Chapter 41: The Stronghold Under Snow Storms (3)

“You look different somehow,” Nolan spoke after a moment of silence. “I can’t explain it.”

Lucian did not argue with him, so he agreed with Nolan’s words.

Ayen fell silent again after answering. Normally, one would return the question, but Ayen was not one to do that. He was trying to be more approachable, but taking the initiative would take time.

The room fell into silence. Without Nolan talking, no conversation happened. At some point, Nolan lay down again and fell asleep, followed by Lucian.

They were a bit sleep-deprived, unable to sleep much in a chaotic environment. Now that they were in a safe place, the exhaustion dawned on them.

Except Ayen. He was the one who slept a lot during the journey. The little commotion the battle caused did little to him, who stayed in a most dangerous forbidden zone.

Lying on the bed, Ayen decided to wash up. The two who also intended to do so, probably, were already asleep. The room was small, but the bathroom was still well-equipped.

For the place with cold temperatures, hot water was provided and installed in the shower. While inside the bathroom, he opened his backpack.

Inside were a pair of clothes and the blaster gun. There was not much else. However, his eyes landed on a small pouch inside.

“He really…” Ayen took it and touched the metallic surface. It was a space artifact.

Before he left, Devion had asked for the contents of his backpack and slid something inside. Ayen did not ask what it was; he already had a hunch then.

Looking inside, thick coats with good quality material and new clothes. Since space equipment was rare and had special requirements, it often needed the same type of items. If not, Ayen would not be seeing only clothes inside.

His first thought was how the two managed to prepare this much, but thinking of the two espers who visited them before he left, he already found the answer.

Before he knew it, his grip on the pouch tightened as he hugged it and closed his eyes. Somehow, they never failed to establish their presence, no matter how far.

In the end, Ayen chose a simpler coat out of everything. It was still of sturdy material, but it would not feel out of place when he wore it.

The cold temperature had alleviated slightly indoors, but that did not mean it was not cold. So, wearing a coat inside was necessary.

Ayen planned to look around first. Checking the place he would stay in was always the first thing he did when arriving in a new zone. Fortunately, it was still afternoon, and curfew was not imposed.

He quickly went downstairs. He did not bump into the newcomers, who, like his roommates, were resting. So some glanced at him for being a new face, but none started a conversation.

The stronghold was not huge, probably the size of a small town. And it was fully enclosed by a huge, imposing wall. The buildings were mostly not tall, only reaching ten floors at most, with the institute office being the tallest.

This was only the main stronghold of many other strongholds established in the red zone 21.

As he walked around, Ayen observed his surroundings. The urgency and the discipline the espers and soldiers exuded, and also the civilians, was something not one would be able to see in a yellow zone.

The entrance was always busy, welcoming the returned espers or new dispatch. The death rate of espers was higher in this zone, and so fresh blood was always needed.

Ayen paused and looked at the kid who almost bumped into him. His face was flushed from the cold, with tears in his eyes. Soon, a woman was scrambling and grabbed the kid.

The kid cried and made a fuss.

“Sorry, sorry.” The woman bowed at Ayen, trembling as she scolded the kid. Ayen’s eyes noticed the frostbite on her hands and then moved to her face.

“No need to say sorry,” Ayen responded and did not add anything more than necessary. He knew that the woman was only waiting for that, and she soon bowed and ran away, dragging the kid.

Red Zones typically could not accommodate civilians; the situation was harsher, and survival was low. The espers mostly cared about the front lines; the soldiers were the same.

However, that did not mean red zones lacked civilians. They were those who were rescued from the nearby settlement that was destroyed. And over the years, those who could not afford to leave chose to settle, and so did their descendants.

The civilians in the red zone were the reality of the world now. Not even those living in the yellow zone knew the extent of ruin their current world suffered.

Because of this, they were more respectful and scared of the espers, soldiers, and also the guides.

After he walked around for a while, he returned to the branch building as it was getting late.

When he was near the branch, Ayen paused. He looked up, and snow began to fall. Some of the people on the streets also did the same; their expressions visibly changed.

Soon, an alarm sounded. Many civilians started running to their designated homes.

Snowfall always meant danger in this zone. Ayen’s first day in Red Zone 21 was welcomed by a snowstorm.

Ayen also ran towards the branch. An A-class esper was already guarding the door and urging everyone to get inside. The alarm blew intensely, and the whole stronghold entered high alert.

“What’s happening?” When Ayen entered the room, he saw the two who were woken up by the alarm. Nolan was the one asking him.

Ayen sat on his bed and answered. “There’s a snowstorm.”

He already heard it at the reception. Most espers were being mobilized, and Guides were asked to be on standby.

Nolan’s face paled slightly; he seemed to know the implications. Lucian looked clueless but had a solemn expression. In a red zone, everything that made everyone this tense was terrible news.

And they only arrived too!

“What is it?” Lucian asked. Ayen also listened to what he was about to say.

Nolan directly told them what he knew after gathering his thoughts.

“Snowstorms in this zone were not frequent, but they always caused disaster. The temperature will drop sharply, and so will the visibility. Not to mention…” Nolan swallowed with a tense expression. “…The Cold monsters, the most terrifying monster in this red zone, will become active.”

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