Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 1010 - 699: Tender Shoulders

Before leaving, Bai E almost single-handedly cleared all known large Bug Race nests on the planet's surface, granting humanity an unprecedented respite and space for development.

He integrated forces from all sides, establishing a new order and laying the foundational stones for humanity's resurgence.

Kiro Lan and Morphie, the two who first followed Bai E, have now become leading spiritual power users and the backbone of the young generation at the Arbitration Place.

At the same time, Kiro Lan inherited Bai E's largest political assets and became the second Great Commander of the Human Federation with strong support from contacts Bai E left behind, such as the PhD and Helen.

Yet now, they perceive more clearly than anyone else the turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath the developmental situation.

A few days ago, an urgent report was delivered to Kiro Lan's desk from the Geology and Anomaly Observation Department under the Arbitration Place.

Apart from her role as Great Commander, she is now also a core leader of the Spiritual Power Managers Center, with the authority to be informed of all spiritual energy affairs and potential threats on the planet.

"Miss Kiro Lan, please look at this," an older geologist pointed to a complex spiritual energy-seismic graph, his expression grave.

"The Seventh Old Bug Nest Ruins, below three thousand meters, detected large-scale, regular anomalies in energy and material flow. This... this does not resemble geological activity."

Kiro Lan's sensitivity to spiritual energy far surpasses that of instruments. She approached the graph, fingertips lightly touching the area representing abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations.

A cold, viscous, devouring pulse seemed to faintly transmit through the thick rock layers and charts.

"Not residual bug groups. Residual bug groups wouldn't have this... depth and scale as if integrated with the planetary veins."

Kiro Lan's voice was soft but filled with immense dread, "More like some sort of 'mother' or 'core', like the 'root' of the Bug Race! They were buried deep underground before the Bug Race lords were wiped out!"

Morphie stood next to her, hearing this and punching the metal analysis table aside with a dull thud, "The previous methods of the great master only cleared the surface infection; the real 'root of the disease' has always been buried beneath our feet. Now... it's going to wake up?"

"Not just wake up."

Kiro Lan shook her head, pointing to the monitoring data curves, "The data indicates that its awakening process itself is slowly and irreversibly replacing the planet's original energy circulation — it's drawing the planet's life force as nourishment for its revival."

"Can it be interrupted?" Morphie directly asked, eyes flashing with battle intent.

"It's very difficult." Kiro Lan shook her head again, frowning, "It is hidden deep underground, intertwined with the planet's veins; conventional attack methods won't reach it, and forced attacks might trigger unforeseeable geological disasters, possibly even accelerating its absorption process. All we can do now is maintain high-intensity monitoring, try to analyze its awakening patterns and weaknesses, and... reinforce the deep defenses of major cities, preparing for the worst."

This report is not unique to them; almost all cities worldwide, as long as they possess a certain level of technological reserves, can easily detect such underground anomalies.

A heavy pressure invisibly weighed on both of their hearts.

They didn't know if, without Bai E's suppression, the two of them could once again lead the humans on the planet to overcome the threat of the Bug Race.

What's more troublesome is that... after Bai E left, even humanity is not a monolith internally.

The core scientific research departments, under the leadership of the PhD, Helen, and others, naturally fully support any decisions made by the two of them.

But apart from this highest level of technological construction, the city's military and law enforcement systems, extended through politics, essentially still take orders from their city leaders.

After such a long time since Bai E left, many other thoughts have long since emerged in their hearts...

The underground threat indeed continues to loom like dark clouds, but what even more drains Kiro Lan and Morphie's spirits are those centrifugal forces and ambitions within the Human Federation that are increasingly prominent and difficult to curb.

When Bai E was around, he was the undisputed "god", the absolute leader who led humanity to reclaim lost lands, counterattack higher dimensions, and construct starships.

His personal might, foresight, and that almost miraculous charisma were enough to suppress all dissenting voices, uniting forces from different cities and factions to form a temporary, efficient "Human Federation."

However, with Bai E's long-term departure, heading towards the unknown and distant depths of the universe...

A poison named "doubt" and "forgetfulness" started to quietly grow and spread within the Federation's body.

Initially, people could still rely on the massive prestige Bai E left behind and the continuous efforts of Kiro Lan, Morphie, and other core followers to keep things running.

But as time passed, the starship built with nearly global resources disappeared without a trace, and no more news came back from Bai E himself.

Even those who once witnessed Bai E's miracles firsthand and held the most steadfast faith in him couldn't help but waver under the endless waiting and ever-growing real-world pressures.

Rumors, akin to the realistic projections of whispers from higher dimensions, began to spread among the Federation's cities and across all social strata, with the versions growing increasingly absurd: 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Have you heard? Lord Bai E went to the center of the universe, where powerhouses are everywhere; he might have... been defeated and fallen. After all, the universe is so vast, who can guarantee invincibility?"