The forces of nature are incredibly powerful, as a single natural disaster can be enough to destroy a city. Typhoons, earthquakes, and even blizzards can lead to the ruin of a city or pose an existential threat to a nation.
In the face of such calamities, humanity can only feel awe, for human power is too insignificant to defy the losses brought by natural disasters.
What people did not anticipate was that an earthquake would strike while they were meticulously preparing to eliminate the sea beasts. This could have been a tactic devised by the sea beasts themselves. Knowing the locations of oil fields, they seized this opportunity to draw out vast quantities of underground oil and natural gas to mislead humans. However, when geological formations develop cavities, collapses are inevitable.
A collapse in the lower strata is invariably accompanied by earthquakes.
This time, the sea beasts had gambled correctly. They had successfully triggered an earthquake in the sea, which in turn fractured an ice mountain that was sealing the funnel's opening. The ice mountain split, creating a 100-meter-wide fissure. For the sea beasts, this gap was sufficiently large to find a way to escape.
Although dusk was approaching and the distant sun was about to set, casting dim light, making it difficult for humans to see clearly, the sea beasts, having lived underwater for extended periods, had even poorer eyesight. Under normal circumstances, they would not have been able to detect the gap. However, having dwelled in the sea for so long, they could sense the surrounding currents.
Upon discovering the opening and the influx of external currents into their domain, the sea beasts were invigorated and moved towards the fissure.
It must be said that the humans' strategy was indeed effective. They had created numerous highly toxic zones in the sea using poison. Most sea beasts, upon inhaling these harmful substances, found it difficult to expel them. Prolonged exposure to such waters would inevitably lead to their complete annihilation. However, an opportunity had now arisen: a massive gap had appeared at the funnel's opening, large enough for the sea beasts to escape.
Many sea beasts surged towards the opening, eager to flee. They were not foolish; they understood a simple truth: once they escaped the encirclement, the vastness of the ocean offered countless places to evade human pursuit.
At this moment, the humans detected the anomaly and immediately began shouting, hoping to alert someone to notice the gap and seal it. Unfortunately, while there were many individuals with ice-manipulating abilities among the humans, their powers were relatively weak. They could at best form an ice mountain, but sealing a 100-meter gap was entirely impossible.
Taifrei, a seventh-tier ability user, could have undoubtedly sealed the gap in the canyon in the shortest possible time if he were present. However, he was currently at the other end of the canyon, over ten kilometers away, and could not reach them quickly.
"Everyone, quickly go and block this gap! Use your bodies to plug the opening. I will have Taifrei come over immediately; it will only take a few minutes!" Tom shouted frantically, unable to bear witness to his nearly completed plan collapsing.
In his desperation, he made this decision, hoping that everyone would desperately hold back the sea beasts for just a few minutes.
The people hesitated for a moment, understanding that this was a perilous task. Even before reaching the sea surface, they had already lost sixty to seventy individuals. Now, daring to approach the gap meant facing desperate attacks from the escaping sea beasts, which would result in heavy casualties. Everyone cherished their lives, and any undertaking deemed too dangerous would inevitably lead to hesitation.
"The Chinese ability users are not stepping up; we must set an example and prove with our actions that we can hold back these sea beasts!" He Qiuan resolutely made his decision at this moment and charged forward with his subordinates.
Upon hearing this, the other Chinese ability users felt like cursing. Such a dangerous task, where other factions were not rushing to the forefront, yet He Qiuan was proactively leading the charge to plug the gap – was he insane?
However, these individuals also felt helpless. They were, after all, united. If they did not follow suit now, it would lead to a schism, weakening their own Chinese faction.
At that point, others understood the gravity of the situation. Gritting their teeth, they also charged forward, intending to physically block the gap.
As he ran, He Qiuan stated, "Everyone listen to me. I am not leading you blindly into a charge; this is a decision made after careful consideration. I will tell you now that if you wish to have more influence in the future, you must perform exceptionally in this matter of seizing the meteorite. Only then can your voice be stronger. If you hesitate and hold back now, you will receive far less in the future."
He believed he was speaking the truth. In critical moments, the more outstanding and determined one's actions, the greater the recognition they would receive, and consequently, the stronger the Chinese faction's influence would become.
Unfortunately, others did not share this perspective. They had come with the intention of profiting from the chaos, aiming to seize the meteorite without incurring significant costs. Upon arriving, they discovered that not only did they have to face unpredictable situations, but they also genuinely had to risk their lives to complete the mission. Consequently, discontent began to brew within them.
"This scoundrel is willing to risk his life, but he also wants to drag us down with him. Is he the only noble one? If the casualties are heavy, even if the Chinese faction gains influence, its strength will be diminished, and then the Chinese faction will truly be in crisis!" Ke Yiming thought to himself.
When ability users from other factions noticed the Chinese individuals fearlessly charging towards the gap, traversing numerous ice floes at high speed like streaks of darkness, some felt inspired and, after a moment's hesitation, followed suit. If the sea beasts escaped, their efforts would be in vain. Moreover, by not being at the forefront, they could adapt their actions based on the evolving situation.
At this moment, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the sea, seemingly a nonsensical utterance: "Fuck!"
Over the past two years, these sea beasts had been learning human languages. Although they could not communicate normally, they had memorized certain specific words and were now using them.
Finally, many sea beasts surfaced, their movements displacing large volumes of water, pushing aside the oil on the surface and causing the flames to flicker unevenly. As dark shapes emerged, they began to attack the humans positioned on the distant icebergs.
The water on both sides of the canyon was not particularly frigid. It had been blocked by the creation of numerous ice mountains through the use of abilities. Now, with one opening torn asunder, the sea beasts found an opportunity to escape. To their surprise, they discovered humans standing on the icebergs, and they immediately launched an attack, intending to tear these damned humans to shreds, thereby ensuring their own survival and a better future.
The human side was not to be outdone. Many individuals utilized their abilities to resist the sea beasts' onslaught. Some even moved closer to the gap, attacking the sea beasts that were fleeing through it.
He Qiuan was at the forefront, even leaping into the sea to attack the sea beasts with his abilities. His gamma rays were incredibly potent; when they struck a sea beast, they quickly carved out a massive cavity that could not be repaired. This was because the surrounding cells had been destroyed by the burning, rendering any healing impossible.
Andorf said gravely, "Perhaps at this moment, I could also trigger a major earthquake. It might shatter these separated ice mountains again, thereby sealing the gap!"
"No, you absolutely cannot use your abilities now. If you do, and it results in negative consequences, more gaps might form. Just wait and see. If it becomes absolutely necessary, then you can use your abilities. I have already notified Taifrei, and he will be here shortly!" Tom replied.
No one knew the full impact of an earthquake, as its occurrence was unpredictable from the moment it began. What the outcome would be was something only heaven could estimate. If it led to the creation of more gaps, the consequences would far outweigh any benefits.
Taifrei had indeed received the message and was immediately rushing towards them. However, on his journey, other changes were occurring in the sea. Unaware that some sea beasts had targeted him, he continued to run freely across the icebergs on the canyon's side, preparing to reach the other end and seal the gap.
"I never thought such a coincidence would occur in the world. Just when I'm not here, a gap breaks open. This earthquake is also too strange. Could it be that the sea beasts deliberately caused the earthquake? To divert our attention, they caused most of the underground oil to leak out, creating massive fiery seas, so we paid no attention to the situation underwater. Then, the seabed collapsed, causing an earthquake, which in turn led to the appearance of a gap. If this was indeed their plan, then their intelligence is terrifying!" Taifrei mused.
But at this very moment, an unexpected situation suddenly arose. A large amount of black liquid suddenly erupted from the sea. Under the cover of the night sky, this liquid was inconspicuous. Being dark and non-reflective, it surged towards Taifrei on the icebergs.
Upon discovering this situation, Taifrei was momentarily speechless. He wanted to evade, but it was too late. When he realized a large amount of black liquid was rushing towards him, he had no space to dodge and could only watch as the black liquid landed on him.
"Sizzle... sizzle..." As the black liquid fell onto him, it emitted a strange sound. Simultaneously, intense heat radiated onto his body, causing him unbearable pain that pierced his nerves.
"What is this? Is it asphalt? How did this appear?" Taifrei realized what the black liquid on his body was. It was molten asphalt. The immense heat it released upon contact made it unbearable for him.
Asphalt is a byproduct of petroleum, a product of oil fractionation. Since it has very little practical use, people generally do not pay much attention to it. It is often used for paving roads or roofing houses. Apart from its use as a material, it has no synthetic applications.
When it dries, it becomes a hard substance, leading many to believe asphalt is solid. It is only when heated that it melts. However, in reality, it is a purely liquid substance. A professor once conducted an interesting experiment, placing solidified asphalt in a funnel and allowing it to drip. Over a long period, it would eventually drip down. This experiment proved that asphalt can be considered a liquid, albeit one with an extremely high viscosity coefficient, which is why it is mistakenly perceived as solid.
Now, the asphalt that erupted from the sea landed on Taifrei's body, immediately releasing a significant amount of heat, making him feel feverish. Large patches of his skin were directly scalded off. He quickly used his abilities to transfer a large amount of ice from his surroundings onto himself, using the coldness of the ice to alleviate the pain.
"What is attacking me from the sea? Do these sea beasts already know that I am the one who sealed the canyon sides?" Taifrei pondered. The sea beasts were likely delaying him to prevent him from reaching the gap.
As he was deep in thought, another stream of black liquid suddenly erupted from the dark sea surface. This time, Taifrei was prepared and immediately dodged to the side, avoiding the asphalt from the sea. This time, he also clearly saw what was in the sea.
It was a colossal sperm whale. What was spouting from its blowhole was not water vapor but a large amount of asphalt. It seemed this sea beast possessed a special ability to control asphalt, as ordinary sea beasts would never approach such a sticky substance.
The scalding asphalt, as it transformed into liquid and fell, directly melted many ice blocks. This indicated the extremely high heat of the asphalt. If an ordinary person were enveloped by this asphalt, their flesh would melt on the spot. Furthermore, asphalt contains many toxic substances, meaning that even if someone survived being scalded by asphalt, they would not be able to live a normal life thereafter.
"If this is all you have, you won't be able to stop me. I only need to create a reverse slope to evade your trap and return to the other side of the canyon entrance!" Taifrei knew his mission and had no time to waste here. He still needed to go and seal the gap on the other side. If he spent too much time here, it would inevitably lead to heavy losses for those on the other side.