[Random Mission Refreshed: Within the main storyline time limit, safely escort Zhou Zhitong to the 29th District Military Headquarters in Huaguo. (Optional mission, no penalty for failure, reward: 500 star coins upon completion.) Accept mission?]
This was the random mission Yu Xi received early that morning as she woke up. The mission’s timeline, difficulty, lack of penalty, and generous reward left her with an odd feeling—like stumbling upon a fortune out of nowhere.
Without hesitation, she accepted the mission, but—
“Who is Zhou Zhitong?” Yu Xi marched directly to Xing Min’s room and knocked.
He had just woken up, draped in a thick, long robe over his thin loungewear. The loosely tied belt revealed his fair and delicate collarbones.
He waited until she closed the door behind her before speaking: “This body’s name is Zhou Zhitong.”
Yu Xi: ?
What?
So, the mission required her to escort
Xing Min
to the military headquarters?
He provided further information. “The logistics commander of the military headquarters has the surname Zhou. He has an only son. When the ‘Red Lotus’ first appeared, his son was participating in a school competition in the Seventh District. Afterward, the Seventh District was struck by multiple ‘Red Lotus’ attacks, becoming a heavily devastated area. The father and son lost contact.”
Yu Xi: !!
“If I hadn’t come, Zhou Zhitong would have died long ago. His father wouldn’t have been able to see him one last time, nor would he even have been able to recover his body.”
Piecing it together, Yu Xi asked, “So, besides being close to my location and near death, you chose this body because of his father’s position? Logistics commander? What does logistics oversee?”
Xing Min looked at her, smiling faintly. “Supplies.”
Yu Xi: !!
“Not just food, water, daily necessities, and medicine, but also various modes of transportation. Beyond large quantities of low-altitude flying vehicles, there’s one particular form of transportation you should focus on during this journey.”
Yu Xi stared at him, a guess forming in her mind. “Could it be… a high-altitude airship!?”
“Correct.”
Yu Xi: !!!!!
A high-altitude airship, as the name suggested, was essentially the
plus version
of a low-altitude flying vehicle.
During her time in a city apartment, Yu Xi had idly researched airships online. If her off-road RV—enhanced and stored in her Star House—was the
plus version
of an RV, and her three-story luxury yacht was the
plus version
of a yacht, then this world’s high-altitude airships were the
superior supreme plus version
of private jets!
High-altitude airships had existed even before the discovery of floating wood, but they were exorbitantly expensive, slow to fly, and required massive gas envelopes for lift, making them impractical for private ownership. These limitations were resolved with the advent of floating wood.
Made from anti-gravity floating wood, modern airships needed only small lift and propulsion systems to soar quickly to altitudes of 2,000 meters.
In simpler terms, the high-altitude airships of Yu Xi’s original world were cumbersome, slow-moving crafts with massive gas envelopes incapable of agile height or course adjustments.
However, the airships of this world were completely different. Without the bulky gas envelope, the buoyant hull could achieve flight speeds of up to 500 km/h, with a cruising speed of 350-400 km/h—five to eight times faster than the airships from her original world.
Unlike conventional planes, these airships could theoretically stay aloft indefinitely as long as they had fuel. They didn’t require runways to take off or land, needing only enough space, much like helicopters. This allowed them to land on skyscraper rooftops.
Equipped with automated smart navigation, external defense systems, and constant temperature and oxygen levels, most airships also came with luxury interiors—central kitchens, spacious living rooms, and elegant bedrooms—making them akin to flying luxury villas.
Yu Xi had, of course, been tempted by such a marvel of engineering, but acquiring one was far more challenging than obtaining low-altitude flying vehicles. All previously manufactured airships had been monopolized by the planet’s elite. Her brief fascination had quickly been shelved.
After all, low-altitude flying vehicles were convenient enough, and she was content with them.
Now, however, Xing Min’s implication was clear: obtaining a high-altitude airship was the
real
purpose of this mission, along with earning 500 star coins as a bonus!
This opportunity was so incredible that even Yu Xi felt a little guilty.
“Thank you!” Yu Xi exclaimed. A mere “thank you” didn’t seem adequate to express her gratitude.
Xing Min didn’t reply immediately. After two seconds of silence, he reached out and took her hand, placing it against his collar.
Yu Xi: …?
“If words aren’t enough to express your gratitude, you could try touching me. When you touch the Star House, I can’t feel it, but when you touch this body, I can.”
“……” If not for the fact that she had previously expressed her thanks by touching the walls of the Star House multiple times, if not for his serious expression and calm tone, and if not for knowing that he was a system, this remark coupled with his action would have been impossible for Yu Xi to misinterpret.
Wasn’t this just a biological plea for…
Yu Xi forcibly cut off her train of thought.
Fine.
She moved her hand, gently brushing it twice over his collarbone, and sincerely expressed her gratitude again: “Thank you.”
He gave a low “hmm” in response, then suddenly turned around, saying he needed to rest a bit more.
“Alright then, I’ll ask Hei Mu to save breakfast for you.” Yu Xi left the room without noticing how Xing Min, after turning his head back, had a collarbone and ears that had turned completely red.
According to the map, the military’s next destination, the Sixth District, was on the route to the 29th District.
Their plan was to travel with the military convoy to the Sixth District, take a short break there, and use the opportunity to establish contact with Zhou Zhitong’s father before planning the subsequent part of the journey.
Since they would be departing the next day, after dinner, Yu Xi asked Yan Shang and Xi Yuan to organize and pack the remaining supplies in the storage room, while she and Hei Mu handled the kitchen tools.
Everything in the villa had been purchased at a high cost. Even if they couldn’t use these items immediately, they could be utilized again once they settled in somewhere or obtained a high-altitude airship later.
Over two hours, they carefully packed various kitchen tools into cardboard boxes provided by Yu Xi, arranging them efficiently and stacking them in the storage room.
Yan Shang and Xi Yuan worked swiftly as well, packing non-perishable supplies into boxes. Per Yu Xi’s instructions, the boxes were left unsealed, categorized, and labeled with their contents.
Later, Yu Xi retrieved four camping backpacks from her room (Star House storage), each pre-packed with essential survival items: a small medical kit, flashlight, candles, portable torch, thermal blanket, collapsible insulated water bottle, vacuum-packed rice, energy bars, climbing ropes, and more.
She instructed everyone to pack their personal items into the bags and place any remaining belongings into cardboard boxes for storage in the first-floor storage room.
Everyone understood why she insisted on leaving no personal items behind and worked quickly to finish.
Although they had been consuming supplies during their time in the villa, the stock from the floating villa itself meant that Yu Xi’s Star House storage had not freed up much space.
That night, Yu Xi was on night watch duty. Once everyone had retired to their rooms, she rappelled down to the ground using climbing ropes from the platform. To save time, she didn’t wear polar protective gear but instead used her [Sunscreen Spray], which nullified the freezing temperatures.
The temperature had dropped to -30°C, with howling winds outside. Thanks to the spray, she felt no cold.
First, she deployed the off-road RV on an open area near the steel column, transferring boxes of rarely-used but temperature-resistant supplies into it and stacking them efficiently. Then, she stored the RV back in the Star House.
Next, she deployed her three-story yacht and repeated the process, transferring more supplies aboard.
With these adjustments, she freed up enough space in her warehouse to store all the villa’s supplies, including several fuel generators.
As she climbed back up the steel column, the wind suddenly grew fiercer, carrying a sharp, piercing howl that drew closer.
Yu Xi immediately recognized the sound and accelerated her climb. Reaching the platform, she quickly removed the rope, opened the window, and leapt inside just as the ice blades began to descend.
The double-glazed window shut with a
thud
, followed by the crackling of ice blades battering against the glass.
Outside had once again become a deadly zone of raging winds and ice blades.
The ice blade storm disrupted the military’s relocation plans. The storm raged for an entire day and night, followed by heavy snowfall that blanketed the world in thick, slanting snowflakes.
By morning, the storm had subsided, leaving a thin layer of white covering the landscape. However, the roads and ground were now riddled with sharp ice blades and spikes frozen firmly to the surface. Some were blunt, others razor-sharp, resembling stalagmites in a cave.
Unlike harmless stalagmites, even a small cut from these ice blades carried the risk of infection.
Faced with the conditions, the military held an emergency meeting and made the difficult decision to proceed with the relocation. Armed with flamethrowers, armored transport vehicles capable of withstanding the ice blades, and a fleet of low-altitude flying vehicles, they would move before another storm struck.
Using [High-Temperature Perfume] to clear the way, Yu Xi’s group of six hiked from the mountainside to the base and joined the queue of civilians waiting for transport in the resort area.
Yu Xi had purchased polar gear in unassuming, muted colors, which, combined with the military-issued clothing distributed to civilians, helped them blend seamlessly into the crowd.
Although it was one woman and five men, all of them tall, with long legs and exceptional bearing, they stood out even in a crowd. While waiting for the transport, occasional glances were cast their way. When they entered the armored transport vehicle and sat down, removing their hats and goggles, the looks turned bold and intrigued.
On the surface, it was impossible to distinguish Subordinates from natural humans, but a group of five good-looking men surrounding one woman made it obvious—they were Subordinates.
Despite the harsh conditions of the world outside, someone was still capable of maintaining five Subordinates?
A man exchanged a knowing look with his companion. In this post-apocalyptic world, keeping so many Subordinates meant one thing: the person had substantial resources.
Yu Xi had noticed those people long ago. However, they were just ordinary humans. Regardless of their complex thoughts, they were so weak she didn’t bother to engage.
Inside the armored transport vehicle, the seats were arranged in vertical rows facing each other. Behind the seats was the cargo area, and at the top of the compartment was a narrow translucent window, similar to the ones in Yu Xi’s villa—double-layered and explosion-proof, offering a sense of security.
The group sat diagonally across from Yu Xi and her companions, near the front of the vehicle. They avoided sitting close to the rear door, which made them feel insecure. Yu Xi, on the other hand, chose the door-side seat purely for convenience when getting on and off.
As the group whispered amongst themselves, another family of three appeared at the door. Their arrival caused a stir among the other passengers. Words like “isolation,” “injury,” “infection,” and “mutation” floated in the air. Though no one spoke loudly, the intent was clear—they wanted the family to hear and leave voluntarily.
The family consisted of a father with bandaged hands and face, a mother holding their daughter, cautiously climbing into the compartment. The soldier who escorted them told them to find seats on their own.
Someone couldn’t hold back and confronted the soldier, “Aren’t they potential carriers of infection? How can you let them sit here with healthy people? Don’t you have a separate vehicle for them? This is irresponsible—what if we get infected?”
The soldier’s expression darkened, and he sternly replied, “What potential infection? They’ve already been cleared by inspections! They’re healthy. The other vehicles are full, so they’ll sit here. If anyone’s unhappy, they can move to another vehicle. There are only cargo compartments left, and those have no seats.”
Clearly exhausted from sleepless nights preparing for the relocation, the soldier didn’t argue further and left after speaking.
The family of three stood awkwardly, looking for three adjacent seats. However, as soon as they turned their gaze, the other passengers averted theirs, making their hostility evident.
Some passengers huffed coldly, glaring in warning, as if daring the family to approach.
Others subtly slid over to occupy adjacent seats.
A few even placed bags on empty seats to block them.
Moments later, as Yu Xi rested with her eyes closed, a soft, childlike voice broke the silence. “Big sister, can my parents and I sit next to you?”
Yu Xi opened her eyes. The girl’s parents had already settled on the floor nearby, looking embarrassed. On Yu Xi’s right, near the door, there was still one seat left. The girl was asking for that spot.
“Wait a moment,” Yu Xi replied indifferently. Under the nervous gaze of the girl, she glanced to her left.
Immediately, Hei Mu and Yan Shang, who had been seated in a row, stood up and moved to the opposite side near the door. Under the imposing gaze of the two tall men, a refugee occupying the seat with a backpack grudgingly removed it, allowing Hei Mu and Yan Shang to sit.
Subsequently, Xi Yuan, Jian Shou, and Xing Min shifted to the left, freeing up three adjacent seats by the door. Yu Xi then turned to the girl and said, “Let your parents sit here together. It’s their right.”
“Thank you, big sister!” The girl, Yinyin, was overjoyed. She hadn’t wanted her parents to sit on the cold, uncomfortable floor, especially since her father was still injured.
Yinyin’s parents, seeing that not only did Yu Xi not refuse but also made space for them, hurriedly expressed their gratitude.
“It’s nothing.” Yu Xi noticed the glances from others in the compartment. The feeling of being ostracized and blamed amused her.
Humans were like this. Even in the face of survival challenges, they continued to establish hierarchies. The capable looked down on the weak, and the healthy rejected the injured.
As more healthy passengers were ushered into the compartment, they hesitated upon seeing Yinyin’s father near the door. However, since the available seats weren’t adjacent to the family, they ultimately sat down.
Half an hour later, the vehicle finally started moving.
The convoy’s leading vehicles used flamethrowers to melt the ice blades and spikes on the road, clearing the way. Behind them, dozens of vehicles followed closely.
In the sky above, low-altitude floating vehicles, already scarred by ice blades, carried senior military officers and researchers, speeding ahead to the Sixth District 200 kilometers away.
Contrary to Yu Xi’s expectations, the journey went relatively smoothly. Perhaps the recent ice blade storm had cleared the immediate threats. Though the sky remained overcast, the weather did not worsen.
Along the way, they occasionally passed blood ghouls sliced apart by ice blades, their remains frozen into crimson shards and buried under layers of ice and snow.
By dusk, after several detours, the convoy finally arrived at the mountain shelter in the Sixth District.
When the vehicle entered the mountain through a wide, flat tunnel and pulled into the disembarkation area, everyone was awestruck by the enormous infrastructure inside.
Compared to this mountain shelter, the resort refuge they had left behind was nothing more than a slum.
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