The transition from the open, windswept highland plateau into the narrow mouth of Route C-4 was an immediate, jarring plunge into a dense, vertical wilderness.
Because the violent tropical storm of the previous night had completely sheared away the primary mountain foliage and topsoil, the entrance to the ravine was a chaotic, primeval tangle of water-logged ferns, shattered bamboo stalks, and slick, exposed granite bedrock.
The air inside the deep gorge was heavy, static, and freezing, holding a sharp, damp chill that clung to the skin like a second layer of clothing the exact moment the group dropped below the protective ridgeline.
As the de facto navigation anchor of the entire emergency expedition, Chen Ying took the first step forward into the unknown terrain. Her rugged boots stepped heavily onto the raw, dark granite, her eyes narrowing as she immediately began calculating the friction coefficient of the wet stone.
