As the sun set.
Thud. Thud.
Several rough sleds—more than a dozen—clattered against the frozen ground. The high load of wood stacked on them made the sleds shake even more.
“Dammit...”
“Huff, huff...”
A few players had ropes slung over their shoulders, pulling the sleds along. The scene resembled that of sled dogs pulling their loads. They seemed to realize how ridiculous they looked, as their faces turned slightly red. Or maybe it was just exhaustion.
“Wouldn’t a cart have been better? This sled-pulling is a real pain in the ass...”
One of the men pulling a sled grumbled. He wasn’t wrong; the frozen earth was far from ideal for dragging sleds.
“Hey, can’t you see it’s snowing? In a bit, carts won’t be usable, idiot.”
Another man snapped back at him. The heavy snow falling from the sky made the idea of using a cart sound absurd.“...”
Watching the entire scene unfold, I nodded slightly to myself.
It’s not like I left the fortress on a whim, thinking, ‘It’ll just work out somehow.’ I had done my research before regressing.
Right now, we have around 300 ordinary people, about 100 superhumans, and a variety of weapons and tools.
Outside, the snow keeps falling in this freezing weather, and in three days, monsters will start to appear, creating a deadly environment. The key here is to keep the non-superhumans alive. While the superhuman players might survive by sheer willpower, the others are unlikely to withstand the cold.
Moreover, even the thickest winter clothing only slows the loss of body heat; it doesn’t generate any warmth. Without a heat source, freezing to death is inevitable.
“Alright, it looks like the sun’s about to set completely, so let’s stop here. Everyone, unload the wood and get ready.”
That’s why we brought the wood. With enough firewood, even the weakest among us can endure the cold. As long as we maintain body temperature, survival is possible.
“Huff...”
“Ugh, there we go.”
After unloading large logs from the sleds, they quickly split them into smaller pieces with axes.
After gathering the pieces together, the preparations were complete. Of course, with the snow and cold, it wasn’t exactly an environment where a fire would easily catch...
“Haa!”
But if the fire is created through a special ability, that’s a different story. As the woman with the prominent jawline moved around, lighting the wood with her ability, people began to gather in small groups, taking off their shoes to warm their feet.
“Damn, it’s cold...”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight. At least during the cold snap, we had tents and sleeping bags...”
Even though there were makeshift leather mats made from torn-up spare winter clothing, there were no blankets or pillows. Inside the fortress, at least we had some protection from the wind, but out here, the biting wind was relentless. It was definitely not a comfortable environment for sleeping.
“I wish I had some hot cocoa...”
“Hey, shut up and grill some jerky.”
Without a large cauldron or any convenient tools, making something like stew was impossible. The best we could do was scoop up some snow with a shovel, stick it in the fire, and heat it. In this cold weather, even just having some warm water was a blessing.
“Alright, make sure the fire doesn’t go out. If it does, we’ll all freeze to death. If you notice anything unusual while on watch, call me immediately.”
Even though the fire was created with a special ability and was less likely to go out, in weather like this, you could never be too sure. The most crucial thing when camping outdoors was maintaining the temperature, so it was only natural that everyone focused on the fire.
“Hmm...”
After confirming that the players and otherworlders had settled around the fire, I approached Baron Jorge, who was inspecting the sleds.
“How are the sleds holding up?”
“Hmm... They seem to be in decent condition.”
Fortunately, Baron Jorge’s domain experienced all four seasons, and sleds were part of the local culture. That meant I didn’t have to explain how sleds should look.
“Of course, since they were hastily made, the joints are a bit unstable. But that can be fixed with an inspection in the morning.”
“Good.”
So far, everything was going according to plan.
The advantage of fleeing the fortress is simple. The enemy is clearly defined and unchanging.
If we had stayed inside the fortress, we would have to face the monsters. They would relentlessly attack and adapt in countless ways just to kill the otherworlders.
But what about outside? Outside, it’s cold. The wind howls. The ground is hard as rock.
However, at least it doesn’t change. There might be a difference in how much snow falls, but a sudden blizzard won’t just evolve out of nowhere.
Of course... something even more terrifying could emerge outside the fortress. It’s possible that staying inside the fortress would have been safer after all.
If that situation arises, I’ll quickly regress before any casualties occur. I could have left the fortress alone to check if it was safe outside without the otherworlders or players, but during that time, countless people would have died. So, I believed this was the best course of action.
After briefly scanning the people huddled together, fast asleep, I laid out my mat and stretched out on the cold ground.
It’s cold, hard, and uncomfortable.
But we only need to endure for five days.
***
Day 2.
It’s cold, but the mood is still manageable. Although most of the otherworlders have started coughing, none of them are bedridden or too sick to move.
Also, with snow beginning to accumulate, we can finally use the sleds as they were intended.
“It’s been a while since I’ve camped out like this, not since I ran away from home in my youth.”
Baron Jorge cracks a smile and makes a joke. It seems he’s still in good spirits for now.
Day 3.
Now even the players have started coughing. The otherworlders all look pale, and many are too weak to walk, needing to be carried on the sleds. It’s shocking how quickly people can deteriorate after just two days of camping out.
But maybe it’s not just camping. We’ve been walking all day. And it’s not just one or two days, but three in a row.
As more people fall ill, the frequency of our breaks increases, and the wood we brought along is burning through quickly. Anxiety begins to spread among the group.
For three days, we’ve done nothing but walk forward. The ‘threat’ I warned them about hasn’t shown itself. It all feels like aimless wandering without any purpose.
“Do we really have to keep walking?”
“Can’t we just... take a break? I can’t feel my toes anymore...”
We’re supposed to be walking to escape from monsters, but we haven’t seen a single one. Are the monsters even real? Is this man just crazy? A hidden piece? Was it all a lie?
At first, I tried my best to coax, soothe, and persuade them, but doubt had already taken root in their hearts. In the end, I had to resort to being forceful.
“Do you think you can survive if you split off now? What about the wood? The fire? The food? Just shut up and follow me. Do you understand?”
I feel uneasy deep down, but there’s no other choice. Splitting up now would be nothing short of suicide.
This is the right thing to do.
I keep telling myself that.
Day 4.
There are hardly any people left with the strength to pull the sleds.
Most of the wood is gone, but now the sleds are loaded with the sick and injured. Someone has to pull them.
“...This is bad.”
Baron Jorge mentioned he’s used up about half of the elixir. There were four people who were on the verge of death. The otherworlders were barely clinging to life.
The snow has piled up so much that every step sinks deep, draining what little energy we have left. The snowshoes have proven to be of little help.
“Huff, huff.”
Even when we stop to rest, we have to shovel away the snow just to light a fire. Some people, their senses dulled, have gotten too close to the flames, unknowingly burning themselves.
Everyone’s expressions are grim. We only have one day left, but it’s an entire day we still have to endure. Yoon Jung-hyun and William Smith, who had been forcing smiles to encourage everyone, have now fallen silent.
There was an attempt to steal one of the sleds and escape during the night. I caught them, so the plan failed, but I can’t forget the unsettling looks in everyone’s eyes.
Is this really the right thing to do? No one has died yet, but there are a truckload of people on the brink of death.
Day 5.
Now, fewer than ten people remain unscathed. Those ten had to pull the sleds alone, which sparked significant resentment. It was inevitable; after all, we were forcing the strongest among us to sacrifice themselves.
But despite everything, no one abandoned the sleds and ran. They, too, realized that it was too late to stop.
By nightfall, we had run out of wood for the fire, so we broke down some of the sleds to use as fuel. The remaining sleds barely carried all the patients.
“Ugh, ugh…”
A woman, pale from pushing her mana to its limits, forced a fire to ignite. Baron Jorge scraped the last drops of his elixir to feed the otherworlders. The players, with no other choice, shared the potions they had been saving until the very end.
This is the final night. Clenching their teeth with the hope that they only need to endure a little longer, everyone falls asleep.
By now, the cold creeping into my bones feels almost familiar.
***
-4 : 11 : 31
“Wake up.”
“…”
“Come on, wake up.”
“Ah, damn it...”
I wake from a light sleep, rubbing my slightly swollen eyes. It’s too dark to see the face of the person who woke me, but the voice is familiar. It’s Eom Hong-Joong.
“…What’s going on?”
Everyone’s exhausted, collapsed in deep sleep, so what could possibly be important enough to wake me now? Annoyance starts to rise within me, but before I can voice it...
“Th-there…”
Eom Hong-Joong’s trembling hand points toward the horizon, in the direction of the fortress we left behind.
“Something’s coming…”
“…”
Something’s coming, he says.
There’s only one thing that could be coming from that direction.
“Wake everyone up.”
We have 4 hours left.
The monsters have reached us.
– – – End of Chapter – – -
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