Perfect Ice Resistance

This was already the fourth day.

Wang Wu's Health Points had finally fully recovered, and the fur that had fallen off his body had grown back. Perhaps it was an illusion, but his new fur seemed much denser, and quite soft and warm.

Most importantly, his Ice Resistance had greatly increased, rising by two points at once.

Currently: (9/10)

Compared to such enormous gains, all the suffering from before seemed like nothing.

Of course, whenever he thought back on it, he still felt lingering fear.

Especially when he saw that a full third of his food reserves had vanished, Wang Wu did not dare test the snowy winds a second time.

Winter still had a long way to go. Not only could he freeze to death, he could certainly starve to death as well.

But some work had to be done.

For example, he had to pass through the tunnel to the hidden door and bring the accumulated snow back to his cave dwelling. All of it could restore Satiety, and he planned to start conserving food from now on.

The other purpose of clearing the snow was to provide fresh air for the tunnel and cave dwelling.

It was difficult work. The blizzard outside was too fierce, and that thing called the Cold Air Gale was as savage as an evil ghost's fangs, exceptionally capable of breaking through defenses.

Even without sticking his head outside, merely standing at the hidden door was freezing. The temperature had already fallen to minus sixty degrees.

Fortunately, as long as the wind did not hit him, it was not much of a problem.

And so, after several more days passed, Wang Wu's thoughts stirred again. His Ice Resistance was just one point away from perfection. If he did not grind it out now, he would most likely have to wait until next winter.

Yes, Wang Wu was very certain.

Because by his own analysis and judgment, his current 9 points of Ice Resistance were enough to ignore the ice spell attacks of those White-Browed Rat Kings.

Besides, would new Sprites capable of wielding ice spells even appear in the valley next year?

That was an unknown as well.

So he had to grind out his Ice Resistance this winter.

There was no other choice.

And so, on the tenth day, Wang Wu climbed to the tunnel exit again.

The cold wind outside shrieked mournfully, still like the howls of evil ghosts, never ceasing.

The daylight was dim and murky, making it impossible to tell morning from night, dawn from dusk.

This winter was simply too savage.

"Sprites that are good at digging holes can hide from it, but how are bird-type and beast-type Sprites supposed to endure?"

Wang Wu could not help thinking. Besides, in such a terrifying environment, any demon that could still move about probably had to be at the level of a Great Demon, right?

The valley where he lived was already like this. Then wouldn't the Great Snow Mountain to the east, towering into the clouds and covered in snow that never melted all year round, be even more terrifying?

Lost in such wild thoughts, Wang Wu still felt uneasy deep down. That previous ordeal-like torment had truly left him with a psychological shadow.

"This time, I'll only stay for five seconds. I'll test it little by little."

He encouraged himself, gritted his teeth, and slowly pushed aside the snow. But just as he was about to burrow out from the snow and face the Cold Air Gale head-on, he suddenly heard a sharp howl that clearly did not belong to the Cold Air Gale, traveling closer from far away.

His heart skipped a beat, but he did not retreat. It was already too late to pull back. He could only remain as still as possible.

Yet that sharp howl grew ever more mournful, ever more terrifying, ever closer, as if the Great Snow Mountain were collapsing, as if a mad tide of snow were racing wildly at the speed of sound.

"Could it be an avalanche?"

As that thought flashed through his mind, Wang Wu simultaneously entered Level 5 Passive Concealment.

"Rumble!"

The enormous roar even suppressed the howling of the Cold Air Gale. The entire earth trembled faintly, followed immediately by an even more violent, more unrestrained, more resounding roar. Like thunder, it shook all directions.

At that moment, although the roar was clearly at least several hundred miles away, Wang Wu felt as though his heart were about to leap out of his mouth.

He no longer cared about Level 5 Passive Concealment. He turned and ran toward the depths of his cave dwelling, but in the instant he turned around, he still saw the sky suddenly become brilliantly bright.

Why had it suddenly become bright?

He did not know, nor did he have time to think. He fled all the way back into the depths of his cave dwelling and curled into a ball. At that moment, he felt so small.

That terrifying roar sounded several more times before all movement ceased. He had no idea what had happened.

The courage Wang Wu had painstakingly mustered vanished into thin air.

He obediently hid in the underground cave dwelling for several more days before attempting to crawl out again.

"I have to max out this Ice Resistance. I have a human soul—how can I shrink back at a moment like this?"

"Opportunity knocks but once. If I want to grind Ice Resistance again, I'll have to wait until next year."

"One last time!"

After encouraging himself like that and forcing himself through his fear of the unknown, he tremblingly crawled to the tunnel entrance. He first listened carefully, and only after confirming that this time there was only the ghostly howling of the Cold Air Gale did he dig through the ice and snow, walk out, and face the gale's battering.

This was the crucial part.

He now possessed 9 points of Ice Resistance. He could lie directly in the ice and snow without feeling anything. If not for this Cold Air Gale, if it were merely the whiteout winds of Earth, Wang Wu felt that he could happily play even in the Arctic or Antarctic.

What were penguins? What were polar bears?

"Come on!"

Wang Wu howled inwardly. He understood clearly that there was no room for compromise, no room for cowardly hiding. There could be no tricks with that final point of Ice Resistance—he had to face it head-on!

"Whoosh!"

The instant he stepped out of the snow hollow and stood within the Cold Air Gale, Wang Wu knew that 9 points of Ice Resistance were not much use after all.

That bone-piercing, soul-chasing Cold Air Gale instantly broke through his fur. In two seconds, it pierced through his fat and flesh.

In three seconds, it bored into his bones.

In five seconds, it invaded his internal organs.

By the sixth second, as he turned to run back, he felt as though his brain had frozen into ice cream.

Damn it, has this Cold Air Gale gotten stronger?

"Thud!"

Wang Wu's limbs had already stopped obeying him. Fortunately, the tunnel was directly beneath his feet. He fell straight down and was buried beneath thick ice and snow.

It took him more than ten seconds just to burrow out of the snow.

Only then did the bullying system notification slowly appear.

"You are currently in a harsh, immeasurable environment. You have suffered a severe Cold Air Gale assault. The current environment has inflicted 32 points of Frostbite Damage upon you. Due to your 9 points of Ice Resistance, you have negated 27 points of Frostbite Damage. Your Satiety is being consumed at twice the normal rate. You are receiving 6 points of continuous Frostbite Damage per second."

"Your Level 5 Self-Healing has been activated..."

"Fuck! When did it become a severe Cold Air Gale?!"

Wang Wu was scared half to death and frantically crawled back.

He understood the consequences all too well. Last time, he had been able to hold on for fifteen seconds. This time, he had only lasted six seconds, yet the situation was even more serious. If he had not already possessed 9 points of Ice Resistance, would he not have certainly died this time?

Fortunately, with the experience from last time, although panic rampaged through his heart like a bear living inside it, his actions remained extremely steady. After returning to the depths of his cave dwelling, he immediately chose to eat the dried grasshopper meat.

This was also experience he had accumulated last time.

Although all food could increase Satiety, food quality and properties could still exert a subtle effect.

For instance, eating Yellow Ginger that was already frozen rock-hard, or dried mushrooms, grass seeds, and the like while in a Frostbite state would waste time.

Only dried grasshopper meat contained almost no moisture. While rapidly replenishing Satiety, it also had a certain pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect.

After a round of frantic work, Wang Wu replenished 1,000 points of Satiety in succession before passing the most dangerous stage. If he mishandled this stage, his Health Points would fall into the single digits.

His Level 5 Self-Healing Talent did not seem to have a cooldown—at least, he had not yet discovered one—but without Satiety, it simply would not work.

As long as Satiety remained above 200 points and Health Points were below half, an emergency self-healing state would trigger at any time.

However, after enduring the most dangerous stage, the next stage was the most agonizing.

None of the pain he had suffered last time had been reduced in the slightest.

Excruciating pain, numb itching, soreness, frost sores, ulceration—not a single one was absent. They still tormented him for nearly two days before he began recovering on the third day.

Yes, the recovery speed of this Frostbite had actually increased.

Then, before the fourth day even arrived, his Health Points had filled again, and his entire body had returned to peak condition.

At that moment, several long-awaited notifications finally arrived.

"The frost sores and Frostbite Damage on your body have fully healed. Due to your Level 5 Self-Healing Talent, your body's resistance to cold has greatly increased. You have gained 1 point of Ice Resistance."

"Your Ice Resistance has reached perfection. Current value: (10/10). You may negate up to 35 points of Cold Qi Burn Damage, and gain an additional 50% Frostbite recovery speed."

"You have gained 10% Growth Rate and 10% Special Growth Rate."

"Current total Growth Rate: 90%. Current total Special Growth Rate: 30%."