Xiao Yi and the others stared blankly at the devastated scene, a deep sense of powerlessness rising like a surging tide, overcoming their mental defenses wave after wave. Their eyes were hollow and lost, as if they had lost their souls. Their dreams of the future, their reliance on the base, were ruthlessly crushed in that moment. The shattered walls, like sharp swords, pierced their hearts, leaving them breathless with pain. Xiao Yi clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain. He searched for a familiar trace in the ruins, a hint of hope, but all he found was desolation and desolation. His heart was filled with self-blame and regret. Why had he failed to protect everything? Why had he allowed the beauty of the past to be destroyed? The others were immersed in the same pain. Some's eyes brimmed with tears, yet they stubbornly refused to fall. Some's legs gave way, nearly collapsing, as if the very faith that sustained them had completely crumbled. Others stood motionless, their lips trembling as they muttered to themselves, unsure of their inner despair. This feeling of powerlessness, like a heavy yoke, bound them physically and mentally, leaving them feeling insignificant and vulnerable. Faced with this devastation, they didn't know where to begin rebuilding, nor where the future lay. It was as if fate had cruelly plunged them into a dark abyss, with no escape or light in sight.

"How do we rebuild this?" someone couldn't help but mutter. The voice was filled with deep confusion and helplessness, like a desperate cry squeezed from the depths of his soul. His gaze wandered dully across the ruins, his brow furrowed, every wrinkle on his face etched with sorrow. His lips, chapped with anxiety, trembled slightly, as if he were still savoring the helpless words he had just spoken. He slowly crouched down, his hands clasped over his head, his shoulders shaking. "How do we rebuild?" he repeated, his voice growing deeper, a tone of near-death. The sight of the shattered walls, the pervasive smoke, and the mountains of rubble before him made him feel dizzy. He looked up at the once towering, now dilapidated buildings, and his heart was filled with desolation. Everything he had once known was shattered beyond recognition, his plans and dreams shattered in this moment. He tried to picture the reconstruction in his mind, but his thoughts were so chaotic that he had no idea where to begin. Each ruin seemed like a massive puzzle, each pile of rubble mocking his incompetence. He felt his own power so insignificant, so insignificant that it stood a single blow against the ruins. "Can it really be rebuilt?" His voice echoed through the empty ruins, but no one could give him an answer.

Before anyone could recover from the devastation before them, a massive existential crisis quietly loomed. The already oppressive atmosphere was now shrouded in a thick haze, making it almost impossible to breathe. In the distant sky, an inky black cloud had suddenly appeared, rolling and approaching at an alarming speed. Strange flashes of lightning flashed within the cloud, accompanied by dull thunder, as if the prelude to doomsday. A sudden howl of wind swept up, sweeping up dust and debris from the ground into violent vortexes. The sound of the wind, like the roar of a wild beast, stung everyone's eardrums and filled them with fear and unease. The ground began to tremble slightly, at first only gently, then with increasing intensity. It was as if a gigantic monster was churning furiously beneath the earth, threatening to tear the land apart. The remains of the house tottered under the tremors, creaking with a terrifying sound, as if it could collapse at any moment. Amidst this chaos, people could sense an unknown threat looming. It was an indescribable fear, as if invisible hands were slowly tightening, strangling them completely within this ruin. Everyone's heartbeat raced, cold sweat streamed uncontrollably from their foreheads, and their eyes were filled with fear of the unknown and a desire to survive.

The extreme shortage of food and water exacerbated the already fragile living conditions. The meager supplies of food were carefully stored away in corners, and every glance at the meager reserves stirred endless anxiety. Once mountains of dry rations were reduced to a few scattered packets, their shrunken bags a reminder of the threat of starvation. Even the canned foods that provided energy became a precious luxury, their distribution strictly controlled. The search for food was nearly futile, as the surrounding land lay barren, devoid of any sustenance. What was once farmland had become a dead, silent desert, its cracked earth gaping like a gaping mouth, mocking the people's thirst. The water situation was even more despairing. Wells had long since dried up, leaving only a thick layer of mud and sand at their bottoms. The supply of fresh water was dwindling at an alarming rate, making every drop incredibly precious. People licked their parched lips, longing for even a drop of cool water to soothe their throats, but that was a fleeting hope. To obtain even a fraction of water, they were forced to search far and wide for any possible source. Even the smallest puddle would spark a frantic scramble. But often, they returned empty-handed, feeling a deep sense of helplessness in the face of the increasingly severe water shortage. Children cried weakly and feebly from hunger. Adults, haggard and weakened by chronic malnutrition, grew increasingly frail. In this dire predicament of extreme water shortage, the hope of survival seemed to be eroding bit by bit, and the future seemed infinitely bleak.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!