In the surface world, within the human activity zone east of a city called Famous City.
Zhao Su pulled his clothes tighter around himself and strolled alone along the white streets.
Over the past hundred years, the war between humanity and the Tianlan Mainframe had wreaked tremendous havoc on Blue Star's environment.
The weather had grown ever colder, with ice and snow blanketing the world for nearly nine months of the year.
Weather like this made it harder for humans to survive on this ruined land.
Their struggle had only grown more desperate.
Yet every day, countless people still wanted to leave the gloomy underground shelters and venture onto the bitterly cold surface.
After walking for a little over ten minutes, Zhao Su arrived outside a shabby tavern.
He stepped inside.
The smell of cheap alcohol mingled with all sorts of other odors made Zhao Su frown as he entered.
But he did not leave. He approached the counter, tapped it, and said to a heavily bearded man sitting behind it with his eyes closed, "Give me a drink!"
The bearded man opened his eyes and glanced at Zhao Su, finding an unfamiliar face.
Judging by Zhao Su's clothes and appearance, he did not look like a drifter, either.
That immediately put the bearded man on his guard.
Still, he picked up a cup from the counter, filled it from the barrel beside him, and set it in front of Zhao Su.
Zhao Su lifted the cup and took a sip.
As the cloudy liquid, with unidentified bits floating in it, entered his mouth, a fiery sting immediately filled his entire mouth.
When he swallowed, warmth spread through his whole body.
This was a special liquor the tavern owner brewed himself. No one but the owner knew what went into