novelsite Chapter 9 The heavens and earth shatter, a catastrophe descends.
Chapter 9 The heavens and earth shatter, a catastrophe descends.
Eighty-five days have passed since Lin Chen's rebirth.
The bizarre weather of the past few days has reached a critical point. The sky is shrouded in thick, leaden clouds all day long, and the wind howls incessantly, whipping up sand and dust. The temperature drops by ten degrees in just half a day, and the distorted radiation in the air is so concentrated that it is almost tangible.
Inside the fortified city, everyone was on high alert.
Citizens reclaiming wasteland stopped their work, and the training team members, fully armed, stood guard on the city wall. Medical, logistics, and mechanical teams were all on standby, and everyone's face was filled with solemnity.
They didn't know exactly when the disaster would strike, but they could clearly sense the oppressive stillness in the world, the final calm before the end of the world.
On the watchtower of the city wall, Lin Chen held a telescope, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon, his fingertips turning slightly white.
Memories of his past life surged like a tide; he would never forget this day—
2025年10月12日，下午14点07分。
A massive global earthquake, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, caused violent displacement of tectonic plates, resulting in the collapse of skyscrapers, the breaking of highways, and the reversal of river flow. The very foundation of human civilization was utterly shattered in that instant.
This day marked the official outbreak of a global catastrophe.
"Brother Chen, the temperature is still dropping. We've detected slight tremors in the ground within the city, and all alarm devices have been activated." Zhao Lei strode over, his voice tense. "Everyone is in position. All supplies and personnel have been moved to air-raid shelters, and the reinforcement of the city walls has undergone final checks."
Lin Chen put down his binoculars, turned to look at him, his eyes extremely solemn: "Time is almost up. Notify everyone to immediately take shelter in air-raid shelters or reinforced buildings. Stay away from windows and walls, hold onto something secure, and no matter what sound you hear, do not come out."
"yes!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Lei immediately relayed Lin Chen's instructions through the city's public address system.
The urgent alarm sounded again throughout the fortified city. People who were originally outdoors were guided by security personnel to enter the pre-built reinforced bunkers and underground air-raid shelters in an orderly manner, without any panic.
After the previous purges, establishment of authority, and public disclosure of the truth, the entire fortified city was already united and absolutely obedient to Lin Chen's orders.
Within just ten minutes, everyone in the city had hidden themselves.
Only a few core members, including Lin Chen and Zhao Lei, remained on the city wall to hold out until the very last moment.
"One minute left." Lin Chen looked at the watch on his wrist. The second hand moved step by step, and each tick felt like a tap on his heart.
Zhao Lei gripped his weapon tightly, his muscles tense. Even though he was prepared, he still couldn't hide the shock in his heart when faced with the devastating natural disaster.
14:06:50.
10、9、8……3、2、1！
The second hand pointed precisely to 14:07.
boom--!!!
A deafening roar, powerful enough to tear the heavens and earth apart, exploded from the depths of the earth!
The entire earth trembled violently, heaving like an enraged beast. The ground instantly cracked open with jagged chasms, the concrete road shattered, and stones and dust flew everywhere.
In the distance, old, unreinforced buildings in the city collapsed like paper, billowing smoke and dust into the sky. Screams, sounds of collapse, and cracking instantly engulfed the entire city.
God, collapsed.
The ground cracked.
A massive earthquake struck as expected!
Standing on the city wall, Lin Chen felt the ground shaking violently beneath his feet, making it extremely difficult to even stand. Searchlights and sirens beside him fell and shattered, and stones at the top of the city wall kept crumbling away. Fortunately, the pre-reinforced alloy frame provided support, and the entire ring wall remained firmly in place.
"Hold on! The city wall is fine!" Lin Chen roared, steadying himself. "This is just the main shock; there will be aftershocks. Everyone, hold the line! Don't let your guard down!"
Zhao Lei and the others clung tightly to the city wall railing, their faces pale as they watched the earth-shattering scene outside.
Outside the city, the highway was completely broken, the bridge collapsed with a roar, and the high-rise buildings in the distance collapsed in large numbers. The sky was filled with smoke and dust, and the once prosperous outskirts of Cangnan City were instantly turned into a wasteland.
Countless people lost their lives in the earthquake, and those who survived cried out and ran, plunged into boundless despair.
The official system collapsed instantly in the face of absolute natural disaster.
Communication was completely cut off, power was completely paralyzed, water sources were cut off, and rescue forces were nowhere to be found.
Order has been completely destroyed.
The end times have truly arrived!
The earthquake lasted for a full three minutes, followed by a series of aftershocks, each tremor making the ruins outside the city even more devastated.
Lin Chen stared intently at the outside of the city, his eyes icy cold.
He knew that the earthquake was just the beginning.
One hour later, a superstorm will sweep inland; three hours later, a coastal tsunami will erupt, causing flooding; one day later, extreme cold will descend, with temperatures plummeting below minus forty degrees Celsius; one week later, the zombie virus will spread across the land, and the mutated creatures will go completely berserk…
One disaster after another will drag the entire world into an endless abyss.
"Brother Chen, our city walls are fine! The air-raid shelters are also intact, and there have been no casualties!" Zhao Lei's excited voice broke Lin Chen's thoughts.
Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief, his tense mind relaxing slightly.
Months of effort and meticulous planning have finally yielded results.
This city wall blocked the first natural disaster and protected the lives of everyone in the city.
"Inspect the damage to the city wall, repair the damaged parts, take stock of supplies and personnel, and after confirming that everything is in order, turn on the temporary emergency lighting and calm the public." Lin Chen quickly issued the order, his tone calm and reassuring to everyone.
"yes!"
Just then, a dense chorus of cries for help came from outside the city.
Countless surviving citizens crawled out of the ruins, and upon seeing the hellish scene before them, they completely collapsed and ran towards the fortified city.
"Open the door! Help us!"
"Let us in! It's too dangerous outside!"
"Please, my child is still inside, please let us in!"
Thousands of survivors gathered at the foot of the fortified city, frantically pounding and crying out, trying to enter the only intact and safe city.
Their faces were covered in dust, their clothes were tattered, and their eyes were filled with despair and a desire to survive. Looking at the towering and sturdy city wall in front of them, it was as if they had seen the last straw.
Looking at the crowd below the city, Zhao Lei's face showed reluctance: "Brother Chen, should we... let them in?"
Lin Chen stood atop the city wall, looking down at the dense crowd below, his gaze unwavering, his tone cold and resolute.
"No gates open, no passage allowed; no one may enter the fortified city."
In short, it completely extinguished the hopes of the survivors outside the city.
"Brother Chen!" Zhao Lei shouted urgently, "They are all innocent people! There are still aftershocks outside, and there are still mutated creatures. If they go out, they will die!"
"I know," Lin Chen's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable strength, "but we can't let it go."
"The resources, space, and defenses within the fortified city can only guarantee the survival of the current population. Once the gates are opened, tens of thousands of people will flood in, resources will be exhausted instantly, order will collapse completely, our months of effort will be wasted, and everyone in the city will perish with us."
"Moreover, we cannot determine whether there are mutated viruses or rioters taking advantage of the chaos in the crowd."
"In this apocalyptic world, being soft-hearted is a cardinal sin. I must be responsible for everyone in the city who trusts me."
His gaze swept over the desperate crowd below the city, and his heart was not entirely unmoved.
In his past life, he was also one of these desperate survivors, and he knew all too well the pain of surviving in the apocalypse.
But he couldn't gamble, nor could he afford to.
He built this barrier to protect a safe haven, not to save the whole world.
Once the city gates open, all efforts will be in vain.
"But..." Zhao Lei wanted to say more.
"No buts!" Lin Chen interrupted him. "Pass down the order: all personnel on the city walls are on high alert. Anyone who approaches the walls will be warned and driven away. Anyone who dares to forcibly attack the city will be killed without exception!"
Military orders are absolute and cannot be questioned.
Looking into Lin Chen's determined eyes, Zhao Lei finally gritted his teeth and nodded: "Understood!"
On the city wall, all the team members raised their weapons, aimed at the crowd below, and issued a stern warning.
The cries, pleas, and curses from below the city walls grew increasingly jarring.
Despair, resentment, and pain intertwined beneath the fortified city walls.
Lin Chen stood on high ground, facing the swirling dust, his posture as upright as a pine tree.
His face was expressionless, but deep in his eyes lay a barely perceptible heaviness.
From the moment the city gates were closed, he severed all sentimentality and embarked on a path of iron-fisted defense of the city.
Whatever stands in his way, whether it be natural disasters, strange beasts, or the hearts of men, he will crush it all.
The heavens and earth are collapsing, and a catastrophe has arrived.
From this day forward, this outer wall of Cangnan City will be the last pure land in the end times.
And he, Lin Chen, is the sole ruler of this city!
Aftershocks continued, and cries of agony echoed outside the city, but inside the fortified city, lights shone brightly and order prevailed.
On one side lies the ruins of purgatory, and on the other, a safe haven.
Two worlds, completely separated by a high wall.