99: Loneliness and a new beginning

"The real world is not a place for you to run wild."

Wang Yi's voice was cold and indifferent, without a trace of emotion, as if stating an eternal truth.

He did not wait for an answer.

For a dead man, any words were superfluous.

The lightning in his palm reached its peak in an instant!

It was no longer an ordinary blue arc, but condensed to the extreme, turning into a blindingly bright pure white ball of light!

The air around the ball of light even showed visible spatial distortion due to the extreme concentration of energy.

The temperature in the entire cold storage dropped suddenly, and a thick layer of frost instantly condensed on the walls and floor.

This terrifying energy seemed to suck away all the surrounding heat.

"No—!"

From the Reaper's throat came the last and most shrill scream of his life.

That voice was filled with the ultimate fear of death and the most primal attachment to life.

However, as soon as his voice came out, it was completely swallowed by a deafening clap of thunder!

The white light exploded!

In that instant, the entire world seemed to lose its color.

In front of everyone's eyes, there was only an endless, pure paleness that seemed capable of purifying everything.

The strong light lasted for less than a second before suddenly disappearing.

When the members of the Dragon Team recovered from their brief blindness, they were horrified to find that Wang Yi's hand was empty.

The top ace of the Lighthouse Country who had once brought them great trouble—the Reaper—had completely disappeared.

He wasn't just dead.

He hadn't turned into ashes.

Instead, he had been completely decomposed and annihilated from a physical level—from every cell, every atom—by that terrifying lightning, his existence entirely erased from this world.

In his place, only a faint human-shaped scorch mark and the smell of ozone remained.

The entire cold storage fell into a deathly silence.

Chen Hu, Wu Qiong, and all the members of the Dragon Team looked at Wang Yi with awe, their gazes almost like they were looking at a deity.

They knew Wang Yi was strong, but they never thought he was strong to such an unfathomable degree!

Was this the true strength of the number one person in the Dragon Country?

Wang Yi slowly lowered his hand, and the light in his palm gradually faded.

He glanced at the human-shaped scorch mark on the ground, his eyes as calm as a deep well, as if he had only crushed an insignificant insect.

Just then, Su Yuan's voice sounded through the team channel, breaking the silence.

"Mission accomplished. Wang Yi, bring the Academician and everyone back."

Su Yuan's voice carried a hint of relief and ease.

"The country is waiting for your triumphant return."

...This secret war that took place on the outskirts of Jiangnan City ended with the Dragon Country's complete victory.

When Academician Zhang Qiming returned safely to the National Destiny Base under the escort of the Dragon Team, the entire base erupted in excitement.

Ignoring everyone's persuasion and even refusing a full check-up from the medical team, the old man clutched his precious briefcase and dove into the highest-level laboratory, starting work immediately to race against time.

Meanwhile, the global live broadcast initiated by Su Yuan began to see its follow-up effects ferment.

The entire world was in an uproar and condemnation because of the Lighthouse Country's despicable and shameless actions.

The Lighthouse Country government was facing its most serious and embarrassing diplomatic and trust crisis since its founding.

Countless former allies immediately distanced themselves from them.

All hostile countries were mocking and attacking them relentlessly.

The hypocritical mask of so-called morality and human rights that the Lighthouse Country had maintained for nearly a century was ruthlessly torn to shreds by Su Yuan in front of the whole world!

A few days later.

A world-renowned press conference was grandly held in the capital of the Dragon Country.

General Lin Zhan, dressed in a crisp military uniform, stood spiritedly in front of the press platform.

Behind him was a giant electronic screen.

Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of media outlets and thousands of reporters from all over the world, General Lin Zhan announced a piece of news sufficient to change the course of human civilization in his loud and powerful voice.

On the screen, the image switched.

In a massive laboratory filled with a sense of future technology, following the chief engineer's command, a huge circular device was slowly activated.

The next second, a small sun, radiating infinite light and heat, blazed to life in the center of the device!

On the screen, the values representing energy output began to soar crazily at a terrifying speed!

The entire laboratory was illuminated like daylight by that brilliant and warm light.

General Lin Zhan turned around to face the cameras of the world, his face overflowing with immense pride and honor.

"I hereby solemnly announce to the world!"

"The Dragon Country's Artificial Sun project is officially a successful experiment!"

When General Lin Zhan's forceful voice spread to every corner of the globe via radio waves, the entire world seemed to have its pause button pressed.

Artificial Sun!

Controllable Nuclear Fusion!

This ultimate energy source, which only existed in science fiction and the dreams of scientists, had actually been realized by the Dragon Country!

After a brief dead silence, there was a mountain-collapsing, tsunami-like eruption of excitement!

This was not just a simple technological breakthrough; it was an energy revolution sufficient to overturn the entire human civilization!

It meant that the energy crisis that had plagued humanity for centuries would be fundamentally resolved.

It meant that a brand-new era driven by clean, efficient, and nearly infinite energy was about to arrive!

And the key to opening this new era was being held firmly in the hands of the Dragon Country!

The global power structure underwent the most thorough and irreversible reshuffle at this moment.

Those oil kingdoms in the Middle East that relied on traditional fossil fuels to call the shots overnight found their greatest reliance becoming worthless.

Those old industrial powers, in order to avoid being left behind by the train of the new era, one after another dropped their former arrogant postures and sent requests for diplomatic relations and cooperation to the Dragon Country with unprecedented humility.

Meanwhile, the former world hegemon, the Lighthouse Country, fell into a desperate silence.

The White House, Oval Office.

That blonde president sat dejectedly in his chair, seemingly aging twenty years overnight.

He looked at the rising Artificial Sun of the Dragon Country on the television screen, his eyes filled only with endless desolation.

He knew that the era belonging to the Lighthouse Country, that American Century they were so proud of, had officially and completely come to a close today... Unlike the noise and turmoil of the outside world, the interior of the Dragon Country was a sea of jubilation.

From cities to villages, from white-haired elderly to toddlers learning to speak, everyone's face was filled with heartfelt joy and pride.

Countless people spontaneously took to the streets, waving bright red flags and singing the national anthem.

This was not an arranged celebration, but the most sincere expression of emotion from 1.4 billion people after witnessing the rise of their country and the rejuvenation of their nation.

In Su Yuan's room at the National Destiny Base.

Su Yuan, Wang Yi, Lin Zhan, Li Guodong, and others rarely gathered together, watching the scenes of universal celebration on TV, each with a relaxed smile on their face.

"Come! To our great motherland, to this brand-new era, cheers!"

General Lin Zhan raised the wine glass in his hand, his old face flushed with excitement.

"Cheers!"

Everyone responded in unison and drained the fine wine in their glasses.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

[Event ended, temporary Administrator permissions revoked]

Su Yuan leaned back on the sofa, listening to the system broadcast and watching all this with a smile.

He quietly opened his Administrator panel.

On the panel, the numbers in the [Dragon Country national fortune points] column were soaring crazily at an unprecedentedly terrifying speed!

The huge technological breakthrough, the unprecedented rise in international status, the national self-confidence and pride of 1.4 billion people condensed to the peak... All of this was converted into the purest and most massive national fortune!

Looking at the string of numbers that was almost long enough to overflow the screen, a sense of satisfaction and achievement like never before welled up in Su Yuan's heart.

This was where his greatest value as an Administrator lay.

What he changed was not just the outcome of a game, but the fate of the entire country and the entire nation.

He was just about to close the panel and enjoy this hard-won victory and peace.

However, just then!

A sudden change occurred!

The entire light blue system panel was instantly covered by a blinding, heart-palpitating blood red without any warning!

Sharp alarm sounds rang out crazily in his mind!

It was no longer the usual cold, mechanical prompt of the system.

But a more ancient, more vast, and more ruthless will that had crossed time and space to descend directly!

[Warning: Drastic changes in the world structure detected.]

[Balance mechanism activated.]

[national destiny arena No. 3 will be forcibly opened in 72 hours!]

[dungeon Type: ???]

[dungeon Difficulty: Hell!!!]

Su Yuan The smile on his face， Instant solidification.

He suddenly stood up from the sofa, a chill rushing from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

It's here!

The real test is only just beginning!