The earth trembled, and glass shattered.
Everything indicated one thing: an earthquake!
Wooo~!
The sirens blared even louder!
Those who had been complaining immediately fell silent, following the instructions to the letter.
The swaying of the earth grew more pronounced. In the Command Center, Su Baadao's face was grim.
The True Knowledge Society had moved too quickly!
Fortunately, he had organized an earthquake drill in advance. This would help him salvage the situation.
Reducing casualties was, after all, a form of political achievement!
"It's good that they've shown their faces. I'll let a couple of small fry escape this time so I can find their nest!"
"If I don't give them a painful lesson, they truly won't understand what 'the authorities' means!"
Su Baadao flew into the air, staring at the swaying buildings with a dark expression.
Even as a Demigod and a Top Scholar, he felt powerless in the face of a large-scale natural disaster.
Ultimately, he was only a Demigod, not a god.
...
South District.
Boom!
This was the epicenter. The buildings in Mangliang City, constructed with massive investment, began to collapse in sections.
Workers on the sites ran out like madmen.
"Run! Get to an open area!"
"Watch out for the tower cranes! Watch out for the cranes!"
Snap!
A crane's cable snapped, and a concrete slab plummeted from the sky, crushing several workers who couldn't dodge in time into a bloody pulp.
Flesh and blood splattered everywhere, a piercing, vivid crimson.
The other workers who witnessed this were nearly driven insane with terror.
In the face of a life-or-death crisis, it was difficult for anyone to remain calm.
"Get to an open area!"
"Open area!!!"
The foreman's eyes were bloodshot as he screamed until his voice broke.
But few could hear him; everyone was fleeing based on pure survival instinct.
Rumble...
Buildings collapsed, kicking up clouds of dust and burying those who hadn't escaped in time.
Old Wang was one of them. He trembled all over as images of his family flashed through his mind.
"I can't die. I absolutely cannot die."
"My mother is waiting for me to take care of her in her old age. My daughter just got into university; I haven't saved enough for her tuition yet."
"And my wife... she's wanted that dress for so long. I promised I'd buy it for her."
"If I die here, what will happen to them? No, absolutely not!"
Old Wang's eyes were red. Survival instinct pushed him into a state of extreme agitation. He tried to push the concrete slabs around him, but they wouldn't budge an inch.
"What do I do? What do I do?"
His breathing was heavy as he groped through the darkness, trying to find a way out.
There were many others like Old Wang at this moment, and he was actually one of the luckier ones.
Rumble...
Aftershocks roared. Life seemed so fragile at this moment.
Human strength was utterly powerless against the earthquake.
...
Gold Medal Pest Control Company.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!"
"It's going to be okay!"
"Follow me!"
Nie Pi dragged his lame leg, calling for the cats to follow him.
He carried a bag on his shoulder containing everything he considered important.
The boss wasn't home, so he was responsible for watching the shop.
Originally, he hadn't planned on leaving, thinking that even if he had to die, he would die in the shop to avoid betraying his boss's trust.
But the cats came!
A dozen or so cats were meowing together at the door.
The boss had hired him specifically to feed the cats.
It didn't matter if he died, but the cats couldn't!
So, he grabbed everything valuable and important he could find and led the cats toward an open area, considering it a way to save the company's assets.
"Young man, your leg isn't good. Come, get on the cart!"
An elderly woman sitting on a handcart shouted when she saw Nie Pi's uniform.
Nie Pi turned and saw a strong man pushing the cart. Besides the lady, the cart was loaded with various pots, pans, and basins.
"No need, ma'am. I can manage."
"Oh, don't be polite. Little Dong and I aren't strangers,"
The strong man also called out.
"Don't be shy. You barely weigh anything. Hurry up."
Nie Pi looked at the man, then at the cats, and gritted his teeth as he climbed onto the cart.
Once he was up, the dozen or so cats jumped on as well. The man pushed the cart and ran, shouting as he went.
"Lord of Rebirth and Communion, protect us!"
"Lord of Rebirth and Communion, protect us!"
Nie Pi looked on in horror, wondering if he had stumbled into some kind of cult.
Seeing his expression, the lady asked in surprise.
"Hmm? Young man, aren't you from the Gold Medal Pest Control Company?"
"I am."
"Then how is it you've never heard of the Lord of Rebirth and Communion?"
"Huh?"
"Your boss is a believer of the Lord of Rebirth and Communion!"
Hearing this, Nie Pi's fear instantly vanished.
His boss was a good man. How could a god worshipped by a good man be an evil god?
And even if it were an evil god, if his boss believed in it, then he would too!
Along the way, almost everyone was fleeing. Some people heard the strong man shouting for the Lord of Rebirth and Communion's protection and began to shout along.
Even though they didn't know if it would work, even a sliver of hope was better than nothing at this moment.
Rumble...
The earth shook, and many people running fell directly to the ground.
Nie Pi's pupils constricted at the sight.
Falling at a time like this meant a high probability of a stampede!
Whether one could get back up depended entirely on fate.
"Get up, quick!"
A middle-aged man dressed as a worker helped the fallen person up.
"Watch your step."
The person thanked him profusely and continued running while still expressing gratitude.
The lady had been watching Nie Pi's changing expressions. Seeing him relax, she smiled.
"We've all been neighbors here for years. We help when we can."
Nie Pi nodded, but his expression remained worried.
The boss hadn't come back.
Cat Boss hadn't come back either.
Meanwhile, the boss Nie Pi was worried about was currently sitting in a cafe across from the Command Center, sipping coffee.
The people around had long since fled, leaving him alone, drinking coffee while staring at the Command Center.
"No wonder those cults love creating disasters. It turns out faith is so easy to harvest when a disaster strikes!"
"Meow~"
Canned Food let out a supportive meow, its expression exceptionally alert.
Even as a transcendent cat, it sensed the danger.
Whoosh!
A streak of light flew into the Security Bureau. Yin Yang narrowed his eyes.
"The Bureau Chief is back. He must be about to use a sealed object."
Sure enough, within two minutes, a red light flared within the Security Bureau.
It was the sealed object Wang Gen had used before—the red rope.
The red light shot into the sky and vanished in an instant.
"The most dangerous place is the safest place."
"Go."
The shadows behind Yin Yang twisted, and the blade-wielding ghost and lantern-carrying ghost disappeared.
The Headless Ghost also tried to follow, but the sunlight caused its skin to crack and sear.
Yet despite the pain, it didn't retreat, continuing to step outward.
At the same time, the skin being scorched by the sun was rapidly regenerating.
"Come back. You haven't found your internal organs yet."
Hearing Yin Yang's summons, the Headless Ghost reluctantly returned to the cafe.
"Don't be impatient. I will find your liver."
The Headless Ghost cupped its fists and faded into the darkness.
...
"I can't... am I really going to die here?"
Old Wang curled up in the ruins, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.
If gods are truly useful, can they protect me so I don't die here? My family needs me.
In the darkness, the only name of a deity he could think of was the one he had 'joined' just a few days ago.
The Lord of Rebirth and Communion!
Buzz~
His vision went black, as if he had been locked in some dark space.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing outside the ruins.
Old Wang was stunned.
And around him, there were at least thirty others who were just as bewildered as he was.
Rate on N.U.
