Perhaps it was because the temperature difference between the Death Domain and the real world was too great; ever since Yangshan Town turned into a cavern, the little remaining warmth quickly vanished, and the temperature continued to drop, even after falling below zero.

A faint layer of frost even formed on people's bodies, and with the slightest movement, there came the sound of "crack, crack," like breaking ice.

Fortunately, Jack kept adding wood to the fire, barely dispersing the chill that clung to everyone.

In a drowsy state, the girl Aurora finally quieted down. She no longer mumbled nonsense but leaned on Yun You and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Frost Moon was getting drowsy too, unable to stay awake any longer after more than fifty hours without rest.

So, after a soft greeting, he covered his head with a protective suit, turned off the chip in his brain, and quietly slipped into a dream.

This left only Yun You and Jack awake.

Jack fiddled with the fire with a branch. The red firelight reflected on his face, but it only illuminated a face so dark that no expression could be seen.

There was no clarity of having survived a disaster, no joy of completing a mission, nor any visible worry for the future.

All that existed was calmness, along with a nearly imperceptible melancholy.

At this moment, what could this mercenary be thinking?

"Probably thinking about his sister," Yun You pondered quietly.

Jack's only and most cherished relative is his own sister, Soya.

That poor little girl suffers from a severe genetic disease, destined to spend her entire life lying in a sterile ward, sentenced to a physiological death the moment she was born by the doctors...

In fact, modern people, especially those living in Nest City, often have severely polluted genes.

Various industrial exhausts, chemical substances, illegal human experiments... have wreaked havoc on the genes of Nest City's residents.

When something goes wrong with genes, all kinds of strange diseases emerge.

Things like blood AIDS, ash cancer, parasitic tumors... each is an incurable, perplexing disease with no available medication.

Even more extreme cases involve physical mutations, such as growing three or four sets of insect-like organs, or sprouting wings and compound eyes...

Individuals like Yun You or Jack, who are perfectly healthy, are in the minority.

For genetic mutations, the attitudes of the lower and upper classes are completely different.

When upper-class people give birth to children with genetic diseases, they typically hire genetic doctors to tailor targeted therapies for the child and surgically remove imperfect gene fragments bit by bit.

So, even body mutations are not significant issues.

However, those in the lower classes, lacking resources, usually abandon children with defects, letting them fade away naturally.

From a macroscopic perspective, this could be seen as contributing to the elimination of "inferior genes."

Though it sounds cruel, it is indeed the reality.

But some refuse to accept fate, and Jack is one of those people.

The income of a mercenary is rather substantial; tens of thousands of Silver Cannon would allow him to live a divine life in the Lower District.

But when it comes to treating a disease, it barely suffices.

Targeted genetic therapies require research that costs millions.

That's something ordinary people... not even a typical Apprentice Death God can afford.

Abandoning his sister, letting the sick girl fend for herself, is often the most rational, and frequently chosen option.

Yet Jack just isn't a purely rational guy... He can be cold and ruthless in the face of a mission, but he can't be heartless against his severely ill sister.

What kind of courage, what kind of something, supports Jack in doing this?

Yun You was somewhat curious.

After all, they had been comrades sharing life and death experiences, yet they still didn't know much about each other's desires and pasts, only scratching the surface.

Yun You thought this wasn't quite right.

Of course, she wasn't nosy; she just enjoyed listening to other people's stories, feeling their life experiences genuinely.

This made Yun You feel that she was truly alive, a living person, rather than a machine killing for revenge.

She instinctively wanted to ask a question, but when the words reached her lips, she didn't know how to say it...

"Chica."

Suddenly, Jack spoke first.

He seemed to notice Yun You's dilemma, so he opened the conversation first.

"When you recruited us before, you said you were already 22, so you were qualified to form a mercenary team."

"You justified it well, saying you were short because of malnutrition in childhood, small-boned due to parental inheritance, and even presented a legally valid ID card to prove you were an adult."

"But I don't believe it."

Jack tilted his head and said calmly, "Because before I turned 18, I also pretended to be an adult like you."

"Appearance can be disguised, demeanor can be imitated, but character and small details cannot be changed."

"So I want to know, how old is our employer Wu Ming really?"

"20? 18? Or... even younger?"

Listening to Jack's question, Yun You remained silent.

After a long while, the little girl slowly lowered her head and in a voice as thin as a mosquito's, she asked back, "What do you think?"

"Eighteen," Jack shrugged, casually giving a number.

"I left my family at 18 to venture out into the world."

"Chica, your personality is quite lively, and although your strategies and mindset may not be fully mature, they're impressive enough, so I guess around 18, or nominally 18..."

"Did I guess right?"

Yun You shook her head lightly.

"I..."

"16 years old."

"Half a month to go until 16."

With that statement, Jack was taken aback.

"Not even 16? Then that's 15..."

"15 years old..."

At first, Jack found it hard to believe, but soon realized Yun You wouldn't lie about this.

Thus, an indescribable emotion brewed in the mercenary's heart.

He first felt admiration, realizing the little girl was truly remarkable, but this was quickly replaced by sympathy and sadness.

Jack once thought Yun You was a scion of a prestigious family, living in harmony and abundance.

He assumed she joined such dangerous missions just for experience and prestige, completely different from those in the lower classes.

But now it seems the reality is likely different.

For someone under 16 to become an Apprentice Death God and reach this level, surely she endured hardships even he couldn't imagine.

Upper-class individuals wouldn't face such hardship, at least not at such a young age, yet Yun You was willing to bear it...

Or perhaps, she never had a choice, only this path to tread.

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