Chapter Fifty: A New Round of Preparations for Battle!

There were less than four days left until the Lord of the Underworld would awaken. Four days from now, he would rise, and on the fifth day, he would launch his attack on humanity.

In theory, mankind still had four and a half days to prepare.

Four and a half days! Only four and a half days!

Ji Kaicheng watched his soldiers assemble; at six o’clock sharp, each one arrived punctually at the barracks and stood ready on the training grounds, awaiting his roll call.

“Very good! Right on time! But let me tell you all, from this moment forward, aside from your basic training, you must continue to master the use of the new weapons and thoroughly memorize the weaknesses of the machines as provided by Chief Chu!”

“If you fail to remember them, then once you step onto the battlefield, you’ll be nothing but cannon fodder! Not only will you be unable to defend your homeland, but your sacrifice will be in vain—no one will remember you! Do you understand?” Ji Kaicheng’s gaze was sharp as he scrutinized each person present.

“Yes, sir!” came the resounding reply.

They shouted in unison—how could they not understand?

“Very well! Dismissed—begin your training!” At his command, everyone instantly dispersed, not a moment’s hesitation.

Such was the discipline of the Kyushu soldiers.

The members of the Red Hacker Alliance had already returned to their posts, more energized than ever.

“Come on! Everyone, repeat after me—our slogan!” Zhang Hua called out loudly.

“Kyushu will prevail! The Red Hacker Alliance will prevail! Lord of the Underworld, get lost!” they roared together.

Their voices thundered, their momentum shaking the heavens—these were the true sons of Kyushu!

As Chu Xiao entered, he was startled by the roar, stepping back several paces in alarm.

Regaining his composure, he walked in and saw the hackers still burning with fervor.

“You’re all in great spirits today. Planning to pull a few more all-nighters?” Chu Xiao’s clear voice carried through the room.

Everyone turned toward the door. Seeing that it was Chu Xiao, they greeted him in unison:

“Good morning, Chief Chu!”

This was the first time Chu Xiao had received such treatment, and it almost made him stumble.

“That’s enough!” Chu Xiao raised his hand.

A few people suppressed their laughter, falling silent.

Zhang Hua and Lu Dang tried to hold back their amusement, but in the end, they failed—bursting out laughing, their combined laughter louder than anyone else’s.

“Hahahahaha!” they erupted.

Chu Xiao smiled at them. “Suddenly, I feel you two aren’t in the best shape—you need to toughen up! Come, let’s train together!”

He made as if to drag them outside.

Lu Dang and Zhang Hua immediately pleaded for mercy.

“We were wrong! We were wrong, truly wrong!” Zhang Hua clasped his hands in apology.

Lu Dang followed suit, mimicking Zhang Hua. “We won’t laugh anymore! With your brilliance and valor, we’re honored to look up to you—how could we ever laugh at you?”

The two of them even widened their eyes, fluttering their eyelashes in a mock display of cuteness.

Chu Xiao felt a chill run down his spine.

“All right, that’s enough!” he said.

The instant he spoke, his expression grew serious, and everyone’s laughter ceased. The atmosphere shifted from lighthearted to solemn.

Chu Xiao began, “I came here today mainly to check on everyone’s condition. It seems you’re all doing well!”

“Keep this energy up until the moment the Lord of the Underworld awakens—that will be the true start of the battle! Until then, focus all your efforts on preparing for war!”

“In these next few days, rest well and watch your diet! Afterward, you may not get a good night’s sleep again!”

“Did you hear me?” Chu Xiao’s voice suddenly sharpened. Everyone stiffened and replied at once, “Yes, sir!”

Chu Xiao nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”

“The Lord of the Underworld’s first move will be to invade our networks. So much of our communication and weaponry depends on the internet. If we lose it, we’ll be thrust back into the Stone Age! That’s why Kyushu needs you. The moment he awakens, you must be ready to defend our networks against his incursion.”

“I believe in you! You are the finest sons of Kyushu, and I know you will give everything to defend our land!”

There was no need for further words; everyone understood. In their hearts, the determination to fight the Lord of the Underworld only grew fiercer.

“Kyushu will prevail! The Red Hacker Alliance will prevail! Lord of the Underworld, get lost!” Someone suddenly shouted the slogan, and the rest quickly joined in.

It might not have been the most refined, perhaps even a bit crude, but this rallying cry expressed the hackers’ resolve to defend Kyushu.

At this moment, the slogan was shouted with determination, with defiance, with hope.

The good sons of Kyushu would not retreat before the Lord of the Underworld!

Production of weapons was still being ramped up, and some continued to research other forms of weaponry.

In addition, the collection of radium had yielded significant results. The quantity was not vast, but enough to last four or five months—enough to fight while continuing extraction.

8:00 PM

Chu Xiao arrived at the barracks.

He was there to give the soldiers a lesson.

He would tell them about the various types of humanoid machines, and most importantly, their weaknesses.

“Hello, everyone! I am Chu Xiao. The class begins now!”

“First, let’s start with the simplest—the most basic combat unit under the Lord of the Underworld: the T200 Armed Machine Dog, known for its vast numbers and rapid, unpredictable movement patterns! Though they are fast, they lack strength. Our laser rifles and tracking machine guns can easily destroy them. The key is not to let them get close, for if they latch on, they’ll tear a human to pieces!”

“Another crucial point—the Lord of the Underworld sometimes rigs these machine dogs with explosives. If you kill them up close, there’s a high chance the detonation will be triggered, leaving nothing of you behind. So be careful.”

“Now, let’s talk about the next, slightly more formidable machine…”

Chu Xiao lectured for a long time, and the soldiers listened intently. Though he had already written all this down and had it printed, just in case he had missed anything, he preferred to speak to them directly as a form of reinforcement.

After all, the battle was about to begin!

Only four days remained!

Four days!

February 28, 1:00 AM. Only twenty-three hours until the Lord of the Underworld would awaken!

No one slept that night.

Tomorrow, the Lord of the Underworld would awaken.

The day after, he would launch his “Eradicate Humanity” plan—intending to wipe out the human race completely!

Not only Kyushu, but people in Euroforce, Northsand, other small nations, and even America were all sleepless.

Would the Lord of the Underworld truly awaken?

If not, the whole world would be a joke.

But if he did, it would be a catastrophe for all mankind—no nation could escape unscathed.

People could not help but pray silently that this was nothing more than a farce.

But reality would not bend to their wishes.

In these twenty-three hours before his awakening, and the forty-seven hours before the “Eradicate Humanity” plan began, there was more than waiting and watching—there was preparation for war.