34. Frozen Tubers
The appearance of the gray-robed man was like a heavy boulder, almost freezing the air in the room. However, the instinct of survival forced people to temporarily suppress their fear and focus on the more imminent crisis - hunger.
The next two days were spent battling a weakening body and a growing sense of despair. Food rations had been reduced to a pitiful scrap of tough, dried meat and a few mouthfuls of thin oatmeal. Firewood had become extremely scarce, and the fireplace only maintained a weak flame during the coldest hours of the night. During the day, the temperature inside and outside was almost the same, and the breath immediately turned to white mist.
Su Lin's recovery was slow. The aftereffects of overdrawing his superpowers were far more persistent than he'd imagined. He was extremely sensitive to cold, and even wrapped in blankets and leaning against the still-warm fireplace, he still shivered uncontrollably. His complexion never regained its rosy color, but instead took on a transparent paleness that seemed as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
This feeling of vulnerability deeply hurt the other three.
Lei Qing's guarding became more silent and airtight. He took over almost all the work that required physical strength, including the routine inspection and reinforcement of the roof, which was the riskiest. Every time he came back from outside, covered in cold, he would stand at the door for a while, waiting for the coldness to dissipate a little, and then walk to Su Lin's side, sit down silently, and use his body temperature as silent comfort. He would hold Su Lin's cold hand for a long time, and warm it little by little with his rough and warm palm. Sometimes Su Lin would curl up because of the cold in his light sleep, and Lei Qing would directly hold him in his arms, and use his broad chest and steady heartbeat to dispel his nightmares and coldness. He didn't say too much, but every action was saying "I am here."
Ah Yan, on the other hand, was like a restless trapped animal. He looked at Su Lin's frail form, the dwindling food supply, the seemingly endless snowstorm outside the window, and a nameless anger burned within him, with nowhere to vent. He became hypersensitive, jumping at the slightest provocation. He often only ate half of the meager food allotment he received, then forcefully shoved the rest into Su Lin's hands, stiffening his neck and saying, "I'm not hungry, you eat!" When Su Lin refused, he would become truly enraged, his eyes reddening as he growled, "You eat! Only when you're well can we all be well! What will we do if you collapse?!" The fear and dependence in his eyes were so naked it was heartbreaking.
Mu Lin was the calmest of the group, but beneath his composure lay a deeper worry. Not only did he have to care for Su Lin's health, using his dwindling supplies of herbs to restore his depleted vitality, but he also had to constantly monitor Xingchen's condition, preventing the young man from collapsing from fear and malnutrition. His mental energy was also greatly strained, requiring him to constantly monitor the situation outside, wary of the possibility that the gray-robed men might return. At night, when Su Lin found himself unable to sleep due to physical discomfort or mental stress, Mu Lin would sit by his bedside, humming a strange yet strangely soothing tune, a requiem for a long-lost civilization he remembered. His fingers would gently press on Su Lin's temples, a faint blue glow flickering, bringing a brief moment of peace.
Xingchen clung to Su Lin, as if he were his only source of warmth. The boy rarely spoke, his large eyes often filled with worry that didn't suit his age. He would imitate Mu Lin, clumsily massaging Su Lin's cold hands and feet with his own tiny hands, though the effect was minimal.
On the evening of the third day, the last piece of dried meat was carefully shared. Mu Lin looked at the empty food storage box and was silent for a long time. Then he announced in a calm, almost cruel tone, "There's no food left."
The house was dead silent, the last few logs in the fireplace burning feebly, making a crackling sound.
Ah Yan stood up suddenly, his chest heaving violently. "I'm going out! I'm going to find something to eat! Hunt! Dig up grass roots! Anything!"
"There's nothing outside except snow!" Lei Qing growled, his voice a little hoarse from hunger. "And I don't know where those gray-robed men are."
"What should I do? Are I going to starve to death here?!" A Yan punched the wall, making a dull sound.
At this moment, Su Lin, who had been leaning against Lei Qing with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze swept over A Yan's flushed face, Mu Lin's furrowed brow, Lei Qing's tense jawline, and Xing Chen's fear-filled eyes.
A strange calm enveloped him. He knew he couldn't go on like this. His ability might be his last chance. Although Mu Lin had sternly warned him about the risks of using it again, he preferred to take a chance rather than wait for death.
"I have an idea." Su Lin's voice was very soft, but it was clearly heard by everyone.
Everyone's eyes were instantly focused on him.
"Maybe I can try to use my ability... to see if I can 'pacify' this land, so that the plants that may be there covered by ice and snow... can grow faster, or... at least let us sense their existence." Su Lin chose his words carefully. The idea was vague, bold, and even a little whimsical, but he remembered the subtle feeling of connection with the surrounding environment when his superpowers awakened.
"No!" Mu Lin was the first to object, his tone unprecedentedly stern. "Your body simply can't withstand a second overdraft! And this is a completely unreliable attempt! If it fails, you will..."
"What if it succeeds?" Su Lin interrupted him, his eyes calmly meeting Mu Lin's worried gaze, "Mu Lin, we don't have time."
Mu Lin opened his mouth, looked into Su Lin's clear yet determined eyes, and finally closed his mouth dejectedly. He knew that what Su Lin said was the truth.
Lei Qing gripped Su Lin's hand, gripping it tightly, almost painfully. A fierce struggle swirled in his deep eyes. He didn't want Su Lin to take any risks, not even the slightest bit. But as the team leader, he knew better than to mention that this was the only possible way to break the deadlock.
"...How confident are you?" Lei Qing's voice was low and hoarse.
"I don't know." Su Lin answered honestly, "But I want to try." He held Lei Qing's hand with his backhand, his fingertips cold, "Trust me."
Lei Qing stared at him intently, as if he wanted to carve his image into his soul. After a long moment, he finally nodded very slowly. "Okay." It was just one word, but it carried a weight of weight.
A Yan turned his head away suddenly and wiped his eyes hard with the back of his hand.
The decision was made, and it was executed immediately. They chose a spot behind the house, covered in thick snow and formerly occupied by a vegetable garden. It was close to the house, relatively safe, and the soil had been previously cultivated, making it more likely that plant roots or seeds might be present.
Su Lin stood knee-deep in snow. Lei Qing stood firmly beside him, one hand firmly supporting his waist. A Yan and Mu Lin stood vigilantly a little further away, closely observing their surroundings while also keeping a nervous eye on Su Lin. Xingchen, ordered to stay inside, watched anxiously from the window.
The cold wind whipped up snowflakes, stinging his face like needles. Su Lin took a deep breath of the icy air, forcing himself to ignore the frailty and biting cold. He closed his eyes, focusing his attention on his body, trying to grasp that mysterious feeling.
At first, there was only a cold darkness and the whistling of wind. His mental strength seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, struggling to stretch out. The stabbing pain in his overdrawn sea of consciousness almost made him want to give up.
At that moment, he felt Lei Qing's hand tighten around his waist. The steady strength and warmth of his body seemed to transmit a sense of support through contact. He remembered the food A Yan had forced upon him, Mu Lin's worried eyes, and Xing Chen's complete trust.
Must succeed!
A powerful will broke through the obstacles! His mental power once again established that vague connection with his surroundings. This time, he had a clear goal. He no longer tried to "fight" the wind and snow. Instead, he used his thoughts like countless delicate threads, carefully probing into the cold snow beneath his feet, deep into the frozen ground.
He "saw" it. Not with his eyes, but with his mind. He "saw" the frozen earth beneath the snow, and felt the dead silence and icy cold that permeated it. His thoughts, like gentle streams, slowly flowed through this dead land, conveying faint signals of "growth," "revitalization," and "warmth."
This process was extremely exhausting. Cold sweat oozed from his forehead, instantly freezing into beads of ice. His lips lost all color, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. He only managed to stay afloat thanks to Lei Qing's support.
Lei Qing felt the trembling body in his arms and the gradually increasing coldness. His heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand. He gritted his teeth and hugged Su Lin even tighter to himself, wishing he could rub him into his bones and blood and bear this pain for him.
Time ticked by, each second stretching as long as a year. Ah Yan paced anxiously, his eyes fixed on Su Lin, practically spitting fire. Mu Lin held his breath, sensing the energy shifts around him with all his might, ready to rush forward and interrupt this dangerous attempt.
Just when Su Lin felt that his consciousness was about to be swallowed by darkness again and his mental strength was about to be exhausted——
He "touched" it!
Somewhere beneath the thick frozen soil, a faint, almost imperceptible... throbbing could be heard! Like a dormant seed, ever so slightly stirred by the call of warmth!
At the same time, a small area of snow not far in front of them began to melt at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the dark, moist soil underneath!
"There!" Mu Lin was the first to notice the subtle energy changes and the abnormality of the snow. He whispered and pointed to that area.
A Yan rushed forward like an arrow, desperately using his hands to dig through the soft soil after the snow melted. His movements were so fast and urgent that his fingers were soon worn by the frozen soil and bleeding, but he didn't care.
A few seconds later, A Yan's movements suddenly stopped. He let out an almost ecstatic, choked roar, and carefully dug out a few thumb-sized, root-covered, curled-up permafrost tubers from the soil!
Although there were only five or six of them, and they looked shriveled and tiny, they were undoubtedly food! Food that could keep you alive!
"Success! Su Lin! You succeeded!" A Yan held the tubers covered with mud as if he was holding the most precious treasure in the world. He turned his head to look at Su Lin, his face a mixture of ecstasy, tears and almost god-like worship for Su Lin.
At this moment, Su Lin, upon hearing Ah Yan's cry, felt his mind relax, and the taut string he was holding snapped completely. He didn't even have time to smile before everything went black, and his body fell limply backwards.
"Su Lin!"
Lei Qing's panicked voice was the last sound he heard before he lost consciousness. He felt himself falling into a solid, warm embrace, a trembling embrace filled with boundless fear, yet it remained his most secure home.
Darkness enveloped him completely.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com