Chapter 109
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Chapter 109: Title
Information Section 2 of the Special Bureau had immediately detected the anomaly emerging over the Atlantic Ocean.
Since the Awakening of Spiritual Energy, numerous peculiar phenomena had manifested across Blue Star, yet scarcely any could rival the magnitude of this Atlantic event—save for the initial cataclysms during the Energy’s first emergence.
What defined a large-scale anomaly? Key criteria included vast regional impact, brief duration, and significant geographical alterations, among other factors.
Deputy Director Xi Ning strode into Information Section 2’s control hub where the person in charge promptly replayed the footage.
The deep blue pillar of light glared distinctly even from coastal vantage points. Though minuscule relative to the Atlantic’s expanse, its scale translated to landmass might surpass Zhongxia’s current territorial holdings.
Post-Awakening, Zhongxia had deployed specialized satellites solely for surveillance purposes. While most monitored domestic territories for sudden anomalies, two drifted beyond borders—one fortuitously capturing the Atlantic phenomenon.
"Any insights on this luminous pillar?" Xi Ning addressed Lin Jing and Liang An standing behind him.
"Too early to conclude," Lin Jing responded, studying the slowed replay where the cerulean shaft tore through Blue Star’s atmosphere into cosmic depths.
—Zhongxia’s lunar space station, orbiting nearby, had documented the beam’s extraterrestrial trajectory.
"Footage suggests a seabed origin," Lin Jing continued. "Our oceanic knowledge remains fragmentary. This disturbance might’ve occurred underwater, though depth estimations elude us."
As Analysis Department Chief, Lin Jing habitually sifted through obscure knowledge to formulate contingency plans—yet even his expertise had limits.
A spark of enthusiasm lit the eyes of the young man beside him. "The Atlantic seabed… Deputy Director, I’ve a speculative theory."
"Out with it, Ouyang," Xi Ning commanded.
Ouyang Ming—Lin Jing’s new assistant in Analysis Section 3—specialized in foreign historical lore. "Western legends speak of a perished ancient civilization: Atlantis."
"Atlantis? The flood-drowned realm?" Lin Jing interjected.
"Precisely. Myths place their continent in the Atlantic before divine wrath submerged it."
"Could the location correspond here?" Xi Ning’s brow furrowed in consideration.
Ouyang Ming shook his head. "Atlantis remains unproven—countless searches found no submerged landmass. It might simply be… myth."
The Atlantic’s statistics loomed: 9,431.4 square kilometers including foreign waters, plunging to 8,000-meter depths with 3,600-meter averages.
"Or humanity’s merely scratched the surface," Ouyang added. "Such scale demands national-grade resources—far beyond individual explorers."
Xi Ning weighed the implications. An Atlantic threat posed no immediate danger to distant Zhongxia, yet demanded investigation. "Contact America’s authorities, Liang An. Inquire about their awareness."
"Lin Jing, lead the inquiry and file your report."
Their synchronized "Yes, Deputy Director" echoed as Xi Ning turned to depart—when crimson alerts suddenly bathed every screen.
"What now?" His pulse quickened.
Pale faces mirrored his tension—two critical alerts in one day strained even seasoned nerves.
"Something must be wrong. Let me check," Liang An said, settling before the computer and working on it briefly. "This is our internally configured alarm system – it triggers for any disaster rated Class A or higher."
"The data gets compiled by the network monitoring department before reaching us."
This department’s jurisdiction extended far beyond Zhongxia’s borders, surveilling all domestic and international networks to filter critical intelligence.
Advanced technology had transformed the vast expanse of Blue Star into a planetary village. Catastrophes in distant nations demanded attention – no one could predict where the ripples might spread.
"Found it." Liang An clicked the alert’s accompanying email containing a written report and 2-minute video. He launched both simultaneously.
The footage made everyone gasp – monstrous entities rampaged through urban streets, consuming civilians. Amidst the horror came guilty relief: the architecture and victims clearly weren’t from Zhongxia.
Though ashamed of their instinctive reaction, facing these horrors abroad still seemed preferable to domestic invasion.
"Are those… abyssal creatures?" Xi Ning ventured, though his tightening jaw betrayed certainty. The multi-story beasts’ sheer size spoke of formidable power.
"Not quite." Lin Jing leaned closer, squinting. "Abyssal variants tend toward bestial forms. These… they retain humanoid features."
"Could they be abyss-corrupted humans?" Ouyang Ming proposed tentatively. "The mutations resemble late-stage abyssal transformations."
"That skyline… doesn’t this look like our neighboring…"
Liang An finished scanning the report. "Spot on, Ouyang. This is happening in India." His finger tapped the frozen frame. "And these creatures? However unpleasant to admit, they’re now full abyssal entities."
"’Now’ implies they weren’t before," Xi Ning pressed.
"Correct. Formerly human."
"The abyss mutating humans to this degree?" Ouyang whistled. "Their scale rivals tier five or six abyssal manifestations!"
"Per the report," Liang An explained, "they fused from normal-sized humans minutes before filming. Definitively abyss-altered."
"Silver lining: no abyssal spellcasting capacity, weaker than tier five threats. Black cloud: India’s extraordinary individuals can’t handle them. Estimated combat strength matches tier three operatives."
Pale faces circled the room. Proximity to India made theoretical risks feel visceral. Complacency wasn’t an option, however remote the danger.
"What’s India’s leadership playing at?" Xi Ning’s knuckles whitened on the table. Anger proved useless against this emerging crisis – likely just the first wave.
Unlike Zhongxia’s coordinated response, most nations lacked both extraordinary personnel and political will to protect citizens. Global abyssal incursions exposed governmental fractures worldwide.
Liang An suddenly stiffened, reading a fresh dispatch. "Deputy Director! India’s defenses are collapsing. They’re authorizing tactical nuclear warheads."
Conventional tech rarely affects abyssals, but sufficient explosive force still works.
"Madness!" Ouyang Ming slammed his chair back. "Detonating nukes domestically? They’ll slaughter their own people!"
Blue Star’s nuclear club remained exclusive. India’s illicit arsenal shocked few, but its deployment against civilians…
"Targeting their own slums," Liang An growled. "As if those thousands are expendable." Though occurring abroad, the callous calculus turned stomachs.
*
Ye Linlang monitored oceanic sensors when the alert chimed.
[Your Excellency – India crisis.]
She frowned. India wasn’t scheduled for months. Mental calculations triggered visceral dismay.
"Seki’s in India? How?"
"And nuclear options? Have they lost all reason?"
Her fist met the control panel. A live feed bloomed – abyssal horrors overrunning Mumbai streets.
Even meticulous plans sprouted cracks. This particular complication, however, threatened to shatter entire timelines.
The future remained gloriously unpredictable – these "minor troubles" kept existence stimulating. If only the headaches weren’t quite so severe.
