205: Yeti attack

The lights in the control room flickered.

Shen Xiaochuan looked away from the numbers on the screen [Granary Inventory Update: 19.7 days of consumption remaining].

He had just clicked confirm, and the number changed to 19.6.

The wind outside was strong, and dead branches kept hitting the eaves.

Suddenly, the communicator vibrated.

"God King!" Karl's voice came from the speaker, sounding urgent.

"The meteorological team reports that the cold wave has intensified by three levels, and the perceived temperature is already below minus seventy degrees."

"In this weather, human caloric consumption doubles, and food is being used up twice as fast as expected."

Shen Xiaochuan didn't move; his fingers gripped the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white.

"Rations for non-combatants have already been reduced by ten percent," he said, his voice very low.

"If we lower them any further, people won't have the strength to stand."

"But if we can't find new food supplies—"

"I know," Shen Xiaochuan interrupted him.

"Notify three reconnaissance teams to depart immediately."

"The first team will go to the north slope of the Eastern Barren Forest Belt to look for edible moss and lichen; the second team will enter the Snow Mountain Broken Valley to see if there are any abandoned bases or underground warehouses; the third team will follow the old railway westward, focusing on checking pre-war military cold storage facilities."

"Send them out now? The wind and snow outside are so heavy—"

"The later it gets, the more dangerous it becomes."

Shen Xiaochuan stood up, walked to the projection screen, and opened the map.

"Remember, only reconnaissance is allowed; do not make contact with any unknown creatures. Returning alive is the most important thing."

"Understood." After Karl finished speaking, the call ended.

The screen went black, and the room fell silent.

Shen Xiaochuan turned back to look at the sand table; the empty area in the southern district was still very conspicuous.

The design plans for the fortifications hadn't been submitted yet, the city gate reinforcement was only half done, and the foundation for the basalt shield formation hadn't even been laid.

Just as he was thinking about this, his communicator suddenly rang.

It wasn't the System notification sound.

It was the encrypted frontline channel.

He grabbed the microphone.

"Report! Something happened at the South City Gate!" Shen Yan's voice came through, mixed with the noise of the wind and snow.

"The ground vibrations are getting stronger. Thermal imaging has detected many moving heat sources, less than five kilometers away from the city wall! They are approaching rapidly! Repeat, a large group of creatures is approaching! Requesting instructions!"

Shen Xiaochuan looked up sharply at the large monitoring screen.

The last image transmitted from the South City outpost froze for a few seconds: in the grayish-white curtain of snow, over a dozen black shadows were moving slowly; they were large in size, with thick limbs and high, hunched backs.

The radar signal was intermittent, but the direction was clear—straight toward the city gate.

"Can you see clearly what they are?" he asked.

"I can't see clearly!" Shen Yan roared.

"The wind is too strong, the lens is iced over! But they are much larger than ordinary beasts, walking on two legs like humans! There are at least a hundred of them, and the number is still increasing!"

Shen Xiaochuan stared at the screen, tapping his finger on the table.

He didn't hesitate any longer, turned around, and rushed out of the control room.

The corridor lights were dim, and his footsteps echoed in the passageway.

He passed through the energy hall and the office area; no one stopped him, and no one dared to ask.

Everyone knew that only major events would make him leave the control console.

The South Gate of Skydome City was built on a gentle slope, with a city wall three zhang high; the base was cast from a mixture of alloy steel and basalt, and there were arrow towers and catapult platforms on top.

However, this section of the wall was only seventy percent complete, and there was still a gap on the west side, temporarily blocked by frozen earth mounds and barbed wire.

When Shen Xiaochuan arrived, Shen Yan was standing on the watchtower, holding the telescope stand, his shoulders covered in snow.

"They're here." Shen Yan looked back at him.

"They're closer than before. In the three o'clock direction, the snow is full of shadows."

Shen Xiaochuan walked up the steps in a few strides and took the telescope.

He wiped the ice off the lens with his gloves, steadied his gaze, and finally aimed it into the distance.

The wind was blowing fiercely.

But he still saw them.

The black shadows emerged from the snow one by one, walking forward slowly.

They were nearly three meters tall, covered in thick grayish-white fur, with sturdy limbs and wide feet that made almost no sound when stepping on the snow.

Their heads were lowered, their faces obscured by fur; only their protruding mouths and the occasional flash of red light—their eyes—could be seen.

They didn't shout or charge; they just walked.

But the pressure was suffocating.

"What are these?" Shen Yan asked in a low voice.

"I don't know." Shen Xiaochuan lowered the telescope, his expression grim.

"But their target is clear—it's the city gate."

"Should we fire a volley of fire arrows to test them?"

"Don't move." Shen Xiaochuan raised his hand to stop him.

"We don't know how they'll react yet. Acting rashly might provoke them."

"But our defense line isn't finished!" Shen Yan was anxious.

"The gap on the west side can't stop these things at all! Only two catapults are installed, and only half of the archers have arrived!"

Shen Xiaochuan didn't speak, scanning the city wall.

The soldiers were already at their posts; some were shivering while holding spears, others kept rubbing their hands and blowing warm air on them.

The torches were blown askew by the wind, casting erratic shadows.

He knew that the most feared thing wasn't how strong the enemy was, but the chaos of people's hearts.

He pressed the broadcast device on his waist.

"Attention everyone." His voice came out from the speakers on the city wall, steady and not loud, but everyone could hear it.

"I am Shen Xiaochuan. An unidentified group of creatures has been spotted outside the South Gate and is approaching. It is currently unclear if they are hostile, but for safety reasons, the entire city is entering Level 1 combat readiness."

The crowd became a bit restless.

"Archer groups, take your positions, nock your arrows, and lock onto the area five kilometers ahead. Load incendiary bombs into the catapults and wait for my command. The engineering team, take tools to the west gap immediately and reinforce the defense line with frozen earth bags and metal plates; hold it as long as you can. Patrol teams, withdraw into the city, close all city gates, and forbid anyone from going outside."

The orders were issued one by one, each one hitting the key points.

"Shen Yan," he turned his head.

"Take a team of elite soldiers to patrol the city wall and keep a close eye on everyone. Anyone who runs around, shouts, or shakes the morale of the troops, tie them up and lock them in confinement immediately. At a time like this, I will not show mercy."

"Understood!" Shen Yan turned to leave.

"Wait." Shen Xiaochuan called him back.

"Tell the brothers that I'm not sending them to their deaths. Just hold them off. I don't believe these things can last long in the wind and snow. We have walls, fire, and food. They have nothing."

Shen Yan nodded and ran off.

Shen Xiaochuan raised the telescope again.

The group of snow monsters was closer, less than three kilometers from the city wall.

They were still walking in silence, their footsteps in unison, as if controlled by something.

The large ones walked in front, and the small ones followed behind.

No one was commanding them, yet they were very orderly.

He suddenly noticed something.

The footprints of these creatures were deep but very neat.

They didn't look like beasts trampling around; they looked more like a trained troop.

"Something's not right," he said in a low voice.

Just then, one of the snow monsters at the very front suddenly stopped.

All the ones behind it stopped too.

In the wind and snow, over a hundred behemoths stood silently, unmoving like mountains.

Shen Xiaochuan held his breath.

A few seconds later, the leading snow monster slowly raised its head.

Its fur parted to reveal a pair of scarlet eyes.

It looked straight at the city wall.

It looked at him.

Shen Xiaochuan gripped the telescope tightly.

"They know where we are," he said.

The broadcast device was still on.

He spoke into the microphone, his voice turning cold:

"Everyone, prepare to engage the enemy. This is not a drill. Hold the wall; everyone who survives will be rewarded with five hundred faith points. For those who sacrifice themselves, their families will be provided for by the city for life."

Someone below gasped.

He knew these words were harsh, but he had to suppress the fear now.

He pressed the button again:

"Logistics Group, immediately deliver high-calorie compressed biscuits to the city wall, two for each person. The medical team, stand by in the city and be ready to receive the wounded at any time. The control room will maintain contact; report any situation immediately."

After finishing, he clipped the broadcast device back onto his waist and took off his gloves to rub his face.

The cold air drilled into his bones, but he couldn't care about that.

"Shen Yan!" he shouted.

"Here!" Shen Yan ran over from the other side, his hat covered in ice.

"Have the archers ready with fire arrows, but don't light them yet. For the catapults, don't connect the fuses yet. I want to see what they actually want to do."

"What if they charge over?"

"We'll deal with it if they charge," Shen Xiaochuan stared into the distance.

"Acting now will only expose how much capability we have. If they can march like this, they aren't necessarily stupid things."

Shen Yan gritted his teeth, nodded, and ran off.

The two of them stood on the watchtower, motionless.

The wind grew stronger.

The group of snow monsters still didn't move.

But the pressure grew heavier and heavier.

It was just like the last moment before a storm.

Shen Xiaochuan's hand touched the copper gear at his cuff.

The cold metal pressed against his skin, helping him stay a bit clearer-headed.

He suddenly remembered fifteen days ago, also here, watching the numbers in the granary dropping bit by bit.

Back then, he thought the hardest part was making sure people were fed.

Now he understood.

Being fed was only the first step to surviving.

The real difficulty was whether, when these things walked out of the wind and snow, you would still dare to stand on the city wall and watch them approach step by step.

He took a deep breath and exhaled a puff of white mist.

"Notify all posts." He pressed the broadcast device again.

"Maintain vigilance. Without orders, do not move. I am here, and I will always be here."

After speaking, he stood still, his eyes fixed firmly on the black shadows in the wind and snow.

On the city wall, the torches swayed, and the wind, carrying snow, lashed against his face like knife cuts.