Translator: CinderTL
Star City Shelter.
Resource Repository.
Feng Qi waited anxiously.
Suction Cup had already devoured all the plant spirit liquid from the metal cans.
She turned her gaze to the neatly arranged spirit stones, but after taking a small bite, she seemed dissatisfied with their taste and turned to the grain warehouse.
Shattering the transparent glass, she began another round of feasting.
Her body was also changing as she ate.
The rune crystal on her arm, once covered in cracks, had mostly healed, and it now pulsed with Scarlet light as energy continued to flow into it.
A hint of animation flickered in her previously vacant eyes.
Just then, Suction Cup, who was stuffing her cheeks with corn kernels, suddenly turned to look at Feng Qi. Her puffed-out cheeks gave her a surprisingly adorable expression.
"Feng Qi? Yi-qi... eat!"
"I'm not eating. You eat quickly and recover your strength!" Feng Qi urged, seeing her pause.
The Domain Field was expanding rapidly, and the Lord of the Mist would surely arrive soon.
Even though the special stone tablet outside the Star City Shelter had locked the exit, the threat of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice remained unresolved.
All the Lord of the Mist needed to do was activate the "switch."
The human survivors inside the shelter would then become puppets on strings, forced to walk out and sacrifice their flesh and blood to become nourishment for the Lord of the Mist.
Excluding the unpredictable Lin Ran, Suction Cup was his only means of fighting the Lord of the Mist.
Seemingly aware of his reluctance to join her in eating, Suction Cup puffed out her cheeks and buried her head in the pile of corn kernels. Then, with her rear end sticking up, she wiggled through the kernels like a bulldozer.
The pile of corn kernels visibly sank as she devoured them.
To heal her injuries, Suction Cup's best option would have been to consume spirit stones.
Compared to various grains, spirit stones contained abundant spiritual energy, which could be more easily absorbed and converted into the energy needed for healing.
But in her unconscious state, Suction Cup had inherited Mu Qing's gluttonous nature.
At this moment, her mind was devoid of the impending apocalypse's urgency. She was simply following her instincts to eat.
Compared to the tasteless spirit stones, the food in the granary was her instinctive choice.
Standing nearby, Feng Qi desperately wanted to grab spirit stones and shove them one by one into Suction Cup's mouth, hoping to restore her strength quickly.
[You could try that. Even though you can't beat Suction Cup, she won't hurt you!]
Hearing the Narrator's reminder, Feng Qi paused.
Might as well give it a shot.
Without hesitation, he rushed to the area where the spirit stones were stored. Grabbing two high-purity golden spirit stones, he jogged over to Suction Cup and yanked her out of the corn kernels.
Holding the dazed Suction Cup, he reached out and stuffed the spirit stones into her mouth.
"Swallow them."
Suction Cup obediently chewed twice.
Just as Feng Qi thought this method might work, Suction Cup suddenly opened her mouth and spat out the spirit stone fragments.
"Beh!"
[Tsk tsk tsk, this weapon is picky about its food. Probably spoiled. Should give her a good spanking... but never mind, can't beat her.]
Watching Suction Cup spit out the spirit stone fragments, Feng Qi felt helpless. Nevertheless, he decisively tossed her back into the corn bin.
As Suction Cup resumed eating, he turned his gaze toward the metal door at the end of the Resource Repository.
Waiting was also a waste of time. Feng Qi thought there might be other high-energy food sources in the room.
With this thought, he strode to the metal door at the end of the resource room and pushed it open.
The metal door was incredibly heavy, even with Feng Qi's strength, it was a struggle to move.
Without hesitation, he switched to his Battle Body Form.
The oppressive weight vanished instantly. Under his brute force, the metal door slowly creaked open.
A wave of scorching heat slammed into him.
Before him lay a golden sphere, as dazzling as the sun. It floated effortlessly above a circular ring studded with electromagnetic coils, spinning rapidly.
Thick cables snaked across the floor and walls of the room.
"Narrator, is this golden sphere the energy source that powers the shelter?"
[Forgive my ignorance, I only know this thing is releasing energy at an extremely high frequency. What it actually is? I have no idea. But your guess might be right.]
[Wait... something's not right. While releasing energy, it's also emitting a signal similar to spatial coordinates.]
"What do you mean?" Feng Qi asked urgently.
Do you remember when I told you about the faint spatial node coordinates I detected far to the east?
"Yes. Is this golden sphere related?"
I now suspect that the signal I detected earlier might have originated from a special energy aggregate similar to this golden sphere.
"Explain further. Is this thing good or bad?" Feng Qi asked, completely bewildered.
[Do you remember the Scarlet Research Institute's Anti-Infiltration Plan?]
"Yes. The Scarlet Research Institute wanted to use this plan to transport powerful individuals to the world of domain creatures to find the space origin and completely sever the connection between the domain world and our world, thus saving the world."
[Exactly. And the origin the Scarlet Research Institute wanted to sever was actually the spatial connection point between the two worlds.]
[According to the Scarlet Research Institute's theory, spatial nodes hadn't appeared in the Real World, proving that the connection between the domain world and the Real World was one-way. The domain world could directly transport creatures to our world, so they had to go to the domain world to sever the space origin.]
[After seeing the golden sphere, I realized the Scarlet Research Institute might be wrong. The connection between the domain world and the Real World wasn't a one-way link, but more like a bridge with abutments at both ends. These abutments were spatial nodes, hidden from view. The golden sphere before me might be one of these spatial nodes, constantly emitting spatial coordinates.]
After hearing the Narrator's explanation, Feng Qi's expression changed as he looked at the golden sphere.
"Does that mean if we destroy this golden sphere, the space bridge will collapse, severing the domain world's connection to the Real World and stopping its devouring?"
[It's too late,] the Narrator replied. [Imagine you're a fugitive (the Real World) and I'm a police officer (the domain world). I've been tracking you using a tracking device (spatial node coordinates). If you had blocked the signal earlier, I wouldn't have been able to catch you. But now, 1,500 years later, I'm right in your face. I've already cuffed one of your hands. What's the point of blocking the signal now?]
The Narrator's analogy was vivid, and Feng Qi immediately understood the situation.
"Besides, destroying just one spatial node is useless. Each spatial node is an independent and complete signal device. Unless you destroy them all, it's a futile effort."
Hearing this, Feng Qi's newfound hope of saving the world by finding and destroying the golden spheres immediately vanished.
But numerous questions still lingered in his mind.
Why would the spatial nodes connecting the domain field world to the Real World become the energy source for the Star City Shelter?
He suspected that only Xia Qian knew the answer to this question.
With that thought, he stopped trying to figure out the mystery of the golden sphere. He decisively left the room and closed the heavy metal door behind him.
The intense heat was immediately blocked, and the temperature in the air plummeted.
Back in the Resource Repository, Suction Cup had finished devouring the pile of corn kernels and was now feasting on a stack of compressed energy biscuits.
The Scarlet Rune Crystal on her arm, which had been cracked earlier, was now mostly healed.
The jade-colored mist swirling around her body had also grown thicker as she ate.
Suction Cup's transformation was clearly visible, and her eating speed had increased dramatically.
The vacant look in her eyes had been replaced by a spark of intelligence.
Yet she still hadn't recovered her lost memories.
Driven by instinct, Suction Cup continued to devour the food, drawing the energy needed to heal her wounds.
Listening to the crisp crunching of her mandibles, Feng Qi felt his heart clench with anxiety.
In the timeline he had glimpsed during his previous encounter with the Future People, he had witnessed the Domain Beast Tide surging forth alongside the expanding Domain Field.
This time, it would undoubtedly be the same.
The human warriors outside the shelter stood no chance against the relentless advance of the Domain Beast Tide.
The only humans who might survive would become sacrifices to the Lord of the Mist upon his arrival.
How could he bear to see the same fate repeat itself?
"Narrator, how long do you think it will take for Suction Cup to fully recover?"
[I'm not sure. I can't see the upper limit of this Scarlet Rune Crystal. It's possible that by the time Suction Cup reaches her peak combat strength, everything will already be over.]
"Do you think Suction Cup's current strength is enough to fight the Lord of the Mist?"
Judging by the energy she contains, Suction Cup should be capable of fighting the Lord of the Mist right now. However, the Lord of the Mist might have other tricks up his sleeve, so I can't give you a definite answer.
"We have to risk it!"
Time was running out. Without hesitation, Feng Qi rushed to the pile of compressed energy biscuits, grabbed one of Suction Cup's legs, and dragged her out.
Suction Cup seemed extremely displeased, flapping and doing sit-ups in midair.
Yet as she struggled, she clearly held back, as if afraid of hurting him.
He watched as her mouth stuffed itself with biscuit crumbs, her cheeks puffed out, and her body bounced like a mantis shrimp in Feng Qi's hands. Her tiny hands flailed in the air, repeatedly snatching at the pile of compressed energy biscuits and stuffing them into her mouth.
[Suction-type Automatic Combat Weapon forcibly loaded. This weapon enhancement is complete. Level increased by +99. Combat power increased by a long string of zeros. However, the weapon is currently protesting vehemently and demands that I inform the host: "Damn it, I'm still not full! Give me another huge bowl!" ]
Ignoring the Narrator's sarcastic commentary, Feng Qi wrapped his arms around Suction Cup, ignoring her struggles as he carried her toward the shelter plaza.
Clinging to his chest, Suction Cup reached out a tiny hand and made several grasping motions toward the food in the Resource Repository. A glimmer of drool appeared at the corner of her mouth.
He left the Resource Repository through the same passage he had entered.
The underground plaza was now deserted, all the warriors having already gone to the surface. The remaining shelter residents had retreated to the living quarters on the third basement level.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi carried Suction Cup straight toward the metal tunnel leading to the surface.
The surface.
The surging tide of the Domain Beast Tide approached, and the warriors arrayed before the Shelter City stood ready.
This was destined to be a battle of utterly unequal strength.
Feng Qi had sacrificed countless Future Lines to buy humanity a little more time before the world's end, but it was only a matter of time.
When the Domain Beast Tide crashed against the human battle formation, a brutal slaughter erupted.
Once, a human scholar had prophesied the future.
They said that when humanity's cultivation system was perfected, when we had a multitude of Five-Star cultivation techniques representing different cultivation paths to choose from, the future would be entirely in our hands.
The starting point for our descendants' cultivation might then be the ultimate goal that modern humans could never reach in their entire lives.
When that day arrived, the human race would flourish, and we would fear no domain invasion.
Part of this prophecy had come true 1,500 years later.
After 1,500 years of development, the Future People possessed a cultivation system far more advanced than that of their ancestors 1,500 years ago, giving them a higher starting point and a higher cultivation ceiling.
But on this day, the human race's long-awaited rise did not occur.
The once-bustling cities had become ruins, the earth was cracked and barren, and all vegetation had withered.
Even the sky was torn by black lines, and the sun, once a symbol of light, was forced down by the Blood Moon, unable to bring warmth and light to the world.
This was a stark contrast to the ideal future humanity had envisioned.
Before the shelter, the warriors stood in formation, desperately wielding their weapons and casting art magic.
They had already seen their fate, and they knew it was unchangeable.
So they channeled their inner emotions into fury, unleashing it upon the Domain Beast Tide.
One after another, figures fell in battle.
Blood stained the ground before the Shelter City, as well as the rune crystal statues.
In just half an hour, the Human Defense Line collapsed completely.
The Domain Beast Tide surged forward, smashing through the metal walls surrounding the Shelter City and wreaking havoc within.
But the Star City Shelter was not the tide's final destination.
As the Domain Field expanded, the Domain Beast Tides transformed into a torrent, crushing everything within the city before continuing their relentless advance.
About ten minutes after the first wave of the Domain Beast Tide passed, the second wave arrived.
They trampled the already ruined city once more before continuing in the direction of the expanding Domain Field.
Meanwhile, spatial vortices in the sky multiplied.
Domain creatures of various life forms emerged endlessly from them.
As the second wave of the Domain Beast Tide departed, a spatial vortex in the sky slowly closed. The last wisp of gray mist drifted out, merging with the sea of mist that had gathered below.
Within the mist, countless fierce spirits wailed.
At that moment, a clear face materialized within the mist, accompanied by a raspy murmur that echoed through the gray expanse. The sea of mist surged toward the Star City Shelter.
Just as the mist was about to engulf the shelter, now reduced to ruins, Feng Qi emerged from the shelter's passage, carrying Suction Cup.
The mist pressed down on the city, filling every corner of his vision with gray. Feng Qi raised his head and roared:
"Lin Ran, get out here!"
With that, Feng Qi switched to his human form.
Hearing his shout, a face coalesced from the gray mist, gazing down at him from above.
The face slowly drew closer, and Feng Qi's heart pounded.
He hoped Lin Ran could devour the Lord of the Mist, and that they could journey together through the Dream Realm in the future.
The face, formed entirely of mist, constantly shifted expressions, as if struggling.
Sometimes it wore a look of confusion, other times its eyes gleamed with murderous intent as it glared down at him.
The misty face continued to approach, its features twisting and contorting.
"Brother Qi?" the face suddenly asked, its voice a whisper from the mist.
Just then, Suction Cup suddenly broke free.
Caught off guard, Feng Qi watched as she slipped from his grasp, leaped high into the air, and threw a clenched right fist at the Lord of the Mist's mist-like face.
The jade-colored mist swirling around Suction Cup's body coalesced into a massive fist-shaped shadow that slammed into the face with a resounding crack!
The misty face shattered instantly.
[Nice!]
[Damn it, wrong target!]
Feng Qi: ...
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------------------------------------
Continue Reading (𝙃𝙏𝙏) on CinderTL• ⓒⓞⓜ
Read Ahead to Ch474 • 𝕱𝖗𝖊𝖊 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 • No Login
---------------------------------------------------------