Ding-a-ling.
In the darkness, that single phone—the only connection to the outside world—rang again.
The graceful silhouette, outlined by the moonlight streaming in through the window, quickly reached out an arm and snatched up the receiver.
“Hello, President Buchen. “
A crackling voice came through the earpiece.
— “It’s me. The first phase has been wrapped up beautifully. All the planes will take off safely. “
“You’ve actually done it. Unbelievable. But… what are all these planes for? “
— “Do you trust me? “
“I… ” The woman hesitated for a moment. “You managed to call me, and you pulled this off so fast. Of course, I trust you. “
— “Believe, and the era will too. “
A flicker of light filled the woman’s eyes as she heard that once-so-familiar voice continue from the other end of the line.
— “Its purpose is… to reduce its influence. Further still. “
“This is…? “
— “That’s right. I’m declaring war on It. It will hear it. Every creature will hear it and carry the word to It—especially you. “
……
Moonlight spread out like a veil of gauze, the Milky Way lay sprawled across the heavens like a fine, fragmented riverbed.
The great earth.
In the dim light and shadow, countless eyes glimmered. Some were round or oval, others green or yellow or red, like starlight fallen from the Milky Way, skimming low over the ground.
The contours those eyes were embedded in gathered together, flowing, their footsteps pattering chaotically, tracing faint trails in all directions.
They all converged toward a single, ineffable point.
……
The capital of Heiwenzi Ke.
A small, single room inside a newly renovated reception building that carried a faint, stony scent.
Zorro, who had been sound asleep on the bed for about half an hour, was already breathing evenly. But a “thump, thump, thump ” knock shattered the tranquility suspended in the air. Zorro, who had a faint scar on his forehead, opened his eyes.
Creak.
Pulling the door open, Zorro saw a soldier standing outside, someone he’d seen before in the General’s command office. The other man gave a salute and said in a clear, vigorous voice:
“Mr. Zorro, Chairman Yang Buchen is looking for you. He asked on the phone that you return to your inn immediately. “
Zorro mulled it over briefly behind the door. Seeing the soldier had nothing more to add, he simply replied, “Alright. “
“Our designated vehicle is ready. If you give us the address, we can take you there. “
“No need, thank you. “
The man outside gave another crisp military salute, straightened his back, turned, and ran off naturally, looking quite busy.
Zorro glanced at the neighboring room. Apart from his own, there was no activity coming from the rooms where the others attending tonight’s meeting were staying. It was probably related to that World Ark business.
He reached his watch-wearing hand into his coat pocket, his fingers touching a brass hotel key.
He took it out, glanced at the time, then looked at the key engraved with the number 210. He hadn’t expected to use it so soon. It had only been a little over two hours and fifty minutes since he got it from that guy called “Zilong. “
“Using this to go to the hotel once costs ten years of life. Ha, for the people in the city back in the day, that would be a real luxury. “
But since Yang Zicang urgently needed him, going back to the headquarters of the World Ark’s Stateless Relief Committee from the “Invited Guest Room ” would still take about half an hour.
The 1.78-meter-tall young man slowly closed the door shut, gently gripping the key in his palm.
｛I tipped 10N for the COSTELLA HOTEL lock-opener.｝
“Lock-opener? ” What a down-to-earth term.
Zorro felt a wave of energy envelop his entire being.
The rippling air around him gradually revealed vintage yet more exquisite decor. As the ripples spread out, the young man realized his room had expanded larger than before, boasting a balance of comfort, simplicity, and elegance.
The secrets of this hotel were gradually becoming less of a mystery to him. After all, the comings and goings of Zhao Anlong and others, as well as some of Yang Zicang’s arrivals and departures, involved abilities far too peculiar.
As someone who had been around them, Zorro had been told days ago not to leak this matter.
Now he knew that the qualifications to enter this strange place were extremely scarce. Even obtaining a key had meant receiving it from someone else’s hands.
Experiencing the novelty this mysterious inn brought him, Zorro’s relaxed expression froze.
Fragmentary memories flickered…
The same meeting room, but now with different people present.
Experiences that had never occurred began to surface…
— “The arrival of the Fish Seller means the slaughter is about to begin. “
— “…If one speaks of encountering demons, be grateful to the flock—it wasn’t as many as imagined… “
Suddenly surfacing memories revealed the content of the conversations among those inside the meeting room… rising like hushed whispers!
— “First, Doomsday Demons do not actively attack gathered lifeforms. “
— “Second, Doomsday Demons seem to fear flames, to be precise… high temperatures… Third… “
Zorro’s pupils contracted slightly several times, then dilated!
— “Fourth… Doomsday Demons can control the migration of creatures… mass death… “
His steps faltered as dizziness overwhelmed him, making him reach out and steady himself against the wall.
More images surged forth; countless voices resounded!
“Tomorrow—no, today! “
Suppressed fear and struggle burst forth from his memories like a flood, swiftly engulfing his entire being!
The Doomsday Iron Vines crossing over the branch flow zone of seawater at midnight…!
The terrorist attacks that began to appear in various countries, and the Campfire Plan gradually being forcibly spread across all the southern states…!
And… that damned person… who delusionally seeks to steal fortunes through the apocalypse!
Zorro struggled to regain control of his mind, looking at the brass key in his hand.
The image of the door opening just now, the guard’s voice echoed in his mind.
“Back to the hotel… “
After a moment of silence, Zorro felt his breathing tense, and fine sweat seeped through his vest.
“Lock pick! “
He had to hurry. It felt as if he had taken a mental beating. He reached out, leaning against the wall to steady himself for a couple of brisk steps, quickly regained his balance, rushed to the door, and yanked it open.
The hallway outside was quiet, exuding the peculiar tranquility unique to midnight. Wall lamps emitting a faint yellow glow were scattered on both sides, appearing simple and tasteful.
But he was in no mood to appreciate it.
“303, ” should be this room. Zorro recalled, taking steps and running toward the stairwell. With a few quick and determined strides, he dashed up to the next floor.
The décor here added a touch of stability compared to the light and refreshing style downstairs, but these were subtle details that an inattentive observer would hardly notice any difference.
Zorro twisted open the door to room 303 and stepped inside.
After using the key, in less than a minute, the man who had just returned to the inn swung from contentment to shock and panic, and fled the hotel.
In the hotel. The rooms stood quiet, as always, unhurriedly in their original places.
……
The convoy was heading to the World Ark.
General Ross, listening to Kim Christensen beside him, felt an extreme unease stirring deep within. And beneath this unease lay a buried horror.
It was like a point darker than black, like a black hole in the emotions capable of devouring everything.
Nothing was more terrifying than that affair.
General Ross, his whole body numb, struggled in the vehicle to calm himself down. At this moment, he could only rely on another matter to slightly alleviate the blow this deduction had dealt him.
That was Chairman Yang Buchen—his incomprehensible, aggressive, and winning tactics, his almost prophetic judgment of the demonic situation, and… the most unacceptable thing of all: his insane countermeasures!
Only those “Resistance fighters, ” who daily walked the line of death, who had traveled a dozen or even tens of times back and forth across the central and northern lands overrun by evil vines, could defy death itself, driven by the agreed-upon end-times promise made for themselves and their families.
And to commit such a mad act—to forgo one’s own brain hemisphere—
just by saying “Fire! ” and actually fucking aiming at the seawater river channel towards the edge of the formation. A desperate, utterly suicidal move!
Just thinking about it made his heart ache.
But it was incomprehensible.
Yet, news came back that it had even succeeded!
Had it not been for the radio signal being hijacked again, I might have actually believed this message spreading everywhere in the dead of night.
Further away from the convoy.
The edge of the city.
The wind carried a fresh fragrance of grass and flowers.
The grass by the field ridge rustled, a few wild roe deer emerged, their ears standing straight up, trotting along the furrows. Next came a nearby hedgehog, its round body moving surprisingly fast, not stopping even with dead leaves clinging to its back spines.
Flocks of wild ducks fluttered up from the woods, heading toward the foot of the pitch-black old mountain.
The riverbank was even livelier. Countless crabs crawled sideways out of rock crevices, frogs leaped from the mud ponds, and even water snakes slithered close to the grass.
Creatures that would normally shy away at the sight of humans tonight passed along the ridge close to people without any alarm.
They were all heading in one direction… a patch of dried-up fish ponds at the foot of the mountain.
……
“General Ross, we have arrived. “
This old factory area, unnoticed just over a month ago, had now become the shining star of this world.
The General stepped out of the car, glanced at the night, and adjusted his cap.
“Let’s go. I want to see exactly what his deputy director has to tell me. “
The steady-paced crowd followed the General and Veronica and the others into a newly constructed building several kilometers around, which was faintly bustling with a noisy atmosphere.
Just halfway there, a man came running over with a chuckle, grinning as he approached.
“General, we have been waiting for you for quite a while, ” Wager said, extending his hand.
General Ross stood forward and stretched out his hand to shake it.
He glanced at the three members of the Augustus family accompanying him and said to Wager:
“They said that the World Ark has detailed information regarding the emergency situation in this world, which requires me to come in person to be told. Now, you should be able to pass it on to me. “
“I’m sorry, General. “
Wager said with a hint of apology, “Although I am just as eager to know what the intelligence is, the President specifically mentioned that, to prevent the curse methods used by organizations like ‘The Declaration,’ this intelligence cannot be disclosed to me. It must be known only by you yourself. “
Thinking of something, Wager added:
“It’s best if you don’t tell anyone else either. “
The General’s expression remained unchanged, but his tone carried a trace of hesitation. “So who can tell me? The document itself? “
“Uh, ” Wager also hesitated slightly, rubbing his hands together, “The content of the call I received was to take you to a place and let you use the key. I think someone there will inform you. “
“Alright. ” General Ross nodded and continued walking steadily into the interior of the building complex with him.
The entourage stopped outside the room, while President Wager led the guards and General Ross into the sealed room ahead.
A serene aura permeated the air.
Roth and the guard, whose eyes faintly glowed with an aura, glanced at the quiet room.
Wager touched the key and laughed, “We’re about to go to a place; rest assured, there will be no danger.“
Roth cast a glance at the guard drawing near him; this middle-aged man who had followed tonight promptly unfolded a Stellar Yuan.
A ripple of energy flared on Wager’s body and spread outward. In a few moments, both Roth and the other man watched in astonishment as the room around them transformed to an entirely different décor.
“This…“
“Here, take this.” Wager tapped the key against Roth, who was looking around curiously. In an instant, Roth froze in place as if petrified, standing there stunned, just as he was, immersed in weird astonishment.
The guard at his side appeared exuding a terrifying presence that vastly expanded outward, but Roth, upset, raised his hand abruptly and cried out, “My god!“
Clutching his chest, he grabbed the man beside him by the shoulder sharply as Wager stared in alarm, and said, “Get back immediately! And cooperate with every move Yang Buchen makes!“
The guard beside him, who had been eyeing the inn’s décor with a suspicious expression, looked at the Supreme Commander in shocked confusion,
……
A few soldiers waited quietly beside the fleet of cars, when suddenly their commanding officer came rushing out in a frenzy, uttering, “Now!“
Roth dashed toward the car, engulfed half by fear yet simmering with an almost frantic, burning enthusiasm!
Completely aware beforehand of the whole planet’s situation… and also acquiring despair-inducing top-secret intelligence about the doomsday horror without the smallest chance of compromise!
“Back to HQ immediately!” he shouted from the car in an unwavering order.
……
Amid deep darkness came his faint breath of snoring vibration,
From the radio within the soft far room, whose volume had been decreased to a level-point resting mute wait …After raising its needle-shaking nerves to cry disturbance peaks, squirt-harsh distortion textures ebbed flat cool-wide gradually till emerged—widdled field? Part sound-space patched-jumping aside gave dead-to-life channel spread sing as unexpected station . Will give you words final one…
Across in Fareheim, southeast of the coastline, they actually picked up intermittent radio broadcasts from some small region in the southwest.
— “I am now proclaiming a resolution on behalf of the leader of the Free Federation of Carinthia. Starting immediately, over the next forty-six hours, all air forces of our Federation will pass through the following nations: the Kingdom of Crovia, the Collins River region, the Duchy of Aelending, Waldestadt… and … the Duchy of …“
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