Chapter 98: Arriving at the Next Area — Skiing

"We'll leave this place first, and deal with everything else later." Xi Yan felt that troublesome matters were really piling up more and more.

Lin Shuang naturally had no objections—she was more than happy to be able to leave.

"You know the way out of here?"

"Well..." At this, Xi Yan gave an awkward smile and continued, "I might need to ask you to bear with a small inconvenience."

Lin Shuang frowned, not understanding what Xi Yan meant.

"That is, I need to knock you out, and carry you out... Although there should be other ways in here, we don't have enough time..."

After Xi Yan explained, Lin Shuang's face darkened, but she could only nod in agreement.

After all, not everyone could ignore the interference in this place the way Xi Yan did.

"No need for you to knock me out—I can take care of it myself..." Lin Shuang let out a sigh, then took out a small pill and swallowed it. She then looked at Xi Yan and said, "This pill's effect lasts one hour. During that time, no matter what happens, I won't wake up. I... you could say I'm entrusting my life to you."

"Rest assured." Xi Yan replied with the utmost seriousness.

Lin Shuang nodded, and a few seconds later, she collapsed. Xi Yan caught her with swift hands and keen eyes.

Looking at the unconscious Lin Shuang, Xi Yan felt a complicated knot in his chest. Everything Lin Shuang had just said was true—in this Eighth Survival Ground, where danger lurked everywhere, being completely unconscious and unable to wake meant placing herself in an extremely vulnerable situation.

Lin Shuang genuinely trusted Xi Yan.

Although it was for the sake of leaving this place, she was still handing her life over to Xi Yan. Otherwise, Lin Shuang could have found another way out. True, finding a way would take time, but other methods did exist. After all, Lin Shuang, just like Xi Yan, had seen people in the ski area.

It was impossible that every group had someone like Xi Yan in it, so there had to be another way out of here.

But time was pressing now, so Lin Shuang was willing to trust Xi Yan just this once.

Up until now, Lin Shuang still had a strange feeling—why had she kept following Xi Yan? Was it merely for that order?

No, that wasn't it. There was something else... Perhaps... she wanted to see just what potential this young man, whom those monsters were all watching, truly possessed.

...

Xi Yan and A Yuan, carrying the unconscious Lin Shuang, successfully made it through the roller coaster area. Before leaving, Xi Yan could still hear the people inside shrieking with joy as they rode the coaster.

Another fresh life was about to vanish...

Xi Yan shook his head with a sigh and headed toward the next area—the ski area.

...

This was also a mandatory area, but with the roller coaster experience fresh in mind, Xi Yan didn't dare step in recklessly.

So Xi Yan and A Yuan stayed in the space between the roller coaster area and the ski area, where luckily there was a bench to rest on.

Xi Yan planned to wait until Lin Shuang woke up before going in.

...

Time passed quickly, and before long, the hour was up. Lin Shuang slowly regained consciousness and found that she had already safely left the roller coaster area.

She sat up slowly on the bench, rubbed her temples, and looked at Xi Yan. "This is..."

"You're awake."

Hearing Lin Shuang's voice, Xi Yan smiled, and gave her a brief rundown of the situation.

"This is the space between the two areas. I was planning to wait until you woke before entering the ski area."

Lin Shuang nodded, now fully alert.

Because A Yuan was worried Xi Yan might run into danger, no matter how much Xi Yan urged, A Yuan refused to obediently revert to card form and rest. So Xi Yan could only let A Yuan have his way.

The three of them arrived at the entrance of the ski area. Just like the roller coaster area, a wooden sign stood there with something like rules written on it.

「Park Entertainment Facility — Skiing:

Introduction: This entertainment project aims to give players a different kind of thrill, so points are required. 2000 points per person, with no time limit. As long as the player has energy, they can keep going indefinitely.

If a player completes all the skiing projects within the ski area in under half an hour, they will receive 4000 points upon leaving this area (with no upper cap).

This area is truly a great place to earn points~ Come and try it~」

After reading the rules, Xi Yan felt at a loss for words. The rules here were barely any different from the roller coaster's—apart from the points and the name, not a single word had been changed.

How convenient!

But then, seeing the points...

"I... uh... my points..." Xi Yan looked at Lin Shuang awkwardly. "Can I trade a core crystal for it..."

Lin Shuang was startled for a moment, then immediately understood what Xi Yan meant. She smiled helplessly and replied, "No need. I'll cover it for you. 2000 points isn't a big deal."

Even as she spoke, Lin Shuang had already paid for the two of them. Xi Yan silently etched this kindness into his memory.

"Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it."

The two entered the ski area. There were noticeably fewer people here than in the roller coaster area—probably because so few had survived to reach it.

This area defied Xi Yan's worldview. Perhaps it defied most people's worldviews too.

After all, who had ever seen snow in the middle of summer...

It was snowing ceaselessly in the ski area. The moment they stepped in, the biting cold struck them immediately.

Xi Yan's light suit was utterly useless against the cold, and he was shivering, rubbing his arms frantically.

Though his physique had been strengthened, it didn't grant him much resistance to cold—perhaps because the first harsh environment he'd endured had been scorching heat.

Lin Shuang was far better off than Xi Yan. She didn't seem cold at all. When she turned and saw Xi Yan trembling, she burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, you're afraid of the cold?"

"Maybe I just haven't adapted yet... Achoo!"

Before he could finish, Xi Yan sneezed, his nose already running from the chill.

"That doesn't make sense. Normally, a survivor's physical enhancement is comprehensive—even if you haven't encountered a cold environment, you should still be enhanced. You shouldn't be afraid of the cold."

After her laughter subsided, Lin Shuang began to ponder why Xi Yan was different from everyone else.

As for Xi Yan, the first thought that sprang to mind was his ability!

He grumbled inwardly: Could it be because of "almost," my body wasn't enhanced all the way? Am I... an almost?

As if answering his speculation, Xi Yan sneezed involuntarily once more.

"Alright, here—take this."

Lin Shuang produced a white cloak and handed it to Xi Yan. He was in no mood to think about anything else, so he simply said "Thanks" and took it, draping it over his shoulders.

The cloak was fleece-lined and wonderfully warm. Once it was on, Xi Yan immediately felt the cold recede significantly.

His pants, however, were still thin, so he remained chilled. But all things considered, he was already satisfied—having the cloak was a thousand times better than not having it.