Wang Cheng didn't mind his parents' teasing. Besides, although the grandeur of the fortress was indeed awe-inspiring, it still didn't compare to the importance of improving his own strength.
Wang Hao and Leng Yan were clearly very familiar with the military fortress. They smoothly led Wang Cheng through the registration process.
After the three of them submitted their information, the AI system in the hall recorded their data and granted them access clearance.
Next, Wang Hao took Wang Cheng and his wife to the weapon storage area. Wang Cheng looked at the densely packed lockers and couldn't help but exclaim,
"There are so many lockers here! Are there really that many people?"
Wang Hao smiled at the sight of the rows of lockers and explained, "Of course. This fortress hosts over a hundred million monster hunters. Some even have more than one locker. So you can imagine how many there are!"
Wang Cheng's eyes widened. "Hundred million? No wonder." Then he followed the two to their lockers.
Wang Hao and Leng Yan opened their own lockers, took out their backpacks and weapons, suited up, and tossed Wang Cheng his gear.
Then Wang Hao walked to a nearby empty locker and called Wang Cheng over, "Scan your wristwatch here. Once scanned, the locker will be bound to you. No one else can open it."
Wang Cheng stepped up, held his watch over the scanner, and after a laser sweep, a hidden screen appeared showing his info. The locker then opened.
He entered his fingerprint, retina, and DNA data. After the screen confirmed the setup, the locker closed and the display vanished.
Once the three packed their bags and returned to the hall, a shuttle happened to be departing toward the main gate.
"Let's go. We'll take the shuttle to the gate!" Wang Hao called his son over. Soon the shuttle filled up.
As the shuttle rose several hundred meters in the air, Wang Cheng gazed at the endless plains behind and felt a surge of ambition.
"Ah Cheng, this is the shuttle to the gate. The distance from here to the gate is over 30 kilometers. Walking would be a hassle, so we have these flight vehicles. They come every ten minutes and only take a bit over a minute to get there. Much faster and more convenient than going on foot…"
Wang Cheng listened intently as his mother shared her experience. The other passengers smiled warmly at the sight of his youthful curiosity.
On this surveillance-heavy planet, slave relations were far more civil than those on post-apocalyptic Earth. Still, there was a certain cold detachment among people.
Fortunately, they shared the same belief system, so interpersonal conflicts weren't a major concern.
The shuttle quickly covered the distance, arriving in just over a minute. Wang Cheng saw many small manned aircraft nearby.
Wang Hao pointed at them and said, "See those? Usually, people rent one of those to go out into the wild. They don't have weapons, but they're strong and durable, making them great mobile shelters. Only planet-level monsters can damage them. Unfortunately, renting them is expensive—only higher-tier apprentices can afford them. Lower-tier ones can't even pay for damages if they break."
He patted Wang Cheng's shoulder, seeing his curiosity: "But we're just out to show you around. We're not heading deep into the wild, so we won't rent one this time. Let's go. We'll use the underground passage."
Wang Cheng thought the passage would be unremarkable, but to his surprise, it consisted of hundreds of gates, each three meters wide and five meters high, though all were currently shut.
Wang Hao led the family down one of the passages. He scanned his wristwatch at the device on the gate.
"Ah Cheng, scan yours too."
Beep! The gate opened instantly. Wang Cheng and Leng Yan scanned theirs and followed him through. The gate closed behind them.
Wang Hao explained, "Remember to scan your ID whenever you leave. If your departure isn't recorded, you'll be questioned upon return. It'll be a big hassle."
Wang Cheng memorized every word. He didn't know what kind of trouble it could be, but he didn't want to attract the AI's attention.
Leng Yan said, "Hao, let's let Ah Cheng get familiar with this area. I'm sure he'll remember it all."
Wang Hao nodded and led them into the wilderness.
Wang Cheng observed the landscape: brown weeds, dark red soil reeking of blood—desolate. Leng Yan began explaining:
"Ah Cheng, see how the soil is dark red and smells of blood? That's from the monster waves attacking the city…"
Along the way, she explained in detail. Wang Cheng listened closely and gained a real sense of the wilderness.
Although over 80% of the Water Source Planet is ocean, its diameter is twice that of Earth. Its landmass is several times larger.
Plenty of monsters live on land, though not as many as in the ocean.
There are also powerful beasts deep underground and in the mountains—some even planet-level. When these monsters appear, they're immediately targeted by orbital laser cannons.
If they don't retreat underground, they become valuable resources for humans.
The wilderness is divided into three zones. The outer area is within 1000 km of the walls and contains mostly low-level beasts and wild animals, with occasional mid-level monsters.
The inner zone spans about 2000 km further in. It still has many low-level beasts, but most travel in packs led by mid-tier monsters. To survive here, mid-tier monsters must form groups, as there are high-tier monsters around too—and sometimes planet-level ones from underground.
Deeper inside is the forbidden zone, where only planet-level warriors dare enter. Apprentices going in means almost certain death.
It's full of mountains, and some areas jam high-tech signals from the sky.
The surface hosts numerous high-tier monsters, while underground, planet-level ones lurk.
It's said that in ancient times, even higher-level monsters roamed the land. Almost all surface beasts here are top-tier.
Still, the ocean is the deadliest place. It holds countless beasts—including allegedly the strongest kinds.
What those "top-tier monsters" are, no one really knows.
But it's said there is an immensely powerful orbital laser cannon above the sea, which even the strongest monsters don't dare confront.
(End of Chapter)