As they emerged from the tunnel, they were greeted by heavy snowfall.
The howling wind carried flurries of snowflakes, and the world ahead was a vast expanse of white. Visibility extended only about ten meters, and even the search radar was severely disrupted.
The group trudged through the snow, supporting one another as they advanced.
Mo Chen took out recovery items and distributed them to the injured Nikkes.
The Nikkes were overjoyed, hugging their comrades and shedding tears of relief. The somber atmosphere from before was finally lifted.
However, he occasionally felt a piercing gaze from behind, sending a chill down his spine.
Snow White, on the other hand, seemed to only be interested in the recovery items.
"Can you eat this?"
"...Probably not."
"Oh."
Snow White looked disappointed.
Her cream pastries were already gone.
Due to the blizzard, the group gained some reprieve, as it partially blocked the Raptures' sensors.
With this brief moment of rest, Mo Chen took the opportunity to ask Snow White more about the infected Nikkes.
From what she shared, the Nikkes that had died and become infected were likely affected by a virus. It bore similarities to the Rapture virus, but it operated on a higher level—so much so that it could even suppress the Rapture virus itself.
Mo Chen's first thought was that the Punishing Virus or the Blacklight Virus might have leaked.
However, after capturing an infected Nikke for examination, Mo Chen discovered that it wasn't the Punishing Virus or the Blacklight Virus.
It was a virus he had never seen before.
Yet, there seemed to be a subtle connection between the three viruses.
Another possibility crossed Mo Chen's mind—Marian.
Mo Chen made his way to the reconnaissance unit, who were resting.
Most of the injured Nikkes had recovered and undergone repairs, with only a few still visibly shaken by the mental trauma they had endured. Nonetheless, they were generally in stable condition.
After the arduous journey, even these Nikkes—specialized in search and reconnaissance—appeared fatigued and were taking short naps.
He quietly approached Signal and tapped her on the shoulder.
Signal jumped in surprise.
She was about to cry out when Mo Chen quickly covered her mouth, signaling her to stay quiet with a "shh."
Realizing what was happening, she calmed down.
Mo Chen let go of her mouth and said softly, "Come with me for a moment."
Not wanting to disturb the others, he led her to a secluded spot.
Signal followed nervously, both excited and anxious, uncertain about why the commander had singled her out.
Once they reached an empty area, Mo Chen turned to her and asked, "Can you detect any signals near the Ark right now?"
Signal blinked in confusion.
She didn't understand what Mo Chen was asking at first.
Mo Chen clarified, "I want to make a call to someone near the Ark."
"A-A call?"
Signal froze for a moment before quickly realizing what he meant.
So that's what it was.
Her heart sank a little.
"Can you do it?"
"Ah, I-I'll give it a try."
"The Alva particle concentration is pretty high right now…"
"So you're saying we can't connect?"
"N-No, that's not it," Signal quickly waved her hands, afraid that Mo Chen would think she was useless. "I'll do my best!"
With over 90% concentration of Alva particles, communication under such interference was extremely difficult. Even high-power communication equipment would struggle to establish a connection.
To make matters worse, the snowstorm further disrupted the signal.
However—
Signal gritted her teeth. She had to succeed: she didn't want to disappoint the commander!
Mo Chen said, "Thank you, but don't push yourself too hard. If it doesn't work, we'll let it go."
He understood how difficult communication was under such harsh conditions.
The last thing he wanted was to force someone into an impossible situation.
Hearing Mo Chen's gentle words, without any arrogance or blame, Signal became even more determined.
Mo Chen waited patiently.
The friend he wanted to contact—was Marian.
A few months ago, before heading to the Ark, Mo Chen had left Marian at the power plant to protect her secret from being discovered.
He had tried several times to bring her back to the outpost.
But due to various circumstances, it hadn't worked out.
Marian was strong, and with Rose and a small squad of advanced troops by her side, she wasn't afraid of Rapture attacks. Even if the Ark sent a large force, Marian's team could retreat safely.
Mo Chen had also set up numerous surveillance devices at the power plant. If anything happened, he'd be the first to know.
But after seeing those infected Nikkes, Mo Chen started to worry about Marian's safety.
What if—just like in certain movies, anime, or novels—Marian had turned into some kind of vengeful antagonist after being left alone for so long?
The thought made Mo Chen's chest tighten.
Meanwhile, Signal worked tirelessly to detect signals near the Ark.
Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Even for a Scout member, this was a tall order.
Watching Signal scramble, Mo Chen couldn't help but say, "If it doesn't work, we can try again another day."
"It worked! I found a signal!"
Signal's voice rang out with excitement.
Mo Chen was surprised. Despite the Alva particle concentration exceeding 90%, she had managed to establish a connection.
He gave her a thumbs-up.
"Nice work."
Signal's cheeks flushed with pride, but she quickly remembered the urgency of the situation.
"Commander, the signal's unstable! Call now!"
"Got it."
Mo Chen knew time was of the essence. He quickly stepped forward and dialed.
"Beep… Beep…"
"Beep… Beep…"
No one picked up.
Mo Chen's heart sank.
No way. Has something happened? Has Marian left the power plant?
Then again, he couldn't really blame her.
Anyone—even a dog—would go crazy if they were locked up for months.
Mo Chen felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
Just then, the call connected.
"Huh? Commander?"
To his surprise, Marian's voice came through on the other end.
"Ah, yeah, it's me."
Mo Chen had already prepared himself for the worst, imagining countless possible scenarios.
Now that Marian had picked up, it took him a moment to process it.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Commander! It's the commander!!!"
A loud scream erupted from the phone, forcing Mo Chen to hold it away from his ear.
His eardrum was almost blown out.
"Is… is it really the commander?"
Marian's voice trembled slightly, as if she couldn't quite believe it.
He cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Yeah, it's me."
Hearing the sheer joy in Marian's voice, Mo Chen's guilt only deepened.
I'm such a terrible person.