The subordinate's heart chilled, and he understood.
"Now, as a representative of the Supreme Federation, I formally welcome you, the Cocoon Breakers, to the new world. You will integrate back into society and start your lives anew."
Qingmu's lips curled into a smile, "Get ready to embrace a new life, this world after five hundred years... is extremely fascinating."
--
With a roar,
the helicopter took off and encountered strong air currents, causing violent shaking among those inside the cabin.
Lu Bu'er's head bumped, and when she unintentionally looked up, she found the foggy haze of the cold night being scattered by the wind, the mountains to the east were lit up in dazzling gold by the rising sun, the lush forest pierced by strands of sunlight, and the deserted city was left far behind.
As if to leave their past lives behind.
Everyone felt the relief of having survived a catastrophe.
Yet this once familiar world had become estranged and distant.
By now, the Cocoon Breakers had accepted reality. This era of universal evolution might be more splendid than before; if it weren't for the fact that their city had been turned into the uninhabited Land of the Departed, perhaps they could have come out to see the world hundreds of years earlier.
As they were about to leave Fengcheng City, they were suddenly taken aback to see the military stationed alongside the railway at the city's boundary, armed soldiers delineating a caution line, with heavy tanks and armored vehicles parked beside them, looking like a fully armed ground force.
The soldiers saw the helicopter, making a hand gesture towards the sky.
As if to greet them.
Midair, they also encountered other helicopters going back and forth, seemingly all on missions to rescue Cocoon Breakers from the Land of the Departed. Teasing voices came through the communication channel.
"This time we're lucky, found a batch of fine youngsters with high combat standards. But these kids are really pitiful, got scared to tears by the Specter Fiends in the Land of the Departed."
"What can you do? The Forbidden Zone of Life formed too quickly back then in Fengcheng City. If they hadn't been cocooned, they might have been attacked by Specter Fiends before they could be evacuated."
"The group I found were from Shanghu, originally just tourists in Fengcheng City... They've been clamoring to go back to their hometown, and I have to apply for their return, what a hassle!"
Qingmu let out a snort and turned off the communication.
"This is the era of universal evolution. Now, the world population has soared to fifteen billion, which is twice as much as before. The descendants of the first batch of Cocoon Breakers can also become Evolvers. Nowadays, there are as many as three billion Evolvers, but ninety percent of them are weak and not much stronger than you. Every Evolver must serve in the Military Department for a period, and all the Forbidden Zones of Life need military presence to prevent riots by Specter Fiends and occasionally go in for the rescue of Cocoon Breakers."
Qingmu explained, "The current era is relatively peaceful; large-scale wars haven't occurred in many years. The old international order still exists, but the Evolvers are now managed uniformly by the Federation. Ordinary people's lives haven't changed much from before, except for some sights and cities that turned into Forbidden Zones of Life being off-limits... When I have a vacation, I'll go back to Yanjing, hit the old alleyways and start with a cup of soybean juice."
"That many?"
Lu Bu'er said in shock, "Close to a fifth?"
"Roughly. Now there's one Evolver in every five individuals. And Evolvers must serve in the military, short-term is half a year, and long-term is up to three years, after which they can transfer to civilian work."
Qingmu replied, "The Military Department is like school for Evolvers. Learning efficiency in the new era is incredibly high, and resource utilization has been maximized."
Lu Bu'er saw the military camps stationed at the city's edge, towns and farmlands along the way, vehicles running on highways, and the thundering trains that resembled long dragons as they passed.
As if everything had barely changed from five hundred years ago.
Half an hour later, Lu Bu'er and the others arrived in Linhai City.
Linhai was also a coastal city, with skyscrapers standing tall on the ground, orderly arranged building clusters, a web of expressways weaving throughout, and to the west, military forces were also stationed.
"This is Linhai City, an international metropolis. Nowadays, the closer a city is to the Forbidden Zone of Life, the more developed it becomes because, while facing dangers, it can also acquire more resources."
Qingmu continued, "The biggest difference from five hundred years ago is the giant mountain range to the west, close to the Forbidden Zone of Life in Fengcheng City, which often has Specter Fiends lurking. Therefore, there are military units stationed here, and Evolvers often venture in for exploration."
Fifteen minutes later, the helicopter landed on the airport's apron. The Cocoon Breakers walked out of the cabin, disoriented, the cold wind blowing their hair, greeted by towering terminal buildings, the glass walls reflecting sunlight so brilliant it was blinding.
Mechanical aerobridges descended from nowhere, landing precisely before them.
Cabin crew immediately came up to greet them, with warm smiles on their faces. They offered them towels and cookies, smiling, "Welcome to five hundred years later!"
Next came the automated security check, cameras releasing lasers to scan their entire bodies, while disinfectant mist sprayed out from filter nets in the walls.
As they exited the corridor, they found themselves in a lounge area filled with various shops, the rich aroma from the coffee shop delighting the senses, and the sight of the tempting beef noodles from the restaurant. Elevators moved up and down with passengers who were laughing and chatting, dragging their luggage while fiddling with their smartphones.