Chapter 23: The Extended Road
“After loading the passengers, drive the vehicle up front, Iron Ring. There’s another one coming.”
Lu Cheng signalled Iron Ring to drive the Pioneer forward after the refugees had boarded the personnel transport vehicle. Then, he opened the portal on the wall once again.
This was a signal to prevent the two vehicles from colliding if they teleported simultaneously.
In less than a minute, another brand-new Off-Road Beast emerged from the portal.
Although this second vehicle was the same model as the Pioneer—a military off-road vehicle—its offensive power was far superior. It was equipped with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, a weapon that could do more than just leave a little red dot on a Blood Crystal Beast.
“Kite, you’re the gunner for this one.”
Lu Cheng issued another command, deciding to drive the second vehicle himself. As for the name of this vehicle… Lu Cheng only thought for less than a second before adding “No. 2” to the end.
These two vehicles would be enough to transport everyone present out of there.
“We’re going to ride in this thing called a… ‘car’ too?”
General Hubert led his Walking Beast over to the second vehicle, expecting that they would still ride their beasts back to the capital.
“This is to get to your capital faster. Walking Beasts are great, really… but they’re just too slow.”
As he spoke, Lu Cheng scratched the chin of the Walking Beast beside him. To be honest, the feel was quite nice—like petting a cat.
Better to take advantage of this moment; there wouldn’t be another chance to do so later.
“It can’t be helped, I suppose…”
General Hubert knew that this was no time to be concerned with knightly honour.
They had lost many comrades riding these Walking Beasts all the way here.
Though Hubert still hadn’t figured out what kind of being this steel-forged monster was, having such a terrifying creature as a friend would undoubtedly make the journey much safer.
“Don’t be sad, old friend… Follow this path, and we will meet again, I swear.”
Hubert patted his mount’s neck. The Walking Beast seemed to sense the impending separation and let out a soft, whimpering cry.
“General Hubert, please sit here, and your soldiers can sit in the back.”
Lu Cheng pointed to the front passenger seat for the old general.
He still didn’t trust them completely. The Pioneer’s driving and passenger seats were quite far apart. If they had any malicious intentions, Lu Cheng could still draw his pistol to respond, even while driving.
The gunner compartment in the middle had also been modified for protection, both from inside and out.
“What a miraculous creation.”
General Hubert marveled as he sat in the passenger seat. His soldiers followed orders, abandoning their Walking Beasts to sit in the back of the vehicle.
Once everyone was on board, Lu Cheng started the engine. As the engine roared to life, he immediately stepped on the gas.
Pioneer No. 2 gradually left the vicinity of Crescent Moon Town, and through the rearview mirror, Lu Cheng could still see the seven Walking Beasts chasing after the two vehicles.
But as the speed picked up, the distance between them and the beasts stretched further and further, until finally, Lu Cheng could only vaguely hear their fading cries.
“Sir Lu Cheng…”
After watching his “comrades” disappear in the rearview mirror, General Hubert finally spoke. He had been observing this steel-forged beast the entire time.
The way this beast moved puzzled General Hubert immensely. He had seen wheels before.
This world also had something like carriages for transportation.
However, the road from Crescent Moon Town to Glory Sun City was in terrible condition, especially after the recent heavy rain, which had turned the entire road into a swampy quagmire.
Getting a carriage through there would be extremely difficult, not to mention the effort it would take for heavy freight wagons.
But this beast, with wheels for limbs, was completely different. To the beast, the marshy ground seemed no different from flat pavement.
General Hubert still couldn’t figure out what material those pitch-black wheels were made of. They seemed to be both incredibly durable and flexible at the same time.
But what terrified him the most was the beast’s power and speed.
General Hubert was certain his Walking Beast had given its all to catch up, yet it still couldn’t overtake this beast in the end.
The Walking Beasts were living creatures, and their exhaustion was one reason. The other reason was simply that this beast was far faster.
“How fast can this thing called a car run at its fastest?”
“It goes from zero to a hundred in about seven seconds. Its top speed… Well, since it’s you asking… let me think.”
Seeing that General Hubert was the one asking, Lu Cheng began considering how to phrase it in terms the general could understand.
“Even if I let you leave first on your Walking Beast and ride ahead to that outpost, it would still reach Glory Sun City before you.”
Lu Cheng’s answer was conservative. If he floored it and followed this road, they could reach their destination in less than half a day.
“Then… if I may ask, what do you use to drive it? Magic or flesh?”
General Hubert wasn’t as easily fooled as Elena. Though he still referred to it as a beast, after observing it for a while, the general was convinced it was some sort of special mechanical construct.
Their kingdom also had such small mechanisms powered by magic, but they were just toys for entertainment.
This beast, however, was not for entertainment. General Hubert had no doubt that it could easily crush a Walking Beast.
“We use a black, viscous, and highly flammable substance to power it.”
Lu Cheng was referring to petroleum, though the diesel used in vehicles required processing.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Cheng asked General Hubert about the strategic resource distribution in this world.
“A black, viscous, and highly flammable substance… Does this beast eat black water?” General Hubert’s voice was filled with confusion.
“Black water?”
Lu Cheng searched his mind for associations with the term. The result was similar to his understanding of petroleum.
“It’s a special substance found in the desert of a neighbouring country. Some mages use it to make candles or fire stones,” General Hubert explained.
“Neighbouring country… Seems like something to consider later. So, what minerals are mined from Glory Sun City?”
Lu Cheng glanced at the equipment on General Hubert. The people of this world had already mastered ironworking.
The general’s sword and shield were both made of iron, though it was possible that magic had caused their technological progression to take an unexpected turn.
“Glory Sun City is an important source of Leadstone for our kingdom. This mineral was once used to forge weapons in ancient times, though it’s more brittle than iron… Nowadays, mages who specialize in the Lightning attribute use it to craft staves, and it’s also used for coins and ornaments. But since the Blood Crystal Beasts ravaged it, that city is now in ruins.”
General Hubert patiently explained everything he knew about Glory Sun City.
“Sounds like a copper mine. Do you have any of your country’s coins with you?” Lu Cheng asked.
“Of course. These are the coins we use in our country. Because of the war, these coins have become nothing more than useless decorations.”
General Hubert retrieved a coin from his pouch and handed it to Lu Cheng, speaking in a self-deprecating tone.
Lu Cheng examined the coin. The carved patterns on it were rough, and the shape was closer to a square than a proper circle.
The coin held a peculiar magic within it, likely to verify its authenticity.
“This is what we call copper ore in our country,” Lu Cheng said, confirming that this world also used copper for minting coins. “Are there large quantities of this mineral in Glory Sun City?”
“I… am not sure about the exact amount. What I do know is that the mines in Glory Sun City house some dangerous creatures. We’ve only been able to mine from the shallowest parts,” General Hubert replied, sensing Lu Cheng’s interest in this mineral.
“Is that so? Well, it’s not something we need to consider for now.” Lu Cheng tossed the coin back to General Hubert.
In this exploration plan, high-quality copper ore might be one of the primary resources the research base prioritizes for surveying.
However, aside from copper mining, this world actually had many more resources that could be developed—it’s essentially a massive treasure trove.
But the problem Lu Cheng needed to solve at the moment was… the energy required to connect this world with Earth through the portal.
Lu Cheng continued probing General Hubert about Skarre and various pieces of information regarding this world.
Based on General Hubert’s descriptions, Lu Cheng roughly understood how the countries in this world operated. Most of them still functioned under a medieval feudal system, with a noble class and similar hierarchies.
But one distinct difference was… the borders of countries in this world were not defined by humans.
“That red glow, is that the border of your nation?” Lu Cheng asked General Hubert after they had been driving for over an hour and saw a faint red light emerging from the edge of the forest.
The circle of red light was like a giant energy shield straight out of a sci-fi movie, spanning the sky and extending into the distance.
“Yes, it’s shrinking again, isn’t it? Because so many of our people have perished, the borders of our country are receding. We don’t even know how much territory we’ve lost at this point,” General Hubert said with a voice filled with sorrow.
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