Chapter 8: Survivors
"Please be more specific," Yang Ying said, staring intently at the central air conditioning building and asking.
Yang Ying furrowed his brow: "It shouldn't be the case. When I summoned the SCV back then, I thought I could retrieve it whenever I wanted. Why can't I do the same with the wine?"
The lights at the base of the tower have brightened once again! Moreover, the area of the continent has also doubled!
Yang Ying pondered and said, "Bal, you should return first. If the third lamp is lit, you must notify me immediately!" Due to insufficient information, this topic can only be postponed for consideration.
Returning to the real world, Yang Ying was not discouraged. He had never held much hope for such shortcuts. Since the second light had already illuminated, the third was not far behind. What was important now was to celebrate the illumination of the second light and the doubling of the land area.
Although it may be flattery, Yang Ying nonetheless derived an important hypothesis from it
Indeed, Yang Ying was overjoyed and swept through the wine cabinet, transferring it to the Floating Continent. Upon touching a bottle of wine, he suddenly felt ... ...
As for the timing of the disaster, it should have occurred not long ago, as the external temperature continues to gradually decrease, and this decline will not cease until it reaches negative one hundred and fifty degrees
He then put on the mask again, left the villa, and rode his motorcycle towards the central air conditioning building
Yang Ying knew that the child could not hear, and he had never attempted to wake her. For both him and the child, allowing her to continue sleeping with the picture book was the best choice. Yang Ying could not afford to carry a burden while navigating the city, and her awakening would not improve the situation; it would only add to the fearful memories. Therefore, all Yang Ying could do was to wish her the strength to survive this disaster
This villa is filled with signs of warmth, while the thick ice on the windows indicates a significant temperature difference between the inside and outside. The temperature in Yang Ying's own residence drops very quickly, with only a thin layer of frost forming on the windows.
For Yang Ying, this is indeed the best news possible. Once the population cap is no longer an issue, resources become the greatest constraint on the development of the three races. If lighting each lamp on the tower can bring expansion to the continent, then when all eighty-one lamps are lit, the Star Control might develop into an undisturbed super logistics center. How many troops could it provide then? Planetary level? Galactic level? Even cosmic level? The Star Control might develop into an undisturbed super logistics center. How many troops could it provide then? Planetary level? Galactic level? Even cosmic level?
The existence of the tower plays a significant role for the entire floating continent. Although Yang Ying does not know the specific function, he has a sense that without the tower, there would be no掌中星际.
Yang Ying removed the mask he had been wearing for a long time, and indeed, there was no feeling of coldness inside the villa; clearly, the air conditioning system in the villa was functioning.
Bal took a deep breath and shouted, "Congratulations, Master, congratulations, Master! The changes in the tower seem to be a good thing!" (All of this is simulated using telepathy and *illustrations*, so please interpret similar expressions and actions in the same way in the future)
Why does the second lamp light up
Seeing that the crisis had passed, he gradually relaxed, closed the window, and went to the living room of the villa
Yang Ying continued to observe for a few minutes at the window, but there was no sign of anyone in the central air conditioning building, nor any indication of the enemy
Not right
He landed beneath the tall tower and saw that two lights had already been lit on the lowest level of the tower, with the second light positioned to the left of the first one
In this citywide icy catastrophe, this girl is the only living person Yang Ying has encountered, and she is also the first living person he has seen since his arrival. The others are either frozen to death or torn to pieces
Champagne is also a type of wine, and wine is a low-alcohol beverage. None of the low-alcohol beverages in this wine cabinet are frozen
Yang Ying approached her side and felt her heart still beating. Indeed, she was still alive; she had merely fainted.
Of course, it is illuminated by your brilliance, my master! Your radiance can shine across the entire continent
Yang Ying approached the bedside, gazing at the delicate little face, and slowly said: "I hope... you can survive."
The floating continent has indeed doubled in area, with a new ring of land sprouting around the original continent. The mineral density on the newly emerged land is also comparable to that of the original.
Yang Ying contemplated for a moment, then summoned an SCV to attempt to ignite the third lamp using a flame cutter, but failed. Regardless of how high the temperature of the flame was, he could not ignite any of the lamps on the tower, so he had no choice but to give up
Bal's voice was filled with excitement, as this news was closely related to the future of the three clans. The area of the continent is proportional to the amount of resources, thus an expansion of the continent's area indicates that the scale of the three clans can also be enlarged in the future
Yang Ying carried the girl into her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Her bedroom resembled a fairy tale world, with every available space filled with various cartoons (although the packaging of the cartoons in the 26th century was somewhat different, they were still easily recognizable). The cabinet by the bed was filled with dolls of fairy tale characters in various poses, such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and the Little Mermaid, along with other exclusively female characters, with not a single prince in sight
He thought of it and did it; he immediately envisioned drawing the champagne into his palm, but the result was disappointing, as the champagne remained unchanged in his hand
Although the specific circumstances remain unclear, Yang Ying has confirmed that the cause of the disaster is undoubtedly attributable to the ape-like beings.
"Is it a good thing or a bad thing?" Yang Ying asked cautiously
I obey, radiant master
The result was found in a game room on the second floor, where a girl was lying unconscious on the ground. She appeared to be only eight or nine years old, with golden hair and a delicate appearance resembling that of a doll
Wendy lay in bed, a satisfied smile on her face, likely dreaming a pleasant dream
It turns out that this child is named Wendini
He immediately began searching in the villa
The number of apes assigned to carry out the extermination task should not be large; otherwise, Yang Ying would have already encountered support after running such a long distance during the chase. Although the centipede that later appeared was formidable, Yang Ying felt that it was merely an accessory to that ape, akin to a mount or a pet. The connection between the two parties should be a phenomenon of spiritual resonance.
He opened the thermometer on the mask, and the temperature reading appeared at the corner of his eye. The negative sign on the left had disappeared, indicating that the external temperature had reached 18 degrees Celsius, which is above zero
Yang Ying suddenly realized that the unusual feeling he had sensed earlier was actually due to the temperature issue
If that is the case, could it be that the people in the villa... are still alive
They caused widespread unconsciousness through some unknown method, and then the failure of the central air conditioning led to countless people freezing to death in their sleep. As for those like myself who could still walk on the streets, they were to be eliminated by certain individuals among them
The decoration of the living room is exceedingly luxurious, with dozens of high-priced wines displayed on the wall-mounted wine cabinet. Yang Ying is mostly unable to recognize them, but he knows that just the wines whose names he can identify have a total value that exceeds the lifetime efforts of the original owner of this body
At this moment, Yang Ying suddenly recalled that he was wearing clothes during his astral travel, indicating that the items he carried could also be transported to the Floating Continent. Thus, he immediately employed the technique of astral travel, and indeed brought the champagne along to the Floating Continent and the * map * book. He descended beside the tower, placed the champagne on the ground, and then departed.
There is a swastika symbol on the back of his right hand, and another swastika is atop the tower, positioned at the center of the continent, radiating light across the entire land. All of this is clearly connected to himself; if any anomalies occur with the tower, it is highly likely that they are related to him
Yang Ying sat down on the sofa, entering a state of reverie. The changes in the tower must be confirmed by oneself.
He casually took a bottle of champagne from the wine cabinet, gently shaking it by the neck while watching the liquid inside swirl continuously. He remarked, "The main component of wine is ethanol, which has a very low freezing point. Even high-proof alcohol won't freeze at minus forty or fifty degrees. These wines look quite good; surely the owner of the villa does not have the fortune to enjoy them. I wish to drink, yet I cannot remove my mask. Ultimately, these wines can only remain here, awaiting their fate. Wait... perhaps I can hide and transport these wines to the Floating Continent."
In the center of the doll is a family portrait, with the background featuring this villa. The photo includes three individuals, all dressed in casual attire: a handsome man, a beautiful woman, and the two of them holding a child together. All three are laughing joyfully. At the bottom of the photo, in a crooked handwriting, are labeled "Dad," "Mom," and "Wendini."
The origins of the Starry Realm in the Palm are shrouded in mystery, and Yang Ying knows almost nothing about it, only that it possesses miraculous powers.
When he opened his eyes in the real world, the champagne was no longer in his hand