"Population census, resource allocation, legal frameworks, and the total restoration of the educational system... these are complex, urgent matters that must be coordinated within the hour."
"No problem." Yor wiped away his tears. When he turned back to the room, the sharp, decisive gaze of a leader had returned to his eyes. "The talent reserves of the Indomitus base are ready for immediate deployment. As long as it is for the future of this world and the glory of America, we will do whatever is required."
The administrators from both sides immediately gathered around the conference table, fueled by a frantic, hopeful energy as they sketched out the blueprint for global reconstruction.
The Fortress: Biological Research Institute.
Steve did not participate in the tedious administrative debates; he left professional logistics to the professionals, focusing his energy on the macro-strategic direction and the enhancement of hard power.
After passing through several layers of high-security containment doors, Steve arrived back in the laboratory, which was thick with the scent of chemical reagents.
"Cooper, wake up." Steve looked at George Cooper, who was slumped over his desk, fast asleep after days of marathon research. Steve reached out and shook him firmly.
"Mmm... who is it? Leave me be..." Cooper groggily lifted his head, his glasses hanging askew on his nose. But when he saw Steve—and specifically, the data pad in Steve's hand—he sprang up as if he were spring-loaded.
"Steve?! Is it... is the data here?!" The old man's hands were trembling with visible excitement.
"Right here, Cooper." Steve smiled, handing over the completed formula for the Second-Order Awakening Potion. "This is what you've been losing sleep over. The perfected Second-Order formula. After a single dose, the subject gains a soul-bound ability, a superpower. Now you can finally show the world what you're capable of."
"Good... good... brilliant! This is magnificent!" Cooper clutched the data pad as if it were a holy relic, his eyes darting across the molecular sequences. "So that's the trick... the structure here has to be a recursive lattice... Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
Before Steve could even say goodbye, the old researcher had already turned to his assistants, shouting orders to prepare the centrifuges and ignoring Steve entirely.
Steve didn't mind. He knew that with this formula—combined with the Tier 5 genetic samples harvested from the zombie generals—it wouldn't be long before he commanded a legion of Fifth-Order Ability Users.
The Fortress: Meditation Chamber.
Steve sat cross-legged on the cold obsidian floor. An empty glass test tube rolled away, clinking softly against the stone. As the pale-golden liquid fused into his marrow and limbs, a mysterious, primal fluctuation erupted from his core.
BOOM!
This energy didn't shatter the furniture or the walls. Instead, it behaved like a ghost, phasing through the thick, reinforced dome of the base and shooting straight into the firmament.
Outside, in the real world, the clear and cloudless Washington night was suddenly thrown into chaos. Countless multicolored light particles were summoned by a supreme, invisible law, frantically converging directly above the hidden location of the Fortress.
In the blink of an eye, a massive, swirling nebula of light—spanning dozens of kilometers—blanketed the entire sky above the capital. At the center of the vortex, faint golden lightning crackled, yet the world remained eerily silent. There was no thunder, only a crushing sense of divine pressure that made the souls of everyone below tremble.
"God in heaven, what is that?!"
On the bustling streets of D.C., thousands of citizens stopped in their tracks, looking up at the bizarre and magnificent display.
"The Aurora? In D.C.?" "No, look at it—it's a vortex. The center is right over the old military zone... that's the Fortress!" "Quick, get a video! This is history!"
The city erupted. Thousands of phone cameras were pointed skyward. Social media platforms were instantly flooded with footage of the shocking phenomenon.
The Fortress: Command Center.
No alarms sounded, but the staff were in a state of controlled panic.
"Commander, the energy readings above the dome have completely maxed out our sensors! But... we can't detect a physical attack source!" a technician reported, sweating profusely.
Randy stepped out of his control pod and looked at the real-time satellite feed on the main screen. He froze. The enormous colorful vortex looked like a massive Eye of Heaven, staring intently down at the base.
"This kid..." Randy's mouth twitched. "What has he done now? Contact Steve immediately!"
"General, Director Steve is not in the labs or the command deck. Monitoring shows he entered the Meditation Chamber just before the phenomenon began."
"Then that's it." Randy slapped his forehead, feeling a mix of pride and exasperation. "He's breaking through to a new realm, but did he have to be so loud about it?"
"General, what are our orders? The vortex is visible from three states. We can't hide this."
Randy sighed, looking at the overwhelming light. You couldn't exactly blind ten million people. "Standard protocol: Blackout. Contact the Cyberspace Administration—scrub the trending terms and pull the videos. Now!"
Randy's eyes sharpened. "Furthermore, mobilize the perimeter guard. Designate the entire Fortress boundary as a Level 1 Restricted Zone. Not even a fly gets in. Anyone trespassing is to be handled under wartime regulations."
"Yes, sir!"
The Outside World.
Online, the world was in an uproar.
#WashingtonVortex #TheEndIsHere?
The hashtags shot to the top of every list, amassing hundreds of millions of views in minutes.
"I was on the Beltway—I saw a golden dragon swimming in the clouds! I swear it!"
"It's a holographic project. The government is testing new light-show tech."
"Does a light show make your lungs feel like they're being crushed? I couldn't breathe!"
However, as the debate reached a fever pitch, the posts began to vanish. Clicking on a video resulted only in: 'This content is no longer available.'
This only served to fuel the fire for the bravest—or most foolish—seekers.
On the highway leading toward the Fortress, several modified SUVs were racing toward the gate. They were packed with influencers, live-streamers, and "urban explorers" looking for the scoop of a lifetime.
"Alright family, look at the sky! We're almost there! Your boy is going to show you exactly what the government is hiding!"
Just as the lead car sped toward the restricted zone...
SCREECH!!!
Three olive-drab armored vehicles swerved across the road, blocking the path. Blinding searchlights pinned the influencers' cars in place.
Click-clack!
Rows of heavily armed soldiers stepped into the light, their rifles raised with cold, professional intent.
"Halt!" an officer bellowed through a megaphone. "Turn your vehicles around and exit the area immediately! You are in a lethal-force zone!"
"I repeat, turn your vehicles around this instant!"