The next day.
At exactly six in the morning, the lighting system completed its scheduled adjustment.
The originally dim residential district gradually brightened.
People began appearing on the streets.
The cafeteria opened for business.
Transport vehicles began operating along their fixed routes.
The entire Northveil Directorate slowly came to life like a precisely engineered machine.
Irina was already awake.
After a quick wash, she changed into clothing suitable for outdoor activities.
Although today was merely a sightseeing trip, the surface environment was never something that could be completely trusted to weather forecasts.
Thermal equipment.
Emergency medicine.
A communication terminal.
She checked everything one by one.
Only after confirming that nothing was missing did she leave the apartment.
She arrived at the visitor accommodation area.
It was exactly 6:45.
The distant sky was still gray and pale.
A cold wind blew in from the end of the street.
A few minutes later, the entrance to the visitor accommodation area opened.
Lucian walked out.
He still wore the same calm expression.
There was no excitement at the prospect of heading to the surface.
Nor was there any nervousness about entering an unfamiliar environment.
It was as if today were nothing more than an ordinary outing.
Irina glanced at him.
"Did you eat breakfast?"
"Yes."
"The cafeteria?"
"Mm."
"How was it?"
Lucian thought for a moment.
"The portions were generous."
Irina could not help laughing.
Apparently, the cafeteria workers' enthusiasm yesterday had not been an exception.
"They're like that with everyone."
"I noticed."
The two headed toward the transit station together.
Before long, they boarded a vehicle bound for the scenic area.
As the vehicle left the city, the surrounding buildings gradually became fewer.
They were replaced by rock formations.
Snowfields.
And crisscrossing energy pipelines.
Lucian kept looking out the window.
He did not miss a single detail.
Irina had already noticed it.
The way this person observed things was completely different from that of an ordinary tourist.
Other people paid attention to the scenery.
He paid attention to how everything operated.
Other people took photographs.
He watched the direction of the pipelines.
The supply routes.
The layout of the facilities.
As if there were some answer hidden behind every single thing.
Forty minutes later, the vehicle arrived at the starting point of the mountain trail.
Quite a few tourists had already gathered there.
There were also some local residents.
After all, weather this good was rare.
The mountains in the distance were clearly visible.
There were no signs of an approaching blizzard.
Visibility was exceptionally high.
For the Northveil Directorate, this already qualified as a rare sightseeing day.
Irina looked toward the mountain trail.
"We walk from here."
Lucian nodded.
"Okay."
The two stepped onto the mountain path.
At first, Irina deliberately slowed her pace.
The reason was simple.
Lucian did not look like someone who exercised regularly.
He was not particularly muscular.
His demeanor was also rather quiet and scholarly.
Rather than a traveler, he looked more like a researcher.
So she chose to move at the pace of an ordinary tourist.
Ten minutes later, she glanced back.
Lucian was still following behind her.
His steps were steady.
His breathing was even.
There was not the slightest sign of strain.
Irina was slightly surprised.
But she said nothing.
She continued forward.
The path gradually became steeper.
The snow also grew thicker.
Quite a few tourists had already begun slowing down.
Some stopped to catch their breath.
Some drank water and rested.
Others complained repeatedly about how cold it was.
Lucian, on the other hand, maintained the same pace.
As if they had only just started.
Twenty minutes later, Irina decided to increase her speed slightly.
She frequently went outside for missions.
Her physical fitness was far beyond that of an ordinary student.
She quickly passed the tourists ahead of her.
Then continued upward.
A few minutes later, she looked back again.
Lucian was still following behind her.
The distance between them had not changed at all.
"Do you exercise often?" Irina asked.
"Not particularly."
"How long is 'not particularly'?"
"I move around every day."
His answer was as simple as before.
Yet it revealed nothing specific.
Irina did not press further.
She simply nodded.
Then she accelerated again.
This time, she was approaching the pace she normally maintained during field operations.
The mountain path grew steeper and steeper.
More and more of the trail was covered in snow.
The wind began to strengthen.
Many tourists had already fallen far behind.
Yet Lucian still kept up.
His breathing remained steady.
His footsteps remained even.
There was no sign of fatigue.
No sign of strain.
It was as if he were merely taking an ordinary walk.
This time, Irina was genuinely surprised.
She had originally thought she had simply misjudged him.
Now it seemed she had severely underestimated him.
After some time, the two arrived at a midway rest platform.
From here, half of the surrounding mountain region could be seen.
Quite a few tourists were resting.
Drinking water.
Taking photographs.
Chatting.
Irina also stopped to drink some water.
"Want to take a break?" she asked.
"Sure."
The two sat down near the edge of the platform.
The distant snowfields stretched all the way to the horizon.
The mountain wind swept past them, carrying the freezing air.
After a moment of silence, Lucian suddenly spoke.
"This place is well maintained."
Irina was slightly surprised.
"What?"
"The mountain trail."
Lucian looked around.
"The supply points are positioned well."
"The safety facilities are fully maintained."
"The route planning is also good."
"They must invest quite a lot of resources."
Irina nodded.
"They maintain it every year."
"There aren't that many tourists."
"But the scenic area is considered an important facility."
Lucian nodded slightly.
He said nothing more.
But Irina became increasingly certain.
The way he looked at things was truly strange.
Other people came here to see the mountains and snow.
He was studying the management system.
After the break, the two continued onward.
As the altitude increased, the surrounding scenery gradually changed.
Glacial terrain began to appear.
The outlines of the distant mountains became increasingly clear.
Finally.
After nearly two hours of climbing, they reached the summit observation platform.
A cold wind struck them head-on.
It was as if the entire world had suddenly opened up.
Snowfields.
Mountains.
Glaciers.
Entrances to underground cities.
Energy pipelines.
Everything appeared within their field of vision.
White covered the land.
Stretching all the way to the edge of sight.
Many tourists stopped in their tracks.
Exclamations of amazement could be heard.
Some kept taking photographs.
Some recorded videos.
Others simply stood there quietly, staring at the scenery before them.
Lucian stopped as well.
He looked into the distance.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Finally.
He slowly spoke.
"It's magnificent."
His voice was not loud.
But he was completely sincere.
Irina stood beside him.
She nodded lightly.
"Most people say the same thing when they come here for the first time."
"It's worth coming here specifically for this."
Lucian said.
The two stood side by side at the edge of the platform.
The cold wind continued to blow.
In the distance, the entrances to the underground cities looked like scattered black dots across the snowfield.
Compared with the vast natural landscape, they seemed insignificant.
Lucian suddenly asked,
"Why do you stay here?"
Irina froze slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"The environment is harsh."
"Resources are limited."
"Wouldn't it be easier to relocate?"
It was a question many people had asked before.
Irina looked across the distant snowfield.
She remained silent for a moment.
"Because this is home."
She answered.
"My grandparents are here."
"My parents are here."
"My friends are here."
"My school is here."
"Everyone I know is here."
"So I stayed."
After saying that, she smiled.
"Isn't that a very ordinary reason?"
Lucian did not answer immediately.
After a while, he gently nodded.
"Quite the opposite."
"Those kinds of reasons are usually the hardest to change."
Neither of them continued the subject.
They simply stood there quietly, looking into the distance.
It was not until nearly noon that they began their descent.
However.
They did not return by the same route.
Instead, they headed toward a transport platform on the other side.
Several cables stretched across the mountain valley.
They connected different areas.
This was a traditional form of mountain transportation that the Northveil Directorate had preserved to this day.
It used the difference in elevation to move people.
It saved energy while also shortening travel distances.
After the staff completed their inspection, they began distributing safety equipment.
Irina skillfully secured the harness.
"First time?"
She looked at Lucian.
"Yes."
"Don't worry."
"The slope isn't very steep."
"It won't be too fast."
Lucian nodded.
The two set off one after another.
The mechanical pulley slowly moved along the cable.
The wind swept past their ears.
Below them was a snow-covered valley.
The scenery in the distance constantly changed.
After several dozen seconds, they safely reached the first platform.
Then they continued toward the next cable.
And slid toward another mountainside.
Using this method, they continuously descended.
Moving from one platform to another.
It was like traveling through the mountains themselves.
Sunlight shone across the snow.
Reflecting dazzling light.
With every movement, they saw the scenery from a different angle.
It felt less like transportation.
And more like a unique sightseeing experience.
After changing platforms several times, they finally returned to the foothills.
The staff collected the equipment.
The tourists gradually began leaving.
Irina rolled her shoulders lightly.
Then looked at Lucian.
"How was it?"
Lucian looked toward the distant mountain peaks.
He was silent for several seconds.
"Better than the information described."
He said.
"The scenery?"
Irina asked.
Lucian shook his head.
"Not just the scenery."
His gaze swept across the distant facilities.
Across the energy pipelines.
Across the mountain systems that were still operating.
"The people here, too."
Irina froze slightly.
Before she could ask what he meant, Lucian had already withdrawn his gaze.
His expression returned to its usual calm.
As if those words had been nothing more than a casual remark.
Yet for some reason.
She felt that it had not been a courtesy.
It had been a genuine evaluation.
And in the distance.
The snow-covered mountains still stood silently.
The next destination would be the core area that supported the operation of the entire Northveil Directorate.
The Underground Thermal Energy Zone.