Eastern Region, Old Day City.
After a long wait, their flight finally landed at Old Day City Airport. This was Feng Qi's first visit to Old Day City. In the previous timeline, during a critical escort mission, he had led the Dawn Combat Squad straight to the eastern supply zone without entering the city itself.
Stepping off the plane, the clear blue sky greeted him. The environment of Old Day City was the most habitable among the five major cities in the Eastern Region. With its coastal proximity, the city boasted beautiful scenery and a mild, tropical climate. It was known for its tropical fruits, fresh seafood, and unique charm.
However, sightseeing was not on Feng Qi or the Mist Lord's agenda this time. Their destination lay in the eastern supply zone, away from the bustling city. After waiting for about an hour and a half in the terminal, they boarded a flight heading toward the Old Day Eastern Supply Zone.
Old Day City hosted two primary frontline supply zones. The first was located to the north, and the second lay east, closer to the sea. These zones were established to counter the ever-present threats of domain field expansion from both the northern territories and the ocean.
According to intelligence gathered from Hui Xu, Feng Qi knew that a significant domain infiltration force operated within this region. The Psionic Race—the shadowy force behind the Institute of Technological Research—was active here. This revelation planted a seed of an idea in Feng Qi's mind: if the Mist Lord could truly grow his influence here, perhaps they could provoke a conflict with the Psionic Race. A direct clash could not only weaken the Psionic Race but also yield critical intelligence about their secrets.
Among these secrets, Feng Qi was particularly interested in their miracle artifact, the Sacred Spirit Consciousness Repository. If humanity could claim this artifact, their potential for future development would soar to new heights. The plans against the Psionic Race were also part of a broader strategy to pave the way for another version of himself.
Of course, this all hinged on the Mist Lord's growth rate. Turning his gaze to the Mist Lord, seated next to him, Feng Qi noticed the slight confusion in his companion's expression upon meeting his eyes.
After a half-hour flight, the plane touched down at the Eastern Supply Zone Airport. Feng Qi and the Mist Lord disembarked, joining a crowd of returning frontline soldiers. These fighters, having enjoyed brief family visits, now faced the grim reality of returning to the unforgiving battlefield.
Referring to a map, Feng Qi quickly pinpointed the recruitment center's location and led the Mist Lord down a paved road in its direction. The Mist Lord, meanwhile, curiously observed his surroundings.
The airport's surroundings featured neatly planted coconut and banana trees. Above, the azure sky hosted countless seagulls, their cries blending with the rhythmic sound of waves. To the east, the vast ocean shimmered, with tides crashing against the golden sands.
"This place feels like a completely different world compared to Winterfell City," the Mist Lord remarked.
Feng Qi chuckled at the comment. "Are there no seasons in your world?"
"Of course not. Each domain field is fixed in its environment, without any seasonal changes," the Mist Lord replied matter-of-factly.
"I see. I wonder what kind of environment my own people lived in," Feng Qi mused aloud.
Their casual conversation continued as they followed the asphalt road. After walking for about an hour, a towering building came into view. The recruitment hall in Old Day City was an architectural marvel, resembling a giant roc bird spreading its wings in flight.
Once inside, they took a number and waited. The process to register as domain warriors was straightforward. At the service counters, scanning devices verified the applicants' identities. Once the scans were complete, the registration process was largely automated. However, completing registration didn't mean immediate enlistment. The staff would manually review each applicant's records, including their academic background, recent health reports, and combat qualifications.
This thorough screening was necessary to weed out overly ambitious individuals who lacked the skills or training for frontline combat. Many of these hopefuls, having no real cultivation experience, would only become liabilities in the field. Such applications were routinely rejected.
For those who passed the initial review, their information was forwarded to combat squads seeking new recruits. However, top-tier academies or individuals with notable strength or potential were usually prioritized. Unfortunately, latecomers or self-taught cultivators rarely attracted interest from established squads.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord had no intention of going through this standard process. Instead, they planned to form their own domain combat squad, bypassing the selection phase entirely.
As they waited, the hall's announcement system came alive: "Number 2352, please proceed to counter three."
Hearing this, Feng Qi rose and approached the counter. A green light scanned his body as his details appeared on the clerk's screen. The first line of information caught the clerk's attention: Recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Award. The clerk's surprise was evident as they glanced at Feng Qi.
After a moment's hesitation, the clerk clicked "Register" without further questions. Smiling politely, they informed Feng Qi, "Your registration is complete."
With a nod, Feng Qi stepped aside. It was now the Mist Lord's turn. As the scanner swept over him, the clerk's expression quickly turned to confusion.
"Fang Qi, weren't you registered as a frontline warrior at Winterfell Supply Zone three years ago? All warrior information is interconnected. There's no need to re-register here," the clerk explained.
The Mist Lord immediately nodded with an apologetic smile. "Ah, my mistake. I didn't realize. Thank you for clarifying."
Watching the Mist Lord's feigned humility, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel amused.
From Winterfell City's diligent laborer to now, the Mist Lord had finally grasped the nuances of being human. He had even learned basic manners.
Of course, he hadn't skipped over learning bad habits either. During his time working in Winterfell City, the Mist Lord picked up a colorful vocabulary from his coworkers, a collection of local "classics." If a disagreement arose, or someone got on his nerves, he could dish out fluent, sharp-tongued retorts without hesitation.
After completing the registration process, they followed the staff's instructions to the west wing of the recruitment hall. There, rows of screens were mounted on the walls.
Standing in front of one of the screens, the facial recognition scanner activated, and options appeared on the display:
[Learn About Domain Combat Squad Regulations]
[Create a Domain Combat Squad]
[Details on Accepting Domain Combat Squad Missions]
…
There were a total of eight options.
Since they had thoroughly studied the domain squad system before arriving in Old Day City, they immediately selected "Create a Domain Combat Squad." The screen transitioned to a new interface with text fields and a section for the squad's introduction.
After filling in the necessary information, the Mist Lord turned to Feng Qi.
"What should we name our squad?"
"Does it even matter?" Feng Qi replied nonchalantly.
"Good point. The squad is just a stepping stone for our growth," the Mist Lord agreed. He turned back to the screen, quickly typing something before pressing confirm.
Once the system completed its verification process, a squad name appeared on the screen. Feng Qi glanced at it and felt a pang of embarrassment.
While the squad's name wasn't critical, he hadn't expected the Mist Lord to be so casual. He had named it "Steel Mill No. 8," after the factory where he had once worked.
The squad was officially formed, and Feng Qi decided not to bother debating the name.
The interface shifted to a screen for designing their squad banner. On the left, various design tools appeared—paintbrushes, color-fill options, and more.
Without much thought for the banner, they skipped this step.
Next, Feng Qi stepped forward, and after another scan, his information was added to "Steel Mill No. 8," officially making him a member of the squad.
Retrieving the tablet that the machine dispensed, the Mist Lord grinned.
"All done. Now, we need to find a place to stay."
"For now, let's just stay at a hotel. As a bottom-tier squad, there's no way we'll be allocated a manor or housing," Feng Qi replied.
Leaving the recruitment hall, they headed to a nearby hotel. After completing the check-in process, they entered their room.
Despite being in the supply zone, the hotel offered exceptional accommodations, comparable to high-end urban hotels. Surprisingly, the cost was affordable. After all, most of the guests were frontline soldiers or maintenance staff working in the supply zone. The hotel was municipally funded and operated at a loss, offering discounted rates to its patrons. Even the meals provided came at a significant subsidy.
Feng Qi wasn't worried about expenses. For now, their costs were manageable, leaving them with enough funds to support their next steps.
Once settled in their room, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord began discussing the squad's future. In the early stages, building their squad's reputation and earning honor points were essential. Improving their rating would unlock several benefits, including a permanent base, higher priority access to intelligence, and a monthly allocation of resources.
The two debated mission selection. Currently, as an unrated squad, they couldn't take on high-level missions or attract talented recruits. Their only option was to complete low-difficulty tasks to gain recognition.
After unpacking, Feng Qi approached the Mist Lord, who was engrossed in the tablet, browsing the list of available missions. All the tasks displayed were low-tier and unremarkable.
After scanning the options, the Mist Lord sighed in frustration.
"These missions pay peanuts. Why don't we skip them and dive straight into exploring the domain fields?"
"There's no rush. Let's complete a few smaller tasks first to familiarize ourselves with how squads operate," Feng Qi suggested.
Reluctantly, the Mist Lord nodded in agreement.
Over the following days, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord threw themselves into mission work.
The eastern supply zone of Old Day City offered countless trivial tasks, many of which involved the sea. Even basic jobs like fishing were handed off to low-level squads.
The reason for these assignments was straightforward—numerous domain fields existed across the ocean, some even harboring domain-transcending beings.
For ordinary fishermen, encountering one of these domain-transcending creatures at sea meant no chance of survival. Thus, such tasks were handed to low-level domain combat squads, who, after completing them, earned substantial rewards.
The marine products obtained were transported to Old Day City or sent to other cities in exchange for valuable goods. For example, every year, a massive volume of seafood was shipped from the Old Day East Supply Zone to Winterfell City in exchange for various mineral resources.
While each city operated relatively independently, their resources complemented one another seamlessly.
…
Three months later.
After three months of development, under Feng Qi and the Mist Lord's relentless efforts, their squad had advanced to an F-rank evaluation.
They had also been allocated free housing within the supply zone.
By now, after half a year of operations, they had become thoroughly familiar with how domain combat squads functioned.
Their only regret was their failure to recruit even a single new member.
Feng Qi strongly suspected this was due to the Mist Lord's uninspired squad name.
Still, he wasn't too concerned about this issue.
Based on historical trajectories, he knew that one day, the Mist Lord would abandon the idea of building a squad and instead focus on seizing one directly.
Compared to establishing a force from scratch, direct acquisition was far more efficient.
For now, Feng Qi was simply helping the Mist Lord adapt to his environment while familiarizing him with squad operations. This knowledge would be crucial for managing any forces acquired in the future.
One month later.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord received their first joint mission invitation.
Before beginning the task, they made an important decision.
Early in the morning, the two donned their gear and carried their packs to Pier No. 3 in the supply zone.
The salty sea breeze greeted them as they stepped out of the vehicle.
Outside, light rain fell, leaving the ground slick with moisture.
Docked ships swayed with the waves, their rust-covered hulls bearing the scars of long-term exposure to saltwater. A mixed scent of paint and rust lingered in the air.
In the distance, the horizon was blocked by a black, towering barrier, like a dark curtain rising from the sea, obscuring all view beyond.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord were assigned to this joint mission to explore the domain field.
Their task was simple: handle and monitor supplies.
Combat was unnecessary, as several core combat squads would manage the fighting.
Pier No. 3 was bustling with activity.
Under the drizzling rain, the banners of various combat squads fluttered in the wind, making it easy to identify each group's position.
Among the crowd were other low-level squad members tasked with managing supplies.
As they waited, a commanding figure emerged from the distance. The man, dressed casually, carried a serrated greatsword across his back, exuding an aura of authority.
Behind him followed a group of fully armed elite warriors.
Their equipment, forged from rare minerals harvested in domain fields, gleamed with a cold luster despite the rain.
One of the soldiers trailing him held a banner bearing a crossed scythe insignia.
This was the "Reaper Domain Combat Squad," one of the core squads for this mission. The authoritative figure leading them was Wang Lin, the overall commander for the exploration.
Wang Lin stopped at the pier and scanned the assembled warriors before announcing, "Start loading the supplies! Board the ships!"
At the command, Feng Qi, the Mist Lord, and the other squads tasked with logistics got to work.
They transported the supplies brought by each squad onto the waiting transport ships.
Even members of the core combat squads pitched in, assisting with the heavy lifting.
Once inside the domain field, however, the core squad members would shift their focus entirely to exploration, leaving resource management to the others. For now, their assistance was merely a courtesy.
A fleet of twenty-three ships was set to sail for this operation. Loading all the supplies onto the ships took over an hour.
With Wang Lin's booming orders, the fleet began its voyage, cutting through the waves.
The distant clouds churned as the rain intensified.
Thanks to the ships' stabilizers, the vessels navigated the rough seas smoothly, unaffected by the pounding waves.
As the fleet approached the dark barrier of the domain field, the Mist Lord turned to Feng Qi.
"When do you think we should act?"
Feng Qi followed the Mist Lord's gaze toward the commanding figure on a nearby deck, his face impassive.
"Wait until we're inside the domain field. It's not the right time out here."