There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"Stay away from the cracks! Creatures could emerge from them at any moment!"

My heart was in my throat. It felt like I had climbed up the tunnel for half a day and then fallen back down. Luckily, I didn't drop from the 54th floor to the basement in a second.

The lights in the control room flickered for a moment before stabilizing. I saw Bertholdt, who had been injured in the earthquake, lying in front of the control panel, his fate unknown.

The situation outside was even worse. A deafening roar echoed from underground, and thick black gas billowed out, obscuring the sun and briefly blocking everyone's vision. Many people coughed violently after inhaling the underground toxic gas, losing their ability to fight once more!

The armed force of nearly 10,000 people was insignificant in the face of this anomaly, because countless figures were lurking in the unfathomable crater.

These beings appeared indistinct yet immense before the chaotic human army. Everyone gripped their guns tightly, huddled together, holding their breath, facing a terrifying enemy they had never seen before.

At this moment, a prehistoric legion of death, shrouded in thick fog and darkness, roars like the whispers of demons, converging into a shadowy torrent as it marches towards the surface of the earth, where it has been exiled for millennia…

Chapter 529 Lao Tzu's Italian Cannon

Is a thousand years a long time?

For individuals with short-lived lives, a thousand years is an insurmountable obstacle, a chasm between the living and the dead, the budding and embers of civilization's rise and fall.

However, in the evolution of biological species, such a short period of time cannot determine anything. Changes accumulated over tens of thousands of years are scattered over thousands of years and become just a negligible branch.

Perhaps on the eve of the planet's ecological destruction, many animals happened to hide in burrows. After infiltrating these burrows using nanobots, I discovered that these creatures, which had been lurking underground for thousands of years, had unknowingly hollowed out the underground of this mountain. Behind the giant river that roams on the surface, an underground river has even formed, surging and rushing within it.

The thirteen members of the ecology team who were scattered across the grasslands and failed to return to space, whether out of fear or worry, eventually wandered around the mountain and even made a rule that they would never set foot there again, fearing that human activities would disturb these hateful creatures.

Therefore, we are fortunate to witness firsthand the forms of creatures that survived on the ground in the previous generation in this new generation.

There are two possibilities regarding the current situation. The first is that these subterranean creatures have already been driven to the brink of extinction through prolonged infighting, and the current scene is merely a moth drawn to a flame, a rekindling of their connection to the light. But the other possibility…

Seeing these creatures amidst the ravages of the primeval atmosphere, my first thought was...

It really turned into raising poisonous insects!

These frenzied and hungry animals have lived underground for thousands of years. Their peaceful reproduction and survival have turned into naked killing and plunder in the darkness!

Survival of the fittest!

The winner takes all!

Dark Forest!

The brutal fighting underground was merely a delaying step in the extinction of life from the previous era.

The barren underground ecosystem could not support the survival and reproduction of these monsters, and the dark and narrow environment eliminated the possibility of hiding and escaping. There was only darkness, death and war there!

The surviving creatures are all dangerous and deadly predators, like a death army hiding in a tomb, preparing for battle, with malice emanating from every pore!

That place is hell!

The gates of hell... have opened!

But at this moment, the overwhelming scene made everyone instinctively want to avoid a direct confrontation.

"Gray, we can't let these monsters roam the surface! Take some men and intercept them immediately. Remember, don't get close. Set traps while circling around them!"

Gray's eyes gleamed as he grabbed two axes, slung a bundle of javelins over his shoulder, and declared with unwavering resolve, "No one knows hunting better than our tribe!"

...Grey! Wake up!

You're not a savage from the tribe at all!

Also, if you see a curly-haired baboon when you return to Mineral Town, don't kill it, it could very well be your grandfather!

"kill!"

As everyone hesitated to advance, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from the flanks, and countless javelins and arrows rained down from the sky, causing a brief commotion in the dark beast tide.

What caused the monsters to riot was not the primitive weapons, but the hordes of tribal savages running, roaring, and baring their teeth and claws across the plains!

Their faces were painted with oil paint, their bodies covered in tattoos, and they danced in an ancient and mysterious manner, brandishing their weapons wantonly, and letting out a heart-shaking growl from deep in their throats!

A single voice is weak, but when thousands of voices come together, they become an incredible pressure that hangs over the plains. Whether it's a giant, spindle-shaped serpent or a strange lizard covered in dense scales, they are all intimidated by this sound, unconsciously slowing their pace and scrutinizing the enemies appearing on their flanks.

These animals from a thousand years ago may not have seen these people, but they certainly knew this aura very well!

This is the scent of an apex predator!

The bald man gritted his teeth and stood up. "Sir, I've seen these monsters in rock paintings before..."

I suddenly recalled the primitive murals in the wilderness of the Loader's Territory. It seems that this terrifyingly large horde of beasts is not the first time it has been discovered.

The bald man mentioned the massive environmental changes that affected the entire planet. The global planetary weather disaster caused many civilized areas to regress to their primitive state, turning once vibrant regions into barren wastelands like the one around us.

Could these be ancient memories of the Astra planetary ecosystem management system? Did the ancient people who left these rock paintings also confront these terrifying creatures?

Gray led his tribe, disrupting the beast horde's attack with traditional hunting formations. While they might not match the efficiency of other factions' armies in man-to-man combat, no other faction possessed the tribe's extensive experience in hunting in the wild!

The tribe's primitive people spontaneously formed groups of thirty to fifty people and began running around the lone monster, throwing weapons to attack its weak points, and actively surrounding and killing the monster that rushed out of the cave.

"Baldy, take some men and go up there to buy me some time!"

The bald man also roared as he stood up, his hair flying wildly, and his eyes blazing with divine light!

...Wait a minute!

……hair?!

I looked closely through the screen and realized that the wriggling light was emanating from behind him.

At this moment, the left half of his face remained in human form, while the right half, bathed in dazzling light, revealed a ragged figure. As the two lights merged, a fierce, sunrise-like ray of light enveloped the Sharp Vision Alliance's position, and countless warriors began their charge!

Just as the tribe launched its attack, another force advanced and blocked the monsters' path.

"The Aim Human Federation, are you here to join the fun too?" I asked.

"The appearance of these monsters will pose a threat to the stronghold town."

The commander of the Aim Human Federation drew his sword, raised it high above his head, and said expressionlessly, "From the moment our home was destroyed, we resolved to fight to our last breath for the flame of civilization!"

The musketeers of the Aim Human Federation had covered their mouths and noses with cloth and, to the beat of the drums, shifted their formation and moved to the upwind side, expanding from a five-row formation to a three-row firing formation, aiming at the rolling black mist in the distance.

Over thousands of years of underground life, the vast majority of docile herbivores have undoubtedly been eliminated, leaving only predators from different ecological niches who have emerged victorious from the brutal competition, heading towards distant enemies.

We witnessed firsthand how a lone, frightened herd of horses was brutally devoured and torn apart by the monsters lurking in the black mist, ultimately being snatched and swallowed by animals with mouths as wide as those of a gammadon.

Among these animals, some have winding, forked antlers and sharp, striped snake tails; some are covered in fine fish scales and wriggling vines; some have hairy tentacles and hoof-like limbs; and some have exaggerated bird wings and spindle-shaped bodies.

Prolonged hunger and slaughter have distorted the nature of these animals. Amidst their diverse appearances, the only thing they share is the predatory gaze filled with murderous intent and the terrifying roars they emit...

The silent army didn't utter another word. As the blade fell, the front-line soldiers swiftly pulled the triggers towards the black mist, then retreated to be taken over by the second rank, and finally the third rank took over firing. The entire army was like an emotionless machine, mechanically and resolutely executing combat orders.

There were no roars, no passionate outbursts, no fighting; only actions ingrained in their beliefs. But I saw tears welling up in the young soldiers' eyes, perhaps longing for home, or perhaps reminiscing about the beautiful moments of their lives. They had already set aside their inner weaknesses and entrusted their lives to the collective.

The bullets effectively killed the ram-headed Jersey demons charging in the front row, but more enemies smelled the food and launched an even more frenzied charge.

Beneath the raging waves, both the tribes' attacks and the Aim Human Federation's defenses were overwhelmingly outnumbered, putting them at a clear disadvantage. The annihilation of humanity's flimsy defenses seemed imminent...

“Tesienya, Andenavara, are you just going to watch like this?” I asked in the world chat.

The first to act was Teshienya. This makeshift armed group, composed of caravan guards, silently stepped forward, quietly forming the second line of defense behind the Aim Human Federation.

"Hmph, we can't let those barbarians from the tribe run rampant. Iron Alliance, move out!"

A line of soldiers clad in iron armor, wielding semi-automatic weapons, and with blunt weapons tucked into their waistbands, stepped forward to fill the precarious flanks of the Aiem Human Federation. They used a strange combination of close-range shooting and melee combat to kill the beasts before them.

I asked, "Aren't you afraid of dying? Wait, what are you mercenaries doing here? I'm not giving you any money!"

The leader of the Iron Alliance declared, "In the face of such a crisis, do we still need to hire people to fight?! We are fighting for humanity!"

After saying that, he changed the subject and said to the leader of Tesienya beside him, "As for the cost... we just agreed that the cost of shooting wild beasts will be calculated based on the number of enemies killed!"

The leader of the Andenavara forces said with a grim face, "We only help Tesienya, it has nothing to do with you."

After saying that, he also joined the Teshienya forces in building a defensive line.

Although the two forces had opposing attitudes toward me, they were actually very close. Under the threat to my life, they finally joined the battle.

With this support, the middle section of the first makeshift defensive line began to slowly cave in, connecting the first and second lines of defense to form a horseshoe-shaped double-layered attack formation. It actually managed to hold its ground amidst the frenzied attacks of the beast horde and fire shots at the approaching monsters.

However, this situation couldn't last long, because the number of beasts that Gray and his men could attract was ultimately limited, not enough to match the pressure on the front lines. As their weapons ran out of ammunition and their firepower failed, casualties began to appear on the front lines of the Aim Human Federation.

Just then, a second wave of even more dangerous creatures burst out of the cave...

Behind the dark beast tide, even larger shadows emerged, charging towards the humans at an even faster pace. These monsters, resembling four-legged whales, were over 10 meters long, their thick skin easily withstanding small-caliber bullets.

These terrestrial whales' massive tails, like hammers, mercilessly crushed the creatures in front of them.

But a series of rattling sounds caught my attention. As Sharon Whitestone turned the camera, I saw that the Sunheart Mercenary Group's slaughter squad had quietly entered the battlefield, using large-caliber firearms to pick off the approaching land-dwelling whales.

"Are you joining too?" I asked.

"The extermination order has been changed: prioritizing the preservation of human civilization, any organisms that threaten human safety must be eliminated."

The leader of the slaughter squad lowered his gun and spoke into the communicator. At the same time, a hundred elite warriors behind him joined the fray, creating a chaotic and deadly battle. Although their nanomechanical infection had not yet healed, they were still able to use precise marksmanship to pick off the monsters threatening the front lines, greatly reducing the pressure on the front lines.

At this moment, Baron Frank, the commander of the Meto Empire, remained standing motionless at the back of the ranks.

I deliberately asked in the entire chat: "Royal Knights of the Meto Empire, are you planning to perform a 'Turning into the Thousand-Mile Tiger's Lair on Treasure Island' or just 'Running faster than your teammates'?"

"We are here only to eliminate threats, and we will not ally with these inferior civilizations!"

"So, letting you demonstrate your hunting skills shouldn't be against orders, right? You do your hunting, we'll do ours!"

Baron Frank's expression was terrible, and he finally gathered his previously aloof troops together, aiming at the other flank of the dark beast tide.

He gritted his teeth and focused his gaze on the two-legged giant lizard in the distance. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed it, and the sprinting monster crashed to the ground. The Royal Knights Guard, wielding power hammers, plasma swords, and nameless single-edged swords, rushed forward to harvest materials... no, to harvest heads!

With the front of the dark beast tide defended by the mercenaries of the Aim Human Federation, Tesienya, Andenawara, and the Iron Alliance, they were reaping the lives of the beast horde. Meanwhile, on one flank, Gray led a group to encircle and divide the enemy, while on the other flank, the Royal Knights Guard efficiently slaughtered the beasts, finally stabilizing the situation.

I felt the rumbling rise of the control room finally stop, and with the creaking sound of the bearings turning, I finally returned to the surface and felt the howling, cold wind outside the cave.

"Shiraishi, have the coordinates been set?"

[Setup complete.]

"Can we get any signals from the outside world?"

[Observations are still being conducted via radio telescope, but its efficiency is unclear due to severe damage. If any abnormalities are detected, should an alert be sent immediately?]

"Of course, it's okay to make a false police report in the face of something this serious!"

[Making a false police report?]

"You don't even know how to make a false police report? You mean the kind that exaggerates the seriousness of the situation! Anyway, you have to find a way to get Mayday in the chat!"

【clear!】