CAT Chapter 50: Limitless (3)

The frozen wasteland, blanketed in ice crystals, was harsh and cold.

A massive steel figure moved with steady steps across the icy surface. When it reached Ling Yi’s side, the voice of the Colonel came from within, “What are you spacing out for?”

In the extreme cold of minus forty to fifty degrees, everyone wore special protective suits. Yet, Ling Yi moved with ease—he was just layered up more than most.

Ling Yi shifted his gaze away from the distant horizon and extended his hand. His palm looked pale, but not frozen stiff.

The Colonel sighed. “Your body’s too abnormal. If it ever comes down to freezing, I’m afraid you could probably stay alive in the cryo-chamber.”

“I’m almost at my limit,” Ling Yi replied. “I’m really cold now.”

“But you’re still fine,” the Colonel remarked.

“I…” Ling Yi frowned.

His features were striking, and in the biting cold, his skin, now a bit paler, only served to highlight the vivid redness of his lips. His black eyes, long hair, and dark clothes were a sharp contrast against the endless white snow.

—His flawless appearance made it impossible to know where to start praising him.

As the wind picked up and whipped his black hair into the air, the stark contrast of black, white, and crimson had a powerful impact. The Colonel, watching through the camera embedded in his exoskeletal frame, felt a sudden dizziness as though his soul had transcended the mundane world—like he had witnessed an otherworldly being.

Ling Yi tucked his hair behind his ear and continued, “I’m really scared.”

“What’s wrong?” the Colonel asked.

“I feel like my body is a separate living organism,” Ling Yi said, staring at his palm. “It changes its own genes to adapt to different environments. If Lin Si were here, he’d probably find new enzymes in my body. Sometimes, I feel like, biologically, I’m no longer human.”

The Colonel laughed. “That’s a good thing. What’s there to be afraid of? As long as you’re thinking of us, who would ever say you’re not human?”

“Oh,” the Colonel added, after a pause, “Except when they’re praising you.”

Ling Yi offered a small smile, a quiet “mm,” and continued walking deeper into the frozen wasteland.

The planet was largely covered in thick ice, with only scattered areas of iron-like mineral layers exposed. They had discovered rare beryllium ore and were actively mining it.

The Expeditioner had been quite successful. Although several planets initially deemed possibly habitable had turned out to be uninhabitable, they had collected many rare resources and minerals that were now on the Voyager’s precious list.

Lucia’s navigational database had expanded significantly, now capable of handling even more extreme situations.

Ling Yi was well-liked by everyone. This affection was different from the kind he received on the Voyager. Years of shared experiences had given them a new understanding of him.

—Ling Yi had completed many dangerous missions that could have been one-way trips. Once, he ventured deep into a natural cave, and everyone thought he wouldn’t make it back. Later, as he grew older, he began leading missions. He was calm, decisive, and had exceptional judgment. Those who worked with him were thoroughly impressed.

At other times, he was kind-hearted and gentle, and people often sought him out when they needed to talk.

But the Colonel knew that sometimes Ling Yi would disappear on his own. As the leader of the Expeditioner, he was always concerned about Ling Yi’s mental state, which is why he had accompanied him this time.

The Colonel watched as Ling Yi walked further ahead, then accessed the camera system on his wrist. He took several pictures of the sky, the icy plains, and the icebergs. Soon, he received several photo messages with a single question: “Is it beautiful?”

The Colonel opened the photos. His taste in art was basic—he had no formal training in composition or lighting—but even so, he could tell they were good.

“They’re beautiful,” he replied.

After a moment, he added, “Reminds me of Antarctica.”

Ling Yi kept taking pictures and eventually aimed the camera back at himself. With a neutral expression, he flashed a quick V sign before turning off the camera.

The Colonel couldn’t help but laugh.

So Ling Yi had a hobby of taking selfies. It was kind of cute.

He was about to take some pictures himself when he suddenly noticed Ling Yi stiffen, his gaze locked on a distant point.

Then, in a flash, Ling Yi sprinted toward him, almost like a shadow.

Ling Yi jumped onto the Colonel’s exoskeletal frame, speaking quickly and seriously. “Something’s happened. We need to evacuate. Now.”

The Colonel didn’t know what was going on, but he immediately followed Ling Yi’s orders. He switched his exoskeletal frame into full speed mode, activating maximum thrust. The exoskeleton’s limbs dropped to the ground and propelled them swiftly toward the temporary camp.

He heard Ling Yi’s voice over the comms,“There’s unusual activity on the planet. Cease mining immediately and prepare for the fastest possible evacuation.”

Then, he connected to Lucia. “Lucia, monitor the geological conditions, prepare for evacuation, and assist the ground team.”

The Colonel could hear the urgency in his voice. Just as he was about to speak, a deep, rumbling wind sound filled the air, accompanied by the terrifying crackling noise of ice shattering.

It was a sound the Colonel had never heard before, one that sent a chill down his spine and made his scalp tingle.

“Unknown alert, unknown alert. Severe surface activity is imminent. Searching for countermeasures,” Lucia’s voice rang out.

“Search failed. Please…” The mechanical female voice fluctuated, then abruptly cut off.

“The geomagnetic field’s destabilized. Don’t look back,” Ling Yi said.

The Colonel gritted his teeth and pushed forward even faster.

The exoskeletal frame provided a 360-degree view with no blind spots, and the Colonel could clearly see through the camera feed—behind them, a massive white tidal wave was approaching. It was hundreds of times bigger than an avalanche, more like a volcanic eruption, and even the speed of their exoskeleton couldn’t outrun it.

At that moment, Ling Yi threw a miniature grenade ahead of them.

The grenade had its own propulsion system, and it exploded in the distance.

“Jump,” Ling Yi said.

The Colonel understood immediately. The thrust system activated, launching them upward by a hundred meters before they glided forward. The weapon systems engaged, bombarding the massive crater created by the explosion from above. They plummeted downward, rolling into a large ice cave that was already a hundred meters deep. From there, they dug even further, carving out a small, cramped space just large enough to fit them.

The terrifying, strange sound was now right beside them, deafening their ears. The entire world seemed to shake violently. The ice layers were torn apart by an unseen force, splitting open and then violently crashing together.

The space they had just cleared was quickly filled with ice and snow, and soon, the entire ice layer they were in began to fragment, twisting and shaking violently.

They were trapped in a block of ice. The Colonel gripped Ling Yi tightly, trying to shield him from the endless impacts.

Time stretched on.

They felt like grains of sand tossed in a raging river, spinning around in the current, with no way to know how long they had been tumbling.

The Colonel felt his mind becoming a muddled mess.

One day, two days, three days.

When the chaos finally calmed down, it was more than eighty hours later, and the entire planet had plunged into darkness.

“Good thing it’s over,” the Colonel said, finally releasing a breath. “That was close. We almost died.”

Ling Yi crawled out from the mechanical arm and, in the cramped space, smashed a piece of ice and chewed it before handing it to the Colonel. “We’ll know where the surface is by daybreak.”

The Colonel sighed. “That’s still over thirty hours away.”

He turned on the lights to make the environment less intimidating and asked, “Can you hold out?”

Ling Yi replied, “I’m hungry.”

Fortunately, the exoskeletal frame always stored some food. The Colonel retrieved some and handed it to Ling Yi. “I won’t eat. This should last two or three days.”

Ling Yi didn’t comment about sharing. He simply took the food and began eating.

The temperature inside the exoskeletal frame was bearable, but it could only fit one person. The Colonel remained inside, while Ling Yi stayed out in the cold, as he could survive the low temperatures, but the Colonel would not.

However, Ling Yi had to expend more energy to maintain his body temperature—even though his current body temperature might be less than half of what it should be. If he went without food for many days, he would die, while the Colonel would not.

This wasn’t their first time facing such life-and-death danger. In the vast universe, life and death were unpredictable, and unknown dangers and phenomena were everywhere. You could never know what awaited you around the corner. Once the magnetic fields destabilized, communication would break down, and all you could rely on was yourself.

“Next time, if you go alone, you have to wear the exoskeleton,” the Colonel said.

Ling Yi finished a tube of nutrient gel and retorted,“Seems like you’re wearing it because you’re planning to follow me,”

The Colonel decided to let it slide.

“Thank goodness we’re Limitless people. Thanks to Lin Si,” the Colonel remarked, grateful.

Ling Yi smiled.

When he smiled, his sharp tiger-like teeth appeared, and his eyes shone brightly in the light, giving him a wild and captivating look.

He knew the immense dangers they faced, and he knew his abilities and limits. The more one understood themselves, the more they would believe in themselves, and this belief made them rational and strong. Time and experience would change a person—swept along by the current, some things were lost, while others were gained.

The Colonel looked at Ling Yi. He noticed that, while Ling Yi was still just as handsome, you could no longer associate his beauty with fragility. At some point, the one who had seemed like something needed to be protected had transformed into a comrade ready to fight by his side.