The room was silent, with only Kim Puae’s sobs breaking the stillness as the “LOADING” bar on the screen slowly crept upwards.
“I’m sorry,” Zheng Rong said.
Kim Puae wiped away her tears and shook her head.
“I’ve never heard of this research project before,” Zheng Rong continued. “Does it have any special significance?”
Kim Puae choked up, “It doesn’t have any wartime assistance applications. It’s just a supplement to the Black Book.”
“Supplement to the Black Book?”
Zheng Rong furrowed his brows. He knew the nature of the content in the Black Book—it contained hypotheses and contingency plans for the aftermath of a catastrophic defeat in the war. The worst-case scenario foresaw humanity being wiped out entirely by the Mayan invaders, forever vanishing from the Earth.
Kim Puae’s voice steadied slightly as she explained, “It stores the most beautiful memories of our lives, preserved through the subconscious of the brain, then collects all human memories together, stores them in a vacuum box, and buries it underground.”
Zheng Rong understood. “So, if new intelligent life emerges in the future, they might unearth it in billions of years and glimpse the stories of our time.”
Kim Puae nodded silently.
She activated another screen on the side, staring at it blankly. It displayed a photo of her and an Indian man on a beach.
“This is my husband,” Kim Puae murmured. “He died three years ago. Your lover killed him.”
“I...” Zheng Rong didn't know what to say, his guilt rendering him unable to stay in front of Kim Puae any longer.
Xiang Yu’s anxious voice crackled through the communicator, “Zheng Rong! Are you guys still in the hangar?! Zheng Rong, answer me!”
It was as if Zheng Rong had been granted a reprieve. “Brother! We’re in Section F! Can you get here?!” He glanced at the screen, “The place is crawling with mech-spiders! Where is everyone else?”
Xiang Yu replied, “Joseph and Shiyin have already boarded the ship! The others are safe! I’ll alert Lance immediately! Kim Puae got separated!”
Zheng Rong practically shouted, “Kim Puae is with me, and Li Ying is downstairs protecting us! Hurry up and come over!”
Xiang Yu cut off the communication. Zheng Rong saw a glimmer of hope and asked, “Is there any defense system here?!”
Kim Puae answered, “It’s at the glass dome. Go up that staircase over there.”
Zheng Rong ran swiftly to the dome and connected the power to the cannon. A transparent sphere distorted the surrounding view, slowly enveloping the turret.
Zheng Rong felt a wave of dizziness as his body began to float slowly.
“Damn, it's a force-field cannon,” he muttered.
From his vantage point, he saw Li Ying, now just a small black speck, darting around amidst the swarm of hundreds of mechanical spiders.
The force-field cannon finished charging, creating a zero-gravity zone. A massive mechanical centipede burst through the F Zone’s entrance. Zheng Rong adjusted his aim, firmly locking on to the towering destroyer, and fired the first shot.
The transparent force-field sphere shot out silently.
“Death Knight! Watch out!” Zheng Rong laughed through the loudspeaker.
Li Ying evaded swiftly, dodging the oncoming force-field sphere. As soon as it made contact with the mechanical centipede, its alloy body silently collapsed, all its limbs sparking uncontrollably.
Under the effect of the gravity wave, the mechanical weapon exploded, fire and smoke compressed within the sphere, and, in an instant, everything was compacted to an infinitesimally small size—a metal cube no bigger than half a liter.
The metal block thudded to the ground, shattering the floor upon impact.
Through his scope, Zheng Rong magnified the entire battlefield. Li Ying blew a kiss towards the scope, bowed with intense focus, and leaped into action once more.
“Stop running around! I’ll cover you!” Zheng Rong yelled.
Li Ying's red left hand waved dismissively, signaling he didn’t need cover. Zheng Rong redirected the cannon and fired a series of transparent force-field balls.
Everywhere, there were flashes of light and explosions, yet before each explosion could unfold, the gravity cannon compressed it into a small bundle.
The ground was littered with metal blocks, an eerie silence reigning over the battlefield—all the mechanical destroyers were eliminated. In the distance, the earth rumbled as if warning of an even greater danger approaching.
With a loud crash, the F Zone’s entrance was shattered as a massive beetle crawled in.
Zheng Rong took a deep breath, flipped the power valve, and pushed it to its maximum.
“Warning,” the synthesized female voice of the computer announced. “Surpassing maximum critical level. 50% probability of black hole formation.”
The gravity cannon began to charge maniacally, draining the majority of the power from the computer center. The elevator halted midway between floors, and all the lights went out, leaving only the faint blue glow of the turret’s monitor reflecting on Zheng Rong's handsome face.
Li Ying glanced up.
A metal pupa on the beetle’s shell extended its antennae, sending out invisible waves.
The giant beetle opened its wings, releasing two flying insects from within!
Li Ying suddenly trembled and roared, “Zheng Rong! Watch out—!”
Leaping through the air, Li Ying grabbed one of the metal flying insects and soared toward the top of the information center.
Zheng Rong fired the last shot from the gravity cannon! The beetle raised its forelimbs as blue light converged in its mandibles and shot out a bolt of electricity!
The gravity sphere collided with the energy cannon, and the beetle spat out a second burst of blinding white light, grazing the trajectory of the projectile and crashing directly into the center of the dome!
The explosion was deafening, sending Zheng Rong flying. Li Ying punched into the flying insect’s abdomen, flipped around, and grabbed Zheng Rong mid-air.
“Dying wouldn’t be... too bad,” Zheng Rong mumbled, his body covered in cuts from shattered glass.
“You won't die,” Li Ying whispered, then extended his hand, fiercely gripping the information center’s exterior wall.
With a loud crack, the glass wall shattered, shards flying everywhere, glistening with a deadly sheen. Another flying insect streaked by at high speed, intercepting their descent.
“Ah—!” Li Ying howled in agony as one of his legs was torn off!
“Li Ying!” Zheng Rong shouted.
Li Ying clenched his teeth, hooking his fingers into the glass exterior as they continued to fall, sending a shower of glass fragments in every direction, tracing an icy blue path through the air.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Another insect zipped past, slicing off Li Ying’s left arm, spraying blood all over Zheng Rong. With one arm gone, they lost their leverage and plummeted headfirst.
Xiang Yu rushed into Zone F, witnessing their kite-like descent. He bellowed, “Zheng Rong!”
A laser shot out, and Xiang Yu, with perfect precision, flipped the Zhanlu Sword, reflecting the laser back and destroying the insect in a burst of flames.
“Ahhhh—!” Xiang Yu gripped the sword with both hands, roaring in fury as he charged at the massive beetle from behind. The Zhanlu Sword’s blade sparked wildly as it split the entire beetle in half, resulting in an explosive burst.
Xiang Yu jumped, throwing the long sword with all his might. Like a meteor, it flew towards the falling Zheng Rong and Li Ying, embedding itself in the wall. Li Ying released his grip around Zheng Rong's waist, managing to catch the sword hilt just in time, while Zheng Rong grasped Li Ying’s waist in return.
In that split second, the two were suspended two meters above the ground.
Li Ying let go of the sword and descended, allowing Zheng Rong to land safely.
Panting, Kim Puae descended the stairs, clutching a storage drive.
Xiang Yu’s breathing slowly steadied. Li Ying’s body was drenched in blood, held in Zheng Rong's arms. Zheng Rong cried out in anguish, shaking Li Ying frantically, and eventually laying him flat, his head buried in Li Ying’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
“My... task is complete,” Li Ying said, staring blankly at Zheng Rong, his voice weak. “Babe, go.”
Zheng Rong replied, “There’s still a chance, there’s... still a chance. Hold on, Li Ying, don’t die. You can get fitted with mechanical prosthetics...”
Kim Puae covered her mouth, unable to suppress her sobs.
Li Ying whispered, “I... am already in self-destruct mode. Feel...”
Li Ying’s tight assassin suit had already been torn apart during their fall, exposing his blood-soaked chest, which rose and fell faintly, accompanied by the faint beeping of electronic instruments.
“No—!” Zheng Rong cried out in desperation, holding Li Ying tightly.
Li Ying smiled weakly. “Take... your brother and leave. They... are closing in.”
Silently, Xiang Yu lifted Zheng Rong. Zheng Rong, overcome with grief and madness, screamed and struggled, but Xiang Yu held him tightly, dragging him away from the entrance of the information center.
“I love you, Zheng Rong,” Li Ying murmured, closing his eyes. “Live well... We will win...”
“Farewell, Li Ying,” Xiang Yu said in a deep voice. “Go! There’s no time to delay!”
Li Ying lay on the steps of the information center, blood pooling beneath him. His eyes remained fixed in the direction Zheng Rong was taken, his pupils slowly dilating as his breathing stopped.
Thousands of mech-spiders swarmed into the information center. A silver-glinting metal pupa crawled onto the steps, extending two antennae to scan Li Ying’s lifeless eyes.
A red glow pulsed faintly from his chest.
Three seconds later, a massive sonic boom spread outwards, vaporizing the assassin's body into dust. An energy storm ravaged Zone F, shattering buildings into countless pieces, while all the mech-spiders exploded in a deafening chain reaction.
“Warning: Nuclear self-destruct mode activated. 300 seconds remaining.”
Xiang Yu carried Zheng Rong on his back, struggling through the underground waterway, treading on an uneven path. The waterway was the first layer of energy that powered the entire underground city—the tidal power generation channel. Tides converted into a small amount of electricity, then deuterium was extracted from seawater, enabling nuclear fusion to supply stable electricity to the entire underground city.
Now, all nuclear reactors had ceased operation. Only the seawater continued to flow through the channels, which, in five minutes, would serve as the last energy source to detonate the entire underground city. The shelter, operated since the year 2000, would be destroyed in a mushroom cloud, reduced to ash, becoming eternal history.
“He's paid with his life...” Zheng Rong murmured, grief-stricken. “He finally died.”
“Return, return! Spirit, return!” Xiang Yu sang the ancient song of summoning souls loudly in the waterway.
“Zheng Rong,” Xiang Yu said, pausing at the end of the waterway. “He’s not dead. He’s walking with us.”
The waterway was silent, and the water gradually stilled.
“Your brother,” Xiang Yu continued. “Li Ying, and all those who died in battle—they walk with us, their spirits always by your side.”
Time seemed endless, the underground tides began to move once more, and water from the North Atlantic flowed again, driving the massive turbines to spin slowly, casting pale light as they swept through the darkness.
Xiang Yu pressed the communicator, “Calling Lance.”
Lance, like a raging tiger, roared into the communicator, “There are less than three minutes left before the underground city blows up! Where are you?!”
“We’re at the exit of the underground waterway. Where are you?” Xiang Yu replied.
“Exit through the side door immediately,” Lance urged. “There’s a submersible lifeboat at the end. The surface is swarming with Mayan surveillance drones. Don’t surface; follow the coordinates underwater...” He frantically relayed the position, then urgently asked, “How many are with you? The lifeboat might not have enough room. Let me speak to Li Ying...”
Xiang Yu spoke solemnly, “Li Ying is dead. It’s just me, Zheng Rong, and Miss Kim alive.”
There was a moment of silence on the communicator.
“I’m so sorry,” Lance said wearily. “Leave the underground city immediately. The submarine is waiting one kilometer out.”
Xiang Yu pushed open a small door.
“Warning: Nuclear self-destruct mode activated. 160 seconds remaining.”
Everywhere, blinding red lights flashed, illuminating the turbine chamber where two underwater lifeboats sat side by side. Zheng Rong stood, despondent, in front of the lifeboats.
“Take this back with you.” Zheng Rong handed the memory drive to Xiang Yu but was slapped across the face in return. He staggered, the world spinning as his vision went black.
“Ambition unfulfilled! How can you let yourself die!” Xiang Yu scolded.
“What were the coordinates Lance reported?” Kim Puae quickly set the launch direction of the underwater lifeboats, opening their outer shells.
Zheng Rong closed his eyes in despair. Xiang Yu said, “Miss Kim, take one for yourself.”
Kim Puae climbed into a lifeboat, the door closed, and it slowly sank before shooting out of the underground city.
“Warning: Nuclear self-destruct mode activated. 60 seconds remaining.”
“Zheng Rong, don’t you want to hear Li Ying’s last words?” Xiang Yu asked.
Zheng Rong was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Then get in,” Xiang Yu said.
“And you?” Zheng Rong asked.
“I’ll hold you,” Xiang Yu answered.
“Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight...”
Zheng Rong lay down sideways, curling up in the tight space. Xiang Yu’s broad frame also squeezed in, extending his arm for Zheng Rong to rest his head on.
The lifeboat door shut. Zheng Rong leaned against Xiang Yu’s armored chest. The armor was cold, but the heartbeat beneath it made him feel safe and secure.
Xiang Yu patted Zheng Rong’s head and said gravely, “Live on.”
“Ten, nine...”
The lifeboat slid through the waterway, accelerating as it went. Tears streamed down Zheng Rong’s face as he looked up, and Xiang Yu kissed his forehead.
A magnificent blue light enveloped them as the lifeboat shot out from the continental shelf of the sea island. The turbine at the back began to spin, propelling them toward their pre-set destination.
“One. Self-destruct sequence initiated.”
High in the distant cosmos, the blue planet rotated slowly. At the twilight boundary, west of Greenwich, in the North Irish Sea, a nuclear fusion explosion equivalent to 240 million tons of TNT obliterated one of humanity's four great cities, reducing it to ruins.
It was the largest self-destruct explosion since the disarmament of the 60-million-ton hydrogen bombs by the former Soviet Union after the end of the arms race. The nuclear self-destruction in Northern Ireland caused uranium radiation pollution that lasted for 80 years, spreading across the entire English Channel.
Yet, it was far from over.
Millions of underwater lifeboats drifted without their searchlights, slowly floating amidst the tides under the radar detection of nuclear submarines. The survivors in the lifeboats stared skyward, their eyes filled with fear or despair.
The sky was covered with Mayan flying saucers rotating slowly, their twelve hieroglyphic symbols emitting beautiful light, and then, beams of light shot down into the sea with an earth-shaking roar!
Boom!
The beams pierced through the earth’s crust, boring into the depths of the mantle, each laser easily piercing through and creating dark, bottomless pits.
The sea churned violently as the water rushed into the gaping holes, and the sky’s deity-like saucers spun again, unleashing a second round of giant light beams!
The lifeboats were swept into the debris, and magma surging from below incinerated them like larvae.
Human submarines launched their missiles toward the surface. The missiles flew up, trailing white smoke as they shot towards the saucers in the sky.
Lights flashed in succession, turning the sea a fiery red.
Detecting the location of the submarines, the mechanical insect swarm plunged into the sea, retracting their wings and deploying propulsion systems. Whenever they captured a lifeboat, they dragged it out of the water and sent it skyward toward the saucers.
Submarines fired torpedoes, each leaving a trail of bubbles in the sea as they sought out the mechanical insects.
At dusk, the endless sea surface was filled with whistling missiles, countless falling fireballs, and the dazzling laser beams from the space saucers.
Tens of thousands of metal appendages reached into the sea, snatching up the floating human lifeboats like slugs feeding on insect eggs. Whenever they caught one, they pulled it towards the sky.
A metal tentacle wrapped around the lifeboat containing Xiang Yu and Zheng Rong, its pressure causing the transparent cover to crack.
Xiang Yu held Zheng Rong close as they both stared at the metal appendage.
“Do you know how to swim?” Xiang Yu asked.
Sea of Inferno...
Zheng Rong nodded.
“Once we breach the surface, I’ll slash open the lifeboat,” Xiang Yu instructed. “Hold on to me. Once we hit the water, we’ll figure out a way to escape. Stay calm.”
Zheng Rong steadied himself, and Xiang Yu added, “Take off my armor.”
Zheng Rong helped Xiang Yu remove the scales. Xiang Yu’s bare arms were hot to the touch, radiating a sense of security.
Just then, an underwater reconnaissance boat flew over, its laser cutting through the tentacle that was entwining their lifeboat.
“Who is it?” Zheng Rong asked, frowning.
“Calling Xiang Yu.” Lance’s voice came through the communicator.
“Received!” Xiang Yu responded.
“We're under attack!” Lance’s voice was urgent. “Prepare to abandon ship and escape, change your course immediately!”
Xiang Yu was utterly confused as Lance quickly relayed the coordinates. Zheng Rong entered the new location into the control panel, and the lifeboat changed direction, heading west at high speed.
“Is Zheng Rong alright?” Lance asked anxiously. “Zheng Rong, Li Ying is dead, but you have to take care of yourself. I’ve always...”
Zheng Rong didn’t respond, and the sound of explosions echoed through Lance’s communicator.
In that moment, Zheng Rong felt his entire body go cold.
“Lance?” he whispered, his voice trembling.
The communicator crackled.
Tears welled up as Zheng Rong’s voice broke. “Lance?!”
“Lance—!” Zheng Rong cried out in despair.