Jackson truly lived up to his title as the Son of Luck.
Even in such a deadly situation, he managed to escape unscathed, successfully landing on the ground with his ex-wife and children by using a vehicle as a buffer.
The plane's pilot, however, was not so fortunate. The aircraft plunged off a cliff, taking the poor man with it.
For a moment, the survivors were silent, mourning the loss of the pilot. Then they gathered together once more, preparing for the next challenge.
"Ronan, are you… Superman? You jumped from that height without even a scratch!" Jackson asked in disbelief, his eyes wide.
Fenric smiled faintly. "Rather than worrying about me, you should be thinking about what comes next."
Jackson glanced around at the snow-covered terrain. "We should already be somewhere near Tibet, but I have no idea where the Ark base is."
"Ark?" Belle tilted her head, puzzled.
Fenric explained with a calm smile, "The leaders of the world's major countries have long known that this apocalypse was coming. So, they secretly built massive 'Arks'—ships designed to survive the disaster that's about to sweep across the globe."
"Those damned politicians!" Jackson cursed under his breath, his frustration bubbling over.
Being an ordinary man, abandoned by the elite, he understood better than anyone how unfair the world could be. Without his absurdly good luck, he wouldn't have survived this far.
"..."
Belle glanced at Fenric, her eyes shining with curiosity. She wanted to ask how he knew all this, but she wasn't foolish. She understood that the secrets of a man like Fenric—known as Shura—weren't to be probed lightly.
"Why build the Ark in Tibet?" Jackson's ex-wife asked.
"Because it's the highest place in the world," Fenric replied. "When the tsunamis hit, it'll remain above water the longest. It buys time.
"And besides," he added with a faint smirk, "when it comes to infrastructure, which country in the world can compare to China? The nickname 'infrastructure madman' isn't just for show."
Everyone nodded, understanding at last.
Suddenly, Fenric's sharp senses caught something. His ears twitched slightly as he said, "Mr. Jackson, it's been interesting traveling with you—but it's time we part ways."
"What? Why?" Jackson looked confused, unsure what Fenric meant.
Fenric didn't bother to explain.
He had already made use of Jackson's luck to get this far. Now, it was time to move on. The sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air reached his ears—a sign that the next stage of the plan was about to begin.
In the original plot of 2012, the super power country sent helicopters to transport precious specimens—elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and other animals vital to the Human Seed Preservation Project.
(Note: United States, China, Russia.)
It wasn't just about saving humans; without a balanced ecological chain, humanity's survival would be short-lived.
Fenric, of course, could easily take a helicopter by force if he wanted.
But…
Why change the plot when you know it's safe to unknown?
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Soon, everyone spotted several helicopters approaching in the distance.
"Over here! We're here!"
Jackson, the rich man, and the others began shouting, waving frantically to catch the pilots' attention.
Two helicopters descended, kicking up gusts of snow as they landed.
From one of them, two soldiers stepped out.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" one soldier asked coldly.
The rich man hurried forward, pulling out the special ticket he had paid dearly for. "I am a participant of the Human Seed Project! Our plane crashed! This is my ticket—for me and my sons!"
The soldier inspected the ticket, then nodded. He signaled for the rich man to bring his two sons aboard.
But when the rich man's mistress tried to follow, she was stopped.
"Sorry," the soldier said firmly. "The ticket is only valid for three people. Without another pass, you cannot board."
"What!?" The woman's face turned pale. "That's impossible! I'm his wife—Karpov, tell them! Hurry up and let me on!"
The rich man, Karpov, didn't even glance back. He silently led his sons onto the helicopter, abandoning her without hesitation.
The mistress stared at his back, her face twisted with despair and hatred. "Karpov, you bastard! You'll pay for this! You'll be punished!"
Fenric shook his head lightly. Pathetic. She couldn't even curse properly.
Fenric then stepped forward with Belle.
"For the sake of our compatriots," he said in flawless stan language, "could you allow us aboard?"
He had no problem using force if they refused. But he saw that they are from the same country so he asked first. If they refuse him, he will use the hard way.
The soldiers looked surprised at Fenric's stan. They exchanged glances, hesitated, and then the leader nodded. "...Alright. Go."
"Thank you," Fenric said with a faint smile, taking Belle by the hand as they boarded.
The others, no matter how much they begged or shouted, were ignored by the soldiers.
The helicopters soon lifted off, leaving the rest behind.
Truth be told, Fenric could have continued traveling with Jackson. As the Son of Luck, Jackson would face countless trials but would always survive in the end.
But Fenric wasn't interested in enduring unnecessary trouble. He was here to survive—and, if possible, to enjoy his "vacation."
He turned his gaze to the three wealthy father-and-sons seated nearby, his expression faintly mocking. "Mr. Karpov, you're truly ruthless."
He could have easily taken the tickets by force, but it would have been beneath him.
The rich man paled and kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to provoke Fenric.
"If you think that ticket alone will get you on the Ark, you're sorely mistaken," Fenric added casually.
The rich man stiffened, his face filled with unease, but he didn't dare ask what Fenric meant.
Fenric said no more.
After all, in the original plot, this man would die. Why waste time on the doomed?
Two hours later.
Fenric and Belle finally arrived at the Ark Base.
The moment they saw it, both were stunned.
Huge!
The Ark Base was the size of at least ten large airports combined. And this was on a mountain! The scale of construction was beyond imagination.
Within the Ark Base, ten massive Arks were being built, each one resembling a floating fortress.
After disembarking, Fenric approached a soldier and asked, "Excuse me, where is the Union Ark?"
The soldier blinked. "Ark No. 3. But, comrade… without a ticket, they definitely won't let you board."
"Won't let me?" Fenric chuckled. "Then we'll see if they have the ability to stop me."
He had deliberately chosen the Union Ark. In the original timeline, Ark No. 3 was one of only three out of ten arks that successfully avoided the worst disasters—and it was where the Union leaders, royals, and wealthy elites were stationed. Naturally, he wanted to board the best.
If it came down to it, he would force his way onto the Union Ark instead."