In the sixth year of Zhongping, Dong Zhuo entered the capital, plunging the land into chaos. The bitterly cold lands of Bingzhou became a hell of blades and bloodshed. Lin Mo, a refugee who transmigrated into this troubled age with a System, found himself trapped in a cold fortress from the start. With a frail body, he struggled to survive: hauling rammed earth, fighting cruel guards, and snatching food from the jaws of a tiger. Through a little wit and courage, he carved out a place among the laborers, and unexpectedly won the wholehearted help of the brawny Zhao Si.
He knew the fortress was no place to stay for long. In an age of chaos, only strength and the support of others could be relied on. He used the System to train his combat skills and unlock survival abilities such as stealth and identification, while quietly observing and befriending useful people: winning over the oppressed laborers, sounding out the low-ranking soldiers in the fortress, and keeping an eye out for hidden talent among the refugees.
From stealing grain in the cold fortress to escape disaster, to leading his followers out of danger amid the chaos; from searching the wilderness for resources and building temporary strongholds, to dealing with bandit raids and the exploitation of powerful families, Lin Mo made survival his first priority. Step by step, he gathered people and built up his strength. He never fought for momentary glory or coveted immediate gains. Driven only by his determination to protect those by his side and defend the little land they had, he turned a scattered band of refugees into a force capable of standing firm in the chaos of war across Bingzhou.
This is the story of an ordinary man swept up in the tides of a troubled age, rising from “a hidden dragon in the depths” to gradually reveal his edge. With the System to aid him and the support of others as his foundation, he builds up his defenses step by step and ultimately finds a glimmer of hope for survival amid the chaos at the end of the Han dynasty.
