At noon.

230 kilometers deep into the wilderness, under the azure sky, the vast expanse stretched endlessly.

On the Ring Mountain Road, the off-road vehicle sped forward, snowflakes fluttering through the open windows, the biting cold wind striking faces, evoking a feeling of exhilaration and freedom.

The peaks on both sides pierced into the clouds, the ravines among the mountains twisted like sprawling dragons, exuding a deep mysterious blue. In the distance lay endless mountain ranges, like a sleeping giant, covered in snow, the scene magnificent and grand.

This road was surrounded by mountains on three sides, below was a ringed depression, at the center of which lay a glacial lake spanning several hundred square kilometers. The water was a cerulean blue, like a massive mirror reflecting the sky, stretching to the distance, merging with the horizon, responding to the call of the distant mountains.

This was a typical cirque landscape, and this road had been in disrepair for years, with the right guardrail showing breaks at intervals, in a disorganized state, covered with rust marks. Coupled with the winding road, it was very easy for accidents to occur if a driver drove for too long while fatigued.

They found themselves at least several hundred meters above the depression below on the mountainside. Without a doubt, falling here meant no chance of survival.

At this moment, ahead of the off-road vehicle, Chen San was gripping the steering wheel. Through the windshield, one could see him concentrating on driving, the ever-unchanging expression on his poker face.

Since the argument broke out in the morning, the atmosphere inside the car had become somewhat delicate.

It was Lin Xing who first broke the silence, "Why is no one talking, the weather and scenery are so nice."

"Why don't I tell you a joke, one day, the little animals in the forest had a gathering, they formed a group, but only the little elephant was angry, why was that?"

No one responded.

"Because it was a meteorological bureau, hahaha."

The temperature in the car seemed to drop a few degrees.

Lin Xing scratched his head, "Why is there no reaction, isn't it funny?"

"Are we perhaps on a road trip?" Chen San said coldly.

Lin Xing felt awkward from the rebuttal, he wanted to turn on the car music but Chen San expressionlessly swatted his hand away.

"During driving, don't reach over, especially on such dangerous roads."

"If it happens again, I'll start questioning your motives, take your jokes and get out of the car yourself."

"Lin Xing, quiet down." Lin Sheng sighed from the back, sounding somewhat helpless.

The back seat of the off-road vehicle wasn't cramped, with enough space to comfortably seat four without being jostled together during sharp turns, maintaining social distance between each pair.

Tang Xin was awakened by the commotion inside the vehicle, she slowly opened her eyes, lifting herself from the shoulder of the blonde girl beside her, rubbing her eyes drowsily.

She yawned, having slept again after leaving the snowy region, feeling unprecedentedly refreshed.

Turning her head, she saw Xu Xiaoyou still with a stern face, leaning against the open car window, lost in thought, her blonde hair tousled by the cold wind, strands catching white snowflakes.

"You're awake." Xu Xiaoyou nodded.

Tang Xin opened the curtain to find that it was in offline mode, all network-required functions unable to open, leaving her to only play single-player games like 'Angry Pigs'. She attempted to load the map, but after several unsuccessful attempts, she gave up.

"Where are we now?"

"Fars Mountains, this Ring Mountain Road runs over 300 kilometers. Once we reach the end, we'll be close to the place where the Puppet Master last appeared according to intel," Xu Xiaoyou said.

Tang Xin nodded thoughtfully.

Fars, the term wasn't unfamiliar to her, having heard it many times in textbooks. That was the name before the company church wars for the Star of Art, back then it wasn't called the Star of Art but instead Fars Religious Kingdom, ruled by the church, with Fars as the title for successive Popes.

This road was constructed during that era, at least over a hundred years ago.

After driving on the Ring Mountain Road for two more hours, the off-road vehicle suddenly came to a halt with a slight jarring vibration and an abrupt, slightly harsh braking sound.

Chen San hammered the steering wheel forcefully, clicking his tongue.

"What's wrong?" Lin Sheng asked.

"It's stalled, everyone get out and check it out."

Everyone disembarked, looking around, without noticing, dense fog had engulfed the mountainside, obscuring all scenery in the distance, even the view ten meters away was unclear.

"Why did it suddenly fog up like this?" Lin Xing frowned deeply.

"I don't know, but we're not in Nest City right now, this place is affected by the Wastelands, something strange is usually not good." Lin Sheng said, squinting ahead.

The cold aura approached rapidly, Xu Xiaoyou surveyed the surroundings, an ominous feeling rising from within.

"Damn! The engine's frozen and cracked." Chen San cursed.

Cursing, he moved toward the rear compartment, taking out a pile of repair tools and metal parts. Just then, Lin Sheng noticed something, pointing toward the roadway in the distance.

"Is there something over there?"

Everyone present raised their heads to look in the direction he pointed. Amidst the dense fog was a figure, about a hundred meters away from their location. Due to the thick fog, the figure was indistinct, only its outline could be faintly discerned, like a straight stick spreading outwards as if a giant cross were standing on the ground.

At this moment, the figure seemed to be swaying slightly.

"Bro, it's a tree, right?" Lin Xing scrutinized before speaking.

Lin Sheng didn't think too much, just as he bowed his head, a girl's voice suddenly came to his ears.

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