Dawn City, Underground Dungeon No. 1, Vanguard Initiative Launch Hall.

Chu Zhaonan and a group of Federation officials solemnly watched the screen showing the launch of seven starships. The launch hall was bustling with activity.

Not only here, but the entire Underground Dungeon No. 1 was now completely empty. All Federation staff except those involved in the Vanguard Initiative had already left. Only a few remained beside him: Xu Yan, Luo Ming, and Vanguard Initiative leader Su Jin.

“Report to Chairman Chu, a large number of abnormal entities have been detected flooding in through the underground network works.”

An officer reported, “All city entrances and exits have been sealed. They are expected to break through from below the underground dungeon in thirty minutes.”

“I’ll lead people to hold them off,” Luo Ming told the officer. “Everyone hold the launch center.”

“Yes!”

Beside the Twin Star Tower, the Skybreaker Ship was flying amidst a hail of artillery fire. Ye Lan stood calmly on the main bridge, watching the seven stars carrying the light of human civilization ascend steadily into the darkness.

At the same time, in Dawn City, the eyes of millions of survivors looked upward to the sky.

“What’s that? A star?” a child asked from the crowd.

“Yes, those are starships, our human starships,” a mother answered.

“Where are they going?”

“To a very far place…”

“Will they come back?”

The mother’s eyes reddened as she gently stroked the child’s hair.

“They will.”

[Control Center: This is Dawn City. Confirmed: ‘Breaking Barrier 1’ has completed sequence launch. Expected to enter Vanguard sequence in 35 seconds.]

[Relay craft deployment complete. Telemetry signal normal.]

[Civilization Vanguard, Natural Selection, Deep Blue, Star Shepherd, Constellation, Ocean, Ark microwave protective shields successfully activated.]

[In 20 seconds, main engines of the entire fleet will ignite. All personnel, secure positions and prepare for lift acceleration.]

[Main engine thrust at 75%, continuing to rise.]

[All units notified: In 30 seconds, approaching the Sky Veil Barrier height. Entire fleet maintain assault formation.]

Boom!

At 7,000 meters altitude, the Gray Mist Envoy with eight ultra-heavy plasma thrusters unleashed a raging thrust, its body engulfed in high-temperature ablation flames, shining like a blazing angel, flying at the front of the seven starships.

Powerful jet streams parted the clouds as the Vanguard fleet accelerated continuously.

[Reached 8,000 meters altitude.]

[Reached 9,000 meters altitude.]

The Gray Mist Envoy’s plasma tail plume roared onward.

In the launch center control room, Chu Zhaonan’s gaze remained fixed on the ascending fleet, his expression calm throughout.

[9,500 meters.]

[Approaching the Sky Veil Barrier height. Notify entire fleet to prepare for impact.]

Beep beep beep beep!

At this moment, alarms sounded nonstop across the fleet and control consoles in the launch center.

Su Jin, Xu Yan, and the other former Federation officials looked extremely solemn. The air in the launch hall seemed to freeze.

[Barrier-breaking device detected Sky Veil Barrier energy fluctuations. Preparing for impact!]

[Accelerate!]

Beep...

In the next instant, signals from the Gray Mist Envoy in the first sequence to the subsequent seven starships flickered and then vanished completely from the launch center’s monitoring screen within one second.

“Report: relay craft has crashed!”

“Report: large-scale midair explosions detected by sky observation station…”

“Search impossible to complete. Air monitoring ship has landed!”

The launch hall fell completely silent. The air was unbearably heavy, as if everyone was holding their breath. Even the faintest sound, like a needle dropping, became piercing.

Everyone understood what was happening. This was not the first barrier-breaking test.

For the launch center staff, they knew why the relay craft had crashed. Yet no one dared to speak. The atmosphere was filled with sorrow and despair.

Some faces turned pale;

some wept quietly. Xu Yan’s old eyes looked unfocused, his tightly clenched fists slowly loosening. He looked at Chu Zhaonan, who stood silently without movement.

No one spoke. Time passed second by second.

Ten minutes passed.

Twenty minutes passed.

At this moment, loud explosions and monstrous roars began to echo through the vast underground dungeon below. More and more guards ran out with guns to support the fight. Meanwhile, Chu Zhaonan remained unmoving, his gaze locked tightly on the monitor screen.

At 10:27, the sky was still dark. The roars of abnormal entities reverberated through the underground dungeon, invading upward from a kilometer below.

Once clean and bright office areas, high-priced residential districts, schools, hospitals, entertainment zones, and streets were all washed into ruins by the flood of abnormal entities.

Though only twenty minutes had passed, it felt as if hours had slipped away.

Just as the atmosphere in the launch hall grew oppressively dark, a shortwave signal transmitted via high-power electromagnetic waves suddenly appeared on the computer screen of one staff member.

The worker’s expression changed;

he rubbed his glasses in disbelief. A string of binary code transmitted through electromagnetic pulse intervals appeared rapidly on his screen.

“Chairman!”

The staff shouted, startling everyone.

A large crowd of workers gathered around.

“Binary code, activate compiler!”

“Translation results are ready!”

“Display on the screen!”

Beep beep beep beep!

Chu Zhaonan, Xu Yan, and others lifted their heads toward the large screen. Familiar words appeared in their view:

“Dawn City, this is Natural Selection Captain Zhang Beihai. Using solar gain reflection to transmit return data. Barrier-breaking device successfully opened Sky Veil Barrier, but we suffered an unknown dark energy storm attack, causing extensive crew mutations. Civilization Vanguard’s supply ship propulsion system pushed us and Deep Blue away from the dark energy storm area. Captain Chu Jing has died;

I have taken over as lead captain of the Vanguard Initiative. We are proceeding according to plan, departing the solar system. Farewell, Blue Star!”

“Captain Zhang!? We... succeeded?!!”

The launch center leader burst into tears. “Two starships at stellar-class have escaped!!!”

For the Vanguard Initiative, as long as one of the seven starships escaped, it was considered a success.

But just as he was about to cheer, he noticed the complex expressions of the other staff. He realized this and turned apologetically to Chu Zhaonan.

“Chairman Chu… I—”

Chu Zhaonan already understood everything. Comfortingly, he told all the staff:

“It’s alright. It’s all the same.”

“Our mission is complete. Now, everyone can leave. The Skybreaker Ship will escort you to safety.”

Xu Yan’s gaze met his, and in that moment, Chu Zhaonan seemed to have a thousand-pound burden lifted from him. He appeared much older all at once.

Evacuation began. The last Federation staff and armed personnel in the control hall started to leave the underground dungeon.

“Activate Eternal Well!”

Chu Zhaonan issued the ultimate command with his fingerprint.

Empty!

Sound!

At the top of Underground Dungeon No. 1, two massive steel gates slowly closed like heavenly doors.

This was the permanent defense originally built to withstand nuclear-level explosions. Now, it was used to stop the abnormal entities and mutation outbreaks inside the dungeon.

Luo Ming led the Seraphim team to cover the retreat of numerous guards and launch center staff. As Xu Yan was leaving, he saw Chu Zhaonan still standing alone in the launch hall. He immediately said,

“Chairman…”

“Go.”

Chu Zhaonan, clad in military uniform, stood quietly in the empty hall and said calmly,

“As the last leader of human civilization, I must bear responsibility for continuing our legacy, and also atone for the forgotten humanity.”

He stood in the center of the launch hall like a sharp sword, guarding the place that once symbolized civilization’s heart and survival fortress. The overwhelming tide of abnormal entities surged endlessly from the underground dungeon but seemed unable to overwhelm this statement.

Xu Yan’s face darkened with bitterness. He silently nodded to him. The fleeing staff also stopped in small groups, turning back to look at that figure.

As Federation Chairman, he waited for everyone to leave.

As a father, he waited for one message to return.

Chu Zhaonan took out a glittering navy emblem from his pocket, gently stroking it, and whispered in a voice only he could hear,

“Well done.”

Bang. The Eternal Well closed.

All abnormal entities trying to flood into the city from underground were cut off.

To the east and south of the city, the direction where the walls were about to fall, the 83rd Iron Guard Brigade arrived as reinforcements, holding the last high walls.

10:48.

Dawn broke.

The night’s rain vanished, and Dawn City welcomed the sunrise again.

As the dark sky retreated and sunlight bathed the grand city, smoke rose from the battlefield.

Rat-a-tat-tat.

When the last gunshots ceased, the entire city fell silent.

On the city walls, the bright light shone on the exhausted and desperate defending soldiers, on the survivors’ blood-stained faces. At this moment, everyone knew—they had survived!

A mere seventeen-year-old defending soldier raised his gun and approached the edge of the wall. His gaze swept over the brutal battlefield of last night’s outer city. What he saw made his pupils dilate in horror.

Outside the walls, the former outer suburban area was no more.

Broken skyscrapers looked like giant bones gnawed by beasts. Concrete rubble and twisted steel bars intertwined, the exposed fractures still smoldering black. Streets were unrecognizable, asphalt roads plowed into scorched earth by artillery fire. Shell craters filled with dark red bloodlike water gaped open like countless mouths.

Traffic lights hung inverted on poles, various monster limbs dangled from them. Shattered glass reflected the rising sun like scattered blood-red diamonds.

Tens of millions of zombie and abnormal entity corpses piled like mountains—rotten, charred, mutilated—layered to fill every street and ruin. Some were blown to pieces by heavy artillery;

guts and limbs hung on steel bars. Some were burned to charcoal by flamethrowers.

Along the city walls, large special-class monster heads hung suspended. Miniature nuclear explosions had blasted half their bodies from neighborhoods kilometers away onto the walls, forming a massive intersection.

Inside the city was no better. High-rise buildings suffered terribly from attacks by flying abnormal entities—collapses, explosions. Survivor vehicles in large areas burned and destroyed. Streets littered with corpses of flying abnormal entities and spent shells. Anti-air cannon barrels still slightly warm;

rocket fins stuck in collapsed building ruins like eerie tombstones.

In survivor districts, countless survivors looked terrified and exhausted. Their bodies and vehicles covered in dust and monster blood. Some began to shout out in shock.

“It’s daylight! It’s daylight!!”

“Daylight!”

Hundreds of survivor groups who had endured the nightmare night were now filled with joy and the shock of having survived. Organized convoys immediately began rescue and medical operations, reorganizing assets and counting numbers. Many broken small convoys and families sat like ghosts in street corners, crying. Some searched through rubble for relatives, some ran around seeking water. Dust and debris from collapsed buildings had almost turned everyone’s hair gray.

“Daylight! Quickly pack up and leave Dawn City!”

“Northward! Northward!”

“Eastward! Go east!”

“Take all usable resources!”

“The Phoenix Society has arrived. We follow their troops to leave!”

In city streets, cries, screams, shouts, and cheers rose in endless cacophony.

Twin Star Tower, Skybreaker Ship.

Xu Yan and many Federation officials were gathered here. Several transport ships flew in. One carried garrison commander Lu Tianye;

others brought Xu Zhenyue of the North American United Front and Ho Jiang, commander of the 83rd Iron Guard Brigade.

From here, the Phoenix Society and Dawn City survivors merged.

“The Vanguard Initiative succeeded,” Ye Lan said to everyone. “This is something to be thankful for. At least two seeds of human civilization are leaving the solar system. That should bring some comfort to us now in despair.”

She then looked at the post-battle cityscape, sighed, and said,

“Now, the rest of us must consider how to survive the next long night.”

…

Lin Xian was rescued by the Phoenix Society at Star City Rail Station, along with KIKI, Shiori, and a few of Qinuo’s remaining members.

On the station platform, over sixty body bags lay in rows. Lin Xian sighed to Qinuo, “Operation Crescent Moon failed. To get information on the dark side, only killing an S-class directly remains.”

Though he said this, Lin Xian knew it was nearly impossible.

The Phoenix Society did not obtain relevant cells from Cloudthorn, so they understood acquiring the so-called “action brain” of an S-class was no easy feat. They would need to cultivate it in the Star Abyss like the Crimson World, requiring sacrificing hundreds to connect via mycelium. Even if the Phoenix Society could do this, they no longer had the time.

“That’s impossible now. The Gray Mist launch breakthrough of the Sky Veil Barrier must have triggered changes in the Star Abyss again,” Qinuo said, smoking a cigarette from his wheelchair, melancholy in tone. “The current unmanned observers have detected not one but three S-class in Star Abysses 5, 7, and 8 approaching. That’s not all—scout units suspect the nomads from Star Abyss 5 are moving this way.”

He spat and said in a deep voice, “Whether it’s a Star Abyss connection or another Sky Veil Barrier breach, we’ve definitely angered these monsters. So the Phoenix Society’s main directive now is evacuation.”

Jiang Yun approached. “Many large convoys began retreating at dawn. The Phoenix Society should also be evacuating soon.”

Lin Xian looked at him tiredly. “What about Jian Xuwei?”

“She and Jian Zeyang went out of the city to meet the Sky Shepherd Infinite,” Jiang Yun checked the time. “The mobile signal station already received news;

they should enter the city soon.”

Lin Xian nodded wearily, watching the zipper close slowly over Chu Yan’s body, his gaze heavy.

“Why did I have to tell myself not to give up on you?

Why not give up on you?

Why would I give up on you?”

Operation Crescent Moon was Chu Yan’s mission to complete. But at the last moment, facing present and future choices, she resolutely chose the present, joining Lin Xian to reclaim the Galaxy Heart and save the city from disaster.

Lin Xian never expected Chu Yan to die like that. In the final moment, Chu Yan told him Julius would never reveal dark information. So she knew if she launched a mental attack on Julius, he would kill the true controller.

This meant little loss to the Crimson World since both were clones, mere puppets managing the Colossal God Peak Launch Site, and eliminating Chu Yan removed a major threat to them.

Chu Yan had foreseen her death. It was the only choice.

Shiori came over, quietly releasing her ability behind Lin Xian to help restore some spirit.

Lin Xian felt a warmth and looked back at Shiori, forcing a faint smile.

“Shiori, you did well.”

Shiori’s face still showed some dirt. She told Lin Xian,

“I believe we still have hope.”

She pointed to the sky. “We can fly up there too.”

Lin Xian looked upward. He had just learned that two Vanguard starships survived. He remembered that when sneaking into the starport, the first ship he saw was Natural Selection. This news brought mixed feelings—comfort blended with bitterness. From the perspective of civilization’s cause, humanity might bloom brilliantly again in the far stars of the universe. From his viewpoint, the surviving humans on Blue Star had only a few months’ journey left.

Whether humanity could use this time to deepen research on the Sky Veil Barrier remained unknown, but the Star Abyss fluctuations likely meant the dark side had realized human actions, possibly worsening their survival prospects.

KIKI, after a night of battle, had already fallen asleep. At Star City Rail Station, Fire Bro, Monica, Jiang Yun, and others had fought through the night to defend the Silver Star and the members and vehicles of the Unlimited Alliance. After massive vehicle losses, evacuation became even harder.

Boom!

Amid sorrow and chaos, Dawn City’s airspace roared. To the north, a huge floating city blotted out the sky—Silent City, though Silent City’s No. 2 city was now separated.

To the west, a black interstellar mega-train rushed like a giant starship through the sky. Meanwhile, on the orbital track, a 15-kilometer-long joint train thundered, loaded with supplies, equipment, materials, and all Unlimited Alliance members, rushing into the city.

The Sky Shepherd train landed at Star City Rail Station. Due to Dawn City’s walls, the Sky Shepherd train had to fly into the city.

Jian Xuwei, Shi Diyuan, Chen Sixuan, Shu Qin, Daluo, Shasha, Ning Jing, Qian Dele, Ding Junyi, and many old friends and core members gathered.

Chen Sixuan dashed into Lin Xian’s arms. The fierce battle in Dawn City last night had caused great concern for the Unlimited faction. Fortunately, they bore no dark marks. The surging dark abnormal entities all rushed toward Dawn City, sparing them from the battle.

During this time, the newest Sky Shepherd-class standard hull was completed. The Sky Shepherd train now exceeded 4 kilometers in length, truly a colossal beast. With reconfigured weapons, the Unlimited Alliance’s firepower rivaled an army.

In the rail station hall, leaders of the former joint train core, along with Jiang Yun, Jian Xuwei, Jian Zeyang, and the Windrunner Alliance’s Hongyuan Trade Union leader Wang Hongyuan, New Era Engineering Group’s Song Feng, Iron Shield convoy’s Liang Hao, and Burning Phoenix convoy’s He Linqiu formed a large core group, all led by Lin Xian to discuss the next arrangements.

“Dawn Watch Alliance’s Lin Qingyu, Wind Whisperers’ Luo Heng, and Full Metal Frenzy’s Han Tiege have started withdrawing. Yu Huai’an, stationed at Zhanguan, is preparing to lead the Wanderer Alliance to the Tianji direction. Now, over ten thousand large convoys in the city are basically leaving. Only the Common Alliance’s Lei Zhen seems to be staying to help those seeking aid.” Jiang Yun summarized the city’s situation.

Jian Xuwei said, “If we leave the city now, we might reach Ping City before dark, and arrive at Kang City by tomorrow.”

At this moment, loud noise arose outside the station. Lin Xian stood and walked out. Opening the door, he saw the station square, streets, and corridors packed with people—at least tens of thousands crowded outside, their desperate pleas filling the air, blocked outside by the alliance members and iron barricades.

“Captain! Please let us join your convoy!”

“We have supplies, can go without food. Please take us!”

“Please… just take my daughter! She’s only five, very sensible. Don’t let her die…”

“I have skills! I was a train maintenance engineer!”

In that moment, wounded men, kneeling mothers pleading, despairing youths, crying children, and small families all surged toward Lin Xian, their voices full of hopelessness. Lin Xian stood upstairs, watching the endless crowd below.

Their outstretched hands—cracked, bloody, dirty, injured, aged, young—like wheat stalks blown down by the wind, all pointed toward the rail station, clutching the last straw of hope.

“They probably saw the Sky Shepherd and joint train entering the city and want to join to escape Dawn City,” Jiang Yun came over, face complicated.

Shi Diyuan frowned beside Lin Xian, heavy-hearted watching the scene. “Brother Lin, can we take some people?”

Lin Xian nodded. “Altogether, the joint train can add a few thousand more.”

“A few thousand won’t change anything,” Burning Phoenix convoy’s He Linqiu said, approaching Lin Xian. “Just here, at least thirty to fifty thousand.”

“How many people are left in the city? A million?” Shi Diyuan asked.

“At least three million!” Song Feng of New Era Engineering Group said.

“Three million?!” Chen Sixuan exclaimed. “How can there be so many?”

Lu Xingchen stood silently nearby, expression grave. As the god of fire, he deeply felt powerless.

Iron Shield convoy’s Liang Hao said sternly, “Most are survivors from yesterday’s outer city. Plus, at least a dozen vehicle groups were destroyed inside the city last night. At least three million can’t evacuate quickly.”

“Yes.” Wang Hongyuan of Hongyuan Trade Union added, “Many survivors have already walked out on foot while time was still early. But on foot, they can’t reach Qingbo before dark.”

“On foot? Then it won’t be just abnormal entities;

even zombies will be trouble!” Shi Diyuan said.

“What’s the Phoenix Society’s plan?” Ning Jing asked.

Lin Xian sighed deeply. “I just received news from Mochizuki Shinji. Silent City has split in two. They’re preparing to cooperate with the Phoenix Society to transport 500,000 people to Jin River.”

“Five hundred thousand? What will they do when so many arrive at Jin River? Still on foot?” Chen Sixuan asked.

Jian Xuwei shook her head. “Many don’t plan to leave anymore. Without vehicles, staying in Dawn City might extend life by a few days at least. At least they have shelter.”

Lin Xian looked at the scene, mood heavy, and clenched his teeth hard.

“This is exactly what the Crimson World wants to see—the convoys are gone, and the remaining people will be abandoned…”

At that moment, the Crimson Phoenix Token rang. Lin Xian answered;

it was Qinuo, already back on the Skybreaker Ship.

“Captain Lin, if convenient, we need you to come to the Skybreaker Ship immediately!”