Bai Cheng lay half-naked on the bed, wearing nothing but two flimsy scraps of fabric.
A shiver ran through her body as she exhaled a visible puff of white breath.
The heating stove seed to only mitigate the effects of the Snowy Mountains’ Cold Erosion, doing little to actually raise the temperature inside the train carriage.
Bai Cheng quickly sat up and grabbed her clothes, hastily putting them on.
Thankfully, her enhanced physique kept her from catching a cold.
When she opened the compartnt door, Chi Yan and Zi Yuan were already waiting in the locomotive, as if they had been there for a while.
She glanced at the train, which had long since stopped moving, and asked curiously, "Have we arrived?"
"Young Lady, this subordinate has scouted the area after the train stopped," Chi Yan explained, then hesitated before adding, "But... there is no sign of the mission location, nor is there anything unusual nearby."
Bai Cheng was taken aback. She looked again at the Altar of Spoils for confirmation.
[Route Guidance: You have arrived at the mission area.]
Outside the window, all she saw were snow-covered mountains stretching endlessly, exactly as Chi Yan had said.
"Damn it, what kind of stupid thing is this?!" Bai Cheng cursed in frustration.
Clearly, she would have to find the mission location herself. The altar had only given a vague approximation.
"Chi Yan, have you checked further outside?" she asked.
"This subordinate hasn’t had the chance yet," he replied.
"Then—" Bai Cheng started again but suddenly froze.
As she spoke, she distinctly felt a warmth emanating from her pinky finger.
She raised her hand and looked at the explorer’s pinky ring, only to find it faintly glowing blue.
"This is..."
She experintally shifted her body, and the ring’s glow dimd before vanishing entirely.
Now, she understood that this thing reacted to nearby resources by glowing and emitting heat.
"Then, can it also lead to the mission location?"
She wasn’t sure, but it was worth a try.
"Chi Yan, wear this and search again."
She briefly explained the ring’s function before taking it off and handing it to him.
But Chi Yan awkwardly glanced back. Without a word, he silently raised his hand, as if to point sothing out.
Standing nearly two ters tall with bulging muscles, even his smallest finger was almost half as thick as Bai Cheng’s forearm.
Her eyelid twitched. "Alright... I guess it really won’t fit you."
Since the explorer’s pinky ring only worked when worn, Bai Cheng turned to Zi Yuan, whose build was much closer to her own.
"The mission location is supposed to be a cave," Bai Cheng said, scanning the nearby mountains. "It shouldn’t be too hard to find."
"Young Lady, I’ll find it as fast as I can," Zi Yuan vowed, thumping her chest.
After a few days together, she wasn’t as reserved or aloof as before.
Of course, that only applied to Bai Cheng.
"Be careful. Also, I’ll have dinner ready when you get back." Bai Cheng patted her on the shoulder.
Zi Yuan stepped out into the frozen wilderness while Chi Yan remained behind to guard the train.
Bai Cheng then turned to the control screen, where six Blue Employee Cards lay scattered across the console.
[Pioneer Tang Yan has exchanged your Wolfhead Cloak ×1 for Blue Employee Card ×2!]
[Pioneer Tang Yan has exchanged your...]
[Pioneer Tang Yan...]
A grin spread across her face. She hadn’t expected the cloaks to sell so quickly.
But then her expression darkened. "Tang Yan bought three cloaks at once?"
She inspected the cards and imdiately noticed duplicates. That ant Tang Yan was trading for his teammates while keeping their identities hidden.
Bai Cheng raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Who cares who you’re teaming up with?"
While waiting for Zi Yuan to return, she started preparing dinner.
Now that she had a cooking pot, she could make a hearty stew instead of chewing on tough roasted at.
anwhile, at the Snow Mountain Castle Station, four trains slowly boarded.
Tang Yan was the first to step into the hall. The mont he heard the doors opening behind him, he imdiately warned, "There’s a Phantom in the main hall. Don’t make any sound or use any light!"
"A Phantom? What’s that? With this many employees, can’t we just kill it?"
A skeptical voice echoed in the darkness, instantly irritating Tang Yan.
Although he had never heard this person’s voice before, the tone of defiance was unmistakable.
"Xiao Ran, if you want to die, be my guest!" he snapped. He knew full well that even if everyone here fought together, they stood no chance against the Phantom.
As the guardian of Station Two, this nearly invincible entity had strict rules governing its behavior, and Tang Yan knew all of them.
Just then, two soft hands grabbed his arms, one on each side. A pair of sisters cooed in his ears.
"Big Brother Tang, let’s just go~ Don’t mind him!"
"Yeah~ This place is so scary! You’ll protect us, right?"
Their words soothed his temper.
Soon, the group of four safely reached the second floor with their employees. Unnoticed by the others, Tang Yan quietly picked up a hamr from the ground as they passed the Phantom.
When the wall lamps flickered to life, their dim glow dispelled so of the darkness, revealing the mixed expressions of tension, wariness, and relief among the four.
Tang Yan suddenly froze, as if realizing sothing.
He glanced at the seductive sisters clinging to him, then at Xiao Ran, who was looking around like an excited child.
"Where’s Lin Qiuyue?" he blurted out. "She didn’t enter the station?!"
Xiao Ran turned around and sneered. "Hah! Did she trick you? Is this the ’reliable teammate’ you bragged about?"
Tang Yan’s face darkened, but he said nothing. The truth was undeniable.
Noticing his foul mood, the sisters shot Xiao Ran a glare before comforting him.
"Ugh, Big Brother Tang, that guy’s just a fat idiot. Ignore him!"
"Yeah~ Who needs her anyway? You have us!"
Tang Yan clenched his fists, fury burning in his chest.
"I just gave her a Wolfhead Cloak, and she dares betray ?!"
His eyes blazed with anger before a cold smirk twisted his lips. "Fine. All Pioneers will et eventually. When we do... I’ll kill her myself."
Xiao Ran blinked in confusion. "Wolfhead Cloak? What’s that?"
"The next area is a snow mo—"
The younger sister started speaking, only to be silenced by an elbow from her elder sister.
After all, they too had received Wolfhead Cloaks from Tang Yan. Only the oblivious fool Xiao Ran still knew nothing about it.
Nearly an hour later, Bai Cheng had finished cooking a delicious pot of stew.
By now, night had fully fallen, and the blizzard raged outside.
Zi Yuan trudged through the snow, her figure erging from the howling winds and darkness.
Before she even boarded the train, Bai Cheng eagerly called out, "Zi Yuan! Any luck?"
"Young Lady... There is a seal at the cave entrance. You’ll have to enter yourself."
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