A global tremor erupted, attracting countless natural disasters.
The tsunami waves weren't overly catastrophic, but they were strong enough to sweep away several hundred meters of coastline.
Landslides and cracked streets appeared everywhere. These phenomena resulted in many injuries and deaths.
However, the casualties weren't excessively high, mostly concentrated along coastal areas. Inland regions remained relatively stable unless the buildings were poorly constructed.
In the detention area of the police station, two people were shocked, while another appeared remarkably calm.
The one behaving so casually was obviously Azeroth. He knew this would happen beforehand. Smiling, he said:
"Your chance at immortality has arrived. If you want to prove to the universe that you're not worthless trash, prepare to fight for your life."
At that moment, the two men forgot about the earthquake, their expressions becoming more serious. They knew Azeroth wasn't lying.
"Why do we have to risk our lives?" Lei Feng asked.
He wasn't stupid, he understood the gravity of the situation. But Azeroth's calm demeanor contrasted with the very real threat of death.
Long Wei, standing nearby, was also anxiously waiting, looking nothing like a police officer guarding a prisoner.
Oh, and Azeroth wasn't actually a criminal. You couldn't say he entered the country illegally because from the moment he appeared, he was already in China.
"Devouring or being devoured has been the law of the universe since its formation. Humans also exist under these rules. What you devour is food, water, and air. However, you can't keep everything, you're forced to discard what you don't need.
Now, the heavens are offering an opportunity. If you can devour this special energy, you'll become powerful, without any waste. In other words, the path to immortality has been opened."
Hearing this, both men took a deep breath. This news was earth-shattering, enough to drive people from the highest peaks to the lowest depths of society into madness.
However, Lei Feng was no ordinary person. He remained calm and also realized something important.
"You say this is a path to immortality, so does that mean there's another way?"
"Yes, there's a path humanity can access - science. Don't underestimate it, it's a way to utilize the laws of the universe. If all of humanity dedicates itself to advancing science, it wouldn't take many years to succeed. But making that happen is extremely difficult—the right person hasn't appeared yet."
"Haven't you already appeared?"
Lei Feng wasn't joking, he clearly understood what it meant to be 'the right person.' The only kind of person who fits that role is someone with no selfish desires, fully dedicated to the betterment of humanity.
For humanity to believe, they need to trust humanity itself—but who will trust? It's a tough question.
A person capable of trusting everyone and wanting the greatest benefit for all may never have existed. Or, perhaps they appeared, but the times weren't right.
But could someone like that really be called human? They might have a human form, but their essence would be different.
Azeroth simply shook his head and said:
"No, my appearance has nothing to do with that path. Moreover, the devouring path that's about to begin will be much faster."
"When will it start?" Lei Feng asked.
The path of science was immediately cast to the back of his mind. Once he achieved immortality, advancing science would be easy.
"Right now!" Azeroth smirked as he spoke.
At that moment, a colossal tower rose from near the center of the Pacific Ocean. The tower had no visible entrance, and nothing could enter it.
From the ocean floor to the top, the tower had nine levels, with no noticeable differences in size. It was a symmetrical structure, not an artistic masterpiece, just a simple, ancient tower.
Simultaneously, every living human on Earth disappeared without a trace.
Clearly, they had entered that tower - or, to be more precise, the world that the tower led to.
After all, considering the size, cramming all of humanity into one tower level would be far too crowded.
In a certain forest, a group of several hundred people suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Unlike Azeroth, they hadn't fallen from a great height and twisted their ankles.
At this moment, the trio also appeared. Aside from Azeroth, the other two were utterly confused. Lei Feng asked:
"Where is this? Why do I feel so weak? Where's my usual strength?"
It wasn't just him - Long Wei also felt something was off. He regularly went to the gym, yet now, despite looking muscular, his strength seemed to have vanished.
"This is the average strength - the average of all intelligent beings and mature humans in this new world. Since you both exceeded the average, your power has naturally been reduced."
"This feels unfair. We've trained so hard, and now we're on par with people who haven't done anything." Lei Feng said.
Long Wei nodded in agreement. Clearly, even after all their hard work, they were now no better than someone who'd only been eating and sleeping.
"Ha ha, it's a minor issue, really. Doesn't fair competition sound more exciting? Besides, you won't need to worry about running into someone who overwhelms you right from the start." Azeroth laughed as he spoke.
Weighing the pros and cons, Long Wei eventually said:
"It's not entirely unacceptable. Having strength without experience won't mean they can beat me anyway."
He was obviously confident in his abilities. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, he was undefeated in the police station.
"Alright, since we're here, let's just accept it. How about we form a team? It's hard to play solo anyway. Plus, we don't need to rush recruiting others. We can wait until we've laid a solid foundation before bringing people in." Lei Feng suggested.
Clearly, he intended to recruit a lot of people, bringing many under his command.
As an emperor, it was only natural for him to have followers.
Anyone who calls themselves an emperor but stands alone is nothing but a fool.
An emperor doesn't have to be the strongest, but they must be able to lead a large group of people.
"Of course, I'll follow you." Long Wei responded.
"I'll come with you too. Finding someone like you isn't easy." Azeroth nodded and replied.
"So, what should we do now?"
Naturally, they had to ask Azeroth first, since having a 'bug' in their team, though not a major one, was something they could still take advantage of.
"Hmm, just pick a random direction and start running." Azeroth casually said.
Lei Feng pointed in a random direction and laughed, saying:
"Ha ha, then let's we go!"