Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 259

Yu Xi and her team were the first to start digging through the snow to rescue people, making them the earliest to receive the mission notification.
By the time other helpful travelers triggered the task while digging, Yu Xi had already unearthed the first treasure.
In the vast white snowfield, a palm-sized black matte metal box stood out distinctly. However, to her surprise, the ordinary tourists around them seemed unable to see the black box.
Yu Zhenzhen noticed this and let out a curious sound.
Yu Xi asked her three teammates one by one, and they all confirmed that they could see the box.
This meant that the “treasure” boxes were visible among travelers, but this also indicated a potential problem—within the same team, things might be fine, but for different teams, conflicts over these boxes could easily arise.
So, was this “Snowfield Treasure Hunt” really a good thing, or would it bring trouble?
She assumed the black box could be opened immediately and prepared to face whatever challenge it presented. However, as soon as her fingers touched the box, it suddenly vanished, and she felt her phone vibrate.
Treasure box count: 1
Hint:
Treasure hunting is available from 6 AM to 6 PM daily.
Tap the number to choose whether to open a box.
Prepare for challenges before opening a box.
Unopened treasure boxes will expire when the station’s countdown ends.
Friendly reminder: Do not open someone else’s treasure box.
Yu Xi: …
It suddenly felt like she was collecting mystery boxes and stockpiling them for a big reveal later.
She didn’t say anything aloud but shared the details of the treasure boxes in their team chat, along with her recommendation: don’t worry about challenges appearing suddenly—focus on collecting as many boxes as possible for now and open them later when prepared. Also, no need to be polite about it—whoever finds a box should claim it immediately. If my guess is correct, opening someone else’s box could have negative consequences.
Lin Wu: Understood. Also, since we’ve now started getting task notifications, we should keep an eye out for any hidden train stations.
Ya Tong: Do you think we might find train tickets inside the treasure boxes?
Yu Zhenzhen: I think that’s highly possible! I know it shouldn’t be exciting, but suddenly this feels really fun…
It wasn’t just Yu Zhenzhen who found it interesting—nearly every traveler who received the “Treasure Hunt Mode” notification and discovered a box felt a surge of excitement.
Suddenly, the pace of digging intensified.
Previously, people had been casually digging to help with rescues. Now, it had turned into a determined effort to excavate while rescuing survivors as a secondary task—which, of course, led to better results overall.
The rescue workers from the first two helicopters, seeing this, were both touched and relieved. However, they still warned that the situation on the mountain was unstable and that another avalanche could occur at any time. They also informed everyone that more rescue teams were on the way and urged survivors to leave the avalanche zone as soon as possible, stay warm indoors, and drink hot water—preferably ginger tea—to recover.
Since the avalanche had struck early in the morning, most people had been woken up in their sleep. Some had managed to grab warm clothing, but others had only been able to throw on a jacket over thin pants—like Yu Xi’s team. They, too, were still wearing regular, non-waterproof shoes, making them look cold just standing there.
However, thanks to the sunscreen spray’s ongoing effect, they didn’t feel the cold at all. They couldn’t even sense the wind or the wetness of the snow beneath their feet. It was as if they were in a comfortably heated indoor space, making them the fastest diggers out of all the travelers.
Everyone knew that the sunscreen spray had a limited number of uses and a time restriction. No one wanted to waste it, so they made the most of their remaining time, determined to dig up as many boxes as possible before the two-hour limit expired.
The four of them tacitly moved to a less crowded area away from the rescue workers and continued digging.
So far, Yu Xi had found three treasure boxes, while the others had each found two. They also quickly realized that once a person had found a box in one area, they were unlikely to find another in the same spot, meaning they had to keep expanding their search radius.
Half an hour later, the helicopter carrying the first batch of critically injured survivors took off and returned with more rescue personnel. By this point, an hour and a half had passed since the avalanche, and the chances of anyone still trapped beneath the snow surviving were rapidly decreasing.
This new wave of rescuers focused more on evacuating survivors to safer locations down the mountain, distributing supplies, and calming the shaken tourists.
Meanwhile, another rescue team had begun clearing the mountain roads leading out of White Bird Lake Park, as another snowfall was expected soon. Their plan was to evacuate all remaining tourists in stages.
For now, the priority was still searching for survivors—dead or alive—while ensuring the critically injured, elderly, and children were transported first. However, helicopter space was limited, making the road-clearing operation just as urgent.
As the two-hour sunscreen spray limit approached, Ya Tong unearthed a silver matte metal box beneath the ice. Compared to the black boxes, this one was engraved with intricate patterns, making it look much more valuable.
After touching it to claim it, she checked her phone and noticed a change in her treasure box count.
The other three leaned over to check.
Treasure box count: regular treasures (2), rare treasure (1)
Yu Zhenzhen immediately brightened. “So there’s a difference between regular and high-tier mystery boxes! Lucky find!”
Lin Wu was much calmer. “Opening the boxes means facing challenges, and only by completing them can we earn rewards. The rare treasure’s challenge will probably be much harder than a regular one.”
Yu Xi reminded them that they had five minutes before the sunscreen spray wore off. “Let’s find a place to gear up properly before continuing to dig.”
They quickly left the crowded avalanche site, making their way past the remains of the ski resort. Behind a cluster of snow-covered pine trees, they packed down a stable area of snow and pulled out two winter-proof wind-resistant tents.
Working together, they swiftly set up the tents and climbed inside to change.
By then, the sunscreen spray had worn off, but thanks to their enhanced physical endurance, they weren’t in danger of freezing immediately.
Yu Xi, even in the negative ten-degree temperature, only felt mildly cold.
Out of the four, she wore the least amount of gear—insulated fleece-lined pants layered under lightweight waterproof down pants, paired with high-top waterproof thermal boots. She had originally only worn a short-sleeved T-shirt under her down coat but now added a fleece layer inside, which was more than enough.
They all made sure to wear their windproof hats, gloves, and goggles properly, knowing they still had more digging to do.
With so many people around, they also pulled out backpacks filled with basic gear to avoid drawing attention. As they finished dressing and packing up the tent, they discussed their next steps.
All the buildings on the mountain were buried and uninhabitable. They had two options—either camp in the forested slopes farther from the avalanche zone or head down to one of the heated villas at the base.
“The mountain still isn’t safe. I just heard from the rescue workers that the ski resort was originally classified as a safe zone—” Lin Wu paused. “The avalanche should never have reached this area.”
“If we stay up here and another, even larger avalanche happens, we might not have time to react.”
“Then let’s head down the mountain for now,” Ya Tong nodded. “If there are villas available, we’ll stay in one. If not, we’ll set up tents. Either way, since they’re evacuating the tourists, the villas will eventually be vacated.”
Yu Xi pulled out a high-capacity power bank from her storage space, intending to give it to Yu Zhenzhen so she could recharge her bound weapon as much as possible.
But when she turned around, she saw Yu Zhenzhen vigorously digging in the snow beside them with her multi-functional shovel.
This wasn’t the avalanche zone, but after days of continuous snowfall, the snow was still deep. She had already dug one deep hole, found nothing, moved to another spot, and dug several shallow holes. Now, she had shifted directions again, working busily like a burrowing mole.
Yu Xi was about to tell her that they might not find treasure boxes here when Yu Zhenzhen suddenly exclaimed in excitement, “I found one!”
Yu Xi: …
If treasure boxes could also be found outside the avalanche zone, did that mean that the entire White Bird Lake Ecological Park—or at least anywhere with snow—could have treasure boxes buried beneath?
They decided to test this theory immediately. After Yu Zhenzhen claimed her newly discovered box, they all took out their snowboards, ready to ski down the mountain.
This area had originally been part of the ski resort. Half of the resort had been buried by the avalanche, with snow piled too high and mixed with ice and rocks, making it impossible to ski there. However, further down from their position, the ski slopes were still intact and wide open.
Since the route down was too long, the rescue teams evacuating survivors hadn’t used this path. Looking down from their position, they could see a long, untouched stretch of pure white snow leading to the pine forest marking the end of the beginner slopes.
Beyond that forest, the expert-level slopes began—steeper, narrower, and filled with more trees, but still a direct route down the mountain. If they took that path, they could save a significant amount of time.
Three out of the four of them weren’t experienced skiers, but as mission travelers, their physical fitness, reflexes, and control were far superior to ordinary people. After a few moments of adjustment, they quickly found their balance.
As Yu Zhenzhen put it, even if they fell, it wouldn’t hurt much. And if they didn’t want to keep skiing, they could always grab an inflatable sled and slide down instead.
“Alright, let’s go!” Yu Xi put on her goggles and was the first to take off.
Yu Zhenzhen and Ya Tong followed closely behind, while Lin Wu, the only skilled skier among them, stayed at the rear to regulate his speed and keep an eye on the other three.
On the vast, empty ski slope, there wasn’t much technique required. They stumbled slightly at the first turn but quickly adjusted their direction and continued their descent.
In just five or six minutes, they had successfully reached the base of the mountain.
Compared to the mountaintop, the area below was much livelier. Even in the freezing cold, tourists had left their rooms, unable to ignore the avalanche’s massive impact. The thunderous collapse, the constant helicopter traffic—these were now the hot topics of discussion.
Park staff were busy clearing the main roads with snowplows, while electric carts moved up the newly cleared paths to pick up evacuated survivors.
In the villa area near White Bird Mountain, staff used loudspeakers to ask tourists to voluntarily pack up and vacate a few villas for survivors to stay in.
The evacuees were already lucky to be alive. The critically injured had been flown out in helicopters, while the remaining survivors, though mostly lightly injured, were all wearing thin clothing, wrapped in emergency thermal blankets as they struggled down the mountain.
During disasters like this, people were generally cooperative. Even before the staff finished making their request, many tourists had already begun packing up, some even offering to help with the evacuations. Others, worried about their own situation, started asking about the blocked mountain roads.
When they heard that another team was actively clearing the roads, they seemed relieved.
Yu Xi and the others surveyed the area and saw that the evacuation efforts were progressing smoothly. With that in mind, they turned away and headed toward the back of White Bird Mountain.
This area was far from the lake, the forest zone, and the grasslands. It was an undeveloped ecological zone with no villas or tourists.
They picked a random spot and resumed digging.
Just as they had suspected, treasure boxes weren’t limited to the avalanche zone—anywhere with snow had the potential to contain them.
By noon, each of them had gathered seven or eight regular treasure boxes and one or two rare ones.
Lin Wu decided to open one to test it out. The others paused their digging and gathered around, ready to assist if needed. Holding his weapon tightly, Lin Wu selected a regular treasure box and chose to open it.
After a three-second countdown, a snow-colored creature the size of an adult gorilla leapt out from behind a nearby rock. Ignoring the other three entirely, it roared and charged straight at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu sidestepped the attack with a quick movement, then swung his iron staff in a heavy strike against the snow beast. It let out a screech, extending its sharp white claws toward him.
Suddenly, Lin Wu let out a curious sound. This time, instead of dodging, he struck again with full force. The snow beast collapsed, shattered into pieces of ice and snow, and vanished.
Lin Wu’s phone vibrated. He took it out and checked. “I just gained an extra inventory slot.”
Ya Tong raised an eyebrow. “So the regular boxes have low to mid-difficulty challenges, and the rewards are basic items.”
Yu Xi glanced at Lin Wu. “What was that sound you made just now?”
“After my first attack, I saw a health bar above the snow beast.”
“A health bar?”
“Yeah, after the first hit, its health bar was reduced by half. That’s why I didn’t dodge the second time—I just attacked directly.”
“Only two hits to clear the challenge? That’s weak,” Yu Zhenzhen remarked in surprise.
Yu Xi thought for a moment, then shook her head. “It’s not that the snow beast is weak—it’s that Lin Wu is too strong. Our combat power is far beyond the average traveler in the Endless Train world. We just haven’t had many chances to use it.”
Lin Wu and Ya Tong both agreed. They were powerful, but up until now, most of their efforts had been spent gathering clues, triggering missions, and exploring different locations. Other travelers might have been willing to ambush and kill for resources, but they had never been interested in that. As a result, they had rarely needed to rely on brute force.
After considering this, Ya Tong suddenly grinned. “So this time, we finally get to fight monsters without holding back?”
She had no interest in fighting other travelers for resources, but battling monsters for treasure? That was another story.
She pulled out her phone. “Let me try next.”
But after the three-second countdown, no monster appeared.
Instead, Ya Tong, who had been standing among them just moments ago, had disappeared.
Lin Wu’s expression darkened immediately.
He had just noticed—Ya Tong hadn’t opened a regular treasure box.
She had chosen a rare one.