"The Lighthouse has fallen..."
Tang Xiaoen watched the image of Tang Houde freeze, then flicker with static, before finally extinguishing. His expression was one of profound grief.
The World Control Hub had been destroyed. If the Lighthouse were to fall as well, the native inhabitants would have no final refuge. This would be the true apocalypse.
"After midnight tonight, it will skip the Giant Beast phase and directly enter the Ultimate Apocalypse? Then... what do we do?"
Zhang Wenwen's face was filled with panic. Her first thought was of the followers of the True God Cult.
"Only a very small number of people have entered the ranks of Evolvers. The vast majority are still at the Transmuter stage. They haven't even conquered the Savage Beast phase yet. Directly skipping the Giant Beast phase into the Ultimate Apocalypse... how will they survive?"
Tang Xiaoen was in an extremely foul mood and said impatiently,
"Hmph, you've already been incredibly lucky. We created phased protection, allowing you to gradually increase your strength in a controlled environment."
"What about us? After the zombies, it was a direct jump to the Ultimate Apocalypse. What did we have? Billions of people worldwide died within a few months, leaving only two million. Without the high walls, even these two million wouldn't have survived."
"Now, less than a hundred thousand remain, huddled on the Lighthouse. And now the Lighthouse is about to fall. We are facing total extinction..."
"Heh... survival? The law of nature is survival of the fittest, the strong survive. The World Control Hub is gone, and so is your babysitter!"
"Those who have the ability to survive, will survive. Those who don't, it was their fate."
"No matter how miserable you are, are you more miserable than those who will be transmigrating after midnight?"
Zhang Wenwen pursed her lips, wanting to argue, but her reason told her: Tang Xiaoen is right!
It was just that since she arrived in this world, she had been instilled with the concept of a game: leveling up, a balanced power system, no ridiculously powerful monsters...
These were the ideas instilled in her by the game.
But in reality, the so-called games experienced by the轮回者 (Reincarnators) were merely environments created by the progress faction.
The true apocalypse doesn't care if you've leveled up, if you're strong, or if your race will go extinct.
Survival of the fittest! It's that simple!
"Wenwen, notify everyone about the Ultimate Apocalypse arriving at midnight. Contact the camps and have them find Shirley to spread the news among the previous generation of Reincarnators!"
"Wait a moment!"
Zhang Chen said as he instantly flashed to Zhang Wenwen's side, grabbed her hand, and gently touched her ring.
It had taken a lot of effort to modify Shirley's ring before. Now his mind was clear, and modifying the ring was almost instantaneous, as if it didn't require energy construction. The ring had already been processed and would no longer be weakened by the native inhabitants' suppression effects.
"Alright, contact them now!"
Zhang Chen's understanding of energy had reached a new height. The world around him had also subtly changed. The energy flowing through all people, buildings, and objects was clearly displayed before him in the form of structural results.
Energy constructions that previously required careful study could now be used directly after a mere mental construction.
Even many points that he couldn't understand before were now clear.
The reason why the modified Shirley's ring, after an upgrade, continuously transmitted energy outwards was that Zhang Chen had accidentally designed the energy construction to be contagious.
As long as Shirley communicated with someone privately, that person's ring would also be automatically modified.
Similarly, if that person communicated with others privately, others would also be changed.
Even small-scale group chats possessed a similar contagious effect.
Now, Zhang Chen needed Zhang Wenwen to spread this energy to the Reincarnators of the same generation.
He wanted to unite all forces to defeat Xu Linna together with the native inhabitants and end the apocalypse.
If everyone else died, leaving only Zhang Chen alone, then whether the apocalypse ended or not would be meaningless.
"Okay, True God!"
Zhang Wenwen nodded, then her expression froze as she began to make contact.
"Giji..."
At this moment, Xiao Ruan slowly floated over and landed gently on Zhang Chen's shoulder.
"You worked hard. Without you, I might have been consumed just now!"
Zhang Chen reached out and gently stroked Xiao Ruan's skin.
"Giji, giji!"
Xiao Ruan wriggled happily on Zhang Chen's shoulder twice.
It was then that Zhang Chen noticed Xiao Ruan's severed tentacles.
"Does it hurt?"
"Gugu..."
"Let me help you!"
Zhang Chen briefly examined the wound that the medics had treated on Xiao Ruan. A never-before-seen energy construction immediately appeared on it. Although it was his first time seeing it, Zhang Chen's mind instantly understood its function.
Hemorrhage control and regeneration promotion.
"To think there's such an energy construction. It's quite convenient..."
"However... these constructions are all too basic, and some are ridiculously flawed!"
Zhang Chen shook his head slightly, then extended his hand to a position about ten centimeters away from Xiao Ruan's wound and slowly moved his fingertips.
A powerful surge of energy immediately flowed from his fingertips, slowly landing on Xiao Ruan's wound. They began to reconstruct the energy and slowly integrated into the wound.
"Giji?"
Xiao Ruan seemed to sense subtle changes in its body.
It widened its large eyeballs, rotating them in disbelief. Then, the severed ends of its tentacles began to rapidly recover. The tissue grew, wove, and reshaped at a visible speed!
In a short while, all of Xiao Ruan's severed tentacles were restored. It excitedly began to dance in mid-air, its eight tentacles wriggling softly.
"You... you actually learned healing skills directly, and they're more advanced than what we've mastered?!"
Tang Xiaoen's eyes widened in disbelief, his eyeballs almost popping out.
He certainly understood the significance of this skill for a warrior.
"Well... it's alright. Just messing around!"
Zhang Chen said calmly. He truly didn't find it difficult, nor did he think he had done anything extraordinary.
"As for what's difficult right now..."
Zhang Chen took a deep breath and then took a step towards the door.
Whoosh! Thump!
His entire body slammed into a wall two hundred meters away, having punched through three walls that contained energy-inhibiting materials.