Final Chapter (4)
Unexpectedly, the drop of blood was not deflected, but absorbed by the box.
After absorption, the fourth depression remains empty.
Qin Man asked, "What's wrong? Is the blood not working?"
Qu Xingyuan: "It's not that it can't be done, it's just that it's not enough. The box absorbed the blood, which means my thinking is correct. The fourth indentation is where blood should be dripped in."
As he spoke, Qu Xingyuan dripped another drop of blood into the dent. But this time, his blood bounced off.
Qu Xingyuan asked Old Man Ryder, "Is just one drop of blood enough? This box absorbed my blood, now can we consider the fifth indentation?"
Old Man Ryder shook his head and said, "No, the indentation wasn't filled in, which means we didn't pass the fourth level."
Qin Man said, "How about I try dripping my blood?"
Qin Man acted immediately, cutting her finger and letting blood drip into it.
Qin Man's blood was also absorbed by the box. However, the box repelled Qin Man's second and third drops of blood.
Qin Man asked, "Does that mean each person can only shed one drop of blood?"
Zhang Dayong said, "Let's all give it a try."
Everyone took turns dripping a drop of blood into it, and it was all absorbed.
The last one was Qu Chen. Qin Man cruelly cut Qu Chen's finger as well and dripped his blood into it.
This time, the blood wasn't absorbed; instead, it filled the fourth depression.
Qin Man was both delighted and puzzled: "Why wasn't Qu Chen's blood absorbed when it was dripped in? Is it a coincidence or something? Does this mean we've passed the test?"
Old Man Ryder said, "It should be a success... I guess the fourth challenge requires the blood of Earthlings, the blood of those of you who are willing to fight for the peace and stability of the Earth. One drop of blood is not enough, because one tree cannot support the whole forest, and one hand cannot clap; only when a group of people are willing to donate their blood will the Earth have hope."
Therefore, whichever of you is the last to drop your blood will not be absorbed.
Qin Man: "You mean, no matter how many people come today, each person has to drip blood to fill the fourth depression? If only two or three people come today, will two or three drops of blood be enough? If one or two hundred people come today, will all one or two hundred people have to drip blood?"
"That should be it. The fourth level requires a drop of blood from everyone present. Even if a different group of people appears this time, the conditions for passing the level are the same. This should also be the deeper meaning that this box is trying to convey: Earthlings need to work together to protect their home, unafraid of bloodshed or sacrifice. Your blood and will are also one of Earth's most precious assets."
Everyone suddenly realized what was going on.
Next, only one indentation remains.
There was already water in there, and nobody knew what to put in it.
Qin Man asked Old Man Ryder, "Mr. Ryder, this fifth indentation is already full, we can't put anything in it."
Old Man Ryder said, "It's not full yet. Take a closer look."
After a careful inspection, everyone discovered that the water level was indeed not full, with the waterline about one centimeter away from the highest point.
Zhang Dayong said, "What can you put in such a small space? Even if you put a small pebble in, the water will overflow."
Ge Zhiwen said, "Let's try putting a leaf down."
Ge Zhiwen picked a green leaf and tried to put it in, but the leaf bounced away.
Zhang Dayong said, "We should raise fish in the water. I'll go catch a few small fish and shrimp to try."
Although everyone felt it wouldn't be that simple, they still sent Zhang Dayong out to catch fish.
The others stayed in the factory to try to find a solution.
Jian Tanxi tried throwing in a small stone, but it bounced away. She then picked up a handful of fine sand, which also bounced away.
Twenty minutes later, Zhang Dayong ran in with water in his hands and said, "I caught a few small fish. Can you help me put them in and see if they work?"
Zhang Dayong had two or three small fish, a few small shrimp, and a small crab in his hand.
Qin Man said, "Open your fingers a little wider so that the water in your hand can drain out. That way you can put the small fish and shrimp into the indentation. Our hands are too big, and we're afraid we'll pinch the small fish and shrimp to death."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dayong did as instructed. The water in his hands drained away, and small fish and shrimp jumped around in his palms.
Zhang Dayong tried putting the small fish, shrimp, and crabs into the fifth compartment, and to his surprise, they actually went in. The small fish and shrimp swam happily in the fifth compartment.
Then, the upper and lower parts of the box suddenly separated, and something resembling a veil emerged from it, but lighter than a veil and thinner than a cicada's wing. It slowly flew higher and farther, constantly growing larger with each breeze, until it enveloped the Earth.
Jian Tanxi asked, "Is this the barrier?"
"Yes," said Old Man Ryder. "It will gradually grow larger until it completely envelops the Earth. At that point, aliens will no longer be able to invade Earth."
"Will it block out the sun and rain?"
"No, it will not have any impact on the Earth's ecology."
"I have another question: why is it okay to put a few small fish and shrimp in the fifth indentation?"
Old Man Ryder said, "I can't quite put my finger on it, but maybe those little fish and shrimp represent biodiversity. There are many other creatures on Earth besides humans. The harmonious coexistence of humans and animals is one of Earth's most precious assets. Moreover, I've heard that life originated in water, and humans have an inextricable connection with aquatic life. Perhaps that's what that box was trying to tell you."
“I see… Mr. Ryder, thank you for your help…”
"You're welcome. The barrier is almost complete, and I'll be leaving Earth soon. From now on, the construction of Earth will depend on you."
"Hmm. Will our special abilities and tools still exist?"
"I don't think so. The superpowers and gadgets were given to you by aliens to make you stronger and become their warriors. Now that they're leaving, the superpowers and gadgets you have may disappear on their own."
"Um."
The thought of returning to being an ordinary person filled Jian Tanxi with mixed emotions. But she felt that this was better.
The gentle barrier continued to expand, eventually enveloping the entire Earth.
At the same time, many large sheets of paper floated in the sky above the earth, and the papers were all depicting Hoggers.
They all exclaimed, "What happened? Why can't I stay on Earth?"
"It's a planetary barrier. How could Earthlings have something like this? Could it have been given to them by the Nightbringers?"
"That's impossible, Earthlings and Nightmane aliens have never had any contact..."
"Damn it, the plan to train outstanding soldiers was about to succeed, and now it's been interrupted..."
"Forget it, if there are no Earthlings, going to the next planet will be just as good..."
"I painstakingly designed so many dungeons, and now they've all gone down the drain?"
"Anyway, I'll still get paid, so it doesn't matter..."
Amidst cries of anguish, all the Hoggs left Earth.
Old man Ryder, who had helped Jian Tanxi, also disappeared with a smile.
At the same time, all the players who were still in the instance suddenly found that the instance had disappeared and they had been teleported to a safe place.
All the ecospheres also floated out of the players' personal space, and the people inside the ecospheres found themselves enveloped in a bubble, involuntarily drifting into the distance.
They landed randomly in different places, which was surprising, but at least they were safe, and the new places seemed habitable.
If they want to return to their hometown, they can only search slowly.
But there's no need to worry, all technologies will gradually recover, it's just a matter of time.
Jian Tanxi, Qin Man, and the others discovered that their powers had disappeared, and the items in their bags were gone. They had all turned back into ordinary people.
However, this did not discourage them.
They walked out of the abandoned factory and congratulated each other.
"Great, Earth is back to normal."
"Congratulations on saving the Earth..."
Everyone held hands, spun around together, and laughed happily.
They have never felt so relaxed in the past few years.
Although most of the Earthlings have returned, everyone's living arrangements have been disrupted. For many, it's time to adapt to an unfamiliar environment.
Jian Tanxi, Qin Man, Zhang Dayong and others decided to live together for the time being, and then return to their respective homes after they found their families or after transportation returned to normal.
Although Qin Man's family of three was reunited and could go home, firstly, their home was too far away, and secondly, Qu Chen needed more people to accompany him, so they did not leave.
Jian Tanxi and her teammates found a nearby guesthouse for temporary accommodation.
Now that the entire financial system has collapsed and no one can pay, Jian Tanxi and others made an agreement with the boss to work for him to offset their room fees.
The owner said he wasn't the owner of this guesthouse, but rather the owner of another hotel. He had landed here and was staying temporarily. He had experience managing hotels, which was why the others had let him temporarily act as the owner of this guesthouse.
Therefore, people stopped being so calculating with each other and just made do to get by.
After a period of time, most people on Earth knew what had happened in the past two years. Everyone jointly nominated all those who had participated in the game as heroes. Jian Tanxi, Qin Man, Zhang Dayong, Qu Xingyuan and others were nominated as special-class heroes because they saved Earth. They would be supported for life, and the government would provide them with the best houses, cars and residences.
However, that will have to wait until order is restored on Earth.
Jian Tanxi no longer needs to worry about her future. She spends her days strolling in the park, playing with Qu Chen, or reading with Qin Man.
Three years later, the Earth's order was basically restored, and systems such as electricity, communication, and transportation were rebuilt.
Jian Tanxi was finally able to take the train back home.
The moment she pushed open the door, she heard the familiar sound of stir-frying coming from the kitchen and the familiar sound of the television coming from the living room.
Jian Tanxi was very excited. She walked in and said, "Dad, Mom, I'm back..."
postscript:
Over the past two years, no matter what she ate, used, or stayed overnight in a certain place, Jian Tanxi would leave her contact information, saying that the owner could contact her to pay when they returned.
Later, the owners of those restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels did contact Jian Tanxi, but without exception, they all said that they didn't need Jian Tanxi to pay. They just wanted to make friends with Jian Tanxi and asked her to patronize their establishments more often so that she could give them some advertising.
Jian Tanxi agreed to all of them.
Most countries have also reorganized their governments, and after conducting population surveys, they found that the population had decreased significantly.
Besides those who died in the game, there should also be some Earthlings in the hands of the Hoggers.
Some time later, Jian Tanxi, Qu Xingyuan, Qin Man, Ge Zhiwen, Zhang Dayong and others were given a critical mission and were sent by the United Nations to Hogs Planet to search for the missing Earthlings.
A new journey is about to begin...
(End of article)
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