Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Meanwhile, news of the upcoming beast tide at Chang’an spread across the Internet, sparking fervent discussion. Everyone knew this could be the most tragic battle of the new era.

Humanity had adapted, deploying powerful modern weapons and expert Awakened, but against powerful mutated beasts, no one could predict the outcome or the price they had to pay.

In truth, if Huaxia were to unite as one against the upcoming beast tide, the beast tide would surely be stopped. However, it would mean leaving the other supercities vulnerable. In the end, each city had to be able to defend itself.

This battle was also a test—a test of whether building super cities in the new era was a sound strategy against the mutated beasts.

The citizens within the walls of Chang’an prayed. They couldn’t see the front lines, but they could feel that the atmosphere in the city was growing more solemn and oppressive with every passing hour.

”Report! The beast tide is rapidly approaching. In approximately two hours, it will reach the twenty-five-kilometer mark,” a soldier monitoring the situation reported promptly.

No one spoke; everyone’s gaze remained fixed on the screen within the temporary command post. They planned to launch the first attack at a distance of twenty-five kilometers. After all, artillery bombardment would be the most effective at this range.

By killing the weaker mutated beasts, the pressure would be somewhat assuaged once humans and the mutated beasts were finally face-to-face.

”Report! One and a half hours remaining.”

The voice cut through the silence, and the atmosphere grew oppressive. Everyone steeled themselves; they had been preparing for this for a long time.

”One hour remaining!”

”Thirty minutes left!”

The monitoring soldier’s mouth went dry with nervousness.

Commander Xu and Dean Zheng watched the screen with their palms sweating.

Eventually, the ground beneath everyone present trembled. The intense vibrations alone proved the beast tide’s massive numbers. A wave of dread engulfed everyone’s hearts.

The real battle was about to begin.

”Everyone,” Commander Xu said, his eyes gleaming like sharp blades. ”Countless people are behind us, so we cannot retreat. Only by fighting to the death can we seize a thread of hope. The entire nation is watching us as well.”

Commander Xu’s words served as the final order before the great battle, and they also served as a declaration of his own unwavering determination.

In times of disasters, civilians were as fragile as ants. Someone ought to step forward and protect them.

”Fight to the death!” Everyone roared in unison, and their voices contained no hesitation at all. Even knowing that they could end up dying out there, some things simply had to be done.

Zhu Qingyu felt a knot of nervousness in her stomach. This wasn’t her first beast tide, but the horrific scenes from Qingyang City were still vivid in her mind.

She couldn’t help but think of the lightning arrow that slew the Giant Wolf King.

Will he appear?

Zhu Qingyu suspected that the mysterious figure was Lu Yuan. He was undeniably strong, but they were about to face true beast kings—Unfettered Realm mutated beasts. Even if he came here, he couldn’t possibly change the situation.

”They’ve reached the twenty-five-kilometer mark!” the monitoring soldier announced, attracting everyone’s attention.

Commander Xu raised his hand and was about to issue the order to attack, but...

”Something’s wrong, Commander!” the monitoring soldier suddenly shouted, pointing at the screen. ”We’ve detected another powerful life signature, and it’s approaching fast!”

Everyone’s eyes shot to the screen, and they saw that a massive red dot had appeared. Could it be another beast king?

”Bring up the visual feed,” Commander Xu ordered. If another beast king had joined the fray, the situation would become even more dire. The pressure on everyone intensified at the mere thought of it.

When the grainy image appeared before everyone’s eyes, however, they stared at it in disbelief. The first thing they saw was a bird, but what caught their attention was the human standing on its back. Indeed, there was a human on its back.

The image remained blurry, but there was no mistaking it. A human being was on a mutated beast king’s back and was rapidly approaching Chang’an.

What is going on? Have they come here to help us? Everyone thought at once, but they had never heard of someone capable of such a shocking feat.

”Let’s wait and see,” Commander Xu said, choosing to observe what was about to happen. The great battle between humanity and mutated beasts was about to begin, but a lone figure riding a mutated beast king had appeared, stupefying everyone.

At this point, no one knew what would unfold.

Meanwhile, the beast tide was just twenty-five kilometers away from Chang’an, and they weren’t planning on stopping anytime soon.

As they rushed forward, a massive cloud of dust billowed out behind them. The mutated beast kings led by the White King stood at the forefront, and they gazed at the city with cold, sinister eyes.

Their presence alone was a crushing weight on the land; every step left a deep scar on the earth, and any tree or boulder in their path was obliterated.

This was an army of mutated beasts, and their auras seemed to have become one, sending violent tremors across the land.

”A familiar aura is approaching?” The White King stopped and looked back. The entire beast tide halted with it.

Just then, the weaker mutated beasts began to tremble upon being subjected to a pressure that reverberated deep within their bloodline. The seven beast kings turned to look as well.

A piercing cry echoed from above as the Golden-Winged Peng broke through the clouds and descended rapidly. It hovered high in the air, and they could all see the figure standing calmly on its back—Lu Yuan.

”The Golden-Winged Peng? And a human?” The White King’s massive eyes flared with killing intent.

”My master has something to discuss with you,” the Golden-Winged Peng announced, circling above them.

Its words sent a jolt through the mutated beast kings.

Master? The Golden-Winged Peng, a mutated beast king with a mythical bloodline, had actually acknowledged a master? And a human, no less?

In an instant, a cold fury emanated from the mutated beasts. To them, humans were their greatest enemies, and the fact that the great peng had decided to serve one was the ultimate betrayal.

A deafening roar from the White King silenced the growing unrest.

It looked up at Lu Yuan, and its eyes narrowed with solemnity. Even though it was a formidable mutated beast that had shattered ten genetic shackles, staring at the lone human on the great peng’s back made it feel a subtle sense of crisis.

”Human, have you come here to stop us?” It asked, its voice booming like rolling thunder as its massive white figure coiled, seemingly taking on a stance.

”I hope you will stop here,” Lu Yuan replied gently. ”Do not go down the road of no return.”

He wasn’t eager to act. After all, it would be great if he could repel the beast tide by virtue of words alone. No matter how many mutated beasts were slain, they could never be wiped out entirely. They were, after all, creatures of this world too, and in time, far greater crises would come.

But if they refused to listen, he wouldn’t show mercy either.

”Hahaha! How absurd! Absolutely absurd!” the White King bellowed, its laughter eerily human-like. ”For countless years, have your kind not fed on birds and beasts to sate your hunger? In the last century, your kind’s technology improved by leaps and bounds, but so did your greed.

”You’ve shown not even a smidgen of restraint. How many species of my kind have gone extinct because of your greed? Now, the world has changed, and the brand-new era has bestowed its favor upon us.

”We have the upper hand now, and you’re telling us to stop? Well, let me tell you this—the law of the new era is the law of the jungle! Only the fittest and most cruel will survive!

”And if you don’t know what that means, then let me teach you... I’m going to teach you the true meaning of cruelty!”

The White King was an extraordinary mutated beast. In addition to being intelligent, it was unlike the dumb mutated beasts beneath it; it could actually present a coherent argument. If it were allowed to keep evolving, it would surely rival the great demons of myth.

The White King’s argument was difficult to refute. After all, it had spoken only facts without any falsehoods.

However, Lu Yuan merely shook his head and replied, ”I didn’t come here to debate. I’m just here to inform you on what you should do.”