79: A spectacular opening ceremony

The drone's lens instantly and accurately captured Tanya's face. Cold, exquisite, her features seemed carved from ice and snow. Her deep blue eyes appeared to contain an endless starry sky and wisdom, while her short golden hair was neat and capable. The tight-fitting custom combat suit outlined her breathtakingly perfect curves. She sat there quietly, like an unparalleled blade hidden in its scabbard, exuding a powerful aura that kept people away yet invited investigation.

"Wow—!"

"So beautiful!"

"She's like... like Athena, the goddess of war from mythology! That gaze is so full of wisdom and depth!"

"It's over, it's over, I'm jumping ship again! Sorry, Officer Jiang Feifei, but Major Tanya's mature and intellectual type hits me harder!"

"Me too! A 'white moonlight' is great, but this kind of cold and elegant 'big sister' type makes me want to conquer her even more!"

"I wonder if Major Tanya has someone she likes?"

"Do you think it could be Major Zhang Lei? A power couple?"

"Doesn't look like it! Look where they're sitting, on either side of Officer Jiang. It feels more like... well, his left and right hands? If they were a couple, they'd definitely be sitting together!"

"I feel like Major Tanya's features have a bit of a mixed-race feel? They're very three-dimensional!"

Tanya's reaction to the discussions and focused gazes below the stage was extremely indifferent. She simply stood up gracefully, her posture as straight as a javelin, and gave a clean, crisp, and powerful military salute toward the audience. There was no smile and no words, but that single salute perfectly showcased the Valkyrie's cold pride and strength, instantly drawing another round of screams.

With a proud smile, Jiang Feifei continued to introduce the high-ranking officers on the rostrum one by one, each of whom received enthusiastic applause upon standing.

After introducing the officers, Jiang Feifei turned her gaze toward the Evolver contestants' seats. "Next up are our protagonists for today! First, the powerful Evolvers from our Red Alert Legion! You've already seen their names and titles on the announcement, and I believe you're all familiar with them, so I won't repeat them. Soon, you'll be able to witness their brilliance with your own eyes!" Her hand pointed toward the extraordinary figures in the front row of the contestants' section—Chen Hao, Li Ang, Li Wei, Yang Yi, Blaze Ash, Chen Xiao, Xiong Da, Howling Heaven, and other people and beasts. Each of these high-level Evolvers represented the base's top combat power, drawing waves of cheers.

"At the same time," Jiang Feifei's voice turned toward the back of the contestants' section, "we are also very honored to have invited five powerful civilian Evolvers from within the base to participate in this grand event! They are also an indispensable force for our base!"

She introduced them in turn:

"Muscle Tyrant—Wang Kun!" A burly man nearly two meters tall with muscles knotted like stacked rocks stood up and let out a muffled roar. He demonstratively flexed his terrifying muscles, which were comparable to those of a prehistoric beast. Veins writhed like dragons under his skin, seemingly containing explosive power, drawing a gasp from the audience.

"Iron Fist—Gold Dragon!" A lean middle-aged man stood up, his fists clenched tightly as his knuckles let out crisp pops. The front of his fists was covered with a metallic luster, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, as if he could shatter rocks with a single punch.

"Vine Controller—Li Ying!" A young woman with a gentle temperament but firm eyes stood up to acknowledge the crowd. With a slight movement of her will, several emerald-green, tough vines silently emerged from the ground by her feet like spirit snakes, coiled around her arms, and then quickly retracted, demonstrating exquisite control.

"Steel Claw—Wang Xi!" A thin young man with an exceptionally cold gaze stood up. His hands hung at his sides, and with a thought, ten metallic spikes flashing with cold light, like the claws of a fierce tiger, instantly popped out from his knuckles with a 'shing'! The sharp aura seemed capable of tearing through the air, making people shudder.

"Fleetfoot—Yang Kan!" A well-proportioned young man with long, powerful legs leapt up like a spring. He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and his figure left a faint afterimage on the spot before instantly returning. He was so fast that ordinary people couldn't see his movements at all!

The appearance of the five civilian experts, each with their own unique characteristics and full of power and strangeness, left people even more curious and expectant for the upcoming competition!

"Alright! The heroes have been introduced!" Jiang Feifei took a deep breath, her face blooming with the brightest and most excited smile. Her voice suddenly rose, filled with infectious energy. "Now, I declare—the Lujiang Base First Military Competition opening ceremony has officially—begun!"

"Vroom—!!!"

As her words fell, four fighter jets with streamlined shapes and cold liveries suddenly tore through the low-hanging night sky above the Training Ground like arrows released from a bow! They flew in a tight diamond formation, their tails emitting ghostly blue, scorching exhaust flames like four bolts of lightning tearing through the darkness. Amidst the deafening roar of engines, they whistled over the Training Ground in a low-altitude pass! The powerful sonic boom and air currents caused the hair of the people in the stands to flutter and their hearts to race!

Close behind!

Ten hind attack helicopters flew in a massive V-formation, like mobile steel fortresses in the sky. Their huge rotors churned the air, making a heavy and shocking 'thud-thud-thud-thud' sound, passing over at low altitude with devastating pressure! The autocannons and rocket pods under their noses reflected a cold, deadly luster under the lights!

Before the roar of the hinds could subside, two massive chinook armed transport helicopters appeared in view like giant whales of the sky! They performed jaw-dropping aerial stunts—first a high-speed dive, pulling up sharply as they neared the ground, their massive bodies almost skimming the edge of the Training Ground! Then they performed high-difficulty side-slips and sharp turns, showcasing incredible maneuverability! Each thrilling maneuver drew bursts of gasps and even more enthusiastic applause from the audience!

The display of aerial power was blood-pumping, but the torrent of steel on the ground brought an even more shocking visual impact!

The massive gates of the Training Ground slowly rose!

"Rumble—!"

The low roar of engines approached from afar, and the ground began to tremble slightly!

First to enter was a massive square formation of heavy trucks, like moving mountains.

Next was a square formation of armored vehicles clad in heavy armor, like steel beasts. Their cold metal tracks ground over the floor, leaving deep impressions.

Then came the steel backbone of the base—a square formation composed of rhino tanks and grizzly tanks! Their long, thick barrels pointed diagonally toward the sky, and their massive hulls were filled with a sense of devastating power. As their tracks rolled, they seemed capable of crushing any obstacle!

ifvs, medical vehicles with prominent red crosses, engineering vehicles equipped with machinery, Sappers' vehicles... all sorts of combat vehicles formed an indestructible and continuous Great Wall of Steel. To the sound of stirring military music, they slowly and uniformly entered the Training Ground and circled it once! The cold metallic luster flickered under the searchlights, the roar of the engines was like the growl of giant beasts, and the strong smell of diesel mixed with the scent of steel wafted over! This pure torrent of power silently spoke of the base's military strength!

When the last combat vehicle drove out of the gate, the scene fell into a brief silence.

Then!

"Long live the Red Alert Legion!!!"

"Lujiang Base will definitely win!!!"

The mountain-shaking cheers and shouts erupted like a long-suppressed volcano! They soared straight into the clouds! Looking at the warbirds whistling overhead and the steel beasts grinding across the ground, the anxiety about survival and the fear of the future in the hearts of all survivors were dispelled by this powerful display of force at this moment! In its place was an unprecedented sense of security and incredibly firm confidence!

With such a powerful army guarding them, what was there to fear in the apocalypse?!