At dawn, Miles and Isaac set out by car.
The Southwest Base was quite far from Cloud Haven, and with the ground blanketed in snow and ice, the half-day journey was grueling despite their relentless pace.
"Is this the place?" Miles checked the GPS and said, "Thankfully, Ryan's locator wasn't removed. It seems his situation isn't as dire as we feared."
Isaac drove a bit further before stopping to survey the surroundings. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes, this is it. Two more kilometers, and we'll reach the Southwest Base. I used to come here as a guest lecturer, teaching combat skills to their officers."
"Impressive, Mr. Isaac," Miles teased with a grin. "Think you could teach me a thing or two when we get back?"
Isaac chuckled. "Sure, but are you sure you want to learn? Mastering combat isn't something you can pick up overnight."
Miles scratched his head sheepishly. "On second thought, maybe not."
He wasn't the type to voluntarily endure hardship. While he had some determination, it was often in short supply.
"We'll need to ditch the car from here," Isaac said, jumping out of the vehicle. "If they have sentries, getting caught would ruin everything. Also, our outfits…" He glanced down. "These high-end thermal suits are way too conspicuous—probably rare even in the base."
Miles nodded. "Good point. Let's change."
They returned to the car and swapped into plain but warm cotton clothing. To complete the disguise, they rubbed their outfits in the snow and mussed their hair, giving themselves a bedraggled, haggard appearance.
Then, they trudged forward along the mountainside on foot.
After the ice and snow ravaged the world, the landscape had transformed into a desolate expanse. Thick snow blanketed the terrain, and the stark whiteness made any movement painfully obvious.
They hadn't gone far when a gunshot cracked through the air ahead.
"Stop! Who goes there?"
Two soldiers, rifles in hand, fired warning shots at their feet.
Miles froze immediately, feigning terror. "Please, sirs! We were just looking for food and wandered here by mistake. We'll leave right away!"
"Kneel down! Who said you could leave?" One soldier stepped closer, pressing his rifle against Miles's chest.
Miles and Isaac exchanged a brief glance before quietly dropping to their knees.
"Are you locals?" one of the soldiers demanded.
"Yes, sir," Isaac replied hastily, nodding. "We live just at the foot of the mountain." He placed a hand on Miles's head, ruffling his hair. "This is my son."
Son?! Miles cursed silently but grudgingly played along, nodding meekly.
"There's no food here. Get out of here, now," the soldier barked, about to wave them away.
But his companion grabbed his arm and whispered, "Wait, Aaron. Let's think this through."
Miles discreetly extended his psychic energy to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Why let them go? Command has been asking for more workers, right? These two are perfect. We bring them back, and we'll get credit—maybe even two full meals."
"They're villagers. Do you think they'll just follow us?"
"Don't be stupid!" the second soldier snapped. "We've got guns. Where are they gonna go? You could shoot them dead, and no one would care."
"Fair point…"
The soldiers turned back. The second one motioned for Miles and Isaac to rise. "You're looking for food, right? Follow me. I know where you can find some."
"You?" Isaac hesitated, feigning doubt.
The soldier gestured impatiently. "Come on. We're soldiers from the Southwest Base. We serve the people. Don't worry, as long as we've got food, you won't go hungry."
Miles immediately played the role of the grateful, desperate villager. Bowing low, he said, "Bless you, sir. We haven't eaten in three days."
"Good. Follow us," the soldier ordered.
The four of them set off, with the soldiers leading the way.
After about half an hour, a domed structure loomed ahead, partially obscured by layers of snow.
"There it is," one soldier announced. "The Southwest Defense Base."
He approached the entrance and pressed a red button on the wall.
A harsh beeping echoed as a massive iron door groaned open. From inside stepped a man in an olive-green uniform, his insignia indicating a rank above the average soldier.
"Sergeant Martin," the soldier greeted with a deferential smile. "We found two locals searching for food and brought them here. What do you think?"
Martin surveyed the pair briefly before nodding. "Good work. You'll be rewarded later."
"Thank you, sir!" the soldier beamed.
Martin turned to Miles and Isaac. "Follow me."
They were led inside a dimly lit corridor. The narrow passage, about ten meters wide, was lined with flickering yellow wall lamps.
"Where are you taking us?" Isaac asked cautiously.
"Shut up and keep moving," Martin snapped.
After twenty minutes of walking, the space opened into a vast underground chamber. The room stretched thousands of square meters, filled with a crowd of disheveled, lifeless people.
Miles scanned the surroundings.
The chamber was about three thousand square meters and held at least a thousand people. The air was heavy with despair.
"Captain!" Martin called out, saluting a middle-aged officer.
"We found two civilians and brought them here."
The captain gave a cursory glance and nodded. "Good. We need more hands in the fuel zone. Take them there."
The group continued into another cavernous chamber, even larger than the first. This space spanned tens of thousands of square meters and was teeming with people packed together like livestock.
A deafening hum filled the air, and everyone moved mechanically, performing menial tasks without thought.
"What's in there?" Isaac squinted toward a dark tunnel where figures scurried like ants, carrying heavy baskets on their backs.
Miles extended his psychic senses, replying coolly, "Coal. This is a natural coal mine. They've turned these people into miners."
"Thousands of them…" Isaac murmured, aghast. "They'll strip this mountain bare."