Chapter 46: Chapter 46 The Second Mission (1)
All the talking done, Ye Nai hurried on to the streets to shop, grabbing essential beverages and snacks as well as outdoor gear related to camping including tents, foldable tables, and chairs.
She even sought out Brother Peng, who introduced her to the owner of a liquor and tobacco store. She grabbed several brands of cigarettes, at various prices, enough to fill almost three boxes. As for alcohol, she took cases of beer and liquor. In the end, the goods she ordered filled up even the little walking space in the store. After paying, she stashed everything into her Space.
Of course, she wasn’t craving tobacco and alcohol for herself; it was for making connections. These items were valuable currency anywhere she went, and since she wasn’t hard on cash, they were perfect for maintaining interpersonal relationships with high cost-performance.
She spent a day at home preparing. The next morning, the vehicle that was to pick her up arrived downstairs, and when they reached Hazardous Zone No. 7 in the afternoon, they directly went to the military’s storage. Ye Nai stored the sorted cans, medicine, grain, oil, and other daily supplies into her Space.
Without a rest, they set off immediately.
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Due to the 12-hour time difference, entering the Secret Realm now coincided with dawn inside it, giving them a whole day to drive.
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This time, the departure was not by the same vehicle as the arrival. They switched to an armored personnel carrier, five in total. Ye Nai was assigned to the second one, with instructions to follow the combat team in that vehicle closely.
“What should I call our leader?” Ye Nai asked with a smile to break the ice.
The mission consisted of all male soldiers, and she was the only female. The captain responsible for her had dark skin that could pass for African American, a slim and agile physique, and he also greeted her with a chuckle.
“No need to call me leader, just call me Squad Leader Lu.”
“Okay, Squad Leader Lu, sorry to bother you on this trip,” Ye Nai said as she handed a new pack of cigarettes to him.
Squad Leader Lu’s smile grew wider, and he tucked the cigarettes under his arm.
“No problem at all, just follow my commands,” he said.
“No problem, I’ll be obedient,” she replied.
“Here, let me add you to a group so we can find each other if we get separated,” he suggested.
Squad Leader Lu took out his phone, showing her a QR code. Ye Nai scanned it and joined the group chat for their squad. Her status was temporary, meaning she would leave the group once the mission was over.
Then, Squad Leader Lu had someone bring a helmet and a bulletproof vest for Ye Nai to put on.
“You can’t take these off the entire time, even when sleeping. It’s not that we’re worried about being shot on purpose, but stray bullets are the concern,” he explained.
“Understood, Squad Leader Lu,” she replied.
With those words from Squad Leader Lu, Ye Nai was even more certain this trip was a resupply run to the front lines. Captain Mei had not been this anxious during their previous mission. Apart from giving her a gun when they had arrived at their destination, there hadn’t been any use for it.
This was surely thrilling. She was only at Beginner, Training Level 2, which in the military, was barely past basic training phase, nowhere near ready for front-line combat.
But she had no regrets about how much she expanded her Space for taking jobs. Without such a capability, she wouldn’t have this opportunity.
Once she was dressed and seated in the vehicle, it started moving shortly after.
The cab and the rear compartment were separated, but there was a small window above that could be opened. This allowed for some conversation during the trip, keeping the driver from getting sleepy. There was also a speaker inside the compartment, which Ye Nai guessed was for listening to commands from the lead vehicle.
The drive from Hazardous Zone No. 7 to the small town outside the Secret Realm took a bit over two hours, and it was sunrise in the Secret Realm when they entered.
The convoy took a brief rest here, and the logistics team served meals to each vehicle.
Ye Nai took this opportunity to release a wave of spores.
The town at this entrance to the Secret Realm was fortified like a bastion, bustling daily with people. While mutant creatures were nowhere to be seen, there was no shortage of ordinary organic matter in the wilderness, perfect for feeding her Fungus.
After eating, drinking, and using the restroom, they set off again for a continuous four to five-hour journey, stopping on the highway at noon. The wilderness spanned endlessly on both sides of the road.
There was another Space Awakened in the logistics team, identity unknown. However, while Ye Nai enjoyed the scenery, she turned her head and saw a portable toilet cabin suddenly appear at the roadside, the type commonly found in parks that could accommodate several users at once.
Amazed at the considerable capacity of the Space Awakened in the team, Ye Nai went a few meters away to deploy her own portable toilet. After taking care of business, she washed her hands with no-rinse gel and wiped them with a disinfectant wipe before joining the queue for food.
Meals were not eaten together by everyone; half would eat while the other half stood on guard. Once the first group finished, they would swap.
The rest period lasted about an hour before the convoy set off again.
Of course, Ye Nai didn’t forget to release another batch of spores here.
Essentially, she released a wave of spores wherever she went.
In such a vast Secret Realm, it would be quite a task for her spores to proliferate and cover the entire territory. It wouldn’t be strange if it took five or even eight years.
Ye Nai was eager to see what the Secret Realm would look like once her fungus fed on mutant plants and mutant beasts and covered the entire territory.
The thought of this secretive action, unknown to others, was exhilarating.
In the evening, they still rested beside the highway in the wilderness. The mission did not require them to rest in towns; they stopped wherever they reached.
When it was time to distribute tents, everyone else got tents that varied in condition, but Ye Nai received a brand-new one, packaging and all.
“Here, this is the tent you wanted,”
“Thank you.”
The money for the tent had already been paid at the time of the agreement. Now holding her tent, Ye Nai returned to Squad Leader Lu’s team. With their guidance, she easily set it up and secured it.
The tent was suitable for both winter and summer, with a thin layer for summer and an additional insulating layer for winter, as well as a mosquito netting.
The tent was spacious, not only accommodating two people but also allowing room for two people’s backpacks, firearms, and other gear.
Of course, for Ye Nai alone, it was even more spacious. She could keep her water pipe clothes rack directly inside the tent without having to put it away.
The other tents were even larger, resembling small houses, big enough to sleep a squad.
Luckily, they all had the same camouflage pattern, so Ye Nai’s slightly smaller tent did not stand out too much among them.
Since she didn’t have to stand watch, after dinner, Ye Nai climbed into her tent, browsed on her phone, and prepared to rest. Of course, she didn’t forget to release another wave of spores.
As sleepiness gradually overtook her, a sudden surge of energy in her body snapped her back to alertness.
There were large numbers of mutant plants and beasts approaching.
It had to be said that with more experience came different reactions. She could now judge the presence of danger nearby based on the amount of energy received. Her fungus was indeed a great help in reconnaissance and safety.
Ye Nai grabbed her helmet and crawled out of the tent.
“Squad Leader Lu! There are abnormal creatures nearby!”
“What?! Seriously?”
“That direction!”
Ye Nai secured her helmet and pointed toward the wilderness behind them.
“There are mutant plants and mutant beasts approaching. Could they have been attracted by the large number of us and our scent?”
Squad Leader Lu and his warriors each picked up binoculars to scout.
“I don’t see anything. Is it beyond the observation distance of the binoculars? Did you really see something?”
“Trust me, there definitely is something. I’m counting on you to protect me, lying to you does me no good.”
“Stay on alert, continue observing.”
Squad Leader Lu felt Ye Nai made sense, as she was just a civilian hired for a job and she would surely care about her own life; it was unlikely she was lying. However, they indeed didn’t see any shadow of mutant plants or mutant beasts.