Chapter 475

In the profound depths of the ocean, the Infinite drifted like a wounded ancient beast, gliding silently through the absolute darkness and silence of the deep sea; the cataclysmic nuclear explosion, volcanic eruption, and terrifying metal-tearing vortex had passed, leaving only a distorted metal pressure hull and a faint metallic tang of blood in the recycled air within the carriage.

In the silent darkness, Lin Xian felt as if he were surrounded by cold, salty seawater.

The vehicle’s stress structure occasionally emitted faint creaks, mingling with the occasional popping of bubbles in the deep sea and the ghostly sonar tones, forming the ambient soundtrack of this deathly silence.

Lin Xian sat in the cockpit, his expression grim; he had given this order to Viola out of caution.

1:32:07

The countdown on screen ticked silently; facing this number like a ticking bomb, Lin Xian found it hard to remain utterly rational and clear-headed.

This thing was different from the mysterious entities; even in the perilous night or the abyssal seabed, he could still use his ability, and he still had the Infinite, Teacher Chen, Kiki, and other team members beside him.

But this countdown was mysterious and unpredictable, like a sword of Damocles hanging over his head—he did not know what would happen when it reached zero, how to stop it, or even how it had appeared; it was entirely beyond his control or comprehension.

【Have dawn and destruction already occurred? Hmm, that’s an intriguing perspective. From a philosophical standpoint, Hegel proposed that contradiction is the fundamental driving force of development; destruction is the visible result of an old order collapsing, while dawn is the latent process of a new civilization being born. From a physics standpoint, it resembles Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment: in the unobserved time dimension, dawn (survival) and destruction (death) as two ultimate states can coexist until the causal chain collapses into a single reality.】

Viola paused before responding to Lin Xian’s words.

Lin Xian felt a flicker of irritation and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Prepare to surface. Patrol the waters to ensure safety before dawn.”

Viola looked at Lin Xian and replied calmly: 【Understood. Initiating ascent and surface survey immediately.】

“Ryan, you follow along. Prepare for combat…”

Lin Xian turned toward the carriage and said in a low voice: “Wake everyone up. We won’t schedule rotations until we’ve cleared the danger after dawn—our current state is risky.”

“I agree with you, Lin, but I suggest keeping at least some of the main fighters and combat personnel ready. Those severely injured need recovery now—this is the best opportunity.” Ryan’s voice came through the comm.

“Alright.”

After giving the orders, Lin Xian pondered his strategy while activating his Mechanical Heart, extending it across the entire Infinite to perform comprehensive mechanical repairs. Once they successfully surfaced and escaped the danger, he could immediately risk using the Celestial Level to leap—his Celestial Level’s information capability, combined with Fire Book and Water Sky positioning, should easily locate the Republic Islands or Noah.

But before that, he had to ensure he could survive. Since he didn’t know what would happen, he needed to wake the core personnel now, during this critical moment, to guarantee the safety of the Infinite and North Wind 09.

Lin Xian even considered whether he should pull away from the Infinite before the countdown reached zero…

He thought of many ideas—both positive and negative.

Gurgling…

Violent pressure vibrations rattled the hull. Lin Xian stared at the sonar screen. Soon after, in a pitch-black stretch of the Pacific, a train like a colossal dragon broke through the water’s surface, followed closely by the massive Abyss-class nuclear submarine North Wind 09.

【50 nautical miles and low-altitude sea survey completed. Current area is safe. Weather anomaly: thick sea fog. Advise against exiting the vehicle until dawn or fog clears.】

Splash.

Water cascaded continuously from the window. Lin Xian stood up; outside, only a rolling sea surface was visible. Even the Infinite’s searchlight couldn’t pierce far—the entire sea was veiled in fog, the surface rippling with gentle waves.

Lin Xian surveyed the surroundings, then turned: “Deploy drones in all four directions. Extend reconnaissance as far as possible.”

No sooner had he given the order than he turned to activate the comm, ready to wake everyone aboard the Infinite for any imminent emergency.

But when he turned around, he found a figure standing at the cockpit door, floating in midair, arms crossed, gazing at him with a haunting expression—it could only be Kiki.

“Your countdown has less than an hour left, right?”

“Fifty-eight minutes.” Lin Xian nodded. “Dawn’s almost here.”

Kiki floated closer, pressing her face against his, staring into his eyes with a demanding tone.

“Why didn’t you wake me? Aren’t you worried about what might happen when the countdown ends? Or are you planning to face it alone?”

Lin Xian fell silent, then said: “I was just about to wake everyone.”

“Really?” Kiki eyed him skeptically. “Did you come up with a plan?”

“Not yet.”

Lin Xian said: “First, wake everyone up. I’ve thought about it—this countdown is definitely not a good omen. Until I understand what’s happening, I need to distance myself from the Infinite. But…”

“No!”

Before he could finish, a telekinetic force suddenly wrapped around him, lifting him up. Kiki glared at him, furious.

“No matter what happens, I’ve got your back. Don’t you dare try to shoulder it alone.”

Lin Xian sighed helplessly, then said: “I’m not that foolish. I’ll stay within range to coordinate with everyone. I’ve thought this through—this countdown appears only in my eyes, invisible to others. That means it’s either a highly unique power or technology targeting me personally, or… even more extreme—like the end of the world. If it’s that, it’s actually simpler.”

Before he finished speaking, his lips were suddenly sealed by a stubborn kiss. Her mouth pressed against his, still muttering.

“No end of the world. I’m not letting you die!”

Kiki’s words were muffled. Lin Xian was stunned—he felt a warm stream trickle down her face, touching his own skin: hot, wet.

A quiet stir rose in Lin Xian’s chest. The warmth of being cared for eased his tension.

He remained motionless, letting her kiss him. Then, suddenly, Kiki covered his eyes with her hand, swiftly wiping away her stubborn tears before releasing him. Now Lin Xian saw her, eyes slightly red, floating before him, glaring at him with clenched teeth.

“What are you staring at? Figure something out!”

Lin Xian looked bewildered: “Time’s running out. We need to devise a temporary strategy. We planned to do this after escaping the vortex last night, but we ended up sleeping so long.”

“Yes. Time’s running out.”

Kiki’s red-rimmed eyes fixed on him, as if trying to see the countdown in his gaze—or perhaps his fear. But his eyes held only calm, now tinged with resignation.

For some reason, seeing that look in his eyes made Kiki’s heart tighten. The Lin Xian who had always had miraculous solutions—even when surrounded by three Star Abysses—was now powerless. Hours ago, he had saved hundreds from the monstrous Ocean God and the super-vortex. Now, he seemed to be helplessly accepting his fate.

The thought filled Kiki with sudden suffocation and heartache. As if she hadn’t heard him, she suddenly grabbed his hands and placed them on her waist, then wrapped her legs around his hips like a fiery pepper and pressed her mouth down onto his face.

Forceful, fiery, proud, untamed.

Lin Xian was stunned. Wait—this isn’t the time to kiss! Less than an hour left! If you wanted to kiss, do it yesterday! We should be planning, preparing, thinking of countermeasures!

For example: if a great horror appears and Lin Xian can’t be rescued, how should the others aboard the Infinite evacuate? How can they escape?

But Kiki didn’t care. She clung to him like a monkey on a tree, lost in the kiss, even using telekinesis to shove him into the chair, then straddling him as he sat.

“Hey, sweetheart, now’s not the time…”