Inside the Sky Base's Main Control Room.
On the massive holographic projection, the final scene of Butcher dissipating into motes of light slowly faded away.
The room was dead silent.
Ian stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the empty space, as if sending off that stubborn soul on its final journey.
Azure Dragon stepped forward, breaking the silence.
"The global monitoring system reports that the infection frenzy sweeping the globe has passed its peak. The virus's activity has stabilized, entering a plateau phase."
"Preliminary statistics show that outside of Huaxia, the global population has plummeted by seventy percent. The surviving uninfected are cowering in the ruins and quarantine zones of major cities, barely clinging to life."
Azure Dragon paused, bringing up a new world map. On it, aside from the peaceful green within Huaxia's borders, the rest of the continents were covered in a crimson red that represented chaos and danger.
"Meanwhile, the massive number of infected have begun to spontaneously gather, forming new tribes governed solely by primal desires and absolute strength."
He pointed to several red dots with the strongest energy reactions on the North American continent.
"According to our intelligence, Soldier Boy seems to have established a primitive tribe in South America, while other intelligent mutated infected have also begun carving out territories to build their own kingdoms."
Ian listened calmly, not surprised in the least.
He had foreseen this outcome long ago.
"What are your thoughts?"
"We believe," Azure Dragon's voice carried a chilling killing intent, "that we cannot just sit back and watch the threats abroad continue to grow. We must take the initiative to strike and completely eradicate the source of the Crossed virus, laying the final cornerstone for the reconstruction of human civilization."
Ian gave a slight nod.
With a mere thought, a supreme directive was instantly transmitted to every corner of Huaxia.
In the martial arts world, countless experts in secluded cultivation received the draft order.
Among them, a group of martial arts fanatics from all over, who possessed an almost maddening pursuit of power, were sent directly before the Evil God.
They were natural-born warriors, the perfect vessels for the Sea Tiger Martial Arts.
"Magnetic Field Rotation, Ten Thousand Horsepower!"
On the training ground, a bare-chested young man suddenly roared. The air around him distorted as he threw a punch!
The fist wind shot out like a cannonball, shattering a massive boulder a hundred meters away!
On the other side, the Evil God and Evil Dragon personally took the field, holding nothing back as they taught the Military Dao Killing Punch—which integrated the essence of the Sea Tiger martial arts—to these selected elites.
"Strength! Speed! Willpower! Bet everything you have on this one punch! If you can't blow up your enemy, then blow up yourself!"
Amidst the Evil God's roars, a unit of magnetic field martial artists—radiating violent auras and with eyes filled only with battle and destruction—was rapidly taking shape.
...
Meanwhile.
America, the West Coast.
The salty sea breeze blew past, kicking up grayish-black dust on the beach.
Queen Maeve leaned against a dilapidated fishing boat, gasping heavily for air.
She was bathed in blood. Her combat suit was covered in dried bloodstains and hideous slashes, and the blade of her longsword was chipped, but the hand gripping the hilt remained steady.
Behind her, a group of ragged, emaciated survivors were trembling as they climbed out of several modified trucks.
There were white-haired elders and children clinging tightly to their parents.
In their eyes was terror toward the purgatory-like continent behind them, and bewilderment toward the unknown ocean ahead.
From a midwestern town to the West Coast, crossing the entire fallen continent—they had walked this path for far too long and lost far too much.
Maeve was their hero, their only pillar of support.
"Hurry! Get on the boat! We're heading to Huaxia!"
Maeve's voice was hoarse but resolute.
That was their last hope, the rumored sole pure land left on this planet.
When the silhouette of the fishing boat appeared on the radar of Huaxia's border patrol fleet, several sci-fi-esque destroyers immediately surrounded them.
The cold muzzles of the cannons and the heavily armed soldiers made the survivors on the boat almost suffocate.
Maeve's heart leaped into her throat.
But the anticipated attack never came.
A gentle broadcast echoed out, declaring their safety and requesting that they undergo strict testing.
From the moment she stepped onto Huaxia soil, Maeve experienced what "order" truly meant for the first time.
It was efficient, rigorous, and perhaps even a bit impersonal.
All survivors were taken in batches through fully enclosed testing channels to ensure there was zero possibility of carrying the virus.
Maeve, as the only superhuman, was taken to an observation room in a high-level quarantine zone.
The room was spacious, bright, and spotless.
She walked over to the massive floor-to-ceiling window and looked out.
Outside was a city she had never seen before—more prosperous and futuristic than New York.
Under the night sky, the lights of countless homes merged together, while levitating maglev trains shuttled through the air, leaving behind brilliant trails of light.
In the distant city park, the laughter of children could be heard. People strolled leisurely through the plaza, their faces brimming with peace and happiness.
It was full of life.
Maeve stared in a daze.
Involuntarily, another image surfaced in her mind.
The continent she had just fled.
Burning cities, collapsed buildings, civilians being chased and devoured by Crossed infected, and those desperate wails tearing through the night sky...
On one side was a paradise on earth.
On the other, a scorched purgatory.
The stark contrast struck her heart like a heavy sledgehammer.
An indescribable emotion—a mix of envy, shame, and bitterness—instantly welled up within her.
She had once been that country's top hero, enjoying the adoration of millions, yet the nation she protected had ultimately turned into that horrific state.
And here...
Just then, the screen in the room suddenly lit up.
A global live broadcast signal covered the planet once again after many days.
The Evil God's imposing face appeared on the screen.
He stood at the bow of the Sky Base, with the boundless cosmos behind him.
"Survivors of the world, I am the Evil God of the Huaxia Justice League."
"The old era has passed. The chaos and disorder must end."
"Starting today, Huaxia will shoulder the heavy responsibility of rebuilding civilization. We will deploy our most elite forces to purge the infected worldwide and bring a brand-new order to human civilization!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene switched.
Units of "Magnetic Field" troops clad in pitch-black combat suits were undergoing terrifying training.
They had no heat vision, no ability to fly.
All they had was pure, ultimate, destructive physical power!
A single punch tore through the air, triggering sonic booms!
A single stomp fractured the earth, shaking the mountains!
That unrivaled oppressive presence, that extremely violent power, crashed ruthlessly into the soul of every survivor through the screen!
Maeve stared fixedly at the screen.
She looked at the Evil God, looked at these Huaxia powerhouses she had never even heard of.
This was true power.
This was the absolute power that could bring about order!
The flame called "hero" in her heart—which had long been extinguished by the cruelty and powerlessness of reality—was reignited at this moment.
She yearned to become one of them.
She yearned to use the sword in her hand to atone for her past cowardice and compromises.
And to fight for a truly dignified rebirth for herself.
The door to the quarantine room was pushed open silently.
A blonde figure walked in.
It was Starlight.
She looked at Maeve's face—which was etched with exhaustion yet burning with renewed fighting spirit—and a trace of complex pity flashed in her eyes.
"It's shocking, isn't it?" Starlight spoke softly.
"Can... can they really do it?" Maeve's voice trembled slightly.
"They can," Starlight nodded, her tone incredibly certain. "Mr. Ian's vision is far grander than you can imagine. This isn't just a purge; it's the dawn of a new world."
Maeve fell silent.
After a long while, she turned around and looked straight into Starlight's eyes.
"I want to join you."
Her tone held not a shred of hesitation, only the absolute resolve of someone burning their bridges.
"I am willing to give everything, just to personally participate in this war and make up for the sins I've committed in the past."
Starlight looked at her, seemingly having anticipated she would say this.
She pondered for a moment and said, "I will pass your request on to Mr. Ian."
"But you need to think this through. This will be an unprecedentedly brutal war. The enemies you will face are far more insane than you can imagine. By participating, you will very likely..."
Starlight didn't finish her sentence, but Maeve already understood.
She merely twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a bleak smile.
Die?
She had already died once.
Now, she just wanted to... live like a true hero.