At Haiyan Island, the Infinite slowly emerged from the underground rail station beneath the ruined university district after sheltering from the abnormal entities all night. Chen Sixuan opened the train door and was shocked to discover that the freight station where they had fought yesterday, along with the already dilapidated surrounding streets, had now been reduced to near-total ruins.

Looking around, the cityscape appeared to have sunk several meters. Numerous skyscrapers leaned precariously, and the roads were almost completely blocked.

The sky was overcast with dark clouds. Though it was morning, distant eerie cries and the thunderous crashes of collapsing metal structures made the previously silent city now seem strangely lively.

Qian Dele stepped off the train, scanning the surroundings warily. "This place is uninhabitable now. The abnormal entities will likely overrun the city before nightfall today."

"Where's Captain Lin?" Shu Qin emerged carrying her heavy mechanical rifle. Now clad in power armor, she looked completely different from her former roving hunter style with the Bigfoot vehicle team, appearing more like a mechanized warrior with significantly enhanced physical combat skills. Lü Chang had also made remarkable progress in mobility.

However, the disadvantage of gene evolvers was their lack of effective combat methods against large abnormal entities. Last night, Shu Qin, Lü Chang, Chen Sixuan, and Daluo had discussed the dark energy power Vanessa could unleash after breaking physical limits through crystallization. This indeed represented a visible path for large-scale combat enhancement.

"He should be arriving soon." Chen Sixuan looked up at the sky where several fiery trails streaked across the heavens. Explosive sonic booms followed as the figures descended rapidly - Lin Xian and his team landing decisively.

"Well?"

"Big trouble." Lin Xian retracted his power armor visor, expression grave. "But at least we understand what we're dealing with now."

"There's a reason this island is so devastated that even zombies are scarce."

KIKI took a deep breath. "No wonder we rarely hear from train groups heading to the oceanic orbit. The surrounding sea has become a feeding ground for world-class creatures."

"Feeding ground?"

Lin Xian nodded and briefly updated the team on the situation. Upon learning the dire circumstances, shadows of concern fell over everyone's faces.

After communicating with Laine, Lin Xian stared at the countdown before him, wondering whether it was related to Mount Garland or Uniga-1. But he couldn't be certain - the changes at the Southern Celestial Gate might also be connected to the Forbidden Artifact he possessed.

"So should we seek shelter within Haiyan Island if the energy discharge fails?" Chen Sixuan asked.

Lin Xian's gaze swept across the group as he declared firmly: "Honestly, rather than taking refuge on the island, I'd prefer flying straight away from Haiyan Island."

"I agree." Qian Dele immediately nodded. "Frankly, hiding on the island seems like the worst last resort."

Monica frowned slightly, crossing her arms. "What about that Falcon Sea Group?"

"One of their teams has already headed to the southeastern waters. Once I establish contact with the off-island base, we'll begin underwater operations," Lin Xian replied.

"Starting immediately?" Chen Sixuan asked.

"First we'll survey the area," KIKI interjected. "See if it's feasible."

"If it works, we might buy ourselves more time," Ning Jing added.

Lin Xian's eyes searched the group. "Where's Director Ding?"

"There."

At the front of the crowd, Ding Junyi approached calmly from the vehicle, her expression composed as she addressed Lin Xian: "I've done preliminary calculations on the data you sent me. While I'm no geology expert, based on energy modeling, my initial conclusion is that even if Mount Garland erupts at historically recorded maximum intensity, it shouldn't severely damage Haiyan Island's topography. We could withstand even a magnitude 10 earthquake. The real threats would be the tsunami and... those creatures."

Celestial disasters combined with abnormal entities - this was a situation Lin Xian had never encountered before. With interstellar-level power trains, the Infinite, and the Sky Dome at their disposal, tsunamis, storms and earthquakes were manageable. But if these disasters came accompanied by massive abnormal entities and the Oceanic Titan's hunt, it would create a truly hellish scenario. Imagine Haiyan Island as the eye of a storm vortex, devoid of day or night - the mere thought was terrifying.

This was why Lin Xian privately considered that even if Laine's warnings about the sky proved true, his nature inclined him toward a breakout attempt rather than passive defense. Only yesterday's apocalyptic display by the Oceanic Titan had given him pause, making him temporarily adopt the last-resort plan of implementing the energy discharge first while assessing the situation.

"Let's move out then."

Lin Xian addressed the group: "Sister Ning, Monica, Qian Dele - your three squads will investigate the island's air force bases and bunker facilities to identify potential temporary shelters. The underground rail definitely won't work. Teacher Chen, keep the Infinite stationed here temporarily as communication relay until my orders."

"What are you planning?" Chen Sixuan asked.

"I'll head to the eastern shore first. The drone squad still hasn't made contact with Viola. After surveying the discharge point, I'll decide our next move. If everything goes well, we might take the Infinite directly to the submarine base."

Chen Sixuan nodded. "Understood."

"Ah, Brother Lin, are you going underwater?" Shiori asked.

Lin Xian confirmed: "Yes. There might be a special-level entity in those waters. I'll assess the situation first."

"Alright then, let's get moving." Immediately, Ning Jing, Monica, and Qian Dele dispersed with their teams. With numerous abnormal entities in the outer regions, combat was inevitable. Everyone went fully armed.

Lin Xian also set off immediately, taking KIKI and Shiori straight toward the eastern coastline.

"Lin Xian, Viola's been gone so long - could something have happened to her? Logically, an AI robot shouldn't be targeted by abnormal entities, right?" KIKI asked during their flight.

"Relay drones are already searching along Viola's flight path. My concern is that yesterday's storm from the Oceanic Titan might have caused interference. Otherwise, the orbital network wouldn't have broken over such distances."

Lin Xian felt anxious. Viola was currently his crucial computing center and drone control core. Losing her would be an immense blow. With Grace stationed far above at the Southern Celestial Gate and unreachable, the thought gave him a headache.

Whoosh!

The gloomy clouds pressed low over the sea surface where the leaden sky merged with ink-blue waters at the horizon into a chaotic line. Lin Xian's armor tore through the humid air, thrusters leaving pale trails across wave crests as KIKI and Shiori flanked him, the trio racing south along Haiyan Island's eastern shore. Brine droplets condensed on their steel exoskeletons.

As they approached the underwater cliff area east of Chatham Island, their radar suddenly shrieked. Spotting one of Laine's transport ships anchored near shore, the three approached across the water. Before reaching it, Lin Xian abruptly halted midair. The seabed at the cliff's edge dropped away precipitously, sunlight penetrating the water to reveal a yawning abyss over a kilometer wide. The vortex center appeared dark blue, its foaming white edges like fangs. Though the surface remained calm, the depths seemed to harbor some light-devouring leviathan as the whirlpool rotated slowly against normal fluid dynamics - exactly the "unnatural construct" from Erica's aerial photos.

"My god, what is that down there?"

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened. "I don't know, but it's definitely no ordinary underwater vortex."

"Then we're going down there? That... seems extremely dangerous," KIKI said.

Lin Xian shook his head, looking toward Laine's group. "Not yet. With coordinates marked, I'll send robots first. Besides, areas like this must have maintenance access."

"Right." KIKI nodded.

Just as Lin Xian and KIKI prepared to land, the sea below suddenly churned violently. Lin Xian instinctively went on alert, but before he could react, KIKI's voice suddenly shouted over the blaring warning alarms:

"Lin Xian, above us!!"