The underground base, filled with silver and gray tones, hummed within its command center.
The leader in black leather stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the massive federal map before him. Numerous regions were marked with red dots, emanating striking red light patterns.
Just like the dazzling red lights flashing within the underground base.
“A major disaster has occurred in the northern cities of Lonesti State. The Bicycle Hero, one of the Twelve Heroes, has fallen and turned into a grotesque entity.”
“A forty-meter-tall monster has appeared in the large city of Birleburg. It is suspected to be a Cataclysm-level grotesque entity. The city has already fallen.”
“Captain Black Hawk, one of the Twelve Heroes, has fallen.”
“The Punisher, one of the Twelve Heroes, has fallen.”
These twelve heroes, chosen by the White Eagle Federation, were not the absolute strongest individuals within the federation; the true powerhouses of Zone 51 remained hidden. However, these twelve were undoubtedly among the cream of the crop of dual awakeners.
With appropriate teammate coordination, defeating a super-large grotesque entity was not an insurmountable task.
However,
This time, the disaster struck within cities. Moreover, the ratio of awakened individuals to grotesque entities was one against many, or one against multiple.
When individual strength was inferior and they were also ambushed by grotesque entities, death was an entirely normal outcome.
Not to mention those terrifying Cataclysm-level grotesque entities that could annihilate an entire city. The leader in black leather had no intention of confronting such beings.
“Except for a few important cities and some main bases, the secret combat teams in all states and cities are to be recalled. There is no need for meaningless sacrifices.”
“The most urgent priority is to ensure the smooth transport of supplies and to expedite the construction of the Ark of Salvation!”
Once the Ark was built, their White Eagle Federation could preserve some elite sparks of humanity and have a better chance of finding an oasis.
If the Ark could not be built, the elites and awakened powerhouses would perish along with the world.
How to choose? The leader in black leather had already made his decision.
His face showed no anxiety, no sorrow, no expression whatsoever. He simply paused and asked, “What is the situation in Donghuang… around the world?”
The assistant replied, “Our personnel in Donghuang are limited, but Donghuang seems to have deployed all their awakened individuals to guard their cities. Their disaster situation is much less severe than ours.”
“However, there have still been many injuries and deaths. Many hospitals are already overflowing, and Donghuang is also starting to fall into chaos.”
Listening, the leader in black leather remained expressionless, only nodding slightly.
The disaster was far less severe than theirs, but it was still a disaster.
It was like a dike that began to leak. Collapse was only a matter of time, and repairs could never keep up with the rate of rupture.
On the other hand, their White Eagle Federation, as long as they could weather this storm and discard the dead weight, the remaining would be mostly elites, making survival easier in the time before the world’s destruction.
What would you, Donghuang, do?
The leader in black leather gazed towards the direction of the other side of the ocean, silent.
…
Under the gloomy sky, streaks of thunderous lightning occasionally flashed, like lightning that perfectly matched a stormy day.
However, if there were powerful individuals at the scene, they would discover that these purple bolts of lightning, tearing through the dark clouds and striking downwards, were precisely targeting the colossal grotesque entities. The brilliant lightning engulfed these terrifying and grotesque figures.
Even a forty-meter-tall monstrous entity vanished in an instant under the falling lightning.
“That’s the 27th. It’s really troublesome… *Phew*!”
Fang You glanced below at the scorched earth left behind by the lightning strikes. He nodded slightly and vanished into the gloomy sky with a stomp of his foot.
Around him, there were only panicked, disoriented pedestrians.
No one noticed the gray figure that suddenly appeared and then suddenly disappeared.
Occasionally, someone would see the lightning strike from the heavens, swallowing the monster’s body, and they would fall to their knees, weeping.
“God, it must be God’s intervention!”
“Amen!”
“Wuwuwu—”
…
A Cataclysm-level grotesque entity, upon appearing near a city, could cause the deaths of tens of thousands of ordinary people in an instant simply through the radiating mental impact.
For such grotesque entities, as soon as they were detected on the map, Fang You would strike with lightning.
However,
At this moment of the Grey Mist Tide’s descent, there were too many Cataclysm-level grotesque entities appearing, just like when numerous Gates of the Grotesque World appeared simultaneously across the globe. This time, it was even more intense.
He could only deal with those Cataclysm-level grotesque entities that posed the greatest threat, and even then, his actions were limited.
Even so, he would still be too late.
Furthermore, Cataclysm-level grotesque entities were not weak. Eliminating one was easy, capable of instant kill. Two or three were also manageable, but the depletion of life energy involved was not small!
If the total number increased to dozens, even by eliminating them one by one, he would have long since been drained with his life energy barely at a hundred points.
The reason this hadn't happened was because he was relying on the fully charged Tears of the Angel to barely sustain himself.
Even so…
He lowered his head.
The tear-shaped grotesque artifact hanging at the collar of his clothes was already dim. The life energy stored within this Tear of the Angel was almost completely depleted.
The consumption was greater than estimated.
“The organization currently has three Tears of the Angel.”
“One is on me, one is on Liu Shang, and one is for public rental.”
The one on Liu Shang could not be used; her mission was also very heavy, and she often said she couldn’t go on.
The one for public rental had already been fetched.
However, it might still not be enough.
“If it’s truly not enough, I’ll have to borrow the Tear from Liu Shang.”
…
Outside Shuize City, Liu Shang, who was sowing special seeds with a group of Ember personnel, lowered her head and looked at the Tear of the Angel hanging on her chest, hidden within her clothes. Its luster had significantly dimmed.
“It’s not enough, and the mentor’s mission is so heavy.”
“Alas, omnipotent mentor, please give me a few more fully charged Tears of the Angel~”
She brushed a strand of hair from her ear and tilted her head slightly, gazing at the gloomy sky.
Beneath the sky, the wind that billowed her skirt also lifted the seeds in the maiden’s hand, letting them drift and fall onto the vast land outside the city.
Tender sprouts struggled to emerge from the soil, bringing a touch of new green to the barren land, much like the tiny, stubborn human beneath the dark sky.
…
…
“47 Cataclysm-level grotesque entities have been eliminated, most of them were solitary. Only two locations had pairs, and in addition, there were two Hell-level grotesque entities.”
These numbers didn’t seem too concentrated; during the previous global disaster of the Gates of the Grotesque World, there had been situations where three or four Cataclysm-level grotesque entities appeared together.
However, what he was currently dealing with were only those Cataclysm-level grotesque entities that appeared in or near cities and posed significant threats, or clustered Three-star grotesque entities that suddenly appeared in cities.
Even this was proving to be overwhelming.
He could only prioritize and eliminate them one by one.
If tallied, the Cataclysm-level grotesque entities that descended with the Grey Mist Tide would likely far exceed three digits, naturally appearing more in desolate and remote areas.
He glanced over them and moved on.
Yet, even this glance was shocking. In terms of high-star grotesque entities, many five-star Hell-level behemoths had appeared, and even six-star Calamity-level grotesque entities had appeared!
They had already appeared on Blue Star, in the deep sea, in the deep mountains, and there was more than one!
He ran over to take a look. Their power was chilling. And surrounding these six-star, five-star, and four-star grotesque entities were countless other grotesque entities, converging like a tide.
Their numbers far exceeded the past!
In comparison, the solitary Cataclysm-level grotesque entities that occasionally appeared near cities, along with their dozen or so henchmen, were absolutely adorable.
“Little Huan, what’s the situation?”
“Mmm… some disasters are still too late to prevent. By the time some city investigators and our Ember warriors rushed over, it was already a little late. Some cities, although they defeated and killed Three-star grotesque entities, suffered too many mental impacts, and some could no longer be saved.”
“This is the situation within Donghuang. Abroad… it’s even more severe.”
She bit her lip, her emotions low.
She did not project the scenes from various locations, only giving Fang You a general number.
This was already grim enough.
Yesterday, under his arrangement, Ember warriors were dispatched to various prefectures and cities to establish a presence, ensuring that each region had the power to deal with grotesque entities.
However, even so, a city’s area was vast. Let alone one team, even two, three, or four teams would not be enough.
It took time to get there, and sometimes disasters erupted simultaneously in the east and west.
It was too late.
There was also the more troublesome mental impact, which was truly terrifying. If one could not instantly kill a formidable grotesque entity, then the mental impact was an invisible knife, continuously harvesting lives around it.
The scroll in Xu Tian’s hand was a grotesque artifact capable of isolating grotesque entities and blocking mental impact.
However, there were only a few of them.
“Black and White Scroll, Ghostly Street, Silent Crevice…”
The characteristic of the Black and White Scroll was that it reduced the area within its ability’s coverage to black and white colors, which isolated space.
The other items had similar effects, with the main ability being to cover and create an independent space.
To block influence and trap enemies.
Beyond this, different grotesque artifacts might have additional abilities and different side effects. For example, the ‘Silent Crevice’ had a sound-dampening effect, which might be useful in appropriate scenarios.
Its primary function remained isolation.
Fang You classified these types of grotesque artifacts as ‘Domain-type Grotesque Artifacts,’ meaning they created a domain space to block external connections.
However, their numbers were too few. Compared to the entire Donghuang and the entire world, their impact was extremely limited.
And it was difficult to trap truly powerful individuals.
Compared to these six high-level grotesque artifacts, another, slightly more ordinary grotesque artifact, the ‘Purification Orb,’ was more valued by Fang You.
This was also obtained from a high-level gacha pull. Its ability was to spread a ‘purification halo’ to cover the surroundings, granting those within the range a purification and mental resistance bonus.
Naturally, the effect was inferior to the complete isolation of the Black and White Scroll.
The advantage was that it could be replicated. Master Wang Chui had already developed it, and Ember elites had been searching for the required materials before today.
However, due to time constraints, material availability, and Master Wang’s energy, Ember currently only possessed twenty-three of these highly cost-effective ‘Purification Orbs.’
For the entire world, it was still a drop in the bucket.
They could only do their best.
Reality was ultimately not a fairy tale. The numbers were all bloody reality. What needed to be done was to ignite a fire in this dark world and ensure the inheritance never extinguished.
…
…
When flames burned, there was often a price.
When the firewood burned out, only embers remained.
And this time, facing the continuous disasters erupting everywhere, facing those troublesome, powerful, and terrifying enemies, not only did many investigators and special task force members sacrifice themselves,
but Ember warriors did as well.
Seeing Fang You’s somber mood, Little Huan thought for a moment and said, “Master, there is still good news. Look here.”
She projected a map. A large red dot representing a Hell-level grotesque entity on it flashed several times before shattering and disappearing with a bang.
This signified the demise of this terrifying grotesque entity.
“An Jianyuo has already killed the third Hell-level grotesque entity. If this continues, the number of powerful grotesque entities will gradually decrease.”
“Yes, apart from the initial impact of the Grey Mist Tide, the growth rate of Cataclysm-level grotesque entities under normal circumstances is not that fast.”
But it was much faster than before.
Moreover, from now on, densely populated areas like cities might also spawn Three-star, or even Four-star Cataclysm-level grotesque entities.
Dispatching the grotesque entity detection capabilities on the map could only reduce losses, not guarantee their absence.
“How is the relocation work progressing?”
He asked.
A few days ago, after the locations of the next two Dawn Base Cities were truly confirmed, the Dawn Plan – Mass Migration had gradually begun.
Before this, much preparation had been made.
Shuize and Huangdu, two cities, were also undergoing rapid modification and expansion. In the future, a Dawn Base City – including the main base urban area and satellite base urban areas – would need to accommodate two to three hundred million people.
Expansion was underway.
Migration was also underway.
However, mass migration faced many difficulties and resistance. Firstly, it wasn't a matter of just moving; transportation and supplies needed to be guaranteed, so it could only be one city, tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people migrating successively.
Secondly, many people were unwilling to leave their homeland. The previous safe environment in the country made many feel it unnecessary.
Of course, the Investigation Bureau had issued instructions and started individual migrations.
The overall situation was relatively smooth.
There were more complications abroad. After their Ember proposed the Dawn Plan, the Sunset Country also held a public referendum, and the result was that less than 10% of the public supported migration and relocation to the base cities.
This was just a referendum.
If actual migration began in the future, there would likely be more troubles.
Furthermore, the Eurasian continent would inevitably need to establish Dawn Base Cities, at least two or three.
Thirdly, apart from transportation and supply issues, the problem of grotesque entities was even more troublesome for the migration of millions of people. The areas outside the cities were already dangerous, and the migration teams were like beacons, no, like millions of light bulbs, attracting a river of attention and drawing grotesque entities in swarms.
Little Huan’s eyes flickered with streams of data as she spoke.
“Currently, the migration work in Shuize State has progressed to 36%, and Huangdu’s migration work has progressed to 35%. However, with the descent of the Grey Mist Tide, several migration teams have encountered more wave impacts.”
“But, but it’s still within control, Master, don’t worry.”
…
…
Shuize State, National Highway 666.
The massive convoy stretched from the front to the rear, like a python with no end in sight.
Within the convoy, the front consisted of transport vehicles and buses, followed closely by numerous private cars, all driving towards an unknown destination as part of this steel torrent.
On people’s faces were tension, confusion, and determination.
On a bus,
A little boy clutched the old man’s sleeve, his innocent face filled with fear of the unknown.
A couple whispered words of comfort, encouraging each other, their hands clasped tightly.
A young man, alone, gazed at the upright investigators in black trench coats on a nearby troop transport vehicle. His eyes did not waver, and he silently made a resolution.
Drivers, passengers, volunteers.
Soldiers, investigators, Ember warriors.
Whether serious, anxious, quiet, or determined, in this endless stream of vehicles, different people played different roles, but all shared the same hope.
The hope of reaching their destination safely and smoothly.
At the very front of the sprawling convoy, Chi Yan, one of the three captains of the special forces, sat in a troop transport vehicle, his leg slightly raised. His posture appeared lazy, yet his sharp, eagle-like gaze sweeping the surroundings clearly indicated that this captain was maintaining a high level of alertness at all times.
“Since the descent of the Grey Mist Tide, the frequency of attacks by grotesque entities has increased several times, even more than ten times.”
Chi Yan frowned slightly.
He looked at the refined middle-aged man sitting beside him. “If we encounter an overwhelming swarm of grotesque entities, we will still need Mr. Pei to make a move.”
“It’s my duty.”
Pei Hongjing was also observing the surroundings.
He would occasionally check the situation on the map in his mind, and sometimes, he would employ his master-level grotesque entity tracking skill.
Within the scope of this skill, wisps of gray mist gradually became clear, and the changes in the mist tendrils and the direction of the foul wind were all presented in his vision.
Pei Hongjing suddenly stood up and ascended slightly, looking towards a certain location behind them.
There, strands of gray mist converged, resembling a vortex.
“In the fourth section, there is a high probability that a grotesque entity will appear soon.”
He said.
His voice reached the command vehicle not far away, and commands were issued quickly and orderly.
The location where the vortex appeared was not far from the national highway, only about twenty to thirty meters away. However, the convoy, moving at high speed, could not stop. Once it stopped, this orderly system would be disrupted, and the efficiency of the migration would be greatly reduced.
Similar accidents were not isolated incidents.
If it were interrupted a few more times, this migration would be in jeopardy.
However, brute force was also not an option. At high speeds, if the drivers suffered mental impact, it could easily lead to chain accidents, car crashes, and fatalities.
Therefore,
“Implement Plan B.”
“Leave it to me!”
A greatsword, the size of a door panel, flew up. Jiang Nian, the holder of the Flaming Torch medal, a prominent figure among the second batch of members, flew up on his door-panel sword. Upon reaching his destination, he took out an octagonal music box and opened it with reverence.
Gentle music emanated, and the surrounding scenery changed.
A somewhat illusory carousel scene appeared, replacing the surroundings and enveloping the area where gray mist was surging.
This was the domain-type grotesque artifact ‘Annie’s Music Box.’
One of Ember’s six domain-type grotesque artifacts.
Captain Chi Yan also took to the air, flames transforming into a pair of crimson fiery wings behind him. He flew into the domain of the music box.
Simultaneously, two Ember warriors and four elites from the special forces and investigation bureau took action.
Pei Hongjing watched the illusory domain of the music box, invisible to ordinary people, and the convoy that had not paused at all, without making a move.
From battle to its end, he remained standing, merely observing the surroundings.
He needed to preserve sufficient strength to deal with more troublesome grotesque entities.
In the distance, the wind surged. In his special vision, gray mist swarmed together. From beneath the layers of reality, a ferocious grotesque entity tens of meters tall tore through that thin membrane and descended with a roar.
Dozens, hundreds of cards flew towards his face.
Explosions boomed like thunder, and the terrifying shockwaves caused the illusory domain of the music box to tremble unceasingly.
Beneath the domain’s cover, fiery red light also shot towards the sky, dyeing this dim sky a vibrant red. Under the scorching heat of the fiery light, a figure with lightly fluttering wings landed at the front of the convoy.
“Disaster averted. Continue moving forward.”
--- Bookworm’s Note ---
A two-chapter-in-one, *sob sob*~