Chapter 277: Doomsday Crisis: the Beginning!
The ninth meeting.
Unknowingly, the countdown of the Doomsday Crisis, which lasted for a hundred days, was about to come to an end.
The ninth meeting came quickly, and this time it was much shorter than before.
Basically, the operators talked about their worries and thoughts about the Doomsday Crisis. After receiving feedback one by one, all that was left was uncertainty and unease.
The Doomsday Crisis... just like the words suggest, it means that the world could be destroyed because of it.
Even if someone is very understanding and brave, when faced with such a huge event, every person can feel the weight of it just by imagining.
The battles and threats they experienced in the past seemed insignificant compared to what they were about to face.
"We will survive, right?" Maryse took a deep breath.
There were only five days left, the final five days... She hadn't expected everything to happen so quickly.
Maryse has recently come to understand many things. If she doesn't die this time and the world doesn't end, Babel Tower will successfully save the world.
So, she decided to ask about the things about Reno.
He, probably, has not died yet.
Even without any evidence, Maryse's heart still knew this fact very clearly.
At that moment, Mu Ling's voice interrupted her train of thought.
"Even if we die, we will come back to life. The power of the Savior is with us, so don't be afraid of death," Mu Ling reassured with unwavering determination.
"Yes, resurrection... I had already experienced it once before," Maryse pondered silently.
"Erm, to be honest, I still feel a bit unreal," Amy interjected suddenly, her tone filled with mixed emotions.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Amy smiled and calmly said,
"Not long ago, I was just an ordinary hacker who could barely survive, sitting halfway in a wheelchair. Now, I'm still lying here, but I have to work together with the world's most mysterious organization to save the world..."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Sometimes, I would feel like everything that happened is really silly."
"Indeed, everything about the Babel Tower seemed quite unbelievable."
Ganis nodded in agreement, deeply resonating with Amy's words.
A few weeks ago, he was just a slave who had almost lost everything and was on the verge of giving up hope.
Now everything has changed.
All the things.
Ganis, like anyone, had dreams, but he never imagined himself saving the world. He was not someone who liked grand tales, but preferred to focus on practical matters.
However, he soon realized that his life was truly stepping into something bigger.
Perhaps, freeing all the persecuted wasn't just a mere thought.
Profligate Bai Yan quietly listened to the conversations of the other Core Operators, as if he truly belonged with them.
He looked up and saw the "Savior" sitting on the lofty throne, and suddenly felt a very absurd sensation.
His own life was the one that underwent the greatest change.
Three months ago, he was just an ordinary college student - a regular guy who loved playing video games and had typical hobbies.
Back then, he didn't even know the truth about this world.
In just three months, he transformed into a wild and unpredictable "Profligate," a mature and wise nobleman known as "Viscount Edmond," and...
The mysterious leader of the organization that saves the world!
Bai Yan shook his head.
"In the end... at the very last moment, I think everyone said goodbye to their loved ones."
Some operators looked at him.
He smiled and said, "Even though we will surely win and achieve victory, talking to familiar people can help you relax a little."
Bai Yan's words brought everyone closer, and Maryse smiled knowingly.
He continued, "The crisis of world destruction will not only involve us, but it will affect everyone in this world. When that time comes, strong people from all over the world will also fight alongside us. Babel Tower is not alone... at least in theory."
Alright.
Thinking about it, he felt like he had almost said enough.
[Wishing everyone good luck]
The voice of the 'Savior' echoed in the minds of everyone.
His young voice remained unchanged, as always.
Cold, emotionless, and indifferent.
[Everything was done to save the past and the future, for the world that was about to collapse and be destroyed.]
The final meeting before the First Doomsday Crisis came to an end, just like that.
When Mu Ling regained consciousness, she realized that she had returned to the real world.
She went back to the yard of her own house.
These past few days, it has been snowing heavily in Tatsumi City, and there was no sign of it stopping. Outside of Mu Ling's house, the snow had already piled up, while most of the snow in the yard had been swept outside by Mu Ling and the butler, Huo Xin.
Although the yard was actually quite big, for two extraordinary beings like them, shoveling snow was not really tiring work, it was just a little troublesome.
Ganis's sister was very responsible and wanted to join the team shoveling snow, but Mu Ling firmly rejected her.
The girl's body was still too weak and couldn't handle any rough activities.
Mu Ling saw the places where the snow had been shoveled, and once again, fresh snowflakes had accumulated.
"You've returned, miss," Huo Xin stepped out of the house and looked at the young lady standing in the snow. He smiled and bowed.
"Okay," Mu Ling nodded.
Huo Xin looked at the young girl who had already grown up into an adult and let out a sigh.
"In fact, I've always been very scared... Every time you suddenly disappear into the black mist, I feel afraid, thinking that you may never come back again."
Huo Xin's tone suddenly seemed a bit unusual.
He finally spoke out the things that had been weighing on his heart for a long time.
Mu Ling was slightly taken aback, she had never thought about this before. She turned around, looked at Huo Xin earnestly, and said, "I'm really sorry, Huo Xin. During this time, my mind has been occupied with thoughts of the Babel Tower and the Savior... I haven't paid attention to your feelings."
The butler smiled.
Of course, he wouldn't blame the girl.
"If that Savior wasn't a deity, but a person, I would definitely convince you to be with him..."
Huo Xin casually made a joke.
Mu Ling was slightly surprised and didn't say anything.
Huo Xin continued, "You have changed, and now you have something even greater than just your family - a brand new belief."
"Save the world from imminent destruction."
"This belief is so great and vast, dear reader. Whenever I think about the difficulties and setbacks within it, I feel that a wide gap has formed between myself and you. But this should be seen as something positive..."
Huo Xin sighed and continued, "It shows that you have grown, grown to a height that I can no longer reach."
Have I grown?
Mu Ling lowered her head, unsure why, as memories of that dreadful winter many years ago flooded back to her.
Her parents died in a cruel manner right before her eyes.
Then, at that time, she fell severely ill. After a long and difficult recovery, something changed within her spirit. She began to become increasingly fixated and obsessed, relentlessly pursuing glory and revenge... only to find herself sinking deeper and deeper into despair.
Until the appearance of the Savior.
Mu Ling pondered, recalling the scene of her first encounter with the Savior.
She knelt before the cultists, displaying loyalty as if she were pledge of allegiance.
He had many conversations with himself.
"Saving the world is not a game," he said. "Facing challenges constantly is your destiny," he added.
Mu Ling suddenly realized something.
Perhaps, the Savior she knew had a more "human" feeling compared to the divine beings in the minds of other Babel Tower members.
If only he wasn't such a great entity...
For some unknown reason, thoughts like these started appearing in Mu Ling's mind.
She herself was stunned.
"Huo Xin."
"Miss?"
"The snow in the courtyard was getting bigger and bigger. Let's sweep the snow again..."
"Um."
Huo Xin nodded and smiled, saying, "Besides the snow in this courtyard, there are many, many other things you need to clean."
"But, eventually, you will defeat them."
--
Maryse sat on her bed, feeling a bit lost and unsure of what to do.
From her bed, she could see her tiny reflection in the mirror, and a feeling of disbelief suddenly welled up within her.
Saving the world?
Is it possible to do it all by myself?
Oh no, it's all over. This world is relying on someone like me to save it now!
This was truly a hopeless situation now!
She kept shaking her head, deep in thought.
There must have been a mistake somewhere!
Why is it like this? At first, all I wanted was to get Reno's attention... But without realizing it, I ended up saving the world.
She forced a smile, sprawling on the bed, feeling completely drained of energy.
"Savior, perhaps I truly have the power to save the world..."
Although her strength had reached the level of a Crown, she was very aware of her own capabilities.
Maryse knew in her heart that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people stronger than herself in this world.
To think that it was now her turn to save the world seemed a bit unbelievable...
However, there was nothing she could do now, as things had already come to this point.
"Let's think about something happy instead."
She shook her head and suddenly noticed her closest friend, Irena, who used to be her personal maid and was now the female butler of the Augustus family, standing outside the house.
[I'm scared.]
[Did you still have something that you were scared of?]
Irena walked in with a smile and said, "I don't really understand the big fuss about the Babel Tower. I just think it's important for you to be happy and not worry too much. It can make you feel anxious."
"Thinking too little, like a fool, won't bring happiness," Maryse shook her head.
Irena stayed quiet for a moment and then said, "Whether it's humans or elves, we all should seek happiness. If we become anxious just to pursue 'happiness', then we're getting things the wrong way round."
Maryse stuck out her tongue in response.
"Hi, you've said all the words, but the words you said were easy, where can happiness come so easily."
"Then let's talk about something happy, for now, let's not talk about this."
She and Maryse sat on the big bed together, just like they always did, and started chatting.
Irena smiled and said, "Thinking of happy things... for example, have you recently developed feelings for someone?"
Maryse paused for a moment, and then stayed silent for a long time.
"Oh, could it be that I actually guessed it?" Irena froze in surprise.
She just wanted to give it a try, that's all.
"I actually... can't really... yet."
Maryse narrowed her eyes and calmly said, "There's someone who always makes me happy, makes me feel safe, and always takes care of me... but one thing I can be sure of... I haven't truly fallen for him yet."
"Why?" Irena froze in confusion.
Maryse's tone suddenly became subtle, as befitting a twenty-eight-year-old woman.
"He was truly very, very good in every aspect, so good that it was almost too good. But still, I felt uneasy and dared not let my heart take the lead... because he was so mysterious and had never let me hear his voice."
Maryse lowered her head slightly and said, "I can play with him, fight with him, have fun, because as long as he's there, I can be happy... but, I can't take that final step."
"I see," Irena nodded, fully understanding Maryse's thoughts.
She was truly that kind of person, not easily giving away her true feelings.
Also because of the power of her heart, Maryse was so afraid to trust easily... There were countless cases in these twenty years where people were not who they seemed.
Irena asked in a curious manner, "So, why not try to make him open up to you?"
Maryse smiled and said with a hint of sadness, "I'm not foolish, why would I make such a request? In the end, I might not even have any friends left."
Her voice grew softer and she hugged her knees, saying, "I live each day uncertainly now, even feeling like I don't belong to myself anymore. Just maintaining the current relationship is not too bad..."
Irena fell silent.
She knew that Maryse was actually afraid.
This girl had been hurt too much by loved ones, to the point where she was afraid of getting hurt more.
Is the true heart important? Yes, it is very important.
But the current situation is not bad either, at least that's how it feels to her.
--
The last day.
Bai Yan returned to Tatsumi City.
He lived in this city for more than ten years.
Bai Yan thought he wouldn't forget everything from before he traveled through time, but now he has discovered that after more than ten years, many details of past events have become fuzzy.
"Who am I, really?"
Bai Yan stood in the university campus and suddenly transformed back into his original appearance, the one that belonged to him at the beginning. He was wearing ordinary clothes.
Not the Savior, not the Profligate, not Viscount Edmond...
It was just Bai Yan, nothing more.
To be honest, during this period of time, he would vaguely feel uneasy.
His own time travel, the game of the Babel Tower, the "game" ritual thirteen years ago... Everything seemed like a massive plot.
And as for himself, in this plot, he seemed like an executor, but he only had a partial understanding of the entire situation.
What would be the end of the Babel Tower game?
He didn't know.
But Bai Yan was very aware of one thing, that at this point, he had no way and it was impossible for him to stop playing the Babel Tower game.
In the span of three months, he had gained so many things and encountered so many people and events...
Perhaps, the self who originally just wanted to play a game had also taken on some burdens.
Because, some people trusted him.
Bai Yan always found it difficult to see these operators merely as pawns, unable to ignore their trust and expectations of him. Now, at this point, it was no longer possible for him to claim that everything he did was solely for the purpose of clearing the game.
"The purity is decreasing... But, does purity matter?"
Bai Yan, with a hint of self-mockery, walked through the campus.
He watched the students coming and going, just like himself and many others here three months ago, all ordinary people in the same grade.
Now, he had completely gained a different life.
"I can't go back anymore..."
He shook his head and left the university gates.
He would never come back here again.
"Mu Ling, Maryse, Alan..."
Bai Yan remembered everything he had experienced during this time, the people he had met, and smiled.
The Babel Tower is my own "now".
Something that needs to be cherished.
"Let's embrace the upcoming new challenges together."
At that moment, Bai Yan suddenly froze in surprise.
That mysterious black box...
He suddenly remembered many things, being watched by the Pupil of Chaos in another dimension, finding a black box that could trigger a Doomsday Crisis, and leaving the black box inside the Babel Tower...
Why did I do that?
"I actually put such a dangerous thing into the Babel Tower!"
And then, not long after, the game "Babel Tower" was soon disrupted by the Pupil of Chaos.
Yes, not long ago, traces of Troublemakers were spotted in Tatsumi City.
You see, I thought I had complete control over this city! But somehow, they managed to evade me and suddenly appeared in Tatsumi City without me noticing.
"My thoughts were disturbed..."
Bai Yan frowned deeply, realizing that he had been completely unaware of this matter all along, until now!
He watched the world attentively.
He also watched me closely.
In a daze, Bai Yan slowly lifted his head and gazed into the sky. There, he saw a massive, golden-colored pupil, sparkling like a river of blood.
It covered the sky, as if it wanted to swallow the whole world.
