Inside the gates of No.13 Shelter, gunfire rang out continuously, while outside was a scene of chaos.

Over ten thousand soldiers clad in exoskeletons rushed to their combat positions, followed closely by a fleet of combat drones. Under the shadows of the ruins, numerous recently deployed "humanoid combat armors" stepped out.

As early as the end of last year, the Enlightenment Society had been transferring their assets to No.13 Shelter.

Apart from the production materials and technical documents that had already been moved inside the shelter, a significant number of personnel and devices congregated outside the doors of No.13 Shelter.

These items couldn't possibly fit inside the shelter, especially those waste sorting assembly lines and recycling facilities supplying raw materials for the production lines.

If the situation became critical, they indeed could retreat into the turtle shell of the shelter.

However, before that, they would leave a profound lesson for those naïve survivors with the weapons in their hands!

Almost all members of the Enlightenment Society had this plan in mind.

Yet at this moment, an unexpected event occurred.

The gate of No.13 Shelter was locked...

...

The atmosphere in the Ground Action Command was heavy and oppressive.

The man pacing back and forth wore a grim expression, sweat beading on his forehead, resembling an ant on a hot pan.

His name was Morton, the right-hand man of Gui Xu and the titular second-in-command of the Enlightenment Society, responsible for commanding the military forces deployed at the gate of No.13 Shelter.

Standing expressionless next to him was a former Air and Space Army officer parachuted in by the "celestial beings" organization, codenamed "Rainbow," real name unknown, using the latest model of military android as a vessel to hold consciousness, serving as an operations consultant.

Unlike Morton, Rainbow's expression was significantly calmer.

Perhaps due to the three-year war service experience, or perhaps because of the innate composure of the undead, he did not take those cobbled together armed forces on the wasteland seriously.

Two centuries ago, it would have been a stretch to call these things cannon fodder.

At least in his view.

At this moment, an officer dressed in combat uniform walked into the command room through a dark passageway and cover.

Without waiting for him to utter a word of report, Morton immediately stepped forward, grabbing him by the collar, and roared.

"What's the situation with that damn door! Is it open yet?"

The officer gulped and quickly replied.

"There's a situation inside the shelter——"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by a spray of spittle flying his way.

"Situation?! At this critical juncture, you're telling me there's a situation? I want you to immediately tell me exactly what's going on! And how long until it's resolved!"

Morton roared loudly, bloodshot eyes resembling a beast cornered against a wall.

The fact was indeed so.

Alliance troops were approaching from two directions, ready at any moment to drop a nuclear bomb over his head.

In fact, nuclear bombs weren't even the worst.

Near the base of an old era's space elevator lay a large amount of debris capable of withstanding the shockwave of a nuclear blast, and neutron radiation damage was not as untreatable as it was during the classical era.

What truly threatened them was the loss of a retreat path!

Once they lost No.13 Shelter as a retreat, the entire surface defense area would become a dead zone!

One or two nuclear strikes he could endure, but what about costless, continuous strategic bombings?

Not even he could withstand that.

Not even the metallic hulk beside him could withstand it!

Listening to the incoherent roaring of the superior officer, the officer being yanked by the collar was equally alarmed.

"We are not clear on the details yet; our connection with the shelter has been cut off... It was severed from their side. Judging by the latest information, someone inside the shelter has incited a rebellion... "

"Damn…" Morton cursed, releasing the collar in his hand, quickly returning to the command table, both hands pressing on the tabletop, his eyes fixed on the strategic map flickering with uncertainty.

Based on information from the front, several Alliance military forces dispersed as they approached the core area of the Enlightenment Society's equipment, forming a siege around the ruins of the space elevator's base.

Clearly.

The Alliance had calculated that they couldn't and wouldn't be able to retreat to No.13 Shelter, even plotting this rebellion!

Otherwise, they would never have adopted a surrounding tactic.

This group knew very well how foolish it was to besiege a shelter, having come from a shelter themselves!

Sweat continuously rolled down his forehead, Morton felt very much like a gambler clutching his remaining chips.

If they concentrated their forces to break through, there was still a slight hope of survival.

Once the entire encirclement is formed—

The fate of all of them will hang on that gear-shaped alloy giant door!

Looking at the tense Morton, Tianhong placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke in an emotionless electronic voice.

"There's no need to worry, our defense line isn't that easy to breach."

Apart from 11,000 marines equipped according to pre-war configurations, and nearly a thousand humanoid combat armors, they also deployed a large number of automated turrets and drone hives along the defense line!

Once the Alliance's ground forces approach the defense line, they will surely face a devastating blow!

The area above No.13 Shelter now concentrates all the Strength of the Enlightenment Society in the Great Desert region!

Even if the Alliance has a vast number of soldiers and endless logistics, removing this thorn will take some effort.

"The issue isn't whether we can hold the line, but the survival of our entire organization! If the door of No.13 Shelter cannot be opened, those personnel we left on the surface will eventually be drained by their continuous attacks!"

"So?" Tianhong shrugged lightly, looking calmly at the officer before him.

"So?"

Morton squinted at the person who seemed to feel no crisis and suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"I remembered... you don't really care, after all, it's just a shell you left on the surface walking around here, right?"

"I don't deny that statement," Tianhong replied nonchalantly, "We are immortal."

The command room fell silent.

All the officers present fell silent, each for their own reasons.

There was fear, envy, and mostly indifference.

They were all "Ascenders" who had uploaded their minds onto circuit boards, embracing glorious evolution.

Tianhong was right.

At least, for those officers who had their brains stationed at the Lagrange Point Space Station, so a victory or loss meant nothing.

Even if the entire Enlightenment Society were to perish, it wouldn't matter.

Their souls were already immortal.

Morton stared coldly at this indifferent person, a myriad of complex emotions flashing in his pupils.

The President was right... you guys have no heart; it's fine to use you, but to bank our victory on you, we're all doomed.

"Calm down, heart or no heart, we're at least in the same camp for now, aren't we?"

Tianhong spoke in a nonchalant voice, glancing at the man in front of him, and suddenly dropped a bombshell that none of the present saw coming.

"Actually, you don't need to be too anxious. We've already copied your mind and stored it in the server at the Lagrange Point. Even in the worst-case scenario, you won't face any issues."

Morton stared at him, initially with disbelief, which then turned into anger.

"You copied my mind?! What do you mean by that? When did this happen?"

"Several months ago," Tianhong continued calmly, "Don't be so agitated, it's just a precaution. After all, War is a risky business. If you were to meet with an accident, we could bring you back through this backup Method—"

"Not be so agitated?! Come back to life? Ha—" Morton laughed derisively, staring at him as if he were a nonsensical monster, "What do you mean 'come back to life'? Let a piece of metal replace me? Put on my face, console my wife? Make my Kids call it Dad? Is this the replacement Method you speak of?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Tianhong shrugged, also looking at him with an expression of incomprehension, "You would become an immortal, truly immortal—"

"Shut up!"

Before he could finish speaking, a violent shout interrupted him, followed by a gun pointed at his head.

Seeing Morton suddenly pull out a gun, a flash of surprise crossed Tianhong's eyes.

He hadn't expected this guy's mood to be so unstable, actually pointing the gun at him.

Maybe—

Copying this guy's Consciousness Entity wasn't the best choice.

His abilities might be good, but he's too impulsive.

Seeing Morton suddenly explode, all the officers in the command room were left stunned.

"General, General... please calm down!" A nearby officer attempted to intervene, but was intimidated by Morton's fierce glare, leaving his words stuck in his throat.

Tianhong, unfazed, gazed at Morton, not sparing a glance at the gun aimed at his head, and spoke in a gentle voice.

"I suggest you listen to your subordinates. What we need now is to discuss strategies, not have internal conflicts. If you're really opposed, we could delete your backup personality."

"Do you think your words are the least credible?" Morton, looking as if he'd gone insane, glared at him and everyone around.

Suddenly, a thought flashed in his mind as fear crept into his eyes.

"How many of you... are actually bionic?"

He used to think it was strange.

Ever since the Enlightenment Society started cooperating with the celestial beings, his subordinates have been miraculously surviving regardless of the heavy defeats they suffered!

If it were before, he certainly wouldn't have entertained such inappropriate associations.

However, at this moment, the higher-ups from the celestial beings informed him that they had long since replicated his mind without his permission and used his memory and thoughts to create his puppet!

The air was deathly quiet.

In the command room with about ten people, only two hands were raised in response to the order from the officer.

One trembling hand belonged to the mid-level officer who reported, and the other belonged to his adjutant, Lu Mo.

"Officer... I'm, I'm not a cyborg." The mid-level officer said with a trembling voice, his eyes full of panic.

Morton cast a hopeful glance at Lu Mo, but what the latter said plunged him into despair.

"Officer, let me say a few words... Actually, this isn't a bad thing. If it weren't for uploading our thoughts to the circuit board, I might have died in that operation a year ago."

More than ninety percent of the officers present nodded in agreement, indicating that it was the same for them, that it's thanks to celestial technology that they've "lived" up to now.

Those who didn't raise their hands silently acknowledged what Lu Mo said with their eyes.

"See, I told you, there's nothing to worry about." Tianhong said calmly, with a nonchalant look at Morton, "Not only am I immortal, we're all immortal."

Watching the "walking corpses" he had always regarded as comrades, Morton was utterly despairing, muttering with trembling lips.

"You lunatic... and you all, you're freaking lunatics!"

Perhaps—

The insane ones weren't just the celestial beings.

In the eyes of the survivors on the Wasteland, weren't they themselves also lunatics?

Seeing Morton lowering his gun, Tianhong's lips curled into a smile.

But the smile froze on his face in less than a second.

Without any warning.

Morton suddenly pointed the gun at his own chin and pulled the trigger silently.

"Bang—!"

The gunfire flashed and disappeared, Morton fell backward, and the hot shrapnel splattered blood onto the ceiling.

The air in the command room was deathly silent.

Except for those officers who had already been transformed into cyborgs, all the still-living people widened their eyes, swallowing hard.

Dead...

Their officer.

"Why bother?"

After a long silence, Tianhong sighed softly, raising his index finger and waving it lightly.

A moment later, footsteps were heard outside, and an officer walked in accompanied by two guards.

The officer stood still, saluted, and then walked to face the crowd.

The mid-level officer responsible for transmitting orders widened his eyes, looking incredulously at the familiar face in front of him—

It was his officer!

General Morton!

"Drag that thing out and burn it."

Sweeping a glance at himself lying on the ground, Morton then signaled the two cyborg soldiers who came in with him to drag the body outside.

Then he looked around at the officers present, including the completely dumbfounded mid-level officer, and in an unprecedented calm voice said.

"The combat meeting resumes."

"Before the blockade at the No.13 Shelter is lifted, I need you to hold the line at all costs—"

"Monster..."

The mid-level officer extended a trembling hand, unlocked his pistol, and aimed to shoot at him.

However, before his gun was drawn from the holster, Morton had already pulled the trigger.

"Bang—!"

The bullet precisely hit the officer's forehead, splashing red and white pulp backward all over the place.

The soldiers dragging the body paused their actions, casting inquisitive glances at Morton.

Without even looking at the man lying on the ground, Morton holstered his gun with a blank expression, leaving a remark.

"Drag him out too."

The soldiers nodded in agreement, stuffed the body into a body bag, zipped it up, and dragged it out the door.

Watching the skilled actions of "Morton", Tianhong's lips hung a satisfied smile.

Good—

This guy uploaded to the circuit board is much more capable than that pile of flesh.

Perhaps they should have removed him earlier and replaced him with this more efficient "immortal being".

The combat meeting continued.

Morton methodically carried out combat deployments, delivering orderly combat orders to lower-level combat units.

The few remaining live officers were trembling, not daring to breathe a word.

No one noticed the two corpses dragged out from the command center.

Including Morton's trusted lieutenant, Commander Mangge of the "Flashing" special forces unit.

Staring at the rolling dust and the increasingly close enemy unit signals on the tactical dial from the concrete fortifications, his brows furrowed, only feeling his eyelids twitching.

He felt a gun was aimed at him, but couldn't see where the gun was.

According to reports from the front line, the Alliance's troops had just paused their offensive.

Yet for some reason, the unease in his heart grew ever stronger...

Putting away the binoculars, he retreated from the frontline cover back down to the bunker.

And at that moment, a sergeant responsible for communications walked in solemnly from outside, saying.

"The command told us to hold the position."

"Hold the position?"

Mangge's brows twitched involuntarily, showing a face full of misunderstanding.

"The main Alliance forces are going to confront us directly, why aren't we retreating now, what are we waiting for?"

"This is a direct order from the command..." The sergeant's expression was also unpleasant, but mostly helpless.

This was the intention of their officer, Morton.

Perhaps—

That man might have some other trump card?

As he thought about this, the lights in the bunker suddenly started flickering.

The few soldiers present were all taken aback, their nerves instantly shattered, looking nervously at the flickering light bulb.

Standing at the doorway, the sergeant swallowed, uncertainly asking.

"...Is it an EMP?"

If it was an electromagnetic pulse, then it probably meant the Alliance's full-scale attack was about to begin.

However, Mangge furrowed his brows, muttering in a lowered voice.

"It doesn't look like..."

Though an EMP has strong penetrative power, it shouldn't penetrate more than a dozen meters of concrete.

Moreover, the damn thing is mainly targeted at "microchip" devices, how could it interfere with bunker lighting systems powered by diesel generators?

Unless—

That thing is not an electromagnetic pulse but a massive high-energy particle radiation similar to a solar flare!

At the instant of this thought, Mangge's face turned deathly pale.

He thought of a possibility!

Even though he couldn't fathom why they hadn't received any early warning.

That thing should require 24 hours from setup to charge completion. The space station at the Lagrange Point shouldn't have missed it!

However, thinking about it now seems to be pointless...

It's already too late.

Watching the lights suddenly go out, he said in despair.

"It's too late..."

It's over.

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