The steel door, as expected, didn't budge under Thomas's push. He took two steps back, then lunged forward, his heavy combat boot connecting with the metal with a dull thud. The frigid air had already weakened the door's integrity, and it burst open, unleashing a torrent of snow and wind from the rooftop.
Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…
The blizzard ripped through the opening, lashing at Thomas's face. Normally harmless snowflakes, propelled by the gale, stung like tiny slaps. The icy air choked his breath, and frost rapidly crystallized on his hair and eyebrows.
Driven by a desperate urgency, Thomas shoved himself through the doorway, bracing against the onslaught. One hand gripped the wind-battered metal handle, the other clawing at the frame. With a grunt, he hauled the door shut.
Slam!
The sudden silence was deafening. The blizzard, now a fading nightmare, left Thomas gasping for air. A shiver wracked his body – not from the cold, but from pure, unadulterated fear. He had been terrified, truly terrified, by the sheer, overwhelming power of nature. This was his first real encounter with a natural disaster, a stark reminder of humanity's insignificance.
On his way to the Trading Center, a smug confidence had filled him. This polar blizzard? Child's play. Now, facing the true face of the storm, he realized how foolish he'd been. He suspected this brief, brutal onslaught was the blizzard's actual intensity, a glimpse of its true power. The rest of the time? A toned-down tutorial for newbie survivors, a pathetic imitation of the real thing. Two completely different leagues of disaster.
Humbled, Thomas quickly shed his gear and donned the [Cryogenic Ultra-Low Temperature Insulated Suit]. The [Invigorated] buff had mitigated the cold, but the wind and the struggle to breathe had been crippling. Only this suit could withstand the blizzard's fury.
Time was running out. This peak intensity would last only fifteen minutes, followed by a brief lull. He'd already wasted three. He couldn't afford any more delays. Disaster Relics only appeared at the height of the calamity. He wouldn't gamble on its presence after the fifteen-minute mark. He couldn't afford to.
Securing his respirator, Thomas took a deep breath. His eyes sharpened, his resolve hardening. This Relic was his.
He threw open the steel door, the blizzard instantly pushing him back. Braced against the doorframe, he fought his way onto the rooftop, the wind screaming against his respirator.
Scanning the expanse of the roof, he searched for the Relic. Then, he stopped. Beneath the respirator, his jaw dropped. Shock, awe, disbelief, and a surge of exhilaration flooded his senses.
The blizzard, the Apocalypse Game, Mad Dog, The Butcher, Ghostface, the mysterious figure pulling the strings – none of it mattered anymore. His vision narrowed, focused solely on the object of his quest, blooming defiantly amidst the raging storm: the Polar Snow Lotus.
In the center of the rooftop, a pristine white lotus bud pulsed with a soft luminescence, illuminating a two-meter radius around it. The blizzard, a raging dragon just moments ago, became docile and gentle as it approached the bud, as if an invisible barrier shielded it from harm. Thomas knew better. The storm wasn't being held back; it was choosing not to touch the Lotus.
He stepped into the two-meter radius. The blizzard vanished. The tension and excitement drained away, replaced by a profound sense of calm. A new buff appeared on his status panel: [Tranquil Focus].
[Tranquil Focus]
Type: Buff
Effect 1: Calms emotions, relieves mental stress.
Effect 2: Focus +20, Intelligence +5, Health +15
"Holy… crap… A passive aura buff?" His newfound tranquility shattered. This was insane! He hadn't even done anything, and he was already reaping benefits. He immediately thought of the perfect application: his [Explosive Crafting] skill. Powerful, but nerve-wracking. With this buff, the risk of accidental detonation would plummet. This was a game-changer.
As he approached the [Polar Snow Lotus], its information appeared on his panel.
[Polar Snow Lotus]
Type: Disaster Relic
Appearance Conditions: Extreme Cold Disaster, World Pole.
Effect 1: Upon consumption, permanently grants +60 Cold Resistance, +60 Frostbite Resistance, +50 Max HP.
Effect 2: When steeped and consumed, permanently grants +60 Stun Resistance, +60 Blind Resistance, +20 Intelligence.
Description: A legendary plant found only in the most extreme climates. A must-have on every botanist's bucket list.
Maturation Countdown: 3 minutes 47 seconds.
Warning: Must be harvested within one minute of maturation and must not come into contact with any non-natural materials, or it will instantly wither.
Thomas stared at the list of permanent stat boosts, his eyes bulging. "Sweet mother of… this is a Disaster Relic?" Then he saw the warning. No time to gawk.
"No non-natural materials… Natural materials it is, then!"
The countdown read 3 minutes 35 seconds. He opened his private messages and found the contact he needed.
[City - Thomas]: Howie, you there? Emergency! Need your help!
He sent the message, his heart pounding. It was late, and most survivors slept early to conserve time, body heat, and resources. He watched the countdown, his anxiety barely contained even by the [Tranquil Focus] buff.
Seconds later, a reply arrived.
[Forest - Howie Wang]: Legend Smyth? What's up?
Thomas breathed a sigh of relief.
[City - Thomas]: Need a wooden box, about 30x30cm, within two minutes. Absolutely no non-natural materials. Pure wood. Can you do it? A wooden shovel and tongs would be amazing too!
[Forest - Howie Wang]: Just wood? Easy peasy. Give me a sec!
Relief washed over Thomas. The countdown: 2 minutes 45 seconds. He glanced at the 20th floor's virtual map. The fighting continued. The Butcher's forty-strong force was down to twenty. Mad Dog still had a dozen fighters. This surprised Thomas. The Butcher had the numbers advantage and had taken out several refugees with grenades early on. Why were they losing ground?
He quickly spotted the problem. Every time the black blip – Ghostface, the cultist priest – appeared, one of The Butcher's men went down. The guy was a crack shot, a sniper with unnerving accuracy. Even Thomas felt a chill. He imagined The Butcher was feeling even more helpless.
And he was right. Watching another man fall, The Butcher seethed with impotent rage. "Damn Ghostface! Why me?" From nearly a hundred men to barely twenty, all thanks to one damn sniper. He couldn't let this continue. He pulled out his [Information Transmitter] and sent a message to his supposed inside man with Mad Dog.
[Kill Ghostface. Now.]
He didn't care if the informant died. As long as Mad Dog and Ghostface went down, the losses were acceptable. He didn't know his "inside man" was already dead, courtesy of Thomas. His message would go unanswered.
But Thomas had other priorities.
[Forest - Howie Wang]: Legend Smyth, as requested! Let me know what you think!
Howie traded the items without asking for anything in return. Thomas didn't have time for pleasantries. He checked the box – perfect. The countdown: 30 seconds.
He crouched, placing the box beside the Lotus, the wooden shovel and tongs in his hands. His eyes were glued to the timer.
25… 24… 23… … 3… 2… 1…
The countdown ended. The bud unfurled its petals, like a shy maiden revealing her face, a blend of innocence and purity. The faint luminescence intensified into a soft, white glow that enveloped Thomas. Three crisp system notifications rang out.
"Survivor Thomas Smyth, you have witnessed the birth of a Disaster Relic. You have obtained the common title: [Child of Calamity].
"Survivor Thomas Smyth, through trials and tribulations, you have found a legendary treasure, a wonder of the world. You have obtained the achievement [Disaster Traveler]. Regional Legend Points +1."
"Survivor Thomas Smyth, bathed in the birth-light of the Disaster Relic [Polar Snow Lotus], you have permanently gained: +50 Max HP, +20% Max Stamina, +20 Health, +20 Vitality, +50 Ice Resistance."
A new buff appeared on his status panel.
[Blessing of the Snow Lotus]
Type: Buff
Effect: Immunity to blizzard and extreme cold effects. +20% movement speed in snowy terrain.
Duration: 2 hours.
"Holy… crap…" Thomas's mind went blank, overwhelmed by the deluge of rewards. "This is a Disaster Relic?"
He snapped back to reality, checking the harvest timer. 48 seconds. "Good, still on track."
Ignoring everything else, he carefully plucked the Lotus with the tongs and dug around its base with the shovel. The root snapped cleanly. Fresh soil, inexplicably present on the rooftop, clung to the roots. The Apocalypse Game's absurdity was no longer surprising. He wouldn't even blink if another Lotus sprouted right now.
"Holy… crap…"
He froze. A new Lotus was sprouting, growing at an impossible rate. In five seconds, it went from sprout to bloom to wither, a second per stage. A peanut-sized black seed dropped from the withered flower and rolled to his feet.
Thomas felt a twitch in his brain. What was going on? Buy one, get one free? No time to ponder. He placed the harvested Lotus and the seed into the wooden box, sealed it, and stowed it in his inventory.
A wave of exhaustion hit him, despite the dopamine-fueled euphoria. It had been a long, arduous journey of planning and risk-taking. But it was worth it. The Lotus itself was invaluable, but even the stat boosts from the birth-light alone justified his efforts.
But his work wasn't done. He strode to the edge of the roof, his gaze fixed on the still-raging battle on the 20th floor. A smile curved his lips. He had another objective. Time for him to make his entrance.