No amount of slander or rumor could shake the ironclad truth.

They could buy enough food to last half a month, drink clean water, and watch arrogant, domineering gangsters face execution... After obtaining these things that were normally impossible, a certain thought inevitably took root in the minds of the lower-class citizens, long oppressed by the North Carolina Government.

’The Salvation Army is better than the North Carolina Government!’

And for the common people in cities still under the North Carolina Government’s rule, a similar thought formed in their minds when they heard the news.

’When will the Salvation Army get here? We want to live that good life, too.’

Whether the Salvation Army was colluding with foreign powers or not didn’t matter to the common people. They just wanted to live a little better, to live more like human beings.

And in that respect, the Salvation Army was clearly superior to the North Carolina Government.

This was how the hearts of the people were won.

That afternoon, the Salvation Army issued its first recruitment notice.

Housing, Gold Coins, food... all could be obtained by enlisting. The soldiers’ benefits were also excellent; the promise of meat with every meal alone was enough to attract a great number of people.

Just three hours after the notice was posted, more than twenty thousand people had signed up across the cities occupied by the Salvation Army. Most were enticed by the salary and the promise of meat every day, but some joined with fiery passion, wanting to overthrow the North Carolina Government and avenge years of oppression.

「March 14th.」

The recruitment drive ended with 24,396 people passing the first round. The Salvation Army would now subject them to rigorous training to mold them into qualified Warriors as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the newly established public schools officially began classes. All school-aged children could attend for free, and there were also evening courses for adults. Every classroom was packed to the brim, and students who couldn’t find a spot inside had to take their lessons on the playground.

The Celestial Crafted Group began road construction, paving all the city’s dilapidated roads with asphalt, widening them, and redesigning the traffic flow.

Furthermore, exploitative sweatshops were officially eliminated. All workers received significant improvements in their pay and conditions, including one day off per week. As for the sweatshop owners, they all faced the judgment they deserved.

The territory under the Salvation Army’s control was brimming with vitality, a scene of flourishing growth. They had clearly learned their lesson from last time and were prepared for a protracted war. If they ultimately failed to capture the Capital and overthrow the North Carolina Government, they would simply secede from North Carolina, establish a new government, and face their southern counterparts in a war of attrition until they achieved victory.

As for the front lines, the fighting was already at a furious stalemate, with daily ammunition consumption reaching terrifying levels.

Shortly after the civil war erupted, Iron-blooded Colonel Jason abandoned his hunt for the Black Death God and returned to military command. Under his leadership, the flagging Government Army miraculously repelled the Salvation Army’s offenses on multiple occasions. This restored the Government Army’s morale and halted the Salvation Army’s advance.

This war was going to be a long one.

·

「On a flanking front, in a temporary camp.」

The Poisonous Sore Gang had received a new mission.

A decapitation strike!

"The President of North Carolina’s nephew is the mayor of City No. 19, a man in a high-ranking position. Killing him would be a devastating blow to the North Carolina Government," the Plague Doctor said, handing everyone a file with the target’s detailed information.

"City No. 19?" Zhou Chen was taken aback. ’The mission is in a major city?’

"That’s right. Don’t worry about getting into the city; we’ve already bribed the guards. The difficult part will be killing the target and escaping," the Plague Doctor said. "The target himself is Tier Three and is protected by a team of international mercenaries. His residence is also patrolled by a large number of guards. The assassination will be extremely difficult, so only Siegfried and I will be going. Siegfried, can you handle it?"

’Just the two of us?’ Zhou Chen mulled it over before nodding. ’The more people on this mission, the higher the risk of exposure. It’s actually easier to manage with just the two of us. Besides, the President of North Carolina’s nephew is no doubt a scumbag, rotten to the core. He should be a perfect match for the Plague Doctor’s Ability. It should be an easy kill.’

"There’s no time to lose. Let’s move out immediately."

·

Night fell. The car’s headlights cut through the darkness like sharp arrows as it sped across the wilderness.

The Plague Doctor silently gazed out the window at the less-than-brilliant night sky. As a child, his favorite thing had been to look up at the stars; he could watch them all night without feeling the least bit tired.

After a long silence, the Plague Doctor spoke softly, "Just how strong are you?"

"Hm?"

Zhou Chen, who was driving, reached over and turned off the music. "There should be no problem completing this mission," he said.

"I’m not talking about that." The Plague Doctor kept his gaze fixed on the window. "Back in Bear City, you brainwashed a Tier Three Ascender and two Tier Two Ascenders. None of them were injured. That’s far beyond the limits of the power you’ve demonstrated. Are you hiding your true strength?"

"Ah, I guess you could say that," Zhou Chen admitted readily. "After all, I never claimed my Extraordinary Ability was ’spiritual brainwashing,’ did I?"

The Plague Doctor let out a soft chuckle and asked, "Then who are you, really?"

"Hm?"

"I sent people to investigate Village Tower. There’s no record of you there."

"I wasn’t being truthful back then," Zhou Chen lied without missing a beat. "The truth is, I’m from Black Ore City."

"Black Ore City? What’s the name of the largest mine there?"

"Desen Mining."

"What’s their most famous snack?"

"Ash Coal Cake."

"Where was your home?"

"I don’t remember. It’s long gone now."

In North Carolina, it was common for a family’s home to be seized after the adults had all died.

The Plague Doctor asked no more questions. He said calmly, "Whatever your past was, you are with the Salvation Army now. As long as you believe in our ideals, you are my comrade. I am glad I can sense that spirit in you. But do you know what makes me curious?"

"What?"

"After I acquired the Sin Judgment Scale, I gained the ability to see the projection of every person’s Soul. The more sinful a person is, the blacker their Soul appears."

The Plague Doctor turned his head, his gaze from beneath his mask fixed intently on him. "But your Soul is shining brilliantly, just like those veterans in the Salvation Army who have the purest minds and the most resolute ideals."

Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Are you complimenting me?"

"No, I’m stating a fact. A fact that I find confusing."

The Plague Doctor stated bluntly, "You don’t seem like that type of person."

’Someone with a brainwashing ability doesn’t exactly scream ’good guy’...’ Zhou Chen chuckled. "Everyone is multifaceted. A brave person can be cowardly at times, and someone afraid of death might risk their life for something important... Perhaps I really am a good person."

"Perhaps."

The Plague Doctor fell silent. After a few minutes of quiet in the car, Zhou Chen began to feel awkward and turned on the music.

"KSHHH... KSHHHHHHH..."

The speakers suddenly crackled with a burst of chaotic static. The music vanished, replaced by silence. A few seconds later, a gentle female voice began to speak:

"Welcome to City No. 19, the City of Dreams."

"Welcome... KSHHH... to City No. 19. This is... KSHH... the City of Dreams."

"KSHHH... Wel... come to Ci... ty No. 19. This is... KSHHH... the Cit... KSHHH... of Drea... KSHHH..."

"Welcome to the City of Dreams."

Zhou Chen’s brows furrowed. His intuition screamed that something was wrong—City No. 19 had never had a grand title like the "City of Dreams."

The music soon returned to normal, and the car drove on.

Before long, both of their expressions turned grim. In the distance, they saw a monstrous inferno stretching across the darkness like a mountain range, burning the night sky a furious red.

That was...

A burning city!