Chapter Eighty-Nine: Firing into the Alternate Dimension

At this moment, aside from the soldiers tasked with perimeter security, everyone else had already gathered. Lin Xingyun and Lu Shanyou were both present, surrounding the modular cabin. Yet, when Gu Sha appeared, many people's expressions shifted uneasily, especially Lin Xingyun, whose face turned rigid and stiff.

“How’s it going?” Gu Sha approached and inquired.

A leading academic replied, “Mr. Gu, the situation is temporarily stabilized, but we won’t be able to maintain it for long. The power consumption is enormous, and this place is too remote—the electricity supply is insufficient.”

Gu Sha asked, “Can’t you use corpse cores?”

The academic shook his head. “For now, these devices aren’t able to run on source energy.”

“How long can it be sustained?” Gu Sha pressed.

The academic tapped at a computer for a moment and answered, “Judging by the current spatial fluctuation traces, each activation can last about ten minutes, followed by a cooldown of roughly forty-eight hours. If the power supply were sufficient, the cooldown could be reduced to thirty hours.”

“Ten minutes is enough,” Gu Sha declared.

The academic asked, “Mr. Gu, do you intend to open the teleportation channel and enter now?”

“No,” Gu Sha waved his hand. “We won’t enter. No one goes in.”

His words stunned everyone.

“Mr. Gu, why not?” Lu Shanyou questioned, bewildered.

Gu Sha was about to explain when a series of rumbling sounds erupted outside the base. Armored vehicles rolled in, each carrying a missile launcher. The leader—Mad Blade—parked his vehicle, jumped down, and called out, “Boss, everything’s ready. We can fire at any moment!”

Mad Blade’s words left Lin Xingyun, Lu Shanyou, and the others shocked, prompting a cascade of questions.

“Gu Sha, what are you trying to do?”

“Mr. Gu, you can’t do this!”

Gu Sha’s expression remained flat as he looked at the crowd. “I am the chief commander of this operation. I don’t owe you an explanation for what I do. But I know this decision clashes with our original plan, so I’ll explain: I am certain there’s a major problem with that alternate space. If we just enter now, it could spell disaster. We should strike first. Do you understand?”

His words brought silence.

Lu Shanyou spoke up, “I disagree. This is your unilateral opinion. You say there’s a problem, and we should abandon all plans? Impossible. Even if you’re right, tell us what the problem is. Prove it. And even if there is a problem, our mission is to solve it. Mr. Gu, if you feel it’s too dangerous, you don’t have to go in. We’re not afraid to die—that’s why we’re here. If you’re afraid, stay out, no one will force you. But you cannot change our plan!”

Gu Sha stared at Lu Shanyou, speaking slowly, “Fine, you do yours, I do mine. If you want to enter, go ahead. If I want to fire my cannons, that’s my business. You enter, I fire, no conflict.”

Lu Shanyou’s face darkened. “Mr. Gu, that’s unreasonable…”

Gu Sha coldly interrupted, “When have I ever been reasonable? What makes you think you deserve to hear reason from me? Do you think I’m asking your opinion?”

His tone was calm, yet suffused with murderous intent. An overwhelming pressure descended, as if the very air had congealed. Lin Xingyun and the others involuntarily stepped back.

Gu Sha turned to Lin Xingyun and asked coldly, “Just one question—who disagrees?”

Lin Xingyun and Lu Shanyou’s faces were grim; neither dared to speak.

Gu Sha nodded, looked at the rest, and asked, “Any other objections?”

Everyone remained silent.

Gu Sha addressed the academic, “Dr. Chen, I must trouble you to open the spatial rift…”

Just then, Gu Sha’s expression suddenly changed; he shouted furiously, “How bold!”

At the same moment, Gu Sha activated his temporal powers, enveloping a radius of over ten meters. Instantly, the flow of time slowed dramatically. Everyone moved in sluggish motion, though within the affected space, no living thing felt anything amiss.

Meanwhile, a superhuman had stealthily appeared at the main power switch, reaching out to turn it off and shut down the cabin.

Gu Sha rushed over in a flash, seizing the superhuman’s hand.

To the others, it appeared Gu Sha had teleported, suddenly materializing at the power switch.

The superhuman’s face twisted in shock as Gu Sha grabbed him.

With a snap, Gu Sha ripped the superhuman’s arm off.

Blood sprayed as the superhuman collapsed, howling in agony.

Gu Sha stepped on the superhuman, his voice cold: “You’re quite brave.”

“Gu Sha, don’t get too arrogant,” the superhuman roared. “This space project concerns the survival of all humankind. You can’t do as you please. What you’re doing now is betraying humanity!”

While shouting, the superhuman clutched Gu Sha’s leg with his remaining hand.

Simultaneously, Lu Shanyou on the other side suddenly opened fire, sending a volley of bullets toward Gu Sha, with one heading straight for the main power switch.

These bullets were extraordinary, carrying energy fluctuations and moving faster than any Gu Sha had ever seen. In the air, they split, one becoming two, two becoming four, instantly filling the space with a dense barrage.

“Metal-type superhuman!” Gu Sha realized in that instant. Lu Shanyou was a metal-type power user, and a high-level one at that—probably third or even fourth tier.

“Hmph!” Gu Sha snorted. The air around him solidified, and all those bullets were halted by an invisible force. In the next moment, the mass of bullets was compressed together by the immense force, forming a fist-sized metallic sphere.

With a sharp sound, the golden orb shot toward Lu Shanyou.

Lu Shanyou swung a long blade to intercept.

With a clang, the blade shattered, and though the sphere veered off and missed her heart, it smashed her arm, sending her flying.

At the same time, Gu Sha pressed down, crushing the superhuman beneath his foot, then strode forward, lightning-fast, and caught up with Lu Shanyou in midair, gripping her throat.

“You’re courting death!” Gu Sha said coldly.

Lu Shanyou’s face reddened as she struggled. “Gu Sha, you’re too rash, too arrogant. Do you understand what developing the alternate space means for humanity? What you’re doing could destroy our hope!”

“Oh? And so what?” Gu Sha replied blandly.

Lu Shanyou raged, “With the apocalypse upon us, you’re more terrifying than the zombies. Someone like you, with power, is humanity’s greatest threat. If only I’d realized sooner, I would have drafted a proposal to execute traitors like you…”

“Idiot!” Gu Sha snapped her neck, tossed her corpse aside, and scoffed, “You think exploration is always right? Truth always lies within the range of artillery. Don’t you understand?”

Turning to Mad Blade and the others, Gu Sha commanded, “Fire!”

(End of chapter)