National Highway No. 666 was the mandatory route from Linshan City to Shuize City.
North of the city.
The crowd surged like water, and the queues resembled streams flowing in from all directions. Under the coordinated command of investigators, various departments, and volunteers, they boarded buses in an orderly and rapid manner.
Vehicles departed one after another.
The drone footage gradually pulled back, and the camera slowly moved backward. The bustling streams of people disappeared. The once lively streets were now lined with shops with their roller shutters pulled down. The wide main roads were empty, with no vehicles or pedestrians in sight.
The aerial footage continued.
Moving forward, it became even more desolate. The entire population of Linshan City had been preparing for days, shutting down factories, relocating personnel, and transferring supplies.
Valuable items had mostly been taken away. The future base city construction would require a vast amount of resources, as would dealing with the truly arrived doomsday disaster.
Within this desolate Linshan City, the drone camera gradually zoomed in, focusing on several places within the empty city.
Visible wisps of gray mist drifted like smoke and clouds.
A few faint, indistinct gray shadow monsters, their forms unclear, roamed the deserted roads, leaving behind dark claw marks wherever they went.
An ominous aura permeated the air.
Even more discernible were gray shadows of giants, tens of meters tall, waving their arms furiously. They scraped against the outer walls of buildings, shattering glass and gouging away at walls, causing cracks to spread like spiderwebs.
These terrifying scenes, through the aerial footage, were clearly presented to every viewer in front of their televisions and computers.
They couldn't help but gasp in shock.
"Hiss—"
The disaster was not far away.
Especially today, there had been multiple serious disasters. Some people had already heard about them, but compared to the firsthand survivors, most people merely sighed. The gradually approaching disaster was still at a distance.
Now, they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
"It's monsters!"
"Hiss! Are these the monsters called 'Gui Xie' (詭邪)?"
"So, these are the terrifying beings that the investigators have been fighting!"
"Especially these monsters that ordinary guns and cannons can't deal with, requiring special methods to kill."
"My eyes! My eyes!"
The monsters presented in the footage had the outline of a three-star Gui Xie's flesh and blood giant...
Even though it was just a blurry gray shadow, and viewed through another screen, the terrifying mental shock did not affect those sitting in front of their televisions.
However, gazing at these indistinct monster shadows, thoughts of 'terrible,' 'ferocious,' 'ugly,' and 'disgusting' still arose in people's minds.
They felt a chill in their hearts.
The footage returned to the news program. The host, sitting upright, spoke in a serious tone,
"The footage we are now seeing is the real scene of the disaster. To resist the escalating disaster, Donghuang is preparing to establish six base cities to ensure the safety of residents' lives and production."
"Huangdu Base City and Shuize Base City are already under construction. The other four base cities have also commenced work and are expected to complete their initial construction and the full migration and resettlement of residents within the next two months."
"What is currently underway is the migration work from Linshan City. We can see that the last batch of residents has boarded the buses. They will be escorted by investigators to Shuize Base City."
"Let's take a look at the aerial footage from the migration front line."
The convoy, like a rolling torrent, traveled along the wide national highway.
At first glance, it was quite spectacular. One could see many powerful individuals 'leaping over walls and scaling cliffs,' or even 'spreading their wings,' 'riding the wind,' or 'flying with swords.'
In this era, Awakened individuals were no longer a secret, but they were still a 'new phenomenon.' Occasionally, one could see some Awakened streamers on the internet, but they were all low-level Awakened, able to breathe fire and perform circus acts, which already amazed people.
This time, it was different.
They witnessed true powerhouses, leaping over walls and flying with swords. In an instant, the number of bullet comments surged by several times, even ten times.
"Sword Immortal! Mom, I saw a Sword Immortal!"
"Are they the investigators protecting the migration convoy? I love them!"
"Didn't you notice that they are completely different from the Awakened streamers we've seen online before? They are warriors, real warriors! They are flying over the tops of buses, even flying, not for show. It's because only this way can they intercept the monsters before the disaster strikes and ensure the safety and unimpeded passage of this migration route."
Several Awakened individuals who had leaped across the rooftops of buses suddenly jumped off the highway and landed steadily with a roll.
At this moment, the zoomed-in camera could see that amidst the intertwining wisps of gray mist, several ferocious monsters landed in reality. However, before they could pounce on the convoy, which was emitting an enticing aroma not far away, they were swiftly eliminated by the black-clothed investigators who had arrived first.
Similar scenes occurred from time to time along the long convoy.
There were even surging waves of monsters, dozens or hundreds of them, rushing towards the highway from the wilderness, a black mass, extremely terrifying.
But they were all intercepted and destroyed far away by the black-clothed powerhouses.
Despite the many dangers and the frequent appearance of monsters, the convoy did not stop once during the entire forty-minute live broadcast!
It was not subjected to any interference!
Whether there was smoke and fire or monsters ahead, there was no need to worry. The black-clothed figures would protect the convoy. You… just keep moving forward.
The bullet comments suddenly thinned out.
The audience in front of the screens fell silent. At this moment, they finally understood the weight of the word "investigator."
The black windbreakers fluttering in the strong wind, the wisps of orange-red flames dancing on them, were all imprinted in people's eyes, never to be forgotten.
"Salute!"
"Salute!"
"Salute!"
...
...
The first wave, the most intense impact, had passed, and Mentor Fang Da could finally rest a little.
He had now returned to his Level 3 Apostle dormitory.
Compared to the Level 2 dormitory, the Level 3 dormitory was clearly more spacious, a large flat of over 300 square meters. Spaciousness was secondary; the key was the powerful recovery buffs of the Level 3 dormitory. Just by being here, the nearly depleted life energy in his body began to recover at a relatively fast pace.
His energy became much more active, and the mental fatigue from repeatedly using skills and high-intensity combat was slowly recovering.
His entire body felt as if it was receiving a meticulous massage, very comfortable.
In addition, there were some magical facilities.
For example,
The clear water rippling in this bathtub was equivalent to a special medicinal liquid. Just soaking in it could quickly relieve physical and mental fatigue and eliminate minor injuries from combat or training.
Long-term soaking could also subtly improve one's physique without any side effects.
The effect was quite good, and it could be enjoyed anytime in the Level 3 dormitory.
However, it was strange. The 'medicinal liquid' flowing from the bathtub faucet only took effect within the flat dormitory. Once taken out of the dormitory, it became ordinary, warm spring water.
This foiled some of Mentor Fang's plans.
He had to resort to his second plan, asking Yin Ling to research it. She was indeed curious and, in her own dormitory, soaked and drank it. The next day, when he saw Yin Ling, who was rosy and radiant, the answer he received was disappointing.
"How to say it... it's very strange."
"I tasted it and found that it's not some medicinal liquid, just ordinary hot spring water, but it does have the effect of a medicinal bath."
Unable to understand, Yin Ling bid farewell.
Mentor Fang's plan to "reap benefits" failed, but it didn't affect the good effect of the bathtub water. He enjoyed the physical and mental comfort and finally had time to examine the progress of the Dawn Plan in detail.
Through the perspectives of the Apostles in various migration teams and the Apostles in Shuize City, Fang You could investigate the situation in various places without leaving his residence.
Fan Anyuan and other Xin Huo personnel working in the Investigation Bureau and coordinating with the Investigation Bureau and Special Operations Teams also transmitted first-hand information back to the organization.
"Master, at the current pace, the migration work will be completed in about five more days!" Xiao Huan's figure floated out and said.
Fang You asked, "How is the construction of the base city progressing?"
"That will be much slower. The planned Dawn Base City will have a main urban area and four satellite urban areas, as well as an anti-Gui Xie city wall built on the outermost periphery to withstand the impact of Gui Xie waves."
"Even with the construction puppets we provided, it will still take at least two months. However, there are enough temporary accommodations, and the Investigation Bureau has made thorough preparations."
"Also, our Dawn Lighthouse is basically completed and only needs the final activation step."
Xiao Huan said earnestly.
The Dawn Lighthouse was a special building constructed based on the 'Seed of Construction,' so its construction speed was naturally much faster than ordinary buildings.
It was a "cheating" building.
However, the Dawn Lighthouse was very special. Its effectiveness depended on "population density."
It was not yet time for activation. When all the migration teams arrived at Shuize City and the initial form of Shuize Base City took shape, it would be the moment the Dawn Lighthouse was activated.
Urban construction.
Population migration.
Lighting the lighthouse.
This was the process of establishing a Dawn Base City.
...
...
Shuize City, Dawn Plan Command Center.
Director Huang Hongtian, who was in charge of the construction of Shuize Base City and the migration and resettlement of residents, had not slept for two days and two nights.
For a top-tier three-awakened powerhouse, not sleeping for two days was not a major issue.
However, not sleeping for two days and two nights while maintaining a high level of concentration, and occasionally taking action against Gui Xie, placed a considerable burden on him.
Director Huang's face showed signs of fatigue.
When others advised him, he waved his hand dismissively, "The front-line soldiers haven't rested either, and their workload is much higher than mine, especially now. The gray mist tide has only descended a short while ago. I can't sleep even if you tell me to. People just don't feel at ease unless they are personally overseeing things."
He monitored the situation of various migration teams and the situation within Shuize City.
In terms of construction,
Ensuring the basic living conditions of the migrating population and properly resettling them was paramount.
In terms of safety,
This was the planned Dawn Base City, a place of refuge, and Gui Xie could not be allowed to run rampant here.
Naturally, there were many experts stationed in Shuize City. Besides Director Huang, there were 8 three-awakened experts and dozens of two-awakened junior experts.
They were from the Investigation Bureau, the Special Operations Team, and Xin Huo.
However, from Shuize City to Shuize Base City, the urban area had expanded significantly, and engineering work was constantly underway everywhere. Although there were many experts stationed here, they were far from sufficient, otherwise Director Huang would not have had to take action.
He came to the rooftop of the command center and looked out at the construction progress of Shuize Base City.
The wind was strong here, and the sky was still gloomy, but it could not extinguish the fervent hearts of the busy people.
Director Huang looked into the distance.
There, in the center of the city, stood a pure white tower, three hundred meters high, magnificent and spectacular. It had now become a landmark building of Shuize City.
What made him even more incredulous was that this magnificent white lighthouse had been built before his eyes, little by little… no, it had been built rapidly before his eyes.
From the start of construction to its completion, the entire process took only three days.
He heard that the tower was called the Dawn Lighthouse and was the core of the Dawn Plan.
"With this lighthouse, can the safety of the base city be guaranteed?"
To be honest, Huang Hongtian was not sure.
He didn't know.
He could only choose to believe that this was the only hope, the hope that could protect most people.
As for oases?
An oasis, with such a small area, could feed how many people? Even large oases, like the Fiery Blaze Great Oasis, which were said to be major powers in the Gui Realm, were only equivalent to a large city.
Less than one-thousandth of a world.
Even if they found the so-called oases, with the danger of the Gui Realm, how many people could safely reach them?
Huang Hongtian gazed into the distance, at the myriad lights of homes, at the flowing traffic.
The Dawn Plan must not fail!
He was silent for a long time, then turned to another direction, looking at the outer areas of the base city that were being developed and constructed. He asked, "How many Gui Xie disasters have occurred within Shuize Base City?"
"One hundred and forty-six incidents, with thirty-seven of two-star or above, and four of three-star or above."
His deputy replied.
This number was much higher than that of an ordinary prefecture-level city.
At this point, it had been half a day since the gray mist tide descended. Given the dense population of Shuize City, the disaster degree should have been smaller. However, Shuize City was expanding outwards.
In those outer areas, even though a large number of people had entered, the "population density" had not truly integrated. Compared to the inner urban areas, Gui Xie bred more frequently in these areas.
Director Huang understood this theory.
"Shuize Base City has more defensive forces, and currently, these sudden disasters have not caused major losses."
The deputy added.
Director Huang nodded slightly, "What about outside the city? What is the situation now?"
"We have annihilated eight waves of Gui Xie tides so far, with the smaller ones numbering two to three hundred, and the larger ones exceeding one thousand."
A thousand Gui Xie gathered together, surging in at once, would contain at least a dozen three-star Gui Xie.
If they were annihilated one by one, a thousand Gui Xie would not be difficult.
But if they surged in as a Gui Xie tide, it would require at least a hundred Awakened individuals, more than ten three-awakened combatants, and sufficient weapons and strategic depth to annihilate them relatively easily.
What if the scale of the Gui Xie tide was even larger?
This was what Director Huang was worried about.
While densely populated areas could reduce the frequency of Gui Xie breeding, on the other hand, they would also attract wild Gui Xie to gather and form Gui Xie tides that surged towards the city.
This had happened before.
Moreover, now the population of the base city would be in the hundreds of millions. The attraction of Gui Xie under such circumstances...
Director Huang was also very worried.
The city wall, planned in the base city project, which could withstand the charge of ordinary Gui Xie, would obviously not be built in a short period.
The deputy said, "Xin Huo indicated that they have had high-level powerhouses take action to clear out the surrounding gathered Gui Xie."
"Additionally, Xin Huo has made preparations for potential large Gui Xie tides and has set up defense lines on the outer perimeter."
In the distance, at the location of the planned city wall of the base city.
Several brown wooden towers, ten to twenty meters high, stood somewhat isolated. Further away, Xin Huo soldiers were busy setting things up.
At this time, Director Huang chose to trust his allies.
What he needed to do was to keep a close eye on the construction of the base city and the migration and resettlement of personnel.
Not a single mistake could be made!
...
...
While Donghuang was united in its great migration, abroad, the winds were also somewhat boisterous. The sky was equally dim, and eyes from different countries were focused on the land of the East.
"Did you hear? Donghuang is undergoing a great population migration, planning to move everyone to six base cities. They, Donghuang, are abandoning most of their land!"
"Oh my God, those Easterners have finally gone mad. How dare their country do this!"
"What makes me even more curious is, do the people of Donghuang have no human rights? They move when they say move, abandon when they say abandon? If it were me, I would absolutely not agree, not even a chance!"
"But haven't you noticed that disasters have become much more severe recently? People have died in various cities, many people have died. If this continues, our cities will also be destroyed. I am now in despair!"
"Donghuang is at least taking action. What is our Langhua Country doing? What is our Super Combat Department doing? F*ck!"
"Uh, a few days ago, we held a public referendum. The referendum seemed to be about the base city plan. I didn't pay much attention, just glanced at the general idea and voted no."
On the internet, the few ordinary netizens who noticed Donghuang's great undertaking were all dumbfounded.
Compared to these ordinary netizens, the mysterious departments of various countries were naturally more aware of the inside story.
Country Sunset, Headquarters of the Night Watch Department.
Yuri and other high-ranking officials were somewhat silent.
"Donghuang's actions are faster than expected."
"Indeed. At the current pace, the most difficult migration work will be completed in just a few days."
"No, migration is not the most difficult part. How to prevent Gui Xie from breeding within the city is the key. If this cannot be achieved, the establishment of the base city will be meaningless."
A high-ranking official said.
They had mixed emotions, feeling that the plan was unworkable and that Donghuang would soon suffer heavy losses, but they also hoped that, what if it really worked?
Let's wait a little longer.
...
White Eagle Federation,
The leader in black leather and the envoy from the Waves City State in blue robes were also observing the situation in that Eastern country.
"Establishing base cities, behind this, there must be the support of a major oasis power, but it cannot succeed."
The blue-robed envoy stated with certainty, "I am more inclined to believe that they are using this opportunity to carry out some kind of plan, some kind of ritual."
The leader in black leather also believed this.
Setting aside the last point, the entire plan seemed like a fantasy to him. Just getting millions, tens of millions of people to travel thousands of miles in a dangerous environment, he felt it was impossible.
But Donghuang did it!
Before the gray mist tide descended, they migrated tens of millions of people.
After the gray mist tide descended, they… their migration speed was even faster! The organization and dispatch were more agile!
The leader could not understand.
He silently reviewed the intelligence from Donghuang.
"The 14th batch of migrating population has arrived in Shuize."
"The 18th batch of migrating population has been resettled."
"The construction of Shuize Base City has set a record!"
"Donghuang's plan, the last team heading to Shuize Base City has arrived!"
...
...
Shuize City, no, now it should be called Shuize Base City.
Construction work was still in full swing in various urban areas. The newly arrived people were also being orderly resettled into temporary living areas.
At this time,
In the center of the base city, under the Dawn Lighthouse, which had been designated as a restricted area, three figures appeared.
The chief instructor, wearing a black coat and a mask, Heidao.
Miss An Jianyou, dressed in a black long dress with her hair cascading to her shoulders.
And,
The one in the white robe, walking in the middle.
The Xin Huo Mentor!
"The time has come. It's time to light up the dawn."
-- End of author's notes --
(Two-in-one, fat and paralyzed, ah~!)