Chapter 256
Unfortunately, the residents have all taken refuge in underground shelters, so no one can enjoy this warmth anymore.
However, the changes within the World Bubble are actually the least important part, because what this light truly illuminates is the Sea of Quantum outside the world.
When Kevin unleashed his power without reservation, a dazzling light shone in the dark Sea of Quantum, and the light even caused a transformation in the originally chaotic Sea of Quantum.
As if stimulated, the surrounding Sea of Quantum surged violently, and countless quantum creatures were born at this moment, rushing towards the light.
However, they couldn't even touch the light orb itself before being reduced to ashes under its light. Therefore, although the areas not reached by the light were crowded with monsters, the area covered by the light remained calm and peaceful.
However, these are all insignificant side effects. The true meaning of the light lies in sending signals to its companions, allowing them to lock onto this tiny World Bubble.
A moment later, a massive dragon-like creature crushed the huddled quantum creatures and arrived in front of the ball of light.
"I am in position."
Cosmo's voice came through the communication device to Kevin's ears, "Should we dock now?"
"Yes, let's get started now without delay."
Kevin responded, and then the light became even stronger, enveloping Cosmo as well.
The Amaterasu Dragon also began to release its power, with white and purple light intertwining and ultimately drawing the ball of light into the Amaterasu Dragon's body.
At the same time, the ground within the World Bubble began to tremble. Although Kevin's suppression reduced the tremors by 90%, the remaining tremors still terrified the survivors, who feared that the shelter would collapse and bury them all underneath.
"Calm down! Don't panic!"
The City Lord, along with his most trusted subordinates, struggled to maintain order. "Believe in the prophecy, believe in God's messenger! We will surely overcome this calamity and usher in a new life!"
Due to the structural lack of its underlying rules, the smaller the World Bubble, the more fragile it is. Even with Kevin's protection, it is not suitable to move directly in the Sea of Quantum, since such an action would attract attacks from powerful quantum beings. Therefore, the best option is to find a carrier to hold it.
Since Kevin is unable to move freely because he needs to maintain the World Bubble, the Amaterasu Dragon, who possesses the strongest physique among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, would be a more suitable choice.
Countless quantum creatures were tearing at its body from all around, but they couldn't even leave a trace. Even if some of the more powerful quantum creatures could cause some damage, they would turn to ashes in an instant.
In contrast to Kevin's emergency training, Cosmo and Desdrobia's course was based on the characteristics of quantum organisms, which evolved on their own toxins that could specifically destroy the "toxins" that existed within them.
Incidentally, this course was kindly provided by Mobius.
Once the ball of light had completely merged into the body of the Amaterasu Dragon, its connection with the Sea of Quantum was severed. The quantum creatures, deprived of their special energy stimulation, gradually dispersed, causing the surroundings to calm down once again.
However, Kevin knew that this was just the calm before the storm. Because their actions had created ripples in the Sea of Quantum, even more powerful monsters would soon appear here.
"Loading complete."
After confirming that the World Bubble was in good condition, Cosmo flapped its wings, turned around, and flew back the way it came. "Hold on tight, the 'Dragon of the Amaterasu' is ready to depart!"
"Stop being silly, there's no one else here."
Desdrobia, who was helping Kevin stabilize the World Bubble in the spiritual realm, rolled her eyes at him when she had a moment to say, "I have already established a link with Aponia and will act according to my guidance."
"Clear."
Compared to "loading" and "unloading", "transportation" is actually the easiest part of the whole plan.
It's important to understand that there are no real distances or paths in the Sea of Quantum. Without sufficiently precise guidance, reaching your desired destination is entirely a matter of luck.
Conversely, with sufficiently precise guidance, this process can be as easy and effortless as taking out the trash—like right now.
From receiving the World Bubble to changing direction and finally taking action, the entire process took less than thirty seconds in Cosmo's conscious mind. But he had only flapped his wings twice and hadn't even flown ten kilometers away when the portal he had come from appeared in front of him.
Once you pass through this door, you will enter the final and most crucial step: "Unloading".
Since this step is called the most crucial part, it is naturally not as simple as taking the World Bubble out of the Amaterasu Dragon's body and putting it somewhere, as the name suggests.
After all, physical placement has little meaning for the underlying rules of the World Bubble that are on the verge of destruction. It's like a fallen leaf; even if you pick it up from the ground and stick it in the soil, it can't be brought back to life.
The World Bubble is a world linked to the Imaginary Tree. It survives only because it is nourished by the energy of the Imaginary Tree. Only by receiving the same "nourishment" can its underlying logic continue to be maintained.
Therefore, the most crucial step is to find a continuous source of energy to stabilize this tiny World Bubble and even give it new life.
Linking it back to the Imaginary Tree is obviously not feasible, because the Imaginary Tree is not a real plant, nor is it something that can be manipulated at will. It possesses immense energy, and even the slightest ripple can instantly destroy countless worlds. The already incredibly fragile World Bubble obviously cannot survive in such an environment.
Therefore, Ai Yue offered a compromise solution.
In the blink of an eye, the Amaterasu Dragon shrank to the size of being able to pass through the Gate of Light, left the Sea of Quantum, and entered the new "Abyssal Eye Laboratory".
"Abyssal Eye" is the code name that Ai Yue gave to this brand-new project, as a kind of commemoration. However, this so-called laboratory is not actually built on the moon.
It exists in the space between the real and imaginary worlds—and belongs to the same type as the plane opened up by the Cocoon of Finality.
This is Ai Yue's first attempt at creating a work after mastering the power of the Cocoon of Finality. Although it is not very vast, and even seems somewhat cramped compared to the plane of the Cocoon of Finality, it is enough to contain a World Bubble.
More importantly, because Ai Yue used a very careful and meticulous approach when conducting the experiment, this space is not only extremely stable—but can also be linked to the real world.
Directly connecting to the Imaginary Tree is obviously not advisable, but if the supply of energy is made between the Cocoon of Finality and the Real World, it is safe enough.
In other words, this World Bubble will be attached to the real world like an extra carriage, and the energy of the Imaginary Tree will flow into this world through the Cocoon of Finality and the buffer of the real world.
At this very moment, the Amaterasu Dragon had just flown out of the Teleportation Gate and was heading into the distance.
The location of the Sea of Quantum Teleportation Gate occupies only a small part of this world, while the place where the World Bubble is located is arranged elsewhere.
He soon arrived at the pre-determined location, which was completely empty except for a white expanse of land. A frame had been painted with different colors of spray paint, and it seemed that the World Bubble was destined to be placed in this location.
If someone unaware of the inside story saw this scene, they might think it was a bit too rudimentary, but in reality, it was quite the opposite—the frame that appeared to be just sprayed with paint was actually formed entirely by Ai Yue's power.
It can be said to be the most crucial element of the entire plan, the foundation that allows the World Bubble to be perfectly linked to this world.
Beside this framework, there were already people waiting to meet them. Dr. Mei and Vill-V were adjusting a bunch of large pieces of equipment, while Aponia stood to the side, looking up at the Amaterasu Dragon that was about to land.
"The cargo container has arrived at the designated location."
As soon as the Amaterasu Dragon landed, it felt a powerful force enveloping it. Then, Aponia's voice entered its mind. "Please follow the guidance to complete the link between the World Bubble and the Abyssal Eye Laboratory."
A purple light suddenly shone from the body of the Amaterasu Dragon. Under the guidance of an invisible force, this light transformed into a dazzling pillar of light, illuminating the land in front of it.
Guided by the purple pillar of light, the ball of light formed from the World Bubble slowly flew out of the Amaterasu Dragon's body and fell towards the ground.
The moment the orb of light was exposed to this world, all sorts of sounds began to emanate from the devices operated by Dr. Mei and Vill-V, and the two of them became very busy.
"World Bubble has been confirmed to be connected and is currently undergoing basic testing."
"Underlying rule parsing is in progress, generating a repair solution."
"The base has been preheated and is ready for docking at any time."
Amid a series of reports, the ball of light finally landed slowly on the ground.
But the actual unloading process has only just begun.
"Detected that the underlying rules of the 'HDL-001' World Bubble have begun to merge with the Abyssal Eye, with a compatibility rate of 85%, under correction—98% compatibility rate, 100% compatibility rate! The World Bubble has completed the link and is about to unfold. Please note that you should leave the area marked by the base frame!"
While monitoring the various information displayed on the device, Vill-V and Dr. Mei issued various instructions. As the ball of light came into contact with the ground, its shape suddenly began to expand. Almost instantly, it transformed into a huge semi-circular dome of light, completely enveloping the entire frame.
Fortunately, the Amaterasu Dragon had already left the area after being warned, otherwise he would probably have been thrown off by the dome and landed in a very embarrassing manner.
"How's it going?"
After breaking free from their fusion Cosmo and Desdrobia approached Aponia and the others, asking somewhat anxiously, "Did it work?"
"I can feel that the dregs of this world are gradually awakening."
Aponia said softly, "It may not be able to be restored to its original state, but at least it won't get any worse."
"Judging from the data, it has been a success."
Dr. Mei also responded, "But the specifics will depend on the actual situation."
Simply put, we should wait until things are completely stable before making any decisions.
"It's too early to say anything until the light fades," Vill-V added.
Faced with something they had never done before, everyone present was extremely cautious, and no one dared to open the champagne until the very last moment.
Just as everyone was chatting, the huge hemispherical dome finally dimmed. Starting from the top, pure white particles of light gradually drifted away, causing the dome, which was formed by the convergence of light, to collapse silently.
Only then were people finally able to see what was inside the dome—
It was a dilapidated walled city.
It's exactly the same as the city inside the World Bubble that Kevin transmitted before.
As the city came into view, the surrounding space also changed slightly.
The original Abyssal Eye was completely empty; there was only an endless expanse of land, and no other signs of life.
If Ai Yue hadn't told them that this was a real world, they would have even suspected that it was some kind of computer-simulated virtual space.
But now, with the fusion of the World Bubble and this world, the entire space seems different. The wind has begun to flow, the air has become more humid, the ground extending in all directions from the walled city has the texture of rock and soil, and even the temperature has risen.
It was as if the world had come to life.
"Success!"
Vill-V jumped up excitedly first, her eight mechanical limbs flailing wildly in the air. "It's incredible! When I first saw the data for that World Bubble, I didn't even dare to breathe, afraid that if I breathed too hard I would blow it out!"
What Vill-V said was not an exaggeration at all, because compared with the complete real world, that tiny World Bubble was indeed like a candle flame, flickering and possibly going out at any moment.
However, the world created by Ai Yue was prepared to accommodate such World Bubble. Therefore, although it is a stable space, the underlying rules are very simple, which is why it presents such a blank scene. The purpose is to perfectly accommodate all kinds of World Bubble.
"This is truly a memorable moment."
Compared to Vill-V, Dr. Mei's thoughts were much more complex. "Perhaps from this moment on, we have transformed from a civilization oppressed by the Honkai into one that can extend a helping hand to the survivors of other civilizations."
Although all of this is still inseparable from the support of Ai Yue's power, Dr. Mei believes that it will not be long before humanity can master all the relevant technologies and independently complete the work of salvaging the World Bubble.
At this moment, Kevin also transformed into a streak of light and flew out of the besieged city, landing in front of everyone. His face was slightly pale, and his breathing was somewhat heavy. Clearly, maintaining the stability of a World Bubble was quite taxing on him.
But Kevin's face was also beaming with excitement. "We did it, right? Where's Ai Yue?"
Dr. Mei blinked, a somewhat subtle expression on her face. "Just recently, Ai Yue left here and entered the Sea of Quantum... Shouldn't he be with you?"
The group of people froze on the spot, not knowing what had happened.
However, at this moment, Aponia's expression changed slightly. She looked at everyone and said in a serious tone, "Ai Yue sent a message—it's time to execute the 'Fisherman Plan'."
Chapter Twenty: If you do not abandon me, I am willing to become your servant... (9,000 words)
Where exactly did Ai Yue go?
In fact, Dr. Mei's guess was not wrong - because at this moment, Ai Yue was at the original coordinates of the World Bubble.
It was here that Kevin used his power to envelop the World Bubble, causing his energy to dissipate in the Sea of Quantum and attract countless quantum beings.
Of course, after the Amaterasu Dragon left with the World Bubble, the place returned to peace. The quantum creatures that had come following the energy fluctuations were all turned to ashes in Ai Yue's hands.
However, Ai Yue came here not to cover for Kevin and the others' actions, but because he had made another discovery.
The Sea of Quantum is a chaotic and disordered realm where there are no fixed rules, and even World Bubble cannot stay in the same place for long.
In fact, when the Amaterasu Dragon absorbed the World Bubble into its body, it seemed to remain stationary, but in that very short time, under the monitoring of Dr. Mei and the others, its position had shifted several times.
There are no fixed places in the Sea of Quantum, so locating here is meaningless unless you use something that actually exists as a coordinate to point the way to others, as Kevin did before. Otherwise, you have to spend a lot of energy searching.
In fact, the most resource-intensive and energy-consuming step in the entire "Haidilao" project was precisely the process of finding a suitable "World Bubble".
After all, even Ai Yue wouldn't dare say he knew much about the Sea of Quantum. If it were Vita, it might be much easier for her.
But at this moment he was absolutely certain that the place he was in was the same place he had been before the World Bubble.
Because in this place affected by Kevin's power, an unexpected change occurred—the nature of this part seemed to have changed, giving it some kind of real-world property, so much so that Ai Yue could easily locate it.
This time, he wasn't locking onto a particular World Bubble, but rather onto the Sea of Quantum itself.
Based on the above description, it's not hard to imagine how incredible this is—a region with order has appeared in what was originally a chaotic and disordered realm, which means that Kevin's power can even change the nature of the Sea of Quantum itself.
As is widely known, Kevin's power actually originated from Ai Yue.
This means that, as long as his power is strong enough, he could even carve out a stable area within the Sea of Quantum.
However, Ai Yue did not show any surprise. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly.
Those who know him well know that Ai Yue's expression means "Just as I imagined."
Clearly, he had anticipated this, and Kevin's actions were merely part of his experiment.
Unfortunately, compared to the Sea of Quantum, Kevin's power was still somewhat weak. Therefore, the stable area he left behind could not be maintained for long. Like a sandcastle on a beach, it quickly disappeared under the erosion of the Sea of Quantum, leaving no trace.
But for Ai Yue, that was enough.
Having at least confirmed this, he had even bolder ideas about the Sea of Quantum.
Ai Yue's act of salvaging the World Bubble is clearly in conflict with the Sea of Quantum, since the Sea of Quantum uses the World Bubble as its sustenance, and Ai Yue's plan can be described as "snatching food from a tiger's mouth".
The plan is only just beginning and may not pose any threat. After all, the Sea of Quantum is so vast that the disappearance of a few insignificant World Bubble probably won't cause any major disturbances.