11 Escaped From The Bridge

'How many minutes before nightfall?' He asked while running and jumping from one car to another.

'Ten minutes...'

Lee Han increased his speed. He no longer cares about his surroundings and the perils it might bring; he trusts Lara, who will warn him if any danger comes his way.

At this moment, he only needs to run. If his path was clear, he could have run straight to the end of the bridge in less than five minutes, but because so many cars were blocking his way, he might need to zigzag, which would slightly slow him.

Before long, Lee Han finally crossed a broken bridge — a large hole in the middle of the bridge that revealed the river below.

From the small path at the edge of the gole he passed, Lee Han could see the river flowing fast, many large, oddly-shaped fish in the river — waiting for their prey to enter the water.

He would go there to farm coins if he had time, but unfortunately, he had to leave this bridge immediately. He could only forget that idea and ran fast. 

Lee Han didn't want to stay in this open space before night, or he would become the Bat Monster's dinner.

'Five minutes,' Lara's soft, cute voice rang in his mind, enough to make Lee Han feel even more tense. 

He focussed again, running ahead and increasing his speed. 

After two minutes pass, he finally arrives at the empty street. He takes his car out of his space. 

Lee Han didn't waste more time; he hit the pedal gas deeper and drove as fast as he could leave the bridge — onto the wide, open freeway.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the bridge in his rearview mirror getting further away. Then, he looked up and realized that the sky was now dark orange, indicating that the sun had almost entirely set.

Another horror is now waiting for him — the cold night that might kill him. He should find a place to stay tonight. 

With his divine eyes, Lee Han tries to find a place to hide temporarily.

"There a log cabin on the right side, master. A hundred meters ahead. The cabin was empty and safe for you to stay in tonight." Lara's voice echoes in the car. 

Lee Han glanced at the direction Lara told him; after a few seconds, he finally saw the small cabin surrounded by the lust towering pine tree.

"Thank you, Lara," Lee Han said as he drove to that place. 

But he was too late. The cold temperature slowly drops when he parks his car right before the cabin door. 

A crispy sound could be heard as if someone had just opened the massive gate from the North Pole when the surrounding three leaves started to become ice.

"Fuck, fuck!" Lee Han cursed in a low voice and simultaneously jumped out of his car. He didn't have time to place his car in his storage space as he ran towards the door.

Luckily, the cabin door was not locked. He entered the cabin and closed the door behind him; he could feel his back as if needles were pricking it. He immediately put on his thermal puffer jacket.

Entering the cabin doesn't guarantee Lee Han's safety from fatally freezing temperatures. He needs to warm up the place before the cold air from outside seeps into the house. 

Lee Han summons his system, having purchased essential items for survival — wood for the furnace, a portable lamp, and food.

After finishing setting up the fire, Lee Han starts observing the cabin. 

The cabin, It's not too big; there's only a small bed in the corner and a fire pit near the door. Lee Han also spots a tidy mini kitchen in the back. 

A glass window near the kitchen directly faces the side of the cabin, prompting him to check the conditions outside. 

He's surprised that the green trees surrounding the cabin have turned white, even though no snow is falling, as if everything has frozen.

This phenomenon surprised him because he hadn't witnessed freezing trees near where he had stayed the previous night.

"Lara, why is this place colder than where I stayed last night?" Lee Han asks, settling before the furnace to warm his body while starting to prepare his dinner. 

"Master, the city also has the same temperature as this place; it's just that you don't see the trees this close," Lara explained. 

"Ah, you're right," Lee Han slightly nods. He didn't utter anything again. 

He started to make a tenderloin steak using the ingredients he bought through his system.

Lee Han decides not to use the kitchen and grill the meat in the furnace. While grilling, his mind reels back to what happened before he arrived at this Elindor Kingdom.

The more Lee Han tries to remember, the more convinced he becomes that this isn't where he lives; he unreasonably ended up here. 

What worried Lee Han the most was his sister and grandmother. 

If he were stuck in this place, who would care for them? His sister is too young to look after their sick grandmother alone.

'I can't stay here! I must find a way back home...' Lee Han sighed deeply, worried for his family. Right now, his priority is to return to his city and home to check. 

...

After finishing dinner and cleaning himself, Lee Han decided to rest immediately. He needed to restore his energy. 

Lee Han didn't know what danger awaited him tomorrow. But, he could picture his journey back to his city being more challenging than he had experienced today.

"Good night, Lara..." he whispered after getting into his sleeping bag and attempting to close his eyes.

"Good night, master," Lara's calm voice rang in the cabin.

Lee Han didn't say anything. However, he felt grateful to hear someone else's voice in this strange place. 

But, after a few minutes, something crossed his mind, and he couldn't help but open his eyes again.

"Lara," his hoarse voice echoed. "It would be great if you could appear in front of me. This lovely trip would be even more fun..." Lee Han randomly voiced what was bothering his mind. But, after a few seconds, Lee Han didn't hear any response from Lara. He thought his system finally needed to rest, too. 

Lee Han put aside his curiosity. He tried to close his eyes again. However, before he could sleep, Lara's voice shocked him.

"Master, I can appear before you..."