Chapter 560: Fury in the Skies

Three hours and forty-two minutes later. Fighter jets soared into the sky.

With Nagasaki as the focal point—like the eye of a storm—a large group of top Japanese military officials were racing to the Dongyang Safe Zone.

Some well-connected high-level Awakeners also boarded their own private jets, or simply flew in from nearby.

If you looked down from above the Japanese Battle Zone at that moment, you’d be amazed by how bustling the skies over Nagasaki were.

It hadn’t been this lively since World War II.

Inside a fighter jet.

“Are you sure it’s an SSS+ level talent? No issues at all?”

The hastily modified military transport had been converted into a small conference room. A burly Cabinet Prime Minister, Kamimoto Yamashiro, couldn’t help but ask his subordinate.

“Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. We’ve confirmed his talent level twice—it truly is the highest in theory!”

Although he’d been asked countless times—and it had even been discussed in two consecutive Cabinet and Council meetings, always about Ye Ze Ming—this Prime Minister still couldn’t quite believe it.

“Genius… what a genius!”

“Still, it might not be the absolute top. I’ve heard that over in the Huaxia Battle Zone, their standards would rate it as SS+.”

As if a thought had struck him, he—who was about to personally meet Yenir—first expressed his admiration before casually adding a remark.

No sooner had he spoken than his longtime subordinate understood exactly what he meant.

“Minister, there’s no need for modesty.”

“I believe our Battle Zone’s super genius, with both his talent and future potential, is by no means inferior to Huaguo’s Yenir!”

“Their evaluations focus solely on the peak talent, completely ignoring practical combat ability! We’re different—we assess comprehensively, which is the real standard!”

Aware that the Divine Warrior Project was essentially modeled after the birth of the Seed of the Sequence, his subordinate knew all too well what his superior wanted to hear.

“Yenir! His combat prowess doesn’t measure up to that of our Battle Zone’s super genius!”

“I believe it won’t be long before, when they meet on the battlefield, our side comes out on top!”

“Sir, you must have seen Zemei’s performance in the selections—truly made for the Military and for combat!”

“A genius Awakener like him can only be discovered through the Divine Warrior Project. I’ve heard he has no special background.”

On the surface he was flattering Ye Ze Ming, but in reality, he was extolling the merits of the Divine Warrior Project. With that, Kamimoto Yamashiro broke into a satisfied smile.

Exactly! That’s it!

As soon as the news broke, he sent someone to locate the Navy’s staff officer and, during the first wave of contact, announced his intention to induct the Awakener into the Cabinet—in other words, into the Imperial Guard!

Clean-cut and unaffiliated with any faction, with extraordinary talent and even skilled in assassination.

Such an Awakener had him thrilled the moment the news reached him.

Still, it will all depend on the future; potential matters.

“But I believe that such a level of talent should rank as Peak Third-Stage. I’m confident that in the upcoming combat dungeons, Zemei will definitely surprise us.”

“I recall that besides him, there are only six SS-Level candidates in this Divine Warrior Project, right?”

Standing respectfully to the side, the Third-Stage Awakener remained unshaken, even by the turbulence of the transport plane.

Listening to the Prime Minister’s questions, his acute perceptiveness made him immediately grasp the subtext.

“Yes, Minister.”

“However, among those six, five are from the new generation of major factions—with only one sharing Zemei’s origins. Rest assured, I’ve already made preliminary contact over there. If all goes well, they’ll be recruited by us too.”

Smiling, the subordinate in charge of handling various affairs discreetly winked at the Minister.

It was somewhat similar to the situation within Huaguo.

The Cabinet, a political system directly under the Emperor, had existed since before the end times. Although it had a hand in national policy, it held no real military power.

The Senate was composed mainly of numerous Third-Stage and High-Level Awakeners, serving as a buffer between the Cabinet and the lower realms.

Within the Japanese Battle Zone, the most powerful forces were the Navy and the Air Force.

Thus, for the Cabinet, recruiting every Awakener they could was an ongoing effort—of course, under the guise of the Military.

“I’ve seen all of his performance.”

“Incredible—the speed and strength far exceed those of his peers, with explosive power and sustained combat ability that are simply off the charts.”

“According to the intel you’ve gathered, his talent underwent a mutation after reaching Third-Stage, right?”

“Yes, Minister.”

“According to Ye Ze Ming and several senior officials from her Safe Zone, his talent mutated during a life-or-death battle.”

“However, while this mutation has boosted his talent to unimaginable levels, it also comes with flaws.”

“For instance, his mental strength is weak, and it appears that both his willpower and inherent structure have been converted into raw strength and speed.”

“His defense is abysmal—only about half that of his peers.”

“Strictly speaking, his combat power post-mutation is extremely unbalanced—classic offense over defense!”

He explained the findings.

Once this conclusion was reached, the Japanese Military and all levels of command reluctantly accepted it—many even felt it was reasonable.

Even the strongest Awakener can’t be perfect in every area. Having weaknesses and flaws is only natural!

With such an extreme combat talent, pulling off a one-versus-seventy scenario—with the aid of terrain factors—was barely plausible.

Yet, as he listened to his subordinate’s explanation, Kamimoto Yamashiro’s face broke into an even more satisfied smile.

“That’s even better.”

“Now that’s what I call a fine blade….”

“Once we reach the location, arrange a meeting between him and me. As for this round of Divine Warrior slots…”

He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his options.

“Let’s award him a top-three slot!”

“Depending on how things unfold, even first place might be on the table!”

After his words, the high-ranking officials among the assorted group around him shared a fleeting look of envy.

Indeed, the Divine Warrior Project was designed to select super geniuses—especially lone survivors. But given the state of the Japanese Battle Zone, very few candidates could be found.

Not to mention, they all started at Third-Stage, with no intention of being nurtured from the very beginning.

Every Third-Stage Awakener, to some extent, hailed from major factions—talented individuals who emerged early.

Hence, in this Divine Warrior Project, the rewards for the top three were never meant for Awakeners without a background, at least according to the Military and the Authorities.

Unless…

The talent is just too terrifying!

…………

An hour later, transport planes from all sides descended slowly.

At Nagasaki Air Force Base—inside the former U.S. Base in Japan—a few American Awakeners observed the swarm of top Japanese officials with thoughtful expressions.

One bald, Third-Stage American Awakener couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh as he watched the Japanese officials, who completely ignored his group’s inquiries.

Ever since the apocalypse, they’d been trapped here, forced to blend in amid the turbulent situation.

It was only in recent years that they managed to re-establish contact with their homeland.

But compared to the near-royal treatment before the apocalypse, their current situation here was extremely ambiguous.

“These Japanese must be in the midst of a major event. Cohen, find a way to get us some intel and figure out what’s going on!”

After watching one group of Japanese officials leave the base after another, former Captain Mark couldn’t help but murmur orders to his subordinate.

Somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was linked to the recent Divine Warrior Project activities orchestrated by these Japanese.