The Ice Cellar

Chapter 4 I'm Not Going Back

The last of the wine caught the converter's orange light. In the group chat, begging had turned into accusations.

I put the half-eaten steak and the cabernet in front of the converter and took one clear photo.

I sent it to the group chat.

No one replied for thirty seconds. Then the messages came all at once.

"How?"

"Yara, oh my God, we are so sorry!"

"Please, you have to help us! You were right about everything!"

Caroline got to the point. "I'm an i***t. You're a genius. Name your price. You can have my entire game bonus."

Then Derrick sent the message I had expected.

"Yara, that's enough. You've made your point. Lia is getting weak, and several people have severe hypothermia. Send us your coordinates. We're taking over your resources for the good of the team."

Even now, he was issuing instructions and assigning my shelter to himself.

I typed my reply.

"Since you chose the perfect villa, you can die in it. I'm not teaming up with anyone."

I sent it. Before anyone could answer, the system interrupted.

[Warning: Culling Phase active. Game mode changed to 'Resource Plunder War.' Players can kill other players and take their skills and resources. Alliances may be broken at any time. Survive.]

A real-time map opened on my phone. It showed all 50 players. Forty-nine dots were packed inside the Summit Villa, and my dot sat alone beneath the ice.

Derrick's next message went to everyone else.

"@All! She's hoarding a source of heat and power! She's leaving us to die! Fine! If she won't join us, we'll make her! Grab anything that can be used as a weapon. We hunt her down, or we die here!"

Several red dots broke away from the villa cluster and moved toward my cellar.