In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

"It is the Lord of Dawn!"

"Lord of the Dawn!!!"

The moment Shi Geng stepped onto the lighthouse platform, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd, the sound surging like a tidal wave that swept across the entire lighthouse.

The earth-shattering battle a month ago had already cemented Shi Geng's legendary status in everyone's hearts. The title of Lord of Dawn had spread to every corner of the Lighthouse, and his prestige had even subtly surpassed that of the ethereal Lord of Light and Shadow.

After all, Shi Gen really did take action and helped the Lighthouse survive the catastrophe, while the so-called Lord of Light and Shadow was just a legend from beginning to end, and no one ever saw him with their own eyes.

The cheers rose higher and higher as the dense crowd of people in the lighthouse looked up at the figure on the platform, their eyes filled with reverence and fervor.

Everyone spontaneously stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed on Shi Gen, chanting the name of the Lord of Dawn over and over again.

The sound shook the heavens and lingered for a long time, echoing through every corridor and platform of the lighthouse. Many elderly people clasped their hands together, their eyes filled with gratitude. If it weren't for Shi Geng's sudden appearance, they would have long since perished under the claws of the Devouring Beast.

Many young commoners and upper-class citizens alike ignited a burning longing in their eyes, regarding Shi Gen as their lifelong goal. In this post-apocalyptic wasteland, gods are elusive and intangible; only the powerful can sustain the lives of all beings.

The followers of the Church of Light and Shadow stood in a corner of the crowd, their expressions complex, listening to the overwhelming cheers, but they could no longer utter a word to refute them.

The Lord of Light and Shadow they worshipped never appeared in the world to protect the common people, but the Lord of Dawn before them used his real strength to protect everyone's homeland. The difference in their abilities was obvious, and people's hearts had already quietly shifted.

Shi Geng stood quietly on the high platform, facing the countless gazes below filled with awe, gratitude, and longing, his expression calm and unwavering. Whether it was overwhelming praise or the worship of the masses, it was all fleeting to him.

"You're back?"

Jingnan looked at Shigen with a complex expression, his eyes filled with a mixture of joy and deep worry.

The good news is that Shi Geng has returned safely after overcoming many dangers; the bad news is that the situation in the lighthouse has changed drastically, with Charles now in power as the new lord.

She knew Shi Heng's temperament; he would never submit to Charles. And Charles, with his narrow mind, would never tolerate such an uncontrollable and highly prestigious outcast.

"Commander-in-Chief Jingnan, aren't you afraid the Kloto system will rebel again since you're not in the control room?"

Shi Geng smiled faintly, his tone laced with a lazy teasing, his gaze falling lightly on Jing Nan.

Jingnan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then sighed helplessly, his brows furrowed with weariness and resignation.

"After the last upheaval, the Klotor system won't cause any more trouble for the time being." She looked up at Shi Gen, her tone becoming more serious. "Compared to the Klotor system going out of control, the real trouble for the Lighthouse now is you."

Her words were loaded with meaning; without her saying it explicitly, Shi Heng clearly understood that she was referring to Charles after he came to power.

Jingnan took two steps forward, lowered her voice, and asked with a hint of helplessness and deep worry, "What do you want to do now that you've come back?"

Having endured successive upheavals and internal turmoil, with morale low and order strained, the Lighthouse was already riddled with holes and could not withstand any further major upheaval.

She gazed silently at Shi Geng, her eyes filled with deep sorrow, and her heart pounding with unease. With Shi Geng's unfathomable strength, if he were to lose his temper, it would be no difficult feat for him to single-handedly turn the entire lighthouse upside down or even dismantle it. She dared not even imagine the consequences.

Shi Geng lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, his expression calm and undisturbed, showing no trace of the malice that would stir up trouble.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to the lighthouse, I just want it to change direction."

"impossible!"

Jingnan's expression suddenly changed, his tone instantly became serious, and his eyes were full of solemnity and vigilance.

"The flight path of the lighthouse is precisely calculated and determined by the Kloto system, which specifically avoids large areas of high-risk ecosystems and gathering zones of Devouring Beasts, and cannot be changed at all."

She stared intently at Shi Gen, her heart tightening. She knew that if the navigation course were changed without authorization, the slightest mistake would send the entire lighthouse straight into unknown dangers, leading to utter destruction.

Looking at her nervous expression, Shi Geng smiled faintly: "Do you want to live a life of ignominy on this lighthouse?"

He gazed out the window at the hazy clouds, looking towards the desolate land shrouded in the mana ecosystem: "Humans cannot keep running away and hiding in the lighthouse to survive; the ground is our true home."

Jing Nan's expression instantly grew more solemn. He shook his head repeatedly, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You want to go down to the ground? Impossible! The ground has long been completely occupied by the Mana ecosystem, with Devouring Beasts roaming everywhere. Danger is everywhere, and humans simply cannot survive peacefully on the ground."

She took a half step forward, her brows furrowed with anxiety and pleading. Her voice was extremely soft, carrying a hint of desperate persuasion: "Shi Heng, please don't risk the lives of everyone in the entire lighthouse with you, okay?"

She knew that with Shi Geng's strength, he could be fearless against any Devouring Beast, but the dangers on the ground were not just limited to the rampant Devouring Beasts.

That was a complete transformation brought about by the entire mana ecosystem, with an omnipresent ecological atmosphere, eerie environmental radiation, and the infiltration of carmine.

Once infected, one's mind and body become alienated, turning into a monster. In all these years, the Lighthouse has never had a single case that could be completely cured. Once a large-scale infection occurs, the consequences are unimaginable.

Jing Nan looked at Shi Geng with a helpless expression: "It's not just about the Devouring Beasts. There's also the Crimson Inoculum infestation and ecological mutations. We're still helpless against these. No matter how strong you are, you can't stop the invisible ecological erosion."

Shi Gen looked at Jing Nan calmly and said, "You don't need to worry about these things. You just need to go back to the control room and adjust the flight path."

His tone was indifferent, leaving no room for discussion, and every word exuded an unyielding authority: "Note that this is not a discussion."

Jing Nan froze, her face turning deathly pale. She looked into Shi Geng's deep, indifferent, and utterly unmoving eyes, her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to offer more advice, but the words caught in her throat. Faced with absolute power, all her worries and pleas seemed utterly futile.

"I'm sorry, I cannot change the course without the city lord's order."

Jing Nan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil and anxiety in her heart, and regained a calm, businesslike demeanor. She dared not confront Shi Geng's domineering nature and could only abide by the rules of the Lighthouse. As the Lighthouse's chief commander, such a major matter as adjusting the flight path required the city lord's authorization. She had no right to make changes on her own, and this was the only bottom line she could uphold.