Chapter 328: Edge of No Return

In midair, the general stood frozen like a stone statue, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes filled with disbelief.

The news from Yenir was too staggering for him to immediately accept.

And there’s a Sea Beast coming next!? This is only the beginning!?

This…

How could this be possible!!!?

His heart pounded like the rhythm of a war drum.

As a high-ranking military officer, he knew all too well what this news implied.

If there really is a Sea Beast, then a retreat would make them perfect bait, while the millions of people in the East Sea would be the most tantalizing feast! Under a mistaken tactical judgment, not only the East Sea but the entire Battle Zone would be doomed!

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The overwhelming shock made him dizzy, his mind filled with terror.

A cut on his wrist dripped blood steadily, vivid as fresh paint against the dark night sky, falling onto the head of a massive Sea Beast below.

“Roar!!!”

In an instant, the bloodcurdling roar and the stench of raw meat snapped him to attention.

“General Wang!!”

Amid the soldiers’ cries, Wang Cheng’s pupils constricted sharply as he dodged a gaping, blood-spattered maw in a desperate, split-second maneuver.

Gasping for air, he panted heavily.

Instinctively, he wanted to demand an explanation from Yenir! But as he looked at the abruptly ended communication from Yenir, an unimaginable pressure and inner struggle began to well up within him.

There was still no explanation… Was it just meant as a warning!?

Although he found it hard—or perhaps refused—to believe these words, for some reason he suddenly recalled everything that had happened in the past few hours.

They had already made too many mistakes…

Up to this point, every judgment made by Yenir had been spot on.

“Do you think explanations are pointless!?!”

His expression was one of inner torment.

For a moment, visions of soldiers who had perished under his flawed commands flashed across his mind, their faces seared into his memory.

They could hardly afford another mistake. If they were wrong this time…

If Yenir’s judgment was indeed correct…

Then this moment was their final chance—a last glimmer of hope!

Believe it or not!?

If they believed, what could they do now!?

Almost subconsciously, Wang Cheng’s eyes scanned the ranks of low-ranking soldiers. Their persistent refusal to retreat from the sea made it impossible to abandon them!

While the Third-Stage fighters could traverse nearshore and even Second-Stage fighters had enough strength to cross the sea, what about the lower ranks? What about ordinary people!?

If they were to follow Yenir’s plan, the only option was…

Taking a deep breath.

In that instant, a determined glint flashed in Zhang Cheng’s eyes, as if a wild, mad idea had struck him, and he roared out:

“Everyone, cancel the retreat!”

“Rally! Rally!”

“We’re crossing the sea!”

His command thundered across the field, each synchronized order reaching every soldier locked in bloody combat.

Everyone looked on in disbelief at his bold decision.

At this moment, Wang Cheng gave a bitter, wry smile, feeling like he was staking everything on this gamble.

There was no other choice—they could not afford another mistake.

Perhaps it was military instinct, a sense of guilt, or simply the deep impression Yenir had left on them over time.

This time, he chose… to trust Yenir!

Retreating from the sea meant sacrificing more soldiers, but he believed he could still find a way to mitigate that loss! Yet, if he didn’t trust… the cost would be catastrophic enough to shake all of China.

They…

Couldn’t afford to lose!

“All senior officers, intercept the Sea Beast!”

“Everyone else, construct an ice bridge! Prepare to cross the sea!!”

Orders flew out one after the other.

Executing Yenir’s orders, the only plan Wang Cheng could devise to save most of them was to hold off the enemy by his own sacrifice! The senior officers would buy time while the mid-level Awakener employed Spirit Energy alongside Elemental Type techniques to construct an ice bridge—a lifeline from this endless sea!

Whether he would survive… whether the few senior officers with him would also make the sacrifice…

He no longer cared.

In truth, after his initial catastrophic decision, overwhelming self-reproach had filled him with deep remorse.

He felt he had failed the soldiers who died in battle, and worse, betrayed the trust reflected in countless eyes.

………..

Inside the tense and solemn temporary command center of the Capital Military District, numerous high-ranking military officials stared gravely at the frontline map.

Though, for the sake of efficiency and due to special circumstances, command authority had been temporarily delegated.

The Sea Beast incident, however, involved the fate of the East Sea; they kept a vigilant eye on the battle, reporting constantly to their superiors.

“What’s the current situation?”

“How is the evacuation progressing?”

Inquiries came in nearly every minute.

Now, in the dead of night, the military satellite over the East Sea could no longer transmit real-time images accurately. With thick clouds overhead, the weather satellite predicted a storm hitting the East Sea within the next seven hours.

“Commander, the frontline situation is under control. All survivors in the East Sea have been evacuated from the city and are now being sent in batches to nearby Battle Zones.”

“The frontline troops are ready for withdrawal. Once the Fire Network is deployed, it should effectively hinder the Sea Beast’s pursuit.”

“As for the reinforcement troops, the first wave of advance units is expected to reach the East Sea in about four hours, with full assembly in six hours.”

“Commander Fang Hao is also on his way.”

“But it’s expected that he won’t arrive in the East Sea until roughly fifteen hours later…”

Information was relayed at breakneck speed. Hearing that everything was going well, the middle-aged general who had taken over from Wang Shouren heaved a sigh and nodded slightly.

Not bad.

Although there had been some minor errors that resulted in unnecessary losses,

this A-level Sea Beast attack was not as terrifying as once feared.

Compared to past disasters of similar scale, the current military strength was far greater and more than capable of handling the situation.

However, noticing that Third-Stage fighter Fang Hao wouldn’t reach the East Sea for another fifteen hours, he couldn’t help but frown.

“Isn’t Fang Tong supposed to be in the East China region? I recall he once applied for a special mission leading an entire army near the East Sea.”

“So why is he the slowest?”

The old commander’s dissatisfaction was palpable, and the many high-ranking officers in the command center dared not speak.

After all, this old commander had every right to speak, while Fang Hao, as a field commander, was beyond reproach.

“It seems Fang Tong has encountered some extraordinary situation and is temporarily unable to leave.”

“The other three commanders are too far away, each tied up with their own missions, so they might not be able to offer assistance.”

After cautiously explaining the situation, the old commander let the subject drop.

Then, as if struck by another thought, he shifted the topic and spoke again.

“What about Yenir?”

“Has there been any word from him?”

He asked in a calm tone.

The officials in the command center were momentarily taken aback, and after a brief pause, an officer in charge of liaising with the East Sea senior officials spoke hesitantly with a peculiar expression:

“Sir, it seems Yenir has vanished.”

“According to reports from the frontline, Yenir abandoned his command as soon as the evacuation started. It appears he thought he had nothing left to do.”

Oh?

The old commander nodded slightly and, after listening, remarked with unexpected surprise:

“Keep an eye on him. Do not let him cause any more trouble.”

“Now that there’s nothing…”

Before he could finish, a military officer seated at the control panel suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief as he reviewed the latest transmission.

“There’s been a change in the East Sea!”

“Just a minute ago, Yenir abruptly reassigned from the Aviation Squadron and abandoned the deployment of the Fire Network!”