Chapter 103: The End of the Battle

The battle ended at three in the morning. Qin Hao gathered the corpses of the alien beasts into his spatial ring and tallied his Star Energy Crystals; there were 600,000 in total.

Previously, when Qin Hao had produced one million crystals without blinking, Ling Bo had been astonished by his prowess, assuming he had established a large-scale base in Shanghai. Only now did he realize how incredibly simple it was to acquire these crystals. With such a vast supply, there was nothing he couldn't purchase—especially since the Hero System had updated, reducing the cost of Hero Points and expanding the utility of Star Energy Crystals. This led Ling Bo to re-evaluate the importance of sheer strength. Of course, great power had other uses, and at this moment, it was desperately needed.

"Qin Hao, after the system update, the situation for humanity looks grim," Ling Bo remarked.

"When has the situation for humanity ever been good?" Qin Hao sneered. "This time, I fear we must rely on your Hero Prison once again. We will accept the missions simultaneously. I will have to face Tier 3 hunting creatures, but you can have Tier 1 evolvers assist in setting traps and preparing defensive fortifications in advance."

"You're right." Ling Bo realized the direction he needed to take and knew he could execute it better. "However, I may need you to stay for a while longer. It would be best if you could help me consolidate the major factions in Kyoto. Also, this Light Energy Generator can condense light elements; it is the fundamental material for crafting antidotes. I will synthesize them into potions later. I’ll keep 10% of the proceeds as a production cost, and 90% will go to you."

Qin Hao did not stand on ceremony; after all, he was the one who had purchased the generator. He had also reached a realization: before the time reversal, this generator had likely been purchased collectively by various factions to produce potions and earn Star Energy Crystals. Now, by taking the initiative himself, Qin Hao had naturally rendered the other factions in Kyoto irrelevant.

"Keep 10% for yourself; you need to build your strength as well."

"Then I won't be polite." The allure of power was stronger than ever for Ling Bo.

After they spoke for a while, the evolvers from Tsinghua University emerged. The person in charge was not a professor, but a doctoral student. As Qin Hao looked at him, the man's name surfaced in his mind: Zhou Mingchen. Before the apocalypse, this man had been a famous national high-jump athlete—the kind who had won gold medals. What was even more dazzling was that, despite being an athlete, he had pursued a doctorate at Tsinghua. Such a talent had even briefly become an internet sensation.

However, he was low-key and did not pursue fame. After the time reversal, he had become a formidable evolver in Kyoto.

"Dr. Ling, is there anything that needs to be done now?"

Ling Bo nodded. "Call all the evolvers with Earth-element talents. We need to enclose this machine and build a structure around it."

"Make it Metal-element!" Qin Hao advised them. "Earth is not as sturdy as Metal, and Metal is more malleable. Have some Metal-element evolvers help me collect steel, and I will build it."

"Understood!" Zhou Mingchen agreed immediately and went to find people.

These Metal-element evolvers were highly experienced. They quickly reshaped cars on the road into a cylindrical form, which could roll forward—a method that saved time and effort. Moreover, if they encountered hunting creatures, this steel cylinder could actually crush them. This tactic was most effective against zombies, as they were slow-moving and lacked intelligence. Human creativity was boundless; given time to develop, the Blue Planet would be no weaker than any other civilization.

Qin Hao dismantled his ice walls and erected metal ones, enclosing the Light Energy Generator within. As the light vanished, the hunting creatures finally quieted down, no longer circling Tsinghua University with predatory intent. During the day, Ling Bo could open it up again, provided he adjusted the power output so it wasn't too blinding. With the Light Energy Generator present, the Blue Planet's light-element density would increase, helping to ward off the virus.

By the time everything was settled, it was already bright. Before Ling Bo could seek others out, the evolvers within Kyoto began to arrive in droves.

"Dr. Ling, I am a Tier 2 evolver. May I join the Tsinghua base?"

"Dr. Ling, hello. Could we meet the person who held off the hunting creatures yesterday? You know, the [Survival] mission has updated, and we are about to face [Survival 3]. We really have no confidence this time, and we'd like to ask that hero to step in."

"Ling Bo, we've had our misunderstandings in the past, but we are all heroes. For the sake of humanity and the survivors, please be the bigger man and forgive our rashness. We came to ask about the potions. Also, can that thing you set up yesterday dispel the virus? Many people in my base are showing signs of recovery."

The crowd seeking to join, scouting for information, or wanting to buy potions was immense. Ling Bo dealt with them alone, while Qin Hao was directed to a faculty dormitory to rest. After several consecutive battles, he was indeed exhausted.

However, once he returned to his room, Qin Hao did not rest immediately.

"The Invader Alliance changed the mission ahead of schedule—six years ahead." Qin Hao pondered this. "Time was reversed on the Blue Planet, but what about time outside the universe? The Silver Light Civilization can alter time, but they likely cannot influence the entire universe. The invading civilization is aware that I reversed time."

Thinking of this possibility, Qin Hao drew a sharp breath. He had previously ignored this, thinking that the first [Survival] mission had been a butterfly effect where he had held too great an advantage, causing the invading civilization to be wary. Now, it seemed they had known of his actions all along. They were indeed wary, but they were far from helpless. By slightly altering the rules, they could plunge the Blue Planet into an inescapable abyss in a very short time. The premature invasion of the Ancient Demon Civilization was proof of this.

"I must grow stronger quickly. I have so little time left. I must become a god to stop all of this."

As for what would happen after he became a god, Qin Hao did not know. Among the current survivors and the countless heroes, that was the only goal that mattered.

Qin Hao's plans flashed through his mind, but they were ultimately constrained by one condition.

"The invading civilization sends hunting creatures, which certainly leads to a reduction in survivors, but my strength is built upon the accumulation of countless genes. These hunting creatures are, in fact, my advantage."

It was ironic. The Invader Alliance's change to the [Survival] mission had, in the end, played into Qin Hao's hands. He looked forward to seeing what kind of creatures the invaders would send in a month's time.

Qin Hao was filled with anticipation.