Chapter 128: Time of Human Crisis (End)
```
It was hard to tell how much time had passed.
The midday sun dipped in the sky at a visible arc.
A group of Transcendents wearing military vests, led by a formidable steel-clad strongman, arrived at the temporary camp where Chen Yu and his family had previously stayed.
From the still discernible footprints and tire tracks on the ground, it seemed the family hadn't left long ago.
Bending down, the steel-clad strongman picked up a piece of melted brain tissue from the ground, frowning deeply, "What is this?"
"A brain," a subordinate leaned in to observe.
"Human?" the strongman looked at his subordinate.
"Unclear, it needs to be tested."
"Hmm, pack it up," handing over the brain tissue to his subordinate, who bagged it in a transparent, sterile bag. The steel-clad strongman continued to scan the ground, "Where did these tire tracks come from?"
"Sir, a scout report came in five minutes ago." The subordinate bowed, "Chen Yu had stolen an off-road vehicle from the parking lot outside the stadium where the field race was held."
"He brought the car here, planning to take his family away?"
"It seems so at the moment."
"Then why do the tire tracks stop here?" the steel-clad strongman pointed to a grassy area ahead. The tire tracks of the off-road vehicle mysteriously disappeared, "Could it be not only he can fly, but his car can too?"
"This... I'm sorry, sir, we need to investigate."
"I need an answer within ten minutes."
"Yes, sir."
But not to mention ten minutes.
As darkness fell, waves of "experts" came and went, almost turning up the grass, yet no answer was found.
The conclusion was, after that off-road vehicle reached the Chen family's residence and picked up several members, it "vanished" into thin air...
...
Meanwhile, at the same time.
In a spacious cave at an unknown altitude and location.
Chen Yu and his family stopped in their tracks.
"We're here."
A bearded man turned around and unfastened the thick blindfolds from Chen Yu and his family.
The cave was reasonably bright inside.
Squinting, Chen Yu took a moment to adjust to the light and looked around. He found himself in a clean, tidy bomb shelter.
An elliptical ceiling above.
The ground below was divided into three sections.
A brick-and-stone pedestrian walkway on the left.
An asphalt road on the right.
In the middle, a narrow-gauge railway.
The rails were smooth and rust-free, obviously used frequently.
"Where is this?" Chen pressed her blindfold tightly and nervously surveyed her surroundings.
"This is the stronghold of the 'evil beings'," the bearded man spoke up, "New Eden."
"How did we get in here?" Chen Yu wondered, "From start to finish, I didn't hear the car start at all."
"That, I can't disclose for now," the bearded man patted Chen Yu's shoulder, "When your clearance is higher, you'll know."
"If my clearance never increases, does that mean I have to stay here forever?"
Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire
"Well, not necessarily. I can still send you out. But rest assured, at least this place is absolutely safe. You can hide your family here with peace of mind."
"If I'm not mistaken..." Chen, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a wise look, "This place is no longer on Earth."
The bearded man: "..."
After a brief silence, the man turned and whispered to Chen Yu, "Is your uncle always this imaginative?"
Chen: "..."
"How embarrassing," Ms. Chen said ruefully, placing a hand on her forehead.
"He guessed right!" the bearded man suddenly raised his thumb.
Ms. Chen was startled, then promptly raised her thumb too, "Old man, well done!"
"Obviously, I was joking," the man turned the tables again, "If I really had the power to take you to outer space, I would have already stormed the Temple by now."
"Ah... I thought so," Ms. Chen pouted, "Since when has he been so clever."
Chen: "Hmph, women."
"Enough delays," the bearded man returned to normal, taking the lead, "Follow me, the patrol team is waiting for us."
The party of five moved forward.
Walking along the seemingly endless pedestrian walkway in the bomb shelter, they continued for about five kilometers and finally saw a row of vague figures.
Up close, many of the figures displayed the typical characteristics of "evil beings."
Not quite human, not quite monstrous.
Fortunately, the ample lighting in the cave didn't spook anyone.
"Is this Chen Yu?" In the patrol team, a tall bespectacled man stepped forward, examining Chen Yu closely.
"Hello," Chen Yu extended his hand, "My name is Chen, the human-eating Chen."
"I know you," the tall bespectacled man nodded and shook hands with Chen Yu, "You performed very well in the two matches of the graduation assessment. The first with strategy, the second with strength. From a human perspective, I have great respect for you."
As soon as Chen Yu heard the words "from a human perspective," he knew there was more to come, so he plainly asked, "But from the perspective of the 'evil beings'?"
"Then I wish I could slaughter you right now," the tall bespectacled man suddenly exerted force, making Chen Yu's hand joints crackle.
Yet Chen Yu remained unfazed.
What sort of man was Yu? Having just "transversed," and because of title issues at the Security Bureau, he had already developed a robust set of nerves.
Even a 60° shower didn't elicit a single yelp from him.
Let alone a snapping bone.
"You do have something," the bespectacled man withdrew his hand, looking at the bearded man, "Where is the evil being you mentioned?"
"It's her," the bearded man immediately pointed at Chen.
"Hello..." Chen approached cautiously, slightly bowing.
"Prove your identity," the bespectacled man said.
Chen: "Who among my family would know, today's just to say..."
```