Chapter Sixty-Five

Inside the Council Chamber of Peace Academy in Peace City, the atmosphere was solemn and oppressive. Soft light cascaded down from the vaulted ceiling, casting contrasting shades of light and shadow across the faces of those assembled. Standing in the center of the hall, Shen Yi swept his calm gaze over the prominent figures of Chen Si, a confident smile blooming on his face.

"Everyone, to be perfectly honest, regarding the attack on that continent and its eventual conquest, I, Shen Yi, am willing to shoulder the entire responsibility. All of you need only provide me with various types of ores. To put it bluntly, you are responsible for mining and securing the logistics, while the charging into battle and fierce fighting will be left to me." Shen Yi's voice was steady and powerful, echoing through the silent council chamber.

Hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of emotions. A flicker of doubt crossed some eyes, while others wore thoughtful looks. Seeing this, Shen Yi paused briefly and continued, "Have any of you ever heard of the Fourth Calamity?"

Blank expressions filled the room, accompanied by looks of utter confusion. Seeing their reaction, Shen Yi patiently explained, "The so-called Fourth Calamity can be understood as unkillable warriors."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Undead Monarch could not help but let out a cold snort, refuting him, "Nothing is truly unkillable. Even the undead, if stripped of a vessel to nourish the soul, will scatter with the wind."

Far from being angered, Shen Yi maintained his smile and said, "That is precisely why it is called the Fourth Calamity. I have a way to forge such a force, one that is virtually unkillable, for our conquest. Ladies and gentlemen, you need only provide the funds and the ores; I will handle the rest, ensuring that casualties are kept to an absolute minimum."

"This sounds utterly unbelievable, Shen Yi. Do you have a practical and viable plan?" asked the Dragon Emperor, dressed in magnificent robes, with a furrowed brow.

Shen Yi nodded slightly, his expression earnest. "My lords, what I rely on is a unique art of summoning. Through a special ritual and the power of ores, I can summon a batch of warriors possessed of tenacious vitality and unyielding combat will. Once summoned, these warriors will fight fiercely for our objectives. Furthermore, as long as there is an adequate supply of ore energy, they can endlessly regenerate and continue to fight."

"However, the consumption of ores must be immense. How can we guarantee a steady supply?" another person questioned, raising a doubt.

Prepared for this, Shen Yi replied, "The ore resources on that continent are bound to be extremely abundant. Once we occupy it, it will not only satisfy the demands of this current campaign but also bring endless wealth to Peace City in the future. Given Peace City's foundation, securing the preliminary ores required should hardly be a difficult task."

The crowd broke into low murmurs, the scales in their hearts gradually beginning to tip. After all, if things truly unfolded as Shen Yi described, this campaign might well become the catalyst for the rise of Peace City.

"Shen Yi, this matter is of great consequence. We still need to discuss it thoroughly," said Xiao Jingqian, the leader, slowly, though a hint of temptation was already visible in his eyes.

Shen Yi cupped his fists and said, "Please deliberate as you see fit; I await your decision at any time. But opportunities are fleeting, and I sincerely hope none of you miss this marvelous chance."

The Elven King was the first to break the silence, gazing firmly at the others as he spoke, "Since there is no need for any of us to personally step into danger and risk our lives, I personally am in favor of it. As the City Lord said, even if this operation fails, we will merely lose some mineral deposits; but if it succeeds, it will be a once-and-for-all triumph. I am certain you all understand the pros and cons."

Xiao Jingqian nodded slightly, taking up the conversation with a solemn expression, "Although records regarding that continent from three thousand years ago are largely missing, it is not difficult to imagine that the conflicts of that era must have been devastating to all living things. Now that the City Lord has devised such an excellent strategy, I, representing the hundreds of millions of citizens of the Great Xia Kingdom, vote in favor of dispatching troops."

Meide narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing impassively at Xiao Jingqian before slowly speaking, "If we fail to conquer it, it matters little—we would merely lose a few worldly possessions. However, if we do conquer it, how shall that continent be divided? Surely the City Lord does not intend to monopolize it?"

As these words left his mouth, they fell like a stone into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples. The expressions of the prominent figures darkened in an instant. They turned their gazes unanimously toward Shen Yi, their eyes filled with scrutiny and anticipation, waiting for him to deliver a satisfactory answer.

Inside the Council Chamber of Peace Academy in Peace City...

Shen Yi had anticipated this long ago. Unflustered, he swept his gaze across the gathering and said slowly, "I will shoulder the burden of charging into battle. Once we succeed, we shall divide the continent equally. Dwarves, elves, humans, undead, dragons, spirit beasts, and insectoids—since humans have a larger population, they shall count for two shares, making a total of eight shares. After the equal division, I shall require nothing more than a single location where I can build a city."

Upon hearing Shen Yi's proposed division, the Dwarf King slammed his fist onto the table and declared loudly, "I agree to send troops!" The sound echoed with exceptional clarity through the silent hall, sounding like a war drum beating for the impending journey.

The Dragon Emperor followed suit, announcing, "I agree as well!" His voice was majestic and heavy, carrying the innate arrogance of the dragon race.

Wo Biao grinned so widely that the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears, shouting excitedly, "Agreed!"

Meide also nodded and said, "I am in favor! No objections!"

After a moment of contemplation, Ao Qiong spoke up, "I also agree to send troops, but this seems somewhat unfair to the City Lord. The City Lord contributes the most yet receives the least in the end; I would truly feel ashamed to accept this. My suggestion is to add a condition: during the time of war, Shen Yi shall have the authority to mobilize the armies of all clans, and after victory, everyone shall mine ores for Shen Yi free of charge for one year. How does that sound?"

"No problem!" the grand figures shouted in unison, their tones devoid of the slightest hesitation, as if this had already become their shared consensus.

With this, the grand matter was settled, and the atmosphere relaxed accordingly. Feeling as though the heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders, the group began chatting casually, and joyous laughter gradually filled the council chamber.

In the command hall, Shen Yi disconnected the link to the council chamber! He clicked on the blue planet and murmured to himself, "Come forth, my warriors—let your enthusiasm wash over me!"

Blue Star. A gaming website.

It attracted hundreds of millions of views every day. All of this was due to a deceptively simple yet mysterious, stark icon: "Astral Fantasy".

This name possessed a magical quality, plucking at the heartstrings of countless gaming enthusiasts. In the comment sections of related videos, a lively and slightly frenzied scene had long since taken shape.

"Ahhhhh, I really can't take it anymore! How could this game possibly be fake? Every single detail in the videos leaked earlier is utterly authentic; there is absolutely no way they were fabricated!" a netizen wrote near frantically beneath a video, every word dripping with anxiety and yearning.

"I also feel there's more to this than meets the eye. Those videos that were previously all over the place—why did they suddenly vanish? If it were purely for hype, the cost of such an investment would be far too immense!" another netizen replied right after, their words laced with deep suspicion.

"I simply cannot hold back anymore! Whoever has the resources for this game, name your price! I'm a second-generation rich kid, my dad is loaded, money is no object at all!" cried yet another anxious netizen, attempting to batter open the gates of "Astral Fantasy" with wealth.

Complaints, grievances, and resentment of this kind flooded in like a tidal wave. Moreover, this craze was not confined to China; players from every country across the globe were frantically posting comments online, plunging the entire Blue Star into a collective fever over "Astral Fantasy".

Just as everyone was immersed in endless complaints and speculations, an explosive leak stirred up even greater waves. "Internal news! A live streamer who had been tracking and reporting on the players participating in the game test has ended up being detained by the Security Bureau, along with those players!" According to a rumor supposedly leaked by a friend of the streamer, this undoubtedly cast an even thicker veil of mystery over "Astral Fantasy".

"Could this really be an alien game? If so, please arrest me too—I want to play! I'm a purebred human, and I'll cooperate with whatever they want to study!" a netizen calling himself a loser boasted in the comment section, his words tinged with a reckless sense of urgency.

"Don't arrest the guy above—arrest me! My IQ is over two hundred, I'm much more valuable than him!" another netizen, claiming to be an even bigger loser, refused to be outdone, attempting to stand out in this mad "war for the game".

However, just as everyone was drowning in endless complaints and guesses, that highly anticipated "Astral Fantasy" icon suddenly changed. A striking line of text emerged: "Initial testing has concluded, and slots are now being distributed! Ten thousand slots, releasing today at noon. We hope all brave warriors will eagerly sign up!"

The appearance of this announcement acted like a heavyweight bomb, instantly bringing the entire Blue Star to a complete boil.

"I am officially recruiting grabbers right now! As long as you secure a gaming qualification and fill in my address and name, once successful, I'll hand over one million directly!" A wealthy second-generation heir decisively made his move, sparing no expense to place a top-pinned advertisement on the largest website, attempting to use financial might to snatch a precious gaming slot for himself.

For a time, the entire online world surged with activity, with all sorts of clever and bizarre tricks emerging. To secure one of those ten thousand precious gaming slots, players pulled out all the stops. Some organized professional account-grabbing teams using complex scripts and programs; others mobilized every friend and family member they knew into a massive "human wave" account-grabbing army; still others even began studying various internet superstitions in search of the "lucky code" for grabbing a slot.

As the time drew closer and closer to twelve noon, the tense atmosphere grew increasingly palpable. Every player stared fixedly at their screens, their hands hovering over keyboards and mice as if preparing to charge into a war without gunpowder. Who would ultimately emerge victorious in this fierce competition revolving around "Astral Fantasy"?

As soon as the news of "Astral Fantasy" distributing gaming slots spread, the players from various nations who had previously been detained were released like birds freed from their bonds, returning to their ordinary lives.

In a tranquil research base, a white-haired, sharp-eyed veteran scientist looked worriedly toward the stern-faced middle-aged man beside him and earnestly said, "General Chen, the competition for the 'Astral Fantasy' gaming slots depends entirely on you all! The technology and opportunities hidden behind this game are of vital importance to our country."

Standing tall and upright with an unyielding gaze, General Chen responded without a moment's hesitation, "Rest assured, Dean, I have already meticulously deployed our forces. This time, we are dispatching a million soldiers to grab accounts. In terms of organization, discipline, and execution, who could possibly rival our China?"

The scene shifted, and the military camps of major military regions instantly bustled with activity. Officers and soldiers moved swiftly; the figures of those laying down network cables darted back and forth, and the operations of setting up computers proceeded in an orderly fashion. Everything was unfolding with a tension and efficiency that left onlookers in awe.

As General Chen watched the steaming-hot scene before him, he mused inwardly: if not for the extreme urgency of the time, who could possibly surpass us in momentum and strength in this battle for account-grabbing!