Chapter 21: The City of Death

Snow fell thickly from the sky, swept by a howling wind. Amid the endless expanse of white, a solitary city stood resilient against the desolation.

Above its battered gates, a slanted sign hung, its face nearly buried beneath a blanket of snow, obscuring three large characters. As a violent gust swept through, the crooked plaque lost its last hold and crashed heavily to the ground, plunging upright into the snowdrifts.

The impact shook the snow free, revealing at last two of the three characters etched into the weathered wood.

—Spring Comes.

In that instant, a strange radiance flared before the fallen sign, gathering and condensing until it took on the semblance of a human figure—a luminous silhouette that rapidly formed bones, muscle, skin, and hair. At last, the light faded, leaving standing a black-haired man, his right eye missing and his left arm ending at the wrist.

The next moment, a seamless black suit wrapped itself around his bare form.

The man slowly opened his remaining eye. As his vision cleared, a stream of information unfurled before him.

["Calamity Walker" positioning complete]
[Calamity World Serial: 668472]
[Depth: 1]
[Source of Calamity: Blizzards]
[World Summary: Chaos encroaches, the Lotus of Karma blooms, demonic snow descends, all living things fall into tribulation]
[Primary Objective: "Survive" one day (24:00:00)]
[Bonus Objective 1: Uproot the "Karma Lotus" (0/1)]
[Bonus Objective 2: Eliminate the demons of Spring Comes City (0/?)]
[Exceeding standard completion of "Calamity Walker" yields higher evaluation]

The text dissolved.

Zhou Yan lowered his gaze to the battered sign buried in snow at his feet, letting out a sigh.

"Spring Comes...is it?" he murmured. "It doesn't look like any spring is coming here..."

A blast of wind made him shiver. He couldn't help but grumble inwardly—this so-called life suit was little more than a skin-tight uniform, offering not the slightest protection against the cold.

Wasting no time, he activated his talent.

[Activating Talent: Ultra Fusion]
[Fusion Material: Dangerous Baseball Bat]

In an instant, a strange light enveloped him—and faded just as quickly.

When the radiance vanished, Zhou Yan's attire had transformed completely: brown high-top boots, sleek black athletic trousers, a windbreaker of brown that fluttered in the gale, and a metal bat in his right hand, black with gold tracery.

[Fusion Complete]
[Fused Life Suit Form: Ace Hitter]

Zhou Yan swung the bat experimentally, feeling the surge of power in his new form. A faint smile touched his lips.

No longer clad in a restrictive suit, his outfit was now boots, trousers, and a windbreaker with a thermal shirt beneath. It offered some defense against the cold, though in weather as vicious as this, any hope of true warmth was wishful thinking.

What truly kept the chill at bay was the extraordinary physique he now possessed after fusion.

[Physique 8 (+6+15) = 29]
[Agility 9 (+6+12) = 27]
[Spirit 9 (+3+5) = 17]

With such superhuman abilities, the cold that would sap the strength of any normal person became little more than a background discomfort.

[Prompt: Enter Spring Comes City]

A simple prompt appeared, directing Zhou Yan towards the city ahead.

He looked back at the boundless snowfield behind him and the sky, growing darker with each passing minute.

Then he strode forward, heading for the gate.

*

The heavy city gates were already ajar by a narrow slit. With a push of all his strength, Zhou Yan widened the opening enough to slip inside.

Once through the gates and into the city proper, he found that the walls shielded him from the worst of the wind and snow. The howling outside dimmed, and in contrast, the silence within the city became almost absolute.

In that hush, Zhou Yan’s senses—now heightened far beyond the norm—picked up faint, chilling sounds: guttural snarls and ragged breathing.

It was a rasping noise, thick and sticky, like someone struggling to clear their throat. It did not sound like anything a normal creature could produce.

He raised his guard, moving cautiously down the street.

Judging by the architecture, the city belonged to an era reminiscent of Earth’s ancient past. The houses flanking the street were in ruin, many collapsed entirely, their blackened beams exposed to the snow as though fire had ravaged them.

It was the aftermath of war—a dead city of broken walls and shattered homes.

After walking for several minutes, Zhou Yan paused, frowning at a broken street sign that read: South Street, Alley Three.

"Alley Three... So this 'South Street' has at least two other alleys," he muttered.

He glanced around. He stood at a crossroads—the main street from the gate was ten meters wide, while the cross streets to either side were narrower, perhaps six or seven meters across.

If the other alleys were as broad as this one, it suggested the city was of moderate size, perhaps smaller than a modern county seat on Earth.

He glanced up at the sky.

Snow still fell in thick, heavy flakes, and the light was fading rapidly. Night would soon be upon him.

"Avoid the main street, find shelter...then make a proper plan and move again in daylight."

On his way through the main street, Zhou Yan had felt unseen eyes watching him—be they human, beast, or something else entirely.

He pondered this as he turned down a side alley.

His change of route set things in motion.

Soft, shuffling sounds rose around him.

Within seconds, nearly a dozen figures crept out from various houses. Though clad in rags, they seemed completely unbothered by the bone-deep cold.

They swiftly followed after Zhou Yan, slipping into the alley he’d taken.

As they emerged, a few windows and doors—previously cracked open for a furtive glance—snapped shut along the main street.

...

Expressionless, Zhou Yan quickened his pace after entering South Street Alley Three, soon slipping into a narrower, darker lane.

The pursuers lost sight of him at the first turn, uttering low, voiceless growls.

They exchanged no words, quickly fanning out to search the adjoining alleys.

Three of them, by chance, chose the very alley Zhou Yan had entered.

On either side of the alley stood rows of houses facing each other, their gates tightly shut. The three figures advanced, uttering that same thick, phlegmy rasp. Their noses and ears twitched as they sniffed the air.

Soon, they halted before one particular courtyard gate.

A few seconds later, a shrill scream echoed from the street outside.

"Help! Save me!"

Immediately, the area erupted—hoarse roars rose in a frenzy, and hurried footsteps crunched through the snow, all converging on the source of the cry.

Yet the three figures at the courtyard gate did not move.

They simply stood there, waiting.

From within, a pair of voices, hushed and trembling, could be heard.

"Father... was someone found by... by 'them' again?"

"Hush! Not a word."

The instant the voices sounded, the three outside leapt the wall with uncanny agility.

Inside, a middle-aged man wearing a mask clutched his masked child tightly, terror and despair in his eyes as he watched the three figures vault over.

Their features became clear: three pallid, snow-white beings, jaws bared with fangs, expressions twisted in mindless hunger.

Their eyes were bloodshot as they lunged at the father and son.

A second later—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three muffled cracks rang out.

All three monsters fell, their skulls shattered, collapsing to the ground.

[Eliminated "Snow Thralls" x3, Gained 52 Spirit]

Zhou Yan stood just behind the gate, lowering his bat after the triple kill.

He turned calmly to fac