Chapter 597 - From the Cosmos
“What’s happening? Could it be an underwater earthquake?”
“It can’t be. Japan is to the east. It shouldn’t affect us this much, even if it is an underwater earthquake.”
“......”
People rushed to higher ground and huddled together, observing the raging sea along the shoreline, sparking various discussions and conjectures.
Some took out their smartphones to check the news, hoping to find reports of an underwater earthquake.
However, when they opened social media platforms like Weibo, they were stunned to discover that not only Shanghai but also the entire coastal regions of China, as well as coastal cities all over Asia, Australia, North and South America, Europe, and more, were suddenly experiencing turbulent seas. Fortunately, this turbulence came and went quickly without turning into devastating tsunamis, resulting in relatively minor damage.
“What’s going on?”
“Could it be the end of the world?”
"The oceans worldwide are in turmoil. It reminds me of the movie \'2012\'. Could it be that the sea levels will rise, eventually submerging even the Himalayas?"
“Shut up and stop wishing me dead. I live in the coastal areas!”
“Hahahah, I live in Tibet!!”
“......”
Internet humor and sarcasm abounded. As long as it wasn\'t the end of the world, there was always room for some light-hearted banter.
"I\'ve come across this information online. It includes videos and pictures sent by people living at the southernmost tip of South America. The entire Drake Passage, which separates South America and Antarctica, spans approximately a thousand kilometers. Yet, even from this considerable distance, these individuals have managed to capture eerie images of Antarctica. It seems that this worldwide oceanic turbulence is likely the result of a mysterious incident on the Antarctic continent, potentially affecting its glaciers!"
Some netizens analyzed the situation and later shared photos taken by people in South America.
In these photos, the direction of the Antarctic continent had an entire sky filled with fiery clouds. This wasn\'t just a description; actual flames were burning in the sky. At this time, South America should have been shrouded by the night, but beneath this magical display of flames, it seemed as though two suns had risen, illuminating the southernmost tip of South America.
"Wow, flames are burning in the sky!"
“This definitely isn’t a natural occurrence. Something mysterious must be happening in Antarctica!!”
"We strongly demand that the government disclose information. What on earth is happening in Antarctica?"
"Absolutely, we have the right to know. If there\'s an issue with the Antarctic glaciers, the entire planet could be in danger!"
“......”
Despite the clamor, governments worldwide would never reveal what was happening in Antarctica. If people were informed of a battle between Cthulhu and Surtur there, which could potentially lead to the melting of Antarctic glaciers and trigger a global tsunami, it would likely lead to panic.
At this moment, governments were relieved that this event was occurring in Antarctica. With current human technology, only nations have the means to monitor Antarctica in real-time. Controlling the individuals involved and preventing information leakage was their top priority. At least for the time being, they didn\'t have to worry about the situation in Antarctica becoming public knowledge and causing widespread panic.
Simultaneously, government officials were secretly preparing aircraft. If there were any changes in the situation on the Antarctic continent, high-ranking government officials would immediately board planes. Their destination was a base in the Tibetan Plateau of China. It was the only place where there might be a chance of survival in the face of a potential world-class tsunami caused by the supernatural battle between Cthulhu and Surtur.
At this moment, officials from various governments couldn\'t help but admire the screenwriter of the movie ‘2012’. They seemed to have had extraordinary foresight in building an ark in the Tibetan Plateau. On the other hand, the government officials had failed to anticipate the possibility of the Antarctic glaciers melting due to a supernatural event, leaving them in a precarious situation now.
However, there was no bitter pill for regret. High-ranking officials from various countries were also in discussions. If they could survive this crisis, experts from all over the world would join forces to explore potential apocalyptic threats and prepare emergency plans. This way, even if the Earth were truly destroyed, and humanity was on the brink of extinction, they could leave behind the seeds of hope for future civilizations.
It\'s not that the high-ranking officials were overly anxious, but the situation in Antarctica was genuinely dire.
In Antarctica —
Surtur pulled out the burning blade and with a single swipe, the entire Antarctic continent was swept clean of all the Shoggoths. Raising the kilometer-long giant sword, He strode towards Cthulhu.
With each step Surtur took on the Antarctic continent, the ice beneath His feet melted, igniting towering flames. If not for Cthulhu\'s power refreezing the evaporating water vapor, the entire Antarctic continent would have started melting completely.
Surtur roared and swung the burning blade with immense force, engulfing the world in flames of destruction. The whole earth, sky, and sea boiled under this onslaught. The flames of this demonic sword were something that could burn the World Tree and bring about the fall of the gods. The flames raged around Cthulhu, causing this Outer God to emit an extremely frantic roar.
Incomprehensible horrendous words spilled from Cthulhu\'s mouth. With Him at the center, both ocean and land seemed to decay, and the entire space appeared like an abstract painting, twisting and turning. Even those observing Antarctica from satellites were struck with a sense of their own willpower and sanity being assaulted as if they were on the brink of corruption.
It was the epitome of chaos, the ultimate evil and extreme madness!
If people from San Soliel were present, they would undoubtedly recognize the language spoken by the god Cthulhu as the ‘Language of Blasphemy’. His power came from the Abyss, and this version of Cthulhu was essentially a powerful abyssal demon controlled by Louis.
The Abyss\'s chaotic distortion was in line with Cthulhu\'s power in the Lovecraftian universe. This demon was currently using its power to transform the environment into an endless abyss, like a malignant tumor on the planet, an evil force capable of corrupting everything.
Though those observing Antarctica understood that the power displayed by this entity, known as Cthulhu, was far from benevolent and the force that was twisting and corroding the land and sea was undoubtedly malevolent, they were left feeling helpless. All they could do was silently support this evil god in the hope that, if it couldn\'t balance Surtur\'s power, the existence of the fire giant might lead to the extinction of human civilization.
However, their hopes were in vain. Judging from the current situation, the entity known as Cthulhu was clearly no match for the one who had triggered Ragnarok, the flame giant wielding the world-destroying sword.
……
At the same moment, in the vast expanse of the universe, a meteorite was hurtling from a distant corner of space toward Earth!