Ah Jie paused slightly when his finger touched a fixed screw while inspecting his ascender.
The extreme cold had blurred the metallic feel, and he thought he sensed a barely noticeable looseness, but the fierce wind and urgent time did not allow him to ponder. He tightened the screw and cast this slight doubt out of his mind.
The team moved like a string of black ants, merging into the violent white world.
The "Ghost's Sorrow" zone leading to the summit was a hellish mix of ice and rock.
Visibility was less than ten meters, and the team members relied on ropes and ascenders to move with difficulty on the nearly vertical ice wall.
Every swing of the ice axe and every kick into the ice consumed immense energy.
The raging wind tried to peel them off the rock wall, and they had to muster all their strength to resist.
Disaster struck as they crossed a particularly steep ice wall.
Ah Jie was shifting his body weight onto the ascender, preparing for the next move.
"Crack—"
