Chapter 228
Is this really a myth?
Based on the clues we have so far, there is a high probability that Zhongli is that 'god'.
Kristen had a preconceived notion that this myth was not simple. Perhaps it wasn't just a story, but a long-ago event that had occurred.
"Pangu".
Kristen recited the name of the god who created Terra Planet, a sense of awe welled up within him.
She felt as if she were standing at the gates of Istina, and she trembled with excitement.
Before Kristen could recover from her shock, what Zhongli said next left her completely stunned.
"Legend has it that after Pangu separated heaven and earth, a goddess named Nuwa traveled between heaven and earth. At that time, although there were already mountains, rivers, grass and trees, birds, beasts, insects and fish on the earth, it still seemed lifeless."
Nuwa walked across the earth, feeling utterly lonely. She longed to add some vibrant life to the world. She came to the riverbank and saw her reflection in the water. She decided to use soft clay to mold some small things in her own image.
Nuwa was very skillful and sculpted many clay figures. These figures, like her, each had a head, a nose, a mouth, eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Nuwa breathed on them, and they came to life, becoming small creatures capable of walking upright and speaking. Nuwa called them 'humans'..."
Kristen gasped in surprise, covering her mouth and pressing the pause button. She stared at the screen, a complex expression on her face.
This version of 'Nuwa creating humans' is completely different from what Kristen knew.
Shouldn't humans have gradually evolved from various primitive Ancients into what we are today?
If it's true that Nuwa created humans, then wouldn't the theory of evolution, which has been used for thousands of years, be completely wrong?
Kristen took off her headphones, pressed her hands to her temples and rubbed them gently, feeling a bit confused.
She thought it over carefully, and it seemed that there really were no reliable records about the origins of humankind. Perhaps they were just inferences made by later generations based on the circumstances at the time?
What Kristen knew was that thousands of years ago, this land was ruled by the Tiracaz. Later, it was attacked by various Allied Forces and gradually collapsed.
Over thousands of years, countless Demon Kings have risen to power, and countless Demon Kings have had their kingdoms destroyed. With the passage of time, the Sarkaz's situation has deteriorated considerably.
However, according to Zhongli's description, Nuwa created humans even before Tiracaz. Could this deity be the ancestor of the Terra?
She probably didn't turn into the earth after she died, right?
What about the Star Pod in the sky?
Perhaps because the air conditioning wasn't on in the monitoring room, Kristen felt her cheeks burning. She patted her flushed face, trying her best to calm herself down.
These origin stories, which had not been recorded by humankind for thousands of years, were easily told to a little girl as legends.
It's shocking, absolutely shocking.
Kristen didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment.
To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, it's as if the truth of history is buried beneath the surface of ice. And she, this lucky passerby, glimpsed only a fraction of the whole picture.
Kristen put her headphones back on, still troubled by her question about the sky. Fortunately, Zhongli's next story touched on the sky, which didn't disappoint her.
"The humans created by Nuwa multiplied and thrived for generations, living a happy life. However, this happy period did not last long. The fire god Zhurong and the water god Gonggong fought. Gonggong even knocked down the pillar that held up the sky, causing the sky to collapse and creating many holes in the ground."
The water god unleashed a massive flood that began to surge across the land. Humans were unable to resist and were swept away by the flood. Their habitat was severely threatened.
Nuwa, seeing the plight of humanity with nowhere to live, felt deep sorrow. To save all living beings, she decided to mend the hole in the sky. First, she used the four legs of the Divine Turtle of the East Sea to hold up the heavens. Then, she gathered five-colored stones and refined them into five-colored crystals to mend the sky. Just as she was about to succeed, she discovered that the five-colored crystals were running out. The stones had been exhausted and could not grow back in the short term. If Nuwa did not mend the sky, humanity would face extinction. In the end, she sacrificed herself to mend the sky. After the repair, peace was restored to the world. The flood receded, and humanity once again lived vibrantly on the earth...
Upon hearing this, Kristen pressed the pause button. She bit her lip, remaining silent for a long time.
Tearing apart the Star Pod would bring devastating disaster to this land. That would shatter her nearly thirty-year-long dream of space exploration.
Wouldn't it all be reduced to ashes?
Kristen's intention was to tear apart the Star Pod, allowing everyone to see the False Sky, thereby abandoning war and uniting to promote technological progress.
If the legend is true, then her tearing apart of the Star Pod would backfire, making her a sinner against all humanity.
This inexplicable burden and responsibility made Kristen feel somewhat suffocated.
She began to seriously reflect: Was tearing apart the Star Pod the right thing to do? Was it a bit too selfish?
If someone else had told this story, Kristen would most likely not have believed it. But since Zhongli told it, it's highly credible.
Those ancient historical anecdotes have not been recorded by anyone on this land.
If Zhongli is fabricated, why can he speak so logically and eloquently?
Kristen began to doubt himself, and after much deliberation, he came to a conclusion. Thinking about this now was useless; he needed to first ascertain Zhongli's identity as 'God'.
If they are gods, these legends are most likely true. If not, then they are just stories.
She suppressed her anxiety, pressed play again, and continued listening.
After hearing the story of Nuwa mending the sky, Ifrit tilted her head in confusion and asked:
"You said Nuwa mended the sky, how high was that sky?"
"The sky? It must be very high."
"How high exactly is it?"
At Ifrit's age, Kristen also had a sky full of beautiful fantasies. Perhaps only someone of that age would ask such a question.
"Wait, let me check."
"6152.31 meters."
Upon hearing this number, Kristen's eyes widened. It was the last altitude recorded on the instrument panel before her parents' test flight crash.
"This isn't the height of the sky, is it?"
Ifrit disagreed, as Columbia seem to have an innate tendency to question authoritative conclusions.
Seeing her insistence on knowing the answer, Zhongli hesitated. After a moment's hesitation, he actually asked:
"Ifrit, now that you know the answer, will you go to sleep obediently?"
Having received an affirmative answer from the little girl, Zhongli turned and walked out of the observation room. Kristen's heart pounded when he saw this, and he quickly checked the time in the upper left corner of the monitor.
Then, Zhongli went to the restroom, and soon after, she encountered God at an altitude of 5,000 meters. God flew near the Star Pod and quickly crashed into the Rhine Lab Park. Zhongli happened to emerge from the restroom shortly after the crash.
The relevant timelines match perfectly.
The case is solved, it was him!
He is God!
All those legends and stories are true!
Kristen sat in front of the monitor, her emotions still running high.
After repeatedly watching those mythological stories, she made a bold decision.
292 Oh no, another one I've ruined (4K)
March 24, 10:45 AM
In the morning, Miss. Zilan received a call from the Melander Foundation Association.
They said the previous request had yielded results, but due to the confidential nature of the content, it could only be viewed in person.
The group rushed over and found a detailed investigation report on human experimentation inside the foundation.
About 20 kilometers south of Trimont City, in the suburbs, there is a secret underground base converted from a large air-raid shelter, suspected of being used for human experimentation.
According to the intelligence officer who made the contact, the identity of the mastermind behind the operation has not yet been determined. However, they have hired many Columbia veterans and installed heavy weapons within the base, making it extremely well-armed.
The source of this intelligence was a truck driver who delivered supplies to the secret base. This person was an informant for the Melander Foundation, and the report included transcripts of communications.
During a delivery, he discovered a land vehicle carrying a large number of unconscious infected individuals. They were being transported deep into the base by soldiers as cargo.
After the driver left, he staked out the main route outside for four or five hours, during which time he did not see any infected individuals leave the base. After verification by Maylander's intelligence department, a conclusion was reached that human experimentation was suspected.
Since the driver cannot access the underground base, an original map of the air-raid shelter is provided in the attachment. A warning in bold next to it indicates that the internal structure and secret escape routes have likely been altered.
In other words, if a frontal breakthrough is required, the bottom layer must be reached within a limited time, otherwise someone will escape.
In addition to the Special Operations Team, four Reconnaissance Squad are also investigating the site of illegal human experimentation.
After obtaining the intelligence, Zilan contacted Miss Frostleaf, who was in charge of the southern region of Trimon. This former Columbia youth soldier had extensive battlefield experience. During her time as a mercenary, she had signed a contract with Rhodes Island.
In fact, a few Messenger from Penguin Logistics would be enough to wipe out this secret base. But Zilan was also in the team, and they couldn't stop her from calling for reinforcements.
And so, the Special Operations Team and the Frostleaf squad met at 1 p. m. After the rendezvous, Shu learned that they too had their eyes on this underground base. However, they weren't entirely sure whether human experiments were being conducted inside.
The two teams arrived near the underground base and discussed their battle plan on a hill 500 meters away.
Shortly after meeting, the Frostleaf Squad started to back down, hoping to gather more people before taking action:
"We've been keeping an eye on this place since yesterday, and we estimate there are at least sixty or seventy guards. Our current numbers are insufficient; perhaps we should contact..."
Mia, please.
Lappland scoffed at this, stretching her neck and wrists, looking eager to try.
"There's no need to call anyone over, the few of us are enough."
Frostleaf doubted her ears and asked:
"What did you say? Just the few of us?"
Lappland grinned, revealing her wolf fangs, and replied:
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Please cherish your life.
Frostleaf looked at the Special Operations Team and warned:
"I've heard you're very strong, but it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. There are countless well-equipped guards inside the base; rushing in recklessly will only lead to your death."
Lappland smiled knowingly, then turned to look at Shi Lei, lifting his chin as he asked:
"Zhongli, did you give her a shield?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, she suddenly drew her crescent sword and, as if possessed, slashed at Frostleaf's neck.
The latter was terrified, her hair standing on end, and instinctively raised the blade of her gun to parry. But Lappland had two crescent swords, the other of which was aimed directly at her heart.
Oh no, I'm going to die!
Those despicable traitors!
In a flash, only these two thoughts crossed Frostleaf's mind. But the next second she realized that the blade of the Crescent Moon Sword was only pressed against her chest, not piercing through.
Frostleaf felt her face burning with embarrassment and glared angrily:
"I know I can't beat you, but you can't humiliate me like this! You..."
"This is not an insult. Take another look."
Lappland interrupted the conversation, repeatedly stabbing Frostleaf's heart with her sword. This was to demonstrate that she was striking with great force, and that she was not relying on her superior strength to defend herself.
Frostleaf stared at this scene, finding it unbelievable:
"What... what is this?"
"It's Zhongli's shield, what else could it be? As long as you put the shield on you, you'll be immune to all damage. No matter how strong the enemy is, you won't get hurt. So the few of us are enough, no need to call for reinforcements, understand?"
This time, let a few of us go first and storm into the underground base. See if they're conducting human experiments in the air-raid shelter. If they are, use the Walkie-Talkie to notify the outside, and we'll all take them out. If not, then get out of there quickly. This is much more efficient than your leisurely investigation!"
To put it bluntly, it boils down to one word: reckless.
Shi Lei guessed what this lunatic was up to from her question about whether he had a shield. But this was certainly more convincing than a dry explanation:
"Alright, stop trying to get them to follow your crazy ideas. We're not permanently stationed on Rhodes Island; we'll be back in Lungmen in a little over two months. If they get used to this kind of combat, they'll suffer a lot when facing the enemy in the future."
"Hey-hey."
Lappland grinned, revealing her fangs, showing absolutely no intention of admitting her mistake or apologizing. She pointed to Croissant, Exusiai, and Texas, suggesting:
"How about the four of us go first? Let's see who goes in first. Once we confirm that human experiments are being conducted down below, we'll use the Walkie-Talkie to notify the outside."
Exusiai is carrying live ammunition this time, so she can enjoy shooting!
"Sure, but we need to set some rules. Finding evidence of human experimentation earns ten points, destroying an escape route earns five points, and the remaining guards each get one point. The loser treats everyone to dinner when they get back, how about that?"
Since Shi Lei joined the company, Croissant hasn't carried a shield in a long time; her current weapons are two large hammers.