The elite at the very top were known as the "People on the Lake."
They were the power behind the Sky Eye Organization—the strongest group in this world, possessing the highest level of technology.
They occupied the world's only massive, stable source of fresh water: Earth-Eye Lake.
Upon its waters, they had built steel cities, equipped with the most advanced medical, energy, and Anomaly containment technologies. They controlled the discourse of this world and lived relatively peaceful lives.
This was likely the origin of the organization's name. Earth-Eye Lake on the ground and the Sky Eye Organization in the heavens worked together to guard the cities of the People on the Lake.
From their perspective, they were the lighthouse of civilization and the guardians of order.
However, to Ren Yi's surprise, even a power as formidable as the People on the Lake could not achieve total dominance in this world.
He saw similar annotations in many files:
【Anomaly B-042: Uncontained. Currently belongs to the explorer "Belan" of the People of the Abyss.】
【Anomaly C-091: Uncontained. Belongs to the White-Clad Tribe of the Tide-Followers. Containment plan deferred according to the 《Non-Aggression Pact》.】
"So there are so many competitors?"
Ren Yi grew interested, his misty body rippling slightly. He was clearly filled with curiosity regarding these unknown groups.
The "People of the Abyss" mentioned in the files lived in a massive underground structure called the "World's Navel," or more simply, the "Deep Abyss."
It was a complex system of chasms, seemingly separated from Earth-Eye Lake by a massive mountain range.
The mountains blocked direct contact between the Deep Abyss and the lake, allowing them to live safely underground.
The People of the Abyss obtained resources by constantly exploring the unknown hollows below.
Although they had descended to extreme depths, the internal scale of the Deep Abyss far exceeded their imagination; to this day, vast areas remained uncharted.
Some explorers had even proposed a hypothesis: was the world hollow?
The People of the Abyss were not skilled in developing conventional technology—their technology tree had grown exceptionally "crooked"—but they excelled at exploring underground ruins and utilizing the Anomalies unearthed from the Deep Abyss.
Indeed, seemingly influenced by the volume the Deep Abyss occupied, some Anomalies that were temporarily "eliminated" would easily reappear in the territory of the People of the Abyss.
This was one reason why the Sky Eye Organization did not dare to eliminate Anomalies at will.
Otherwise, the People of the Abyss, possessing a large number of Anomalies, might one day launch a counterattack on Earth-Eye Lake and let those high-and-mighty elite taste the bitterness of the abyss.
As for the "Tide-Followers" like Evans, they were the lowest and most widespread group in this world.
His wasteland was located at the end of the massive mountain range that separated the People on the Lake from the People of the Abyss.
This wasteland was also a high-frequency zone for various intense geological activities.
"Tide-Followers" was not a specific tribe name but a collective term representing hundreds of scattered tribes living on the wasteland.
They had no stable habitats, no advanced technology, and no sufficient resources. They occupied the vastest yet most barren lands of this world.
These tribes fought and killed each other year-round to compete for limited survival resources.
And the core resource they fought over was called the "Red Tide."
When Ren Yi first saw the name, he thought it was a tsunami triggered by satellite gravity.
But after carefully studying the files, he realized it wasn't an ocean tide at all. It was a high-energy geological activity that erupted from the surface at irregular intervals.
"No ocean, yet there is a Red Tide."
Ren Yi summarized silently in his heart, his tone carrying a hint of pity.
"They're just a bunch of poor souls locked in a cage, tearing each other apart over a pool of stagnant water and a few pits in the ground."
However, this also raised a question.
From previous information, he knew that he wasn't at the headquarters of the Sky Eye Organization, but rather a branch managed by Dr. Cyril.
In that case, where exactly was Ren Yi's current geographical location?
He hadn't found the answer yet.
Just as Ren Yi was preparing to switch perspectives again to see what "staff benefits" Dr. Cyril was flipping through today—and if there was any new, explosive information—a sudden change occurred.
An extremely low-pitched yet powerful vibration suddenly emanated from deep beneath the metal plates underfoot. It carried a dull roar, spreading out bit by bit.
The entire sealed pod began to tremble slightly, and the lights flickered a few times.
"Again?"
Ren Yi instantly became alert.
He instinctively assumed that the mysterious S-099 was rioting outside the base again, bashing at the gates.
After all, in his experience, only an Anomaly of that level could create a disturbance of this scale.
However, just a few seconds later, he completely dismissed that thought.
This vibration was entirely different from the disordered impacts of S-099's previous riot.
It was very rhythmic, carrying a complex sense of mechanical engagement and heavy inertia. Every vibration was precise and powerful, as if some gargantuan machine were slowly operating.
It wasn't a violent impact from a living being; it felt more like... a massive heart starting to beat, or countless gears beginning to frantically mesh and turn.
Rumble—
Accompanied by a deafening low roar that seemed capable of tearing the earth asunder, Ren Yi felt the sealed pod he was in suddenly tilt at a slight angle.
Following that, a sensation of being pressed back by acceleration actually appeared in the perception of his misty body.
His perception could not independently expand beyond this base. Fortunately, after noticing the movement, Dr. Cyril also reacted.
She brought a strand of Ren Yi's perception to the upper level and stood before a massive glass window.
Outside, bright and scorching sunlight fell diagonally, casting giant shadows behind the distant loess dunes.
And at this moment, those loess dunes were actually receding slowly in the window.
Ren Yi quickly expanded his perception with Dr. Cyril as the core, finally penetrating the window to see outside.
When his perception touched the edge of the base's shell and extended downward along the cold armor plates, Ren Yi was completely stunned.
Beneath those composite armor plates meters thick, there was no reinforced concrete foundation buried deep underground as he had imagined, nor was there a fixed building base.
Instead, there were several rows of giant load-bearing wheels, each over twenty meters in diameter and exquisitely structured. Their surfaces were covered with thick anti-skid treads, shimmering with a cold metallic luster.
In addition, there were massive treads over ten meters wide, currently rolling and turning frantically on the muddy wasteland, pushing the entire base forward with endless power.
This wasn't a secret base established in the wilderness at all.
This was a gargantuan land ship, capable of housing thousands for living, research, and combat.
Rate on N.U.
