Chapter 42

Inside the laboratory, Lin Tuo held the cracked extraordinary artifact with mixed emotions.

According to the information given by the Sandbox, this seemed to be one of those odd but miraculous things. This one was born naturally due to the erosion of the Spiritual Tides. The principles were currently unknown. For an analogy, this was like the process of an animal or plant gaining sentience between heaven and earth¹, except this thing had no life, no thoughts—an object.

Tracing to its root cause, Lin Tuo realized that its birth was related to his behavior of collecting Ether.

Considering its effects, even with the many flaws, it proved to be an effective ruling tool for the Mad Emperor. Anyone could easily infer that the Mad Emperor used this to manipulate the members of the parliament, thus allowing him to push certain decrees.

This explained how he could make the annihilation bombs without his rule being shaken.

THIS was why the researchers were willing to conspire in this insanity—destroying their very world.

‘Enlarged obsession… madness…’

Lin Tuo’s heart trembled.

Before, he had always been asking himself, ‘Why? Why did he do that?‘ After all, even in Earth’s history, many insane rulers did even more illogical things, so illogical that one could only wonder. However, a ruler, no matter how insane, should have some attachments toward his country—especially one that he worked hard to overthrow—by his effort alone.

Yet, here was the result, ruins, simply because of paranoia.

Lin Tuo slowly calmed himself down.

‘Sigh… One that thought he was the puppeteer was actually the puppet. Perhaps, he really needed it to maintain his rule when he first established the new empire. Thus, he used this thing repeatedly, not knowing it gradually tainted his spirit.

‘Slowly, he became a puppet to his desires—to his emotions—to his paranoia.

‘And so the tragedy occurred…’

With this thought, Lin Tuo’s curiosity about the Imperial Seal cooled down. Before, he wanted to take it away and use it daily, but now—after understanding its adverse effects—this idea has faded.

‘Heh, in fact, in its broken state, one could only use it a few more times, maybe twice, or once, even… However, it’s not completely worthless; it can at least help me do something before it is destroyed. Just once. It should not be able to pollute my spirit.’

Lin Tuo rubbed the Imperial Seal, his eyes gradually brightening.

He had not forgotten his goal of trying to understand the situation to decide how he should treat the Sandbox. The body tempering was only incidental.

Lin Tuo could slowly let it recover, but how long will it take? He’s not that patient.

And through observation, he gradually found the area of Sandbox #1 to be unsatisfactory. Three hundred thousand square kilometers might sound vast, but for a civilization, it was too small.

What he couldn’t bear to part with were the lives here. Indeed, through observation, Lin Tuo realized the immense potential the people here had, even if they hadn’t realized it themselves.

Especially those Evolved Ones.

Thirty years ago, they were people with nothing special—ordinary people. Yet, just a few decades later, they developed all kinds of abilities. Even if they were merely the “basic” or 'simple” ones, still, they were Transcendent Abilities. Not to mention these abilities developed without relying on the Qi Breathing Method. They were purely self-evolved abilities.

These people were the precious “New Humans.” Just like a 'seed”² accidentally created by chance in a laboratory or a Petri dish³, which was excellent in all aspects.

From those deformed humans, through harsh environments, and the cruel selection of nature, only this precious “gene” survived.

There was a great deal of luck involved.

Lin Tuo highly suspected that this was related to the strange “radiation” of the so-called annihilation bombs. Or perhaps it was related to the Ether, just like the birth of the Imperial Seal.

The Imperial Seal and Evolved Ones were unique new things born from the unusual development of Sandbox #1. Once the Sandbox was destroyed and restarted, would it be possible for another Evolved Ones to appear?

Uncertain!

Hence, he had been thinking about how to keep these people and transform the environment ever since he came here.

Looking with interest in mind, by improving the Evolved Ones’ living conditions and expanding their population, it was more than likely to produce some fascinating things he could use, such as the “abilities.”

But, from an emotional point of view, they were living people like Lin Tuo. They had flesh and blood. They were inextricably linked to Lin Tuo. Hence, why the need for caution when dealing with them.

This was why, even when the three major forces surrounded him, he did not choose to kill them. After all, these people were all Evolved Ones—the elites of the Wasteland.

He was hesitant!

Therefore, Lin Tuo had been thinking about how to keep them, and while he had formulated some plans in mind, still, some specific problems were just unsolvable.

But now, this Imperial Seal gave him some inspiration.

‘Maybe… I could use what’s left of this to solve the problems.’ Lin Tuo thought. He calculated the feasibility of the plan in his mind.

But suddenly, his expression changed slightly.

By switching his consciousness, he found that beyond the mountain, near the direction of the mainland, the three major forces had rushed over through the path that he cleaned. They were about to reach the laboratory.

“Tch, they are following me like a puppy dog.” Lin Tuo sighed, feeling helpless.

“Ah, we got some company!” Hua Xi exclaimed. She was keeping watch under boredom when she noticed them.

Lin Tuo put away the Imperial Seal, turned his body around, and walked towards the entrance.

After passing through the long tunnel, he walked out of a gap in the tall metal gate. The icy wind blew towards his face, and the heavy snow floated in the sky.

On the platform in front of the gate, Hua Xi was nervously holding her rifle. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw Lin Tuo.

“Look!” Hua Xi pointed ahead. “They’re there!”

Lin Tuo looked up and saw that, across the snow-covered valley, dense crowds were pouring out on the top of the mountain range not far away.

In the south, central, and north… all three major forces arrived almost simultaneously. Along with them were countless guns and even cannons in their rank.

Indeed, cannons!

Under the murky sky, the soldiers were pushing, as he saw, small, mortar-like objects to the top of the mountain. They then adjusted the cannons’ muzzle, aiming at the lonely peak where Lin Tuo was.

There were also people carrying something that looked like an RPG.

These came from the ruins of the mountain range. After all, the Great Western Continent used to be the largest weapon manufacturing base. Thus, there was no shortage of these.

Right now, the leader of the Burning Fire, Gray Mountain, and Apocalypse Wanderer had found out that Lin Tuo had beaten them in the race for the Imperial Seal. Even if they knew that Lin Tuo possessed the likes of teleportation, all they could do, for the time being, was join hands and raise their weapons.

“He has appeared! And he has already entered it as expected!”

At the place where the Burning Fire was located, the rather feminine CEO stared at the lonely peak ahead, his eyes full of jealousy and dread.

It made his heart sink to think of the terrible power the legendary seal had.

“Every ability has a limit; they can’t be used continuously in a short period. It’s just impossible. He can’t escape this time,” said the leader of the Apocalypse Wanderer, a middle-aged woman in a black and red robe.

As if she was comforting herself.

At the north, the leader of the Gray Mountain Group looked at the lonely peak where the two figures were. He gave out a command, a short one.

“Aim and blast the peak!”

……

Above the lonely peak.

Hua Xi saw countless soldiers raising their guns simultaneously, aiming at where they were.

She said, panicking, “Let’s get out of here, teleport away!”

Lin Tuo, though, just shook his head.

Hua Xi was startled, then a thought occurred to her, her little body trembled.

“N-no way, right? Please tell me your ability can be used continuously, please!” She grasped Lin Tuo’s clothes. “W-well, I-If you can’t, then hurry, we should hide in the laboratory! The wall should be able to hold them back for a while!”

However, Lin Tuo remained motionless.

“No need,” Lin Tuo said calmly, a smile forming in the corner of his mouth, “we should just stand here.”

Hua Xi looked at him blankly, her eyes full of confusion. These days, though, she has grown accustomed to the strength and mystery of this young man. Hence, after hearing these words, she calmed down.

But as she got closer to Lin Tuo, her face paled; she suddenly thought of something.

“Ah, y-you surely don’t want to use the power of that seal, do you?”

“I could use the Imperial Seal, indeed. But it shouldn’t be wasted here.”

Lin Tuo smiled and winked at the little girl. Then, facing the muzzle of guns from the entire world, he raised his head and looked at the pitch-dark sky. He whispered: “I have a much easier way.”

As he said that, suddenly, the light in his eyes dimmed. At this moment, he transferred his consciousness back to his main body!

…….

Lishan Martial Hall, in the study.

Lin Tuo, who was lying peacefully on the rattan chair, slowly opened his eyes. He raised his hand with no signs of rush, picking up an object that had been put on the table for a long time now.

It was a cup, crystal-like, with no impurities.

Recently, when he was buying food in the downtown area of Yangcheng, he bought this cup in a gift shop. He still remembered that the clerk said that it was called “Liu Li Zhan⁴.” It was pure and with no patterns, symbolizing the purest soul.

Lin Tuo took the “Liu Li Zhan⁴” and slowly got up. He looked at the Western Mountain Range in the Sandbox, at the lonely peak next to the sea, and smiled.

“There it is.”

He casually put the transparent cup into the Sandbox—at the lonely peak.

……

On the snowy mountain, thousands of pitch-black guns and cannons had aimed at the figures on the lonely peak. However, just before the countless cannonballs hit the peak, thick clouds in the sky suddenly whirled around, seething!

A gigantic, crystal-like cup broke through the skies of this world as if it came from outer space. It fell with a loud crash, attracting the attention of everyone. It steadily covered the lonely peak.

In the next second, numerous shells flew toward the sky, creating a streak of graceful parabolic curves as it swept past the broken earth and deep valleys. It fell onto the magnificent, beautiful, and solid 'shield.”

They Illuminated the mountain range.

Each shell exploded on the outer surface of the cup. Yet, they caused no ripples, only lighting up the sky. This fell on the human eyes like a grand and gorgeous firework.

On the peak, Hua Xi, who looked rather silly at the moment, felt her hand being held as Lin Tuo’s gentle voice resounded in her ears.

“Look, everything’s going to be fine.”