Published: February 12, 2025
Since Xia Lei decided to fight, the entire Cloud Summit war machine immediately started to operate.
After directing his subordinates to do what they needed to do, Garan, Mina, Tang Tian, and Ayang, along with several core members, came to find Guangyao. They were collectively responsible for the battle in the northern part of Plum City.
"You all came quite early; I thought it would take you at least another ten minutes to arrive," Guangyao smiled as he spoke to them. He was the overall commander on this side, and before the battle began, he wanted to gather these individuals for a small meeting.
"Sister Lei already said that we will fight soon, aside from reminding everyone to pay attention to coordination and to charge ahead bravely, there’s nothing else to instruct," Ayang said. He had already matured into a young man with a weathered face, unlike the boy who had just entered Cloud Summit; he had gained not only maturity but also an underlying calmness and determination.
From being bullied in Peace Town to now leading a main battle team, Ayang's growth was a microcosm of many Cloud Summit people's experiences.
Of course, many others did not achieve such high positions, and some had already perished in the wilderness during battles.
But this was the apocalypse, a harsh reality that was hard to look back on.
"It seems simple, but in reality..." Garan shook her head, not continuing her thought.
Everyone understood what she meant.
Attacking these parasites was different from attacking evolvers.
In the battles for occupying the national district, Cloud Summit's approach combined both "attack and persuasion," decisively eliminating fiercely resistant forces while also accepting those willing to cooperate. The ratio of "attack and persuasion" varied among the battle teams; for instance, Little Tiger's team focused more on attacking, while Guangyao and Tang Tian's team emphasized persuasion.
However, when facing these parasites, there was only one outcome: kill them all… or be killed by them.
The green-skin monsters were somewhat unfamiliar to many Cloud Summit people, but they had fought against them in virtual battles on the Light Extreme Training Platform. Their combat methods and the ability to seemingly replenish their combat power at any time were enough to send chills down one’s spine.
To defeat them would undoubtedly require a great price, which was also Garan's concern.
"Today, we are not the only ones present," Guangyao led the group to a vantage point. The edge of the city to the north of Plum City had a patch of woods; everyone from Cloud Summit was outside the woods, and they needed to cross it first during the attack. Therefore, the temporary command post was placed on a high war fortress to provide a clearer view. The group positioned themselves next to the fortress, from where they could access the command cabin situated over thirty meters high.
"Besides us, in front of us are five hundred thousand other evolvers who came for the rewards or the dream of joining Cloud Summit, along with fifty thousand gene warriors and various magic crystal weapons. Additionally, there are some war rat legions and controllable mutated zombie hordes assisting us."
Guangyao glanced at the time; there was still half an hour until the battle began. In some areas, signs of troop movements were already visible, and on the other side of the woods, the parasites were also stirring, with quite a few entering the woods.
Strangely, just like before, they still did not actively attack the nearby Cloud Summit teams.
"I know what you are all worried about. One concern is the potential losses here; after all, we are facing at least five million various monsters. Eliminating them all will inevitably result in casualties for every battle team," Guangyao said, retracting his gaze and leading everyone into the command cabin.
"But in battle, casualties are a certainty. A formidable battle team becomes truly elite only after enduring countless trials of fire. The current Cloud Summit is strong, and no one can deny that. However, this strength is built upon the foundation laid by our boss, who brought us to where we are today. Now that the boss has ascended, we must rely on our own efforts. Don’t think that occupying the national district, something previously unimaginable, has been achieved overnight; beyond the national district, there are broader territories with stronger evolvers and mutated life forms. Just think about the demon whale; we must become stronger. Each battle serves as a whetstone for our growth."