Chapter 259
As they watched the Future Ark truly depart, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some chose to stay behind, while others were forced to remain. Each person harbored their own thoughts; with so many gone, the remaining resources could last longer. Life always seeks a way out.
Naturally, everyone's attention inevitably turned to the Taida Tower.
"What do you want from us? Is there really no way to resist this?!"
Even though many ordinary people present had gained the powers they had longed for after the arrival of the Doomsday Messenger, and had briefly expressed their gratitude, now, apart from a few truly fanatical doomsday believers and the desperately weak who sought pity, everyone understood clearly that the Messenger was an enemy they must eliminate.
This time, after a brief period of confusion, the remaining people gathered once more. They cast aside their barriers and united as one. Some even embraced the thought of sacrifice as they prepared for the upcoming battle, the brilliance of humanity shining through in that moment.
At that time, atop the Taida Tower, Ye Bai received a message from Lin En: "Senior, the number of people boarding the ship has exceeded five hundred million, meeting 50% of the mission requirement. Should we leave now and conclude the mission?"
Lin En was in high spirits, filled with admiration for his senior partner. Just by building a long-range spaceship that had barely surpassed the Earth level, he could earn three thousand Star Points. He felt incredibly lucky!
After accepting the mission, Lin En had consulted friends to understand the challenges involved. In the past, those who took on similar missions typically attracted the attention of the upper echelons of the civilization. Gaining their trust, whether or not one revealed their identity, was no easy feat.
For the first time, Lin En realized that the mission could be approached from a different angle. He could become the creator of the "catastrophe." As long as he didn’t reveal technology that far surpassed that of this civilization or openly declare himself an alien from the chaotic star sea, the Taida people would only speculate about his identity.
In the end, if it weren't for the lottery system that allowed only a portion of people to board as bait, the number of people boarding would have been much smaller, and the mission requirements might not have been met.
After receiving the news, Ye Bai glanced at the clock behind her. There were only two hours left until the time she had set.
"It’s time. I’ll wrap things up and finish this," Ye Bai replied. Then she remembered something and asked Lin En, "Have you heard from the other mission participant?"
Lin En quickly responded, "No, I haven’t encountered them, nor have I received any replies."
Ye Bai pondered for a moment. The entire Taida Star was under her surveillance, and she hadn’t detected any unusual movements beyond the Taida people. Either the other party was using advanced technology to remain 'invisible,' or they simply weren’t on this planet.
She wondered how the Jade Stone Terminal would ultimately judge that slacking mission participant. But for now, as long as the mission wasn’t delayed, she would keep an eye out and not dwell on it.
"The final countdown has begun."
Ye Bai closed her eyes, for the first time truly mobilizing her mental energy on Taida Star.
---
"Don’t worry, I will survive!"
Some people were saying their goodbyes to their loved ones.
The remaining individuals devised a series of plans against the Taida Tower. At this moment, many true heroes emerged, genuinely determined to protect their friends and family, ready to face the Taida Tower in a bid to secure a future for the remaining Taida people.
Of course, there were also cunning and cowardly individuals hiding in the shadows, for human nature is inherently complex.
But before their actions could commence, they suddenly felt a massive tremor beneath their feet, especially those near the coast.
"Something’s not right..."
People grew alert, and the Taida who had awakened abilities to move in water immediately went to investigate.
In less than half an hour, the scouts returned, their faces either numb or filled with despair, but all were nearly frantic:
"A tsunami... is coming! Soon, all land will be submerged!"
The news hit the crowd like a soul-sucking void.
"Hahaha... so this is the real apocalypse!" People fell into utter despair.
After venting their emotions, those filled with anger and resentment planned to gather their last strength for a final confrontation with the Taida Tower, while many others calmed down, or rather, sank into complete despair, beginning their final farewells to family and friends.
Lin En, clad in combat gear and flying high above, looked down in horror as the waters of Taida Star rose as if influenced by a satellite's gravitational pull, the sea level rising at least tens of thousands of meters, and moving toward the continent with purpose, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
What he saw from above made him feel the true might of nature more than any Taida could.
So this was what the senior had meant by 'wrapping things up.'
Previously, while Ye Bai executed her intricate plans, Lin En had marveled at her innovative and effective approach. But that strength was merely in strategy; the actual display of power was simply the application of technology that hadn’t even transcended the Earth-level civilization era.
But now, to be able to control a planetary natural phenomenon on such a large scale with mental energy was the true moment of showcasing a strong person's power.
An A-level! And an absolute powerhouse among A-levels!
Lin En's perception of this mysterious five-star senior rose even higher, and he couldn’t help but reflect on whether he had been respectful enough in his previous demeanor.
As for everything happening on Taida Star, Lin En felt no particular emotions.
Born in the chaotic star sea and lacking a civilized structure, Lin En viewed the Taida people with a standard attitude of, "I will destroy you; what does it matter to me?"
---
As time passed, even as the crowd instinctively sought to survive, all pushing toward the center of the land, they could still see the coastline disappearing, the gloomy blue nearly engulfing the sky, drawing ever closer.
At this moment, only a couple of mad doomsday cultists were still raving and praying, unsure whether they were praising or cursing the Doomsday Messenger—
"You will welcome the end of the world together with it!"
Those who had experienced all this gathered inward, numbly watching these madmen, as if witnessing a final performance.
"This is the last apocalypse."
When the familiar voice echoed in everyone’s ears after seven days, they looked up at the tallest building, as if they could see a countdown clock there, with a figure standing before it.
Curses, shouts, prayers... various voices erupted, but none were as intense as before. Most people fell silent, a silence filled with despair.
Everything was about to be destroyed; so be it!
Faced with repeated blows, the last few who had not believed in the end of the world now fully accepted that the apocalypse had indeed arrived.
"This is also the last opportunity."
As the second sentence fell, people’s minds hadn’t yet caught up, but moments later, someone suddenly changed their expression—
What does that mean? What is the last opportunity referring to?
Soon, the crowd at the very edge of the coast erupted into a wave of terrifying cheers.
Everyone turned to look, and amidst the giant waves, a massive ship, nearly identical in shape to the previous 'Future Ark' except for some different paint, slowly emerged from the curtain of the tsunami, appearing before everyone.
"When did the senior build this? I had no idea..."
---
High above, Lin En felt a mix of surprise and awe. He wasn’t as shocked as he had been by the tsunami; the senior's technical prowess was beyond his comprehension, so it was only natural that a similar ship could be built without his knowledge.
What Lin En didn’t know was that this ship, aside from a slight difference in exterior paint, was identical in internal structure, materials, and even every item of food and living resources to the previous Future Ark.
This was because Ye Bai had used historical retrieval to 'fish' it out after encountering the Future Ark.
The items that historical retrieval could bring back were not related to size but seemed to correlate with the complexity of the technology that Ye Bai understood. For her, retrieving a massive interstellar long-range spaceship that had just surpassed Earth-level technology consumed even less mental energy than retrieving the Jade Stone Terminal.
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