Chapter 109: The Gathering of Titans

Suddenly, the virtual sunlight within the conference room faded away, plunging the space back into darkness.

The ministers of the Tianzhu Eight Divisions straightened in their seats, holding their breath as they intently watched the virtual screen projected on the wall.

After a few seconds, a beam of light appeared on the large screen, precisely highlighting the seat of the first minister.

At the head of the conference table, a solitary figure manifested—a holographic AI, a bald man who appeared relatively young, radiating a blue glow composed entirely of data streams.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am glad we still have the opportunity to hold this meeting. I understand that since the hordes of the undead besieged Tianzhu, a shadow has fallen over your hearts, and many believe Tianzhu is doomed. But just as Tianzhu emerged at the dawn of the Age of Ruin, we have once again been aided by fate. Today, we must focus our attention on Minister Xun. Minister Xun, please briefly share the latest developments you have discovered to lift everyone’s spirits.”

The AI’s voice was rich and resonant, that of a middle-aged man speaking with unwavering confidence. It gestured politely, inviting Xun Xin to speak.

This news was of immense importance to Tianzhu; a minister-level meeting would not have been convened solely to relay it without confirmation.

The last ministerial meeting had been months ago, on the brink of the undead horde’s encirclement.

Usually cheerful, Xun Xin now looked serious. He nodded towards the hologram and opened the notebook before him.

“According to our department’s real-time surveillance, the undead horde surrounding ZZ City is ceasing its influx. For several consecutive days, no new undead have arrived from any direction. Most importantly, the undead within the city are retreating at an extraordinarily slow pace. Their withdrawal is orderly, as if commanded by an unseen hand, gradually pulling back from the outer circle of the siege. At this rate, we estimate that in about half a month, the undead surrounding Tianzhu will have mostly dispersed.”

Contrary to Xun Xin’s expectations, the other seven ministers showed no visible signs of joy. They had not known this news beforehand.

“Isn’t... shouldn’t you at least show some reaction? At least pretend to cheer a little, so my mood isn’t wasted! I was trying to be serious for once...” muttered Xun Xin, feeling absurdly like a clown.

He was the only one taking this seriously.

Minister of Research, Bai Qingchu, was the first to speak. “I think we need to understand the motive behind this. The siege and retreat of the undead hide a chilling truth. Since when could something control so many predators? And with the presence of secondary mutations—these abominations, or zombie beasts—I have a feeling this is far from simple.”

Everyone nodded in solemn agreement. The deeper one pondered, the more terrifying the implications.

“Indeed,” the AI projection responded, “what Minister Bai said aligns with my thoughts. Yet we lack sufficient information. Our contact with the outside world has been nearly severed for months. Guesswork alone won’t yield results. Our immediate priority is to get through this phase. When restrictions ease, and personnel can venture out again, we will gather all pertinent information about this incident.”

The ministers privately wondered whether this so-called Tianzhu Boss was human or merely the AI before them.

No one probed further; maintaining the status quo was already a blessing. At least there was a sanctuary of peace.

Bian Qiu pressed his fingers to his forehead, worry etching his face. “My greatest fear is that they will return. And when they do, it may be at a time when we cannot resist. Haven’t you noticed how quickly these predators evolve? Their progress threatens to surpass our technology. If they evolve another stage, our current capabilities will be utterly useless.”

The AI replied, “That is why we must rely heavily on Minister Bai of the Research Department and Minister Meng of the Equipment Department. I am familiar with their development efforts. We must accelerate our progress to withstand harsher calamities that may come.”

Bai Qingchu and Meng Gaozhuo exchanged determined glances and solemnly pledged their commitment.

“I will outline the next steps. After this meeting, Xun Xin will disseminate the news of the undead retreat without omission, to soothe the populace’s fears. Minister Bian will oversee mobilizing the action forces. Once the undead withdraw, we will resume external operations. These past months have been—”

Suddenly, a hesitant yet urgent male voice interrupted, “Wait! Did Xun Xin just say the undead will retreat in about half a month?”

Xun Xin replied, puzzled, “Yes, that is a conservative estimate. The numbers are vast, and we can only monitor through Tianzhu’s external environmental surveillance. Half a month seems reasonable. Old Lu, what’s on your mind?”

“But I’m afraid we don’t have that much time...” said Lu Yuan, Chief of Coordination.

“What do you mean?”

All eyes turned to Lu Yuan in surprise.

At this stage, the only thing that would deeply concern Lu Yuan was Tianzhu’s energy consumption. The Coordination Department managed all resources, supplies, and personnel assignments within Tianzhu.

“Tianzhu’s energy reserves won’t hold out that long. At best, three days remain before a complete blackout. I have a question: if the predators discover Tianzhu’s lights have gone out during their retreat, will they still leave?” Lu Yuan’s voice was heavy with despair. This was devastating news, freshly reported today.

For the first time, a fluctuation appeared in the AI’s tone, tinged with irritation. “Why was this only mentioned now?”

Lu Yuan sighed, “The Energy Monitoring Office just reported this morning that Tianzhu’s energy fluctuated violently. We had predicted at least a month’s endurance, but suddenly it’s plummeted to near zero for unknown reasons.”

The Tianzhu Boss responded calmly, “Have you identified the cause? If so much energy can vanish instantly, could it happen again, draining everything? This is a critical risk that must be investigated thoroughly.”

“I have looked into it, but found no useful information. Only one immature hypothesis remains...”

“Speak.”