Sky-cracking Rider

Many supply crates filled a corner of the barn, enough to sustain Adrian and his team for an entire year on the Siberian tundra.

The "Bear Hunting Special Operations Division" had assigned Team 04 to this now-abandoned farm, primarily because the barn, still solid and intact, could help them withstand the cold currents of the Siberian tundra to some extent, preventing them from freezing into human-shaped popsicles overnight.

If they were indeed annihilated without combat, it would be an unforgivable act of stupidity, and liaison officer Rossi would likely not escape the fate of being sacrificed.

Despite unexpectedly receiving a batch of "gifts," Chen Fei ultimately chose to absorb these irregularly specified magnetic plasma engines.

While these engines were highly efficient, their actual thrust was quite limited, and there weren't many situations where they could be used within the atmosphere; they were still best suited for use outside the atmosphere.

Babylon probably collected these rare magnetic plasma engines, mostly intending for Chen Fei to use the "sacrifice" skill, which might come in handy in the future or perhaps because of his mechanical repair skills, preparing to lend him the repair of these special engines.

It seemed that Habulav's side would not just let go of an industrial-grade metal ability user with control power reaching an A-level rating. A-class ability users were rare, let alone A-class metal ability users suitable for the industrial field.

He... Tui!

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee was even darker than capitalists, and not even production team donkeys were driven this hard; behind so-called multitasking lies naked exploitative intent.

As for what exactly was going on, it appeared he would have to wait until he had a chance to return to Habulav to ask and understand better.

The crystalline block that trustee Franco from a special department of the Joint Defense Committee had been trying to trace was now safely stored inside Adrian's space system alchemy storage artifact. However, it had been a bit of a hassle, and thanks to Team 18's captain Moron, who had secretly helped, it was successfully smuggled out of Habulav.

During the two days Team 04 freely roamed Mount Kumgang, Adrian had picked up the crystalline block entrusted to a department store by Team 18.

However, at this moment, some people were intently watching Chen Fei, who had suddenly run from Mount Kumgang to Han River City.

They had thought they would discover something, yet this guy genuinely went only to catch up with old colleagues and did nothing else, leaving those secretly shadowing him to end up completely empty-handed, venting their frustration on a group of troublemaking thugs, hanging them up one by one for harsh interrogation, to confirm whether they were indeed the so-called contacts.

They definitely were not!

The senseless beatings were unquestionably in vain; after the brutal beatings, they handed them over to local justice—criminals transferred by the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee were handled strictly: those who should be in prison were, and those who were assigned to labor camps, went. Even those with the lightest punishments wouldn't return for ten to eight years.

Once the fully charged crystalline block was placed into the mobile base vehicle brought from miles away, the endurance of Team 04 on the Siberian tundra was immediately secured. Although Adrian still had another spare crystalline block in hand, the ownership still belonged to the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, which was entirely different from the one Chen Fei had found and hidden. Without solid evidence, Franco had no authority to order the forceful surrender of the unverified crystalline block; protocols are protocols, rumors can initiate actions but can't justify them, or else serious troubles ensue.

Not only was the Crystalline Block that Chen Fei found his personal spoils of war, the unwritten rule that it should not be surrendered was non-negotiable, but it also concerned the survival of all members of Team 04. From the beginning, Adrian had taken this matter very seriously, never loosening his grip so that the Crystalline Block would be turned in for a trivial commendation or meager reward. All members of Team 04 reached a unanimous consensus, forcing Franco to ultimately find no breakthrough point and he could only sigh in disappointment.

After loading up with sufficient supplies, all members of Team 04 boarded the Mobile Base Vehicle and plunged into the heavy snow that filled the sky.

The abandoned farm was in a very remote location, with the nearest town over a hundred kilometers away. Even without anyone to guard it, no one would pass by or deliberately go there amidst the heavy snow.

Moreover, from a distance, one could only see a dilapidated barn, making it hard to imagine that inside was a two-story building fit for habitation, with corners piled full of living supplies.

The sky was gloomy, and the wind howled. Looking around, there was nothing but an endless, boundless expanse.

The temperature outside the vehicle had dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius. If a cup of water were placed outside, it would probably freeze in an instant.

However, the temperature inside the carriage maintained around 20 degrees Celsius. The people of Team 04, dressed only in thin clothing, were leisurely holding steaming tea or coffee, watching the scenery outside the windows without any need for vigilance. The artificial intelligence AI "Adam" was diligently driving various detection modules, constantly scanning for any movement within several kilometers.

The visibility outside the windshield was not even five meters, relying solely on sensors to scan and determine the route ahead, projecting the terrain data onto the windshield in the form of line contours. Although it was not a real scene, it was enough to serve as a crucial reference for driving operations.

Thanks to satellite-assisted navigation, there was no fear of getting lost in the snow. Aside from avoiding deep ditches and large trees, the Mobile Base Vehicle charged forward without any concerns, like a locomotive racing across the tundra, sweeping up countless snowflakes scattering with the wind.

In such weather conditions, rivers were frozen solid. No bridges were needed; the thick ice layers of the rivers served as bridges. The Mobile Base Vehicle, reduced in weight by the "Gravity Adjustment Module," crossed the rivers effortlessly. The vast tundra was strong enough to support the full weight of the Mobile Base Vehicle.

It was fortunate that Team 04's station was on the Siberian Tundra, where the Mobile Base Vehicle could roam freely. If it were in the tropical rainforests of South America, it might immediately get caught in the dense forests, becoming immobile and a mere decoration, completely useless in combat.

"Tweet!"

Little Bird stood on the steering wheel, bouncing right in front of Chen Fei's eyes.

The harsh climate of Siberia was not too kind to the little guy; as soon as the cold wind blew, it would immediately start shivering and involuntarily put up a Light-based Magic Shield, so it could not stay outside for long.

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Six hours after leaving the abandoned farm, Chen Fei once again checked the coordinates from the satellite navigation and slowly brought the Mobile Base Vehicle to a stop.

Turning to everyone in the carriage, he said, "Everyone, we have arrived."

Heavy snow swept across the entire Tunguska Region, covering river valleys and tree plains in a vast white blanket, with snow accumulating more than a foot deep in the deepest areas.

Although the current satellite coordinates were precisely where the mission was designated, the thick snow outside made it difficult to discern the actual situation beneath the snow layer.

Adrian, who had been napping, opened his eyes and looked out of the vehicle's window, puzzled, "Have we arrived? It's all snow outside! Which place exactly is it?"

The falling snow showed no signs of stopping; it danced in the fierce wind midway in the air, swirling up, then down, left, then right... dispersing and gathering intermittently.
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"How about a wave of magic!" said Joshua, a Grade A Psychic Ability User and Puppet Master, with a chuckle.

Besides the snow, there was temporarily nothing else to be seen.

He decided to only deploy the Constructed Puppet Warrior while he stayed inside the Mobile Base Vehicle to remote control it, reasoning that stepping outside in such snow and wind would likely freeze him solid instantly.

"It seems like a good idea, a fire in the winter to warm up the surroundings!"

Ruan Tiankai, a Ninth Rank Earth Mage by profession, immediately expressed his agreement.

Since there was no worry about starting a fire, he suggested they warm up the area with a blast, and then everyone could go out.

After staying in the warm, spring-like vehicle for a while, the sight of the cold environment outside immediately induced an involuntary resistance.

"Let's give it a try, Adrian—it's way too cold outside,"

Susanna, although a B Grade Ice Ability User, didn't necessarily enjoy being in the ice.

The natural awakening of special abilities never decides their attribute based on a person's preferences.

"Alright, okay!"

Adrian Benjamin, a First Rank Fire Mage, sighed and began rapidly chanting an incantation.

In the chaotic snowy sky, numerous fist-sized fireballs fell from the sky, exploding on the thick snow and creating several charred, large holes. The temperature in the immediate area almost reached zero degrees Celsius.

The door of the Mobile Base Vehicle bulged outwards, then slowly slid open.

A gust of cold air immediately rushed in, causing everyone inside the vehicle to shiver collectively and clumsily search for their coats or other warm clothing—if one wasn't enough, they wore two.

"Damn, close the door! Close the door!"

The door closed again, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The piercing cold of the Siberian tundra was beyond everyone's imagination; the current outside temperature had dropped to minus 41 degrees Celsius. It wasn't just unbearable for humans; even ghosts would half-freeze to death.

"Chirp!"

Little Bird flapped its wings and escaped back to its nest, refusing to come out from inside.

Its nest was lined with a heating pad, maintaining the temperature inside. Next to it was a ceramic heating bulb, continuously emitting invisible infrared rays, creating a local warm area impervious to the cold winds.

Ten minutes later, Team 04 members geared up completely and cautiously jumped out of the vehicle.

Unexpectedly, the first one who disembarked landed face down, the second ended up supine, the third jumped and fell like a tiger, the fifth crouched bottom down, and the sixth... none managed to disembark smoothly and steadily.

The blame fell on Adrian's magic, which rendered the ground muddy after melting the snow—a step on it was extremely slippery and immediately led to instability.

However, after the magic bombardment, the melting snow nearby revealed some hints of something resembling a collapsed hut.

The roof was completely gone, leaving only three crumbling thick brick walls and remains of window frames; not a single intact pane of glass was left.

Relying on a Single-toothed Long Halberd to barely stabilize, the Neanderthal Chief, who did not fall as disgracefully as the others, sniffed and sparingly said, "There's blood."

A full-powered Fourth Rank Human Order spell "Falling Star Flame" by Adrian revealed much about this place.

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