Chapter 134 - 102: Fortress Plan

Chapter 134: Chapter 102: Fortress Plan

Upon hearing the definitive answer, Xu Mo’s last shred of doubt vanished. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Alright, Captain Zhao. I agree. Please recommend me."

"Excellent!" A smile spread across Zhao Ming’s face as he clapped Xu Mo firmly on the shoulder. "I knew you were the right stuff. Don’t worry, I’ll submit your name right away. It should get approved quickly. It’ll be at least another four or five days before the fortress is completely built and the equipment is calibrated. Once you’re approved, they’ll give you time to return to Jiang City and grab some personal, well-suited gear. After all, you’ll be there for at least two months. It never hurts to be fully prepared."

And just like that, the matter was settled. Xu Mo stood on the line, gazing at the deathly still, dangerous ruins ahead, then glanced back at the bustling construction site behind him. A wave of complex emotions washed over him. He never thought his first official mission after arriving in Jiang City would evolve to this. From clearing the perimeter to defending the line, and now to garrisoning a forward fortress, he felt like he was being pushed, step by step, toward the heart of this mysterious fog.

However, Xu Mo felt no fear. On the contrary, he was faintly excited. ’Beneath those ruins lie the secrets of the apocalypse, and maybe even the key to evolution. This new fortress will be my base of operations for exploring all of it, and a place to train in seclusion on my path to greater strength.’

That night, perhaps due to the change in official strategy or the disturbance from the construction, the assault from the ruins lessened significantly. By dawn, fewer than a hundred ordinary zombies had attacked, and they were easily repelled by the defenses.

In the early morning, after the shift change, an excited Zhao Ming found Xu Mo just as he was preparing to go rest. He came bearing good news. "Xu Mo, your application has been approved. There’s a transport convoy returning to Jiang City this morning for building materials and supplies; you can ride with them. You’ll have one day to handle your personal affairs and prepare your equipment. Just come back and report in tomorrow. As for your housing situation, someone will take care of the paperwork, so you don’t need to worry."

"Thank you, Captain Zhao," Xu Mo said sincerely.

"Don’t be so formal. Just take care of yourself at the fortress." Zhao Ming waved his hand dismissively, his tone holding the concern of a fellow soldier.

Xu Mo found Feng Dayong and briefly explained that he had accepted a special mission and needed to leave for a while. Feng Dayong was stunned at first, but then a look of "I knew it" crossed his face, tinged with envy and admiration. "Xu, I knew you weren’t an ordinary man. A mission like that is dangerous, no doubt, but the rewards are enough to make anyone green with envy. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll keep an eye on things here and fill you in on all the latest happenings when you get back."

After bidding farewell to Feng Dayong, Xu Mo boarded an infantry fighting vehicle assigned to escort the transport convoy. Inside, there were six other people. One of them, like Xu Mo, was a grim-faced, taciturn survivor—likely another candidate selected for the fortress garrison. The other five were fully-armed combatants, presumably rotating to the rear for rest or other duties. The atmosphere in the compartment was silent. Everyone leaned against the vehicle’s walls, either resting with their eyes closed or vigilantly watching the scenery outside. No one spoke.

The IFV pulled out of the temporary base with the convoy, returning to Jiang City along the same road they had come on.

Xu Mo watched the outside world through a firing port. The view along the road had changed since his journey out. He saw more teams of survivors patrolling and conducting cleanup missions in designated, relatively safe zones on the outskirts of the industrial area. He could hear sporadic gunfire, likely from them dispatching discovered zombies. He also saw numerous heavy-duty cargo trucks entering and exiting factory complexes, their beds loaded with all sorts of dismantled machinery.

’They’re moving industrial equipment...’ Xu Mo recalled Captain Zhao’s words, and his mind drifted to the heavily wounded team of Superpower Users he had seen two days prior. ’Looks like that team’s operation wasn’t a total failure after all. They must have acquired key intelligence or cleared some major obstacle, enabling the officials to now enter the depths of the industrial zone relatively safely and implement these plans for the equipment and the fortress.’

As he thought of this, his mind drifted to the red-haired woman and the pale young healer. ’I wonder how she’s doing. Even if they managed to stop the bleeding, treating injuries that severe would be anything but easy.’

After a bumpy ride that lasted most of the day, the IFV finally reached the outer city of the magnificent Jiang City Shelter that afternoon. The familiar sight of the Steel Barrier and the roar of the crowd felt like a world away.

The vehicle stopped at a staging area in the outer city. The officer in charge of the escort jumped out and addressed Xu Mo and the other survivor. "You have one night to spend with your families and sort out your gear. Report to the assembly point at the outer city’s west gate at 09:00 sharp tomorrow morning. We won’t wait. And remember, this mission is confidential."

"Understood!" Xu Mo and the other survivor replied in unison.

Without any further words, the two quickly disembarked and melted into the endless river of people in the outer city, each going their separate way and vanishing from sight.

Without delay, Xu Mo passed through the heavily guarded Inner City checkpoint and returned to the tiled-roof house he was renting. As he pushed open the courtyard gate, a sense of quiet—both unfamiliar and familiar—greeted him, a stark contrast to the tense, chaotic atmosphere of the front line.

The first thing Xu Mo did upon returning home was take a long, comfortable hot shower to wash away his exhaustion. Afterward, he began carefully organizing the equipment he planned to take with him.

He took out his AWM sniper rifle and gave it a thorough cleaning and maintenance, then placed it, along with the rest of his specialized sniper rounds, into an extended tactical gun bag. Xu Mo also found the shotguns he had barely used, selecting one to bring along. Such a weapon could be surprisingly effective in the confined spaces of the fortress or for dealing with unexpected close-quarters combat.

Of course, the most important items were the very foundation of his power: cultivation resources.

Xu Mo bolted the door and stepped into his personal storage space, a place where time stood still. Inside, the vast supplies he had gathered in Cyan Pine Ridge Town and on previous excursions were stacked neatly. He focused on selecting items that were particularly effective for replenishing his vitality and tempering his body—medicinal herbs, concentrated nutrient packs, and high-energy foods. The sheer quantity of these restorative supplies formed a small hill.

’Breaking through to the Iron Bone Realm requires an immense amount of energy. If I try to force it, I’ll only end up draining my own life essence.’ Xu Mo stared at the supplies, his gaze resolute. ’The fortress duty is a golden opportunity. I have to take these supplements with me. It’s better to be overprepared.’

Finally, Xu Mo’s gaze landed on the "door" he had brought all the way from Cyan Pine Ridge Town, the one that served as the portal to his storage space. After thinking it over, he decided to leave it at the house. ’It would feel really weird to carry a door around,’ he thought.

With everything arranged, Xu Mo lay on his bed, allowing his mind and body to relax. He soon fell into a deep sleep. It was the soundest, most profound sleep he’d had since leaving Cyan Pine Ridge Town.

The next morning, Xu Mo woke naturally at the crack of dawn. His daily Qi Collection was not to be missed. After finishing his exercises, Xu Mo double-checked all the equipment and his backpack, and once he was satisfied, he locked the courtyard gate. With resolute steps, he headed back toward the assembly point in the outer city.

At 8:50 in the morning, Xu Mo arrived punctually at the assembly point. The survivor from the previous day’s ride was already there, as silent as ever, offering Xu Mo only a slight nod of acknowledgment. Three other strangers—two men and one woman—were also present. All looked capable and were probably also part of the fortress detail. With the five combatants handling the escort and handover, the squad totaled ten people.

At 9:00 AM sharp, the IFV arrived. With little need for words, everyone boarded in tacit agreement. The engine roared, and the vehicle once again departed from the vast Jiang City Shelter, speeding down the familiar road toward the Red Star Industrial Zone.