Since the doll games had descended upon the world, it had been a very long time since any living creature other than humans had been seen. To discover the tracks of a beast now was no coincidence.

It had to be part of the game’s trials.

Brian walked on, keeping careful watch of the surroundings.

What kind of animal was it…

The tracks grew clearer. And then, through the white expanse of ice and snow, he finally saw it —

White. Beautiful. Enormous.

A polar bear!

It stood on the ice sheet ahead — larger and more powerfully built than any ordinary polar bear!

Brian drew a sharp breath, gripping the rope tightly in his hand. “…Teacher Cheng, we… we need to move faster. Let’s go before it spots us…”

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Weicai asked, puzzled.

He had been pushing from the rear and couldn’t see what was ahead. Just as he leaned around to look, Brian suddenly surged forward!

Their cargo scraped across the ice with a piercing screech, instantly drawing the polar bear’s attention — and exposing both of them fully to its sight!

Cheng Weicai cried out in shock, “It’s a bear! Brian, run! We have to run!!!”

In the distance, the polar bear spotted its prey, let out a roar, and came charging straight toward them!

“We can’t abandon the supplies!” Brian shouted urgently. “Without them, we’ll die anyway when we get back! Teacher Cheng, you have to find a way to draw it off!”

“…Me? I have to draw it off?” Cheng Weicai was startled.

“We can’t lose the supplies! We have to stop it somehow! Or we’ll both die!!!” Brian was shouting now, and shoved Cheng Weicai hard. “Think of something! Hurry!”

Cheng Weicai stumbled and went down. By the time he looked up, Brian had already seized the sledge and was sprinting toward the blizzard ring!

He turned — the polar bear was closing the distance fast. What to do?! Should he run?… But where could he run?

Dragging those supplies, they had never been able to move fast!

And if they abandoned the supplies and went back empty-handed, they would still die — the fuel could not run out, the fire could not go out, the flowers could not die! These supplies had to be saved!

“Think of something… think of something…” Cheng Weicai was at a loss.

The polar bear was almost upon him!

Brian was nearly out of sight!

Should he chase after Brian, or stay and fight the beast with everything he had?!

In a panic he dug through his pockets, his pack crashing to the ground and scattering its contents — and then a snowflake caught his eye. Cheng Weicai went still.

This…

Of course! He could use this!

The polar bear bellowed and lunged! Cheng Weicai threw himself aside and flung the snowflake!

The snowflake instantly whipped up a swirling vortex!

At the eye of the wind appeared a figure as tall as a man — a snowman! It roared, baring a mouthful of jagged ice-crystal fangs, and planted itself squarely in the path of the charging polar bear!

BOOM!

The snowman took the full force of the collision and burst apart into chunks of snow!

But for only half a second — then all those scattered pieces gathered themselves back together, recongealing into the ice-and-snow creature, plunging back into battle with the polar bear!

Cheng Weicai was terrified. On unsteady legs he scrambled upright and ran after Brian as fast as he could!

He had no way of knowing how long the snowman could hold out. He only hoped they could seize this chance to retreat into the blizzard ring. With the blizzard as a barrier, the polar bear might yet give up the chase!

Behind him, the snowman shrieked and howled!

Perhaps aided by the environment around it, the snowman fought with greater and greater ferocity — its size kept growing, moment by moment, until it very nearly surpassed the polar bear itself!

“Hurry! Hurry, Brian! Run!” Cheng Weicai gasped for air, running with everything he had. “Get into the blizzard ring! Hurry…”

He was almost close enough to catch Brian — when without warning, the ice beneath his feet gave way, and he yanked his leg back in terror!

Before him, the ice layer was splitting apart in fine, spreading cracks! Seawater welled up! Broken ice fragments bobbed on the surface, one by one!

Brian stood holding an iron bar, one end driven deep into the ice. As he threw his weight behind it, the ice continued to fracture and break!

“My apologies…” He looked at Cheng Weicai, his face without expression. “There was no other way. This is the only thing that will stop the polar bear — and the only way I can get the supplies safely back.”

Cheng Weicai looked at him, stunned.

The cracks had already spread beneath his feet —

Crack.

It shattered completely.