# 778
Chapter 779: Racing Against Time
Great Xia. Sunken Dragon Pass.
Inside the unfinished steel fortress, a group of people bustled about the collapsed communication tower in a flurry of activity. Nearby, the Night Watch and military garrison carried out their routine patrols in an orderly fashion.
Among all the construction progress at Sunken Dragon Pass, the outermost steel walls were completed first, followed by the middle layer's four hundred-plus thermal weapon storage and deployment points, and then the core management areas like the main control room. At this point, only 10% of the interior zones were still under construction.
Once this final 10% was completed, Sunken Dragon Pass could be officially put into use, entering its [War Mode] and becoming the frontline war fortress on Great Xia's eastern coast.
Lu Qiu stood atop the steel walls, gazing down at the communication tower still under emergency repair. For some reason, an uneasy feeling stirred in his heart.
He turned around and, through the telescope in his hands, stared at the distant misty borderlands churning in the distance.
It shouldn't... be that much of a coincidence, right?
Lu Qiu stood there for a long while, lowering his telescope. Just as he exhaled and adjusted his mindset, a thunderous explosion erupted from the distant misty borderlands!
Lu Qiu's pupils constricted sharply.
He grabbed the telescope and looked toward the misty borderlands in the distance. Above the invisible wall standing before the mist, dense black dots burst out from the fog, racing across the sea at astonishing speed, surging toward them like a tide!
Behind them followed a massive wave rising hundreds of meters into the sky!
The wave was like a sky-blocking hand, completely drowning out the clear sky overhead, plunging everything around into darkness.
That was...
Lu Qiu stared at the countless black dots rushing forward with the massive wave, his face revealing utter horror!
Beast tide!
Another beast tide!
Without hesitation, Lu Qiu immediately grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted into Sunken Dragon Pass:
"Large-scale 'Mystery' wave appearing at the misty borderlands, dead ahead! Approaching rapidly!
'Mysteries' are continuously emerging from the mist, total quantity cannot be estimated—this could very well be another catastrophic-level beast tide! Everyone, initiate Level One combat alert!"
His voice echoed through Sunken Dragon Pass. Everyone busy within the fortress froze simultaneously, then disbelief flooded their eyes!
How could this be?!
The second catastrophic-level beast tide... was actually coming?
At this moment, the expert standing among the crowd's expression completely changed. He never expected that just two hours ago when he'd said "it couldn't possibly be that much of a coincidence," to be instantly proven wrong... But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand why—the first beast tide had been so long ago—why would it be now, precisely when Sunken Dragon Pass had problems?
Lu Qiu couldn't afford to think about this anymore. A glimmer of blue light radiated from his body as his figure descended like a phantom from the hundred-meter-high wall, streaking toward the interior of Sunken Dragon Pass like a startled swan.
"Fang Zuo, how's the communication tower repair going?!" Lu Qiu landed on the ground and anxiously asked the Night Watch beside him.
"Still not working!" Fang Zuo understood how dire the situation was and spoke gravely, "It's only been two hours since we started the repair—nowhere near enough time to restore communications..."
"Damn it!"
Lu Qiu glanced at the increasingly darkening sky in the distance and cursed. "These Outer Gods timed this perfectly, didn't they?"
"What should we do now?" Fang Zuo frowned. "Communications haven't been restored—there's no signal across this entire stretch of sea. We can't send a message to headquarters...
Sunken Dragon Pass isn't even finished yet, and our combat strength is insufficient. If Sunken Dragon Pass can't serve its early warning function, won't we just end up with a repeat of what happened half a year ago?"
Lu Qiu's expression turned grim.
"With our current combat strength and the thermal weapon reserves inside Sunken Dragon Pass, how long can we delay at most?"
Fang Zuo thought for a moment. "Great Xia's Night Watch forces are already sparse. After pulling some from there and dispersing them across the twelve unfinished A-level war fortresses, that averages only five to six Night Watch per fortress. Against a beast tide of this scale, we don't have the capability for direct combat.
With the military's thermal weapon reserves and Sunken Dragon Pass's own defensive capabilities, we can delay for four minutes at most..."
"Including the time it takes for the beast tide to reach us from the misty borderlands, that gives us five minutes total." Lu Qiu checked the time, his eyes flickering with sharp light.
"Sunken Dragon Pass is about 360 kilometers from the edge of Great Xia's coastal signal coverage. Even if I were to depart from Sunken Dragon Pass now and use 'Ghost God Guide' to透支 my potential, crossing that distance would take at least four and a half minutes...
And even if I entered the signal coverage zone and sent a message to headquarters, it would take a long time to mobilize and dispatch personnel here. The time simply won't add up!"
Lu Qiu's voice paused for a moment before shifting directions.
"But what if I head north instead?"
"North?" Fang Zuo froze. "You mean..."
"If I fly another 320 kilometers north, I'd reach Great Xia's A-010 war fortress, 【Slaying the Flood Dragon】!" Lu Qiu's eyes grew increasingly bright. "The communication equipment at Slaying the Flood Dragon Fortress is fully operational. If I can reach it, not only can I relay the situation at Sunken Dragon Pass to Great Xia immediately, but Slaying the Flood Dragon can also dispatch reinforcements to our aid!
This is currently the optimal solution!"
Fang Zuo opened his mouth. "But if you use 'Ghost God Guide,' won't you—"
"There's no time to discuss that now." Lu Qiu took a deep breath, pulling a gleaming Coat of Arms from his chest, holding it in his palm. A resolute light flickered in his eyes.
"If Sunken Dragon Pass falls, the consequences are something we both understand. Since Great Xia has built these fortresses, they must fulfill their intended purpose...
Among the Night Watch stationed here, I have the fastest speed. Only I can transmit Sunken Dragon Pass's situation in the shortest time. And as this fortress's temporary commander, I bear the duty to stand with it until the end.
Fang Zuo, if Sunken Dragon Pass survives... go see Youzi for me when you return. I haven't been home for half a year, and he's正好 in his rebellious phase. If you发现 he goes astray, bring him back on the right path."
Fang Zuo stood there with his mouth open. After a long while, he sighed helplessly and nodded firmly.
"Alright."
Lu Qiu closed his eyes and brushed his fingertip across the Coat of Arms. A tiny needle popped out and pierced his palm.
Lu Qiu shuddered. His entire realm rose sharply!
He opened his eyes. Brilliant blue light erupted around him. He pressed his feet hard against the ground and vanished into the horizon, a blur shooting across the sky!
Fang Zuo watched him leave, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed the emotion and adjusted his mindset, commanding coolly:
"Everyone! Immediately proceed to Sunken Dragon Pass's walls!"