377: But mythology continues to protect everyone.

Above the firmament, that massive black vortex slowly closed.

With the disappearance of the Xuanyuan, the terrifying divine might pressing down on the head of the entire Fourth Layer world also dissipated.

Everything seemed to return to tranquility.

"Gone... He's really gone..."

In the ruins, several company executives who had survived the disaster tremblingly poked their heads out.

They looked at the sky that had returned to azure, the fear in their eyes gradually receding, replaced by a resurgent greed.

"Quick! While we have the chance!"

A vice president wearing a tattered suit suddenly jumped out and roared into the communicator.

"Activate the backup system!"

"That bringer of calamity is gone! The Lower District right now is just a bunch of headless flies!"

"Send out all the 'Riot Suppression Mechas'! I want to take back everything in those mud-legged peasants' hands... with interest!"

"Rumble—"

As the command was issued.

At the bottom of the Sky City, hundreds of hidden hangars burst open.

Tens of thousands of black mechas, like a swarm of locusts, swarmed across the sky toward the "Temple of Truth" in the Lower District.

"They're counterattacking! The company is counterattacking!"

"Help! The god is gone, who will save us?!"

The Lower District, which had just ignited hope, instantly plunged back into desperate chaos.

People cried out and fled; the faith they had just established seemed so fragile before the steel torrent.

"No one is allowed to run!"

Jack stood atop the temple, his mechanical arm trembling, but he did not retreat.

He stared fixedly at the mechas filling the sky, gritting his teeth.

"Although Teacher has left."

"But what he taught us is still here!"

"That is..."

Before Jack could finish, a black mecha had already rushed in front of him, its massive alloy blade slashing down at his head!

"Die! Trash!"

The mecha pilot sneered, "Your teacher has already abandoned you!"

Jack closed his eyes in despair.

However.

At the very moment the blade was about to touch the tip of his nose.

"Buzz—"

A clear, resonant sword hum suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.

It didn't come from Jack, nor from anyone else.

But from... the sky.

To be precise, it came from the crystal that Lu Chen had thrown down before leaving.

That crystal was suspended in the center of the temple, and at this moment, it suddenly erupted with a silver radiance so dazzling it was impossible to look at!

"Who said I abandoned them?"

A lazy, somewhat playful voice instantly covered the entire Fourth Layer world through the crystal.

That was... Lu Chen's voice!

"Te... Teacher?!"

Jack snapped his eyes open, his face covered in tears.

"I have a bad habit."

Lu Chen's voice echoed in the void like a divine oracle.

"And that is being protective of my own."

"Although I've left, I've left behind a 'gatekeeper'."

"heavenly craft."

"Here, Father."

That familiar, cold electronic voice followed immediately.

"Activate—[Galaxy Protection Protocol]."

"Take this trash that wants to make a comeback..."

"Format them for me!"

"Boom!!!"

As soon as the words were spoken.

The crystal burst apart, turning into countless silver data streams that instantly enveloped the entire Lower District!

A miracle occurred.

Those diving black mechas suddenly seemed to hit an invisible wall.

Immediately after, their armor began to peel off, their engines began to stall, and their core programs began to... collapse.

"Warning! Illegal operation!"

"Warning! Permissions revoked!"

"Warning! Being forcibly... reclaimed!"

"Crackling!"

Tens of thousands of mechas fell from the sky like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Before they even hit the ground, they were decomposed by the silver light streams into the most primitive metal scrap, piled up on the temple's square.

That was the last gift Lu Chen gave to the Lower District—infrastructure materials.

"This... this is a miracle..."

The vice president looked at the screen showing the total annihilation of his forces and slumped to the ground completely.

He finally understood one thing.

Although the god had left.

But the god's rules were already etched into the very bones of this world.

"Whoever dared to touch them would die!"

"Hurrah!!"

"Long live God Lu!!"

The Lower District erupted in earth-shattering cheers.

Jack knelt on the ground, watching the silver light spots scattering across the sky, sobbing uncontrollably.

He knew.

That man had never left.

He had become the starry sky above, watching over this place forever... Meanwhile.

The Fifth Layer world.

"Pfft—"

Like a thin membrane being punctured.

The Xuanyuan rushed out of that long Dimensional Tunnel, covered in smoke and electrical sparks.

"We've arrived."

Lu Chen stood on the bridge and slowly opened his eyes.

Although the pangu sword in his hand was dim, its sword intent became increasingly sharp.

"Is this... The Fifth Layer?"

Wang Peng (Fatty) climbed up from the ground, rubbing his sore buttocks, and peered outside curiously.

Then.

He froze.

Su Qingying also froze.

Even Lu Chen's brows furrowed slightly.

There was no starry sky here, no universe, and no cyberpunk anything.

This place... was a massive, white laboratory filled with the smell of disinfectant.

The Xuanyuan was currently suspended above a massive glass vessel.

Around this vessel were countless complex instruments, pipelines, and dozens of humans wearing white coats and masks.

That's right.

Just ordinary humans without any energy fluctuations.

At this moment, these people were looking in horror at the miniature warship flying out of the Petri Dish.

"This..."

Wang Peng swallowed hard. "Have we... turned into bacteria?"

"No."

Lu Chen's gaze pierced through the glass, locking onto an old man standing in the center with a badge that read [Chief Researcher] on his chest.

The old man held a notebook in his hand and was looking at Lu Chen tremblingly.

In his eyes, there was fear and shock, but even more so, a sense of the absurdity of a Creator seeing their creation spiral out of control.

"Interesting."

Lu Chen smiled.

He reached out and lightly tapped on the glass wall in front of him.

"Thump, thump."

The sound wasn't loud.

But in that massive laboratory, it sounded like a death knell.

"I think..."

Lu Chen's voice, through mental power, boomed directly in this real physical world.

"We should have a good chat."

"Regarding this..."

Lu Chen pointed to the Petri Dish behind him, then pointed at the old man.

"The... 'brain in a vat'..."

"Experimental Report."

The old man was so frightened that the notebook in his hand dropped.

He tremblingly pressed the red alarm button on the wall.

"Alarm! Alarm!"

"Subject... Subject has breached containment!"

"Codename 'pangu'... has materialized!"

"Stop shouting."

Lu Chen was in no hurry to act.

He simply controlled the Xuanyuan to slowly land on the old man's desk.

The hatch opened.

A shrunken Lu Chen stepped out.

Although only the size of an ant, the aura he emitted caused the air in the entire laboratory to solidify.

He looked up at the giant-like old man.

A playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Allow me to introduce myself."

"I am Lu Chen."

"In your eyes..."

"A BUG."

"Now."

Lu Chen drew his sword; though the blade was tiny, its cold light was piercing.

"Could you please explain something to me?"

"Why my world..."

"Would be put by you inside a..."

"glass bottle?"