Chapter 50 The Seventh Fleet <TOC> Chapter 52 Body Expansion
Translator: SumTLMan
A month after the pirate incident.
Zhou Yi continued his resource-gathering work beneath the Dead Sea.
The Warrior Crabs are natural-born fighters, but their intelligence is limited; they’re only capable of basic transport and demolition tasks, while Zhou Yi handles the selection and direction.
The residential buildings in the unnamed community are all six-story, two-apartment types, with few sealed supplies left, such as food and drinks.
Zhou Yi’s focus soon shifted to other items.
For example, books.
In the past, he would feel sleepy after flipping through a book, but in the Wasteland Era, these sealed books became a means of passing time and entertainment.
Zhou Yi practically cleared out the books in the neighborhood, placing some in storage containers for safekeeping and keeping the more interesting ones at his Jade Emerald City home for personal reading.
Next came the electronics.
Unfortunately, Jade Emerald City clearly stated that it couldn’t connect to or utilize those ancient devices. It could illuminate, regulate temperature, and make localized adjustments in the building, essentially controlling its own system.
Ultimately, Zhou Yi took only a few cell phones and two computers, setting them up in his house as memorabilia and decoration.
Aside from these, the most substantial haul included medicines and daily necessities.
Every household had some stock of medicines, such as cold capsules, amoxicillin, digestive aids, iodine, and so forth.
Then there were items like body lotion, sunscreen, face wash, razors, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, shower gel, shampoo, air fresheners, various blankets, and bedding…
In the past, Zhou Yi wouldn’t even glance at these, as they took up too much space. His White Suan Ni body didn’t easily absorb external impurities; at most, he’d use wet wipes for cleaning.
But now that he’d established Jade Emerald City as his base, he needed to take everything.
These items could be sold or distributed as employee benefits.
The only issue was the frequent appearance of Long-Necked Crocodiles nearby.
They had drawn territorial lines and didn’t interfere with one another, hunting Bubble Fish in higher-altitude regions.
There was still no sign of the Ridge Spine Hunter.
Red Falcon cautioned: “Zhou, winter is coming. You must be vigilant.”
“Most lower Light Absorber species have a habit of hibernating during winter to reduce the risk of being hunted. During winter, daylight is significantly shorter, and the nights grow longer. The Dead Light, using natural light as an energy medium, is heavily impacted, and the longer nights greatly affect Light Absorber life forms.”
“Winter is a season of chaos.”
Having spent years lurking beneath the sea, Zhou Yi knew Bone Fish periodically burrowed deep into the mud layers, and higher-class monsters occasionally dove to the depths for hunting. However, he wasn’t aware this was directly related to seasonal changes.
He asked: “How long will winter last?”
“According to data from the past 20 years, winter typically spans around five to six months.”
Zhou Yi frowned.
Half a year.
Red Falcon stated in a cold, mechanical voice: “With winter’s arrival, only the top-class Sky Walkers and Sea Domain Lords will be unaffected. Mid-to-low-class Light Absorber species, unable to obtain sufficient daytime Dead Light, will grow hungry and irritable, frequently hunting weaker Light Absorbers to secure Light Seeds.”
“A surge in violent conflicts will erupt, not just limited to predatory struggles among Light Absorbers; the Sea Domain Lords across different territories will seize the opportunity to wage wars, promoting slaughter and expansion to widen their domains and strike down rival competitors.”
If the normal season belonged to restrained stability, then winter belonged to a time of war and chaos in the Wasteland Era.
Zhou Yi could take no chances.
Even with Jade Emerald City and the Warrior Crab army on his side, he still had to prepare contingency plans to counter external threats.
…
Within Jade Emerald City, the Wasteland Development Company convened its first official meeting to tackle the challenges of the approaching winter.
Attendees included Night Claw, A Jin, Gong Zheng, A Feng, and Yuan Tong. The Bone Man, Sun Zhonglai, was absent due to a fractured leg.
Zhou Yi asked: “How were winters handled in the past?”
Gong Zheng was the first to respond: “Chairman, as for Grub Grain Town, we typically stockpile enough fuel before winter. Mushrooms can be cultivated in caves, so with ample sleep and reduced activity, one can get by on less food each day.”
“The biggest threats are fuel and warmth. The townsfolk mainly rely on branches for firewood. To keep the fire continuously burning or maintain warmth after it dies down, we need a substantial amount of wood.”
“The oasis trees have been dwindling, and the fuel gap is widening. In recent years, several people have shared a cave and fire pit. However, blankets and straw mats are also in short supply for warmth.”
“Additionally, the piled branches tend to generate a lot of smoke due to the humid cave environment. Once the fire is lit, the smoke sometimes can’t all escape through the chimney. Usually, dry wood burns clean, but in winter, when using stored old wood, the smoke can sometimes make people pass out, develop a cough, or even risk suffocation during sleep.”
Gong Zheng thought for a moment and added: “Lastly, there’s water. People rarely go outside during winter. The monsters become frenzied, fighting day and night, so we rely on groundwater. The filtered water is drinkable, though it causes bleeding gums and stomach aches. That’s the situation as I know it.”
“As for the outside, A Jin might know more.”
Zhou Yi nodded.
In Grub Grain Town, the survival of the fittest left only those who had adapted to the harsh environment.
“A Jin.”
Zhou Yi turned his gaze to the youth.
A Jin, yawning, straightened up immediately.
“Well, Chairman… Outside, the monsters start fighting one another. The big monsters eat the small ones, and creatures that don’t usually appear emerge to the surface. They leave a lot of droppings, skin, bones, and rotting flesh. For scavengers, winter is often the most bountiful season.”
“However, since the arrival of the Winter Beast two years ago, people no longer dare venture out.”
A Jin rubbed his nose with his knuckles, looking regretful: “The Winter Beast is huge, perhaps the scariest creature here. It’s tall and looks like a featherless bird.”
“No one dares provoke it. Claw Boars and Stinging Antlions alike are its prey.”
“The Winter Beast hangs its catch on trees or icicles, stripping the bones, leaving only a limp layer of skin, with blood splattering everywhere. It’s a truly terrifying and brutal creature.”
The youth frowned, straining to recall: “The Winter Beast doesn’t only kill monsters; it also kills humans. Any living creature, it likes to tear apart, extracting the bones.”
“After several scavengers died, nobody dared to venture out in winter. Anyway, come winter, the Winter Beast comes here, and as the season ends, it leaves.”
Due to the Winter Beast’s presence, the nearby monsters behaved cautiously in winter; Claw Boars hid to the north, Stinging Antlions retreated underground, and even the mushrooms shuddered in fear.
Both humans and monsters cowered in equal dread.
Due to limited information, Red Falcon couldn’t determine what kind of creature the Winter Beast truly was.
A Jin suddenly changed the subject: “Chairman, there’s definitely something beneath the Death Dunes. I found a lot of neatly arranged stones and some dried mushrooms. These are definitely offerings!”
“Could we excavate the entire dune?”
Zhou Yi immediately rejected this idea.
With winter approaching, undertaking large-scale construction posed significant risks.
Zhou Yi said: “A Jin, hold off for now. After winter, if you find more evidence, I’ll authorize an excavation.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
A Jin brightened up at this.
During the meeting, Zhou Yi received a message.
“Committee member, I have achieved 100% energy.”
The voice of Jade Emerald City sounded directly in his mind.
“Now, my system has generated a feeling I’ve never experienced before. I suspect this might be the ‘skill’ you mentioned.”
“But I’m not certain what it is. To confirm it, I need to use it, which will consume a significant amount of energy.”
“Do I have permission to proceed?”
Zhou Yi’s heart leaped with excitement.
Jade Emerald City had returned to its peak state!
There was also a new skill, in addition to “Aerial House Bombardment.”
Zhou Yi ordered: “Permission granted. Show me what you can do!”
Chapter 50 The Seventh Fleet <TOC> Chapter 52 Body Expansion