111 – The Returner’s Efforts (6)

As the sun sets.

Rumble. Rattling.

A dozen crude sleds clatter against the frozen dirt. This is especially true because quite a bit of wood was placed on top.

“Mr… foot… “

“Whoo, whoo…” “

Several players were pulling a sled with ropes on their shoulders. It’s like a sled dog pulling a sled. Their faces turned slightly red, as if they knew that it was ridiculous. No, I might just be red because I was tired.

“This… Wouldn’t a cart be better? Pulling a sled is f*cking hard… “

A man pulling a sleigh grumbles. As he said, the frozen dirt was not a suitable environment for pulling a sled.

“Hey, can’t you see it’s snowing? “You won’t be able to use the cart in a while.”

Then another man scolds him. Heavy snow is falling from the sky, and it is shocking to hear nonsense like a cart.

“… “

I looked at the whole scene and nodded slightly.

I didn’t just leave the castle because ‘I thought it would work out’. Before returning, I completed my own research.

What we currently have is about 300 ordinary people, 100 superhumans, and various weapons and tools.

It is an extreme environment where monsters appear after three days in the cold weather where snow continues to fall outside. The key here is to save the aliens. Even if superhuman players somehow survive with their spirit, it is highly likely that aliens will not be able to withstand the cold.

Moreover, thick winter clothing only slows down the rate of body heat loss and does not provide body heat. If there is no heat source, the verb is deterministic.

“Well, it looks like the sun will completely set soon, so let’s stop here. Everyone, please put down your trees and get ready.”

That’s why I brought the wood. If there is firewood, even weak aliens can survive the cold. People can survive as long as they maintain their body temperature.

“Hmm… “

“Ugh, tea.”

After getting off the sled, a large piece of wood is roughly split into small pieces with an axe.

After putting the pieces together, you are ready. Of course, it is not an environment where a fire can easily catch fire due to the snow and cold…

“Hmph!”

If it is a fire caused by a trait, it is a different story. As the big-chinned woman walks around and sets fire to wood, people gather in groups and take off her shoes to warm her feet.

“Wow, it’s cold…” “

“I don’t know if I can sleep through this. In the cold weather, they gave me a tent and a sleeping bag… “

There is a leather rug made from scraps of spare winter clothing, but there are no blankets or pillows. The inside of the castle at least blocked the wind, but since it was outdoors, the rushing cold wind was a bonus. It is clear that it is not a comfortable environment to sleep in.

“I want to drink warm cocoa…” “

“Hey, shut up and cook some beef jerky.”

Because there were no convenient tools such as large pots, it was impossible to boil a stew. The only thing that is possible is to put the snow on a shovel and then put it in the fire to warm it up. Since the weather is cold, even some hot water is nice.

“Now, watch carefully so the lights don’t go out. If it goes off, everyone will freeze to death. “If you feel strange while watching, please call me.”

Even if it is not extinguished easily because it is a fire created with special characteristics, we don’t know what will happen in weather like this. The most important thing to be concerned about when sleeping outdoors is temperature, so it is natural to pay all attention to fire.

“Hmm… “

After confirming that the players and otherworldly people were roughly settled by the fire, I approached Baron Jorge, who was inspecting the sleigh.

“How is the condition of the sled?”

“Seup… “I think this is good enough.”

Baron Jorge’s territory was fortunately a place with four seasons and a civilization where sleighs existed. This means that there was no need for me to tell them what the sled looked like.

“Of course, the seams are unstable because it was made in a haphazard manner. “I think we can check this tomorrow morning.”

“Good.”

So far, everything is going according to plan.

The advantage of running away from the castle is simple. The enemy is fixed and does not change.

If you survive inside the castle, you will have to deal with monsters. They constantly attack and do everything they can to kill the aliens, even if by force.

But what about outside? It’s cold outside. The wind is rushing. The dirt floor is hard.

But at least it doesn’t change. This means that although there may be a difference in the amount of snow falling or not, a snowstorm does not suddenly evolve.

Of course… Something even more scary may appear outside the castle. Rather, it may be a development that the castle was safer.

If such a situation arises, it will quickly return before there are any victims. Also, there might have been a way to go out of the castle on my own without the aliens or players and check if it was safe… While I go out like that, many people will die. I think this is best.

After looking around at the people who were sleeping in a huddle, I also laid out a rug and lay down on the floor.

Cold, hard, and uncomfortable.

But you only have to last 5 days.

**

Day 2.

It’s cold, but it still feels bearable. Of course, most of the aliens started coughing, but they did not suffer so much that they could not move.

Also, as the snow began to accumulate, we were finally able to use the sled as a sled.

“It’s been a while since I ran away from home when I was young.”

Baron Jorge is smiling and joking. It seemed like there was still room.

Day 3.

Now the players are starting to cough too. All otherworldly people have pale complexions. There are quite a few people who cannot walk and are moved on sleds. Just two days of being homeless can make a person so devastated.

No, it’s not just that I was homeless. Since I walked all day, it’s worth lying down for quite some time. It wasn’t just one or two days, it was three days.

As the number of sick people increased, the frequency of people taking breaks also increased, and the rate of consumption of the wood they brought with them also increased. Anxiety begins to spread among people.

I have been walking only forward for 3 days. The ‘threat’ I was talking about is not visible. All of this felt like wandering without a sense of purpose.

“Do I really have to keep walking?”

“Can’t you just, just… Rest for a bit? I’ve lost the feeling in my toes…”

I am walking to run away from monsters, but the monsters don’t even have a nose in sight. Do monsters really exist? Maybe that guy is just crazy? Hidden piece? Could it be that they deceived us?

At first, I did my best to comfort and persuade them, but distrust had already taken root in people’s hearts. In the end, I had no choice but to force myself to leave.

“Do you think you can survive if we separate now? What about wood? What about fire? What about food? Just shut up and follow me. Do you understand?”

I also feel uncomfortable, but I can’t help it. Even if we separate now, it would be nothing more than an act of suicide.

This is correct. It’s just a repetition.

Day 4.

Very few people have enough strength left to pull a sled. Do you really need a sled? Almost all the wood has been used, but the sleigh is full of sick people. Someone has to pull the sled.

“…It’s a big deal.”

It is said that Baron Jorge used half of the elixir. There were four people who were almost breathless. The aliens were literally not dead.

The snow had piled up so much that my feet were sinking and eating up my stamina. Snowshoes were of little use.

“Whoop, whoop.”

Even when we occasionally stopped to rest, we had to shovel snow to start a fire. There were often people who turned on the fire without realizing that they were getting burned because their senses were paralyzed.

Everyone’s expressions are dark. There is only one day left, but we have to endure one more day. Yoon Jung-hyeon and William Smith, who had been encouraging people with forced smiles, were now speechless.

There was an attempt to escape by hijacking a sleigh at night. The attempt ended in vain because it was me, but I will never forget the evil looks in people’s eyes.

Is this correct? No one has died yet. A person on the verge of death is a truck.

Day 5.

Nowadays, there are no more than 10 healthy people. Ten people each had to pull a sled, and the backlash was no joke. Since the sacrifice was forced upon the powerful, it was a natural result.

However, no one abandoned the sleigh and ran away. They too have already realized it. That it’s too late to stop.

When night came, all the wood for firewood was gone, so the sledges were broken down and used as firewood. The remaining sleds barely carry all the patients.

“Uh, uhm… “

The woman, who had turned pale due to her mana being squeezed to its limit, forced herself to light a fire. Baron Jorge drains every last drop of the elixir and feeds it to the residents of the territory. Players have no choice but to return the potions they saved until the end.

It is the last night. People grit their teeth and go to sleep, thinking that they just have to hold on for a little while.

Now I am used to the cold feeling running up my head.

**

-4:11:31

“Wake up.”

“… “

“Wake up.”

“I… “

I wake up from a light sleep and rub my slightly swollen eyes. Because it was dark, I couldn’t see the face of the person who woke me up, but it was the tone of voice that I remembered. This is Um Hong-jun.

“… Is there a problem?”

Everyone is exhausted and gone, so why wake them up from their sweet sleep? I was about to get irritated without realizing it.

“Uh, over there… “

Eom Hong-jun raises his trembling arm and points to the horizon. This is the direction we have been walking towards, the castle.

“Something is coming over there…” “

“… “

What is coming?

There is only one thing that will come from the other side.

“Wake everyone up.”

There are 4 hours remaining.

The monsters have reached us.