More firewood was added to the fireplace, and the curtains were drawn shut. The little cottage by Linghu Lake grew warmer and warmer. It was so hot that one could sweat inside. 0

Outside, however, was an entirely different world. The biting wind and snow were like knives, falling from an endless canopy of clouds. Blade after blade, they shredded the snow-clad world to pieces.0

In the wasteland, especially in River Valley Province, even a warm winter could hardly be called warm. At most, it only meant that snowfall was delayed by a month or two.0

But what was meant to come… Would come in the end.1

20 to 30 kilometers from Linghu Lake, the great wall stood like a cold iron curtain amid the wind and snow, mercilessly dividing prosperity from desolation across this wasteland.0

On one side of the wall were layers upon layers of houses. On the other were shanties crushed under the weight of snow. Just as most survivors of Boulder Town proudly claimed, even a...0