Arthur never questioned Guangleng's judgment and immediately logged off, leaving the meeting room.
Lin Qi was just as quick. He estimated that the cooldown on the Gate was nearly over. It was time to get ready to head to the Doomsday World.
The image of the meeting room vanished from his retina, but Lin Qi remained in the workshop.
All communication in the meeting room was carried out through Brain, which transmitted brainwave signals. The "suitcase" he had prepared in advance was right beside him.
When the Gate stirred within his Spiritual Sea, Lin Qi responded at once.
Light and darkness alternated, and Lin Qi had arrived in the Doomsday World.
The broadcast that had still been playing when he left before continued.
[This is the Modu Rescue Command. We ask all survivors to cooperate with rescue efforts. Before rescue personnel arrive, clear the zombies in your immediate surroundings as much as possible. I repeat, please clear the zombies in your immediate surroundings as much as possible.]
[An unknown energy tide is expected to sweep through for the second time within 24 hours. The danger posed by zombies may increase.]
The broadcast startled Xia Chu awake. She first looked at the phone serving as a radio, then at Lin Qi.
Lin Qi was frowning.
He hadn't been able to bring the suitcase with him.
Was it too large?
Or could he only bring items he carried on his person?
He would have to experiment the next time he came to the Doomsday World.
The one thing worth celebrating was that the newly built miniature Crimson Crystal Collecting Robot was attached to his arm Exoskeleton, so it had come with him.
"You're awake."
Xia Chu reached out as if to touch Lin Qi's face, but he deftly stood up and avoided her.
"According to the broadcast, I need to clear the zombies in the building as soon as possible. There are still two units I haven't cleared." With that, Lin Qi prepared to leave.
Xia Chu got up and asked, "Can I come with you?"
Lin Qi paused for a moment, then shook his head. "It's too dangerous."
Xia Chu bit her lip lightly and nodded.
Lin Qi continued, "Keep absorbing Crimson Crystals for now. When I get back, I'll teach you something."
It wasn't right to keep brushing Xia Chu off. Lin Qi planned to find something for her to do.
Perhaps he could have Xia Chu try to embark on an Extraordinary Profession.
The Doomsday World was rich in Spiritual Energy Particles, and Extraordinary Items were flourishing everywhere. It was the perfect environment for Extraordinary Professionals to rise.
To reap the greatest benefits from this world, Lin Qi needed more power.
He hadn't been able to bring the "suitcase" with him, so the plan to build the Cybernetic Legion would be difficult to carry out in the short term. But he could bring an Extraordinary Profession to this world.
Of course, that depended on those who embarked on an Extraordinary Profession not betraying him.
Xia Chu was a suitable candidate.
With an Extraordinary Profession, at least Xia Chu wouldn't have her mind filled with...
The desires of young couples were terrifying.
Lin Qi was worried Xia Chu might submit another "matchmaking" request.
Xia Chu had no idea what he was thinking and simply nodded.
Lin Qi left the room and took out his weapon.
He entered the stairwell.
The apartment building was an old one, and the units weren't connected to one another.
The only thing between them was the apartment building's load-bearing wall.
But reinforced concrete load-bearing walls couldn't withstand more than a few slashes from Lin Qi.
Lin Qi cut a hole in the wall and crossed over into the neighboring unit.
Making a hole in the load-bearing wall on the top floor wouldn't turn the building into an unsafe structure anytime soon. At most, it would shorten the building's lifespan by ten years.
But the world had already ended. No one would care about that. Lin Qi just wanted to clear the building more efficiently.
Lin Qi didn't know how the people at the top of this world had learned when the new wave of Spiritual Energy Particles would arrive.
But he knew their prediction was right.
When the wave of Spiritual Energy Particles arrived, it would make the zombies more dangerous.
The zombies now were still less capable in combat than ordinary people with weapons. But once the change came, they might reach M-level—the level of basic cybernetic augmentation, or the entry-level standard of an Extraordinary Profession.
They would no longer be something ordinary people could handle. Even some flimsy doors and windows might fail to provide effective protection.
Lin Qi moved quickly. With the Collecting Robot's help, he didn't need to gather Crimson Crystals himself. He only had to slay the zombies one by one.
In just over three hours, Lin Qi had cleared all the zombies in the entire building.
The Collecting Robot gathered all the crystals and stacked them outside Lin Qi's room on the top floor.
Xia Chu had been hearing rustling sounds outside the room the whole time, but she hadn't dared to open the door and check.
Climbing all the way up the building to find Lin Qi had already taken more courage than anything else in her life.
Only after Lin Qi returned to the room did Xia Chu ask, "Lin Qi, there's been a strange sound outside the room this whole time. Are you okay? Were you hurt?"
Lin Qi scratched his head. He'd forgotten Xia Chu was still in the room when he designed the program. He hadn't expected the Collecting Robot's noise to startle her.
He showed her the Collecting Robot and reassured her. "This is a robot I designed earlier. It's perfect for moving Crimson Crystals."
Xia Chu eyed him with suspicion.
Had Lin Qi really designed something this impressive?
A robot of this caliber had to be among the best in the world, right?
Was Lin Qi really that capable? No way.
Even though she found it hard to believe, the evidence was right in front of her.
Xia Chu had no choice but to believe him.
"You said earlier that you'd teach me something when you got back. What is it?" Xia Chu asked.
Lin Qi cleared his throat and put on a very formal expression. "Xia Chu, do you believe that the extraordinary exists in this world?"
The extraordinary?
What was that?
For a moment, Xia Chu couldn't even figure out what he meant.
A moment later, her expression turned strange. "Martial arts? Cultivation? Ultraman?"
Lin Qi nodded.
Xia Chu shook her head. "I don't believe it."
"If I told you that it really does exist in this world..."
He had only gotten halfway through the sentence when Lin Qi abruptly stopped.
There was only one reason: the Spiritual Energy Particles were fluctuating wildly!
The wave of Spiritual Energy Particles predicted in the broadcast had arrived!
It had come fast!
Only a little over three hours had passed since the broadcast.
Xia Chu also turned her gaze toward the window.
It was the middle of the night, with a little while still to go before sunrise.
Outside should have been dark, as it was before dawn. With no city lights, there should have been only faint moonlight and starlight.
But at that moment, the world outside was bathed in a blood-red glow.
"Lin Qi, look at the sky."
He followed Xia Chu's gaze.
High in the sky, the moon that reflected the sun's light was slowly turning, radiating a crimson glow.
The power of tidal locking had become a joke.
The far side of the moon was slowly turning toward the earth.
Through Psychic Vision, Lin Qi saw the Spiritual Energy Particles going berserk, countless particles falling from the sky.
These Spiritual Energy Particles were very similar in composition to Crimson Crystals.
Once they passed beyond the range of Psychic Vision, Lin Qi's view became no different from anyone else's, though his eyesight was clearer.
"Xia Chu, turn around and close your eyes!"
As soon as Lin Qi saw a section of the turning moon, he hurriedly pulled Xia Chu toward him. He didn't even have time to consider what the parallel-timeline Lin Qi might feel. He simply pushed Xia Chu's head against his chest.
High above.
The far side of the moon appeared, and a gigantic pupil hung in the sky.
There was not a trace of emotion in the pupil, only endless chaos and madness.
It was not to be gazed upon.
Every survivor who looked directly at the moon in that instant died on the spot. Less than two breaths after dying, they got back up, low moans rising from their throats.
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