Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 819 - 366 February of Winter_2

Chapter 819: Chapter 366 February of Winter_2

Maya kept catching fish, all of them big guys, each weighing over half a kilogram. Fishing next to Lin Wu, she saw Lin Wu’s restlessness and said, "The current isn’t strong, and the light is dim; it’s hard for the lure to reflect any light. You need to drop it quickly and retrieve it quickly. Don’t let the lure sink to the bottom but keep it near the ice surface and make it spin rapidly."

Lin Wu asked, "Won’t the fish be unable to keep up if it’s too fast?"

"No, the fish that can be caught with a lure usually bite hard and fast," Maya answered. "But I still suggest you change your bait; the light under the ice is too poor."

Maya cut a piece of small silverfish for Lin Wu, who changed to the bloody bait and, sure enough, quickly caught a fish. Consequently, everyone except Lin Meng started changing their bait. Located in still water, Lin Meng’s dough bait continuously dispersed, creating a chumming effect, and the fish slowly gathered round her hole. If Maya dominated the early part of the competition, then Lin Meng made a strong comeback in the later part.

Ultimately, Lin Meng emerged as the champion with eight kilograms of fish, Maya placed second with six kilograms, and Lin Wu took third place with three kilograms, with the others catching between 1.5 and 3 kilograms. Coming last was Snow Egg, followed by Su Shi, both drillers admitted their defeat. Snow Egg was tasked with handling all the fish caught, while Su Shi was responsible for moving firewood. The rest could move freely in the warm, safe house.

At seven o’clock in the evening, a fish roasting event took place in the small square, where everyone felt the ’midnight sun’ for the first time. The sun neared the western horizon but showed no signs of setting. Faraway, the grey clouds began to gather, indicating the forthcoming second wave of the cold snap.

"Eight more months," Stone encouraged. "In eight more months, we can leave this damned place."

Lin Wu said, "Winter is so boring."

"Boredom is just another challenge from Dawn," Maya said. "I believe the thousand people who survive have great strength. This winter isn’t testing hardware but software."

Adding her thoughts, Shana said, "From a psychological standpoint, in such an environment, everyone slowly loses patience and becomes irritable and volatile. I will too, so if I lose my temper for no reason, please bear with me."

Lin Wu thought, "I find it okay."

Lin Meng nodded in agreement.

Stone continued, "You guys often go on raids; once you’re out, it’s for several hours. The situation is like having a job, but being told to stay home all day, wouldn’t you go crazy?"

The trying ’midnight sun’ began, and with it came the cold snap, designed to trap players and reduce their operational area. Close contact in a confined space for an extended period could lead to additional emotions, such as annoyance at just about everything, a lack of desire to do anything, feelings of pointlessness, and so on.

It’s like college students returning home for the New Year, both feeling the warmth of family; but after the third day, something seems off, and lingering until the seventh can make one a nuisance. Missing you is indeed missing you, but being annoyed is indeed being annoyed. At times like these, an additional element is needed to spice up the mood, like a child’s child. Raising chickens can be stimulating for months, and even more so, a mischievous kid.

Shadow didn’t have the luxury of a child to lighten the mood, but it could stir up some fun. The chickens in the ranch deserve the most credit, especially the egg-hatching process which brought immense joy to everyone. Watch fluffy creatures hatch made some people find them adorable, while others anticipated a surplus of roosters that could improve meals.

Even the tough ones like Maya started attending classes, seriously studying medicine.

Besides, Lin Meng’s defensive tasks became everyone’s leisure pleasure. With Lin Wu and Maya backing them up and the tasks being less challenging, they left the fun for others. With just two incendiary grenades from Little Fight, there was hardly any pressure or danger.

Mahjong became the most important entertainment tool for everyone to get through the tough times. Previously, the lack of stakes in Mahjong was an issue, but solutions come from people’s ingenuity. In Shadow Mahjong, the stakes involved cooking; the winner held chips signed by the losers, which could be returned to the losers when needed, making them cook a meal in place of the winner.

In the second month of winter, Shadow maintained harmony and stability.

On the last dinner of the second month of winter, Shana shared some bad news, "Due to the continuous severe cold of the ’midnight sun,’ and our numerous fish roasting and barbecue parties, we only have ten days’ worth of firewood left in storage. One solution is to leave the town and chop down trees."

Stone said, "The snow has blocked the roads, limiting the range of car movement. Even with daily snowplow help, cars can only reach just outside the town. The tree farm near the ranch is still more than ten kilometers away."

Shana offered another solution, "The other method is to start scavenging again, dismantling anything that can be dismantled and turning things like tables into kindling. Items that cannot be moved can be broken down into splintered wood and other basic materials."

Maya said, "I have observed that the density of zombies inside the buildings is about 1.0 per square meter, which can easily trigger a chain reaction. I’m more concerned that during the polar day, the Night Demons will become unrestrained. I oppose this proposal; it’s too dangerous. Can we not just make it through the winter by conserving energy?"

Shana said, "The only way to conserve energy is to provide heating only during the night, while everyone is resting. Except for you, Lin Wu, and Lin Meng, anyone who leaves their bedding might get frostbite. Besides, the lowest temperature in the past two months was negative 55 degrees Celsius, and the record low of 71.2 degrees was clearly for this month. When I said we had firewood for ten more days, that was already an overestimate."

Lin Wu said, "Incendiary Grenades." One per room, clearing the zombies shouldn’t take too long.

Maya said, "Not only zombies will burn from the Incendiary Grenades, but the furniture and items inside the rooms will be destroyed as well."

"Lin Meng and I will go chop firewood," Lin Wu said. "Lin Meng can ride Sandstorm; her face has been recorded into the system, and she can safely leave Leimeng Town. With assistance from Little Fight and utilizing Phantom’s all-terrain ability, I should be able to smoothly escape the town."

Maya suggested, "I propose we ask Su Shi to make some Crossbow Arrows, and we take over the building using long-range clearing."

Shana reminded, "During the polar night, visibility is very poor."

Maya said, "At least it’s relatively safer."

Seeing the two Deputy Commanders at an impasse, Stone decided, "Maya’s method is safer; if anything happens, we can look out for each other. Let’s go with that."

Shana nodded, "Fine."

Maya took out a blueprint from her backpack, "We have already cleared the upper left route; the food court, the mini supermarket, and the mall have all been exhausted by us. Our target is the Bridgehead crossroads, which is the 5-story office building next to the mini supermarket. The building has only two doors. One main entrance around the corner, right under the watch of surveillance. One back door on the side. The challenge is the blind spot."

Shana and Maya, in perfect coordination, began to draw on the paper. "Our only options are the car, and Lin Meng." She indicated that Lin Meng could lower her hand.

Shana said, "First, the car will move to this position. Lin Meng gets out of the vehicle, opens the trunk, and the archer in the back seat shoots the zombies inside the main entrance. There’s hardly any margin for error with the car positioning—it can’t be too close to the main entrance, as zombies will be drawn out. It can’t be too far, which would greatly reduce shooting accuracy and provide an angle for surveillance to capture the archer. We also need to watch out for the second 360-degree camera 50 meters away. Therefore, the car must park at an angle, like this."

When it came to driving, Stone was the obvious choice. He looked at the map and said, "It’s a bit too abstract."

Maya said, "Lin Meng will go out soon, Little Fight will take off, and through image comparison, Shana will determine where to stop the car. This is only the first step; after we complete the first step, we can enter the office building. We are not familiar with the company’s layout inside."

Maya continued, "We need to establish a Bridgehead right outside the office building’s main entrance, which means we need two shifts. First, to shoot as many zombies as possible, and second, to transport furniture that’s inconvenient to dismantle on site. The driver and car must be ready outside the main entrance at all times, and if a horde is provoked, the team must immediately get in the car and escape."

Maya said, "For lighting, we only have flashlights." Although they were not nuclear-powered flashlights, the base had charging equipment, which could ensure a reliable light source when used in rotation.

Maya said, "The task of clearing the main entrance will be handled by me, Little Knife and Lin Meng, with Stone driving."

Stone replied, "No problem."

Maya said, "Lin Wu, conserve the grenades; we might need them to intercept drones."

Lin Wu said, "Understood."

Su Shi added, "Collect any scrap you can find—my hands are already itching to get to work."

Maya nodded, "One special note: although the polar night’s daytime is the same as night, there are no street lights during the day. Stone, be careful when driving, and don’t accidentally enter the Blood Mist area."