"What are you doing?" Zhuo Ran asked, not answering directly.
"Sending them back, of course," Luan Yu replied matter-of-factly. "After the passage was opened, they all ran out, scattering everywhere. I finally managed to close the passage, and now I have to get them all back. It's exhausting."
Zhuo Ran pointed to the vast ocean. "By doing this?"
"Yes, is there a better way?"
"There are still living people on land. Are you planning to kill them all?"
Luan Yu looked puzzled. What did those people have to do with this? Wasn't she saving humanity by sending these monsters back to where they belonged?
"Take it back first, and we'll talk."
"No," she said firmly. "To open this passage, I've been holding it open here for over a month, and I finally made it this big. If I take it back now, won't my energy be wasted for nothing?"
"You're draining the seawater. Everyone on land will die. Are you trying to save people or harm them?"
Luan Yu felt that the person in front of her had no reason to lie. After a moment of thought, she proposed a compromise. "I'll keep it like this for now. You explain to me clearly why draining the sea will kill people. I'm sending these monsters back to save them."
"Go back, and I'll find someone to explain it to you."
Luan Yu tilted her head, pondered for a moment, and accepted the proposal. She placed the scepter in the center of the light circle to temporarily stabilize the passage for the other party, and then followed Zhuo Ran back to land.
Looking at the vast expanse of yellow sand with barely any greenery, and the fish frantically migrating, Luan Yu frowned. "How did this world become like this? It feels so uncomfortable."
"Apocalypse," Zhuo Ran reminded her appropriately. "There are zombies and such, but thanks to you, the zombies have all become their meals."
Luan Yu: "..." Was that necessary?
"It wasn't my intention, I was framed! Besides, aren't I fixing it now?"
"Then should I thank you on their behalf?"
"No, no," she said, waving her hand guiltily. "This is all I should do. And, you and I, who are we to be formal with each other?"
Zhuo Ran "slapped" her hand away and led her towards their encampment.
The helicopter had already returned, and the people inside rushed out to meet them. Seeing that she had brought back a stranger, everyone looked at her curiously.
"Xiao Zhao, who is this?"
Zhuo Ran nudged her. "Find someone to explain to her what happens when the sea level drops too much." Then, she said to General Dong, "Have everyone come over. Let's have a meeting first."
"Alright."
About ten minutes later, a group of people gathered in the temporary conference room. Luan Yu listened as Professor Dai explained in full detail the dangers of sea level drop. Meanwhile, Zhuo Ran introduced Luan Yu's background and achievements to everyone.
The person responsible for the marine life's attempt to invade land, the one that had kept everyone on edge, was this seemingly harmless woman.
After hearing it, everyone was stunned.
Perhaps in the hearts of some people, Luan Yu, who had failed to fulfill her duty and caused them to encounter this disaster, deserved to die.
However, she was also making amends.
Since the incident had already happened, they were not in a position to accuse her. All they could do now was to seek some benefits from her to ensure that the surviving humans could live longer and multiply.
"...Besides reduced rainfall and decreased grain yields, leading to widespread famine and world war, several important canals would become impassable, requiring significant time and effort. The oceans might be divided, leading to disputes and wars over new land ownership. World War III could break out as a result, with more deaths than now. It's even possible that due to the use of weapons of mass destruction in the war, after the conflict, humanity on this planet might cease to exist."
Luan Yu listened, dumbfounded. She actually wanted to argue that she had only sent those monsters back to where they belonged and had accidentally drained some seawater in the process. How could it have such a huge impact? But what he said were not direct consequences, but ripple effects stemming from the sea level drop. Each of them was a real possibility. She finally realized her recklessness.
"I, I didn't mean to. So, what do we do now? Should I let those things back?"
"What do you think?" Zhuo Ran asked. "After those monsters came to this world, they were affected by the zombie virus and reproduced with the animals of this world. Their bodies have extremely high levels of growth hormones and sex hormones. Should we open it up for more monsters to come? Do you think enough people have died already?"
"Then don't open it," Luan Yu said, feeling a headache coming on. "Don't blame me. It's not entirely my fault. Even without the monsters, they would have been finished without your help. They're constantly messing with viruses and the like, shooting themselves in the foot."
"You still have the leisure to make sarcastic remarks? Hurry up and close the passage."
Luan Yu said "Oh" and quickly retrieved the scepter. The light circle in the center of the Pacific began to shrink and soon disappeared into the vast ocean.
The immediate crisis was averted, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief while beginning to discuss what they wanted. Sending all those monsters back was impossible. Most of them were in the sea, and their sheer size required a passage several kilometers in diameter. However, the passage was indiscriminate; it would absorb anything that approached it. A huge circle like that might not significantly impact the entire ocean if it absorbed for ten days to half a month, but if it continued for three to five years, the monsters would still be there, and humanity would be wiped out first.
After a long discussion, the leaders of various bases, represented by General Dong, along with representatives of ordinary people and high-level ability users, reached a consensus.
First, Luan Yu would help them create passages in specific locations to prevent mutated animals from harming them.
Second, Luan Yu was obligated to visit periodically until humanity's crisis was completely resolved to observe the state of the world and assist them in overcoming any dangers.
Third, she had to provide a method to inhibit the reproduction of those monsters.
The last point was a real challenge for Luan Yu, who was completely ignorant of practical matters. How could she, who created such a large void in the sea without understanding anything, know how to inhibit the reproduction of aliens? However, since the incident originated with her, she was obligated to help them.
In the end, she sought Zhuo Ran's help. After paying a hefty price, Zhuo Ran used merit points to purchase the latest anti-alien drugs developed by the main world. This was clearly cheating, but since 007, acting as an intermediary, made a considerable profit, the matter was overlooked. Zhuo Ran bought not just one batch of drugs, but everything their entire production line could produce. However, she believed Professor Dai and his team were also very capable and would likely be self-sufficient soon.
Survivors in other countries somehow learned of Luan Yu's existence. Although they were skeptical about the claim that she was the culprit, they knew about her special abilities. As survivors of this world, they also demanded the same benefits. General Dong mediated for half a month, extracting a considerable amount of good items from them before Luan Yu finally agreed to help.
Luan Yu's visit to this world turned out to be a complete rip-off. She was tricked repeatedly, almost losing all her equipment, which frightened her so much that she fled back that very night.
In reality, with Zhuo Ran present, they would never have encountered the major crises mentioned in the agreement. The researchers were not incompetent. With the samples purchased by Zhuo Ran at a high price, they quickly developed some special weapons to deal with the aliens. Foreign survivors also wanted them, and General Dong naturally did not refuse. After all, at this critical juncture, the fate of all humanity was intertwined. If others didn't cooperate, they would eventually have to face the same threat. Rather than hoarding the resources, it was better to use them as incentives for others to help fight the enemy, achieving multiple goals at once.
After the light circle disappeared, the sea surface finally calmed down, and the creatures in the sea became much more docile. As long as they could stay in the sea, they wouldn't want to venture onto land. Humanity, having suffered heavy losses, would be confined to inland areas for a considerable time, minimizing conflict with them. Combined with the effects of the special medicine, the monsters would gradually decrease, while humanity would continue to thrive. Perhaps in a few hundred years, everything could return to normal.
All the melodramatic plots and conflicts from the original storyline disappeared. Zhuo Ran helped them navigate onto a path that was optimal for everyone. Zhu Yu Jue's entire family did not suffer a tragic death. Bai Peijin did not die in betrayal and resentment. Jiang Xiaoshu, out of fear, became a model student. Lu Huaqing achieved his wish in a different way. Even Zhao Ting and others, who were beaten up at the beginning, eventually awakened and became saviors of the world. All these changes ultimately became a string of data.