349: Chapter 349 The Final Stage of Zeroing! 72-Hour Countdown

Applause was still echoing in the meeting room when Lin Chen's communicator suddenly exploded with noise.

It wasn't an ordinary communication; it was a highest-level alarm forcibly overriding all channels. The ear-piercing alarm made one's scalp tingle, and red light pulsed frantically on every light screen.

The Observer's expression changed instantly.

"This is... the ultimate warning for the Zeroing Storm!"

He raised his hand, and the massive light screen in the center of the meeting room switched to a view of the outside world.

Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

On the screen, the entire sky of the Ninth Dimension was tearing apart. These weren't ordinary cracks, but countless intersecting abysses stretching from one end to the other, fragmenting the firmament into pieces. Grayish-white mist poured from every rift; wherever it touched, stars went dark, the void collapsed, and civilizations were annihilated.

Even more terrifyingly, countless distorted faces could be vaguely seen within the mist—the lingering resentment of devoured civilizations. They were howling, struggling, and trying to drag down every living existence.

System notifications popped up frantically:

[The final stage of the Zeroing Storm has officially begun!]

[Storm Intensity: 300 times that of the initial stage!]

[Estimated Scope of Impact: All dimensions within the All Heavens and Myriad Realms!]

[Estimated Duration: 72 hours!]

[Recommendation: Immediately initiate the highest-level emergency response, otherwise all civilizations will completely disappear in 72 hours!]

300 times.

Lin Chen stared at that number, silent for a second.

Then he laughed.

That smile stunned everyone present—at a time like this, he could actually still laugh?

The Observer couldn't help but ask, "Lin Chen, do you have a way?"

Lin Chen looked at him.

"Yes."

He stood up, walked to the light screen, and pointed at the spreading grayish-white mist.

"What is the essence of the Zeroing Storm?"

The Observer was taken aback.

"It's... the underlying laws of the universe? A cleanup program that triggers automatically after a certain cycle?"

Lin Chen shook his head.

"No. If it were a law, there shouldn't be a 300-fold fluctuation."

He zoomed in on the image, pointing at the distorted faces in the mist.

"Those are resentments. The resentment of devoured civilizations. If the storm were just a law, where would this resentment come from?"

The Observer fell silent.

Lin Chen continued:

"Behind the storm, there is a controller."

The room broke into an uproar.

The representatives of the various dimensions looked at each other; some were terrified, some were incredulous, and some were already starting to tremble.

Lin Chen turned to look at them.

"Everyone, now is not the time for debate. 72 hours is enough for us to do many things."

He opened the system and began operating it rapidly.

The first command was sent to Lin Xiao:

"Lin Xiao, pause the reconstruction of the Tenth Dimension and shift all resources to a defensive state. Issue 'Zeroing Defense Bonds' to raise funds from all dimensions. Set the interest rate at 50% annually with a 100-year term. Raise as much as you can."

Three seconds later, Lin Xiao replied, "Understood."

The second command was sent to Zhang Hao:

"Zhang Hao, use your Fourth Wall to eavesdrop and find the 'voice' of the storm. Wherever it speaks is the location of the controller."

Zhang Hao's voice came through with a hint of tension: "Boss, I'll do my best!"

The third command was sent to Arrogant Dragon, Morgana, Alpha, and the Flame Demon:

"The four of you, each lead a team to establish a defensive line at the weakest points of the storm. You don't need to fight it head-on, just stall for time."

Arrogant Dragon asked, "Boss, what about you?"

Lin Chen smiled.

"I'm going to meet that controller."

The Observer frowned.

"Do you know who the controller is?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"I don't. But in 72 hours, he will come out on his own."

He opened the seventh layer of the Capital Law—Rule Trading.

A golden light surged from his palm, shooting toward the spreading grayish-white mist.

The moment the light touched the mist, the mist suddenly stagnated.

Then, a voice came from deep within the mist:

"Interesting. Someone can actually touch me using Rule Trading."

The voice was low and raspy, as if coming from countless throats simultaneously, carrying endless resentment and a decaying aura.

Lin Chen stared into the depths of the mist.

"Who are you?"

The voice laughed.

The laughter was hair-raising, like the wailing of countless souls.

"Who am I? I am the civilizations you forgot, the existences you abandoned, the true master of the Zeroing Storm."

The mist churned, and a massive silhouette slowly emerged.

It was a giant formed from countless condensed resentments, tens of thousands of feet tall, its body wrapped in grayish-white mist. Its face was distorted and deformed; with every blink, hundreds of faces would emerge from its body and then vanish.

"I am called 'Oblivion'."

"I am the collective of all civilizations cleaned up in the first epoch."

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes.

"So, you are the one controlling the Zeroing Storm?"

Oblivion nodded.

"Yes. I have slumbered for three million years, waiting for the opportunity. Now, the time has come."

It raised a hand, pointing toward the collapsing stars.

"You living civilizations enjoy resources and occupy space, yet you have forgotten us completely. On what grounds?"

"I will make you taste the flavor of being forgotten as well."

Lin Chen was silent.

Three seconds later, he laughed.

That smile made Oblivion pause—it had seen countless people show fear, despair, and beg for mercy before it, but it was seeing a laugh like Lin Chen's for the first time.

"What are you laughing at?" Oblivion asked.

Lin Chen pointed at it.

"You slept for three million years just for revenge?"

Oblivion nodded.

"Yes."

Lin Chen shook his head.

"Stupid."

Oblivion was stunned.

"What did you say?!"

Lin Chen continued:

"You hate being forgotten, so you want to destroy all civilizations. But if you destroy them, will they remember you?"

"No. They will only hate you, fear you, and then—forget you."

Oblivion fell silent.

Lin Chen opened the system and pulled up a document.

The title of the document was:

"Forgotten Civilizations Resurrection Proposal"

[Proposal Content:]

1. Establish the "Forgotten Civilizations Foundation," using the energy of the Zeroing Storm as capital to gradually resurrect all cleaned-up civilizations.

2. Resurrected civilizations can choose to integrate into existing dimensions or develop independently.

3. All resurrected civilizations will receive 10% of New Era Development's shares as startup capital.

4. Oblivion will become the Honorary Chairman of the Foundation and participate in major decision-making.

Oblivion looked at the document, completely dumbfounded.

"You... you want to resurrect us?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"Yes. Use your power to resurrect yourselves."

Oblivion fell silent.

For a long, long time.

So long that the surrounding mist began to dissipate.

Then, it asked:

"Why?"

Lin Chen looked at it.

"Because I have also tasted the flavor of being forgotten."

"I know that feeling."

"But destruction doesn't solve the problem."

Oblivion was silent.

Three seconds later, it asked:

"Are you sure you can resurrect us?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"I'm sure. I have the ninth layer of the Capital Law—Causality Securitization. I can package your 'being forgotten' into securities and sell them to all dimensions. Once they buy the securities, they have to remember you."

"Remembering is the proof of existence."

Oblivion looked at him, speechless for a long time.

Then, it smiled.

In that smile, there was relief, and also gratitude.

"Lin Chen, you are the first person willing to listen to me."

It raised its hand, and the grayish-white mist began to contract.

"Is 72 hours enough?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"It's enough."

Oblivion's figure began to dissipate.

Before vanishing, it left one final sentence:

"I'll wait for you."

The mist completely cleared.

The sky returned to normal.

The collapsing stars began to shine once again.

Lin Chen stood in place, looking at the starry sky.

The Observer walked over and asked softly:

"Can you really resurrect them?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"I can."

"How long will it take?"

Lin Chen thought for a moment.

"Probably... ten thousand years."

The Observer was stunned.

"Ten thousand years?"

Lin Chen smiled.

"Is ten thousand years long? They waited for three million years."

The Observer fell silent.

Then he laughed.

"Lin Chen, you really are an oddball."

Lin Chen shrugged.

"I'm used to it."

In the distance, Zhang Hao's communication came in:

"Boss! The storm stopped! It really stopped!"

Lin Chen didn't answer.

He just looked at the starry sky and said softly:

"It didn't stop. It just changed its way of existing."