On the other side, Chen Yu had no idea that his good buddy was already worrying about the fate of the whole world. He excitedly called Lin Yi over to look at the next announcement.
"That's not all, Brother Yi. Look at this!"
Clearly, the Source Energy Guidance Technique wasn't the only thing that had Chen Yu so excited.
After all, unlike everyone else, he had already learned it ahead of time. So there was another reason for his excitement.
Chen Yu tapped open a regional map.
"A settlement!"
"Look, there's one in our city, too. The gathering point is at the old department store on Copper Horse Street, only about five kilometers from here as the crow flies!"
As he spoke, Chen Yu zoomed in on the map of Helu City. Four conspicuous red dots were clearly scattered around the area where Hongfu Tower stood, each labeled [Miniature Nest].
The old department store was right in the middle of a small, untainted blank space among the four red dots.
This was what they called a "Gap Zone."
"Our Hongfu Tower is one of those four Miniature Nests."
"The authorities haven't abandoned us. They're coming to save us. We can head to the settlement now. We won't have to live in fear anymore!"
Chen Yu's voice brimmed with the excitement of someone who had just survived a disaster.
"Yeah... We can go to the settlement now..."
Lin Yi could imagine how people who had been struggling to survive would feel when they saw this news.
However, when Lin Yi's gaze swept over the settlement nestled in the gap between the four Miniature Nests, an unusual restlessness stirred within him.
Based on the information available, the authorities' current strategy was unquestionably the right one—and the best option.
Using the Nests' territorial rules to establish Safe Zones was the best way to preserve as many people as possible at this stage.
But they didn't know that the "Safe Zone" rule they relied on wasn't set in stone.
Because Abyss Beast Nests could evolve!
Drawing on the various Nest data gathered through Source Energy technology on Blue Star in his previous life, as well as public information from the Pan-Spirit Alliance's Virtual Network, Lin Yi could almost claim to be the person who understood Abyss Beast Nests best.
Take the Miniature Nest they were in, for example. Lin Yi clearly remembered that, at the beginning of their arrival, a Miniature Nest's core held around one hundred thousand units of Source Energy Value.
When the Nests arrived, they used this energy to produce their first batch of Abyssal Beasts.
A normal Abyssal Wolf, for instance, consumed roughly seven to ten points of energy. At first, a Miniature Nest would release tens of thousands of them in an endless stream, like a fountain, until all its initial energy was spent.
After that, the Nest core would begin slowly and steadily drawing energy from the Divine Kingdom Projection, recovering one thousand points of Source Energy Value each day.
This energy could be used to replenish lost Abyssal Beasts or stored up.
The key was that once a Nest's "total controllable Source Energy"—the energy contained in its surviving Abyssal Beasts plus the unused energy stored in its core—recovered to its initial full value of one hundred thousand, its territory would begin expanding at an extremely slow rate, starting the day after its energy exceeded that amount.
For example, when its total energy reached 101,000, its territory's diameter would expand by one percent.
This expansion was permanent. Even if the total energy later fell, the territory would never shrink back.
And when the total energy accumulated over time to ten times the initial amount—one million units—it would undergo a qualitative change.
At that point, the Miniature Nest would evolve into a Small Nest.
Once the evolution was complete, it could produce new, more powerful types of Abyssal Beasts. Its daily energy recovery would also leap to five thousand points!
The evolution mechanism for a Small Nest was the same, but it required far more energy and took much longer.
When that happened, what would become of the settlement at the Old Stadium, now nestled in the Safe Zone between four Miniature Nests?
As the surrounding Miniature Nests' territories continued expanding, it wouldn't be long before they completely overlapped and covered the current Safe Zone.
The settlement the authorities had worked so hard to establish would become a well-meaning trap. It would draw in survivors, then turn into a vast tomb, completely surrounded on all sides!
The problem was, the authorities might not realize this anytime soon.
Right now, all the Abyss Beast Nests had suffered at least some losses, leaving them below their full capacity in the early stages.
The authorities might only discover the truth one day after building their settlement and deciding to shelter in the Safe Zone while they quietly recovered: they had been surrounded.
What's more, this didn't concern Xia Country alone.
Some smaller countries, especially, might be doomed if they lacked sufficient strength and simply copied Xia Country's approach.
"No... I have to find a way to make the authorities realize this as soon as possible!"
Lin Yi kept his expression unchanged. After giving the matter a brief, silent thought, he immediately changed his plan to wait at Hongfu Tower for the authorities to reach out.
Waiting passively was no longer suitable. There was a very good chance the authorities wouldn't establish a shelter at Hongfu Tower as they had in his memories of his previous life.
He had to take the initiative!
And he had to do it soon.
Lin Yi planned to finish dealing with the situation at Hongfu Tower tonight, then head to the Gap Zone and make contact with the authorities in advance.
With that in mind, Lin Yi looked at Chen Yu, who was still caught up in his excitement.
"A Yu..."
"I think we need to change our plans a little."
Chen Yu froze for a moment.
"What's wrong, Brother Yi? Didn't we agree to hold out here and wait for help? Isn't the rescue coming soon?"
"No."
Lin Yi shook his head.
"The rescue team will definitely come, but there's no telling how long it'll take. They'll need to coordinate, clear a route... No one can say when they'll reach our area specifically."
"Hongfu Tower has just been cleared out, so it's temporarily safe. It has a sturdy structure, and we've found water and food here. These are our most valuable assets right now. Even if we go to the settlement, we don't have to abandon this place. We can turn it into a temporary staging point."
His gaze swept over the faintly shifting green shapes amid the ruins of Hongfu Tower's small plaza.
"Besides, there must be other survivors nearby, just like us. They're trapped in different places, cut off and surrounded by different Abyss Beast squads. We need to find a way to rescue as many as we can and gather our forces, while keeping ourselves safe."
"Then..." Lin Yi's gaze sharpened. Time waited for no one, and he had to pick up the pace. "I'll go on ahead by myself and make contact with the authorities at the settlement."
"Alone?!"
The excitement on Chen Yu's face instantly gave way to shock and worry.
"That's too dangerous! Brother Yi, it's five kilometers, and the whole area outside is crawling with those monsters—no, Abyssal Beasts!"
"Because it's dangerous, I have to go alone."
Lin Yi shook his head, cutting off Chen Yu before he could try to talk him out of it.
"A lone person is a smaller target, more mobile, and better able to stay hidden and move quickly through dangerous areas. My goal is to scout and make contact, not fight. If all goes well, I'll reach the destination soon."
He couldn't tell Chen Yu about the Nests' evolution, so he had to give another reason.
"The authorities also said the signal and network would be gone soon."
"I have to reach the rescue team as soon as possible and find out what the situation is like over there, how strong their defenses are, how many people they can take in, and most importantly..."
"I need to confirm a relatively safe evacuation route. I'll also bring them information about the survivors here and those I find along the way, so they can organize targeted rescues later."
"The base we've built here and the people we've gathered can also ease their burden and give them a ready-made staging point and support base."
"But..."
Chen Yu had just managed to get one word out when he stopped.
He knew Lin Yi well enough.
He could see the resolve in Lin Yi's eyes. He was still worried, but in the end, he didn't try to talk him out of it.
Chen Yu knew that once his best friend had made up his mind, not even eight oxen could drag him back.
"Source Energy..." Chen Yu clenched his fist in silence.
After a while, he finally said in a muffled voice, "I understand. Should I go get Uncle and Aunt, and Uncle Jianjun and the others? You should at least tell them about this plan, right?"
Lin Yi nodded. He took one last look at the location of the Helu City settlement on the screen, folded his phone shut, and handed it back to Chen Yu.
"Sure, but there's no need to rush. Just keep working on what needs to be done for now. I still haven't recovered, so once I'm back in shape, I'll rescue the survivors nearby tonight. After a night of rest, I'll set out tomorrow."
Before you continue