Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 701 - 331: Snowy Adventure

Chapter 701: Chapter 331: Snowy Adventure

The journey was smoother than Lin Ma had expected. In ten days, they traveled a thousand kilometers. Of course, the issue of food had not been completely solved; the two of them could only carry enough provisions for three days on the road.

Another problem was the increasingly high altitude. The road signs showed they had already reached four thousand meters. Food and water were not issues here, as the terrain was a mix of grasslands and glaciers. Higher areas had snow and glaciers, while lower depressions were lush with water and grass thanks to the nourishing meltwater.

This place was similar to the topography of Technology City, but without the deserts and Gobi, with the biggest difference being altitude. On the tenth day, Lin Ma decided to set up camp early, partly because of the horses. Normally, the horses could run at a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour without accumulating fatigue, but now that number had dropped to 15 kilometers per hour. Moreover, Lin Ma was experiencing altitude sickness.

The next morning, they set off again, and by two in the afternoon, Lin Ma saw a warning sign that indicated the road ahead would be covered in snow during the autumn and winter seasons.

By four o’clock in the afternoon, Lin Ma reached the area ahead. It was a region over 5,200 meters in elevation, a vast expanse of white stretching endlessly. The road surface was covered in snow, lakes and rivers still flowed beneath, forming a thin layer of ice on their surfaces, which was then covered by snow. Straying from the highway and stepping into this could mean no return.

Apart from the traps of lakes and rivers, the wind and snow also created ice cavern traps. What appeared to be flat ground could collapse underfoot into a cavity beneath the snow. With luck, one might get trapped, but with bad luck, one could be smashed to a pulp.

At the last stretch of highway, Maya stood on Silencer’s back, surveying the surroundings with a telescope, and realized only a mountain to the north could serve as a landmark. In front of her spread a snowy plain, and behind her a grassland.

"Set up camp," Maya put down the telescope.

"Camping again?" Lin Wu asked, though he still set up the tent. Looking back a few kilometers to the downhill road, lush meadows stretched on either side, with groups of rabbits and gophers; food and water were not concerns.

Although the snow and ice were right in front of him, Lin Wu didn’t feel cold. The thermometer at the command tent showed 20 degrees. Lin Wu couldn’t understand it—wasn’t the snow supposed to melt here?

Maya said, "We might have entered an Earth-like Tianshan Area. Converting the time, at an elevation of 5,200 meters in Tianshan, the temperature difference between day and night in November is about 30 degrees, peaking at 40 degrees." The snow that melted during the day flowed down, making the land extremely fertile. At night, the accumulations of ice and snow maintained their pristine beauty.

"Does Earth Tianshan have a highway?"

"Yes."

Given their Cold Resistance Value, they had to camp at sunset and could only break camp when the sun rose. The process took 12 hours, leaving no time to advance.

Maya said, "There’s only one way, dismantle the buildings, abandon the heavy gear, and keep only one dormitory at most. We’ll turn the rest into building materials to carry, and use them to trade for fuel at night."

"The exchange rate is very low."

"It’s a necessary evil. Once we enter the snowy area, we might not find any other fuel," Maya said. "The sun sets late, so we camp at six in the evening, and we can open the tent at nine. We break camp at seven the next morning and set off at ten. That gives us eight hours of marching per day."

Maya: "We don’t need to carry water, just as much food as possible. You keep a dagger and a Continuous Silencer, and I’ll take a machete and an assault rifle, keeping to optimal load."

Lin Wu, already slightly overburdened with Little Fight and a tent, carried only a dagger and a Continuous Silencer in his day-to-day. Carrying food thus fell entirely to Maya; however, the burden didn’t relate much to her but directly to Silencer.

Maya, with a complete idea in mind, continued, "We’ll walk leading the horses. Using animal hides, we’ll make packs for Phantom and Silencer, transforming them into packhorses. Not only will this increase our carrying capacity, but it will also ensure safety while traveling. We’ll chop down any nearby scarce trees into firewood for warmth through the night."

The Double Ma, at their standard load of 160 kilograms, would not be affected. Combined with Maya, they could take away approximately 350 kilograms of supplies.

Lin Wu attempted to haggle: "Walking 8 hours a day? Given the conditions here, we can only progress 20-25 kilometers per day. Why don’t we consider bypassing the Earth-like Tianshan?"

Maya responded, "The intention behind building this highway was to avoid having to bypass the Earth-like Tianshan. Look at the mountain range stretching endlessly, there’s no gap visible within viewing distance."

"This plan is harsh for me!"

"You already estimated a daily travel of only 20 kilometers; it hardly qualifies as harsh," Maya replied.

Lin Wu: "Or we could make sleds and turn Phantom into a cart horse?"

Maya: "The purpose of walking is to survey the highway; horses do not have that capability. I will dismantle all unnecessary weapons to make two shovels. We will dig into the snow every hundred meters to avoid deviating from the highway. Even if we walk only 20 kilometers a day, we would cover 200 kilometers in 10 days. A little more, and we’d go 300 kilometers in 15 days. I don’t believe we can’t get past this snowy plain. Think about our encounters in the rainforest of Fantasy City; I believe the conditions here are a hundred times better than those of the rainforest."

"Hmm..."

"Any more concerns?"

"No." It was just a plain reluctance to walk.

Maya said, "Alright, we camp for two days and set off the day after tomorrow."