Chapter 124: The Guide

Qin Hao stayed in Liancheng for another week. Only after the floodwaters from the tsunami had fully receded and the sea beasts had been cleared away did he prepare to depart.

Following the tsunami, parts of Liancheng had been reduced to ruins. Combined with the scouring of the seawater and the algae washed ashore, the city looked battered and wretched, stripped of its former prosperity. Hai Hanting looked at the city he had personally developed and built, a bitter feeling rising in his heart. Fortunately, the tsunami had also brought a glimmer of new vitality to Liancheng; it was not all bad news. Fearing further attacks from marine life, Hai Hanting also planned to relocate a million survivors. He was so busy that he wished he had ten thousand clones to handle the myriad of tasks at hand.

When Qin Hao was about to leave, Hai Hanting set aside everything to come and see him off. "Mr. Qin, thank you so much for coming. If it weren't for you, I don't even know how many survivors in Liancheng would have made it."

Qin Hao smiled. "There is no need for thanks. Just work hard to save more survivors; that will be the best way to repay me."

Qin Hao handed his "Eye of Myriad Sects" to Hai Hanting. "This is Zihui's Eye of Myriad Sects, a god-tier item. I am gifting one to you. If you make any new discoveries, you can present them before the Eye; there are people on Zihui's side constantly collecting intelligence. Furthermore, if any terrifying sea beasts land again, you can use it to send a distress signal."

Hai Hanting accepted the Eye of Myriad Sects, feeling that no amount of gratitude could suffice. The Eye of Myriad Sects had played an indispensable role in humanity's ability to repel the Claw Civilization. Possessing a fixed Eye of Myriad Sects meant being able to receive information from Zihui immediately, and even being able to call for help from someone as powerful as Qin Hao. Hai Hanting knew that in this apocalypse, this meant a much greater chance of survival.

Suddenly, a question stirred in his mind. "Mr. Qin, why are you helping me so much? Is there anything I have that you could possibly need?"

If it were the Hai Hanting from before the apocalypse, he would never have spoken such words to Qin Hao. One was the youngest mayor, and the other was just a fresh college graduate and worker who could barely make ends meet. But now, the apocalypse had arrived, the rules of the world had changed, and strength reigned supreme. Even Hai Hanting had to be incredibly respectful when speaking to Qin Hao.

"Consider it my way of leaving more hope for humanity. I am paying attention to you because, like Zihui, you possess the potential to become a god."

Hai Hanting was stunned. Although he was powerful, he felt he could not compare to Zihui. Moreover, how did Qin Hao know he had this potential? Qin Hao had never been to Liancheng before. "Mr. Qin, do you have some other innate ability—the power to foresee the future or detect someone's potential? Just as you helped Zihui in the past, you have spent the last half-month helping me."

Qin Hao chuckled. Dr. Lingbo had been more direct in the past, suspecting that Qin Hao could foresee the future. Hai Hanting, however, was testing him, and it did not matter if Qin Hao refused to admit it. "You can think of it that way. In any case, just keep working hard."

After saying this, Qin Hao took out a space teleportation disk. He inserted a Star Energy Diamond, and the disk began to glow. A moment later, Qin Hao vanished from the spot. Seeing the item in Qin Hao's hand, Hai Hanting couldn't help but lament that the world was now completely different from what it used to be—a world that science could no longer explain.

After two transfers, Qin Hao returned to the Magic City. As he stepped out of his room, he saw Zihui waiting by the door. Seeing him return, a smile blossomed on her face. "It seems your harvest this time was not small, and you’ve given away another Eye of Myriad Sects."

"Using your things to do a favor, I hope you don't mind."

Zihui smiled. "How could I mind? Whether it was Dr. Lingbo before or Mayor Hai Hanting now, they were people of ability and status before the apocalypse. After the apocalypse, they have accomplished many great things. These are things that a small celebrity like me could never do, and they have given me much inspiration. But are you going to continue searching for humans who can become gods?"

Hearing this, Qin Hao realized that Zihui must have been watching his conversation with Hai Hanting.

"I won't leave for now. I plan to spend the next week improving my strength before facing the [Survival] mission."

"I feel relieved hearing you say that. In truth, you yourself could become a god. The way you cultivate other humans makes you seem like a guide."

"A guide?"

"Yes, like a prophet or an elder. You seem to know everything; you can always foresee disasters. And when you came to find me, you didn't seem to have purchased a mission predictor, did you?"

Qin Hao did not expect Zihui to view him this way. He would not reveal that he had activated a Time Reversion Card, nor how many people placed their hopes in him, wishing he could turn back time to make up for their regrets. Qin Hao chuckled softly and found an excuse. "Didn't you post on Weibo hoping to become a hero like me? That's why I came."

Zihui was stunned, only then remembering her confusion and panic when she first received the Hero System, and how she had realized the benefits it could bring. She had seen Qin Hao fighting a sports car and predicted he might have a Hero System, which led her to post the message on Weibo. "Thinking back, it feels like a lifetime ago, even though it's been less than two months."

"One day, we will return to the peaceful era that once was."

Zihui nodded. "That's true. Isn't that what we are striving for?"

"Indeed. Find someone to take me to see the Kaya Civilization trap. When will they open the space black hole?"

"It opens every 34 hours. We have half an hour left. I'll take you; I'm free anyway."

Zihui led the way, and Qin Hao followed. Having not returned for half a month, he noticed the Sky Dome Base had expanded further. The dense, crowded population was working hard, each person occupied with their own tasks. There was no entertainment and no extra space, but no one complained. Complaining meant going hungry, and that meant death; surviving was the most important thing now.

Qin Hao passed through a metal bridge and reached the area beneath the Kaya Civilization's space black hole. The planet where the Kaya Civilization was located had a longer rotation period than Earth—about 34 hours—and the black hole opened based on its own rotation, meaning the timing was always changing. Since setting up the trap, Zihui had people hunt about 1,000 crocodile beasts a day, effectively farming these creatures for food. Most importantly, the leather of these crocodile beasts could be crafted into clothing with astonishing defensive capabilities. The Sky Dome Base even had a dedicated area for making these clothes.

However, it was clear that they had run out of raw materials for today. As soon as the Kaya Civilization's space black hole opened, Qin Hao activated his "Crocodile Beast Butcher" title. Immediately, giant crab beasts began to crawl out of the black hole.

Qin Hao initiated his slaughter mode.