Two minutes later, the view before Su Wu opened up.
An endless sea of sand stretched across the horizon. The base vehicle had successfully exited the salt flats, leaving the dangerous zone behind.
Stopping atop a distant sand dune, Su Wu sent the last remaining reconnaissance drone to observe the salt flats from afar.
What had once been an expansive, barren landscape was now completely overtaken by a sea of magma—a scene straight out of an apocalypse.
Though the world had long been in a state of collapse, this level of destruction seemed to transcend even the most catastrophic events humanity had endured.
In comparison, the extreme heat and radiation that once threatened all life on Earth now seemed as benign as a gentle breeze.
The former still offered a slim chance of survival, but the latter represented pure despair—an annihilation no living creature could escape.
Quietly, Su Wu directed the drone to record the transformation of the salt flats.
A sense of inevitability stirred in his heart.
This was not the end—only the beginning.
One day, he feared, his own shelter might face a similar invasion of magma. When that time came, how would he defend against it?
After lingering near the salt flats for over an hour and confirming that the magma was no longer spreading, Su Wu set the base vehicle on the return journey.
With the vehicle in autopilot mode, Su Wu took the opportunity to check his mission status.
The border exploration mission was marked as completed, with the total time clocked at 11 days and 17 hours.
This meant it had taken Su Wu just under 12 days to finish the task, a relatively efficient performance.
Still, he couldn't ignore the peril he faced toward the mission's end.
"That was cutting it way too close," Su Wu muttered, shaking his head.
"It seems the system isn't omniscient. I'll need to be more cautious about trusting the time limits it sets."
On his way back, Su Wu made another stop at the Microlight Plains.
With the mission complete, there was no urgent need to rush. Additionally, the escape from the salt flats had consumed an excessive amount of energy.
Out of caution, Su Wu decided to recharge the base vehicle's power reserves before continuing his journey.
This time, Su Wu was greeted by Baravit, the leader of the Lekka Tribe, which comprised more than half of the Microlight Plains' population.
"You need power?" Baravit asked. "That's not a problem. We have plenty of oil and natural gas here. Unfortunately, the earthquake a while back collapsed our largest power plant inside the shelter. It hasn't been fully restored yet. If you need a large amount of power, it may take some time."
Baravit expressed his gratitude to Su Wu for the valuable information he had brought about the salt flats.
Though the area was harsh and desolate, it was dangerously close to the Microlight Plains. Any significant changes there could have devastating consequences for the nearby settlements. Without Su Wu's warning, they might have been caught completely off guard.
"Has the equipment from your power plant not been excavated yet?" Su Wu asked curiously.
Nearly a month had passed since the earthquake. Even the most sluggish construction crew should have been able to recover such a critical facility by now.
"The equipment's been recovered," Baravit sighed, "but we don't have anyone here who knows how to repair those massive generators. On top of that, some of the broken components don't have any replacements available."
Baravit's frustration was evident.
Though the Microlight Plains boasted abundant resources and a relatively stable environment, their industrial capabilities were severely lacking. Among their millions of residents, not one qualified repair engineer could be found.
If this situation persisted, the Plains would gradually lose the ability to use modern equipment altogether, regressing into a primitive society.
And in a worsening apocalypse, such a primitive community would struggle to survive.
"If it's just repairs, I can help," Su Wu offered.
What seemed an insurmountable challenge for the Microlight Plains was a trivial task for him. All it required was a few commands to his engineering robots and some time to wait for the repairs to be completed.
"That would be wonderful!" Baravit's eyes lit up, his gratitude overflowing. "If you can fix the generators, I promise you—our entire warehouse of resources is yours to take."
Baravit's enthusiasm gave Su Wu a warm glimpse of Microlight hospitality.
"Aina, slow down! I can't keep up!"
A breathless girl called out to the figure running ahead of her.
"You're just too slow!" the other girl, Aina, retorted, her voice lively. "Who told you to be lazy and skip exercise?"
Aina stopped by the window of a factory building, her bright eyes peering curiously inside.
Inside, a construction robot, assisting with repairs, suddenly turned its head. The camera in its eye locked onto Aina's gaze.
Startled, Aina let out a small yelp and crouched below the window, hiding herself.
Moments later, her companion finally caught up, taking her place by the window.
"What are you looking at, Aina?"
"You idiot!" Aina hissed in frustration.
Inside the factory, Baravit chuckled at the small commotion outside.
"Apologies," he said to Su Wu. "My daughter heard about an outsider repairing the power plant and insisted on coming to see."
"No problem," Su Wu replied casually.
The energetic girl caught his attention.
"Your daughter's name is Aina? She's a lively one," Su Wu remarked thoughtfully. "I think she'd get along well with a friend of mine."
"In that case," Baravit said with a smile, "I'll give you her satellite network ID later. Feel free to stay in touch after you leave. Aina loves meeting new people."
Baravit saw no harm in letting his daughter interact with Su Wu.
As someone capable of navigating the apocalypse with a base vehicle and robots, Su Wu clearly held a significant position in a powerful
shelter. Building rapport with such an individual could prove invaluable in the future.
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