This chapter mainly talks about Artem, a member of the Belobog "Supernova" Expedition Team. He was accidentally dragged into a blizzard outside Belobog. After falling off a cliff, he began his struggle to survive...
When Artem first joined the Ancient Relic Expedition Team, he was known as "the most promising youth in the history of the expedition team."
He graduated at the top of his class from the best medical institute in Belobog, while also having degrees in archaeology and geology. His physical capabilities rival that of a professional athlete, and he has claimed multiple national rock-climbing championships as the head of the medical institute's rock-climbing association.
However, beneath the glamour and praise hides an extremely stubborn person, who's obsessed with the relics of the Old World. When Artem first joined the expedition team, he often became "overly devoted" to the studies of the ancient relics. He locked himself in the research institute for days, until the staff found him passed out on the lab floor.
"What? I even forgot to eat!?"
"Yes, Artem. You even forgot to sleep!"
"That won't do. I'm gonna fill my stomach and get back to my research."
It was not until recently that he learned to keep some canned food in his drawer in the lab. This only made him stay even longer in the lab than before.
In the beginning, many young ladies set their eyes on Artem, for a little while at least. But everyone soon realized that the humanoid organism named Artem seems to be unable to develop emotional connections with others. What a pity.
In his own words, "For now, I just want to adventure."
The Ancient Relic Expedition Team belongs to the Belobog Museum. They are a team of adventurers responsible for finding Old World relics in the areas surrounding Belobog. Retrieved relics will be studied extensively by archeologists and historians. However, their work must be done in a harsh blizzard environment. Dangerous situations and accidents are frequent in this line of work, which requires both wisdom and courage. Without a doubt, these archeologists are the true explorers of Belobog.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the explorers may die at any moment.
This moment was no different.
Artem moved towards the cliff face as he dragged the lower half of his body with difficulty. The wind was much weaker here, making sure he can breathe a little easier before his inevitable death. His vision was blurry, but he couldn't tell whether it was due to the blizzard or if his eyes were wounded. He tried looking up the cliff where he probably fell from.
Did the team member he pulled up find safety? He must have, right? It was only a matter of time before he joined the other team members. That's a relief...
...
He was exhausted, and his vision gradually grew dim. If he fell asleep now, during this blizzard, he would never wake up, that's for sure. The heavy abdominal bleeding had frozen solid, and Artem was unsure of how he would eventually die. It hardly mattered to him at this point.
As the blizzard grew more violent, Artem would soon become a corpse just like the ones that he had passed by on previous adventures. It gave him some relief to think he wouldn't be alone.
...
He was just three years old when he climbed the drainpipe to the rooftop, much to the horror of his parents... What was happening? Was his life already flashing before his eyes? Ah, how many memories does one make in a lifetime...
Artem had drifted off to sleep under the cliff.
The flame of his life flickered in the blizzard. It was about to die out.