When brilliant fireworks streaked across the sky, leaving trails of resplendent light upon the azure canvas; when applause thundered through the clouds and grand music swelled, countless men and women danced with wild abandon. From the grand plazas to the narrowest alleys, laughter echoed across Blue Star in a wave of jubilation.
Today was the day of Wei Huan's commissioning ceremony.
The news that he would leap from Colonel to General and assume the post of "Commander-in-Chief of the Blue Star Pioneer Alliance" had been circulating for a month. Since then, Wei Huan had led his hundred warriors into the Dark Beast Plane, returning after a month not only unscathed but laden with resources capable of making Blue Star soar. These feats had elevated his prestige to an unprecedented height; he was now the most watched and respected person on the planet.
To the citizens of Blue Star, the thought of Wei Huan leading the Pioneer Army meant they no longer had to fear the threat of Dark Beasts. They could live in peace, their children could grow up safely, and perhaps one day they could even venture beyond Blue Star to explore the universe. Life finally had a future worth looking forward to.
"I'm so excited, it's about to start."
"No one else could fill that role. Only General Wei has the authority to lead us all."
"If not for him, we wouldn't have an army this strong. I sleep better just thinking about it."
"Wei Huan's appearance changed the fate of the human race. Him becoming Commander-in-Chief is the will of the people!"
The live-stream chat was a torrent of adoration. People counted down the seconds: "Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one!"
At that moment, it seemed the entire world held its breath.
"It's starting!"
"Is it?"
"Wait... what's happening?"
The countdown ended, but after a brief silence, the screen didn't cut to the grand stage. The comments shifted from excitement to confusion.
"Why hasn't the camera switched?"
"Is there a problem with the feed? Did the Dark Beasts attack?"
"Director, you're fired! How can the stream fail at such a moment?"
"Chill, everyone. I'm at the ceremony site. It's calm here—no signs of trouble. Something's just... off."
"I'm here too. I can see the backs of Colonel Xu Qingqiang and Colonel Xue. They look calm. General Wei is fine, I'm sure."
Suddenly, a comment appeared that froze the chat:
"My God! Why am I seeing undead in Peanut City (DC)?"
"Me too! I went out for a walk and a group of undead just passed me! Look at this photo—is this General Wei's army?"
"Confirming! That's the armored wolf! It's massive! General Wei is in Aosam, Peanut City!!"
The world's gaze shifted instantly. The ceremony was a ghost town. Wei Huan was on the other side of the planet.
---
"...So, Old Hodgson's meaning is clear," Mu Zhong said, his voice coming through the communication link. "He won't hand over Yake, and he won't release the Xu family. If we want them, we have to pay 'a sufficient price.'"
Wei Huan, sitting atop Dot Mom as she glided over the ocean, felt a cold sneer touch his lips. "He wants the resources I brought back? He's trying to blackmail me?"
"Essentially," Mu Zhong replied. "He's framing it as a 'trade' and playing the victim, but the core is greed. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has signed deals with many countries, but we rejected those who weren't sincere. Yesterday, the three-nation diplomats went to Aosam, and today Old Hodgson contacted our Great Patriarch and my grandfather. My grandfather refused the call, and the Patriarch supports our decision. However, getting Yake back through diplomacy before the ceremony is now impossible. We'll have to plan for after the event."
"No need to wait," Wei Huan said. "I'll bring my people back myself. I don't need anyone's permission."
Mu Zhong laughed. He wasn't surprised. A strong man doesn't bully the weak, but Old Hodgson didn't count as "weak"—he was a snake. His greed and interference had cost Daxia too many lives over the years. If he wanted to remind the world he existed, his "good days" were officially over.
On the morning of his own promotion, instead of waiting for the official car, Wei Huan and Mu Zhong grabbed some fried dough sticks and soy milk, summoned Dot Mom, and headed west. In less than twenty minutes, traveling at 2,000 km/h, they crossed the ocean. They finished breakfast just as they reached the coast of the other continent.
The Aosam coastal defenses, once formidable, were obsolete against Legend-grade undead. With "Iron Heart" hijacking the radar systems, Dot Mom was a ghost. They flew directly over the naval bases deployed against Daxia and arrived at a private estate in Peanut City.
Iron Heart pinpointed Old Hodgson's location. The old man was at his dining table, being hand-fed by a beautiful maid like an infant, grease staining his chin. It was a revolting sight.
Wei Huan's eyes filled with disgust. A shimmering portal opened behind him, and a cloud of Ghost Crows swarmed out. Each crow carried a Netherfire Bomb—the same green flames that terrified the Dark Beasts.
The massive estate fell into an eerie silence. Guards froze as smoke-like crows with razor-sharp beaks hovered inches from their eyes. In a black sedan, a driver looked up to see a crow inside his locked car, its glowing green bomb pulsating with a cold, terrifying aura.
The guards, many of whom were Sequence 3 or 4 Challengers, realized instantly who they were facing. They had no desire to die for Old Hodgson. When their headsets crackled with orders to "stand down and keep quiet," they complied with relief. They weren't going to fight the man who killed Dark Beast royalty.
Inside the mansion, Old Hodgson sat in his chair. He didn't panic. After a moment, he signaled the trembling maid to set down the cutlery.
"Welcome, General Wei," he said to the crow in front of him. "On the day of your commissioning, you still found time for an old man? Why are you all standing there? Serve the guest!"
The servants moved to obey, but stopped when the crows' beaks pressed against their foreheads. The aura of death was paralyzing.
Hodgson's face twitched. He was playing a game of psychological chicken. He was certain Wei Huan wouldn't kill him. Wei Huan wanted to lead the Blue Star Alliance; he needed Aosam's support. If he killed the head of Aosam's influential faction, he'd lose a fifth of his potential power.
"So, how shall we talk?" Hodgson said. "What do you want? Let us move to a more comfortable room so I can change out of these stained clothes."
He moved to stand, but the crow didn't budge. The bomb was inches from his face. He sat back down.
His security captain handed him a headset. "He wants to speak to you, sir."
Hodgson put it in his ear. "Hello, General Wei. Why not come in for a drink? I have a bottle of century-old wine from King Anas's cellar—"
"I'll give you ten seconds," Wei Huan's voice interrupted, cold and devoid of emotion. "Surrender, or die. Ten."
Hodgson chuckled. "God, you're young. Discussing surrender at a time like—"
"Nine."
"We aren't at war. I thought you came to solve a problem, not escalate it."
"Eight."
"Mr. Wei, this is childish. Everything is negotiable—"
"Two."
"Wait, what?"
"One."
"Wait, the count—!"
There was no need for further explanation. The Ghost Crow dove into Old Hodgson's open mouth and left something behind.
'Puff.'
Even a low-level Netherfire Bomb, when detonated inside a human skull, is catastrophic. Blood and gray matter sprayed across the dining table. The beautiful maid, her eyes wide like sapphires, stared at the headless corpse in front of her, paralyzed by shock.
Old Hodgson was dead. Simple as a popped bubble.
The maid's eventual scream broke the silence. The security captain, a man of principle even in the face of death, transformed into a Great Bear and crashed through the window. In mid-air, he sprouted feathers and wings, lunging toward Wei Huan, who sat visible and unshielded in the sky.
He knew he couldn't win, but he chose to die for his creed.
It was a wasted gesture. Before he could reach Wei Huan, a small Earth Pit Beast suddenly expanded into a mountain-sized behemoth. The captain didn't even hit his target; he just slammed into the beast's flank and was swatted back to the ground.
He shifted into a leopard, trying to leap over the beast's shell, but countess Facehugger worms swarmed him. He was wrapped in a suffocating web of green silk and dragged into the depths of the undead mass.
He waited for the bite of the scythe, but it never came. He was merely pinned, unable to move.
Outside, the estate had become a nightmare. Thousands of undead sprouted from the ground. Guards were surrounded. Some fought back, but their vision was blocked by the sheer number of ghosts.
Voices crackled through the headsets:
"Kill them! Fight back!"
"Don't shoot! They aren't killing us! Wei Huan doesn't want us dead!"
Caught between a headless employer and an invincible god, the guards stood in the middle of an endless sea of undead, feeling a profound, soul-crushing despair.
The "war" was over before it had even begun.