Mobile City Travel Guide

a new day.

Li Xin was awakened by a loud roar.

At first he thought it was the Iron Mole or a vehicle from Rustwind Town that had started up and gone out, but he was soon wrong.

The source of the sound was a steamship sailing from afar.

Despite being called a steamship, it was actually more like a giant ocean liner.

Its hull was painted entirely dark gray, with various brass pipes of different sizes winding from bow to stern, their joints hissing with white smoke. The ship's portholes were neatly arranged, their bronze frames engraved with intricate gear and wave patterns, while sturdy mooring bollards and enormous mechanical winches sat atop the deck.

"This is a federal steamship used for long-distance transport! It's here to deliver supplies to us!" Amy exclaimed excitedly, pointing at it.

As mentioned before, Rustwind Town was originally established by dispatched workers and was far from self-sufficient. The town's hundreds of inhabitants relied mainly on supplies delivered by federal steam freighters for their basic needs.

It only comes once a month, bringing vegetables, fruits, daily necessities, and news from the Federation.

"Why is the supply still so much less this time?"

When the supplies were handed over, the town mayor couldn't help but frown.

He looked at the federal official in front of him and spoke in a tone that was half pleading and half urging.

"Sir, we have several hundred people here, including many elderly people and children... and we've met the federal targets every year!"

The other party responded coldly.

"Don't ask any questions, just follow the instructions."

In the distance, Li Xin carefully observed the other party. As a federal official, he wore a top hat, a standard wool coat, and the church emblem on his chest.

In fact, upon arriving in Rustwind Town, the other party had already noticed the two mobile cities anchored there, as well as the humans on the deck.

A gasp erupted from the passengers on the steamship, causing quite a commotion. The leading official, however, calmly quelled the commotion.

He sighed softly to himself. Undoubtedly, news of their arrival as travelers from another world would soon spread throughout the entire Federation. He wondered how this civilization would react; perhaps he couldn't stay in Rustwind Town any longer.

When delivering the supplies, the officials also issued a new task.

"Rustwind needs to complete a major reclamation before we return," he said coldly. "Otherwise, supplies will be cut off."

The town mayor was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"High-level land reclamation? Are you kidding me?" he said urgently and hurriedly. "You know the resources and conditions of our town!"

"This is a newly issued top-level executive order from the federal government," the official said, emphasizing each word. "It's not just you; all towns must undergo this process."

The town mayor was completely stunned.

"Top-tier? We haven't seen this level in years. Has something major happened to our Federation?"

The other person did not answer him, but simply adjusted the brim of his hat, put his hands behind his back, and stepped onto the gangway.

.......

"Pah! Pah!"

After the steamship departed, the mayor stomped his feet and spat in its direction repeatedly.

After venting his frustrations, he looked melancholy and helpless.

Through the town mayor, the curious Li Xin learned about the details of the high-altitude land reclamation.

Simply put, the journey begins at the federally mandated standard level and continues upwards until it reaches the distant sea of ​​clouds overhead. Various data points need to be collected along the way.

The reason for doing this is, as mentioned before, that the aerial civilization is trapped in the predicament of the ever-rising black fog and needs to constantly migrate upwards to live. The Federation needs to collect as much data as possible in order to understand the distribution of resources, climate patterns, and survival boundaries in the upper atmosphere.

But a seemingly casual order from the top can feel like a mountain weighing on the people.

In the world of aerial travel, ascending is far more difficult than descending. When ascending, the vehicle's engines need to output more power than usual, the hull must be raised to a dangerous angle, and all items and personnel must be secured.

There are also turbulent air currents, a sudden drop in air pressure, and a bone-chillingly low temperature in the upper atmosphere.

Therefore, to complete a high-altitude expedition, one needs a specially designed airship, a well-trained professional team, and sufficient supplies for high-altitude climbing, such as antifreeze lubricant, oxygen cylinders for breathing, high-calorie rations, and barotrauma medication for emergency use.

The facilities in Rustwind Town are pitifully poor.

The best vehicles in town were those steamships, but they were old models that the Federation had phased out years ago. The hulls were so thin that you could hear the wind howling through the iron sheets, and the engines would wheeze when they were pulled up, like an old ox about to die.

If we're talking about professionals, the only one I can name is the town mayor. He worked in a federal province when he was young and had been to high altitudes.

Li Xin thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Perhaps I can help you."

Its own mobile city has ample power, a sturdy exterior, and sufficient internal space, so it should be able to meet this requirement.

He made this decision not out of generosity or enthusiasm, but for his own sake.

Just now, a new task has been issued.

["Ascent": Ascends 50000 meters in height in one go. Reward: 0-5000 Evolution Points (depending on the ascent height)]

[“Descent”: Descends 50000 meters in one go. Reward: 0-5000 Evolution Points (depending on the descent altitude)]

After seeing the mission rewards, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

5000 evolution points! How many things can I evolve with that? You know, evolution points are really useful; you can never have too many!

Furthermore, although both are the same height, the latter is actually much easier to complete than the former.

If given a choice, he would naturally choose the task of sinking to 10 meters, but that can only be done when the tide recedes again.

Are you really willing to help us?

Upon hearing Li Xin's words, the town mayor was so excited that he could hardly speak.

Upon seeing him nod, the old man excitedly grabbed his hand.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Li Xin. We will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives!"

The townspeople all gathered around him, thanking him repeatedly, some even kneeling down.

Li Xin waved his hand, signaling everyone not to get excited.

Ultimately, he did all this only for himself. If it weren't for the evolution points, he wouldn't have agreed no matter how much the other party begged.

However, on the other hand, deep down I do yearn for and am curious about the high sky, wanting to see for myself what it would be like.

"This damn curiosity," he sighed inwardly.

It's like an irresistible, sweet poison.

Soon, everyone began preparations in earnest, and they were all busy at work.

High above, the sea of ​​clouds stood quietly.