Chapter 412

Following the snow path embedded with pebbles, a mountain cave appeared ahead, shielded by a wooden door woven with vines.

Several people stood in front of the cave, looking fairly spirited, wrapped in not-so-thick clothes, waiting in place.

“Captain! You’re back! After nightfall, the temperature is too cold, hurry inside!”

“Okay, coming!”

Xiang Yunduan quickened his pace, instructing Lin Qianhuan and Jiang Xing to watch their steps, while rapidly heading toward the cave.

Only after everyone entered the cave did the wooden door close tightly, blocking the biting cold wind and blizzard from the outside.

“Phew…”

Lin Qianhuan breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her frozen hands, and discreetly sized up the situation inside the cave.

Besides her and Jiang Xing, there were a total of eight people standing inside the cave.

A roaring fire burned in the center of the cave, the flames leaping upwards, emitting a warm and cozy feeling, also providing light for the dimly lit cave.

There were several small, inward-recessed holes in the stone walls of the cave, with a few red candles burning inside, presumably for lighting.

The area of the cave Lin Qianhuan was in was not large, only less than 20 square meters.

But a few steps further ahead, one could see a curtain made of vines, shielding the passage behind.

This also indicated that the cave was not just the 20 square meters visible to Lin Qianhuan’s naked eyes.

Xiang Yunduan was a warm and outgoing person. He led Lin Qianhuan and Jiang Xing to sit down by the fire and began to introduce his teammates with a smile.

“Du Yingui, fire-type ability user.

Yao Qingxuan, wood-type ability user.

Jiang Xiangdong, water-type ability user.

Ruan Huacheng, metal-type ability user.

Zhang Zhenglun, space-type ability user.

Lu Xiaoyan, healing-type ability user.

Zhang Yaru, earth-type ability user.

I am a mental-type ability user.”

Lin Qianhuan blinked and exchanged an imperceptible glance with Jiang Xing.

This Xiang Yunduan was so strange. Who would reveal their own and their teammates’ ability types in full the first time they met?

Was he trying to test Lin Qianhuan’s attitude? Or was he trying to show that he had no bad intentions? Or was he trying to make Lin Qianhuan lower her guard against them?

Regardless of the reason, Lin Qianhuan did not relax her vigilance.

“My name is Lin Qianhuan, and his name is Jiang Xing.

We two are from the Kyoto Base, and we are very happy to meet you all.”

Xiang Yunduan didn’t care that Lin Qianhuan didn’t mention her ability type and very attentively handed over two cups of steaming boiling water.

“If you two don’t mind, you can drink it to warm up.

Of course, holding it in your hands to warm your hands is also fine.”

Lin Qianhuan looked at the ceramic cup in her hand and smiled with curved eyes: “Thank you for Captain Xiang’s kindness.

Taking the liberty to ask, did you live here before the extreme cold descended, or did you come here after the extreme cold descended?”

Speaking of this, Xiang Yunduan sighed heavily and lowered his head somewhat wearily.

“It’s a long story. We are an ability team from the Rose Base. We came here before the extreme cold to store materials for the winter.

Who would have thought that we would encounter a blizzard before we could go back, and accidentally discovered this cave, which barely protected our lives.”

Lin Qianhuan raised her eyebrows and said, “Reserving winter supplies?

Coming here to reserve winter supplies, isn’t it a bit too…”

She didn’t finish her words, but the meaning was obvious.

Xiang Yunduan smiled and shook his head, his eyes full of helplessness: “Miss Lin, this mountain was extremely rich in materials before the extreme cold.

All kinds of herbs, wild fruits, and wild vegetables are available. I don’t need to lie to you.

The reason it looks bare now is because the blizzard has buried the road down the mountain and all kinds of wild vegetable materials on the mountain.”

Lin Qianhuan nodded while holding the porcelain cup, the hot water in the cup swaying slightly with her movements.

“So, you were trapped on this mountain by the blizzard, and because you couldn’t leave, you simply settled here?”

Xiang Yunduan nodded: “Yes.”

“You haven’t tried sending a message to the Rose Base, asking the base to send someone to rescue you?”

“I’ve tried, and I’ve tried many times.

But the blizzard climate greatly affects the signal, and the environment is harsh, so the search and rescue team can’t go out, so we are trapped here.”

Xiang Yunduan sighed helplessly: “But luckily, the members of our team are all ability users.

We don’t lack firewood, clean water, or materials, and there are people who can treat illnesses.

If other teams were trapped here, I’m afraid they would have become a pile of bones long ago.”

Lin Qianhuan nodded: “Indeed.”

After saying these four words, she didn’t say anything more. The cave instantly became extremely silent, and also somewhat awkward.

Xiang Yunduan scratched his head: “That…

Miss Lin, can I call you that?”

Lin Qianhuan nodded: “Of course.”

Seeing that she seemed to be easy to talk to, Xiang Yunduan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“I saw that you came in a helicopter.

Can I ask you for a favor?”

Lin Qianhuan looked down at her neatly trimmed fingernails: “Want me to send you back to the Rose Base?”

Xiang Yunduan nodded vigorously, his eyes full of anticipation: “Can you?

We’ve been trapped here for too long, and our family and friends must be worried to death.

Although we have never stopped looking for a way back, the extreme cold is really terrible, and we have no way at all.

If we hadn’t seen you, we wouldn’t know how long we would have been trapped!”

Xiang Yunduan’s eyes were full of gratitude, and he was about to say some more nice platitudes, but was interrupted by Lin Qianhuan.

“Captain Xiang, we are all smart people, there’s no need to waste time talking in circles.

There is naturally no problem in sending you back, but before that, there are some things I want to understand.”

Xiang Yunduan nodded vigorously: “Please speak.”

Lin Qianhuan rotated the white porcelain cup in her hand: “Why is it such a coincidence that your team has gathered all five elements?

And why is it such a coincidence that you found this cave during the extreme cold?”

Xiang Yunduan smiled awkwardly: “Miss Lin, I don’t know how to answer these questions you asked for a while.

These are indeed coincidences. I know it sounds a bit absurd, but this is the truth.

Furthermore, as a captain, I certainly hope that the members of my team are all capable ability users.

Naturally, the more types there are, the stronger the strength, the better.”

Lin Qianhuan nodded, examining the water cup in her hand: “Look at this cup, it’s really spotless.

How do you usually wash the cups, Captain Xiang? It’s as clean as it was before the apocalypse.”

Xiang Yunduan unhesitatingly took a bottle of dish soap from the side.

“Here, use this.”

Lin Qianhuan turned her head to look at him, her eyes with an ambiguous meaning.

“Since the extreme cold suddenly descended, there must be quite a few survivors searching for supplies outside.

If it’s as you said, this mountain is rich in materials, with all kinds of herbs and wild fruits, then why are you the only survivors trapped on this mountain?

What about the other survivors? Don’t they need to reserve winter supplies?

Or are they unable to hold on until now and have already died?”

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