Following Traces into the Deep Cave

Somewhere in the Lower District, Chairman Quan had finally slept soundly after two days in the so-called safe zone. Having his youngest son look after him was far more relaxing than being watched by strangers.

And with his son here, the others seemed to trust him more.

By the third day, he felt his strength gradually returning. He pushed open the door and stepped outside with his cane, only to find the place very different from what he had imagined. The surroundings glowed as brightly as day, and...

He watched snowflakes drift through the air. Hm? It's snowing? He held out his hand and caught a cool snowflake in his palm.

He was astonished. How could it be snowing here? Even the air he breathed was cold and crisp, like midwinter, clearing his head. It was nothing like the foul, stifling air he had encountered on arrival. For a moment, he thought he had returned to the surface.

But he soon noticed something strange. The snow was too clean, as though someone had laid a filter over everything. It blanketed the ground like brocade, while a haze of snow limited how far he could see.

Footsteps crunched through the snow somewhere in the haze. He turned and saw the middle-aged man approaching, leaving a trail of footprints behind him.

The man came up to him and smiled. "Feeling better, Chairman Quan? What do you think? The Lower District isn't as filthy as people in the Upper District imagine. We have advanced technology here, too."

Chairman Quan narrowed his eyes. "A Domain Field organism?"

"Yes. It's a product developed by the research institute here. It can't create anything as lifelike as Fu Mu's Simulated Field Domain, but it consumes less energy and is easy to move. It has enormous potential."

"There's