novelraw Chapter 762: Baby’s Here! The Space is Upgrading!
Chapter 762: Baby’s Here! The Space is Upgrading!
"Here, this is the point closest to the center of the Six-dimensional space, the energy concentration point."
There was no need for words; Jing Shu already felt it. The dense energy assaulted her senses, much like the highly oxygenated air of Hainan, intoxicatingly so.
The energy was so intense that the Magic Cube Space trembled faintly, clawing eagerly at this abundant power like an untamed wild horse, seemingly on the verge of breaking free from Jing Shu, its host, and bolting!
The Magic Cube Space even entered its Second Form directly. Semi-ethereal and semi-corporeal, it instantly enveloped her, spreading outward with Jing Shu at its center. The chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep within the space grew highly agitated, endlessly circling their confined enclosures. In the fields, Bees buzzed chaotically, extraordinarily excited. Even the Lingzhi in the ground trembled slightly, and the ears of rice swayed uncertainly.
Sisi, invisible to the naked eye, seemed to form a tornado, converging toward a single point—the very center of the entire Magic Cube Space, the spiritual spring.
At that moment, Jing Shu felt as if her soul were undergoing sublimation, a warm current caressing her softly.
And the barrier that had always been unbreakable seemed to loosen faintly.
The energy gathered, growing more and more concentrated, surging wildly in one direction. Within the already turbulent Black Sea, this made the ambient energy even more restless. The Ticks, nourished by some mysterious power, seemed to sense something: the food they relied on for survival was being stolen!
Thus, they swarmed madly toward the few small boats on the ocean!
"This is bad, really bad! How did these insects suddenly go berserk? They’re attacking us!"
"They’ve all gone mad!"
"Damn it, quick, spray more insect repellent!"
"Mr. Wang, haven’t you figured out the energy center yet?"
"It’s underground, right beneath this sea of insects! We need to find a way to get down there!"
"This won’t do! Although the insects aren’t biting us, there are too many of them. We’re going to be overwhelmed soon and buried alive!"
Instantly, the entire convoy descended into chaos.
The ocean of countless, frenzied Ticks seemed to churn like a massive wave, threatening to engulf and bury the insignificant fleet.
The more critical the moment, the calmer Jun Bao became—more ruthless, more merciless, more brutal. He directly initiated an indiscriminate bombardment mode: full firepower, open fire! Blast away!
Roars of explosions echoed unceasingly, carpet-bombing the ground suspected of holding the energy source. He deployed the newest weapon, developed just recently, which spewed flames ten meters high. A single small boat instantly became a sea of fire, accompanied by crackling and popping sounds.
The convoy, firepower fully unleashed, began its descent. Each bombardment gouged out a huge crater. Although new insects filled it within seconds, the convoy sank a little further with each blast. To avoid being buried alive by the insect sea, flames shot out in all directions, incinerating the insects faster than they could replenish their numbers, barely maintaining a fragile equilibrium.
The stench of burning instantly filled the air around the convoy—the smell of charred Ticks, yet mingled with an indescribably pleasant, meaty aroma, reminiscent of the rich fragrance released by fully combusted tobacco, almost intoxicating.
Hiding in the vehicles, some of the elites were terrified, others looked shifty. Those who understood the situation shook their heads, checking their watches. "If we don’t find the energy center within half an hour, once our weapons and ammunition run out, we’ll probably be overwhelmed by this insect sea."
Batch after batch of insects exploded, much like grenades thrown into water, merely creating slightly larger ripples. No one knew the true depth of the insect sea beneath.
Elder Zhang’s expression was solemn. "It’s deeper than we imagined. A swarm of this scale couldn’t possibly have formed in just five or six years."
Mr. Wang nodded. "According to biological reproduction theory, achieving such a scale would take at least a hundred years."
Jun Bao’s gaze was firm and profound. "From a food source perspective, what could these creatures have eaten to reach this scale and size? It seems this New Energy is quite abundant. It’s highly probable we can develop new food sources for the apocalypse from this."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally felt a surge of energy. In the apocalypse, the significance of new food sources was self-evident!
It was almost as astounding as the discovery of high-yield sweet potatoes, or comparable to rice crops that once yielded thousands of kilograms per mu.
Those involved in agriculture finally felt a sense of purpose. "According to our research, these Ticks contain trace toxic elements. Consumption may cause hallucinations and also seems to affect the nerves, causing numbness—perhaps an anesthetic effect. This aspect should be investigated by those trained in Western medicine.
"They are edible, though their calorie and protein content is very low. However, their sheer quantity is a significant advantage. In a famine, they could serve as a food source, but overconsumption can lead to poisoning and hallucinations, making one see dancing Mushrooms."
The agricultural expert continued, "The most critical point is that after special extraction, thorough baking and drying, and then grinding them to the size of salt grains, they might be usable as a smoking substitute when burned. While not as good as tobacco leaves, our experiments show it can still stimulate adrenaline."
Many eyes lit up. Everyone had caught the key phrases: edible, and a potential cigarette substitute.
Cigarettes—an extreme luxury in the apocalypse. If a viable substitute could be found, it would be like discovering another ’oil boom’ path.
Before the apocalypse, the saying went: ’If you don’t smoke and I don’t smoke, who will build the aircraft carriers?’ The annual taxes paid by tobacco companies were a testament to their profits. Now, in the apocalypse, cigarettes are virtually extinct. If this new dark species could be cultivated into a substitute... and at a price everyone could afford, in an era where people have moved beyond mere subsistence and begun to crave rice, steamed buns, and vegetables, one could hardly imagine the fervor it would generate.
Everyone exchanged glances, their eyes communicating volumes.
Someone murmured, "Maybe this is a sign of Wu City’s impending rise? Could this be the new industrial chain for Wu City?"
At this moment, watching the flames consume wave after wave of Ticks, the charred stench mingling with that strange, rich aroma in the air... some actually began to feel a pang of regret.
Is this the scent of money burning?
However, the central energy source remained undiscovered, and the convoy was now in a genuine predicament.
"Let’s get through this immediate crisis first. Jing Shu? Jing Shu?" Jun Bao called out several times to the daydreaming Jing Shu. He noticed her eyes, dazed and filled with shock, were fixed on an unremarkable point in the dark night. There appeared to be nothing there, yet something seemed to be drawing her in.
Jun Bao saw nothing, yet he sensed that there was indeed something peculiar about that spot. Perhaps it was the wind... or something invisible yet undeniably present.
Jing Shu remained oblivious to his calls. Her Magic Cube Space was changing in a way she couldn’t comprehend. Was it... upgrading?
It was well-known that when the Magic Cube Space upgraded, its dimensions would expand geometrically. During such upgrades, Jing Shu usually lost consciousness due to the intense energy exchange and breakthrough. When she awakened, the space would be completely transformed.