Chapter 99
"Are the people at Spark Base human beings, but we're not?!"
"Let us in right now!"
"Sir, please let my child in... It doesn't matter if we die, just let my child live..."
...
The entrance to Fortification No. 1 was surrounded by refugees who had flocked from the surrounding area. The troops guarded it closely, and the heavy iron gate prevented anyone from breaking through the defense line.
"The fortifications here are full. The stranded civilians can follow our comrades to the various air-raid shelters for refuge." The soldiers guarding the gate looked reluctant but were very determined. In addition to the residents of the Spark Base, there were also research teams and the precious seeds and various production materials they had collected in the two fortifications. If the disaster is overcome, these will be the spark of hope for mankind. They cannot let other people in at will.
"We don't want to go to the air-raid shelter! This star is so big, it's about to crash into us, what good is an air-raid shelter!" an old man shouted at the top of his lungs.
"That's right! We are all Chinese people, why should you hide in fortifications while we can only stay in air-raid shelters outside!"
"Exactly! Hurry up and put them in for us too!"
...
Those gathered outside echoed the sentiment, the yellow light from the star shining above their heads, reflecting a myriad of strange expressions.
At this moment, the people inside the fortifications were also filled with anxiety.
Several heavy iron gates completely isolated them from the outside world. To conserve resources, only a few oil lamps were lit inside and out. Under the dim light, people gathered in small groups to keep warm.
"Mommy, I'm scared..." A little girl buried her head in her mother's neck, her wet eyes revealing fear and unease.
"It's alright, little girl, everything will be alright." The woman patted the child's back, her own hands trembling slightly.
"So, what's it like outside now?" A man asked softly, his gaze sweeping over the government officials and soldiers hurrying to and fro in the corridor.
The people around shook their heads.
"I think this is definitely the end for me..." The man squatted down and hugged his head. "I finally survived until now, and I thought I was finally going to live a good life, but then an asteroid is going to hit the earth... Seriously, what sins did I commit in my life?!"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense!" A thin woman kicked him, glanced at the child staring at her with wide, dark eyes, and whispered a reprimand, "There are children here, what are you saying! The government is still here, the army is still here, the country won't let anything happen to us!"
The man was about to speak again when everyone around him glared at him. He sighed and had no choice but to shut up, feeling resentful.
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At this moment, Tong Shu was also quite upset.
The process of traversing space was simpler than expected. Following the captain's instructions, Wen Shaocheng entered a string of numerical codes into the panel, and the plane automatically navigated towards its destination.
However, traveling between these spaces is truly exhausting.
Before Tong Shu could even marvel at the wonder of the island's spatial boundaries, she was tormented by a twisting sensation in her internal organs and collapsed to the ground.
When the flight finally stabilized, Tong Shu had already gone in and out of the restroom three times. She slumped into her seat, pulled open the sunshade, and looked outside. All she could see was pitch black outside, with occasional glimpses of dark red light, creating an eerie stillness.
"Where is this?" Tong Shu asked weakly.
Wen Shaocheng handed her a glass of water: "It should be the boundary between space and time. This part of the flight is relatively smooth, but it will be a little uncomfortable when it intersects."
Thinking about being tortured again once she entered the space where Doka was, Tong Shu let out a painful howl. She took a sip of water indignantly, looked at the composed man, and said sourly, "How come you're not hurt at all?"
Wen Shaocheng smiled and said, "It's uncomfortable, but bearable."
The two spaces weren't far apart to begin with. Before Tong Shu could even finish a glass of water, that tormenting feeling returned. Tong Shu's expression changed, and she quickly covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom again.
In Wen Shaocheng's game space, wildfires raged and lightning flashed. As soon as he entered the space, Wen Shaocheng switched the flight from automatic to manual, and the plane dodged the dangers coming from all directions with various difficult maneuvers.
Tong Shu was powerless at this moment. She had just recovered from the distortion of time and space when she was shaken upside down again. All she could do was silently pray that Wen Shaocheng would be alright, and then rely on her remaining willpower to firmly fasten herself to the seat.
"boom!"
A loud bang.
A fiery meteorite narrowly missed Goose Flock 001, violently striking the mountaintop. Half of the mountain was shattered, and huge boulders tumbled down. A howling wind whipped up a mountain breeze, and the surrounding air became scorching and distorted.
Tong Shu tilted her head to look at the scene outside, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it "hell on earth".
The trees were charred and withered, and herds of wild animals fled from the jungle, howling in anguish in the firelight. A mother elephant, heartbroken by the loss of her calf, stayed by the body, refusing to leave, tears streaming from her enormous eyes, before being consumed by the spreading wildfire and reduced to two white skeletons…
As Tong Shu looked at all of this, it was as if she were seeing the real world a few days later. Overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, including grief, anxiety, and fear, she felt a tightness in her chest and couldn't breathe.
"The temple is just ahead, keep your spirits up."
Just then, Wen Shaocheng's clear voice entered Tong Shu's ears, instantly pulling her out of her gloomy mood.
Standing in the driver's seat, his field of vision was even wider than Tong Shu's, not to mention that this was the game space he had spent more than a year with. Yet Wen Shaocheng's face remained expressionless, his movements were steady and fast, and he seemed incredibly reliable.
In that instant, Tong Shu seemed to see again the young major in front of the air-raid shelter, that outstanding officer who devoted himself to the country and the people.
Goose Flock 001 landed steadily on the scorched grass, grazing the lightning. As soon as Tong Shu stepped out of the cabin, she was choked by the acrid smell in the air and coughed incessantly. She quickly grabbed two masks and put them on herself and Wen Shaocheng.
Unlike other temples, the Temple of Life was protected by a giant Tree of Life. At this moment, only a charred trunk remained of the tree. Although the temple was also destroyed, the surrounding walls still stood strong, protecting the last hope of life.
Passing through the water-ripple-like gate, Tong Shu's view changed, and she arrived inside the temple.
Groups of animals were seen huddled together in various parts of the temple, licking each other's wounds.
Species on the same food chain coexisted without any precautions; in the face of disaster, even animals showed unprecedented solidarity.
Tong Shu snapped out of her daze, remembered the purpose of her trip, and quickly shouted Doka's name.
Hearing the sound, the little animals all looked up at her, their eyes filled with both curiosity and wariness.
Hearing the suppressed growling from the tiger in the corner, Tong Shu quickly took out some frozen meat and fresh vegetables from her bag and piled them up in the center of the temple.
The animals were starving, and when they smelled the food, they quickly got up and went over to eat. Tong Shu took advantage of this time to quickly look for Doka among the animals.
“…Island Master—Island Master—” A faint voice came from above. Tong Shu, who was struggling to rummage through a bunch of raccoon cubs, looked up in confusion and found a ball of fluff emerging from a niche above her head.
"Doka?!" Tong Shu immediately dropped the little one she was holding. "Is that you, Doka? You're up there?"
A nose peeked out from the fur, and it seemed that Doka had finally turned around: "It's me, Island Lord... Waaaaah, you've finally come."
"...How did you climb so high?" Tong Shu looked at the niche more than ten meters above the ground and suddenly felt a bit troubled.
Wen Shaocheng looked around, picked up a torn piece of the flag from the ground, and gestured for Tong Shu to hold the two corners. The two of them opened the flag, and Wen Shaocheng looked up and shouted to Doka, "Just jump down, we'll catch you!"
Doka was extremely timid; he trembled for a long time before daring to come down.
"Doka! The island is going to be gone soon! If you don't come down now, you'll never see Nini and the others again!" Tong Shu shouted at it.
Upon hearing this, Doka immediately disregarded everything else. With its little eyes closed and its hind legs kicking, it sprang out of the niche. Tong Shu and Wen Shaocheng quickly grabbed the flag to catch it. The little capybara had suffered a lot during this time, and its once round body had become much thinner. After bouncing a couple of times on the flag, the two easily caught it.
"You're something else, daring to climb up but not daring to come down." Time was of the essence, so Tong Shu made a brief complaint before scooping up Doka and tucking him under her arm, ready to take him away.
As the two people and the pig reached the door, a fawn suddenly hopped over, opened its mouth, and bit the hem of Tong Shu's clothes tightly.
Tong Shu turned her head in confusion and saw that the little deer was looking at her with wet eyes and a face full of worry. It was also pulling Tong Shu further inside, not letting her go out.
Tong Shu's nose suddenly stung with tears. She reached out and touched the little deer's head. "Thank you, but things will only return to normal here after we leave."
The little deer couldn't understand Tong Shu's words, but it still clung tightly to Tong Shu's clothes, shaking its head slightly.
Tong Shu thought for a moment, then took out a carrot. The fresh carrot emitted a sweet and crisp aroma, and the little deer couldn't resist the temptation, opening its mouth to take it.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tong Shu retrieved her clothes. After hesitating for a moment, she took out a lot of food from her bag and threw it around. The small animals that hadn't managed to grab any food came over to the door and started wolfing down the food.
She glanced longingly at the animals in the temple, then resolutely stepped out of the Water Wave Gate, braving the wildfire and thunder, and together with Wen Shaocheng, took Doka on their journey home.
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