Chapter 128: Seaside
Meanwhile, in various coastal cities, blaring alarms resounded all over.
From the coastal area near one of the landing sites, people saw how the large meteorite hit the sea some kilometers away from them. People gasped, but the shockwave blew people away, unable to react further.
This was followed by a massive earthquake that shook their cores, several older buildings directly giving way, and now they had to stare at the swelling of the water.
The alarm sounding an incoming tsunami echoed, but most people could not react in time. Many were still trapped underneath various structures, and others were thrown out of the way by the force.
There were screams and yells everywhere, and traffic was at a standstill. The traffic heading out of the city was blocked, and people decided to abandon their cars, and they could only run away.
For those who were above buildings or otherwise trapped, they could only run up.
"Go to higher ground! Hurry!!" People yelled, and they could only dash to where they could. They took several floors up but were too tired and shaken to head further up.
Everyone was in a panic, and many were running away in random directions. Some did have direction. For example, a group of young men and women wearing high-end attire was rushing up to a hotel.
"We have to keep moving up." "Hurry!"
Two men, obviously security guards, led the way. Fortunately, this hotel was built to the highest standard, so the earthquake did not entirely take it down yet. This area was not near a fault line but sadly near the sea, so abandonment was inevitable, however.
This was a special access area too, but there was no problem because Sarah, the owner’s daughter, was there.
"Wuuuu...."
"Scary!"
"Miss Sarah, you’re going to take us right?"
This was Carina, still attached to the woman. Somehow, she managed to attach herself to this group.
Sarah nodded. Even if she didn’t like some of them, it wasn’t like she could actually abandon them, as that would likely end with death. She was not willing to put that in her conscience.
Soon, a helicopter appeared and hovered over the top of a building. It was noisy, coinciding with the water receding by hundreds of kilometers!
Taka taka taka
It landed on the roof deck, and Sarah wordlessly went in. The others followed, but they were blocked by guards before they could even approach the door.
Indeed...how many could a helicopter bring in?
"Please...take us, Miss Sarah."
"I don’t want to die! Wuwuwuwu..."
Sarah looked at her peers with cool eyes, but she nodded in the end.
They had to squeeze in and risk a slight risk factor for being overweight. Was there a choice? It was not like they could really leave people behind.
People were squeezed in above ground, and the pilot was made aware of this weight distribution thing; it wouldn’t be your turn, he thought.
Those near the window were squeezed against it. Before he could push back and react, his eyes fixed on ground level and then at the sea churning out waves.
In the helicopter, their faces paled as they looked at the tsunami, now with a spectator role, but their guts heavy as if they were the ones smashed by the waves.
...
A large wall of water appeared at the shore after traveling for thousands of kilometers. The water might look soft, but its strength cannot be underestimated, directly killing tens of thousands of people.
It slammed against the various buildings along the coast and then further in. Many buildings fell under the onslaught of the water.
Those whose buildings were intact, the walls and windows certainly were not. People, even if they went up, would not have been able to imagine that the tsunami hitting them was so tall!
From above, it would be like a child hosting a group of ants.
Just in their city alone, hundreds of thousands lost their lives.
The others could only wait and hope the water didn’t reach their level and sweep them away!
Carina shivered at the thought that she was almost consumed by that water. Even if it was water, it was estimated that the direct impact would’ve crushed her bones.
She bit her lips, thinking of why she had to go all the way to a seaside city at all! This place is murdering her!
It was because of the bitch, Naia! She cursed. Because her father was imprisoned and her mother was an idiot (her brother was useless), she had to find a way out for herself.
Her mother even opened her safety deposit box and exchanged everything to fund her beauty trap plans. After picking and flirting, she settled with the playboy Blaine, because playboys were easy to seduce.
Now a dodder to a man she would’ve looked down on, she was detained along with her peers due to the botched murder.
Now, she was with Sarah in hopes of getting help for her father’s case, though she had been ruthlessly rejected back then.
Now...she could only serve as a clingier dodder.
...
Jane and her family stood over a mountainside, looking at the flooded city with teary eyes.
They were standing next to their high-chassis vehicle, which would take them more inland.
Her husband, Hubert, had his family in his arms, but all their eyes were fixed on watching their home be destroyed.
"It’s a good thing you read that book... Otherwise, we..."
Jane had become a little paranoid after reading the book she was tasked to review and edit. She stocked up on a lot of shelf-stable food and even bought a new car.
Hubert was alarmed and even a little hurt for being bypassed, but now he could only be thankful.
When they saw the skies change and the ground shake, they did not waste a second to get into the car—all with supplies already stored in—and they rushed as far away from the sea as they could. But that was just wishful thinking, right?
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