Chapter 403: Nightfall Descends (120,000 Moon Tickets Requested)

After Ye Lan announced that Shuguang City would launch a counterattack against the darkness, the city before the coming battle was engulfed in frantic bustle and chaos.

All survivors, refugees, and convoys were gathered within the old district inside Wall No. 1; twenty-four underground civil defense entrances, managed by Phoenix Society officials and troops, were lined with crowds preparing to enter the shelters—mostly the elderly, children, pregnant women, and the injured or disabled. Before the desperate battle, anyone capable of self-defense, regardless of gender, voluntarily abandoned sheltering and joined the city's defense ranks.

In the crowd, a man crouched down and shoved a bundle of food wrapped in old newspapers into his son's hands.

"Listen to your mother," he said, ruffling the child's hair, his voice hoarse.

His wife gripped his sleeve tightly, her nails nearly digging into his flesh: "Stay out of danger… we'll wait for you to come back!"

"Don't worry," the man smiled, glancing at the masses of civilians joining the defense: "There's nowhere left to hide. We must hold this city."

On another side, a middle-aged woman crouched on the ground, tying her young daughter's shoelaces, then placed the girl's hand in the palm of a boy barely seven or eight.

"Xiao Jie, you're the older brother. Take care of your sister, understood?"

The boy's face was still childlike; he clenched his sister's hand and nodded blankly.

"Mom, what about you?" the little girl looked up, her face full of unease.

"Good girl, Mom's helping outside. I'll come find you soon."

The woman wiped her tears, turned, and walked away—beside her, Phoenix Society emergency team members were dragging a limping middle-aged man.

"Let me go!"

The man was fiery-tempered; he used his rifle as a cane to break free, roaring: "I can still fire! I don't need the shelter! Even if I die at the city gate, I'll trip up a monster!"

…

Small and large convoys gathered ammunition and weapons from the Phoenix Society and Garrison Commander supply depots; under the Phoenix Society's Defense Command Center, nearly thirty thousand troops formed the urban defense line, with three primary objectives: first, assist in urban air defense; second, control internal mutations; third, if Wall No. 1 fell, these forces could use street networks to wage street-to-street combat, blocking the monster tide's advance toward Sector 2 while splitting the battlefield and covering the evacuation of other survivor convoys.

Beyond the elderly, sick, and disabled who entered underground shelters, nearly 1. million capable survivors in the city, organized into various convoys or independent groups, spontaneously joined hundreds of neighborhood defense lines; even more civilians assisted the Garrison Commander and Taitiewei in digging gun emplacements, transporting ammunition and supplies, laying mines, and repairing equipment outside the city.

In the sky, dense transport drones formed a curtain, ferrying weapons and ammunition toward the walls via aerial corridors after the underground network was sealed.

The Phoenix Society established a dual-wall, sky-earth coordinated defense system; Ye Lan and all command officers stationed themselves in the Twin Stars TC City Ring Control Hall, turning it into a temporary command post, and reinforced the City Ring with critical troops.

Wuuuuh~

Survivors building defenses and stringing barbed wire in neighborhood camps looked up to see countless large rotor transport ships roaring overhead, hauling powerful war mechs to the front walls—besides Taitiewei-3, Guardian-X, and Vulcan series.

Boom! The clouds tore open as dozens of C-99 "Hercules" transport aircraft roared with their vortex engines; steel cables dropped, and eight massive Interstellar Predators—tall as skyscrapers—were slowly lowered past the city's high-rises. These weapons were primarily deployed in the core encirclement zones of southern and western city sectors to counter S-class frontal assaults.

Within the inner city, all open spaces, high-rises, and towers were converted into anti-air positions and high-energy fire zones; several energy centers were buried deep beneath Xinggang, powering the entire city's energy and automated weapons; over a hundred thousand attack drones were being charged and rearmed; countless drone engineers rushed to repair malfunctions; to ensure command and communication signals remained intact under extreme darkness, over a thousand signal relay towers were erected across the city.

"The psychic team, formed by the North American Defense Line, Nightwalkers Alliance, Seraphim Division, and civilian volunteers, has been divided into three categories and multiple specialized squads."

In the command center, General Xu stood before the holographic map, his expression stern.

"Category One: Psychics with high mobility and self-preservation abilities—flight, super-speed, wind, fire, lightning, light, etc. commanded by Director Luo, tasked with frontline containment, support, and reconnaissance against S-class disasters, and conducting high-altitude, high-speed citywide aerial defense strikes."

"Category Two: Primarily psychics with laser, magnetic storm, monster-eye, earth-rock, resonance, sonic, or long-range destruction abilities—commanded by Group Leader Qi—these psychics possess strong long-range lethality and are assigned to eliminate monster hordes and large anomalies behind the wall and anti-air defense lines."

"Category Three: All giants, blood-boosted, demonic-form, beast-form, metallic-skin, evil-bone, invisible, energy-concentrating, and any gene-evolved individuals with strong melee mobility—these close-combat psychics primarily assist neighborhood defense lines and underground shelters with defense and protection."

"I agree with General Xu's tactical deployment. Our 83rd Taitiewei will take charge of four defense sectors in the western city, with the mech brigade and special armed power battalion deployed in staggered tiers, prioritizing the concentration of S-class forces and wall defense…"

Before Colonel Huo Jiang finished speaking, Lu Tianye immediately interrupted him.

"The entire city has twelve sectors. The main assault directions—Sectors 5, 7, and 8—are concentrated in the six defense sectors from southern Sector 5 to western Sector 10. You Taitiewei have over forty thousand men to hold four sectors, yet you expect our 130, 00 Garrison troops to defend just two? Or are you planning to leave the eastern and northern sectors to us?"

"I didn't mean it like that. The western direction has only one major Star Abyss—Sector 5—while your side faces two massive ones: Sectors 7 and 8. Isn't this allocation reasonable?"

"Unreasonable!" Lu Tianye replied firmly: "Sector 5 has Corpse Drivers active. Don't think I don't know what you're scheming. Our Garrison has fought Sector 5 the most—we'll take the hardest bones."

"Hard bones? My mech brigade isn't made of candy!" Huo Jiang snapped back.

"My Second Mech Division and Thunder Hammer electromagnetic cannon arrays are no less capable!" Lu Tianye retorted.

Unexpectedly, at the pre-battle command meeting, the commanders of these two elite forces clashed over who would lead the main assault; the Phoenix Society's senior officers exchanged uneasy glances.

"Enough."

At that moment, Ye Lan spoke, cutting through the argument; her voice was quiet, yet every person clearly heard her.

She rose, picked up the command pointer, and pointed at Shuguang City's circular wall sectors.

"Our judgments are based on current conditions, but we must not rigidly fix our thinking. The darkness will engulf the entire city in an instant. We cannot assume these anomalies will attack only from these directions based on last night's assault."

Ye Lan looked at them all: "You generals all have extensive experience in information warfare. Though we now face anomalies, we must not treat them as mindless monsters. Our advantage lies precisely in human information tactics—we must use it well."

Lu Tianye nodded, glanced at Huo Jiang, and said: "Correct. The three sectors near the Star Abysses—western and southern—are indeed critical defense zones. Our mech units have strong firepower and defense but poor mobility. The Garrison and Taitiewei should first deploy the mechs here, but our infantry and special armed power battalions must be spread across all twelve sectors. After contact, we'll use radar and the Galaxy Heart's computing power to identify high-risk battlefields, then redeploy dynamically."

Huo Jiang also agreed: "The wall can only hold limited troops. We must use all transport vehicles and armored carriers as mobile assets between defense sectors to enable rapid response."

"Yes, the city's main roads must remain clear to ensure troop and ammunition delivery!"

"And most importantly, we must protect the Twin Stars Tower and the City Ring!"

"I believe the Emperor God Unit's deployment point should be here…"

In an instant, a massive defense war conference concerning the survival of millions—and perhaps all humanity—was underway in urgent motion.

Meanwhile, at Xingcheng Orbital Station, key figures from the Infinite Alliance and Silent City held an emergency meeting.

To enable extraterrestrial operations, Mochi Shinji voluntarily and generously provided Lin Xian with an interstellar power armor suit—the highest-tier individual combat gear in interstellar military service, equipped with a small plasma propulsion system, two main rear thrusters (50 tons thrust each), four vector nozzles on the feet, Level-7 ballistic protection, a life-support system with liquid oxygen reserves for space and underwater environments and gas filtration, plus a nanotech hemostatic spray and automatic epinephrine injection medical module.

This battle armor was extremely expensive, but for Wangyue Zhenji, it seemed to be of no consequence.

"Thank you," Lin Xian said, rapidly testing the armor's operational modules; he had little time and had to act immediately, so he could not deploy command operations for Wuxianhao—he left that to Jian Xuwēi, Chen Sixuan, and Jiang Yun Shi Di.

"It's nothing," Mochi Shinji smiled calmly. "I have my own purpose."

"I know—you want me to collect spatial data beyond the Celestial Curtain. No need to say it; the Phoenix Society has already prepared for that," Lin Xian said.

"Lin Xian," Kiki looked at him, her expression complex: "You… be careful."

Lin Xian nodded: "You too. Everything hinges on this. We've survived so many life-and-death moments. No more sentimental words."

He gave Kiki, Chen Sixuan, and the others one last long look: "All of you survive."

"Lin brother, take care!"

"Lin Team!"

"Lin Xian."

"Lin Commander!"

"Lin Big Brother…"

"Lin Team, we'll wait for you to come back!"

Countless people gathered close, concerned: Shi Di, Ningjing, Xiaoqing, Abai, Qian Dele, Mo Nika, Jian Xuwēi, Jian Zeyang, Jiang Yun, Shu Qin, Daliang, Shasha, Lu Chang, Miao Lu, Xiao Yuan, Li Yi, Lao Mo, Sun Yuzhen, Mo Xiaotian, Ding Junyi, Luo Yang, Liang Lei, Luoluo Amin, Li Guangwen…

"Everyone, take care. When dawn comes, I'll lead us all into the Pacific!"

Countless eyes fixed on him. Lin Xian checked the time, then took a deep breath, focusing his mind on the glowing bullet at his third eye.

Suddenly!

Shhh!

A spatial rupture echoed; a wind vortex swirled—and Lin Xian vanished before their eyes.

Chen Sixuan stared at the spot where he'd been, her gaze heavy for several seconds, then hardened: "Let's begin our operations."

Around Mochi Shinji gathered his core staff: Qian Suxun, Tianye Lan, Takahashi Ryū no Suke, and Shizuki.

Qian Suxun's AC mech controlled over a thousand heavy ground mechs and three hundred aerial tactical mechs; simultaneously, tens of thousands of Silent City drones operated under Mochi Shinji's central command.

Besides giving Lin Xian the power armor, Mochi Shinji had also supplied Wuxianhao with vast quantities of armored weapons, ammunition, drones—and even one Interstellar Predator, now standing on the Xingcheng Orbital Station's plaza.

Mochi Shinji explained:

"This was built at Lin Xian's request after he obtained the interstellar mech system blueprints."

"Lin Xian asked you to build it?" Chen Sixuan frowned. "Who's piloting it?"

Mochi Shinji pointed to the shortest girl in the crowd.

Shasha widened her eyes, pointing at her own nose: "Lin Brother wants me to pilot the Interstellar Predator?!"

"Aren't you a Level-4 Coherence Coefficient mech pilot?" Qian Suxun smiled.

"Of course I am!!"

Shasha stepped forward eagerly, rushing to the window, staring at the 60-meter-tall, 4, 65-ton Interstellar Predator standing in the plaza's center—her eyes sparkled.

"Wow! Lin Brother gave me a Gundam!!"

"Damn, this thing looks like it's packing serious firepower," Shi Di exclaimed.

"So cool!" Luo Yang and others burst into exclamations.

"Don't get too excited yet—you've got a critical mission," Kiki hooked her finger, using telekinesis to pull Shasha's eyes away from the mech's nuclear engine.

"Plan: All elderly, sick, and weak who boarded the train will be transferred to underground facilities under Phoenix Society coordination. Then…" Jian Xuwēi activated the holographic map, illuminating a circular orbital route around the city, and said: "The Combined Train, led by Wuxianhao, will conduct mobile guerrilla warfare along this route, fully utilizing our train's firepower configuration."

"Psychics—Kiki, Lu Xingchen, Daliang, Sun Yuzhen, Luo Yang, Liang Lei, Li Guangwen, Qian Dele, Abai—will join the Phoenix Society's psychic combat squad for support."

But not everyone—Captain Shi and Chen Sixuan will remain on the train to defend it, with Chen and Shi jointly managing the train's fire command; Shu Qin, Lu Chang, Miao Lu, Ningjing, Xiaoqing, and Luoluo Amin will be assigned to different tactical teams stationed across various train segments. Meanwhile, the Alliance will assign Jiang Yun and Ren Huiyan to coordinate with the Hongyuan Trading Alliance, New Era Engineering Corps, Iron Shield Convoy, and Burning Phoenix for neighborhood defense positions. We're too numerous—these are large vehicle groups requiring reliance on major fortifications, so we'll be divided.

"At Xingcheng Orbital Station, the Skytrain lacks defensive firepower and cannot ascend, so Kiki and I will lead four thousand troops to defend the station and protect the Skytrain while setting up anti-air positions!"

"Finally, the Interstellar Predator," Jian Xuwēi looked at Shasha: "Shasha, we've prepared a transport trailer. You'll pilot this mech alongside the train for mobile guerrilla operations. Most crucially, if the track is damaged, you must protect the Combined Train with the transport drones Lin Xian deployed. Kiki and Jiang Yun might assist, but in crisis, when we lack heavy firepower and mobility, you'll be our only option."

Shasha's eyes widened, then she nodded: "I understand."

"So the train will keep circling the city?" Mo Nika asked.

"Exactly. Mobile guerrilla warfare."

"That's a brilliant idea," Mochi Shinji and his team remarked approvingly: "It fully leverages your train's strengths—but the flaw is, if the track is severed, it becomes a problem."

"If the track breaks, we'll use the train as a fortress and hold our ground," Chen Sixuan said.

Shi Di crossed his arms and nodded: "Yes. This long train with its weapons only becomes effective when mobile—better than sitting idle in the station."

"Then let's move," Kiki said, her gaze sharp. After the Great God Peak battle, she had fully rested; her state now peaked, her psychic capacity seemingly having broken through to new heights.

Jiang Yun nodded: "Everyone, stay safe. Tonight is perilous—may we all stand here unharmed at dawn!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, everyone sprang into action.

Li Yi and Lao Mo led all women, children, and support staff toward the underground shelters. Chen Sixuan had wanted Ding Jun to go too, but Ding Junyi refused, insisting she must remain aboard Wuxianhao's research and cultivation cars to study and protect Hell Black Chrysanthemum, Silver Dragon Ten Thousand Mistakes, and Blood Vines. Meanwhile, she ordered Xiao Yuan and Miao Lu to harvest all ripe fruits and plants and distribute them to Wuxian Alliance personnel before battle.

Hum!

The Infinite-Hao's Whale 03e heavy gas turbine train now activated, under Chen Sixuan's control, carrying a total of over three thousand combat personnel alongside Shi Di aboard the urban light rail loop line; atop the train, the G-3 electromagnetic railgun, 1130, YJ anti-aircraft cannons, and automatic artillery all rose, every weapon on the train baring its fangs.

Instantly, this fully armed train began slowly advancing along the ring track; Sha Sha entered the cockpit of the Interstellar Hunter mech, neural interface connected; the massive, thousand-ton mech roared to its feet; she was filled with excitement, mastering the controls with astonishing speed, testing firepower all the way along the rear transport platform of the united train.

Chen Sixuan stood on the roof, holding Yinxing No. 3, continuously observing the surrounding buildings; at this moment, she looked up toward the horizon, her beautiful face etched with worry.

"Lin Xian, you must return safely!"

Shu Qin and Xiang Ningjing, leading their operational teams, were now deploying firepower across all carriages; communication remained open throughout the entire train; every member aboard was highly mobile and clad in powered armor, relying on the train's armor and rapid mobility to deliver firepower along the route.

Tsukimichi Shinji led his team back to Silent City; for this Dawn City defense, Silent City, together with the Skyward Fleet, the North American United Front fleet, and the Taitiewei Fleet, formed the aerial defense force, with the primary target being the atmospheric creature descending from the sky!

The crowd was tense and busy; Li Yi, heavily pregnant, carefully inspected her husband Liang Lei's armor, offering no lengthy advice—only telling him not to worry about her.

Mo Xiaotian and Mo Xiaole bade farewell to their mother Sun Yuzhen and followed their grandfather Lao Mo into the underground shelter.

On another side, Hu Lushou was also preparing to enter the underground shelter.

This man had no combat capability; he wore two layers of bulletproof vest, making his powered armor appear bulky and ungainly.

"Wife~ Maybe I won't go in after all," Hu Lushou grinned at Sun Chang at the shelter entrance: "I, Old Hu, was once deputy captain of a transport ship and a model soldier—do you really want me hiding in an air raid shelter with women and children? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

"You're sure?" Sun Chang glanced at him coolly, slapped his powered armor with her hand—the immense force sent Hu Lushou stumbling back two steps: "Tonight's a brutal battle. Four S-class creatures. Any one of them could crush you underfoot."

Hearing this, Hu Lushou nervously swallowed, but catching Sun Chang's gaze, he found an unexpected surge of courage and straightened his chest.

"Nope, I'm not going. I said no, and that's final. A real man's word is a nail—besides, at humanity's hour of peril, how can a true man hide behind children?"

With that, he grabbed a pulse cannon and strode directly toward the Infinite Alliance's defensive line.

Seeing this, Sun Chang frowned, wanting to say something, then stopped—she simply followed after him.

On a transport ship, Kiki, Lu Xingchen, Da Lou, Sun Yuzhen, Luo Yang, Liang Lei, Li Guangwen, Qian Dele, and Abai—all powerful psychics—were heading toward the psychic combat squad; along the way, Lu Xingchen kept his eyes shut, looking old and weary.

Da Lou carried his steel-slicing greatsword, wiping down a Gatling gun, staring at Lu Xingchen's demeanor with confusion; he elbowed him, but got no reaction; then he glanced at Qian Dele and Kiki across from him.

Kiki smiled: "This guy's probably thinking up his entrance pose and move name again."

Qian Dele shrugged: "Does it matter?"

"It matters to him."

At that moment, Lu Xingchen opened his eyes, shook his head, and abandoned his usual otaku theatrics: "In the Battle of Xilan, over forty thousand died. Though we wield the power of the Fire God, we could do nothing. This battle is one of humanity's survival or extinction—no room for play. Move names don't matter now. All I wish tonight is that more people live. If the night refuses to break, I will burn through this eternal darkness myself—with the fire that consumes stars!"

Hearing this, Kiki, Qian Dele, and the others all grew solemn; Da Lou placed a hand on Lu Xingchen's shoulder: "Brother, I believe you."

"Fire Brother, push hard—our psychic powers keep growing stronger!" Luo Yang said, tense yet serious: "As long as we hold onto hope, we can make it."

"No matter what monster shows up—just fight!" Liang Lei stood tall: "We've got no retreat anyway. Kill one, break even. Kill two, profit. Right?"

"Very logical!" Li Guangwen swallowed hard, fists clenched.

Abai sat beside him in silence; Li Guangwen turned to him.

"Hey, buddy, your laser beams are insane—just aim them at that big bastard!"

Abai nodded: "Okay… okay."

Meanwhile, in the northern district, amid the ruins of an old neighborhood, the ground suddenly opened a passage; dozens of advanced armored, heavily armed Federal "Black Iron Shield" series 8-wheel all-terrain armored base vehicles swiftly emerged, then drove off without looking back toward the distant north.

On one of the core vehicles, the cabin glowed brightly, lavishly equipped; Wen Dong and Li Jian, fully armed, frowned deeply.

Thud!

Li Jian slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth: "It's all that damn Lin Xian's fault—he ruined our recruitment rally! Now my mom's under Phoenix Society control, and the Wanderer No. 1 plan is completely ruined!"

"Enough!"

Wen Dong's expression flickered: "What's the point of saying this now? Just be grateful you're still alive!"

"But—"

"Do you have any way to get it all back?"

Li Jian bit his teeth so hard he could feel them crack—but said not a word.

Wen Dong then turned to a young man across from him, lost in thought, and said:

"Chairman Zhou, the core teams from Night Patrol and City Defense Psy-Force are all here. Though few in number, their strength and equipment are top-tier." The young man had a handsome face, a brain-machine interface still visible at the back of his head; though his psychic aura was immense, his life force was chaotic. He was none other than Zhou Mingyuan, who had transferred his consciousness into a new body via mycelium.

Wen Dong glanced again at a cryogenic pod at the rear of the cabin; out of caution, Zhou Mingyuan had brought his original body along.

Seeing the middle-aged politician inside the pod, Wen Dong merely sneered inwardly. He and Li Jian both knew that although Zhou Mingyuan's new body had an Angel-class psychic peak, he wouldn't survive a month. When he died, the entire vehicle group's personnel and supplies would naturally fall into the Wen family's hands—giving them a foothold to rise again.

But Wen Dong had no time now to fantasize about the future. His immediate priority was escaping Dawn City—the doomed, chaotic place about to collapse!

"Hmm."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded, took a deep breath, then slowly opened his eyes: "These are merely external things."

"Increase speed. We must reach Qingbo before nightfall. There are several convoys there—we can merge with some."

"Merge?" Li Jian, the blunt fool, muttered: "What if they refuse?"

Zhou Mingyuan smiled faintly: "Young man, the ancients said: no matter how the world changes, all methods stem from one root. Power is the foundation of authority; authority opens every path. When you possess absolute power, why fear you cannot forge your throne?"

As he spoke, he slowly clenched his fist, sensing a powerful psychic surge; the gloom on his face receded, replaced by a sense of exhilaration.

Li Jian frowned slightly, then nodded in reluctant agreement.

"True. But I wonder if the Phoenix Society's global broadcast was really that serious," Li Jian said, uneasy: "If we lose this battle… will dawn never come again?"

"Hmph."

Zhou Mingyuan sneered: "Politicians' words? Just listen and forget."

His gaze turned cold: "If not for Chu Zhaonan's schemes, Dawn City could have held ten million people."

"What good is more population?"

Li Jian looked confused: "Won't they just get swallowed by the Star Abyss?"

"You don't understand. The larger the population, the more resources. Research into Dark Infiltration and human psychic abilities has surged rapidly. When the boat reaches the bridge, the path will appear…" Wen Dong sneered: "In the end, someone always survives. Why not us?"

"Your uncle's right," Zhou Mingyuan declared coldly: "The Phoenix Society is merely a populist regime born in the apocalypse, constantly shouting slogans about saving human civilization and the whole world—just a stage to overthrow the Federation. Hah! They even call back those who fled, telling them to come die? What a joke!"

Wen Dong nodded, then used his communicator to address the convoy:

"Full speed! Reach Qingbo City within three hours!"

…

Dawn City, Chengxinggang Station.

Jian Xuxi and Mo Nika led a group of heavy firepower personnel to reinforce the defenses of Chengxinggang Station.

Mo Nika stood atop the Celestial Train's deck, gazing at the sky, her beautiful face slightly furrowed.

The sky was thick with rain clouds; it was only 3 PM, yet the heavens were terrifyingly dark—as if night had arrived early.

"The darkness is unpredictable. At this rate, a weird entity could appear any second."

Jian Xuxi, hearing the voice in her earpiece, replied gravely: "We've done everything we could. Now, we must fight with everything we have."

High above, Jiang Yun hovered over the old district, surveying the dense defensive lines below; under the rain, crowds surged like ants from the perspective of an S-class creature.

Ren Huiyan floated beside him, watching his grim expression, and spoke:

"I rarely see you this tense."

"Over three million people… perhaps lost in a single night." Jiang Yun gazed toward the horizon, where black clouds and rain hung inverted, with no fire or convoy in sight.

No reinforcements. No one returned to Dawn City.

Dawn City now stood alone—a solitary boat beneath a black sky.

To the west and south, the sky was terrifyingly dark—as if a black world, like a chasm, was slowly approaching from behind the rain.

Beneath Mount Qilian, in the forest, rain drizzled onto dead grass and wasteland; the forest was unnaturally silent, save for the sound of rain.

But as the sky darkened, strange silhouettes flickered in and out; footprints appeared on the ground, yet were irregular and vanished quickly.

In forests, plains, town streets, highways, fields, and hillsides—such anomalies began appearing everywhere.

On the First Wall, the frontline commander, seeing the outer district grow darker by the second, immediately grabbed his communicator:

"Attention! Situation abnormal! Extreme Night may be imminent! Activate all fire control units!"

In the Twin Star Tower Command Center, Ye Lan and other leaders stared at the screens filled with surveillance feeds from every combat zone, their expressions grim.

"It's not even 4 PM yet—this is much faster than yesterday," Hu Jiang said.

"The Star Abyss is expanding faster than its original rate. The more it accelerates, the more our fears are justified," Ye Lan replied coolly: "Issue the alert. Prepare for battle citywide!"

"Yes!"

Woooo! Woooo! Woooo!

Instantly, the entire Dawn City was filled with the blaring of air raid sirens; survivors still busy constructing fortifications looked up in shock.

"Sirens are going off! Hurry! Get to your positions!"

"All weapons, clear safeties!"

"It's too dark! Prepare flares!"

In an instant, defense line personnel sprang into action; queues entering shelters also accelerated under maintained order.

"Hurry! Get inside first!"

"Don't look back!"

"Take care, wife!"

"Mom…"

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!!!"

"Find shelter!"

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

In the sky, atop Silent City, the Skyward Fleet, and all other fleet decks, weapon mounts all raised their barrels in unison; the blue energy beams of electromagnetic railguns began charging; missile launch bays opened; search radars operated at full power.

Drone combat squads continuously launched into the air; the first wave of aerial reconnaissance probes sped out.

Tsukimichi Shinji stood with arms crossed on the main bridge of Silent City's Cloud District, his ultra-powerful quantum-bit processing system perceiving the thousands of weapon systems and sensors across Silent City, monitoring the entire airspace in 360 degrees.

At this moment, in the Twin Star Tower command center, Ye Lan slowly stood up.

Jiang Yun stood aloft in the air; Chen Sixuan gazed toward the horizon; Bai Bai in the transport ship lifted his head.

All these people spoke at once.

"Here it comes!"

……

Wuuuu!!

On the wasteland, the Black Night Shield base vehicle convoy kicked up clouds of mud, headlights blazing as they sped forward. Zhou Mingyuan, who had been closing his eyes to rest on the vehicle, now heard the piercing air raid siren from Dawn City and frowned.

"Has the attack begun?"

"So soon?" Wen Dong also frowned. He immediately activated the vehicle's radar system and said, "It must be the Star Abyss closing in, but our direction is safe—thousands of convoys have taken this route to flee. We're moving away from the Star Abyss."

"Mm."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded: "If Ye Lan dies inside Dawn City, the Phoenix Society will face major problems."

Wen Dong sneered: "None of this concerns us."

Zhou Mingyuan turned to Wen Dong, his expression approving: "You arranged this well. Fortunately, we withdrew at the critical moment. Next—"

Boom!

Before he could finish, the entire vehicle shuddered violently, as if it had collided with something. The ten-ton base vehicle tipped over and rolled, catching Zhou Mingyuan, Wen Dong, and Li Jian completely off guard—they tumbled into chaos.

"What happened?!"

Zhou Mingyuan sensed the danger and used his powerful ability to blast open the door, leaping out—only to find his entire convoy had vanished, leaving only his own vehicle overturned where it lay.

"What did we hit?" Wen Dong, bleeding from his head, scrambled out. Outside, rain fell heavily; it was only 4 p. ., yet darkness swallowed all sight. Only the vehicle's headlights cast a pale white glow over the wasteland.

"Be careful—there's definitely a weird creature!"

Zhou Mingyuan's face darkened; his lips trembled. He urgently gathered his ability. Though he had taken over this body, combat was clearly not his strength, and he was still unfamiliar with its powers.

Click~

Suddenly, a sound like snapping dry wood came from the darkness. Zhou Mingyuan, startled like a bird shot at, reflexively raised his hand and blasted toward the source.

A brilliant white lightning arc flashed—immense power erupted, illuminating a humanoid weird creature crouched in the dark, several meters tall. With this single strike, the lightning pierced clean through its head and spine.

Zhou Mingyuan panted heavily. Seeing the monster obliterated by one blow, a heavy weight lifted from his chest. He exhaled deeply, staring at his own hands, a flicker of pride rising within him.

"Such immense power—I should've experienced this sooner…"

"Ahh!!"

At that moment, Wen Dong suddenly screamed, pointing at the sky above the vehicle: "W-what is that?!"

Zhou Mingyuan frowned, without hesitation, fired another lightning arc skyward: "Whatever it is—kill it!"

Boom!

But as his lightning arc shot into the sky, a terrifying scene erupted in the glare: thousands of twisted, grotesque monsters had surrounded the base vehicle like a tidal wave. Directly ahead, where the lightning had flared, Zhou Mingyuan and Wen Dong couldn't even make out the full form of the creature—only a colossal eye, suspended in the air among the tree shadows.

That gaze—like a judgment from hell—locked onto him.

Zhou Mingyuan's face turned deathly pale; his lips quivered as he stared at the unseen darkness: "F-f-flee!"

The next instant, the base vehicle's headlights flickered and died in the wilderness.

Dawn City.

Boom boom boom boom!!

The first shots came from Silent City and the aerial fleet: massive electromagnetic cannons lit the sky with brilliant blue arcs, firing simultaneously in dozens of directions like meteors streaking across the heavens.

Then, on the First Wall, hundreds of thousands of survivors witnessed a suffocating sight: above the storm clouds, a monstrous creature with twisted limbs flashed briefly—then, from within the mist, a tidal wave of flying monsters descended like the sky itself had collapsed.

The next moment, thousands of Thunder Hammers, Great Wall base-mounted howitzers, and 1130 self-propelled artillery pieces on the First Wall activated under fire control and central computation. Motors whirred, turrets rotated—and at this instant, ten thousand gun muzzles!

Unleashed humanity's full metal barrage!

October 5, 2069, Day 129 of the Apocalypse, 16: 1.

The Star Abyss unleashed an unprecedented expansion of eternal night, swallowing Dawn City whole. Simultaneously, this human metropolis—home to over 200, 00 troops and millions of civilians, ringed by towering walls and heavy artillery—plunged into an epic-scale night battle.

Led by Ye Lan, the command center correctly assessed the attack: it wasn't just from the west and north—it came from every direction. Billions of zombies and weird creatures surged like mudslides across mountains and rivers, rapidly drowning Dawn City's suburbs, towns, highways, railways, forests, and wastelands.

Even the rain falling from the sky grew chaotic and wild, choked by swarms of flying creatures.

The battle erupted fully.

From the directions of Star Abyss 5, 7, and 8, dozens of A-class and even Special-class giant creatures emerged one after another.

Some were colossal humanoid forms; others were twisted insects or beasts, surging forward through the tide of monstrosities.

At this moment, energy cannons, cluster bombs, automatic machine guns, electromagnetic rails, and the weapons of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the human walls all opened fire. Mechanized squads held the front line, their overwhelming firepower reaping the lives of dark creatures. Flame-throwers on Fire God mechs swept the battlefield; under searchlights and tracer rounds, soldiers glimpsed endless waves of weird creatures.

Vast amounts of dark invasion energy surged into the city; mutations began—but were quickly contained. Sixteen air defense systems within Dawn City, composed of Silent Hunters, anti-aircraft cannons, Storm missile systems, and pulse laser sky arrays, all opened fire toward the heavens. Tens of thousands of pulse lasers shot skyward; once large weird creatures were locked, Storm missiles ignited and launched from their silos!

Countless civilians hiding in underground shelters felt the entire city burning and shaking; the roar filled every ear.

"Stay calm! Don't panic!"

"Don't fear! Remain composed!" shouted Phoenix Society emergency officers with loudspeakers. "Help each other! Have faith in our troops!"

Bang bang bang!!

Chen Sixuan hadn't expected the battle to escalate to white-hot intensity so quickly.

On the city's light rail, a fifteen-kilometer armored train roared forward, its onboard heavy weapons continuously firing skyward; the 1130 rotary cannons glowed crimson.

"There's an S-class in the sky, Shasha—anti-air!"

"Got it!"

Shasha, connected to the neural symbiosis system, sat in the Interstellar Hunter's cockpit. She raised her hands—and instantly, the multi-thousand-ton mech's shoulder-mounted Orbital Star-Shatter cannon lifted, locking onto a massive, multi-winged creature diving toward the anti-air position. She fired.

Wuuuu!

A furious energy beam condensed, ionizing the air in a shockwave stretching hundreds of meters. The next instant, a white-hot column of light, several meters in diameter, pierced from earth to sky. Outside the beam, concentric rings of blue plasma arcs crackled through the air. In that instant, every wall of nearby skyscrapers and streets was illuminated by the blinding light—even distant glass facades reflected its glow. A violent heatwave, laced with intense ionization, surged toward the giant multi-winged creature. Crewmen on the combined train shielded their eyes from the glare.

Boom!

Everyone felt a powerful shockwave ripple outward. Then, the multi-winged creature, still diving from kilometers above, was sliced apart like butter under a laser—its body severed into pieces, falling from the sky, the severed edges glowing with black-and-red molten seams.

"That was at least an A-class weird creature—and it was wiped out by one shot!"

Xiang Ningjing, standing on the roof, exclaimed in astonishment.

"The Orbital Star-Shatter cannon is truly powerful!"

"Watch out!"

Bang!

Chen Sixuan's sniper rifle fired—a tiny black weird creature, no bigger than a palm, lunged at Ningjing. She blasted it out of midair.

Ningjing snapped back to awareness, looked up—and saw a swarm-like black cloud sweeping down over the city's skyscrapers.

"Get inside the vehicle—use the flamethrowers!"

……

In the Twin Star Tower command center, Ye Lan watched as all defense zones plunged into full combat within moments. His gaze grew heavy.

"Report: Special-class creature detected in District 9, West City. The 3rd and 7th Battalions of the Iron Guard's 4th Division suffered heavy casualties!"

"Report: Four A-class and one Special-class creature simultaneously appear in District 5, North City. The 11th Armored Division and allied defense forces are cut off outside the wall. The wall has suffered concentrated energy attacks—significant breaches formed!"

"Report: Baiyun District's joint defense line under massive aerial assault. Air defense network cannot cover all areas. Multiple neighborhoods have fallen. Civilian convoys and Garrison units are rushing to reinforce!"

"Report: 7th Squad of the First Psychic Combat Force lost contact at 4, 00 meters above South City. Air patrol ships are coordinating rescue!"

In mere moments, wave after wave of battle losses and urgent frontline reports poured in. Ye Lan and the Phoenix Society officers stood before the command screens—the air thick with tension.

"Have we detected any S-class movements?"

"The Sky-Tendril is observing from several kilometers up. Also, seismic waves detected in District 7, South City—possible ground surge. No other reports yet," the reporting officer said.

"S-class entities possess considerable intelligence. They're likely probing our counterattack strength."

"Should we lure them out?"

"No. The battle started too early. The Emperor's 'Heavenly Assembly' hasn't arrived yet. Lin Xian may still need time…" Ye Lan said.

The reporting officer added: "Galaxy Heart's tally shows 164 internal mutations in the last 30 minutes. All were handled swiftly—but the infection rate exceeds any previous war."

Ye Lan shook his head: "The S-class hasn't emerged yet. The infection peak hasn't hit. We must hold the line!"

(End of Chapter)