The indicator lights on the colossal airship flickered as it pierced through the spore-filled gray sky, drifting slowly over the city. Below, after a brief moment of silence, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of emotions:
"We're saved!"
"Future Ark? Since when did this faction appear?"
"We don't even know what’s going on—how can you dare to board that ship?"
"Should we try? But I didn’t win the lottery before."
"What if I wasn’t chosen?!"
Amid the roaring waves of voices, flexible gangways descended from the belly of the massive vessel like the tendrils of a great beast, guiding the excited crowd below.
Now, after being transformed by the spores, the people of Taida had awakened basic supernatural abilities. Even the elderly, weak, and children could easily climb these gangways with their enhanced strength, let alone in such a critical moment when people could tap into hidden reserves of potential.
The Taidans rushed up the gangways in haste. Some major factions, caught off guard, exchanged glances, pondering the origins of the Future Ark’s backers.
People scrambled to board, not just the ecstatic lottery winners but also many who had previously ignored the project. The herd mentality of society was on full display—those who had once doubted the Future Ark, hesitating with countless reservations, now threw caution to the wind and climbed aboard.
The gangway technology was incredibly advanced, retracting automatically. The first to grab hold were already touching the hull of the giant ship—until, in the next moment, disaster struck.
"Let me in!"
"Bang!"
Angry shouts erupted from opportunists. Somehow, the ship had implemented an identity-binding mechanism—only lottery winners could truly enter through the hatch. Anyone else attempting to cross the threshold was violently repelled by an energy barrier.
A few, relying on their abilities, tried to force their way in, only to be met with retaliatory strikes from the ship’s advanced energy weapons.
Frustration turned to violence as some began attacking the legitimate winners, plunging the scene into uncontrollable chaos.
Meanwhile, some of the chosen, after their initial excitement, began to reconsider. This ship, like the Harbinger of Doom, was shrouded in mystery. Who knew what awaited them aboard?
Yet, amid the turmoil of human emotions, the Future Ark remained indifferent, silently gliding through the sky, its doors open only to the chosen. It interfered with nothing—neither the conflicts below nor the struggles between people—coldly impartial.
And so, the ship completed its slow circuit before vanishing into the clouds, just as it had arrived.
Those who boarded soon discovered, to their surprise, that the ship was empty. Cautiously, they began exploring.
Their excitement grew as they found ample food and supplies capable of sustaining them for over five hundred years. Tears streamed down the faces of these hopeful Taidans:
"It’s real… We still have a future!"
When they finally reached the central control area, wondering who—or what—they would meet, the core chamber opened.
Inside, the ship’s autopilot was already set, locked on a course away from Taida for the next year, unchangeable.
Beyond that, nothing. The distant future now rested entirely in the hands of those aboard.
……
As the Future Ark disappeared, chaos erupted once more among those left behind—some by choice, others by circumstance. With so many gone, the remaining resources would last longer. Life always finds a way.
Yet, all eyes inevitably turned toward the Taida Spire.
"What do you want from us?! Is there no way to fight back?!"
Even among those who had once, after gaining long-coveted abilities, briefly thanked the Harbinger of Doom, only the most fanatical cultists and desperate beggars still clung to reverence. The rest now understood—their true enemy must be destroyed.
This time, the survivors rallied. Old divisions were cast aside as they united, some even ready to sacrifice themselves for the battles ahead. In this moment, the brilliance of humanity shone through.
Meanwhile, atop the Taida Spire, Ye Bai received a report from Lynn:
"Senior, over 500 million have boarded the ship—that’s 50% of the required population. Should we leave now and complete the mission?"
Lynn was in high spirits, utterly awed by the senior’s strategy. Just by constructing a single interstellar vessel barely at planetary-class, they had secured 3,000 Stellar Credits. What incredible luck!
After accepting the mission, Lynn had researched its challenges. Previous task-takers had typically tried gaining the trust of the civilization’s elites—whether revealing their identities or not, the difficulty was immense.
But this was the first time Lynn had seen the mission approached backward—by becoming the architects of the catastrophe. As long as they didn’t expose technology far beyond Taida’s level or admit to being aliens from the Chaotic Star Sea, the Taidans would simply invent their own explanations.
And without the lottery system as bait, far fewer would have boarded, possibly failing the mission.
Ye Bai glanced at the countdown behind her—two hours remained.
"It’s time. I’ll handle the final cleanup, then we’re done," she replied. Then, recalling something, she added, "Any word from the other task-taker?"
Lynn answered instantly, "No. I haven’t encountered them or received any response."
Ye Bai pondered briefly. Under her surveillance, the entire Taida Star had shown no signs of external interference. Either the other operative was using superior cloaking tech—or they weren’t even on the planet.
She wondered how the Jade Terminal would judge such an idle participant. But as long as the mission wasn’t compromised, she merely noted it for later.
"The final countdown begins."
Ye Bai closed her eyes, channeling her psychic energy on a scale never before seen on Taida.
……
"Don’t worry—I’ll survive!"
Somewhere, farewells were being made.
Those who stayed behind devised a series of plans targeting the Teda Tower. In this moment, many true heroes emerged—individuals who were genuinely determined to protect their loved ones, even at the cost of their lives, in order to secure a future for the remaining Tedans.
Of course, there were also cunning and cowardly individuals who took the opportunity to hide in the shadows, for human nature is inherently complex.
But before their plans could even begin, they suddenly felt an abnormal and massive tremor in the ground, especially those positioned near the coast.
"Something's wrong..."
People grew wary, and Tedans who had awakened water-based abilities immediately went to investigate.
Less than half an hour later, the scouts returned, their faces either numb or filled with despair, all on the verge of madness:
"A tsunami... it's coming. All the land will be submerged!"
The news struck everyone like a soul-crushing blow.
"Hahaha... so this is the true apocalypse!" The people fell into utter despair.
After venting their fury, some of the angriest and most unwilling still sought to gather their remaining strength for one final stand against the Teda Tower. Meanwhile, others simply grew calm—or rather, resigned—and began bidding their final farewells to loved ones.
High above, clad in combat gear, Lynn watched in horror as the oceans of Tedan rose as if pulled by the gravitational force of a satellite, the sea level surging by tens of thousands of meters. The waters were now moving with purpose, encircling the continents of Tedan. His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
From his vantage point in the sky, he could grasp the sheer might of nature far more viscerally than the Tedans below.
So this was what the "cleanup" the big shot had mentioned earlier looked like.
Earlier, as Ye Bai executed one calculated move after another, Lynn had marveled at the novelty and effectiveness of the approach. But while the strategy was brilliant, the actual execution had relied on technology that hadn’t even surpassed planetary-level civilization standards.
Now, however, the ability to manipulate natural phenomena on a planetary scale with pure psychic power—this was the true display of a powerhouse’s strength.
A-rank! And not just any A-rank, but an absolute top-tier among them!
In Lynn’s mind, the status of this mysterious five-star powerhouse soared even higher, and he couldn’t help but reflect on whether he had shown enough respect in their previous interactions.
As for the fate of Tedan, Lynn felt no particular emotion.
Born in the lawless expanse of the chaotic star seas, where civilization was a foreign concept, his attitude toward the Tedans was the classic: "I destroy you, and it has nothing to do with you."
...
As time passed, even though the survivors instinctively crowded toward the center of the land, they could still see the coastline vanish, the dark blue of the sea nearly blotting out the sky as it drew closer.
At this moment, only a couple of fanatical doomsday cultists remained, screaming and praying—whether in praise or curses directed at the harbinger of the apocalypse.
"You shall greet the end alongside the world!"
Those enduring the catastrophe watched these madmen numbly as they huddled together, as if witnessing a final performance.
"This is the last apocalypse."
When the now-familiar voice from the past seven days echoed in everyone’s ears, they lifted their heads toward the tallest structure, as if seeing a countdown clock there—and a lone figure standing before it.
Curses, shouts, pleas... all kinds of voices rose, though none as fervent as before. Most remained silent, resigned to despair.
If everything is ending, then so be it.
The last holdouts, who had refused to believe in Tedan’s doom despite every calamity, now fully accepted that the end had come.
"This is also the last chance."
The second statement left people momentarily stunned before realization dawned—what did "last chance" mean?
Soon, those closest to the receding shoreline erupted into a deafening wave of cheers.
The crowd turned to look—and there, emerging from the towering tsunami like a specter, was a massive ship nearly identical to the "Future Ark," save for some minor paint differences.
"When did the senior build this? I had no idea..."
High above, Lynn felt a flicker of surprise and admiration, though not the same awe as when he witnessed the tsunami. Given the vast gap in their abilities, it was only natural that the powerhouse could construct a similar vessel without his knowledge.
What Lynn didn’t know was that this ship, aside from its exterior paint, was identical to the original Future Ark in every way—internal structure, materials, even the food and supplies inside.
Because Ye Bai had retrieved it from the past using Historical Recall after coming into contact with the original.
The size of objects retrieved through Historical Recall didn’t matter; instead, it seemed tied to Ye Bai’s knowledge—the complexity of the item’s technology. For her, pulling a massive interstellar vessel that had barely surpassed planetary-level tech from the past consumed even less psychic energy than retrieving a jade terminal.
Moreover, unlike the jade terminal’s "overwriting" effect, the two ships—one from the past and one from the present—could coexist. Whether it was because Lynn had built the original locally, the tech level was low, the distance between the two ships was sufficient, or the jade terminal had some unique property, Ye Bai confirmed during testing that duplication was possible.
Of course... to avoid making the original builder, Lynn, look bad, Ye Bai later gave this "Future Ark Tribute Edition" a fresh coat of paint.
Rope ladders unfurled from the great ship like cascading silk, descending toward the desperate survivors. With no other thoughts in mind, everyone clung to them as if grasping their last lifeline.
And unlike the first Future Ark, which had only accepted those chosen by lottery, this one took in anyone who climbed aboard, without discrimination.
"O Lord who ends all! O Lord who creates all! O omnipotent Lord!"
The doomsday cultists in the crowd shrieked their praises to the harbinger of the apocalypse, and even the rescued, swept up in the frenzy, began chanting along as if possessed.
If before, the "Doomsday Cult" was merely a refuge for the despairing among the Taida people, then now—and in the future—aboard this other starship carrying the Taida survivors, true believers of the "Doomsday Cult" fabricated by Ye Bai were born.
This ship would later be named the "Doomsday Ark" by the Taida people who boarded it.
"Dong!"
On the seventh day, when the doomsday countdown reached its end,
Amidst the tolling of the final bell, two ships departed Taida—one, an ark of hope sailing toward the future, the other, a desperate ark of survival—each venturing into the unknown depths of the cosmos.
