"COUGH~"

"COUGH COUGH~"

In the dim, narrow room, a weak, soft cough echoed from time to time.

A computer monitor by the wall cast a cold, white glow, illuminating a worn black keyboard and mouse on the desk.

In the corner of the room, a frail figure lay quietly on a black wooden bed.

Just then, the screen of the phone on the bedside table suddenly lit up, and the clear, crisp sound of an alarm broke the silence.

The young man slowly opened his eyes, revealing deep-set pupils. He rolled over, reached out to turn off the phone’s alarm, and wearily sat up in bed, taking a moment to compose himself.

After a long moment, he slowly got up, walked to the window, and pulled back the gray curtains.

Bright sunlight immediately poured through the window, illuminating the entire dim room.

Looking in from outside, one could see a slender young man with a side-part hairstyle. His face was handsome, but his lips were pale and bloodless.

COUGH COUGH~

The young man let out an involuntary cough, then walked over to the old desk, sat down, and looked at the computer screen.

The most popular game of the moment, Black Star, was running on the screen.

The young man opened the auction house and quickly scanned the columns of data.

The game’s market prices hadn’t dropped today; in fact, they had risen slightly, just as he’d expected.

The young man then opened his inventory, preparing to sell the equipment, items, and Game Coins he had stockpiled over the past few days.

COUGH COUGH~

Suddenly, he began to cough uncontrollably, each one more violent than the last.

An expression of extreme discomfort crossed his face, as if he were about to cough up a lung.

The young man hastily got up, went to the side, and took a sip of the cough medicine on the table. He then picked up a bottle of immunity medication.

But when he unscrewed the cap, he found the bottle was empty. He hurriedly pulled open a drawer to grab a new one, but after rummaging through it, he realized he was out of that type of medicine.

Alarmed, he rushed to the bedside and picked up his phone with trembling hands.

DING~

Soon, a series of messages popped up.

"Dear Mr. Long Ming, your appointment at Mountain City Mountain - First Central Hospital has been successfully booked. Please proceed there as soon as possible."

"Dear Mr. Long Ming, your application for a temporary pass to the Upper City has been approved. It is valid for 24 hours. Please proceed to the Upper City District and leave before midnight on March 14th, Year 120 of the new era."

...

Long Ming breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the approval notifications.

He immediately walked to the simple clothes rack, put on a gray jacket, wrapped a beige scarf around his neck, changed into a pair of white canvas shoes, and then opened the door. He stepped out into the dim, long, narrow hallway.

Large patches of paint had peeled off the hallway walls, revealing the rough concrete underneath.

The sides of the corridor were cluttered with junk. One iron door after another lined the walls. The entire seventh floor housed twenty families, making it extremely crowded.

Long Ming kept his head down, coughing softly as he walked toward the stairwell.

A few minutes later, Long Ming emerged from the old building.

Towering, blackened pigeon-coop buildings that scraped the sky came into view, blotting out the entire sky.

The buildings were packed together in a dense, disorderly cluster, creating a deeply oppressive atmosphere.

Anyone unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost.

Long Ming took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to cough, and slowly walked forward.

After a long walk, Long Ming finally left Yunhai, the East District’s well-known concentrated residential area.

And though this so-called "Yunhai" sounded elegant, it was nothing more than a gathering place for the lowest class of citizens.

He exhaled slowly.

Long Ming stretched and looked up into the distance, where he could faintly see a colossal peak piercing the clouds.

That was his destination.

Then, Long Ming raised a hand to pull his scarf up higher before heading toward the nearby subway station.

Along the way, electronic screens on the walls of buildings displayed various commercial ads and news reports.

Two men in gray trench coats, carrying briefcases and with weary expressions, brushed past Long Ming as they talked.

"The company’s profits hit a new low this year."

"Yeah, I heard there are going to be layoffs."

"Sigh... when will this ever end?"

...

Long Ming paused for a moment, then continued on his way.

This world was called Blue Star, and its original civilization had been highly advanced. However, an asteroid impact fifty years ago brought about earth-shattering changes.

The impact not only caused massive casualties but also spread contaminants from the asteroid over a wide area, severely damaging Blue Star’s ecosystem.

Blue Star’s water sources were also heavily polluted. Even the oceans had turned gray. Long-term consumption of contaminated water eroded the body, leading to various illnesses and the decay of bodily functions.

The air also became murky, and a vast number of surface-dwelling creatures went extinct.

Humanity faced the greatest crisis in its history. To better survive, the remaining people migrated and gathered in less polluted areas, establishing one Sanctuary City after another.

The three largest of these were Mountain City Mountain, Star Tower City, and Sinful City.

And the city Long Ming was in was one of those three great Sanctuary Cities: Mountain City Mountain.

...

A short while later, Long Ming arrived at the subway entrance. All ten escalators were packed with passengers coming and going, the flow of people incredibly dense.

The population of Mountain City Mountain was enormous, reaching a staggering 230 million.

Long Ming followed the crowd down the escalator and quickly passed through the security check to reach the platform.

SWOOSH!

A hundred-meter-long train sped in, stopping precisely in front of Long Ming and the others.

Then, the doors of each car slid open.

Swarms of passengers disembarked, and Long Ming, along with the many waiting passengers, boarded the train.

The car was extremely crowded, with all the seats on both sides taken.

For a moment, Long Ming was pressed in so tightly he couldn’t move.

COUGH COUGH~

Unable to hold it back, Long Ming raised a hand to his mouth and let out a few soft coughs.

Hearing this, the passengers around him immediately looked at him differently and shuffled away, giving him space.

Although Long Ming was used to it, he still lowered his head in silence.

...

Over two hours later, a pleasant announcement sounded over the broadcast.

"Dear passengers, the train is now arriving at the final destination, Upper City Station. Passengers who are disembarking, please prepare..."

Hearing the announcement, Long Ming slowly raised his head. With a slight jolt, the train arrived at the terminal station.

A moment later, Long Ming walked out of the subway exit and arrived at the base of the mountain at the city’s center.

He looked up ahead, and a giant mountain came into view. Elegant buildings dotted its surface, and numerous steel platforms circled the mountain from its base, constantly moving up and down. At the very peak stood a massive mechanical pillar that pierced through the mountain itself and reached for the sky, emitting a faint halo of light.

The whole of Mountain City Mountain was divided into three rings. The first ring was the mountaintop, which served as the City Lord’s administrative area, accessible only to public officials.

The second ring was on the mountainside. Here, the entire middle section was expanded with massive platforms encircling the mountain, upon which a bustling sky-city was built. This area was collectively known as the Upper City, home to the elite, the powerful consortiums, and the wealthy.

The third ring was the plains at the foot of the mountain. This was where all the common people lived, and it was known as the Lower City.

The Upper City and Lower City districts were separated by a high wall, with only a few specific entrances and exits, all equipped with checkpoints.

Of course, despite the separation, residents of the Lower City District could still enter the Upper City District. They just needed to apply in advance. Once the application was approved, they could enter. However, it was crucial to leave before the pass expired. The penalty for overstaying ranged from a fine to the grand prize of detention.