The whole nation: You're put to survive on a desolate planet, you'll be running an alien b

"Boss!"

A tearful cry pulled Li Haotian back from the brink of losing consciousness. He felt a pair of cold, trembling arms slip under his armpits and, with all their might, lift him up from the cold metal platform.

It's Su Wan.

Her face was blackened by smoke and dust, but her eyes shone brightly in the dim light and the flashing red alarm. They were a flame mixed with sorrow, determination, and the will to survive.

Li Haotian shook his heavy, leaden head, his vision straining to focus. They were standing on a suspended metal platform, with bottomless darkness beneath their feet, and in the distance, the enormous inverted pyramid that had once symbolized endless suffering and eerie power was now witnessing a magnificent yet terrifying death.

It was as if it had been cleaved in two by an invisible giant axe, splitting cleanly in the middle. Countless thick energy conduits burst like severed blood vessels, and dark red liquid, exuding an ominous aura, gushed out like a waterfall, flowing freely and soaking into the very foundation of the underground world. The air was filled with a pungent, burnt smell and an indescribable metallic odor.

"Boom—Crack—"

With another deafening roar, the upper part of the inverted pyramid lost all support, its sharp, tearing sound echoing as it slowly tilted and collapsed. Countless rubble and architectural debris rained down like a dense meteor shower into the dark abyss below.

The entire underground city trembled violently. The dome cracked, boulders fell, and spiderweb-like fissures spread and expanded across the earth at a visible speed. An irreversible catastrophe had arrived.

"Go! Go now!" Su Wan's voice was hoarse as she practically dragged and carried Li Haotian. "We have to escape before the entire antenna collapses!"

Li Haotian nodded weakly. The scene of Lin Mo transforming into pure white light was still etched in his mind—an endless, serene farewell. He knew this was not the time to wallow in grief. Lin Mo had sacrificed herself to give them the chance to end it all; if they died here, it would be the greatest desecration of her sacrifice.

He took a deep breath, mustered the last bit of strength in his body, and with Su Wan's support, staggered out.

"This way! It's the way we came!" Su Wan's memory was amazing; even in this ruin that had been completely transformed, she could still accurately identify the direction.

They ran frantically along a sloping metal tunnel. Behind them lay a constantly collapsing underground world, the roar of their pursuit like the howl of death itself, clinging tightly to them. The ground beneath their feet twisted and collapsed at times, and several times they nearly plunged into newly appeared abysses beside them.

Li Haotian's consciousness fluctuated, sometimes clear, sometimes blurred. He felt as if he were on a fast-moving conveyor belt, everything around him rushing backward, with only the sound of wind, loud noises, and Su Wan's rapid, chaotic breathing in his ears. He saw Lin Mo's phantom flash before his eyes, smiling at him, before being swallowed up by the dust.

"Boss, hold on! We're almost there!" Su Wan's shout pulled him back to reality. He saw the indomitable stubbornness on her blood-stained face, which reminded him so much of Liu Hu.

Yes, Tiger. His heart clenched. That man who always charged ahead had risked his life to pave this path to survival for them. He couldn't die, none of them could die.

Ahead, the main passage they once used to enter the ancient city was now unrecognizable. Most of the structure had collapsed, leaving only a rickety metal frame hanging over the abyss, like a bridge to hell.

"There's no other way!" Su Wan's tone was tinged with despair.

"Pass!"

Li Haotian practically spat out the word through gritted teeth. He broke free from Su Wan's support, his figure still unsteady, but his eyes regained their usual sharpness. He spotted the few relatively intact main beams, took a deep breath, and charged forward first.

His pace was slow, even clumsy; with each step, the metal frame beneath his feet groaned painfully, as if it would snap completely at any moment. Su Wan followed closely behind, her heart pounding in her throat.

Just as they were about to pass through the most dangerous section, the massive inverted pyramid foundation finally met its ultimate fate.

"--boom!!!"

A deafening roar, beyond description, erupted from behind them, as if the entire underground space had been crushed by an invisible giant hand. A shockwave, ten times more powerful than before, transformed into a visible torrent of destruction, carrying fragments capable of tearing through steel and raging energy, sweeping towards the entrance of the passage!

"Quick!" Li Haotian roared as he turned around, bumping into Su Wan with his body.

The two practically tumbled and crawled across the suspended passage, finally stepping onto solid ground. In that instant, the devastating torrent caught up with them.

Li Haotian felt an irresistible and terrifying force pushing him from behind. He instinctively tackled Su Wan to the ground, using his already broken back to withstand this final divine punishment.

Metal howled, rocks groaned. Countless streams of air and debris swept overhead, completely sealing off the entrance to the passage. The world fell silent instantly.

A deathly silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Hao slowly and laboriously propped himself up. He coughed up a mouthful of dust tinged with blood and looked back. The path they had come from, and the ancient underground city that buried countless secrets and pain, had been completely buried by tons of rocks and earth, leaving no trace whatsoever.

A faint light shone in from a sloping opening not far away, which was the exit to the surface.

They escaped.

Su Wan lay on the ground, her shoulders trembling violently. The sobs she had suppressed for so long finally broke out. Not from fear, but from the relief of surviving a catastrophe, and from the loss of those who were gone forever.

Li Haotian didn't speak, but simply watched the light. He helped Su Wan up, and the two of them, supporting each other, walked step by step towards that sliver of light that symbolized new life and freedom.

The road ahead is still long. But at least, they are still alive.