This was a small cave, about seven or eight square meters wide.
Rayan placed Daz in the middle of the cave, then leaned against one side. Krista knelt beside Daz, her face filled with worry. She gently pushed his body with both hands.
"Daz, Daz, can you hear me?"
"He is passed out," Rayan said. "With such a high fever, you will not wake him by calling."
"What should we do then..." Krista's voice was filled with panic.
Ymir, who was standing nearby, glanced at the howling wind and snow outside the cave, then back at Daz. A look of irritation crossed her face.
"Speaking of which, this guy was already sick, right? Yet he still participated in the training."
"Just for the score," Rayan said calmly.
As long as they could qualify for the Military Police Brigade, it meant a secure life with guaranteed food and shelter — a rare and precious opportunity.
In this world, even filling one's stomach was no easy task. Every year, countless people starved to death. In such conditions, naturally everyone desperately fought for a place in the Military Police.
"So what do we do next?" Ymir smiled slyly. "How about we leave him here..."
"Ymir!" Krista immediately interrupted, glaring at her. "We cannot abandon our comrade!"
"Oh, lovely Krista, I did not say we should abandon him," Ymir said with a shrug. "It is just... do you think it will be easy for us to move forward while carrying him? We might even get ourselves killed. It is better if we reach the finish line first and let the instructors carry out the rescue."
Krista fell silent.
Ymir was right. Walking in this weather and terrain was already difficult. Carrying another person would make it almost impossible.
An unconscious Daz was no different from dead weight, and carrying him meant bearing a burden of over a hundred pounds. It was no small task.
Of course, for someone like Rayan, it was not an issue at all. But he was not in a hurry to reveal that. He wanted to see if Krista would continue to insist despite everything.
He watched as Krista removed her hood, her beautiful golden hair cascading down over her narrow shoulders. She gathered it slightly and said firmly, "We cannot leave him here alone."
She looked at Rayan with a pleading gaze. "Rayan, you agree with me, right?"
"Yeah," Rayan nodded.
"It is too dangerous to leave him. This cave is hard to find. Rescuers will not easily locate it. Even if we leave marks along the way, the snow will quickly bury them. And... there might be wolves in the mountains. If we leave him here, there might be nothing left but bones by the time help arrives."
"Wolves?" Krista shivered slightly, fear flashing across her delicate face.
"The shorty is just being alarmist again," Ymir scoffed.
She wrapped her arm around Krista's shoulders and laughed, "Do not worry. If any wolves show up, I will protect you."
"Ymir..." Krista muttered softly.
It was not an exaggeration. There were living creatures hidden within these snowy mountains, and it would not be surprising if wolves appeared.
"Let us replenish some energy first," Rayan said, taking off his backpack and pulling out the food supplies.
These had been provided before the training began. After all, even in harsh conditions like these, they could not afford to push children aged thirteen to fifteen beyond human limits without some support.
Of course, the rations were limited — enough for just one meal.
Seeing Rayan, Ymir and Krista also took out their own food. Because of the cold, the bread was hard as a rock, nearly impossible to bite into. Eating it felt like biting into ice, but at least it could replenish their energy.
The wind and snow continued to whistle outside. Occasionally, snowflakes would drift into the cave and land on their bread, but they ate without complaint.
Soon the cold, tough bread was gone, and they washed it down with icy water from their canteens. There were no insulated flasks in this world, so the water was cold enough to make their teeth ache, though thankfully it had not frozen yet.
"Glug," Rayan took a sip and grimaced slightly at the sharp cold.
He gazed out at the darkening world beyond the cave entrance and murmured, "Evening is coming. It looks like the snow will get heavier. I wish we had a cup of wine."
"What is the shorty mumbling about?" Ymir asked, her mouth full of bread.
Rayan glanced at her lazily. "The venomous-tongued woman would not understand."
"We tall people certainly do not understand what shorties say," Ymir shot back.
"Ymir, Rayan, do not quarrel," Krista said with mild annoyance, especially looking at Ymir. "Do not always call Rayan short. It is very rude."
"That is only for him," Ymir chuckled and flicked Krista's chin with her slender fingers. "For you, I will only ever use 'cutie.'"
Krista's face turned crimson. She stammered, unable to respond.
Then, noticing the scarf wrapped around Daz's face and Rayan's bare neck exposed to the icy air, Krista exclaimed, "Rayan, are you not cold?"
"Of course I am cold. But not to the point of freezing to death without a scarf," Rayan said. He looked at Daz with concern. "He has a high fever. If he catches more cold... he might end up with serious complications."
Krista nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. Without hesitation, she removed her own scarf and gently wrapped it around Daz's forehead, leaving only his mouth and nose exposed so he could breathe.
"I really cannot do anything with you," Ymir sighed.
Without a word, she pulled off her own scarf and draped it around Krista's neck.
"Ymir..." Krista looked at her in surprise.
Ymir held Krista's hand down. "Do not move. The shorty has thick skin and can handle the cold. You are different."
"But you..."
"I am tougher than you," Ymir said softly, her fingertips brushing across Krista's smooth cheek. "If you catch a cold, we will have two patients to deal with."
Krista blushed again but did not refuse.
Her body was fragile and prone to illness. If she collapsed now, it would only make things more difficult for them.
Of course, that was only what she believed. In reality, this team was filled with hidden strength. Not to mention Rayan, even Ymir herself could carry all three of them to the finish line if absolutely necessary. But unless things became critical, she would not reveal that secret.
The three of them sat in silence for a while. In the dim flickering light, they occasionally exchanged glances. The howling snow outside the cave sounded distant, almost peaceful.
Krista glanced at Ymir, then at Rayan. A soft warmth spread through her heart — a feeling she rarely experienced during her harsh, fugitive life.
"Alright," Rayan finally stood up, brushing the snow from his sleeves.
He looked at the increasingly heavy snow outside the cave and said decisively, "We have to move. If the snow gets any heavier, it will be even harder to make it. And Daz needs treatment quickly. We cannot delay any longer."
"Yeah." Krista stood up, looking at Daz anxiously. "But him... how..."
"I will carry him on my back," Rayan said simply.
He crouched down, hooked Daz's arms over his shoulders, and hoisted him up effortlessly.
"Rayan..."
"As expected of the mighty midget. You really are strong," Ymir teased with a grin.
"Venomous-tongued woman," Rayan grunted, "instead of running your mouth, why do you not help me tie his legs?"
------------
Try Other Fics I Have
•SAO: I replaced him?
•Anime: I Want Harem
•DxD: I am Kanda Sorata
•Anime: Curse Of Immortality
•Genshin Impact: I have Broken System