Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 554: Devouring Moon

Chapter 554: Devouring Moon

The cold wind cut like a knife, and the setting sun bled across the sky.

The dim twilight lingered at the edge of the sea and sky.

The ocean surface was eerily still, an endless expanse of frozen silence.

Through the desolate ice seas, a massive icebreaker slowly made its way forward.

It had been drifting across the ocean for days. Without such a colossal vessel, no one could possibly navigate these frozen waters in this icebound apocalypse.

Yet, despite the ship’s size, there were barely any crew members visible on board.

The ship’s reinforced hull could withstand the icy sea, but it couldn’t block the razor-sharp, bone-chilling winds.

The entire Shirase was operating on autopilot. By 2050, artificial intelligence had taken over most mechanical tasks.

On the deck of the Shirase, a man wearing a gray newsboy cap and a matching vest leaned lazily against the railing.

He was tall and thin, appearing to be around thirty or so.

The fact that he could stand in such extreme cold without protective gear meant only one thing—he was a Superhuman. Either his physique was incredibly strong, or he possessed a power that allowed him to resist the cold.

The deep, resonant music came from the shakuhachi in his hands.

As the song came to an end, he gazed out at the silent sea before lifting his head toward the distant horizon.

A sly smile crept onto his face—a smile that carried an unsettling, scheming air, like a fox plotting in the shadows.

He stowed away his shakuhachi and turned toward the ship’s interior.

Below deck, the cabin was much livelier.

The warm air from the vents made the environment cozy and comfortable.

As the man in the newsboy cap entered, he passed by a samurai lounging lazily against the wall by the door.

The samurai had long hair tied into a traditional chonmage, wore a deep blue kimono, and was barefoot.

Though he seemed to be asleep, his arms remained tightly wrapped around a katana bound in red thread.

Beneath his kimono, the faint outline of a hidden dagger could be seen.

Further inside, near the bar, two men were gambling—playing a simple game of coin toss.

One, a slick-haired man with gold-rimmed glasses, acted as the dealer.

The other, a scar-faced man, was guessing heads or tails.

Despite the seemingly fair game, the scar-faced man was losing every round. Soon, a pile of empty sake bottles formed in front of him.

The man in the newsboy cap walked past them, heading to the center of the cabin.

There, a small table was set up.

A woman dressed in a traditional shrine maiden outfit sat before it.

In front of her lay an ancient scroll, and she held a calligraphy brush adorned with a small demon sculpture on the handle.

She dipped the brush into an ink box beside her.

But the ink wasn’t black—it was red, as crimson as fresh blood.

The man knelt before her, grinning.

"What’s my fortune today?"

The shrine maiden respectfully bowed to him.

"Great fortune."

The man nodded in satisfaction and let out a long breath.

"That’s wonderful! At this rate, we’ll be landing in that city called Linhai soon."

He glanced toward a nearby sofa, where a man nearly two meters tall, built like a grizzly bear, was sitting.

But rather than an intimidating brute, the man wore a black suit and was casually flipping through a maritime magazine. The contrast was almost comical.

"Daigoumai, how much farther do we have to go?"

The hulking man, named Daigoumai Nobutsu, didn’t even look up.

"Three days."

The man in the newsboy cap squinted at the ceiling, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Three days, huh?"

"In three days, we’ll set foot in that land they call Shenzhou."

"And then, we’ll carve out a legend of our own."

The investigation team had completed their mission in Tianhai City.

Baili Changqing led his team back to Jinling, returning to the heavily fortified military stronghold known as Blizzard City.

Snow blanketed the sky, and the massive gray fortress loomed over the landscape like a crouching beast.

The towering walls stood over fifty meters high, with armed soldiers in black combat gear stationed every three meters.

Every ten meters, a watchtower was equipped with high-speed machine guns capable of firing 6,000 rounds per minute—enough to shred any carbon-based lifeform in an instant.

This massive fortress, spanning thousands of square kilometers, had been under construction for decades.

According to Shengjing’s military strategy, Blizzard City and five other fortified strongholds were the last line of defense for Huaguo.

They housed the nation’s most elite troops and advanced weaponry.

No matter the crisis, as long as these fortresses stood, Huaguo would never fall.

Baili Changqing’s vehicle arrived at the towering gates.

After a thorough security check, they were allowed entry through the massive metal doors.

Inside Blizzard City, silence reigned—a silence so oppressive it felt suffocating.

There was no famine or riots here—food shortages were never a concern.

But the entire city operated under strict military control.

The streets were devoid of civilians.

Only soldiers and personnel assigned to Blizzard City could be seen.

As soon as Baili Changqing and his team returned, staff members arrived to conduct inspections.

Every returning team member had to undergo a rigorous health check to ensure they weren’t carrying any unknown pathogens from the outside.

After the lengthy process, a young military officer appeared before Baili Changqing.

He was dressed in a crisp green uniform, his slicked-back hair neatly groomed, and a pair of expensive gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Upon seeing Baili Changqing, he spoke.

"Lieutenant Colonel Baili, please come with me."

Baili Changqing nodded and followed the young officer.

This officer wasn’t just anyone—he was Lan Xincheng, the personal secretary of Zhu Zheng, the Supreme Commander of Jiangnan District.

Born into a prestigious family, Lan Xincheng had a powerful background and was deeply trusted by Zhu Zheng.

As per protocol, returning teams had to report directly to Zhu Zheng.

And this time, the situation in Tianhai City was serious.

The death of a team captain was enough to shake the entire upper echelon of Blizzard City.

Lan Xincheng led Baili Changqing to the command center, stopping before Zhu Zheng’s office.

"Commander, Baili Changqing has arrived," Lan Xincheng reported through the intercom.

A moment later, Zhu Zheng’s voice came through, granting permission to enter.

The dark silver metal doors slowly parted.

Baili Changqing took a deep breath, his expression tightening as he stepped forward.

After all, this time, he was here to lie to Zhu Zheng.

Though he had already discussed the matter with his team, and they had agreed on their story, the sheer presence of Zhu Zheng was enough to intimidate anyone.

Even a seasoned veteran like Baili Changqing couldn’t suppress his nerves.

Author's Note