The entire livestream audience was stunned as the dilapidated cruise ship slowly emerged from the water.
It was none other than the Naxos, the largest and heaviest cruise ship in the world!
Fox stood on the helicopter, staring at the scene in disbelief through the camera. "Hiss! The Naxos... it really met with disaster. Did the over two hundred passengers on board sink to the bottom of the sea with the ship?"
He took a sharp breath, sensing that a major event was about to unfold, one that could send shockwaves through the world. After all, the passengers on the Naxos were all people of great wealth and status, with many like Prince Jack among them. Such a mass casualty event would undoubtedly impact the stock market!
The bullet comments in the livestream had already exploded, with netizens frantically scrolling through them like madmen.
"My God! What kind of epic disaster is this? The Naxos met with disaster and sank!"
"Damn it! My goddess Alice was on the cruise ship. She's not dead, is she? My heart aches."
"I'm even more heartbroken. Not only is my beloved goddess Alice on board, but so is the goddess Lin Xue, the campus belle from Qing University. Let's mourn."
"This time, it's truly devastating. I heard that all the passengers on this cruise ship were influential figures, and some even belonged to royal families of certain countries."
"Not only them, but also several highly respected scholars with international renown! If these individuals perish, it will be a loss for humanity!"
"Professor Nick, a titan of physics; Professor Sam, a giant in geography; Professor Li Guan, a luminary in mathematics... Hiss! These are textbook-level figures!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This time it's a complete wipeout, the entire elite class of nobles."
"What I'm concerned about is whether there will be any survivors among these passengers. After all, they were so close to land. If they swam desperately, they should have been able to reach the shore. Moreover, the Naxos must have had lifeboats!"
"There definitely won't be! Didn't you see that the Naxos was attacked by a monster? In such a situation, how could anyone escape? They must all be dead!"
"Alas, the youngest on this cruise ship was only five years old, and the oldest was nearly a hundred. They all died. It's truly unfortunate."
"..."
The netizens chattered amongst themselves. Some were heartbroken to see their idol goddesses meet their demise. Others lamented the unfortunate passing of the esteemed scholars and luminaries. Some gloated, watching the drama unfold with a spectator's mentality. Others expressed regret for the over two hundred lives lost on the ship...
...
Within the United Naval Fleet.
Upon seeing the Naxos cruise ship being pulled out of the water, everyone felt an immense sense of shock!
The ship's hull, made of incredibly strong steel plates, was dented and scarred, with dozens of cracks extending across its surface.
The once magnificent, exquisite, and luxurious cruise ship was now battered and broken, resembling a pile of scrap metal, looking worse than even a fishing boat.
When the advance team of soldiers boarded the ship for an inspection, an even more astonishing discovery was made.
Not a single deceased body was found on the cruise ship, not even a shred of tattered cloth!
Furthermore, the soldiers discovered that the lifeboats, which were fixed at the stern of the deck, were missing.
All these findings indicated that the passengers of the Naxos had not perished but had escaped by taking the lifeboats!
This outcome baffled the military officers from various countries, who couldn't comprehend how the passengers of the Naxos had managed to escape the clutches of the monsters.
However, this news instantly lifted everyone's heavy hearts!
Upon hearing this, Lin Yong became incredibly excited, his eyes reddening slightly. He looked at Deng He and asked, "Old Deng, are you telling the truth? Are you sure you're not joking with me?"
Deng He smiled, also feeling a great sense of relief. He was surprised by the outcome and replied,
"I'm not joking. No passenger bodies were found on the Naxos, and the lifeboats are gone. They must have escaped using the lifeboats."
"What about the seabed? Has it been checked too?" Lin Yong asked nervously.
"The seabed has also been checked, and no bodies were found," Deng He replied. This result left him quite perplexed. In their estimation, the Naxos had sunk after a second attack by a sea beast.
Therefore, it would have been extremely difficult for the passengers to escape under the assault of the sea beast.
Yet, the current findings proved that the passengers of the Naxos had indeed escaped, and their retreat seemed to have been relatively orderly, with no one left behind.
"That's good, that's good..." Lin Yong murmured, the color gradually returning to his pale face, his mood significantly improved.
Deng He stated, "Since the passengers are not dead, they have likely escaped to land. To rescue them, we must land on this new continent!"
He looked in the direction of the new continent, which was now less than five kilometers away.
They had already discussed their plan: the Naxos would be temporarily ignored and towed to shallow waters to be grounded. They would retrieve it later when time permitted.
Their primary objective now was to land on the new continent, search for the over two hundred missing passengers, and simultaneously commence scientific research on this new landmass.
The flag bearers on the decks of the warships began to wave their flags, signaling with flag semaphore. The fleet slowly advanced, preparing to select a suitable coastline for landing.
...
On several hills not far from the coastline, the Eastern and Southern garrisons had been waiting for a long time.
Soldiers clad in gleaming, cold iron armor, inscribed with runes to enhance their combat power, stood ready.
The battle formations were constantly in operation, forming a low-visibility barrier to protect the assembled warriors.
At the forefront stood the two main generals, Fan Cheng and Bai Zhan.
At this moment, both were utilizing their ocular techniques, gazing at the massive fleet on the boundless sea!
Watching hundreds of iron ships sailing, emitting a cold, eerie glow, Bai Zhan couldn't help but gasp, "So many massive warships, is this the regular army of Earthlings? They don't seem to be to be underestimated!"
When he first saw the Earthlings on the Naxos, he had dismissed them as insignificant.
However, witnessing this scene now, his perception of Earthlings immediately changed.
Although they were all mortals, this power called technology was indeed not to be underestimated. Underestimating it could lead to defeat.
Fan Cheng nodded, his gaze fixed on the three colossal iron ships. "Those must be Earth's aircraft carriers. The things parked on the deck, resembling iron birds, must be what they call airplanes?"
He had absorbed some of the Earthlings' memories and had a partial understanding of their situation.