As I conjured the shield, I heard Number Two say, "These insects might be contemporaries of this civilization's inhabitants. Back then, people generally possessed superhuman abilities, so to counterbalance each other, they must have developed methods to counteract such powers."

Number Twelve chimed in, "I get what you mean. It's like, even though humans can kill mosquitoes with repellent, the mosquitoes, in order to survive, evolve genes that resist the repellent—that’s just the instinct for survival, see!"

Hearing his thick Taiwanese accent, I continued weaving the shield and retorted, "You’ve really got guts, cracking out the Taiwanese accent at a time like this."

Number Twelve gave a wry smile. "You think I want to? It's just that the weather is so damn cold, my tongue is frozen stiff and can't articulate properly, see!"

Just then, Number Two interjected, "Don’t bother with him! Let that loser be. The most important thing right now is to figure out how to fend off these strange bugs, or else we’ll all be goners today!"

When I heard a Hong Kong accent emerge, I nearly spat blood. I thought, these two are facing death and are still so cheerful, are they cosplaying for me now? Is it Old Master Q possessing them, or Jay Chou channeling through? Should I drop a rap verse?

But I was truly bewildered, and could only reinforce the shield, allowing the three of us to slowly inch closer to the giant’s face.

Looking again at the giant sprawled on the ground, the snowflakes covering him had completely fallen off. We were no longer looking at a snow-white figure, but a massive human of normal complexion.

He was clad head-to-toe in a garment made of animal hides, likely mammoth fur, as the color was almost identical to the one I wore.

The giant lay on his side, his posture somewhat contorted, suggesting he hadn't landed lightly. Perhaps he was unconscious; in any case, he remained motionless.

I established three layers of barrier in the air, enduring the furious assault of the bugs, and painstakingly maneuvered right beside the giant’s face.

However, our luck wasn't great. Although the giant was lying on his side, his face was turned towards the ground. We could only see his long, black hair and his sturdy build; judging by the heavy beard, he was clearly a male.

We had no choice, as our current strength wasn't enough to turn his head. So, I just shouted from the side, "Hey! Big guy, are you alright?"

The giant gave no reaction, remaining utterly still.

We exchanged glances, finding no immediate solution.

Observing the cavern we fell through, it seemed to have been filled by the blizzard above, now nothing but a black void. Yet, we spotted a great, arched dome of ice about ten stories above us. Whether it was man-made or natural, the giant’s fall had punched a large hole through it.

Scattered around the giant were shards of ice; some had pierced his skin. Though not deep, bright red blood was flowing out.

Even as the swarm circled us, relentlessly battering the shield with repeated charges and sprays, the rate at which they damaged it was slower than my ability to regenerate it. Furthermore, maintaining such a shield didn't consume much energy.

Under these circumstances, we couldn't abandon our savior. We had to grit our teeth and tend to his wounds.

I channeled a portion of my mental energy to carefully extract the ice splinters embedded in his skin.

Seemingly triggered by the pain, the giant moved slightly, but showed no signs of waking up.

Then, I retrieved the specialized trauma medicine and bandages from my container, carefully climbing onto the giant to treat his injuries.

After doing so, the giant still showed no sign of recovery. Meanwhile, the bugs, having failed to breach our defenses repeatedly, lost many of their comrades. They ceased their direct assaults and began merely circling us, perhaps planning to change tactics to break through our defenses.

I knew these insects were highly intelligent and probably difficult to deal with, but their current behavior granted me a brief reprieve.

Number Twelve suggested, "Why don't we move him to a safer spot? These bugs might switch targets and attack him next, and our shields might not cover him effectively because he’s just too big."

I considered it. Though the giant was immense, with Number Twelve present, moving him wouldn't be overly difficult. But first, we needed a sheltered location, particularly from the insects. Ideally, a room with a door we could close.

However, looking around, I saw no such place. Although there were many signs resembling artificial construction, whether this area was truly part of an ancient man-made ruin required further investigation. It was certain that the ice layer visible in the distance was the work of intelligent life, but whether this area was an annexed underground structure of that Ice City was hard to tell.

To get a better sense of our surroundings, I told the other two, "I noticed the bugs never seemed intent on attacking the giant. Our current priority to heal him is also tied to finding a safe haven. We must scout the area, so we'll have to leave him for now. But if either of you wishes to stay and watch over him, I have no objection."

Number Two replied, "The situation here is unclear. It’s better not to split up yet; let’s go check things out together."

Number One was the most reluctant to separate, so he quickly nodded in agreement. "If we go, we all go. Otherwise, if we come back and someone’s missing, we’ll have no time to cry about it."

"Alright," I conceded. "That glowing blue crystal looks quite suspicious. Why don't we check that out first?"

Both agreed to my suggestion; clearly, this underground luminescence was the most intriguing feature.

The massive blue crystal didn't appear far, but it took us a full ten minutes to reach it. Along the way, we discovered that this mysterious subterranean space seemed to have established pathways. The ice layer beneath our feet was solid and level. To facilitate walking, there were vertical grooves spaced evenly, presumably to prevent slipping—they looked too uniform to be naturally formed.

When we arrived at the glowing crystal, we found it wasn't a mineral deposit but an illumination fixture molded from ice crystals. At the core of the ice crystal was something resembling a light tube; its energy source remained a mystery.

Number Twelve proposed smashing the ice layer to look inside, but both Number Two and I simultaneously vetoed the idea. The cardinal rule of exploring ancient underground ruins is not to destroy anything. Even if smashing it caused no immediate consequence, it would be meaningless and inauspicious.

Because it was completely dark before, we couldn't see clearly into the distance, and the bright blue crystal was blocking our view of what lay beyond. Now that we had passed it, we saw many similar crystals deeper in the gloom. They were spaced far apart—about a hundred meters—but were structured almost perfectly symmetrically, marking out a broad, illuminated avenue for us.

I didn't know where this avenue led, but I noticed it was gradually sloping upwards, perhaps leading towards the entrance of that immense Ice City.

"Should we follow this road to its end, or venture into the darkness to explore?" Number Two asked for my opinion.

I frowned, surveying the length of the road ahead. "I think it will take a very long time to reach the end of this path. However, our mission isn't just to save the giant; the crucial task is to stop the Toad King’s resurrection. So, I suggest we follow the road; we might reach the Ice City and be able to scout inside. If the Toad King is a regional overlord, he’s highly likely to reside in the city."

Number Two nodded. "That’s what I was thinking. We’re running out of time. They say the Toad King’s revival comes with very distinct omens, and I suspect those omens are due soon. We must proceed cautiously."

I disagreed with him. "No, you two can't run as fast as I can. I’ll take responsibility for investigating the end of the road. If the end proves to be a dead end, going together would be a waste of time. We must split up now."

Number Two seemed to grasp my meaning and asked, "Then what do you plan for us two to do?"

I surveyed the surroundings. "We currently have three leads: First, find Old Man Li and his son to learn why they mysteriously vanished. Second, revive the giant and see if we can glean any clues through attempted communication. Third, enter the Ice City to search directly for the Toad King's lair. You two need to thoroughly investigate the large dark areas here. First, find any space where you can shelter yourselves and wake the giant, while simultaneously keeping an eye out for Old Man Li and his son. As for me, I will confirm the third possibility."

I looked around again. "Those head-worms have vanished; I don't know where they’ve hidden, but they certainly haven't given up. You two must be extremely cautious."

Number Two assured me, "Don't worry. With me here, they won't get close."

I nodded in approval, then continued, "If I find any trace of the Toad King, I will fire a signal flare, and we’ll regroup quickly. If you find anything, do the same. Use the signal flare as our cue."

Number Two clapped me on the shoulder. "I know you can do it, but pace yourself. I don't want to lose a comrade like you."

I returned the gesture, patting him back. "We aren't just comrades now, are we? We’re brothers who’ve faced death together. Let’s go achieve something great!"