Chapter 52 Easter Egg: Frost Dragon

The land was frozen solid for miles, a vast expanse of white with no sign of human presence, so quiet that one could hear the sound of snow falling.

On the contrary, the channel was buzzing with lively conversation.

Five minutes have passed, how's the battle going?

[I'm so curious, I'm itching for a live stream!]

[You guys are in such a hurry! Instead of worrying so much about others, you should think about how to improve your own camp first.]

[After all, everyone's paying attention to a level 5 camp expert.]

[Don't panic, I'll tag @TelescopeGuy. Are you still there, TelescopeGuy?]

Yes, yes, I just finished setting up the camp. Let me see what happened.

Has the camp been breached?

With so many stone golems attacking, I don't think even a level 5 camp could withstand it.

[Haha, waiting for fzy to be eliminated]

[Stop gloating, okay?]

[Am I gloating? Wasn't it fzy who refused to help first? If they won't merge camps with us, then don't blame us for standing by.]

[Laughable, as if you could actually be of any help.]

[Exactly, they should take a look in the mirror and check their own camp level before talking about whether they're qualified.]

Even though my camp level wasn't high, I wasn't eliminated. On the contrary...

[Stop arguing, @TelescopeBro, how's the situation now?]

Uh... I don't know.

There are too many stone golems blocking the perimeter, making it impossible to see the camp. However, smoke is constantly rising from the chimneys, so it shouldn't have been breached yet.

How is that possible?

"Exactly, how could they possibly stop us with so many stone men? Are you seeing things? If you don't know how, give me your binoculars."

Why the rush?

You all look like clowns.

[Wait... the smoke from the campfire has disappeared, and those stone golems are quiet... Has the top player really been eliminated? ? ? ]

Fang Zhiyi was not eliminated, of course.

Let's rewind to 5 minutes ago.

The stone golem at the forefront was pierced through the core by an arrow and collapsed with a roar. Large and small stones piled up into a mountain, blocking the pass and preventing the stone golems behind from approaching the camp.

Fang Zhiyi lowered his hand, and the rapid shooting of arrows in a short time cut a long, narrow wound in the tiger's mouth. Before the blood could drip, it froze into ice, and he was so frozen that he could not feel the pain.

The outskirts of the camp.

The stone man shook his head, looking bewildered and helpless.

We looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

After a moment, as if they had received some signal, the stone men stepped forward in unison, grabbed stones from the ground and stuffed them into their mouths, making crunching noises.

The hill blocking the entrance is getting shorter at a visible rate.

The stone figures lay on top, feasting heartily. There weren't enough stones for them to eat, and some even secretly ate the stone figures next to them.

They were eating with great enthusiasm downstairs.

Fang Zhiyi was surrounded by the sound of rocks cracking.

The stones blocking the way were decreasing, while the stone men were growing taller and more imposing, subtly overshadowing the wall. Once the stone man army charged in, it would be an overwhelming and devastating event, impossible to resist.

Fang Zhiyi pursed her lips tightly, watching the stone man slowly straighten up and stagger towards the camp.

He could handle a few stone golems, but so many... even a level 5 camp's defenses couldn't withstand them.

what to do?

My thoughts raced, and I suddenly caught something unusual.

Why did the Stone Golem abandon its attacks on others and instead head towards its camp? What happened before that caused the Frost Phoenix to suddenly become enraged?

Time slows down, and scenes flash before my eyes, capturing every key moment.

Finally, all eyes were drawn to the shelter.

Inside, the fireplace crackled and burned, billowing out thick, black smoke that stood out starkly against the white backdrop.

Fire can bring warmth, but it can also bring danger.

It's fire!

Fang Zhiyi realized what was happening, jumped off the city wall, and rushed towards the shelter without stopping.

A shadow fell from above.

The stone man gripped the city wall with both hands, his jaw agape, a humming sound emanating from his dark throat, and raised his fist, as big as a sandbag, to smash down.

Boom boom boom!

The earth shook violently.

[The city wall is damaged. Should we spend 20 stones to repair it?]

[The city wall is damaged. Should we spend 40 stones to repair it?]

The city wall is damaged...

Messages kept popping up.

Cracks appeared in the city wall, making it appear precarious.

Fang Zhiyi didn't care about anything else. She pushed open the door of the shelter and rushed to the fireplace.

The fireplace flames were blinding, and the firewood burned incessantly.

Firefighting, firefighting—

His gaze shifted, and he pulled a handful of ice from his backpack, pouring it all into the fire.

Sizzle!

A plume of white smoke rose.

The flames in the fireplace were instantly extinguished by the ice, leaving only embers on the floor.

The sound of banging on the wall stopped abruptly.

Stone Man: OO?

Once the fire was extinguished, the entire camp was covered in frost, a blanket of white snow that blended seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

The stone man lost its target, turned its head left and right, stayed in place for a while, and then trudged heavily toward another camp.

The little elves were playing on the roof.

The phoenix lay in the wind and snow, its frost-carved feathers trembling slightly as it enjoyed the caress of the blizzard.

Fang Zhiyi slowly exhaled and sat down with her back against the wall.

We're safe for now.

The Stone Golem army retreated, but the crisis was far from over.

With the last source of fire gone, frost immediately climbed the walls, turning the entire shelter into a snow cave, with icicles hanging from the ceiling, and the temperature instantly dropped to -60°C.

At that temperature, there is simply no way to survive.

Fang Zhiyi touched the stone in his arms.

【Strange Stone - Warm】

【02:35:59】

The strange stone continuously emitted heat, keeping the area warm and dry even in the freezing cold.

But this is time-limited; once the countdown ends, you'll still have to face the cold.

Fang Zhiyi sniffed.

Who cares?

Even the most important things can wait two hours before we talk about them.

It was late at night.

As night fell, the cold wind grew even more fierce, and the shelter felt like it was leaking from all sides, with the wind howling inside.

The weather was harsh and the temperature was cold. Under such conditions, calories were consumed very quickly, and hunger levels would drop to zero in the blink of an eye.

Fang Zhiyi stood up, ready to find something to eat to fill her stomach.

The apples in my backpack were frozen solid; just looking at them made my teeth ache. The chili peppers were for warmth and I'd keep them for emergencies. As for the other foods, none of them were cold enough to eat.

We can't light a fire now, and with limited resources, we really can't make anything edible.

But it's cold outside, and I just want something hot.

Fang Zhiyi patrolled the supermarket and took out a box of self-heating hot pot.

No need to light a fire, the self-heating pack inside can still heat up.

He chose a package with pork tripe and chicken soup flavor. After opening the package, he poured the chicken, pork tripe, and mushrooms into a bowl, added the heating pack, and soon heard a bubbling sound.

When the time is up, the lid is lifted, and the milky white soup is bubbling. The aroma of white pepper is strong and perfectly complements the chicken and pork belly, enhancing the flavor and warming the stomach.

Although it's a convenient fast food, we can't be too picky under such harsh conditions.

The chicken is tender and falls off the bone, the pork belly is flavorful, and a sip of hot soup instantly soothes the rumbling stomach.

【warmth】

【00:59:59】

Just eating is a bit boring, so I'll open the chat channel and read the players' conversations to pass the time.

Unexpectedly, the topic of conversation on the channel all focused on him.

[...Was the big shot really eliminated? @TelescopeBro]

[True or False]

[It must be true. Didn't you hear from the binoculars that there's been absolutely no movement in the camp?]

Haha, serves him right!

If he had merged with our camp earlier, we might not have been besieged by the stone golems.

[Perhaps it was because it was a level 5 camp that it became the target of the golems.]

Could it be that we escaped disaster by failing to upgrade our camp?

[How's @Telescope Guy doing?]

[The Stone Golem army is gone, wait... they're coming this way!!!]

[Help! The stone men are attacking our camp's walls!]

My fence isn't fixed yet, I'm doomed!

[Didn't the pros already teach you how to fight the Stone Golem? Just find the core and destroy it.]

[One stone golem can take me down, but I have a whole bunch of them!!! Aaaaaaah, help!!!]

[fzy: Have you lit it yet?]

[fzy: The golems will prioritize attacking camps with fire sources; they will leave once the fire is extinguished.]

[Ahhh, it's true!! Thank you so much! Wait, wow, you weren't eliminated?!]

【fzy: No】

[I knew you wouldn't be eliminated so easily!]

Thank you so much, you saved my life! QAQ

[Why are you calling me "big boss" so often? What benefits are you getting from that?]

[A pro has shared survival information with us!]

[Who knows if it's true or not?]

[How can you say you won't light a campfire? How can we survive in this cold weather without a fire?]

[The big shot you're talking about is probably freezing like a dog right now. @fzy, let's see what you're doing here.]

[fzy: Thank you for your concern]

[fzy: I'm eating hot pot]

【？】

【？？？】

Did I hear that right?

[Hot pot, steaming hot pot, hehehehe (soybean is drooling)]

I dream about it all the time.

You believe him just because he says so? If we're eating hot pot, I'd say I'm having a Manchu Han Imperial Feast!

If he can eat hot pot, then I can eat stones.

[fzy: [Image]]

[...a critical hit!]

Hot pot, hot pot

[It's snowing, and I'm eating hot pot... *sobs* My tears are about to spill from my mouth!]

You can eat stones now.

Do you have enough stones? Would you like me to give you a few?

Why are you not saying anything?

[...It's fake, it's definitely photoshopped.]

Your mouth is so stubborn.

How can you eat a rock if you're not tough?

Anyway, I don't believe it, and I'm not going to put out the campfire. Those who believe him can just wait to freeze to death!

The player seemed very confident, but actually, behind the channel, he was still drooling over the picture.

The photo was taken from a carefully chosen angle, very close to the hot pot. The milky white broth and the tender, juicy chicken held between chopsticks created a striking visual impact.

"It's fake...it's definitely fake," the player said fiercely. "I don't believe anyone can actually eat hot pot!"

He wouldn't believe it even if a campfire wasn't lit.

In the freezing cold, not lighting a campfire is tantamount to suicide.

Not only did he not believe it, but he also made the fire burn brightly, biting into the apple in a fit of rage.

Unfortunately, the apple was frozen solid, and it smacked my teeth with a crack, causing me to clutch my front tooth and howl in pain.

He didn't notice the danger approaching.

By the time they discovered it, it was too late; the stone giant had already appeared outside the camp, smashing against the wall.

The player's camp was only level 3, and the walls were as fragile as paper, easily knocked down by the stone giant.

Despite his loud boasting in the channel, he actually didn't have the courage to fight back against the stone giant. He cowered in a corner, trembling, and prayed that the stone giant would leave as soon as possible.

Praying is useless.

The stone giant shifted its gaze, precisely targeting the player hiding in the corner, and approached with heavy steps.

Thump.

Knock knock.

Each step felt like a blow to the player's heart, leaving them feeling dizzy and disoriented.

"What should we do, what should we do..." The player's face turned pale, and even with the campfire shining, he still felt a chill run through his body.

The stone giant was getting closer and closer to him, and he finally realized what was happening. He scrambled over and ran to extinguish the campfire.

"Turn it off! Turn it off quickly!"

The player gritted his teeth, but the campfire, which he had just added fuel to, was burning brightly and wouldn't go out. He was sweating profusely with anxiety, and before he could regret it, he looked up as if sensing something. The giant raised his fist and slammed it down heavily.

[Player has been eliminated]

The number in the channel jumped to -1.

The other players didn't know who had been eliminated, but some were wondering, "Why isn't the one who said they wanted to eat stones anymore?"

[You're too scared to come out, aren't you?]

[Thanks to the expert for teaching me how to extinguish the campfire to avoid the stone golem's attack]

Uh, now that the stone golem is gone, can we light the campfire now?

[Without a fire, even with warm clothing, it won't be enough to keep warm]

I'm freezing to death too.

[fzy: I have an idea]

[Experts, please speak]

[fzy: I need your cooperation]

【no problem】

We'll cooperate no matter what.

Whether there's a solution or not doesn't matter, can I have a couple of bites of hot pot, sir? My kid's craving it.

[Soup is fine too]

Even gnawing on bones is fine.

[fzy: ……]

[fzy: The Frost Golems are slow-moving and have low intelligence. You can light campfires in order of distance, extinguishing them when the golems get too close, and then relighting them when they are attracted to other campfires.]

【6】

Why didn't I think of that?

This way you can fly a kite while riding the stone golem.

[But we need to coordinate, right? What if the others don't have time to start a fire, then they'll become the stone golem's target again?]

I promise to cooperate. Type 1 if you agree.

【1】

【1】

[...]

The channel was flooded with messages.

In a life-or-death situation, the players cooperated unexpectedly and quickly arranged the order in which to light the campfire.

In the wind and snow, the stone figures staggered along, sometimes drawn to one side, sometimes to the other.

Having finally reached their destination, the campfire suddenly went out, leaving them lost and bewildered.

After being toyed with for half a day, the stone men were completely exhausted and collapsed to the ground one by one. No matter how much the Frost Phoenix urged them, they lay motionless and stared blankly.

"Chirp!"

The frost phoenix was so angry that it went to peck at the stone man.

Unfortunately, the stone man was thick-skinned and tough, and like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, he simply covered his head and burrowed into the snow.

The Frost Phoenix flapped its wings and hovered in the blizzard, keeping a close eye on the camp in the valley.

In the darkness, firelight rekindled in the camp, its glow distorting and burning in the Frost Phoenix's eyes.

"Chirp—"

The Frost Phoenix soared into the sky, stirring up the wind and snow. Large snowflakes condensed into clusters of rhomboid icicles, which rained down on the camp.

Snap snap snap—

Fang Zhiyi was warming herself by the fire when she suddenly heard a rapid sound of rain coming from the roof.

The shelter is damaged...

Diamond-shaped icicles bounced across the rooftop, smashing deep craters into the ground.

The crackling sounds outside continued.

Especially after midnight, the blizzard suddenly intensified, and the shelters were shaking violently, as if they were about to disintegrate.

Fang Zhiyi took out materials to repair the shelter.

The speed of repairs couldn't keep up with the speed of the snowstorm. In the blink of an eye, the camp was covered in white, and the snow had already covered the door.

Hiding in the shelter was no use; the roof was creaking from the impact, and the beams couldn't support the weight, tilting to one side.

You either go out and face the storm, or stay in the shelter and get buried by the snow.

Fang Zhiyi chose the third path.

[Activate the protective shield?]

【yes! 】

The protective shield can be used for one minute.

【00:00:59】

A semi-transparent film appeared above the camp, keeping the wind and snow out. Icicles struck the protective shield, creating ripples.

Fang Zhiyi raced against time, climbing onto the roof to clear the snow.

Twenty seconds passed.

The snow has been cleared.

He immediately shut down the protective shield, leaving 40 seconds for its next use.

As soon as the protective shield disappeared, the wind and snow came, lashing down on us like knives cutting our faces.

However, the protective shield helped us get through the most intense period, and things have calmed down considerably now; it can still withstand the strain.

Fang Zhiyi took out some wood and tried to build a platform on the roof so that the snow could slide down the slope, but it wasn't so easy to pile it up.

The idea was good, but as soon as the platform was built, it was swept into the air by the wind and crashed to pieces.

Hehe~

The little elf leaped lightly, waving its magic wand, and the snow on the ground obeyed its command, solidifying into snowmen.

The snowman, made of two snowballs, one large and one small, stood a meter tall and looked adorable. The snowman swayed and gathered around the shelter, first rocking from side to side, then spinning violently, dazzling onlookers for a moment.

Fang Zhiyi was standing on the roof, trapped and unable to get down.

The snowman spun incredibly fast, turning into a streak of white light. If you were to get hit by it, the worst outcome would be losing an arm or a leg.

The little elf waved his magic wand and gave directions.

The snowman spun around as it approached the shelter, bumping into it repeatedly.

Fang Zhiyi clearly felt the ground beneath his feet trembling. If this continued, the shelter would collapse.

He gripped the longbow and shot an arrow at the snowman.

The arrow was embedded in the snowman, its tail feathers trembling slightly.

But it's no use. Snowmen are made of snow, and no matter how many arrows you use to turn them into hedgehogs, you can't stop them. Unless... you find a way to melt the snowmen.

The only way to melt snow is with fire.

Fang Zhiyi then remembered the information about the blizzard.

"Fire can bring warmth, but it can also bring danger," he murmured to himself.

Warmth and danger are relative.

While bringing him warmth, it also stimulates the accompanying creatures in the blizzard to attack the camp.

Could it be that fire also poses a danger to blizzards? And is that why it might trigger hostility from byproducts?

Fang Zhiyi's eyes flickered slightly.

Without giving him time to think, he immediately took out a barrel of strong liquor.

Oil won't work; the oil we took out earlier has already solidified and crystallized. Only ethanol has an extremely low freezing point; high-proof liquor won't solidify even at -60℃.

He opened the bottle of baijiu and splashed it all over the snowman, instantly filling the air with its aroma.

He lit a piece of wood and threw it out with force.

The moment they touched, the liquor ignited, and the snowman froze, melting in a daze.

Looking at the phoenix circling overhead, Fang Zhiyi decided to add fuel to the fire by pouring out another barrel of strong liquor.

Fueled by the wind, the fire leaped high, forming a wall of flames that engulfed the sprite and the frost phoenix.

The phoenix screamed and rolled around, trying to escape, but it was engulfed by flames and began to melt from its tail.

The sprite turned into a wisp of white smoke, leaving only the magic wand lying on the ground.

You have killed the Frost Elf.

You have slain the Frost Phoenix.

The scorching firelight reflected in Fang Zhiyi's eyes. The rolling heat wave met the frost and snow, and soon subsided, leaving only a patch of scorched snow.

But in an instant, it was covered by falling snowflakes.

[Obtain Frost Crystal x1]

[Obtain Frost Feather x1]

Fang Zhiyi jumped off the roof and picked up the fallen items in the snow. The feathers and crystals were both formed from ice and snow, shimmering with a cold light. With a wave of his hand, the two items automatically flew towards the statue in the center of the camp and merged into it.

Ice and Snow Sculpture

[Charging]

【5:59:59】

He had a vague feeling that once the ice statue was fully charged, he would be able to directly pass the Winter Survival World.

They now have to endure 6 hours in the blizzard.

Just then, the blizzard stopped without warning.

The sky cleared, and the last snowflake slowly drifted down.

Fang Zhiyi felt a strange unease and looked up at the sky.

The snowstorm had stopped, but the sky remained thick with darkness, with swirling, tangled clouds that seemed to be brewing an even bigger snowfall.

Atop the clouds, a pair of icy blue vertical pupils opened, coldly gazing at the camp below. Its body undulated like a mountain, hidden in the mist; its wings, several meters long, spread wide, revealing a pure white body—that was—

Frost Dragon

You have defeated the Frost Golem (1/1), Frost Phoenix (1/1), and Frost Sprite (1/1)

Congratulations on triggering the Blizzard Easter Egg!

Are you ready to face the wrath of the frost dragon?