Inside the command center of Soul Return Town.
Wan Changzheng stared at the encrypted characters flashing on the pager in front of him, rubbing his temples hard with two fingers.
He was torn.
Let's set aside the issue of violating military orders for now.
Zhang Lingqi and Du Linyuan's ideas were absolutely correct, and their timing was impeccable...
But...
That was, after all, Annihilation Evil God!
Whether those two young lads can truly defeat Gabetan, even in a weakened state, is absolutely unknown.
"Phew... Xiao Zhao has really gotten bolder now, daring to help those two little bastards keep this from me."
Wan Changzheng breathed a sigh of relief, but a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
"Luckily, I had promised Shen Lian and the Dragon God that I would act in this play with them, which allowed me to obtain this information in time."
"Otherwise, even if you two are lucky enough to come back alive, you'll still be in deep trouble if you violate military orders..."
He stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside the window lies the Weird Island, heavily guarded Morning Star Base the island, shrouded in night.
Wan Changzheng raised his hand and removed the military cap that symbolized supreme honor from his head.
"When a person tells their first lie, they are destined to use countless lies to cover it up..."
He sighed softly, stroked the epaulets, and then removed them one by one.
"I never imagined that at my age, I, Wan Changzheng, would have another chance to go crazy..."
"For these kids... for the future of the world..."
Even if I'm stripped of my skin and forced to retire to the mountains, it won't be a loss!
Wan Changzheng neatly stacked his military uniform, cap, and shoulder insignia on his desk.
Then, he changed into casual clothes.
He opened the bottom drawer and took out a black access card.
This is the highest command token for the Huaxia Rising Star Base!
The holder of this order is authorized to issue any directives that must be obeyed without question by anyone within the base!
"Knock knock knock."
A knock sounded at the door, and the Minister of Information, whom Wan Changzheng had summoned, pushed the door open and entered.
Her name is Liu Jing.
She was a middle-aged woman with slightly graying temples. The two had fought side by side during the most difficult years and shared a life-or-death bond.
"Old Wan, did you call me over so late because of Xiao Chen?"
Liu Jing asked with concern.
The "Xiao Chen" she mentioned was Chen Lei, Wan Changzheng's former secretary.
Wan Changzheng shook his head and turned his back.
"No."
"I called you here to have you use the highest frequency band to send the following message in plaintext to bases in all countries around the world!"
Liu Jing was stunned. "Okay, go ahead."
But out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the military uniform on the desk, and her heart skipped a beat.
"The plan has changed; the joint operation at 8 PM is canceled."
"Inform the world that the Deep Pool Behemoth has been severely damaged, needless to say, and is currently preparing to flee!"
"Our country has dispatched Zhang Lingqi and Du Linyuan to pursue them at sea!"
"Furthermore, according to reliable intelligence, the Deep Pool Behemoth is suspected of carrying a powerful treasure capable of granting someone godhood!"
"Requesting highest-level support... Over!"
"Finally, add my signature."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Jing instantly realized the consequences of her words!
She demanded sharply, "Old Wan, are you crazy?!"
"Why release such top-secret and unverified intelligence to the public?!"
"Do you know what kind of global turmoil this will cause?!"
Wan Changzheng, with his back to her, coldly said, "Never mind that! Just do as I say!"
"I'm prepared to take on everything!"
Snap!
He slammed the token onto the table.
Liu Jing stared at the token, trembling with rage, her fists clenched tightly.
But three seconds later, she let go in dejection.
She knows Wan Changzheng too well...
They were comrades-in-arms who had climbed snow-capped mountains and traversed grasslands together.
Wan Changzheng was by no means the kind of traitor who would betray national interests for personal gain.
He must be risking his life to cover for someone or some plan!
"Old Wan..."
Liu Jing's eyes reddened.
"Can you tell us the truth? We'll all bear this together!"
"You're stubbornly insisting on taking all the blame upon yourself, even if the higher-ups can understand..."
"But other countries will definitely not let you off the hook!"
Wan Changzheng turned around abruptly and shouted angrily.
"Execute the command!!"
"Sacrifice the small family for the greater good! Each person bears the responsibility for their actions!"
"My problems, Wan Changzheng's problems, are none of your business! Go send the telegram!!"
Liu Jing bit her lip, trying hard not to let her tears fall.
"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"
She gave a military salute, turned and strode away.
I heard the office door slam shut.
Wan Changzheng seemed to have all his strength drained away, and slumped into a chair.
"He fooled his superiors, he fooled his colleagues, and he fooled the whole world..."
He stared at the ceiling, grinned, and smiled like a sly old fox.
"It seems my later life... isn't any worse than my earlier one."
At the same time, this clear-text telegram from the Morning Star Base exploded among high-level officials worldwide!
The highest levels of the China were naturally furious!
They had no idea what the real situation was like on the front lines.
They assumed Wan Changzheng was either senile or had betrayed his faith, and immediately implemented the strictest emergency isolation measures.
Be prepared to take control at any time.
However, other countries and those powerful families hiding in the shadows sensed a deadly temptation in this intelligence.
Their wolfish ambitions have been fully revealed!
Chen Family Ancestral Hall.
"Hahahaha! Heaven is helping me! Heaven is truly helping me!"
Chen Qing and Chen Menghua, already disguised, were preparing to infiltrate [Weird Island] through Chen Jingmo's special channels.
Looking at the information on his phone, he laughed so hard his mouth almost reached his ears.
"That old bastard Wan Changzheng is absolutely insane!"
Chen Qing's face was filled with fervor, "With this intelligence out, how could those foreigners possibly sit still?"
"For that so-called [treasure for achieving godhood], they would absolutely risk their lives to rush into the Prayer Deep Pool!"
"At that time, the entire China leadership will be thrown into chaos!"
"Wan Changzheng's removal from office is a foregone conclusion!"
Chen Menghua chimed in with a sinister glint in his eyes, "That's right!"
"Once China's defenses crumble, we can seize the opportunity and take Chen Tong down!"
Chen Qing nodded silently.
"An unprecedented Blood Rain is finally about to begin..."
It's not just them.
Also planning to get a piece of the pie in this chaos were the France Country base commander Mark and the Su Country base commander Yeka Jimier.
Everyone believed this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape the game.
But little did they know...
These self-righteous Hunter had already stepped into Wan Changzheng's grand scheme called "Dedication."
The first piece on the board, however, could no longer contain itself and began to stir...
Above the Aurora Avenue Sea on the way to the Weird Island.
Inside the Poseidon submarine of the Eagle Country.
"Jesus! This is truly a miracle!"
General Mike's eyes gleamed as he looked at the intelligence report.
He rushed into the captain's cabin and found Dr. Sullivan drinking coffee.
"Doctor! China has released the intelligence!"
"The Deep Pool Behemoth was severely injured and on the verge of death, and it possessed a treasure that could grant it godhood!"
Mike was so excited he was practically dancing with joy. "Didn't you say you'd help me get the highest power?"
"This is a golden opportunity to become a god! We must strike first!"
Faced with the near-madness of Mike, Dr. Sullivan, with his exceptionally high intelligence, remained remarkably calm.
"Calm down, General."
Sullivan chuckled, gently placed his coffee cup on the table, and turned to tap the Main Control Panel a few times.
"If we launch a full-speed attack now, the Machine God can indeed reach the Prayer Deep Pool within 30 minutes and 56 seconds."
"But... the situation is probably not as simple as you think. Take a look at this first."
He pressed the print button.
The instant he turned around, a coded image flashed across the main screen, so fast that even Sullivan didn't notice.
Sullivan handed several pages of documents to Mike.
"This is intelligence that my top hackers just extracted from the Black Palace database."
"It's said to have been traded with the Chen Family. Let's see what's written on it."
Mike grabbed the file, glanced at it, and his pupils suddenly contracted!
"What the law?!"
He roared in disbelief.
"His true identity, which needs no further explanation, is actually that monster from China... the Dragon God?!"
"And he died early this morning?!"
"What kind of bullshit joint operation was planned? The target was actually an Annihilation Evil God?!"
"That's right."
Sullivan adjusted his glasses. "Whether it's the top leadership of China, or our beloved golden-haired president..."
"They've all kept the most fatal information from us."
"In short, we were used as pawns."
"The actual situation at Prayer Deep Pool is a hundred times worse than this newly released intelligence."
Mike was so angry he was trembling, and he fiercely lit a cigar.
"Fuck! That blond bastard definitely knew all along!"
"And those old schemers in China, sending this kind of open-text telegram, are just using the bait of becoming a god!"
"Forcing us to participate in this war of gods!"
Sullivan sighed. "I can understand China's feelings. After all, with a formidable enemy at hand, they want to unite the strength of all humanity."
"But the capitalists in our country won't agree to do such a losing business."
"So... take my advice, General Mike."
"Let's think this through carefully and turn around and leave immediately."
Mike gritted his teeth, his face full of resentment.
That's Evil God!
If I put all my savings into it, I won't even make a ripple.
Just as he was about to order a retreat.
Bang!
The adjutant Jesse, rushed in, bursting through the hatch and shouting while holding a communicator.
"General! The President has issued a top-priority emergency order!"
"He demanded that we... kill Gabetan and seize the divine treasure before the Huaxia Person arrive!"
"Otherwise... the entire crew will be court-martialed upon returning!"
"Mother Fuck!!!"
Mike crushed the cigar in his hand and cursed, "Another open conspiracy! That blond guy is trying to force me to my death!"
"To go in is to risk being torn to shreds by the Evil God!"
"If I back down, we'll go to court. I'm willing to give up my right to fight him for power!"
Sullivan sighed again in frustration, "We've reached a dead end."
"General Mike, I still suggest we take a step back."
"It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death, right?"
"You and I are just ordinary people; there's no need for us to play the hero."
"Since the Huaxia Person like to play saviors, let them do it themselves."
Mike's fingers trembled violently as he struggled with Celestial Person conflict.
However, in that crucial second when he was struggling to make a decision...
"Waaaaa! Waaaaa!"
The highest-level red alarm blared throughout the submarine!
The entire submarine began to shake violently!
"What happened?!"
Mike gripped the conductor's chair tightly.
Jesse, clutching her tablet, was deathly pale. "It seems... it looks like something happened to our flagship over the sea!"
Sullivan's expression changed drastically, as if he had realized something.
He rushed to the Main Control Panel like a madman, grabbed the communicator, and roared.
"Berris! What are you doing?!"
"Stop right there! I didn't authorize you to connect to the Machine God!!!"
Sizzle...
The large screen flickered twice, and the face of a blonde girl appeared in the center of the screen.
It was obvious that the commotion outside was caused by her.
"Hehe~ Of course, Berris can do whatever she wants!"
Berris winked playfully at the camera.
"Since none of you old guys dare to be heroes, then let me do it!"
"Berris, go and take care of that ugly Evil God!"
"You're absolutely ridiculous!!!"
Sullivan's eyes turned red. "Do you even know what Evil God is?! It's an unspeakable taboo!"
"I don't know."
Berris tilted her head. "But didn't the intelligence report say so?"
It's been badly injured.
"I think it's true. After all, the noise from those nine meteors hitting the ground doesn't lie."
"Besides, Grandpa... we can hide for a while, but we can't hide forever."
"If we don't take it down today, Berris will have nightmares and won't be able to sleep every night."
The girl's eyes dimmed for a moment, and she said softly.
"And... my body doesn't have much time left, does it, Grandpa?"
Sullivan was clearly stunned for a moment, then reacted and roared in front of the screen.
"You're not allowed to go! Your condition is extremely unstable right now!"
"If you continue to force yourself to pilot the Machine God, you will completely collapse and say goodbye to this world!!"
"Even if I don't do it this way, I'll have to say goodbye sooner or later anyway..."
Berris smiled slightly, "Oh, no, not goodbye..."
"It's goodbye forever."
The moment she finished speaking, she ended the communication.
He pressed the red start button in the center of the cockpit!
"Power on!!!"
Boom!!!
The mechanical starter's horn resounded through the sky!
On the sea, the hatches of the flagship that the Eagle Country was so proud of, along with dozens of escort ships around it, were all wide open!
Countless mecha parts, gleaming with a terrifying magnetic field, rose into the air and assembled themselves in mid-air!
Just half a minute!
A mecha towering 300 meters tall suddenly rose above the aurora-filled sea!
The greatest masterpiece of the Eagle Country, the Cyber Machine God, has arrived!!
Inside the mech's cockpit.
Dozens of nerve threads pierced her skin, connecting to Berris's slender spine!
"Ugh..."
The pain made her forehead covered in cold sweat, but a smile crept onto her lips.
Okay~
"Alright, let the game begin..."
She looked up, her gaze fixed on the direction of the [Prayer Deep Pool] beyond the horizon.
Then her face tensed up, and she assumed a catapult-like launch posture.
The next second.
Boom!
The thrusters beneath the Cyber Machine God's feet emitted plasma tail flames!
Steel Body breaks the sound barrier, swims against the current, and soars into the sky!
The reaction force tore the sea surface apart, creating towering waves hundreds of meters high!
The surrounding Eagle Country fleet was also affected by this force, and a large portion of it was overturned and scattered on the spot!
Meanwhile, hundreds of nautical miles away.
The overwhelming tsunami, carrying devastating power, was hurtling towards China's outer fleet!
The defense line was about to be swallowed by the tsunami...
On the deck, a seemingly unremarkable man slowly stepped forward.
"Tsk... what a troublemaker."
Lin Bayi shook his head helplessly and sighed.
Then, he reached behind him and drew a large knife.
Facing a hundred-meter-high wave powerful enough to swallow an aircraft carrier.
Lin Bayi's eyes remained calm and still; he simply swung his sword forward casually.
"Whoosh..."
There was no earth-shattering blade light, no howling that tore through space.
This strike was as light as a breeze brushing across the water.
But it seemed to sever the causal link of this sea area in an instant!
A bizarre scene unfolded!
The raging tsunami vanished into thin air!
The raging sea calmed down in a second.
The sea is calm.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Lin Bayi slung the broadsword back behind his back.
He raised his head and looked towards the horizon, at the long-disappeared trail, his expression becoming complicated.
"It seems..."
"In any country, the younger generation is always more decisive."
He lowered his head, looked in the direction of Soul Return Town, and murmured softly.
"Comrade Lao Wan, this sacrifice you made, at the cost of half your life's reputation..."
It wasn't a wasted effort.