353: Chapter 353 A Frozen City

The first thing the Ice Coffin Society did after their rout was not to celebrate. It was to repair the wall.

The fifty-meter breach torn open by a single wave of Frost Mother's hand looked like a gaping mouth, with cold wind whistling through it as if in mockery.

Ling Shuanghan stood at the edge of the breach, looking at the pulverized fragments of everwinter alloy, her expression grim.

It wasn't out of heartache. It was because it was embarrassing.

The everwinter alloy was technology she had brought. The city wall was something she had personally overseen the construction of. Yet, Frost Mother had shattered it with a single slap.

This feeling was like having a new house you'd spent three months meticulously renovating, only to have someone smash a wall down the day you moved in.

"Two days," she said to Zhao Tieshan.

"Repair it within two days. The output of everwinter alloy is one kilogram per second; counting the cutting and splicing, forty-eight hours is enough."

Zhao Tieshan nodded and began the work with the engineers from the military zone.

Ling Shuanghan did not leave. She stood by the breach, watching the repair progress, standing there for three hours straight.

Ye Qingyue came to bring her a cup of hot milk.

Ling Shuanghan took it, drank a sip, and then frowned.

"It's sweet."

"I added honey," Ye Qingyue said. "You've been standing for three hours; your blood sugar will be low."

Ling Shuanghan was silent for a second, then finished the rest of the milk.

Then she handed the cup back to Ye Qingyue and said something that left Ye Qingyue stunned for a long time.

"Put less in next time. It's too sweet and makes me drowsy."

Next time. She had said "next time."

When Ye Qingyue walked back, holding the empty cup, the corners of her mouth curved three millimeters higher than usual. She was a doctor; she had measured it.

...

While repairing the wall, Ling Shuanghan submitted an improvement proposal.

"Authority Resonance Nodes." She spread the proposal on the table in front of Lin Yuan.

The drawings were extremely precise; every line looked like it had been measured with a ruler.

"Install resonance nodes at twelve key locations on the city wall. The nodes will use the energy of your Authority of Frost to form a 'temperature-lock' barrier on the surface of the wall. Any attack attempting to destroy the wall through extreme cooling will be neutralized by the barrier."

Lin Yuan glanced at the drawings. "In simple terms?"

"In simple terms," Ling Shuanghan paused, "the next time Frost Mother comes, she won't be able to shatter it."

Lin Yuan nodded. "Approved."

"However," Ling Shuanghan added, "each node will continuously consume your Authority energy. With twelve nodes running simultaneously, your daily consumption will increase by about 3%."

"Change it to eight."

Ling Shuanghan frowned. "If there are eight, there will be a blind spot of about thirty meters in the northwest direction."

"The northwest direction isn't needed," Lin Yuan said. "The Ice Coffin Society won't come from the same direction a second time. Frost Mother isn't stupid."

Ling Shuanghan thought for a moment and admitted he was right. "Eight."

She put away the drawings and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she paused.

"Your teacup."

"Hm?"

"The one on the city wall yesterday. The one with a penguin printed on it."

Lin Yuan looked up and glanced at her. "What about it?"

"That soldier asked me if the cup still needs to be returned to you. She said she didn't dare to throw it away or use it; she keeps it in her locker and always feels like it's a holy relic."

Lin Yuan: "..."

"I told her it was just an ordinary cup," Ling Shuanghan said expressionlessly. "She didn't believe me."

Lin Yuan was silent for two seconds. "Let her keep it."

Ling Shuanghan nodded and left.

...

The afternoon of the second day after the battle, Lin Yuan convened a core meeting.

There were not many people attending: Ye Qingxue, Ling Shuanghan, Luo Qinghan, Shen Bingtong, Ji Wushuang, Murong Xueer, and Qin Ziyan.

The first item on the agenda was a review of their forces.

Ye Qingxue stood up and opened a thick report.

"Core Zone population: approximately 5,900 people, including 400 females from the Northern Border Army. Outer city population: approximately 200 people. Military zone population: approximately 1,800 people. Totaling approximately 7,900 people."

"Main combat forces—" She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

Ji Wushuang raised an eyebrow upon hearing that she was ranked after Murong Xueer, but she said nothing.

Murong Xueer noticed her expression, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"Defense system: three-ring defense plus everwinter alloy city wall, plus annihilation cannon array, plus Authority Resonance Nodes. Material output: twenty types of materials produced simultaneously per second, enough to support the consumption of ten thousand people."

Ye Qingxue closed the report and looked at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. "Not enough."

Ye Qingxue: "What's not enough?"

"People," Lin Yuan said. "When the Ice City comes, we might need more people."

The meeting room was silent for a second.

Luo Qinghan spoke up. "Speaking of the Ice City—"

She stood up, walked to the holographic projection, and brought up a timeline comparison table. The left side was "past life," and the right side was "present life."

"In the past life, the second cooling occurred in the third year of the Apocalypse. The Ice Coffin Society appeared in the fourth year of the Apocalypse. The moving Ice City appeared in the eighth year of the Apocalypse."

Her finger slid across the right column. "In this life, all events have been advanced. Second cooling, first year of the Apocalypse. Ice Coffin Society, first year of the Apocalypse. Moving Ice City… is also the first year of the Apocalypse."

The meeting room grew even quieter.

Qin Ziyan frowned: "Things that took eight years to happen in the past life are all crammed into the first year now? What's the reason?"

Luo Qinghan turned her head and glanced at Lin Yuan. Everyone followed her gaze, looking at the man leaning back in his chair.

"The reason is very clear," Luo Qinghan said. "Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan's fingers paused.

"He collects authority fragments, accelerating the evolution of the frost curse. Absorbing Icebound Body has accelerated the exposure of the cleanser beacon. Using the Authority of Frost has accelerated the approach of the moving Ice City."

Luo Qinghan took a deep breath. "You are like a magnet. All disasters are being attracted to you."

Ji Wushuang couldn't help but let out a "pfft."

"What's wrong?" Murong Xueer looked at her.

"Nothing." Ji Wushuang straightened her expression. "I just think this metaphor is very accurate. Among the people I know, he is the only one who can treat disasters like takeout orders."

Luo Qinghan ignored Ji Wushuang and continued to look at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan thought about it and said, "Disasters are also resources."

Luo Qinghan's expression froze for a moment. "…Can you be a bit more normal?"

"This is normal."

Luo Qinghan closed her eyes. She took three deep breaths before she could calm the frustration clogging her chest.

But she had to admit—although the disasters had all been advanced, Lin Yuan's ability to deal with disasters was far superior to anyone from the past life.

In the past life, Blue Star was destroyed in the tenth year of the Apocalypse. In this life… perhaps it won't be.

...

The meeting entered the third item.

Lin Yuan took a dark red crystal out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

This was given to him by Zhao Tieshan during that negotiation as one of the pledges of allegiance.

The coordinates within the crystal were clearer than before.

After absorbing the Icebound Body, Lin Yuan's perception of authority fragments had greatly improved—the blurry signal in the crystal had now become precise three-dimensional coordinates.

"About 500 kilometers north of Blue Star," Lin Yuan said. "One of the 108 forbidden zones, number 37."

Luo Qinghan's expression changed.

"Forbidden Zone 37." Her voice carried a rarity of gravity.

"In the past life, Forbidden Zone 37 was explored by a large faction in the fifth year of the Apocalypse." She paused. "3,000 people went in. 7 came out."

The air in the meeting room felt as if it had been frozen.

Qin Ziyan's hand subconsciously pressed against her thigh. Murong Xueer lowered her head, staring at the tabletop. Ji Wushuang's Nanming Li Fire flickered at her fingertips, then extinguished.

"What's inside?" Lin Yuan asked.

"An ice-sealed city," Luo Qinghan said. "Not a human city. It's… the ruins of some civilization."

Lin Yuan was silent for a few seconds. An ice-sealed city. The signal of an authority fragment. The answer was obvious.

"How long until the moving Ice City arrives?"

"About 50 days," Shen Bingtong said.

"50 days." Lin Yuan nodded. "Enough time for me to make a trip."

Ye Qingxue looked up. "You're going yourself again?"

"Only I can absorb the fragments."

Ye Qingxue was silent. She knew he was right. But there was a deep chasm between "knowing he was right" and "accepting that he was right."

Lin Yuan didn't give her much time to digest this. He went straight to the next topic.

"Arrangements for the Shelter while I'm away." His gaze swept over everyone.

"Ye Qingxue—" Ye Qingxue straightened her back.

"No," Lin Yuan glanced at her. "You're coming with me this time."

Ye Qingxue was stunned.

"Your Dark Attribute Ability might have special effects in the forbidden zone environment. There was a precedent during the microscopic world expedition."

Ye Qingxue opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just nodded.

"Shen Bingtong." Shen Bingtong raised her light gray eyes.

"Your frost immunity constitution is the greatest advantage in the forbidden zone. Come with me."

Shen Bingtong: "Okay."

"Xia Bingning." The last name.

"Primal Body can adapt to any energy environment. You are the universal backup."

Xia Bingning, sitting in the corner, blinked and nodded vigorously. At eighteen, she tried hard to look like a reliable adult, but her clenched fists betrayed her excitement.

"The rest of you—" Lin Yuan's gaze returned to the meeting room.

"Ling Shuanghan, Military Commander-in-Chief. Defense and the remnants of the Ice Coffin Society are under your command."

Ling Shuanghan nodded.

"Luo Qinghan, Intelligence Chief. Monitor the movements of the moving Ice City continuously."

Luo Qinghan: "Understood."

"Ji Wushuang, Murong Xueer, mobile combat force. If there are any emergencies, intervene at any time."

Both nodded simultaneously. Ji Wushuang added, "Rest assured, with me here, not even a fly can fly in."

Murong Xueer glanced at her: "You said that last time too."

Ji Wushuang: "That wasn't a fly, that was a cockroach. It's different."

Murong Xueer: "...Is there a difference?"

Ji Wushuang thought seriously: "Cockroaches are heat-resistant."

Lin Yuan ignored this conversation.

"Su Yuyan, Lin Wanrou, Chu Yanran, the logistics iron triangle. Daily operations must not be interrupted."

When he mentioned Chu Yanran's name, he paused. "Chu Yanran."

"Here!" Chu Yanran subconsciously raised her hand. Then she realized it wasn't a roll call and sheepishly put her hand down.

"Prepare dry rations for the road. Enough for four people for seven days."

Chu Yanran's eyes lit up: "You finally know to bring dry rations? Last time you went to the microscopic world, you didn't even bring a water bottle."

Lin Yuan: "...The situation was special last time."

"Which time wasn't special?"

Chu Yanran rolled her eyes and got up to walk to the door. "I'll go prepare it and give it to you before tonight. Don't worry, it'll be better than last time."

She pushed the door open, walked two steps, then turned back. "By the way, do you want to bring that penguin cup?"

Lin Yuan: "No."

"Alright then." Chu Yanran shrugged. "The way that soldier was hugging the cup was quite funny; you guys should go see it."

The door closed. The meeting room was quiet for two seconds.

Ling Shuanghan suddenly spoke: "You're taking Ye Qingxue with you."

Lin Yuan looked at her. "Who will manage the Shelter?"

Lin Yuan glanced at her. Just one glance. "You."

Ling Shuanghan's movements paused. Everyone in the entire meeting room paused.

This was the first time Lin Yuan had handed over the supreme command of the Shelter to someone other than Ye Qingxue.

Ling Shuanghan took about three seconds to digest this. Then she nodded. "Okay."

Only one word. But everyone present heard the weight of that word.

Ye Qingxue lowered her head, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her mouth. She wasn't laughing at Ling Shuanghan. She was laughing at Lin Yuan.

The way this man expressed trust was always like this—he didn't say "I trust you," he didn't say "You can do it." He only said "You." And then he threw the entire Shelter to you.

...

After the meeting dispersed, Lin Yuan stood alone in front of the command room window. Outside the window was an ice field at minus 120 degrees.

On the distant horizon, the gray sky and white ice surface merged into a blurry line.

50 days. The moving Ice City would arrive in 50 days.

Three months later, the cleansers would discover that Blue Star's beacon had been interrupted. And during this time, he had to go to a forbidden zone where 3,000 people went in and only 7 came out to retrieve another authority fragment.

Lin Yuan looked out the window, his expression calm. He arranged these numbers in his mind, as if he were organizing a schedule.

Then he turned around and walked out of the command room. He went to find Chu Yanran. He needed to confirm the taste of the dry rations—the compressed biscuits she had made last time. They were hard enough to smash a zombie to death, and he still remembered the texture to this day.