Dawn of a New Era-Chapter 510 - 484: Big Balloons

The command center was brightly lit, and military officers of all ranks gathered in a circle.

Even the commander of the military district, who had already retired for the night, rushed over upon hearing the news.

Under the inquisitive eyes of several aides, Wang Lie and Zhu Xueqing meticulously relayed the intelligence from the sealed zone, particularly the information disclosed by the cult leader during the interrogation and the subsequent significant response from the Barbarian God.

The commander of the military district finally couldn’t keep his expression neutral any longer and stood up excitedly: "Niu Jiao Mountain?"

He immediately looked at the surrounding aides, "Quick, check where Niu Jiao Mountain is located. The Barbarian God is likely there."

He paced back and forth excitedly.

In war, intelligence comes before action.

However, the military’s intelligence on the sealed zone was extremely limited, and several times, the special operations personnel sent by the army had never returned, clearly sacrificed. The entire sealed zone was like a black hole, and even the existence of the Barbarian God could not be confirmed.

This time, obtaining the intelligence was indeed too important, even potentially decisive for an entire battle.

"Sir, we found it. Niu Jiao Mountain is located in the northwest of Tuoan City, in Niu Jiao Town. The coordinates are..." an aide examining a map loudly announced.

...

Zhu Xueqing and Wang Lie returned from reporting the intelligence, their expressions heavy, showing no sign of relief from their narrow escape.

Wang Lie glanced at his watch, sighed, "It’s almost ten, General Manager Chen..."

"General Manager Chen will definitely be fine!" Zhu Xueqing interrupted excitedly, her eyes slightly red, "He’s so strong, with Giant Transformation, even killed a Demigod; he’ll surely survive this ordeal!"

Moreover, he’s so handsome; there’s no way he could die so easily.

Isn’t that how it always plays out in TV dramas?

In fact, she knew in her heart that the hope of Chen Shouyi surviving was slim, but she was unwilling to believe it.

When the vertical eye in the sky opened, they hadn’t run far, only covering a few kilometers, and the terrifying aura of despair behind them made her feel utterly hopeless, as if she were plunged into an icy abyss, sensing her life slipping away.

This was just the aftermath of the power!

Impossible to imagine.

What kind of terrifying attack did Chen Shouyi, who bore the brunt of it, encounter?

Wang Lie remained silent for a while, opened his mouth but eventually said nothing.

This might already be the strongest warrior among humans, an unparalleled talent whose creation of the Chen Clan’s training method is destined to have a far-reaching impact on Great Xia and all of humanity.

Yet even such a powerful figure was powerless against the True God from another world.

Like a meteor, a fleeting brilliance.

Recalling the sealed zone, full of humans like living corpses, he felt the future was bleak, with no sign of hope.

Living in the Capital City, he knew more about the inside story.

Two full years of war had begun to show signs of weariness in Great Xia, this giant. Although it still maintained a semblance of peace and stability, it was merely managing to hold on.

Fighting on three, four, even five or six fronts simultaneously had severely drained Great Xia’s national strength.

The nearly twenty years of prepared war reserves of arms and ammunition were gradually depleting.

Under the influence of Original Force, the industrial recovery of Great Xia over the past two years was also not optimistic.

Not considering other factors, just the military manufacturing industry alone had a production capacity less than one percent of what it was before the otherworld invasion, even under wartime conditions with frantic development.

As for the number of wounded and dead soldiers, it could be counted in the tens of millions, and combined with civilian casualties, the death toll may have exceeded even a hundred million.

World War I and World War II?

In the face of such a brutal war between two worlds, they were merely child’s play.

If it weren’t for Great Xia’s population of 1.7 billion and its vast territory, where a localized war wouldn’t influence the overall situation, it might have already collapsed completely.

...

The two, each absorbed in their own thoughts, walked silently, with heavy steps, back to the small temporary abode.

Dim, warm light filtered through the door crack, emanating outside.

"Did we forget to extinguish the gasoline lamp when we left?" Wang Lie asked in confusion.

As soon as they escaped back, they rushed to the command center to report the intelligence, without even returning here!

"I definitely turned it off, clearly remember. Even if I didn’t, after two days, it would’ve gone out by now!" Zhu Xueqing replied, her breathing becoming slightly rapid as she thought of something.

She trembled as she pushed open the iron gate of the fence, step by step slowly walking towards the main door.

The main door was slightly ajar, leaving just a narrow gap, through which familiar yet heavy footsteps were clearly heard, resonating with both weight and lightness.

Zhu Xueqing’s eyes welled with tears.

Just as she was about to push the door open, someone from inside opened it.

"Ha, so you all are back. I thought you... were delayed on the road," Chen Shouyi said with a smile.

He felt a burden lift from his heart; it was great that everyone was safe.

Before he finished speaking, he was punched in the chest:

"I knew you were okay!" Zhu Xueqing said, her eyes reddening.

Chen Shouyi took a step back speechlessly to relieve the force, wondering, what was the problem with this girl, always hitting people?

Seeing the teary-eyed Zhu Xueqing, Chen Shouyi was just about to crack a joke but found himself pulled into a strong hug.

The two large softnesses pressed tightly against his chest, completely flattening.

With a dazed expression, Chen Shouyi’s hands were suspended mid-air, unsure whether to embrace or to release.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Zhu Xueqing released her arms and wiped her tears, "Congratulations on making it back alive. Don’t misunderstand, I was just too excited!"

Chen Shouyi expressed understanding inwardly; hugs in moments of excitement and joy were normal between men and women.

He had seen it so often on TV and in novels.

Beside them, Wang Lie also found it hard to maintain his composure, his face filled with excitement as he came over to pat Chen Shouyi hard on the back. The battlefield easily forged deep friendships, and one could quickly see through a person’s character.

Especially Chen Shouyi’s rearguard action at the last moment moved him deeply; it was nothing less than saving his life.

After releasing him, he asked, "General Manager Chen, how did you manage to escape, especially since even the True God acted?"

With a sigh, Chen Shouyi recalled with emotion, "Ah, it’s a long story. That Barbarian God was terrifying, almost died, but fortunately, I have a strong will to live and managed to pull through in the end."

Even now, the memory filled him with lingering fear; the sensation of a soul’s deathly silence and a body destroying itself under extreme fear was too terrifying.

Wang Lie and Zhu Xueqing looked on in bewilderment, observing the seemingly unscathed and still vigorous General Manager Chen.

Was that a near-death experience?

"What happened next?" Zhu Xueqing asked in a daze.

"Then, I just came back!" Chen Shouyi said.

The two exchanged bewildered glances, and Wang Lie couldn’t help scratching his head.

If not for knowing he was a legend, if not for not being able to beat him, if not for... he’d have wanted to hold him by the neck and make him speak human language properly.

"I’ll chat with you later. I need to go to the command center first to report the intelligence on the Barbarian God," Chen Shouyi stated.

ps: Requesting recommendations ah ah ah ah ah ah