Chapter 4, Desperation Brings Calmness

The little beggar took another bite of the bread, his mouth moving, yet his eyes and the right hand that did not grasp the bread were searching through the various corners of the bedroom and the bathroom without pause. He moved quickly, and the imminent danger of death heightened his focus to twice that of his usual thieving efforts. Listen, the sound of the roll-up door lock seems to have been pried open, and the sound of the door being raised signals that his time is running out.

The restroom is not a part of the original structure of this pharmacy, but rather a construction that the owner built himself after moving in by privately breaking through the wall of the bedroom. Since it was built by himself, it implies that the wall is certainly not very thick. Furthermore, with the cracks above resembling a spider's web, it is likely that if anything were to pry at it, the wall could be completely broken down.

A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind

The alarm bell continued to ring, and the sound of soldiers forcefully banging on the rolling gate outside could already be heard. However, the little beggar did not blame the thick-browed man who had betrayed him, but that did not mean he would not find a way to escape. In this world, there are only two true outcomes: those who can survive, no matter how miserable their existence, are the victors. Those who die, no matter how glorious their death, are the losers

The little beggar also heard the soldiers' cries for help. However, he did not react to this matter at all. Curiosity is always the root of harm; what he needed to do now was simply to leave this place, and everything else was none of his concern

The sound of rushing water... clatter!

The ice on the door began to spread, centered around the main entrance, as if those ice particles had a life of their own, climbing along the walls and floor. Water droplets in the air started to crystallize, with some hexagonal snowflake crystals slowly drifting in the air, freezing anything they touched into blocks of ice

The soldiers outside were shouting, but the little beggar inside was acting swiftly! He stuffed the remaining half of a bread into his tattered clothes, then overturned the table and grabbed the oil-stained tablecloth. Next, he hurried into the restroom, turned on the water, and completely soaked the tablecloth. He then pulled the blanket from under the shopkeeper, spread it out on the ground, and carefully placed the twisted tablecloth on the blanket.

Cold

The little beggar held a stick and began to pry at the wall. He was aware of his circumstances, yet he still refused to give up. Is it fate? ... As he focused on that crack, straining to pry it open, something seemed to sense his desire to survive, quietly ... rising from behind him ... ...

... ...

The little beggar inside had just picked up the long stick. However, that frail door could not withstand the impact of several large men. It was certain that in the next moment, the door would be broken open. And in the next moment after the little beggar saw those soldiers, he would be arrested, then tried, and hanged.

The cold wheat spread in his mouth, and the rich aroma of bread dominated his stomach. Unlike before, this time he hardly took a few bites before swallowing the bread in his mouth. After the first bite of bread went down, he immediately took a second bite, and with the bread in his mouth, he began to carefully examine the room.

Listen, those inside! You are surrounded! Come out quickly!

In the blink of an eye, the entire pharmacy transformed into a world of ice and snow. Even the doorway that had just been opened was covered by a thick wall of ice. No matter how the people inside cried for help, no sound could be heard beyond the thick ice wall. ... In this cold and dark night, even the sound of the alarm was cut off, and everything returned to silence once more ...

The little beggar's face remained expressionless, yet his left hand, clutching the bread, unconsciously tightened its grip. He was pondering, contemplating what this all truly meant... The walls of different colors, the varying thicknesses of the walls, the differing amounts of cracks...

The little beggar was acutely aware of everything; it was precisely because he was so aware that his mind became extraordinarily calm, terrifyingly calm. Yet his movements were frighteningly swift

If caught, it means death

Strange occurrences are something these soldiers believe they have witnessed quite a lot. The greedy yet continuously promoted officers, the wealthy who have an abundance of food yet would rather waste it than share it with the poor. Senag is a place where strange things happen every day, and the soldiers here also think they have become accustomed to these peculiarities

The frail body appeared solitary in the darkness, yet those cold, expressionless eyes swiftly scanned the small room. At first glance, he noticed the dinner laid out on the wooden table beside him, with a basket containing four or five different types of bread. Even as the sound of a crowbar began to echo from the roll-up door outside, the little beggar reached out, grabbed the largest baguette, and bit down hard into it.

The door is simply locked, but it can be opened from the inside. However, going out now is meaningless, as it would only lead to a direct encounter with those soldiers. The only window in the room can be opened, but there are several iron bars outside blocking the way, allowing only real mice to come and go freely. Aside from this, the inner part of the bedroom contains a toilet, and the exhaust window is too high to reach, even when standing on the toilet. Cold snowflakes drift in through that high exhaust window; beyond this wall lies a world of freedom. Aside from this, the inner part of the bedroom contains a toilet, and the exhaust window is too high to reach, even when standing on the toilet. Cold snowflakes drift in through that high exhaust window; beyond this wall lies a world of freedom.

There is nothing... nothing at all. I searched the entire room, and there was nothing resembling a stick anywhere. The soldiers outside were growing increasingly loud with their curses, cautiously approaching the bedroom door, drawing their swords, as if they were about to burst in at any moment

In the room, the little beggar's gaze swept across the bedroom and the bathroom once more. He needed to find something to pry open the wall. Otherwise, it would be truly difficult for a ten-year-old child to accomplish this. ... But ...? ... What could it be? Something like a stick?

Inside, there is a liquid capable of instantly freezing objects. The little beggar once witnessed the apothecary spread out some herbs and then open this bottle to pour out the liquid. Strangely, the moment the liquid came into contact with the air, it rapidly transformed into gas; however, once the gas dispersed, the herbs that had been touched became completely frozen and rigid, as if they had been stored in a blizzard for several days.

The sound of rustling or clattering

However, today, they witnessed the most unforgettable scene of their lives. This scene was so remarkable that they could even weave it into a captivating tale to share with others who, while shaking their heads in disbelief, listened with great interest.

The little beggar wrapped his hands in the remaining quilt and twisted open the lid. The cold gas made the already not very warm room feel like an ice cave. The little beggar could not care about anything else and immediately began to pour out the liquid

Three snowflakes, perfectly shaped like hexagons, drifted rapidly towards the door... Then, at the very moment when those soldiers were about to collide with the door, they adhered to it...

The large door instantly transformed into a "wall of ice." The three soldiers, charging with all their might, collided with the icy surface but were unable to inflict any damage on the transparent crystal. With a sense of astonishment, the three soldiers fell, but what surprised them even more was that this incident was far from over. On the contrary, it was developing in an even more intense manner.

The little beggar took another bite of the bread, and his cold, unfeeling face would likely maintain such calmness until the door was broken open. ... Observing in this manner, at some unguarded moment, his gaze inadvertently swept over the already cold and stiff corpse of the shopkeeper ...

At last, the rolling shutter door outside was completely opened. Accompanied by the clattering sound, the little beggar finally thought of the reason behind it.

It has come to an end

The sound of armor clanking against the ground came from outside. The piercing alarm bell unsettled the two soldiers who had entered first, and in the darkness, they inadvertently stepped on the handle of a dull dagger that the little beggar had just dropped, slipping and blocking the main entrance

However, that freedom is obstructed by cold walls

The stick made of tablecloths was formed in an instant. Meanwhile, the situation outside the door became increasingly urgent. After a kick, the soldier saw that there was no response from inside, and as the door was slightly kicked open, his confidence immediately surged! He and several soldiers took a few steps back, assumed a preparatory stance, and shouted loudly as they charged towards the door

That is snowflakes

The rolling shutter door outside was pulled halfway up, seemingly stuck due to something. The soldiers began to curse and started to kick the rolling shutter door with force. However, this provided the little beggar with extremely rare and precious time, and it was precisely this most valuable time that allowed him to discover something through constant exploration and careful observation.

The wall was chiseled open. Through a small hole that had been broken, swirling snowflakes and cold air blew in. The little beggar dropped his long stick and bent down. He protected the larger half of the bread in his arms with one hand and swiftly squeezed through the opening.

A soldier outside the door signaled to his companion and began to kick the door forcefully. The loud banging of the door echoed in the ears of the little beggar, yet it did not disturb his cautious movements in the slightest. After preparing everything, he ran back to the bedroom and retrieved a brown glass bottle from a medical refrigerator leaning against the side of the bed

The soldiers shouted and began to flee, but when they turned around, they found that their feet were unable to move. The ice that spread across the entire floor had fused their feet to the room. No matter how they cried out or pleaded for help, these beautiful and pure crystals showed no mercy whatsoever.

The walls of the bedroom and the walls of the bathroom are not of the same thickness... Moreover, the colors of the walls in both rooms are slightly different; the bathroom walls are covered with cracks, while the bedroom walls have very few cracks...

The air outside remains as cold as ever. The snow seems to have intensified, mixed with the wind striking his face, causing a pain akin to being cut by a knife. The little beggar shivered, but he had no time to reminisce about the scant warmth inside the house; instead, he hurriedly left the pharmacy.