Bang!
A muffled thud echoed across the frozen wastes. There was no grand explosion, only the sickening sound of flesh being pierced by an irresistible force.
Puchi!
A heavy spray of blood, flecked with fragments of internal organs, erupted from Zeus's mouth. He lowered his head, staring in glazed shock at the cavity in his chest—a clean, transparent hole that went straight through to his back. The light in his eyes began to flicker and dim.
With agonizing effort, he turned his head toward the ground, catching a final glimpse of his elite Tier 4 subordinates. Their faces were masks of pure terror. Zeus's lips moved, perhaps intending to give a final command or a word of warning, but his breath failed him.
The legendary Zeus, Sovereign of the Divine Judgment Base and a man who once considered himself a god, had fallen.
His body plummeted from the sky, crashing into the scarlet-stained snow and kicking up a plume of icy dust.
Silence.
The entire battlefield fell into a tomb-like stillness. The remaining warriors of Divine Judgment looked at one another, then at the broken corpses of the two Tier 5 powerhouses who had once been their pillars of strength. Their faith shattered instantly.
"I surrender..."
One man dropped his rifle, his knees hitting the snow as he began to tremble.
"We surrender! Please, don't kill us!"
Like a dam breaking, the rest followed.
Clang, clang, clang!
The sound of alloy weapons hitting the frozen earth rang out as the Tier 4 Awakened knelt in unison, choosing submission over certain death.
"Secure them," Steve commanded indifferently.
The Tier 4 zombie legion, which had been standing by in the wings, marched forward with mechanical precision, escorting the group of prisoners toward the rear.
Randy landed nearby, looking at the high-grade loot scattered across the battlefield while rubbing his hands with undisguised greed. "This time, Divine Judgment is truly finished."
"Quickly, scavenge the area. And don't waste those two Tier 5 corpses—get them back to the research lab immediately," Randy instructed. "Even in death, the biology of a Fifth-Order is a goldmine. We can't let that material go to waste."
Steve nodded, then turned his gaze toward the horizon. Using the soul link, his voice resonated directly into the minds of every Enderman in the region.
"The Divine Judgment Base has been decapitated. Aside from the prisoners here, initiate a full takeover. Secure their headquarters, seize their supplies, and neutralize any remaining resistance."
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Over a thousand Endermen instantly dissolved into bursts of purple particles, teleporting toward the base a hundred kilometers away.
With the orders given, a wave of profound exhaustion washed over Steve. Maintaining a soul link with a Tier 5 body during such high-intensity combat had drained his mental reserves to the dregs.
"Recall the Iron Golem," Steve managed a final instruction before severing the connection.
In the real world, it was early morning.
Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains of his bedroom, pooling on the sheets. Steve's eyes snapped open as he sat up, his temples throbbing with a dull ache. The sensation of god-like power from the wasteland began to recede, replaced by the mundane weight of the physical world.
"Phew... finally done."
He stretched and climbed out of bed, walking into a quiet house. His sister, Stefanie, would already be at school, and his parents were likely out for their morning errands. He sat down in the dining room, the silence a stark contrast to the thundering blizzard of the battlefield.
Ding-dong.
Steve opened the front door to find one of the bodyguards arranged by Fred. The man held an insulated food box with a respectful nod.
"Good morning, Director. Your breakfast."
"Thanks," Steve replied, taking the box.
As he ate the still-warm focaccia stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella, washing it down with a sharp espresso, he mentally reviewed the situation in the other world. With Divine Judgment neutralized, the regional takeover would be swift. The most critical gain, however, would be the system rewards: the Tier 3 Awakening formula and the next generation of enhancement serums.
Once I process the serum, I'll head to the base and hand over the second-generation formula for study, Steve thought, a sharp glint in his eyes. The strength of our domestic forces will undergo a qualitative leap.
As he finished the last of his soy milk, a familiar, cold mechanical voice resonated in his mind.
[Ding! Quest Completed: Overlord of the Wasteland]
[Distributing Rewards...]
Tier 3 Superpowered Gene Awakening Potion x1
Second-Generation Mass-Production Body Enhancement Formula
Quantum Communication & Supercomputing Matrix Technology
Steve's lips curled into a smile. "Finally."
Before he could inspect the new technology, the system prompted him again.
[Ding! New Main Quest Triggered: The Great Unification]
[Description: Subjugate all remaining factions in the current wasteland sector and establish a single regime.]
[Rewards:]
Tier 4 Perfect Awakening Potion x1
Comprehensive Set of Tier 2 Awakening Formulas
Interdimensional Gateway x2
"A Great Unification..." Steve mused. "With a Tier 5 legion at my back, who is left to stop us?"
His gaze lingered on the second reward. A full set of Tier 2 formulas meant he could finally fulfill his promise to the military high command. This would turn the national defense force into an army of superhumans, and by extension, buff his MC-spawned creatures through the shared resource network.
As for the gateways to "New Worlds"? He wasn't worried. No matter what lay on the other side, they would have to negotiate with his Tier 5 army first.
"But first, I need to upgrade myself."
With a thought, he retrieved the Tier 3 Potion from his inventory. An exquisite test tube appeared in his hand, filled with a ruby-red liquid that seemed to contain swirling nebulae.
He retreated to his bedroom, locked the door, and downed the liquid in one go.
Gulp.
It wasn't a burn. Instead, a bone-chilling current surged through his throat, instantly radiating into his marrow. Steve shivered violently as the chill triggered a rapid genetic recombination deep within his cells. At the same time, his mind felt as if it were being expanded by force, his sea of consciousness boiling over.
Buzz!
A brand-new vibration hummed within his core. Steve closed his eyes, sensing a strange, ethereal energy—white and shimmering—born from the chaos. It wasn't the freezing cold of his ice element or the brute strength of his physical stats. It felt... illusory.
"This is..."
Steve snapped his eyes open. Within his pupils, layers of spatial folds seemed to ripple and reflect.
"Spatial Manipulation?"
He looked toward the closed bedroom door and visualized the sofa in the living room. He nudged that new white energy, allowing it to envelop him.
Swish!
The world around him blurred into a distorted ripple. In the next heartbeat, Steve was no longer on his bed. He was sitting steadily on the living room sofa, his bedroom door still locked behind him.