By the time they reached the camp, night had nearly fallen.
Lu Chen checked the time—it was only six in the evening. Back in the city, the sky would still be glowing with sunset, but here it felt like it was already deep into the night.
It was the weather. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the blizzard hadn't let up at all.
The camp wasn't crowded. Two large bonfires burned steadily, with people split into two groups around them. Lu Chen couldn't make out what they were saying.
The man with the crutch led Lu Chen and Venti into the camp. Outdoor gear was scattered messily across the ground. Some were tending to the wounded, others packing up to leave. When the others noticed Lu Chen—an unfamiliar face—they looked surprised.
Given the heavy losses, even a casual glance revealed that something had gone terribly wrong. Anyone still heading up the mountain had to be either reckless or suicidal.
But no one stared for long. Everyone had their own problems and no time to spare for strangers.
"They still haven't given up," the man with the crutch muttered as he saw two team leaders arguing heatedly in front of the bonfire.
From their shouting, it sounded like they were debating whether to retreat or keep pushing into the cave.
Lu Chen looked over—and spotted a familiar face.
It was the tall, thin guy with glasses. Back by the sea, when they'd been treasure hunting, Lu Chen had defeated a Hydro Mimic and ended up saving this man by accident.
He hadn't expected to see him again here.
The man standing across from him was a burly, loud-voiced leader, shouting:
"A bunch of my guys are too injured to move, our gear's all frozen—and you still want to go in? Wang Qi, are you trying to die?"
Wang Qi—that was the name of the bespectacled youth. He'd introduced himself to Lu Chen before.
Adjusting his glasses, Wang Qi replied, "We've come this far. Turning back now would be a waste. If you want to leave, go ahead."
"Quit acting like you're some hotshot," the captain sneered. "Don't think having a powerful weapon makes you invincible! You're only a bit better than me. Without that weapon, you're nothing!"
Wang Qi calmly stared at him, while the captain kept ranting, "Anyone can see those monsters are beyond what we can handle. You want to get yourself killed—fine. But dragging your team down with you? That's insane!"
Despite the argument, Wang Qi held the stronger presence. He crossed his arms and said coolly, "The greater the risk, the better the reward. My teammates are brave and want to get stronger. That's not your concern."
"Tch."
The argument ended without resolution. The burly captain turned and stormed off—straight toward Lu Chen's group, still fuming.
The man with the crutch greeted him. "Brother Liu!"
Captain Liu glanced at them, his eyes pausing on the unfamiliar faces—Lu Chen and Venti.
"New here?"
Lu Chen didn't like rude people and didn't bother answering.
Venti followed along, glancing around the camp with little interest. Compared to Mondstadt's Adventurer's Guild, this camp was disappointing.
Captain Liu scowled, swallowing his temper, and said to the man with the crutch, "Didn't you leave already? Why are you back? And you brought a couple of students?"
The man with the crutch forced a smile, trying to introduce the two teens who had saved him.
But Liu just scoffed and walked off, muttering curses under his breath.
"Bunch of kids thinking they're heroes! Just wait till they see the monster—they'll be crying for their mamas!"
The man with the crutch gave Lu Chen and Venti an apologetic look. Clearly, Liu had no idea who he'd just offended.
Lu Chen just shrugged. He didn't care.
Just then, Wang Qi noticed them. When his eyes landed on Lu Chen and Venti, surprise flashed across his face—followed by delight.
He strode over quickly.
"It's you two!"
Lu Chen gave a small nod. Venti, recognizing him too, raised his wine flask in greeting.
Lu Chen took a closer look. So this was the "skilled adventurer" the man with the crutch had mentioned.
He checked his level—Lv9.
The highest-level player he'd seen from the real world so far.
"My lifesaver! I never thought I'd run into you here—what a relief!" Wang Qi greeted him with a wide smile, nothing like the aloof image from earlier.
"You've grown fast," Lu Chen said with a smile.
"Oh, not really!" Wang Qi replied humbly. "No matter how fast I grow, I can't compare to my savior!"
Lu Chen was curious about what Wang Qi had been through, and about what exactly was in that cave.
But now wasn't the time to talk. Wang Qi warmly invited them to his camp.
His teammates greeted Lu Chen with smiles. Lu Chen smiled back. He hadn't expected a casual rescue to lead to another meeting like this.
Wang Qi had made impressive progress. He'd left most others in the dust.
Was it talent—or luck?
Lu Chen remembered when they first met, Wang Qi had already found a Harbinger of Dawn. To get that from an ordinary chest? The guy really was lucky.
"It's great to have you two here holding the fort!" Wang Qi offered them some camp food, but Lu Chen declined.
He'd already stuffed himself with roast boar and didn't want another bite.
Wang Qi assumed it was part of Lu Chen's mysterious "expert" aura and didn't mind. Smiling, he began briefing them on the situation.
He had eight team members—none injured thanks to well-organized command. Captain Liu had fifteen, several wounded. Wang Qi wanted to head deeper, convinced there were treasure chests inside—likely with very generous rewards. But Liu was afraid of the monsters and kept hesitating, unwilling to retreat but too scared to advance.
"But now that you're here, we might actually stand a chance against that monster—and claim the reward!" Wang Qi said, brimming with confidence.
Even when Wang Qi was just starting out, this teen had already been strong. Now, he still couldn't get a read on Lu Chen's strength—which meant it had to be far above his own.
"I need more intel," Lu Chen said. The previous group had fled too fast to even get a look at the creature.
Wang Qi's team was far more professional. The fact that none of them were hurt spoke for itself.
"Thick fur, huge fangs, a deep growl—and it hits like a truck!"
Wang Qi's description was more specific.
Lu Chen frowned. Those features... they sounded very familiar.
He exchanged a glance with Venti. They both wore the same expression.
They had just eaten one of those things before coming up here. And it had been pretty tasty.
Wild boar, right?
Wang Qi noticed Lu Chen's increasingly odd expression and grew confused.
He wasn't a mind reader, so he could only guess that maybe the cave monster was even more terrifying than he'd thought—enough to unnerve someone as strong as Lu Chen.
Am I really going to give up on this treasure chest? But I don't want to...!
...
Meanwhile, Lu Chen was thinking:
The smaller monsters were just regular wild boars. If the big one lived with them...
Then could the massive creature be...
A giant wild boar?
There was a legend about Dragonspine—a tale of the true king of that frozen peak. A creature said to shake the earth with every step—
The Great Snowboar King.