A faint light swept across.

Click.

The heavy wooden door opened silently inward, and a stream of air mixed with the fragrance of pine and a warm feeling rushed in, instantly dispelling the chill from Xiao Jin's body.

Instead of going in immediately, she flipped her wrist, and a silver-gray metallic object, no bigger than a fingernail and shaped like an eyeball, appeared in her palm—[Eye of Reconnaissance].

With a flick of the fingertip, the eyeball silently fell onto the snow in front of the door, quickly disappearing into it.

In a location unseen by others, a barely perceptible halo of pale blue light appeared on the surface of the [Eye of Reconnaissance], perfectly blending into the surrounding icy and snowy environment, indicating that it had entered a state of alert.

After doing all this, Xiao Jin stepped into the wooden house. The heavy oak door closed silently behind him, shutting out the raging wind and snow and all prying eyes.

The moment the door closed, it was as if the world had been muted.

The raging wind was completely shut out, leaving only a reassuring and absolute tranquility.

The warm, dry air enveloped Xiao Jin's entire body, making her feel as if she were immersed in warm water. Her slightly stiff joints emitted soft groans as she greedily absorbed the heat.

The interior of the log cabin appears more spacious and comfortable than the exterior.

The floor was covered with a thick, dark brown carpet that was soft and silent underfoot. The walls were a smooth, natural wood color, exuding a faint scent of pine.

A single bed covered with thick animal hides was placed against the wall, next to a rustic little wooden table and a chair of the same material.

In one corner there was even a miniature fireplace with a smokeless flame, the flickering light illuminating the entire cabin with warmth.

Xiao Jin did not immediately enjoy this warmth.

She walked to the fireplace and took off her cold goggles, placing them on the table. Then, she began to remove her clothes, which were soaked in blood, sweat, and ice water and were already frozen stiff.

His movements were calm and precise, as if he were disassembling a sophisticated weapon.

The cloth garment, stained with dark red and dark green blood scabs, was torn open, revealing a breast wrap underneath, equally stained and bloodied. She untied the wrap and casually tossed the blood-stained strips of cloth into the fireplace.

The flames silently licked at it, instantly turning it to ashes.

His bare upper body was exposed to the warm air, his skin slightly red from the sudden contact with the warmth. But what was even more jarring were the crisscrossing scars on his skin.

There were deep claw marks that revealed bone and had charred edges; there were round holes left by spears that had just healed and still had pink granulation tissue; and there were dark purple marks that had spread like a spider web after being corroded by a deadly poison.

And the newly added, horrifying gap in the waist area, forcibly glued together by nanoneedles but still revealing the pink muscles inside.

Although Xiao Jin looks like a man, he has absolutely no interest in streaking.

She walked to a hidden door in the corner of the cabin, pushed it open, and entered the bathroom.

What comes into view is a bathroom of about two square meters, with a device on the wall that connects to a water tank and resembles a shower head.

The cabin has no shortage of water or electricity, which is clearly a convenient feature that comes with the purple item.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Jin turned on the valve, and warm water flowed down. The moment the water touched her skin, her body tensed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed.

The filthy blood, solidified ice shards, and mud left from the battle were washed down by the water, gathering into dark red streams on the floor tiles, which were then quickly absorbed by the drain in the corner without leaving a trace.

We have no idea where the sewage was discharged to!

As the water flowed over the huge wound on Xiao Jin's waist and abdomen, it brought waves of intense stinging and itching.

Her face remained expressionless; she simply pressed her fingers firmly against the edges of the wound a few times, checking the progress of the nano-medicine's repair. The pink granulation tissue twitched slightly under the stimulation of the warm water, accelerating its growth.

After taking a shower, Xiao Jin took out clean bandages and a treatment spray from her spatial storage.

She sat on the edge of the bed and carefully sprayed the medicine onto the wound on her lower back. The cool touch slightly relieved the burning pain and itching inside. Then she carefully wrapped and secured it with clean, soft bandages, layer by layer.

His movements were so practiced, as if he had done them a thousand times.

After treating her wounds, Xiao Jin changed into a cleaned protective coat, looking completely refreshed. Apart from her still pale complexion from blood loss, she looked no different from when she first entered the dungeon.

After a short while, having finished tidying up, Xiao Jin walked to the small wooden table and sat down.

With a wave of his hand, a large silver insulated food container appeared out of thin air on the table.

After fighting all day, Xiao Jin was extremely exhausted and was starving.

If she hadn't found it dirty, she would have wanted to eat as soon as she came in.

Opening the lid reveals steaming, fragrant grilled ribs and tenderly stewed root vegetables, along with two large peaches.

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Jin picked up the tableware and began to inhale rapidly.

Although she ate quickly, she chewed each bite with great care. She needed to replenish her depleted energy and conserve her strength for the final mission that was about to begin.

After eating and drinking to her heart's content, Xiao Jin wrapped herself in a blanket and lay down on the single bed.

The "Eye of Investigation" did not report anything unusual, so she could rest assured.

The flames in the fireplace danced quietly, casting Xiao Jin's long shadow on the warm wooden wall.

Outside the cabin, a vast blizzard raged, swallowing everything, and a long countdown stretched out...

————

The compressed energy bar melts in your mouth, leaving behind a taste of artificial sweetness and the monotonous aroma of protein.

Xiao Jin chewed expressionlessly, her gaze fixed on the long sword in her hand, which had been polished to a gleaming cold light. The blade reflected the firelight from the fireplace, and also reflected the calm, icy lake deep within her eyes.

Six hours of sleep is a luxury in this godforsaken place, Howling Frozen.

The alarm clock's sharp buzzing still seemed to vibrate in her eardrums, but every muscle and nerve in Xiao Jin's body had been adjusted to its optimal state.

Outside the cabin, the wind and snow were even more violent than before I fell asleep, like countless frost giants roaring in the darkness. Dense snowflakes were swirled into white vortices by the gale, and visibility was less than twenty meters.

In addition, the Howling Icefield seems to have entered a period of darkness.

The surrounding darkness was so thick it was almost tangible, with only the faint light sources carried by the players flickering weakly in the wind and snow, like struggling fireflies.

[Ding—Countdown complete, quest officially begins. Players, please proceed to the Frostblood Altar to activate the totem pole.]

The cold system notification sound was like ice water thrown into boiling oil, instantly dispelling all remaining drowsiness and the oppressive feeling brought by the wind and snow.

Xiao Jin had packed up the cabin half an hour earlier.

After hearing the notification tone, there was a brief commotion in the surrounding area.

Immediately afterwards, a scarlet arrow, as red as blood, suddenly appeared directly in front of Xiao Jin's vision, piercing through the wind and snow, pointing straight into the depths of darkness.

That's the location of the Frostblood Altar!