As the body of the Sky Centipede gradually dissipated, the situation on the ground appeared directly before Zhang Chen.
Not far away, a massive arched space station had crashed into the ground, half of it crushed and destroyed. The other half remained relatively intact, but bore severe burn marks on its exterior. Huge debris was scattered across an area spanning tens of kilometers. Among them, a large swathe of ancient forest had been burnt to charcoal, and even from a distance, one could see unextinguished flames emitting billowing smoke from the forest.
"Such a colossal lighthouse, no wonder it can support a million people..."
"The natives really know how to live well!"
Zhang Chen said coldly. He and the other transmigration survivors were struggling to survive daily, fighting each other for resources and engaging in life-or-death battles with monsters for advancement. Yet, the very instigators of all this, the natives, were floating in orbit around the Blue Water Star, reunited as a family, watching the turmoil of the轮回者 (reincarnators). He had to make them pay!
Seeing that the Sky Fortress was still about a thousand meters above the ground, Zhang Chen decided not to return. He plummeted straight down towards the ground. Then, when his body was only about a dozen meters from the surface, he abruptly activated his force field to decelerate.
*Bang!*
Zhang Chen landed softly on the ground, but the rapid airflow generated during his descent still impacted the surrounding ground, creating a depression and kicking up clouds of dust. However, this dust swirled around Zhang Chen for a moment before naturally parting, creating a clear path for him to emerge without a speck of dirt.
*Boom!*
Not long after Zhang Chen landed, the Sky Fortress behind him also touched down. However, another of its engines had malfunctioned, spewing thick smoke. It landed almost in a freefall. Its outer armor plating cracked open with a loud *crack*. It was likely that this relic was scrapped.
A moment later, Zhang Wenwen, along with Tang Xiaoen and others, emerged from the Sky Fortress.
"Mr. Zhang, we've arrived! We're finally at the lighthouse. The apocalypse is finally ending!" Tang Xiaoen said excitedly.
Angelina glanced at Tang Xiaoen, wondering what this fool was so excited about. Even if the apocalypse ended, the survivors would still possess strength comparable to monsters. And the natives? They were just ordinary people. Even with AI battle suits, their strength would only be around that of mid-level evolutionaries, completely outmatched by the 轮回者.
"Hmm, take me to find Tang Houde!" Zhang Chen said flatly.
"Yes, yes! I just contacted Professor Tang. Their hiding place is in the underground defense fortifications not far from here!" Tang Xiaoen excitedly led the way with his team. Zhang Chen, Angelina, Zhang Wenwen, and the others followed behind.
"True God, I always feel like these natives have some conspiracy!" Zhang Wenwen whispered analysis. "If the apocalypse ends, then the first two opposing factions to emerge will be the 轮回者 and the natives! After all, we're trapped in this apocalypse entirely because of them. Under such circumstances, with the natives' small population and meager combat power, can they really hold on? If they considered controlling survivors with rings before, they should know now that the control of the rings is entirely in your hands. It's such a simple logic that if we can think of it, they must be able to as well!"
"That's right, I also feel that everything is going a bit too smoothly!" Angelina added. "And... why didn't the Supreme Ruler choose to end the apocalypse before? I believe there must be a reason!"
"Hmm, I understand. I'll keep an eye out!" Zhang Chen nodded.
Under Tang Xiaoen's guidance, the group soon arrived before a small hill. Behind an inconspicuous rock, there was a small door. Tang Xiaoen skillfully operated the controller next to the door. With a *creak*, the door opened.
"Let's go. This small door was left for us. Otherwise... under these circumstances, they wouldn't leave any entrance on the surface!"
Everyone walked through the metal door, revealing a spacious elevator inside. The elevator descended rapidly, stopping after a full half-minute. The elevator doors opened. Tang Houde, accompanied by a group of researchers, stood at the entrance with beaming smiles. Seeing Zhang Chen arrive, they all applauded enthusiastically, as if welcoming a triumphant hero, or perhaps celebrating the success of their plan to end the apocalypse, with Zhang Chen merely being the experimental white rat.
"Professor Tang, where are Captain Huang and the others?" Tang Xiaoen asked, his expression a mixture of surprise and doubt. His unspoken implication was clear: Zhang Chen and his team had arrived, yet the entire shelter lacked any security measures, not even a defensive squad nearby. It was too careless.
In reality, Tang Houde thought more profoundly than Tang Xiaoen. Even if Captain Huang's men were fully armed and present, along with Tang Xiaoen's team, the two squads would not be enough for Zhang Chen to crush with one hand. Rather than making Zhang Chen more vigilant, it was better to appear amiable, as a smile often disarms a person.
"They have other missions. Oh, and Captain Tang, you've also worked hard. Please go through disinfection and then rest in the lounge," Tang Houde said with a smile. "I'll call you if anything comes up!"
"Alright, Professor Tang!" Tang Xiaoen nodded and led his team towards another corridor.
Tang Houde warmly shook Zhang Chen's hand and said with a smile, "You've had a difficult journey. I know you have many questions. Our people are currently preparing the equipment to end the apocalypse, which may take some time. Coincidentally, during this period, you can ask me any questions you have, and I can answer them all!"
Zhang Chen nodded, as that was precisely his intention. Tang Houde arranged for staff to escort Angelina, Mo Ran, and the others for disinfection, and then led Zhang Chen into a meeting room to sit down.
"I don't need disinfection?" Zhang Chen asked, surprised.
"Of course. You have an energy core within you. Even if there were viruses, they are not something we can eliminate, so you are an exception!" Tang Houde said with a smile. "Here, you are the most special existence! Including the prompts you see that others cannot, this is also the most core confidential intelligence in our database!"
"Speaking of prompts, I'd like to meet the person responsible for arranging them for me!" Zhang Chen thought of the playful content he had just received and wanted to know what the person who had been supervising him looked like, whether male or female.
"That person? We don't have anyone responsible for such work. After all, it's impossible to do this continuously 24 hours a day, and manual work also leads to errors!" Tang Houde said with a smile. "So, the entire process is completed by computer. Moreover, it's just providing information that others don't have. This doesn't require manual intervention."
"Then... is it artificial intelligence?" Zhang Chen asked tentatively again.
"No, it's just a very ordinary program that provides standardized content. This... doesn't require artificial intelligence to complete, does it?" Tang Houde asked, looking puzzled. Does Earth's technological level so low that simple prompts require artificial intelligence? However, such an answer made Zhang Chen even more confused!