I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

[I'm thinking of giving up, let humanity just perish. I heard my colleagues in the biology group made a breakthrough, and maybe policy will shift in that direction. Damn it, what the hell is this?!]

We've already done so much, what else can we do but keep going?

I've realized I've been misunderstanding something all along. We can't just use brute force to send a rocket there; no amount of energy would be enough. What we need to do is build a bridge to connect the two, using the potential energy difference between the two spaces to allow the rocket to move automatically.

My thinking is correct. I believe we have found a way to save humanity. Although it's regrettable that this means we may have to abandon this planet, it's a necessary sacrifice for the survival of humanity.

The second experiment went smoothly as well, but I kept feeling like I heard something. I'm not sure if the other side of the bridge is an open area; maybe there's life there too?

[Xiao Li committed suicide yesterday. He said he couldn't bear the pressure. It's very regrettable. I wrote a letter to his family, hoping they are still alive. The outside world is becoming increasingly desolate, more and more people are getting sick, and our time is running out.]

[I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! We succeeded! We succeeded! We must start the evacuation immediately, at least to get some people out.]

Those damn politicians, even at this point they're still talking about who should die first. If they drag this out any longer, more people will die!

【Tingting, my Tingting, it's all Daddy's fault, Daddy couldn't save you...】

It's fucking idiotic to let those shit-brained bastards decide who gets on the ship. I've made my decision, and they can't. I'll be the bad guy and reveal how to build the bridge.

I've revealed the method for building this bridge; it's very simple and only requires some basic equipment. The difficulty lies in the concept itself. I believe that after this, humanity will surely be able to move towards a brighter tomorrow!

Chapter 495 Saving Humanity is of Utmost Urgency

The recording ends here.

There was also a part of daily rants, which quickly formed in Lu Ban's mind the image of a straightforward researcher who likes to eat beef noodles, listen to classical music, is passionate about research, and has also lost his daughter due to a disaster.

"bridge?"

Lu Ban checked the contents of the notebook again and confirmed that the researcher must be studying how to launch spacecraft into outer space.

However, unlike Lu Ban's understanding of outer space aerospace, what he was researching was probably the technology for traveling to other worlds.

Lu Ban didn't know what kind of disaster the people suffered back then, but it was undoubtedly difficult to leave this planet and find a new home in outer space.

Perhaps some people were bewitched by evil gods from another world, gradually mastered the methods to travel to other worlds or open the passage between other worlds and this world, and finally released monsters from other worlds, causing a complete catastrophe here.

The researcher played the recording from the tablet for Shuangxin, and remained silent for a while.

"So...he caused the swarm?"

Shuangxin's expression was somewhat gloomy.

In her view, the researcher had good intentions from the beginning, just like herself now.

A good start doesn't necessarily guarantee a good outcome.

"It's not clear yet."

Lu Ban shook his head.

It would be biased to determine the truth based solely on this one record.

He searched the building again, turning on each electronic device in turn, and only found a partial map of the park.

Following the map, Lu Ban and Shuang Xin arrived at the biological research institute.

The area was even more severely damaged, with almost no buildings remaining on the ground.

However, Lu Ban discovered that the underground part here went even deeper.

He took a crowbar and cleared a path down the stairs, with Shuangxin following behind.

It was pitch black below. Lu Ban wrote the word "glowing" on a stone, held it in his hand, and the light shone through, revealing the ancient and mottled staircase.

As Lu Ban walked down, he discovered that this place was better preserved, perhaps because it was underground and had not been weathered by wind and sand. He could see the slogans on the walls.

Saving humanity is of utmost urgency.

In the face of disaster, every second counts.

This minute you waste is also the minute humanity heads towards its demise.

It was incredibly oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

In the underground laboratory, there were only some broken glass containers, making one wonder what they once contained.

Lu Ban also saw a room with many beds, like a hospital ward.

He and Shuangxin arrived at the third basement level, which looked like a research office, with corroded filing cabinets and computers.

Lu Ban followed suit and turned on the computer. The fluorescent screen from hundreds of years ago used its last bit of strength to display pictures and text.

[Third report...Regarding genetic modification, solutions for adapting humans to a rapidly changing environment...the causes of climate change, future development prospects, land survey report...]

[A research report on the effects of a special mineral on the human body... It is reported that most patients exposed to this substance developed certain abnormalities, but research on these abnormalities is currently limited...]

[Case 1 of Distortion: This patient was exposed to three hours of radiation, specifically manifested as a change in the color of both pupils, and crystalline deposits were observed. The patient was tested and was able to see through a 50mm thick wall...]

[Regarding the effects of artificial mutations, testing revealed significant rejection reactions, manifested as rapid organ failure and brain damage...]

Most of these documents study the radiation of a certain mineral to the human body and the resulting diseases and deformities.

This easily brings to mind the crystallization disease that plagues people in the wasteland today.

According to the history now circulating in the wasteland, the prevalence of this disease was a major cause of human extinction.

According to these documents, crystallization disease is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one.

Of course, the origin of the initial radioactive minerals is unknown, but the subsequent research and human trials were all conducted by humans.

Researchers attempted to use these minerals to modify the human body, enabling humans to adapt to changing environments. However, they did not expect that such modifications would lead to shorter lifespans and more disasters.

It could be said that if these ores are a Pandora's box thrown to humanity by the devil, then opening it is humanity itself.

"How could this be..."

Frostheart found it unbelievable.

She has always believed that crystallization disease, like insect swarms, is a natural disaster.

But now, both of these may be the result of humankind's own actions.

For her, it felt like her worldview had collapsed.

Lu Ban is acceptable.

This isn't the first time we've seen humans bring disaster upon themselves.

In various literary and film works, there are countless ways to destroy the earth.

Moreover, in worlds like the Otherworld, those worlds that are developing normally and have not been polluted are likely to be coveted by other Otherworlds. Otherworlds like the Deep Sea, Fog City, or Twilight City probably dream of invading other Otherworlds and developing colonies.

The most unfortunate thing about the wasteland is probably that it was targeted by two alien realms at the same time.

Perhaps it's malice from other realms, or perhaps it's just the aimless rambling of an evil god. Radioactive ore is a form of pollution, and so is the bridge connecting these other realms.

Humanity in this world is torn apart by the tide of pollution, civilization is destroyed, and in the end, only the "new humans" who have adapted to the pollution survive.

The history of the wasteland that Lu Ban now knows is a complete history of destruction, adaptation, and rebirth in a polluted alien land.

However, Lu Ban wasn't sure if the current wasteland could be considered a rebirth.

The existence of the crystallization disease has brought the world's technological and cultural development to a standstill, while the existence of the insect swarm is accelerating the wasteland toward utter destruction.

In a few hundred years, this world will probably be nothing but sand and gravel, devoid of any life.

Lu Ban and Shuang Xin continued forward and arrived near the rocket launch pad, a relatively well-preserved building.

The sign hanging here says "Command Center".

The two went upstairs, checked everything, and quickly found a document on the electronic device.

[Report and summary of several solutions to current global disasters]

Lu Ban opened.

[...Currently, rare natural disasters have occurred globally, with more than ten volcanoes erupting in the past three months, including two magnitude 6 volcanoes and one magnitude 7 volcano...]

[...Two Category 16 typhoons have formed in the ocean, and more than 50 countries and regions will be affected...]

[...a disease is spreading among crops, and global corn and wheat production is currently projected to decrease by 90%...]

[...Due to the impact of xxxx, more than twenty countries and regions have fallen into a state of anarchy, and international humanitarian relief efforts are currently unable to proceed...]

A magnitude 9 earthquake struck the West Coast, affecting over a million people and displacing tens of millions...

The report was preceded by a report on the disaster. Lu Ban found it hard to believe that so many rare disasters could happen in such a short period of time.

He strongly suspected that some otherworldly chosen ones might have summoned an evil god or released some kind of seal in this world.

After looking past any one of these disasters that could wipe out half the world's population, Lu Ban saw the countermeasures that followed.

Chapter 496 Plans for the Preservation of Civilization

Based on the current situation, the committee has proposed three plans for the survival of civilization.

The first option is to accelerate research into space technology. According to the Helsingin Report, a wormhole connecting to an unknown planet in the region exists. The main idea behind this approach is to develop manned spaceflight technology, research space jump technology, and ultimately send humans to unknown star systems to find habitable planets, thus preserving civilization.

The difficulty of this plan lies in the fact that manned spaceflight technology is currently almost non-existent. Following the Sunchaser spacecraft accident eighty years ago, governments worldwide suspended manned spaceflight research and development due to public opposition. The relevant data was lost during the establishment and evolution of the space alliance. Now, it's essentially starting from scratch, and developing the corresponding technology within five years is a long and arduous task.

Meanwhile, due to technological limitations, the number of the first interstellar immigrants is limited, and how to select immigrants will be a highly controversial issue. Furthermore, the ecological environment required for the long interstellar journey is also a challenge. Currently, this plan is being implemented in secret.

[The second option, the Human Body Modification Project, is based on the predictions of the Geological Research Office that the ongoing global geological disasters will gradually decrease within twenty years. At that time, the direct damage caused by geological activity will disappear. However, due to volcanic ash covering the sky from volcanic eruptions, global cooling and severe cold will occur, and the spread of diseases will be difficult to eliminate. Therefore, the committee has decided to use the new radioactive minerals discovered in the Kiranchar region to study human adaptation and modification, thereby strengthening the overall human physique and adapting to the harsh environment to come.]

The difficulty of this plan lies in the unknown side effects of using mineral radiation to modify the human body. Current medical research has stalled due to the impact of previously widespread diseases, making it extremely difficult to achieve the initial research goals within five years.

[At the same time, the transformation is a long-term project, a century-long undertaking. Given that the current generation cannot enjoy its benefits, it is difficult to gain public support. Therefore, the plan is being carried out in secret.]

The third option is to establish a human database, recording all information about human civilization into it. At the same time, human consciousness will be digitized to create a virtual human civilization, which will then be launched into space via rocket. This is the ultimate means of sacrificing humanity's home and physical body in order to preserve civilization.

The challenge of this plan lies in how to digitize human consciousness without loss of quality, while ensuring that no unexpected errors occur during storage. Furthermore, experts are skeptical about whether the general public will accept such a plan.

[Due to the advancement of robotics technology, some experts have proposed implanting human consciousness into robots to achieve the mechanization of the entire population. Experiments are underway regarding this proposal. However, due to the significant ethical and moral challenges it presents, this plan is also being implemented in secrecy.]

The report contains much more information.

This includes the reactions of various countries, sampling surveys, and the progress of each plan.

After reading it, Lu Ban had only one feeling.

pill.

Neither of the options is without its reasons, and all of them are fraught with despair.