Let you make a game, what the hell is Pokemon?.

Chapter 215 The True Meaning of Project Ark: The Final Battle?

Ling Feng's words were like sparks, instantly igniting the oppressive atmosphere in the base.

The deathly silence was abruptly broken, replaced by heated discussion.

"Is there a chance? He said there is a chance!" A young watcher's voice trembled as he stared at the disappearing image on the wall, as if he could still see the blue sky.

"Opportunity my ass! Didn't you see those guys' eyes? They're only looking at us because this guy hasn't made a move yet. What about us? We're not even good enough to fill their teeth!" A scarred man slammed his fist on a metal box, making a loud clanging noise that drew a lot of attention.

"Scarface's words make a lot of sense, it's too strong. Those Pokémon are completely different from the ones underground."

Someone whispered in agreement, their voice filled with fear.

"But that's the ground! Blue sky! Forest! It's better than being crushed like a rat by the Alliance in this godforsaken place, right?" someone retorted, their voice brimming with barely suppressed longing. "Didn't this guy also say that the key is how to get up there and how to get along with people? Even though the risks are high, it's worth the gamble, isn't it?"

"Gamble? What are you gambling with? Your life? Now you can't even hold onto this door!"

Scarface, however, seemed unconvinced and pointed to the entrance.

Another muffled explosion shook the area, accompanied by a shower of dust.

At this moment, hope and fear were intertwined on everyone's faces, the arguments grew louder, and the base was filled with uneasy restlessness.

Some people think Ling Feng has a point; even if it's dangerous on the ground, it's better than being wiped out by the League or trapped underground. But the risks are indeed too great; the power of those ancient Pokémon is beyond their imagination.

Some were terrified by the oppressive power of the Sky-Piercing Flame, believing that going up would only lead to their deaths.

Amid the noise, the old smoker, pipe in mouth, quietly squeezed next to Ling Feng, nudged him with his prosthetic elbow with its metal joint, and whispered, "Brother, come with me, this way."

Ling Feng glanced at him and followed Old Smoker to a relatively quiet corner of the bar area, where several abandoned large server racks blocked most of the view and sound.

The old smoker took a deep drag on his cigarette, the smoke billowing around him. He stared at Ling Feng, his usually lazy eyes now sharp and even revealing a hint of longing.

"Ling Feng," his voice was low and hoarse, like metal scraping against metal, "My first question is, do you really think that, given our current situation, we have a chance to go up to the surface world? Or are we just going to our deaths?"

As he spoke, he pointed upwards with his finger.

Ling Feng leaned against a metal cabinet and replied calmly, "There's definitely a chance. If the environment recovers, Pokémon can live, and so can people. As for danger... staying here is quite dangerous for you too. The difference is that one is passively waiting to die, while the other is actively seeking survival."

"As for ordinary people living there, I can only say that it is indeed difficult."

The old chain smoker silently took a drag of his cigarette, his expression obscured by the swirling smoke. A few seconds later, he slowly exhaled a smoke ring and asked his second question, the one he was actually most concerned about:

"Also, where did you get that candy you gave me before? Do you still have it?"

His voice carried a barely suppressed urgency.

One candy instantly evolved his Murloc into Ravenhead, boosting its strength to four stars!

This effect completely overturned his decades-long understanding of Pokémon breeding and evolution!

This is not the underground world at all, and it's not even something the Alliance could have created in his memory!
It was this very thing that made him truly certain that Ling Feng was definitely not from this world!
Ling Feng raised an eyebrow, already understanding the other party's purpose in seeking a private conversation with him.

He didn't intend to hide the system's items.

"It's mine. What's wrong, do you want it more?"

The old smoker paused, taken aback by Ling Feng's blunt answer, and his fingers holding the pipe trembled slightly.

A flicker of struggle crossed his face, as if he were hesitating about whether to say something, as if he had made some difficult decision.

However, at this moment
"boom--!!!"

A massive explosion, far more terrifying than any before, suddenly erupted from the direction of the base entrance!

The entire base shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck! Most of the overhead lights went out instantly and began flashing wildly!
"Cough cough. The gate! The main gate has been blown open!"

The roar of the anvil echoed through the smoke and dust.

Everyone immediately became alert, forcing themselves to be fully focused and ready to fight.
However, the anticipated flood of Allied troops did not immediately materialize.

Before the smoke from the explosion had even cleared, a sound amplified by a high-powered loudspeaker clearly reached every corner of the base:
"Survivors in the Watcher's Base, this is Quinn, the four-star general and commander of the Alliance's 'Genesis Engine' garrison."

The moment the name was announced, there was another moment of silence in the base.

Even Aunt Hong, who was struggling to get up, froze suddenly, her face turning deathly pale.

The anvil gasped, instinctively taking a half-step back, his face filled with disbelief.

“Quinn. Is that ‘Iron-Blooded Quinn’? Isn’t he in charge of the central district’s defense? Why is he here in person?” An older Watcher’s voice trembled.

"It's over. It really is him. I've seen his picture. The troops he commands never leave any survivors."

The other person's voice was choked with sobs.

The voice from outside continued, cold and authoritative: "We have learned through special channels that you possess some intelligence about the current state of the surface world and the existence of certain powerful creatures."

Quinn paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully.

"Actually, the Alliance doesn't intend to imprison humanity underground forever, as you think. Returning to the surface and restoring humanity's glory is also the Alliance's ultimate goal! It's just that the process is too difficult, and we need to plan carefully to ensure everything goes smoothly before we can execute such a plan."

His tone suddenly became sincere: "Now, on behalf of the Alliance's Supreme Council, I issue you an ultimatum! Lay down your weapons, hand over all information about the surface environment, the Watchers organization, and all data on the creatures you have discovered on the surface!"

"At the same time, hand over the discoverer of the intelligence! In exchange, the Alliance will pardon all past crimes of the Watchers and allow you to become legitimate participants in the 'Genesis Engine' project, sharing the glory of returning to the surface! This is your last chance!"

pardon!

Legal status!

Join the return to the surface!

These words struck like bullets, instantly hitting many watchers teetering on the edge of despair.

Especially those who were just terrified by the Alliance's overwhelming force and whose fear was amplified by the image of the Sky-Breaking Flame.

"Pardon. Legality. Can we survive?" a middle-aged man murmured, his eyes gleaming, clearly wavering.

"We can still participate in the return to the surface? The Alliance... the Alliance is really willing to take us up there?" Another young woman's voice was filled with expectation.

"It's better than being beaten to death right now, right? Besides, Quinn himself promised that." Someone whispered in agreement.

"Bullshit!" Just then, Aunt Hong's angry shout drowned out the wavering voices. Ignoring her injuries, she struggled to stand up, her face flushed red with anger and blood loss.

"Don't believe their nonsense! What pardon? What participants? They just want to hoard the intelligence! Once we hand over the information and are no longer of any use, we're doomed! I bet their so-called Genesis Engine isn't meant to take everyone up there!"

"Over the years, I know the league best."

Another high-ranking member of the Watchers emerged from the corner, his face grim.

"Sister Hong is right! You actually believe the alliance's promises? Believe them? They won't even leave you with a bone fragment!"

Ling Feng leaned against the shadows in the corner, silently watching the Watchers organization split apart before him.

Some people's eyes flickered, clearly tempted, and they quietly moved towards the entrance; others gripped their weapons tightly and stood behind Aunt Hong and Old Smoker, their eyes resolute.

The argument erupted again, more intense than before, filled with desperate choices about the future and distrust of their comrades. The atmosphere within the base was extremely tense, and the fragile alliance could collapse from within at any moment.

Ling Feng was actually quite calm.

What choices the Watchers make are their own business.

He has done everything he should and could do.

The intelligence has been given, and the route has been pointed out. Now, whether they choose to grovel before the Alliance and gamble on that one in ten thousand chance of being treated like a human being, or to fight to the death and seize the opportunity to escape, is up to them.

Of course, if you put him in the position to choose, he would never believe what the league says.

He always believed that only when a person firmly grasps their own destiny can they truly have a chance.

However, he wouldn't say that to those people arguing heatedly now.

Anyway, even if I explain it, they might not listen.

Just as the internal argument was about to escalate into infighting, the long-silent old smoker suddenly made his move.

He suddenly stepped forward and, in front of everyone, pulled out something that looked like a pistol from his pocket.

bump! ! !
The loud noise drew everyone's attention, and the next moment, he had pulled something out of the inner pocket of his greasy leather jacket.

That wasn't a weapon, but a palm-sized card made of a special material.

The card has extremely fine gold lines along its edges and a matte finish. In the dim, flickering light, a badge in the center of the card, composed of intricate lines and resembling a combination of a ship's wheel and a shield, reflects a cold light.

Below the emblem is a small line of code and a name—[Ark Project - Senior Engineer, Mo Heng]!
Old Smoker held the card high, making sure every Watcher could see it.

The usual relaxed demeanor of an intelligence peddler had completely vanished from his face, replaced by a deep-seated anger.

"Shut the hell up, all of you! Look carefully!"

His voice was still hoarse, but it carried a power that penetrated people's hearts.

"I wasn't always called Old Smoker! See me, Mo Heng? Senior Engineer in the core group of the Alliance Ark Project!"

The base fell silent instantly. Everyone was stunned by his sudden self-disclosure of his identity. Even Aunt Hong stared wide-eyed at him in disbelief, clearly not having anticipated such a turn of events.

"Project Ark. What is that?"

“I know a little bit. It’s the Alliance’s top secret, but wasn’t it supposed to have been abandoned long ago?” Iron Anvil’s voice was also filled with shock.

"Abandoned?" Mo Heng, or rather the old smoker, let out a mocking sneer.
"What utter bullshit! The Ark Project has never stopped! Its core isn't about leading humanity back to the surface at all! Its core is complete containment! It's about domestication! It's about locking all humans up like livestock in this sunless underground, and then squeezing every last bit of value out of us!"

"It's all so that those high and mighty lords in the alliance can concentrate all the resources to maintain their own wealth and luxury!"

He pointed sharply outside, in the direction from which Quinn's voice came, and roared, "Do you even know what their recent Genesis Engine project is all about? Huh?"

"They claim it's for the benefit of the underground world, but in reality, it's about completely draining the energy that the surface world has just recovered! What will they use it for? To strengthen their rule! To maintain the empire they've built in the underground world!"

"They don't care if the world on earth becomes a dead zone again, nor do they care if we live or die!"

He surveyed the wavering faces and let out another cold laugh:
"Bringing humanity back to the surface world? Bah! Don't think I don't know what you're up to! Quinn! I know exactly what your Ark Faction is plotting! Hand over the intelligence? And then wait to be silenced? Dream on!"

The old smoker's words, no, Mo Heng's words, were like a thunderclap exploding above everyone's heads!

The alliance's promises were instantly stripped away, revealing the cold and cruel truth beneath.

Those who were initially wavering lost their sense of luck and expectation instantly, replaced by anger at being deceived.

"Damn it. So that's how it is."

"Damn alliance! They're scum!"

"I almost... I almost believed their nonsense."

"Fight them! We're going to die anyway, might as well die a quick death!!"

The disagreements within the base vanished instantly; in such an environment, humanity is so fickle.

General Quinn, who was outside, had obviously heard Mo Heng's revelation. His cold, megaphone voice was tinged with anger: "Stubborn fools! Since you've chosen destruction, then vanish completely! Attack! Leave no one alive!"

With his announcement
"Boom!"

The heavy sound of metal tracks crushing the ground could be heard. At the entrance of the base, the wreckage of the blasted and deformed gate was completely smashed away by a tremendous force!
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, the first to rush in were two heavy armored vehicles that resembled mobile fortresses!

They are covered with thick armor plates, and their joints spew out high-pressure white steam.

Following closely behind was a whole row of Magneton that had been modified with energy amplification!
They are larger, with magnetic levitation rings rotating at high speed around their bodies, emitting a piercing buzzing sound. Powerful electric currents leap across their body surfaces, radiating terrifying energy fluctuations far exceeding those of the previous Magneton!
Ling Feng could sense that the aura of each Magneton had steadily reached the level of a Gym Leader!

At the same time, a man dressed in a crisp, dark blue general's uniform with four shining gold stars on his epaulets slowly walked into the base entrance, surrounded by heavily armed troops.

His face was as hard as a rock, and just by standing there, he exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

This must be General Quinn.

When Ling Feng saw his appearance, he was slightly taken aback.

Ok?
This person...
Why does it look so familiar?

(End of this chapter)