Chapter 239: Earthquake
In an instant, Waldo, Alanna, and Helen’s faces turned pale as they witnessed the earth trembling violently. In the distance, numerous buildings in City 28 swayed intensely, teetering on the brink of collapse at any moment.
"What’s happening?" Alanna and Helen exclaimed, their faces drained of color.
Waldo, holding onto the two women, remained calm. "It’s an earthquake."
"Yes, that’s right. It’s an earthquake."
At that moment, it felt as if the entire world was shaking and trembling. The cemented roads warped and cracked, forming deep fissures. In the distance, some buildings couldn’t withstand the high-intensity shaking any longer and instantly crumbled.
With a thunderous roar, these towering structures were reduced to rubble, sending countless plumes of dust soaring into the sky. Witnessing this scene, Alanna and Helen paled with fear.
"Don’t be afraid. We’re in an open area here, and there’s no danger. The collapsing buildings won’t affect us. We’ll be safe," Waldo reassured them.
However, the collapse of one building was just the beginning. The energy unleashed by this earthquake was immense. Soon, the tremors intensified, and the swaying of buildings grew more severe. In the blink of an eye, one building after another collapsed.
At that moment, the entire sky turned gray, shrouded in dust. The rising sun became completely obscured, turning the day into a rather gloomy one. Simultaneously, the cries and screams of many survivors echoed through the city.
Many of the survivors were trapped within the city at this moment, with no prior warning of the earthquake. In such a short time, it was difficult for them to escape to open areas. It was foreseeable that many people were likely buried and injured or killed by the collapsing buildings.
For the survivors, there was no doubt that this was a catastrophic disaster.
"What’s going on? How could such a massive earthquake happen suddenly? My goodness, why is this happening? Why an earthquake?"
At this moment, many people cried out in despair. They were trapped within the city’s buildings, unable to escape. As they watched the buildings teetering on the brink of collapse, they felt utter hopelessness.
Without having encountered the super tsunami, they were about to perish in the earthquake. Despair and frustration overwhelmed them, but in the end, it was all buried beneath millions of tons of steel and concrete, leaving no trace behind. No one saw it, and no one would care.
This situation wasn’t limited to City 28 alone. It was an exceedingly rare super earthquake, affecting a wide area. In fact, at this very moment, various places across the Eastern Eight Districts were experiencing earthquakes almost simultaneously.
Some places had milder tremors, while others were hit much more severely. Countless buildings collapsed, reducing cities to ruins.
Across boundless plains, the ground cracked open, revealing horrifying chasms that rapidly expanded. Numerous massive boulders tumbled, and some areas disintegrated entirely.
Far out at sea, a powerful energy was rapidly gathering and accumulating, as if the apocalypse was on the horizon. The situation was dire and critical.
However, none of this was known to any of the survivors. They were oblivious to what lay ahead. They were like fragile boats adrift in the vast ocean, unaware of the impending storm.
Fortunately, not long after, this unprecedented earthquake finally subsided, and the world returned to calm. But what came into view was a completely different and devastating scene. The entire city had turned into a wasteland.
Only a few shorter buildings remained partially intact, with half of them still standing while others were barely holding on. Broken cement columns, torn steel frameworks, and heaps of rubble created a visually shocking scene.
Many survivors stood on the edge of the ruins, staring blankly at the devastation before them, unable to snap out of it. Some remained silent, their faces filled with fear and unease, while a few wore relieved smiles, having survived against the odds. Others simply broke down in tears.
"How could this happen? I mean, logically, in the case of such a massive disaster, shouldn’t the system have given us an advance warning?" Alanna and Helen were bewildered and still shaken by the experience. The sight before them was truly horrifying.
Waldo’s expression was equally grim. He had never anticipated an earthquake of this magnitude, and it had taken him by surprise.
After some thought, Waldo remarked, "This earthquake was incredibly powerful. I estimate it was at least magnitude eight, possibly even reaching nine or higher.
The damage is extensive, not only in terms of buildings but also across the plains in the distance, which have been severely affected, and the ground itself has been torn apart."
He continued, "Just a moment ago, I flew into the sky and had a clear view of the city and the surrounding area. It’s not just the city that’s become a wasteland; the earth has been ripped apart by several deep and wide cracks and chasms."
Waldo went on to say, "The system didn’t fail to warn us. Don’t you remember? The system had previously warned us about an impending tsunami!"
The generation of tsunamis is usually associated with earthquakes, which means that a tsunami might not be far from us.
As soon as he said this, the two women stared at him, asking, "So what should we do next? How do we get onto the Noah’s Ark?"
Waldo pondered for a moment and replied calmly, "Don’t rush, let’s wait and see how things develop. I believe that when the tsunami is about to arrive, the system will inform us of how to board the Noah’s Ark."
At this moment, Waldo’s mind was exceptionally composed.
"Yeah, that makes sense," the two women slowly nodded in agreement.
Waldo’s reasoning was sound. They had been too anxious before, not thinking through the situation thoroughly.
However, this was just the prelude; the actual catastrophe was drawing near, a disaster far beyond the imagination of everyone,Super tsunamis, major earthquakes, they are all just preludes to the disaster, what awaits everyone is an even more challenging trial.
