Another five days passed.

During these five days, the team advanced westward at a constant speed of 400 kilometers per day. If you go on the road alone, you can at least double the speed. But in this team, except for a limited number of high-level zeros, the rest of the people couldn't go faster in terms of speed or physical fitness. 400 kilometers a day is already the limit, and after stepping out of the Zambis Mountains, there are endless tundra plains. In the meantime, the forest is horizontal, and unlike the desolate and quiet primeval forests of the old era, the forests of the new era seem more secretive. The towering giant trees with intertwined skin and roots stand like hideous demon trees.

As soon as you enter the forest, you will feel a creepy feeling.

The primeval forest of the new era is not only dangerous to the various mutant beasts entrenched in the forest, but also from these terrifying trees.

Of course, there's more to the journey than just the forest. The team passed through snow-soaked mountains, through treacherous forests, past tranquil and beautiful natural lakes, and through deep and dark underground tunnels. After five days, these people living in the eastern plains finally saw the dangers and wonders of the western tundra.

And as you move deeper into the tundra towards the west, the climate gets colder and colder. Even when marching during the day, temperatures of only minus twenty degrees Celsius can be unbearable. Such temperatures are accustomed to Gegna people like Ademili, and even compared to the real winter, such temperatures can be called warm. But the servants in the team can't do it, even if these surviving warriors have an average third-order level, but the low temperature and strong radiation test their physique all the time.

This is the cruel side of nature, and if it does not stand the test, the result is a long sleep in a corner of the tundra. And something like this, there have already been two incidents. There were already few servants, but now there are only 13 left. Of the dozen or so, ten belonged to Team Zero, while the remaining three were Staley's men. It's just that Starley doesn't care about the life and death of the servants, and like many high-ranking powerhouses, in Staley's heart, the role of the servants is more to transport supplies, act as cannon fodder and decoration.

Zero can't blame anything for this, after all, this is a common problem of the strong in this era.

Five days passed, and the team advanced about two thousand kilometers to the west. That evening, as the team stepped out of a forest covered with silver frost, another rolling mountain range stretched across their path. The mountains are steep, knife-sharpened, typical of the tundra style. It is the result of the wind and snow that has been affected by the wind and snow for many years, and the mountain extends from south to north, and the altitude is also low to high. From a distance, it looks like a slide.

The Gegna people call it Mount Tulash, which means "stairway to heaven" in the language of their green capital.

That night, the team camped at the edge of the forest to rest. The servants and fish-man guards cleared large areas of snow and set up marching tents on the snow-free ground. The Fish-Man Guards then gathered dead branches near the forest and built bonfires, and instead of their more primitive methods, the servants began to heat clean water and cook food with marching stoves and solid fuel.

Zero and Staley also hit a blizzard bear in the forest, and treat the big guy as dinner for everyone tonight. The appearance of the Storm Bear is very similar to that of the polar bears of the old days, except that its claws are translucent hedrons, which contain extremely strong ice energy. Prey caught by a blizzard bear will have its blood clotted for a very short period of time and become immobile, thus becoming food for the bear.

It's just that tonight this storm bear is very unlucky, being targeted by Zero and Starley, and thus turning from a hunter to a prey. And all the way to the west, Zero and the others also noticed that it seemed that under the influence of the natural environment of the tundra to the west, the mutant beasts here more or less possessed the ability of ice elemental affinity. This ability makes them more resistant to the cold, as well as being able to use one or more ice abilities.

Or like a snowstorm bear, it directly stores ice energy in some organ or limb of the body, so as to give ice energy damage to the prey while attacking.

Naturally, there was no need to worry about the handling of the food, and when the bear was thrown to the ground of the camp, the servants skillfully lifted the bear's fur. If this bear skin is made to the Mobystone Market, it is estimated that it will be sold for a good price. And even in a place like Asgard, which was already called rich, the white bearskin was a luxury item that the aristocracy vied to collect.

And now, after being washed away from the blood, it has become Leah's cloak and blanket.

Next, there is the paw of the stormy bear. These hedr-like claws contain extremely pure ice energy, and they can be used as energy crystals. Energy crystals are used in a wide range of applications, and pure gemstones like this one are even more of the finest goods. Now, even if the Storm Bear is dead, they still absorb the cold air of their surroundings all the time and seal it in, and then gradually transform it into ice energy.

The servants had taken out the crystal claws and washed them and gave them to Zero, but Zero gave them to the soldiers. It's just that the number of crystal claws is limited, and only a few people with weak physique have been assigned crystal claws. Carrying this crystal claw with you can somewhat slow down the damage caused by the severe cold of the tundra to the servants.

As for the rest of the bear, it is far less valuable than its fur and claws. The servants then dismembered the bear whole, then cut off the bear's flesh and roasted it over a camp fire or a fish-man's campfire. After a few moments, when the bear meat was golden brown, the rich aroma of meat began to waft over the camp.

A violent bear seems to have a lot of meat, but when it is actually divided, the amount of meat per person is also very limited. For the more advanced abilities, it is very inefficient to consume energy through the food of animal meat. Not everyone is like Zero, and they consume energy entirely by burning food. Like Staley, when he eats the food, only the protein in the food is completely absorbed, and the rest is wasted in the process of digestion.

If you just eat ordinary food, the appetite of a high-level ability person will have to be measured by tons. As a result, they are often equipped with compressed foods like nutrients, which taste worse despite the poor taste. But it contains a very rich amount of energy, enough to supplement the daily needs of the able, and save the abler from the food pile.

Before setting off, a few high-level people had been given enough nutrients. After eating two slices of bear meat, Staley took out the nutrients and squeezed them out, and dinner was finished.

The bonfire on the Gegenya side was blazing, and the light of the fire flickered on the faces of the fishmen. Their flesh has been roasted, but they are not going to eat it immediately. Instead, they closed their eyes as if in prayer, and after a few moments, the fishmen opened their eyes and followed the guards to hand the food to Ademilius and Baltimore. While the two of them were eating, the other guards just waited quietly, as if it was time for the guards to eat after the two of them had finished eating.

"Strict class system. Staley commented, taking another sip of his drink. Shaking the already fluttering bottle, Staley began to regret that he had brought too little wine, and Staley, the exotic wine of Mobistone, squirted out after tasting it, which naturally could not be used as an excuse for his slander. As a result, with less and less alcohol to drink, Staley only took a small sip almost every day. His cautious appearance was like that of a calculating miser.

Putting down the bottle, Starley said nonchalantly, "The guy who followed our ass seems to have disappeared two days ago, it's weird, who could they be?"

Zero spread his hand and said, "I'm also curious about this. Anyway, we have to be careful. ”

"If you're not careful, you can't do it, this hasn't even reached the green capital, and Wren is missing. I always felt that this mission was not so simple. And," Starley said lightly, "your attitude towards those fishmen is also very strange. Anyway, it always feels like you're treating them like friends rather than enemies. ”

Staley is not stupid, in fact, no one who can become a high-ranking person is a mediocre person. Knowing that he had sensed something was wrong, Zero immediately asked rhetorically, "Do you think that all alien beings except humans should be our enemies?"

"Of course not, I'm not a racist. But I know where I stand, and you. Zero, your line seems to be a little blurred, and that's not a good thing. Staley said slowly.

"If I believe that these Gegnaites are here for peace, then what do you think, Starley. ”

Now that Staley had begun to doubt, Zero felt the need to test his bottom line in order to decide what to do next.

Hearing Zero say this, Staley was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "No, brother, do you really plan to be a peacemaker? None of us have liliang to push the situation. Either go with the whole situation, or drown in the waves. ”

Zero fell silent as he looked up at the sky shrouded in radiation clouds and said slowly, "Staley, maybe you'll laugh at me." But I have imagined more than once whether human beings can coexist peacefully with us and other higher beings if they have enough room to live. The end of the old era represents that human beings are no longer the only intelligent life. Perhaps we should admit that this planet is not just ours. Aliens, animals and other lifeforms, they also have the right to live, so why should we exploit all this?"

"You're right, but that's all hypothesis. And the fact is that this planet is dying day by day, and the space and resources for living are shrinking. Therefore, war cannot be avoided. Staley sighed.

Zero suddenly asked, "Then tell me, what is the point of this war in the western tundra? You have seen it these days, what is here? barren mountains, patches of primeval forests or everywhere radiant snow? I don't see the meaning, you know, brother." Even if we conquer the entire tundra land, will it be suitable for human beings? Since this land is so barren, Weishenme will have to go west?"

A barrage of questions was asked, leaving Stali speechless. After a while, he said: "We are just warriors, these problems should be a headache for those big people, God knows what is going on in their heads." ”

"Well, that's not going to happen for now. Zero said seriously: "Suppose, suppose there is an opportunity for all life on this planet to have enough living space. Staley, what would you choose. Is it to destroy it and maintain the pattern of this era, or can it fight to protect it, even if it is against a former comrade-in-arms or superior?"

Another question that was difficult for Staley to answer, and the bold man was silent for a moment before he smiled bitterly, "I don't know how to answer you, because what you said is just a hypothesis." But zero, how can you ask such a question? Do you see such an opportunity?"

"It's not clear yet, I just know that there will be answers after this trip to Gegnah. ”

"Really? What would you do if it were you? Well, I'm stupid. Since you have the idea of allowing all life to coexist, then you must stand up and protect this opportunity. It's a risky decision, but I have to admire your courage. Staley held up the bottle, "For your courage, I had to take another sip." ”

Zero watched him carefully take another sip of the spirits, and suddenly couldn't laugh or cry. Zero didn't shake out the whole truth tonight, because without evidence, Staley wouldn't believe that this war was in fact just a tool used by Tyr. But it wasn't all for nothing, at least Staley thought carefully about Zero's hypothesis, and didn't say anything about it.

Like Staley said, Zero gave him just a hypothesis. And when the hypothesis turns out to be true, Zero trusts Staley to make the right choice.

Zero's thoughts were interrupted by footsteps, but it was Atemiri, who had finished dinner, walking towards the two captains. Ademili sat down next to them and said in an exotic human language, "There's something I need to discuss with you two, it's about our trip tomorrow. ”

"There are two paths we have to choose from. One is a tunnel from an old era that crosses the mountain range from the bottom of Mount Tulash, but on the way we pass an old-time human base. The base has a strange name, named after the white blood cells in the human body. That's not the point, though, the important thing is that the base has now become a paradise for the dead, and we prefer to call it the Hall of the Dead. ”

When he heard the word "white blood cells", his heart moved. In the previous base, which was also called white blood cells, the data obtained from zero shows that there was more than one experimental base established in the old era to clone Jihua, and they were all named after "white blood cells". So in Ademili's so-called Hall of the Dead, is there any information about the clone Jihua, or even the Quaternary super life?

Either way, it made Zero feel the need to go to the Hall of the Dead.