The snow on Barren Mountain was falling harder than ever, and the wind made the already freezing temperature feel even colder.
The bonfire swayed violently in the wind and snow, looking like it might go out at any moment.
Lu Chen felt even his thick coat wasn't enough. He really should've worn a down jacket for this trip.
What surprised him was how drastically the Ley Line anomaly had affected the weather. He'd expected it to be cold—but not this cold.
That only made him more curious about the unknown presence deeper in the mountains.
He glanced at the three people huddled by the fire, devouring their food, hoping to get more intel from them.
"Take me up the mountain—back to your previous camp."
The man with the crutch froze, then looked nervous.
"That monster was terrifying... Are you sure you want to go there?"
Seeing Lu Chen's serious expression, he tried to dissuade him. "Even though you're a powerful psychic, that thing... it's beyond human comprehension. There were plenty of experienced adventurers at that camp, but still..."
Experienced adventurers? He must mean people from the real world.
But the "Real Teyvat System" had only been around for a few days. How experienced could anyone really be? Probably just a bunch of amateurs chasing the hype...
Lu Chen didn't comment and let him continue.
"We ran into a lot of ice-type monsters along the way—slimes and stuff like that. They were tough, but we had strength in numbers…"
"After a hard fight, we made it to the entrance of a cave..."
At the cave, three adventuring teams had already gathered—dozens of people. One of the teams even had a well-known figure, someone quick and deadly with impressive weapons. It gave everyone a boost in confidence.
But once they entered the cave, a wave of eerie, bone-chilling wind nearly froze them on the spot. All their comms and lighting failed—even torches couldn't be lit.
Just as the team leaders were hesitating, terrifying roars echoed from deep within the cave.
In the dim light, all the man with the crutch saw were two huge, glowing red eyes and a suffocating, primal aura like some ancient beast.
Panic broke out. In the chaos and darkness, everyone scrambled to escape.
But it got worse. A pack of smaller beasts suddenly burst out, biting and charging through the crowd. The captain of the crutch man's team didn't make it out. He went down screaming in the cave—no one knew if he lived.
The survivors fled in disarray. Three team members got separated, but the man with the crutch didn't dare go back. He and the remaining two escaped down the mountain.
The rest was what Lu Chen already knew. The temperature kept dropping, and without gear—and already injured—the three had nearly frozen to death.
Luckily, fate led them to two teens casually grilling meat halfway up the mountain.
...
"Sounds like a pretty scary monster," Venti said casually.
He took a relaxed sip of liquor, showing no fear at all.
"So…" Lu Chen hesitated, "You didn't even get a clear look at the thing? Just turned and ran?"
Not the most useful intel—but the mention of that skilled adventurer caught his attention.
"Yeah, well..." the man laughed awkwardly, "We were just too weak. Completely out of our depth..."
Lu Chen glanced at his level—Lv6.
The other two were Lv4.
Among ordinary people, they were pretty strong. Leveling up increased strength and defense, and these three were way tougher than the thugs under Zhang Zikai.
This was the impact of the Real Teyvat System: even regular people could grow stronger by fighting monsters and hunting treasure.
They didn't have Visions, but they were already several times stronger than baseline humans. In this era of universal power creep, it was no wonder some folks were spreading talk of a "spiritual awakening"...
If these above-average adventurers had been left this battered, the monsters in that cave were no joke.
Lu Chen still planned to go up. He looked at the three, but if they didn't want to follow, that was fine.
The system map had a flat layout with markers. The terrain was steep and the paths unclear, but it wouldn't be too hard to find with some effort.
The other two looked at the man with the crutch, who hesitated, then finally nodded.
They were afraid of the monster, but heading back down was also risky. It was a long way, and they might still freeze or get attacked.
Plus, these two teens gave off an air of calm that screamed "experts."
There was no way they hadn't encountered any monsters, yet they looked completely unfazed—traveling light, grilling meat in the snow like it was a picnic.
They weren't just strong—they were unreal.
Decision made, Lu Chen pulled a roll of bandages from his pack and walked up to the man with the crutch.
"Huh?" The man was surprised. "You're treating me? That's not necessary—I can still walk, it's too much trouble..."
But Lu Chen's expression left no room for refusal.
"No need to thank me. Your injury's just slowing me down."
"Uh..."
Lu Chen had him unwrap the bandages. His leg had been badly bitten, and it was clearly fractured.
He applied some medicine and rewrapped the wound with his own bandages. It looked like basic first aid—maybe even unnecessary.
But after Lu Chen finished, the man could move his leg again. Grimacing through the pain, he looked genuinely shocked.
"This..."
"This is incredible…"
"I can walk?"
He didn't let go of the crutch but got up and walked a full circle around the bonfire. His steps were noticeably lighter.
"Unbelievable!" They stared at Lu Chen like he was some miracle-working doctor. What kind of divine treatment was this?
Lu Chen waved it off and motioned for them to get ready to go.
Out of sight, a pink girl's outfit in Lu Chen's system inventory lit up.
His healing-type artifact had finally proven its worth. He'd only tried it out as an experiment, but now he was sure—25% healing really made a difference.
Looks like he really could play the role of a legendary healer. Next time, he figured, he'd better charge for his services...
After all, you can never have too much money.
...
In the wind and snow, the group set off again. The trek was tough, but not worth detailing.
Before nightfall, Lu Chen reached the camp where the adventurers had stayed.
It wasn't the highest point of Barren Mountain, but it was the most complex terrain. There were no trails—just exposed rock walls you had to climb to reach it.
The camp was perched on a tall cliffside, the flattest spot in the area. Lu Chen saw the camp in ruins, but a few fires were still burning—someone had to still be here.
Further up, on another rock layer, a pitch-black cave loomed in the distance.
Even from here, the entrance looked massive. Its depthless darkness radiated danger.
That cave was their destination—the source of the Ley Line anomaly.