Chapter 262: On the Road Again

Leaving the high-wall city alone was certainly dangerous for anyone unfamiliar with the Wasteland.

But Lu Xin figured since he’d already been out once, it shouldn’t be *too* risky.

His first trip outside the wall had left a decent impression. Blackwater Town was a bit chaotic, sure, but Master Snake had been reasonable and welcoming. He’d cooperated fully and even sent Lu Xin off with plenty of local specialties before he left.

As for Happy Town…

…best to avoid places like that if possible.

…

“Glasses.”

Riding his motorcycle, Lu Xin crossed the steel drawbridge.

Gazing at the road twisting away into the unknown distance, he softly murmured a single word: “Map.”

Data flickered across the left lens before coalescing into countless lines and grids.

A vast map unfolded, encompassing nearly the entire northern region.

It zoomed out, showing an arrow pointing from Qinggang City to Central City.

Then it automatically zoomed back in to a 1:100 scale, a clear green line stretching forward, marking the route.

“Pretty advanced…”

Lu Xin muttered before starting the engine.

Last time he left the city with Gecko, they used Qinggang’s military maps.

But this time, with these “Gaze” glasses, things were much simpler.

Han Bing had helped input the data into the glasses’ system, ready to be called up anytime.

According to Han Bing, this data wouldn’t just plan the best route but also mark settlements and abandoned cities along the way, along with their danger levels, making it easier to avoid them or restock supplies.

For anyone traveling the Wasteland, this was crucial…

…because running out of gas halfway meant pushing your bike for a very, very long time.

Of course, Lu Xin still brought a paper map just in case the glasses were lost.

Besides the map, Han Bing had also told Lu Xin that as his information liaison specialist, she’d keep her phone nearby at all times. Whenever he ran into trouble, anytime, he could call her for information support.

It was actually quite touching when he thought about it.

…

“Whew…”

In a meeting room somewhere in Qinggang’s Main City, Professor Bai watched through the display screen as Lu Xin disappeared down the road.

He took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and asked, “So, how are you all feeling right now?”

Mr. Su’s voice came through the phone: “I really want to know what he’s doing, but at the same time, I really don’t.”

“Click…”

That was the sound of Minister Shen hanging up directly.

Professor Bai chuckled, putting his glasses back on. “Is Old Shen in such a hurry to board the warship? Didn’t even say a word…”

“He probably just dislikes situations with uncertain outcomes where he’s completely powerless. And you just had to ask him.”

Mr. Su chuckled softly. “The advance team sent to the Sea Country has sent back news. Have you heard the results?”

Professor Bai nodded. “A bit different from what you expected, wasn’t it?”

“Different doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Mr. Su sighed over the channel:

“We expected war, but when the advance team arrived at the Sea Country, they found the other side completely unprepared to resist.”

“Their situation couldn’t be delayed any longer.”

“The moment the advance team identified themselves, their first act was to produce wanted posters for Elder Ye and that Ability User, drawing a clear line between them and expressing a strong desire to join us in Qinggang…”

“That’s when I realized just how ruthless that old man truly was to himself.”

…

Though these events seemed unexpected, Professor Bai showed no surprise. “So, if the Elder Ye succeeded, the Sea Country would officially invade and take over Qinggang. If Elder Ye failed, they’d immediately surrender collectively and join Qinggang?”

“This Elder Ye really was gambling his own life for the Sea Country’s last glimmer of hope…”

“But weren’t they worried Qinggang would harbor resentment and retaliate viciously against the Sea Country’s civilians?”

…

“They thought it through thoroughly. News from all sides had already spread.”

“If Qinggang actually did that, the damage to our reputation would be even greater than this attack…”

Mr. Su stated calmly, “Besides, even if Qinggang did harbor resentment towards them, facing a crowd of unarmed women, children, and elderly… we couldn’t bring ourselves to act. Elder Ye must have understood this when he decided to risk everything.”

“So they’re basically exploiting our sense of reason?”

…

“Only women, children, and the elderly are left?”

Professor Bai pushed up his glasses, catching the key point.

Mr. Su sighed softly over the channel. “Yes. Those remaining… I don’t think they can be considered human anymore…”

“Is this the curse that Elder Ye mentioned?”

Mr. Su quickly grasped the implication, sighing softly.

Then, a smile slowly spread across his face. “Elder Ye was quite generous, wasn’t he? Giving us so many research materials all at once…”

…

“Don’t look at me, I’m just a sheep…”

“A sheep’s ferocity is unimaginable…”

Humming the tune softly, Lu Xin drove his motorcycle down the small road.

He was trying to imitate Gecko, singing to pass the boring time on the road.

He just felt his singing lacked Gecko’s passion, and he couldn’t remember the lyrics very clearly either.

Last time he left the city with Gecko, Mom and Sister were riding on the back seat. They could all chat together, watch Sister get thrown off… But this time, neither Mom nor Sister was accompanying him.

It might be because the motorcycle was already packed full. The storage box was on the back seat, and the robotic dogs and weapons case were hanging on either side. If Mom wanted a ride, she’d have to sit cross-legged on the back seat.

She clearly detested such an ungraceful posture.

As for Sister, she could usually sit on the handlebars, but lately, she seemed less clingy, probably because she had a new toy.

So, the plan for the whole family to visit relatives ended up with just him puttering along the road alone on his little motorcycle.

He was currently on a road frequently used by transport convoys. Due to heavy traffic and lagging maintenance, the road was cracked and bumpy. Driving fast kicked up clouds of dust, coating his shiny silver bumper guard in a layer of grey. The roadsides were lined with lush wild grass and rows of tall trees, but the only sound was the engine of his motorcycle.

…

One thousand four hundred kilometers…

That was the distance from Qinggang to Central City shown on the map.

In the plan Han Bing had helped him make, she recommended covering no more than four hundred kilometers a day before finding a place to rest.

Traveling in the Wasteland shouldn’t be rushed, otherwise, accidents could happen.

By this calculation, it would take him about four days to reach Central City. Not too bad when he thought about it.

As for what to do after arriving in Central City, Lu Xin hadn’t thought that far ahead.

All he had was an address for the person named Chen Xun. And this address was the old one the ‘Stalker’ had used when finding him before. It was probably deserted by now, but Lu Xin believed he could find him.

As for Central City – the hub of the twelve high-wall city Alliance, the location of the Moon Eclipse Research Institute, and currently the center of the Alliance, one of the most prosperous high-wall cities. Lu Xin felt the people there must also be very reasonable. Even though he was just running over there alone to find someone, perhaps there would be many people willing to help him and provide convenience.

…

Around noon, Lu Xin stopped in an open area. After scouting the surroundings and confirming there was no danger, he gathered some dry firewood, lit it with a lighter, and set a small portable aluminum pot over the fire to cook himself a pot of instant noodles.

He scooped a large chunk of canned beef into it.

After eating, he drank some water, smothered the fire with dirt, packed his utensils, and continued on his way.

Although it was only his second time leaving the city, he remembered the precautions Gecko had taught him last time and followed them diligently.

When it reached four or five in the afternoon, Lu Xin started searching the map for a place to spend the night.

It was said that after the Red Moon rises, mysterious things often appear in the Wasteland, leading people into incomprehensible dangers.

Therefore, people traveling in the Wasteland should ideally find a place to camp before the Red Moon rises.

Although Lu Xin felt this saying didn’t quite align with scientific principles, he still adhered to this rule of Wasteland travel.

Besides, stopping the journey around four or five to find a resting place early was part of the plan Han Bing had made for him.

There was a scientific basis for this plan too.

He might not need rest, but the motorcycle certainly did…

…

His motorcycle’s fuel tank had been modified. When full, it held about ten liters, enough to run for around three hundred kilometers. Additionally, he carried a fifteen-liter fuel drum. Altogether, he could cover over seven hundred kilometers.

Theoretically, Lu Xin only needed to find a place to refuel once along the way.

But there was another crucial issue: water.

Traveling solo on a motorcycle meant weight capacity was carefully calculated, so he only brought three one-liter bottles of water.

He used more than half for cooking noodles at noon, and the canned beef made him thirsty, so he finished it off.

The remaining two bottles were definitely not enough; he needed to find a place to refill.

He hadn’t seen any water sources along the way so far, and even if he found one, filtering it would be troublesome.

Therefore, finding a settlement to rest and replenish water was the best option.

…

“Glasses, show nearby settlements…”

As Lu Xin spoke, the image on the glasses began to change.

Soon, two or three different points appeared. Some blinked red, some green, and some were black dots.

These represented different danger levels. Blinking red definitely meant an armed force was present.

As for the black dots, unless you had a fully armed team ready to open fire and take casualties, you shouldn’t even think about entering.

Lu Xin was visiting relatives, not going to war, so he directly chose the blinking green light.

It was about thirty kilometers away, roughly reachable before nightfall.

…

Putt-putt-putt-putt…

The motorcycle emitted a monotonous drone as Lu Xin turned off the main road onto a smaller path.

The road to this settlement was unexpectedly difficult, full of potholes and loose gravel. If his motorcycle hadn’t been developed by the Special Cleaning Department with anti-puncture tires, Lu Xin worried the sharp stones would cause a blowout.

At one point, he even had to drive directly into a dry riverbed and then push the bike back up.

Even traveling on the normal path involved passing through several gloomy forests.

The Wasteland had no shortage of such forests. After thirty years of rampant growth, every abandoned village had turned into one.

Gloomy, eerie, dense, with unknown things lurking within.

Yet, almost all the small roads either cut through them or skirted right alongside them.

However, Lu Xin was ultimately quite lucky, managing to reach the vicinity of the settlement just before nightfall.

…

Looking from afar, he saw it was a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain.

Surrounding cultivated farm fields indicated people lived here, but from a distance, not a single light could be seen. Only tall, dense trees obscured everything, making it look no different from the gloomy village forests he had encountered along the way.

“Such great landscaping…”

Lu Xin remarked, then putt-putted his motorcycle into the village, onto the dark, quiet path.

“Anyone home?”

He stopped the bike, putting one foot down, and called out towards the pitch-black houses on either side, “I’m just looking for a place to stay overnight.”

Silence reigned all around.

Only the Red Moon overhead cast its light upon the quiet little village.

The surrounding trees grew densely, appearing menacing and claw-like under the Red Moon.

“Screeeech…”

Suddenly, a jarring scream ripped through the darkness, heart-wrenching and ear-piercing.

Lu Xin quickly turned and saw his Sister, who had appeared sometime on the roof of a dilapidated house nearby.

She expressionlessly held the screaming chicken, a small, skinless dog trailing beside her.

The screaming chicken looked like it had been torn apart and stitched back together, covered in dense, slightly misaligned stitches.

Logically, after being re-stitched, it shouldn’t scream anymore.

But Sister’s chicken not only screamed, its cries were distinctly more miserable, sounding almost like weeping…

Sister, with a cold expression, squeezed the screaming chicken, glanced down at the room below, and pursed her lips.

…

“Sister is Sister, always knowing to warn me at crucial moments…”

Confirming someone was in that room, Lu Xin called directly in that direction, “Is anyone there?”

“Don’t be afraid folks, I’m from Qinggang. Just staying one night, leaving tomorrow.”

…

“Rustle” “Rustle”

At that moment, rustling sounds came from both sides of the road.

Hunched figures emerged from the darkness. At a glance, there were at least several dozen, all silently watching Lu Xin.

They looked peculiar; their eyes seemed to faintly glow in the dark.

“Ah, people after all…”

Lu Xin’s mood lifted somewhat. And so many people coming out to greet him at once felt quite welcoming.