Chapter 17: Golden Meteor

The propulsion speed kept increasing, and Zhang Jie saw the planet about to be swallowed by the blood tide, seeing the last bluish-white patch on the planet—that was Lofty State.

At this moment, he was above Lofty State, the signal transmitter inside his biological armor lit up, and he would have three minutes of speaking time.

Zzz—

Zzz—

Hey hey?

A burst of broadcast testing sound rang out, and whether on the Ark or on Lofty State on the planet, Zhang Jie's voice sounded.

Fellow citizens of Lofty State and members of the Fire Seed Project, hello.

I am the leader of Lofty State, Zhang Jie.

In the city after the disaster, chaos ran rampant, and in the final days of the apocalypse, countless people's mundane lives played out.

But when Zhang Jie's voice rang out, countless people still gained new hope.

This will be the final speech, and also the final announcement.

Our nation has suffered a heavy blow, we could not withstand the invasion of the heavenly disaster, the front lines collapsed completely, the blood tide will cover the whole world, I hereby declare that the resistance against the heavenly disaster has failed.

The Ark carrying humanity's last fire seed has been activated; it will bring all of humanity to seek a new home in the vast Star Sea.

The Fire Seed Project is a necessary measure, but please do not be too desperate; death is a normal part of life, we have no guilt.

Zhang Jie paused, and his voice continued.

Perhaps someone will think that, as one who boarded the Ark, I am not worthy to say such words.

I am not on the Ark now, nor do I intend to leave on it; the Ark is civilization's last fire seed, but for me boarding it is merely a survival tactic; perhaps you cannot see me now, it doesn't matter, I am currently in outer space above Lofty State.

And next, I will do something very great, enough to overturn your imagination.

If successful, all crises of Lofty State will be readily resolved.

As for what it is, please allow me to keep it secret for now.

You only need to remember, since you chose me, I will also die with you, launch the final charge against our enemies, and I will fight alongside you until our last breath.

Finally, whether members on the Ark or residents still remaining in Lofty State, please remember.

Never give up the struggle.

Everyone, see you in the next life.

After the words ended, everyone listened to the broadcast's concluding hiss, unable to return to their senses for a long time.

They simultaneously recalled that youth who, at only eighteen, dared to single-handedly take on Caesar's life; back then, no one thought Zhang Jie could really succeed.

This leader who excelled at bringing them miracles, this leader who, by his own strength, let humanity nearly exterminate the heavenly disaster—can he still lead them toward the future now?

On the Ark, Lin Ran lay beside a window of the Ark's infirmary, listening to the farewell in the broadcast, tears falling in large drops.

She personally saw Zhang Jie, wearing biological armor, drifting toward the direction of the sun, yet she could do nothing.

You can't... you can't just abandon me like this..

Come back quickly, Zhang Jie, I beg you...

This scene is just like when Zhang Jie hid her in a clothing store over a decade ago; back then she also could do nothing, just like this.

It's still the same: she can only watch him leave helplessly, while she can only silently pray for his safety.

But this time is different: Zhang Jie will no longer tell her to wait for his return, he will not come back.

He completely and utterly left himself forever.

Seventeen kilometers per second—is this the limit of the biological propulsion...?

The propeller behind gradually lost thrust and detached from the biological armor.

Gazing at the still distant crimson sun, Zhang Jie felt only inner peace.

In the last two months, he tried to seek breakthroughs in his field of expertise and imagined many ways to save Lofty State, but all came to nothing.

Until, after gaining feedback from Disaster Breath and becoming a sixth-level gene warrior, when that familiar flame surged in his heart again, he had a wild and unimaginable idea.

Can this flame that burns everything possibly reignite the blood sun hanging high in space?

Ridiculous, ridiculous.

How can a mortal body possibly ignite that sun high above?

It seems a mysterious existence is questioning it, but the mortal's heart never wavers.

Success or failure! Only by trying will we know!

In Zhang Jie's calm heart, a flame suddenly burst forth.

And this time the flame that surged forth was not crimson, but dazzlingly golden!

Fire... then let me... burn once more!!!

Endless golden flames gathered around him at this moment, like a huge fireball.

Zhang Jie's speed suddenly increased manifold, dazzling golden light burst forth, like a meteor rushing toward the red sun.

In the blood-colored light emitted by the blood sun, this golden hue was so dazzling and abrupt that, at the moment it appeared, it attracted countless attention.

On the planet and the Ark, countless people speculated what this meteor was; some thought it was just an ordinary meteor, some thought it was a new heavenly disaster, and some thought it was their leader.

And Lin Ran knew, that was him, certainly him, and only him.

The golden meteor rushed toward the sun covered in flesh and blood; the gazes of myriad beings fell upon it, the way to save the world lay entirely within it.

As the meteor approached the blood sun, new blood mother star ships were born around it; countless blood ships densely surrounded the excessive blood sun, greedily sucking its emitted red light.

The strange flesh and blood wrapping the sun seemed to sense a great threat; countless eyes opened on the flesh and blood surface, glaring angrily at the golden meteor, emitting indescribable howls.

The surrounding blood ships and mother ships responded in turn to the blood sun's howl; countless gland turrets burst forth red lasers, shooting at the golden meteor; small blood ships, fearless of death, continually rushed toward the meteor.

But this golden flame is extraordinarily powerful; any blood ship it touches turns to ash within seconds, and, as if alive, it actively spreads toward the vicinity of the ignited blood ships, incinerating many blood ships completely.

Without the cover of blood ships, the blood mother star ships and the huge blood-colored meat ball wrapping the sun were immediately exposed before the meteor.

The golden meteor pressed forward, smashing the mother ship and heavily bombarding the huge meat ball.

Countless eyeballs on the flesh ball trembled incessantly, a huge amount of chaotic, indescribable whispers echoed without cease, and countless tentacles sprouted from the flesh ball, frenziedly wrapping around the meteor.

Golden flames incessantly burned these flesh-and-blood tentacles, yet they kept reappearing endlessly.

This flesh ball occupies the substance of an entire star!

Zhang Jie gritted his teeth, his whole body ablaze with golden flames frenziedly searing the flesh ball's surface, trying to burn through it.

Behind him, a tide of flesh and blood surged forth like a flood covering the sky and earth; the star-sized flesh ball opened its bloody maw and instantly devoured Zhang Jie, as if that golden meteor had never existed.