Judging by the bright yellow radiation symbols on the aircraft, the accident that just occurred was likely a major nuclear leak.

I have a feeling I know what’s coming next, without even having to guess.

This is the largest nuclear leak event in history—the Chernobel leak!

The Chernobel Nuclear Power Plant was the largest nuclear facility built during the Soviet era. Inside, there were six nuclear reactors; if all the highly radioactive material they contained exploded, the entire Northern Hemisphere would be reduced to cosmic dust.

This nuclear leak is the greatest crisis in human history; if the power plant were to fully explode, all life on Earth would be annihilated.

I had heard many rumors surrounding this leak. Logically, the explosion of Reactor Number Four should have triggered a chain reaction, leading to the explosion of the other five reactors. However, numerous eyewitnesses reported seeing an unidentified flying object, shaped like a disc, hovering over the power plant immediately after Reactor Four blew, casting down a beam of light that halted humanity’s impending doom.

I believe this marked the boldest appearance yet by the Atlanteans, not only because countless witnesses saw their craft, but because it even made the front pages of several newspapers.

Before this, people had always wondered why extraterrestrials would intervene to prevent the explosion.

Was it to absorb the nuclear radiation as energy for their ships, or had they been guarding humanity all along?

I shared that very doubt back then.

But now, as I vividly witness that pure white light appear in the sky, everything finally becomes clear.

Accompanied by the cessation of the alarms and the looks of gratitude, as if seeing celestial beings, my world descended into darkness once more.

When I materialized again before the pyramid in the subterranean cavern, my face was streaming with tears.

“You… are crying.”

The giant insect before me had retracted its antennae from my mouth and coiled to one side. The voice addressing me came from the woman atop the distant pyramid.

“Child, why… are you weeping?” the woman’s gentle voice echoed in my mind.

I wiped my eyes, shook my head, and replied, “It’s nothing. Perhaps the vision was just too overwhelming, overturning so much of what I thought I knew.”

After a pause, I continued, “Regardless of everything else, I must thank you on behalf of all the disparate people of this world.”

The woman remained silent for a moment before speaking in my mind, “You need not represent anyone. The majority of humanity in this world is vile; I do not require their thanks.”

Sensing an underlying meaning in her words, I pressed, “Very well. Now that I bear such an immense secret, you can finally tell me the purpose of bringing me here?”

The woman no longer appeared as repulsive as before. Looking at the white tongues that constituted her form, I felt less revulsion. Perhaps, I mused, these things were the true essence of the Atlanteans.

“I should not have allowed a mere mortal like you to know this,” the woman continued after a moment.

“But now we have been exposed. Some vile humans have been working against us for millennia, attempting to disrupt the rules. Now, we are trapped here, awaiting the End.”

“Rules? What rules? And what is the End?” I couldn't help but ask.

The woman seemed not to register my question, replying only after a pause, “Time is short. I will give you something shortly; it records your next destination. When you arrive there, you will naturally know what to do. Remember, this concerns not only your humanity; the stars are watching you. Many will try to kill you along the way, but do not give this to them.”

I felt a bit stunned, perhaps overloaded by the sheer volume of information I was processing.

After thinking it over, I asked the only thing that came to mind: “Then how do I leave here?”

The woman stood there, silent.

Just as I was about to press further, the ground shuddered violently, and debris began raining down throughout the cavern.

I was all too familiar with that sensation; it was the same feeling I had in the underground tunnels of Black Bamboo Valley just before collapse.

This time, however, the shaking stopped after only a moment. But I clearly saw a fissure appear down the center of the crystal pyramid before me.

The woman’s expression contorted in extreme pain. Her body, composed of countless tongues, suddenly slumped to the ground like a spilled bowl of noodles, slowly collapsing.

Innumerable white tongues shot out from the contracted mass of ‘noodles’ and writhed frantically up the pyramid walls, scrambling to escape.

I knew then that the woman, like the pyramid itself, must have sustained a severe blow, preventing her from reforming.

Who could possibly contend with the Atlanteans, beings of such immense power, and drive them to such desperation?

I had no answer, but I knew that alone, I stood no chance against this force. This journey ahead would be incredibly difficult.

As I pondered this, the tongues crawling down from the pyramid were already plunging back into the bodies of the black-clad figures lying on the ground.

Moments later, these black-clad figures revived, rising from the floor.

The Atlantean who had led me here before was easily identifiable; he was significantly taller than the others. He was now walking toward me.

Reaching me, the Atlantean fumbled inside his robes for a moment and produced an object, which he offered to me.

I opened my hand and accepted what he gave me, then held it up to my eyes, rendering me speechless.

Because the object he handed me was something resembling a transparent glass sphere.

The woman had just said the item she was giving me contained the address of my next destination.

Yet, examining the glass sphere from every angle, I found no etchings or patterns upon it; I could glean no information from it that any human could decipher.

Just as I was about to ask this Atlantean how to decipher the glass sphere, he turned around without a word and began walking away from the pyramid.

Seeing his hurried pace, I remembered the woman’s warning: “Time is short.” It seemed this Atlantean was likely preparing to send me away now.

I followed him for a short distance and saw several figures gathered around the pilot who had fallen from the plane earlier.

After being revived, the pilot remained unconscious.

Seeing me approach, the Atlanteans lifted the pilot and continued walking with me.

After advancing another few dozen meters, we arrived before the nearest bronze censer.

The Atlanteans beside me gently set the pilot down and collectively fixed their gaze upon the bronze censer ahead.

The tall Atlantean looked at me, pointed toward the censer, and said in English, “Back.”

I understood he meant ‘return,’ so I asked him in English, “How do we go back?”

The tall Atlantean remained silent, instead joining the others as they began chanting an incomprehensible string of incantations under their breath.

They chanted for about ten seconds before all the Atlanteans stopped.

But the crucible before me showed no apparent change.

At this point, the tall Atlantean pointed at the crucible and declared, “Goin.”

With that, and before I could react, the others unceremoniously tossed the still-unconscious pilot inside.

I heard no cries of pain or any unusual sounds, nor did I hear the dull thud of the pilot hitting the bottom of the furnace.

Filled with doubt, I climbed up to the opening of the crucible with the assistance of the Atlanteans.

I peered down into the furnace; it was pitch black, empty.

I then turned back to look at the long-faced beings; their expressions were solemn. The tall Atlantean even waved his hand at me, an unusual gleam flashing in his eyes.

I couldn't decipher the meaning of the flicker in his eyes, but my own eyes inexplicably grew a little moist, and I murmured, “Until we meet again, my friends.”