Chapter 531: The Split
Chapter 531: The Split
In the Radiant Light District of Central City, within the Central Coordination Hub, lies the Independent Combat Command Center of the Defense Department.
A voice echoed through the hall:
"The Mumia has entered its final preparation phase for the split."
"Estimated to initiate the first split at midnight on the 22nd. Countdown: twelve hours and thirty-two minutes."
"All departments and emergency forces are on high alert."
Li Zhuanyuan stood on the second floor of the hall, gazing at the holographic display of the entire Central City on the light screen.
Below him, the command room bustled with communication personnel, resonance technicians, and a portion of the military commanders.
Once the split officially commenced, they would relay information from the Government Hall, Handling Bureau, city patrols, and various local forces and emergency response teams, analyzing and coordinating before issuing commands.
Li Zhuanyuan's expression was solemn; he knew that although the major corporations in Central City were unaware of the exact timing of the Mumia's split reproduction, they could estimate a general timeframe based on its current condition.
Without a doubt, these corporations were also preparing, awaiting the moment to strike.
However, they must be guarded against at all costs. As the first split body of the primordial form, not even a single one could be allowed to escape!
His gaze deepened, for he knew his adversaries were not limited to those corporations; there was a larger, more dangerous enemy. He could only hope that the previous arrangements would prove effective.
Chen Chuan had already left the Palace Tower and was driving the Gade vehicle towards the mansion.
As he looked outside, he noticed the flickering in the sky continuing, becoming denser.
After such a prolonged build-up, the commotion had become noticeable even to ordinary people.
However, due to the existing neon curtain in the sky, it wasn't as conspicuous, and the public had no interest in such matters.
The gradually increasing number of insects on the streets had formed an insect shower, almost blocking the view. Even spraying insecticides couldn't contain them.
The ground was carpeted with a thick layer of insect corpses, and on both sides, city cleaning crews were shoveling them into large sifters and dumping them into transport vehicles.
Pedestrians on the streets hurried by, fully covered in thick clothing from head to toe.
The light screens repeatedly notified the public to stay indoors and warned of an impending larger wave of creatures, possibly accompanied by a magnetic storm, a rare occurrence in decades.
The Government Hall of Central City would soon deploy armed forces to deal with the creatures that had plagued the city in recent days, advising citizens to stay in safe locations or follow patrol convoys to underground bunkers.
Central City's malls and public spaces were already being sealed off, and patrol vehicles cruised the streets.
Ten minutes later, Chen Chuan arrived outside the mansion, where everything was in place. An electric net covered the area, and barbed wire and roadblocks were set up at the entrance. As the electric gate opened, the vehicle slowly drove through.
Parking in the garage, he entered the living room, where three fully-armed team members awaited. They saluted in unison upon seeing him: "Captain!"
Chen Chuan nodded and returned the salute. "Are we all set?"
Qin Qingque replied, "Captain, we're all prepared. The defenses inside and outside the mansion are secure. We three are ready to move out at any time."
Chen Chuan acknowledged with a hum, and at that moment, a notification sound appeared on the interdimensional link. Seeing it was from Advisor Pei, he tapped to open the voice message.
Advisor Pei's voice resonated:
"The situation may unfold between tonight and tomorrow morning.
Captain Chen, if communication is disrupted, you can attempt to contact the nearest field creatures using the liaison information I provided earlier. The Defense Department might assign you a task.
If you can't receive messages, try to contact the nearest response team.
I'll send you the positions of the response forces within Tianmen. Remember to receive them."
Chen Chuan glanced at the location Advisor Pei had sent, noticing a response force just two kilometers away. With that, they could directly contact the field creatures they had leased from that location.
After sending this position to the three team members, he said, "The estimated split period is within the next two days. Get some rest to handle the upcoming situation."
"Yes, Captain!"
After giving his instructions, Chen Chuan left the hall and returned to his bedroom on the fourth floor. He freshened up and sat down to meditate.
Placing the Snow Lady Saber in front of him, he took out the cold and hot weapons he carried and began meticulously cleaning each one.
With the Mumia's reproduction commencing and the heavenly gateway opening, martial artists, influential groups, and those companies with ulterior motives would undoubtedly join the fray.
The adversaries they faced this time might surpass any they had encountered before, but this was precisely what he needed and hoped for.
Time ticked by, and soon it was nine o'clock at night, with only three hours remaining until the Mumia's split phase.
A voice echoed through the command hall: "Field signal is weakening. Prepare for signal detachment. Countdown begins in three minutes..."
The personnel in the hall below halted their activities.
Three minutes passed quickly, and the surrounding field's radiance first dimmed, and after a few breaths, the light returned to normal. Then, a solemn and serious voice sounded:
"This is Beacon, at your service. As Mumia splits, I will take over the field connections with all parties."
This was the Defense Department's active sentient entity, Beacon, responsible for relaying field information during Mumia's splitting period.
At the same time, scattered field creatures in various areas transmitted images back through the airborne signal station above. Within five minutes, they had restored the previous level.
Li Zhuanyuan's voice was deep and serious, "Beacon, immediately verify the deployment and check the personnel situation at key locations."
"Beacon received, checking now..."
Chen Chuan placed the last weapon in his hand and glanced at the Interdimensional Link, which showed the current time as 10:10.
However, due to some kind of pull, his spirit was becoming increasingly active at this moment. This was likely because Mumia was entering the reproductive stage, causing the field's power to contract, and the barrier or some kind of protection to the other world was gradually weakening.
If this situation continued, Advisor Pei's estimated time was accurate.
He put away his weapons, took out some medications, and swallowed them.
This was the 1619 version with no errors!
After entering the Third Limit, he rarely used medications, not only because of the reduced effectiveness of the drugs but also because, with his increased strength, there was no longer a need for them.
However, this time, he didn't know how many opponents he would encounter or how strong the enemies would be, so he should make thorough preparations.
After taking the medication, he didn't waste any more time but instead regulated his breathing and quietly waited.
An hour later, suddenly, a rustling sound came from the Interdimensional Link in his ear, as if the field information was becoming extremely unstable. After about ten seconds, the Link went completely silent.
He raised his hand to check the time on his watch; it was 11:55.
He tapped the Link again, logging into the frequency of the field creatures within the mansion. He reestablished contact with the three team members downstairs.
Yuan Qiuyuan's voice came from inside, "Captain, has it started? Why doesn't it feel like there's any movement?"
Chen Chuan stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the neon curtain seemed unchanged, as if nothing had happened. However, he could clearly sense a powerful, omnipresent spirit stirring.
"It has begun," he said.
Just as he spoke, the light in most of the city suddenly dimmed. The magnificent world beyond the Link was almost invisible, and a cold, eerie feeling seeped into their spirits.
Suddenly, a patch of bright light appeared outside the window. It was still night, but the sky seemed to brighten, yet it carried a hint of cold, dark gloom. It felt like facing the sky of the Merged Land, as if, at this moment, the Merged Land's extension had reached here.
In just a moment, a strand of crimson glow appeared on the distant horizon, as if the sky had been torn open, with thick blood oozing out.
He stared at that spot, sensing that the invisible barrier above had been breached but was still barely holding, blocking external invasions. However, the Heavenly Gateway had been opened a crack.
Inside the Defense Department's command hall, Beacon sounded, "Time, 00:03, Mumia's first wave of splitting has begun. There are seven split entities, and their current locations are..."
On the imaging screen in front of him, various locations were highlighted with light. These split entities were in Fode District, Shenwei District, Ying Lu District, Ji Yang District, and other places, with three concentrated in Ji Yang District.
"The Government Hall has shared the information. Response teams and emergency squads have been dispatched... Estimated handling time, 45 minutes. The second wave of splitting is estimated to start in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Countdown begins..."
On the imaging screen, marked routes and simultaneous displays of time and distance were visible. As the squads approached, the marked distances gradually shortened.
"Warning, detecting a large number of Resonance Field monitoring and intrusion."
Just a short time later, countless red dots appeared on the originally calm screen, quickly spreading across Central City.
Li Zhuanyuan's expression turned solemn.
This situation clearly indicated that numerous Resonators were trying to eavesdrop on the government's arrangements through private field connections, including active and inactive sentient entities. Some technically skilled Resonators were even attempting to hijack the shared field signals on the airships.
He knew this was the work of major companies, aiming to find the distribution of response teams and analyze the combat capabilities of emergency squads to prepare for their next move.
But they had already prepared countermeasures.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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