Extinguished

"Run! The lava is about to flow over here!"

"My plantation! The new variety of rubber trees that only went into production this year!"

"My houses! The three buildings I just bought to rent out! They're going to be gone just like that!"

Crowds of people drove all kinds of vehicles, racing toward the nearest ports under various directions. Many looked back at the billowing smoke behind them, tears streaming down their faces.

Their life's work, their homes, their land... it was all there.

Many of them were already in their forties or fifties. They had only just accumulated enough wealth through hard work to enjoy the rest of their lives, and now it was all about to be gone.

Being swindled out of a hundred thousand or so was enough to break a person's heart, but they were losing their entire family fortunes.

Insurance companies did not cover natural disasters like this.

Although the Eastern Continent would provide relief, it could at most help them settle down and rebuild, along with living subsidies for a certain number of years.

They could never return to their former state of financial freedom.

"Who can save us? Who can stop that damned volcano?"

Someone cried out in despair.

"All right, all right, don't be so sad. As long as the heart remains, the dream remains. At worst, we can start over," a young man encouraged them.

"Easy for you to say! You have nothing, and you're young, so of course you can start over. We're all old!" An old man in the same vehicle whacked the young man on the head with his cane.

"All right, all right, I was wrong. Uncle, please calm down," the young man said helplessly as he ducked back.

He really was talking without understanding their pain.