215: Chapter 215: Hunting in the Blizzard

He shifted his body, trying to stand up. His right arm was slung across his chest, and waves of pain radiated from where the bone had snapped. He bit down on his mask and used his left shoulder to brace against the ground, slowly lifting his body. Just as his knees left the ground, his legs went weak. He looked down to see a layer of ice forming around the edges of his boots, and the cuffs of his pants were frozen stiff.

The emergency light in the distance was still lit, appearing exceptionally clear amidst the vast expanse of white.

Shen Xiaochuan said nothing.

"If you keep lying there, you'll be buried by the snow by tomorrow," he whispered.

He reached out and felt for his backpack, unzipped it, and took out a bottle of repair fluid. He plunged the needle into his left arm and pressed the switch. A surge of warmth traveled up from his arm, slightly easing the stiffness in his shoulder and back. He took a breath and tossed the empty bottle into a snowdrift.

The terminal rebooted with a full signal. The repeater connected, and a map popped up. He tapped on the shared route, drew a circle on the northwest side of the East Cliff, and marked three potential paths forward. The first went along the ridge—the shortest distance, but it required crossing an ice crevasse zone; the second circled the southern slope, but the snow was too deep for travel; the third hugged the valley floor where the wind was lighter, but it contained two storm zones where one could easily be swept away.

He stared at the screen and crossed out the third path with his finger.

"We can only take the first one," he said. "It's fast, but we must be careful."

He opened the communication channel and lowered his voice: "Everyone listen up, this is Shen Xiaochuan. The target is forty kilometers to the southeast. Prioritize the ridge line; avoid the southern slope and the valley floor. Maintain a ten-meter interval between teams and keep each other in sight. The vanguard will be the mechanical Puppets from 'Auroras Edge,' responsible for clearing obstacles."

The channel went silent for a few seconds.

[North Latitude 43° Watchman] spoke up: "You really want to take the ridge? The ice is thin there. One of my Believers fell in last month, and we still haven't found him."

"I know," Shen Xiaochuan replied. "But the southern slope is impassable right now, and the wind speed at the valley floor exceeds twenty meters per second. We don't have time to detour. I'll mark the safety points; just follow them."

Another voice chimed in, it was [Hemlock Forest Sentry]: "You're injured. Can you still lead the team? Don't make us carry you out in the end."

"See these three positions?" he said. "These are the edges of the ice crevasse zone. I checked the wind direction and snow accumulation last night; for a period this morning, the ice surface will crust over and be able to support weight. It won't work after noon. If we leave now, we'll make it just in time."

He paused for a moment. "I don't need you to believe in me; I only need you to follow orders. Anyone who doesn't want to go, it's not too late to back out now."

No one spoke in the channel.

A few seconds later, [Eye of the White Cliff] said: "I agree. The tracking scroll is still working, and there's no large-scale biological activity ahead. We can proceed."

[Auroras Edge] followed: "My Puppets are activated and are clearing snow ahead. Ready to depart at any time."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded, turned off the map, and tucked the terminal under his arm. He bent down to pick up a metal rod to use as a crutch, dragged his left foot forward a step, and followed with his right. Step by step, he walked toward that light.

Ten minutes later, the team was fully assembled.

Two three-meter-tall mechanical Puppets led the way, their treads crushing the snow and their shovels pushing aside blocking ice. They were followed by five Believers in groups of three, carrying medical kits and toolboxes. Shen Xiaochuan walked in a position slightly behind the center, leaning on his crutch with his left hand while his right hung down.

The wind felt like a knife against his face. After traveling less than a kilometer, a muffled thud echoed from the valley to the left, and everyone stopped.

"What happened?" a Believer from [Hemlock Forest Sentry] asked.

He looked up; cracks had appeared on the left mountain wall, and gravel was tumbling into the snow.

He closed his eyes, held his breath, and mobilized the faint Divine Power within his body. This wasn't a powerful move, but a gentle probe of the surroundings.

He sensed something unusual to the left—it felt like the air was vibrating, or like something was buzzing.

He opened his eyes: "Don't go that way. The Seal has loosened, and the permafrost might collapse. Detour three kilometers to the right."

[North Latitude 43° Watchman] frowned: "How do you know?"

"I can feel it," Shen Xiaochuan said. "There's lingering aura of an evil god here; people died here ten years ago. The energy is unstable now; we can't get any closer."

No one objected. The team turned right, walking along a gentle slope.

Two hours later, the blizzard intensified. Visibility was less than five meters. The mechanical Puppets' power dropped, and their left arms made a clicking sound.

[Auroras Edge] shouted over the channel: "Puppet No. 1's hydraulic System is failing. I suggest we stop for repairs!"

Shen Xiaochuan looked up at the sky, which was a hazy gray. He looked down at the terminal; the signal was stable, and the temperature showed minus forty-seven degrees.

"We can't stop," he said. "Two kilometers further is an abandoned observation station where we can take shelter. We'll talk once we get there."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone up ahead suddenly cried out in shock.

"I stepped through!"

A Believer from [Hemlock Forest Sentry] was seen half-submerged in the snow, with a dark hole beneath him emitting cold mist.

"Don't move!" Shen Xiaochuan shouted. "It's an Underworld Abyss; the ice is only half a foot thick!"

He immediately ordered: "Everyone close in! Gather around the mechanical Puppets! Do not act alone!"

The team slowly huddled together, standing next to the two Puppets. The repeater signal flickered for a moment then restored.

"The path we just took is no longer viable," Shen Xiaochuan said, looking at the map. "We need to walk diagonally, hugging the base of the mountain."

"You should have warned us sooner!" [Hemlock Forest Sentry] said in an annoyed tone.

"I did warn you," Shen Xiaochuan said. "I said to follow the marked points. He didn't stay with the team and rushed ahead on his own. Whose fault is that?"

The channel fell silent.

After a moment, [Eye of the White Cliff] said: "I support Shen Xiaochuan. Arguing is useless now; we need to find a way across."

Shen Xiaochuan said no more. He replanned the route, marking new safety points. Then he ordered the advance to continue.

This time, everyone followed the Puppets closely, not daring to fall behind by a single step.

By evening, the wind had died down somewhat.

They finally reached the abandoned observation station. The corrugated iron hut was half-buried in snow, and the door was crooked, but it was still usable. Everyone squeezed inside, shaking the snow off their bodies.

Shen Xiaochuan sat down against the wall and took a breath. His left leg was already numb, and the frostbitten areas stung like fire. He took out his last bottle of repair fluid and gave himself an injection.

"How much longer until the target?" [North Latitude 43° Watchman] asked.

"According to the new route, eighteen kilometers remain," Shen Xiaochuan said. "We can arrive by noon tomorrow."

"I hope your tracking scroll still works," the man muttered under his breath.

"The scroll has sixty percent energy left, enough for one full-scale scan," [Eye of the White Cliff] said.

Shen Xiaochuan nodded: "Wait until dawn to use it. We'll take turns on watch tonight, in pairs. I'll take the first shift."

No one objected.

In the middle of the night, the wind stopped.

Shen Xiaochuan sat by the door, gripping the metal rod. It was very quiet outside, and the snowfield shimmered with a pale blue light. He looked up; a rift had opened in the clouds, revealing a few stars.

He touched the copper gear pendant around his neck; it was very cold.

"Dad, you said if a machine breaks, it can be fixed..." he whispered. "But what if a person is about to give out?"

He didn't finish his sentence and tucked the pendant back into his clothes.

Early the next morning, the team set off again.

The sun rose, reflecting off the snow with a glare so piercing it was hard to keep one's eyes open. They had traveled less than ten kilometers when [Eye of the White Cliff] suddenly shouted over the channel: "Wait! The scroll is reacting!"

Everyone stopped.

"Ahead at the three o'clock position, twelve hundred meters away—eight large lifeforms. Body temperatures over forty-two degrees, heart rates thirty to thirty-five beats per minute," he said. "Matches the characteristics of Mammoths."

"It's not a migrating herd," he added. "They're trapped. The wind direction changed, and the snowdrifts on the leeward side are too high for them to get out."

"They're twice the size of ordinary Mammoths, and the crystal core fluctuations are strong," Shen Xiaochuan said. "They're perfect grade."

"Are we really going to do this?" [North Latitude 43° Watchman]'s voice trembled slightly. "If eight of them charge at once, no one can stop them."

"We won't fight them head-on," Shen Xiaochuan said. "Their stamina is low now, and their movements are slow. We'll approach from the rear-flank and disable one leg first to make it fall, disrupting their formation."

"How do we approach? There's so much noise; we'll be discovered before we even get close."

Shen Xiaochuan looked toward [Auroras Edge]: "Can your Puppets be controlled remotely?"

"Yes."

"Good. I want it to fire a steel cable to snare the hind leg of a juvenile Mammoth. Then the people from 'Hemlock Forest Sentry' will throw Shock Hammers to hit its knee."

"The others will create noise to draw their attention and cover the operation."

"Who's going to draw them?" someone asked.

"I'll arrange for two long-range Believers," Shen Xiaochuan said. "They'll hide behind a snow mound three hundred meters away and strike metal plates to simulate mechanical sounds. Mammoths are sensitive to that kind of noise; they'll turn their heads."

"I can provide real-time life signal monitoring. If they collectively become agitated, we retreat immediately," [Eye of the White Cliff] said.

"Everyone check your equipment. We move in five minutes," Shen Xiaochuan nodded.

The team dispersed.

Two Believers took signal devices to the snow mound, while the mechanical Puppets quietly moved behind an ice ridge to hide. The others lay on the ground, aiming their weapons at the target.

Shen Xiaochuan lay on a high point, holding the terminal in his left hand and staring at the thermal map.

"Lure team, are you in position?" he asked.

[Beep—In position.]

"Puppet, lock onto the target: juvenile Mammoth, left hind leg."

[Beep—Steel cable charging complete.]

"Shock Hammer, hit the joint!"

The wind was light.

Suddenly, a "Clang—Clang—" sound of striking metal echoed from a distance.

The eight red dots moved simultaneously. The largest Mammoth raised its head, its trunk lifting to sniff in the direction of the sound.

Then, all the Mammoths slowly turned around.

"Now!" Shen Xiaochuan whispered. "Fire the steel cable!"

With a "whoosh," a silver steel cable flew out, snaring the juvenile Mammoth's left hind leg.

"Shock Hammer, hit the joint!" Shen Xiaochuan shouted.

A dark shadow flew out, striking squarely on the back of the knee.

The Mammoth gave a low roar, its leg buckled, and it knelt into the snow.

The other Mammoths immediately became alert, turning together, trunks snorting and hooves pawing at the ground.

"Everyone stay hidden! Do not fire!" Shen Xiaochuan lowered his voice. "It hasn't completely fallen yet. Don't provoke the whole herd."

The juvenile Mammoth struggled to stand, but the steel cable tightened, and its other leg was snared by the Puppet with a chain. With a forceful heave, its entire body flipped onto its side, crashing into a snowdrift.

Seven adult Mammoths stomped the ground simultaneously, producing a dull thudding sound.

"Success," Shen Xiaochuan said, staring at the screen. "Its mobility has dropped by seventy percent. we have control of the rhythm now."

He raised his left hand and spoke softly into the terminal: "All units attention, Phase One complete. Target has been restricted. Prepare to enter Phase Two."

The channel was silent.

Only the wailing of the wind through the snow mounds remained.