Wasteland's Only King-Chapter 82 - 81: The Wasteland Era

Daxia.

Northwest sky.

Yu Jin’s body, like a cannonball, plummeted rapidly toward the ground.

The cold night wind cut across his face.

The familiar feeling, just as a few minutes ago.

"Still..."

"I failed again..."

That ultimate ’Purifying Light’ in the ’Unity’ state had exhausted all of Yu Jin’s energy.

At this moment.

Other than his physical Value, he couldn’t use a single bit of ’Tier Nine Evolver’ Ability.

Even...

He couldn’t even control his body to stop the fall.

"It’s fine..."

"Crashing from this height shouldn’t kill me, just hope I don’t land on someone else..."

Yu Jin murmured, even in self-mockery, his tone could not hide the disappointment.

After all.

Blue Star’s suppression of his Ability was just too harsh, far too harsh...

In front of him.

The system’s semi-transparent panel displayed clear numbers.

[Purification Progress: 89%]

This was the final result.

Even after Yu Jin gave everything, even if he truly burned himself to ashes, he still could not achieve a hundred percent Purification.

This meant...

There was still 11% of Pollution Source scattered across Blue Star.

If Yu Jin had a bit more time, maybe he could squeeze in another ’Purifying Light’ after Recovery.

But...

The time was up.

Maybe it was the boost from being a Tier Nine Evolver, or maybe just the system’s ’friendly reminder’.

Yu Jin could sense...

The surrounding time and space was slowly becoming sluggish, gradually sliding into Stagnation.

No doubt.

The moment of Stagnation would be the instant of crossing over.

"Still not strong enough..."

Yu Jin was deeply unwilling.

As Tier Nine, Purifying a Tier Ten Pollution Source—even if the system’s Evaluation called it ’resounding across the Wasteland Star System’.

Yu Jin still felt it wasn’t enough, far from enough!

[With the body of an ant, you surpassed your tier and purified ’Tier Ten Galaxy-level Pollution Source—Barrenness’!]

[Such achievement, unprecedented, echoes through the Wasteland Star System!]

[Final Purification Progress: 89%!]

[Do you wish to claim your reward?]

In the moment before time had totally come to a standstill.

The system panel in Yu Jin’s sight floated new text.

"Claim!"

Yu Jin didn’t hesitate, silently speaking in his mind.

He was too weak right now.

If he crossed into the Wasteland World in this state...

He probably wouldn’t get killed by wild Mutant Beasts or Infected Bodies, but he definitely wouldn’t be at full strength.

That, Yu Jin didn’t want to see.

From the day he bound the system, he’d been upgrading nonstop—all so he could log into the Wasteland with a Level 100 Account.

A Tier Nine with no energy—what Level 100 Account is that?

[You have gained reward: Tier Nine Energy Crystal*3]

[You have gained...]

[You have gained...]

Yu Jin had no time to check what the other rewards were.

He could already clearly feel there was less than a second before crossing over. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Whoosh—

Three irregular, rainbow-colored Crystals appeared in Yu Jin’s hand.

In the last moment before crossing.

Yu Jin mobilized the last bit of strength in his body, shoving the three Crystals into his mouth as fast as he could.

Crunch—!

...

[You used ’Tier Nine Energy Crystal’!]

[...]

Yu Jin had no time to look clearly at the info that instantly appeared on the panel.

He could only feel that his energy, almost depleted before, was recovering at an unbelievable speed.

But...

What came with it.

Was a dizziness that was fierce to the extreme.

"Gonna sleep again?"

"No, not fainting..."

"Shit! Seems like a side effect from ’Unity’..."

Yu Jin didn’t have time to keep thinking.

At that moment.

All the clocks in Daxia Family households pointed to exactly 12 midnight.

Yu Jin’s falling figure suddenly stopped in midair, along with his thoughts and consciousness.

At the same time.

Buzz—!

An indescribable, mysterious and terrifying aura swept over every corner of Blue Star at once.

Humans, animals, plants...

The ocean, mountains, rivers...

Everything, everything froze in this instant.

Time and space seemed to hit pause, Blue Star staying on this single frame.

This frame was so brief, yet so long.

All across Blue Star.

Countless faces froze with all kinds of expressions.

Countless actions stuck in place like marionettes.

The crossing happened right then.

But it came silently, quietly, with no dramatic spectacle.

No Marvel-movie scenes of people slowly turning to dust under their loved ones’ grief-stricken gaze.

Blue Star, so peaceful.

Until...

A ’tick’ sound.

The clock’s hand moved to the next second.

On Blue Star.

Half of humanity vanished without a trace.

Along with them disappeared half the animals, plants—even microorganisms...

All ’life-form’ existence, chosen by God’s dice roll, vanished by half.

Awaiting them, a crisis-ridden, struggle-for-survival Wasteland World.

At the same time.

Blobs of pitch-black, soul-deep matter—not solid, liquid, or gas—fell onto the surface of Blue Star...

...

...

Jiangcheng University.

Tang Yunxuan stared blankly ahead.

The helmet on the table—gone.

Yet he felt absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

As if...

The helmet had never existed at all.

Tang Yunxuan pulled out his phone to check the time, then realized it had been a brick for ages.

He turned to the old mechanical clock hanging on the dorm wall.

The second hand had just ticked past 0:00:01.

"Is it over?"

"Or nothing happened at all?"

Tang Yunxuan was in Yu Jin’s 615 dorm room.

Only he was there.

Feeling his way in the dark, he opened the door and rushed out.

The hallway was pitch black, couldn’t see his own hands.

"Hey?"

Tang Yunxuan called out.

"Hey!"

A voice answered from the far end of the hall.

"Did you feel anything happen?"

Tang Yunxuan shouted into the darkness.

"I..."

"My two roommates... vanished..."

From the darkness, the classmate replied in a low voice.

Tang Yunxuan stood frozen where he was.

...

...

Yanjing.

A conference room.

Yin Shanhai looked down at his wrinkled hands, then up at the conference room—once full, now almost half the seats empty.

Though he hadn’t felt a single abnormality.

But...

The truth was right in front of him—crossing had occurred, and was over.

Yin Shanhai pressed both palms to the table and stood up.

He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse as he shouted:

"Comrades!"

"We don’t have time to mourn for the families, friends, and companions who crossed over..."

"What awaits us now are even harsher challenges!"

"Communication breakdown, energy collapse, technology wither, half of the population gone..."

"The road ahead is full of hardship—but we must unite every possible Power, face every potential crisis, and give our all to support—until..."

"The day Yu Jin brings our people back to Blue Star!"

"I believe—and I ask you all to believe—"

"That day will come!"