The military off-road vehicle sliced through the traffic of the main district, its special clearance allowing it to bypass the usual congestion faced by ordinary citizens. The silence inside the cabin, broken only by the low rumble of the engine, felt heavy and anticipatory. The four other members of the Storm Squad—a lean, quiet man named Hu Wei, a burly, bearded veteran known as Lao Shan, a younger, sharp-eyed fellow named Chen Tao, and the squad's medic, a calm man named Lin Zuo—all watched Wong Yi with varying degrees of professional assessment.
Wong Yi, seated by the window, gazed out at the cityscape that flashed by. He knew the true purpose of this excursion was a formality—a carefully curated, low-risk introductory experience before he headed to the Global Headquarters' Elite Training Camp. Yet, the gravity of stepping outside the protected Base City for the first time was palpable. This world, he reminded himself, was a world of monsters and power, and even a "low-risk" area outside the walls meant a territory where humanity was not the dominant species.
He inwardly checked his status. His prodigious increase in combat power due to the Sign-in system was his greatest secret, and he intended to keep it that way. His current registered power level, that of an elementary Battle General, was already astonishing for his age, but his true strength was a magnitude greater.
Mental Prowess: Elementary Battle God (Hidden). Agility: Perfection Level. Punching Strength: 11,341 kg (Public).
He had an overwhelming advantage, but a calm mind was paramount. In the wilderness, arrogance led to death.
"Wong Yi," Captain Jiang Feng's voice broke the silence. "The railway line we'll be taking runs directly to the Military Base at the edge of the No. 003 City ruins. It's an old line that was reinforced after the Great Catastrophe. We'll be setting up a temporary operational base in an outlying town called Peace Village, which borders a small, relatively safe sector of the wilderness."
Jiang Feng pointed to a complex, multi-layered map displayed on a console. "Peace Village is mostly inhabited by low-level beast types—Horned Boars, Shadow Wolves, and the occasional Green-Scaled Lizard. The biggest threat isn't the individual beast, but being surrounded, or encountering a mutated plant lifeform. We're primarily going to assess the local situation, clear out any immediate threats near the village's periphery, and secure some resources for the headquarters."
"What resources, Captain?" Wong Yi asked, his tone respectful and eager to learn.
"The primary target is the Misty Vine," Lin Zuo, the medic, interjected, his voice soft but clear. "It's a rare medicinal herb that only grows in the high humidity near the old city's forgotten riverbed. High-demand for certain advanced genetic medicines."
Lao Shan, the bearded veteran, grunted. "And the secondary target is practical experience for you, kid. We move in a formation, and you stay centered. You take the kills of the weakest targets. We observe your combat style, not your power level. Power is nothing if your mind freezes when a Shadow Wolf leaps at your throat."
Wong Yi nodded seriously. "Understood. I will follow all team protocols."
This response earned a visible nod of approval from all five Battle Generals. They respected discipline more than raw talent.
The journey to the train station was swift. The train itself was a heavy, armored locomotive, clearly designed for robust service and carrying vital personnel and supplies, not ordinary commuters. It moved with surprising speed, its windows heavily tinted and shielded against stray attacks. Looking out, Wong Yi saw the massive, fortified walls of Jiangnan Base City recede, a monumental structure of steel and concrete that had protected humanity for decades.
Beyond the walls was the Wilderness.
The change in scenery was stark and immediate. The lush, organized greenery of the base city gave way to wild, overgrown fields, strange, often mutated plant life, and the distant, broken silhouettes of abandoned, pre-Catastrophe ruins. It was a world reclaiming itself, a terrifyingly beautiful, untamed frontier.
The train ride lasted several hours, taking them far outside the established safe zones. They disembarked at a small, heavily fortified military outpost built into the ruins of what looked like an old highway interchange. Here, they transferred to a robust armored personnel carrier (APC), better suited for the uneven terrain ahead.
As they drove, the atmosphere grew tenser. The APC's sensor display occasionally flashed warnings of nearby, unseen lifeforms. Jiang Feng checked the armaments, the metallic clink echoing sharply in the small space.
"Almost there," the Captain finally announced, his hand resting near the control panel for the mounted cannon. "Remember what I said, Wong Yi. The rules change out here. Trust your squad, trust your instincts. And above all, never hesitate."
Wong Yi gripped the handle of his combat knife sheath, the metallic coldness a solid reassurance. He remembered his conversation with Lin Yoyu, her concerned eyes. He had to become stronger, faster, to ensure the future he wanted for everyone he cared about. His life outside the base city was beginning now.