Chapter 58 – Kaldor

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

After Lin Haifeng finished speaking, he offered no further explanation. He simply put on his coat and headed outside.

At the door, two of Lin Haifeng's personal guards immediately saluted when they saw him emerge.

Lin Haifeng turned and said a few words to one of the guards, who was at Peak Level 3. Only then did he lead Wen Yu downstairs and out of the Military Headquarters building.

Outside, Lin Haifeng's personal vehicle and driver were already waiting by the entrance.

"Coming with me?"

"No, I'll drive myself."

Lin Haifeng nodded.

"Then stay close. It's a bit of a drive."

…

When Lin Haifeng said it was a bit of a drive, he had not been exaggerating.

The two cars traveled one behind the other for a full three hours. Only after leaving the boundaries of the Yanjing Settlement did they finally slow to a stop outside a massive industrial complex.

When Lin Haifeng got out, Wen Yu followed suit.

"This is the place."

Lin Haifeng pointed at the enormous factory building ahead of them as he spoke.

Wen Yu surveyed the area. The factory's exterior walls were brand-new, as though the place had been built after the Apocalypse began. What puzzled him, however, was the complete lack of any sign that people came and went from the facility.

Noticing Wen Yu's confusion, Lin Haifeng smiled.

"Follow me."

With that, Lin Haifeng walked toward the factory entrance.

…

The moment Lin Haifeng reached the doors, something resembling a security camera popped out from between them. Beams of red light swept over his body.

A moment later, two electronic beeps sounded. The factory doors opened automatically, revealing a pitch-black passage beyond.

"Construction on the outer section of this complex was only completed recently, and everything inside is highly classified. That's why I haven't stationed a large force here."

"For one thing, we were pressed for time. For another, we didn't want to attract attention. And third, the Military is stretched thin as it is…"

"We do have an elite squad stationed here, though. They're the finest team in the entire Military."

"You've met their Captain before."

Wen Yu nodded at Lin Haifeng's explanation.

"Fang Wenhai, right?"

"That's right. Fang Wenhai's squad also took part in last night's operation to clear out the Central District. I formed their unit after the Apocalypse began. It's an integrated combat force combining Class Holders with modern equipment. Ever since we discovered this Treasure Land a week ago, his squad has been guarding it. They also enter the Treasure Land to carry out missions."

Wen Yu nodded in understanding.

"What kind of missions?"

Lin Haifeng said nothing. He simply took the lead and entered the dark passage.

…

The passage was not long. After walking for less than a minute, they reached the other end.

A row of soldiers stood guard at the passage's exit. The moment Lin Haifeng entered, they snapped to attention and saluted.

Wen Yu studied their uniforms. They were identical to Fang Wenhai's, which meant these men were probably members of the special unit Lin Haifeng had mentioned.

Wen Yu followed Lin Haifeng into the factory's interior, and the scene inside came into view.

The first thing to catch his eye was naturally the massive Treasure Land entrance standing at the very center of the factory. It was nearly thirty meters tall, its silvery-white light constantly flowing and shifting.

Aside from that, the factory was completely empty…

Yet the moment Wen Yu saw the Treasure Land entrance, he frowned.

"This Treasure Land entrance is a little small."

And it really was. Judging by the entrance's scale, it was nowhere near large enough to qualify as a Super Treasure Land. At best, it could barely be considered a large Treasure Land.

At Wen Yu's remark, Lin Haifeng merely shrugged.

"The Treasure Land entrance is just that: an entrance. The Treasure Land Guardian inside is quite interesting, actually. When it first opened, the entrance was nearly two hundred meters in diameter. It practically towered into the clouds!"

"Then we sent some experts to negotiate with the Treasure Land Guardian."

"Guess what happened?"

Lin Haifeng smiled at Wen Yu.

"Two barbecue dinners and two bottles of Wuliangye1 were all it took for the Treasure Land Guardian to start telling us everything."

"Getting him to shrink the entrance was a trivial matter."

At Lin Haifeng's words, Wen Yu gave the Treasure Land entrance a curious look.

Lin Haifeng continued, "Based on our observations, these Treasure Land Guardians are likely survivors from worlds previously destroyed by the Demon Race. Since they're living beings, they have desires. That means they can be reasoned with and made use of."

"We've gotten quite a bit of information out of this Treasure Land Guardian."

"Come on. Let's head inside first."

With that, Lin Haifeng walked up to the Treasure Land entrance. A flash of Silver Light swept over him, and he vanished.

Wen Yu followed him into the Treasure Land.

…

The familiar Stun washed over Wen Yu, but he shook it off in less than a second.

He looked around and was startled by what he saw.

Standing before him was a small city constructed entirely from Steel!

The city had a highly efficient layout, with a castle-like structure at its very center.

The Treasure Land entrance had opened beside the city wall.

Lin Haifeng explained from beside him, "This city was already part of the Treasure Land. It provides the Class Holders who enter with shelter and a place to gather."

"The Military calls this place the Outpost."

…

White light flashed in front of Wen Yu, and a strange-looking Black-Robed Man appeared before him.

The man first performed an unusual salute toward Lin Haifeng, then turned his pitch-black eyes toward Wen Yu.

"Greetings, Sequence 2. I am this Treasure Land's Treasure Land Guardian, designation number fifty-six. You may call me Kaldor!"

Wen Yu nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Lin Haifeng said, "I brought Sequence 2 here, so I'll explain the Treasure Land's rules and mission to him. There's no need to trouble yourself."

His tone was very polite.

At that, Kaldor nodded and gave Wen Yu a friendly smile before vanishing.

Wen Yu stared at the spot where Kaldor had been for a long moment before finally asking, "What type of Guardian is he?"

Wen Yu had only met two Guardians before: Alkada and the Fourth Prince.

Alkada was a spoiled brat, while the Fourth Prince was, in Wen Yu's estimation, an utterly deranged bastard.

Lin Haifeng smiled at the question. "According to our psychologists' assessment, Kaldor is the friendly type. He's actually quite pleasant. He may look a little strange, but mentally, he's rather immature."

Wen Yu nodded.

"Then this Treasure Land shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"No. In fact, the difficulty of this Treasure Land can only be described as terrifying!"

Lin Haifeng said nothing more. He simply led Wen Yu toward the castle-like structure at the center of the city, explaining as they walked, "I'll go over the situation here with you in a moment. First, we're heading to the castle. That's where our combat command center is located, along with a branch of the Academy of Sciences."