The spell's range covers the entire territory of China? Hand it over to the state.

Temporary resettlement area in the southern part of the peninsula.

This place was originally an unknown seaside resort, but now it has become a refugee camp. Although it is a camp, it does not have that oppressive, deathly atmosphere; instead, it is filled with a sense of relief that comes from surviving a catastrophe.

Rows of dark green military tents were neatly pitched on the beach, like sturdy patches being applied to this broken coastline.

Park Dong-soo, wrapped in a military overcoat that was clearly two sizes too big, held a steaming bowl of dumpling soup in his hands, huddled in a sheltered corner. His daughter, who had just fallen asleep in his arms, had rosy cheeks and a few bits of egg drop soup still clung to the corner of her mouth.

It's safe here.

The perimeter is patrolled 24 hours a day by fierce warriors wearing exoskeletons.

This is a true impregnable fortress; not even a fly could get in, let alone ghouls. Food trucks arrive every few hours to distribute food, and there's even a dedicated medical team to check everyone's health, regardless of whether they're infected or not—they'll cast a healing spell first.

Logically speaking, Park Dong-soo should be content. Compared to those still hiding in the ruins like rats, he was practically in paradise.

But he couldn't sleep.

He looked up at the sky above, which appeared as black as if it were covered in asphalt.

He hasn't seen the sun since the cataclysm began.

Thick volcanic ash, combined with some unknown dark energy, enveloped the blue planet like an airtight tin can. Even with countless bonfires lit, the damp, chilling cold still seeped into our bones.

Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but now...

Park Dong-soo shifted his gaze northward.

Even from this great distance, against the backdrop of the polar night, that direction still possessed a chilling outline. It wasn't a mountain, nor a cloud, but the shadow of a tree.

It was so enormous that its twisted branches seemed to pierce the stratosphere, casting shadows that looked as if they were trying to suck the life out of the entire Earth.

"That's Yggdrasil, the World Tree from Norse mythology."

A voice came from the side.

Park Dong-soo turned his head and saw a middle-aged man from the Korean Peninsula wearing glasses. He used to be a university professor and was said to be quite famous.

The professor pushed up his glasses, which now only had one lens remaining, exhaled a puff of white breath, and spoke with a pessimistic tone: "Although the Longxia army is very strong, I have to say that if this thing really is the World Tree... then it's simply beyond human power to contend with. If more gods descend along this tree, the meal we're eating now might be our last meal before we're beheaded."

The dumpling soup in Park Dong-soo's hand suddenly didn't smell good anymore. He subconsciously tightened his grip on his daughter.

"Didn't the Longxia people say that as long as we're on their territory, no one can touch us?" Park Dong-soo retorted somewhat indignantly.

"Territory?" The professor gave a wry smile, pointing to the surrounding dark wasteland. "Brother, look at this environment. The tsunami could come back at any moment, the temperature is still dropping, all the crops in the fields have frozen to death, and the soil is severely salinized. Even if the monsters don't eat us, how long can humanity survive in this environment? A year? Two years? Can the Dragonxia people save us temporarily, can they patch up the hole in the sky for us?"

Park Dong-soo remained silent.

Yes.

Living is more than just having food to eat.

If one is to eke out a living in this eternal darkness and cold, what difference is there between that and living in hell?

Just then, a sharp air raid siren suddenly blared throughout the entire camp.

"Waaaaah—!!"

Park Dong-soo shuddered, nearly dropping the bowl in his hand. He instinctively shielded his daughter beneath him, looking around in horror.

Is a monster coming?

Or did that World Tree fall down?

"Silence! All personnel, remain where you are and do not panic!"

Commander Longxia's calm and powerful voice came over the loudspeaker, but strangely, there was no sense of urgency about the upcoming battle in his voice. Instead, it carried an indescribable sense of anticipation.

"I repeat, this is neither a drill nor an enemy attack."

"Please wear your sunglasses. If you don't have sunglasses, please close your eyes or turn your back to the east."

"I'll say it again: to protect your eyesight, please do not look directly at light sources!"

ha?

Park Dong-soo was stunned.

sunglasses?

What time is it? Where did these sunglasses come from? And it's pitch black, where is the light source coming from?

……

Longxia, the highest command hall.

Su Yun stood before the enormous holographic sand table, gazing at the majority of the Earth covered by red markers. Feedback from the front lines had arrived; all civilians were prepared to withstand the intense light.

He exhaled softly, a resolute glint in his eyes.

The essence of Chinese civilization has never been merely conquest, much less plunder.

In the myths of other civilizations on this planet, when faced with a great flood, people build boats and flee; when the sky collapses, they kneel and pray. But our people, in our mythology, whether it's a great flood or a collapse of the sky, never think of running away; they only think of controlling the flood and mending the sky.

This is the farming gene ingrained in our bones, and also the romance unique to this land.

Only by making this place habitable again can it become more than just a territory on a map; it become a true home.

With a slight thought, the system panel unfolded on his retina.

[A strong desire has been detected in the host: to reshape the shattered landscape and dispel the eternal night of apocalypse...]

The national-level skill "Mending the Sky and Bathing in the Sun" is being unleashed...

[Judging in progress... The talent "Territory is Territory" has intervened.]

[Approved. Current coverage area: entire Asia, parts of Eastern Europe, and the North African coast (expanding dynamically along the line of actual control).]

[Target detected as a planetary-level geological and meteorological system; conventional energy levels do not match... Extracting from ancient Chinese mythology...]

[Connecting to the "Nuwa Mending the Sky" law...]

[Connecting to the "Xihe Golden Crow Soaring Through the Skies" law...]

[Concept redesign complete.]

-

【Creation, Mending the Sky, Bathing in the Sun】

[Description: In ancient times, the four poles collapsed, the nine provinces were torn apart, the sky could not fully cover the earth, and the earth could not fully support it. Now, a virtuous man has forged five-colored stones to mend the heavens and driven ten suns to illuminate the long night. Within this realm, my heart is the heart of heaven, and my will is the will of heaven.]

【Effect 1: Xihe Bathing the Sun (Weather Reshaping):】

Summon nine "Golden Crows of the Sky," formed from the nation's destiny, to ascend into the sky. Forcibly clear all negative weather phenomena within the territory (including but not limited to stratospheric volcanic ash, radiation clouds, and extreme cold storms). Ignore atmospheric circulation patterns, forcibly lock the temperature at "human-friendly (24 degrees Celsius)," and endow sunlight with the dual attributes of "warding off evil" and "promoting the growth of all things."

【Effect 2: Nuwa Mending the Sky (Geological Reshaping):】

The Earth's tectonic plates have entered "playdough" mode. Ignoring plate tectonics and the inertia of geological movements, they forcibly mend fractured crustal lines, smooth out folds, and cause seawater to recede to the seabed. Polluted and salinized "wasteland" is instantly transformed into fertile soil suitable for cultivation.

[Current consumption: 100 mana points (already deducted and continuously being drawn... Hundreds of millions of survivors have been detected to have developed "Fancied Faith," the national fortune pool is full, and the consumption will remain at zero in the future.)]

[Note: I said, "Let there be light," and which god dared to turn off the lamp?]

Su Yun raised his right hand and made a grasping motion in the air towards the holographic map in front of him. It was as if he held the pulse of the entire world in his palm.

Then, he slowly lifted it up, his movements as steady as if he were lifting up a brand new era.

"rise."

The sound was very soft.

But in the real world, it became a thunderclap that shattered the heavens.