After only a few minutes, amid a white snowstorm, a massive city enveloped in a red glow appeared before him.

  Thanks to the properties of Fire Sand Ore, the base projected a stable thermal barrier stretching across dozens of kilometers, isolating the entire base and the surrounding farmland from the wind and snow.

  From a distance, it looked like a giant red bowl turned upside down on the ground.

  The caves of the Dark World possessed drastically different environments, such as underground volcanic caves covered with flowing lava.

  These caves produced a special material known as Fire Sand, which, when activated by special tools or formations, continuously emitted warm heat and created a unique barrier.

  Compared to ordinary climate-control systems, this material greatly improved the environment, allowing the base—and even the surrounding areas—to thrive without being affected by harsh winds and snow.

  Without it, the Northern Alliance bases would have long ago become unsustainable due to the impossibility of cultivating crops.

  The currency known as Fire Sand Coins was made from refined Fire Sand ore, which served as the primary energy source in the frozen underground world of Europa.

  There were no skyscrapers around him or even in the distance. The tallest buildings were only five or six stories high, and according to the memories of his predecessor, the tallest structures had never exceeded seven floors.

  The reason was simple: the base lacked sufficient protection against attacks from flying demonic beasts.

  After the Northern Alliance was established on the surface by the Ice and Snow Clan, and due to the constant threats from demonic beasts and the Golden Human tribes, the Ice and Snow people began living inside fortified bases.

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  These bases were divided into four levels:

  Small, Medium, Large, and Giant.

  Small bases were mainly used for resource gathering and early warning against incoming demonic beasts. Examples included ore mines, lumber mills, and factories.

  Medium bases served as residential settlements for humans, such as the base where O’Neill lived, which housed between three hundred thousand and four hundred thousand residents.

  Because medium bases lacked anti-magic defensive towers, constructing tall buildings was forbidden. Such structures would attract the attention of flying demonic beasts, and the collapse of a high building could cause casualties greater than the beasts themselves.

  As for large bases, there were only nine of them. These typically housed more than one million people and were governed by Ice and Snow Lords, with the best facilities available, including advanced defensive systems.

  As for giant bases, there was only one:

  Heavenly Winter Base.

  This enormous base contained tens of millions of inhabitants and was guarded by demigods, the strongest beings among the pure-blooded Ice and Snow Clan.

  Heavenly Winter Base was the place that every member of the Ice and Snow bloodline dreamed of reaching.

  Unfortunately, not everyone was fortunate enough to gain that opportunity.

  From what O’Neill had seen so far, Green Copperwood Base felt more like a small town compared to the cities of his previous life.

  Because of the aftermath of the War of the Throne thirty thousand years ago, the current technological level of human society still remained in a relatively primitive stage.

  In addition, the rise of the Beast Hunting System had drawn a huge number of talented individuals into hunting demonic beasts, meaning it would take a very long time for civilization to return to its pre-catastrophe state.

  O’Neill was currently heading toward the Inner City of the base.

  Green Copperwood Base was divided into four outer districts: East, South, West, and North.

  O’Neill lived in the territory of the Barbrose Tribe, located in one of the outer districts, an area primarily responsible for hunting.

  The Inner City served as the central core of Green Copperwood Base.

  This kind of regional division was a common structural design among most bases.

  In addition to housing the upper and middle classes of the base, the Inner City also contained the most important administrative and institutional buildings.

  That was O’Neill’s destination this time.

  As the tram began moving, the shops along both sides of the street had already opened early, and pedestrians had begun their busy day.

  As they approached the Inner City, the surrounding scenery gradually changed.

  Green plants appeared everywhere, the streets became cleaner and more orderly, and the houses no longer looked old or worn down.

  “So this… is the Inner City?”

  As O’Neill observed the constantly changing scenery, he finally realized that in this extraordinary world, social classes had become visibly distinct.

  Yet everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to it.

  The only difference was whether a person struggled to climb higher…

  or simply accepted the environment they were born into.

  After all, population itself was an important resource.

  Even though the Outer City could not compare with the Inner City, it was still possible to live a normal and stable life there.