PGVCW 28

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 28: The Artifact-Forging Department of the Heaven-Saving Sect

Within the Xia State, a vast convoy of military vehicles successively rolled out from the Five Districts. Above, the rhythmic drone of helicopter rotors echoed through the atmosphere, while several strike aircraft had already surged far ahead on advance trajectories.

"What has transpired?"

Mutant hunters stationed near the outer perimeter of the Five Districts watched the mobilization with dropped jaws: "Such a colossal military array—have high-tier mutant entities manifested?"

"Unlikely." A hunter equipped with superior observational metrics analyzed the situation: "Observe their behavioral posture; their countenances display zero tactical tension."

Someone already vaulted back into their vehicle cabin: "How can idle speculation yield answers? Let us execute pursuit and observe firsthand."

Concluding the thought, she depressed the accelerator, propelling her high-clearance armored vehicle—brimming with the rugged wildness characteristic of mutant hunters—forward at breakneck velocity, rapidly falling in behind the military column.

Noticing that the military contingent issued zero expulsion warnings and tacitly permitted her trailing position, several other mutant hunters exchanged mutual glances. Yielding to overwhelming curiosity, they similarly activated their engines and joined the pursuit.

Had this occurred in past epochs, witnessing such monumental military scale would rarely have elicited analogous behavioral impulses.

Primarily, civilian starvation had universally suppressed baseline enthusiasm; curiosity? What conceptual category was that?

Yet contemporary parameters diverged significantly. The Savior, Xia Wang'an, had extracted a colossal volumetric harvest of nutritional provisions from an alternate dimension—reportedly exceeding logistical capacity to effect total immediate transfer.

Current operational directives urgently mobilized mechanical design and manufacturing specialists, rumored to be deploying advanced android units to execute mass logistical transport of the agricultural yields.

During the preceding nocturnal cycle, the Five Districts had initiated a secondary emergency distribution of provisions while concurrently updating commercial network interfaces to list individual staple grain commodities.

Though premium-priced, what veteran mutant hunter lacked modest financial reserves?

The moment the state completed its nocturnal distribution uploads, they initiated remote culinary preparation and digital ordering; throughout the entire night, the atmosphere across the Five Districts saturated with rich aromatic food profiles.

Satiated individuals experienced elevated psychological morale; elevated morale naturally catalyzed inquisitive philosophical drives.

Most crucially, contemporary civic awareness recognized that the collective destiny of the entire nation rested within the hands of a singular individual.

Xia Wang'an—

Ever since her initial manifestation, the state had initiated cascading macro-level operations; perhaps this grand mobilization similarly shared a direct causal nexus with her person?

Concerning alternative matters, civilian mobilization remained highly improbable; however, invoking the Savior Xia Wang'an—even with twilight descending—vividly inspired countless citizens to trail the deployment.

Perhaps an immediate intelligence briefing could be secured.

The military column advanced rapidly toward the distant horizon, accompanied by an escalating volume of civilian transport vehicles falling in along the rear.

Drivers operating the medical emergency transport units trailing the absolute tail of the military column observed the rearward traffic.

An operative queried: "Shall we execute expulsion protocols?"

"Negative. This operational sortie lacks confidentiality parameters; authorize trailing access for voluntary civilian elements."

Unaware that they had narrowly avoided tactical expulsion, the trailing mutant hunters remained perplexed regarding the desolate transit route:

"This geographical trajectory—does it not mirror the route toward the Abyss?"

"Affirmative. Advancing further breaches the Abyss threshold—for what operational purpose?"

The Abyss—formerly the vast oceanic expanse.

Contemporary geography defined it as a colossal obsidian crater; due to expansive spatial dimensions and extreme vertical depth, even advanced ability users found descent exceedingly difficult. Its desolation diverged structurally from terrestrial wilderness; observing downward from the upper precipice, human subjects invariably experienced spontaneous psychological distress.

This acute psychological discomfort derived potentially from its abyssal black-tinted depth, or alternatively because every citizen of the Xia State absorbed imagery of the azure ocean within primary school textbooks, rendering contemporary contemplation of the Abyss entirely intolerable.

Standing upon that perimeter, human observers registered with agonizing clarity that their planetary sphere was actively undergoing systemic destruction.

Coupled with mutant fauna displaying acute aversion toward the regional coordinates, the peripheral sectors surrounding the Abyss progressively degenerated into absolute wasteland.

Instinctive repulsion uniformly governed public attitude toward the Abyss.

"What tactical developments could possibly manifest within the Abyss?"

It represented a definitive terminal wasteland, utterly devoid of optimistic prognostications.

Despite internal psychological aversion, having pursued the convoy to the contemporary spatial coordinate, a deeply entrenched behavioral axiom encoded within the collective genetic code of Xia State citizens naturally surfaced:

"Having arrived at the destination, ocular verification remains mandatory."

The vehicular convoy advanced in an elongated serpentine configuration along temporary roadways cleared by engineering detachments.

Ultimately, the vanguard transport halted.

"Initiate operational protocols."

Military personnel disembarked with uniform synchronized precision, executing equipment diagnostics before advancing in disciplined formation.

Concurrently, within the civilian convey trailing behind, vehicle occupants stared through their windshields in absolute cognitive paralysis, processing the tableau unfolding across the forward horizon:

"Deus..." "Is this an illusory dream state?"

Directly above the Abyss, multiple colossal torrents of aqueous fluid materialized via spontaneous spatial generation, plummeting downward into the obsidian death-zone.

The thunderous acoustic resonance of the cascading water columns propagated across vast spatial expanses, reaching the civilian observers' auditory receptors despite extreme distance.

Encircling the periphery of these colossal water columns, aerial reconnaissance helicopters and strike fighters maneuvered dynamically, dwarfed to the volumetric proportions of infantile playthings.

The surrounding terrain was densely packed with military personnel and diverse mechanical combat armor units, all positioning primary ordnance downward toward the basin—guaranteeing that any infiltrating mutated flora attempting aggressive emergence would instantly absorb overwhelming kinetic suppression.

Certain soldiers, positioned in close proximity to the cascading water columns, absorbed extensive aquatic spray across their physical gear.

Yet zero behavioral irritation registered across their countenances; drenched in water, their facial expressions radiated unadulterated joy:

"Is this genuine aquatic fluid? Such an immense volumetric aggregate??"

A mutant hunter, finally achieving cognitive reorientation, stumbled out of his vehicle. Walking with the clumsy disequilibrium of an operative trapped within a sensory phantasm, he reached the shoreline and collapsed forward, yielding to a spontaneous flexion of his lower limbs.

His knees impacted the moistened earth; he surveyed the towering water columns before shifting his gaze to the saturated soil, extending a black-gloved left hand to press delicately and reverently against the terrain:

"Water... aqueous fluid!! Authentic aquatic fluid!!"

This exclamation of hyper-excited euphoria acted as an immediate catalyst; escalating volumes of mutant hunters converged upon the perimeter.

They universally sprinted toward the vanguard zone, experiencing the profound psychological bliss of aquatic baptism, their behavioral topographies displaying identical waves of stunned excitement:

"Aww-aww-aww!! Water!! Massive volumetric water!!" "Ptui-ptui, highly saline!! Hahahahahaha, sodium chloride!! Furthermore, marine salinity!" "Aww!!!"

The spatial perimeter dissolved into acute behavioral chaos.

Military personnel securing the perimeter refrained from arresting this primitive atavistic behavioral regression; indeed, had mission parameters and military vestments not constrained their movements, their acoustic output would have comfortably exceeded the civilians' decibel levels.

A solitary clump of emerald macro-algae exploited this atmosphere of unmitigated joy to crawl upward across the embankment.

Yet before military intervention could initiate, multiple mutant hunters—functioning with the behavioral profile of extinct atavistic primates experiencing peak adrenaline—roared aggressively and charged forward, annihilating the botanical entity within localized motion cycles.

Discarding computational metrics concerning resource points or personal combat compensation, the civilian hunters—initially mobilized purely to observe civic novelty—spontaneously initiated filtering operations targeting marine salinity without requiring formal administrative coordination.

Every countenance radiated unalloyed hope and jubilation.

Perhaps displaying a fractional excess of neural activation.

An aerial surveillance orb successfully broadcasted high-resolution telemetry capturing a newly emerged algae specimen immediately subjected to aggressive, weaponized containment by eight over-stimulated mutant hunters.

Concurrently, across the pre-eminent architectural monolith anchored within the Five Districts, the colossal panoramic display screens—installed within preceding temporal parameters—illuminated simultaneously.

Pedestrians moving with hurried or measured cadences raised their gazes in synchronized confusion.

The celestial displays were actively broadcasting a breaking news transmission:

"Through the dedicated endeavors of Comrade Xia Wang'an, our sovereign nation's [Seagull Coastline] successfully reclaims its primary wave of marine aquatic volume."

"This operational milestone represents Blue Star's inaugural recovery of marine waters, serving as a definitive vanguard event; projected temporal horizons anticipate the progressive restoration of the azure ocean before humanity..."

Within the distant territory of Nation D—

Identical newly installed panoramic displays projected synchronized audiovisual feeds.

For Nation D, whose structural survival remained deeply strained, importing Xia State news broadcasts via panoramic infrastructure arguably defied optimal sociopolitical management.

Nevertheless, state directorates authorized universal installation.

The psychological efficacy proved immediately observable.

Massive, densely packed demographic assemblies choked the plazas beneath each panoramic screen, individuals straining their cervical structures upward to absorb the visual data.

They manifested severe physiological emaciation, tattered sartorial preservation, pervasive historical despair concerning future operational horizons, alongside volatile psychological extremism driven by chronic starvation and ontological terror.

Yet presently, absolute silence blanketed the assemblies. They focused unblinkingly upon the soaring water columns plunging into the Abyss to reconstitute the marine expanse, remaining anchored to the coordinates for extended temporal intervals.

Fan Aimi stood upon the marine shoreline, surveying the landscape manifestation of absolute divine architecture.

Adjacent to her position, specialized diagnostic instrumentation teams finalized telemetry analytics, dispatching an operative to deliver reports at elevated running cadences:

"Director Fan, concurrent with marine reclamation, the aggregate environmental pollution index across Blue Star exhibits a continuous downward trajectory; although linear velocity remains constrained, verifiable index reduction is empirically confirmed."

Fan Aimi accepted the documentation, exhaling a pressurized atmospheric volume:

"Wang'an consistently possesses the capacity to catalyze systemic astonishment."

She elevated her gaze toward the monumental water columns: "Should we achieve total repatriation of our dimension's lost planetary assets..."

"Does this imply absolute eradication of the ecological contamination parameter?"

—Beep.

Within the Xia State, situated three subterranean levels beneath the [Institute for Advanced Research]—housed inside an absolute acoustic vacuum isolated by reinforced armed cordons—a specific medical containment unit emitted an abrupt auditory notification.

"Contamination telemetry within Isolation Ward 067 registers sustained downward descent—patient displays somatic indicators of neurological awakening—"

This specific acoustic notification—manifesting for the inaugural instance across a three-year temporal window—induced profound shock and elation among monitoring personnel; operatives instantly executed remote data transmission via neural links while medical response teams sprinted outward to secure specialized clinical intervention.

Simultaneously, auxiliary personnel breached the pristine white perimeter barriers: "Squad Leader, recovery of cognitive baseline verified?!"

The male subject occupying the clinical isolation suite—attired in standardized institutional garments—presented heavy facial hirsuteness alongside unkempt cranial growth; his ocular focus remained locked upon the panoramic monitoring array.

The interface broadcasted live visual telemetry tracking the progressive expansion of aquatic blue zones.

"The ocean..."

The male subject's chaotic pupils achieved progressive cognitive stabilization; he lowered his gaze to evaluate the biochemical diagnostic monitor secured around his wrist:

"This metric... constitutes psychological contamination? Did I suffer systemic cognitive collapse?"

Surrounding operatives experienced emotional destabilization verging on somatic collapse upon hearing the inquiry:

"Understatement of the epoch, Squad Leader! Your combat velocity during mental aberration proved catastrophic; to secure physical containment, I suffered three fractured costal arches, while Bird-Sister maintained orthopedic crutch dependence across a three-month duration."

Vocalizing recriminatory statements while ocular membranes accumulated moisture, his countenance simultaneously illuminated with irrepressible satisfaction:

"Given contemporary cognitive restoration, comprehensive material restitution remains mandatory."

—Beep.

Concurrently with their vocal exchange, auxiliary auditory alerts indicating plunging pollution indices materialized across adjacent isolation wards:

"Isolation Ward 078 contamination metric registers sustained downward descent—" "Ward 098—" "Ward 125—"

A junior operative stationed outside the spatial perimeter stared in cognitive stasis as institutional synchronization initiated across all wards:

"Verifiable confirmation—such magnitude of subjects achieving conscious awakening?"

Ordinary citizens of the Xia State remained broadly decoupled from specialized telemetry: relative to civilian populations, specialized ability operators exhibited vastly escalated vulnerability profiles regarding psychological contamination.

This systemic vulnerability derived partly from ability operators possessing heightened cognitive bandwidth to experience deep environmental toxicity, and partly because active combat engagements frequently exposed operators to concentrated contaminant factors.

Personnel assigned to Subterranean Level Three uniformly comprised elite combat operators deployed historically across active frontlines or extreme hazard sectors.

Following extreme psychological saturation, operatives experiencing complete ego dissolution paired with devastating combat capabilities had been transferred into the heavily fortified, high-defense architectural matrix of the Research Institute.

Familial relations, tactical team leads, and administrative superiors consistently maintained active investment in their rehabilitation; historical visitor logs consistently recorded abundant familial presence—yet zero clinical subjects had ever achieved verified cognitive restoration.

And presently, across multiple isolation suites, institutional patients donning clinical garments systematically elevated their physical frames, executing diagnostic surveys of their immediate environment with varying expressions of cognitive perplexity or absolute comprehension:

"Explanation demanded—did operational engagement not persist moments prior?" "Query execution: experienced memory erasure. Clinical institutional architecture identified?" "You—descendant of canine lineage, contemporary physical confrontation is mandatory!!—Wait... wait?? What spatial coordinate is this? Where is that canine—??" "Systemic containment collapse verified... contemporary chronological framework registers 2352?"

Arriving clinical physicians confronted the unprecedented structural phenomenon of occupants actively clearing isolation privacy curtains, instantly dropping their emergency medical kits onto the flooring in unadulterated shock:

"Deus almighty!!!" "Empirical clinical miraculous verification!!"

—Within the Mutated Flora Dimension—

Xia Wang'an maintained absolute physical exertion until localized muscular exhaustion mandated cessation.

Naturally, she intentionally sequestered a foundational reserve of spiritual energy to preserve her supreme flex-execution aesthetic.

The youthful maiden draped in immortal vestments dropped weightlessly back onto the deck of the Flying Vessel, shifting her ocular focus toward Feudal King Wu and the dual Sect Patriarchs:

"Does agricultural harvest clearance remain uncompleted?"

"Additional operational duration is mandatory, given the extreme volumetric mass." Chu Qingning formulated a measured response: "Historically, resolving Famine Tide incursions mandated total thermal incineration via pyrotechnic deployment."

Thermal incineration?

The tripartite contingent originating from a resource-deficit plane articulated identical internal cognitive synchronization: Absolute criminal waste!

Observing Xia Wang'an's sustained silence, Chu Qingning appended clarifying parameters: "Primarily, specific agricultural variants maintain offensive viability post-somatic cessation, strictly precluding civilian logistical integration."

"Essentially, aggregate martial disciple cohorts were deployed externally; however, achieving exhaustive sanitization necessitates extended temporal allocation."

Xia Wang'an invoked telemetry: "My active recall indicates your combined sect disciples total precisely four hundred units?"

Rice-Excision Sect Matriarch Chu Qingning: “……” Wheat-Excision Sect Patriarch Lu Tianshi: “……”

What contextual framing defined the linguistic modifier "precisely four hundred units"?

Contemporary institutional decline rendered four hundred active personnel an exceptionally robust institutional census!

Despite internal impulses toward verbal contention, elevating their ocular focus to engage Xia Wang'an's resolute, pristine facial topography—simultaneously recalling the intelligence that her Heaven-Saving Sect maintained a demographic scale of two hundred million—

The dual patriarchs converged on a unified diplomatic adjustment: "The demographic census remains modest, yet their operational industry achieves optimal parameters."

Xia Wang'an registered affirmative alignment: "Under those parameters, I shall requisition auxiliary reinforcement units from the Heaven-Saving Sect."

The senior figures experienced momentary cognitive suspension, rapidly replaced by synchronized structural elation: "Might you be summoning auxiliary lineage disciples?!"

Lineage personnel associated with the Heaven-Saving Sect inherently correlated with maximum numerical volume.

Xia Wang'an engaged internal cognitive search parameters: "Lineage classification remains technically inaccurate."

Feudal King Wu registered perplexity: "Lacking lineage classification—does this indicate external outer-sect affiliates?"

"Negative equivalence."

The black-haired maiden executed rigorous cognitive processing prior to formulating a definitive categorical designation:

"Classify them operationally as [Artifacts] originating from the [Artifact-Forging Department] of the Heaven-Saving Sect."

The tripartite leadership group: ?

What precise operational paradigm constituted [Artifacts]?

—Within the Xia State, Mechanical Division Headquarters, the Division Director radiated radiant physiological fluorescence: "Ultimate operational deployment privileges achieved!"

"Are collective operational elements fully prepared?!"

Subordinate technical personnel registered unified verbal alignment: "Complete operational preparation verified!!"

Positioned across the primary staging floor were serialized arrays of three-meter-tall humanoid androids, fully armed and armored, configured with extended limb architectures optimized for combined combat engagement, tactical security defense, and high-velocity transport of agricultural assets.