"Indeed, things are very bad. You may not know this, but the Asia-Europe Alliance already has three S-Class Mages, while the rumored Snow Palace Sacred Land actually has one S-Class Mage as well."
The gray-haired old official paused and took a deep breath, as if he himself was astonished by what he was about to say. He continued, "Although this mage claims to be neutral, everyone knows that true neutrality is impossible in this world. She naturally has her own inclinations, and unsurprisingly, they favor the Asia-Europe Alliance."
"After all, the Eurasian continent is this mage's homeland. It's impossible for her not to have feelings for it. Should a great war truly break out, she will inevitably assist the Asia-Europe Alliance in protecting its territory. That would free the alliance's mages to act, which would be no different from them entering the war alongside four S-Class Mages."
"On top of that, with this newly emerged S-Class Mage, the American Allied Countries now have a full five S-Class Mages! You have to understand, there are only ten S-Class Mages in the entire world. The American Allied Countries have actually taken half of them, while we have only three!"
"Um..." The female host's expression had already begun to stiffen. Her keen instincts told her that something was terribly wrong. Was this really something that could be said in an interview?
She could not help trying to interrupt, but the moment she got one sentence out, the chief director in her earpiece cut her off directly. "Let him continue. Don't stop him."
"Five S-Class Mages—that's half of all S-Class Mages. What does that mean?"
The female host went along with it readily.
She could not meddle in such a major matter. She was only a salaried employee. Being a mascot was enough for her.
"It's very simple. It means they have a way to restrain our three S-Class Mages, while we can only take the beating without any room to fight back."
"Once the Asia-Europe Alliance decides to launch a war, our situation will be extremely unfavorable. We may suffer a massive disadvantage, with countless casualties in a short period. Such a situation is far too frightening. Our country must make preparations in advance and heighten its vigilance!"
The gray-haired old official spoke with great solemnity, but he himself could barely bear to look at the script.
If S-Class Mages could truly be exchanged one for one, that would be wonderful. The reality was far bleaker than this. Take the Space King, for example.
Once war broke out, who could restrain the Space King?
Moreover, figures like him had already completely transcended the authority of nations.
Some Nation-Level Restricted Mages had been born during wartime and still barely possessed a sense of national identity. But the new generation of S-Class Mages truly cared little for nations as a vessel. It was not that they were completely indifferent; it was simply unnecessary.
Wherever they went, they would receive the highest level of treatment. To them, every country was the same. As long as they maintained the current order of the world, they naturally stood at the very top.
Under such circumstances, would they serve the concept of a nation while risking the destruction of the world and disrupting the existing order?
Impossible. Not a single Nation-Level Restricted Mage would agree. They were not foolish enough to dig their own graves. Maintaining the status quo was good for everyone.
This draft really isn't readable at all.
The old official sighed inwardly, but he still had to read on. He also had to put on an expert's air and make the majority of people believe him.
Only then would those elites who knew the truth keep their mouths shut.
Starting with the state media, the prevailing winds changed.
The conflict between the Eastern and Western Alliances began to intensify, while the vast majority of people remained bewildered and ignorant, unaware that a storm was about to arrive.
After all, wars frequently broke out in various places to begin with. This slight change was not unusual enough to attract attention. It was not some major news like nuclear bombs raining down on the Divine Capital.
But the elites truly standing at the pinnacle of the world all sensed that something was wrong and began accelerating the construction of shelters.
They had always been making preparations, striving to survive even if humanity destroyed itself.
Some were top-tier tycoons, while others wielded enormous power. They simply did not place their hopes in anyone else.
This peaceful order appeared capable of lasting forever, but what if?
S-Class Mages were not nuclear buttons. There were no other people capable of restraining them, and they could start the Third World War at any moment.
Once that "what if" occurred, all their wealth and accumulated resources would turn to ashes. At their level of wealth, keeping such vast fortunes had little meaning anyway. They might as well spend them on various contingencies.
When the time came, even if a world war truly erupted, shelters buried a thousand meters underground would be enough to support them until death.
This was the choice of some people.
Others chose to intervene personally and prevent the outbreak of a world war.
The problems noticed by the elites of every country naturally could not escape the notice of their rulers. After these changes emerged, the upper echelons of the Asia-Europe Alliance began frequently visiting the American Allied Countries, hoping to negotiate, find out exactly what was happening, and prevent a large-scale war from breaking out if possible.
If they confirmed that the other side was absolutely determined to go to war, obtaining intelligence would also let them strike first.
However, these changes were far too obvious, and most of the Asia-Europe Alliance's upper echelons did not take them seriously.
If they truly intended to launch a war, acting directly would be the best choice. All these changes would instead alert others to their intentions and cause tremendous losses.
This escalation of the conflict was most likely because certain people wanted to profit from the war and had therefore leaked information in advance. There was no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.
The two great camps were both far too vast. Both sides speculated about each other, and neither could arrive at the correct answer. At least, the middle and upper levels of both sides believed that a large-scale war could not possibly erupt. It was merely another minor conflict.
Except for the two Nation-Level Restricted Mages controlled by the allied countries and a large number of core higher-ups.
The rulers were another matter.
Of the three S-Class Mages living in the Americas, two had already been controlled. They knew very well that a world war was truly about to erupt.
Sun's Lin Kai was called that because his magic could simulate nuclear fusion, and its power far surpassed that of nuclear bombs.
He could casually destroy a city. After exhausting his magic power, he could even make an entire state vanish. It was a terrifying destructive force that no one could stop or restrain.
Soul Horn's Dan Ta Lin was even more terrifying. He could produce a sound that caused souls to mutate, ignoring all defenses. Even piercing the eardrums was useless—the sound would directly corrupt the soul, causing the body to irreversibly transform into a monster as well and unleash countless destruction.
Under normal circumstances, this magic's range of influence was only the size of a city. But what made it terrifying was that it could be transmitted through things like the internet. Its true range of influence covered every area in the world where a network existed...
That left only the Space King, who was as elusive as a divine dragon glimpsed only by its head and never its tail. If he had been controlled as well, the result would have been even more terrifying. The destruction of humanity at any moment would be no joke.
The Asia-Europe Alliance possessed power of this level as well. By comparison, Noah, who could counter every attack, actually had no destructive power. Not only could he not devour living beings, but when devouring matter and energy, he also had to judge them to be threats.
This power had clearly not been born to rule the world. Rather, it existed to suppress a world that might be destroyed at any moment, giving S-Class Mages the greatest deterrent and making them understand that unless they killed Noah, they could never truly stand at the pinnacle—even if they destroyed all of humanity.