The first army sent to suppress the rebellion arrived the day after the rebels left the castle.
It was a force ten thousand strong, much like the army that had besieged the castle three days earlier.
Sixty kilometers from the army, Lu Jin walked alone along a road between the canyons. Lion, the Fallen Angels, and the Rebel Army were farther behind.
As Lu Jin pressed on, a motorcycle-riding messenger came speeding toward him from the distance. Pulling up beside Lu Jin, he shouted, "The force up ahead is led by General Kleiner. He was the one who previously ordered the use of biological weapons against the Rebel Army!"
Lu Jin nodded and lifted his chin slightly toward the rear, signaling for the messenger to go back.
"Be careful." The messenger sped off toward the rear on his motorcycle.
When he was twenty kilometers from the army, Lu Jin broke into a sprint.
Some of the scouts had already spotted Lu Jin in the canyon.
But Lu Jin ignored them.
By the time news of his arrival reached the army and General Kleiner had finished arranging the defenses, Lu Jin had reached them.
When the soldiers saw the towering figure from the rumors, every kind of firearm opened fire at once. Artillery and tanks joined in, blanketing the figure's position with fire.
Since they only had one person to hit, their fire was exceptionally concentrated. Lu Jin, charging forward, was soon swallowed by smoke and flames.
General Kleiner came to the front line to watch.
After two blinks, a thin line appeared in the smoke, stretching forward.
Lu Jin barreled through the curtain of fire, trailing smoke and dust. As bullets and shells rained against his Power Armor, he passed the other soldiers in the army and reached General Kleiner.