Chen Nian has lived for eighteen years, but this is the first time he has left Cinnabar. Although everything around him is nothing special, he can't help but get excited when he thinks that he is on another beacon.
He was lying on the bed with his legs crossed, chatting with Jiang Dai, when he heard the bathroom door open and Shafulai came out after washing up.
Shaffley had a bath towel wrapped around his waist. It was obvious that he had not wiped his body very seriously. There was a light layer of water stains on his skin. His short platinum blonde hair was blown dry and lay softly on his forehead. He could almost be described as docile when he lowered his eyes.
It was such a familiar look, but Chen Nian couldn't take his eyes off it every time he saw it.
This is completely impossible for Chen Nian, who used to have an extreme need for novelty.
Chen Nian put down the terminal, and when Shafulai sat down on the edge of the bed, his hands naturally hugged Alpha's shoulders and his cheek rubbed against Alpha's neck.
Resting so early is really a waste of tonight's time.
He was riding on a small boat, which was tossed up and down by the turbulent river water. The waves sometimes pushed the boat up high and then brought it down heavily. The splashing water flowed into the boat and wet his clothes.
Sometimes it is gentle and slow, giving the intense heartbeat and breathing a moment to relax.
Chen Nian couldn't figure out the pattern of the river's flow. Sometimes a sudden bump would make him utter a small cry and hold Shaflay even tighter.
Likewise, his suddenly tense body would cause some trouble to the Alpha at the helm, causing him to breathe more heavily.
Chen Nian's fingertips rolled up a strand of Shafulai's golden hair, and her voice was a little intermittent with the waves: "Guess, what will my brother and Fu Tianhe do now?"
"Huh?" Shafulai was obviously not used to Chen Nian mentioning someone else at this time. In comparison, he was still quite shameless.
Chen Nian deliberately said: "Your fiancée is now lying in the same bed with another Alpha."
After two seconds, Shafley replied, "But am I not also cheating now?"
Chen Nian smiled glumly. Shafley's thin lips rubbed across the back of his neck. The teeth marks left by the marking had long disappeared, but the pheromones had already blended into their blood.
The translucent tattoo was becoming more and more lustful over time.
Across the wall, the sound of water in the bathroom finally stopped.
When Fu Tianhe walked out, he saw Chen Ci sitting beside the bed. The young man was just looking out the window quietly, his amber eyes were calm, and no one knew what he was thinking about.
Hearing Fu Tianhe coming out, Chen Ci's eyelashes trembled slightly and he looked towards him.
Fu Tianhe had just taken a shower and put on the eye mask again. He was really not used to exposing his empty eye sockets directly to the air.
Fu Tianhe sat down next to Chen Ci. The Omega boy raised his hands, put them behind his head, and untied the straps with his fingertips.
Fu Tianhe closed his eyes subconsciously and felt the blindfold being taken off by Chen Ci.
The cool fingertips lightly touched his eyelids, and with a little force, they were able to press down.
"How are you feeling today?"
"It's not bad."
Fu Tianhe opened his eyes, and the condition in his eyes was revealed to Chen Ci.
All the previous wounds have almost healed, and Chen Ci has no way of seeing the internal condition of Fu Tianhe's body. Since Ashes can pierce out from the eyes, it means that it has actually invaded the brain as well.
It is a blessing in disguise that Fu Tianhe's thinking and physical functions have not been affected until now.
Chen Ci leaned over and gently kissed the empty eye socket.
Fu Tianhe's hand moved slightly and pressed on Chen Ci's hand which was placed on the bed.
Chen Ci. He silently recited the name in his mind.
A name that makes you feel calm and steady just by saying it, very suitable for September.
After a long time, Chen Ci stepped back.
"We will be working with Chen Niansha Fulai next. Many things may not be convenient. Can we do more today?"
Of course Fu Tianhe would not have any objection.
He was just worried that September's body wouldn't be able to bear it. He was like an insatiable, greedy monster, absorbing the boy's nectar and refusing to let go of even a drop.
But he will also give back.
It was a night that was intoxicating enough.
The tuberoses blooming wildly in the dark night are watered with sweet and mellow sherry.
The white branches wrapped in flowing amber are frozen in this moment, leaving behind eternal beauty.
The next morning, the four of them washed up and gathered in the living room. Compared to the other three who were full of energy, Chen Ci was listless, or to be more precise, a little empty.
Fu Tianhe couldn't help feeling guilty. He had indeed squeezed Jiuyue too much yesterday.
It mainly relies solely on the inhibitory effect of kissing, which is actually not very good. If an accident happens outside, Jiu Yue can only give him the blood.
Fu Tianhe didn't want Jiu Yue to get injured in the snow and ice. Too low a temperature would be detrimental to the healing of the wounds and it might also cause frostbite and leave scars.
So last night he was... ahem.
Shaflay unfolded the virtual screen, and the images taken by the satellite were very high-definition. The remains of the beacon looked like a giant beast that had died long ago, lying silently on the white ice field. It was also covered by large pieces of white snow, completely blending into it.
All I could see was extremely monotonous white. If I didn't know in advance that this coordinate point was where the moonlight was, it would be difficult to identify it even with a high-definition satellite map.
"The weather over there isn't particularly good. Let's go over there and take a look at the situation."
Shafley sat in the cockpit of the aircraft. Their operation was confidential, so no additional personnel were added. Shafley was responsible for driving.
"Good driver."
Chen Nian sat in the co-pilot seat and fastened his seat belt. He had operated aircraft many times in the game. Although virtual and reality cannot be compared, at least he could help Shafley.
Shafley thought of yesterday's speechless oolong and said: "I might as well change my last name to Vitalyevsky."
Fu Tianhe sat in the back row, silently raised his hand and wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.
Chen Ci leaned back in his chair, dozed off with his eyes closed. The goal he had been pursuing was right in front of him in a few hours, but he was not as excited as he had imagined.
In his heart, he only hoped that everything would be over quickly. As it concerned Fu Tianhe's life safety, Chen Ci did not want to take any risks of any consequences.
With the roar of the engine, the aircraft took off smoothly, left Sanshui, and headed for the Greenland ice and snow plateau where the moonlight was.
Shaflay was very cautious throughout the process. He was not sure whether the unknown enemy hiding in the dark knew all their actions and would take the opportunity to create an accident and hurt the two brothers.
Previously, Chen Ci and Chen Nian had acted separately, but now, they were both on the same aircraft. If something unexpected happened, there would be no room for error.
Fortunately, the journey was safe and sound. As the aircraft approached the Polar Circle, visibility decreased and snow was falling under the clouds.
The satellite provided them with the most accurate navigation. Shafley approached the red coordinates on the map. Everything here was covered with ice and snow, and from above there was no trace of any human existence.
Ever since the moonlight collapsed, the Greenland ice and snow plateau has been blocked, and even the bravest explorers have never set foot in it. It has truly become a forbidden area.
No matter how strong your spirit of adventure is, it cannot overcome your fear of Ashes.
"There's moonlight down there," Shaflay said suddenly.
Chen Ci opened his eyes, and walked closer to the window with Fu Tianhe, looking down. It was still a white world. The particularly huge hills were standing silently in the wind and snow, and had long been dyed white.
No, that was not a hill, but the remnant of the collapsed moonlight.
"It's so big." Chen Nian couldn't help but sigh.
"When Moonlight was built, it was the smallest of the six beacons because it was so difficult to build." Shaflay stared at the situation below, "We need to find a place to land. Hold on tight."
The aircraft lowered its altitude and flew over the moonlight, circling like a bird returning to its nest, gradually lowering its altitude.
The wind and snow were raging, and the flying snowflakes were like rice grains hitting the glass, making crackling sounds and blocking the view.
Shafley was worthy of being a graduate of a regular military academy. After a dazzling series of operations, the aircraft safely passed through the blizzard and landed steadily on the ground.
"Okay." He breathed a sigh of relief, but did not rush to turn off the engine. The instrument showed that the temperature outside was minus 34 degrees Celsius.
Chen Nian had little idea of this number. He had lived in Beacon since he was a child. Although the underground city had four seasons, the temperature was mostly between five and thirty-five degrees.
As for the top floor, he and Chen Ci exchanged identities in the spring, and it is not winter yet.
Chen Ci and Fu Tianhe, who had climbed snow-capped mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau before, knew how terribly low the temperature was, not to mention how the wind would make the body feel hot.
Chen Ci specifically reminded Chen Nian: "You should put some self-heating patches on your underwear. Your body has just recovered, so you must not freeze it."
"Okay." Chen Nian agreed and started to change clothes.
Their cold-weather clothing was provided by Sanshui Top Layer, which was light and warm, but they still needed to be put on in many layers.
By the time he had worn the last few pieces of clothing, Chen Nian felt like he had become a Russian nesting doll. He could hardly even stretch his arms. He swore that he had never worn so many pieces of clothing in his life.
Shafley leaned over and straightened his trousers and feet, tying the socks over his tight thermal pants and securing them with a belt.
They have to walk on the snowfield, and if snow falls into their shoes, their feet must not get wet, otherwise in such a low temperature, frostbite is just a matter of minutes.
After more than ten minutes, the four of them put on their clothes and were sweating profusely.
The temperature inside the aircraft was maintained at the most suitable 18 degrees. They all put on thick equipment and were very hot.
"Let's go."
Shaflay opened the cabin door, and immediately cold wind rushed into the cabin, blowing away the originally warm air and making it scatter in all directions. The heat disappeared instantly, and the whole person suddenly became refreshed.
Fu Tianhe was the first to walk out of the aircraft. His foot sank six or seven centimeters into the water. He turned around and grabbed Chen Ci's wrist with his thickly gloved hand to help him get down better.
Chen Nian and Shafley first handed a few backpacks to Chen Ci and Fu Tianhe outside before leaving the aircraft.
The cabin door closed and entered sleep mode, waiting for the four people to return.
They each carried a bag. Chen Nian had just recovered from a serious injury, so he carried the lightest weight, only his own food and water. His sleeping bag and other things were all in Shafley's bag.
It was the first time Chen Nian saw real snow. He couldn't help but stomped his feet hard. Under the snow was solid frozen soil, harder than stone.
Everywhere you look there stand jagged black peaks, beaten by wind and snow for thousands of years, until the snow is as fine as sand and so dry that it cannot be molded into any shape.
Chen Nian tried several times, but finally gave up. The snow fell through his fingers and was blown away by the wind.
In fact, in the warm south of Greenland, there is a green area where green meadows bloom with flowers and trees in summer. Most of the villages and pastures are also located there.
However, as the sea level rose, everything was submerged, leaving only the barren permafrost in the middle that had not melted for thousands of years.
Why did scientists choose Greenland, a place with a harsh climate, as their site? The reason is simple: beneath the two to three thousand meter thick ice sheet, there are extremely rich mineral resources and, most importantly, fresh water.
The drastic reduction in land area will inevitably make resource extraction difficult. If Moonlight is successfully built, it will be able to exist as a resource treasure trove from then on.
The four of them wore goggles and hats. With every breath they took, white mist rose in front of them and quickly turned into crushed ice on the tips of their hair.
Chen Nian obviously felt uncomfortable breathing. The cold air stimulated the pain inside his nasal cavity, and he couldn't help but raise his hands to rub it.
Among the four people present, only Shafley, due to racial reasons, had the most typical high nose bridge, which was conducive to preheating the cold air.
Chen Ci looked at the huge collapsed building not far away. He could still vaguely see the layers of battlements that had once divided it into many areas. The numerous pipes surrounding the outer wall were covered with thick ice. The flat metal was twisted into unimaginable shapes, and it died in this ice field in a majestic manner.
Everything was exactly like the mirage he saw on the beach in the abandoned suburbs.
Five months later, he finally arrived here.
"Let's go." said Shafla.
The moonlight was right ahead. There was no need for a navigation system to guide them. All they had to do was look at the huge collapsed figure and keep moving forward.
Chen Ci and Fu Tianhe have extensive travel experience and have been to the most difficult areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Shafley was in excellent physical condition and had received military training, so no matter how difficult the journey was, it was no problem for him.
Only Chen Nian, who had never left the beacon before and had just recovered from a serious injury, found it difficult to move forward in the snow.
Chen Nian held the trekking poles in both hands and tried hard to keep up with the footsteps in front of him.
Shafley took the lead, followed by Chen Nian, Chen Ci and Fu Tianhe.
Four people lined up in a team, following in the footsteps of those before them, which saved energy and increased their speed.
Having adapted to this pace, Chen Nian couldn't help but look around. All around him were black mountains and white snow, which was terribly monotonous and lonely.
He released his mental power and explored farther, and suddenly discovered some unusual existence.
——What is that?
Chen Nian didn't say anything, because as soon as he opened his mouth, countless cold wind and snow would be poured into him, and even his tongue would be frozen.
He used his mental power to remind Chen Ci and Shafulai, and led the two to explore there.
Shafla paused briefly as he realized there were a lot of them.
"Let's go and take a look." These words were spoken to Fu Tianhe.
Shaflay turned around and led the team to explore the strange place, and colors other than black and white gradually appeared before their eyes.
In fact, it is not much different. The brown and gray are hidden in the snow and are not conspicuous.
It was a fat cod, which had obviously been dead for a long time. Half of its tail was mechanized, and it was a primitive creature.
Shafley went to the side and poked it with his trekking pole. The cod carcass was frozen to the ice below and was hard.
Chen Ci used his feet to sweep away the fallen snow nearby. Buried in the white were more corpses of primitive creatures, mostly cod, salmon, and flounder, as well as a small number of krill. Without exception, all of them had become mechanized.
There were no obvious wounds on their bodies, as they had died of dehydration after being taken out of the water. The fish and shrimp were neatly arranged in a row, like some kind of omen, extremely strange.
A snow witch bird stood on a protruding rock not far away, and the falling snow blurred its delicate figure.
"What brought them up here?" Chen Nian whispered.
No one can answer this question at the moment.
Fu Tianhe squatted down and looked at the corpses one by one, and asked, "Do you know about otter sacrifice?"
Chen Nian: “What is that?”
"Otters love to eat fish, but because they love to hunt, they often kill more than they can eat. They lay out their catch neatly on the shore, like offerings for a sacrifice."
"If an otter appears near a pond, all the fish in the pond may die."
Chen Nian: "You mean, maybe some kind of bloodthirsty creature came here and pulled them out of the water?"
Fu Tianhe nodded: "It's just a possibility."
Chen Ci had already begun looking for any traces of footprints nearby, but the snow was falling so heavily that all traces were submerged.
"Let's be careful." Shaflay said. He wrote down the coordinates here and led the team back to Moonlight.
The snowstorm was really strong and didn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon, so they'd better not stay outside for too long.
After walking for more than ten minutes, the way forward was finally blocked by a metal wall covered with ice and snow.
Chen Ci stretched out his hand and gently touched the moonlit outer wall. He was wearing thick gloves and could not feel it clearly, but he knew it should be extremely cold.
This is a dead beacon.
Next they needed to walk along the outer contours, looking for possible entrances.
The beacon was already very large, and after the collapse, the area in contact with the ground expanded more than ten times. Just searching along the edge was not an easy task.
If you are unlucky, it may take several days.
Everyone was mentally prepared; the supplies they brought were enough to last them half a month.
No one spoke anymore. Chen Ci, Chen Nian and Shafley had spiritual power and could communicate without words.
Fu Tianhe himself has extensive outdoor experience, and following behind the team, it hardly takes any effort for him to do so.
They would only speak out to give a brief reminder when it is absolutely necessary.
The outer wall of the beacon, which was supposed to be circular, has become an irregular shape.
The collapse of the building structure triggered a series of chain reactions, causing significant changes to the surrounding terrain.
They marched forward in the wind and snow, concentrating on finding a way to get into the moonlight.
Chen Ci looked at the tightly fitted metal structure and realized the peculiarity of this collapse.
Normally, a building that collapses from the base would be damaged everywhere. How come it is now that we cannot find the passage after walking for two or three hours?
The structure revealed after the collapse of the Moonlight seemed more like it had been carefully designed, ensuring strict containment.
Shafley, who was walking in front, turned around and looked at Chen Nian behind him.
Omega was slightly out of breath. He followed the footprints left by Shaflay carefully, and his pace was much slower than at the beginning.
"Let's take a break," Shafley paused.
They have to be prepared for a protracted war and cannot focus on temporary progress and consume their physical strength too quickly. Otherwise, once they overdraw, it will be difficult to recover.
Naturally, the others had no objections. Shafulai found a relatively sheltered place, took out a tent from his bag, and set up camp with Fu Tianhe.
The two Alphas were strong and experienced, and they quickly set up a tent near the main body of the moonlight.
Chen Ci asked Chen Nian, who was sitting next to him and catching his breath, "How do you feel?"
"It's okay. I can handle this intensity." Chen Nian raised his hand and touched his chest.
The water arrow that had pierced his chest left two scars on his body, front and back. His damaged lungs have healed, but their functions are still affected to a certain extent.
"I kind of need to go to the bathroom." Chen Nian looked around, somewhat worried, "In this situation, they won't just freeze me, right?"
Chen Ci took off the glove on his right hand, exposing his bare hand to the cold air. Ten seconds later, he put the glove back on: "Probably not, it's just a little cold."
Chen Nian was amused by his serious look.
Yes, it’s okay if you put your arms outside temporarily. It’s just peeing. As long as you do it quickly, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?
Chen Nian: "Do you think it will be frozen into an icicle?"
Chen Ci: "I don't know, try it?"
"Then I'll go." Chen Nian stood up and walked to a slightly farther place.
Shafley noticed his departure and asked cautiously, "What are you doing?"
Chen Ci: "Making icicles."
Shafley: ?
Two minutes later, Chen Nian came back.
"What do you think?" Fu Tianhe couldn't help but ask. He actually wanted to let him go.
"It's too cold." Chen Nian shivered as he moved closer to Shafulai and said to Fu Tianhe, "Pee as fast as you can."
"Okay." Fu Tianhe listened to the advice of his predecessors and went to solve the problem.
Urine contains other metabolites besides water, and its freezing point is actually below zero degrees. Even if the temperature outside is minus 34 degrees, it is impossible to freeze urine at around 36 degrees into icicles in an instant.
Fu Tianhe watched with curiosity, seeing his urine falling on the ice like boiling water, melting into a large pit in a blink of an eye.
Wow guys, it turns out you can thaw it this way!
He really didn't know it before.
Fu Tianhe shuddered, quickly pulled up his pants, and then put on his gloves.
His friend didn't feel that cold, but his fingers were stinging from the cold.
Fu Tianhe stood there, watching the mist rise, then freeze into ice chips in mid-air and fall down.
Only after the series of reactions had almost disappeared did he turn around and prepare to share this newly acquired knowledge with everyone.
After listening to Fu Tianhe's words, even Shafulai began to get excited.
He had never been to such a cold place before. Although he had been to such a cold place in the game, virtual characters didn't need to pee.
"I'll try it too." Shafulai walked towards the place where Chen Nian and Fu Tianhe had solved the problem.
Three minutes later, he returned.
It’s just that his complexion isn’t particularly good-looking.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that all three of them had gone, Chen Ci felt that he would seem a bit out of place if he didn't go, so he also stood up.
"Remember to be a little careful." Shafley reminded with a dark face, "Don't pee on your hands, they will freeze."
The three of them were stunned.
Chen Ci: ……………………
Chen Nian: “Hahahahahahahahahaha!”
Even Fu Tianhe couldn't help it. He hurriedly forced down the corners of his lips that were curled up. After all, he and Shafulai had only known each other for two days, so they still needed to be polite when getting along with each other.
Chen Ci went to the designated location.
I found three pits lined up on the ground. The depths and sizes of the three pits were different, but it was obvious from them that I could see the men's ridiculous desire to win.
Chen Ci: ……………………
When he came to his senses, Chen Ci found himself wondering why he didn't drink more water on the aircraft.
Two minutes later, a fourth hole appeared side by side in the snow.