Min Shu froze for two seconds before asking, “Mutate? What does that mean?”

Wei Changchuan took a step toward Min Shu: “The virus in the bodies of infected survivors doesn’t disappear. It mutates from the X and Y virus strains into the Z virus strain. They won’t show symptoms anymore, but their bodies will mutate.”

Min Shu’s mouth dropped open. He suddenly recalled the Type Z virus strain mentioned in yesterday’s pamphlet—the one with no further explanation. He’d felt something was off yesterday, but the shock had been too much to process then. He never imagined it was actually this.

Min Shu rolled his eyes, then suddenly thought of something. He hopped up and down excitedly where he stood: “Oh, oh, oh! I get it! Is it like that spider virus in *Spider-Man*? Getting infected gives you superpowers—”

“Don’t move around.”   Wei Changchuan reached out and grabbed him, pulling him closer: “Be careful, you might fall.”

Hearing this, Min Shu took a deep breath to calm himself down. He dared not move another muscle and gazed at Wei Changchuan with a touch of envy: “So that’s how it is. Bro, you’re so cool!”

Strong, impervious to the cold, and able to walk over ten kilometers through the snow—Min Shu, a second-class disabled person who’d been forbidden from strenuous exercise since childhood, was utterly envious! Healthy people can’t possibly understand what it’s like to have an impaired body. Although Min Shu felt content to have lived these past twenty-odd years, deep down he still harbored a longing for good health.

“I wish I could mutate, too,” Min Shu couldn’t help but say.

Little did he know that upon hearing this, Wei Changchuan stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at him.

Min Shu flinched under his gaze and stopped in his tracks.

Wei Changchuan looked at him. After a long moment, he said, enunciating each word clearly, “Don’t even think about it.”

Min Shu felt frozen to the bone by his gaze and hurriedly replied, “I understand, bro.”

Only after Wei Changchuan turned back and continued walking did Min Shu dare to breathe a sigh of relief. He silently lowered his head and slapped his own face twice in frustration.

Why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut!

Min Shu knew he was a chatterbox and sometimes couldn’t keep his mouth shut, but he never expected to be this unlucky today—he’d already gotten on Wei Changchuan’s bad side twice in just a few hours. Min Shu couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened, thinking to himself that he must have forgotten to check the almanac before leaving the house today; today was definitely not a good day to speak!

In truth, Min Shu knew full well that if he contracted the virus, he’d die—there was no such thing as immunity, let alone gaining any superpowers. He’d just said it off the cuff.

What Min Shu didn’t know, however, was that Wei Changchuan hadn’t told him the whole truth about this so-called “immunity.”

In fact, people refer to this phenomenon as “immunity” merely to bolster the faltering confidence of the populace in the apocalypse and offer survivors a modicum of comfort—better than nothing. If anything, this phenomenon should be called “reinfection.” Scientists have not been able to offer a concrete explanation for it; they only know that in certain individuals, the “X” and “Y” virus strains mutate into the “Z” virus strain during the late stages of infection, thereby acquiring a certain mutation.

However, the Z virus strain is, in fact, a virus as well. It attacks the genetic chains of the infected, and due to some unknown human variation, the Z virus strain manifests very differently in each “immune” individual.

Infected individuals like Wei Changchuan, who have experienced almost entirely positive effects, are extremely rare; they are referred to as “perfect immunizers.” The rest are “imperfectly immune”—while they have gained immunity, they have also suffered from side effects at the genetic level.

For example, one immune individual, due to genetic immunity, constantly grows new limbs. This unstoppable replication and regeneration place an infinite burden on the body, forcing the individual to repeatedly amputate the excess limbs just to stay alive.

Whether this so-called “immunity” is a blessing or a curse for humanity depends entirely on probability. Even if one is lucky enough to survive the viral infection, there is no guarantee they will be saved.

Min Shu was unaware of all this; he simply felt it best to remain silent, so he lowered his head, kept his mouth shut, and followed Wei Changchuan in silence.

For a moment, the only sounds on the ice tongue were the howling wind and the crunch of footsteps on the broken ice.

The tip of the ice tongue—the area where Min Shu and Wei Changchuan had first set foot—was a zone of melting ice. The surface, smoothed by layers of ice, was relatively flat. However, the higher they climbed toward the front of the ice tongue, the more jagged the cliffs became, and the difficulty of the climb increased significantly.

Min Shu trudged along the ice, panting heavily. A fine sheen of sweat began to form on his temples, his breathing grew increasingly ragged, and he gradually felt the strain.

After walking a bit further, an ice cliff appeared before Min Shu, with a vertical drop of about four or five steps.

Min Shu：……

Under normal circumstances, he could have mustered the strength to step over it, but now he was a bit tired—

Min Shu looked at the ice cliff before him, hesitated for a moment, and just as he was about to grit his teeth and climb up, a hand appeared before his eyes.

“Give me your hand.” Wei Changchuan’s voice rang out.

Min Shu looked up in surprise and saw Wei Changchuan’s handsome face, his eyes cast down at him. Noticing Min Shu’s dazed expression, the hand extended before him gave a little tug: “Hand. Give it here.”

“Oh, oh.” Min Shu paused, then held out his hand.

Wei Changchuan gripped him firmly. The intense heat of his body immediately seeped through the calloused skin, causing Min Shu to shiver. The next moment, he felt a tremendous force; his body grew light as Wei Changchuan yanked him up onto the icy cliff.

“Whoa!” Min Shu was startled and lost his balance, his body lurching backward. Fortunately, Wei Changchuan reached around from behind and steadied him just in time: “Careful—”

“Keep your feet steady.”

Min Shu quickly steadied himself, marveling at how strong Wei Changchuan really was—it felt just like riding an elevator—as he looked up and smiled at him:

“Bro—”

He instinctively wanted to compliment the man, but just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he remembered what had happened earlier. He choked on his words, finally pursed his lips, and simply said, “Brother, thanks.”

In the sunlight, Wei Changchuan saw the slightly cautious smile on the young man’s face and furrowed his brow imperceptibly. His gaze lingered on the young man’s face for a moment before he said, “It’s nothing.”

With that, he turned around: “Let’s go.”

Min Shu followed him, his expression gradually growing somewhat strange as his gaze drifted downward to the hand clasped in Wei Changchuan’s. Surely… he hadn’t forgotten to pull it back?

Min Shu hesitated for a moment, then looked up and asked tentatively, “Brother, I can walk on my own.”

Wei Changchuan kept walking without looking back. “The path is rough.”

Just then, they passed a slightly wider crevice. Wei Changchuan released his hand, stepped across, then turned back: “Lift your foot.”

Min Shu lifted his foot as instructed. In the next instant, Wei Changchuan kicked the ice wall beside them with all his might, sending a thick icicle crashing down, which fit perfectly into the crevice.

Min Shu：……

He looked up at Wei Changchuan in shock: “Bro, you really are my big brother.” That was just too awesome!!

Wei Changchuan gave him a slightly puzzled look and held out his hand: “Hand.”

Min Shu was completely won over. One command, one action—he obediently let Wei Changchuan take his hand as they crossed the makeshift ice bridge. Next, Wei Changchuan used the ice bridge to transport the coffin across, then turned and continued walking forward, still holding Min Shu’s hand.

Min Shu walked beside Wei Changchuan, occasionally glancing up at the man’s towering back, then looking down at their clasped hands.

Whether it was because he was dressed too warmly or the midday sun was too intense, Min Shu actually felt a wave of warmth on the frigid glacier.

Min Shu pressed his lips together and stole another glance at the man, but could discern nothing from Wei Changchuan’s calm profile. However, the man’s hand was very warm—almost hot—and held his own tightly.

As the sun began to set, the two reached the end of the ice tongue—the entrance to the glacier.

Min Shu had previously only ventured this far with the townspeople. Near the entrance stood a smooth ice wall, two stories high. Up close, he could make out two or three ice caves with traces of their openings still visible. Further back, the original marks had faded away under the wear of time, blending seamlessly into the ice wall. Min Shu knew, however, that at least a dozen deceased elders of the Nuinte tribe were buried within this ice wall. Their remains had likely melted into the glacier along with the eternal ice and snow.

Wei Changchuan used the axe he had brought to chisel out a similar opening next to the nearest ice cave. Then, the two of them retrieved Isua’s body and placed it deep within the cave.

Isua’s body was in a cross-legged posture, sitting quietly in the faintly flooded ice cave. Sunlight refracted through the ice, illuminating the woman’s calm and serene face.

If the climate continues to grow colder year after year, she will remain seated in this state for a very, very long time.

Min Shu sat on the ground, gazing at her, and suddenly recalled the Buddhist story of Bodhidharma, who meditated facing a wall for nine years to attain enlightenment.

Unfortunately, the Inuit people do not practice Buddhism; instead, they believe in animism. They leave the bodies of their elders within the glacier, trusting that the souls of their ancestors will merge with the frost and snow, nourishing the earth as the snowmelt flows and protecting their people.

“Grandma, I still haven’t learned the song you taught me,” Min Shu said in Inuktitut.

He took out the incense and candles he had inherited from the owner of the restaurant, lit them with a lighter, raised them above his head, and bowed three times toward Isua’s remains:

“This is the custom of our homeland. Consider it a farewell for you.” Min Shu raised his head to look at the woman’s gentle face, his eyes slightly reddened: “Grandma, I’ll miss you.”

Isua kept her head bowed, a faint smile still playing at the corners of her mouth, as if she had heard him.

Min Shu sniffed, looked down to wipe the corner of his eye, and reached to plant the three sticks of incense into the ice. But in the next instant, his movement came to an abrupt halt.

…The incense wouldn’t go in.

The ice was too hard; Min Shu tried a few times but couldn’t even leave a scratch.

Min Shu：……

He had no choice but to turn back and look at Wei Changchuan, who was leaning against the entrance of the cave, playing with a cigarette held between his fingers: “Bro, can you give me a hand?”

Wei Changchuan paused, tucked the cigarette away, and walked over to him. The three incense sticks in his hand were like divine weapons, sinking smoothly into the ice.

Min Shu watched the incense sticks as they gave off a wisp of blue smoke, then suddenly smiled and turned to Isua. “Grandma, I guess this counts as my brother offering incense to you. For my sake, would you please bless him a little?”

Hearing this, Wei Changchuan paused in his movement to stand up and glanced at Min Shu.

Min Shu, however, was quite devout; he bowed three more times toward Isua: “This is on my brother’s behalf.”

After finishing his bows, he pushed himself up from the ice and stood. He cast one last glance at Isua’a’s remains, then, just as he had done countless times before setting out, smiled at the woman and said, “I’m off now, Granny. Don’t worry about me.”

A bitter north wind swept across the snowy plains, blowing along the ice tongue and rushing through the narrow ice walls. As Min Shu stepped out of the ice cave, a powerful gust of wind ruffled the hair on his forehead and violently lifted his felt hat.

“Ah!” Min Shu shuddered at the gust and instinctively closed his eyes.

Just then, a hand firmly pressed down on his hat. Min Shu flinched and turned his head to see Wei Changchuan withdrawing his hand. “Stand back,” he said.

Min Shu let out an “Oh” and hurriedly pressed his hand against the brim of his hat, taking a few steps back.

Then he saw Wei Changchuan take his hand out of his pocket, spin around, and kick the ice cave. The ice wall above the entrance shattered instantly, and chunks of ice crashed down, sealing the opening tight.

Min Shu stood there with his mouth agape: “Wow.”

He’d even brought special tools for chiseling ice, yet Wei Changchuan had taken care of it with a single kick. It was certainly efficient, though a bit unsightly. He suddenly felt that the three bows he’d just made weren’t enough; he should have bowed a few more times for Wei Changchuan.

Just then, Wei Changchuan turned around, his expression unchanged as he stepped out of the swirling snow mist, and said to him:

“Let’s go.”

Min Shu suddenly realized that the man not only lacked reverence for nature but also didn’t seem to hold much respect for something as somewhat idealistic as a funeral. But it didn’t matter; might make right, Min Shu quickly convinced himself.

For the rest of the journey, Wei Changchuan refused to let Min Shu accompany him. He found a sheltered cave and arranged for Min Shu and the supplies to stay there.

“Wait for me right here.”

Wei Changchuan boiled some snowmelt on a portable stove, made Min Shu a cup of hot cocoa, stood up, and said, “Don’t go outside until I get back.”

Min Shu took a sip of the hot cocoa and felt warmth spread through his whole body. Hearing this, he nodded: “Mm-hmm.”

He hadn’t planned on going out anyway. Having made it this far, Min Shu knew he’d reached the limit of his stamina, and he had no intention of holding Wei Changchuan back.

Wei Changchuan watched the young man huddled in the ice cave, blowing on the surface of the water while holding a thermos. His gaze lingered on the young man’s slightly pale face, and for some reason, he said, “I’ll try to come back as soon as I can.”

“Okay.”

Min Shu nodded, cup in hand, and grinned at the man through the misty steam:

“Bro, be careful on the road.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Changchuan seemed to smile—or perhaps he didn’t. Before Min Shu could make out the expression hidden beneath the shadow of his hat brim, he snapped back to attention and walked out of the cave.

After Wei Changchuan left, Min Shu finished the cup of hot chocolate and soon fell asleep. The furs he’d brought came in handy. Min Shu spread several layers of waterproof fur on the ice, making a soft, mattress-like surface, then lay down on it, covering himself with a polar bear fur coat as a blanket.

The morning’s hike had completely drained his energy, and bathed in the slightly warm sunlight, Min Shu soon fell into a deep, restful sleep. He didn’t know how much time had passed when the cold woke him up.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he realized it had grown completely dark outside the cave.

This wasn’t surprising; at this time of year, daylight hours on the island were already very short, and by three or four in the afternoon, it was nearly pitch black.

Min Shu climbed to his feet; his “blanket” slipped off, and as the warmth from the bedding dissipated, he immediately shivered from the cold.

The temperature had dropped significantly. Realizing this, Min Shu immediately grabbed a few more fur garments to wrap around himself, and only then did he feel somewhat better. Next, he reached for the whale oil lamp sitting nearby, lit it with a lighter, and the dim, yellow glow instantly illuminated the ice cave.

Min Shu looked around and saw that Wei Changchuan hadn’t returned yet. Just then, a sound reached Min Shu’s ears. It was the howling of the wind and snow.

Min Shu froze for a moment, then stiffened all over. He hurriedly stood up and ran toward the cave entrance. When he saw the scene outside the entrance, his pupils contracted sharply, and the hand holding the oil lamp trembled.

Outside the cave, everything was a pale gray; at some point, a blizzard had engulfed the glacier.