My Apocalypse Territory

Before him lay a stretch of low hills, a series of dilapidated single-story houses arranged in tiers. There was modest greenery, the babbling of brooks, and a faint sunlight scattered, casting sparkling lights.

Yes,

Tang Yu had seen sunlight for the first time on the Aino continent.

Even the skies above the Royal Capital were clouded with a dull haze, but it was much thinner compared to other places, roughly equivalent to the severe smog days in Beiting before the apocalypse. The haze was heavy, but there was still some light.

It was already quite an achievement, amply demonstrating the uniqueness of the Royal Capital.

As the center of the world, it was probably akin to the Holy City of the Origin Star.

To ensure the secrecy of this Sub-territory, only Fani and Lorraine, along with two trusted subordinates of Zabol, accompanied him this time.

"This area is the fief of a small noble... well, because the range of Protection offered by the 'Eternal Wall' is vast, small nobles also symbolically possess some land. Although it's in the suburbs, it's most suitable for us,"

"These dominions are managed by the nobles themselves, mostly having serfs farm the lands. The noble who sold the land to us this time did so because he lost money gambling and had to reluctantly sell his family's land to us, along with these slaves."

"Of course, land trade is restricted to nobles, but the 'Wing Corps' has operated for so many years that buying an ordinary noble title without drawing attention isn't difficult."

As Fani spoke, she pointed to a cave not far away.

"I've hollowed out the entire belly of the mountain, and I've been studying architecture and structural engineering recently, so there's no risk of a cave-in. Placing the fortress inside is the most secret option."

She sharpened her wolf-transformed claws with pride as she spoke.

Tang Yu looked at the freshly excavated cave entrance, noting the scattered rocks around it.

He then proceeded to enter.

Although the tunnel was newly dug, the walls on both sides were smooth and even, and the curvature of the arches above was dealt with exceptionally well... highlighting the precision of the craftsmanship.

The hollowed-out interior of the mountain was surprisingly spacious. Not only could a fortress ten or twenty meters high fit without appearing cramped, Tang Yu conveniently placed the Transmission Array, the warehouse, and some other important buildings inside the mountain.

Then, utilizing the expanding power of the Territory's boundary, he fortified the entire mountain.

Tap—

Above, the Source Power Light burst forth, illuminating the interior space of the mountain brightly, with the edges of the fortress shining with a metallic luster.

A secret base was thus established.

Simple,

Efficient,

Tang Yu looked towards Fani.

It seemed like they had not been at the Royal Capital for long, right?

Yet she had single-handedly hollowed out this mountain, and what's more, she had done so exceptionally neatly. She alone could rival an entire construction team, the kind equipped with a full set of Architecture Series Magic.

Truly worthy of the Wolf Girl brand... ah, the Excavation Maiden.

...

Earth.

Floating Island, Green Shadow.

Zhuang Laifu, dressed in a crisp suit, strode along a gravel path.

As someone who had been coerced by dark forces...

No, as a young man who had once lost his way but now had an epiphany and turned to righteousness, aside from the somewhat busy work at the Intelligence Department, his other aspects of life were quite enjoyable.

Apart from the inconvenient exchange of information, the various entertainment facilities in Green Shadow were no less impressive than before the apocalypse, even better.

He was thoroughly satisfied with the recent updates to the "Spirit Space," of course, if the "personal space" could add certain character templates, it would be even more, hehehe.

However, a shrinking wallet had made Zhuang Laifu live somewhat tightly these days.

Suddenly,

Hum—

Hum—

The communication device from the Intelligence Department in his pocket started vibrating.

He took it out and glanced at it.

[A-Level Assembly Order: Within the Intelligence Department, all personnel with an ID starting with 2- who are currently on leave should assemble at Location Three by 9 A.M.]

Zhuang Laifu's eyes lit up, knowing that a mission inevitably meant Source Crystals and Contribution Degree rewards.

Moreover, since it was an A-Level secret mission, ever since he had become a member of the Intelligence Department, he'd only tagged along with the main force once. He was both curious and excited about why the assembly order was issued.

Looks like the higher-ups are about to make a big move!

Zhuang Laifu quickly returned to his residence and took his usual equipment and tools.

When he arrived at Location Three, he noticed that not only were there people from the Intelligence Department, but there were also some from the Investigation Corps.

Without exception, they were all the best of the best.

There weren't many people, just over a hundred, standing sporadically.

"About the A-Level Assembly Order, I've got some news. A few days ago, our captain already..."

"Already did what? Hurry up and spill it, what's the news!"

"Sorry, confidentiality agreement. Please understand."

Zhuang Laifu, who had the strength of the Thirteen Layer and was eavesdropping with perked ears, was utterly exasperated.

As a high-ranking official in the Intelligence Department, he had naturally caught wind of certain rumors. It seemed that recently, the higher-ups were developing new maps, likely to be a Secret Realm of great value and vast size.

If there were remnants left by predecessors within the Secret Realm, then it was indeed a task for their Intelligence Department to crack. And he was the best at deciphering Illusion Techniques in the Intelligence Department, without equal!

Well, unless that powerhouse stepped in.

Zhuang Laifu recalled that person with algae-green hair, childlike in appearance, who once stepped on his head, leaving an imprint of his face on the ground.

It throbbed faintly.

He shook his head and quickly put it out of his mind.

That person wasn't even in the Intelligence Department!

Zhuang Laifu psyched himself up, striving to make a name for himself in the mission.

To snag the lion's share of the Contribution Degree!

As soon as it turned 9 A.M.

Lan Qingya appeared.

She wore a black-tight combat uniform, her graceful figure mostly covered by a large cloak, revealing only her slender and explosively powerful calves.

This early official Awakener of Green Shadow was now the person in charge of the Intelligence Department - Green Shadow Headquarters, ranked only below the two directors... Every Awakener present recognized her.

They watched eagerly, waiting for Lan Qingya to reveal information about the mission.

"This mission is rated A+ in terms of confidentiality, and our destination..."

She paused, a mysterious glint in her eyes,

"Is in a newly discovered Otherworld."

Her words, though spoken casually, dropped like a huge stone into a still pond.

Including Zhuang Laifu, everyone's eyes widened.

They breathed heavily, their blood boiling.

They couldn't wait to set foot on the soil of the Otherworld.

Then they heard Lan Qingya continue, "Before that, you need to learn the Otherworld's common language in order to qualify to go there."

"..."

In the crowd, certain individuals shed tears of frustration at their lack of knowledge.

...

Awakeners who had mastered the common language of the Otherworld, the history of the Aino Kingdom, affairs amongst the nobility, and so on, had already arrived at the Royal Capital.

Some, under Zabol's arrangement, became warriors of the Wing Army.

Others had already quietly blended into every corner of the Royal Capital.

In the Royal Capital, Transcendents were prominent figures and therefore more likely to attract attention. In contrast, members of the Awakening Tier, even High-Tier ones, were as common as grains of sand and could be found everywhere.

The Intelligence Department's infiltrating Awakeners were like raindrops falling into the sea, leaving no trace at all.