Time flowed, and in a blink of an eye, it was the next day.
May 12, 2017.
Current Evolution Points: 23 billion.
The Geocentric Base was expanding its construction with full momentum.
Zhou Qi also returned to the White Snake Mountain Insect Farm, idly scrolling through his phone until he saw a sensational news story on a circumvention software.
In an era of rapid global information dissemination, a piece of news, like a bombshell, instantly caused an uproar across half the world.
Headlines of major media outlets were all occupied by the same news: In the Antarctic Ocean, a Beautiful Country research vessel made a shocking discovery while on a routine survey mission.
In the news video footage, the Antarctic sea surface shimmered under the sun that day, seemingly calm, yet hiding endless unknowns beneath.
Scientists on the research vessel were intently monitoring various data when suddenly, the sonar System emitted an urgent alarm.
On the screen, the outline of a massive, unknown object gradually appeared; its size was beyond imagination, and at first, the crew thought it was a blue whale underwater.
Until the crew members rushed to the deck, staring wide-eyed at the sea.
With a huge splash, a strange creature slowly emerged from the water.
It was about 50 meters long, with an extremely massive body, and a face that resembled a human's yet was eerie, with stiff facial lines and peculiar facial feature proportions; its eyes were hollow and deep, as if they could suck in one's Soul.
Its two front hands, like huge fans, stirred up large splashes of water with every casual swing; its massive webbed feet at the back gently paddled in the seawater, each stroke propelling its enormous body slowly forward.
The explorers on the research vessel were stunned into immobility at first, then reacted a moment later, scrambling to pick up their equipment and start filming.
They knew that this discovery was enough to shake the entire scientific community; this strange creature was precisely the being known as Ningen, previously existing only in legend, but now appearing truthfully before their eyes.
However, before they could conduct further observation and research, several large warships suddenly appeared on the distant sea horizon; it was the Joint Navy fleet formed by several major nations.
The Joint Navy quickly surrounded the research vessel and sternly demanded through loudspeakers that the personnel on the research vessel immediately evacuate the area and strictly keep the Ningen discovery confidential.
The commander's voice was cold and firm, warning them that failure to comply would result in severe consequences.
Although the researchers were extremely unwilling, under the deterrence of the Joint Navy, they could only reluctantly withdraw.
But the news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the world.
This news instantly ignited the passion of global explorers; countless explorers eagerly prepared to head to the Antarctic, wanting to witness the mysterious creature's grandeur with their own eyes and explore the secrets hidden behind it.
But when they arrived near the Antarctic waters, they found the passage firmly blocked by the Joint Navy, which publicly announced that a military exercise was being held there, prohibiting any unauthorized vessels from entering.
Zhou Qi, far away at the Geocentric Base, saw this news while browsing.
He was already curious about various novel creatures, and after seeing the report on Ningen, his heart was even more excited.
For him, this unconfirmed life form might contain immense Evolution Potential and mysterious power; if he could subdue it or thoroughly research it, it might bring a new Breakthrough to his own forces.
Zhou Qi immediately took action; he called Wang Yufei, his tone carrying an undeniable urgency: “Yufei, use all your Parasite connections to get me detailed information about Ningen—the exact location of the Beautiful Country research vessel, the detailed process of discovering Ningen, and the true purpose of the Joint Navy’s blockade of the Antarctic; don’t miss a single detail!”
Not long after, Wang Yufei rushed to Zhou Qi's office in a hurry; even though he had been strengthened like Captain America, his forehead was covered in sweat from the rapid journey, and his clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his body.
As soon as he saw Zhou Qi, he immediately knelt on one knee, respectfully presenting the intelligence in his hand, his voice tinged with a hint of anxiety and excitement: “Master, the Parasites have carried out in-depth operations globally as you instructed.”
“Now, our Parasite forces have gradually extended to almost every corner of the world; even the current Beautiful Country has our Parasites.”
“Even if human weapons are indeed very strong, just as you told me before, although humans on the ground firmly occupied the surface in the past with various powerful weapons, their individual strength is too fragile; in front of the Mind Control Demon Bug, they are like ants, vulnerable.”
Zhou Qi nodded slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
He stared intently at the Ningen data in his hand; the huge and eerie creature in the photo made him fall into deep thought.
“This Ningen… from its appearance to its way of appearing, it exudes an air of profound mystery. I’ve thought about it repeatedly, and I always feel that it might come from the Antarctic Outer Realm, but I don’t have absolute certainty. The reason behind this is truly puzzling.”
After speaking, Zhou Qi used the spatial teleportation to bring Wang Yufei to the Geocentric World and summoned Uka.
Uka walked over with steady steps; its growth rate was extremely fast now, and its massive body cast a huge shadow on the ground.
Zhou Qi showed Uka the Ningen photos and related information, asking with a solemn expression: “Uka, you have lived in the Antarctic Outer Realm for a long time and should be very familiar with the various creatures there. Look closely at this Ningen; do you have any clues? Is it possible that it is a product of the Antarctic Outer Realm?”
Uka leaned closer to the photos, a focused light flickering in its huge eyes.
It examined them carefully for a long time, sometimes shaking its head slightly, sometimes showing a puzzled expression.
After a while, it finally looked up and said with certainty: “Master, based on my understanding of the Antarctic Outer Realm, this strange creature could never have been born there. In the Antarctic Outer Realm, the forms of life and modes of birth follow specific rules.”
“Most of the creatures there have gradually evolved under the influence of the Titan' powerful strength, or they are conceived and born relying on special environments and energies. But this Ningen, the aura it emits is completely different from any creature in the Antarctic Outer Realm, and its form is unprecedentedly peculiar.”
“The creatures in our region, in order to adapt to the extreme cold environment and special energy fields, have evolved unique characteristics, such as possessing strong cold resistance and being able to directly absorb special energy substances. But this Ningen, from the environment it appeared in and its behavior, completely does not conform to the characteristics of creatures from the Antarctic Outer Realm.”
“Moreover, creatures in our region, during their evolution, will retain some physical features adapted to the environment, such as special scales, fur that can withstand extreme cold, or organs convenient for survival in special energy fields. But on this Ningen, none of these features can be seen.”