This question seemed to pique Leah’s interest. She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile tugging at her pale lips.
“You want to see the true foundation of Ember?”
She raised her hand, and her wheelchair turned silently, gliding toward a door on the other side of the intelligence room.
Jiang Lin followed.
After passing through several heavy metal doors and undergoing three levels of strict identity verification, they arrived at an underground space far larger than the intelligence room.
It was an underground farm.
The massive space had a ceiling thirty meters high, embedded with countless long crystal panels emitting a soft white light, illuminating the entire area as bright as day.
The air was thick with the fragrance of soil, plants, and moisture, a sharp contrast to the foul, polluted air outside.
Rows upon rows of neatly arranged planting racks stretched out to the horizon.
Large tracts of farmland were laid out in perfect order across every inch of the underground space.
Lush green leaves unfurled under the artificial light, vines were laden with fruit the size of fists, and heavy ears of grain hung low.
There were at least dozens of different crops; some Jiang Lin recognized, while others were completely foreign to him.
Irrigation channels crisscrossed between the fields, carrying clear water with tiny bioluminescent algae floating on the surface, providing additional illumination for the space.
People dressed in simple cloth garments worked in the fields—some bending over to weed, some checking crop growth, and others harvesting mature grain.
Their faces lacked the tense vigilance of combat personnel, showing only calmness and focus—the expressions of those living a real “life.”
When they saw Leah’s wheelchair pass by, they would stop their work and bow slightly, their eyes filled with genuine love and gratitude.
“The purification zone is merely a shield. What truly sustains our existence are these underground farms.
“Three levels of underground farms, with a total area equivalent to one and a half square kilometers on the surface.”
She pointed to the vast farmland, her voice calm.
“For three hundred years, generation after generation, we have improved crop varieties, breeding mutated plants that are high-yielding and pollution-resistant in artificial environments.
“Currently, we have twenty-three types of staple crops, forty-seven types of vegetables and fruits, and six types of cash crops. Combined with hydroponics and vertical farming, we can basically meet the needs of headquarters and all outposts.”
The wheelchair moved slowly along the path at the edge of the fields. Jiang Lin followed beside her, his gaze sweeping over the busy figures.
There were elderly people, middle-aged men and women, and even half-grown children.
As they saw Leah pass, they stopped their work and bowed slightly in greeting.
Their bows were not out of fear for a “Leader,” but a purer, heartfelt respect.
“Those children...”
Jiang Lin’s gaze landed on an open area at the edge of the farmland.
There, a dozen or so children ranging from five to ten years old were gathered in a circle, listening to a white-haired elder explain something.
The elder held a crop in his hand, demonstrating how to identify pests and diseases.
“They are our next generation,” Leah’s voice softened slightly.
“Every child in Ember learns farming, animal husbandry, basic mechanical repair, and pollution protection from a young age... every skill needed to survive in this world.
“They are not warriors; they are the seeds of the future.
“When the day comes that we defeat the evil god and this world becomes habitable again, they will be the sparks that rebuild civilization.”
Jiang Lin remained silent.
He thought of the little girl in the Silent City outpost who had been holding the holographic projector.
The right side of her face had been covered in crystallized patterns, and her crystallized eye had flickered with a ghostly blue light under the dark red sky.
She was also one of those “seeds.”
The wheelchair continued forward, passing through a sealed door into another area.
This place was even more open, and the air was filled with warmth and the slight musky scent of animals.
In neat pens, livestock such as pigs, sheep, and chickens were being raised.
They looked no different from the ones Jiang Lin was familiar with, though they were slightly smaller and their coats were a bit duller.
“Level four is the livestock area,” Leah introduced.
“Using improved feed, their growth cycle is one-third shorter than before the Great Cataclysm.
“Although the meat quality and yield aren’t as high as they used to be, it’s enough to provide essential protein and fat.”
Further down was the fifth level, the energy center.
A massive reactor emitted a low hum, with complex pipes and gauges covering the entire space.
Several technicians in protective suits were monitoring various data.
“Our energy primarily comes from geothermal power generation.
“Additionally, magic crystals provide a portion of the energy. However, mining magic crystals has become increasingly difficult.
“Therefore, a large part of our technological development over the last three hundred years has been exploring how to transition from the magic crystal energy we once relied on to electricity.”
Leah said, “Three hundred years ago, our ancestors’ technology tree was mainly focused on magic technology.
“But there was also some research into electricity.
“After the disaster struck, magic essence gradually decreased, so we have been slowly transitioning toward power.
“Relying on this, Ember Headquarters has been able to maintain itself until now.”
Jiang Lin watched silently, gaining a more direct understanding of this world’s level of civilization.
In his original world, although transcendent powers were strong enough to move mountains and fill seas, the improvement of ordinary people’s lives was far behind the technological level here.
If not for this disaster, the humans of this world might have lived truly affluent lives.
“Further down, from the sixth to the tenth levels, there are the water purification plant, material warehouses, the medical center, training grounds, and...”
Leah paused as the wheelchair stopped in front of another massive metal door.
“...the Research Institute.”
The door slid open silently.
This space was even more spacious than the intelligence room, filled with various instruments Jiang Lin couldn’t name.
Complex waveforms and data jumped across holographic screens, and strange specimens were submerged in transparent cultivation tanks. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectants and pungent chemical reagents.
A dozen or so researchers in white lab coats were busy at work.
Seeing Leah enter, a middle-aged man at the front hurried to meet them.
He wore thick glasses—a rare sight on Planet Teluofuto—and his hair was gray and thinning. His face bore the fatigue of chronic sleep deprivation.
“Leader,” he bowed slightly, but his gaze couldn't help but fall on Jiang Lin.
“This is Mr. Matthew,” Leah introduced.
“From today onward, he holds the highest authority in Ember. All departments will cooperate unconditionally with his every need.”
The middle-aged man was clearly stunned for a moment, but he didn’t ask questions. He simply nodded respectfully.
“Understood. I am the head of the Research Institute, Villa. If you need anything, Mr. Matthew, just say the word.”
Jiang Lin nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the instruments. “What are you researching?”
“Pollution antibodies.”
Villa pushed up his glasses and led them inside.
Leah explained, “For three hundred years, we have been searching for a way to resist the pollution.
“Initially, it was developing purification reagents and protective gear. Later, we tried genetic modification and organ transplants... but with very little success.”
As Leah spoke, Jiang Lin saw a large cultivation tank. Inside was a... heart?
It was a heart that was still slowly beating. Its surface was covered in fine crystallized patterns, and with every pulse, a dark red light flashed through the veins.
Seeing Jiang Lin looking, Villa introduced, “This was taken from the body of a 3rd-rank warrior.”
Villa’s voice was low. “His name was Karl. He was once one of Ember’s strongest combatants.
“During a battle against a 4th-rank Aggregate, he absorbed too much pollution energy, and his mutation level exceeded the critical point.
“In his final three months, his memory began to fade, his self-awareness blurred, and his aggression grew stronger...
“We had to restrain him.”
He paused. “But he requested that after he completely lost control, we take his heart for research.
“He said that if he was destined to die, he wanted his death to have some value.”
Jiang Lin stared silently at the still-beating heart.
Even separated from the body, it continued to pulse stubbornly, as if proving the traces of its owner’s existence.
“We extracted twenty-seven types of special proteins from his body and analyzed forty-three gene sequences related to mutation...”
Villa’s voice was weary. “But we are still far from researching a true antibody.
“The source of the pollution is the evil god; its power level is too high.
“We are like ants studying a human nuclear bomb. We can see the surface destructive power, but we can never understand its essence.”
Leah turned her wheelchair toward Jiang Lin.
“Although the Research Institute hasn’t found an antibody, their research into the pollution has accumulated a massive amount of data.
“If you need intelligence on Aberrants, Aggregates, or even the evil god, they are the most authoritative experts.”
Jiang Lin’s gaze lingered on the beating heart for a moment before moving away.
He asked a question he had been thinking about since he first stepped into this world: “By the way, what is the essence of the pollution?”
Villa pushed his glasses up and walked to a massive holographic screen, his fingers swiping through the air.
Complex molecular structures, energy wave spectrums, and countless tiny points of light appeared on the screen.
“From an energy perspective, pollution is a special type of radiation released by the evil god Mozos.”
Villa’s voice became serious, as if entering an academic state.
“This radiation is extremely corrosive and assimilative.
“It resonates with a living being’s cells, blood, and even soul, gradually transforming them into substances with the same origin as the evil god.”
He swiped his finger, and a comparison chart appeared on the screen.
On the left was a model of a normal human cell—clear structure, defined function.
On the right was a cell eroded by pollution, its surface covered in fine crystallized patterns, its internal structure completely altered.
“On a physical level, pollution leads to cell mutation, organ hyperplasia, and even changes in overall form.
“This is what we see as Aberrants.
“They were originally humans or other creatures, but they were eroded by pollution to an irreversible degree.”
Villa paused and brought up another set of data.
“On a mental level, pollution erodes memory, emotion, and self-awareness.
“This is why high-stage mutation subjects gradually lose their memories and eventually become monsters that only know how to devour.”
Jiang Lin nodded thoughtfully.
“Now, we are going to launch a counter-offensive against the Aberrants on this entire planet. Tell me the useful information you have researched.”
Hearing Jiang Lin’s words, Villa’s eyes widened. “L-Launch a counter-offensive?!”
He looked at the Leader beside him in disbelief.
However, the lady in the wheelchair showed no surprise at Jiang Lin’s statement. She even nodded.
“That’s right. We no longer need to survive in the cracks like this.
“Perhaps the disaster will end with our generation...”
When he finally confirmed that he hadn't misheard the news, Villa’s hands trembled with excitement.
“The disaster... can it really end...”
“Ahem. Please tell me all the information you’ve gathered. I don’t know much about Aberrants.”
Although he found it strange that this young-looking youth would talk about a counter-offensive despite not knowing much about Aberrants, he still nodded out of unconditional trust in the Leader.
“No problem, Mr. Matthew.”
Dr. Villa said no more and hurried to the console, his fingers sliding quickly across the screen.
A massive amount of data, charts, and video footage poured down like a waterfall, condensing into clear holographic images in the air.
“This is the basic classification of Aberrants.”
Dr. Villa pointed to the first set of images.
“Based on their form and attack style, we divide them into five categories.
“Strollers: the most common. Below rank-3, they aren't a huge threat individually, but they live in groups.
“Piercers: experts at long-range attacks. They can fire crystal spikes from their backs.
“Devourers: massive in size. They evolve by devouring their own kind and are the precursors to Aggregates.
“Lurkers: capable of blending into shadows and ruins. They excel at ambushes.
“And... Mental Polluters. Extremely rare. They can release mental attacks and control other Aberrants or even humans.”
Jiang Lin listened quietly, his golden eyes quickly scanning the images, imprinting every detail into his mind.
“What about Aggregates?”
“Two conditions are required for an Aggregate to form.”
Dr. Villa switched to another set of images.
“First is quantity. At least thirty or more Aberrants must die in a very short time, and their flesh must not be completely destroyed.
“Second is pollution concentration. The pollution energy in the environment must reach a certain threshold.
“When both are met, the remains will automatically fuse and reorganize, forming a new Aggregate.”
He paused, pointing at the twisted and terrifying giant monsters on the screen.
“Aggregates have no fixed form; it depends entirely on the types of Aberrants fused together.
“But their core is consistent—the Aggregate Core.
“It is usually the first part formed during the fusion process and is also their most fatal weakness.
“Destroy the Aggregate Core, and the Aggregate will instantly collapse.”
Jiang Lin nodded, lost in thought.
During the battle in Rusty Town, he had indeed felt that those Aggregates were different from ordinary Aberrants.
They were harder to kill, had stronger recovery abilities, and seemed to possess a minimal level of 'consciousness,' even directing the surrounding Aberrants to besiege the Blood Demons.
...
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