Outside the door stood two individuals.
One of them, East Yan, was not a stranger to them. He was the Deputy Commander of their collection squad, an Upper Citizen officer named Luo Hao. This man, whose head was already slightly balding, with thinning hair every year, was a good-natured fellow. He only had seven or eight years left until his retirement, so most of the time, Luo Hao was friendly and approachable.
However, at this moment, he was furious. His somewhat overweight body, due to a lack of necessary exercise, was trying to squeeze into the narrow dormitory. Then, at a speed that didn't match his physique, he lunged at East Yan and his colleague, delivering a slap to each of them.
"What are you trying to do? How dare you treat Mr. Tian Yang like this! Apologize, apologize right now!" The Deputy Commander's roar echoed in this deserted dormitory.
East Yan and his colleague were both stunned.
Mr. Tian Yang? Apologize?
They almost thought they had misheard.
Tian Yang, on the other hand, looked towards the other person outside the door. With slightly graying temples and a resolute face, the middle-aged man was none other than Lin Yang, the Vice Chief of Staff.
When he had come to deliver items earlier, he had introduced himself, and Tian Yang remembered his name.
The Deputy Commander's current attitude was likely influenced by Lin Yang's presence.
Indeed, otherwise, Luo Hao wouldn't have been so infuriated. Regardless of whether it was an Ascendant or a Nightwalker, they were not adversaries that the collection squad could afford to provoke.
Luo Hao was relieved that he had arrived a step ahead; otherwise, if he had let East Yan and his colleague take action, who knew if the Nightwalkers might create trouble for their collection squad.
Seeing the two soldiers still standing there, Luo Hao was even more furious. "Don't make me say it a second time. Apologize to Mr. Tian Yang!"
"Sorry, Mr. Tian Yang."
"Louder!"
"Sorry!"
After several repeated apologies, Luo Hao finally forced a smile. "Mr. Tian Yang, is this acceptable now?"
Tian Yang knew that Lin Yang had business to discuss with him and couldn't be bothered with East Yan and his colleague. He nodded in response.
Luo Hao immediately called a few soldiers to detain East Yan and the other soldier. It was evident that the relevant departments were already dealing with the matter of Tian Yang being targeted.
Once the collection squad members had left, Lin Yang entered the dorm and handed a box to Tian Yang. "This contains your new identity card. An application for an apartment dormitory in the Upper City has been submitted for you, and it should be arranged in one or two weeks. In addition, General Consultant Ling has already booked an appointment for you at the Fortress Medical Center for the installation of the electronic eye. If you want to upgrade to a higher-tier model, you'll have to pay for it yourself. There's a high-speed train leaving for the Fortress shortly; I've already reserved a seat for you. Get ready and head to the station."
"Rest in the Fortress for a few days, and if there are new assignments, I'll have someone notify you."
Tian Yang saluted. "Understood, sir!"
Lin Yang nodded and left the dorm.
Tian Yang's exuberant spirits echoed after the departure of the previous visitor. He swiftly packed his belongings and headed towards the base station.
Boarding a high-speed train, he arrived at the rear base where Klaav Gate was located. After going through a simple inspection using the Ascendants' exclusive passage, Tian Yang found himself near Klaav Gate.
This grand black steel archway stood wide open, welcoming vehicles and pedestrians traveling between the Inverse World and the Fortress.
On the other side of the gate, the light was brilliant, a stark contrast to the darkness of the Inverse World.
Tian Yang took a deep breath and moved toward the gate, gradually quickening his pace until he immersed himself in the radiance.
Every time one traversed two worlds, there was always a peculiar sensation, as if emerging from behind a waterfall. After a brief adjustment to the light outside the gate, Tian Yang found himself on the Fortress's transit platform.
This vast transit platform, prior to the construction of the Fortress, had been nothing more than open mountain terrain.
One day, Klaav Gate 127 had appeared mysteriously. Once discovered, people had started constructing a Fortress City here.
In fact, the formation of most Fortress Cities followed a similar pattern.
Fort Zenith, where Tian Yang was born, was relatively young compared to other cities, with just a little over a hundred years of history. Consequently, the buildings and facilities in Fort Zenith still gleamed with vitality.
Tian Yang cautiously maneuvered around various vehicles, especially the heavy transport trucks ferrying construction materials. They resembled colossal steel beasts, continuously delivering vast resources into the Inverse World to support the construction of the third outpost base.
Additionally, he steered clear of individuals donning peculiar attire. They lacked a uniform and wielded an assortment of equipment.
Unfailingly, they all emitted an air of danger.
They were Prospectors.
Each Inverse World was vast, to the extent that no Fortress City could completely explore it. This gave rise to the profession of Prospectors. These daredevils ventured into the Inverse World in groups, staking their lives in pursuit of treasures that might not even exist.
Fortresses utilized them to enhance the map information of the Inverse World. Moreover, any gains Prospectors acquired from the Inverse World had to be shared with the Fortress, with the Fortress receiving a twenty percent share.
Despite this, Prospectors continued to surge forward, and some fortunate ones inspired even more individuals to join this perilous profession.
Tian Yang's home was located in the Lower District, so after leaving the transit platform, he boarded the city loop train.
This was a vital means of transportation shuttling between the various city districts. After all, not everyone could afford their own vehicle, and not just anyone could navigate a car within the Fortress.
Therefore, the city loop train, operating every 15 minutes, became the preferred mode of transport for city residents. Of course, the train couldn't reach every corner of the city. Take the Lower District, for instance; the train only had three stations there.
Once off the train, individuals had to rely on their own legs to measure the area of the city.
When the train traversed the outer ring track of the Upper District, you could glimpse, through the windows, an almost limitless sea.
Fort Zenith was constructed near a bay in a rainy region, and such sunny days were rare.
Tian Yang gazed out of the window as the sunlight illuminated the sea, casting a shimmering, jewel-like display. This was his favorite view, and each time he beheld the ocean under a clear sky, it seemed as though all worries dissipated like smoke.
Suddenly, the light outside the window dimmed.
Tian Yang knew that the train had entered the Fortress's rooftop corridor.
Due to the rainy climate, the city areas of Fort Zenith were covered by enormous circular skylights. On clear days, they retracted their outer covers to allow sunlight into the city.
During the rainy season, the streamlined skylight design effectively drained rainwater and reduced wind loads, protecting the city's buildings from storms.
On the circular skylights, there were abundant rainwater collection ducts that channeled the collected rainwater to reservoirs at the desalination plant. There, the water underwent distillation and desalination processes before being distributed to various city districts for residents' use.
After the train left the skylight corridor, a beam of intense light almost forced Tian Yang to squint. It was the light reflecting from the windows of the watchtowers above.
Beneath the watchtowers, rows of turbo cannons, symbolizing the city's firepower, were aligned. A multifunctional track at the base ensured they could be moved in any direction within the Fortress.
As the watchtowers and cannon arrays gradually receded, the train entered a tunnel. This signified that the Upper District was now far behind, and the train was heading towards the middle and lower layers of the Fortress.