Chapter 319: Merciless Natural Disaster

Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Merciless Natural Disaster

「At the same time.」

Sean Chandler had already transformed into his Great Bear Demon Beast form, his massive body like a mobile fortress.

He threw his head back and let out a Shock Wave roar, temporarily deflecting the trajectory of several nearby hailstones as he simultaneously swatted with his giant paws.

He fired off his Air Cannon Skill in rapid succession.

He shattered or knocked away the most threatening hailstones in mid-air, easing the pressure on Seraphina Sullivan’s healing efforts and the surrounding defenses.

The rescue operation continued grimly under the hailstorm’s bombardment.

Everyone was giving their all to protect their only shelter.

It wasn’t just the Players at that moment.

Even the ordinary people of the safe zone were racing against time to defend it.

Fortunately, the terrifying giant hailstorm didn’t last forever.

Otherwise, even with the safe zone filled with Players of all kinds and with various Talents, the defensive line would have eventually been shattered by such a cataclysmic force of nature.

Thanks to the desperate defense and interception efforts of all the Players, the sudden hailstorm disaster finally began to subside after about half an hour.

The dark clouds in the sky churned, and the giant hailstones stopped falling. In their place, the more familiar, thick snowflakes began to descend.

Only then did everyone dare to truly breathe a sigh of relief.

Many collapsed right where they stood, gasping for breath, their faces a mixture of profound exhaustion and the sheer relief of having survived.

The air was filled with ice fragments and the faint smell of blood.

However, the disaster was far from over. Though the hail had stopped, the messy aftermath was just beginning to reveal itself.

"Hiss... Ow, ow, ow... How could it suddenly start hailing like that? It was like a missile barrage..."

Dexter Luther clutched the swollen side of his face, his words muffled and slurred as he complained.

"I wonder if any Players have gotten one of those huge Energy Shield or Protective Shield items from a dungeon. If we had something that could cover the whole safe zone, we wouldn’t have to be so terrified the next time this freak weather hits."

"Stop talking! Your lips are swollen up like sausages and you’re still babbling. You want me to stop healing you?" Seraphina Sullivan cut him off irritably.

The Energy from her Flower Therapy gently covered Dexter Luther’s swollen cheek.

Just as the hailstorm was about to end, Dexter Luther had let his guard down for a moment and was grazed on the cheek by a small hailstone that slipped through the defenses.

One of his molars was instantly knocked out, and half his face swelled up grotesquely.

"Waaah... You’re the best, Sullivan... Everyone else... just laughs at me..."

Dexter Luther said pitifully.

Seraphina Sullivan: "..."

’If I didn’t know him, I’d be laughing too,’ she thought. ’But the mood just isn’t right for it.’

She couldn’t be bothered to respond and focused on healing him.

While treating Dexter Luther’s injury, Seraphina Sullivan lifted her gaze to survey the devastated safe zone.

Although all the Players had done their best, the destruction caused by the hailstorm was still shocking.

This was the first time since the extreme cold began that the safe zone had suffered such a heavy physical blow.

Parts of it had been destroyed.

The reconstruction and relocation efforts would be a new trial.

What was more worrying was that no one knew what terrifying form the next natural disaster would take.

Under the direction of Justin Brooks and the other leaders of the safe zone, the tense but orderly work of treating the wounded and assessing the damage began swiftly.

However, the heavy atmosphere washed away every last trace of the meager joy that had come from the recent, partial resolution of the food crisis.

Despite the Players giving their all, even suffering casualties, the outskirts of the safe zone and some of the non-core areas were still heavily damaged.

The hail that poured in not only destroyed buildings but also directly caused dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The makeshift morgue and the sounds of mournful crying pricked at everyone’s nerves like icy needles.

"My son... You died so horribly... They’re all useless! Those officials are all useless! Why didn’t the hail kill them instead of my son! Oh, heavens, you are unjust!!"

A white-haired old man threw himself onto a body covered with a white sheet, beating his chest and stomping his feet. His heart-wrenching cries were filled with accusations against the injustice of fate and misdirected anger at the failed rescue efforts.

Seraphina Sullivan stood a short distance away, silently watching the scene. A storm of emotions churned within her, finally settling into a silent sigh.

She could understand the old man’s despair at losing his son, but she couldn’t find any words of comfort or defense.

Natural disasters are merciless. They don’t show pity just because you are weak, nor do they lessen their force just because someone fights back.

The Players had obtained extraordinary Abilities, but they were not Gods.

They too grew tired, got injured, and could die. In the face of nature’s awesome power on this scale, an individual’s strength still seemed insignificant.

This sudden, gigantic hailstorm was like a resounding slap in the face to everyone who thought they could rest easy just by hiding in the safe zone.

It was a brutal announcement.

The apocalyptic process on Azure Star hadn’t stopped; it might even be accelerating and evolving.

The safe zone could provide temporary shelter and basic rations, but it was far from a Noah’s Ark that could withstand all natural disasters.

"In the end... we’re just too weak."

Seraphina Sullivan clenched her fists, her nails digging slightly into her palms.

This feeling of powerlessness made her more anxious than facing a powerful Demon Beast in a dungeon.

’What if I were strong enough? Strong enough to influence or even change the weather?’

An image of Heath Summers flashed through her mind.

’That girl with the Weather Manipulation Talent... if she could develop her Talent to its absolute limit, could she really be like a God from the myths, dispelling rainstorms, calming blizzards, and even reversing this kind of extreme weather?’

’If Players in every key field could grow to that level, maybe then humanity could truly win a chance to breathe and develop in this Doomsday Game.’

What Seraphina Sullivan didn’t know was that in the distant Central Base, the higher-ups had reached a similar conclusion after the same hailstorm, which had caused even more widespread and devastating losses for them.

A resolution was rapidly taking shape.

They would concentrate their resources, giving priority to Players with strategic-level Talents like Heath Summers.

They would help them grow quickly at any cost, hoping to have "strategic weapons" capable of changing the game when the next, even more severe disaster struck.

Seraphina dragged her weary body back to the RV, the fire inside her burning hotter than ever. Crystal Lynn immediately greeted her, her face etched with worry.

"Sullivan, are you okay? I saw you were busy outside for a long time." Crystal Lynn handed her a glass of warm water.

Seraphina Sullivan took the glass, shook her head gently, and said in a voice tinged with a faint hoarseness, "I’m fine. I just need to rest a bit."

Crystal Lynn saw the exhaustion in her eyes, but also a deeper resolve. She nodded. "Okay, Sullivan, get some rest. Let me know if you need anything."

She entered the RV and closed the door, shutting out the noise and sorrow of the world outside.