Lin Sanjiu quickly discovered that Yu Yuan's glass cup couldn't be stored away.
The glass cup-like item seemed to automatically lock into an active state once triggered, remaining so until its original owner deactivated it. Lin Sanjiu had encountered similar mechanisms in other Special Items before, primarily designed to prevent their effects from being neutralized internally.
Not being able to kill the short man was one thing, but this also meant that everything on him was isolated along with him. Seeing but not being able to touch was undeniably irritating.
"Silas," she said, circling the glass cup twice while watching the swirling white smoke within. "Set Exodus to full speed and report immediately if any flying objects approach."
Both Yu Yuan and Ji Shanqing were Veda, so there was always a chance they might find a way to catch up. Lin Sanjiu had no desire to antagonize the Veda, nor did she want to get tangled in their chaotic mess of saving NPCs or uncovering the shadowy organization. With her strength, resources, and abilities, she could thrive anywhere. Why burden herself with unnecessary trouble?
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"Yes," replied the soft female voice of Silas. "Please input a destination into the system or switch to manual control."
This reminded Lin Sanjiu of a challenge—she was a stranger in the world Cloudwalk Heights and had no idea where she should go.
"One of the previously authorized users, Yu Yuan, added a complete map of this world to the system," Silas continued, its tone calm and clear. After passing through Yu Yuan's hands, it seemed to be much smarter. "Please access it via the navigation interface."
Lin Sanjiu glanced at the glass cup. The white smoke—an effect of the short man's ability—was already beginning to dissipate, even while contained. "Stay here," she told him. "I'll be back soon."
From within the thinning smoke, the only response was the man's faint, labored breathing.
As one of the Twelve Worlds, Cloudwalk Heights naturally wouldn't escape the Veda's comprehensive surveillance. Yu Yuan hadn't only uploaded the map of the entire world but had also included key apocalyptic data, the locations of facilities, organizational structures, cultural practices, historical events, and more—a treasure trove of encyclopedic information. It even included near-useless data like, "Best military occupation points if attacking this world."
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Lin Sanjiu wasn't particularly worried about being tracked down by those two. Not to mention Yu Yuan, Ji Shanqing's feelings for her alone likely wouldn't allow him to so much as harm a hair on her head. Still, avoiding a reunion altogether would be preferable. One wanted to reclaim lost emotions and the other sought the whereabouts of the disappeared. What did any of that have to do with her? Was her purpose in life to be at everyone else's beck and call?
If she needed their help in the future, she could always reach out to them.
"This place will do," Lin Sanjiu muttered after carefully examining the map. She quickly made her decision. "Set a course for Old Sea's Crest."
"Target location is close to the smog layer. Confirm?" Silas's enhanced capabilities were evident—its ability to analyze and react to new worlds was leagues beyond what any traditional human-era spacecraft operating system could achieve.
"Confirm," Lin Sanjiu replied through gritted teeth. "The ship has to hide somewhere remote."
The smog, thick and heavy like mercury pressing on the ground, was the apocalyptic factor of this world. Acting like an impenetrable sheet of thick plastic, it suffocated the planet's surface, causing human civilization to collapse within a short period.
The smog contained a deadly mix of dust, toxins, pollutants, and microplastics. It was said that even a healthy ordinary person would succumb to it in mere days. Beyond that, the smog also wiped out agriculture, livestock, clean water, and all other essentials humans relied on for survival.
However, a world uninhabitable for ordinary humans was merely classified as D-grade for posthumans. For those with heightened abilities, survival was possible by simply elevating their ground level above the smog. The layer wasn't even particularly high. At altitudes above 300 meters, the smog began to thin, and above 350 meters, it posed virtually no health threat. ℞ãΝÒ𝔟È𝐒
According to limited historical records of this world, posthumans who came here to pioneer spent far more effort figuring out how to create elevated living spaces—using skyscrapers, mountains, or other structures—than they did surviving the smog itself.
With her destination set and no aerial pursuers in sight, Lin Sanjiu exhaled, propping her feet up on the control panel. For once, she had a moment of peace. The screen displayed an ever-changing view of the smog-blanketed ground below, tinted lead gray, as well as the sprawling, interconnected human living zones suspended mid-air. The scenes were both spectacular and strange. Some structures stretched the boundaries of human imagination, leaving her momentarily captivated.
Like all the Twelve Worlds, Cloudwalk Heights wasn't built on a whim or by decree. It had taken nearly a century of gradual development by countless posthumans, each with their own ideas and motives, shaping the world piece by piece.
Near the Giant Gathering, where she had just left, the structures were tiered and standard, like massive shelving units that humans lived inside. But the region she now passed was vastly different. Beneath the smog, mountains loomed faintly. Massive trees, their trunks as wide as highways, pierced through the gray haze. Their colossal branches interwove, inexplicably merging into one another.
Between these branches were artificial lands of various colors and textures. Vehicles and aircraft darted through the spaces between the branches and the artificial grounds. From afar, the view resembled a three-dimensional palace of vibrant, intricate mosaic tiles. Even Lin Sanjiu, in her current state, couldn't help but feel a flicker of appreciation.
During her time in the memory pocket dimension, she had once been struck by a thought: If anything in the world was worth living for, it was beauty.
It was an inexplicably strange notion.
Rising to her feet, she called for a single-passenger hover pod. On her way back to the docking bay, her mind replayed the image of the black sea pressing down from the horizon within the memory pocket dimension. The feeling was difficult to articulate, like a layer of something elusive and intangible, resting beyond the satisfaction of desires or the thrill of power. She couldn't put it into words.
She deliberately suppressed the urge to think about what memories might have been altered within her.
When she returned to the docking bay, the short man inside the glass cup had regained some strength and appeared to have made up his mind.
"My name is Pete," he declared loudly as soon as he saw her, not waiting for her to approach. "I'm the fifth investee of the Shark Nexus. The powerful items you've seen are part of my investment. My movements are closely monitored by the Shark Nexus, and I have to submit regular progress reports. You can't kill me. If you do, they'll come straight to your doorstep."
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