Chapter 3: Settling into the Territory

The bus arrived at New Land at 12:10 PM. The territory district management personnel were quick to arrive.

“Miss Ruan, I am Zhang Ci, the District Supervisor for the Southeast District of New Land. Territories 1 through 40 fall under my jurisdiction,” the man, who appeared to be in his forties, said. He was lean and had a hoarse voice.

“On the night of the 4th, three mutated crocodiles attacked Territories 31, 32, and 33. Three Territory Lords, including your father, were tragically killed. Because the crocodiles carried significant amounts of Dark Uranium Element and pathogens, on the instructions of the Disease Control Center, we conducted on-site cremation of your father’s remains immediately.”

The incident occurred on the 4th. Today was the 12th. Ruan Ming had received the notification only the previous night and had rushed over first thing this morning. A full eight days had passed in between.

As for Zhang Ci’s explanation about the cremation of Ruan Feng’s body—no ashes, no last words, just a “per instructions from higher-ups”—Ruan Ming was certainly not naive enough to believe there were no issues. But even if she suspected something was wrong, what could she do? Who could prove that Ruan Feng and the other two Territory Lords hadn’t been killed by the mutated crocodiles?

Unable to see Ruan Ming’s expression through the reflective mask, Zhang Ci simply offered a brief “My condolences,” then invited her to get into his vehicle.

“Territory 32 covers a total area of five thousand five hundred mu,” Zhang Ci explained as he drove. “However, only a few hundred mu are actually suitable for farming. The rest is taken up by the several mountains at the back. The decision was made then because those mountains are interconnected; it was hard to divide them, so they were all included together. From here, it’s a few minutes’ drive to the entrance. I’ll drive around and show you the landmarks along the way.”

Saying this, he moved to help Ruan Ming with her luggage. Ruan Ming refused.

“Thank you, but I’m a C-Rank Strength Esper. I can manage this weight myself.”

She didn’t like to trouble others, and she also wanted to use this opportunity to subtly reveal her Ability status. If anyone had designs on her, they’d have to weigh their own strength first.

With that, she lifted the two duffel bags, one in each hand, effortlessly hoisting nearly two hundred jin of weight into the vehicle bed. Zhang Ci couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. He doubted he could even lift those two large bags himself.

Once in the car, he diligently introduced the territory’s situation.

“Your father lived here for three years. During that time, he never reported any dangerous incidents. It seems quite safe. However, there are dense forests on the mountain. It’s impossible to guarantee that wild beasts haven’t migrated back during this period. Even though you are an Esper, you should still be cautious. Report any unusual movements promptly.”

Ruan Ming nodded, her gaze passing through the window to the distance. The mountain at the very back of the territory seemed terrifyingly high.

Zhang Ci continued, “The mountain at the very back borders Lethe Marsh. There are hundreds of mutated crocodiles in the marsh. However, the back face of the mountain is a cliff. They can’t climb up. The previous incident happened because a northern embankment was breached by floodwaters, allowing them to slip through. It’s been repaired now, so don’t worry.”

“The small courtyard built along the base of the mountain is the shelter your father built. Unfortunately, the doors and windows were damaged by the mutated animals. You’ll need to take care of that before you move in. The land is planted with cacti. In a few months, they’ll be ready to harvest the fruit. Special personnel will come down to purchase them then.”

“All the other reclaimed land was planted with Purification Grass. After the recent bouts of Acid Rain and Plague Rain, it seems it’s all been contaminated. Once you’ve handled other matters, you’ll need to clean the land promptly and plant new grass seeds. Let me know how many seeds you need, and I’ll arrange it.”

Purification Grass had the function of cleansing the soil. The currently researched variety could generally withstand about twenty Plague Rains. Once contaminated, it had to be uprooted and replanted.

Hearing this, Ruan Ming frowned slightly and asked, “Aside from Purification Grass and cacti, can Territory 32 plant other crops?”

Zhang Ci shook his head. “According to the last soil test, the land in Territory 32 is currently unsuitable for other crops, unless you can improve the soil. But it’s been half a year since that last test. The next soil sampling is scheduled for the beginning of next month. Just clear the land first and we’ll see what the test results show.”

Ruan Ming nodded. “Thank you, Supervisor Zhang.”

“You’re welcome. Also, the radio has an agriculture and farming segment from 7 to 8 PM every evening. You can tune in regularly; it might be helpful to you.”

The pickup truck reached the base of the mountain where the road ended and had to turn back, driving to the territory entrance.

Zhang Ci asked her, “Do you have a communication wristband? Let’s add contact information.”

Ruan Ming took out her wristband and let him scan her code before getting out of the truck. After she had unloaded her luggage, Zhang Ci stuck his head out the window and waved at her:

“Miss Ruan, beyond the Safe Zone, danger lurks everywhere. Although New Land has a Patrol Team, their numbers are limited, and they cannot cover every aspect of security. Your personal safety and property protection rely mainly on yourself. I’ll send you the ‘Territory Management Regulations’ shortly. Please read them carefully.”

Ruan Ming nodded. “Understood. Thank you for the warning, Supervisor Zhang.”

With that, she hoisted the two bags onto her back and headed toward the courtyard at the mountain’s base.

From the territory entrance to the shelter, a path wide enough for vehicles had been cleared. Both sides of the road were planted with Purification Grass. But looking at the dark green serrated edges growing from the leaves, it was clear they had all been contaminated.

Ruan Ming carried the two heavy bags without feeling the slightest burden. She walked quickly, reaching the courtyard gate within minutes. She stopped when she saw the large hole smashed through the gate.

I must find a way to uncover the truth of what happened on the night of the 4th! she told herself.

The courtyard wasn’t large, but its layout was compact. Lining one side were the kitchen, a main hall, and her father’s former bedroom. The bedroom window hung precariously from its frame. Tables and chairs were toppled over, and belongings were scattered everywhere.

She turned and went upstairs. The second floor was a small half-story with just a single room. The room’s door and windows were fitted with sealing strips. Above the window was a ventilation hole, holding a cylindrical box—a homemade air filtration device. In each of the four corners stood wooden boxes filled with activated charcoal, useful for absorbing various harmful gases and odors, provided it was replaced regularly to maintain effectiveness.

The bed, the bedding, the table, and chair… everything was brand new, showing no signs of use. The beige sheets and covers looked exceptionally warm and cozy. On the desktop sat a photo frame, holding her picture.

Last month, her father, who rarely contacted her, had sent a message saying he wanted to bring her to the territory to stay for a while. Her resignation process required some time for paperwork, so she had delayed. She just never imagined that by the time the paperwork was settled, her father would have passed away.

Ruan Ming took off her protective mask, revealing a soft, beautiful face. And a pair of reddened eyes.

She leaned against a low stool by the bed, covered her face with her hands, and let tears stream down through her fingers. After sitting like that for over ten minutes, her emotions gradually stabilized.

She then took off the heavy protective suit. Going downstairs to fetch some water, she carefully cleaned the room once over. Then she lugged the bag containing her personal effects upstairs and meticulously put everything in its place. After all that was done, her stomach began to growl.

The kitchen was very clean. There was some oil and salt, but no staple food. The cupboards had been swept completely clean. The only things left on the counter were a few Fairy Peaches.

Fairy Peaches were the fruit produced by the cacti outside, classified as Edible Food. But their texture was terrible. The seeds filled the entire flesh, densely packed and hard as stone. Eating them risked chipping a tooth, so you had to swallow the seeds whole along with the pulp. But Fairy Peaches could fill the stomach and were also the raw material for making Nutrient Solution.

Despite its awful taste, the variety itself was hard to come by. Ordinary cacti simply couldn’t survive on this severely radiation-contaminated and polluted land, much less endure the winter temperatures of minus twenty degrees Celsius. Even if they survived, they might not bear healthy fruit.

The cacti currently planted in the territories were a variety that Ye Jianggui, the Director of Base One’s Lab 1, had spent years of painstaking effort developing. This strain could grow in the wasteland and produce edible Fairy Peaches even when ravaged by Plague Rain and Acid Rain.

Unfortunately, the large, tender cactus pads absorbed radiation and mostly became contaminated and unusable. Unless the soil problem could be solved. But if the soil could be improved, people could plant other crops; no one would bother planting cacti anymore.

Since it was food, no matter how bad it tasted, Ruan Ming had no grounds to be picky. Most of her rations in the Safe Zone had also been dried Fairy Peaches or Nutrient Solution.

But now, out of the Safe Zone, with such a vast stretch of land before her, she was unwilling to keep gnawing on this dry, tasteless stuff.

I must find a way to solve the soil issue and grow crops. If that doesn’t work, I’ll build a greenhouse and buy healthy soil for indoor cultivation, just like inside the Safe Zone.

Having set a goal, Ruan Ming felt instantly filled with fighting spirit. After somewhat taking the edge off her hunger, she tidied up the courtyard inside and out. Then she fetched a toolbox and fixed the broken doors and windows. After all that work, she went for a walk around the fields to survey her territory.

According to the Territory Lord documentation, the land covered an area of 5,500 mu, with 500 mu designated as arable. Regulations required that a minimum of 10% must be cultivated. The sixty mu of farmland her father had reclaimed consisted of fifty mu planted with cacti and the remaining ten mu with Purification Grass.

Purification Grass was also a project developed by the Lab 1 team led by Ye Jianggui. When planted in contaminated and irradiated land, three to five years later, the soil would improve significantly, potentially becoming suitable for other crops. But after a round of Plague Rain, all this Purification Grass had undergone Mutation.

Tomorrow, I’ll figure out how to clear the weeds first.

There was still water in the household water tank. She used a detector to check the quality: C-Rank. The water was pumped up from a well behind the house. It looked like a well left over from the Old Era, and miraculously, it hadn’t dried up.

Filtered through a three-stage filter cartridge, this water was barely suitable for general use. If needed for drinking, she’d have to use a Level-2 or higher filter cartridge, then boil it. Ruan Ming had brought a Level-2 filter cartridge with her. She filtered a large bucket and lit a fire to boil the water.

It hadn’t been very sunny today; the Storage Battery connected to the solar panels needed saving, so the kitchen required using firewood.

Watching the bubbling water on the stove, she felt a little dazed. Just last night, she’d been squeezed in, unable to turn around, with her uncle’s family. In just a single day, she now possessed this vast expanse of land and such a spacious courtyard.

No crowded crowds, no stench of unwashed bodies, no ever-present prying eyes… For a moment, the comfort was so great it felt almost alien.

This… this is the taste of freedom.

Once having tasted this flavor, even if thousands of mutated crocodiles were at the door right now, she wouldn’t necessarily choose to turn back toward the Safe Zone. The price of freedom was danger, she knew that.

After rehydrating and swallowing two tasteless Fairy Peaches, she heated a large pot of water, mixed it with cool water, and enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying bath before heading upstairs to sleep.

The territory was incredibly quiet, as if the entire world was in slumber. Only the sounds of insects and frogs echoed from the mountains and wilderness.

Lying on the soft bed, stretching her limbs out fully for the first time, Ruan Ming listened to the intermittent broadcast on the radio and drifted off into a drowsy sleep.