Apocalypse: I Can See the HP Bar, Killing Monsters Drops Loot-Chapter 1573 - 660: Earthquake

Rumble—

The ground trembled continuously, and buildings swayed precariously.

The survivors either crouched or lay flat on the ground. Although their faces were filled with panic, it was evident that this wasn’t their first time experiencing such an event. Their reactions were relatively quick.

No wonder Wang Tao noticed so many people on the streets earlier. It wasn’t because the place was lively, but because the earthquake had driven them out of their homes.

Wang Tao remained calm, standing firmly like a nail driven into the ground. He seemed composed, but in reality, he was ready to spread his wings and flee at any moment.

After all, this was a natural disaster. Even with Level 6 strength, he couldn’t stand against such a calamity and could only prepare to evade.

Thankfully, the earthquake came quickly and ended just as fast. After about ten seconds, the ground finally stopped shaking.

"Phew—thank goodness!"

When the earthquake subsided, Mayor Xiang Bo, who had been lying on the ground, sneaked a glance at the surrounding buildings. Seeing that most of the structures remained intact, he sighed in relief and promptly got up.

"It’s fine now, it’s fine... Thankfully, the majority of our buildings are made from the bodies of mutated plants. They won’t collapse from slight tremors..."

Everyone else exhaled a long sigh of relief.

The buildings in Red Maple Base were abundant, but most of them were constructed from mutated plant bodies. The entire structure was cohesive and had a certain flexibility, giving them excellent earthquake resistance. As long as they didn’t collapse, casualties would be minimized since the magnitude of this earthquake wasn’t too high, and there were no signs of ground fissures or landslides.

At this moment, someone exclaimed:

"Mr. Wang truly deserves the title of a Level 6 Awakened. We couldn’t even stand straight, while you remained unshaken..."

Waving off the compliment, Wang Tao interrupted directly:

"What exactly is going on with this earthquake? Explain clearly."

Han Youlin hurriedly stepped forward to explain:

"The first earthquake happened at midnight last night. Then, there were two more occurrences afterward. One happened during the day, and including this one, there have been a total of five earthquakes today! Roughly every two or three hours, an earthquake occurs. Although the damage from each one isn’t severe, and we’ve had minimal casualties so far, no one can guarantee that a major quake won’t follow. Furthermore, I feel like each successive quake grows stronger than the last..."

After hearing this, Wang Tao frowned and asked, "Aside from the earthquakes, have you noticed any other abnormal phenomena in the area?"

"No, nothing else." Han Youlin immediately shook his head but then added, "However, because of the recent disaster-level creature incident, none of our people have dared venture outside. So, I’m unsure if anything unusual is happening out there..."

Earthquakes were beyond prediction. Moreover, they were natural disasters, without a tangible enemy to fight against. Even with Wang Tao’s immense strength, there was no way to resolve an earthquake.

"Logically, this region isn’t located along any seismic fault lines. Why would earthquakes occur here? Could it be that the geological structure has changed after the apocalypse...?"

Someone muttered, and the crowd collectively expressed their confusion. If the geological structure had indeed shifted and this place turned into a seismic zone, the Red Maple Base would be at serious risk. Setting aside other concerns, the base’s natural barrier consisted of a series of towering mountains. If those mountains collapsed, the entire Red Maple Base would be obliterated in an instant!

"So, what exactly is it you’re asking for?"

Wang Tao looked at the group.

Fixing earthquakes was beyond his ability, and none of the people back at Changhe Base could resolve it either.

"We’re requesting assistance from Changhe Base to help relocate us. If we encounter any Sixth Rank Lords or higher-level monsters during the relocation, we hope Changhe Base can provide support. Truly, we can’t stay here any longer..."

Han Youlin spoke with a bitter expression.

If Red Maple Base encountered other kinds of troubles—like disaster-class creatures or temperatures becoming intolerable—they could still hold out by staying within the base. In cases where they were utterly helpless, they could ask for help from Changhe Base. At the very least, they wouldn’t need to abandon Red Maple Base.

But when faced with a catastrophic natural disaster like an earthquake, there was only one option—relocation!

Especially since multiple tremors had occurred within the same day, leaving everyone on edge. These smaller quakes seemed like warnings, suggesting that a larger one might be imminent. If a massive earthquake truly struck, given the geographical location of the base, it would most likely spell their doom. They had no other thoughts now, just one—they needed to flee as soon as possible!

Changhe Base was far from their current location. With so many people in their group, reaching it would take considerable time, so their demands weren’t excessive. They only needed to find a flat, open area where they could avoid the dangers of the earthquakes for the time being...

"Assist with your relocation? Sure, no problem."

Wang Tao nodded first and then added:

"However, I’ll need to investigate the outside first to determine whether these earthquakes are natural or caused by some external factors..."

Initially, Wang Tao assumed it was an ordinary earthquake that Red Maple Base had the misfortune of encountering.

But after learning more details, Wang Tao began to suspect whether the earthquakes were indeed natural disasters or caused by something else.

It wasn’t unwarranted suspicion; according to what Han Youlin described, the earthquakes were occurring far too regularly, roughly every two to three hours, which seemed abnormal. Additionally, someone had mentioned earlier that the Red Maple Base wasn’t located on a seismic fault line...

Since the quakes weren’t severe yet and the people at Red Maple Base were adequately prepared, Wang Tao decided to head out and investigate the situation further to uncover the truth behind the phenomenon.