ATIGIBTC Chapter 133.2

“I think we could find a quiet, warm place to talk.” He Fang decided to get straight to the point.

At that, Zhong Yana lowered her head to look at He Fang. She gave a broad smile. Even in the freezing snow, with her face reddened from the cold, her smile could not be concealed. “How about you follow me and take a walk around my city? I’m very interested in your aircraft.”

He Fang glanced at the aircraft, thought for a moment, and said, “Alright.”

The aircraft’s interior was spacious enough that even Sai Gu could sit comfortably, let alone Zhong Yana, whose build was nearly on par with Sai Gu’s. It was hard to imagine how a woman could become so powerfully built.

“Where do you want to take me?” He Fang directly imported the system map into the aircraft, opened up the large-scale view, and let Zhong Yana choose.

“Just wander around,” Zhong Yana said, glancing at the map on He Fang’s aircraft with a faint curl of her lips.

He Fang felt that his little attempt to show off had been noticed by Zhong Yana, leaving him slightly embarrassed. He said, “Then I’ll activate the free navigation mode. Everything in the back here is edible. You can pick whatever interests you.”

“It feels just like a supermarket.” Zhong Yana looked through the available food, picked something that interested her, and took a bite. Raising her brows, she said, “Mm, the taste isn’t bad, comparable to our supermarkets.”

“This city of yours also has supermarkets?” He Fang asked.

“Of course. Whatever you have, we have,” Zhong Yana said, tilting her head toward He Fang with a smile. “Or is it that you think only your Mirage City has them?”

“After seeing the city of City Lord Zhong Yana, I know that’s not the case. I just didn’t expect an ordinary city to be able to produce goods that could impress even a mobile city,” He Fang said, looking at the people constantly moving about below and the aircraft flying overhead. “If you have this kind of technology, then why not simply turn all the land into ice fields?”

“The world cannot have only cold,” Zhong Yana said, taking a bite of a snack and half-closing her eyes in enjoyment. “Even if technology advances to the point where we can easily grow polar plants, it’s the land that is the true future humanity should yearn for.”

“You mean the polar plains are just a stopgap measure?” He Fang asked.

Zhong Yana reached into her pocket and pulled something out, handing it to He Fang. He looked down. It was a lychee. He glanced at her suspiciously, confirmed through the system that it was non-toxic, and then put it in his mouth. The sweet flavor spread across his tongue. It was a taste He Fang liked.

“How is it?” Zhong Yana asked.

“Very sweet,” He Fang replied honestly.

At that moment, another lychee appeared in Zhong Yana’s hand. This one had the shape of a lychee but a pure white skin. When He Fang took it, he could still feel the cold frost layered over it.

He peeled it open. It was already showing signs of thawing in the warmer air. Juice trickled onto his hand. He quickly popped it into his mouth, but the taste was strange. It was not sweet at all, slightly sour instead, and overall, it had no particular flavor. The texture was limp and soft, and it was completely unappetizing.

He Fang’s look of distaste was plain on his face, and upon seeing his expression, Zhong Yana burst into loud laughter.

“This is exactly why we need land. Humanity will always have warmth. It’s a part of our genes that no amount of modification can erase. Humans are born to live on the land,” Zhong Yana said, her voice filled with deep emotion.

He Fang swallowed down the odd taste in his mouth and looked at the scenery outside the window. “At the very least, you’ve created a truly perfect city in the apocalypse.” He lowered his gaze to the city below. “Have you ever seen the lower-level residents of a mobile city?”

“Of course,” Zhong Yana answered as if it were only natural. Their city was never completely cut off from others. Necessary exchanges had always taken place. Or perhaps, more accurately, it wasn’t ‘exchanges’ but intelligence gathering.

“Do you think that kind of development is normal?” He Fang asked.

“Yes.” Zhong Yana, however, gave He Fang an affirmative answer. She smiled. “At least many people survived.”

He Fang glanced at Zhong Yana, confirming that her thinking was not extreme. He was just about to steer the topic toward the holes when he suddenly heard Zhong Yana say, “Let’s stop here.”

“Hm?” He Fang immediately brought the aircraft to a halt, and Zhong Yana leapt straight down from it, landing on the ground. She stood up and looked up at He Fang, as if waiting for him to come down.

From this height, a person jumping would normally be badly injured.

Though He Fang, clad in armor, should have nothing to fear…

Still, he simply lowered the aircraft’s altitude and descended steadily, entirely unmoved by Zhong Yana’s provocation.

Zhong Yana looked at him with a faint, ambiguous smile. He Fang couldn’t guess what she was thinking.

“Want to come in and take a look?” Zhong Yana said with a smile. He Fang, for reasons he couldn’t quite put into words, followed her through a rather inconspicuous door.

Once inside, He Fang felt as though the surrounding temperature had risen somewhat. Although his armor regulated his body temperature, the skin of his face could still sense it.

After they entered, they took an elevator down. The elevator gradually descended until it reached the very bottom, and then, before He Fang’s eyes, an entirely different world suddenly appeared.

This is… an underground city?!

What unfolded before him was a scene completely different from the polar world above ground. Here, He Fang saw a true mechanical city. Agriculture and livestock farming could be found everywhere, and from the highest levels to the lowest, there was an abundance of things to see. On his system’s map, a new layer of the city appeared. The Summit of the World actually had two levels. But when He Fang glanced at the elevator buttons, he wondered… could it be that the Summit of the World had multiple layers?

He Fang’s idea was indeed correct. When the elevator descended once again, He Fang once more caught sight of the second level. The Summit of the World had a total of four levels, and the boundless expanse of the fourth level, this vast world, relied entirely on these underground facilities to fully guarantee all of the Summit of the World’s needs.

“So amazing.” He Fang couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. The underground world, with the surface entirely sealed off by ice to prevent the invasion of Nightmare Beast seeds, and yet, underground, a livable world had been created. “So that’s why you never allow anyone to casually enter the Summit of the World?”

“Yes.” At this moment, due to the temperature rise, Zhong Yana took off her heavy clothing, revealing a figure that wasn’t exactly delicate and curvy, but rather tending toward sturdy and robust. “Once Nightmare Beast seeds get in, there wouldn’t even be a chance to escape. We’d be wiped out completely. Maintaining such a massive underground city is no easier than managing an actual mobile city. The original concept for the Summit of the World failed, and it ended up becoming a world no different from a mobile city.”

“But you’ve developed many things that even mobile cities are in great need of. That’s your strength, isn’t it?” He Fang watched as the elevator finally reached the very bottom. And at the very bottom was, unexpectedly, a white expanse that, at a glance, was a laboratory area. They couldn’t enter immediately. Only after Zhong Yana had undergone a full physical examination and verification were they granted entry.

“Yes, we need to have more capital to lay the groundwork and make preparations for everything in our future,” Zhong Yana said.

“What do you mean?” He Fang asked in puzzlement.

However, Zhong Yana didn’t explain this remark. She led He Fang step by step deeper inside. But then, He Fang suddenly realized that his terminal could no longer connect with the surface. A sharp awareness struck him. Had he, without even noticing, already been led into a place completely unreachable by his aircraft and Xiao Lan?

All of a sudden, his heartbeat began to quicken, fear spreading through his entire body. But he still followed behind Zhong Yana, wanting to see exactly what she was going to show him.

“Is it because you’ve been continuously digging downward, searching for habitable places, that you came up with the idea of directly stripping away the Nightmare Beast forest on the surface?” He Fang asked.

“Yes.” Zhong Yana, at this moment, actually answered He Fang’s question with a warm, smiling expression. “It’s quite a good idea, isn’t it?”

“But it’s very dangerous,” He Fang said.

“There’s no time more dangerous than right now. We’re constantly on guard against Nightmare Beast seeds, yet there are always people who want to use them to stir up trouble.” Zhong Yana’s smile abruptly vanished. The change in her expression was so fast it was almost unsettling, like a mentally unstable person with a split personality.

From her words, He Fang instantly thought of the Emperor of Ao City back then. That man had used Nightmare Beast seeds to completely wipe out an entire city. What he had witnessed wasn’t the first time, and surely wouldn’t be the last. As long as Nightmare Beast seeds existed, it was likely mobile cities would never truly feel safe.

Though He Fang understood, he couldn’t agree. “But it’s too dangerous. You don’t even know what kind of consequences stripping away the Nightmare Beast forest directly might cause. I already have a way to keep Nightmare Beast seeds from attacking us anymore. Why can’t you go along with our plan instead?”

Zhong Yana’s steps suddenly stopped. She turned around, gazing at He Fang. The deep, striking lines of her features seemed to be sizing him up. Then she gave a short, cold snort and said, “Nightmare Beast seeds must become a part of human history. They must never coexist with us. And clearly, you don’t think the same way.”

He Fang’s heart gave a sudden jolt, and a strange thought instantly took shape in his mind. “How should I take that remark?”

Zhong Yana spread her arms and shrugged. “Is there really anything that needs to be kept especially secret? City Lord He Fang, under your orders, your people have already been developing a new energy source using Nightmare Beast seeds, haven’t they?”

He Fang froze. This was a secret he had never made public, and yet somehow, Zhong Yana had discovered it.

“Our scientists once proposed the same idea,” Zhong Yana continued, moving forward again, each stride so large that He Fang had to quicken his pace to keep up with her. “But we failed, and you succeeded. You truly are formidable people; that’s undeniable. But we are fragile. As long as Nightmare Beast seeds exist, they will forever threaten humanity. We can never coexist with them.”

He Fang fell silent. Because he understood, he had no way to refute her.

“I know very well why you came here.” At this moment, Zhong Yana led He Fang into a vast, empty area. She casually stepped on the ground, and from the floor, a table rose, along with two chairs appearing right at their feet. She gestured for him to sit.

He Fang understood. It seemed this was where their negotiations were going to take place. He followed suit, taking a seat as well.

“Since you understand, I hope you can abandon this dangerous plan. We can fight against the Nightmare Beast forest. I’ve always had this ability.” As long as there was enough money, little by little, he could make the Nightmare Beast forest disappear from this world entirely, turning it solely into a resource for energy use.

“And then what? The whole world bows down to you and relies on you?” Zhong Yana’s posture was completely casual, her legs spread apart, leaning back against the chair. The look she gave He Fang was filled with scorn.

He Fang frowned. “You mean, even if we can, you still don’t intend to accept our help?”

“Of course, matters concerning humanity must be resolved by humanity.” Zhong Yana tilted her head slightly, smiling as she spoke.

“What do you mean?” He Fang pressed.

“I mean…” Suddenly, He Fang felt a powerful gust of wind surge toward him. Before he could react, something shot past his ear and struck straight into the wall beside him. It was then that he saw that Zhong Yana had, in an instant, launched an attack at him. But the blade in her hand was now split in two: half remained in her grip, the other half embedded in the wall. Zhong Yana seemed to have anticipated this exact outcome. She sneered, her gaze full of contempt as she stared directly at He Fang. “What exactly are you people?”

“…” He Fang pressed his lips together, lowering his gaze, not knowing how to answer that question.

Zhong Yana could sense that the adult man standing before her still carried a trace of a young boy’s innocence—childish, naïve, and pure.
Yet, behind him stood an entire city, and without a doubt, that was the most terrifying existence of all. That was not human. She knew very clearly. It was absolutely not human. The feeling those things gave them was in no way inferior to that of the Nightmare Beast Forest. The people now must be utterly insane to treat the Mirage as a savior.

“You can deal with the Nightmare Beast Forest because you were born able to, without putting in any effort at all.” Zhong Yana rose to her feet, circling He Fang and the table once. “You appeared out of nowhere in the Nightmare Beast Forest. Are you really not a new surprise brought to us by the Nightmare Beast seeds?”

“If that were the case, then by now the entire mobile city would have already turned into Nightmare Beasts,” He Fang refuted.

“The Mirage is strange. It clearly possesses such powerful strength, yet it seems to be completely bound by you, only listening to your words, only developing in the direction you desire. Obedient, to the point of resembling a giant ant nest, with you as its queen ant.” Zhong Yana narrowed her eyes. She could not find a single special trait in the boy before her—fragile, weak—yet he was taken for granted as someone to be protected by countless strong individuals, and he accepted that protection with complete ease. Such a distorted ecosystem was simply terrifying.

“Perhaps it may look that way now, but it won’t be so in the future.” He Fang pressed his lips together and sighed. He lifted his gaze. “I am one hundred percent certain that everyone in my city is an entirely normal, ordinary human. In the future, I will prove this.”

“From the moment you possessed such great power, there would never again be any need for proof.” Zhong Yana narrowed her eyes. “We were born unable to truly merge. Since you can control the Nightmare Beast Forest, take it and leave Earth forever. We return to dust, you return to dust. Wouldn’t it be better not to force us together?”

He Fang understood now.

Zhong Yana knew more than he had imagined.

And even knowing this, she had still made such a decision.

“Even if I speak of countless possibilities, even if I give you endless assurances, must you still do this?” He Fang asked.

“Yes. We have already given you enough land. You should learn to be content.” Zhong Yana placed both hands on the tabletop, her wolf-like eyes locking firmly onto He Fang. “Stay away from us, monster.”

He Fang’s breath caught.

On the system’s map, the places where these holes had appeared were not only at the edges of other Nightmare Beast Forests. They were also at the edge of the Nightmare Beast Forest he was in. And his city was located within the Nightmare Beast Forest. What Zhong Yana wanted to send away was not only the Nightmare Beast Forest where no one lived, but also his city.

“My people are now scattered throughout every single city. Even if you send away the city, my people will still be here.” He Fang said coldly, all traces of earlier friendliness gone. The other party’s undisguised words had made it clear that this conversation had reached its end.

“As long as their numbers don’t increase, there will always be a way to kill them. If you don’t leave, then in the end this world will become your city.” Zhong Yana’s gaze was cold as it fell on He Fang. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning, monster.”

He Fang lifted his head, his eyes gradually turning cold. “You think that you can kill my people?”

“Why not?” Zhong Yana’s lips curled slightly. “Not many of them have real combat experience, right?”

He Fang’s heart gave a sudden thump. He hadn’t expected Zhong Yana to even know that. In the main city where he was, most people were actually just ordinary humans. Even if their physical attributes were exceptional, they were still ordinary humans!

“My people will do everything they can to stop your evil deeds.”

“Of course. But without you, they are nothing.”

Suddenly, a transparent wall rose swiftly between He Fang and Zhong Yana. He Fang turned to glance back and saw that the door had been shut off on the other side, while he was completely sealed inside an empty space with nothing at all.

Zhong Yana’s gaze gradually revealed a trace of madness. “You came here surely to find out when I would carry out my grand wish. I can tell you right now. It is the very moment you are imprisoned by me. Right now!”

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