Chapter 584: Tactics Amidst Chaos

Without much explanation.

Unlike the Prime Minister and the others’ worries, after leaving Command, Yenir found himself leisurely wandering around the Capital.

With the epic war looming, outsiders believed there was no way he could significantly boost his strength in just one month.

Only Yenir knew exactly how powerful he had become.

Below Fourth Stage, apart from a few rarely seen top Peak Third-Stage individuals, every other Peak Awakened in his sight was merely waiting to die.

For him, his sole concern was being ambushed by a throng of Third-Stage Peaks, which would rob him of even the opportunity to execute his Evil God Ritual.

Other than that, his only consideration was the manner in which he’d dominate the domestic scene after crushing every battle zone in Asia.

“Twenty people should suffice to unleash Divine Rage; even playing it safe, they’re enough for me to initiate the ritual at any moment to guarantee resurrection.”

Wearing a mask as he strolled along the lively main street, Yenir was deep in thought, carefully mapping out his national battle strategy.

Even though it was deep into the night, the Capital Safe Zone—Huaguo’s military and political heart—was still abuzz with activity.

Yet amid the lively bustle, there was an unmistakable aura of quiet oppression.

Particularly with an increased presence of patrolling Military Awakeneds, even the average survivor could sense that this Safe Zone felt somewhat different.

“Too many people isn’t ideal; for one, it delays the timing of my entry into the national battle, and two, an excess of numbers only hampers movement.”

“Moreover, in a crowd, you can hardly be sure everyone is an ally.”

He never hesitated to consider the worst-case scenario.

In the midst of this constant strategizing, Yenir felt remarkably at ease.

His previous life had armed him with tremendous stress resistance, so the current state of affairs was anything but a dead end.

Those Third-Stage Peaks lurking in the shadows were nothing but rats! With the Sword God System at his disposal—even if he had only the fighting power from his previous life—he could single-handedly obliterate them all!

His remarks to Li Xuanguo were undeniably honest.

Taking twenty people along was simply a safeguard against worst-case scenarios.

Although having more people might seem like an advantage, if a few traitors manage to infiltrate and expose his strategy to other battle zones, that would spell true trouble.

Yenir was completely convinced that Lu Haishan and his cohort could pull off something like that!

For them, suffering was a private matter and their enemies’ misfortune was sweet; in their view, there was no such thing as a nation!

In this national showdown, Lu Haishan and his allies not only hoped that he would perish within but even wished for Huaguo to suffer a crushing and punitive defeat!

That way, they’d have enough grounds to reprimand Li Xuanguo and send a message to all the Neutral Faction!

In other words… they are the true pillars of the Huaxia Battle Zone!

But if Yenir not only survives but manages to avoid a disgraceful defeat, it would deal a massive blow to Lu Haishan and his associates!

At that point…

Everyone would come to the sudden realization that these veteran Third-Stage Peaks—dangling high like leeches over the Military’s head—are utterly expendable!

Under the weight of these events, the entire situation would flip in an instant!

After all, who really likes carrying a load of parasites on their shoulders!?

“After the national battle concludes, Lu Haishan and his associates will undoubtedly be intimidated by me. In the short term, given their cowardly nature, they simply won’t act.”

“These rats, lacking accurate intel, will most likely fall into a brief panic.”

“And by then, the Supernatural Plan should also be a success.”

“In less than two weeks, I’ll burst straight into Peak Third-Stage! By then, whether I choose to quell them all with brute force or convert them into Otherworldly Ghosts, everything will be much simpler!”

With two Sacrifice skills at his disposal, he was like a speeding tank—just give him a moment to ignite, and no one in the national battle could stand in his way!

But truth be told, despite all his calculations, Yenir wasn’t keen on sacrificing his own.

The best-case scenario was to capitalize on the system’s perks for smaller numbers, allowing an early setup for the national battle.

Much like a dungeon challenge, the fewer Awakeners you deploy, the more ample your preparation time for the national battle scene.

This was one of the system’s fairness perks, giving certain ‘advantages’ to smaller countries.

But since the apocalypse, every nation seemingly had its own Peak Third-Stage fighters, and the number of elites in each battle zone was almost identical.

Hence, this rule was seldom put to use.

For Yenir, needing fewer people allowed him to exploit this rule and set up an ambush in advance.

If he could sacrifice fighters from other zones, he’d avoid sacrificing his own.

The Awakeners the Prime Minister had him take were all utterly loyal—losing even one was something he’d rather avoid…

With that realization, Yenir quelled his fleeting urge to kill and finalized his overall strategy.

……………

After threading through the lively Commercial Square, Yenir unwittingly reached a street where pedestrians had dwindled.

Without any accompanying guards, he blended into the crowd.

With his mask on and his psychic aura subtly hidden, no one seemed to notice his presence.

As if a memory had struck him, Yenir abruptly paused and glanced towards a toy store not far away.

“So…this is what it looked like three years ago…”

A wistful expression crossed his face.

Nostalgia flickered in his eyes, and after a brief pause, he decided to step inside.

It wasn’t that something urgent awaited him—he had simply grown accustomed to visiting this spot.

“Mo Ling Toy House…”

Stopping in front of the quaintly decorated shop, Yenir’s gaze softened as he looked at the cartoonish zombie doll hanging at the door.

He knew this place well.

In fact, after escaping to the Capital in his previous life, he had even worked here.

Being one of the toy stores that managed to survive post-apocalypse, the owner was intriguingly enigmatic and, in his own way, a kind soul.

Although hardly anything sold, it shouldn’t have even remained open three years after the disaster.

Yet, he and many refugees survived until the final round of talent evaluations—largely due to the other side’s seemingly endless funds.

“Buy a toy for Ye Xiaoan, okay? It might just make up for past regrets…”

Almost without noticing, Yenir chuckled softly, his wistfulness fading as he stepped inside.

…………….

Two hours later, at home.

Clutching an astronaut-like doll, Ye Xiaoan seemed to sense something as she watched Yenir with a hint of reluctance.

“Brother, are you leaving again?”

“When will you come back…”

Listening to her cautious, somewhat dejected tone, Yenir simply affectionately tousled his little sister’s hair.

“Very soon. In the meantime, stick with Uncle Fang Hao and don’t wander off on your own.”

For safety’s sake, before departing for the national battle, Yenir handed over his Mother and little sister to Fang Hao.

Just in case—if he were to meet an untimely fate—at least Ye Xiaoan and his Mother might make it to the final moment.

Hugging the doll, Ye Xiaoan obediently nodded, though a sadness deep within made her hang her head.

Staring at the doll that Yenir had purchased, aptly named ‘Dream,’ she murmured softly to herself.

“Doll, oh doll, your dream is to become an astronaut and fly into space.”

“My dream is for my brother to always remain safe….”