Chapter Eight: Memories and Outings

The next morning, after a night’s rest, Zhang Desen felt invigorated, his body brimming with strength. Today was the day to venture out and begin his exploration and investigation. After all, that was his mission, and last night’s sighting of two armies locked in battle only confirmed his suspicion that this Earth within the cosmos was far from peaceful.

But what exactly was happening here? Zhang Desen was eager to uncover the truth, to understand what events had transpired in this world. As he ate his breakfast, he reflected on yesterday’s escape from the unidentified flying objects. He recalled how, upon noticing the approach of those mysterious craft, he had swiftly retreated toward the northeast.

At the time, piloting his ship away from the scene, Zhang Desen had no idea where those three unidentified crafts originated from. However, it was clear that their pursuit was directed at him; otherwise, they would not have flown straight toward his vessel from a distance.

Soon, the enemy fighters tailing him drew close enough to see with the naked eye. Glancing at the rear-view mirror, Zhang Desen realized the situation and pushed his ship to its limit, fleeing at full speed. Meanwhile, the lead pilot of the Ormei Empire’s Number One fighter, Dahl Kind, called out over the radio:

“Unidentified craft ahead, listen: we are the Ormei Empire’s Aerospace Forces. You have entered our air defense identification zone. Immediately rock your craft left and right to signal surrender. Otherwise, we will take any necessary measures. Do not challenge our limits—reply at once!”

Of course, Zhang Desen could not understand a word of this; it was the language of the Ormei Empire. Still, he could guess at the meaning, and he had no intention of responding. Muttering to himself, he said, “Only a fool would pay them any mind. The two armies on the ground were clearly fighting with cold weapons—who are these strange idiots to wield authority here?”

Upon sighting the Kunlun Mountains of this cosmic Earth, Zhang Desen immediately maneuvered his ship into the mountain range, weaving through the peaks. Meanwhile, Dahl Kind, leading the pursuit, grew furious when he saw Zhang Desen not only refuse to surrender but also slip into the mountains. He barked at the pilot of Number Two:

“Number Two, search from the right wing. If you spot the target, open fire at once and report to me immediately. Remember, aim only for its propulsion system to disable the craft. No mistakes allowed.”

The pilot of Number Two answered promptly, “Yes, sir!”

Obeying orders, the pilot set off. Dahl Kind then radioed the pilot of Number Three:

“Number Three, search from the left wing. If you spot the target, open fire at once and report to me immediately. Only target its propulsion system—no mistakes.”

The Number Three pilot replied, “Understood, leader. You can count on me.”

With that, he went to carry out his task, while Dahl Kind continued to pursue along the original flight path.

What they did not know was that, once inside the mountains, Zhang Desen had not continued his retreat. Instead, he found a massive boulder and concealed his ship behind it. The terrain of the valley was complex—perfect for an ambush.

For Zhang Desen, a former special forces soldier, this was an ideal setting for special operations. Though the circumstances were different—this was an aerial engagement in a ship, not a ground operation—it mattered little. He activated the plasma stealth module and used his radar system to observe the enemy fighters, waiting for the right moment to strike unexpectedly.

The weather was gloomy, menacing even, but it suited an ambush well.

Just as Zhang Desen finished preparing, his radar revealed the enemy had split into three groups, which frustrated him. If all the enemy ships entered the valley together, he could have made a rapid ascent and fired with all his might. He was confident he could shoot down all three in one go, but the enemy’s sudden change of tactics posed new challenges.

Nevertheless, Zhang Desen was not anxious. Since only one ship would approach first, he would deal with it before moving on. He stuck to his original plan of ascending to attack.

Soon, the enemy ship neared the ambush zone. When it was only fifty meters away, Zhang Desen launched his ship skyward at top speed.

Dahl Kind’s fighter appeared in Zhang Desen’s sights. Without hesitation, Zhang Desen opened fire with ferocity. Dahl Kind, caught off guard by the ambush from the previously fleeing craft, found his ship taking hits and spiraling toward the ground.

Yet Dahl Kind was an experienced pilot. In the nick of time, he activated the escape system. The pod detached from the main body, landed safely, and broadcast a distress signal. Dahl Kind promptly lost consciousness.

Having dispatched the enemy, Zhang Desen accelerated eastward to exit the battlefield. When the Number Two enemy ship attempted to intercept him, Zhang Desen launched a missile, destroying it and killing its pilot.

The Number Three ship, prioritizing the rescue of its leader, circled above the crash site and abandoned the pursuit, allowing Zhang Desen to withdraw safely.

After recalling these events, Zhang Desen finished his breakfast and prepared to set out.

Before departing, he made every necessary preparation. First, he activated the altimeter aboard his ship to measure the elevation.

To his surprise, the altitude was 150 meters—and he was not even at the summit. In his original universe, the main peak of Nanping Mountain by West Lake was only 101 meters above sea level. Clearly, each universe had its peculiarities; no matter how similar, differences would always exist.

Zhang Desen logged the result and busied himself with preparations for his expedition, as he would soon face many unknown challenges.

He decided against carrying all his equipment, as there was simply too much.

He left the pulse weapon at the base—it was far too powerful. Judging by the people and things he had encountered in this universe, it seemed to be the age of cold weapons, so the pulse weapon was unnecessary.

Though he still could not determine the origin of the unidentified craft from yesterday.

In the end, Zhang Desen packed his usual special forces gear, an Aelta-colored rifle, and several gold bars.

After activating the base’s automatic defenses, Zhang Desen began heading down the mountain, encountering no trouble along the way.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, he found few people around—likely most had fled to avoid the ravages of war.

Seeing this, Zhang Desen decided to visit Hangzhou City.

Here, Hangzhou had not yet encircled West Lake; the entire city was situated east of the lake. It could be seen from Nanping Mountain, but the journey still required some time. Zhang Desen was unconcerned; he had plenty of time.

“Perfect for a stroll,” he thought, feeling lighthearted. The weather was clear and bright, unlike yesterday’s gloom, which lifted his spirits immensely. The difference was like night and day.

After some time, Zhang Desen spotted the city gates in the distance, wide open. Soldiers guarded the entrance, their expressions tense and their inspections thorough.

Last night’s battle had likely ended in victory, so although the soldiers remained vigilant, they allowed people to enter and exit.

Suddenly, Zhang Desen realized it might be unwise to enter just yet. He was new to this universe; if a pass was required, he could run into unnecessary trouble. There were only two direct ways to enter the city:

First, deliberately get caught by the soldiers and let them take him inside, explaining himself afterward. But this plan was fraught with uncertainty, too many variables and unknowns, especially given his lack of understanding about local circumstances.

Second, use his special forces skills to scale the walls under cover of darkness, employing his tools—orchestrate the entry at night.

After considering the options, Zhang Desen decided to first scout the area and find a suitable hiding spot for easier action later.

But as he turned to investigate the surroundings, a harsh shout rang out behind him:

“Stop! Seize the spy!”

Zhang Desen instantly realized he had been mistaken for a spy.

It was hardly surprising. They had just fought off an enemy last night, so naturally, they would watch for enemy agents scouting for the next attack.

Moreover, his standard special forces uniform, alien to the people of this universe, must have seemed bizarre, raising suspicion.

With that in mind, Zhang Desen broke into a run, heading for the woods on the mountainside.

“After him!”

The soldiers at the gate immediately summoned more than fifty men from within the city and gave chase. But none of them were a match for Zhang Desen’s special forces training.

He quickly darted into the forest, climbing trees like a monkey and leaping from one to another, moving deeper into the woods.

Yet the pursuers did not give up. They rushed in at their fastest pace, but they were already gasping for breath.

“Damn it, how does this spy run so fast? I can barely breathe—he’s killing me!”

“Save your breath; keep chasing him! If we let him escape, we’ll have a lot to answer for.”

“I’d like to chase him, but how? Look, there aren’t even footprints in the mud—he’s too fast, we can’t catch up!”

“Wait, no footprints? He must have climbed the trees. Come down here, you!”

“Come down!”

“Come down!”

But there was no reply; only their voices echoed in the woods.

“Stop yelling—he’s long gone. We’re really in trouble now.”

“No, someone with skills like his isn’t just a spy. He must be an assassin—yes, an assassin! Report back immediately, hurry!”

Zhang Desen had not gone far. He was concealed in a nearby tree, observing everything. He hadn’t expected the misunderstanding to escalate so quickly, and now he was truly in a predicament. His next task was to divert their attention, to prevent them from discovering his base.