forget it, let’s go.

Luo Xi took a step.

But the reason why a non-lucky streamer is unlucky, is not only because they have bad luck, but also because they always have a glimmer of hope.

— What else could go wrong? At worst, another wild beast could show up for a little practice.

Luo Xi looked around, and, feeling guilty, kicked an ice crate away.

The small item inside hit the rocks and shattered instantly.

Two meters away, with a thud, an item fell out of the box.

Playing holographic games in a nutrition warehouse for a long time is very energy-consuming. Although Xi Yu’s real body wasn’t injured, the life-and-death struggle on the Star River ship and these two hours of hurried travel had left him exhausted.

Although he wanted to keep watch with Luo Xi, as he leaned against the rocks for a moment, his eyelids, embarrassingly, started to close.

Just as he was fighting off sleep, a sweet taste suddenly touched his lips.

Xi Yu opened his eyes in confusion and found that Luo Xi had handed him a slice of apple.

He was surprised: "Where did this come from?"

Luo Xi casually handed him the rest of the apple slices, pretending to be casual: "I won it in a lottery."

"There’s this stuff in the snow?" Xi Yu said bluntly: "Not being lucky isn’t a bad thing. You don’t need to act like you’re all high and mighty."

Luo Xi almost rolled his eyes: "Eat it or not, if you don’t want it, throw it away."Xi Yu smiled and handed it to him: "I can't eat it."

"Stop pretending to have a small appetite." Luo Xi sat by the fire, leaning on his hand. "I wouldn't eat something so girly, or else I wouldn't have given it to you."

Xi Yu made a small sound and continued to take small bites of the only food, not sure if it was because the apple was too sweet, or because the gesture of care was so warm.

In any case, he suddenly felt less worried, and even thought that being in this cold, snowy, illusory space, quietly spending time with Luo Xi wasn't so bad.

Compared to the past, this moment really felt better than anything else.