Chapter Forty-Six: Eighteen Days of Urgent Preparations for War!

Produce one thousand units, distribute three hundred each to three locations, and reserve the remaining hundred in the underground base for backup!

The emergency combat readiness status is officially activated!

The Red Special-Level Conference is now convened!

Chu Xiao and Number One sit at the very center.

"Stand!"

"Sit!"

"I declare the conference officially open!" Number One announces loudly.

Applause resounds, thundering and unceasing.

"Please invite Chu Xiao, Director Chu, to speak!"

Chu Xiao rises, his sharp eagle-like eyes sweeping across the crowd.

"Greetings, everyone! I am Chu Xiao!"

"All preparations are essentially complete! We await only the arrival of the Dark King!"

"I declare the commencement of emergency combat readiness!"

"All scouts, pay close attention to your surroundings; search for any Kyushu citizens left outside! You may bring them back, but remember to check for any electronic intelligent devices on their person!"

"All heavy weapons have been distributed to their respective locations; mount them atop the fortresses and assign personnel to guard them!"

"In addition, distribute small arms to the soldiers—one for each—store the remainder in the West Mountain underground base!"

"No factory is permitted to cease operations! Not until the day the Dark King awakens! Unless he breaches our defenses!"

"Is that clear?" Chu Xiao’s voice suddenly rises, and the crowd is visibly stirred.

"Understood!" they respond in unison.

Chu Xiao sits, and Number One stands.

Number One scans the gathering, organizing his thoughts before speaking slowly:

"The awakening of the Dark King is now less than twenty days away—only eighteen remain! I need not explain what eighteen days mean."

"According to intelligence reports, the Dark King has shown signs of activity many times; he may awaken ahead of schedule!"

"We must not panic! If we falter, who will protect the citizens of Kyushu? Our duties are not only urgent preparations, but also calming the populace, urging them not to panic—if they are truly afraid, let them stay at home!"

"Kyushu boasts many strong and brave souls, but there are also those who are weak and timid—women, children, the elderly. These are whom we men must protect! Yet they, too, can support us from behind the lines!"

"We cannot measure a person’s worth by their ability to charge into battle, nor should we dismiss anyone as useless or undeserving of protection!"

As leaders and warriors of Kyushu, our responsibility is to safeguard every citizen!

From ancient times to the present, every war has seen women, the elderly, and children abandoned first! I hope the sons of Kyushu will protect these people!

Furthermore, I, Number One, enter this war with the absolute conviction of victory. I hope you all share this belief! Only by fighting with certainty of triumph can we truly achieve it!

"Victory! Victory! Victory!" the assembly shouts in unison, the atmosphere soaring to unprecedented heights.

Number One looks on with satisfaction—this is the vigor of Kyushu’s finest men!

Emergency combat readiness begins!

Now, news has vanished, replaced by word of mouth alone.

Ji Kaicheng once thought he would lose heart as war approached, but instead, his spirit burns with greater passion.

"How do you feel?" Chu Xiao’s voice comes from behind.

Ji Kaicheng turns to Chu Xiao, saluting first, "Director Chu!"

Then he relaxes, "I feel pretty good! How about you?"

"Not bad! At last, it’s about to begin!" Chu Xiao once expected he might break down as war neared, but instead, he feels strangely at ease.

"I just don’t know if I’ll survive," Ji Kaicheng shakes his head helplessly; he has faced death before, but compared to the Dark King, those seem mere child’s play.

Chu Xiao pats Ji Kaicheng’s shoulder, "You’ll make it!"

Ji Kaicheng wants to reply, but Chu Xiao is already gone.

February 14th—sixteen days until the Dark King awakens!

At the West Mountain provincial base, storage is complete: ten million tons of grain have been stockpiled!

The fortresses are armed and ready.

Weapons distributed!

All that remains is the beginning of war!

At this moment, Number One receives reports from various nations.

On the surface, the world scoffs at Kyushu’s preparations, but behind closed doors, they are already taking countermeasures.

In White River City, the capital of Euroforce, the top officials gather.

"According to Kyushu, there are only sixteen days until the Dark King awakens! Any suggestions?" asks Oris, leader of the First Alliance.

Silence falls. A secretary clad in black steps forward.

"From our recent investigations, Kyushu has built three giant titanium fortresses, vast underground bases spanning thousands of square meters, and above-ground granaries storing over ten million tons of food!"

Not only that, but they have also formed a Red Hacker Alliance online, and invented laser cannons, ray guns, water cannons, and tracking machine guns!

The room falls silent.

Looking around, the only emotion in their eyes is shock—Kyushu’s preparations are astonishing!

Such a grand and terrifying layout defies imagination!

"This war of machines against humanity isn’t even confirmed real, yet Kyushu has prepared to this extent! Accumulating resources, constructing fortifications—they have gone all out! Since Kyushu is betting so heavily, we must do the same!"

Oris’s words are interrupted as the female secretary raises her hand.

"Speak!"

"I forgot to mention—Kyushu, in addition to their [National Mass Production] campaign, has launched an [AI Destruction] movement! They’ve destroyed all intelligent AI! It’s already completed!"

Gasps erupt throughout the hall!

AI now permeates every corner of human life, yet Kyushu has destroyed it at a whim—is this some kind of joke?

Such decisiveness is truly frightening!

"See that? We must prepare accordingly!"

"Send word: while stockpiling grain, shut down all AI, and ready all new weaponry!" Oris commands loudly.

Oris’s eyes blaze—he admits the Eastern preparations are stunning, perhaps even overly thorough!

"Yes, sir!" The officials disperse!

In an instant, the news spreads across Euroforce at lightning speed!

The people of Euroforce, however, are entirely unwilling; accustomed to AI, how could they destroy it for something so uncertain!

Chaos erupts—internal strife upon strife!

America.

Mukos hears the news and laughs coldly.

"Serves them right! Let them follow Kyushu’s lead!"

"What about North Sands?" Mukos wonders aloud, curious to see what this great nation will do.