Apocalypse Forecast-Chapter 631 - 526 - Great Grandmaster (Thanks to the alliance leader ONI Little Brag)_1
As soon as he entered the bridge, a solemn atmosphere immediately enveloped him.
Beneath a projection, formed by an array of converging, fluctuating numerical values, stood a colossal steel statue. Several people were already there, seemingly engaged in an impromptu meeting.
Upon seeing August entering with Andrea and Huai Shi, someone gestured for them to come over.
It was apparent that bureaucracy was lacking here. Although responsibilities were clearly defined, everyone treated unimportant matters quite casually.
Perhaps this had to do with the overwhelming idealism among the Sublimators.
People here did not revere power, nor would they inexplicably bow their heads at crucial moments because of it. Besides, those who joined the Abyss Exploration Team generally had nothing to lose. Having already thrown their lives away, why would they care about such things?
Even as one of the most powerful individuals within the Iron Crystal Throne, August didn’t seem particularly tense or excited. He calmly reported to the middle-aged man at the head of the table, "Support from the academy has arrived at the Iron Crystal Throne, but the station’s assimilation rate has risen, so we can only abandon it temporarily."
"That Condra guy..."
The middle-aged man sighed but said nothing, and shook hands with Andrea. "It’s been a long time, Professor Andrea. You must be tired from your journey."
"It’s all part of the job."
"And who is this?" he motioned behind Andrea. "A new face I haven’t seen before."
"Huai Shi, a Classical Music Appreciation Lecturer from the research department, assisting Lady Andrea as a newcomer," Huai Shi introduced himself with a reserved nod, looking around to attempt identifying which of the crowd might be the Great Grandmaster.
Was it the dignified middle-aged man? The smiling lady? The taciturn old man with a stern expression? Or the young man in the corner, silent and with a forbidding look?
In the tense and brief meeting, no one introduced him. No one here treated him as a distinguished guest who couldn’t be neglected; more to the point, Huai Shi himself didn’t consider himself significant either.
What was this place, and who was he? Even if he had some minor fame, how could he stand out among anyone here? Even if he was very powerful, what did that matter compared to the miracle that had just annihilated Hell’s artillery fire? Apart from having survived a few days in Xiematai under the Creator’s framework on easy mode, did he have any significant Hell exploration experience or credentials to mention? Even a Third Stage individual here would only be just enough to be noticed, marginally better than those students who were dragged here to lend a hand or serve as free labor, yet their role would still be limited. If one were to talk about usefulness, Raymond, the driver they brought along, was marginally more useful than him. The reason Andrea could bring him along was probably because Huai Shi, as the Principal’s Secretary, was barely qualified enough to be privy to these secrets; she was likely just trying to help a newcomer. So, it was best to speak less, do less, listen more, and observe more. Keep a low profile, and avoid trouble for oneself.
With this very Buddhist mindset, he leaned against the statue behind Andrea, quietly eavesdropping on their conversation.
Supply logistics, food replenishment, and personnel losses.
Inventory usage and preparation speed, staff rotation, and research cycles.
In this nearly daily meeting, everyone gave a quick update to ensure others were aware of the departments and domains they were overseeing.
By the end, Huai Shi realized that not even the Great Grandmaster had appeared here.
The Captain, who oversaw the central engine and also served as First Mate; the Director of the Exploration Team, responsible for external exploration and internal security; the Director of Affairs, managing supplies and internal collaboration; the ship’s doctor, ensuring the physical and mental health of all crew members; the Lighthouse Observer, in charge of navigation and communication; the production line manager, in charge of manufacturing and maintenance; and representatives of the Alchemists and Scholars...
And Andrea, who had brought reinforcements and would next assist in maintaining the internal framework of the Iron Crystal Throne.
The eight individuals present could be seen as representatives from all areas of the Iron Crystal Throne: a rare assemblage of elite and talented personnel, as well as veterans of Abyss exploration and expansion.
When Andrea brought up some bad news regarding the Ivy League during the meeting, the brows of several people instantly furrowed.
No matter how disdainful the old-timers were of this nouveau riche "kid brother," they couldn’t just ignore it—after all, the Ivy League had the backing of the American Genealogy, one of the Six Greats.
Just like Below Ji Xia with Dongxia, the Ivy League held a significant position within the American Genealogy as an institution for cultivating new blood and a technical department; it was not some weakling that could be casually dismissed.
"Two weeks ago, a drone discovered traces of their frontline base."
"They’ve been cautious in their movements, hiding their location on the other side of the outer ring, just out of our scouting range," the Director of Affairs said. "While ensuring our sovereignty over the new territory, we’ve had some friction. A week ago, they requested negotiations."
"And then?" asked Andrea.
"Then we responded with a saturation attack on their location," the Captain said emotionlessly. "Looking at it now, it seems our stance wasn’t firm enough, leading them to believe they still have a chance."
Aside, Huai Shi couldn’t help wanting to roll his eyes.
If that wasn’t firm, what would be? Could they create a great explosion in Hell? Wait a minute... There’s no Current Circumstances Protection Treaty here, no oversight from the Astronomical Society. That means whatever happens in these wild and desolate lands, nobody knows. Perhaps these people are indeed mad enough to concoct a nuclear bomb. With the technical reserves of the Ivory Tower and the instruments aboard the Iron Crystal Throne, they just might... be able to?
Just as Huai Shi was lost in his random musings, they had temporarily finished summarizing the current situation and begun a new topic.
"According to the results brought back by the investigation team, our speculations have largely been confirmed," the aged scholar representative said. "This place, the Town of Dusk, should be the supermassive industrial base created by the Purgatory Factory Masters during the last War of the Worlds—the Eternal Frozen Heart. In reality, Hell is composed of countless factories and assembly lines. No, I should say, everything here is actually part of a gigantic machine, and we outsiders are more like pebbles and dust obstructing its smooth operation..."
"Are we going to wage war against those Purgatory Factory Masters?" someone asked. "This would violate the ceasefire agreement between the Current Circumstances and Hell. We cannot shoulder this responsibility."
"No, this Hell is currently ownerless," the scholar representative said. "Actually, haven’t we all seen it these past few days? This place is fundamentally in an out-of-control, semi-collapsed state. Ever since that group of Purgatory Factory Masters was severely weakened, they voluntarily retreated into the Withering Region, contracting all their operations and presence. Even if they knew the state of the Town of Dusk, they’d be powerless to reclaim it. Moreover, as long as the Key of Sequence has not registered its sovereignty, it cannot be said to belong to anyone... Our only competitors should be the Ivy League."
The use of the word "only" was quite telling.
It pointedly illustrated the disdain the "big brother" held for the "loathsome younger brother."
The long-standing academic monopoly of the Ivory Tower allowed it to look down on all its peers as mere second-rate outfits.
They had to take it seriously, but that didn’t stop them from looking down on it.
As the meeting progressed, the core issue became clear: to contend for the Town of Dusk—or the Eternal Frozen Heart—should they go to war with the damn Ivy League?
The eight people present exchanged glances and after a long silence, they all turned to look at Huai Shi, as if seeking his opinion.
Huai Shi was baffled. A hundred thousand question marks seemed to pop above his head. Why were they looking at him? Why should his opinion be sought on such a matter?
Just as he was flusteredly waving his hands, about to say something, he heard a deep voice from behind him.
"How about we forget it?"
A hoarse voice with a metallic echo sounded, yawning without any enthusiasm and sighing wearily, "It always feels like too much trouble. Better to just pack up and go home."
Huai Shi stiffly turned his head. The "steel statue" on the pedestal behind him—the pondering, iron-cast thinker—was actually talking.
And it was looking down at him. "Kid, move over a bit. You’re standing on my foot."
Eh?
Only then did Huai Shi look down to realize that his foot had been on the steel statue’s instep for who knows how long, even leaving two large shoe prints behind.
Yet in his perception, this should simply be a pure steel statue, which by no means belonged in the category of being able to move and talk, neither by the sensation of the Hand of Confinement nor by the craft of Alchemy! And if everyone was looking at him, did it not mean that...this statue he had been stepping on for so long was the Great Grandmaster?
Huai Shi nearly choked, utterly dumbfounded.
Andrea nudged him from the side and whispered a reminder, "Be polite in your expression. Don’t look as if you’ve seen a ghost."
"But... but..."
Huai Shi swallowed, unable to comprehend.
"Sorry, did I scare you?"
The three-to-four-meter-tall statue spoke with a resonant voice. "Most people are frightened when they see me. I know, I’m a bit odd... So, you don’t need to feel bad. You don’t have to mind me; there’s just a useless old man here..."
Mikhail Ivanovich Zyaytsev, the highest authority of the Iron Crystal Throne and one of the few Great Grandmasters in the entire territory, sat on the pedestal, his expression somewhat numb.
Gazing at the countless projections of data before him, he sighed wearily. "At the end of the day, what does it all mean? Life, the universe, the Current Circumstances, Hell, and everything... What we do, compared to the vast Abyss, what does it amount to? What change would there be after obtaining the Eternal Frozen Heart? Absolutely meaningless. The outcome would only be emptiness... None of it matters..."
As he spoke his hoarse words, an indescribable low pressure suddenly enveloped the bridge. An inescapable sense of despondency and fatigue weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.
Several of the leaders, apparently long accustomed to such displays, couldn’t help but shake their heads. Here we go again...
