Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1462: [Bonus Story] Deng Shentong Part Two

When Deng Yuanbo reached this point, he mentioned someone.

"So this is why Zhang Yi was able to grow at such an astonishing rate!"

"Because he didn't have the kind of conditions you had. He lived in constant crisis, and had to keep making himself stronger."

"Survival is the number one driving force!"

Nothing could stimulate Deng Shentong more than Zhang Yi's name.

Others might not know, but Deng Shentong had always treated Zhang Yi as the goal he strived toward.

Even now, though that goal was becoming increasingly out of reach, he had never given up.

Deng Shentong's eyes gradually shifted from confusion to clarity.

He looked at Deng Yuanbo and asked, "Uncle, are you saying that I should walk toward death like Zhang Yi, seeking life in the face of it?"

Then, he passed a file to Deng Shentong.

"I've accepted an A-rank mission for you. This time, you'll complete it alone!"

In Blizzard City, A-rank was now the highest level.

Because S-rank disasters were so terrifying that only Zhang Yi was qualified to handle them.

Captain-level Transcendents below Epsilon-class could at most take on A-rank missions.

In the past, Deng Shentong always led his team, fully equipped and ready to head out on missions.

This time, however, Deng Yuanbo demanded he go alone. The purpose was to force him out of his comfort zone and let him experience the storm by himself.

Deng Shentong glanced at the file and nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"Alright, I'll go!"

He left Deng Yuanbo with a resolute look, then turned and walked away.

Deng Yuanbo watched his back, a complex expression flickering in his eyes.

A trace of worry, along with plenty of anticipation.

Steward Lian Cheng walked over and asked softly, "Master, should I send someone to secretly follow and protect the young master?"

Deng Yuanbo slowly shook his head.

"He's already grown up. It's time for me to let go."

Lian Cheng frowned slightly. "But... even for a captain-level Transcendent, undertaking an A-rank mission alone is extremely dangerous."

Transcendents weren't invincible.

The outside world was already frozen solid, making transportation difficult.

Aside from a few top-tier Transcendents and elite teams, anyone below Epsilon-class or low-level groups traveling would easily encounter danger.

Even a sudden blizzard could wipe out a fully equipped squad of soldiers.

Not everyone was Zhang Yi. The crisis of the apocalypse was even more brutal outside Blizzard City.

Deng Yuanbo said, "If he wants to become the helmsman of the Deng family and take my place, he must become stronger! In this world full of danger, the Deng family needs its own top-tier Transcendents."

There was another thought he kept bottled up inside.

If Deng Shentong really died due to lack of strength, then no matter how painful it was, he would have to select a new heir.

Everything was for the Deng family's survival in this doomsday era.

...

Deng Shentong returned to his residence and entered the equipment vault. The heavy metal door slowly rose.

"Jasmine, I'm going out on a solo mission. Prepare my gear! Plan Seven."

The lights in the equipment vault clicked on one by one, revealing a dazzling array of luxury equipment that could blind anyone.

Modified luxury snow vehicles were neatly lined up on both sides. On the walls, various firearms, combat knives, and throwing weapons filled the space.

Inside bulletproof glass display cases, special items crafted with Deng Corporation's most advanced technology sat on display—even Zhang Yi would be deeply impressed by their ingenuity.

The intelligent system, "Jasmine," spoke in a gentle voice.

"Received. Based on your upcoming mission, I have prepared the optimal armament plan for you!"

A rumbling engine sound came from deep within the weapon depot, and a silver-gray snowmobile drove straight up to Deng Shentong.

Its frame sat low, like a wild silver beast, with thick tires featuring deep treads that allowed it to race across the snow at incredible speeds while maintaining strong grip without slipping.

This was one of Deng Shentong's vehicles—the Snowfield Iron Wolf.

Deng Shentong patted the silver beast, then a mechanical arm handed over an equipment pack containing various field rations, medicines, and tools necessary for the mission.

For weapons, he chose a pair of large silver-gray pistols engraved with bauhinia flowers, along with one hundred special Origin Bullets.

After checking his gear, Deng Shentong placed them in the Iron Wolf's trunk. Donning his combat suit and silver cloak—symbols of his identity as the captain of the Divine Punishment Squad—he mounted the Iron Wolf, left the Deng residence, passed through Blizzard City's thick alloy gates, and sped off toward the boundless wilderness beyond.

...

The world had not become more peaceful with the appearance of Transcendents. On the contrary, it had become more dangerous.

Because anyone who gained tremendous power might have their inner desires magnified infinitely.

With the arrival of the Great Mutation Era, Transcendents appeared more and more frequently.

Even Blizzard City had gradually lost control over its surrounding regions.

They could no longer keep all the Transcendents within their territory in check. No one knew how many "Dissidents" existed, either as lone wolves or in organized gangs.

And they had become a major source of chaos within the Jiangnan Region.

For investigation squads, cleaning up those troublemaking Dissidents was one of their daily tasks.

On the vast, endless ice fields, all past buildings and forests had been buried under snow. Two and a half years into the apocalypse, the snow depth had already exceeded thirty meters.

In some remote areas, snow piles as high as fifty meters were not uncommon.

The traces of human existence were slowly being erased from the wilderness.

Most humans would not easily leave their established shelters, because the outside world was barren, the temperature too low, and death could come at any moment.

However, teams backed by major powers were the exception.

They had long developed the ability to travel across the frozen terrain.

A long steel train advanced across the snow like a black dragon, flanked by over a dozen snow vehicles serving as escorts.

These specially designed snow vehicles had been developed since the apocalypse began.

Although they appeared massive, their weight had been minimized as much as possible, and they moved entirely on tracks.

The escort vehicles were all uniform in design, bearing the mark of a black cloud on their bodies—symbolizing their identity: the Yan Cloud Guard of the Jiangnan Region.

Some Dissidents lurking in the shadows who intended to raid, upon seeing that emblem, would silently choose to retreat.

Because once a convoy escorted by the Yan Cloud Guard was raided, the investigation squads would inevitably come for a bloody purge shortly after.

But this time, someone reckless still appeared.

On a distant snowy mountain, heads slowly popped up one by one. Their bodies were tightly wrapped in black combat suits, but behind their goggles, their eyes burned with wild fanaticism.

"Heh! The convoy of those big shots from Blizzard City! With such a heavy escort, there must be something good!"