Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 118: Inventory and Aftermath! A clean sweep! (10,000 words including a bonus chapter, please subscribe)

"You said you captured a female elf?"

Commander Man's voice rang out, tinged with disbelief!
They were saying they were going to capture otherworldly creatures, and they actually managed to do it!

"Yes, sir, we were attacked during our retreat... The attackers are now under control... We are moving towards our original target area. Has headquarters been evacuated to a safe zone yet?"

“The headquarters has not yet evacuated. Since the danger has temporarily passed, send over the images of the prisoners first!” Commander Man said in a deep voice.

"Okay, I'll have the team upload the pictures right away!"

Soon, a high-definition photo appeared on the main screen in the command center.

In the photo, a tall, beautiful female elf, who is unconscious, is bound by tactical restraints, chains, and fiber ropes.

The soldiers were skilled in the art of binding; the prisoners were bound tightly and unable to move.

For the first time, everyone saw what the elves of this other world actually looked like!

She has fair skin, a small face, and features that resemble a finely sculpted work of art.

But what's most striking is her cascading green hair and equally emerald green eyebrows, as well as her signature pointed ears.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the command post, followed by hushed whispers.

"So fucking beautiful!"

"Look at those ears, so pointed! And those hair and eyebrows, all green, so unique!"

A young staff officer couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "If only he had black or blonde hair, he'd be a walking cuckold wholesaler."

The veteran next to him slapped him on the back of the head in an annoyed tone: "Be serious!"

Su Mingjin, Brigade Commander Fu, and Brigade Commander Man had no time to pay attention to their subordinates' whispers. They stared intently at the face on the screen, confirming the other person's identity.

You can’t go wrong!
"They're the same group that attacked us before!"

"Zhao Chong!" Brigade Commander Man made a decisive decision, "Is your area safe?"

"It's safe for now!"

"Your unit halt! Construct defensive positions on the spot and keep a close watch on the prisoners! Not a single hair can be lost!"

Zhao Chong was visibly taken aback: "Huh? Aren't we retreating to the target area?"

"Yes! The base threat has been eliminated!" Commander Man's voice was firm as he instructed through the communicator, "You all stand by and establish a defensive line! Now, your squad and that prisoner are the highest priority targets for protection!"

He paused, lowered his voice even further, and carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Listen carefully, the other party is probably a living key to our understanding of the other world!"

After the call ended, Brigade Commander Man mobilized troops to provide support.

"Old Man, why all this fuss?" Brigade Commander Fu asked, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Zhao Chong and his men have used up a lot of ammunition and are exhausted. If another alien creature comes, there is a high risk of casualties among the soldiers."

Su Mingjin, standing beside him, pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp and intense: "Commander Man is right. Besides the safety of the soldiers, the value of the samples is immeasurable. Biological structure, language system, social culture... this is more important than how many new weapons we capture. We must ensure that everything is foolproof."

"Xiao Wang!" an old soldier called out to the young staff officer who was complaining about the green hair.

"Here!" Xiao Wang jumped up and stood ramrod straight.

"Stop standing around! Hurry up and coordinate with the aircrew to get the pilots on board! Also, have the medical team take all their equipment with them!"

"Yes!" Xiao Wang accepted the order and left.

On the other end of the call, Zhao Chong hung up and let out a long sigh.

The taut lines on his face finally relaxed.

He turned around, looked at the exhausted team members behind him, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Did you all hear that? Set up camp right here! We've become a treasure this time too. Headquarters has sent planes and other units to transport the prisoners we captured!"

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in uncontrollable cheers.

"Captain, can we get a collective special merit award?"

"How could I know!"

"I have a feeling that the female elf is most likely a princess! Hmm, a princess would definitely be enough credit for our collective achievement."

"Huh? What princess? She's just a high-value target! Get your act together, don't embarrass your brothers!"

The oppressive atmosphere vanished instantly, and everyone seemed to be energized, quickly following orders to clear the site, set up sentry posts, and construct a temporary circular defensive line.

Before long, the familiar roar of engines could be heard from the horizon.

As they approached, several enormous steel birds, escorted by two armed helicopters, appeared in the sky above the snowy forest.

The enormous rotors whipped up a fierce wind, causing trees to sway wildly, and scattering leaves and snowflakes everywhere.

Zhao Chong's team members squinted at the familiar five-star emblem on the fuselage, and a warm feeling welled up in their hearts.

This sense of security comes from powerful weapons.

"boom--"

Several Z-20 transport helicopters landed steadily on the cleared ground.

The cabin door slid open, and a captain was the first to jump off the plane, striding up to Zhao Chong and giving him a standard military salute.

"Li Hao, the company commander of the XXth Company of the XXth Army, is ordered to lead a company to assist Captain Zhao in transporting supplies and coordinating defense! My company will obey the command of Company Commander Zhao."

"Thank you all for your hard work!" Zhao Chong returned the greeting, shaking his hand firmly and feeling the other's strong, thick palm. "Welcome, you've come just in time!"

Li Hao's gaze passed over Zhao Chong and landed on an area not far away, heavily guarded by several soldiers. His eyes were filled with curiosity and seriousness: "Captain Zhao, where are the prisoners?"

“He’s over there, still unconscious.” Zhao Chong led him over.

Li Hao strode forward, his gaze immediately falling on the female elf who was being carried out.

Despite his extensive knowledge, this was the first time he had ever seen such a creature that only existed in legends. However, his professionalism made him quickly suppress his curiosity and instead notice the bruises and swellings on the other person's forehead.

"Captain Zhao, you guys... you've really gone all out, haven't you?" Li Hao asked half-jokingly, but his tone carried the caution typical of a soldier.

"There's no other way, we have to be ruthless." Zhao Chong rubbed his sore neck, his face full of exhaustion. "This woman is really weird. She knows a kind of magic that's like suggestion, or maybe even mind control. She can put things directly into your head and make you like her more!"

He pointed to his teammate Xiao Zhou beside him: "He was the first to realize something was wrong and almost fell for it, thinking we were all enemies. Luckily, he reacted quickly and hit her with the butt of his rifle. He knocked her unconscious!"

Li Hao's expression instantly turned serious.

He certainly understood what this meant. On the battlefield, an enemy that can silently distort one's own perception is far more terrifying and dangerous than heavy firepower.

"Listen up, everyone!" Li Hao whirled around and barked an order at the soldiers escorting the prisoners back, "Keep a close eye on the prisoners! During the handover, if anyone seems confused or sees her eyelids twitch, don't ask for permission, just hit her with the butt of your rifle!"

"Yes!" The soldiers escorting the warriors responded in unison, their eyes becoming extremely vigilant.

It was as if they were handing over not a comatose woman, but a highly explosive bomb that could detonate at any moment.

"These are the elves that Xiao Zhou and his team killed. They were following us and doing some kind of ritual, seemingly trying to summon some kind of magic. For safety's sake, Xiao Zhou and his team simply used missiles to blow them all up!"

Zhao Chong opened the box and displayed the sealed fragments of the elf's corpse.

Looking at the elf's corpse, its face contorted with resentment and the agony of its dying moments, Li Hao laughed: "I thought elves' blood was some other color, but it's red too. Looks like it's similar to ours!"

"Yes, these are the other party's internal organs. When we collected them before, we confirmed that they were extremely similar to humans. We don't know if there are any differences in their diet! Biologists will need to study them in detail!"

"Those are not things we need to consider!"

As Zhao Chong spoke, he pried open several more heavy supply crates:

"These are the griffins we killed. Their saddles are strange; they are very light and feel warm to the touch."

"These are the other party's weapons, robes, and some random bottles and jars!"

Li Hao's gaze was instantly drawn to a short blade inside the opened box.

He put on gloves and carefully picked up the weapon.

The blade is dark in color, yet it gleams with a strange metallic sheen and is covered with natural patterns resembling the rings of a tree.

“This thing…” Li Hao weighed it in his hand. It was very light, but incredibly sturdy. “It’s not iron, and it’s not wood.”

A daring soldier next to him couldn't resist coming closer, taking out his multi-functional dagger, and lightly tapping the back of the blade against the elven short blade.

"clang!"

A crisp sound, like the clash of metal, rang out, and everyone's faces showed a strange expression.

Li Hao wielded his elven short blade and chopped down a tree nearby.

The tree was chopped in half.

"Holy crap! It's so sharp!" The soldier's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Zhao Chong twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile: "This thing is ridiculously sharp; it cuts wood like it's sliced ​​tofu. I feel like it could cut iron too!"

Li Hao's expression grew increasingly solemn. He put down his short blade and picked up a green robe that had been ripped to shreds by the explosion.

“There’s something wrong with this fabric too.” Li Hao touched the tear in the robe. “The tear left by the shockwave from the explosion is very clean, but there are almost no traces of high-temperature burning on the edges. This material… is either non-flammable or there’s something else going on.”

"I think it might be some kind of cold-weather material. These people came to such a cold place and were dressed very thinly. The soldiers speculated that these might be some kind of air-conditioning clothing!"

"That's interesting!" If such thin clothing has a remarkable ability to keep warm, it would be of great research value.

What Li Hao cared about most were the accessories and bottles that were stored away separately.

The craftsmanship of the accessories is extremely intricate, with dazzling gemstones set in them. Many of the materials are similar to those known on Earth, but they look even more beautiful.

The bottles and jars were made of a wide variety of materials, including warm jade, rustic pottery, and even hollowed-out pieces from unknown trees.

"Be very careful about what's in these bottles!"

Zhao Chong pointed to the bottles and jars and gave a stern warning.

"We don't know if it contains a miraculous healing medicine or some kind of deadly poison that can take down an entire platoon with just a drop."

Li Hao agreed and immediately ordered his chemical defense soldiers to carefully pack each item into professional sealed boxes.

Looking at these creations that far surpassed what the era of cold weapons should have, the vague feeling in Li Hao's heart became clearer and clearer.

He turned to look at Zhao Chong and said, word by word, "Squad Leader Zhao, the elves of this other world have a very rich history."

Zhao Chong nodded silently, glancing at the unconscious female elf with a complex expression: "A civilization capable of casting spells and mastering all kinds of magical knowledge cannot possibly be primitive. Hopefully, they can provide us with more information!"

Barbarians don't consider art or aesthetics; in an environment where survival is a luxury, people only think about whether there is enough food.

Once a civilization is established and stabilized, its individuals will spontaneously develop diverse customs and cultures from various aspects such as art, nature, environment, and humanities.

The other person's clothes, a green robe, were made of a very fine material, similar to silk, but exceptionally light and tough.

The patterns on it are pure and beautiful handmade works, definitely not mass-produced products.

The unique patterns, bottles and jars, and weapons all indicate that the other party possesses a long and rich civilization.

The subsequent handover process proceeded exceptionally quickly under this somber atmosphere.

The medic performed a basic check-up on the female elf, reporting with a furrowed brow: "Her vital signs are stable, but her body temperature is three degrees lower than normal, and her heart rate is abnormally slow... almost like an animal about to hibernate. This female elf is quite strange!"

This discovery put everyone present on edge once again.

They then fitted the female elf with a helmet designed to protect against electromagnetic and magical interference, which Deng Dakang had requested be made.

They then secured her firmly to the stretcher from head to toe with restraints, and four of their most elite soldiers, each holding one corner, steadily lifted her onto the helicopter.

As the rotors whipped up a fierce wind once more, several transport helicopters carrying the precious female prisoners, under the all-round escort of armed helicopters and drones, quickly climbed up and disappeared into the horizon.

In the snowy forest, the noise subsided, leaving only the sound of engines approaching from afar before finally falling into complete silence.

Zhao Chong's team, who had just been injected with adrenaline, also slacked off because the plane had left and the defensive task had been handed over to the friendly team.

Zhao Chong leaned against a tree, just about to light a cigarette, when Bian Huan came over, her face showing barely suppressed excitement.

"Team Leader Zhao, Team Leader Zhao! While we still have some time to reconnoiter the drone base, could we collect some more mineral samples?"

Zhao Chong could tell from the sparkling look in his eyes that the other man's workaholic nature had kicked in again. He waved his hand helplessly and said, "So, tell me, which stone have you set your sights on this time?"

"The rock samples around here are very unusual!" Bian Huan exclaimed excitedly, gesturing wildly. "I suspect there might be a large copper mine nearby! I'm afraid I'll have to delay everyone for a while. Send a few people to cover me; I'll stay nearby and won't go far!"

"Alright." Zhao Chong nodded and shouted to a squad leader who was happily munching on an energy bar not far away, "Monkey! Take your men and go with Engineer Bian for a walk. Keep an eye on him and don't let him fall into a pit!"

"Alright!" The class monitor, nicknamed Monkey, jumped up, wiped his mouth, and said, "I'll make sure to keep a close eye on the engineer!"

He waved to his platoon: "Get up, stop pretending to be dead! Come with me for a stroll. If Engineer Bian digs up a gold mine, we'll at least get a commendation!"

A burst of good-natured laughter erupted in the ranks. Several soldiers got up, checked their equipment, and escorted the excited Bian Huan into the nearby woods.

The atmosphere relaxed again, and Zhao Chong was finally able to catch his breath.

He opened his tactical terminal, which connected to reconnaissance footage from nearby drones.

Drones are currently scouting the roads to and from the B5 logistics base.

And ensure their safety from above.

Everything is normal here at the moment, and no threat has been detected.

The heaviest weight in his heart was finally lifted.
-

The modern world, command center!

Li Weiguo leaned back in his chair, his nerves, which had been tense all day, finally relaxing, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.

He picked up the now-cold tea on the table and took a big gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"This battle was really dangerous." He slowly exhaled, his voice filled with relief at surviving the ordeal.

Assistant Xiao Wang immediately handed over a cup of hot tea and whispered, "The main problem is the lack of intelligence in the early stages. Who would have thought that those guys' supply would be so powerful? I never imagined that the big tree would be their magic signal base station."

Li Weiguo nodded with a smile: "The entire army performed very well this time. Brigade Commander Man made a decisive move, using heavy artillery to plow the ground and wipe out those face trees, and even the spellcasters that might exist. The defense line of the other world may now be a sea of ​​fire."

"Yes, a single thought can make all the difference," Xiao Wang nodded with a sigh.

Li Weiguo took a sip of strong tea, his eyes deep, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

"The guys from another world think they have world-destroying magic, but we're lucky we also have the industry to move mountains and fill seas. This battle, in the end, is about systems and national strength."

He recalled the initial undead raid, where the enemy was purely launching a sneak attack, hitting and running away.

The advance team was in great danger at that time.

If the enemy had set up their forces directly on the other side of the portal and used sheer numbers to push back, the advance team probably wouldn't have been able to send back a single message.

"In the end, it was their inherent arrogance that saved us," Li Weiguo sneered. "A bunch of spellcasters living in the old era never even considered that their magic couldn't beat ours. It was the cannonballs that really mattered!"

Xiao Wang nodded: "I wonder how they cast the spell!"

The reason this victory was so eventful, with so many twists and turns, is mainly because people from the other world and the modern world have relatively little understanding of each other.

The opponent's tactical ideas and thinking are very good, but modern people are very good at information warfare.

They maintained a high level of patrol while the enemy launched their attack.

During this operation, they lost more than 300 reconnaissance drones in one day, while thousands of medium-altitude unmanned reconnaissance balloons ensured the security of their communication links.

It was precisely this dispersion of reconnaissance equipment that allowed humanity to maintain information control in the snowy environment. If the enemy had destroyed all of humanity's high-altitude reconnaissance equipment, rendering humanity blind, the future course of the war would have been unpredictable. Countless lives would have been lost to completely destroy the enemy!
But what era are we living in? Who still wants to fight you with cold weapons?

If firepower can be used to cover the enemy, they will never fire at close range.

Those who can shoot will never engage in close-quarters combat.

It's not scary to expose your weaknesses to the opponent; what's truly frightening is fighting a battle where you don't know how to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses.

Li Weiguo's gaze returned to the photo of the elf who was tightly bound, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"This prisoner is key; hopefully we can get more information from him!"

He turned his head to look at Xiao Wang: "By the way, Su Mingjin and the others said that the female elf can use mind magic. Did those young people in the staff department get bewitched by her face while in remote mode?"

Xiao Wang suppressed a laugh and reported in a serious tone: "Reporting to the commander, a few people were indeed discussing hair color and aesthetics, but the veteran comrade has corrected their thinking with physical means, and now they are all buried in writing reports."

"Let them write it. We know too little about the other world; we need more clues and intelligence!" Li Weiguo waved his hand. "Xiao Wang, go to the General Staff and urge them to draft the list of awards for this operation. Be quick!"

"Yes, Mr. Li. What about the non-combat personnel who were evacuated in advance?"

"Everyone should receive one! Just differentiate based on their contributions!" Li Weiguo interrupted him, emphasizing his words, "Also, award a collective special-class merit! Deng Dakang, Zhao Chong, and his squadron should all be included!"

"Ok!"

Li Weiguo stood up, paced around the command room, and his eyes gleamed.

"Let's gamble on the odds. Notify the logistics department to send some good stuff to Zhao Chong and the others, and also have the head chef go over and cook some special meals for them."

"Ok!"

He stopped and looked at the screen again, the smile on his face slowly fading, replaced by a sharp look.

"Also, our interrogation experts and linguists shouldn't be idle. Let's go straight there!"

"Ok!"

In the command room, the commotion caused by Li Weiguo's series of orders gradually subsided, but the tense yet suddenly invigorated atmosphere in the air grew stronger.

The communications soldiers and staff officers hurried along, their faces beaming with barely suppressed excitement, as they precisely relayed each instruction.

An hour later, Xiao Wang returned, standing ramrod straight.

"Report: The commendation order has been drafted, and the logistical arrangements have been made. The expert team from the National Security Bureau and the General Staff has boarded the nearest military transport plane and will definitely arrive before dawn."

"Hmm," Li Weiguo responded, but his gaze remained fixed on the main screen.

In one corner of the screen, a separate video window is playing a live video of the frozen fragments of a magma dragon, and many warriors are collecting these specimens.

“Mr. Li,” Xiao Wang lowered his voice, “the news just came from the medical center that Professor Deng Dakang’s condition has stabilized, but he is still unconscious.”

Li Weiguo finally looked away from the screen, his tightly furrowed brows slightly relaxing as he sighed, "Professor Deng is really going all out this time. We must ensure his safety. If anything happens to him, I won't be able to explain it to my superiors."

This highly respected professor in academia, after confirming the truth about the plague in the other world, insisted on explaining all the details to the frontline personnel before being forcibly sent back to the rear.

"Any follow-up to what he was doing on the other side?" Li Weiguo asked.

“Wang Hu and the two Taoist priests are still in the other world,” Xiao Wang reported. “They are continuing to try to make those Taoist talismans according to the notes left by Professor Deng.”

Xiao Wang paused, a strange look on his face: "Unfortunately, Wang Hu's success rate in making talismans is not high, and the power of the things he makes is far inferior to those made by Master Chen and the others."

"Comrade Wang Hu said he felt like he was going crazy."

This description eased the tense atmosphere in the command room considerably.

"Who wouldn't be crazy about learning new knowledge!" Li Weiguo grinned, revealing a smile. "Tell him that what he's learning now is the key to our future fight against magic—bullets! Although the efficiency of manually making talismans is still a bit low, this is a breakthrough from scratch!"

He tapped his finger on the table, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light.

"Once we've thoroughly investigated the underlying logic of magic and emptied this elf's brain, I'll show him what industrialized talisman production and talisman-based land clearing really mean!"

Xiao Wang's eyelids twitched slightly upon hearing this, then he grinned and said, "If that really happens, won't we all become enchanted warriors?"

"Hahaha!" Li Weiguo laughed heartily, his previous fatigue gone. "That's why the prisoner is more important than anything else! Professor Deng and his team are feeling their way across the river, while this elf is the direct bridge to the other side! He's the key to understanding their extraordinary system!"

The war began simply and ended hastily, but the post-war cleanup was incredibly complex and tedious.

The noise in the command room had subsided, leaving only the low hum of the equipment and the crisp sound of keyboards being typed.

Li Weiguo held a cup of hot tea, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the huge electronic sand table and various monitoring screens.

On the screen, logistics troops and engineers are like industrious ants, cleaning up the devastated battlefield.

This is the latest news that Su Mingjin and her team just sent back.

"General Manager Li," Xiao Wang said, walking quickly over with a smile on his face, holding a newly printed document. "The first batch of spoils and the initial assessment report from the logistics and exploration teams are out."

"Read it." Li Weiguo said without turning his head.

"In this operation, the direct consumption of our ammunition, missiles, and other supplies...preliminary estimates indicate a value exceeding 10 billion..."

Li Weiguo took a sip of tea and waved his hand dismissively: "War is all about burning money. A little equipment loss is nothing! It's a pity we can't eliminate the enemy without taking any damage!"

The sacrifice of these soldiers was a very painful thing for them.

However, once you join the army, you must be prepared to defend your country, expand its territory, and sacrifice your life.

Fortunately, the AI ​​team's analysis suggests that there shouldn't be any major battles in the near future!

Humanity is now enjoying its victory. Countless things from other worlds can enrich the modern world.

For example, the biological resources of the other world, the humus layer of the frozen snow forest, are assessed by experts from the Ministry of Agriculture as top-grade natural organic nutrient soil. Bringing it back can provide a large amount of nutrients, which is very beneficial for soil improvement.

Among these, the cheapest and easiest to develop is timber. The wood from this other world far surpasses the best mahogany on Earth. Just by rationally developing the nearby forests and turning them into high-end furniture, it would be enough to support dozens of battles of this scale.

Li Weiguo's lips curled up slightly as he thought of those data.

And the humus layer and the trees are just the tip of the iceberg.

An exploration team has discovered a super-large composite mineral vein in the mountains, with an initial estimated value of over one trillion yuan.

In just one month, seven brand-new materials that do not exist on Earth have been discovered, which can be applied to various fields!
Xiao Wang nodded with a smile, but then his expression turned somewhat complicated: "Reporting to General Manager Li, there's something else. The soldiers on the front lines responsible for collecting biological specimens... are a bit emotionally unstable."

"Huh? What's going on?"

"The bodies of the mosquitoes that had been wiped out were piled up like mountains. Microbiologists found more than a dozen new, highly lethal viruses and neurotoxins inside. The soldiers, wearing the highest level of protective clothing, felt their scalps tingle as they cleaned them up."

Xiao Wang paused for a moment, then tried his best to describe what he had seen.

"But those experts were like rats that had fallen into a rice jar, rummaging through piles of corpses in their protective suits. Anyone who managed to snag a complete specimen of a poisonous mosquito would jump for joy. The soldiers complained that the experts looked at them as if they were giant, walking petri dishes..."

"puff--"

Li Weiguo almost spat out his tea, then burst into laughter.

"Sigh, what a bunch of science fanatics! We need to make sure the soldiers on the front lines are mentally prepared. The experts have made some breakthroughs, and the first thing they should be doing is providing them with antiviral and insect-repellent materials. I'm even looking forward to the appearance of specially made protective talismans! So the soldiers can experience a bit of technological cultivation!"

As the laughter subsided, Li Weiguo's gaze returned to the report, his eyes becoming deep and thoughtful.

"Trillions of dollars worth of mineral resources, an inexhaustible supply of wood, and specimens that can drive experts crazy... these are the assets that allow us to stand firm in this world."

Thinking of this, Li Weiguo glanced at the matter of Brigade Commander Man and his men requesting to replenish supplies and ammunition.

He rubbed his head, then thought about how to transport these supplies to the other world silently while maintaining the same density.
-

In the modern world, amidst a multitude of hotels.

Lin Li, shirtless, was doing his daily exercise.

The ten-kilogram exercise weight felt weightless in his hands. Sometimes he would lift it above his head with one hand, flick his wrist, and the heavy weight would come to a stable stop. Other times he would toss it up and catch it precisely. The whole process was effortless and as smooth as if he were playing with a child's toy.

If a seasoned gym instructor were here, they would probably be astonished.

This is no longer just arm strength; this absolute control over weight means that the coordination of his wrists, knuckles, and even his whole body has reached a terrifying level.

In ancient battlefields, weapons weighing over ten pounds were considered heavy weapons, and only fierce generals could wield them. But Lin Li was wielding a twenty-pound piece of pure iron.

After finishing his workout, Lin Li casually put the exercise weight back in its original position, without the carpet on the floor making a sound.

He felt the warm yet powerful energy within him seeping into his limbs and bones, nourishing every muscle and bone.

"The improvement of the source quality is indeed not something that can be achieved overnight, but rather a continuous process of strengthening."

He murmured to himself in the woods, in a rather good mood.

At this rate, it might not be long before he has the confidence to venture into another world on his own.

He took a shower, changed into a dry set of casual clothes, looking refreshed, and then went out to the nearby gun club.

With his current level of physical control, the recoil of the gun is almost negligible to him; he has long since reached the standard of a sharpshooter.

But he still maintained the frequency of coming here.

After all, some things need to be said by certain people in order to reach Li Weiguo and his group's ears in a logical way.

There weren't many people in the club, and Lin Li spotted that familiar figure at a glance.

Zhong Mengyao, dressed in a tight-fitting sportswear, is holding a gun, her beautiful figure outlining a captivating curve at the shooting position.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around, put down her gun, and smiled.

"Why are you late today?"

"Thinking about something." Lin Li also picked up a pistol, skillfully checking the magazine and chamber, and casually replied, "Thinking about how to write the middle part of my silly animated film to make it shocking enough."

"Oh? You've got an idea?" Zhong Mengyao became interested.

“I’ve got it.” Lin Li pulled back the bolt, making a crisp metallic clanging sound. “We should just push straight through.”

"A complete sweep?" Zhong Mengyao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Isn't this... a bit too simple and crude? No buildup at all?"

"Not brutal, but a dimensional reduction attack."

Lin Li picked up his goggles, put them on, and aimed at the target in the distance.

"Imagine if modern people in anime could mass-produce tens of thousands of magical artifacts from another world, which are considered divine weapons, every day using an assembly line. What kind of schemes would they need then?"

"With overwhelming power, everything else is trash!"

Zhong Mengyao blinked, trying to process this novel concept: "An assembly line...producing magical items? Your imagination is wild!"

"That's why it's called a 'side push'." Lin Li pulled the trigger, and the bullet hit the bullseye precisely.

"When individual power meets industrial productivity, any conspiracy or trickery will be crushed to dust. That is the most interesting part."

Zhong Mengyao's eyes lit up as she listened; she thought Lin Li's story setting was absolutely awesome.

"That sounds so exciting! When your animation comes out, you have to let me know first! I promise I'll drag all my friends to see it!"

"Okay."

Lin Li smiled, changed to a new magazine, and then began training!
-

Another world!
Thirty-six hours after the war ended, the command center was still brightly lit.

After sleeping for five hours, Su Mingjin walked into the command room with a cup of strong tea to refresh herself.

At this moment, the command room was filled with a unique smell of tea, caffeine, and the heat from the equipment.

On the large screen, various data streams refreshed like a waterfall, and several researchers in white coats were having a heated discussion with two brigade commanders around the sand table.

"President Su." Commander Fu, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot her.

Su Mingjin nodded in response, then walked straight to the control panel, picked up a list of awards, which was signed by Li Weiguo in a flamboyant manner.

Su Mingjin's fingertips lightly traced the words, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

These lists will be great for boosting morale later.

Li Weiguo's written promise regarding subsequent supplies is the source of their confidence to stand here.

"Report!" A drone scout's voice suddenly rose, breaking the lively discussion in the room. "Anomaly detected on the southern border!"

"What's going on?" Su Mingjin put down her coffee cup and walked over quickly.

"The boundary... the north-south boundary of ice, snow and forest is moving south!"

The scouts immediately projected two satellite images side-by-side onto the main screen. One was from 24 hours prior, and the other was a live image.

The contrast is stark.

The once clear-cut green and white dividing line, as sharp as if cut by a knife or axe, has now become blurred.

White is spreading at a visible speed, like ink dripping into clear water, rapidly "permeating" the lush green forests of the south.

In just one day, a large portion of the green area was eroded, forming an unsightly protrusion.

"How could this be? The expansion rate of the Ice and Snow Forest is abnormal!"

"Report! In the last hour, the infiltration distance has exceeded 500 meters, and it's accelerating!"

The temperature in the command room seemed to drop a few degrees.

Commander Fu's face was somewhat grim. He said in a deep voice, "General Su, the problem may lie in our large-scale bombing yesterday. Didn't Professor Deng and his team analyze that those red-leafed, white-barked trees with human-faced features are energy nodes in the southern forest?"

He pointed to the area on the screen that was rapidly turning white, his voice filled with regret: "We destroyed those trees, which is equivalent to tearing down the firewall of the southern forest. Now, the power of ice and snow from the north is unimpeded and will naturally advance unimpeded!"

"This is troublesome!" someone couldn't help but whisper.

Although that southern forest was full of unknown dangers, its abundant resources and mild environment had long been planned as a future outpost and agricultural area.

If the ice and snow continue to spread as they clear out monsters, aren't they destroying hope for the future with their own hands?

The entire strategic plan could be scrapped and restarted as a result.

The room was silent except for the hum of the equipment.

"Perhaps it's not troublesome."

Commander Man's calm voice suddenly rang out. He had been staring at the sand table, but when he looked up, there was no anxiety in his eyes, but rather a strange light.

"What insightful opinion does Lao Man have?"

"President Su, Xiao Fu, look." Commander Man walked to the main screen and pointed to the unstoppable white expanse. "We uprooted the Face Tree, and the power in the south has declined. This illustrates a point: the rules of this world may be complex, but they can also be quite straightforward."

He paused for a moment, then threw out a revolutionary idea.

"Since there are energy nodes in the southern forest, does this even more powerful icy world to the north also have something similar? A core, a source, a core that can make the undead immortal and the ice and snow unmeltable?"

Commander Fu was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh, his eyes widening: "Holy crap! Lao Man, you're a fucking genius!"

His previous approach was always about how to prevent, how to block, and how to protect the green space in the south.

But Commander Man's words directly shifted the focus from defense to offense!
Instead of passively watching the ice and snow spread, why not take the initiative, find its Achilles' heel, and then... kill it with a single blow!
Su Mingjin's eyes lit up completely.

The previous worries and solemnity vanished, replaced by a sharpness like a hunter eyeing its prey.

"Then our reconnaissance mission this time needs to be readjusted!"

"Mr. Su, your insight is brilliant!"

Just as everyone was preparing to discuss how to proceed with the pancreatic cancer investigation and how to carry out the specific exploration mission, the drone pilots discovered new intelligence—

"Report! We've made a new discovery!"

(End of this chapter)