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

The ancient books library at Tunghai University is a small red brick building that looks quite old. Two rows of tall sycamore trees stand in front of the building, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Li Haotian, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, swayed as he walked over.

The smell of rotting lilies was stronger here; though faint, it was very clear, like something dying in a corner, slowly rotting.

An elderly man with gray hair was sitting at the entrance of the library, wearing reading glasses and reading a newspaper.

"Hey, student, the library doesn't open until nine o'clock." The old man didn't even look up.

Li Haotian took out the red booklet with "Security Department" printed on it from his pocket and waved it in front of him.

"Routine fire safety inspection."

The old man pushed up his glasses, glanced at Li Haotian, then at the loose-fitting security uniform he was wearing, and said nothing more, continuing to read his newspaper.

The first and second floors were normal, with a mixed smell of old books and mothballs in the air. There weren't many students; they sat in twos and threes at long tables reading, very quietly.

At the top of the stairs leading to the third floor, there is a wooden sign that reads, "No Entry Without Permission".

A female administrator wearing glasses was sitting behind a table next to him. When she saw him come up, she immediately stood up.

"Hello, the third floor is a special collection area and is not open to the public."

"Fire inspection," Li Haotian repeated, concisely.

"But I didn't receive any notification..." The female administrator said, somewhat embarrassed.

Li Haotian didn't waste any words with her. He reached out and took the wooden sign off, handing it to her casually.

"I'm informing you now."

He walked straight up the creaking wooden stairs, leaving the female caretaker standing there, holding the sign, stunned.

The third floor was dimly lit, with heavy curtains drawn on the windows. The smell of rotting lilies in the air was stronger, mixed with a faint scent of sandalwood.

At the far end, a heavy wooden door was ajar, with a sliver of light shining through the crack, accompanied by a suppressed, muffled humming sound, like chanting.

Li Haotian walked over, placed his hand on the door, and gently pushed it open.

The door opened, and the scene inside made him raise an eyebrow.

It was a large room, with bookshelves reaching the ceiling on all sides. In the center of the room, seven or eight students dressed in identical white robes sat cross-legged on the floor in a circle.

Ma Feng was among them, sitting on the outermost edge, his face filled with fervor and anticipation.

In the middle of the crowd, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and appearing refined was presiding over something. In front of him was a strange bronze disc, covered with incomprehensible symbols, resembling a complex astrolabe. In the center of the disc, a pointer was trembling slightly.

"...When the star trails fall silent, the gates of the void will reveal their true nature..."

The man wearing glasses, Associate Professor Qian, had a deep voice with a captivating rhythm.

Li Haotian's opening of the door interrupted him.

All eyes immediately turned to the doorway.

"Who are you?" Associate Professor Qian frowned, his dignified expression shattered, revealing clear displeasure. "This is a restricted academic area. What's a security guard doing here?"

When Ma Feng saw Li Haotian, he first stiffened, then a gloating expression appeared on his face. He stood up, walked to Associate Professor Qian's side, and whispered a few words.

After listening, Associate Professor Qian's eyes, behind his glasses, flashed with a hint of disdain.

"So it was you." He pushed up his glasses and scrutinized Li Haotian from head to toe with a critical look. "A brute who solves problems with brute force. Get out, this is not a place for you."

Li Haotian leaned against the door frame, playing with a sycamore leaf he had just picked along the way.

"During the fire inspection, I suspect you are violating fire regulations and engaging in feudal superstition."

"Feudal superstition?" Associate Professor Qian laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, and the students around him joined in the laughter.

"Ignorant fool." Associate Professor Qian pointed to the astrolabe in front of him, a sense of intellectual superiority on his face. "This is a 'Star Orbit Deduction Instrument,' a crystallization of wisdom passed down from ancient times. It can glimpse the trajectory of fate and observe the flow of fortune. How could a simple-minded mortal like you possibly understand it?"

He seemed to feel that talking wasn't enough, and wanted to show off his "academic achievements" in public, while also humiliating this uninvited guest.

"Aren't you curious?" Associate Professor Qian's lips curled up in a malicious smirk. "Then I'll open your eyes and show you just how lowly your fate is, that of a scumbag like you from the bottom of society."

He extended two fingers and gently flicked the edge of the astrolabe.

"Buzz—"

The pointer on the astrolabe began to slowly rotate. Associate Professor Qian muttered incantations and pointed at Li Haotian.

"To fathom the destiny of a mere mortal!"

The pointer suddenly accelerated, pointing towards Li Haotian. The once smooth, mirror-like surface of the astrolabe in the center began to shimmer.

The surrounding students craned their necks, waiting to see a good show. Ma Feng was even more expectant, already imagining what kind of tragic fate the astrological chart would show, such as "toiling to death" or "impoverished," and then Professor Qian would use his profound knowledge to thoroughly criticize this lousy security guard.

However, the picture on the horoscope was completely different from what they had imagined.

There was no image of Li Haotian or any vision of the future in the mirror.

The pointer spun faster and faster, so fast that it left afterimages and emitted a shrill "whoosh" sound, as if it were about to fall apart at any moment.

The mirror in the center of the astrolabe shone brighter and brighter, turning from a faint glow into a blinding white light.

"What's going on?" Associate Professor Qian's expression changed; he felt things were getting out of control.

He increased his energy output and chanted the incantation faster.

"Show it!" he shouted.

"Snap!" A crisp sound.

A crack appeared in the mirror at the center of the astrolabe.

Immediately afterwards, a light that did not belong to this world burst forth from the crack.

It wasn't white light, but a golden-red color that couldn't be described in words.

It didn't illuminate the room; instead, it was like a living, burning phantom flame that burst directly out of the astrolabe and instantly engulfed Associate Professor Qian.

Within the flames, it seemed as if a gigantic, indescribable eye opened indifferently, gazing down upon these tiny ants.

The temperature in the entire room suddenly rose.

"ah--!"

A scream that was not human came from the phantom of the flames.

Associate Professor Qian covered his eyes and rolled frantically on the ground, his white robe instantly turning black.

"The sun! The golden sun! My eyes! My eyes!"

He went mad, howling incoherently, his voice filled with extreme fear.

"It's not human...it's a monster! A monster!"

The phantom of the flames flashed by and disappeared as if it had never existed.

The room returned to darkness, leaving only Associate Professor Qian convulsing on the floor, muttering "sun... monster..." with two streams of blood flowing from the corners of his eyes.

The seven or eight students were already terrified. They looked at the insane professor, then at the security guard who had been leaning against the doorframe the whole time without changing his posture, and a chill ran from their tailbone to the top of their head.

"A ghost!"

Someone shouted first, and everyone snapped out of their daze and scrambled to get outside.

Ma Feng ran ahead, forgetting to go through the front door. He bumped into a bookshelf, and books fell down and hit him on the head. He didn't care about the pain, and scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room.

In the blink of an eye, only Li Haotian and Associate Professor Qian, who was still convulsing on the floor, remained in the room.

The "star track calculator" fell to the ground with a clatter. The copper disc was still slightly warm, and a few more cracks had appeared on it.

Li Haotian slowly walked over, bent down, and picked up the astrolabe.

It's quite heavy, weighing at least ten kilograms. The rustic texture on it feels rough to the touch and has a scorching heat.

He weighed it in his hand and felt that it was fairly solid and sturdy.

He raised his hand and tapped the miniature earpiece inside his ear.

"Su Wan".

"Boss? What's going on over there? We just detected a violent energy burst, but it disappeared in an instant." Su Wan's voice was somewhat hurried.

Li Haotian looked at the astrolabe in his hand, flicked the surface with his finger, and made a crisp "clang" sound.

"It's nothing, just got rid of a few flies."

He flipped the astrolabe over and over, as if he were assessing the recycling value of a piece of scrap metal.

"By the way, I found a new toy."

"Toy?"

"Hmm," Li Haotian said, "It looks quite unique. I'll give it to Lin Mo to play with as a frisbee later. It should be quite durable."