Chapter 161 - Evacuation Efforts - Successful!
-Hue, Nam Viet-
The residents of the city scrambled to find higher ground in a disorganized manner.
The topography of the local area was generally flat, so their best bet was climbing up a hill.
Alex guided the panicked crowd and occasionally turned his sight towards the sea.
From their position, the wall of molten glass glowed in a red and threatening manner and blocked off the entire shore.
'Hopefully, it can barricade off the first wave...' Alex's felt his Adam's apple move up and down as anticipation and anxiety crept up inside of him.
A gargantuan wave approached the coast at a breakneck speed.
Then, Alex felt a sudden burst of nausea and fatigue.
He held his head and rested his body on a sturdy tree nearby.
"Crap, I used too much faith energy," Alex breathed heavily in intervals and soon recovered his footing.
The prolonged flight and the smelting took a great toll on him, and he probably couldn't use it anymore.
As his blackened vision returned to normal, he heard a scream and his body jerked awake.
Someone from the evacuates had turned around and fearfully screamed when they saw the oncoming wave.
Their body fell to the ground, and they stared hopelessly at the disaster.
Alex approached them and gently held them back up.
"Go on with the rest of the group, you'll be safe."
They listlessly nodded and ran to catch up with everyone else.
Following that.....
*Fssssssshhhh*
The mortals plugged their ears from pain.
From the coast, the sound of water touching a hot pan reverberated towards them, except it was on magnitude thousands of times greater.
The first wave came into contact with his wall.historical
The rushing water instantly vaporized at the point of contact with the searing glass, but this couldn't last for long.
As the immense quantities of water continued their barrage, the glass gradually lost its heat, and only the height of the wall could protect them now.
Alex observed the event attentively.
The onslaught of the first wave continued and spilled over into the nearby lands where the wall didn't reach, but the barricade helped enormously.
A few dozen seconds later, a fortunate phenomenon occurred.
The speed of the wave slowed down and then reached a climax.
After that, Alex perceived the water slowly receding.
The residents of Hue looked at the completely intact city and cupped their hands in prayer.
"We've survived the first wave, but the second wave is still on its way."
Alex clenched his fists.
He knew that their prayers were futile, and the second wave would tear down the wall completely.
As the water retreated back into the sea, it began rolling again.
This was the precursor to the second wave.
'I hope it's weaker than the first wave....!'
Fortunately, the water didn't retreat as far, and a smaller wave instead attacked the coast.
However, this second wave instantly broke down the wall of glass.
This was inevitable, but the residents all turned around and unanimously let out a gasp as they saw the death reaper of the ocean invade their precious home.
In the face of tsunamis, even modern buildings didn't stand a chance.
The wooden structures of Hue were all torn down, with varying degrees of damage.
"Stop Looking! Move on!" Alex reminded them to focus on the evacuation.
"My ancestral home is gone..." A man collapsed on the floor and began sobbing.
"Then, survive and build a new one! your ancestors wouldn't want you to die when you can live, would they?" Alex screamed.
"If only Son Tinh was here...."
Alex turned around, and the wave was pushing further inland and approaching them.
He forcefully took the weeping man and catapulted him far away.
Then, he did the same for the slower residents.
*Drip*
Alex felt a drop of water land on his cheek.
Looking down, the wave was only a dozen meters or so below their position.
"Go faster!" Alex hoarsely exclaimed.
At his scary tone, and the threat of the second wave, the slower residents listened to him and consumed all of their stamina to run and catch up with the swifter evacuees.
Fortunately, the second wave didn't reach them and began slowly receding away.
Alex sighed in relief.
A few minutes later, this relief turned into a horrifying realization.
"Why is the water retreating so far...?" Alex pointed at the horizon and weakly asked.
It went further outwards than the second wave and the first wave.
Soon enough, the water began congregating and propelled itself back towards the coast.
Alex sighed and unfolded his wings.
The residents below him stared with puzzlement and confusion at his actions.
Then, when they saw the height of the third wave, their expressions skipped from terror to hopelessness and acceptance.
This wave was too tall, and there was nothing he could do anymore.
It was bound to reach their area faster than they could evacuate.
If he had just a bit more faith energy, he could have blessed them all greater swiftness, but he was completely exhausted, and just maintaining his position in the air took up all of his efforts.
The residents halted, but the wave did not.
Alex closed his eyes as he saw the trees below him cascade up like falling debris, and the water approaching.
"A foreign man's job ends here, you have done well."
Suddenly, the ground cracked.
From one side, the altitude became greater.
From the other side, a ravine appeared and the gap widened gradually.
Then, the wave hit the ravine.
Instead of the disaster he expected, the water fell down the wide ravine like a waterfall, and even when it threatened to fill back up, it didn't fill up quite enough to cause any damage to the evacuees who were on the higher ground now.
Alex stared at this miracle with wide eyes.
The threatening tsunami retreated, and a new, immense saltwater lake formed from the ravine.
"Son Tinh!"
"Son Tinh!"
Cheers erupted from the residents.
Alex followed their eyes.
They looked at an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.
Next to him, the immortal who flew on the flying sword earlier smiled.
"You should be the one who alerted and organized the evacuation?" The middle-aged man had a comforting voice.
He was speaking to Alex.