This time, the Rebel Army learned many lessons from Rodan’s uprising. They established strict systems for the army and its leadership to prevent any more slander or betrayal. At the same time, they didn’t rush to attack the North Carolina Capital. Instead, they occupied city after city, splintering North Carolina from within, intending to fight a protracted war.

But the war came to an end in less than five years.

The lower class, long accustomed to their old way of life, couldn’t adapt to the Rules set by the Rebel Army. They rebelled, leading to internal strife. The Government Army seized the opportunity to launch repeated attacks, and just like that, the Rebel Army was defeated once again.

To be honest, those Rules would be perfectly normal in any other country—banning prostitution, forbidding the formation of gangs, prohibiting theft and fraud, abolishing sweatshops...

But for the poor of North Carolina, banning these things was a death sentence. What else could they do, having never been to school and having lived their entire lives in chaos?

Trying to change the deep-rooted mindset of the lower class in just five years was an impossible task.

Some experts analyzed that if the Rebel Army led by Saint Martin Francis had relaxed its policies, strengthened education, and slowly let twenty or thirty years pass, the situation might have changed. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that much time.

A few years after the failure of Saint Martin Francis’s rebellion, North Carolina saw yet another uprising. This one came incredibly close to toppling the North Carolina Government, but in the end, it became the very thing that turned the North Carolina Republic into the mess it is today.

—Havier.

A man despised, loathed, and scorned by the upper echelon of North Carolina.

Simply because he was one of them—and the son of the then-President of North Carolina.

Havier was a so-called "chosen one." He was born with Extraordinary Abilities that were the envy of all, possessed astonishing talent from a young age, and obtained his registered Alchemist certificate at the age of ten. At eleven, he set off to make a name for himself and, in just one month, became famous in the world of Ascenders.

By the time he was eighteen, he was already a renowned Tier Three Ascender, not far from reaching Tier Four.

Logically, the presidency of North Carolina should have passed to Havier sooner or later. But he happened to be an idealist. He had lofty aspirations, admired heroes who saved the world, and held deep sympathy for the lower class. He wanted to change North Carolina’s twisted class structure, reduce the wealth gap, and increase the rights of the common people.

In the eyes of the upper class, this was downright heretical. ’You, the president’s son and a future presidential candidate, are siding with those creatures lower than livestock? What will happen if you become president?!’

Thus, a wave of assassination attempts followed, but Havier handled them all with ease. Over the next year, he used various methods—coercion, cooperation, threats—to win over a large number of politicians. He successfully pushed through several bills that benefited the lower class and improved their quality of life.

This behavior undoubtedly infringed upon the interests of the upper class. Soon, Havier was framed and arrested on several charges, including treason.

While being transported to prison, two unknown Tier Four Ascenders suddenly appeared and attacked, intending to kill Havier for good. At that critical moment, Havier ascended to Tier Four. Although he was severely injured in the ambush, he ultimately managed to escape.

Later, Havier learned that the two assassins had been hired by his own father. He completely abandoned the idea of returning to become president. Instead, he went to the slums to build his power base, reassembled a new force, and renamed it the "Salvation Army," vowing to save this hopelessly twisted country.

What followed was a war that lasted for years. With Havier, a Tier Four Ascender, on their side, the Salvation Army won a sweeping victory, seizing two-thirds of North Carolina’s territory. They were on the verge of completely overthrowing the North Carolina Government’s rule.

However, what should have been a foregone conclusion took an unexpected turn.

During the battle for the Capital, Havier faced his uncle, North Carolina’s only other Tier Four Ascender.

Not many people know what truly happened in that battle. All they know is that an hour after the fight began, Havier’s uncle ascended to become a Crowned King, and Havier disappeared without a trace.

The appearance of a Crowned King instantly turned the tide of the war. In just a few short minutes, the main force of the Salvation Army was annihilated. The rebellion that had come closest to success thus came to a close.

With a Tier Five powerhouse overseeing things, the North Carolina Government’s rule became more stable than ever before, extinguishing the flames in the hearts of any future rebels.

Looking back at these three uprisings, two of them failed because of "betrayal" from the lower class of North Carolina.

If Zhou Chen remembered correctly, the high-ranking members who had betrayed Rodan forty years ago were now enjoying their comfortable family lives in the wealthy districts. Many had even fled the country... And to think, they had all started as poor commoners.

Seeing everyone’s silence, Gavin’s lips curled into a mocking smile as he answered for them:

"Of course, it was because of the betrayal of those ignorant masses! Their inherent servility makes them believe, from the bottom of their hearts, that the upper class are gods and that they themselves are less than livestock. If that’s what they think of themselves, then why should we try to save them? They don’t even want to be saved!"

"That’s not it,"

the Plague Doctor said softly. "Have you forgotten Ah Hui, who wanted to see the aurora? Or Mashi, who wanted to go to college? Or Duke, who wanted to become a singer? We’ve been through so much together, witnessed so many people struggling to live under the weight of suffering and injustice, and saw all their simple Dreams they wanted to achieve but couldn’t.

And now you dare to say they don’t want to be saved..."

’Disappointment.’

Everyone in the vehicle could feel the almost tangible disappointment radiating from the Plague Doctor, as well as the quiet rage simmering in his chest.

"Gavin, what was it that turned you from a Warrior into a beast?"

Forced to speak the truth, Gavin thought silently for a few seconds. "Desire."

"Desire..."

The Plague Doctor sighed, his eyes closing in pain behind his mask.

Desire leads to depravity. Even a rebel with noble ideals can be corrupted by it, becoming the very person they once hated most.

’Everyone hates the upper class, yet everyone wants to join them.’

Those traitors from back then were the perfect example.

Zhou Chen hesitated for a moment before patting the Plague Doctor’s shoulder comfortingly.

"True idealists are rare, and those who can stick to their ideals to the very end are even rarer. Don’t give up just because a few have fallen along the way. You still have people to save."

"Mm."

The Plague Doctor grunted in acknowledgment. He fell silent for a few seconds, calming his emotions and regaining the composure befitting a leader. "Gavin, when did you leak the plan?"

"Three days ago."

"Who did you leak it to?"

"The head of Rusted Iron City’s security department. He knows our entire plan. I also gave him the identities of our moles. He promised me an upper-class identity and the resources an Ascender needs to help me advance to Tier Three after he wipes out the Poisonous Sore Gang."

"You goddamn bastard! You spineless piece of shit! You motherfucker! You coward!" the chestnut-haired woman screamed, punching him in the groin. Gavin’s face instantly turned pale as a sheet, cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and he began to wail in agony.

"Attention, everyone. The mission has been compromised,"

the Plague Doctor called out to all personnel over the comms channel. He paused, then said in a grim voice, "This time, we’re walking into the lion’s den."

"Don’t worry, Boss. Even if it is a lion’s den, I’ll carve my way in and out of there," someone laughed boisterously over the channel.

Zhou Chen looked at the Plague Doctor. "Aren’t you going to cancel the mission?"

It was unwise to charge in headfirst knowing the enemy was fully prepared.

"I anticipated the possibility of a traitor. The situation is still under control."

The Plague Doctor’s fingers tapped a steady rhythm on his thigh as he seemed to be thinking rapidly. "Our worst-case scenario was the North Carolina Government sending a Tier Four Ascender. We haven’t reached that point yet.

Besides, I have great faith in Mr. Siegfried."

Zhou Chen let out a soft chuckle but didn’t reply.

「A few minutes later.」

The vehicle screeched to a halt.

"We’re here."