Apocalypse Lord

Last time, on Apocalypse Lord: Oh the weather outside is frightful, Rising Cloud’s food’s so delightful. And since there’s not enough warm clothes, I’m so cold, I’m so cold, I’m so cold.

This chapter has been brought to you by me and Smash10101.

Chapter 52 – Cold Winter 1

The Tailor Shop.

Yun Ling asked, “How much stock of the winter gear is there?”

Tailor A thought and answered, “85 cotton shirts, 40 cotton pants, 40 pairs of cotton shoes, 20 wool hats, 5 pairs of gloves, 2 scarves.”

There were many cotton shirts, because Yun Ling had sent an order to prepare for the foraging team when going out.

She originally thought about a shirt per person so that all members of the team could go out and be active. But she had underestimated the difficulty of the game. Just a cotton shirt was not enough to stay out for a long time!

“It seems that most residents are not suited to going out in the winter season.” Yun Ling thought. “Make an entire set of winter gear and create an elite team, sending them out to hunt. That is the right way.”

After thinking for a moment, she had an idea. “Stop what you are doing now. Tailor A makes cotton pants, Tailor B makes cotton shoes, Tailor C makes wool hats, Tailor D makes gloves, Tailor E makes scarves. Make as much as possible.”

“Yes.” The tailors all responded.

Yun Ling looked at the five, and felt that she did not have enough manpower. Pity that level 2 could only hold 5 members, and level 3 only 10.

Right now, she still needed some copper coins before she could upgrade.

“It is fine, you go ahead.” Yun Ling had a heavy mood as she left.

**

Before she entered the door, the fragrance of the grilled meat burrowed into her nose.

Yun Ling:”……”

One day, she would move houses because a grill master was her neighbor.

“I just made lamb skewers, how about coming over to eat together?” Lu Chuan invited.

Yun Ling, “……okay.”

She went into the neighbor’s backyard, picking up the lamb skewers and biting without any politeness.

[Name: Spicy Lamb Skewers (Cold Expelling Food)]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Restore 10 HP per 5 seconds, +1 stamina (lasts 1 hour).

“Cold expelling food?” Yun Ling stilled slightly.

After eating the lamb meat, she had a buff — protected from the effects of the cold wind for 60 minutes.

Lu Chuan took a skewer of gluten and ate it as he chatted. “The products with the heaven chile also can drive out the cold. Even if you do not wear winter clothing, you can move as you wish in the wilderness.”

“If you do not have cold resisting food, you must wear a cotton shirt, cotton pants, and cotton shoes to barely keep warm. With one item less, within half an hour, you will get a negative status, unless your stamina is very high.”

“The more winter equipment you wear, the better the effects. But if you wear a cotton shirt, cotton pants, and cotton shoes, you probably can only move freely for an hour. After an hour, you will still get a negative status.”

“Unless you wear the three pieces, and also the wool hat, gloves, and scarf, then the time will increase.”

Yun Ling was eating her second skewer, and heard this, she paused. “You tried?”

“I took your winter clothing, I should do my best,” Lu Chuan said.

Yun — lord — Ling looked with admiring eyes at him. “Rising Cloud Town needs players like you.”

Such enlightenment!

“According to my guess, the wine will have cold expelling effects,” Lu Chuan said casually. “When there is a chance, we can try.”

“Okay.” Yun Ling had a skewer in each hand. After a while, she was full and prepared to work.

Lu Chuan watched her leave with mirth in his eyes. “Add oil, My lord.”

Yun Ling entered the warehouse to choose materials, and then got busy in the restaurant kitchen.

Spicy rabbit meat, spicy chicken, pickled peppers and duck blood, mapo tofu…all of these could expel the cold!

She made ten portions and picked the ten NPCs with the highest stamina to eat them.

“Oh, so spicy.” Guard A was shocked.

“If you close your eyes and stuff it in, it will finish soon.” Yun Ling urged like she was lying to a child.

The NPCs grimaced and ate the food like it was poison.

Lunchtime ended.

Yun Ling was satisfied and waved her hand. “Depart, go outside with me.”

The NPCs looked depressed like eggplants after frost.

The spiciness was such that their throats were on fire.

Using this heat, the group put on cotton shirts and left.

To avoid any accidents, Yun Ling led them around the territory, and did not go far.

Twenty minutes later.

Yun Ling frowned. “Strange, why have no monsters been seen yet?”

This was unreasonable.

If this was a normal time, after walking five or six minutes, they could encounter monsters.

While sometimes, when there were many, and they had to avoid, there were never cases they did not encounter any.

“Could it be…” Yun Ling had a bad feeling.

She continued to roam aimlessly with the NPCs.

After a full thirty minutes, other than one wild black boar, they saw nothing.

At this, Yun Ling had to admit, “Winter, the monsters are hibernating, so the hunting targets have decreased greatly.”

**

“The weather is too cold, and even our breaths are white,” Mo Yan complained, and rubbed her hands.

She was wearing a thick cotton shirt, cotton pants, and cotton shoes on her feet, and a scarf around her neck, covering her ears as well. Only her hands were exposed.

Ahead, her seven fellows were moving silently and did not speak.

Mo Yan was very irritated. “Who said that other people could not come out, and because we have winter equipment, we can use the chance to level up, and increase the disparity in levels? Why do I feel I am looking for suffering…”

How good was it to stay in the territory? The temperature was comfortable, there was no cold wind, and if one had the free time, they could go chat with others.

After coming out? There was no prey to be seen, and she had swallowed a lot of cold wind.

Seeing that her fingers were growing stiffer, she was in an even worse mood, and started to complain.

“It seems that the plan is wrong.” The leader stopped and said gravely, “It should not be the hunting team coming out, but the foraging team. The other people are trapped in the territory, and the resources are everywhere, waiting for them to gather.”

This was the advantage of coming out in the winter.

Mo Yan suggested hopelessly, “How about we go back, and let them come out?”

“Okay.” Unexpectedly, the leader agreed. But then he thought and added, “Starting tomorrow, the team will be split in two. In the morning, Hunting Team 1 and Forage Team 1 will come out. In the afternoon, Hunting Team 2 and Forage team 2 will come out.”

This way, the forage team members would be safe.

Hearing that they were immediately returning, and only had to come out for half a day in the future, Mo Yan sighed in relief.

Today, the gains from going out were very low.

After roaming around, they only killed three monsters. Other than copper coins and wood, nothing else dropped.

Later, Yun Ling started to cultivate the combat NPCs in the direction of foraging. When they met monsters, they fought. Otherwise, they would all forage.

Time passed quickly, and an hour was fleeting. The buff suddenly disappeared, and the NPCs realized what was coldness.

Having just gathered some purple sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots, and potatoes, Yun Ling saw the negative statuses of the NPCs had grown so she did not linger, and turned, leading the team back to the town.

Rising Cloud Town.

The bonfires swayed, and warmed the residents around them.

The women were doing handiwork, the old people busy with weaving, and the children playing hawks catching chickens. Joyful and peaceful atmospheres were everywhere.

”Am I worrying too much?” Yun Ling thought inside.

There had been a good harvest in autumn, and they had hoarded a lot of food. In winter, stay in the territory and eat the stored food. Once they made it through the 30 days, they could overcome this obstacle. Maybe the game was so simple?

Thinking back to the spring and summer seasons, Yun Ling was wary.

She thought, it was not possible, the trash game would not be so kind and easily let the players pass.

It must have something there up its sleeve!

No matter what, she had to hoard more food to respond to the changes.

**

Day 102, winter, calamity day.

At the meeting place, some players had nervous expressions, and said in discussing tones, “Boss, it is not suitable to go out in the winter, how about we forget it?”

Someone was even more direct, “Boss, can I ask for 19 days of holiday? Wait until it is peace day and then go out with the team?”

Seeing that everyone did not want to go out, Yun Ling nodded in understanding. “Okay.”

“I just wanted to say to you it is cold in the winter and not convenient to go foraging, so I was going to temporarily stop employing you.”

“When the weather turns warm again, I will build the team again.”

Hearing this, the players were overjoyed. “Thanks, Boss, for your compassion!”

They had feared when they made the suggestion, it would end here, and even when spring came, they would not be able to find work to do.

It was very good that the boss was willing to understand their difficulties.

After reaching an agreement, the players left happily, and prepared to go home to live out the winter.

Yun Ling stayed where she was, explaining to the foraging team members who were coming in.

Hearing that they did not have to go out in the cold wind, most members were very happy. They said nothing, and just went back how they came.

Some people had worried expressions. “There is not enough food at home… if I do not go foraging, what will I eat now?”

Among them, Pang Yu was the worst off.

His wife had just gotten healthy, and his family saved up enough money to buy a house. He was seeing that the days were getting better, and then winter came. After going out a while, people would be frozen solid, and it was not easy to travel.

But they had used their money to buy a house and had nothing left. Not just copper coins, they did not even have much food.

Thinking about not having any food to eat, Pang Yu sweated in a panic like ants on a hot stove.

“There are edible plants nearby, if you do not fear the cold, you can go out with the teams,” Yun Ling said. “Let me say first, the team will only provide cotton shirts. If you are frozen, or fall ill, I am not responsible.”

“You, you are not going to take care of us?” The player who spoke had a terrified expression.

“The rules of the foraging team have not changed, and will still provide work clothes. But winter cannot compare to summer, if you wear a cotton shirt, it may not be enough. Think about whether you will come foraging with the team,” Yun Ling said.

In reality, the member of the foraging team who had been with the team for the shortest time had been working for more than 40 days. Just the wages they got were enough to pass the winter if they were careful.

Those who had prepared had all gone home. Those who had not prepared were struggling here.

Hearing this, there were only three people hesitating here.

Pang Yu decided and stepped forward. “I am going.”

When buying the house, his wife had warned him and said they should have some money in hand. He was the one who said that they could live in peace if they had private space, and insisted on buying, so his wife had agreed.

It was his wrong decision that caused his family to be in this poor state. No matter what, he had to work and earn money, even if it was dangerous.

Everyone was shocked.

Yun Ling looked at the other two people. “What about you?”

Their lips moved, but no one responded for a long time.

Seeing this, Yun Ling understood. She waved her hand, and motioned for the NPCs to follow. “Depart.”

The world was cold, the ground frozen, the prey was not there. Where to go to get food?

The answer was the river side.

The monsters were gone, but the fish in the river were still there.

Yun Ling found a small river to fish, and ordered the NPCs to take Pang Yu to forage nearby.

She threw out the bait, and took out materials from her backpack, planning to do some handiwork when fishing.

[Name: Brown Leather Backpack]

Quality: Normal

Required Materials: 5 x brown leather, 1 x metal thread.

Her needle and thread moved quickly, and the backpack was soon finished.

She looked at the item attributes.

[Name: Brown Leather Backpack]

Quality: Premium

Durability: 60/60

Equip Effect: 8 storage slots. Each slot can hold 99 of the same item, and is weightless when carried. Does not take up an equipment slot.

“The old cotton backpack is badly worn, and I can use this new one,” Yun Ling said as she organized her items.

Soon, her HP started to fall. Her shadow had horns, and looked strange.

It was a shadow monster.

Yun Ling wore the Fire Feather Cloak. Each second, it would create 3 points of fire spell damage towards the surrounding enemies. Because of this, she ignored it, and worked with her hands.

The shadow monster started an attack, and 50% of the damage reflected.

Each second, it received fire spell damage, and -3 HP.

Within a few breaths, the shadow monster died, and copper coins and silk thread fell.

“Thank you for giving me experience.” Yun Ling was busy for a long time, and finally moved all the items into the new backpack.

At this time, the fish line was pulled.

“The fish is hooked.” Yun Ling pulled the thread, and then flicked. As expected, she obtained a large black fish.

She fished, made backpacks, and then made some bandages to hoard. In the blink of an eye, her grass basket was filled with fish.

Yun Ling stood up, and shouted into the distance, “Work is done, let’s return.”

After a while, the NPCs appeared.

Behind them, Pang Yu was trembling and shivering due to the cold.

“Are you okay?” Yun Ling asked in concern.

“Fine!” Pang Yu gritted his teeth, but his teeth kept on chattering.

Yun Ling:”……”

He did not look like he was fine.

She did not stay more, and just walked ahead, leading the team back to the town.

When they returned to Rising Cloud Town, Yun Ling handed over mixed grain steamed buns, and rice porridge. “This is lunch. Go out once in the morning, go out once in the afternoon, rest at noon. Come earlier in the afternoon, remember not to be late.”

She then handed a piece of the ginger that had just been foraged to Pang Yu. “Make a cup of ginger tea to drink, it will help expel the cold.”

“Thank you.” Pang Yu was very grateful.

After bidding farewell, Yun Ling tooked grass basket, and walked to the restaurant.

She decided to change the menu. Recently, they could sell grilled fish, and fish ball soup, and save on the other food materials.

On the other side.

Pang Yu carried the lunch back home. He only said that it was not convenient to forage in the winter, and from now, he would not be gone the whole day. He did not mention anything else.

His wife glared at him with anger. “Old Hu next door came back a long time ago. You think that I do not know everyone else is staying in the territory for the winter, and only you are going out in the cold to forage?”

Pan Yu, “……”

He was speechless for a moment.

“Here, cotton shoes I just made, stitch by stitch.” His wife shoved over the shoes and said, “In the afternoon, I will find someone to buy some cotton from. Maybe I will get enough to make a pair of cotton pants.”

“Then, you will be warm, and not have to fear being frozen when you go out.”

Pang Yu felt warm inside that he was not being scolded.

He promised, “I will work hard! One day, I will let you live a good life!”

“What are you saying? The days now are not bad,” his wife smiled warmly at him.

**

“You have to knit the first row of the scarf like this, everyone, look closely,” Qiao Qiao demonstrated as she said, slowing down her movements.

There was a circle of people around her, women and also children.

Qiao Qiao did not drive them away, and demonstrated in front of them.

One girl could not bear it, wanting to go run out and play. But her mother hit her lightly, “what are you doing? Focus, study!”

The girl was powerless, and could only look pleadingly at Qiao Qiao.

Pity, Qiao Qiao had nimble fingers, and finished a row of stitches. As to how the other did it, she could not understand.

“After knitting the first row, the next rows will be easy, as long as you are knitting a simple pattern,” Qiao Qiao continued to demonstrate.

The surrounding people: easy? It was not!!

“Other than knitting scarves, you can also knit sweaters, and socks. If people are interested, I can teach them in the future.” Qiao Qiao demonstrated for everyone, and then pointed out shortcomings of each student, before the class finished.

One student was on the verge of tears. “When learning, I remember, but after the lesson, I forget it all. What can I do with my goldfish memory?!”

Qiao Qiao said, “If you make more, you will be familiar.”

The student was skeptical, and did not have confidence in themselves.

After the lesson finished, the students either went home, or sat down next to the wood hut, sitting on little stools, repeating what they had just learned. If they had something they did not understand, they would ask a few times.

One woman found Qiao Qiao and asked her, “If I prepare materials, and ask you to help knit a sweater and socks, how much money is needed?”

Qiao Qiao answered. “The sweater will take longer, 200 copper coins each. The socks need less time, 60 copper coins each.”

“That expensive?” The woman heard this and gasped in shock.

“Not expensive.” Qiao Qiao smiled. “This is winter equipment, and very warm to wear. They are worth this price, whether in skill or ability.”

“I will go back and ask, and talk to you if I want to order,” the woman said before quickly leaving.

Qiao Qiao was not angry, just focused on the work in her hands, and occasionally guiding her students.

On the way back home, An Hong reprimanded, “Did I not tell you before coming out to learn how to knit? Did you forget what Mama said? Why did you not learn well?”

Her daughter An An had a frown. “I could not, so dull.”

“You did not focus, how do you know that you cannot learn?” An Hong urged. “Mama will not harm you. Right now, in this world, learning a craft is better than anything else.”

An An looked up and said curiously, “Does Mama know how?”

An Hong, “……”

Heavens, she was caught off guard like this.

“Mama has other skills and does not need to learn.” She was calm and did not even blink when lying. “An An needs to study in order to make a lot of money and live well in the future, understand?”

An An seemed to understand. “I see.”

Suddenly, she sneezed and said softly, “Mama, I am cold……”

“Everyone is cold, just bear it.” An Hong did not care.

“I, I’m dizzy.” Before she finished, An An felt unconscious.

An Hong paled. “An An, what is wrong? Do not scare Mama!”

Seeing her daughter flushed red, eyes tightly closed, she shouted urgently, “Help! Help! Save……”

**

She was not the only one. At the same time, other residents in the territory fell into unconsciousness.

You Qing Wen had been talking with the team tailor Aunt Zhao when the other suddenly fainted.

“What is it?” You Qing Wen suddenly shouted.

“I don’t know, put her on the bed, let her lie down,” Zheng Ming Yue said decisively.

The two of them worked together to move Aunt Zhao.

You Qing Wen thought hard. “Aunt Zhao has always been in the territory, and never went out. How come she fainted instantly?”

She thought back and even suspected the words she had said.

“This has never happened before, is it because of the season?” Zheng Ming Yue guessed.

“Then why did she faint, and we are fine?” You Qing Wen asked

Zheng Ming Yue was stuck.

The more he thought, the more doubts there were. The two stopped speculating casually, and waited for Aunt Zhao to wake up.

In a flash, an hour passed.

Aunt Zhao slowly woke up. “I, what is wrong with me?”

“Aunt Zhao, you just suddenly fainted, being you gave me such a fright.” You Qing Wen helped her sit up.

“Fainted? Me?” Aunt Zhao was stunned.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her attribute window, and almost jumped up in fright. “How come it is like this? !”

“What is if?” Zheng Ming Yue pressed.

“I do not know how to say it, you look.” Aunt Zhao set the status to “public”.

The window showed, [Because of the cold, you are ill, -5 strength, -5 agility, -5 stamina, -5 intelligence, -5 spirit. ]

[Your Base Recovery Speed has changed to: 1 HP/5 minutes, 1 MP/5 minutes. ]

[Rest for three days (do not get cold for three consecutive days, work less than 1 hour each day to recover your health.]

“Cold?” You Qing Wen stilled.

Aunt Zhao was puzzled as well. “I did not leave the territory, how come I got cold?”

Zheng Ming Yue looked down and thought deeply, having a bit of an idea. “Aunt Zhao, you are busy helping others make winter gear recently, and you were wearing the clothes from before, right?”

“Yes.” Aunt Zhao admitted. “There are many team members, I am the only tailor, I was too busy. I thought, since I am a life skills player, and only work in the territory all day, there is no need to make any for myself.”

“You mean,” You Qing Wen realized, “even if you stay in the territory, players will need to wear winter gear to keep warm?”

“There is this possibility.” Zheng Ming Yue did not refute this. “Based on experiences with the spring and summer, non-game items are basically useless. Even if you are wearing a down jacket, it cannot fend off the cold. This is very reasonable.”

You Qing Wen was expressionless. “In other words, even if players do not go out, they have to create and wear winter gear?”

Zheng Ming Yue sighed. “I think so.”

They worried if they had enough materials hoarded, while Aunt Zhao worried about, “Rest for three days (do not get cold for three consecutive days, work less than 1 hour each day to recover health? What about the work I have on my hands?”

You Qing Wen and Zheng Ming Yue first stilled, and then frowned, becoming worried.

When there was a hole in the roof, it would rain overnight. This was likely the situation being described.

Yun Ling was familiar with either high level players or NPCs. Adding on that she was not idle in the winter, going out in the morning and afternoon to fish, she heard of the residents getting ill of late.

“People in the territory have gotten ill? They must wear winter clothing or stay by the fire for a long time to be fine?”

She saw that Pang Yu had white lips, and had him rest, but accidentally heard this news.

“Yes.” Pang Yu was sad. “So these days, people have been transplanting pines, or going to pick tree branches. I had hoarded some firewood, and thought it was enough. Now it looks like there is not enough!”

“Speaking of this, luckily the greening and the wells can moderate temperature. Otherwise, more people would die.”

No wonder she recently received requests to plant trees.

She had been wondering, on winter days, why the residents did not stay in the territory, and kept on running around. So they had been forced.

Yun Ling finally realized.