The fusion reactor suspended three thousand kilometers above the ground began to operate at an abnormal speed. The strong magnetic coil used to stabilize the reactor core turned from dark red to bright yellow in a few seconds. Then, it was swallowed by the white ball of light at the core of the reactor. The white light that was ten times brighter than the sun instantly filled the sky, casting a vast expanse of white in front of everyone's eyes.
Lin Xue's reminder was shouted a few seconds before the reactor exploded. This gave everyone time to react. Even though everyone didn't know what was going on, many people subconsciously chose to follow the instruction when someone suddenly shouted at them. It was just like at a train station, if you suddenly shouted to lie down, someone would definitely lie down. Even though you would be pressed to the ground by the police, the effect of "sudden information gathering" still existed. Lin Xue's shout made many people close their eyes the instant the reactor exploded.
Not including me …
Really, I reacted slowly. If this girl had given me a warning a few minutes in advance, I might have reacted.
My field of vision was still a vast expanse of white. Not far away, there were some people shouting in fear, "My eyes! My eyes! "" I can't see anything! "
Sandora snorted coldly and a bit of mental pressure covered the entire square. It made the townspeople, who were in complete chaos due to the commotion of a dozen or so people, shiver and keep quiet. Then, she said coldly, "Quiet, it's just a temporary blindness."
After the mental pressure was removed, the people around me seemed to have calmed down a lot. However, I could still hear some uneasy whispers. I blinked and a few figures appeared in my vision. Even though I had gone through a lot of physical enhancements, it seemed like 'flash blindness' was a normal function of my eyes. I actually fell for it just like those ordinary people.
Fortunately, he now had a variety of ways to observe the world, and thoroughly meticulous mental power scanning was much more useful than his eyes. Therefore, he did not pay much attention to the patch of white in his vision for the time being. He merely nudged Lin Xue's elbow and muttered in a low voice, "Why didn't you remind me earlier?"
"Blockhead, why are you so slow?" The missy smiled mischievously and waved her hand in front of my eyes. I slapped her hand away. "Stop fooling around. Do you think you're the only one who doesn't need your eyes to see?"
Just as Shadora had said, the white light just now wasn't strong enough to burn people's eyes. Even if it blinded them, it would only last for a short while. A few minutes later, the townsfolk who had been hit by the extra-large flash grenades recovered one after another. I recovered earlier than them, and my naked eyes were completely fine now.
If the night before the flash was only darkness and there was still a red light source to illuminate the area, the sky now was so dark that you couldn't even see your own fingers. The dark red halo that was originally hanging in the sky had been annihilated in the explosion and lost all light source. The sky above us was like a pure black curtain, empty and boundless. The only light that could be seen was the occasional small bright spot that streaked across the sky. Those were the remains of the fusion reactor that was burning and streaking across space. However, the last flash only lasted for less than ten minutes. In the end, there was nothing left.
The square was dead silent. The townspeople were at a loss and looked around blankly. Under the pale light of the street lamps, their faces were filled with fear. What happened now was something that they had never experienced before and never dared to imagine. The fusion reactor that was hanging above their heads extinguished and even exploded into pieces. The impact on them was probably no less than the people on Earth witnessing the sun turn green with their own eyes. No one knew how to react in such a situation. Therefore, all that was left was to look around in fear. When they saw that others were equally uneasy, they became even more terrified. However, at the same time, they found a sense of security in the group.
After a while, I don't know who started it, but the crowd started talking in low voices. At first, they might have been talking to themselves, but it quickly became a conversation.
"Glick said that he kept talking about the reactor going out …"
"Him? He's just a little crazy, right? He even said that those ancient machines will stop working too. "
"But the fusion reactor is really finished now. Although it wasn't created by God, it's still something that was left behind from the Age of Gods."
"Don't talk nonsense. There must be a new reactor in the sky. The church has a lot of ancient machines in their hands. They can use them to build a new fusion reactor …"
"I don't think it's reliable … Do you still remember that when we were young, the public lights went out three hours after dinner every day? Now it's two and a half hours. The public lights went out earlier than usual, so the big energy furnaces must not have enough power. Glick said that all the energy furnaces have been used for at least 700,000 years …"
"Don't talk nonsense. Glick is just whimsical. He is …"
"My dad is not whimsical! He is a hero! "
A young but exhausted voice suddenly penetrated the low whispers in the square. Little Glick squeezed out of the crowd and stood in front of everyone and shouted, "My dad has long said that all the machines will break down. He said that he will find other big planets and find us new reactors and fusion machines! He is a hero, not whimsical! "
The sudden appearance of such a little boy in the square stunned the people. Old Man Barnard looked at Glick in surprise and said, "Didn't I ask you to stay at home with Waterdrop? The situation is not good now. Children should not leave the room. "
"I'm fourteen years old," Glick said loudly. He straightened his chest and tried to show his maturity. "I saw a flash outside the room just now. Was it the fusion furnace …"
Halfway through his sentence, Glick subconsciously raised his head and glanced at the sky. What he saw was a dark sky, and the place where the fusion furnace was originally hanging was now empty.
"Everyone, go home and wait. There should be news from the big city soon." Barnard coughed and said loudly, "Maybe the new fusion reactor is already on the way, but it will take time. Today's work is canceled. No one is allowed to leave the town. It's best if you don't leave your room. Prepare something to keep warm. If the fusion reactor is shut down for too long, it will be cold … Glick, you too. Hurry up and go home. You're fourteen years old, but Waterdrop is only nine years old. She needs someone to take care of her. "
Old Man Barnard's instructions were clear and firm. Glick could only choose to obey unconditionally. A few townspeople nodded in agreement and the crowd began to disperse. Soon, only the few of us and Old Man Barnard were left in the square.
"I'm sorry, there is no transportation in town that can send you back. I'm afraid the road between here and the outside world is blocked by the darkness." The old man rubbed his hands anxiously and observed our expressions. "Before the fusion reactor is repaired, I'm afraid the few guests from Dacheng will have to stay in town for the time being …"
"It's okay. Just treat it as an experience of life." Lin Xue was about to spout nonsense out of habit, but I glared at her and her expression became serious. "Old man, do you really think the new fusion reactor will be ready soon?"
Barnard didn't expect the guests from the big city to ask such a question. He was stunned for a moment before he said hesitantly, "I don't know … But isn't that for sure? Those ancient things can always be maintained. The priests said, 'Their light will never be extinguished.' The fusion reactor will be repaired eventually. I just hope that the town won't be blown down by the cold wind before that."
"Is that so? 'Never extinguished.' Heh." Lin Xue repeated a few words in a low voice and shook her head slightly. She didn't say anything else. We bid farewell to the old man and found Glick's cabin.
The warm, pale yellow light was still lit in the cabin. Unlike the previous time we visited, the place looked much cleaner after 'Dudu' had cleaned it up. Many of the broken parts had found their proper use and were assembled into clean machines. They were placed in places where they could be used, or at least in places that didn't take up as much space. Glick was sitting in front of his metal table in a daze. There was a half-eaten piece of bread in front of him that we had brought with us last night. Water Drop was curled up in a big chair in the corner of the room, hugging her knees and curling up into a ball. Her eyes were filled with fear.
In fact, it would be a piece of cake for all of us to just fix the fusion reactor. However, the current situation was definitely not as simple as the fusion reactor being scrapped. All the signs, including Lin Xue's prophecy and the fact that the living quota of this world was decreasing, indicated that something worse was happening here. This system that had been operating in isolation for more than 700,000 years was about to reach its end. The fusion reactors that weren't manufactured by the Empire were the first batch of ancient equipment to die due to technological limitations.
Under normal circumstances, the Empire machines that maintained this world should be able to last for a longer time. At least, it would be several times longer than the life of the fusion reactor. However, this wasn't a normal situation. Those machines were all old equipment that had been dismantled from the wreckage of the spaceship. Thinking back to Lin Xue's prophecy, it was likely that the shutdown of the food synthesizer, atmospheric generator, and other key equipment was only a matter of time.
In this case, fixing the fusion reactor seemed to be irrelevant. If we didn't want to see the indigenous people of this world suffer a disaster, sending them all to a safe world was the simplest and crudest solution. This was one of our backup plans. However, before that, Sandora and I both believed that we shouldn't rush into action. It would take some time for the system to collapse. Before the final moment arrived, what we needed to do was to unravel the other secrets of this space.
Glick seemed a little depressed, but that was all. He still looked quite calm. For a thirteen-year-old child to not panic too much in the face of an event that could make an adult panic, his calmness, or rather, his thick nerves were surprising. Perhaps this had something to do with his family's responsibilities from a very young age. It could also be that his father, a plumber who believed in doomsday every day, was influencing this child, making him appear calmer than others in the face of disaster.
It was the same for Water Drop. Although she appeared to be more frightened than Glick, it was also surprising that a nine-year-old girl didn't cry or make a fuss in such a situation. It was now an endless night outside. In order to save energy, half of the street lights in the town had been turned off. On a normal day, it was "noon", but the streets were shrouded in darkness. Water Drop leaned on the window and looked outside. She was scared and shrank back, her eyes staring straight at us.
"Uncle, will the sun light up?"
The little girl asked timidly.
I really wanted to remind her that she should call him brother in this situation, but after looking at Glick, I felt that it was better not to be on the same level as that thirteen-year-old brat.
"The sun has malfunctioned, but the adults have already gone to fix it."
The big sister gently pressed Water Drop's thin shoulder, took out some snacks from her pocket and stuffed them in her hand. "Don't worry. With us here, even the worst things will get better."
The wonderful snacks made this naive child forget her fear. She was like a little squirrel eating. Holding a small bag of food, Dewdrop quickly ate it. Glick suddenly glanced at us, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, right! Why are only a few of you back in town? Where are the brothers and sisters? "
"You mean Icetis and Mercury Lamp?" I suddenly didn't know how to answer. "They seem to be …"
"We are back!"
In the end, just as I was thinking about how to explain to Glick the whereabouts of the large group of people, Icetis's loud and uncultured voice sounded outside the door. As if she was returning to her own home, this female hoodlum who didn't know what manners was openly pushed open the door, carrying my Mercury Lamp on her shoulder. However, when she entered the door, the latter bumped into the beam of the door with a "dong" sound. By the time she reached me, she was being carried by Icetis.
This was the painful lesson of going over the height limit.
"Wah! Sorry, sorry! " The careless goddess hurriedly moved Mercury Lamp, who had bumped into the alloy door frame, from behind to in front of her. She nervously checked to see if she had hurt Mercury Lamp. I really couldn't stand it anymore, so I reminded her, "Hey, hey, hey, you're holding it upside down …"
It seemed that ever since we met, Mercury Lamp was always associated with bumping into things. When she first arrived at home, she would often forget that there was an energy shield outside the house and would bump into the balcony. When she flew around the house, she would always forget that there was a corner in front of her and would only stop when she bumped into something. Even now, when she was being carried by Icetis, she would still get dizzy from the latter's carelessness. This was probably the equivalent of a curse to Mercury Lamp.
It took me quite a bit of effort to stop the little puppet's urge to fight a certain goddess to the death. The price I paid was a large pile of desserts, two large tubs of yogurt, and the promise of a life-size pillow when I returned home. While I was busy comforting the irascible Chairman Water, Icetis casually occupied the only cushioned chair in Glick's house without a care for her image. She exaggeratedly let out a long sigh. "Phew! That was really bright. It scared me."
I raised my eyebrows and asked mentally, "Are you talking about the fusion furnace?"
"Fusion furnace? Well, that's what the mortals call them. "Bryndis's voice sounded in his mind." The artificial suns in this sky have all been extinguished. Even a layman like me can see that they have seriously exceeded their lifespan. You haven't seen it, but their shells are full of bumpy patches. Some mortals wanted to forcefully increase the pressure on one of the artificial suns. Oh, the one above your head. When the pressure was applied, me and the others happened to be strolling on the track. We saw its outer shell vaporize with our own eyes. The pipes were twisted like a rubber band. If it wasn't for 123 helping the mortals to withstand the impact and Liliana secretly treating the radiation, it would have been a bloodbath at an altitude of 3000 kilometers … "
"You guys saved them."
The elder sister revealed a very happy expression.
"Of course, we are Gods. We can't possibly watch as the innocent mortals die, right?" Icetis spread her hands. "But to be honest, if this continues, this world will be finished. PL-15 analyzed the information sent back by the probes and scouts. I didn't understand it as a professional, but one thing is for sure: 80% of the basic mechanical system in this realm is seriously deteriorating. Now is the time when all the systems are shut down. At most, it will take a few hundred years, at least a few months. The ancient factories that ensure the lowest level of life support in this world will be completely shut down, and the mortals in this world will no longer be able to find spare parts to repair those ancient machines. That's what it said. "
"I really don't know if this is luck or not." Big Sister shook her head with a bitter smile. "The moment we came to this world, the life support system of this realm was about to shut down completely. It has survived for hundreds of thousands of years, and it only happened when we arrived here?"
"If we didn't appear, this world would have silently collapsed," Sandora said. "From this point of view, this world is very lucky."
Glick couldn't hear the conversation that took place on the spiritual plane. Plus, we only spent less than a second talking through the spiritual connection. So, he didn't realize that the few people in front of him were discussing the survival of the world he grew up in. He was busy sharing a small bag of snacks with his sister. In front of snacks, he was just an ordinary child.
Just then, there was a sudden commotion from the direction of the square that caught our attention.
When I led Shallow Shallow and the others to the square, there were already more than ten people gathered there. The protagonist of the commotion was standing in the middle. One of them was a familiar face: the slightly plump, honest old man, Barnard.
"The big city will take care of everything. The only thing we can do now is to go back and wait." Barnard looked at the person in front of him, his eyebrows knitted into a knot. "Tieke, I know you are very brave, but it's useless to be brave at this moment. The nearest big town is more than ten kilometers away, and we have to pass through a valley that hasn't been completely opened up. There are no lights, no supply stations, and we don't have any means of transportation!"
Old Barnard was talking to a bald uncle who was as sturdy as an iron tower. Even though he was two heads lower than the latter, his tone of voice was very strict. The bald man who was called Tieke lowered his head slightly. He didn't dare to refute loudly, but he insisted on his own opinion. "Are we just going to wait here? If the fusion reactor can't be repaired in a month, we will have to spend a month in the dark! Before that, the town and the roads outside will be even more tightly sealed than they are now. By then, it will be too late to ask for help. The big city won't notice a small settlement like ours. If we want to find help, we can only go out and ask for help … "
We listened on the side and roughly understood what was going on. The man called Tieke in front of us was obviously a radical in the town. He felt that since the fusion reactor had exploded, this place would be shrouded in darkness for a long period of time. Before that, it would be wiser to get in touch with the big towns that had official settlements nearby. Mayor Barnard, on the other hand, was thinking from a safety point of view. His reasons were very convincing. The town didn't have any means of transportation that could allow us to travel long distances, and the roads between the town and the outside world weren't safe at all. Especially in the current dark conditions, the road didn't even have lights or a place to recharge energy. If we were to travel more than ten kilometers in the dark to ask for help, it would be no different from suicide.
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