Chapter 679: Shadows of the Fortress

Bang bang bang

Outside the lounge, rhythmic knocking echoed.

The sound jolted Yenir, who had been deep in thought on his bed.

Yet the knocks felt more like a reminder. After a few rapid taps, the visitor outside left in haste without saying a word.

“Hmm?”

Yenir paused, his mind racing as a cascade of sudden events pushed his thoughts to overload.

Straining to rise, he swung his head and glanced at the quiet door, quickly piecing together what was happening.

“No activity in the other rooms means this isn’t a test notification.”

“Looks like they’ve delivered the Guard’s ID Card.”

Suppressing his internal turmoil, Yenir let out a breath and stole a glance at Yu Keran on the bed before stumbling upright.

He had to be cautious. If it were the test notifier, he’d need to put on an act, or else he couldn’t explain why Yu Keran had passed out.

In just a few hurried strides, Yenir opened the door to find a full set of Military uniforms placed there, with a card tucked into one of the garments.

Observing the Squad Captain’s impressive efficiency, Yenir felt a small surge of relief—finally, something was going right.

With the guard’s identity in hand, he should be able to uncover more intel.

Still, he wondered when the test would begin and was curious about the mysterious trial the Rebels had devised.

“How about a break to recharge some mental energy?”

After stowing the uniforms and closing the door, Yenir staggered over to his bed, feeling utterly spent.

Controlling the Otherworldly Ghost remotely drained enormous energy. Even a normal Third-Stage cultivator connecting over thousands of kilometers could have their mental strength sapped in an instant.

Yet Yenir wasn’t managing just one; he juggled seven or eight simultaneously! To gather even more intel, he operated these ghosts like robots, setting them all into action at once.

Bearing eight perspectives on his own, he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“The intel isn’t coming in fast enough. The Military is in the Capital. Although a horde assailed the Border, reinforcements have already arrived. And the surrounding Awakeners haven’t joined the battle yet.”

Bang!

He collapsed back onto his bed, attempting to laugh off his predicament.

There was no time to dwell—his mind was nearing explosion. Before Ming Luo’s test, he probably needed a break.

Otherwise, after the test, he feared he’d collapse on the way to Base. Tomorrow, he’d still be under the Rebels’ watchful eye during testing.

Lifting his head from the covers, Yenir looked with a tinge of envy at the unconscious Yu Keran.

With great power comes great responsibility. Honestly, he wished someone would knock him out so he could forget everything.

Reaching out, he gently checked Yu Keran’s face to confirm she was still in deep slumber. Unsure, he decisively flipped the girl over and delivered a clean, final hit.

After it was done, overwhelmed by mental exhaustion, Yenir collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

————–

Night, 10:27 PM.

Urgent footsteps echoed through the tunnel.

Within the damp underground troop passage, the march of disciplined troops occasionally broke the silence.

Bearing documents, a Middle-Aged Man—whom Yenir had met before—strode past layers of security checkpoints, finally halting before a metallic gate towering thirty meters high.

“ID verification. Haoyuan. Level A. Third-Stage Advanced.”

“Identity confirmed. State your purpose for entry.”

“Reporting intel: I’ve located the Experimental Organism, code-named 03.”

After a smooth and methodical verification, accompanied by a series of cold mechanical beeps, the Middle-Aged Man let out a sigh and confidently strode into this highly classified hidden base.

For Haoyuan, this wasn’t his first entry into the Underground Fortress. Gazing at the colossal structure that resembled a subterranean underworld, awe and emotion flickered in his eyes.

“This place is getting more terrifying… Who knows what they’re planning?”

“It’s drained nearly twenty percent of Huaguo’s resources. Imagine what the people in the Capital would say if they found out a fortress like this existed!”

Looking out, he saw a vast metallic wall in the distance, atop which countless spirit energy cannons jutted out like fangs.

No one could have imagined that even Yenir might struggle to grasp its scale.

Even Base Two, which Yenir considered enormous, occupied less than a tenth of this war fortress.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this fortress nearly empties the entire coastal area of Tianjin Port.

Besides constructing an underground naval harbor capable of accommodating aircraft carriers, there were hundreds of fighter jet exits near the inland regions.

Strictly speaking, the war fortress wasn’t solely underground; the entire Tianjin Battle Zone had been transformed into this fortress, with the surface structures serving only as camouflage.

Having consumed massive resources over the years, the Rebels built this war fortress. Even Haoyuan didn’t fully know what lay inside.

All he knew was that the fortress housed two armories, various chemical and heavy industrial facilities, and was self-sufficient enough to shelter millions for over a decade.

This contradicted Yenir’s earlier assumptions—or at least, it answered a question he had long wrestled with.

Why, despite Huaguo’s long-established Third-Stage legacy and years of exploitation, had the Rebels’ Third-Stage numbers barely changed? Where had all the resources gone?

The answer was simple: they’d poured everything into building this war fortress!

And that’s why the Rebels weren’t worried about the Military in the Capital launching an attack. Even if the surface Military Region were destroyed, they could retreat to this fortress and fight on to the end!

Without further delay, he moved on.

Soon, after passing additional security checks and entering the fortress, a squad of stoic Third-Stage soldiers blocked his path like a well-oiled machine.

“Haoyuan, a Level A user. Why have you returned to the war fortress so early?”

Facing the impassive Military forces, Haoyuan’s expression darkened as he curtly replied:

“I demand an audience with Lord Yuanlong!”

“Just two hours ago, we identified a candidate who fits the criteria for the *** Project.”

“I request a divine agent to test additional data on him!”

….

——————

Bang bang bang

After what felt like an eternity, Yenir was abruptly awakened once more by knocking at the door.

This time, however, the knocks were not from one person but an entire squad.

“Number B-Level 1882, Yu Keran. Please report immediately for test participation!”

“Captain Lin Ming, please open the door at once. We’re conducting a routine inspection!”

Sitting up, Yenir raised an eyebrow as he realized that tonight’s main event had arrived.

The test was about to begin.