Chapter 6 + Chapter 7

Chapter 6:The Earthquake

"So it was all a dream…? Well, that’s… nice, I guess?"

Just then, the doctor entered Shen Hao’s room and said,

“You don’t need to worry about anything. You just passed out from the shock and the confusion at the scene — that’s all.”

Shen Hao suddenly remembered.

The earthquake at school.

He turned to his father.

“Dad! About that earthquake at the school… I suppose your work is related to this, isn’t it?”

Suddenly, his father's smile vanished. In fact, everyone in the room — his entire family — went completely silent and serious.

Shen Hao looked at their faces, confused. He’d never seen them act this way before.

Then his father finally spoke, breaking the silence:

“Shen… You should rest first. Once you’re feeling better, come downstairs. I’ll tell you everything in detail.”

(Shen Hao’s and his older brother’s room was upstairs. His younger brother's room was next to their parents’ on the ground floor.)

Still curious, Shen Hao nodded.

“Okay, Dad.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting,” his father replied.

Everyone left the room.

But Shen Hao remained in bed, his thoughts swirling.

“I know it’s a serious topic… but Dad’s never made that face before. Even in worse situations. What’s going on…?”

He thought about the earthquake. The strange figure in the school hallway. The old man’s voice. The endless sea.

And now… his family’s strange behavior.

There were just too many mysteries.

He lay on the bed for three hours, trying to make sense of it all — but got nowhere. Tired and mentally drained, he finally drifted off to sleep.

Five hours later, he woke up.

It was night. He was hungry — but more than that, he needed answers.

He felt fine, fully recovered, even energetic.

He rushed downstairs.

His father was sitting silently in front of the TV — which was turned off.

He seemed deep in thought. Still, when he noticed Shen Hao coming closer, he looked up and smiled softly.

“How are you feeling, my son?”

“I’m fine now, Dad.”

“Good. That’s good.”

Shen Hao sat beside him.

“I want to know everything that happened at school. It wasn’t just a normal earthquake… was it?”

His father took a deep breath and said:

“It’s better if you see it for yourself.”

He picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

What Shen Hao saw shocked him.

A female news reporter was speaking:

“We’re coming to you live from the International Global Activities TV Station.

Today, a massive earthquake struck four major cities:

Xianlong City

Qingyao City

Heifeng City

Luotian City

It was a Class 8 Earthquake — and what’s even more shocking is that it struck all four cities simultaneously, down to the exact second!

This strange and unprecedented phenomenon has shaken the entire Neo Continent.

Scientists from across the world are working around the clock to find the cause. So far, no explanation has been found.

We’ll keep you updated on the situation. Stay tuned. Stay safe.

Thank you.”

Chapter 7: The Calamity

After hearing the news, Shen Hao was completely shocked and stunned. The earthquake had hit all four cities — including his own, Xianlong City. These cities were all interconnected, right next to each other. He was left speechless.

Then, his father began to speak:

"Now do you understand what's happening? Although it was just a level 8 earthquake and didn’t cause serious damage — only some fans and things hanging on walls fell — it’s still extremely abnormal. The company gave me the task to investigate and solve this mystery. I’m leading the operation."

Shen Hao listened quietly. After a moment, he finally spoke:

"Well then, good luck, Father. I hope you solve this mystery."

"Ah, thanks, son," his father replied. "Now come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving."

That night, the whole family had dinner together. Everyone eventually went to sleep — everyone except Shen Hao. He lay awake, thinking about everything that had happened over the past few days, trying once again to make sense of it all, but with no leads. He mumbled to himself:

"What is going on?

Why is everything so strange? And this earthquake… what does it have to do with me?"

He kept thinking, kept whispering to himself — until sleep finally took him.

The next day, everything felt normal. People were going to work, children played in the streets, families laughed. It was almost as if nothing had happened at all.

Weeks passed.

But Shen Hao’s father had found no leads. Scientists and researchers across the Neo Continent were also working nonstop to find answers.

Then... something.

A clue.

A clue that could finally lead somewhere. Scientists discovered something abnormal in the Earth’s core — and based on their findings, disasters like the recent earthquake could happen again. Anywhere. Anytime.

And that’s exactly what happened.

After the announcement went public, the world began to fall apart.

Earthquakes.

Tsunamis.

Cyclones.

Tornadoes.

Natural disasters erupted on massive scales. Death. Destruction. Chaos. The planet was falling into ruin.

One day, Shen Hao was walking home from school, just like usual. He was thinking about how he could help his father with the investigation.

Suddenly, a woman’s scream pierced the air.

He turned toward the sound and saw her running — terrified. More screams followed from different directions. Shen Hao’s heart skipped a beat. Then... he saw it.

A crack.

A crack had appeared in the ground, right beneath his feet.

He jumped back instinctively, on guard.

Then he looked ahead.

A hole had suddenly opened in the middle of the road — a giant pit, seemingly out of nowhere. At first, it was far from him... but it began to grow, rapidly expanding toward him.

He was frozen for a split second — but then memories of the school earthquake flashed through his mind.

Shen Hao took off running at full speed, shouting to himself:

"Not again, dude!

Why am I always getting dragged into these disasters!?

Am I cursed or something!?"

But then — suddenly — bam!

A large chunk of debris, the size of a football, flew straight at him. It had broken off from a collapsing building.

The rock struck his leg hard — the pain was blinding. He crashed to the ground, screaming.

His leg was badly injured. Possibly broken.

He couldn't stand.

So he began to crawl, dragging himself with his arms, desperately trying to escape — but the hole behind him was faster. It was growing. It was coming for him.

And then...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***