The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

Almost at the same time the alarm sounded, Deng Yuqi, who was reviewing documents in the command center, suddenly looked up. Her usually calm eyes were now filled with a stormy sea.

"Level One Alert! Martial Law Enforcement!"

Her voice was broadcast throughout every corner of the base via the public address system.

"Boom--!"

The heavy, special alloy gate, several meters thick, descended simultaneously from the ground and ceiling with a deafening roar, sealing off the entire base as an impregnable steel fortress in just a few minutes.

Inside the combat readiness zone, alarm lights flashed wildly.

A burly figure moved with lightning speed, rushing towards the deepest specialized armor warehouse the moment the alarm sounded.

Captain Lin Yin.

She didn't even have time to change into her full combat suit before leaping directly into the "Candle Dragon," a specialized anti-terrorist armor that represented the pinnacle of individual combat power in Rong City, with a dark gold body and a unique design.

The armor activated instantly, the energy lines hummed, and with a roar like a dragon's cry, she transformed into a golden streak of light, becoming the first to arrive at the perimeter of the research institute. The battle blade in her hand, flashing with high-frequency vibrating particle light, pointed at the center of the energy fluctuations, forming the first line of defense.

Following closely behind, figures belonging to captain-level powerhouses gathered from all directions of the base.

Tu Doupi and his information warfare team instantly deployed a full-band eerie energy interference field in an attempt to suppress the terrifying eerie energy that was constantly leaking out.

On a high vantage point in the distance, Yang Yuxin had already set up her ultra-long-range, super-powerful sniper rifle called "Silent Reaper," its cold scope locked onto the center of the energy source.

Feng Chengxiu spread his arms out of his heavy, mountain-like "Immovable Barrier" armor, and a huge energy shield condensed in front of him.

Fang Mingyue, Yun'er, Yu Tiexiong, Wang Han, Ma Chao, Zhang Hu, Zhao Long... all the captain-level combatants at the base were in position within three minutes, leading their respective elite squads to surround the research institute's area from different angles, making it completely impassable.

Dozens of heavy anti-monster mechs marched with heavy steps, their massive anti-monster cannons gleaming with a deadly cold light, locking onto the same target.

Outside the core area of ​​the research institute, the atmosphere was so heavy that it seemed as if the air itself had frozen.

The terrifying energy fluctuations finally reached their peak, and space began to distort violently. A "passage" emitting a soft white light appeared out of thin air before everyone's eyes.

and many more!

This is……

This long-lost "portal" stirred up memories among the core members of the Special Operations Department present.

All the detection instruments were screaming wildly, indicating that a strange energy capable of erasing the entire city of Rong from the map was surging forth from behind the door.

Every soldier gripped their weapon tightly, ready to fight to the death.

Inside the command center, Deng Yuqi's palms were covered in cold sweat. Her fingers were hovering over the authorization button for the ultimate weapon—the "Heavenly Punishment" railgun—ready to deliver a thunderous blow to that unknown entity at any moment.

Just a fraction of a second before Lin Yin gripped the hilt of her sword and was about to issue the order for the entire army to concentrate fire—

A figure walked out slowly from the dazzling portal.

He was wearing a simple black combat uniform that no one had ever seen before.

He didn't unleash any aggressive supernatural power, but simply by standing there, the aura emanating from his very existence was like the source of all the strangeness and terror in the world, causing all the seasoned warriors present to feel a chill from the depths of their souls.

Who?
Lin Yin's eyes, inside her "Candle Dragon" armor, instantly narrowed.

However, when that person slowly raised their head, revealing the face that everyone present had longed for and cherished—

The entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence.

The only sound on the communication channel was the heavy, labored breathing.

"Yo?"

“They’re all here.”

"have you eaten?"

The familiar voice, the familiar banter, the familiar silliness.

It's him!

He is back!

Fang Mingyue and Yun'er's demon armor, covered with ferocious dragon patterns, slowly retracted with a slight mechanical sound, revealing their complex expressions that were a mixture of extreme shock, disbelief, and finally, overwhelming joy.

"Clang-!"

The high-vibration particle blades, powerful enough to cleave mountains, slipped from the women's weak fingers and slammed heavily onto the alloy floor with a crisp sound.

In a voice that was almost delirious and trembling beyond recognition, they managed to utter two words with difficulty: "Shen...Ge?"

"Don't look like you've seen a ghost, okay? Although, strictly speaking, I do look pretty strange right now." After "going home," Shen Ge seemed to have unloaded a huge burden, and felt much lighter.

With Shen Ge's familiar teasing remark, the palpable killing intent that had permeated the entire research institute instantly vanished. A brief silence followed on the communication channel, then erupted into suppressed gasps and gasps of astonishment.

"Holy crap! Captain Shen?"

"Am I seeing things? It really is Captain Shen!"

"Quickly! Lift Level 1 alert!"

Without needing Deng Yuqi to issue the order again, Tu Doupi practically roared the command over the communication channel. The cannons, gleaming with deadly cold light, quickly lowered, and the layers of sealed alloy gates rose even faster than when they were lowered, abruptly silencing the piercing alarm.

This scare-like "King of Devils Invasion" incident ended in the most unexpected way. After a brief period of chaos, all non-core personnel were quickly cleared out. However, the atmosphere in the highest-level meeting room of the Special Operations Department was even more tense than on the battlefield.

Only a handful of people were present, including Deng Yuqi, Lin Yin, Fang Mingyue, Yun'er, Feng Chengxiu, Tu Doupi, and Yang Yuxin. They looked at the man sitting in the main seat, calmly sipping hot tea, their expressions incredibly complex. Joy, shock, curiosity… and a hint of… doubt that even they themselves didn't realize.

Shen Ge briefly recounted his experience of being caught in a spatial storm, stranded in a completely different and dangerous world, and how he finally found his way back after many twists and turns.

He did not elaborate on the epic details of building the "Iron Heart" and fighting against Omnisiah, but simply summarized it as a "long journey of survival".

Even so, everyone present could imagine the dangers involved.

"So this time..." Deng Yuqi paused for a moment before asking the question everyone was most concerned about, "How long has it been?"

“Over there, it’s been about ten years,” Shen Ge said calmly, putting down his teacup.

More than ten years? A chill ran through everyone. They couldn't imagine what kind of strong will it would take to survive alone in such a desperate situation for more than ten years.

Deng Yuqi shook her head, her expression extremely complicated: "In 'reality,' Shen Ge, from the day you disappeared at Donghuan Lake until now... a full three years have passed."

Three years.

Upon hearing this number, Shen Ge didn't show much surprise. He simply narrowed his eyes slightly, then nodded knowingly.

In that bizarre ocean world, the flow of time is different from that of reality, not to mention that he had ventured into several strange realms with disordered spatial structures.

The vastly different timelines between the two worlds were entirely within his expectations.

For him, this was a return after more than a decade. But for the people of his hometown, three years had passed, and everything had changed.

Looking at Shen Ge's calm expression, Deng Yuqi's excitement at the long-awaited reunion gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of relief and emotion.

She knew that the man before her had grown to a level that they could hardly reach.

"A lot has happened in these three years." She began slowly, recounting the changes in her hometown of Rongshi to this returning traveler.

Instead of recounting the heavy, treacherous wars, she chose to focus on some "happy" and joyful events.

"In the second year after you disappeared, during a joint battle against the 'Deep Sea Creep Nest,' Lin Yin and Feng Chengxiu, as well as Tu Doupi and Yang Yuxin, both held wartime weddings."

A rare smile appeared on Deng Yuqi's lips.

But only they knew that at that time they all thought they would not be able to come back alive and would perish at the bottom of the sea, so they made sure to fulfill their "wish" first.

Shen Ge was taken aback upon hearing this, and then turned his gaze to the comrades beside him.

A rare, unnatural blush appeared on Lin Yin's usually cold face as she subconsciously glanced at Feng Chengxiu, who was grinning foolishly beside her.

On the other side, Tu Doupi scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, only to be lightly stepped on by Yang Yuxin, whose eyes were still sharp.

"Congratulations." Shen Ge smiled sincerely, her heart filled with the warmth of being happy for her best friend, but also mixed with a trace of regret for not being able to witness their happy moment.

“Wang Han was supposed to get married too,” Lin Yin added with a smile. “His girlfriend urged him several times, but he just wouldn’t have it. He kept saying, ‘My brother Shen will definitely come back! He has to be my best man!’ He’s dragged the wedding date out until now.”

This seemingly simple, almost obsessive trust, like a warm current, instantly surged into Shen Ge's heart. He could imagine Wang Han patting his chest and saying these words with spittle flying everywhere.

“And then there’s that madman Li Xiang,” Yang Yuxin said, her tone a mix of helplessness and admiration. “For the past three years, he’s practically welded himself to the lab. He complains every day, saying, ‘I’m so unlucky to have a friend like Shen Ge who only causes me trouble,’ but then he turns around and, as if possessed, starts a top-secret project codenamed ‘Light Chaser’—he says he’s going to design a device that can track the unique fluctuations of your ‘progenitor’s bizarre cells’ across dimensions and drag you back from the ends of the universe.”

"By the way, speaking of the research department," Deng Yuqi's expression softened further.

"Jiang Peiwen... Li Xiang's junior sister, she has made a historic breakthrough in the field of monster research. She successfully separated and analyzed the structure of monster cells in Yoona's body and found a method with more than 70% probability of completely eliminating the mutated cells and turning Yoona back into a normal person."

Yoona? Shen Ge's heart skipped a beat.

“But… Yoona refused.” Deng Yuqi sighed softly. “That child said, ‘During the time my benefactor is away, I must have enough power to protect Sister Nan for him.’ She chose to retain this power and, together with her sister, became Cheng Shengnan’s most loyal protectors.”

This profound loyalty deeply moved Shen Ge.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became relaxed as these warm or touching memories were shared.

However, Shen Ge could tell from Deng Yuqi's hesitant gaze that the story of the past three years was far more complex than what she had seen. Those heavy topics about war, the supernatural, and the fate of humanity were temporarily suppressed in her heart.

Looking into Shen Ge's eyes, which were even deeper than they had been three years ago and bore the marks of time, she understandingly ended the private conversation.

"Alright, that's enough for today." Deng Yuqi stood up. "You've just come back, there are many old friends you need to see, and... there are the most important people waiting for you."

"We can talk about the city's safety and the world's changes tomorrow. Now, go and rest. I know where you want to go right now."

After saying goodbye to Deng Yuqi and the others, Shen Ge declined Lin Yin and the others' offer to accompany her and chose to walk alone towards the dormitory area.

He walked through the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar base corridors, the metal floor reflecting the cold light, just as it had been when he left three years ago.

However, the newly added jagged claw marks on the walls and the charred marks left by the energy weapons are like silent medals, silently telling the story of the iron-blooded and glorious past three years.

He passed by the brightly lit training ground and looked through the reinforced glass at a group of energetic new team members sweating profusely.

Their shouts were full of energy, and their fighting techniques were simple yet deadly. Their familiar starting stances and power generation methods were clearly improved versions of the fighting techniques he had left for the Special Operations Department.

A young instructor was sternly reprimanding a team member whose movements were not up to standard. His stern expression was just like that of Feng Chengxiu back in the day.

Time flies, things change, yet the same spirit remains.

A wonderful sense of belonging flowed slowly through his heart.

This is still his home.

Finally, he stood in front of that familiar door.

This is his and Cheng Shengnan's "dormitory".

He raised his hand, but stopped mid-air just before knocking on the door knocker. An unprecedented sense of nervousness, almost like the trepidation of returning home, quietly gripped his heart.

He had imagined countless scenarios of their reunion: perhaps on a fierce battlefield, he would descend like a divine warrior; or perhaps in the quiet of the night, he would quietly push open the door... But when that moment actually arrived, all the rehearsals became pale and powerless, and a thousand words turned into a sob in his throat.

He could clearly hear the soft tapping of a keyboard from inside the door, as well as the occasional rustling sound of paper documents being flipped through.

She remained as focused on her work as ever.

Shen Ge ultimately did not knock on the door.

He took a deep breath and lightly touched the access control system with his fingertips.

With a soft "beep," the alloy door slid silently to one side.

The room was exactly as he remembered it: neat, efficient, and with a touch of feminine gentleness. Only, a lingering, faint loneliness seemed to permeate the air.

At the desk, a familiar figure is focused on the holographic screen in front of him.

Cheng Shengnan was dressed in a crisp uniform as the director of the Information Center of the Special Policy Department. Her long hair was neatly pinned up at the back of her head, and she wore a pair of simple blue light blocking glasses.

These three years have added to her maturity and composure, but they have also mercilessly etched a faint trace of weariness into the corners of her eyes and brows.

She was flipping through the very document Deng Yuqi had mentioned—the "Light Chaser" project, which Li Xiang was focusing on researching to bring him back. (End of Chapter)