Chapter 583: The Weight of Sacrifice

The meeting is over.

The underground was rather damp.

The wartime command center, built beneath the Military Region, was showing its age.

The gray-white walls were peeling, with faint traces of the old white paint barely visible.

“Prepare the troops, brace for battle! Never give in!”

Once an inspiring four-word slogan, its meaning had now grown blurred.

The dim lighting cast somber shadows on everyone’s face.

After leaving the meeting room, every senior executive couldn’t help but glance back at Yenir, who remained seated in the corner.

His expression was heavy and conflicted.

Someone wanted to speak up but ultimately held back.

They had all heard Yenir’s words.

In truth, throughout the meeting, Yenir had uttered only that single line.

They couldn’t understand how this young man still managed to remain so confident—as if no difficulty could ever shake him.

After all, it was Yenir who was destined to face this crisis first.

Even the seasoned senior officials and military commanders had weathered countless challenges; their resolve was strong, yet fear and despair still crept in.

If they put themselves in his shoes, they’d never be so composed.

“Yenir…”

As the others departed, Li Xuanguo, who stayed behind with Yenir, spoke in a hoarse whisper.

He forced a smile and patted Yenir’s shoulder.

“We’re all under immense pressure. If anyone comes off as blaming you … don’t take it to heart.”

“No matter what, we all believe in you.”

Yenir looked up as Li Xuanguo, clearly worried about the burden on him, said nothing more than a calm nod.

He understood exactly what the Prime Minister was implying.

Throughout the meeting, he had sensed several senior officials nearly ready to surrender.

Or perhaps even push him aside in an effort to placate Lu Haishan and the others while preserving what they could.

Of course, if they couldn’t protect him, all they could do was try their best.

Many believed this was the optimal, even the most cost-effective, solution.

Maybe a simple apology and a humbling bow would suffice to resolve the crisis.

Everything had happened so fast that they were unprepared, even terrified of an impending civil war.

When it came to elite combat capabilities, they could only fight desperately; meanwhile, most of their major forces were stationed at the Border.

From both a national and strategic standpoint, prolonging the status quo was their only viable option.

After all, wasn’t it Yenir who had ignited this turmoil?

Sacrificing Yenir for the sake of peace throughout the Battle Zone was considered perfectly normal.

The old guard of the Peak Third-Stage would never allow their authority to be challenged.

Not to mention, Yenir’s actions in the East Sea had seriously jeopardized that faction’s interests.

Yenir was willing to kill anyone—if someone dared to be greedy or slip up, he’d overstep all bounds and eliminate them without hesitation! Such ruthless methods and temperament left the veteran Peak Third-Stage figures in a state of palpable dread.

Once Yenir truly matured, who knew if the next target might be them? In many ways, Yenir had already made his mark.

Seeing that Yenir seemed unbothered, Li Xuanguo slowly nodded.

He looked at the young man with a complex expression—burdened with unspoken thoughts but unsure how to begin.

Though his status meant he shouldn’t be affected by such things, facing Yenir stirred unexpected empathy within him.

No one voiced these sentiments during the meeting; he had kept them to himself.

Unlike some high-ranking officials clinging to illusions, he knew full well from a national perspective that nothing was truly about Yenir.

There were broader issues at play—they were trying to secure a shred of fairness for the nation and some benefits for the common people, even if it meant jeopardizing the interests of the old guard.

Civil war was inevitable, and if they kept yielding until even they lost faith, it would all be over for real.

The cancellation of the Awakening Potion clearly showed that the old Peak Third-Stage elites couldn’t wait any longer.

They wanted to maintain their current power indefinitely, turning the nation into their personal property.

They were no longer content with merely monopolizing top-tier resources and exploiting the lower classes.

Their plan was to completely sever the Military’s backbone, install a cadre of corrupt officials in high positions, and cut off any path to advancement—a one-and-done solution for eternal dominance.

Provided that the coming apocalypse didn’t break out, disaster seemed avoidable.

In that regard, there was little to censure.

The old Peak Third-Stage had indeed made sacrifices; in a post-apocalyptic world where the strong ruled, enjoying privileges was only natural.

But…

The monsters were coming.

While Li Xuanguo and the others realized that continuing down this path might doom Huaguo’s future,

for Yenir, however…

he would never allow these parasites to drag everyone down with them!

After a long silence, Yenir finally spoke:

“Prime Minister, if I’m going in this time, just send me two squads of Third-Stage Advanced operatives.”

“Twenty men—that’s plenty. More would be pointless.”

Startled, Li Xuanguo glanced at him and couldn’t help but ask:

“I know you managed to recruit—er, persuade two Peak Third-Stage warriors to join you. Yenir, while I don’t know how you did it, external aid is still external. They might not fight tooth and nail for you!”

“The Military really can’t spare any Peak Third-Stage operatives for you, but providing eighty Third-Stage Advanced soldiers is no problem!”

“Bring more people—at the very least, it increases our chances of survival!”

The situation looked bleak.

Deeply aware of the challenges of national warfare, Li Xuanguo knew that even if Yenir went in with two Peak Third-Stage operatives, it wouldn’t make much difference.

Firstly, those two were probably bribed with hefty funding by Yenir; when push came to shove, they’d likely choose self-preservation.

Secondly, ever since realizing that Lu Haishan and his cohorts had become so fanatical as to risk attracting foreign forces, Li Xuanguo doubted they’d keep Yenir’s entry a secret from the other Battle Zones!

If that happened, the situation would worsen even further.

Even if Yenir himself was counted as a Peak Third-Stage, plus the two he recruited, that would only make three elite operatives in total!

Under siege from other Battle Zones, simply surviving would be nothing short of a miracle!

In fact, Li Xuanguo and Fang Hao had already maximized Yenir’s combat prowess as much as possible; if Yenir could even hold his own against seasoned Peak Third-Stage veterans, that would count as a win.

Thus, those eighty Third-Stage Advanced operatives became the key to sustaining their efforts.

If danger loomed, they could sacrifice some soldiers to delay the enemy; combined with that abnormal skill Yenir possessed, he might even take down one or two Peak Third-Stage fighters—ensuring he wasn’t at the bottom of the rankings!

This was the best outcome he could imagine.

Yet, in response to Li Xuanguo’s pleas, Yenir simply shook his head and firmly reiterated:

“No thanks. Frankly, unless at least ten people are going in, I work best alone.”

As his words fell away, Li Xuanguo, who had been furrowing his brows in worry, was momentarily stunned.

He looked at Yenir in sheer disbelief.

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