"So you're saying…"
A hot-headed officer shot to his feet, breathing hard.
"If we can find that passage and take control of it, we could… strike straight into their world?"
"If their world never suffered the outbreak…"
"If it"s a pristine, uncontaminated world…"
"Then all of humanity—would be saved?"
In an instant the conference room sank into deathly silence.
Then, in every eye, a blaze called hope flared to life.
To people who had struggled for fifty years in post-apocalyptic wastelands, accustomed to scars and radioactive ash, a pure world…was more tempting than immortality itself.
It meant blue skies, white clouds, clean water… and the hope of civilization.
"Find it."
The old man slammed the table and issued the highest order.
"At any cost, uncover everything about those cube creatures and locate their nest."
"If a gate to another world truly exists…"
"Then—march through! Seize it!"
"Gentlemen, please calm yourselves."
The initial fever over discovering a new world cooled under the old man's analysis, replaced by hard reality.
A lieutenant-general seated on the left spoke in a deep voice.
"Though their tech appears on par with ours from before the apocalypse, that's precisely the danger."
"It means they possess an intact industrial system and full war-mobilization capability."
"More critical—those monsters boast elite individual soldiers; we may face not a vanguard but an entire world"s military."
"If we rashly start a war and it stalls, the Heavenly Judgement, Indomitus, and the ever-growing tide of undead behind us could become the final straw."
At his words everyone nodded.
As the legitimate successor to the nation, Firmament Base coveted that pure world—but could not afford to lose.
"What about the joint-extermination proposal from Heavenly Judgement?" someone asked.
"Hmph, those two only want to use us as their spear."
The old man at the head snorted.
"That brute Zeus must have suffered losses and now seeks to drag us down; we won"t dance to their tune."
Brief debate followed, opinions varied.
Finally an official in charge of civilian affairs sighed and voiced everyone"s deepest concern.
"Unlike those two bases ruled purely by Awakened Ones, we still shelter tens of millions of ordinary survivors."
"Once Indomitus Base collapses in war, those people become lambs for the slaughter—no power will shoulder such a burden."
"Therefore, my advice: courtesy before force."
Adjusting his glasses, he proposed a compromise.
"Try to contact the controllers behind those monsters. Since they can launch satellites and wage war human-style, they can be reasoned with."
"Probe their stance; see if negotiation is possible. Though… given their aggressive expansion, odds are slim."
"But we must try."
The old man finalized the decision.
"For those millions of lives, we have to try."
With contact decided, the choice of envoy became critical.
"Who goes? Ordinary people would be walking to death; too many might trigger misjudgment."
After careful screening the candidates narrowed to two.
"Dante, we'll have to trouble you for this trip."
The old man looked toward a cloth-robed elder dozing in the corner.
He was Firmament Base's bedrock—fifth-rank powerhouse Dante.
"As for negotiation and communication…"
The old man turned to a young man.
"Gabriel, you're quick-witted and a fourth-rank spatial type; if things go south, you can pull Dante out."
Gabriel snapped to attention and saluted.
"Mission guaranteed."
The meeting soon adjourned.
Under gazes filled with hope and worry,
Dante and Gabriel's figures blurred at the base exit.
With a twist of space they vanished, speeding toward the mysterious eastern battlefield.
Real world, DC Villa.
After a cozy breakfast Steve set down his ustensils.
"Mom, dad, you really won"t come?"
He wiped his mouth and looked at his parents.
"The weather's nice; Stefanie and I plan to stroll downtown."
Nicole waved her hand, smiling.
"Old bones like ours won't join the fun. You young ones go; your dad and I will sun ourselves and tidy the yard."
"Right, you two haven't spent time together in ages—enjoy yourselves,"
Stephen added.
"All right."
Steve didn't press.
"Brother! Hurry up, stop dawdling!"
Stefanie, already in bright casual clothes, bounced over and pushed him from behind.
"If Mom and Dad won't come, let's go—I haven't shopped in forever."
Feeling her push, Steve gave a helpless smile and let her steer him outside.
Waiting at the gate, Fred jogged over and brought the custom armored car to a smooth halt.
Steve gallantly opened the door for his sister, then slid in beside her.
In the mirror he clearly saw three black SUVs start up the instant their car moved, tailing them.
Though the windows were tinted, he knew they carried elite agents, all dosed with enhancers.
The convoy glided along the expressway toward the city.
Stefanie pressed to the window, watching the scenery flash by, eyes full of wonder.
Steve gazed out the opposite window, mentally reviewing the layout of two worlds.
After a quiet moment Stefanie suddenly turned, eyes fixed on his profile, and murmured,
"Bro, you've changed."
The remark startled him.
He turned, puzzled, and teased,
"Oh? Meaning your brother's gotten handsomer?"
She snorted a laugh, then grew serious, studying him, and shook her head.