Lu PingAn had originally thought his "vacation" was still a long way off, at least until he had laid the groundwork for the situation.
But just as he had made some progress in his research and the Fire Seed had its initial plan and prototype, he was not in a hurry—yet someone else truly was.
"Please depart immediately. We have spoken with Your Excellency Xiu Yi. Within three days, a temporarily dispatched God's Ark will arrive."
Lu PingAn could wait, but it seemed the overall state of the world and the situation on the front lines could not. The Savior Army's anxiety was one reason; the demigods themselves were also becoming anxious.
In fact, more and more "deserters" had begun to appear.
Their departure left power vacuums. Naturally, hostile foreign races would not let such an opportunity pass, and pressure along every front had visibly increased.
At the same time, some people had not behaved humanely when they left. The territories they stripped bare brought a new wave of refugees and unstable popular sentiment, giving the holdouts a terrible headache.
Even more troublesome were the "neutrals" (fence-sitters). Seeing that the situation was deteriorating, they too were starting to consider slipping away.
Sometimes, one really could not blame them for lacking resolve. Foreign enemies stood before you, while allied comrades defended the territories to your left and right. Now the left side had fled and the right side had vanished too. If you were not afraid, were you supposed to wait there and throw your life away?
Thus, while the Fire Seed Project still needed to remain confidential, the demigods announced plans to "go back for aid" and "bring in foreign investment" to stabilize popular sentiment. Naturally, the sooner Lu PingAn departed, the better.
"Fine. I'll make preparations."
And so, when