HCB Chapter 318 The True Purpose of the Tower of Babel
Chapter 318 The True Purpose of the Tower of Babel
Beijing, Command Center No. 1.
Li Zhenguo was rubbing his temples, looking exhausted.
He has not closed his eyes for more than a hundred hours.
On the enormous holographic sand table, countless red dots represent the fierce battles that are erupting around the world.
Although, with the support of China regardless of cost, the "spending money" of the United States regardless of consequences, and the protection of Europe regardless of life and death.
Humanity's defenses have finally, albeit barely, held up.
But the price was heavy.
Every minute, thousands upon thousands of soldiers and civilians die.
Every minute, astronomical amounts of resources and merits are consumed.
This is like a bottomless pit.
It is frantically devouring the very foundation and future of human civilization.
"This can't go on."
Li Zhenguo looked at the beast tide on the sand table, which, though slow, was steadily advancing towards the major cities, and muttered to himself.
"We are simply using human lives to fill the gap."
"We are merely delaying the arrival of death."
"We did not achieve a true victory at all."
He knew that the key to all the battles lay in those enormous "mother hives".
As long as those "mother nests" remain, they will continue to produce monsters.
They will never have a peaceful day.
However, destroying the "mother nest" is easier said than done.
The U.S. military proved with a single tactical nuclear bomb that conventional weapons of mass destruction are ineffective against them.
And they want to rely on an elite squad to infiltrate and carry out a decapitation strike?
Zone Zero, that most terrifying crater, is like a silent behemoth, mocking everyone's naiveté.
This seems to be an unsolvable dead end.
Just when Li Zhenguo was exhausted and at his wit's end...
On his desk, the red telephone line connected to the Divine Chef's Palace rang.
Li Zhenguo, startled, immediately answered the phone.
"Mr. He?"
"It's me." It was He Yuzhu on the other end of the phone, his voice always calm and composed.
"Minister Li, it seems you've run into trouble."
"Mr. He, you... you know everything?" Li Zhenguo gave a bitter smile. "Yes, this is a huge problem. It seems we're trapped in a vicious cycle. We're using our most precious lives to play a war of attrition that we're destined to lose."
"No, you haven't lost," He Yuzhu said calmly. "You just haven't found the right 'key' to pass the level yet."
"The key?" Li Zhenguo's spirits lifted. "Mr. He, please, guide me!"
"Minister Li, do you remember that announcement in the 'Game Announcement' about the reward for the player with the highest contribution?"
"Of course I remember!" Li Zhenguo replied without hesitation, "The uniqueness, the world's wonder of architecture—the 'Tower of Babel,' part of its jurisdiction!"
For this, first.
He and his think tank, you could say, went to great lengths.
They exploited China's advantage as a "resource supplier" to earn massive amounts of national merit points through various transactions and aid.
They turned all the small and medium-sized countries that came to China seeking asylum into their own "merit-building training" programs.
They even risked enormous political consequences to accept what was almost a "traitorous" deal from the Americans, thereby gaining supreme command of the North American theater.
All of this is for that ethereal "Tower of Babel".
Although, to this day, they still don't know what that "Tower of Babel" is.
"Then, have you ever thought about why the Master chose the 'Tower of Babel' as the final reward?" He Yuzhu asked unhurriedly.
"This..." Li Zhenguo was stunned.
He really hadn't thought about this question carefully.
In his view, this might just be a pie in the sky that the gentleman had drawn up in order to encourage various countries to actively "participate in the war."
Just like how ancient emperors used titles and honors to motivate their generals.
"The Tower of Babel, no, it's a building."
He Yuzhu's voice suddenly became somewhat distant.
"It is a door."
"A door that allows you to leave the 'starter village'."
"Newbie village?" Li Zhenguo's mind was a little confused.
"Yes, the beginner's village." He Yuzhu said with certainty, "Minister Li, you don't really think that this global 'natural disaster' is just a random accident, do you?"
"You don't actually believe that the universe is just a tranquil, dark forest, do you?"
"This time, 'Leviathan' is just a small 'appetizer'."
"It is just a signal. A signal that tells us that Earth, this small, isolated planet, has been connected to a much larger and more dangerous 'interstellar network'."
"And this so-called 'Earth Online' game, it was not invented by you, sir."
"It has always existed."
"It's just that we weren't qualified to 'go online' before."
"Now, sir, in his own way, has forcibly opened the 'closed beta' for us."
"This 'natural disaster invasion' is our first mandatory 'qualification test' for us 'new players'."
"The purpose of the exam is not to allow us to comfortably safeguard our homeland."
"Rather, it's to select the first batch of people from among us, these seven billion 'players,' who are qualified to leave the 'starter village' and see the real 'game world' outside!"
He Yuzhu's words were like bolts of divine thunder from the heavens, striking Li Zhenguo hard on the top of his head!
He was completely stunned.
He felt that the worldview he had built up over the past hundred hours was being completely shattered and rebuilt by an irresistible force!
original……
It turns out that they were risking their lives not to save the world.
Rather, it's about vying for a "ticket" to leave this world.
It turns out that this so-called apocalyptic catastrophe was just a damn "beginner's test"?
How utterly absurd this is!
And how magnificent it is!
"That...that 'Tower of Babel'..." Li Zhenguo's voice was extremely hoarse.
"The Tower of Babel, that is, that 'ship'."
"It is a stargate that can perform ultra-long-distance spatial teleportation."
"Only the nation-civilization that ranks first in contribution during this 'natural disaster invasion' event is qualified to obtain its 'partial jurisdiction'."
"In other words, only the first place has the right to decide who can be among the first to board this ark that leads to the stars and the sea."
"And those, the losers..."
He Yuzhu, no, please continue.
But Li Zhenguo already understood.
The losers, along with this no longer safe "newbie village," will be submerged in the future, in what may be an even more terrifying "natural disaster."
Until, completely, annihilated.
"I understand... I completely understand..."
Li Zhenguo slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, all the weariness and confusion in them vanished.
Instead, there is an unprecedented firmness and sharpness!
He finally realized what his true target for fighting was!
No, it's to protect this land beneath our feet, this land ravaged by war.
Rather, it was to fight for a future that could be sustained for his country, his civilization, and his compatriots!
"Mr. He, one last question," Li Zhenguo asked in a deep voice, "Is destroying the 'Mother Nest' the fastest way to obtain a large amount of contribution points?"
"Yes," He Yuzhu replied affirmatively. "The core of the 'Mother Nest' is the remains of the 'Leviathan.' It contains immense energy and merit. Destroying or 'purifying' it will yield unimaginable rewards."
"However, with your current strength, you cannot do it."
"So, what do we need to do?"
"wait."
"wait?"
"Yes, wait." A mysterious smile seemed to appear on He Yuzhu's lips. "Wait for the right opportunity."
"Wait, sir, the sharpest 'key' prepared for you is in place."