Chapter 21: The Hurricane Crisis Approaches

At this moment, unknown to anyone, beneath Lighthouse 43—a place long abandoned at the edge of the quarantine zone—stood a magnificent, state-of-the-art sanctuary, silent and imposing.

Pacific Ocean. Aboard the *Voyager*.

A middle-aged researcher, bookish and wearing black-rimmed glasses, was engrossed in a document. It was a precious manuscript preserved from before the electromagnetic storms, the final record left behind by Professor Jiang Xiuyuan before his sacrifice.

Regarding the many ruins scattered across the world, humanity first had to uncover their underlying laws before they could develop corresponding methodologies to study science while simultaneously cultivating transcendent sequences. Yet, the process of such research often demanded sacrifice. Those driven to madness by spiritual contamination, disaster epicenters spawned by ancient viruses, and the horrors born from pure dread—these were only some of the myriad dangers. Even a team of transcendents consisting of Tier 3 "Seers" and Tier 3 "Great Navigators" could easily perish within these ruins.

For the *Voyager*, being able to return with the fruits of their labor after such sacrifices was already a stroke of good fortune. Yet, very few would ever choose to decline the next voyage. As Su Wen had once stated at the Spiritual Censorship Bureau, it took humanity millions of years from the discovery of fire to finally learning how to ignite a flame at the tip of their fingers at will. But civilization had never shied away from the journey of seeking truth.

Lü Shengkang sat by the porthole on the second deck of the research vessel. Instead of reading with the same composure, he pulled a silver pocket watch on a chain from his jacket pocket and said to Jiang Xiuyuan, "Isn't my daughter adorable?"

On the back of the pocket watch, inside a circular frame, was a photograph of a woman with a gentle, if plain, expression, cradling a fair-skinned, rosy infant.

"Professor Jiang, this is my daughter, just a year old. She was only six months when I set sail. I wonder if she’ll still recognize her father when I finally get home."

Professor Jiang smiled with cultivated grace. "Research by DeCasper and Spence (1994) showed that during the final trimester of pregnancy, a fetus’s heart rate changes noticeably when hearing the mother reading aloud. You could interpret this as the infant seeking another self; for a baby, the mother is their life-partner, the only place they feel truly safe. Identifying the voice is merely a way to return to the source. As for recognizing a father, it generally takes three and a half months of visual and auditory exposure to build a sense of familiarity."

"It seems, from a biological perspective, I’ve already lost," Lü Shengkang shrugged.

"Don't worry, you have a long road ahead of you. Transfer to the Yunzhou University Research Institute; don’t let your life be filled with regrets," Jiang Xiuyuan said gently. He had always been tolerant of young researchers. The one he held in the highest regard was likely Su Wen, who had collaborated with his own daughter.

But at that moment, Lü Shengkang, looking out the porthole, saw the edge of the pale blue sky beginning to stain with a layer of black. It was a deep, ink-like darkness that seemed to bleed across the horizon. His tone turned grave. "Professor Jiang, I recall the broadcast a few days ago mentioning Hurricane 'Ewiniar.' Its trajectory should have been far away from our current route."

"An anomalous storm boundary phenomenon." As an experienced researcher, Jiang Xiuyuan reacted immediately. "The situation is critical. Let’s go to the observation deck."

By the time they reached the observation deck, the senior academician Qi Ming was already coordinating with the meteorological bureau. Simultaneously, the live broadcast of the *Voyager’s* return had begun. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of viewers were tuned into the Jiangnan region's largest television station, awaiting the return of the researchers.

"Academician Qi, were there any signs of another storm center forming earlier?" Jiang asked.

Before Qi could answer, the communication feed split to show the hurricane’s shifting path. The deputy director of the meteorological bureau spoke with a grim expression: "Observations indicate that due to unknown factors, the trajectory of Hurricane 'Ewiniar' has shifted significantly. Please change your course immediately."

"You mean the hurricane has adjusted its path in violation of thermal circulation laws? How is that possible!" Jiang exclaimed.

"No, it hasn't violated thermal circulation laws, but it must have been affected by a much stronger deflection field," Qi Ming replied in a low voice. "It matches the electromagnetic interference found inside the ruins; dark matter activation has caused the error margin to exceed acceptable limits."

He looked at the hurricane's trajectory and delivered his final conclusion: "The *Voyager* is currently too far from its destination. Our return path will intersect with the storm disaster zone. We cannot return through the coastal port. We have to find our own way out."

There were many transcendents on this mission, but the vast majority were specialists in ruin exploration—such as "Miners" from the [Sequence: Earth Manipulation], "Keepers" from the [Secret Society], or "Mystic Analysts" from the [Alchemists]. In the face of a cataclysm like a super-hurricane, these Tier 1, Tier 2, or even Tier 3 transcendents were completely powerless.

Only the captain, a Tier 3 transcendent of the [Sequence: Great Navigator], Spring Fall, remained. He stood on the deck, puffing on his pipe, sensing the flow of the wind. He exhaled a ring of smoke and said in a thick, European-accented Chinese, "Doctor Qi, you are right. We cannot take the original route; that would be suicide. Honestly, even in the Sea of Lost Souls, I have never seen the precursors to such a terrifying hurricane."

The bearded retired Norwegian naval officer looked at the encroaching wall of black. He extinguished his cigar and gave a wave of his hand, issuing the final navigational order: "Electromagnetic braking. Hard to port. Engage the auxiliary propulsion valves. Sailors, we are about to have a face-off with Death himself."

At that moment, in the face of a natural disaster beyond human resistance, an atmosphere of tension, oppression, and terror permeated every corner that knew of the situation. Even the viewers in front of their screens felt it:

"The hurricane actually changed course!"

"Look at the latest video from the weather bureau—it’s terrifying. That suffocating feeling... I can’t even catch my breath."

"I live near the coast; I can already hear the wind rattling my windows."

"To the person above, please be careful! Make sure to lock your doors and windows."

"I am a reporter for Coastal Satellite TV. I am currently at a location the hurricane is about to graze. Yes, graze. If I were in the central ring of the disaster zone, I’d probably be airborne by now."