Rumble…
As bursts of fire blossomed against the outer wall of the Glass Chalice, the mountain region sealed away for more than thirty years suddenly became lively.
The three major powers opened fire almost simultaneously, with the Burning Flame Company and the Grey Mountain Group unleashing the fiercest barrages.
Shells howled in from every direction, only to erupt into fire and dust on impact.
Accompanying them were thousands of bullets fired like a storm of rain. Yet, none of it could shake the colossal, magnified "Glass Chalice."
No one had anticipated such a sight.
As the first wave of bombardment fell, the gunners atop the ridges stopped loading shells. The masses of evolvers loosened their fingers from their triggers.
The mountains, after their brief roar—
Suddenly fell silent!
As the clouds above churned, people were stunned to see that the entire lone peak was shrouded in a thick barrier, as though forged from crystal.
And the weapons they believed powerful enough to obliterate their target… had all failed.
Silence.
The mountain range was wrapped in a suffocating stillness.
Evolvers stared at the massive, incomprehensible shield with reverence, their throats tight, unable even to gasp.
"Th-this… could it also… be his… ability?" The hidden master of the Doomsday Floaters, dumbstruck, could only stare. Her mind was a complete blank.
The senior members of both the Burning Flame Company and the Grey Mountain Group were likewise left speechless, unable to fathom what they were witnessing.
This was… also an ability?
The scene before them went far beyond imagination. None could react.
Some evolvers even collapsed in panic.
The mountain wind howled. With the bombardment ceased, the sky dimmed once more.
The cold air swept across the land, sending shivers through everyone except Lin Tuo.
Even Huaxi, standing beside him, felt the same chill.
She stared blankly, gazing at the blurred figures beyond the chalice's barrier. For a long time, she couldn't speak. At last, she turned her head, just as Lin Tuo calmly said:
"You wait here."
With that, he turned and returned to the lab, striding straight toward the "window" that faced the sea.
He leapt down, descending along the cliff until he reached the gap between the chalice and the waves. There, he switched his consciousness and handed the Seal to his true body.
Lishan Martial Hall, study room.
Lin Tuo slowly withdrew his hand from above the ocean. He summoned the virtual panel, switched into "Observation Mode," and located the martial hall inside the sand table.
Carefully lowering his palm, he dropped the speck-like Seal into the training yard.
Moments later, he stepped outside, and when he returned, an ancient seal now rested in his hand.
"No time to waste… Whether I abandon this wasteland or not, the first step must be to move its living beings. Only then can I decide how to proceed…"
Lin Tuo switched the sand table back to the wasteland view, his expression solemn.
Yes—he intended to use the Seal's power to make every living creature leave their shelters voluntarily, easing their transfer.
"According to the analysis, this Seal's influence extends only ten meters. Heh… inside the sand table, ten meters barely covers anyone. But outside…?"
He measured the desk on which the sand table rested. A radius of ten meters from outside covered the entire continent!
As for the limit on the number of targets—because beings inside the sand table were scaled down, the difficulty of hypnosis decreased in proportion.
Still, the sheer number far exceeded what the Seal's own ether could support. Fortunately, Lin Tuo could feed it with his own ether.
"Let's hope this works."
He muttered, then raised the Seal above the wasteland, following the activation method detailed in the analysis.
The next moment, the ancient Seal lit up.
As though a sun had ignited within the jade.
At the same time, Lin Tuo felt his consciousness link with the artifact. Bowing over the clouds, he intoned with deliberate majesty:
"This world is on the brink of destruction. All beings must journey to the Western Continent. Together, seek the New Land."
The Seal flared, releasing a wave of power that carried his will across the wasteland.
Within the sand table.
Across the 300,000 square kilometers of wasteland, all living beings froze—whether mid-task or waking from sleep.
They raised their heads to the dark, clouded sky.
And heard that indistinct, yet vast and majestic voice.
Without realizing it, they were hypnotized. Obeying the command, they began leaving their homes, stepping into the wilds—marching toward the Western Continent.
Mining Town.
In an open pit, countless refugees swung pickaxes under the cold air, striking ore.
At the center, the "Mayor" in a shabby jacket and work pants, whip in hand, patrolled with hired thugs. He barked orders, occasionally lashing those who slacked.
Then, something shifted. He raised his head. The clouds churned, boiling, and a mighty voice rolled from above:
"This world is on the brink of destruction…"
The mayor's cloudy eyes went vacant, dreamlike.
Around him, the refugees stopped work as well, their dirty, numb faces filled with confusion.
Clang.
Clatter.
The whip dropped. Rifles clattered to the ground. Miners discarded baskets and tools. One by one, they turned, dreamwalking toward the West.
Blackrock City.
In a massive base within Burning Flame Company's territory, sleepers awoke as one.
That voice echoed in their ears.
Their eyes dulled. They rose, gathered their most precious belongings, opened their doors, and merged into the crowd.
The great city emptied as streams of people poured toward its gates.
Even the guards, under hypnosis, opened the gates themselves and led the way into the wilderness.
It wasn't only humans.
In the wilds, a pack of wolves emerged from the forest. The alpha, a massive gray wolf, raised its head, ears erect.
It couldn't understand human words, but the will within the voice washed over it.
It howled, leading its pack toward the Western Continent.
Behind them, other mutant beasts emerged—natural enemies, yet refraining from conflict under the Seal's influence.
Scenes like this unfolded across the land.
Humans and beasts alike joined the tide.
Even in the ocean, schools of fish leapt ashore, drawn into the migration.
The Western Continent.
Amid the mountains, evolvers from the Burning Flame Company, the Grey Mountain Group, and the Doomsday Floaters also heard the heavenly voice.
Their wills were stronger, their resistance greater. Some shook it off after a moment.
Yet even so, they gazed at the heavens in terror.
"This world is on the brink of destruction… All beings must journey to the Western Continent… seek the New Land…"
The words nearly shattered their minds.
Some collapsed to their knees.
A single thought spread among them all:
"Gods…"
Yes—though civilization had regressed, the memory of gods had not vanished.
When the great cataclysm first began, many prayed desperately for divine salvation.
But no god answered.
Later, the survivors spread the belief that the Mad Emperor's actions had angered the gods, turning this land into a forsaken realm.
Yet today—they had seen divine power with their own eyes.
Even those unensnared by hypnosis discarded their weapons, gazing upward with reverence.
High-ranking officials tried to resist, but the tide was unstoppable.
Lishan Martial Hall, study room.
The Seal's ether had already been spent within seconds. Lin Tuo had to feed it with his own to finish the process.
When he confirmed the hypnosis had spread across the continent, he stopped, and the Seal dimmed. More cracks appeared.
"Not too much ether lost. The hypnosis won't last long, but long enough."
Indeed—if he had only wanted humans to migrate, posing as a god would have sufficed.
But Lin Tuo also wanted the mutated beasts.
Thus, the Seal was the simplest and most effective solution.
"Let as many beings survive as possible. I'm not the Mad Emperor… nor a mad god."
He shook his head. Then he froze, suddenly aware of his words. His gaze darkened as he looked at the Seal.
"So this is the negative influence… Yes, this thing cannot be kept."
His hand clenched. The Seal shattered completely, reduced to powder.
He tossed the fragments into the Endless Sea, then closed his eyes briefly before refocusing on the sand table.
(End of Chapter)