CHAPTER 340: CHAPTER 337: [THE DESCENT]

Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty-Seven: Arrival

"The JUZ7703 cold-weather gear, originally NASA’s external spacesuit for astronauts, has been modified by us to be more suitable for land operations. We removed some of the radiation shielding and weakened some of the survival and communication equipment. This effectively reduces the weight.

However, its cold protection is top-notch! It can withstand temperatures as low as minus 180 degrees Celsius! Of course, there is a time limit; at minus 180 degrees Celsius, you can survive for one hour at most with this suit."

"Our specially made snow vehicle for cold weather can carry four passengers—in addition to the driver. It’s based on the ice vehicle concept from the British Lotus Company and can operate at temperatures as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius.

The power system has two sets: one fuel-based and one battery-based. If there’s a problem with the fuel, the backup battery can last for 8 hours. Of course, that’s the net value; if you need to maintain heating and life support systems in the cabin, then the range might be reduced to 5 hours.

Right, there’s also an external cargo hold at the back, which can be used to transport equipment, with a load of up to two tons.

When driving on ice, its cruising speed can reach up to 90 kilometers per hour while ensuring maximum safety. Of course, you can’t drive it like a Ferrari; its designed top speed is 135 kilometers per hour. But I don’t recommend driving it that fast unless you don’t value your life.

Of course, you don’t need to drive it yourselves; we have trained professionals to operate it."

The person introducing the equipment was a technician from Octopus Monster who looked every bit the otaku. He wore a sweater with a lab coat over it, glasses, had thinning hair, and held a mug of steaming hot chocolate.

Vanel stood beside him, but the burly Russian didn’t say a word.

Chen Nuo examined the cold-weather gear and the ice vehicle...

The cold-weather gear was basically a modified spacesuit, looking like several large barrels fitted together.

And the ice vehicle... This thing looks surprisingly familiar, Chen Nuo thought.

Then he remembered a movie from his previous life, ’The Wandering Earth,’ where the transport vehicles looked very similar. Only this one was several sizes smaller, about the size of an SUV, but shorter and flatter.

"The wheels are specially designed," the technician continued. "But in extreme freezing conditions or deep snow, they can retract, and four ski-like panels can be lowered to replace the wheels for gliding."

After finishing his introduction, the technician glanced at Vanel, shrugged, and said, "That’s about it."

Vanel nodded and said loudly, "The vehicle is something we all need to use! However, I must clarify that the spacesuit is only a backup! We won’t use it when we set out or during entry. After all, based on the window of opportunity calculation, we have an hour and a half of rising temperatures. According to current prediction models, the temperature inside the Red Circle will rise to minus 50 degrees Celsius when we enter. That’s a normal temperature in Antarctica, so we won’t need to wear this gear, which weighs several tens of kilograms. We’ll enter wearing standard Antarctic scientific expedition cold-weather gear.

These modified spacesuits are just an extra layer of protection. If there’s an emergency, the window of opportunity changes, and the temperature drops suddenly, or if we encounter unpredictable changes and get trapped inside the Red Circle, unable to leave within the designated window, we can put these on and gain an extra hour! We will bring these spacesuits and store them in the ice vehicle’s cargo hold."

Vanel smiled and continued, "Next, we’ll teach everyone how to don these spacesuits and learn some simple operations. After all, this thing can save lives in an emergency. We need to learn how to put it on and operate it in a very short time, as that’s crucial for survival. You should know that if things change... Theoretically, the window of opportunity is one and a half hours, plus the one hour the spacesuit guarantees against extreme cold. That gives you a maximum of two and a half hours of survival time! So, that’s all the time we have. We need to learn how to put it on quickly and use it. With only two and a half hours available, don’t waste too much time getting dressed."

As expected, Chen Nuo said nothing, standing beside the Captain at the front of the crowd, quietly watching.

However, his mind was on another matter. The ice vehicle could carry four people besides the driver. Twelve Ability Users would fit perfectly into three vehicles. Then, it could be deduced that for maximum mission security, the three Controllers must be separated. Having one Controller in each vehicle would be the best arrangement. That brought up the question of vehicle assignments.

"Captain, please allow me to ride with you! I beg you!"

Indeed, as soon as Chen Nuo thought of this, a voice came from beside him. Turning his head, he saw it was Kamisou Ichiro from Neon Country. The young man from Neon Country had a calm expression and bowed slightly to the Captain.

I hadn’t paid much attention yesterday, Chen Nuo mused, but looking closely today, Kamisou Ichiro is unusually tall for someone from Neon Country. Due to ethnic factors, most people from Neon Country tend to be shorter. Yet this Kamisou Ichiro must be about 1.8 meters tall. Of course, in this situation, he couldn’t possibly be wearing Neon Country’s traditional attire—no long robe and samurai sword look. Kamisou Ichiro wore a simple sports jacket. But the color was slightly unsettling to me. It was green. Probably because we happened to sit together at yesterday’s meeting, he decided to team up.

The Captain looked at Chen Nuo, who nodded.

"Alright, I accept your request," the Captain replied.

"Then, Captain, is there still room in your vehicle for one more?" Another person approached, speaking with a respectful smile. It was a woman.

Well, actually, due to their abilities, most Ability Users possess stronger anti-aging characteristics than ordinary people. So the term ’young woman’ might be misleading—saying she could be an old lady is probably an exaggeration, as that’s a state only Controllers can achieve. But for an average Ability User, it’s quite possible to look like a young girl but actually be a mature woman. And this woman, judging by appearances, looked like a mature woman, but in reality... it was hard to say.

Her skin and facial contours had a mixed-heritage look, White mixed with Asian. She spoke English, though not quite standard. Her looks were quite good, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pronounced features that fit Western beauty standards. Her skin was rather delicate, perhaps a gift from her Asian ancestry.

She was also one of the twelve Ability Users. Chen Nuo remembered her from yesterday’s introduction; her name was Rebecca, a common Western name. But her reputation was notable, and her powers were quite formidable.

Rebecca was evidently batting her eyelashes as she spoke, unabashedly flirting with the Captain!

The Captain was a bit speechless. I used to be quite famous too! Why is it that as soon as I get the ’Controller’ title, everyone starts hitting on me? What were they all doing before?

However, Chen Nuo didn’t object, so the Captain nodded as well.

"Mr. Kamisou Ichiro, I have one-eighth Asian ancestry. I believe we can work together very pleasantly," Rebecca said, immediately expressing her friendliness toward Kamisou Ichiro as well.

However, Kamisou Ichiro ignored the woman’s outstretched hand, merely bowing slightly in response.

Shaking hands is heresy! A Neon person who bows is a good Neon person! And don’t forget about the dogeza bow either~

Three days were spent familiarizing themselves with the equipment, the mission map, and the route. Though it seemed like plenty of time, the schedule was actually very tight.

The Captain maintained the persona Chen Nuo had taught him: reticent, speaking little, keeping a cool distance. Over those three days, he spoke no more than twenty sentences in public. He also developed a new habit: every night when he returned to his room, he would lock himself in the bathroom, face the mirror, and mutter, "I am the Controller, I am the Controller, I am the Controller..."

「By the third day, the mission officially began!」

King George Island is very close to the Antarctic continent.

On the day of departure, several large transport helicopters took off, ferrying supplies and equipment away. The personnel, on the other hand, boarded another transport plane.

All of this was different from what I experienced in my previous life, Chen Nuo thought. In my previous life, I traveled by ship. And I encountered a giant octopus at sea. But that giant octopus was later killed by a Seed that appeared suddenly. In this life, no ship; we’re flying instead.

The Octopus Monster, truly a world-class patron of the Underground World, was rich and willful. About four kilometers outside the Red Circle, they had already set up a small, modularly constructed forward base. Such an extravagant expenditure!

From what Chen Nuo could see, this mission—including the base on King George Island and this forward base, as well as all the equipment, gear, and supplies—would cost at least one billion US dollars. It felt like every step towards the Red Circle in Antarctica was burning money!

In the last half-day, all large supplies had arrived at the forward base. The snow vehicles were unloaded and tested. There was one incident: a transport plane crashed during flight due to a malfunction.

But their patron, the Octopus Monster, didn’t care! The supplies they had prepared for this mission already far exceeded what was actually needed. The crashed transport plane lost one ice vehicle and some provisions... But their patron, the Octopus Monster, waved dismissively: "We prepared six extra ice vehicles! Losing one is no problem at all!"

All equipment was inspected and ready. The ice vehicles were fully charged, and fuel was prepared.

Vanel, representing Nolan, announced to everyone that, according to calculations and predictions, the next window of opportunity was expected in three hours. With only three hours left, there was no time for rest.

In fact, the forward base was much smaller than the base on King George Island, so it couldn’t provide individual rooms for each Ability User. All personnel involved in the mission waited in a large tent serving as a temporary command center at the forward base.

Still, their Octopus Monster patron was generous. In such a godforsaken place, the final dinner even included a rich selection of fruits—the cost of air-freighting them must have been terrifying.

In a corner of the tent, Nolan, with a scarf wrapped around him that covered half of his signature hooked nose, checked the latest data from the meteorological team. He sighed and turned to Vanel with a wry smile.

"Do you know... how much the bills I’ve signed for this mission amount to?"

"..."

"One billion, four hundred sixty-four million, two hundred thirty-eight thousand, six hundred forty-four US dollars," Nolan said with another wry smile.

Vanel didn’t say anything; he just whistled.

"So this mission must succeed," Nolan continued. "Otherwise, the Bai Jing Committee elder who supports us will face tremendous pressure, and he won’t be able to protect us."

Vanel looked at Nolan coldly. "You’re the one who dragged me into your action team."

"So now we’re in the same boat," Nolan said with a faint smile.

As he spoke, Nolan casually led Vanel to a corner of the tent, observing the Ability Users gathered in the main area.

"Tell me," Nolan asked in a low voice, "which one of them is an Ark member?"

Vanel raised an eyebrow, looked at Nolan, and replied, his voice a low rumble, "I’ve told you many times, the Ark didn’t send anyone on this mission. You and I are the only participants from our side. Your rank in the Ark is higher than mine. If the Ark had chosen an operative, you would have been the first to know."

Nolan sighed again. "Right, is that big toy ready?"

"Of course. It’s ready," Vanel said, frowning.

"...I hope we won’t have to use it."

Just then, someone rushed into the tent through a passageway and quickly handed a stack of documents to Nolan.

"Hmm?" Nolan frowned and spoke in a low voice with the man, who was clearly a technician. "Are you sure? Is it accurate? Why... Alright... Understood."

Taking a deep breath, Nolan strode to the front of the tent. His actions quickly drew everyone’s attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, an update. Our meteorological detection team has released the latest temperature trajectory. According to calculations, the window will arrive two hours earlier than expected! Don’t doubt it; the 27-hour window period is a median calculation. In reality, each window can deviate by an hour or two. This means, starting now, the window will arrive within the next hour! We depart immediately! From here to the edge of the Red Circle, and as soon as the window appears, we enter!"