Night Watch

(It suddenly began to rain outside, adding another touch of chill.)

"So, is anyone willing to serve as the vanguard?"

Big Bear laid out both his plan and the question before everyone.

The entire exile group had the right to know about this, because it had been stated before that the advance party would take away a portion of the group's resources.

That portion of resources would be scraped together from every exile's food and pockets... They had the right to be informed.

The crowd looked at one another. To Big Bear's surprise, no one stepped forward first.

He soon understood why.

Perhaps no one yet dared to leave the group and venture deep into the wilderness alone.

"I'll go."

Petrova stepped out from beside the Yeti Squad's campfire.

Everyone's eyes focused on the young Ursus girl.

"Petrova, don't force yourself..." Big Bear bit his already chapped lips and spoke softly.

Every member of the Yeti Squad was like a younger brother or sister to him—his family. And now, one by one, FrostNova and Yangge had gone far away from him.

Petrova would be next.

Yet reason told Big Bear that Petrova was also the best choice.

In terms of strength, Petrova ranked among the best in the entire Yeti Squad. Whether in Originium Arts or close combat, she was formidable.

As for her temperament, she was a resilient Ursus girl. Or rather, any Yeti who had survived Ursus mines and wandered the northwestern icefields for so long would not be weak-willed.

Petrova was also well versed in wilderness survival skills—Big Bear simply could not find a reason to oppose the girl going out alone.

Most importantly, Petrova was someone Big Bear trusted. Entrusting this mission to her, he did not fear that she would betray him.

"Big Bear, someone has to do this—so let me go." Petrova pressed a hand over Big Bear's. "Lead the whole group well. Guide them to survive. You can do it."

Petrova herself did not know whether she could truly accomplish the goal. This was an unknown journey, and any mistake could cost her life.

Perhaps this parting would be their final farewell.

"Take care—"

Big Bear wanted to say more, but he simply could not bring himself to speak.

It was as though something had glued his lips shut.

He had always been an emotional person, yet at crucial moments, he could never force out a single word.

Because deep down, he instinctively resisted this.

Perhaps he had never been suited to be a leader.

And yet, he had no choice but to become one now... because everyone hoped someone could lead them out.

Still, even though Big Bear said nothing, Petrova could sense his complicated emotions.

"Don't overthink it, Captain. You don't need to carry so much guilt." Petrova took Big Bear's hands and held them in her palms. "We all only barely snatched our lives back from the Reaper."

"There's nothing left for us to fear..."

"...Thank you." Big Bear and Petrova stood by the fire for a long time, their hands clasped together.

Sleeping was a problem.

Humans were not suited to sleeping directly in the wilderness.

Even with boulders to block the wind and a campfire, they would still shiver from the cold.

And there were clearly not enough tents.

Fortunately, it was impossible for all the exiles to sleep at the same time.

Someone had to keep watch.

They needed to stay alert for dangers that could appear at any moment.

They also needed to make sure the campfire did not go out, constantly adding fuel.

So Big Bear divided the entire group of exiles into two shifts.

One would take the first half of the night.

The other would take the second half.

Of course, Big Bear still let those who had been seriously injured rest. In their condition, they were clearly not fit to stand watch.

The healthy ones could only be asked to contribute a little more.

Aside from the wounded, only one person in the entire group could sleep through the whole night.

That was Petrova, who would set out alone tomorrow.

She needed enough sleep to prepare for the "solo wilderness challenge" that would begin the next day.

The others drew lots to determine the watch order.

Big Bear drew the second-half shift, which meant he could get a good rest during the first half of the night.

Every second of sleep was worth cherishing.

So Big Bear did not waste time. After arranging the remaining tasks, he crawled straight into a tent.

Though it was called a tent, it was a rather crude thing, pieced together from wooden sticks and scraps of canvas.

Some exiles did not even have tents. They propped the heavy infantrymen's greatshields against the boulders, forming makeshift shelters.

Fortunately, those heavy infantrymen's tower shields were thick and large enough to block the howling night wind.

With no blankets, the ground cold and hard, Big Bear casually found a bundle of clothes to use as a pillow.

But exhausted as he was, he quickly fell asleep.

Big Bear had a dream.

In it, members of the Yeti Squad kept leaving him.

First Yangge, then Petrova.

One after another, they drifted farther and farther away, gradually swallowed by the surrounding mist and vanishing from his sight.

Big Bear wanted to move his legs and chase after them, but found himself nailed in place, unable to move at all.

He wanted to shout, but could not make even the faintest sound.

All he could do was watch silently as they vanished before his eyes, one after another...

He jolted awake. Outside, it was still pitch-black.

Big Bear crawled out of the tent.

His back was drenched in cold sweat. Only after waking did he realize everything that had happened was merely a nightmare.

"Whew—"

Taking a breath of icy air, Big Bear slowly calmed himself.

"Captain, it's not time yet."

The Phantom Crossbowman assigned to rotate watch with Big Bear pointed at the terminal beside him.

Some communication terminals had not yet run out of power. They used these electronic devices, which had already lost their signals, to keep time.

There was still quite a while before the watch shift changed, which meant Big Bear could sleep a little longer.

"No. You should get some rest early."

Big Bear waved his hand, sat beside the campfire, and added a piece of firewood.

The wood slowly caught fire, and the flames visibly leaped higher.

Dawn was still a long way off...