After Ian's quick calculation, the value of this planet's core was immense. He only needed to extract about one hundred-billionth of its total mass. Just this negligible amount of matter, when converted into EMC, was enough for him to create an entire Infinity Set out of thin air.
Trading a trivial loss of a planetary core's mass for top-tier equipment capable of dominating the universe sounded extremely inconsistent with the conservation of energy and physical common sense. But it was very "Minecraft."
However, Ian did not simply resort to predatory extraction. Although this loss was almost negligible to the planet, he still offered some compensation. While siphoning the molten metal from the core, he used the Transmutation Tablet to convert a massive amount of the cheapest, most basic Cobblestone blocks and injected them into the core.
As soon as these ordinary Cobblestone blocks entered the environment of the core, they were instantly melted and decomposed by the terrifying high temperature and pressure, merging into the surrounding iron and nickel. In just a few seconds, they completely liquefied, becoming part of the molten matter of the core. The entire process was seamless; there was no visible sign that any matter had been taken, only that the total mass of the core had decreased by a tiny fraction.
January 8, 2025
Night had just fallen over Hong Kong. Neon lights dyed the damp streets in various colors. Skyscrapers pierced the clouds, their glass curtain walls reflecting the constant stream of vehicle lights below. The air was thick with the saltiness of seawater, the oily aroma of street-side eateries, and the faint sound of Cantonese conversations. The ferries in Victoria Harbour sounded their whistles, the noise echoing between the buildings.
It had been a long time since a Kaiju had set foot on this land. Life seemed to have truly returned to its old ways; the city remained prosperous and peaceful. People had almost forgotten the threat lurking beneath the deep sea.
However, the tranquility was short-lived.
Deep in the Pacific, the seawater began to churn incessantly. The ear-piercing air-raid sirens blared without warning, their sharp tones drowning out all other noise. The crowds on the streets froze for a moment before erupting into panicked screams. But years of drills were etched into their bones. After a brief moment of chaos, the tide of people began to surge in fixed directions, racing toward the entrances of the underground defense works.
Footsteps were frantic and hurried. Since it was currently rush hour, tonight's evacuation was even faster than during the drills. The people rushed into the underground shelters.
But there was one figure walking slowly against the crowd. The people running around him seemed completely oblivious to his presence. It was Ian. A smile played on his lips. They were finally here; it seemed his preparations over the past few days had not been in vain.
With the rapid evacuation of the citizens, Hong Kong's military defense forces began to operate. The Command Center of the Jaeger base was brightly lit, the atmosphere heavy. On the radar screens, two giant red dots were approaching the coastline at high speed.
"Signal confirmed, there are two of them!"
"Energy levels... they are Category IV Kaiju!"
"Two Category IV Kaiju attacking simultaneously? Damn it!"
The base commander's face turned ashen. He immediately ordered the deployment of Jaegers from other bases for reinforcements. Two Category IV monsters attacking a single city at once was an unprecedented situation. They had to prepare for the worst.
Along the coastline, rows of heavy artillery adjusted their angles, their dark muzzles pointing toward the turbulent sea, ready to pour out fire at any moment. Searchlight beams intersected in the night sky, searching for the massive silhouettes about to appear.
A few hours later, the monsters were on the verge of landing. Ian expanded his mental scan, enveloping the entire city. He discovered that, besides himself and those staying behind to fight the monsters, only a few wanted criminals hiding in dark corners and a few stubborn people who didn't trust the authorities and hid in their own basements remained; everyone else had entered the designated defense works.
He pushed open the doors and walked into the Taoist temple where he had first arrived. A few days ago, he had purchased this nearly abandoned temple. The interior of the temple had undergone his modifications.
At this moment, he was dressed in a white robe and golden armor, looking majestic. He sat cross-legged on a high platform clearly made of strange materials and heavily modified. He closed his eyes, his vast mental power spreading out to coordinate the final energy circuits and perform the last subtle adjustments to his modifications. After all, this was his first time hand-crafting this, so he had to ensure everything was perfect.
A dull roar echoed in the night sky. Several giant transport helicopters hovered over the city. Heavy steel cables were lowered, and massive Jaeger units were dropped into their predetermined positions. One of them, a crimson machine with three arms, was Crimson Typhoon. It landed heavily in the waters near the Taoist temple, splashing up a massive amount of seawater. This was one of the optimal interception points calculated through radar scans and monster trajectory analysis.
At the same time, several news helicopters equipped with high-definition cameras circled in the air. This battle, which concerned the survival of the city, was broadcast to every corner of the globe via network signals. Over ninety percent of humanity held their breath, focusing on the situation in Hong Kong.
The live broadcast switched between the coastline, the army standing ready, and the recently deployed Jaeger units. As the camera of one news helicopter captured the majestic form of Crimson Typhoon, it accidentally swept over the inconspicuous Taoist temple nearby.
The camera paused slightly. The operator seemed to have noticed something unusual. The image quickly zoomed in and focused. A clear, unbelievable sight appeared on the screens of billions of people worldwide.
On the high platform of that ancient Taoist temple, a figure dressed in ancient battle armor with a flowing white robe sat cross-legged with eyes closed, as if in deep meditation. His posture was upright, his face calm, looking completely out of place with the tense, murderous atmosphere of his surroundings. He was only a few hundred meters away from that giant war machine—Crimson Typhoon.
The Kaiju were about to attack. And he was there meditating?
The livestream chat exploded instantly.
"What is that?"
"Is that a real person? Or a statue?"
"My god! What is he doing? Someone get him out of there!"
"Is that Erlang Shen? Did the statue enshrined in the temple come to life?"
"This is crazy! The monsters are coming, and he's still there posing?"
"Wait, is the armor on his body glowing?"
Inside the underground shelters, the crowded citizens watched the giant screens and let out bursts of exclamations. In the base Command Center, the Marshal and the technicians also noticed this unexpected situation, their brows furrowed. They were considering whether to send a helicopter for a rescue to bring him back to the base.
After all, the Kaiju were about to land. The world's gaze instantly focused on that Taoist temple and that mysterious figure.