Chapter 53: 330 Years

Chapter 53, 330

Chen Jian finally understood why the world had become this abstract semblance.

It wasn't that they were too weak; it was because the enemy they faced was truly beyond comprehension, utterly unstoppable.

Death came within two hours, so the longest reaction time they could possibly have was no more than five hours.

Yet within those five hours, the squad quickly ascertained the situation.

After suffering relentless, irreplaceable losses, they made a near‑mad decision.

They abandoned self‑rescue.

Obviously, even medical means had been forsaken.

They did not seek to save the present; they wished to devote everything to supporting the future.

At the very moment of their lives, they burned everything, burying hope in fortifications ten meters underground.

As the note said, they did not know if anyone would survive, nor what those survivors would face.

But they knew that every crate they brought in would be a precious spark for those who came after.

Fortunate.

Chen Jian took up this spark.

He drew a deep breath and stood at attention before a dark passage, saluting.

Moments later, he lowered his hand and whispered:

"Ceremony complete!"

The fallen must not be forgotten, yet he must focus on the future.

After briefly composing himself, Chen Jian gave the order:

"Shen Yue, He Shuo, bring people in."

"Received."

"Understood."

Their voices were hoarse; moments later, a line of text appeared on Chen Jian's smart goggles.

"Should the Holy‑blooded also go in?"

"Bring them in."

Chen Jian typed the reply without hesitation, then, with Lei Ji, began inspecting the fortifications' facilities and supplies at a relentless pace.

The fortification was not large—just three levels, each about 1,200 cubic meters.

The lowest level housed the power room and support systems; Chen Jian located the generator, expecting it to have rusted away, but tests showed that in the semi‑vacuum its aging was slow, and after filling the sealed diesel stored nearby, it actually started.

With the generator's rumble, lights inside the fortification flickered on one by one.

The two removed their night‑vision goggles, and Lei Ji sighed:

"Weichai is holding up too—after all these years, this thing still works."

"Isn't this just a living advertisement? If only it weren't the apocalypse."

"Without the apocalypse you wouldn't even see this thing."

Chen Jian shook his head slightly, looked around, and saw that the lower level's equipment was still plentiful.

Not only did it have diesel generators, but also several large sealed crates whose external icons revealed they held spare parts for various machinery.

Besides that, Chen Jian saw similarly sealed bundles of cables, assorted electronic devices, and portable power units.

Basically all the gear needed for the fortification's self‑sufficiency was stacked on this level, packed tight; even in exoskeletons the two found it hard to move through.

"Lei Ji, try installing the fortification's computers and booting the smart terminal."

"The password we found isn't for opening the door; it must be for starting the smart terminal."

"The terminal's server and storage are temporarily sealed; there should be something inside."

"Perhaps from this terminal we can obtain more information about the great cataclysm."

"Understood."

Lei Ji immediately began to shed his exoskeleton, while Chen Jian turned and headed for the second level.

Most of the items on this level were likewise stored in sealed crates, but the most conspicuous was a CNC milling machine.

It was a medium‑sized CNC mill about eight meters long, brought in as a module, partially assembled, but never fully completed due to lack of time.

This is excellent gear.

In theory, with one industrial mother machine and the corresponding knowledge, humanity could remake all industrial goods within a certain time.

——

But the problem lies here: knowledge is the scarcest resource.

Even Chen Jian's four‑person team isn't enough; without them, even if the fortification's smart terminal held the relevant data, teaching the locals would still be a long process.

Perhaps we can only set it aside for now.

When the squad grows and we have more hands, we can then consider the question of 'restoring civilization.'

Chen Jian walked toward the depths of the second level when, at that moment, Shen Yue's voice came from the doorway.

"Captain!"

"Come in here."

Chen Jian replied offhand; Shen Yue followed the sound, saw Chen Jian's figure amid the piled equipment, and reported:

"He Shuo is guarding the first level with three Holy‑blooded; their conduct is normal, and we see no signs of defection."

"I gave my gun to He Shuo; if there's trouble he should handle it." "All right, no problem."

Chen Jian nodded slightly.

He wasn't actually worried the Holy‑blooded would defect now; after all, even if they were tempted by profit, they'd first need to figure out the purpose.

Shen Yue's arrangement is fine; right now he indeed needs more hands to sort through the second level's equipment.

The two split up to inspect; a few minutes later Shen Yue said:

"The equipment here consists mainly of various tools and machinery, with a small amount of sealed seeds."

"There's plenty of good stuff—Captain, we have two disassembled 'cat‑cat' vehicles."

"Cat‑cat vehicles?"

Chen Jian hurried over to where Shen Yue stood, looking at a pile of boxes set apart, and couldn't help but grin.

"It really is a cat‑vehicle! And it's tracked!"

"Mobility is solved—just not enough fuel."

"The third level has plenty of oil, but most is needed for the fortification's upkeep; unless we abandon this underground stronghold, we'd better not touch those reserves."

Shen Yue shook his head, pondered a moment, then said:

Giving up the subterranean works is perfectly acceptable; our primary sphere of activity remains above ground.

Moreover, it’s clear that in the short term we cannot shift to an agrarian development stage; our focus stays on seizing control and exterminating monsters.

Unused items can be resealed and retrieved when needed.

Agreed, the plan makes sense.

Chen Jian gave a slight nod, then pointed to the two laminated diagrams on the nearby crate and asked:

“What is this?”

Shen Yue followed the direction of his finger, frowned in thought for a moment, then ventured:

“The first diagram is clearly a 3D topographic map of this area, but the markings on it are incomprehensible.”

“There are countless coordinates packed together—must be dozens, if not more. And the numbers? What do the figures in the parentheses mean?”

“Surely they aren’t burial points for other equipment? Or perhaps a schematic of subterranean power and water systems?”

“I don’t know.”

Chen Jian turned to the second diagram, which was a star chart bearing the same parameters; since he wasn’t versed in astronomy, he snapped a photo with his smart goggles and forwarded it to He Shuo.

“He Shuo, you know astronomy, don’t you? Take a look—what is this?”

A moment later, He Shuo’s voice came through the earpiece.

“I’m only an amateur, but this is a star chart; the annotations indicate celestial coordinates for October 2045.”

“The fact that it’s been laminated so carefully suggests it serves a special purpose.”

“Are they still suspecting that the Great Catastrophe is linked to celestial omens? That doesn’t seem right—this chart shows nothing anomalous in the heavens.”

“Even the ecliptic coordinates of the vernal point check out, and so on.”

The moment the words “vernal point” were spoken, not only He Shuo but also Chen Jian instantly grasped the function of this chart.

Exactly, it is a star chart, but its purpose is not to “determine position,” but to “determine time”!

“Do we have the capability to observe today’s celestial phenomena? Can we extrapolate the time from the vernal point coordinates?”

Chen Jian asked urgently.

“No, we lack a high‑precision astronomical telescope, and I don’t have the skill to calculate it.”

He Shuo’s tone carried a hint of disappointment, yet Chen Jian picked up the other diagram beside him, his eyes brightening.

“Biological chronometry.”

“I now know what these coordinates represent.”

“This thing is indeed a 3D topographic map, but the marked coordinates are not artificial constructs.”

“The coordinates pinpoint trees! The numbers following each are the trees’ ages!”

“Both diagrams are timers.”

“They want us to know what time it is now!”

“He Shuo, take Li Shi and Zeng Yi to the designated spots outside, fell the trees, and bring back the stumps!”

“We’ll count the growth rings; the number of rings tells us how many years have passed since the Great Catastrophe!”

“Understood!”

A few minutes later, after a rough inspection of the second‑level equipment, Chen Jian and Shen Yue returned to the first floor.

At that moment, Li Shi and Zeng Yi had already hauled in several tree stumps.

They placed the logs neatly in a row at the entrance of the first‑floor hall, as if fearful of disturbing the pristine environment within.

Chen Jian stepped forward and asked:

“Did you cut them at the locations He Shuo specified?”

“Yes, the Chosen One He Shuo inspected them; there’s no mistake.”

“Good.”

Chen Jian crouched down and carefully counted the rings on the stumps.

After a few minutes, he lifted his head and said:

“Three hundred thirty years.”

“Since the Great Catastrophe, three hundred thirty years have elapsed.”

(End of Chapter)