Chapter 241: The Unthinkable Strike

“Why are you doing this?! Why?!”

“Who exactly do you think you are?!”

In the makeshift command room, skewed by howling wind, the Military officer, dazed and completely drained, grabbed Yenir’s collar and roared in accusation.

Spit sprayed across the protective goggles.

Bulging veins and every sensor screaming alarms.

They had sensed something was wrong from the very start.

From the baffling troop mobilizations to the brutal suicide attack … in the end, that Youth had overstepped every limit by detonating a nuclear bomb right before their eyes!

Those earlier events already felt like a surreal nightmare, leaving them at a loss.

But the enormous mushroom cloud rising in the distance was more than they could bear.

Every unit was annihilated—from elite gene warriors to ordinary soldiers, everyone was wiped out in the explosion.

Worse still, the detonation happened right beside the Province!

Right in the heart of the Federation!

They could only imagine the fury of the Federation’s top brass when they got the news!

Detonating a nuclear bomb on their own territory!?

Their civilization had never stooped to such madness!

No doubt they’d be hauled before a military tribunal, with the entire Federation condemning them—even if they were innocent!

As the Military, now in ruins, pulled out a pistol and ranted, Yenir shook his head slightly and calmly said:

“Ming Luo, knock them out. The Awakener from the South Korean Battle Zone should still be breathing.”

“We need to kill them all.”

Coming back to his senses, Ming Luo nodded gravely and, without hesitation, swept through the tent like a whirlwind, knocking out every officer.

In the eyes of humanity, the nuclear blast should have exterminated all the ‘monsters’.

But he knew that while Third-Stage Beginners would die, Mid-levels might just survive.

Although the live feed had been ruined by high-energy gamma rays, the final footage clearly showed several rapid after-images escaping the lethal radius.

That was entirely normal.

The extra reaction time from a high-altitude nuclear burst was considerable.

For ordinary humans there was no chance of escape, but for a Third-Stage Mid-level Awakener, as long as they weren’t caught in the initial implosion, the subsequent shockwave and heat were less fatal.

Excitement and adrenaline surged.

After boosting themselves with enhancement skills in record time, the squad members looked at Yenir with a mix of awe and apprehension.

They’d really done it—or rather… Yenir had.

In just six hours, he’d orchestrated massive troop movements like magic and even produced a nuclear bomb to deliver a lethal strike to those bastards.

Even if a few Third-Stages still survived, such a dazzling achievement was unprecedented in the Huaxia Battle Zone’s countless replica confrontations!

In a flash of white, Yenir drew a pair of swords from his Ring.

Two distinct elemental forces instantly filled the tilted tent.

Just as he motioned for the others to follow him, Ming Luo suddenly stepped into his path and said earnestly:

Every squad member seemed to share the same resolve, their faces etched with determination.

“Yenir, we’ll move on without you!”

“You have to leave—complete the mission!”

“Even if they’re wounded, they still have a fight left in them!”

“Leave it to us!”

“We’ll take that risk! We’ll do everything to wipe them out!”

Yenir was momentarily taken aback; in their eyes he saw a resolve that bordered on a willingness to die.

“That’s right, Yenir!”

“You can’t get hurt! Once you finish the mission and get out, we win!”

“And even if we fail, those bastards won’t be any better off. We’ll force them to reveal their final trump card!”

Everyone mustered all their courage, eyes burning with determination as they looked at him.

Ming Luo and the others believed there was no need for Yenir to join the upcoming battle. Even if these Third-Stages were critically injured, the danger only increased in their state!

Yenir had already created the best conditions possible for them; that was more than enough.

Even if it meant dying together, it was worth it!

Watching as the squad tried to hold him back, Yenir’s expression turned inscrutable. He knew exactly what Ming Luo and the others were thinking.

Didn’t they want him to avoid unnecessary risk?

Sure, that was wise… but the fact was, there was no real risk at all.

Yenir shook his head in resignation, utterly at a loss for words.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m absolutely sure nothing will go wrong. Just trust me.”

He couldn’t understand why, despite clearly demonstrating his strength, Ming Luo and the others were still so worried about him…

Was his prowess not impressive enough?

Damn, he wanted to show even more power, but staying in the Capital left him no chance to do so.

With a pensive frown, Ming Luo felt both surprise and concern as he experienced the full force of Yenir’s push.

Such raw power—the attribute nearly rivaled that of a Mid-level!

It wasn’t that he thought Yenir was weak; he just believed Yenir was too important.

Moreover, in previous battles Yenir had only clashed with Third-Stage Beginners and Zhang Yang’s crew. Even though Yenir’s strength could rival a Mid-level, and sometimes even surpass it, Ming Luo still subconsciously regarded him as a rookie.

Yet, seeing the unwavering determination in Yenir’s eyes, he silently resolved.

“Then let’s go together! If the enemy fights desperately, I’ll take the hits!”

………….

Amid the roaring winds and choking sand, several Third-Stage Mid-level Awakener, scorched and battered, huddled together in despair.

Their faces turned ashen as they coughed up blood.

Every inch of their injured skin burned with searing pain.

Once brimming with spirit and confidence, they now slumped together, supporting one another like stray dogs with broken backs.

“They’re all dead… completely dead…”

“Ahhhh!!!”

“Acheng! Katou! Wu Can!…”

..

Hoarse voices blended grief and fury.

One Southeast Asian Awakener wailed uncontrollably as he stared at the roiling mushroom cloud in the distance, his despair and anger nearly shattering his sanity.

One of the Awakener in his squad was his own brother.

Every team member was obliterated—in the extreme blast, not even a scrap of bone remained.

The double blow to body and spirit left him unable to accept the grim reality.

At that moment, he deeply regretted entering this replica. Had he not been fast enough, he too might have been reduced to ashes by the nuclear explosion.

“Stop yelling!”

“It’s not over yet! Those bastards will surely ambush us!”

With rage etched on his face, Park Riyeon—the last Third-Stage Mid-level Awakener from the South Korean Battle Zone—scanned his surroundings, his shield held high in defense.

Though he couldn’t fathom how the Huaxia squad managed to both deploy a nuclear bomb and predict their position, he knew this was their most perilous moment ever. Severely injured, with only six survivors out of seventy, their situation was dire!

“Come on!!”

“Bring it on!! I’ll kill them all! I’ll slaughter this pack of pigs!”

“You sneaky rats! Useless trash!!”

His face twisted into a crazed snarl.

From within the squad, Dahe Yicheng—whose half of his body had vanished—roared. His molten face split open to reveal a snarl with half a row of teeth.

“It has to be him! It’s got to be that kid’s doing!”

Recalling the threat Yenir had made before entering the replica, the now completely unhinged Dahe Yicheng was desperate enough to want to devour Yenir’s flesh. He wanted that damned bastard to taste true agony!

With such massive losses, their mission was a total failure!

The only way to salvage the situation was to exterminate the entire Huaxia squad!

“If we wipe out those sniveling Chinas, no one will ever know just how disastrously we fumbled in this replica!”