Chapter 299: The Looming Catastrophe

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh

Speed soaring overhead.

The Research Institute isn’t far from the East Sea Safe Zone.

As a coastal safe zone, it’s only about thirty kilometers from the coastline.

Years of peace have left the once-mighty three coastal defenses in disrepair, with only a unit stationed near the shore.

Watching over the bustling safe zone below, Yenir silently observed.

The streets teemed with people.

Compared to Tianfeng, this place was undoubtedly more populous. Harnessing coastal resource advantages and special productions, it had developed exceptionally well.

At a glance, it even had an apocalyptic air about it.

Under temporary reassurance from the Military, survivors previously alarmed by their aircraft had calmed down.

On the streets, vendors enthusiastically hawked relics from the old era.

At a stall, a middle-aged man with his family bought several skewers of squid with a doting smile, sharing them with his wife and children.

In an alley, a few children brandishing wooden makeshift swords and sticks mimicked the Awakener’s style, laughing and playing.

Everything appeared beautiful, full of life’s vibrancy.

At the entrance of the residential area, many elders who had survived from the old times sat smiling in chairs, watching over their descendants.

Everyone believed that life was on the rise, and that the end of the world was a distant concern.

After years of peace, they trusted the Military would step in should danger arise.

High above, after watching silently for a minute, Yenir let out a quiet sigh.

Had it not been for his rebirth and the system mission, he might have believed the same.

Be it China or any other corner of Earth, all prosperity was an illusion. A disaster far greater than before had quietly emerged.

Like a wildfire consuming petals, humanity’s time was running short.

No one knew the inner turmoil that plagued Yenir at that moment.

True to his nature, his next step was to immediately evacuate all survivors and forcibly take over the safe zone.

Reborn again, if nothing could be changed, what was the point of living at all?

He admitted to himself that he was no saint, but he wasn’t heartless either.

He couldn’t bear to watch the disaster unfold or see a million survivors perish before his eyes.

But…

Clenching his fists, Yenir looked at the system panel with a bitter resolve.

Mother…

Four hours was far too short to evacuate the survivors.

The only way to buy more time was to eliminate the Mother…

But…

Staring fixedly at the two red dots on the system display, a mix of absurdity and bitterness filled his heart.

He had never imagined that the source of the first A-level disaster in his past life was the Military! The system-induced disaster timeline hadn’t even accounted for this one!

There was no other explanation.

The system marked two Mother signals—one in the East Sea and the other…

Right in the Capital!

Based on the information in the Institute and the eerie expression of a Researcher, he had pieced together the truth!

How absurd.

In his past life, the sea beast attacks weren’t spontaneous at all!

Mother…

Someone had combined their own cells with sea beasts to create an Experimental Organism! And after escaping, it instinctively sought its ‘Mother’!

From the system’s data, Yenir couldn’t help but recall an utterly absurd fact.

He’d once wondered why the first catastrophe had erupted along the coast and why subsequent sea beasts targeted the Capital.

It was illogical—as if these creatures had a precise target.

Though these marine creatures possessed formidable vitality allowing them to traverse land, theoretically, they should have remained in the sea as they had for years.

That made no sense.

But now, he knew the truth.

Something in the East Sea was luring the sea beasts, and it was the same in the Capital.

Four years ago, after the East Sea Research Institute shifted its focus to creating a hybrid between humans and sea beasts, an unforeseen risk was sown.

Perhaps someone in the upper echelons craved greater power or sought to engineer biological weapons, leading to the birth of these experimental organisms.

But as with any experiment, mistakes were inevitable.

Repeated accidents led to experimental organisms malfunctioning, either escaping the lab or decomposing in the ocean to be absorbed by other sea beasts.

Under unknown conditions, these sea creatures gradually became ‘infected,’ or perhaps experimental organisms had merged with the sea beasts.

In a chain reaction, sea beasts near the East Sea began to develop a ‘craving’ for human genes.

It wasn’t about revenge or their kind being captured.

Their attack on humans stemmed from another impulse.

It was the innate drive of the young to seek out their Mother.

Thus, two days ago, the disaster began.

The first wave of beasts, led by the young ones, approached the East Sea with no forewarning.

The system didn’t reveal who the Mother was… but it was most likely Fang Teng.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Yenir took a deep breath as if steeling himself.

Four years ago, Fang Teng was nothing more than a minor figure stationed at the Institute. Gradually, he rose to command, his ascent inseparable from the man behind him.

Coupled with the Researcher’s words, the truth became glaringly apparent.

Within the Military’s upper echelons, a highly influential retired commander had pushed the entire plan forward.

Fang Teng and Wanrou were exploring methods to empower the Awakener in two different directions.

It was most likely that the first batch of human genes used came from that high-ranking officer and Fang Teng.

Which explained the Researcher’s claim that the three detained Awakeners had witnessed forbidden secrets.

Unsurprisingly, the appearance of these experimental organisms was identical—a single mold. Their presence evoked thoughts of the force behind them…

That was also why the assigned committee dared not investigate further.

Exhaling slowly, Yenir hovered above the safe zone.

There was only one way forward.

To evacuate the survivors, he had to eliminate the Mother, slowing the young ones’ ability to locate her.

He couldn’t eliminate the Mother in the Capital.

The only one capable… was Fang Teng!

Moreover, there was no way he could reveal the true nature of the disaster to the Military!

Everyone knew that since the East Sea disaster was instigated by Fang Teng, more sea beasts would inevitably be drawn in.

But the question remained: kill whom? And who dared to kill!?

Yenir was fully aware that even with A-level clearance, he couldn’t see that man’s name. Who else but a top-level official, still wielding vast resources after retirement, could it be!

Even Li Xuanguo wouldn’t measure up to his experience.

Yenir doubted not that regardless of his current potential or the high level of attention from the upper echelons…

If he dared voice this suspicion, he would face charges of treason and the Military’s execution!

“It’s pointless…”

“Even if I had a hundred pieces of evidence proving that he could bring disaster, no one would believe me…”

“Every high-ranking official would be on edge…”

“Today I can label him the Mother, tomorrow it could be someone else…”

“When power flows from the top down, everyone will ignore the truth…”

Realizing he had uncovered secrets unknown in his previous life, Yenir couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

“In this situation, even if I killed Fang Teng, I couldn’t justify my actions…”

At that moment, Yenir felt two paths laid out before him.

One meant giving up.

If he walked away now, pretending nothing happened, he’d remain a genius admired by countless, with boundless future potential.

Moreover, when the disaster erupted, his warnings would earn him immense fame and praise!

Everyone would regret not believing him!

Even if a million survivors perished, no one would hold him accountable; rather, they’d deem that he had done all he could!

The second option…

“Kill Fang Teng! Seize control! Deploy troops into the city!”

“Even if I saved everyone, it would still be…”

“an unforgivable sin!”