He pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

Blazing light erupted from the barrel as a scorching rain of steel formed into a storm, sweeping forward.

The shrill shriek of tearing metal echoed across the battlefield. A rain of blood splattered as several Dashing Pegasus Armors, along with the pilots inside, were obliterated by the projectiles, reduced to mangled corpses—a mixture of metal fragments and shredded flesh.

The next second, the engine nozzles on the surviving Dashing Pegasus Armors flared to life. The terrifying thrust sent their speed skyrocketing, kicking up a howling gale as they brandished glowing Light Beam Swords and slashed down at the Steel Titans.

SWOOSH!

The steel melted with ease under the terrifying heat of the Light Beam Swords, sending streams of red-hot molten metal flowing. Some Titan Battle Armor pilots couldn’t dodge in time and had their arms severed. No blood flowed from the wounds, as the muscles had been cooked in an instant.

Even so, all the pilots remained calm, their combat awareness as cold and mechanical as ever. Those without time to fire again simply discarded their shotguns. They snatched the short metal hilts from their waists, which extended inch by inch into thick iron staves. Crimson flames then erupted from the staves, forming the shape of a great axe.

With a roar, the burning great axes sliced through the air and clashed head-on with the Light Beam Swords.

And so, the brutal slaughter began.

All of Fang Mountain and the surrounding area had become a warzone. The Salvation Army originally thought they could easily repel the Government Army, but they soon changed their minds. The Government Army had dispatched two more regiments as reinforcements, showing every intention of driving them completely out of the northern front.

Inside the command post tent, three regimental commanders monitored the battle in real time. One of them frowned. "Do we fight or retreat?"

The Salvation Army had only three regiments here, while the Government Army’s reinforcements were endless. Continuing this fight would put them at a great disadvantage.

"We fight!"

One of the commanders spoke with a grim expression. "Engaging them on the flank will reduce the pressure on the main front. The Government Army’s troops are a mixed bag; their elites are all at the main front, so the pressure here won’t be too intense. Besides, we don’t need to win. As long as we can tie down some of their forces, it’s a success."

"Sir!" a soldier suddenly burst into the tent, reporting hastily, "Radar’s detected three enemy aircraft over City No. 19! Hawk One and Hawk Two are tied up with enemy air forces and can’t fall back to defend!"

"Sound the alarm! Everyone to the air-raid shelters! Do we have any other aerial combat units?"

"Negative. All our aerial combat units are at the main front."

"...We should have had the Plague Doctor keep Ockham alive!" one of the commanders cursed, slamming his fist on the table in frustration.

The Salvation Army’s high command was well aware of Siegfried’s capabilities. If they had kept Ockham, the Tier Three Wind Element Ascender, alive for brainwashing, they would now have an aerial unit to counter the enemy fighters. But unfortunately, to crush the North Carolina Government’s morale and let the long-oppressed common folk vent their frustrations, the Plague Doctor had beheaded Ockham without a second thought and hung his head in the public square.

News of the beheading of the President of North Carolina’s own nephew had long since spread throughout North Carolina. Their objective had been met, but now they were left without air support.

"Prepare to launch interceptors and surface-to-air missiles! I want at least one of those birds shot down!" a commander ordered sternly.

The Salvation Army’s surface-to-air missiles launched immediately. It wasn’t long before they scored a direct hit, taking down one of the fighters.

But the two remaining "Vulture" fighters didn’t retreat. Braving the anti-aircraft fire, they appeared over City No. 19 and began to bombard the ground relentlessly. Buildings collapsed into rubble. Civilians and soldiers who couldn’t evacuate in time were all killed in the explosions.

After completing their bombing run, the two jets fled, heading toward the main battlefield to conduct more air strikes, leaving only the devastated city in their wake.

The Salvation Army hadn’t expected the government to dispatch seven fighters to this flank. Even though three had been shot down in total, they had still inflicted severe damage on the city and their troops.

"Inform the front line, enemy bombers are heading their way. What’s the status of Hawk One and Hawk Two?"

"They’re still tied up with enemy planes."

"Tell them to draw the last two fighters into the combat zone if possible. Prepare for surface-to-air missile support."

·

BOOM!

A shell exploded next to Zhou Chen, sending dirt flying. The blast threw him through the air, his ears ringing violently.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A series of explosions erupted across the scorched earth, and there was no telling how many soldiers lost their lives.

Covered in dust and grime, Zhou Chen staggered up from the ground. His forehead had been cut by shrapnel, and warm blood trickled down his face.

As a member of the Salvation Army, he had naturally been sent to the battlefield to intercept the Government Army’s Ascenders.

This was his first time participating in a war as a soldier.

But after witnessing the brutality of the battlefield firsthand, all he felt was a heavy silence in his heart.

The World was steeped in blood and firelight, and human life was treated as disposable. A person could be talking one moment and be reduced to shredded meat the next. The mountains and plains were blanketed with the corpses of both armies—a true mountain of bodies in a sea of blood...

Even an Ascender was an insignificant being in a war of this scale, barely able to change a thing.

On the smoke-filled battlefield, shouts rose and fell, explosions were ceaseless, and the gunfire never stopped. In this chaotic Hell on Earth, a profound sense of powerlessness began to wash over Zhou Chen.

’Even with all my skills, my individual Power can’t change the course of this massive battle... not unless I become stronger. But in this North Carolina civil war, even someone as powerful as a Crowned King is being held in check, unable to sway the outcome.’

’Perhaps only by becoming one of the Gods can a person truly affect the outcome of a war.’

In the night sky, another volley of shells screamed down.

Zhou Chen dodged and weaved, moving through the barrage, occasionally shoving soldiers out of the way of incoming shells. After crossing the bombardment zone, he saw the Government Army’s Ascenders charging toward him.

The moment they met, he made a wish and brainwashed them. The Ascenders turned traitor on the spot, becoming Salvation Army loyalists. They spun around and charged in the opposite direction, attacking their bewildered "comrades."

’Even if I can’t change the entire course of the war, I can at least make things easier on this part of the front.’

With that thought, Zhou Chen brainwashed every enemy soldier on this front line.

[Wish Points -3740]

Hundreds of soldiers, more than a dozen Ascenders, and a Hand of the Empire squad instantly defected. One second they were fighting ferociously against the Salvation Army, and the next they were charging toward the distant Government Army positions. The soldiers in the trenches froze. By the time they reacted, the "traitors" were already braving fire from their own enforcers and storming the trenches.

At the same time, Zhou Chen coughed up a large mouthful of blood, as if he had severely overdrawn his Essence. His aura rapidly faded, and his face turned pale as a sheet. He collapsed, stiff as a board.

A nearby soldier saw this and immediately understood what had happened. He hoisted Zhou Chen onto his back and carried him toward the camp.

[Wish Points +10, +10, +10, +10...]

After he brainwashed the enemy forces, the Wish Points started flooding in nonstop. It was obvious they were coming from the Salvation Army soldiers, who wished to defeat the enemy and break through the Government Army’s lines.

Zhou Chen feigned unconsciousness and was taken to a field hospital for an emergency infusion to replenish his depleted Essence.

’I hope this mass brainwashing affects the battle situation, even just a little...’ he thought.

Zhou Chen was confident in his actions. That part of the front was an engagement zone for Ascenders. By brainwashing the enemy Ascenders, he had stripped the Government Army of its ability to counter them on that line. This was undoubtedly terrible news for the Government Army.

And that was exactly what happened. The sudden defection of the Ascenders and other elite forces created a hole in the Government Army’s defenses. The Salvation Army seized the opportunity, launching a fierce assault with heavy firepower and temporarily gaining the upper hand.

But the war was far from over.