89: Chapter 89 Anomaly

As three earth-shaking drum beats echoed, the gazes of hundreds of thousands of people on Lianqiao gathered before the central Inverted Mountain.

"Hum—"

A massive floating platform rose slowly in front of the flat ground of the Inverted Mountain.

Immediately after, six figures appeared out of thin air on the platform, illuminated by holographic spotlights.

Standing right in the center was the leader of the Sky Engine guild, City Lord Zhao Tianyu.

To his left were Guild Leader Lin Xiaotian and Daoba, while to his right were Minister Su Hongye, Guild Leader Qian Wanguan, and Alliance Leader Wu Feng.

"City Lord Zhao!!!"

"Sky Engine is immortal!!!"

Someone in the crowd took the lead, and soon, overwhelming cheers swept through the high sky like a tsunami.

In this desperate sky, survivors desperately needed a belief that could lead them out of their predicament.

City Lord Zhao Tianyu raised his hands and pressed them down slightly.

Miraculously, following this simple gesture, the roaring noise of the tens of thousands of people miraculously subsided within just a few seconds.

"Good evening, fellow citizens."

City Lord Zhao Tianyu's voice was transmitted clearly to everyone's ears through the amplification matrix; it was deep and steady, carrying a convincing power.

"I heard the cheers just now."

"But I know that behind these cheers lie over a hundred days and nights where everyone hid in cold iron shells, listening to the roars of monsters and shedding bloody tears as they watched their companions die."

City Lord Zhao Tianyu took a step forward, looking down at the masses with deep eyes: "We are tired of wandering, tired of scarcity, and tired of being hunted by those monsters like prey!"

"Therefore, I have united with the five guild leaders present, and we have decided that tonight, we will end this chaotic era!"

With a wave of his hand, a grand holographic blueprint of a city instantly unfolded above the Inverted Mountain.

"Using the floating stones of this anchored space beneath our feet as the foundation, we will build the only Sky City in the entire district!"

"In the future city, we will make all production resources public!"

"We will establish a super constant-temperature agricultural zone and unified automated assembly lines!"

"Whether you are a combatant, a laborer, or logistics support, you will be able to perform your duties here, receive distribution according to your work, and achieve true equality!"

"We will no longer need to risk our lives against monsters for a few liters of fuel; the city's main energy matrix will provide shelter for everyone!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone on Lianqiao had reddened eyes.

Public resources? Distribution according to work? Absolute safety?

This wasn't just surviving the apocalypse; it was a utopia that no one dared to imagine even in their dreams!

But immediately after, City Lord Zhao Tianyu changed the subject, his tone becoming heavy.

"However, to build a city out of thin air at this height of ten thousand meters, we need an immense amount of level four and level five construction materials."

"To be honest, even if I emptied out all my own assets, it would barely be enough to lay the foundation."

"Some people say that the guild leaders are wealthy enough to rival a nation, so why don't we build it ourselves? Why hold a conference?"

"But I, City Lord Zhao Tianyu, want to speak from the heart today—the assets of The Five Great Guilds do not belong to us guild leaders personally!"

"That is the foundation earned by the lives of thousands of brothers and sisters in the guilds!"

"I have no right, nor can I be generous at others' expense, to forcibly strip away everyone's hard-earned sweat and blood!"

This sincere and even somewhat "heretical" confession instantly struck a chord with countless people.

In an instant, City Lord Zhao Tianyu's image was infinitely elevated in the hearts of tens of thousands of people.

He was no longer a high-and-mighty dictatorial overlord, but a great leader who truly exhausted his efforts for the survival of humanity and respected the will of the people!

"We are willing to donate!"

"Yes! The brothers of Sky Engine are willing to donate all supplies to build the city!"

"Freelancers are willing too! As long as we can have a home!"

Amidst the fervent crowd, a loud shout suddenly rang out: "God Zhao! Since everyone is contributing, once this Sky City is built, who will be the City Lord?! Who will be the leader?!"

When this question was asked, the atmosphere of the entire venue instantly became subtle.

Zhou An, sitting in the viewing stand, also narrowed his eyes slightly; he knew the main event was coming.

On the high platform, City Lord Zhao Tianyu looked at the seething crowd.

He raised his right hand and decisively spat out four words: "Universal referendum!"

"Boom—!" The whole audience was in an uproar.

"This Sky City is the common home of the three hundred thousand survivors in the entire district; it is not the private property of me, Zhao, nor any guild!"

City Lord Zhao Tianyu's voice was deafening.

"After the city is built, we will establish a Supreme Council and adopt a voting election system!"

"Each leader will serve a four-year term! Anyone, as long as they have the ability and prestige, is qualified to sit in this position!"

Madness.

The entire Lianqiao Square went completely crazy.

Ecstasy, excitement, and tears of joy.

Countless people hugged each other and wept; in their eyes, the glory belonging to human civilization was finally going to illuminate this sky again tonight.

"This pie he's painting... is truly masterful."

Zhou An sat in the viewing stand, looking at the crowd below who were so fanatical they had almost lost their reason.

"Using an illusory four-year term to swindle the life savings of hundreds of thousands of people in the district without shedding a drop of blood."

"Yeah, what a flock of sheep easily incited..."

Luo Ning also pursed her lips.

However, the two were just complaining; after all, he was their Guild Leader, and it was a good thing for them if City Lord Zhao Tianyu became the leader.

However, amidst this carnival and joy that could overturn the sea of clouds, in the crowded shadows where the brilliant neon lights could not reach, a bone-chilling mutation was quietly taking place.

In the extremely crowded middle section of Lianqiao, a strong man who was cheering with his hands raised suddenly stiffened.

The ecstasy on his face instantly froze, his eyes rolled back uncontrollably, revealing bloodshot whites.

He grabbed his own throat with both hands, making a "clucking" strange noise in his throat, as if something was writhing crazily in his esophagus.

In another corner not far from him, a female survivor was looking at the sky with tears in her eyes while smiling, but she was completely unaware that the skin on the back of her hand was silently splitting open, and purple-black mucus emitting a pungent, fishy odor was slowly oozing out from the wound.

Even worse, amidst the deafening cheers, there were those with an extremely strange "happy" smile hanging on the corners of their mouths, whispering crazy, twisted, and eerie syllables that ordinary people could not understand at all...

"Praise... the flesh..."