Searching the Snow

Su Ming retrieved two drones and released a third drone for rotation. Under low-temperature conditions, the drones' battery capacity dropped sharply and was consumed very quickly.

As darkness fell completely, the train moved slowly through the canyon, its headlights appearing and disappearing intermittently. Due to the extremely poor visibility at night, Hansite had to frequently adjust the route based on terrain data transmitted by the drone.

The Gospel is also learning how to work in conjunction with remote sensing data.

After two hours of arduous driving, the Youth Civilization finally broke out of the canyon area, and the terrain ahead gradually leveled out. When the altitude reached 700 meters, the mountains on both sides disappeared, and the view suddenly opened up—they had officially stepped onto the first step of the ice field!

As the terrain returned to normal, the locomotive was guided by the terrain radar at the front. Hansite continuously searched for flat areas to guide the train's turns, and Gospel was also adapting to this driving philosophy, which was completely different from rail transport.

The three people and the beast high-fived in celebration, Gospel happily sang "Sailing the Seas with the Cabin Hands".

****

Su Ming finished retrieving the drone and returned to the workshop. Zijin was in much better condition and was holding a cup of hot milk, studying the map on the table.

"What happened to your right eye?" Su Ming asked.

He noticed upon returning that one of Zijin's eyes had returned to its original color and was no longer covered by a faint blue tinge.

"I've removed the Omniscient Inscription from this eye," Zijin explained. "Now I can use Omniscient Vision and my five natural senses simultaneously." Su Ming was somewhat moved; wasn't Zijin a bit too decisive? He had only successfully interrupted her once, hadn't he?

However, in contrast to her pale blue left eye, the girl's light brown right eye was watery, shimmering with a delicate halo under the carriage lights. Su Ming couldn't help but think of a cat, and couldn't help but glance at it a few more times, which was noticed by the scholar.

"Do I look strange like this?"

"No, no. Is there any negative effect to an inscription that erases one eye?" Su Ming asked, trying to cover up his misunderstanding.

Zijin suddenly reached out and poked Su Ming's arm, even pinching it.

"Hello?" Su Ming was very puzzled.

"Not yet," Zijin replied.

Su Ming was completely baffled by the girl's action.

"Can we go to Galloping Horse Slope now?" Zijin asked immediately.

"You want to... find Katharine?"

"Yes," Zijin admitted.

"We can't catch up with the Youth Civilization," Su Ming shook his head, pointing to the map, "There's a mountain range separating us from Galloping Horse Slope."

We'd have to go around that area, which is at least several hundred kilometers away and takes three days.

This other world isn't Earth, which is crisscrossed by railway tracks. It's already quite remarkable that Su Ming was able to find a barely passable route across the snowfield.

This is because the ice sheet has historically had abundant water flow, and hundreds of thousands of years of alluvial deposits have left behind many ancient riverbeds and channels. Su Ming had to cram a lot of geography knowledge and use modern equipment to drive in this pristine area.

Special thanks are due to Katharine's book, "The Blue Bamboo Slips and Rue," whose detailed military terrain descriptions are unmatched by conventional maps.

Zijin remained silent and continued looking at the map.

"The only way to get there is by snowmobile," Su Ming thought for a moment. "It's over 500 kilometers as the crow flies, and it takes ten hours. But the snowmobile doesn't have enough fuel for a round trip."

He turned on his computer and launched the MATLAB software. The snowmobile's range was only three or four hundred kilometers, and even with extra fuel, it couldn't make such a long round trip. However, if supply points were set up and some fuel and supplies were dropped off along the way for use on the return trip, the range could be increased.

The specific number of supply points to set up, the amount of fuel and supplies to be placed at each point, and the maximum range all need to be calculated.

Su Ming suddenly stopped moving. "No, that's not right. Katharine is definitely not where she was. The ice field is so vast— Katharine was attacked two days ago. Her current location is probably a large circle several hundred kilometers in size, which is several square kilometers. If Su Mo can bring the White Bone Fortress there and use it as a base to launch a drone swarm search, there might still be a glimmer of hope."

"Su Ming, where is Katharine most likely to be?" the scholar asked softly.

Su Ming was somewhat unconvinced, "Ask me?"

The girl nodded. "Katharine is a shrewd and calculating person; you're similar to her in that respect."

"I have indeed been reading about her recently." Gathering and studying information on opponents is something Su Ming learned to do when he was a game commander. Especially with the upcoming battle against the Temple of Light in the Holy Mountain Divine Might Prison, it is essential to understand the enemy's chief commander as much as possible. "Although I am glad that you compared me to her, I really dare not compare myself to her."

"Is this what you call humility in Chinese culture?"

"State the facts. I'm just a lowly commander who failed to reach the top four in a fifty-person game, while she's a highly decorated High Priestess of the Inquisition in real life," Su Ming said. "I feel I need to apologize for using the word 'humility'."

As he spoke, he carefully examined the map. "There's too little information, so I'll just make a guess. Let's assume Katharine is trapped in the wolf-fox territory and hasn't been captured yet."

"Blue Bamboo Slips and Rue" contains detailed geographical and cultural information from various places, which shows that Katharine attaches great importance to and understands geography. Considering her personality and style, Su Ming pondered and drew a winding line of light on the map with his fingertip.

"She's coming this way?" Zijin asked in surprise. "This is uninhabited territory. We need to cross a branch of the Lower Ridge Mountains; the terrain is rugged and there are no roads whatsoever, making the journey extremely difficult!"

"The harsh environment is actually an advantage for her," Su Ming explained. "She can't defeat an enemy ten times her size, but she can go faster and farther than any of them."

Using the natural environment to shake off the enemy is a choice she would and could make.

"Of course, this is based on the premise that Katharine has an advantage in individual strength," Su Ming added.

"Katharine is a powerful mage with a cunning fighting style; she won't be caught so easily." Zijin marked a point on the path Su Ming had drawn, over 400 kilometers northeast of Galloping Horse Slope, less than 200 kilometers from the Youth Civilization. "Here!"

"Why this?" Su Ming asked.

"With livestock and sleds, a lightly equipped person can only travel a maximum of 400 kilometers in two days across the snowfield. This location I've drawn is the limit for the pursuers," Zijin said. "So Katharine will definitely cross this limit no matter what." She looked up at Su Ming, "Can you take me here to search?"

"Okay." Su Ming picked up his coat and went to the warehouse to prepare the snowmobile.

Zijin was very surprised that Su Ming agreed so readily without asking any questions. But she didn't delay and quickly got up to prepare.

****

A few minutes later, the Youth Civilization slowly reduced its speed. The side door of the machinery warehouse opened, revealing a small platform. The snowmobile leaped down from it and sped southward.

[Drive forward fifty kilometers, then find a secluded spot to park and wait for us.] Su Ming left a message using Wind Message Spell.

"[Su Ming, my lotus root box!]" Qiluo complained.

I'll make it for you when I get back.

"You must be back before the blizzard," the unicorn emphasized anxiously, "Otherwise, I'll fall asleep!"

Su Ming drove very fast, and the snow pellets kicked up by the tracks were thrown to both sides. Some hit the underside of the vehicle, making crisp cracking sounds.

Zijin felt the vibrations of the motorcycle speeding by, and her mood relaxed a little. "Su Ming, you're acting strange today," she questioned Su Ming.

What did I do wrong?

"We've just suffered a great loss, and our Magic Power levels are very low. Especially since I've left the White Bone Fortress, my combat strength will decrease further," Zijin said. "But to do this for the sake of the opposing faction's Katharine— I thought you would object."

Unexpectedly, the villain accused her first. Su Ming rolled his eyes at the girl. "I don't think I can convince you, so I'll give up my objection."

Zijin wanted to say, "You are my master," but she quickly swallowed the words. She wasn't stupid; some things, even if meant as a joke, could be understood.

It will also harm Su Ming.

The girl understood that she was being treated with sincerity.

"Of course, I was joking," Su Ming said seriously. "It would be great to catch Katharine if we had the chance. With her gone, the threat to the Temple of Light is at least halved."

People can be saved, but whether they are released back into the wild after being saved is another matter entirely.

Zijin did not object to Su Ming's intentions. "I owe Katharine a rather substantial favor," she explained.

"Oh?" Su Ming was somewhat surprised. "Didn't you two have a bad relationship?"

"As I was about to leave the convent, I made a foolish and fatal mistake," Zijin said. "She reminded me and helped me escape."

"Then this favor can be repaid," Su Ming said. "Why did she do that back then?"

Zijin shook her head. "I don't understand either."

****

The weather was gloomy today, with no moonlight, and the distant horizon was distorted into blurry waves. The poor visibility affected Su Ming's observation of the terrain, so he stopped the motorcycle and recalibrated the gyroscope.

"Did one of your important friends on Earth pass away the day before yesterday?" Zijin suddenly asked.

"Yes, a senior student named Si Ran," Su Ming replied.

"Si Ran must be a very important person to have enabled you to grasp the concept of ' Grey Thoughts Exhaust the Heart ' in such a short time."

Su Ming wanted to say that you actually had a share, but he didn't, since the girl had specifically warned him about it.

"Si Ran taught me many important things," Su Ming briefly recounted their past. However, mentioning "Grey Thoughts Exhaust the Heart" brought up another question, "Zijin, why is your mental defense so weak?"

Su Ming could barely withstand Qiluo's seductive spells, but unfortunately, the scholar's defenses were as fragile as paper. When the two fought in the morning, she was directly suppressed by her own "Grey Thoughts Exhaust the Heart" spell.

Zijin's tone was somewhat disappointed, "This is a congenital defect of mine. I was born through alchemy, and my soul did not undergo sufficient gestation, so my Soul Capacity is much less than that of a normal person."

"Soul Capacity?" This was the first time Su Ming had heard this concept.

"It's just surplus," Zijin explained. "For example, the undead you summon are actually carried by your soul. An ordinary necromancer can summon hundreds of skeletons and zombies, or a dozen or so more powerful undead, because the soul has a lot of spare capacity besides carrying itself."

Su Ming tried to understand, "You don't have that margin?"

"Yes," Zijin confirmed, "That's why I need to rely on you to share the pressure on the White Bone Fortress. The zombies were also summoned by me using your carrying capacity."

"No wonder you couldn't control both Ailisha's form and the Bone Dragon Form at the same time." Su Ming finally understood a question that had been bothering him for a long time.

Su Ming pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead dramatically, "Then didn't I analyze it for nothing?"

"Analyze what?" Zijin asked, puzzled.

"The White Bone Mark," Su Ming replied, "I didn't understand the dynamic loop of the third layer; I'm stuck there. I was hoping that once I figured it out, I could give up the White Bone Mark and restore your freedom."

"No, please!" Zijin hurriedly said, "Right now, it's less that I'm being controlled by you and more that I'm a parasite. Without your support, my power will be severely limited."

She quickly noticed another point Su Ming revealed in the conversation, "How did you calculate so many runes and spells in the Hundred Bone Mark to the third level? No wonder you improved so quickly, you can do this much!" the scholar exclaimed.

Su Ming sighed deeply. These past three months felt like he was back in his senior year of high school, but this time working in a machine factory.

At least back then, even under pressure, he wouldn't have been completely without time to slack off. If he were this diligent and self-disciplined on Earth, he'd be confident he could get into a top-tier university without taking the entrance exam and rise through the ranks in the factory, outshining his colleagues.

The conversation between the two did not continue. Zijin was exhausted from using the Levitation. She leaned back in her chair and quieted down.

Su Ming told her to sleep for a while and that he would wake her when they arrived. The girl softly hummed in agreement and closed her eyes to rest. Gradually, her head tilted to Su Ming's shoulder, and she truly fell asleep.

****

Several hours later, Su Ming finally arrived at the designated location. He woke up Zijin, stopped the motorcycle, released the drone, and searched the surrounding area.

But it was nighttime, and you couldn't see anything with a regular camera.

"Do you have any methods to conceal body temperature?" Su Ming asked.

Zijin stretched and loosened her neck. "Of course, Katharine is very good at it."

"That's troublesome." Su Ming had a headache, which meant that the infrared camera was also useless.

"I have a simple way," said Zijin, removing her magic-sealing cloak, allowing the aura of a necromancer to spread unimpeded. "If we can't find her, we can make her come to me."

"They might be the enemy!" Su Ming said.

"If enemies appear here, they must be looking for her," Zijin replied. "Just take them out; we'll eventually find a way to settle things."

"Alright." Su Ming also took off his magic-blocking cloak, checked his weapons and equipment, and prepared for battle.

He recalled the drone, restarted the snowmobile, and drove Zijin back and forth around the designated location.

The girl had just slept for a while and was feeling much better. "Shall I drive?"

"It's alright, I'm fine," Su Ming said. "You should save your energy for any potential battles."

Zijin nodded. "Okay."