Chapter 419.1: This New Map Is Too Awesome!

If the journey of 3,000 kilometers were to be undertaken on foot, it would likely take half a year.

That didn’t even account for the bumps and dangers along the way.

However, by flying, it took less than four hours for the Orca transport plane to reach the Among Clouds Province, and come into view of Ideal City.

Standing beside the cabin window, Escaping Mole opened his eyes wide. He had an incredulous look as he mumbled to himself, “Holy moly."

Ample Time and Shu Yu standing next to him did the same.

The only difference was, they didn't mutter anything. They simply stared at him with wide eyes.

Before arriving, Ample Time had imagined countless possibilities based on the pre-war images of Clearspring City and the defensive structures of Boulder Town.

However... All those imaginations fell through.

Skyscrapers stood like towering obelisks, densely packed together forming a vast forest of steel that grew taller from the outskirts to the center, reaching into the clouds, the tops of the buildings obscured.

At the center, surrounded by peaks, stood a majestic ‘tower’.

Its black metal shell and sharply defined edges indicated that it wasn’t built from concrete but cast from some unimaginably strong alloy.

Its size was comparable to the hundreds of buildings surrounding it, connecting to the clouds, making the clouds look like a canopy growing out from it.

Escaping Mole couldn't help but gasp, "... This looks even more cyberpunk than the damn gamn..."

Ample Time gulped. "... Yeah."

"Those buildings over there... Can you actually enter them? Are they really not just texture packs?”

"... This game has texture packs?"

After a long silence, Escaping Mole stood by the window eventually sighed. "... Amazing."

The closer they got, the more they felt the oppressive sensation from the grandeur of the massive city.

Long corridors connected between buildings, forming densely packed spiderwebs.

Tiny black dots moved through the spaces between the buildings. Some were cargo drones and others followed fixed tracks like hovercraft.

The layout and design of the city were somewhat similar to what Ample Time had seen in the center of Clearspring City.

It was also said that Boulder Town was built based on the blueprint of Ideal City. However, unlike Boulder Town, Ideal City had no giant walls, nor did it need them.

The shortest building in Ideal City far exceeded the walls of Boulder Town.

The outer buildings linked together, their steep walls acting as insurmountable cliffs. Electromagnetic accelerators stood at the tops of buildings capable of destroying any supersonic missiles or shells.

The city seemed elevated, raised dozens of meters above the open plains, with the mouth of the Heavenly Water River nearby, where pipes embedded in the riverbed drew fresh water.

The broken elevated roads and decrepit debris stopped abruptly half a kilometer from Ideal City.

The steep outer walls of the buildings acted like a clear boundary, dividing decay from prosperity, chaos from civilization...

The Orca transport plane slowly approached the edge of the city, tiny like a ladybug to a pyramid.

"We're here, prepare for landing!" The pilot spoke into the communicator, reminding passengers in the back to return to their seats, then switched from horizontal flight mode to vertical take-off and landing mode, following the ground lights’ guidance to land on the rooftop helipad.

Slowly, the cabin door opened.

Ample Time and Escaping Mole followed Shu Yu out of the plane.

As they stepped onto the helipad, flashes from cameras mounted nearby dazzled them, making it hard for the agility type duo to open their eyes.

The reporters held microphones, with drones carrying lights behind them.

Seeing the three emerge from the cabin, their excited faces didn't care about the howling wind on the rooftop. Everyone swarmed over.

"Are you survivors from the River Valley Province?"

"Blue coats? Are you from a shelter? Which number are you from?"

"Hey, look over here, friends, I heard you're conducting secret experiments, is that true? Can you tell us what the experiment is?"

"Incredible... Your nutritional status is pretty good, seems much better than other survivors' settlements, how much meat do you eat a day?"

"Heard you're fighting the Army? How far have they reached? How far is it from the East Coast?"

"How big are their noses really? Can you tell us!?"

"Damm, stop pushing! My shoes!"

Those who rushed over were mostly journalists. The residents of Ideal City were full of curiosity about their allies 3,000 kilometers away.

Discussions about the Alliance had already dominated the top of the forums on the Endpoint Cloud several days earlier.

All media outlets were eager to get firsthand information, even if it was just a single word in response.

Fortunately, guards in exoskeletons were standing by on the helipad, holding back the excited crowd. Otherwise, with their level of enthusiasm, they might well flip the plane off the building.

"Man... Are people here always this trendy? Even the reporters are cool!" Escaping Mole exclaimed with his eyes wide in shock.

There are even live streamers here...

He understood a bit of Federation Language, but it was too noisy. With the dialect differences of the East Coast, he couldn't understand what those people were chattering about.

One could only say that the game was bizarrely realistic in some places.

Ample Time shot him a sidelong glance, making a snide comment. "... That's pretty normal, even poor Boulder Town has a Mr. House."

"Where are your black stockings? Hurry up and change."

"Get lost!"

While the two bodyguards-like members were cursing each other in hoarse voices, a man in a suit with slicked-back hair, surrounded by a group, approached the trio.

Although confused by those enthusiastic people, Shu Yu, having seen some of the world, suppressed his nerves and displayed the demeanor expected of an ambassador as he looked at the representative who came to greet him.

"... Welcome to Ideal City, friends from the southern part of the River Valley Province, my name is Wu Changnian, the deputy head of the Enterprise Management Group. I am also one of the shareholders of Ideal Corporation," he said, smiling as he extended his right hand.

Shu Yu shook his hand, also introducing himself politely. "I am Shu Yu, the ambassador of the New Alliance. I represent the New Alliance and the administrator, extending our sincerest thanks and greetings to you. Thanks to your help, we can continue to fight against the forces of evil."

"You're too kind, barbarism is our common enemy. It’s the common enemy of civilization, whether mutants, the Army, or other species... Sooner or later, we will eradicate them from this planet!" Grasping Shu Yu’s hand firmly, conveying his unwavering resolve, Wu Changnian released his hand after a moment, his face regaining its pleasant smile. "... But that's a long-term plan. For now, I hope you have a pleasant afternoon. I will be your guide during this visit, and you can ask me about anything that confuses you."

Releasing his hand, Shu Yu smiled. "Then I won't be shy. By the way, may I ask who is the highest management here? If possible, I would like to meet him."

Wu Changnian's face showed a look of regret. "The highest management... Although I would be happy to introduce you, unfortunately, we don't have someone like that. You might not be familiar since it's your first time here, but we practice decentralized management."

Shu Yu was slightly stunned. "... Decentralized?"

He had never heard such a strange term before.

Wu Changnian nodded, his bright smile tinged with pride. "Yes, 200 years ago, when our civilization faced a life-and-death crisis, the residents of Shelter 6 passed the test. They unanimously decided to open the doors of the shelter to save more people."

"The crew of the Ideal Colony Ship decided to respond to the resolve of the residents of Shelter 6, abandoning their plan to colonize distant stars, changing course to return to the dying mother planet, and grounded themselves in the center of this city."

Ample Time, standing behind Shu Yu, revealed a look of shock as he looked at the center of Ideal City.

Behind those towering buildings, the mist-enshrouded black tower...

It’s actually a colony ship?!

That thing was ridiculously huge...

As he silently measured how many aircraft carriers would be needed to match its size, the man continued, "... We used the colony ship and the equipment and resources inside the shelter to solve one problem after another."

"With everyone's concerted efforts, we have repeatedly created miracles that seemed almost impossible."

"Since this is an achievement completed by everyone, we decided to give power to everyone. Anyone who wants to do something for this city can consider themselves its master."

Shu Yu was a bit confused, taking a long while to respond. "Then... You must have a chairman, right?"

He could understand everyone having a say. Chu Guang also always said that the New Alliance was established by all survivors and belonged to everyone who contributed to it.

However, the New Alliance still has a leader, someone who can unite the scattered survivors, lead everyone through difficulties, and mediate disputes when conflicts arise.

He couldn’t understand the power structure in Ideal City if that was the case.

He didn't want to judge other people's ways of living, but he couldn't possibly greet everyone, could he?

"Of course, there is, but there are as many chairpersons here as there are companies, just like administrators corresponding to each shelter. I know you're probably very confused right now, but don't worry, we've considered this situation..." Placing his right hand on Shu Yu’s shoulder, Wu Changnian spoke amiably. "I will provide suggestions for your itinerary and assist you in completing this visit. This includes speaking at the highest council meeting, live broadcasting on the Endpoint Cloud, and evening parties facing various Enterprise shareholders... The specific form and timing of each activity can be decided after discussion."