Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 3 - 3 3 Indistinguishable Truth from Falsehood Please follow and rate!

"What’s happening?"

At this instant, Xia Hong felt an overwhelming surge of anxiety gripping him.

Two Xia Dings?

Could the one outside be an imposter?

"Remain calm, that's the Deceitful Monster attempting to draw us outside.

Keep silent.

The Deceitful Monster is drawn to light.

With no fire ignited here, it has no idea anyone's within.

It'll depart shortly."

The Xia Ding within the cave appeared terrified as well.

Even as he reassured the group, the fear in his tone was unmistakable.

"Brother, what's the situation?"

Xia Hong stood in confusion until Xia Chuan, who had stealthily drawn near, addressed him, snapping him out of it.

He lowered his head briefly in contemplation before whispering to Xia Chuan:

"Did you spot anything odd when Father returned before?"

Grasping the weight of the inquiry, Xia Chuan's face tightened as he swiftly replayed the moment Xia Ding and the hunting team had come back.

Yet, after pondering, he shook his head all the same.

Xia Hong exhaled slowly, as this aligned with what he anticipated.

He had been there when Xia Ding led the hunting team in earlier, and nothing seemed amiss.

The one in the cave ought to be their true father.

However, right as Xia Hong reached this conclusion, something unforeseen unfolded.

The "Xia Ding" beyond the entrance suddenly parted the branches covering it.

Dawn hadn't broken fully, yet as the opening appeared, a dim glow filtered through.

In the fireless, utter darkness of the cave, even the faintest illumination starkly revealed the terror etched on every face.

And upon glimpsing what lay outside, their dread intensified manifold.

For not just "Xia Ding" stood there.

The full dozen members of the hunting team under Xia Ding's command were there too, in plain view.

At that moment, shock left everyone speechless.

Xia Hong and Xia Chuan, the siblings, froze in disbelief, their eyes widening in alarm.

They had only just welcomed the thirteen from the hunting team near the cave's mouth.

Now, seeing the exact same group reappear, how could they not reel?

"Xia Ding" stepped inward.

The Xia Ding from inside the cave rushed forward alongside the twelve hunters, positioning themselves to shield the rest.

The pair of Xia Dings faced off, exchanging a initial look of sheer astonishment.

That shifted quickly to terror and fury.

In the midst of the group, Xia Hong stayed mute but locked his stare on the duplicate Xia Dings and those trailing them, unwilling to overlook the tiniest hint, however minor.

By now, one fact stood utterly clear.

The "Deceit" originating from Redwood Ridge confronted them directly.

Between the two Xia Dings, one had to be the Deceit.

As the cave's "Xia Ding" had described earlier, this Deceit from Redwood Ridge slays through betrayal of faith, so pinpointing the authentic one would prove vital.

Thus, he strained relentlessly to differentiate them via the weak light from every possible angle.

Regrettably, despite repeated scrutiny, he found no discrepancies whatsoever.

Be it looks, attire, minor gestures, or the smallest particulars, the two Xia Dings—along with the hunting team followers—mirrored each other perfectly, impossible to separate.

And while he scrutinized, the duplicate Xia Dings had launched into combat with the twelve behind each.

The once roomy cave turned chaotic and confined with more than twenty clashing within, forcing the camp dwellers to fall back deeper inside.

Though Xia Hong withdrew, his focus remained glued to the two Xia Dings, terrified that a momentary lapse would blur which was which.

The initial Xia Ding's return had come close to daybreak.

With the entrance obstructed, fire doused, and now this brawl, as time dragged, the outer light grew steadily brighter.

The pale glow sent chills to the bone; those cowering in the cave's depths displayed mounting horror, their forms starting to shake uncontrollably.

Xia Hong kept a composed facade, but inside, his burden deepened.

In this realm, daylight brought even fiercer cold than the night.

Furthermore, Cold Beasts roamed more actively come day.

Should the entrance stay exposed, even surviving the freezing might invite Cold Beasts, dooming them all in the finish.

A method had to emerge—they needed a resolution!

And precisely as his mind raced in desperation, the pair of "Xia Dings" voiced up.

"Hong, Chuan, dawn approaches fast, lead everyone to block the entrance.

I'm the true one here; the deceit can't touch you."

"Even now, it's still deceiving?

Hong, Chuan, ignore that one.

Aid us in repelling it first, then secure the entrance."

Xia Chuan, hearing his name, instinctively charged toward the left side.

The left one was the "Xia Ding" who had entered the cave initially.

Clearly, Xia Chuan had tracked the duplicates intently, managing to distinguish them.

But after only two strides, a firm grip yanked him to a halt.

"Brother?"

"Hold back, are you completely certain he's genuine?"

Xia Hong's words left Xia Chuan briefly dazed.

Deep down, he favored the first-returning Xia Ding.

After all, that version had not only doused the camp's fire and sealed the way but also warned of the Deceitful Monster.

Still, pressed for total certainty, he couldn't affirm it.

For both Xia Dings and their hunter squads matched flawlessly in looks and subtle behaviors.

Even their combat prowess showed no variance.

"The Deceit morphs into a trusted figure, eroding that trust, and upon total belief, victims become puppets under its control."

The words surged in Xia Hong's thoughts, pounding his heart until it lodged in his throat.

Be the first cave-returning Xia Ding real or false.

At minimum, this warning rang true, as Xia Hong now affirmed.

The Deceit's elaborate ploy confirmed its reliance on securing the camp's full confidence.

Currently, two paths loomed:

Path one: Obey the inner Xia Ding and seal the cave immediately.

Path two: Assist the first-returned Xia Ding against the later one.

In this perilous crossroads, the chosen path would seal the camp's unwavering trust.

A wrong pick meant.

All would puppetize.

They'd perish!

With this dawning, tension gripped not just the Xia Dings.

Xia Chuan and several camp others stiffened too.

Numerous eyes shifted to Xia Hong.

They pinned hopes on him not solely for his lineage as the leader's offspring,

for beyond Xia Ding and the twelve hunters, Xia Hong held the camp's greatest strength.

The combatants at the front sensed this as well.

Both Xia Dings displayed urgency, noting the decision deferred to Xia Hong, and swiftly urged their authenticity.

"Hong, I entered first, I'm the authentic one, disregard him—full faith in him spells our doom."

"Hong, the true me stands here.

That deceit excels at seduction.

It mimicked me first, slipped in, deliberately shared intel to earn your trust now—you mustn't believe him absolutely."

"Hong, recall last month, when the icicle floored you, I tended the wound with medicine."

"Chuan, think on the stone dagger I honed for you last night?"

……

Yet these claims only deepened the bewilderment.

Each could recount personal details on Xia Hong and Xia Chuan, even intimate old wounds.

Xia Hong, hearing the distinct recollections each Xia Ding offered on him and his brother, felt a subtle tremor, seizing Xia Chuan's right hand tightly.

Xia Chuan turned in confusion, locking eyes with Xia Hong.

In a flash, Xia Chuan's eyes narrowed in realization.

Undoubtedly, he had caught on too.

……

PS: Can you tell which one is real and which is fake?

It should be quite obvious, right?