Sanctum Faction
Director Murong's hands moved to form a complex seal. Before Ethan could react, Wang Zi Chen and Sparky were violently thrown backward as if hit by an invisible force. They crashed to the ground, instantly incapacitated. Lin Yiwan stood quietly behind Director Murong, her face pale and offering no resistance.
What happened next was sadly predictable.
Under the pretense of "safety," Director Murong forcefully escorted Ethan onto a heavily armed Apocalypse Management Bureau helicopter. They took off, leaving the coastal city behind. However, they didn't head north toward the capital. Instead, the helicopter turned sharply, its destination unmistakable: the heart of the continent, Mount Everest.
"Your prophecy held," Director Murong said, her voice a bit less cold than usual. She sat next to him in the vibrating cabin. "We've mobilized most of our Players here to face this Apocalypse."
"And risk complete annihilation?" Ethan shot back, his voice tight with anger. Being kidnapped and strapped to this woman's side would sour anyone's mood.
"Better than certain death out in the deep ocean," she replied, her tone dismissing any argument. "If survival lies here, I've achieved my goal."
Within hours, the helicopter landed near the base of the massive mountain, touching down in a sprawling, chaotic tent city that was the Bureau's temporary headquarters. Murong briskly assigned Ethan his quarters and disappeared into the frantic crowd.
She had given him astonishing access—free rein throughout the base. She had also appointed Lin Yiwan as his personal guardian and caretaker. Lin accepted the role without question. Ethan, however, did not.
His fate was now completely in Director Murong's unpredictable hands.
He knew staying on land meant certain death against a Catastrophe-class Apocalypse. But without a fresh prophecy, arguing with Murong was pointless.
His assigned "quarters" were starkly utilitarian: a simple tent with two cots and a desk with paper and pens. Murong had unceremoniously made Lin Yiwan share the space with him. Under normal circumstances, sharing close quarters with someone like Lin might have felt like a bonus, but with extinction looming? Not a chance.
Ethan refused to sit idly. He spent hours each day in the monitoring hub, tracking the approaching sea monsters. Events unfolded with grim familiarity, echoing his death-replay visions. After days of eerie calm, the first wave of giant sea beasts finally crawled onto land.
Researchers rushed to analyze the monsters' weaknesses, but a nagging suspicion grew in Ethan's mind, shared silently by his watching future self. Had those initial quiet days held a key, an important clue he missed?
Digging through the early seismic and oceanic data, Ethan sought anomalies. And he found one.
Day Two. 20:43 Hours. An 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands, northeast of Australia (approx. 12°S, 163°E). Earthquakes weren't unusual there. What followed was a devastating tsunami and then, a total communication blackout.
Soon after, a dense fog bank engulfed the exact area, swallowing it whole. Satellite feeds showed only swirling grey. The incident was globally suppressed to avoid panic.
The truth only emerged as the first giant monsters attacked the mainland. Ethan learned from quiet technicians that Director Murong had immediately sent the Bureau's elite strike force there in a private jet upon hearing the news.
Contact was lost the moment they entered the affected airspace.
Ethan felt a chill. Just like the cities when those monsters appeared, the signals died. Had Murong flown straight into a monster's signal-jamming zone?
He stared in disbelief. "This is her idea of keeping me safe? She just vanished?" The profound unreliability of Director Murong hit him like a physical blow.
A nearby technician offered weak reassurance. "Sir, please don't worry. We have over a dozen S-Rank Combat Players here. Your safety is guaranteed."
"Guaranteed?" Ethan scoffed, his voice laced with bitter sarcasm. "I don't feel safe at all."
As days passed, the news grew darker. More territories fell. Fear thickened the air in the base camp. Orders finally came: Evacuate. Ascend the mountain.
Trying to escape the encircled continent, now marked with threats on the maps, was suicide. Though Ethan technically held the highest clearance—a closely guarded secret—only Lin Yiwan knew about his prophetic ability. His safety mattered, landing him in the second evacuation wave, which was seen as safer than the pathfinders.
During the grueling climb, Ethan spotted the legendary elder, Chang Ye Qing. He was surrounded by elite fighters, looking like a revered sage with his flowing white hair and beard, exuding quiet authority. In stark contrast, Ethan was protected only by Lin Yiwan.
"Mr. Ethan," Lin murmured, misreading his gaze. "Please don't feel slighted. Protecting you is my absolute duty."
"It's fine," Ethan replied, his eyes scanning the treacherous path ahead.
Two hours after the first group left, the second wave began their ascent. They shouldered packs, preparing for the climb.
CRACK-BOOM!
A deafening explosion shattered the tense silence.
Heads turned towards the sound. A thick plume of black smoke rose in the distance. The sharp, acrid smell of gunpowder stung Ethan's nostrils.
Lin Yiwan's hand flew to her weapon, her face twisting with instant, bitter recognition. "The damned Sanctum faction!" she hissed, her voice heavy with hatred.