Safe City Ch.142

Chapter 142: Age of the Supernatural

When the winged person in front of her spoke Colleen’s name, Jin Yin’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably several times.

“All right. I’ll cooperate.”

She calmly enough took a seat aboard the massive aircraft.

On the flight back, Jin Yin sat ramrod straight, her expression serious, perfectly matching the stereotypical image of a researcher on Moon Silk.

Only when she looked through the porthole and saw the vast, dark mass of Blue Sea people flying alongside the aircraft did the corners of her brows twitch slightly.

Actually, quite a few people had already theorized 150 years ago that radiation could cause mutations.

So she wasn’t particularly surprised to see people with wings.

But seeing winged people flying through the air while charging at one strange creature after another that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, like hungry tigers pouncing on prey, made it impossible for her to remain calm.

The fact that there were monsters in the sky wasn’t surprising. Since there were monsters in the sky, it was perfectly reasonable for the aircraft to have a “guard unit” flying alongside it.

What she couldn’t understand was this: these people clearly had firearms on them, so why were they using melee weapons to fight the monsters?

And was it just her imagination?

Why did it always feel like these people weren’t actually “escorting” the aircraft, but were instead taking the initiative to attack?

Earlier, she’d even assumed that the monsters were simply too difficult to deal with, which was why four or five people would gang up on a single one.

But the more she watched, the more it seemed as though four or five people were actually fighting over the same monster.

—It had to be her imagination.

From inside the aircraft, Jin Yin watched the entire journey unfold as one enormous brawl.

Every now and then, a group of four-winged people would spot a monster in the sky and swarm toward it. One would grab its leg, another would pounce on its wings, while someone else would wrap both arms around its body with all their strength, forcibly dragging it down toward the ground.

They even had guns but didn’t use them. Instead, they pulled out spear-like weapons fitted with chains and simply hurled them through the air.

The bizarre flying monsters were struck by the spears, their wings snapping as their bodies flailed and tumbled wildly through the air. Then they would begin to tilt and plummet uncontrollably.

And more often than not, three or five four-winged people would chase after them during the descent.

When they eventually returned to the aerial formation, Jin Yin could clearly see blood splattered across their bodies, along with a few disheveled monster “feathers.”

But soon, the rushing wind in the sky would blow the “feathers” away, and the blood would dry. Not another monster dared to approach them.

Once again, they looked like a perfectly orderly aerial escort formation.

Calm. Grim. Silent.

There was absolutely no trace of the wild, frenzied spectacle of them grappling with monsters moments before.

Jin Yin: “…”

So this was what the world looked like 150 years later.

It was truly… beyond anything she could have imagined.

She secretly glanced at the officer sitting beside her, who was pretending to doze with his eyes closed, completely ignoring the massive brawl that had just taken place outside the window.

After thinking for a moment, she asked in a steady, calm voice,

“Are there many monsters that attack flying vehicles?”

As expected, the officer immediately opened his eyes.

—Actually, he wanted to go out and fight too. But as the commander, he had to remain inside the aircraft and oversee everything, so all he could do just now was pretend he hadn’t seen the battle and keep himself from thinking about it.

Besides, he was now a member of the [Company]. People from the [Company] were very arrogant and would never take the initiative to strike up a conversation.

So he’d been waiting for Jin Yin to speak first.

Wasn’t Expert Jin Yin supposed to be a chatterbox?

They had been aboard the aircraft for so long, yet she’d only asked one question.

All sorts of thoughts raced through the officer’s mind, while his face remained stern and impassive.

“There are quite a lot, but fewer than on the ground.”

So there was no need to be afraid. There were only so many flying mutant beasts in the sky, and even without using firearms, the accompanying winged Blue Sea people could tear them apart through sheer brute force.

Jin Yin nodded.

“Thank you.”

She closed her eyes, wondering to herself:

Was that a threat?

There were already this many monsters in the sky, and there were actually even more underground?

Was she trying to tell her that there was simply no way for her to survive on Moon Silk as it was now, and that she had no choice but to obey them and depend on them?

Jin Yin mocked herself inwardly.

Why was she overthinking this?

It wasn’t as though she could have survived in that barren, impoverished, monster-infested place if these people hadn’t taken her with them.

Whether it was a threat or merely a straightforward answer, one thing was certain: their arrival had extended her chances of survival.

And then there was Colleen…

Aside from the [Company], the only other person who knew the location of her shelter really was Colleen.

Jin Yin didn’t believe Colleen would betray her.

If Colleen truly was the one who had given these people her location, then even if they really were the [Company], Colleen must have done it for her own good.

Even if their destination was a sea of fire, it had to be a sea of fire that was at least somewhat better than the outside world. Otherwise, Colleen wouldn’t have called for her.

Thinking this, Jin Yin’s thoughts gradually settled. She closed her eyes and, just like that, fell asleep.

—Relying on the perspective of a believer, Cheng Qisheng had been quietly observing this expert responsible for extending human lifespans.

She looked quiet, reliable, and composed, nothing like the chatterbox Colleen had described.

Still, that calm attitude put Cheng Qisheng somewhat at ease.

After Blue Sea learned the truth about the “brain extraction”, they understood why the researchers in the Broken River Wasteland had been avoiding them.

When they’d first set out, they had worried that Jin Yin might refuse to cooperate and put up a fierce struggle.

To prepare for that possibility, Old Eighth had even specially prepared a set of talking points that would both preserve the [Company]’s image and persuade Jin Yin to cooperate.

In the end, they hadn’t needed them at all.

From the moment Jin Yin heard that Colleen was the one who had called them, she’d been, as she herself had put it, as cooperative as could possibly be.

To be honest, she’d been even more cooperative than Colleen’s entire family had been when they first went to Blue Sea.

Back then, while the entire family had been sitting in the vehicle, they could make eight hundred little movements in a single minute, constantly testing the waters in all sorts of ways. If the vehicle hadn’t been packed with soldiers, and if the windows hadn’t been sealed shut with iron bars to keep out mutant beasts, Cheng Qisheng had absolutely no doubt they might have tried jumping out of the vehicle to escape.

Now that Jin Yin was being so cooperative, Cheng Qisheng couldn’t help wondering whether Colleen had specifically instructed the [Company] to tell Jin Yin that Colleen was the one who had sent them. Could that have been some kind of secret code between the two of them?

Whatever.

The important thing was that they had the person now.

Lifespan, lifespan, lifespan!

Cheng Qisheng eagerly watched as the group made their way toward Blue Sea’s main base.

She could hardly wait to see Old Eighth and the others all living long, long lives.

—

Tata Wasteland—

Lord of Tata felt like she wasn’t going to live much longer.

Ever since returning, she had holed herself up inside the lord’s residence. She had even deliberately waited a full day before sending people to the border to check on the situation.

“Lord!”

A subordinate came hurrying in.

“The people we left at the border have reported that those people have left.”

Lord of Tata let out a long sigh of relief.

“They’re gone? Good. Good.”

“My lord, should we send someone to Broken River to find out what’s going on?”

Lord of Tata: “Do we really need to ask? It’s obvious at a glance that they aren’t people from Broken River. They’re definitely an outside force.”

If they had really been Lord of Broken River’s people, or reinforcements that that brat had summoned, they would have raised their banners and charged straight into the Tata Wasteland by now.

Her trusted aides also frowned worriedly.

“It’s just… we don’t know whether Lord of Broken River is still alive…”

It wasn’t that they actually cared whether Lord of Broken River lived or died.

They were simply reasoning from one example to the whole situation. If Lord of Broken River had died at the hands of that unknown force and his territory had been seized, then as their neighbors, the Tata Lord lineage ruling the Tata Wasteland probably wouldn’t escape the same fate.

Lord of Tata had the same concern.

“Exactly. Although Lord of Broken River is cunning, mean, hypocritical, sinister, overbearing, fussy, stupid, and a complete coward… I still hope he survives.”

Lord of Tata had calmed down by now. Even the little tuft of white fur on top of her head had settled obediently against her scalp.

“Send a few teams to infiltrate Broken River and quietly find out what’s going on. Remember, be careful and discreet. It’s better to have one less problem than one more, so whatever you do, don’t offend anyone unnecessarily.”

Both Broken River and the Tata Wasteland were relatively impoverished regions that the larger factions simply had no interest in. As a result, the two of them were essentially the local sovereigns of their respective territories.

Lord of Tata’s trusted subordinates were considered highly influential figures in the eyes of ordinary people, so she was worried they might fail to recognize the situation they were in.

If the people she sent out started offending others recklessly in Broken River, wouldn’t she, the lord, be the one to suffer for it in the end?

Her trusted aides nodded repeatedly.

“Rest assured, Lord. We’ll make sure to tell them to watch their words and actions!”

Lord of Tata nodded. She had just sat down when she suddenly remembered something and shot back to her feet.

“Go. Send some people to move our boundary marker back.”

Back when Tata and Broken River had fought over this area near Tuo’ao, both sides had erected a boundary marker at the edge of the other’s territory to demonstrate their resolve.

Whenever one side grew stronger in a given generation, they would destroy the other side’s boundary marker. Then, when the other side eventually rose to prominence, they would come and destroy theirs in turn.

This cycle had continued for over a hundred years. They practically had enough boundary markers to run a wholesale business.

The current Lord of Broken River wasn’t as forceful as Lord of Tata, so she had already destroyed Broken River’s boundary marker. Meanwhile, Lord of Tata’s own marker was still standing proudly at the edge of Broken River’s territory.

The subordinate waiting for her orders suddenly looked up.

Her parents had both served successive generations of Lord of Broken Rivers, so she knew very well what this meant.

This was a matter of honor that their territory and the Broken River Wasteland had fought over for more than a century.

“My lord…”

Lord of Tata: “Go do it. Now!”

“Yes, my lord.”

Lord of Tata watched as the subordinate left, and finally allowed herself to sit down in peace.

“Now, all we can do is hope that this suddenly emerged faction will be satisfied with taking Broken River.”

Her beast-like instincts had saved her countless times in the past, so even from the little glimpse she’d gotten, Lord of Tata could vaguely sense just how powerful the other side was.

On this wasteland, just how terrifying would a threat from underground have to be?

Please, just don’t come looking for her!

Her trusted aides felt the same way. But they couldn’t simply pin all their hopes on “they won’t come.” It was still better for the Tata territory to make more preparations.

“Lord, please give us your instructions. If they really set their sights on the Tata territory as well, how should we respond?”

“Heh!”

Lord of Tata let out a cold laugh. Leaning back on her throne, she raised the corner of her eye and looked down imperiously at her subordinates.

“Do you think my family has spent a hundred years building up this Tata territory for nothing?”

“If they really set their sights on the Tata territory, heh, at worst, we’ll just move away with our people!”

“We’ll give them the mines and the land. Maybe once they have the territory, they won’t bother chasing after us.”

Her trusted aides: “…”

Such an arrogant, domineering tone, yet the solution their lord had come up with was actually to relocate the entire territory?

But as surprised as they were, when they considered that Lord of Tata had always been the one fearlessly fighting on the front lines in the past, refusing to back down no matter how much anyone tried to persuade her, even insisting on fighting mutated beasts to the bitter end when they were difficult to deal with…

And then they looked at her now…

“Yes, my lord. We shall follow your orders.”

If even a lord with honey badger genes was backing down, why should they insist on being the stubborn ones?

They immediately began packing their belongings and checking possible routes, ready to move at the first sign of trouble.

—

Tuo’ao Region

Zhu Feifan and Ma Yuetian were excitedly drilling through the underground.

At night, they would quietly wait underground until the night passed. Once daytime came, they would continue burrowing.

Everyone else had withdrawn, but the two of them hadn’t left.

Because this place was simply too perfect for their combined underground-drilling technique.

There was no one around, plenty of mutant beasts, and even a small amount of radiation in the dust-filled air.

It was an ideal environment for sea monsters to live in.

And as long as Ma Yuetian stayed inside Zhu Feifan’s mouth, she could also be shielded from the radiation. Sometimes, she could even set up a tent in his mouth and have a barbecue or something.

The two of them were so absorbed in their activities that they’d completely forgotten about returning to the Safe City. Every day, they diligently carried on with their grand enterprise of digging traps → catching mutant beasts → extracting the crystals to level up → digging even bigger traps after leveling up.

At that moment, they’d just finished trapping another group of mutant beasts, and Ma Yuetian was extracting the crystals one by one from their brains.

Water-type abilities really were convenient. She never had to get her hands dirty when extracting crystals. A layer of mist continuously swirled around the crystals, washing them clean.

Ma Yuetian was happily counting the crystals when Zhu Feifan shifted his enormous body.

“Aw-ooh!”

“Someone’s here?”

Zhu Feifan opened his mouth. Ma Yuetian jumped on the spot and landed inside it in a single second.

The enormous sea monster carefully closed his jaws, then began rapidly digging while twisting his massive body. Before long, he had disappeared beneath the ground.

The human and sea monster quietly waited underground. Taking advantage of the dust-filled air, the sea monster poked out one huge, one-meter-long eye and watched as a fully armed group cautiously pulled out a stone boundary marker.

They used their tools to smash it to pieces right there before sneaking away.

The entire group remained on high alert, repeatedly checking above, below, left, and right.

Yet they never noticed that, not far away, hidden in the dust, a gigantic four-pupiled eye was staring straight at them.

Only after they had left did the human and sea monster emerge from underground.

Ma Yuetian curiously poked her head out.

“What were they doing?”

Zhu Feifan:

“Wooh~”

He had no idea either.

“Whatever. Eat the crystals first. Later, we’ll dig around to the west. There are more mutant beasts over there.”

As she spoke, Ma Yuetian took a crystal out of her pocket.

Suddenly, her expression changed.

She felt something strange.

When she lowered her head again, the crystal had already silently fused into the palm of her hand.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained in her hand was empty air.

Ma Yuetian’s eyes widened.

“What is this?!”

Zhu Feifan let out a startled howl. His enormous body, more than ten meters wide, shrank fearfully toward Ma Yuetian as he looked around in confusion.

“Aw!”

What is this?!

At the same time, quite a few Blue Sea residents who were diligently busy fighting mutant beasts were astonished to discover that the crystals they had been holding had suddenly disappeared.

The most frightened of all was probably an inspector in the crystal storage facility.

He was counting the number of crystals when his finger had just touched one of them. The moment it made contact, the crystal melted into his fingertip.

The conscientious inspector, who devoted himself to his work, worshipped the great Creator God, and had never embezzled so much as a single crystal:

“Huh?”

Wait.

Had the crystal disappeared on its own just to frame him?

—Cheng Qisheng divided her attention among her various believers.

One by one, she patted her believers on the head, soothing those who were shocked, bewildered, confused, frantically searching for their missing crystals, or even furious.

Then she watched as, under her comforting presence, they quickly calmed down and turned into blissfully happy little believers.

The Great Blue Sea Creator God was happy too.

It’s here!

It’s finally here!!

The civilization advancement that came after reaching Tier 6!

After this civilization advancement, some of Blue Sea’s supernatural residents would no longer have to rely on accumulating power over long periods of time just to advance a tier. In the past, there were times when they could fight day and night without ever even touching the threshold of the next tier.

But now, Blue Sea’s supernatural residents could absorb the energy contained within crystals.

From this day forward, Blue Sea would truly enter the Age of the Supernatural.

—

While Cheng Qisheng was rejoicing over the fact that her residents could now advance freely, the aircraft—which had stopped to rest after the Eternal Night finally paused its spraying of Green Grass Juice and decided to continue traveling during the daytime—at last returned to Blue Sea Safe City, their main base.

After getting off the aircraft, Jin Yin walked directly through the pure-white passageway.

Faced with the overwhelming whiteness and the architectural style that was unmistakably in the [Company]’s fashion, she remained silent the entire way.

That was, until she saw Colleen, who had received the message and come to meet her.

Jin Yin froze on the spot.

Only after Colleen ran over and wrapped her in a tight embrace did Jin Yin finally react and hug her back.

“So it really was you… I was afraid they were using you to trick me. But then I thought about it—what would they even have to trick me for? You know, when I woke up, the shelter’s main door was broken, and then I… blah blah blah… And then I saw this gigantic monster in the backup shelter, and… blah blah blah…”

The Blue Sea officer who had come in behind them: “…”

So she really was a chatterbox.

On the way here, he’d even wondered whether people changed personalities after being frozen for 150 years.

Colleen listened to Jin Yin ramble on and on, holding her tightly.

Eventually, Jin Yin had finally said everything she wanted to say. The two separated, and she asked,

“They told me that you were the one who asked them to come get me. Is that true?”

“It is.”

Colleen’s eyes were already red, but she was smiling.

“The employee benefits at the [Ota Company] are very good. I’m loyal to it, so I hope you’ll come too.”

Good employee benefits at the [Company]?

To the ears of any researcher, that would be complete bullshit.

It sounded exactly like the kind of line someone would use to lure a person in before taking out their brain.

But Jin Yin stared at Colleen for several seconds before nodding.

“I believe you.”

“You’re loyal to it, so I’ll be loyal to it too. I’ll work hard for the [Ota Company].”

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