The thick gray limestone walls were able to block out all the wind and snow.

The heat did not quickly dissipate.

After seeing that everyone was out of immediate danger, Zong Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In the kitchen, water was boiling, and the copper kettle with a curved spout quickly came to a boil under the intense heat of the stove.

Cups of hot water were brought out on a tray, and after the copper kettle was emptied, it was refilled and placed on the stove to boil again.

Just a few minutes later, those warriors who had been frozen stiff began to slowly regain consciousness.

With the help of others, they lifted the hot water cups and slowly drank the water.

After a good deal of effort, everyone's condition finally stabilized.

At this time, warmth was indeed the best medicine.

Everyone regained consciousness and gradually started to move their bodies.

Afterwards, he checked the limbs of everyone.

Seeing that none of the limbs were necrotic, Zong Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

Although there was no necrosis, the frostbite on their limbs was shocking.

The cracked skin looked like wounds, accompanied by noticeable dry scabs.

Especially for Milani, Tasuya, and Aisha, the delicate-skinned Mage Girls suffered quite a lot.

Due to the cold and dryness, their previously tender skin began to shed flakes.

The cracks from frostbite were truly alarming.

Expeditions are risky; one should be cautious when venturing out.

This time, the situation where everyone was collectively frozen stiff, Zong Shen had to take the major blame.

The root cause was that they traveled too far and neglected the climate changes over time.

During this period, the climate had not remained unchanged; the wind and snow had been gradually increasing.

The last hour of their return was almost fatal.

If they had gone a bit further or greedily hunted for a while longer.

There was a real risk of casualties.

"I truly underestimated the Frosty Winter Challenge."

"The long-standing lead and smooth experience made me lack respect for the challenge."

"The opportunistic adventurous thoughts made me overlook the risks."

"This should not have happened..."

Zong Shen began to reflect on his actions; this was the closest he had come to a total team wipe.

For this Frosty Winter Challenge, he was indeed too eager, too motivated by gain.

If he had stopped after dealing with the 20th to 25th Frosty Snow Beast, there wouldn't have been a situation where everyone was frozen stiff.

In the wind and snow, the warriors gritted their teeth and persevered; no one became the first to succumb to the cold, and stopping was not an option at that time.

The temporary windbreak camp could not effectively restore body temperature and energy, and once the snow accumulated to a certain threshold, even the Burden-Bearer Mecha might not be able to push through the snow.

Returning to the territory as quickly as possible was the only option.

Therefore, even though they were frozen stiff on the way back, no one made a sound.

They were essentially entrusting their lives to Zong Shen's hands.

Thinking of this, he felt even more guilt.

"Everyone..."

"I'm sorry!"

"The situation this time was entirely my misjudgment."

Zong Shen said in a low voice, his will seeming a bit dispirited.

His expression was filled with dejection, frustration, and guilt.

It was the first time everyone saw the originally confident Lord show such an expression.

Previously, he had always appeared very steady, supported by the information provided by strategy hints and his own cautious nature.

But only he knew that he was not a perfect person, nor a template devoid of emotion.

The Guide Module could give him a lot of information, allowing him to understand most situations, but it was hard to eliminate the blind confidence and greed in his heart.

At seven in the evening, the strategy hints had issued a warning, reminding him to bring the team back as soon as possible.

But Zong Shen ignored it, as his mind was solely focused on acquiring points at that time.

He knew that once the snow solidified, large-scale collective hunting would be impossible.

It was currently the best time to acquire points in the latter part of the Frosty Winter Challenge.

As such, he had irrationally extended the effort by an hour.

This issue was indeed due to Zong Shen himself.

When you make a mistake, you must own up to it and stand firm when taking the hit.

Regarding this situation, Zong Shen decided to reflect on himself deeply.

Adjust his mindset, not letting the urge for quick success obscure his soul.

"My Lord, we don't blame you..."

The warriors sensed Zong Shen's somewhat downcast mood and suddenly spoke in unison.

At this moment, the two Ranger sisters stepped forward, loudly proclaiming.

"The Frosty Winter can sharpen our war intent."

"This time we were just frozen stiff, which counts as a small hardship."

"Compared to life-and-death battles on the battlefield, this is nothing."

Madeleine and her sister said earnestly, their faces frozen to a dark red color, having just recovered, immediately comforting and encouraging Zong Shen.

After they took the lead, all the warriors nodded in agreement.

No matter what everyone thought, at least at this moment, no one would blame him.

Zong Shen lowered his head and softly said.

"Thank you..."

He checked the loyalty change record and found that besides the die-hard loyalists, the loyalty of the newer warriors had slightly declined.

This situation was almost inevitable; loyalty is like a mirror, faithfully reflecting what's in everyone's hearts.

He shook his head gently and turned to the long table, sitting down.

Everyone dared not disturb him, and began quickly recovering in the Lord's Small Tower.

After another ten minutes, everyone's negative states were mostly alleviated.

Now they needed to eat and sleep, as everyone felt fatigued.

"My Lord, Luna and I will first take everyone to the living area."

"If we delay any longer, it might be difficult to come and go."

Wenresa and Luna exchanged a discreet look and unprecedentedly asked for his permission. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Zong Shen lifted his head, his mood somewhat relieved.

"Okay."

He replied softly, got up, and quickly walked to the door, opening it wide.

He resolutely stepped into the wind and snow.

The cold wind rushed in immediately, making the temperature difference inside and outside quite evident.

The recently recovered crowd paused at the sight of the wind and snow outside and the influx of cold air.

With Luna and Wenresa leading the way, they quickly followed suit.

Zong Shen stepped outside the small courtyard, retrieving two Burden-Bearer Mechas.

Everyone was now quite exhausted and was reluctant to remain in the snow, quickly getting onto the Burden-Bearer Mechas.

The Wolf Cavalry and Female Hunter also mounted the wargs and Black Panthers.

Wenresa and Luna, as drivers, each holding a Magic Power Flashlight for illumination, started the Burden-Bearer Mechas again, leading everyone towards the living area in the southeast.

Zong Shen stood in place, watching them leave.

Only when the flashlight's beam turned into an orange-yellow speck did he turn back into the small tower.

He had just undergone self-reflection and review, suppressing the increasingly bloated profit-seeking mentality; truth be told, everyone craves gain.

Sometimes, the drive for gain can make people more motivated and diligent, while at other times, it can make people lose their way.

Ultimately, it was because Zong Shen was too impulsive.

He was too eager for the territory to develop quickly.

This hunting action for Snow Beasts earned him more than 40,000 points and also gave him a profound lesson.

Marie witnessed the entire process, and she understood that Zong Shen's mood must be terrible at the moment.

So she sensibly came behind Zong Shen and gently massaged his temples with her hands.

Due to Zong Shen being fully armored, Marie couldn't give him a heartfelt massage and could only comfort him in this way.

Feeling the gentle kneading of soft hands, Zong Shen's tense emotions mysteriously eased.

Just as he turned his head, his armor under his greatcoat began to vibrate slightly.

"Wrrr..."

A buzz sounded.