Chapter 310: Chapter 310: Obsidian Magnet Stone
Ning Xuan kept her Spiritual Power Level suppressed at the peak of B-level. The recruits were generally B-level or A-level, so her spiritual power didn’t attract any attention.
After being drawn into a couple of fights, no one went out of their way to cause her trouble anymore. However, an increasing number of people with ingratiating smiles tried to cozy up to her under the guise of making friends. Most of them were impressed by Ning Xuan’s strength and wanted to get to know her.
Seeing that Ning Xuan was ignoring them, those people decided to get to her through Wang Qing. When Wang Qing was alone, he would be cornered in the cafeteria or even the restroom. They made him offers, even threatening him, to try and get him to swap bunks with them.
Although Wang Qing was timid and cowardly, he had some backbone. Even after getting beaten up, he refused to swap bunks with anyone.
When Ning Xuan saw the bruises on Wang Qing’s face, she quickly figured out what had happened. After that, she no longer refused his requests to tag along whenever she came and went.
One day, the Starship began to decelerate. A broadcast announced that they had reached their destination and the voyage was over.
Ning Xuan stepped out of the hatch into a pitch-black environment. By the light cast from the Starship, she could see that the place was completely barren.
"This is an S-level Resource Star in the outermost part of the Edge Star Domain. This planet is rich in resources, but the environment is harsh. There are frequent extreme weather events like magnetic storms, Thunder, and hurricanes, as well as attacks from High-Level Star Beasts. Resource extraction is difficult, and we’re here mainly to assist with that." Seeing Ning Xuan sizing up their surroundings, Wang Qing immediately began to explain.
"Did you research this planet before you came?" Ning Xuan asked.
’Ning Xuan’s own prep work had mainly focused on creating a plausible, legal identity that would be difficult to trace. She hadn’t intentionally investigated anything else; after all, the more you do, the more tracks you leave behind.’
Ning Xuan rarely initiated conversations, so Wang Qing was thrilled when she asked a question. "I did. I may have had bad luck getting assigned here, but I want to make it back alive, so I put some effort into thoroughly investigating the situation."
"This planet is rich in Obsidian Magnet Stone, an essential component for making Super Energy Shields. It’s extremely valuable and important, and has always been a key strategic resource controlled by the Federation Military. According to my research, the entire planet is supposedly covered in Obsidian Magnet Stone; it’s just sparse in some areas and dense in others."
"The frequent extreme weather, like magnetic storms and Thunder, is caused by the planet’s Obsidian Magnet Stone deposits and the Star Force Tides. This happens to be the season with the fewest magnetic storms, which is why they sent us now. By the time we’ve adapted to the environment, it’ll be the start of the harshest period." Wang Qing’s voice trailed off, and he let out a dejected sigh.
"All of you, line up! When I call your name, follow me," a voice boomed from outside. It was an officer in uniform, a colonel’s insignia displayed on his shoulders.
"The ones being picked out now all pulled strings in advance," Wang Qing whispered, leaning close to Ning Xuan. "They’ll be assigned to relatively safer zones, and their accommodations and everything will be better than ours, too."
Sure enough, every person whose name was called held their head high, filled with a sense of superiority. They looked at the remaining recruits as if they were just cannon fodder.
Ning Xuan was spacing out when Wang Qing nudged her with his elbow. "Ning Zhi, they called your name."
Ning Xuan still wasn’t used to her new name, so she hadn’t reacted when she first heard it. She only snapped to attention after Wang Qing’s nudge.
Even though her name was called, Ning Xuan didn’t join the group. The spot had been arranged for her by someone who had repeatedly tried to approach her on the Starship, only to be rejected each time. Once again, Ning Xuan refused his "goodwill."
After the batch of well-connected recruits was led away, the remaining soldiers were assigned randomly. Ning Xuan and Wang Qing were sent to Zone 11.
Upon arriving at the Zone 11 military base, Ning Xuan found it was located underground. She entered a transport elevator that descended rapidly for a full four minutes. By her estimation, they had dropped several hundred meters.
Ning Xuan gripped the handrail tightly. The change in air pressure made her eardrums ache, and she felt a slight discomfort.
The concrete walls of the elevator shaft reflected a cold light under the emergency lamps. Every few seconds, a horizontal red warning line flashed past, like invisible blades slicing their descent into uniform segments of time.
"Three hundred meters deep," Wang Qing whispered from beside her, his eyes fixed on the flickering numbers on the elevator’s display. "I just heard someone say Zone 11 is the deepest military base on this Resource Star."
Ning Xuan didn’t answer. Her attention was captured by a black hemisphere above the elevator doors. It was obviously a surveillance camera, but its design was unusual; its surface was a fine, honeycomb-like mesh that had a metallic sheen in the light. Stranger still, it seemed to be subtly adjusting its angle to follow her movements, just like a real eye.
DING. The elevator finally came to a stop. The moment the doors opened, a gust of cold, damp air rushed in.
Ning Xuan’s eyes widened at the sight before her.
They stood in a vast, cavernous space at least fifty meters high, stretching out in an oval shape on either side. The most striking feature was the walls surrounding the entire area. They weren’t traditional vertical walls, but sloped fortifications made of dozens of layers of interlocking alloy plates. Each plate was pockmarked with dents that glinted coldly under the white lights.
"An Energy Diffusion Array Map." A hoarse voice came from behind them. "Those dents disperse the impact of energy weapons across the entire wall, increasing its damage tolerance at any single point by twenty times."
The Lieutenant Level officer strode forward, his military boots clanging crisply against the metal floor.
"Welcome to Zone 11, recruits. I’m Lieutenant Huo Shan, and I’m in charge of your basic training. For the next two months, you will learn how to survive here—and adapt to this planet’s environment."
Huo Shan led them through a narrow corridor. The walls on either side were riddled with tiny holes. "Be careful not to touch the walls," Huo Shan warned. "It’s a laser defense grid. It can slice anyone who makes unauthorized contact into mincemeat in under three seconds."
Ning Xuan lowered the hand she had just raised, keeping to the center of the corridor. She could feel Wang Qing doing the same behind her.
