Peril (Part 2)

Having lost all leads, the Mo Li Trio could only wander aimlessly across the mountain. They knew this was like searching for a needle in a haystack, but the mission was too important. If they returned empty-handed, matters would become extremely complicated. So, whether there was any hope or not, they had to do everything they could to search for the three missing foreign tourists.

After continuing up the mountain for roughly a hundred meters, the slope became extremely steep. The smooth ice could not be climbed using only their feet, and none of them wore proper mountaineering boots. Without short spikes on their soles, their shoes were especially slippery, making it impossible to exert any force. They could only use their climbing picks to secure themselves before slowly climbing upward.

It was nearly ten at night. The wind halfway up the mountain grew stronger, the temperature dropped lower, and the air became increasingly thin. Perhaps because of SY7113's effects, Mo Li's condition had not changed much. Even in such an extreme environment, he did not feel cold, and his stamina seemed inexhaustible.

But Mo Li being okay did not mean Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke were okay. Zhong Lichun was managing somewhat better, but Wei Dengke was already close to his limit. Due to excessive exhaustion and the cold, Wei Dengke's consciousness gradually began to blur. He had even entered a near-death state. His ability to keep climbing behind Mo Li and Zhong Lichun was entirely an unconscious action.

After moving forward for another hundred meters or so, Wei Dengke finally could not hold on any longer. His vision went dark, and he completely lost consciousness. At the same time, his hand released the climbing pick, and his entire body slid down the slanted ice.

The rope around Wei Dengke's waist was connected to Zhong Lichun. The moment he fell, the climbing rope immediately went taut. Zhong Lichun had never expected this to happen, and before she could react, she too was dragged down the slope.

In her panic, Zhong Lichun hurriedly slammed the climbing pick in her other hand against the ice wall, hoping it would stop her descent. But while sliding, she could not put any force into her arm. After several attempts, she still failed to drive the climbing pick into the ice.

At the top, Mo Li heard Zhong Lichun cry out and hurriedly stopped, turning to look down. His expression changed when he saw Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke rapidly sliding down the ice wall. But he was hanging from the wall himself; even if he wanted to save them, he was powerless. Once Zhong Lichun slid down far enough, the taut rope would drag him down as well. They were at least two hundred and fifty meters above the flat ground below. With all three of their weights combined, they would slide incredibly fast, and the impact when they hit the ground would be no small matter. There was no soft snow below, only hard frozen snow and ice. If they fell onto that, all three faced certain death.

Mo Li's only option was to withstand the downward force of Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke's fall. With that thought, he suddenly raised the climbing pick in his right hand and drove it into the ice with all his strength. Perhaps the drug inside his body took effect once again. Mo Li's blow was immensely powerful, and the pick's blade sank completely into the ice wall.

After that, Mo Li only had time to do one thing: quickly wrap the rope around the climbing pick twice. Just as he was about to wrap it a third time, the rope went completely taut. A huge downward force surged through it, and the rope slashed downward through Mo Li's grip. Friction between the rope and his palm even produced smoke.

Because of the immense downward force, the climbing pick in Mo Li's left hand was directly pulled out of the ice wall, dragging Mo Li down with it. Fortunately, the rope was wrapped around the other climbing pick, preventing the three of them from falling all the way.

Zhong Lichun was especially unlucky. The instant the rope went taut, inertia flung her body upward, and her head slammed heavily into the ice wall. She fainted immediately. Mo Li was yanked by the rope around his waist, and the immense pulling force made him feel as if the rope were about to cut him in half.

After catching his breath, Mo Li finally regained the ability to move. He grabbed the rope with both hands and began climbing upward bit by bit. But with two people hanging below him, the combined weight of all three was nearly four hundred jin. The strain on Mo Li's arms was one thing, but the climbing pick embedded in the ice wall might not be able to bear it.

As Mo Li moved upward inch by inch, the climbing pick gradually began to loosen. He climbed while staring fixedly at it, his heart in his throat. Though the temperature had fallen to twenty or thirty degrees below zero, fine sweat beads still appeared on Mo Li's forehead, showing just how tense he was.

To keep the climbing pick from being pulled out completely, Mo Li tried to keep his body perfectly steady without any swaying. To ensure the force remained vertical, he did not brace his feet against the ice wall, relying solely on his arms to climb upward bit by bit.

Through Mo Li's efforts, he finally climbed up to the climbing pick and successfully grabbed its handle. By then, his stamina had been severely drained. It was not merely because he had to climb the rope while supporting Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke's weight, but also because of the immense psychological pressure. Under that double burden, Mo Li felt as though he was about to collapse.

Gripping the climbing pick's handle, Mo Li panted heavily. The cold, thin air entering his lungs instead made him feel refreshed. After resting for several minutes, Mo Li began surveying his surroundings. Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke had both fainted. In such low temperatures, the unconscious pair could easily develop hypothermia, and that would put them in grave danger. He had to find somewhere they could warm up and rest, but they were suspended from the ice wall, neither up nor down. Finding a place to rest was easier said than done.

Just as Mo Li was growing desperately anxious, a gust of wind blew in from his left. He was panting heavily and naturally inhaled part of it through his mouth and nose. Mixed into the frigid wind was a fishy, musky stench.

Mo Li was no stranger to that smell. Wasn't it the scent of a yeti? Almost the first moment he caught it, Mo Li turned his head—and froze. Less than five meters to his left, a massive yeti was staring at him. Mo Li did not know how the yeti could cling to the smooth ice wall, nor did he have time to think about it. Maintaining his hanging position with all his strength was already difficult enough. How could he possibly deal with this yeti? If it attacked, wouldn't he and the two below be as good as dead?

Just as Mo Li's heart began pounding, the yeti moved. It slowly crawled toward him along the mountain wall. As the distance grew closer, the fishy, musky stench became stronger.