The tightly shut doors and windows along Boulder City's streets rattled loudly in the wind.
There were no pedestrians in sight. Only a line of ragged paupers in the middle of the road pushed cartloads of snow out of the city to be dumped.
In the slums along the outer wall, collapsed shacks lay everywhere. Filthy people braved the howling wind and snow, searching through snowdrifts for missing relatives and friends. Others stood numbly beside their fallen shacks or knelt on the ground in prayer.
A wooden pole bent crooked by the wind lay unattended at the entrance to the slums. Two loudspeakers were wired to it, intermittently blaring an irritatingly slick voice.
"...Hello, dear listeners. This is Voice of Boulder City, and I am your most beloved host, Mr. House."
"Just ten minutes ago, a sudden blizzard swept across the southern part of River Valley Province. This heavy snowfall is expected to last for two hours, but please do not worry. Before our towering giant walls, neither the surging 'Tide' nor the howling cold winds can harm us in the slightest! Under the leadership of our great City Lord, we are invincible!"
"However, our neighbors have not been so fortunate."
"Although the snow has obstructed our view, preventing our observation posts from seeing what is happening in our neighbors' homes, I can imagine what a miserable scene it must be."
"If your house has collapsed, please do not be sad. The Far Wind Hotel will always welcome you!"
"This will be your second home!"
The sudden blizzard had thrown the entire northern outskirts of Clear Spring City into chaos.
Especially the little players hunting in the Elmwood District. Luckily, their VMs came with maps and compass functions, or they might not have made it out of the forest.