SWNOVELXO Chapter 494: Mirage Space Protection Plan
"Should we ask the mirror [Demon]? Or perhaps consult the Ancient Insect through the Immortal Palace?"
Lu Yuan pondered deeply, ultimately dismissing both options.
The decayed brain of the Ancient Insect couldn't possibly provide any worthwhile suggestions.
As for the mirror [Demon], it might actually offer some advice...
But on one hand, time inside operates much slower. Even if Lu Yuan were to enter the Da Lai Laboratory for five minutes, 500 minutes would pass outside—close to eight hours. By then, the opportunity might already be gone.
On the other hand, humans could never truly trust the mirror [Demon].
"It's just jumping from one firepit into another. Why would the mirror [Demon] help us? If we all die and the Da Lai spaceship is destroyed, it would actually see an opportunity for escape."
"Little Mirage Dragon…"
The Little Mirage Dragon was still too small. If it had already grown into a Great Mirage Dragon, perhaps it could be of use.
But at this moment, its combat capability was laughable—likely to be killed by the [Ghost] instantly upon confrontation.
At this thought, Lu Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up. "The Little Mirage Dragon has the capability of creating Mirage Space."
"If it can truly shelter an area, it would mean that humanity could still cling to life for a bit longer… Big Golden, come on, give it a try."
The Little Mirage Dragon wavered its body slightly and attempted to activate its "Mirage Space," wrapping a building for protection.
A dignified expression came over its face, and a soap-bubble-like thin film of light appeared on the building's surface.
Instantly, the structure of the building turned into nothing more than a blurred phantom.
Lu Yuan reached out with his hand, which passed straight through the phantom without resistance.
Although Mirage Space leaves behind a shadow, it is still a spatial ability and not easily breached.
Unless the [Ghost] had space-related abilities, the Mirage Space should be relatively secure.
Judging by its appearance, the Little Mirage Dragon seemed capable of creating even larger spaces.
Lu Yuan then asked, "Wait a second… Why are the building's foundations still exposed? How come the reinforced concrete base of the building is sticking out?"
"Doesn't this pose a safety concern? If the steel gets corroded, won't the building collapse outright?"
The Little Mirage Dragon dismissed its Mirage Space, and the building immediately returned to reality.
As for the exposed concrete moments ago, it was naturally covered once more.
It wore a bitter expression. The building's foundation was intact with the structure, and its spatial ability didn't possess a severing function. Being able to protect it at all was already impressive enough…
Lu Yuan smacked his forehead. "How about you protect the Grotto Heaven? That structure doesn't have much of a foundation. Its interior spans 50 square kilometers, but externally it only measures about one kilometer in scale. Plus, it's equipped with full research facilities, making it an ideal spot."
Soon, the man and dragon arrived near the Grotto Heaven.
The Little Mirage Dragon struggled mightily to enclose the Grotto Heaven within the Mirage Space. It was evident that the process took a toll on its condition.
However, activating Mirage Space over such a large area consumed a vast amount of energy. At most, it could probably sustain this state for only a few days.
"This seems to work… Wait." Lu Yuan stroked his chin, looking in the direction of the Green Mountain.
But if the Grotto Heaven were protected, what about the Sky Pit?
The Sky Pit housed numerous Hibernators. It couldn't just be abandoned outright, could it? Not to mention, the Sky Pit contained the Quantum Civilization Flying Saucer and the Da Lai Empire Ship. If something went wrong, it would truly spell absolute doom.
"You… you should protect the Green Mountain instead."
"The Green Mountain can hover in the air, allowing you to wrap it up entirely. However, the lab facilities there aren't quite on par with the Grotto Heaven."
The Grotto Heaven had a vast area, including a 2.3 square kilometer research base for the Insect Race, fully furnished with equipment.
Meanwhile, the Green Mountain's total area was just 1.7 square kilometers, and its research capabilities were undoubtedly inferior to that of the Grotto Heaven.
The Little Mirage Dragon squinted its eyes, shaking its enormous head repeatedly in doubt. It seemed to be questioning which one Lu Yuan really wanted to protect.
Lu Yuan took a series of deep breaths. Perhaps due to the pressure, his thoughts felt slightly scattered. "The Green Mountain, then… I'll have the soldiers lift it into the air…"
Just then, the light drizzle in the sky gradually stopped.
With the murmuring rainwater gone, the world seemed even more silent.
The air quickly grew cold and ominous, while a thick fog carried an air of foreboding and deceit.
No one dared to lower their guard. The [Monsters] had paused their movements, while the far more terrifying [Ghosts] might awaken later into the night.
This was a sleepless night.
"Hurry!! Raise Green Mountain, but don't lift it too high! Just five meters off the ground will suffice!!"
High-level Insect Clans began making their way from the Grotto Heaven to the Green Mountain, with 2,500 in total heading over.
As for the remaining 100,000 Low-level Insect Races… there was no other option. Lu Yuan hurriedly selected around 5,000 or so that showed productive potential or reproductive capability to preserve some Spark.
The limited space on the Green Mountain couldn't possibly accommodate too many insects.
Lu Yuan had no choice but to order the Low-level Insect Race into deep hibernation.
"Their Divine Attribute is so low, the likelihood of them being attacked isn't very high."
"Even if they die, nothing can be done."
As for the Opium Poppy Tree… Unable to move, it started feigning death. Its once-vivid green leaves turned yellow, and moisture began seeping from its vines, resembling a plant that had withered over centuries.
This cunning creature of a plant—only time would tell if it could survive this ordeal.
Once everything was ready, the Little Mirage Dragon activated its Mirage Space.
A thin, soap-bubble-like construct enveloped the Green Mountain. Only a faint shadow of the mountain remained visible.
The diameter of this soap-bubble-like construct was nearly one kilometer. It was clear that the Little Mirage Dragon's spiritual power was draining rapidly, as its two whiskers fluttered desperately with the strain.
"How long can it hold?" Lu Yuan asked.
"We've equipped it with gear to recover spiritual power and provided it with medicine. It should last about half a day!" The Conch replied. "After half a day, it'll fall unconscious, and the Mirage Space will collapse. This structure far exceeds its limits."
Half a day… Lu Yuan clenched his fists tightly.
"Roar!" The Little Mirage Dragon let out a proud roar. It was prepared to fight until its final moment.
"You truly are a formidable warrior… Don't worry; I'll switch into the Different Space when the time comes and pick up where you leave off." Lu Yuan offered words of comfort before turning around and shouting, "Hai Zhiyun, any new findings from the Floating Satellite?"
"None so far. I'm monitoring it in real-time."
The Lanpeng Civilization's Floating Satellite remained highly functional, even equipped with night-vision capabilities.
The creatures within the Snake-man City were still in a state of slumber. Across the vast stretch of land, not a single living being was stirring.
"Great Commander, preliminary experiments have yielded results!" A report from Lu Tiantian's biology lab came through. "We've discovered that soldiers exposed to the rain have significantly reduced Divine Attributes."
"What?" Lu Yuan's expression darkened. That meant a substantial portion of their ranks had suffered declines.
He then silently cursed himself for being too greedy. Who cared about potential at this point? For all he knew, they might not even live to see the next day.