Published: March 2, 2025
Time, twenty years after the apocalypse...
Location: Japan, Tokyo.
Tang Haofei stood in the dilapidated urban area, gazing up at the sky.
In the sky, a giant Demon Realm Gate floated in mid-air, and no one could explain why such a thing could defy Earth's gravity. Of course, these details were not important...
What mattered was what was inside the Demon Realm Gate—a pipe-like structure emerging from the pitch-black gate, with the other end deeply embedded in the crater of Mount Fuji...
The black pipe, resembling a straw, continuously absorbed something from deep within the Earth—according to the feedback from Earth's will, it was called the earth's core origin—this was the fundamental essence of a world's existence.
The closer Tang Haofei, the only divine beast species of the human race, got to that black pipe, the more he could sense the wails of Earth's will.
The origin was the life of the Earth! And the demonic clan was plundering the life of an entire world!
...
Sensing the increasing number of high-ranking demonic beings ahead, the weakest among them were ancient demons, not to mention the thousands of demonic entities.
Behind him, Qin Min, looking exhausted and covered in blood, slowly approached. He looked at the disproportionately strong enemies ahead, his despair openly visible.
"News from the Beijing Gathering Place indicates that the strong individuals sent by Huaxia didn't even reach the Japanese coastline before being killed by sea demons. Four of them died, and both the Washington Gathering Place and the New Hope Gathering Place in Europe refuse to send troops... The divine beast species we contacted earlier was intercepted near the coast, and the only ones who have arrived here are... the Sea King, Rahul, and Shadow... The oceanic tribe is currently desperately trying to reach the Japanese islands, but they can't break through the demonic clan's defenses... Support is completely gone..."
Looking at the black pipe continuously siphoning the earth's core origin, Tang Haofei shook his head slowly.
"Not enough... This power is far from enough for us to destroy the transport channel, and it's insufficient for us to even get close to Mount Fuji... Moreover, Earth can't hold out for long..."
"I know, but those who can come have come, and those who can't... really can’t... This time it’s really over, we've lost, big boss, let it go..."
Tang Haofei looked deeply at Qin Min beside him, then turned away, letting out a long, heavy breath...
"We've known each other for twenty years, right?"
Seeing Qin Min hesitate and nod, Tang Haofei calmly said.
"Then, do you still remember our initial wish?"
Qin Min's lips moved slightly: "To protect..."
"No, I mean the first one."
Seeing the confused look in Qin Min's eyes, Tang Haofei patted his shoulder vigorously and laughed heartily: "When the apocalypse had just begun, we met, and you said you were strong, the strongest in your town, but I broke several of your ribs with a single punch!"
As if recalling the past, Qin Min's gaze became a little nostalgic.
"And then we chopped zombies together, sitting under the sunset drinking beer—when was that? It was less than a month after the apocalypse began, right?"
"I said, follow me... you asked what we could gain... I said, we could gain this world!"
"This was our first wish and also the initial wish behind forming the ultimate combat team. Our strength could carve out a place in this apocalypse we thought we knew..."
"That's right, the apocalypse we thought we knew..."
Qin Min seemed to recall the 'youthful ignorance' of that time, a genuine smile playing at the corners of his mouth...
"But later, when the demonic clan invaded, we realized this apocalypse was different from our expectations. At first, we thought we could drive those demonic spawn back home, and after a few years, we hoped to find a piece of land where humans could thrive, and now, we want to protect the last spark of humanity... The changes have been too great..."
"Yes, the changes have been too great..."