Chapter Summaries

At a Capital Military Region meeting, officers blamed Lin An for completing the Safe Zone Mission first and directing its rewards away from them, while Nie Ping defended the benefit his reward brought to survivors. Nie Ping challenged Luo Feng’s accusations and left Gao Wang facing suspicion, as Lin Zhan wondered who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

• Capital officers comforted Lin Zhan and resented Lin An for withholding information and receiving rewards they believed could have helped the Capital War Zone.
• Nie Ping argued that the 10% reduction in mission difficulty would save lives across China, even if the rewards seemed modest to the officers.
• Luo Feng claimed Lin An had wasted a 10% strength increase that could have aided millions of Awakened in the Capital Military Region.
• Nie Ping pointed out that the officers had lacked the courage to complete the mission early, making Luo Feng’s accusations threaten his father Luo Haishan’s reputation.
• Before leaving, Nie Ping sarcastically reminded Gao Wang that he should have found Lin An sooner, leaving Gao Wang to face the meeting’s hostile stares.
• Lin Zhan watched Nie Ping leave and wondered who was secretly stirring up trouble in the Capital Military Region.

At a tense military-region meeting, Gao Wang concealed that the Wangjiang Military Region had already found Lin An, while the Capital Military Region demanded that he locate him. Gao Wang weighed the factions’ power struggle and the capital’s control over the military as he faced Lin Zhan’s threat.

• Luo Feng questioned Gao Wang about the Wangjiang Military Region’s failure to report news of Lin An, and Gao Wang claimed its search squad had gone missing while tracking the Zombie Tide.
• Gao Wang privately recalled that Chu An had contacted him and warned him to consider why the Capital Military Region had summoned every Commander to the capital before the apocalypse.
• Gao Wang considered how the Neutral Faction, Military Faction, and Political Faction were competing for control, and how the capital had replaced a Commander after a military region failed to provide support.
• Lin Zhan ordered Gao Wang to find Lin An even if every soldier in the Wangjiang Military Region died, and accused Lin An of having rebellious intentions.
• Gao Wang understood that the Capital Military Region’s control of the Aerospace Force was its key means of restraining the other military regions.

Lin Zhan explained why the Military and Conservative Factions viewed Lin An as a threat and demanded that Gao Wang bring him under military control. After the meeting, Gao Wang realized the nuclear bomb mentioned in the report was buried beneath the Wangjiang Military Region and wondered what to do.

• Lin Zhan told Gao Wang that the military could not risk leaving Lin An unchecked amid growing unrest and the collapse of public trust.
• Lin Zhan described the Neutral, Military, and Conservative Factions’ conflicting beliefs about Lin An and how to respond to the apocalypse.
• Lin Zhan ordered Gao Wang to give Lin An a token and all information, publicly join the military region, and submit to its control, warning that Lin An would otherwise have to die.
• Lin Zhan showed Gao Wang a report recommending the deployment of Strategic Nuclear Bomb B14175, and the meeting ended.
• Gao Wang recognized the bomb’s serial number as belonging to a weapon buried beneath the Wangjiang Military Region and worried that the upper leadership could force its launch.

Gao Wang hesitated over whether to cooperate with Chu An, who promised Dragon An Base would declare independence in three days. Nie Ping chose to trust Chu An and ordered the sealed Corpse Infant released at Capital 81st Mansion.

• Gao Wang received Chu An's appeal to join the Kindling Project and stalled for three days while questioning whether Lin An could challenge the capital.
• Chu An told Nie Ping that Dragon An Base would establish itself as an independent faction and showed him the War Zone Broadcast Authority and Meme Doll.
• Nie Ping concluded that the two items could become a Calamity Grade weapon and decided to believe Chu An.
• Nie Ping ordered Imperial Guards withdrawn to release the Corpse Infant and warned the officials responsible for the Meme incident to control themselves.
• The seal in the pitch-black room peeled away as the pale Corpse Infant crawled across the ceiling.

Lin An and Chu An planned to revive Zhang Tie by gathering energy from Awakeners, then devised a scheme to lure hostile faction members into attacking Lin An under false pretenses. Chu An began spreading a fabricated report that Lin An had been badly injured, while also using the deception to advance plans for the Wangjiang Military Region.

• Lin An estimated that about three hundred Awakeners could provide enough energy to revive Zhang Tie, possibly with an enhanced Bear Transformation talent.
• Chu An warned that killing too many Awakeners could damage the base’s reputation and weaken its recruitment efforts, but Lin An argued that Awakeners could be produced and controlled.
• Chu An proposed making Lin An appear weak so hostile Awakeners would provoke him and give the base a public justification to retaliate.
• Lin An suggested selling fabricated footage from the Wangjiang Military Region to spread the false claim that he was seriously injured.
• Chu An messaged Fan Bing to have Wang Meng spread the story that Lin An’s strength had sharply declined after the Third Order Mutant attack.

Lin An and Chu An devised a staged story about Lin An’s injuries to lure traitors in the Wangjiang Military Region into selling information. Wang Meng and his staff watched the fabricated battle footage and began considering how Lin An’s apparent weakness could change their position.

• Lin An and Chu An planned to fake Lin An’s serious injuries and Dragon An Base’s losses, then use the deception to expose people willing to sell information about him.
• Chu An prepared props and film students as Lin An carried An Xia out of the fortress, leaving Gao Tian suspicious of their scheme.
• Gao Yan told Wang Meng that Lin An was badly wounded, Dragon An Base had suffered heavy losses, and White Shadow had left; she gave him footage Dragon Security had traded to them.
• Wang Meng and the Combat Center staff watched footage showing Lin An being battered by the Third Order Mutant, and many viewers believed he had been crippled.
• Hostile Awakened and other shrewd people began eyeing the Trade Channel’s purchase requests and considering how to exploit Lin An’s apparent weakness.

After Wang Meng ordered the meeting’s news kept secret, Zhang Shao took Gao Yan’s Video Disc and persuaded several Awakened Ones to betray the military region by selling information about Lin An’s injuries. They agreed to find a buyer, tempted by the rewards offered by rival factions.

• Wang Meng ordered everyone to keep the meeting’s news secret and left the Command Center, while Gao Yan departed for Dragon An Base.
• Zhang Shao claimed Gao Yan had forgotten her Video Disc, took it, and led several Awakened Ones away from the Command Room.
• Zhang Shao argued that Wang Meng was wrong to conceal information about Lin An and framed leaking it as a way to protect the Commander and the country.
• A scheming Awakened One agreed with Zhang Shao and persuaded the others that selling information would force Wang Meng to abandon his support for Dragon An Base.
• The Awakened Ones agreed to sell the information and began considering which faction would offer the best reward.

Several Awakened secretly planned to sell information about Lin An and Dragon An Base, while Wang Zhiqi’s men tried to force Li Yishu into working for them. The confrontation ended when uniformed Awakened recognized a youth in the mud.

• Zhang Shao and the others agreed to sell information about Lin An to nearby factions and considered duplicating it to sell multiple times.
• The Awakened group headed to the Survivor Gathering Place to find someone whose talent could duplicate things.
• Wang Zhiqi and his men attacked Li Yishu, accusing him of cheating them with a powerless hand grenade replica and demanding food or his obedience.
• Li Yishu’s neighbors tried to defend him, but Wang Zhiqi threatened to cripple anyone who intervened.
• Several uniformed Awakened arrived and recognized a youth in the mud.

Fan Bing uncovered Li Yishu’s seemingly useless replication talent and planned to bring him to Lin An, while Dragon An Base finished investigating how the Marrow Sucking Spider had infiltrated. Chu An proposed changing their plan to hold a National Livestream.

• Military-region awakened ones copied Li Yishu’s discs and left after threatening him to keep quiet.
• Fan Bing, disguised as Zhang Shao, learned that Li Yishu could replicate objects’ appearances but not their functions and decided to bring him to Lin An.
• Gao Tian and An JingTian told Lin An that Red Spiders had entered Dragon An Base hidden in lipstick, and that an awakened one’s concealed supplies had caused the incident.
• An JingTian reported that the base had been thoroughly inspected and no Red Spiders remained; Lin An told him to be more careful in the future.
• Chu An told Lin An that Fan Bing had found an interesting awakened one and suggested they hold a National Livestream.

Lin An and Senior Colonel Chu planned to exploit Li Yishu’s replication ability and the War Zone Broadcast Authority to stage a livestream and deter rival forces. Chu An outlined a scheme to provoke attacks on Long An Base, then use a show of force to establish its independence and dominance.

• Lin An learned from Fan Bing that Li Yishu could replicate objects, though the copies had no actual effects.
• Chu An explained that the War Zone Broadcast Authority could transmit information like a system-wide broadcast, and proposed using it to livestream Lin An’s killings.
• Chu An argued that a replicated Authority could serve as a fake threat, making the Capital Military Region fear that Long An Base possessed another usable Authority.
• Chu An proposed having Li Yishu replicate discs for large-scale sale, then shutting down their use and declaring Long An Base independent to provoke surrounding forces into attacking.
• Gao Tian and An JingTian imagined Lin An reversing the condemnation with a massacre broadcast, while Lin An resigned himself to Chu An’s grand plan.

Wu Sen received an offer of information about Lin An and alerted Wu Yu, who traded valuable supplies and equipment for footage of the City Defense War. After seeing Lin An collapse wounded and learning Dragon An Base’s location, Wu Yu began plotting to kill him and seize the base.

• Wu Sen dismissed a scammer’s message but paid attention when a First Order Awakener claiming to be from the military region offered Lin An’s information and City Defense War footage.
• Wu Sen rushed to tell Wu Yu about the offer, and Wu Yu decided to trade a piece of equipment, a Spiritual Energy Fruit, rice, and steel for the information.
• The System drained Wu Yu’s spiritual energy to complete the trade, and he eagerly took possession of the disc.
• Wu Yu watched footage showing Lin An seriously injured and Dragon An Base damaged, then imagined taking Lin An’s equipment and occupying the base.
• Wu Yu praised Wu Sen and considered building momentum in the Chat Channel before launching a surprise attack on Dragon An.

Wu Yu stirred up the Chat Channel to undermine Lin An while Lin An’s forces secretly lured potential enemies into revealing themselves. After learning that many people in the Wangjiang Military Region had taken the bait, Lin An ordered his Awakener Special Forces to move out and capture them.

• Wu Yu and his subordinates insulted Lin An and promoted Wu Yu as a stronger leader in the Chat Channel.
• Huang HaiTao prepared the final equipment and supplies gained by selling doctored footage and information to hostile forces.
• Huang HaiTao told Lin An that 136 people in the Wangjiang Military Region had taken the bait, including officers, Awakeners, and survivors.
• Lin An concluded that the leaks and secret contacts showed a broader betrayal within the Wangjiang Military Region.
• Lin An ordered the Awakener Special Forces to move out and capture the conspirators, while armed squads waited near the Wangjiang Military Region.

Wang Meng ordered the Wangjiang Military Region not to resist as Lin An’s evidence exposed its betrayal, while traitorous awakened ones plotted to join an attack on Dragon Security Base. Lin An watched Gao Tian’s squad enter Wangjiang and prepared a message marking the start of his war against hostile forces.

• After Chu An sent Wang Meng a picture of military personnel stealing information about Lin An, Wang Meng realized Lin An had gathered evidence and ordered the Wangjiang Military Region not to fire on Dragon Security Base.
• Several awakened ones in Wangjiang discussed fleeing with stolen equipment and supplies, then decided to join the force that had bought their information and attack Dragon Security Base.
• One awakened one warned that Lin An’s equipment could empower others, but another argued that Lin An’s strength came mostly from himself and persuaded the group that Dragon Security Base could be defeated.
• At Dragon Security Base, Lin An watched Gao Tian’s squad charge into the Wangjiang Military Region and prepared a message as he declared war on hostile forces.

Gao Tian led Dragon Security into the Wangjiang Military Region to arrest Awakeners who had sold information about Lin An, while the military’s soldiers were ordered not to interfere. Huang Yan let the team leave, and the soldiers were left to reckon with the military region’s inability to challenge Lin An except through mutual destruction.

• Gao Tian and more than thirty Dragon Security Awakeners entered the Wangjiang Military Region to arrest everyone on Lin An’s list.
• Gao Tian’s team broke into four gathering places and seized Awakeners suspected of selling information about Lin An.
• When soldiers raised their guns, officers who knew the truth ordered them to stand down as Gao Tian announced the prisoners were traitors acting against the military region.
• Gao Tian warned that anyone obstructing the arrests would be treated as a conspirator, then escorted more than one hundred prisoners away.
• Huang Yan ordered the soldiers to open a path and let Dragon Security leave, while those who had seen Lin An recognized that their only leverage against him was mutual destruction.

Gao Tian explained why Lin An’s team had forcibly arrested people from the Wangjiang Military Region, while Wang Meng told Huang Yan that Dragon An Base’s independence was part of a struggle between factions. The chapter ended when Lin An appeared in the channel.

• Gao Tian led the captives away from the Wangjiang Military Region and defended Lin An’s team’s actions to the uneasy Awakeners.
• Gao Tian argued that the military region had repeatedly treated Dragon Security as a threat, while Lin An had tried to avoid conflict and had helped its soldiers.
• Huang Yan privately challenged Wang Meng for allowing Lin An’s team to seize people and potentially establish an independent base.
• Wang Meng explained that Dragon An Base was tied to a suspected third faction and said the military region would cooperate with Lin An if he survived the capital’s pressure.
• A soldier announced that Lin An had appeared in the channel.

Lin An announced that Dragon An Base would accept 3.5 million survivors without discrimination and become independent of the China War Zone. His offer sparked mass migration toward the base, while local factions struggled to stop people from leaving.

• Players across the China War Zone spread the news that Lin An had appeared and fell silent to read his messages.
• Lin An announced that Dragon An Base would recruit ordinary people and Awakened without requirements, provide aid, and accept an estimated 3.5 million survivors.
• Lin An declared Dragon An Base independent of the China War Zone and warned that anyone who obstructed applicants or slandered the base would be considered hostile to Dragon Security.
• Survivors near Linjiang celebrated the offer, while many Players worried about how Lin An would respond to their earlier mockery.
• At a grain station, a man called on survivors to leave for Dragon An Base, and they confronted the Awakened supervisor who had exploited them.
• Survivors across the region began traveling in large groups toward Dragon Security.

Luo Feng and the Capital Military Region reacted angrily to Lin An's declaration of independence, but an A-rank Meme Incident forced them to turn their attention to a monster invading the core region. Meanwhile, Wu Yu and other nearby forces prepared to oppose Lin An, unaware that the System was about to intervene.

• Luo Feng and the generals condemned Lin An's declaration of independence and called for an emergency meeting to decide how to respond.
• A staff member reported that the 81st Meme Incident had begun and an unidentified monster was heading toward the core region; Luo Feng rushed to the Command Center after learning that his father, Luo Haishan, was responding to it.
• The remaining officials set Lin An's matter aside as the Military Faction mobilized and the Political Faction hesitated over how to act.
• Wu Yu decided to declare war on Lin An and plan a surprise attack, then warned the Chat Channel that Lin An was betraying the country and intended to take survivors hostage.
• Wu Yu noticed that other nearby forces were sending similar warnings, grew uneasy, and heard a familiar System Announcement.

The System announced a deathmatch between Lin An’s Dragon Security Safe Zone and nine factions, including Wu Yu’s Steel City Gathering Place, leaving survivors stunned and debating why Dragon An had been targeted. The chapter ended with supporters questioning whether Lin An’s declaration of self-establishment had made Dragon An a traitor to the China War Zone.

• The System announced a deathmatch between Wu Yu’s Steel City Gathering Place and Lin An’s Dragon Security Safe Zone, promising the victor the loser’s supplies, personnel, and resources.
• Wu Yu wondered how the deathmatch had begun, then grew excited at the rules and the attention his name received.
• The System announced nine more factions would fight Lin An, and Wu Yu and the other faction leaders wondered why they had all been included.
• Survivors assumed Dragon An was outnumbered and weak, while Dragon An’s critics celebrated the System’s announcement.
• A military district ally speculated that Lin An’s declaration of self-establishment had made Dragon An a traitor and triggered the deathmatch.
• Dragon An’s supporters questioned why Lin An had been targeted when other factions had also declared independence.

Lin An prepared to use a forged System Deathmatch as justification to destroy nine hostile factions, while officials in the Capital Military Region chose not to intervene. As Lin An took off in a J-22 fighter jet toward the City of Steel, Chu An kept the fake announcement broadcasting.

• Faction leaders and rival Gathering Places spread claims that Dragon An Base was treasonous and hoped the Deathmatch would let them seize its supplies.
• A Capital Military Region official declined to publicly condemn Dragon An Base or order a strike, and planned to demand the Safety Token after the Deathmatch.
• Dragon An Base members rallied around Lin An as he explored the J-22 fighter jet Mo Ling had brought back from Wangjiang Air Force Base.
• Chu An revealed that he had fabricated the Deathmatch announcement and was keeping its broadcast active while Lin An prepared to annihilate the nine factions.
• Lin An confirmed that the City of Steel was the first target, then launched the fighter jet toward it at supersonic speed.

Lin An began the System-announced deathmatch by attacking Steel City Gathering Place alone, revealing Wu Yu’s belief that Lin An was injured had been based on fake footage. Lin An killed hundreds of Steel City’s Awakened in seconds and departed, leaving the other factions stunned and fearful.

• Wu Yu discussed contacting the other factions to coordinate an attack on Dragon An Base and divide the spoils.
• A fighter jet appeared, and the System announced that the deathmatch between Lin An and Wu Yu had begun, with one participant from Dragon An Base and 25,413 from Steel City Gathering Place.
• Lin An jumped from the fighter jet, stopped in midair, and confronted Wu Yu, who realized he had been deceived about Lin An’s injuries.
• Wu Yu ordered his Awakened to attack, but Lin An unleashed a Mental Storm and followed it with sword attacks and a devastating impact that killed hundreds, including Wu Yu.
• Lin An left Steel City Gathering Place while the Command Room, the China War Zone, and the seven other major factions reacted in shock and despair.