With Lu Chen and Venti joining the team, Wang Qi's confidence skyrocketed.
He quickly reorganized the remaining gear, crafted makeshift torches, and decided to lead another expedition into the depths of the cave.
Seeing how busy Wang Qi's camp had become, Captain Liu on the other side couldn't sit still any longer. He wanted the treasure too—but not the losses.
"Hey! Wang Qi? You really plan on going back in?"
Wang Qi ignored him. Even if you tripled the numbers of these people, they still wouldn't bring him as much confidence as that young man surnamed Lu.
Because he was the real powerhouse here.
Seeing Wang Qi brush him off, Captain Liu was irritated but didn't dare explode.
He eyed Wang Qi's group warily, especially the way they treated that teenager so respectfully. Were these two newcomers reinforcements? They looked so young—practically minors—not at all like the veterans he'd imagined.
But facts were facts.
Wang Qi had tried to recruit Liu's people to share the risk, yet after this boy showed up, he suddenly had the confidence to go it alone.
Captain Liu wasn't stupid. He narrowed his eyes and observed Lu Chen closely, seeming to realize something.
There was no way he'd let them take all the treasure for themselves.
"Hey! Wang Qi, wait for me!"
...
After wavering for so long, Captain Liu suddenly tried to make nice and insisted on joining them, much to Wang Qi's annoyance.
He'd been fine hugging one expert's leg—now a whole bunch of scavengers were tagging along.
Still, there was strength in numbers, so Wang Qi reluctantly agreed.
"These two young men seem impressive. Aren't you going to introduce us?" Captain Liu asked with a smile as his attitude flipped on a dime.
Seeing that Lu Chen had no interest in pleasantries and still wore his usual indifferent look, Wang Qi replied, "They're both friends of mine. Strong fighters. With them here, we'll have a much better chance."
"Oh... is that so? A pleasure to meet you!" Captain Liu gave Lu Chen a friendly smile, seemingly forgetting their earlier tension.
Lu Chen glanced around. Torches crackled in the camp, and everyone seemed ready to head out again—though not one of them looked confident.
"There are too many people," Lu Chen said, shaking his head.
"Huh?"
Both team leaders turned to him.
"They're untrained. Charging in all at once will only make things worse." He looked at Wang Qi. "The cave entrance is narrow. I suggest taking a few skilled members in first to scout. No point in risking unnecessary casualties."
If the monster inside was as dangerous as expected, throwing more bodies at it would only lead to a bloodbath. Better they stayed at camp, tended fires, and cooked instead.
He was saying this for their own good.
"I agree," Wang Qi nodded. The situation inside the cave was unclear, and it made sense to investigate before committing the full group.
"But..." Captain Liu hesitated. "Wouldn't it be unsafe with so few people...?"
Seeing that indecisive look on Liu's face again, Wang Qi didn't bother arguing. He just ignored him and picked two of his more capable teammates.
Lu Chen, Venti, Wang Qi, and his two men stepped out of camp together.
"Hey! Wang Qi!"
"Wait, I'm coming too!"
"Don't go so fast..."
The camp was located slightly east and downhill from the cave. The group lit torches and flashlights—ones that hadn't frozen yet—and began climbing toward the cave entrance.
Captain Liu, fearing for his own safety, brought along three men. After a tough climb, the nine of them finally reached the entrance.
Even with the flashlight beams shining in, the mouth of the cave remained pitch black.
The beams vanished into the murky darkness. A piercing cold swept out from within, making everyone shiver instinctively.
As they ventured inside, the cold grew sharper. Lu Chen frowned. Wasn't this a bit too cold?
Captain Liu had only walked about ten meters before he started trembling uncontrollably.
"It wasn't this cold the first time..."
"Fire! Someone give me a fire!"
Wang Qi was struggling too, but his willpower held. He grit his teeth and endured the freezing wind.
Lu Chen gave him a glance. This guy was clearly putting in the work. Luck might've helped, but his growth came from real effort too.
The deeper they went, the slower they moved. The plummeting temperature made every step treacherous.
Lu Chen felt his hands and feet going numb, his movements growing sluggish. Something wasn't right.
Then came a system notification:
[Cold Level Warning!]
[Ley Line Abnormality: Frostbound Ice]
[Characters affected by Frostbound Ice will consume more stamina. Use elemental reactions to dispel the Cryo effect.]
Elemental reactions? Only Pyro could melt ice and snow—and thankfully, he could use Pyro.
Lu Chen pulled out a Blunt Sword from his backpack. Even though he could conjure it instantly, he didn't want to raise eyebrows in front of outsiders.
[Overheat]
He cast a wave of Pyro energy against the incoming cold. In an instant, the air around them warmed noticeably.
Venti, seeing what he was doing, raised a hand. A soft breeze wrapped warmth around the group.
The Pyro and Anemo reaction expanded the effect of [Overheat] severalfold, and the nine-person team felt as if they were standing beside a toasty hearth.
"What... what is this!?" Captain Liu stared in shock.
Wang Qi was just as stunned. He had never seen an ability like this before.
But more than anything, he felt relieved that these two were on his team.
The warm air began to melt the frost on the cave walls, and the group picked up speed. But Venti didn't look happy.
His expression tightened, and he stared into the darkness ahead.
Lu Chen noticed and asked, "Sensing a monster? Is it dangerous?"
"It's worse than a monster..."
"What is it?"
Hearing the exchange, Wang Qi and Captain Liu immediately tensed. If these two found it terrifying, it had to be really bad.
What could it be? Both men looked nervous.
Venti looked at Lu Chen, then lowered his head in despair.
"I ran out of wine."
"..."
Lu Chen sighed. Yeah, for Venti, that was a nightmare. No booze meant he might as well be powered down.
Unfortunately, Lu Chen wasn't a drinker, so he didn't carry any.
Wang Qi and Captain Liu glanced at each other, their faces full of disbelief.
Running out of alcohol was worse than facing a monster?
They couldn't understand it...
Maybe this was just how all experts acted—strange and unpredictable.
...
The group soon reached the spot they'd reached last time. Under the flickering torchlight, the ground was littered with abandoned gear and dark smears of blood.
Lu Chen caught a strange, foul odor.
It smelled just like... the wild boar he'd butchered on the way up the mountain...
His pace slowed. Then he saw them—countless wild boars frozen in blocks of ice deeper in the cave.
So he had been right. The creatures that attacked the others were wild boars—Teyvat wild boars.
This place didn't just replicate Dragonspine's climate. It even had "chilled meat" to match...
"Crap! Put out the fire!" Wang Qi suddenly shouted.
He'd realized what was happening—but it was already too late.
The combined Pyro and Anemo abilities had drastically raised the temperature. Massive chunks of ice were melting rapidly. Several wild boars were already kicking their hind legs, trying to break free.
"Oh no!" Lu Chen slapped his thigh, looking just as panicked as the others.
Venti gave him a weird look. What was there to fear from wild boars?
Lu Chen was full of regret—but his concern was totally different from everyone else's.
He was upset that the wild boar meat was thawing out. Once defrosted, it wouldn't taste as good. He'd hoped to haul some frozen boars back down the mountain.
After all, Ei had said she wanted to try that kind of roast...