Prologue: A Cold Winter Night

Humans are a blend of wisdom and folly, creation and destruction. In any environment, the courage, wisdom, greed, and destructive desires exhibited by this species are unmatched by any other creature. This is not only true in our world but also in the distant reaches of the universe...

The planet Cardia, once lush and green, has been transformed by the creatures inhabiting it. Lush vegetation has disappeared, pristine rivers have become polluted, the air is filled with a peculiar pungent odor, and countless creatures have perished. Yet the species that created this situation—humans—still survive.

Originally possessing three habitable regions, humans were confined to the last remaining land after the "Apocalyptic War," so those living there call it the "Land of Hope." Where once there were over a hundred nations, only two now remain. However, this has done nothing to awaken the humans here; evil and desire continue to persist.

The "Gilke Clan" living in the western part of the continent is bent on ruling this already corrupt world, while the war-weary "Hilance Clan" resides in the east. With nearly equal populations and national power, the two nations entered a brief period of peace. Yet, this phenomenon was as fleeting as a blooming flower and is about to disappear.

The Gilke Clan poured all their scientific and economic might into developing new weapons, while the Hilance Clan channeled their national power into space exploration. One side hoped to conquer the other with new weaponry, while the other aspired to one day reach a new world. Time passed in this stalemate, and soon thirty years went by...

In an underground testing ground thirty kilometers west of the capital "Dark Holy City" of the Girk Empire...

"Today, His Majesty the Emperor will inspect 'X-105.' Everyone must perform at their best and absolutely not let our Seventh Research Base lose face!" On the training grounds of the twentieth floor of the underground experimental center, a thin, middle-aged man in the uniform of an Imperial Lieutenant General loudly addressed thirty special forces soldiers.

"Yes!" A robotic and unified reply echoed from the mouths of these thirty elite special forces soldiers, the finest in the entire empire.

Hearing the resounding reply and seeing these elite soldiers he had personally selected, the base commander—Lieutenant General Ross—nodded with satisfaction.

After nearly half an hour of waiting, as the red warning lights lit up in the training grounds, the over three thousand scientists and tens of thousands of soldiers in the base were gripped by tension. They knew that the third emperor of the Girk Empire, Roland Gilke, had entered the base!

As the green indicator light of the super-large elevator lit up, Lieutenant General Ross, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward and loudly addressed the middle-aged emperor about to step out: "Ross Shuna, commander of the Seventh Experimental Base, awaits Your Majesty. May Your Majesty's military fortunes endure and your life be everlasting!"

"Hmm, you've done well, my subject. Lead on!" The middle-aged emperor, with golden hair, around forty years old, and dressed in a yellow dragon robe, seemed uninterested in Ross's flattery. His entire focus was on the so-called "X-105."

"As Your Majesty commands!" Ross said no more and immediately led the emperor into the already prepared observation platform. After the emperor was seated, Ross cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, shall we begin now?"

"Hmm, begin now," the emperor said impatiently. In response to Ross's command, other scholars in the experimental management center began issuing exercise orders to the training grounds.

At this moment, the training grounds were surrounded by an unknown force field, leaving only the thirty special forces soldiers in the nearly thousand-square-meter area. Each of them tightly held a gemstone of varying colors, from rubies to crystals and everything in between.

"Start with Lex," Ross said to the control center. Following Ross's words, the young soldier on the far right of the training grounds, holding a ruby, stepped forward.

"Commence special operations!" As the mechanical voice sounded through the loudspeakers, Lex gripped the ruby in his hand as if pouring all his strength into it. Moments later, with a pained expression, the ruby released a dazzling red light. Amidst this glow, Lex shouted, "In my name, I summon the Lord of the Fire Realm—Phoenix!"

At that instant, something incredible happened. A phoenix, about five meters long and seven meters tall, with a body blood-red, burst forth from the ruby with a long cry, flying through the air above the training grounds amidst blazing flames!

"This... this... this is a Summoned Beast?!" The usually calm and composed Gilke Emperor was momentarily speechless at this astonishing sight.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ross replied, turning around.

"It looks huge, but is it more powerful than a mechanical warrior?" The Imperial Marshal, who had accompanied the emperor on the inspection, regained his composure and asked loudly.

"Marshal, please continue watching," Ross said, returning to the control console and speaking into the intercom: "Deploy eighty-centimeter alloy armor plates, dispatch 'Strong-19' mechanical warriors, and begin simulated combat!"

Following Ross's command, a wall of armor eighty centimeters thick and a unit of the empire's latest mechanical warrior rose from the training grounds. Alloy armor plates were an ultra-hard metal developed only in recent decades, typically used in the construction of large mechanical warriors.

Mechanical warriors were products of the last great war. These massive warriors, operated by one to several soldiers, appeared on the battlefield in the form of robots. Due to their flexibility and powerful firepower, their effectiveness far surpassed that of medieval tanks.

The Strong-19 was a new and powerful weapon developed by the Girk Empire at tremendous cost, with capabilities several times greater than similar mechanical warriors. Ross used these two methods to showcase his research achievements before the emperor.

Without further ado, after the alloy wall and mechanical warrior rose, Lex did not order the fire phoenix in the air to attack. Instead, he charged alone toward the metal plate and the stationary mechanical warrior.

"Your Majesty, this is the first stage after summoning, which elevates a human warrior's physical abilities to an incredible level," Ross explained. As his words fell, Lex punched the metal plate, which would be difficult for even heavy weapons to destroy, and almost simultaneously moved to the foot of the nearly ten-meter-tall mechanical warrior. With a loud shout, he leaped into the air and struck between the legs of the mechanical warrior. A blast of flame-like energy erupted from his fist, and under this impact, the massive mechanical warrior was blown apart like scrap paper amidst explosions.

"In... in... incredibly astonishing!" The Imperial Marshal was dumbfounded by the scene before him.

Seeing the expressions of the emperor and the high-ranking officials, Ross knew they were already awed by his achievements. However, this was not his main goal. He continued, "Since Your Majesty has witnessed the first stage of the demonstration—individual combat—please now observe how these Summon Warriors perform against multiple opponents." With that, Ross confidently approached the control console and spoke into the intercom: "Commence the second stage! All units adjust 'synchronization rate' and prepare for 'human-beast fusion.'"

Moments later, Lex on the training grounds retrieved a controller resembling a helmet from the sidelines. After putting it on and saluting the control console to indicate readiness, four Strong-19 mechanical warriors simultaneously rose from the training grounds. Almost as soon as the control console issued the command to begin the exercise, the four computer-controlled mechanical warriors dispersed to surround Lex.

"Fire, burn! Phoenix, soar high!" Before Lex's words even faded, the fire phoenix circling in the air suddenly charged directly at him, wrapping its flame-formed wings tightly around Lex. Amidst a blinding red light, the fire phoenix let out a long cry as it soared into the air. Meanwhile, Lex, standing in place, was now enveloped by a red barrier surrounding his body.

"Open fire!" With Ross's command, the four powerful mechanical warriors simultaneously attacked Lex with their heavy cluster weapons. Yet, amidst the dazzling red light and deafening explosions, Lex, engulfed in the flames of battle, remained completely unmoved. The fire phoenix, as if mocking the mechanical warriors' incompetence, continued to circle and cry out in the air.

"Your Majesty, this is the defensive capability of a Summon Warrior after fusion. I dare to boast that aside from other Summon Warriors, no so-called 'advanced weapon' today can harm a Summon Warrior in the slightest! However, this is also the Summon Warrior's weakness. After fusion, the warrior's consciousness transfers to the Summoned Beast, meaning the warrior's body becomes an empty shell without a soul, incapable of any offensive or movement abilities! But when you witness the power of the Summoned Beast after fusion, you will surely consider this a negligible weakness!" Ross respectfully explained to the emperor.

"Oh? Then show me the power of the Summoned Beast!" The emperor, having recovered from his earlier shock, calmly said to Ross.

"Your subject obeys the imperial command!" With that, Ross turned to the intercom and said, "Lex, counterattack! Let His Majesty see your strength!"

Upon hearing Ross's words, the fire phoenix in the air raised its red head high and let out a long cry, as if responding to the command. Before the cry faded, the fire phoenix began descending, charging toward the four mechanical warriors still firing.

There were no flames, no attacks. The fire phoenix merely swept past the massive bodies of the mechanical warriors, and the four once-glorious mechanical warriors instantly turned into four pools of fiery red molten steel.

Seeing the expected result, Ross couldn't help but reveal a smug smile.

"Your Majesty, this is only the 'Holy Beast-type Summon Warrior' suitable for assault battles. Other types, such as the 'Ocean-type' for aquatic combat, the 'Sky-type' for aerial battles, and the 'Earth-type' for ground warfare, have all been developed. With these powerful Summon Warriors, the continent will become Your Majesty's possession!" Ross said triumphantly.

"Haha, excellent! You are indeed a top talent, my subject. I must reward you well!" the emperor said with a smile.

"Your subject dares not claim such praise. Serving Your Majesty is my greatest honor!" Although he said this, Ross's mind was already filled with fantasies of a bright future, being enfeoffed as a prince or appointed as a high minister. However, his fantasy was shattered the moment he looked up. The captain of the Royal Guard was pointing a dark, menacing gun barrel directly at his forehead.

"Yo... Your Majesty! Why is this?" Ross cried out in panic.

"Hehe, you know too much, and if your invention were discovered by the Hilans Empire, our country would lose this advantage!" the emperor said with a cold laugh.

"Your Majesty, my loyalty to you is unwavering. How could I leak secrets to the enemy?" Ross protested, stepping back unwillingly.

"Haha, the most loyal and secret-keeping people in the world are the dead! Ross, oh Ross, do you think I don't know what kind of person you are? Don't take me for a fool! If it weren't for your talent, why would I have spared you 'back then'?" the emperor said unmoved.

Hearing the emperor's words, Ross knew he was doomed. But how could he accept dying like this? After a moment of bowed contemplation, he shouted at the emperor, "Your Majesty, if you kill me, these research technologies will be lost, and your advantage will disappear with the death of these Summon Warriors!"

"Hahaha..." As if Ross had told the world's biggest joke, the emperor showed no concern and instead laughed heartily.

Moments later, the emperor snorted coldly and said sinisterly, "Hmph, do you think your computer is the safest? Let me tell you, all the research data has long been stored in my imperial study! With this information, I can recruit a multitude of scholars to continue this research anytime! You have no more use now. Go to your death in peace!"

As the emperor's words fell, the guard captain's weapon emitted a red flash. In that flash, Ross, filled with despair, fell to the ground unwillingly. But unnoticed by anyone, a silent command had already been sent to the distant reaches of the continent...

East of the Land of Hope, in the capital of the Hilance United Kingdom—the Central Research Institute of the Kingdom.

"Dr. Cashu! Dr. Cashu!" Accompanied by hurried footsteps, a young scholar around twenty years old, holding a document, rushed toward the dean's study. "Bang!" The door, almost knocked off its hinges, let out a painful groan as it fell to one side.

"Mafa? What's wrong today?" Dr. Cashu Nairka, nearly seventy years old with white hair and beard, perpetually dressed in a white scholar's robe and the kingdom's foremost scholar—founder of hyperspace studies—put down his research materials and thick glasses, looking up at his most beloved disciple. It seemed he was already accustomed to Mafa's impulsive behavior and showed no intention of reprimanding him.

"Doc... Doctor! Huff... huff..." Mafa gasped for breath. The frantic run had already overwhelmed his frail body. After gasping for a moment, Mafa continued, "Doctor, our central technological computer suddenly received a large amount of data from an unknown source. At first, we thought it was a new type of computer virus, but after Dr. Jessica confirmed it, we found it to be an entirely new biotechnology, already at the stage of forming biological weapons!"

"What?! Dr. Jessica confirmed it's data on biological weapons?!" Old Cashu sprang up from his seat in shock. Jessica was arguably the most renowned biologist on the entire continent. If he confirmed it, there was almost no chance of error!

"Yes! Dr. Jessica has already gathered other biology doctors to conduct more detailed analysis of the new data and asked me to bring you to the Central Data Processing Control Center immediately!" Mafa said loudly.

"Alright, let's go!" Old Cashu didn't bother to gather his things and hurried to the control center with Mafa. When they entered, the place was already crowded with scholars, with various documents and materials scattered everywhere. Biologist Jessica Halsed and several scholars beside him were staring blankly at the mountain-like piles of data in their hands.

"Jessica, what kind of biological weapon is this? How much of a threat does it pose to us?" Old Cashu finally managed to approach Jessica and asked urgently. However, the dazed Jessica remained silent, as if petrified.

"Jessica? What's wrong?" Cashu nudged his old friend, asking with concern.

"Dean, see for yourself. This is an explanation written in 'shock code' attached to the end of the data," Jessica said, as if facing death, handing the materials to Cashu.

When Cashu's puzzled gaze turned to the translated document, his face instantly lost all color.

"Girk Empire Biological Weapon Project Explanation: The 'Summoned Beast Project' is our nation's advanced biological weapon project developed over nearly thirty years. It utilizes the most advanced biotechnology and human-energy fusion technology as its foundation, employing ultra-energy conversion methods to transform conventional weapons into biological weapons... The above is the theoretical basis of this technology. According to current experimental conditions, the technology is fully operational.

Conservative estimates from combat tests indicate that a 'Summon Warrior' in its first stage possesses combat capability equivalent to 100,000 conventional troops or 1,000 mechanical warriors! The combat capability after the second stage defies conventional comparison. If the opposing side lacks summon warriors of the same or higher level as a countermeasure, the war will be one-sided. Below are the energy readings for each stage of the summon warrior: Attack power..."

"No... impossible! Ultra-energy is a form of energy we have never successfully researched. Girk has always focused on military weapons research. How could they invest in energy research solely for aerospace applications? Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Old Carch trembled as he held the documents, his aged face filled with confusion and panic.

"Heh, it must be Ross! Only he could accomplish such an impossible feat!" Jessica let out a bitter laugh before speaking to Carch.

"Ross..." Remembering his most cherished disciple whom he had driven away, Carch suddenly understood!

Back when Ross was still following Carch, he had proposed the idea of ultra-energy materialization. However, since his proposal supported military applications, it didn't gain Carch's support. Later, because Ross continued his research privately, Carch eventually kicked him out in a rage. Yet today...

"Dean, the most important thing now is to report this matter to the Supreme Council! If this technology is truly as complete as described in these documents, within a month, the Girk Empire will launch a massive attack, and our country will be taken by surprise!" Jessica reminded Carch.

"...Jessica, do you think we can produce the same summon warriors within a month... no, two months?" Carch suddenly asked Jessica.

Hearing this, Jessica fell silent. She knew what Carch was really saying: "If we cannot produce the same summon warriors within two months, the fate of the Hilans Empire will be destruction!"

"...At least six months!" After a long moment of contemplation, Jessica slowly stated her estimated timeframe. In fact, this timeframe was already the absolute limit, and only if there were no mistakes could they possibly succeed within six months! "...Immediately calculate the ultra-energy-related data. We must complete the 'Jump Project' within a month!" Carch suddenly issued the order.

"You mean..." Jessica asked in shock.

"Exactly! Only this way can we avoid being enslaved by the evil Girk invaders!" Carch declared firmly, his eyes resolute.

Regardless of how tense both sides were in their preparations for war, time continued to pass day by day. One month after Ross's death, early one morning at the border fortress of the Hilans United Kingdom, "Flanders"...

"Damn it, what's wrong with this cursed weather? December was never this cold in previous years!" A guard on duty on the fortress wall rubbed his hands and stomped his feet, chilled by the biting cold wind.

"Exactly! It's already five o'clock. Why hasn't the third squad for the shift change arrived yet? Are they still sleeping in?" Another soldier, also carrying an automatic weapon, complained simultaneously.

"Haha, can't blame them, really. Weren't we sleeping in yesterday too? We've already endured the cold wind all night, so let's wait another five minutes!" Another soldier, huddled in a corner of the wall, grinned foolishly.

"Look, what's that?" Just as the soldiers standing outside were about to curse the one in the corner, a soldier stationed in the heavy weapons tower suddenly pointed to the western sky and shouted loudly.

"What? Enemies?" Alerted by the soldier's shout, the vigilant warriors immediately rushed out of their respective shelters from the wind and took up their combat positions.

"A plane? No! It should be a bird. But I've never seen a bird that's entirely red before." A soldier with sharp eyes observed carefully and muttered to himself.

"Look! It's flying over." Just as this soldier pointed at the large red bird and excitedly turned to shout to his comrades, the giant bird in the sky had already rapidly approached the fortress, descending in altitude and heading toward the airspace above it.

"A phoenix?!" Simultaneous with the soldiers' excited yet astonished voices was the long cry of the fire phoenix. "Agh..." Following this cry, the first fireball spat from the fire phoenix's mouth immediately struck the heavy weapons tower on the city wall. In an instant, all living beings and structures there were engulfed in a sea of flames!

"Mom... enemy... enemy attack!" Witnessing the sudden turn of events, the soldiers screamed in terror. However, this moment revealed the astonishing quality of these soldiers. Despite facing an unknown enemy and feeling immense fear, not a single one retreated. Instead, they all readied their automatic weapons and fired at the enemy in the sky. Yet this hopeless resistance only caused the tragedy to gradually expand.

When the fire phoenix discovered that these insignificant humans dared to fight back, its anger made its attacks even more merciless and cruel. The fireballs, originally fired one by one, now came in groups one after another. Within less than a minute, the entire western fortress wall was plunged into a sea of flames.

"Target, the 'monster' above the fortress... above the fortress, fire!" On the artillery position, the commander completed preparations in a short time. With his command and the downward sweep of the small red flag in his hand, anti-aircraft guns launched a large-scale attack on the fire phoenix in the sky.

Boom, boom... Amidst the roar of artillery fire, the fire phoenix in the sky remained completely unharmed. After determining the location of the artillery position, it gracefully beat its wings. Instantly, hundreds of red feathers fell from its fiery wings. When the feathers landed on the artillery position, the ground was immediately engulfed in flames. As the dazzling red light faded, both hardened metal and flesh-and-blood bodies were instantly reduced to ashes.

Watching the troops he had personally led be wiped out in an instant, the artillery commander stood frozen in place, half of his body charred black. He could hardly believe that the military base known as the "Impregnable Fortress" had turned into ruins. In truth, he could still flee at this moment, but his soldier's honor would not allow such an act.

His trembling right hand slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a half-burned photograph. Looking at the beautiful wife and adorable son in the photo, the officer smiled faintly and whispered, "Maria, I'm sorry, I have to leave you forever!" After saying this, he removed his military cap and placed both the photo and the cap on a still-smoking pile of broken bricks.

He then turned to face the fire phoenix, which was now landing on the ground. At this moment, there was no sorrow or resentment in his eyes, only despair—deep despair. Drawing the ceremonial command sword from his waist, the only weapon he could find, the officer frantically charged toward the fire phoenix, shouting loudly, "Long live the motherland!"

As if curious to see what this pitiful human intended to do, the fire phoenix stood steadily without spewing flames as the officer ran toward it. Only when the officer drew near and raised his sword to strike the giant firebird did the fire phoenix seem to lose patience. With a gentle flap of its wing, then...

The battle proceeded with such one-sided attacks and what barely qualified as resistance. Half an hour later, the fire phoenix left the airspace above the fortress. Not because the resistance here had ceased, but because there was no one left to resist. In the smoke-filled fortress, it seemed no living beings remained!

A strong gust of wind blew, lifting a half-burned photo of a wife and child, then casting it down before a distant forest. Crunch! A giant metal foot heavily stomped on the photo, burying it forever underground.

A mechanical warrior, painted entirely black with intimidating red light gleaming from its huge metal eyes, emerged from the forest, wielding a "cannon-type rapid-fire machine gun." Then, one after another, mechanical warriors began advancing toward the fortress!

With nearly a thousand mechanical warriors as the vanguard, the 200,000-strong Girk Imperial Army crossed this military stronghold, known as the first fortress of the central continent, without bloodshed, officially launching their attack on the Hilans United Kingdom.

Such a war was merely a small example of Girk's invasion. Similar forces had divided into ten routes, advancing into Hilans' territory. Within less than two weeks, two-thirds of the Hilans United Kingdom's land had fallen. Annihilation was only a matter of time.

However, Girk only surrounded the Hilans capital without attacking, seemingly waiting to occupy the entire territory of Hilans before accepting the surrender of the Hilans Supreme Council. Whether this was Hilans' luck, Girk's foolishness, or divine arrangement, in any case, Girk's arrangement ultimately allowed nearly a million Hilans citizens to successfully escape! Regardless of the war outside, the Hilans Research Center remained a hive of activity.

"First unit ready!"

"Energy storage!"

"Antimatter device ready!" Such reports continuously echoed in the control center. Though the voices were loud, a deep sense of worry could still be heard within them.

"Hey, can we really succeed? This thing hasn't been fully tested yet!" One operator who had completed preparations asked his equally nervous colleague.

"If we don't succeed, I'll kill myself! I heard that those captured by Girk are either used as forced labor or subjected to human experiments. I don't want that!" the latter whispered in response.

"What are you two talking about! What time is this? Focus on your work!" Jessica, seeing the two operators chatting, angrily scolded them.

"Sorry!" they both replied simultaneously.

"Jessica, don't be so tense! We will succeed!" Old Carch looked at the anxious Jessica and gently reassured her.

"Dean, we are not 'going to' succeed; we 'must' succeed! I don't want the Girk people to conduct inhumane experiments. For the sake of nearly a million citizens in this city, we must succeed! So I absolutely cannot allow any mistakes! Please forgive my tone." Jessica said seriously.

"I understand! Go attend to your duties." Old Carch knew he couldn't persuade Jessica and said no more.

A moment later, with the report "Ultra-energy ready!" ringing out, the gazes of all operators and several hundred scholars converged simultaneously on the central virtual platform.

"Jump... begin!" At Old Carch's command, as Jessica tremblingly pressed the master control key, a roar of machinery and flashing lights instantly appeared in the control center. For everyone, after a second that felt longer than ten years, a miniature black hole appeared on the central virtual platform!

"We succeeded! We succeeded! Long live!!" With the stable appearance of the black hole, the control center erupted into waves of excited cheers.

"De... Dean, your theory has been realized, your dream has come true!" Jessica tightly grasped Old Carch's hand, her eyes misty.

"Yes, I said we would succeed! We have finally succeeded!" Old Carch, seeing his theory realized, was overwhelmed with excitement and pride, tears streaming down his aged face. It took him a long while to regain his composure.

"Jessica, immediately gather all jump data. I will now report this news to the Supreme Council. I think Girk will attack here in a few days. Evacuating a million citizens without Girk's detection is now the most important task!" Old Carch, having regained his composure, said seriously to Jessica.

"Don't worry, I will handle matters here. The rest can only be left to the Kingdom's defense forces!" With Jessica's straightforward reply, Old Carch nodded heavily and left the control center.

Indeed, the remaining matters were beyond the control of these scholars!

Starting that night, nearly a million citizens from the capital and its surroundings gathered in an orderly manner at the dozens of aerospace centers distributed near the capital. This situation naturally fell into the eyes of the Girk Imperial soldiers surrounding the area. Within half a day, a situation analysis report was placed before the Girk Emperor.

However, the emperor, drunk with victory, carelessly signed the order: "Observe and wait. If the enemy nation prepares to launch large-scale spacecraft, let me see the capabilities of the air combat-type summon warriors!"

It was precisely because of this green-light order that the evacuation of Hilans' million citizens proceeded smoothly. However, the Supreme Council of the Hilans United Kingdom did not follow the masses in evacuation. As these elders, mostly over fifty, put it: "The kingdom was established by us. If it is to perish, we will perish with it. If we, the leaders, leave first, who will fight bloodily for the kingdom? How could we face the millions of soldiers and civilians who have sacrificed themselves?"

Indeed, Girk's attack was more of a massacre than an invasion. According to the orders signed by the Girk Emperor, all members of the Hilans military, police forces, government workers, and their families were to be executed on the spot upon capture; all civilians under fifteen and over forty-five were to be executed on the spot; all sick and disabled persons were to be executed on the spot.

As this mad emperor said: "These inferior races' old, weak, sick, and disabled only waste the empire's noble resources, so I, by divine will, shall cleanse them!" Such orders, of course, led to corresponding acts of cruelty. Almost every piece of Hilans land was bleeding. The massive number of corpses could not be processed in time, causing a stench that could be smelled dozens of miles away, making those who smelled it dizzy and nauseous.

To survive, the people of Hilans rose up in resistance. However, how could these civilians armed with kitchen knives and bamboo spears be a match for the fully armed imperial soldiers, like tigers and wolves? Their resistance only invited more brutal retaliation, and the perpetrators even justified it as the right course of action. These poor Hilans civilians were given a new label—"rioters of the inferior race"!

Regardless of the situation outside, the Hilans capital remained in a relatively peaceful environment. After nearly five days of evacuation, nearly a million citizens miraculously gathered. Late that night, Carch led several colleagues to escort the final batch of boarding scholars to the spacecraft carrier launch site.

"Teacher Kaxiu, you can't stay! Let me stay!" Mafa said tearfully, tightly gripping Kaxiu's hand.

"My boy, you're still young. There are so many things you haven't experienced. At my age—what haven't I seen or tried? Besides, I'm the one most familiar with the jump system. Only a few of us are staying now. If I'm not here, what if something goes wrong during activation? Alright, time is running out. Get on the ship, now!" Kaxiu stroked the long hair of his most beloved disciple, then spoke earnestly.

"Teacher... take care!" Knowing he could no longer persuade Kaxiu, Mafa forced back his grief and turned toward the spacecraft.

"Mafa, come back!" Kaxiu suddenly remembered something and loudly called his departing disciple back.

"Teacher, have you agreed to let me stay?" Mafa rushed back excitedly.

"No. I want to give you this!" Kaxiu handed the leather suitcase to Mafa and continued, "This is the culmination of thirty years of research by Dr. Jessica and me. The most important thing inside isn't bioengineering or hyperspace science—it's genetic modification technology!

Although it's not yet perfected, it has reached the experimental stage. It's just a shame I have no more time for research. Now, I entrust it to you. Remember, after finding a suitable place to live, put these materials to good use. I believe one day you'll create something even greater than these Summon Warriors! In the future, bring these achievements back and reclaim our skies from the demons! Remember, only this place is our home planet, our homeland!"

Kaxiu tightly gripped Mafa's arm, passing his hopes along with the suitcase to his disciple. Yet, at this moment, Kaxiu never imagined that his disciple would one day perfectly integrate bioengineering, hyper-energy science, and genetic modification to create unimaginable new humans!

The farewell ceremony ended in this sorrowful atmosphere. At exactly midnight, as Kaxiu personally activated the jump system in the control center, hundreds of starship carriers, each capable of holding over ten thousand people, simultaneously shot into the void.

"Heh heh, these reckless inferior races actually think they can escape this way? Order the aerial combat-type Summon Warriors to intercept immediately. Not a single spacecraft must escape!" the commander of the Girk Empire's invasion force in the Hilans capital loudly commanded.

Just as dozens of Summon Warriors were about to mobilize, a massive black hole suddenly appeared in the sky above the Hilans capital. "Ah... my head... it hurts... ah..." Almost simultaneously, all Summon Warriors near the black hole felt intense pain in their heads. At that moment, they couldn't even summon their Summoned Beasts, let alone stand steadily.

After all, these were Summon Warriors relying on technology to achieve synchronization—mere experimental products, far from perfect. When faced with a black hole formed of the same hyper-energy, their minuscule power crumbled.

"Wh-what's happening? Why aren't they moving?" The commander panicked, watching spacecraft after spacecraft enter the black hole and vanish. Losing tens of thousands of civilians was a small matter, but if the emperor learned of his failure, losing his head would be serious! How could he not be frantic?

"Commander, all Summon Warriors are experiencing severe physical pain. None can engage!" the intelligence officer loudly reported.

"These useless fools! They strut about arrogantly, but now they act plague-stricken! What do we do? If His Majesty blames us, we're finished!" The distraught commander became hysterical.

"Commander, why not send the mechanical warriors?" the adjutant suggested.

"Yes, yes! How could I forget the mechanical warriors? What are you waiting for? Order all mechanical warriors to fire on the spacecraft immediately!" the commander roared.

But it was too late. Amid the mechanical warriors' barrage, except for the last few spacecraft being shot down, the remaining nearly hundred Motherships safely entered the stable black hole space. By then, the jump system's energy was depleted.

Watching the slowly shrinking black hole, Kaxiu murmured, "It's over... all of it! Mafa, remember my words. Have a safe journey!"

A moment later, Kaxiu turned to the dozen scholars who had stayed to operate the system. "Well, now it's our time to end things here. Thank you all for staying with me to the end!"

No one spoke. They gathered around Kaxiu, nodding or smiling kindly at him. These elderly scholars had devoted their lives and talents to their country, and now would offer their lives. Their goal was singular—to absolutely prevent the Girk Empire from mastering hyperspace science! "Long live the homeland! Long live freedom!" With Kaxiu's aged cry, the crimson button was struck by a fist. Did Mafa, now in another parallel space, imagine his mentor and the experimental center that had accompanied him for half his life turning to ash? Did these youths, who had narrowly escaped, consider how many trials lay ahead on their path...