Chapter 1289: Chapter 497: High Tower Civilization

"KIKI, I found records of you boarding the Chengying Ship, what on earth has happened during this time?"

In the vast conference hall, Lin Xian posed the question to KIKI.

"She doesn’t know much more than you do."

Raymond, a rough-looking middle-aged man in his forties, with multiple scars on his right cheek resembling patches, looked at Lin Xian while holding a lit cigar: "We rescued her from a pile of corpses after a battle that lasted two days and nights. Underneath the yellow sands of Hakko Coast, there were dead bodies everywhere. This girl actually used telekinesis to withstand the Shock Wave spewed by the world-class disaster ’Earthquake Catfish,’ and heavily injured an S-Class, at least buying a lot of time for Noah’s evacuation of the main force."

"We all thought she was dead, lying at Sentry Post 374 for nearly a month. She probably woke up just over ten days before you did." Shi Weidong said at this moment.

"After waking up, she’s been with our action team searching for your whereabouts." Song Wei added from the opposite side.

Lin Xian frowned upon hearing this, looking towards KIKI, who was sitting in a swivel chair with a lollipop in her mouth. Upon meeting Lin Xian’s gaze, she just smiled mischievously and said, "You’re welcome~"

"Lying down for a month, were the injuries severe?" asked Lin Xian.

"Not at all~" KIKI shrugged her shoulders with a spirited look: "Just overused my spiritual power and slept a few extra days~"

"That was not merely overuse of spiritual power. When we found you..."

"Oh, enough nonsense." KIKI directly slapped the table, interrupting Shi Weidong: "Back to the main topic! Lao Shi!"

"By the way, wasn’t Director Ding supposed to be with us?"

Lin Xian recalled this fact. He originally thought Ding Junyi might be here, but her presence had not been noted, prompting him to ask impulsively.

"After I woke up, about a week ago, Director Ding went with Noah’s transfer team to Phoenix City. Since we couldn’t figure out the reason for your inability to awaken, we split into two groups. I’m here searching for your whereabouts, she proceeded to Nightwalker Headquarters..." KIKI breathed a sigh of relief: "We planned that if we found you, we would send you there."

"Polar Kunlun City?"

"Yes."

"What about the convoy, and Teacher Chen and the others?" Lin Xian asked urgently.

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent. KIKI’s expression darkened, her gaze dropped to the table, and she said nothing.

Seeing this, Lin Xian’s heart sank immediately, and he asked sternly,

"There’s no news from the train group at all?!"

Shi Weidong spoke up at this moment: "From December 9th until now, not a single train has appeared on the north-south rail line spanning the two continents."

"What about the Dawn Center?"

Shi Weidong stood by the holographic sandbox in the conference room, pointing the tip of a laser pointer at the North American Continent on the floating projection. The cold light reflected off his deeply lined face, his voice low yet carrying a metallic scrape of coldness and fatigue, each word striking the oppressive air.

"Sword Holder..." he began, his gaze remaining on that glaring, crimson-covered area consuming much of the simulated Earth: "Since you entered the ’deep sleep,’ the world has been accelerating towards collapse."

"On November 12th, the Noah Far Sea Monitoring Group confirmed—a scarlet expansion erupted simultaneously from the Thirteen Star Abyss in the Eastern Pacific and the Black Sea, at scales exceeding all model predictions." The laser pointer struck towards the Pacific Ocean area, "In less than twelve hours, the core areas of these two oceans were completely devoured by the scarlet."

He flicked his wrist, and the pointer moved to Alaska: "On November 24th, the Dawn Center Command met with the remnants of the retreating North American United Front on the Alaskan ice plains. The original plan was to traverse North and South America in twenty-five days, establish assembly and readiness in the Storm Strait, then cross into the polar region before being devoured by the scarlet."

On the holographic projection, a green line materialized, winding south from Alaska, crossing the North American Continent, and pointing towards the southern tip of South America.

Shi Weidong’s laser pointer abruptly halted in the Asia-Pacific Continent area: "On November 25th, without warning, the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 8th Star Abysses in the Asia-Pacific region began expanding irregularly out of the blue! The scarlet spread across the map like a plague! The Commander issued an emergency order: Forces stationed in Dawn City were to join the surviving Silent City survivors and relocate immediately! Dawn Center’s planned twenty-five-day safe march turned into a death march at breakneck pace! The target remained unchanged—the Storm Strait!"

His voice suddenly peaked, carrying a barely suppressed tremble, then he looked towards the central North American Continent. The projection at the Colorado Grand Canyon position instantly turned blood red: "December 9th! The North American 12th and 9th Star Abysses’ spread rate surged in the darkness! Dawn Center’s main force in the Grand Canyon region... collided head-on with the world-class disaster labeled 05—’Chaos’!" Shi Weidong’s voice choked, his Adam’s apple sliding: "Over a million people... gone. In just that one night."

He took a deep breath, as if the heavy stench of blood was still clogging his nostrils: "Then, the 219 train groups on the land orbit, on the Colorado eastern canyon railway line... all communications were lost!"

He steadied his breath, then turned to Lin Xian: "Apart from the survivor train groups, there were also the 13th and 22 Iron Guard Brigades under the Ninth Continental Force and six of the most elite Special Operations Groups of the Second Continental Force! Three Air Fleets that were supposed to be providing aerial support! And not to mention... those trains were transporting a large portion of our remaining military supplies... and survival materials that could have kept more people alive! All gone!"

Lin Xian’s brow furrowed tightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw KIKI sitting opposite him with her arms crossed, her head buried in brooding silence.