Chapter 531: The Split
Chapter 531: The Split
In the independent combat command hall of the Defense Department, located in the Bright Light District of Central City, a voice echoed through the grand hall.
"The Hive Mother has entered the final stage of preparation for the split."
"Estimated time of the first split is at midnight on the 22nd. Countdown: 12 hours and 32 minutes."
"All departments and emergency forces are on high alert."
Minister Li stood on the second floor of the hall, observing the holographic display of the entire Central City on the light screen.
Below him, the command room bustled with communication personnel, resonance technology experts, and military commanders.
Once the split officially commenced, they would receive and consolidate information from the Government Hall, Handling Bureau, city patrols, local military forces, and emergency response teams across Central City, before issuing commands and orders.
Minister Li's expression was grave, as he knew that although the major corporations in Central City were unaware of the exact time of the Hive Mother's split and reproduction, they could estimate a general timeframe based on the Hive Mother's current condition.
Without a doubt, these corporations were also preparing and waiting for the opportune moment to act.
However, they must maintain a tight defense, as the first split of the original body must not, under any circumstances, allow even a single one to escape!
But...
His gaze deepened, for his adversaries were not limited to those corporations; there was an even greater and more dangerous enemy. He could only hope that his previous arrangements would prove effective.
At this moment, Chen Chuan had just left the Palace Tower and was driving a Guder Car towards his mansion.
As he looked up, he noticed the flickering in the sky had intensified and become denser.
After such a prolonged period, these signs had become so evident that even ordinary people could clearly see them. However, due to the existing neon light screens in the sky, they weren't as noticeable, and the public didn't have the inclination to pay attention to such matters.
The increasing number of worms on the streets had almost formed a blanket, blocking out the sunlight, and even the spraying of chemicals couldn't contain them.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of worm carcasses, and on both sides, city cleaners were shoveling them into large hoppers and then dumping them into transport vehicles.
Everyone walking on the streets was fully covered in thick clothing from head to toe.
The light screen began to repeatedly broadcast a message, advising people not to go out and warning of an upcoming larger wave of creatures, along with a magnetic storm, a rare phenomenon in decades.
Soon, the Government Hall of Central City would deploy armed forces to deal with the creatures that had been wreaking havoc in the city for days, instructing citizens to stay in safe locations or follow patrol convoys to evacuate to underground shelters.
Malls and public places in Central City had already started to close and lock down, while patrol vehicles were cruising on the streets.
Ten minutes later, Chen Chuan arrived outside his mansion, which was now fully fortified with an electric grid overhead and barbed wire and roadblocks at the entrance. As the electric gate opened, his car slowly drove in.
After parking in the garage, he entered the living room, where three fully-armed team members were waiting. They saluted him in unison, "Captain!"
Chen Chuan nodded and returned the salute, "Are we all set?"
Qin Qingque responded, "Captain, everything is ready. The defenses inside and outside the mansion are securely in place, and we three are ready to deploy at any time."
Chen Chuan acknowledged with a hum, and at that moment, a notification sound appeared on the Interdimensional Connector. Seeing that it was a voice message from Minister Pei, he opened it.
Minister Pei's voice immediately played:
"The situation may unfold between tonight and tomorrow morning.
Captain Chen, if communication is disrupted, you can try to contact the nearest field beings using the liaison map I previously gave you. The Defense Department may have a mission for you.
If you cannot receive messages, you can attempt to contact the nearest response team.
I'll send you the positions of the response forces within the Martial Stability District. Remember to receive them."
Chen Chuan checked the position display sent by Minister Pei and noticed that one of the response forces was located just two kilometers away. With this, the field beings they had rented could directly contact that side.
After sending these positions to the three team members, he said, "The estimated time for the split is within the next two days. Rest well and be prepared for the upcoming situation."
"Yes, Captain!"
After giving his instructions, Chen Chuan left the hall and returned to his bedroom on the fourth floor. After freshening up, he sat down.
He placed the Xue Jun Saber in front of him and then took out all the cold and hot weapons he carried, meticulously cleaning each one.
With the Hive Mother about to reproduce and the Heaven Gate opening, fighters from the civilian sector, influential groups, and companies with ulterior motives would undoubtedly join the fray.
The opponents he would face this time might be stronger than any he had encountered before, but this was exactly what he needed and hoped for.
Time ticked by, and soon it was 9 pm. Only three hours remained until the Hive Mother's split.
A voice echoed in the command hall, "Field aura signals are beginning to weaken. Entering signal detachment mode. Countdown starts in three minutes..."
Everyone in the hall below stopped their activities.
The three-minute mark quickly passed, and the surrounding field aura dimmed for a moment, but after a few breaths, the light returned to normal. Then, a deep and solemn voice echoed:
"Sentinel at your service. At the moment of the Hive Mother's split, I will take over the inter-realm field connection for all parties."
This was the Defense Department's Active Consciousness, the "Sentinel," responsible for taking over the internal and external field information liaison during the Hive Mother's split period.
At the same time, field beings from various regions transmitted images through the signal stations on the airships above, and within just five minutes, the situation returned to its previous state.
Liang Shuan's voice was somber as he said, "Sentinel, immediately verify the deployments and inspect the personnel at key locations."
"Sentinel acknowledges, currently checking..."
Chen Chuan placed the last weapon in his hand and glanced at the display on the Interdimensional Connector. It was now 10:10.
However, due to some kind of pull, his spirit seemed to become more active. This was likely because the Hive Mother was gradually entering the breeding phase, causing the field to contract, and the barrier or some form of protection to the other world was becoming weaker.
If this situation continued, the time Minister Pei had mentioned would be accurate.
He put away his weapons and took out some medications, which he swallowed.
After reaching the Third Limit, he rarely used medications, not only because their effectiveness had decreased but also because his strength had increased, making it unnecessary.
However, this time, he didn't know how many opponents he would face or how strong the enemies would be, so he should be fully prepared.
After taking the medication, he didn't waste any more time and instead regulated his breathing, quietly waiting.
An hour later, a rustling sound suddenly came from the Interdimensional Connector, as if the field information was becoming extremely unstable. After about ten seconds, the Connector went completely silent.
He raised his hand to check the time on his watch; it was 11:55.
He tapped the Connector again and logged into the frequency of the field beings inside the mansion, reestablishing contact with the three team members downstairs.
Yuan Qiuyuan's voice came from within, "Captain, has it begun? It doesn't seem like there's any movement."
Chen Chuan stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the neon lights of the city still glowed, but he could clearly sense an omnipresent spirit stirring.
"No, it's already started," he said.
Just as he spoke, the light in the city dimmed, and the vibrant world displayed on the Connector almost disappeared. Immediately after, a chilling sensation seeped into his spirit.
A bright light suddenly appeared outside the window, and although it was still night, the sky seemed to brighten, yet it carried a hint of dark and gloomy shadow, similar to the feeling when facing the Convergence Zone's sky, as if the Convergence Zone had extended to this place.
Within a short while, a dazzling crimson glow appeared at the horizon, as if the sky had been torn open, revealing thick, leaking blood.
He stared at that spot, sensing that the invisible barrier above was still holding, barely blocking external invasions, but the Heaven Gate had been pushed open.
Inside the Defense Department's Command Hall, the Sentinel spoke, "Time, 00:03, the Hive Mother's first wave of splitting has begun. There are seven split bodies... Reporting split body locations..."
On the imaging display of the Central City region, various locations were highlighted. These split bodies were in Faithful District, Deep Uncharted Zone, Ying Lu District, Riverbank District, and other places, with three of them concentrated in Riverbank District.
"The Government Hall has shared information. Response forces and emergency teams from various regions are dispatched... Estimated time for the second wave of splitting is one hour and thirty-five minutes, starting the countdown..."
On the imaging screen, routes were marked, along with the corresponding times and distances. As the squads approached, the distance markers gradually shortened.
"Warning, detected a large number of Resonance Realm monitoring and invasions."
Within a short time, countless red dots appeared on the previously calm screen, quickly spreading throughout the entire Central City.
Liang Shuan's expression turned solemn.
This situation clearly indicated that numerous Resonators were using private field beings, active and inactive consciousnesses, to spy on the government's arrangements, and some were even attempting to hijack the shared field signals on the airships.
He knew this was the doing of major corporations, aiming to uncover the distribution of response forces and analyze the combat capabilities of emergency teams to prepare for their next move.
However, they had already prepared countermeasures.
(End of Chapter)
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