Chapter Twenty-Eight: Entering the Void Realm Once More

In the blink of an eye, another day had passed.

Far away in the Eagle Nation, inside a lavish hotel suite, a blond man stood sipping red wine as he gazed out at the river view beyond the window.

At that moment, a sudden knock came at the door.

“Come in,” he said indifferently.

As his words fell, a middle-aged man entered, presenting a slip of paper before him.

On the paper were two numbers, resembling a set of coordinates.

“Headquarters has ordered that once everyone enters the Virtual Realm, they are to gather at this coordinate. We will establish a virtual nation at that location.”

The blond youth glanced at the slip, murmuring softly, “Understood.”

With that, he pulled out a lighter and set the paper aflame, his tone turning cold. “How goes the other matter?”

“We’ve already eliminated some of them. The rest are under the official protection of Huaxia, making it difficult for us to move. The Virtual Realm has only just emerged; there is no need to expose our strength by acting rashly.”

The middle-aged man spoke levelly.

As the last ashes of the note crumbled away, the blond man drew a photograph from beneath the wine bottle on the table.

“And what about this one?”

“He remains inside Huaxia’s Space Force Base. There’s been no opportunity.”

The middle-aged man’s expression did not change as he replied.

The blond man inhaled deeply, then pressed the photograph into the other’s hand.

“Remember this face. Tell everyone in the Church: if you come across this man in the Virtual Realm, kill him—whatever the cost.”

“Understood.”

After taking a glance at the photograph, the middle-aged man turned and departed.

Left alone, the blond man downed his wine in a single, furious gulp.

In the past two years, the New Humans had seized control of the military and began ruthlessly suppressing the Church of Equality. The arrival of the Virtual Realm was a golden opportunity for the Church.

He had hoped to use this chance to rise through the Church’s ranks, but that incident had stunted his advancement.

Now, whenever the senior members saw him, they never missed a chance to sneer, “With the God of Equality above, you can’t even grasp a game, yet you wish to overturn the world?”

This shame had haunted him for a year and a half now. Not a few of the congregation in the guild had even begun to waver in their faith because of it.

Every time he thought about it, the bitterness gnawed at his bones.

“Chen Nian, just you wait! The humiliation you’ve inflicted on me—I will one day wash it clean!”

…

Three hours remained until the opening of the Virtual Realm.

At Huaxia’s Space Force Base One, over 300,000 space soldiers were assembled.

These soldiers had been scattered across various bases, but to ensure they would land within the coordinates of the advance party, all had been transported to Base One.

In the main square, a colossal projection, spanning hundreds of square meters, hung suspended in the air.

On the projection, over 300,000 green dots shimmered—each representing a Metaverse Pod.

Last time, when the advance party entered the Virtual Realm, the live feed had been limited to select key individuals.

This time, it was open to the entire nation.

Citizens could even choose to monitor the physical status of any individual, and the computers linked to the Metaverse Pods could roughly deduce what each person was doing in the Virtual Realm based on their heartbeat and physical data.

…

“Always with the theatrics,” Wang Yinlong chuckled, cigarette in hand.

This time, he’d learned his lesson—he was determined to get his fill of smoking before entering.

“It’s what the people demanded. It’s only three hours, after all—hardly a delay. Treat it like a movie. Besides, involving them more could help with recruitment,” Ye Guangyu said with a helpless shrug.

Wang Yinlong laughed. “Recruitment? Even if you get a hundred million, it’s not enough. Overseas, over a hundred million people are going in this time. Most are from private groups—big corporations, financial syndicates, expedition teams… Who knows how many more will enter next round.”

“Exploration is best with more people. Don’t worry, we’re prepared. Besides the Space Force, about a hundred small teams from across the country will enter the Virtual Realm simultaneously. Once you return, we’ll select a few cities as pilot sites to gradually allow private groups to explore. As they say, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Base One is secure, but having everyone here does carry risks.”

“That’s good,” Wang Yinlong said, reassured.

Recruiting only soldiers wasn’t enough. Some people just couldn’t abide by military discipline, and no matter what you said, they’d never enlist. Moreover, the benefits the state could offer were quite limited.

Private groups were a different story. Rumor had it that certain foreign companies paid a million per person per expedition.

As the saying goes, heavy rewards bring forth brave men. As long as the money was right, there would be those willing to brave any danger.

And domestic companies were hardly less wealthy than their foreign counterparts.

“It’ll be hard on you this time. Next time, I’ll go in with you,” Ye Guangyu said, clapping Wang Yinlong’s shoulder with a look of genuine apology.

“It’s fine. Frankly, it’s good you stay outside—someone has to keep watch.”

Ye Guangyu said no more.

…

Time ticked away.

One hour left on the countdown.

Thirty minutes.

All personnel began to enter the Metaverse Pods.

In the underground plaza, Chen Nian saw Xiao Hu about to enter his pod and hurried over to stop him. “Wait, Xiao Hu!”

“What is it, Chen?”

Xiao Hu looked puzzled.

“This time, when we go in, don’t rush to wake me, and don’t let anyone else wake me either. There are things I want to remember properly.”

Xiao Hu smiled faintly. “Alright, don’t worry, Chen. Last time, I woke up pretty early. This time, as soon as I’m awake, I’ll stand guard by your side and make sure no one disturbs you.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m going in now.”

“Mm.”

After Xiao Hu climbed into his pod, Chen Nian returned to his own Metaverse Pod.

Once inside, he took a deep breath, calming his mind.

Ten minutes left on the countdown.

Ye Guangyu’s voice sounded again within the pods.

“Everyone, since all nations have signed the Non-Interference Treaty for the Virtual Realm, if you encounter foreign military forces inside, show no mercy. For private groups from other countries, follow command. Above all, remember: survival is your first priority. Whoever the other party is—if they show hostility or if our interests conflict—kill them.”

Three minutes left.

Two minutes.

Chen Nian slowly closed his eyes.

The memories of his last entry into the Virtual Realm remained vivid. What would he recall this time?

Countdown: ten seconds.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Consciousness departed from his body, and everything dissolved into darkness.