Chapter 971: Chapter 971

Five people looked around; this snowy field held around a hundred corpses. They differed in skin tone, clothing styles, and even eras, yet they all shared one unsettling trait—a bizarre smile etched on their faces.

"What did they see to make their smiles so eerie?"

Lin Chen carefully examined the bodies with his x-ray vision. None of these people bore any external injuries; they had all frozen to death.

"Damn it! Why is this happening?" Lin Chen furrowed his brows.

"Let's keep moving forward," Lin Chen said.

Five figures trudged forward together. Snow began to drift from the sky as Lin Chen took the lead and Zhao Xiaohua brought up the rear. The group moved laboriously toward the other side of the mountain.

Suddenly, Lin Chen's gaze sharpened. He realized that those two eerie, smiling corpses had reappeared directly in front of him.

"How is this possible? Did we circle back somehow?" Lin Chen's heart jolted.

But when he turned around, he saw that the others had inexplicably fallen asleep.

"Damn it! Now I understand why these people froze to death—they were hypnotized and froze alive in their dreams." Lin Chen finally grasped the truth.

After arriving here, they had all been hypnotized and perished in their sleep.

The eerie smiles on their faces must have come from dreaming of something beautiful.

Lin Chen attempted to wake the others, but no matter how much he shouted, the four remained deeply asleep, as still as logs.

"Fireball, help me think of something!" Lin Chen called out anxiously.

But this time, Fireball gave no response.

"Fireball! Fireball!" No matter how much Lin Chen called, there was no reply.

"Damn it!" Just as Lin Chen began to feel despair, he suddenly heard the crunching sound of footsteps behind him.

Turning around, Lin Chen froze in place.

"Brother Chen, I woke up. I've been searching for you; it was so difficult to find you," Zhao Xiaowen said, her face reddened from the cold as she hurled herself toward Lin Chen.

"Xiaowen!" Lin Chen's eyes reddened as he saw her.

Lin Chen had always felt deep guilt toward Zhao Xiaowen. Now, seeing her awake, how could he not feel relieved?

"Xiaowen, I'm so happy you're awake," Lin Chen said excitedly.

Zhao Xiaowen's face flushed. "Seeing you makes me just as happy."

"Brother Chen, let's leave here together and go back to DY," Zhao Xiaowen said, grabbing Lin Chen's hand.

"No, I have to wake my friends," Lin Chen shook his head firmly.

"Leave them. If we don't go soon, none of us will make it out alive," Zhao Xiaowen said, tugging at his hand.

Suddenly, Lin Chen felt a sinking sensation in his heart and forcefully yanked his hand out of her grasp.

"Lin Chen, what are you doing?" Zhao Xiaowen asked, puzzled.

"You're not Xiaowen," Lin Chen said coldly, staring at her.

"What are you talking about? I'm really Xiaowen. Don't you recognize me?" Zhao Xiaowen said passionately.

"No. No, you're not. Xiaowen is a kind and gentle girl who would never tell me to abandon my friends and leave alone," Lin Chen said icily.

"You fool! The avalanche is about to strike. If we don't run, we'll all die here," Zhao Xiaowen said again as she grabbed his hand.

Lin Chen pushed her forcefully, and this time Zhao Xiaowen fell to the ground.

"Lin Chen, don't you love me anymore? You actually pushed me!" Zhao Xiaowen said, looking hurt.

"I love you, deeply, even to the point where I'd die for you. Unfortunately, you're not really Xiaowen. Xiaowen has not woken up," Lin Chen said, enunciating each word.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I really am Xiaowen," Zhao Xiaowen said tearfully.

"No, you're not. This is all a dream. I'm trapped in a dream," Lin Chen sighed.

At that moment, a burly man suddenly stepped out from behind Lin Chen. "Lin Chen, this is not a dream. Everything happening here is real."

"Father!" Lin Chen's heart trembled as he looked at the man.

For so many years, he had yearned to find his father, but there had never been a trace of him.

"Father, I'm sorry. I never managed to save you," Lin Chen said, his eyes growing moist.

His father pulled Lin Chen into a tight embrace. "My child, I don't blame you. Didn't your father come back anyway?"

Warmth seemed to envelop Lin Chen's entire being.

"Child, don't be foolish. Let's leave with Xiaowen. We can reunite as a family," his father said, patting Lin Chen's shoulder.

Yet Lin Chen broke away from his father's embrace.

"Father, it feels so good to see you. If this dream were real, how wonderful it would be. Yet, a dream is still a dream. Despite its beauty, I must wake up," Lin Chen said, retreating a few steps, a bitter smile curling on his lips.

Father and Zhao Xiaowen had always been the most important people in Lin Chen's life. Now, the two appeared in front of him—if not a dream, what else could this be?

"Come back with your father, Xiao Chen."

"Lin Chen, don't leave me behind."

His father and Zhao Xiaowen walked toward Lin Chen, step by step.

Lin Chen sighed deeply and approached the cliff's edge.

If this truly is a dream, then perhaps dying within it will force me to wake.

"Father, Xiaowen, I will turn today's dream into reality," Lin Chen said.

With a faint smile tugging at his lips, Lin Chen suddenly leaped off the cliff.

Wind whipped past his ears as Lin Chen closed his eyes, his mind filled with images of his father and Xiaowen.

But then Lin Chen noticed something strange—his falling speed was slowing down.

Opening his eyes, he saw his father and Zhao Xiaowen clutching tightly to him.

Their faces were now contorted and monstrous, their bodies twisted like sinister, creeping snakes.

"Damn it! The dream demon doesn't want me to escape by dying within the dream," Lin Chen said, his expression turning grim.

Lin Chen understood that if he didn't awaken soon, he might never get the chance to wake up at all.

He struggled desperately but couldn't escape their grasp.

In a sudden flash of realization, he thought—this is my dream. I should be in control of everything here.

With resolution glinting in his eyes, he whispered one word: "Explode!"

A fireball erupted, and Lin Chen's vision plunged into darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw that he was lying in the snow.

The other four people were just like him—still asleep, smiles plastered onto their faces.

"Lin Chen! Lin Chen! Don't leave me!" Zhao Xiaohua suddenly shouted his name.

Lin Chen rushed to her side. "Xiaohua, I'm right here. Wake up!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xiaohua sat up and threw her arms around Lin Chen, tears glistening at the corner of her eyes.

"Xiaohua, I'm here." Lin Chen held her close, patting her shoulder gently to comfort her.

Seeing Lin Chen, Zhao Xiaohua froze for a moment, then a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "You're awake too?"

Lin Chen nodded firmly. "It seems something unnatural is at play here. We need to get them out of here."