Standing before Ding Lang were eight of his students and assistants, twenty-nine elite Magitech Master Soldiers, and seventeen staff members responsible for maintaining the building's operations.
Speaking in a weary tone, Ding Lang said, "I've devised a method to deal with the monsters in the shadows."
As he spoke, he produced a palm-sized emblem and said, "By wearing this, even if we venture deep into the darkness, the monsters won't attack us."
In essence, this device makes the Black Panthers perceive the wearer as one of their own, and they naturally wouldn't attack their own kind.
The drawback, however, is that crafting this emblem requires the remains of Black Panther corpses, severely limiting its production volume. Ding Lang continued, "Take one each. Then, I'll assign you two additional missions. The future of this world now rests in your hands."
During this time, Ding Lang certainly hadn't merely developed a badge to conceal oneself. After careful deliberation, he had already charted a path for the future of this world.
He first divided everyone present into two equal groups. He summoned the first group to his laboratory and produced a lantern. "This is a byproduct of the badge. Once activated, it will draw the monsters' attention to the maximum extent."
"According to my research, everything we've killed so far has been merely clones. This lantern might lure out the enemy's True Body. I need you to go to an open area and lure out the monster's True Body."
As he spoke, Ding Lang produced another device resembling a walkie-talkie. "There are still 5,142 functioning Elemental Rending Bombs left in the world. This activator can directly control all remaining Rending Bombs to launch a saturation bombardment. Perhaps that might kill the monster's True Body."
What Ding Lang didn't mention was that, as bait positioned at the epicenter of the explosion, none of them would survive.
One of Ding Lang's students, his lips trembling slightly, asked, "If we destroy the monster's True Body, will we save the world?"
Ding Lang paused for a second before nodding. "Of course. Then the world will be restored to light, and the Sun will rise again."
Hearing this, the group members' faces hardened with resolve. "We swear to complete the mission, even if it costs us our lives!"
Soon, the first group departed. Ding Lang then called in the second group. He swept all the clutter off his desk, leaving only a massive cube about as tall as a person.
Heinrich froze the moment he saw it. "This is..."
During the battle at the Floating City, the Mother of Flesh had conjured several tentacled "Magic Cubes," each with Demigod-level combat power. One of them had even absorbed Hyacine's summoned lightning and fired it back as a beam of light. Stripped of their tentacles, wouldn't those Magic Cubes resemble exactly what stood before him?
Ding Lang was still explaining his second plan: "This is the Matrix Defense Module, which I co-invented with two other PhDs. With sufficient energy, these modules can self-replicate. I need you to take this to large factories and energy centers, increasing their numbers as much as possible."
"Once the number of Matrix Defense Modules reaches one thousand, they will activate, creating a massive Barrier that will envelop our entire world."
If Ding Lang's first plan was the ultimate offense, this second plan was the ultimate defense—a seemingly reasonable balance of attack and defense.
But then Ding Lang added, "The team executing the first plan will buy you time. Use that time to replicate as many modules as possible. These modules also possess combat capabilities and can protect you."
In truth, when Ding Lang first explained the plan to the initial group, he never explicitly guaranteed it would save the world. He merely said it could restore light to the world.
Even if they killed the Child of Flesh, other monsters would inevitably follow. Ding Lang knew all too well that their enemies were insurmountable through conventional means. They needed to find another way.
If he told them the truth, the first group might not have been as motivated to carry out their mission. Only by giving them a purpose, a belief, would they throw themselves into the fight without hesitation.
Therefore, the first group's true mission was actually to buy time. Ding Lang looked at the second group before him and said, "The future of this world now rests in your hands. Now that you know what you must do, you may depart."
At that moment, an assistant asked, "But Doctor... what about you?"
Ding Lang paused for a moment before replying, "I will remain here. I have a third plan. You don't need to worry about me. After all, I am the most brilliant Magitech Master in history, am I not?"
Hearing this, the second group reluctantly left. Soon, Ding Lang was the only one left in the vast underground facility. He slumped in his office chair, idly fiddling with a machine before him.
Heinrich, observing him, remarked, "A third plan? I doubt it. This man is on the verge of collapse under the pressure. He probably... doesn't even want to live anymore."
The situation seemed exactly as Heinrich had predicted. After everyone else had left, the monsters outside appeared to sense the facility's weakened defenses, and visible darkness began to creep slowly into the interior.
Flicker... flicker...
The outermost corridor lights began to flicker intermittently, creating a distinctly horror-movie atmosphere.
Yet even so, Ding Lang maintained his calm, unhurried demeanor. As time slowly passed, Evernight noticed that the once tightly sealed laboratory door had inexplicably developed a series of claw marks.
Finally, Ding Lang connected the last wire to the strange machine before him. It resembled a metal box with an indicator light—nothing more.
But the moment Ding Lang successfully activated the machine, the indicator light began to glow green. Stunned for a moment, Ding Lang broke into wild elation, frantically scanning his surroundings. "Is anyone else here besides me? You're watching me, aren't you?!"