Every living creature, given a chance to survive, will choose to live, for survival is the instinct of every animal. To achieve this goal, some mothers might abandon their children, while some companions might devour the corpses of others, all for the single objective of being the last one standing.
Thus, when these sea beasts discovered an opening at the other end of the canyon, they surged towards it. Over sixty sea beasts were crammed together, preparing to escape into the outside sea through this gap.
However, amidst the crowding, the sea beasts suddenly sensed something was amiss. They realized that the sea beasts who had already escaped had vanished. Their electromagnetic waves had disappeared, and they could no longer be sensed. Communication between sea beasts existed; they could converse using methods like electromagnetic waves and ultrasound. The electromagnetic wave method allowed them to confirm if their companions were still alive. This particular frequency was very special; it would not become chaotic even under the influence of magnetic fields.
When these sea beasts discovered that their companions' signals had vanished, many questions arose at that moment.
Finally, they came to the realization that the reason for this situation was that all their escaped companions had been killed. There were hidden dangers in the outer seas, causing these companions to die before they could even transmit accurate information.
In reality, the outer seas contained a large amount of polonium, the most toxic substance in the world. Its toxicity was immense because its penetration power was incredibly strong. It could directly pierce through flesh even through skin, causing damage to the body. Furthermore, it possessed intense radioactivity, a substance produced only after a nuclear explosion.
Normally, this substance would be protected by thick lead plates. Otherwise, if it were exposed to the air, this element would cause harm to humans.
But now, the toxic polonium had dissolved into the water. It could be said that even sea beasts entering this water filled with poisonous substances would be killed within a few minutes.
Therefore, the current situation was the most desperate moment for the sea beasts. No matter where they fled, they would face attacks from humans. Now, they were cornered. They could only fight to the death. Surrender was not an option. Even if they surrendered, the outcome might not be good, given the cunning of humans far exceeded their imagination. Surrender would only lead to a different path to death, merely a change in the manner of dying. Thus, these sea beasts resolved to counterattack at this moment.
In their despair, the sea beasts rallied their spirits, preparing for a fierce battle with the humans. The outer seas contained poisonous substances, which seemed to be continuously flowing into this enclosed canyon through the currents at the gap, causing suffering to the sea beasts within. They could only watch helplessly as their bodies rotted, unable to stop it.
Among these sea beasts, there happened to be a giant walrus. This walrus possessed a very special ability: it could control the surrounding water currents. From this perspective, its strength could be greatly displayed in the sea, as seawater was everywhere, and all of it could be controlled. Whether used for attack or to block enemies, it was very effective. The seal that had previously soared into the sky was sent airborne by its water currents.
Immediately, the walrus received orders from the leader, a giant octopus, and swiftly unleashed its power. Countless water currents lifted many sea beasts from the water and sent them flying into the sky, eventually landing on the ice.
These sea beasts could not remain out of the water for too long, as doing so would inevitably lead to their deaths. Their weight was too great. On land, their own weight would crush their bones and internal organs.
However, there were many sea beasts that could temporarily come ashore. Once on land, they could exert their combat power. For instance, starfish and crustaceans, animals with bones on the outside of their flesh, could move on land. Upon coming ashore, they could confront humans.
There were many floating ice floes on the sea, covering a large portion of the ocean surface. Thus, when large numbers of sea beasts landed on these ice floes, they crushed them. However, in many areas near the icebergs, there were very thick blocks of ice that no amount of weight from sea beasts could break.
The appearance of sea beasts on the ice immediately threatened the humans on the icebergs. The humans' current foothold was on the ice blocks. After all, in this vast ocean, there were no islands to stand on, only icebergs. Now, with the sea beasts also on the icebergs, the humans' living space was being squeezed. If they did not resist, they would likely be killed by the sea beasts.
"Everyone, hold on! As long as we persevere, these sea beasts will surely perish. If we don't hold on, we will have achieved nothing! If we are driven back into the water, we will also be killed!" Tom shouted, still directing them.
He Qiu'an couldn't help but ask, "Why haven't the reinforcements you mentioned arrived? Weren't you saying they would be here in ten-odd minutes? It's been over an hour now, why aren't they here?"
"They encountered sea beast blockades on the way. It seems these sea beasts are very cunning and know how to obstruct reinforcements. I've already sent people to assist them, and they should be here soon. Besides, if the sea beasts cannot sustain themselves on land, we will win. This will require you to work harder!" Tom was not telling the truth. If he revealed that there were no reinforcements, these people would likely lose their will to fight instantly and scatter. Therefore, he could only try to buy time and stabilize the battlefield.
Ke Yiming glared fiercely at He Qiu'an and said, "Before, you said Cheng Feng was just using others' lives to achieve his own glory, a disguised hero standing on a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. But now, it seems what you're doing is even more despicable. Leading our brothers to risk our lives for foreigners, you are now our sinner!"
Others harbored similar thoughts. After all, China clearly had the option of an independent approach. But ultimately, under He Qiu'an's instigation, they united and ended up risking their lives for foreigners. Over a dozen esper-users had already died, all killed by the sea beasts. If the fighting continued, it was unknown how severe the casualties would be.
"I told you, I am thinking for our China. Why don't you understand? Shen Feng's goals are too conservative. If this continues, there will be no way out. Globalization is already inevitable. We must actively embrace other countries and act together to forge a path forward for all humanity and for all of China!" He Qiu'an said earnestly.
"You speak grandly on the surface, but you are a scoundrel at heart! I will not believe your words! After this battle ends, we will go our separate ways. You are not a good leader. Even if I withdraw from this operation, I will not continue to associate with you!" Ke Yiming said angrily.
The reason he was so angry now was that he saw many of his subordinate esper-users had already been killed. Watching his companions die before his eyes was an extremely painful experience. Therefore, he did not hesitate to fall out with He Qiu'an and was determined to end this mission.
Ke Yiming began to regret his earlier thoughts. He thought, "Before, I felt Shen Feng's goals were too conservative. But now, it seems he is the ultimate hope, because only he understands what practical steps to take in battle. Since he hasn't appeared yet, he must be waiting for the final moment to sweep the field. This way, he can minimize casualties. I wish I had followed him!"
This thought was shared by many others. After experiencing the brutal battle, they realized that in a decisive confrontation, there could be no casualties. The ferocity of the sea beasts far exceeded people's imaginations. A moment's carelessness could lead to death at the hands of a sea beast. Each of these sea beasts was equivalent to a seventh-tier esper. Even if their stamina was depleted and their bodies could not sustain prolonged combat, the power they unleashed in an instant was still too formidable.
At this point, these people also suddenly realized that meteorites were a source of great misfortune for countless people. Driven by greed to obtain meteorites, people sought them out by all means, using them for various experiments to advance human technology. However, before even obtaining these meteorites, humanity itself suffered severe casualties.
"Perhaps Shen Feng's approach is correct. It is most appropriate to send such unknown things into outer space, to prevent them from continuing to affect Earth. Only when Earth's technology reaches a sufficient level of advancement can we search for meteorites!" These Chinese esper-users, after this fierce battle, all understood this point.
During the battle, many people kept looking up at the sky, as if hoping that under the reflection of the aurora, Shen Feng would descend from the heavens and turn the tide.
Unfortunately, these people's hopes were in vain. No matter how they looked up at the sky, all they could see was the green light continuously spreading across the sky. This was the brilliant aurora, which had been flashing for hundreds of millions of years without disappearing. However, Shen Feng never appeared; he was still waiting for the opportune moment.
By this time, humanity had also fallen into despair. They did not wish to fight to the death with the sea beasts, but the current situation was that the sea beasts had nowhere to retreat. The surrounding seas had all become poisonous. If they remained in the sea, they would inevitably be killed by the poison. Thus, the sea beasts began to come ashore to fight the humans. The humans, however, had no place to hide. In this situation, both sides could only fight in despair.
The battle continued throughout the entire night. For more than ten hours of fighting, everyone who participated understood that they would receive no reinforcements. They had all been deceived by Tom. If reinforcements were coming, they would have arrived by now; it was impossible for them to remain so far away for such a long time.
Originally, there were over 500 people on the human side, approaching 600. But by this time in the battle, these people had fallen into despair. They now understood that when the final decisive battle arrived, they had no other option but to face the enemy head-on. Everywhere else was the vast sea, and falling into the sea meant certain death.
After a night of fighting, only over 200 esper-users remained. The casualties had exceeded half. Countless people had watched helplessly as their deeply affectionate companions in this doomsday scenario were killed by the sea beasts, and they could only watch in despair as these people died.
Fortunately, these sea beasts were not adapted to fighting on land. Even though many sea beasts could breathe even after leaving the water, their weight became the last straw that broke the camel's back, making it impossible for them to fight for long on the sea surface. Ultimately, they died from the strain on their internal organs, or they were killed by powerful esper-users. By this time, the east and southeast horizon was gradually showing signs of light.
At this point, people discovered that their enemies were reduced to only three sea beasts: a sperm whale in the sea that could spray asphalt, a giant octopus on the sea surface with seventy to eighty flexible tentacles that could easily crush anyone it caught, possessing powerful electromagnetic waves and the strongest strength, and a razor crab that produced hydrogen and rampaged on the ice. Wherever it went, a clear gas permeated, and igniting it would cause an explosion.
"We are about to win! Look, the octopus has a black object tightly wrapped in one of its tentacles. That must be the meteorite! As long as we defeat them, we will achieve victory!" Tom said excitedly. He had sustained many wounds, but fortunately, his strength was sufficient, so he was not killed by the sea beasts and managed to hold on until the second day.
Everyone also noticed that the large octopus in the distance was gliding across the ice. The ice surface could barely withstand its immense pressure, as the octopus, when fully extended, was about eight to nine hundred meters wide, incredibly huge. The octopus had numerous tentacles, and these tentacles were incredibly flexible, leaving no blind spots.
One of its tentacles had not been fully extended, and it was visible that this tentacle was wrapped around a black object. There was no doubt that this was the meteorite.
The sea beasts were very intelligent. After snatching the meteorite, they kept it with them. Previously, it was held in the mouth of a blue whale, but after the blue whale died, it fell into the octopus's possession. The octopus had not let go of the meteorite since obtaining it.