Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 796 Challenge Dungeon 51

After resting for a night, the next day, Yun Chu, Hou Fei, and Chu Ya, as agreed, briefly discussed their initial plans in their hotel room before splitting up to explore intelligence from different angles within the icy city.

Yun Chu changed into a thick, light gray fur robe that was not conspicuous in the city, with the hood pulled down to cover most of her face.

She stepped out of the hotel, and the crisp, cool air rushed towards her, carrying the unique, chilling aura of ice crystals.

Instead of rushing to the bustling trading area or the administrative district where clues might be found, she strolled casually along the quieter streets of the residential area.

In her mind, she pulled up the "Friendly Listener (One-Time Use)" item card that she had obtained in the previous mission world but had never used.

The effect of this card is: when used on a single non-hostile NPC, it can greatly increase their desire to confide and their initial favorability for one hour.

Her gaze swept over the residents basking in the sun or leisurely doing their work on the street, and she quickly locked onto a target.

It was an old woman sitting by the door of her igloo, mending a snow wolf skin with a special bone needle.

Her hair was gray, her face kind, and her wrinkled face carried a tranquility that came with the passage of time. Although her fingers were thin and withered, her sewing movements were steady and skillful.

He seemed to be an elderly person who had lived in the city for a long time and enjoyed chatting with people.

Yun Chu walked over and stopped a few steps away from the old woman. She bowed slightly and spoke in a gentle yet respectful tone, "Hello, excuse me."

"I am a traveler from a very far place. This is my first time visiting such a magnificent ice and snow city, and I am curious about everything here."

"You seem to be very knowledgeable. Could you tell me the story of this city?"

While speaking, she silently used the "Friendly Listener" prop card.

The old woman looked up at the sound, pushed up her crystal-polished reading glasses, and her gaze fell on Yun Chu.

The prop card took effect silently, and the old woman's originally indifferent eyes quickly softened with a warm and sharing smile.

"Oh? Traveler from afar... Please sit, please sit." She patted a small icicle covered with an animal skin next to her. "It's cold outside, and it's tiring to stand and talk."

"Want to know the story of our 'Eternal Winter Shelter'? Then you've come to the right place. My great-great-grandmother was born in this city."

Yun Chu obediently sat down, adopting a posture of attentive listening.

The old woman put down her work, looked towards the majestic ice crystal palace in the city center, her gaze becoming distant, and began to tell her story.

Influenced by the prop card, her narration was exceptionally detailed and full of emotion.

“A long, long time ago… I heard from my ancestors that our world was not like this now. There was a warm sun, green forests and grasslands, distinct seasons, and people lived peaceful lives.”

"But then one day—the old folks called that day 'the day the eternal night descends'—the sky seemed to be torn apart, and endless cold winds, carrying ice, snow, and terrifying monsters, surged in from the ends of the earth."

"The warmth has disappeared, the greenery has frozen, and the earth is covered by a thick layer of ice."

"Many people died, and the rest hid and eked out a living under the monster's claws."

“Just when we were about to despair, the King appeared.” The old woman’s voice was full of reverence. “He is a natural-born benefactor of ice, possessing unparalleled power and a heart more benevolent than the purest ice crystals.”

"He led the survivors in battle, found this relatively stable ley line node, and used his power to build the foundation of the city bit by bit."

"The city walls, palaces, streets, houses... were all originally formed and shaped by the king using the power of ice."

"He taught us how to use ice cores for warmth, how to identify edible, hardy plants and mosses, and how to make weapons to fight monsters."

"This city is not only our home, but also a sanctuary that Wang built for us with his strength and life."

The old woman's voice lowered, filled with sorrow: "But there are too many monsters, and they are too strong."

"During one of the most terrible 'Great Ice Tide' attacks, in order to protect the craftsmen who were reinforcing the southern city wall, the king single-handedly fought against several terrifying 'Ice Abyss Lords'."

"That battle... was earth-shattering. In the end, the king won, the monster was defeated, but the king also..."

She wiped her eyes: "The king's body vanished in the light of victory, becoming part of the force that protects the city. But the king left behind his most precious possession—his heart."

Yun Chu asked softly at the opportune moment, "Is it... 'Heart of Winter'? I've heard this name in some places."

“Yes, it is the Heart of Winter.” The old woman nodded, her eyes regaining a glimmer of hope. “It is the embodiment of the King’s last strength and will, an ice-blue heart that will never freeze and will always radiate warmth and protective power.”

"It is enshrined in the 'Bingxin Temple' in the city center."

"It is because the power of the Heart of Winter envelops the entire city that we are able to live relatively safely here."

"It weakens the extreme cold outside the city, forming an invisible barrier that keeps most monsters away from the walls. It is the true, beating heart of our eternal winter sanctuary."

At this point, the old woman's kind smile vanished, replaced by a deep worry.

She glanced instinctively at the gray sky and lowered her voice:

“But…the old priests and guard captains in the city have been quite uneasy lately.”

"According to observations and ancient prophecies, approximately... in about fifteen days, an unprecedented and massive 'ice tide' will descend. Its scale may be even larger than the one that the king repelled when he sacrificed himself."

Her fingers unconsciously clenched the snow wolf skin on her knees, her knuckles turning slightly white: "The ice tide will bring countless powerful monsters, as well as super storms powerful enough to tear apart city walls."

"With the current strength of the Heart of Winter and the protection of us... no one knows if we can hold out."

The old woman looked at Yun Chu, her eyes filled with a desperate longing to confide in someone: "If the city walls fall, if even the Heart of Winter cannot protect us... this is our home."

"Without a home, where can we, who are used to extreme cold and can only survive by relying on the shelter of the city, escape to? I'm afraid... we won't be able to survive."

She sighed deeply and stopped talking, only looking worriedly at the residents coming and going on the street, who were either unaware of the impending disaster or pretending to be calm.

The effect of the one-time use item "Friendly Listener" has ended.

Yun Chu listened quietly, her heart filled with turmoil, but she maintained an appropriate expression of sympathy and solemnity on her face.

She sincerely thanked the old woman, leaving her several pieces of fine-quality velvet animal hides that could be used to make warm clothing as a token of her gratitude, before getting up to take her leave.

Leaving that street, Yun Chu turned into a deserted, quiet alley, leaning against the cold wall as she quickly sorted through the information she had just obtained.

The gaze of icy eyes, the origin of the city, the sacrificed king, the Heart of Winter as the core of power, the crisis of city destruction fifteen days later...

These fragmented clues were quickly pieced together, combined, and deduced in her mind.

“This is practically an explicit hint…” Yun Chu’s eyes sharpened, “A large-scale hidden quest that could very well affect the entire main storyline of the dungeon.”

The mission is most likely a defense/protection mission. The core objective is to help the city withstand the "ultimate ice tide" attack in fifteen days, protect the Heart of Winter from destruction, and ensure that the city does not fall.

But how do I trigger the hidden quest? Do I have to wait until the Great Ice Tide erupts in fifteen days?

Yun Chu raised her head and looked at the ice crystal palace in the city center that shone brightly in the thin sunlight.