Chapter 102

In the first month after the extreme cold arrived, the snow outside the villa deep in the mountains was already above knee-deep. The biting north wind swirled snowflakes, like countless tiny ice blades scraping through the air, leaving dense snow tracks on the ground.

At seven o'clock in the morning, only a faint purple light appeared on the horizon. The outdoor temperature had dropped below -70°C. The breath you exhaled condensed into tiny ice crystals as soon as it left your lips, freezing painfully on your eyelashes.

Su Jing was wrapped in a dark protective suit reinforced with gold crystal fragments, the fur on the cuffs and collar clinging to her skin with frost, and clutching a hot iron ore hand warmer in her hand.

The gentle heat emanating from the ore seeped through her gloves, just enough to ward off the chill in her fingertips. She carried a compressed laser gun on her back, and her storage space contained enough dry rations and emergency healing pills for a day, ready to embark on her first exploration.

"Patrol 1, keep an eye on the villa, and send a signal immediately if anything unusual happens."

Su Jing gave instructions to the patrol robot at the door. The robot's camera flashed, and the screen displayed "Received, highest alert activated, infrared detection range expanded to 15 meters."

She pushed open the villa door, and the laser-proof metal shield automatically slid to one side, revealing the snow-covered steps outside. The snow on the steps had been swept into a narrow path by the robot earlier, but it was covered by a thin layer of snow from the night, making a soft "crunching" sound when stepped on, which was particularly clear in the silent deep mountains.

Su Jing walked along the moat surrounding the villa. The frozen surface of the river gleamed with a cold, hard luster. The ice was so thick that you could see the frozen, withered branches underwater. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, stirring up the snow on the ice, like a layer of white mist.

She didn't go too far, first exploring within a 1-kilometer radius of the villa. Her gaze swept over the branches bent by the weight of ice and snow—thick icicles hung from the branches like transparent crystals. Occasionally, an icicle would break and fall into the snow with a "crack," startling a few gray sparrows hiding in snow caves. They flapped their wings, flew a few meters in low air, and then disappeared into another snowdrift, clearly struggling to find food.

"More desolate than I imagined. I didn't see any large animals." Su Jing muttered to herself, bending down to clear away a snowdrift. Underneath, several frozen wild grasses were revealed. The grass leaves had long lost their green color and turned dark brown. They crumbled into powder with a pinch.

She continued walking forward, passing through a pine forest. The pine needles were covered with snow, like they were wearing white coats. Finally, the sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a pale golden glow that reflected off the snow with a blinding light. Su Jing had to squint and raise her hand to shield her eyes from the light.

Just then, a slight buzzing sound came from above, not the sound of wind, but more like the sound of some kind of membrane flapping.

Su Jing immediately stopped and crouched behind a thick pine tree, pressing her body against the cold trunk. Looking up through the gaps in the branches, she saw a person wearing a light gray protective suit flying slowly 30 meters in the air. A pair of translucent wings spread out behind him, shimmering with a pale blue light, with tiny spots of light dancing along the edges. The wings flapped without making much noise, yet they propelled him to hover steadily above the forest, seemingly searching for something.

"Flight ability?" Su Jing's pupils contracted slightly, and her fingertips instinctively touched the system panel—a pale blue notification instantly popped up: [Unknown ability type detected: Flight ability (based on bio-wing membrane control, allows low-altitude levitation and medium-speed flight, duration ≤ 15 minutes/time). Meets the requirements for application. One ability application opportunity per day is available. Confirm application?]

She didn't click "confirm" immediately, but continued to observe—the flyer's movements were not very skilled; when it circled around a thick pine branch, its wings wobbled slightly, clearly still adapting to its superpower.

His gaze swept across the snowdrifts on the ground, and he held a metal detector in his hand, occasionally hovering it over a spot on the snow, seemingly probing for underground resources. He appeared to be a mission member out searching for resources.

Su Jing held her breath and gently enveloped her body with the spiritual energy of the second level of Qi Refining to conceal her energy fluctuations and avoid being detected by the other party—flying ability users are likely to have a more acute spatial perception, and rashly exposing herself may lead to conflict.

The flyer circled over the pine forest for about 10 minutes, seemingly without finding its target. It then increased the frequency of its wing flapping, preparing to fly northeast.

Knowing she couldn't wait any longer, Su Jing quickly tapped "Confirm Overlay" on the panel—a gentle warmth instantly flowed from the panel into her body, coursing through her bloodstream. Suddenly, a clear message appeared in her mind: [Flight ability has been overlaid. Current level: Beginner. Can manipulate internal energy to form a temporary wing membrane (transparent, with a faint blue glow). Flight altitude ≤ 10 meters, duration ≤ 5 minutes, cooldown time 30 minutes. Level can be improved through practice.]

The moment the coating was completed, Su Jing could clearly feel a new "connection" between herself and the surrounding air, as if as long as she concentrated her mind, she could generate the power to support her flight.

But she didn't try it immediately. Instead, she watched the flyer's figure gradually disappear into the snow and fog in the northeast before slowly getting up from behind the pine tree. The limitations of the basic flying ability were numerous. It was low-altitude flight and short duration. Trying it rashly might result in falling in the snow. It would be better to wait until she returned to the villa and practice in a safe area.

She raised her hand and glanced at the simple thermometer on her wrist. The temperature had risen to -65°C, and the sunlight was brighter.

Su Jing decided to explore for another hour before returning, as it was her first time going out and she shouldn't stay too long.

She walked back along the same route, and as she passed a frozen stream, she suddenly noticed a string of fresh footprints in the snow. The footprints were slightly larger than hers and about 10 centimeters deep, indicating that someone had passed by not long ago. The footprints were in the same direction as hers, seemingly heading towards the villa, but then turned west into the valley not far away.

"Could there be other explorers?" Su Jing's heart stirred. Instead of following the footprints, she quickened her pace and returned to the villa. She had already gained the ability to fly today, and it might be risky to rashly track unknown people. It would be better to make more thorough preparations tomorrow before exploring the western valley.

When she returned to the villa entrance, the anti-laser shield automatically returned to its position, and the patrol robot "Xun1" immediately stepped forward to scan it. Only after confirming that there was nothing unusual did it open the door.

Su Jing took off her protective suit and put the iron ore hand warmer back into her space. She could still feel the residual warmth from the suppression of her flight ability on her fingertips.

She brought up the system panel, where the icon for her flight ability was glowing with a faint blue light, with the words "Beginner (0/100 proficiency, can be improved through flight practice)" written below it.

"We'll continue exploring the western valley tomorrow; we might find more clues," Su Jing murmured to herself, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window.