novelraw Chapter 1536 - 824: A Special Welcome Ceremony
Chapter 1536 - 824: A Special Welcome Ceremony
The portal activation, Jimmy had seen it several times before, but he'd always been a bystander. This time he was the one going through, and his mood was somewhat tense, even though Roland had traveled back and forth many times and assured him it was definitely safe.
Before him, the portal transformed from a kaleidoscope of lights into something resembling a semi-transparent glass pane, and beyond it lay the new world.
"Alright, let's go." Roland pushed a small cart in front, while Jimmy carried his backpack behind, and before stepping into the portal, Jimmy turned to Nia and Liam, waved with a smile, and stepped through. Seconds later, the portal flickered twice and quickly vanished.
Nia held Liam, smilingly watching them enter, and only stopped smiling once the portal closed. Even though safety was supposedly assured, she couldn't help but worry, as this time it was Jimmy going.
After calming down from the excitement of watching the video, Nia began to feel a bit regretful.
Jimmy had mentioned many times how dangerous the other side was, but she still inexplicably wanted to see for herself. She was genuinely happy when Jimmy agreed, knowing someone would pave the way for her, but afterwards, she worried about the danger Jimmy might face on the other side.
Several times, she shared her thoughts with Jimmy, hoping to cancel his plan to go to the Dark Tower World, but Jimmy refused.
Initially, Jimmy had been reluctant to go to the Dark Tower World, but now, having been ostracized at work with nothing else to do, he felt indifferent. Since Nia genuinely wanted to glimpse the other side, he decided to prepare. After all, with either him or Roland, safety was definitely assured.
Nia held Liam as she left the basement, taking on the responsibility to keep Jimmy's whereabouts secret during this period. Of course, they had already agreed to tell everyone that Jimmy was out traveling to relax, although very few people would likely inquire after Jimmy, given that he'd already mentioned during the past few days that he would be away for a month or two for some leisure time.
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Crossing the portal caused little vibration; in fact, it felt to Jimmy like merely passing through frosted glass, with no sense of obstruction. He glanced back at the portal, which closed instantly at Roland's operation, returning to a stone wall before them.
"Is this your world? It seems rather bleak."
Jimmy looked around; they were inside a building filled with collapsed and shattered remnants. Many areas seemed untouched, even covered in thick moss, except near the portal, which had been cleared, leading to an exit.
Nearby the portal were several generators, with thick cables connecting directly outside, indicating that they powered the portal.
In one corner lay a pile of boxes, mostly empty, evidently where Roland stored the transported supplies—a truly rough setup.
The air here didn't smell particularly pleasant, tinged with a damp, decaying odor, reminiscent of long-abandoned buildings. Using Heart Eye Vision, Jimmy discovered several spaces surrounding him, including a vast one where he couldn't see the opposite wall, revealing the ruins' extensive scope.
After stopping the generators and placing the cart in the corner, Roland turned to Jimmy, saying, "Alright, let's go. We can head out."
Jimmy followed Roland outside, emerging to see their surroundings.
They stood midway up a mountainside, with a decrepit settlement below. Many wooden houses had rotted, and others had seemingly burned, leaving only charred remains.
Near the houses were fire marks, possibly deliberately piled wood, sized far larger than a campfire usually would be.
At the settlement's center stood a massive mechanical contraption, with pipelines connecting to their current location, seemingly part of the original site equipment.
Beyond the wooden houses lay fields and forests, yet something seemed amiss—green mingled with withered yellow, and the distant forest appeared grayish-black.
Jimmy stood observing, while Roland leaned against the wall, patiently waiting.
Jimmy remarked, "It's impressive. This place reminds me of those unfrequented areas. Do you live in those wooden houses?"
Roland nodded, "Yes, let's go."
Not all houses in the settlement were abandoned. Roland led Jimmy to a relatively stable house, opened the door, and inside appeared clean, evidence of Roland's regular maintenance. Despite inevitable wood decay and external moss or mushrooms, the interior remained free from both, and after more than a month without occupants, dust on the floor and tables was minimal.
Roland put down his bag and organized the house, then with Jimmy retrieved a usable bed from an abandoned house nearby. They dismantled and moved it back to reassemble, establishing their living space just like that.
Living alone, Roland evidently couldn't grow his own food, especially given the considerable distance from other human settlements, so he mostly survived on transported supplies.