180: A grand memory restoration technique? No, it's mass food poisoning.

The mushroom cloud was still churning, not yet fully dispersed.

The high temperature on the sea surface evaporated into a sky full of white mist, shrouding the sea area like a sauna room.

The suffocating pressure also vanished along with that earth-shattering strike.

"Plop."

The first dull thud broke the deadly silence.

Immediately followed by the second and third.

The tens of thousands of islanders who had been heading toward the deep sea collapsed straight down.

Without the will controlling them, these ordinary people instantly fell unconscious.

Red blood mist seped out from their seven orifices, and when blown by the sea breeze, the smell was pungent and fishy.

"It's over..."

Zhao Ya leaned on her longsword, her knees giving way as she sat on the beach.

She looked at the collapsed crowd in the distance, her strained nerves finally relaxing.

They hadn't all died.

At least most of them were still breathing.

A stream of black-purple light pierced the white mist and flew over erratically.

*Bang.*

Lin Yuan landed.

His posture was far from elegant; one could even say he looked a bit wretched.

A large chunk of the rock beneath his feet shattered, and he stumbled twice before steadying himself.

His floral shirt was now reduced to a few strips of cloth hanging from his shoulders, and his upper body was covered in cracks.

His hair was fried into a bird's nest, occasionally sparking.

"Cough, cough..."

Lin Yuan bent over, coughing violently. With every cough, a puff of black smoke shot out of his mouth.

"This is a massive loss."

He straightened up. His first words were neither a celebration of victory nor an inquiry about casualties.

Instead, he reached into his empty pocket.

"My phone, my wallet, and that watch I just conveniently picked up..."

Lin Yuan looked heartbroken, pointing at the boiling sea surface in the distance.

"They were all sacrificed to the heavens."

Su Wanqing helped Zhao Ya walk over. Hearing this, the emotion she had been brewing instantly went to the dogs.

She looked at the man before her, then at the historic explosion site in the distance.

A sense of disconnect left her unsure what expression to make.

"That was a world gate."

Zhao Ya pushed away Su Wanqing's support and forced herself to walk up to Lin Yuan.

"You just... destroyed a nascent source of disaster."

Zhao Ya's voice was tight.

"Who exactly are you?"

"The 'Lightning Awakened' in the files, even an A-rank, wouldn't necessarily be able to achieve this level."

Lin Yuan stopped mourning his lost possessions.

He looked up, residual currents still lingering in his eyes.

"Who am I?"

Lin Yuan scratched his frizzy hair, grinned, and flashed a mouthful of white teeth.

"I am your creditor."

He held out a hand, palm up, toward Zhao Ya.

"For that one shot just now, do you know how much stuff I burned through?"

"That was my life savings, accumulated over several years, originally meant for marrying a wife."

"Now it's all gone."

Just as Lin Yuan opened his mouth, the long-prepared phrase, "This won't be over without fifty million," didn't even have a chance to leave his lips.

A hand suddenly reached out and gripped his.

Lin Yuan froze.

He looked at Zhao Ya's sincere eyes, his mind momentarily blank.

Wait... the script wasn't supposed to go like this?

Weren't you supposed to swat my hand away with a look of disgust, and then engage in a friendly tug-of-war over the price?

By suddenly getting so emotional, how am I supposed to make an outrageous demand now?

This unexpected move of "Light of the Righteous Path" forcibly suppressed Lin Yuan's entire subsequent combo of extortion.

"Don't worry."

Zhao Ya held the hand that had just saved tens of thousands of lives, her tone more serious than ever.

"The Dragon Shield Bureau acknowledges this debt."

She gave Lin Yuan a deep, clear gaze.

"Lin Yuan, thank you."

After speaking, she released his hand, giving Lin Yuan no chance to react, and pulled a flare gun from her waist.

*Whoosh—!*

The red flare shot into the sky, exploding into a brilliant display of fireworks.

That was the signal for "All Personnel Rally."

"Everyone, listen up."

Zhao Ya pressed her headset. Although her voice was weak, she had regained the calmness of a commander.

"Crisis averted."

"Immediately lock down the scene and activate the 'Great Memory Restoration Technique' protocol."

"These islanders saw things they shouldn't have; deal with it before they wake up."

As the order was given, the Dragon Shield Bureau agents who had been hiding on the periphery quickly moved into action.

Speedboats rushed onto the beach.

Agents in black uniforms carried equipment and began weaving through the crowd.

Metal columns were erected, forming a massive Hexagram Array.

White mist began to spread.

This was the Dragon Shield Bureau's specialized neural blocking gas, capable of making people forget memories from the past few hours and implanting a plausible replacement memory.

For example: a sudden massive typhoon, or mass food poisoning hallucinations.

Lin Yuan found a relatively clean reef rock and sat down, pulling out a wrinkled energy bar, tearing open the wrapper, and taking a bite.

"You guys are familiar with this job."

He chewed while watching the busy agents.

"I won't get involved, lest I be accused of violating regulations again."

Su Wanqing walked over and handed him a bottle of water.

"Thanks."

Lin Yuan didn't stand on ceremony, tilting his head back and guzzling half the bottle.

"Where is that thing?"

Su Wanqing suddenly asked.

"What thing?" Lin Yuan played dumb.

"Don't pretend."

Su Wanqing pointed at his chest, which was bulging, clearly concealing contraband.

"The core of the Three-headed Serpent, and before the world gate closed, didn't you 'conveniently' grab something else?"

Lin Yuan paused.

He vigilantly covered his chest and shrank back slightly.

"Young Miss Su, you can eat carelessly, but you can't speak carelessly."

"This is my loot."

"According to the rules, whoever kills it gets it."

Lin Yuan looked utterly righteous.

"Besides, I just saved the world. What's wrong with taking a little compensation for my hard work?"

Su Wanqing couldn't help but roll her eyes at his miserly appearance.

"No one is trying to steal it."

She turned around and looked at the sea.

"I'm just reminding you to hide it well, don't let those research old men at headquarters see it."

"Otherwise, they'll harass you to death."

Just as the two were chatting, the roar of engines came from the side of the sea.

Over a dozen modified fishing boats and the Sea God Cult's cruise ship broke through the white mist and slowly sailed into the harbor.

Hanging from the bow was a black Shark Flag.

The Black Shark Gang had returned.

When the gods were fighting earlier, this group hid faster than rabbits.

Now that the coast was clear, they came sniffing around.

"Alert!"

The agents setting up the array raised their weapons, pointing them at the fleet.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

"We're on your side!"

From the largest ship, Iron Head's voice rang out.

Xiao Zhenhai stood at the bow, hands raised above his head in a gesture of surrender.