Chapter 153 The Ultimate Natural Disaster 3
On the screen, Grandpa was rummaging through boxes and drawers while Lin Muqiu squinted his eyes and looked at the tree beside the house.
Thick trunk, hard bark.
In fact, there was no need for Grandpa to insist so much. She had simulated countless times what she should do if another mudslide occurred.
In five minutes, the flood will submerge it, and her only props are a hemp rope less than one meter long, not even enough to wrap around the tree trunk. There is no way unless she fixes it to herself.
But there's another tool that can help Grandpa: a tree-climbing hammer. It works by tightening a wrench-like device inside a tree trunk, allowing people to climb and stand on it, even on cliffs.
Of course, there is no professional tree climbing hammer, but she can imitate it.
Using nails to secure it is probably the same principle.
Her tired heart suddenly sparked, just like a person who is close to death from drought seeing an oasis. Her first reaction was not hunger or thirst, but the release of countless saliva from her mouth, like a wetland on the verge of happiness, the ground was muddy and wet.
Yes, in addition to protecting grandpa from falling in the final moments, it can also reduce his burden and increase the tension of the rope on him.
She no longer hesitated, untied the rope, picked up the hammer and nails, and climbed directly up the tree trunk. She would not miss any opportunity that might increase the chances of her grandfather's survival.
After countless rehearsals and pains, she wondered every night if she could have avoided the natural disaster if she could have done it again, and if her grandfather would not have died if she could have done it again.
She hated herself for being powerless back then.
I really hope I can do it again...
*
As soon as Marissa entered the protective shield, she was enveloped by water waves.
Countless beetles swarmed densely, blocking the path she was going to take.
She choked on her saliva without warning, and then the system message came to her:
"To keep the insects out, we're flooding the house. Be careful, as the water might be poisonous! — Delivered by Augustine."
"Is the West okay? Please reply once it's confirmed to be safe! - Kedero delivered."
"It is estimated that the final natural disaster is similar to the natural disasters that usually occur at the end of spring. Therefore, please pay special attention to preventing insect pests, mudslides, and rainstorms on the mainland! - Delivered to Ankang City."
“…”
She tried to open her eyes wide, but there were so many beetles and they were so dense that she couldn't see the correct direction.
If she continues like this, she will drown!
She took out the crab meat, bit it hard, and gained the ability to breathe underwater.
The other team members also understood what he meant and took out the crab meat they always had on hand to eat.
No, why can't she breathe?
She immediately realized what the problem was.
Having the ability to breathe underwater doesn't mean she doesn't need oxygen. What's blocking her breathing now is not water, but densely packed beetles!
She suddenly felt extremely powerless and frustrated.
Is this the end...?
Suddenly, a dazzling ray of light shone over, as if it had cut through the sky and parted the shrouded clouds.
I saw some team members and pet fish wearing clothes with the words "Ankang City Guard" swimming over. Some of them had ropes tied to them, while some exotic pets supported them and swam slowly towards the sea surface.
Crash.
They were suddenly pulled out of the water, gasping for breath. Seeing this, Augustine decided to do it once and for all and quickly pulled them up.
Many team members vomited, and without time to greet or rest, they just made a random guess and joined the battle.
Above the deck were more Beetles.
Many Ankang team members have already been exhausted.
"What's going on?!" Marissa frowned and released a spell.
Augustine gritted his teeth and said, "Every once in a while, a bunch of new bugs will appear! Including mudslide disasters!"
Marissa immediately understood, nodded, and asked the crucial question, "Since it's infinitely refreshing, how do we know if we've completely survived the natural disaster? We can't just keep pushing the stone endlessly like Sisyphus!"
A hint of worry flashed in Augustine's eyes, and his intuition told him that this matter was related to Lin Muqiu.
He turned his head and looked at the screen silently, seeing Lin Muqiu's pale face.
*
Outside Ankang City.
Elda led several teams to the protective shield of Ankang City.
The meeting between the two armies was extremely awkward. Faced with the arrival of the Knights, the people of the Northern Legion were filled with hatred and subconsciously clenched their scimitars.
Ross glanced at Elda, "Why are you here?"
Elda nodded slightly: "Come back to help."
Ross looked at the embarrassed residents with their trouser legs rolled up, "What about them?"
Elda: "You mean these townspeople? They volunteered to come to Ankang City to help."
Elda raised his chin and pointed at the people behind him. They were a group of villagers holding hoes or sickles, and some nobles dressed in purple. Their attire clearly showed the influence of the East. They were probably townspeople from a nearby town.
Ross glanced at him and said nothing. He really didn't have a good impression of people who had served His Majesty, but at this moment, he was a help.
Ross curled his lips, but ultimately didn't say anything excessive: "Okay, then you stay here and I'll go in."
Elda stopped him, "Let me go in. We have more combat experience."
"What about these townspeople?"
Ross lowered his voice and squinted his eyes slightly after Elda hesitated for a moment. "All along the way, they've trusted you. In fact, it's best for you to stay here with them. This group of civilians has a complex social circle, and many of the rebels are familiar with them. If they come, their connections will be the best line of defense."
Elda lowered her eyes, "You've grown a lot in these years in the north."
Ross let out a mocking smile. "I never thought your impression of me would still be stuck on that year when I didn't have the courage to enter the banquet."
Elda was stunned for a moment, and suddenly understood what Ross was talking about.
That year, Marissa got married. As the deputy commander of the banquet, he was wandering outside, but suddenly he saw Ross, who was invited, wandering outside the door for a long, long time.
At that time he raised an eyebrow, "You're not going in?"
Ross shook his head, glanced at Marissa from a distance, and left silently.
For a long time, he would remember that back view, with his head hung low, shoulders slumped, and a dejected look.
The commander was drunk at the time and pointed at Ross. "He's a man of no consequence in his life. He can't even stand up to his lover's wedding. What a coward."
He didn't comment, but agreed with the commander's words from the bottom of his heart.
Memories flashed through his mind, and he was slightly stunned, but he saw Ross turn around and walk towards Ankang City.
So confident, calm and open.
At this moment, Elda understood that all the right and wrong comments were no longer important to Ross.
Whether he was cowardly or brave, all Ross wanted was to go back to the age of seventeen and meet her with his chest held high.
*
Lin Muqiu half hugged the tree trunk, bent his legs, and tried his best to keep his body still. Then he took out a large screw and tried to insert it into the tree trunk. That was the material his grandfather used to repair the beams of the house. It was very strong, like an electric drill.
She struck with the hammer tremblingly.
Because she had no extra hands to support herself, the nails were scrambled here and there, either toppling to the side or tilting to the right, like a tumbler. But no matter how they tilted, just like an arrow always circles around the center of a circle, her nails would always return to their original position.
"This body is too weak after all..."
She murmured, it was obviously just a simple action, but because of her weakness, she was exhausted and sweating. Her cheeks were almost as if they were rolled by hot oil, red through the skin texture, and thin blue veins were hanging on her face.
"What are you doing? Come down!"
Grandpa was anxious, "When did you learn to climb trees?"
Lin Muqiu's body trembled.
Countless drills made her forget that she actually didn't know how to climb trees before. No wonder her grandfather thought something was wrong with her before, because for someone who can't climb trees, her first reaction when encountering a disaster is to climb a tree, which is absolutely wrong.
Suddenly she remembered more details. On the day the natural disaster came, there was no time to escape. They could only climb trees. So that day, grandpa used a rope and tied it around his waist.
He crawled first, then half-pulled her along. She used her hands and feet, very clumsily, which undoubtedly added a great burden to Grandpa. Several times, her hands and feet failed to exert their strength, or she slipped and was about to fall from the forest, but fortunately, Grandpa straightened his waist and held her firmly.
But every time she made a mistake, Grandpa would feel very painful. He already had a herniated disc, and the thick hemp rope was like a rope around his neck, tightly squeezing his spine, making him gasp for breath, and even his thick beard was covered with crystal beads of sweat.
She never dared to think about it, was it because she was afraid that her grandfather's final exhaustion had something to do with her?
She was afraid that her grandfather died for her.
The howling hurricane blew across her cheek, making her face hurt like a knife. She couldn't look back, and she didn't even have time to feel sad or explain. The clang, clang, clang, hammer after hammer, seemed to be knocking on her heart, making her feel lonely, alone, painful and determined.
Grandpa saw her expression and pursed his lips, but ultimately said nothing. It wasn't until Lin Muqiu finished all the work and jumped down panting that he spoke, "When did you learn to climb trees?"
Lin Muqiu remained calm and said, "I learned it secretly."
She counted down silently, tied the rope around herself and her grandfather again, and said to him, "Grandpa, I'll climb first this time, and you follow me."
Grandpa hesitated and said, "That's fine. You can climb faster and I won't affect you."
Lin Muqiu's hand that was tying the rope shrank violently.
*
In villages and towns.
On the muddy land, a group of people rolled up their trouser legs and rooted their hands deeply in the mud.
Weiser panted and glanced at the villagers' faces. "Does anyone want to go to support Ankang City?"
The men, women, young and old sitting together were extremely silent, with their heads bowed deeply on their knees, like children who had made a mistake.
It is obvious that they are not people without conscience, and they are fully aware of Lin Muqiu's help to them.
Fortunately, they sold this year's wheat harvest to Lin Muqiu, otherwise the natural disaster of heavy rain would have come earlier than expected, and all the crops would have been drowned.
It was because Lord Lin purchased the goods in advance and paid off the balance before the ultimate natural disaster that they had enough financial resources to buy emergency products. When the rainstorm disaster came, they escaped and had a place to stay.
Not to mention the help the Cavaliers gave them.
But they really...
I don't dare to risk my life.
"Village chief, what can we, a bunch of rough guys, do?"
The villagers' eyes twinkled as they argued, "We're just villagers. Even if we went, we probably wouldn't be able to help much. Besides, it's a natural disaster that could kill people."
"Yes, Village Chief, my wife died in that natural disaster, so I don't want to go. Those nobles usually collect so much tax, why shouldn't they go?"
"Village Chief, the journey is long... I'm afraid that by the time we get there, it will all be over."
Everyone was talking at once, and as soon as someone took the lead, the rest would start chattering non-stop like a faucet being opened. In the end, I didn't know whether I was saying this to my companions or to myself.
Their eyes flickered and their heads hung low.
The hardest person to deceive is yourself.
*
"What's the situation outside?" Elda asked his men.
The subordinate hesitated, "Sir, almost all the affected people have been evacuated, and most people may be unable to take care of themselves..."
He spoke vaguely, but Elda understood.
They say they are unable to take care of themselves, but in fact they just don’t dare to come to support.
"How many people are here?"
"Sir, there aren't many people."
Hearing the answer, Elda sighed.
Well, how can I ask someone to risk his life to accompany me?
His eyebrows trembled slightly and he looked at the ring in his hand.
His palms were wet with sweat, and the ring sparkled in the sunlight, emitting colorful light.
He could not forget the way Lin Muqiu handed him the ring when he first assigned him a mission.
That was the first time he was trusted wholeheartedly by the lord.
It was as if a warm current surged into my heart, relieving the turbulent waves.
But what he could not forget even more was that a few days ago, Lin Muqiu handed him the ring again.
It was a rainy day, but Lin Muqiu's smile was so bright that it made him feel that the rainy day was not so gloomy and damp.
At that time, she smiled and said, "There's too much food in the city. I'm afraid we can't store it all, and we might not even need it. I've put the excess in my ring to prevent it from spoiling. If you predict there won't be enough in the city, take it out. If there is, there's no need to add more."
"This..." Elda was terrified. That was a stockpile amount that was enough to shake the entire continent. Wasn't Lord Lin afraid that he would run away with the money?
Lin Muqiu's tone was still gentle and calm, with a hint of smile, "I believe you."
These words made Elda break out in a cold sweat. As a knight, the orthodox education he received since childhood was that the monarch and his subjects should achieve each other and trust each other. However, he had only heard his mother mention these things. It was like an ancient ballad, familiar but never heard before. A feeling of helplessness came over him.
He wanted to express his gratitude, but until Lin Muqiu turned and left, he didn't say it. Instead, he said it almost bluntly, "I've calculated the population, and the population of Ankang City simply can't use so much goods! Have you already planned to buy them at a high price and give them some resettlement allowance?"
"Otherwise, given the mainland's economic level, they wouldn't be able to afford self-defense equipment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he choked up and didn't know what to say.
Until Lin Muqiu's back stood still in the rain.
She chuckled and said, "Perhaps. I just think it would be a waste if it rotted in the mud and couldn't be taken away."
At that time, Elda was very confused about what Lin Muqiu meant.
Rotting in the mud...
It was as if a light flashed through his head, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
The only thing that can make the entire continent muddy is a mudslide disaster. Could it be that the mudslide disaster will come early during the ultimate disaster season?
He wanted to ask something else, but the words were stuck in his throat.
A cold sweat suddenly broke out on his spine, and he suddenly understood why Lin Muqiu was so vague. Because Lin Muqiu wanted him to plan ahead and understand the flow of the system in advance, so that it would make sense.
They couldn't alert the enemy.
But Lin Muqiu understood him, just as he understood Lin Muqiu.
Like a secret code, he quietly held it in his palm, staring blankly at Lin Muqiu's receding back.
But he didn't dare to think about what Lin Muqiu was thinking on the day he predicted the fate of the continent?
Was she grateful for her own intelligence and sharpness, or was she helpless at the inevitable loss of life? Perhaps there were people she loved, people she wanted to protect, but she couldn't say anything. Because she wanted to protect the entire continent, she could only hide this secret, like a shadow walking in the daylight, but she couldn't turn back, nor did she dare to.
As the ruler of the whole world, she is ultimately lonely.
So he stared blankly at Lin Muqiu's departing back. Her figure gradually went away in the wind and rain, and she looked increasingly frail. He then realized that she was just a young person.
But she never looked back for a moment.
As her thoughts turned back to her thoughts, Elda gently stroked the ring, tears quietly wet her face.
His knuckles trembled slightly, but he didn't dare let go.
Lin Muqiu, is the world you want to protect so much really worth it?
"Sir?" The men were surprised to see him distracted.
Elda returned to normal, hurriedly wiping away her tears, "It's okay."
"Report! Sir, there's a new team that wants to help Ankang City!"
The messenger sent him a message through the system, and he quickly replied, "Okay, then let the space mage deliver it. We're not sure what the clearance rules are right now, so it's always good to have more people around."
There was a whooshing sound coming from the system, and he understood that the people over there were coming to deliver it.
He exhaled and looked towards the vast mountains.
Back then, it was this iceberg that caused the avalanche, trapping the Bourbon army at the foot of the mountain and ensuring the defeat of the imperial capital.
Now, this mountain range is destined to roll down countless muds under the erosion of rain.
Then when the mud blocks the road, no one except the mage will be able to enter the protective shield.
What a good system strategy.
But precisely because of this, he made a bold guess:
I'm afraid the conditions for passing Ankang City are related to the number of people, otherwise the system wouldn't want to "close the city" so much.
Then according to his speculation, firstly, the ultimate natural disaster has an inextricable connection with Lin Muqiu, and secondly, this natural disaster will be closely related to the number of people entering Ankang City.
He snorted coldly and narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was exactly the same as Lin Muqiu's previous guess, and it was all within her expectations.
The Lord is truly a genius that only appears once in a century... Calm, composed, and considerate of the overall situation.
only......
Elda looked at Lin Muqiu on the screen, but a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.
Can people really remain calm and composed when facing the person they love deeply?
*
Lin Muqiu panted and tried hard to climb up.
The rolling rainstorm knocked over her temples, making her look like a disheveled poodle.
The mudslide was pouring down like a torrential downpour. She did not explain to her grandfather why she did not run up the mountain in the vertical direction of the mudslide, because that natural disaster was accompanied by unprecedented torrential rain, followed by mountain collapse, and there was no way to run away.
As the saying goes, when it rains, it never comes. In this situation, she didn't dare to choose any other option to gamble.
Only in the tree could she be completely safe.
Although my grandfather even wanted to notify the nearby middle school, it was too late, absolutely too late.
All she could do was protect him.
What's more, this is an illusion within an illusion. If a person dies, he is dead. It doesn't matter.
But it was different with grandpa. Even in a fantasy world, she couldn't let him suffer from hunger and exhaustion and finally die in front of her.
The corners of her eyes were filled with falling raindrops, and she could no longer tell whether they were raindrops themselves.
Finally, she climbed to the right height and faced the heavy rain coming towards her with a smile.
"You stand there, Grandpa."
"Yes, right there. Stand on the nail. That way you can use less force."
"I'm fine, don't worry about me... I can hold on for six hours even if I just hold on to the tree with my bare hands."
"Grandpa, don't be afraid. Just wait a little longer and we will be rescued."
Lin Muqiu talked freely. For the first time, she was so excited that she didn't care about the mud all over her body and the smell of blood around her. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, just like someone who had been mining in the desert for ten years and finally saw a buried treasure chest. She was so excited that the corners of her eyes were twisted upwards, full of joy and madness. The corners of her mouth were also raised, and she talked non-stop. The cracked corners of her mouth were like a stretched bow, stretched open by the huge pressure.
He couldn't even tell whether she was happy or sad, because her expression was so distorted, painful and joyful, and her eyes were full of tears, looking down at him cautiously and passionately.
The wrinkles on Grandpa's face trembled, "Why..."
Lin Muqiu's words were firm and gentle, "This is the safest place."
This was the experience she gained with her beloved life.
Looking at her fragile brow, Grandpa forced a smile and said, "Little Wood, if one day I am gone, will you live bravely?"
The hurricane roaring past was like a sharp blade cutting through her heart.
Her smile froze in the wind. She looked at him from a distance of only one or two meters, as if she wanted to engrave his face in her heart.
The rumbling sound of the muddy and rocky water shattered her eardrums like the howling of wind.
She asked in a trembling voice, "Why do you say that?"
"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired." Grandpa said with a smile, looking up at her.
His smile was still kind and peaceful, just like when he was twelve years old. Lin Muqiu looked up at him, and he responded with a smile.
Even if everything in the world is ruthlessly collapsing, Lin Muqiu still remembers him.
I remember his face, his wrinkles layered like ravines, and the smile hidden in them.
"Why do you say that?" Lin Muqiu's tears kept falling. She even tried to crawl down to see what was wrong with him, but her grandfather grabbed her ankle and pushed her up.
Grandpa just continued to smile, "Qiu'er, you've grown up, I'm relieved."
Her eyes were bloodshot. "Just hold on a little longer, can't you? I have only the last four hours of my life ahead of me. Once they're over, everything will be fine. I'll grow up soon and I can support you. We won't be so poor anymore in this life!"
Grandpa just listened, looking at her with red eyes. With just one glance, she understood the deep reluctance and unwillingness in his eyes, as if he wanted to depict her eyebrows, so that they could penetrate the paper, and then see the outline of her future.
"Why..." She suddenly fell silent and glanced at the scar on his head.
It was a small scar as thin as a knife edge, faint and long, and it was completely invisible under the cover of hair.
Only that sticky, tangled strand of hair caught her attention suddenly.
Under the washing of rain, the hair was rapidly thinning out, and the scar's original appearance was revealed.
Tick, tick.
She seemed to be able to hear the sound of blood mixed with rain splashing.
In just a moment, she seemed to understand why.
It turns out that what she had been brooding over in her previous life, that her grandfather died of exhaustion while saving her, was not actually the case.
Grandpa was injured a long time ago.
Perhaps it was not only her but also Grandpa who was crushed by the collapse before she was rescued. It was just that Grandpa was stronger and that was why he peeled away the mud to save her.
It turned out that grandpa had been struggling for a long time.
It turned out that the fishy smell in the room came from him.
No wonder her grandfather insisted on climbing ahead in her past life, because he didn't dare let her see the scar on his forehead. But in this life, because of her obsession, she missed the opportunity to get to know him again.
Before, she thought she had completely lost him in the tree, and they would never be together again. It turned out that he had rescued her through the gap even earlier. The moment she saw the light, that was the last time she saw him.
She understood everything.
In his previous life, Grandpa climbed on top in order to try his best to hold her. In this life, Grandpa agreed to be at the bottom because he didn't want to hold her.
The whistling wind was mixed with fragments of memories, like a gentle and affectionate hand caressing her forehead. She looked at him in a daze, with only the wind in her ears, only the whistling wind.
If life is a farewell that must be said, then she wants to look at him one more time.
The long years seemed like an endless river. She knew that she was waiting, and her grandfather was waiting too, waiting for the moment when he could no longer hold on.
She tried to reach him with her legs, but he grabbed her ankle.
His hands were as rough as ever, like hard stones, rubbing against her delicate skin. She tried to struggle, but dared not move because her grandfather was already on the verge of collapse.
Grandpa pushed her up again.
Grandpa still forced a smile and told her, "Little Wood, Grandpa has money, don't be afraid, that money is enough for you to finish college."
"Little Wood, when I'm gone, you must listen to your teacher and spend your money frugally..."
"Remember, money is very important. You can't give it to anyone who asks you for it. I don't trust those shitty relatives. You can let them support you, but you can't give them all your money at once..."
Lin Muqiu listened to him nagging, just like the last season of his previous life, when his grandfather kept chattering, as if he wanted to finish all the words he hadn't said in his life at once:
"Silly child, why are you crying? Everyone will die. I'm an old man, and I'm tired of living."
"You have to spend the money sparingly, take a portion each year, and remember, you can't give this money to anyone who asks for it!"
"I'm so tired... I really want to be buried in the ancestral grave. I don't want to die in the mud. Little Wood, Grandpa is so scared... Little Wood, Grandpa is so unwilling. I haven't seen you grow up yet..."
"Little Wood, if you want to live, think of it as living for me. If you want to live, look up when you miss me. I will always be with you..."
"Little Wood, if there is a next life, I will still be your grandfather, okay?"
“…”
The whistling wind blew through her twelve years old, her youth, her twenty-two years old, and her future, until her mind went blank.
Until she saw her grandfather, just like he did in his previous life, slowly, with his old and frail body, trembling as he hung the money in the plastic bag tucked inside his tattered vest on the rope, and then, ignoring her shouts and wails, he took out a pair of scissors, his hands shaking, and cut several times before he used the rusty scissors to cut the link with her.
How could she have forgotten? She cried so hard that her heart trembled, and then she realized that her grandfather had not shouted to leave immediately today, and was willing to risk being rolled in the mud and fainting, rummaging through the boxes and cabinets not for anything else, but for money.
To find enough money for her to live.
She only now remembered how ignorant she had been before:
"Grandpa, why can't I buy that little toy car? Other kids have it!"
"Haha, little wooden boy, little fool, that's for your school."
"I don't want to go to school, I want to drink Wang Haha!"
"Don't talk nonsense! Our Lin family is counting on you to raise a college student! I promise that if you study hard, you can drink countless bottles of King in the future. Haha, little wood, grandpa promises you."
“But what’s the point of being a college student?”
"Well, well...education is also an investment."
“…”
But she doesn't want money, doesn't want Wang Haha, doesn't want high investment, she only wants him.
She cried.
But she only saw the mudslide in the aftermath of the raging sea swallowing his cheek like a rolling sea, like a small drop of water, returning to the sea until his face disappeared.
At this moment, she seemed to hear the Yellow River Cantata, just like the one her grandfather sang to her when she was young.
"The wind is roaring
The horse is neighing
The Yellow River is roaring
The Yellow River is roaring
She had never seen the Yellow River when she was young, but seeing the rolling mud today, she felt that perhaps the Yellow River was just like this.
She noticed deeply that her grandfather passed away an hour earlier in this life than in the previous one.
No, to be precise, it was in her previous life that her grandfather struggled to hold on for an extra hour in order to save her.
She couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears.
[Detected that Lin Zongtang, a key figure in the plot, has passed away. Invisible clearance conditions have failed: Save Lin Zongtang. Clearance conditions have been reset.]
[The mission has been updated to The Unreachable Tower: If life is a farewell that must be said, what will be your choice?]
[Clearance Condition: Lin Muqiu must reach the treetop to clear the level. The number of residents in Ankang City will affect the required climbing distance. After successfully climbing, Lin Muqiu will be granted a wish, valid anywhere on the continent.]
The leaves rustled, the mud disappeared, and Lin Muqiu gasped for breath. Her sweat was like oil, making her body greasy. There were also fine beads of sweat on her back. She didn't need to look up, but she could feel the pressure of countless shadows.
The height of the trees suddenly increased hundreds of times, until they were beyond her sight.
It was a tower as far away as the unclimbable trees of her youth.
But this time, there was no grandfather to pull her up.
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