The forty-minute rest stop concluded with precision the exact second Chen Ying's internal timer hit zero. Thanks to the intensely hot fish broth and the roaring fire, the core body temperatures of the entire expedition had completely stabilized.
However, as they stepped out from underneath the protective shelter of the granite overhang, the mountain environment served a fresh reminder of its volatility. The drizzle had finally tapered off, but it had been replaced by a thick, blinding mountain fog that rolled down from the plateau, reducing visibility to less than fifteen meters.
The final leg of Route C-4 lay directly ahead, and it was the most physically daunting stretch yet: a steep, naturally terraced granite staircase.
