[System alert, the temperature will drop another 20 degrees Celsius in two hours, please keep warm.]
Chen Yu furrowed his eyebrows and subconsciously looked towards Wayne.
Although this guy was fully equipped, those gears were not much of help against such a harsh environment.
Moreover, compared with Chen Yu, Wayne's physical condition was vastly inferior; he was likely to freeze to death here.
After a quick assessment of the cave's surroundings, Chen Yu moved some of the harder-packed snow to the entrance, turning the entire cave into a makeshift snow hut.
He also drilled a few small holes next to the cave to maintain ventilation.
Having done that, he placed the portable oxygen device he was carrying on the side.
"The temperature's going to drop soon; we must be fully prepared. Whether we can survive tonight will depend on our luck," he said.
Wayne, too, could feel the sudden change in temperature from outside. He swallowed and took out all his warming devices, also placing a black metallic sphere by his side.
The warmth emanating from the metallic sphere was incredibly gentle, and, before long, the temperature inside the cave began to rise gradually.
Chen Yu was stunned; he had never seen such a device that could increase the temperature from thin air, and it also managed to circulate the air flow in the entire cave.
Most importantly, the device was only the size of half a fist, very easy to carry.
"What is this thing?" Chen Yu asked instinctively. Discover magic on m_v_l_e_m_p_y_r
With a somewhat embarrassed smile, Wayne replied, "This is a brand-new product that our company has just developed for use in extreme environments."
Chen Yu's interest was piqued; if such a device were mass-produced, it would definitely be a boon for mountaineering enthusiasts. Just as he was about to touch it, the system's alert sound suddenly rang in his mind.
[System warning: This technology is immature. The integrated metals emit heat and also release radiation.]
Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, and a flood of information appeared in his mind.
The system had completely analyzed the device.
Seeing the components inside, Chen Yu immediately lost his interest.
"If it can be avoided, don't use it — it can cause physical exhaustion!" he warned.
Wayne's eyes widened in shock: "You haven't even looked at the instruction manual, yet you know it's harmful to humans. This is a major issue our company has been urgently trying to solve, but we have not yet found an effective method."
Chen Yu took hold of the device and pressed a button on the switch, turning it off.
"Don't use it unless it is absolutely necessary!"
Wayne said nothing more but spread out the warming devices he had taken out earlier. Before long, the temperature in the cave rose again.
In the middle of the night, while Chen Yu was in a half-asleep state, a loud noise suddenly came from outside.
Chen Yu hastily got up and peered through the small hole he had left earlier to check outside, only to see a large amount of snow rolling down from the mountain peak, blocking much of the adjacent slope.
"Avalanche!"
Chen Yu's eyes widened; he hadn't expected an avalanche to occur in the middle of the night.
Wayne also rolled over: "What? Avalanche!"
On such high mountains, some of the snow had been accumulating for tens of thousands of years, already fused with the frozen mountain sides, and avalanches were rare.
```
But now, a vast expanse of snow descended from the sky, directly rushing into the cliff.
Fortunately, their cave was nestled within a crevice of a mountain stream, so the massive slide of snow didn't bury it.
Chen Yu crouched down and placed a hand on the ground, constantly feeling the sounds that came from the outside.
Wayne was already scared out of his wits, standing there, at a loss.
"Brother Chen Yu, we can survive this, right?"
Chen Yu furrowed his brows. At this moment, he didn't dare to make any promises, as the snow falling from the mountain was far too much, and the potential energy it generated was immense.
Such force was enough to collapse a mountain peak.
"Let's hope so!"
Chen Yu responded perfunctorily before closing his eyes.
In his mind, a vast amount of analysis data from the system had already appeared. The snow outside wouldn't cover their area for the time being, but no one could guarantee that as time passed, it wouldn't bury them.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the noise outside gradually subsided. Chen Yu then abruptly opened his eyes and peered outside through the small opening.
According to the system's analysis, the avalanche had been caused by a landslide, which meant that not much snow had actually fallen.
Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. Although they were temporarily safe, climbing the mountain tomorrow morning would be much more difficult.
"We're safe for now. There are three hours left in the latter half of the night, so let's rest up. If we want to reach the summit tomorrow, it will probably take all our strength."
Wayne nodded repeatedly and quickly leaned against the side, forcing himself to sleep.
As a professional mountaineering enthusiast, he was well aware of the terrifying amount of physical energy climbing required.
If he showed even the slightest fatigue tomorrow, it could end with him falling into an abyss, his body shattered to pieces.
Early the next day, Chen Yu quickly packed up and woke up Wayne. They then started to clear the snow at the entrance of the cave.
Working together, they opened up a passageway at the entrance before long, although the outside was already completely covered by snow. Under such conditions, it would be virtually impossible for most people to clear a path.
And one might even step into thin air and fall off the cliff.
But Chen Yu seemed to see through the snow as if it were transparent, his excavations were not only directional but also meticulously careful.
Wayne found it strange, but at that moment, he didn't dare to ask more questions.
In such high-difficulty extreme sports, at times, very complex and rapid thinking is required.
Perhaps Chen Yu was using a unique method to find the way, and any disturbance could ruin all their previous efforts!
As they continued to dig, Wayne's breathing became rapid. He realized they were on a narrow path only fifty centimeters wide.
If they strayed, they would tumble down the cliff.
He took a deep breath, steadied his breathing, and closely followed Chen Yu without any deviation.
After what seemed like an eternity, once they had cleared the snow, they found a climbable path not far off.
At that moment, they were just one thousand meters from the summit.
Wayne breathed a sigh of relief. He was, after all, a professional climbing hobbyist; as long as there was a trail, he knew he could make it to the top.
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