Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Zhu Wen realized this at noon the day after Saito Hajime's death. At that moment, the solar wind wall in the sky dissipated, and the modified Lop Nur base rose into the air, rapidly advancing eastward towards the Eastern Continent. At that time, Patchouli decided to utilize the mortal soldiers in the ensuing war, and to achieve this goal, they had to be enhanced.

Advanced weapons and armor were merely the foundation; the most crucial elements were physical improvement and combat strategies against supernatural flying units like angels. To achieve this, Patchouli constructed a large-scale memory illusion using a portion of Zheng Zha's combat memories—not exactly private—during his coma. She then cast selected soldiers into this illusion, and when they awoke, they became qualified warriors—and, simultaneously, staunch supporters of Zheng Zha.

After being transformed by the witch, the dreams of the strong possess a powerful ability to influence others. Since these soldiers chose to enter Zheng Zha's dream to gain power, they naturally had to bear the price—the price being their loyalty and faith.

Zheng Zha was completely unaware of this, and Patchouli didn't emphasize it either. However, Zhu Wen, who was an outsider and witnessed the entire transformation and enhancement process, saw it all clearly. She personally witnessed these warriors quickly master the ability to wield various powerful weapons after leaving the dream world. And their faith was no longer the country they had once fought for, but rather Zheng Zha, this oblivious individual.

Afterwards, Patchouli assigned them to various key positions within the base, and they fulfilled their duties admirably. They no longer showed favoritism or prioritized the interests of their former nation. Instead, they strictly followed the orders of the puppet with Zheng Zha's appearance, controlled by Patchouli.

As the saying goes, "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Once absolute military force is in hand, the will of the people becomes something that can be manipulated at will. Of course, Patchouli could have used the mechanical army to forcibly suppress everything from the beginning, but that would have made the ritual impossible. So she had to seek other solutions: using robots to fight against external forces and using humans to suppress internal ones.

The base's rule thus became stable, which Patchouli was happy to see. She then repeated this reinforcement project thousands of times. By the time Zheng Zha awoke, she had gained tens of millions of loyal warriors—although these warriors were not truly loyal to her, but to her… it didn't matter.

Zhu Wen began to sense something was amiss after witnessing this first enhancement process. She discovered that her thought patterns were changing, with more and more bizarre ideas and strange knowledge appearing in her mind. She was a very self-aware woman; she knew very well that the strange, powerful knowledge swirling in her mind—powerful enough to overturn a nation in an instant—was definitely not something she could control.

She looked at the enhancement device that created the dream, and the image of a ritual involving offering sacrifices to an unknown entity to gain power through specific means came to mind.

She looked at the Lop Nur base suspended in mid-air, and immediately marked the many structural defects in the base, as well as the simplest way to destroy it.

She looked at the living people, and an answer appeared in her mind. And this answer... could teach her how to easily kill anyone within her sight!

She was terrified, and that fear compelled her to desperately recall the strange occurrences she had experienced in the past. The answer was obvious… it was the first night she spent in this terrifying world, the thing given to her by a man named Saito Hajime in the early hours of the morning.

That set—'The Emperor's Aura Observation Technique'!

This question tormented her for an afternoon and a night, and when the next day dawned, she finally could not bear it any longer and went to Patchouli's room, where Patchouli had once killed her. She told Patchouli everything she knew without missing a single word, hoping to find an answer to this question.

—To hand over one's body to a witch who is not on the friendly side. She herself felt it was foolish. But she didn't know what else to do.

She could only close her eyes and let Patchouli examine the abnormalities in her body and brain.

In reality, what Patchouli did to her after the test began... she herself had absolutely no recollection. That memory had probably been completely erased. However, one scene remained etched in her mind: the extremely grim expression on Patchouli's face before she answered Patchouli's questions at the very end of her memory.

Ah...that's truly a memorable face. I never imagined someone like you could be so helpless.

Zhu Wen thought to herself, though this secret joy quickly turned into self-mockery and self-pity.

Patchouli told her two pieces of information after the test. First, her ability to see those things was actually due to the fact that her mastery of the Emperor's Aura Observation Technique had unknowingly increased by a level. This gave her extremely powerful insight. Seeing the flaws in machinery and the weaknesses in people was merely a manifestation of her enhanced abilities, not a sign that her mind had undergone a malignant transformation.

Secondly, his previous worries were not entirely unfounded. At least... the ritual used for sacrificing to the strange object could not be obtained directly through the Emperor's Qi Observation Technique. That thing... its source was Saito Hajime's memories.

The memory, along with the Emperor's Qi Observation Technique, was sent over and infiltrated into the memories of his brain.

His soul had been corrupted, tainted by the memories Saito had hidden within that set of Heavenly Aura Observation Techniques. And these memories were gradually reviving with Saito's death, encroaching on his thoughts.

Will I become another Saito Hajime? I don't know.

Will I become the vessel for Saito Hajime's resurrection? I don't know.

Is he the real Zhu Wen, or Saito Hajime who has been resurrected and is merely wearing Zhu Wen's shell? He doesn't know.

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know anything. And even if I did know... it wouldn't make a difference.

Ah, how pathetic I am. I initially thought Saito Hajime was a kind-hearted veteran, even grateful to him and considering him my mentor. Turns out, it was all a lie?

[Tch... Perhaps even my current thoughts are a lie. Have I been corrupted by Saito Hajime, becoming some kind of twisted being? Or has Patchouli altered my memories, hiding the true truth behind the scenes?]

She shook her head.

[Fine, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. Regardless of the answer, I'm no longer my true self. The cycle of reincarnation… such a place is truly dangerous. I really admire those veterans; how did they manage to survive in such a treacherous environment and reach this point?]

Her gaze swept over the numerous anti-aircraft defenses in the base, lingering briefly on the anti-aircraft turrets, missile launchers, and the massive instruments capable of firing high-energy lasers and plasma bursts. A moment later, she calculated her chances of survival if she were mistaken for an enemy by the base's anti-aircraft defenses after takeoff. She quickly concluded that, without external intervention, the probability was less than seven in ten thousand.

It's not zero, but there's not much difference either. This shows that one's own power is limited.

It was precisely because of his limitations and flaws that he was not crushed to death by Patchouli, but survived and was able to move around the base with considerable freedom.

[Forget about self-doubt later. Right now... I need to hurry up and finish the task Patchouli assigned me.]

She dismissed her superfluous thoughts and set off. The aircraft that was waiting for her arrived at the platform where she was stationed precisely during this period of contemplation. And soon she took off, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

—Her destination was not Greece.

..................................................................

Patchouli rubbed her temples, watching the aircraft carrying Zhu Wen quickly disappear into the distance. She had to expend a great deal of mental energy to suppress the thoughts surging within her, preventing her hands from moving to press the air defense button before the aircraft left the base's air defense range.

The base has thousands of visible air defenses, a dense network of fire prepared to counter any surprise attacks from the angels. With the press of a button, at least a thousand energy weapons of various colors would immediately unleash a barrage at units identified as enemies at speeds dozens of times faster than sound. This would be enough to reduce everything man-made in the world to dust—the transport aircraft she herself ordered to be built would be no exception.

but……

[I really wanted to nip this threat in the bud right here, Saito Hajime. I never expected you... to have made preparations from the very beginning. Did you foresee... no, anticipate the possibility of your plan collapsing? But how did you manage to escape the eyes and ears of the Emperor Hirano?]

Did she let the water go?

[Tsk, forget it, thinking about this is useless. We need to deal with the urgent issues first.]

She forcibly suppressed her thoughts and shifted her attention elsewhere. Zhu Wen's matter could be ignored for the time being; after all, compared to the information obtained from her, her survival was insignificant.

[Zheng Zha is indeed capable of 'creating the world'. His compatibility with Pangu... is exceptionally high. This increases the chances of success of the previously somewhat flawed plan by 20%. All I need to do is rewrite history according to the records and get to the chapter I need before the final day arrives, and there won't be any problems.]

So... the thing I need to do most right now is...

She looked up at the vast white trail left by the rocket as it launched into the sky. Undoubtedly, Zheng Zha would still need some time to reach outer space. And even after arriving in outer space, it would still take some time before he could contact the other team members and begin operations—after all, while Zhan Lan's mental link range seemed long, it was actually only a couple hundred kilometers. And in outer space… that distance was practically negligible.

But... we can't do without this.

While the Stellar Extraction Tower eliminated electromagnetic radiation within Earth's atmosphere, it didn't address the radiation outside of Earth. The current space environment is as noisy as a boiling cauldron; even with automated AI equipped with electromagnetic protection, it can only ensure that the launch vehicle transports the team to the appropriate location and then deploys a spacecraft to bring them back. Communication is still possible—but the latency in this terrible environment is horribly high; relying on synchronous communication via mental links is far more suitable.

In other words, the operatives must all rendezvous in outer space before they can begin the "creation" operation. And in all myths, the creation of the world is the origin of everything.

Only after the 'creation of heaven and earth' ends can a new history begin. Before that, the old era has not ended. And since the old era has not ended, the operation of the 'final judgment' will not cease.

The angels' forces remain intact, and they could be deployed at any time. The special operations forces in outer space go without saying, but within the atmosphere, everything is subject to change.

Therefore... the best defense is offense.

She lowered her eyes and pondered for about five minutes. The moment she opened her eyes, dozens of combat units, numbering over ten thousand, sprang into action in the base below. They quickly armed themselves and took off into the sky aboard the air base.

Furthermore, the Great Library, located high in the sky, floating silently in orbit thousands of kilometers above the ground, also began to operate, moving at high speed in the direction of the rocket's flight.

Chapter Twenty: Cultivating Immortality Enables Ascension to Heaven

Anyone with a basic understanding of astronomy knows that when a rocket needs to escape Earth's gravity and head towards space beyond the atmosphere, it doesn't fly straight up. Instead, it moves in an arc along Earth's rotation, accelerating in circles until it uses the planet's gravity to create a slingshot that provides enough power to overcome the gravitational pull and enter outer space.

The reason for this is that the rocket's power is insufficient. Early 21st-century engine technology was not enough to create a rocket engine capable of directly escaping the atmosphere. Even if it were possible, it would be impossible to carry enough fuel within the limited space of the rocket body—even with a booster-stage separation method.

This is a technological gap and material limitations—technological obstacles that cannot be directly overcome in a short time. Although Patchouli possessed the technology to fly in a straight line, she had already exhausted all her energy completing the infrastructure and defense works of the ground-based containment base. Therefore, when she needed to send her team into outer space, she had to resort to this transportation method, which she considered a complete waste of time. Although she managed to carve out some time amidst her busy schedule to improve the launch vehicle, the necessary time… still had to be spent.

When the rocket carrying Zheng Zha reached the Lagrange point, where it had escaped Earth's gravity, the rocket body was only thirty meters long, including the arrowhead. It had also successfully circled the Earth, returning to its initial launch position.

— Zheng Zha also took full control of his revived body and the huge powered armor that encased it at this very moment.

He stretched out his hand and 'lightly' swung his fist. A visible white barrier of air appeared on the arm from which he had thrown the punch. When his fist stopped, about fifteen cubic decimeters of compressed air shot forward along the trajectory of his punch and struck the sturdy protective barrier that Patchouli had specially set up, making a muffled 'bang' sound.

'A punch with a speed of 400 meters per second generates a force of 51.76 tons.'

A mechanical voice sounded in Zheng Zha's ear. This was the management AI built into the armor. It could accurately measure various parameters of Zheng Zha's body at this moment and arrange them in detail.

"With the second-tier gene lock activated, can I break the sound barrier simply by throwing a punch? I didn't even need to specifically mobilize the energy within my body; it achieved this effect solely through its spontaneous transformation. Indeed, this is the critical state of the third-tier gene lock. The benefits I gained before fully reaching that level... I understand Zhang Jie's level of power a little better now. Complete control over his body at the muscle level and near-perfect mastery over this vampire who wasn't even at B-rank yet, enhanced internal energy... I've definitely become stronger than before..."

He clenched his fists and pondered.

This armor did not enhance his strength; in fact, Zheng Zha did not need such external enhancement. Patchouli was well aware of this, so in designing it, she actually provided extremely strong defense and energy supply, as well as high mobility for traversing outer space.

Once Zheng Zha puts on this armor, its internal energy supply system is sufficient to keep his second-stage gene lock constantly active without worrying about exhaustion. The armor itself provides enough protection that he doesn't need to dodge when facing close-range bombardment from a 400mm kinetic cannon, while the arcane runes carved into the semi-transparent structure provide a shield against pure energy attacks, preventing him from becoming flustered and disoriented when dealing with lasers, plasmas, or even cosmic rays.

After inspecting the weapons mounted on the outside of the armor and learning about their specifications and power from the information provided by the AI, he finally understood why spellcasters in TV shows or novels always looked down on melee fighters.

Look at what Patchouli is equipped with: a basic pulse ray cannon. It has an effective kill radius of 70 kilometers, a firing rate of 600 high-energy rays per second, and each ray can easily penetrate a one-decimeter-thick composite armor plate. And it requires no reloading, not even a trigger pull!

Zheng Zha knew that he could easily dodge bullets at close range if he just concentrated. Even if the distance was too close, he could be faster than the hand that pulled the trigger. But facing something with a range of tens of kilometers, an outrageous rate of fire, and considerable power... he really couldn't think of any way to deal with it.

After all, the physical body has its limits. As long as it's still mortal, no amount of enhancement can make it more robust than heavy armor plates of the same volume. And while his own body was quite powerful... it was still far from transcending the mortal realm.

Moreover, these are merely the most basic general-purpose weapons. Compared to the map-destroying gadgets like the twin ion cannons and fusion annihilation cannons that Patchouli mounts on the outside of her armor, these basic items are practically harmless. And even with such powerful weaponry, Patchouli probably didn't spend too much effort on the manufacturing process.

—She didn't even name this suit of armor! There wasn't even any paint or markings; she was treating this powerful weapon—capable of turning an ordinary person with a combat power of less than five into a world-saving hero in seconds—like a mass-produced weapon! Thinking of this, the slight smugness and pride that had surfaced in Zheng Zha's heart after learning of his increased power level vanished instantly. Humility and caution once again filled his mind.

"I even suspect that Patchouli's comment was intentional, meant to give me some confidence before I spoke. Things like... 'on the same level as me,' while her attitude definitely changed, in terms of combat strength... it seems she and Margot Lloyd are still stronger." He thought to himself, raising his hand to rub his head, but realizing he was wearing armor and couldn't do that, he reluctantly gave up. As if sensing his thoughts, the rocket beneath his feet vibrated slightly, and the final propulsion section detached from the cargo-laden arrowhead, drifting into outer space and becoming space debris suspended in outer orbit.

The first step of the 'Opening Heaven' project is nearing completion, and the launch vehicle is about to end its mission. Its objective is to transport Zheng Zha and the others to outer space, where they will reunite on the remains of the International Space Station, burned to ashes by a solar storm—Patrick had already dispatched troops to repurpose the site before the operation, transforming the rubble into a temporary starport. The reincarnators will meet there and then travel by other means of transport to the location of 'Fungus Chen,' eliminate it, and retrieve a small piece of its core debris as a symbol of completing the third horn of the Doomsday Judgment.

The delivery capsule slowed down, indicating that it was nearing its destination. And reaching the destination also meant something else—

A ripple suddenly appeared in Zheng Zha's mind. He felt something ambiguous, like a soft cloud, entwining his thoughts. It was like an invitation, a passage, a chain with a familiar aura, wanting to build a connection with him.

That was mental communication, Zhan Lan's ability. After reaching the critical point of the third stage, Zheng Zha realized for the first time that he could choose to reject or accept this link at will, and as long as he was unwilling, this mental power could not interfere with him in the slightest.

His choice, of course, was to agree.

The next moment, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his mind.

—Welcome back.

..................................................................

Patchouli looked up at the sky. Just moments ago, she had sensed that a device she had placed somewhere in outer space had been activated. Although the detailed report couldn't penetrate the noisy outer space communication environment in time, the mere fact that the device had been 'triggered' was enough to remind her that the first step of the 'Opening the Sky' plan had been completed.

“For someone like Zheng Zha, ‘creating the heavens’ is not difficult. Because it is something he is qualified to do, and there will be no unexpected problems due to his lack of virtue or position. In addition, with the high-strength weapons and equipment I have provided, as long as he does not encounter an army composed of thousands of angels, his actions will not be hindered.”

"So what I need to do now is to ensure that no angel legion of more than a thousand attacks their location."

'Fungus' is still several light-seconds away from Earth, and this celestial body, which serves as a kinetic impact weapon, would not carry an army. Of course, it is possible that they are following behind the celestial body in light boats, but when Patchouli previously checked the cosmos through the astronomical observatory located in the Great Library, she did not detect any angelic legions following 'Fungus'.

If they weren't in outer space, they would be wandering on the ground. Before the second horn sounded and the subterranean fires erupted, the angels had briefly appeared and launched an attack on the bases still in the Lop Nur region. That battle killed two million people, and the losses to the robots were countless. The final exchange ratio was only one to ten thousand—one angel for ten thousand robot soldiers. Human casualties weren't even counted in the damage comparison.

Their purpose is to ensure the operation of the Last Judgment, which in other words, is to annihilate all living things on earth. At this moment, there are only two places on Earth not yet covered by erupting volcanoes: one is the alluvial plain of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River where she is located, and the other is Greece, where Zhao Yingkong is currently stationed.

If the land is in such a state, then life is even more so. Even the most important factor—the population—has been reduced from seven billion to less than five hundred million despite her all-out rescue efforts, and even this remaining population of less than five hundred million is quietly dwindling by the second.

Part of it was fighting on the border, and part was losses within the base.

The angels' goal is to exterminate all living things. Therefore, all they need to do is deploy a large number of mortal armies to the front lines, to places lacking heavy firepower protection, and the angels will swarm in, killing any mortals in sight at all costs. At the cost of countless deaths and injuries, the main force of the angels—or at least a portion of it—will be delayed here, thus relieving the pressure on the reincarnators in outer space.

But... just how many people will die?

I can unite them, bind them together, and get them to work as one. But their deaths are not in my control. Using machinery, order, medicine, and magic to unify this vast workforce, and getting everyone to work to their utmost, can certainly build this massive industrial base and fortress capable of housing hundreds of millions of people in just two or three days. However… medicine and magic cannot save collapsing souls. These last two days are manageable, but in another day or two, the number of workers dying from overload will exceed the warning line. And at that point, public sentiment might shift, and the ritual's operation will be hindered.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the metal armrest. Sitting in the control center she had built for herself, she could clearly see the current operational status of the base from the countless floating forms and lists around her. And she knew that the current situation was far from optimistic.

The military is doing well; soldiers are generally physically strong, and their attitude towards life and death is much better than that of ordinary people. Furthermore, the resources allocated to the military are sufficient to stabilize them in a short period, and Zheng Zha's mental assimilation will also have a good effect.

But things weren't so good for the workers. To make the most of their time building fortifications and establishing the base, Patchouli hadn't scheduled any rest periods for anyone, including herself. For the past two days, Zheng Zha and the other veterans who were gradually awakening were among the few in the world who could sleep freely. Everyone else had to work under the influence of stimulants and wakefulness spells.

The relentless, high-intensity work, inherent physical differences, the immense psychological gap between a peaceful past and a perilous modern environment, and the overuse of drugs and techniques—even with Patchouli's timely establishment of Zheng Zha as a guiding spirit, the number of people who died from mental and physical collapse still exceeded one hundred thousand. And this number will continue to increase as this uninterrupted work continues, until at some point it reaches a dangerous threshold.