Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen’s expression turned grim.

Years ago, the Rebel Army led by Havier had conquered nearly all of North Carolina. They were just one step away from taking the Capital and liberating the entire state. But when Enoch ascended to become a Crowned King, the scales of victory tipped in an instant. Within a single week, North Carolina had fallen back under government control.

If the government-aligned Crowned Kings won, then this current rebellion would inevitably end in failure as well.

"Tang Ling, which side do you think has the advantage?"

"The Salvation Army," Tang Ling replied. "First off, Enoch was injured a while back and hasn’t fully recovered. Second, in terms of raw Power, the Salvation Army’s Crowned Kings are stronger. And what’s more... the Salvation Army has more than just three Crowned Kings."

"Huh?" Zhou Chen froze, his face a mask of astonishment. "Who else is there?"

"Think hard, you carbon-based lifeform."

"...I feel like you’re insulting me, but I have no proof."

Zhou Chen sank into thought, and a moment later, inspiration struck. "The Crowned King from Australia?"

The King of North Carolina, Enoch, had been injured in a conflict with a Crowned King from Australia. The Plague Doctor had said it was a dispute over Authority.

"Correct. They both wield the same type of Authority, and each wants to kill the other to absorb their Power. The Crowned King from Australia certainly won’t be absent for a chance to kill Enoch.

But don’t assume a four-on-three is a guaranteed win. The situation is more complicated than it looks. No one can say for sure how it’ll end until it’s over.

Alright, I have other things to take care of. I’m leaving."

"Okay, goodbye."

After seeing Tang Ling off, Zhou Chen put away his phone, lay down on his bed, and looked at the Prayer System’s interface.

After that night, the amount of Wish Value he’d received had skyrocketed to a terrifying figure.

—[Wish Value: 127,450]

One hundred twenty-seven thousand, four hundred and fifty!

To be honest, Zhou Chen felt it was too little.

He had incited the people of twenty-one cities to rise up against their oppressors—that was millions of people! Yet in the end, he’d only gotten a little over one hundred twenty thousand Wish Value...

Zhou Chen knew why. The fundamental reason was that the ones helping the populace fight the government weren’t him, but the Salvation Army. "Siegfried" was just a public speaker, not some leader of the Salvation Army. As far as the people were concerned, "Siegfried" hadn’t offered them much in the way of tangible assistance.

On the other hand, the city government officials he had brainwashed had provided a huge amount of Wish Value—the people had wished for them to die, and they had fulfilled that wish perfectly, resulting in a massive harvest of Wish Value... It was something of a dark joke.

—Every person Zhou Chen brainwashed was given a Prayer System. After the host of a Prayer System died, the system itself and any Wish Value within it were automatically reclaimed.

’Finally, it’s enough. Come on, create an AI to automatically manage the Round Table Hall.’

Zhou Chen made the wish in his mind.

[Wish Value -50,000]

In the Round Table Hall, at the Wishing Fountain.

A sacred, radiant flame ignited. The Wishing Spring Water vaporized, forming a hazy mist of light. Within the brilliant flame and shimmering mist, a blurry figure began to take shape.

Zhou Chen’s consciousness ascended to the Round Table Hall. He configured the AI’s appearance, shaping it into a glowing sphere.

"Master, the AI greets you," the sphere of light said in an androgynous, mechanical voice.

"From now on, your name is Eva."

"Understood. Eva is at your service."

Seemingly pleased to have a name, the sphere of light pulsed joyfully, its light and shadow shifting. "I will work twenty-four hours a day to select suitable candidates, upgrade system functions as needed, and automate the management of the entire Round Table Hall."

"Excellent. Access the system."

With a thought, Zhou Chen had Eva connect to the Prayer System. The AI he had created was incapable of betrayal and would remain completely loyal to him.

[Prayer System connection complete. Commencing selection of suitable candidates.]

「And so, in the distant Eastern Continent.」

In a dark room, a young boy curled up under his blanket, crying, suddenly froze.

An interface had inexplicably appeared before his eyes, and a mechanical voice sounded in his ear.

[DING!]

[Prayer System loaded.]

[Host can obtain Wish Value by fulfilling the wishes of others. Wish Value can be consumed to use the system’s various functions.]

[Current Wish Value: 0]

The boy was completely stunned. As a young student, he had read countless novels and was all too familiar with the concept of a "system."

In fact, he hated seeing such a clichéd power-up, but now that he actually had a system of his own, the feeling was strangely wonderful.

’When a miracle like this happens to you, it’s impossible to hate it.’

’What are you?’ the boy asked in his mind.

[I am the Prayer System.]

"Who made you? What’s your purpose in finding me?" the boy asked calmly. In many of the novels he’d read, there was a grand conspiracy behind the system.

[The creator of the system is a powerful being. Please be at ease, Host. They bear no ill will. The system was created to help more people in need.

[The Host was detected as a suitable candidate, so the system manifested automatically.]

The boy fell into thought.

He knew this was an Extraordinary World, and that some powerful Ascenders genuinely liked to help others. Judging by its name and Abilities, this system seemed to be a force for good.

"System, can you make me an Ascender?"

[Wish Value Required: 10]

"It costs 10 points?" the boy mused for a moment. "Is Wish Value easy to earn?"

[If you find the right technique, it is very easy to earn.]

"What’s the technique?"

[The Host must discover it on their own.]

Fulfilling other people’s wishes earned Wish Value... The boy thought for a moment, then got out of bed. He dug his homework out of his schoolbag, took a picture of it with his phone, and then found a few of his classmates on a messaging app and sent them the answers.

A short while later, he received grateful replies from his classmates.

[Wish Value +0.4, +0.5, +0.7]

That was 1.6 points just like that... The boy’s heart began to burn with excitement.

All he needed was 10 Wish Value to awaken as an Ascender...

This was absolutely his chance to change his destiny!

"Hmph, Lin Aotian, just you wait! The tables will turn. You’ll regret looking down on me now!"

"Sooner or later, I will have my revenge for what you did to my father!"

The boy clenched his fists, his eyes filled with a determination that burned like a blazing fire.

「Yingzhou.」

On the street, a young girl sleeping in a cardboard box, burning with a high fever, suddenly heard a voice in her ear.

[Wake up, Host. I am the system.]

"Sys... tem?"

The girl from Yingzhou woke up in a daze. She could feel the fever raging; her body was scalding hot, and every breath felt like hot wind. She thought intermittently, ’System... what system? It’s not... my immune system, is it? Have I... gotten that sick?’

[No, this system is not the Host’s immune system. This system’s name is the Prayer System.]

[Host can obtain Wish Value by fulfilling the wishes of others. Wish Value can be consumed to use the system’s various functions.]

"Fulfill... wishes?"

A bitter smile touched the girl’s lips. ’Am I hallucinating from the fever now? Dad... Mom... I think I’m going to die...’

[DING! The Host has received 1 Wish Value from an enemy. Would you like to make a wish?]

’Can you make my fever go away?’ the girl thought wearily.

Immediately, the girl felt her temperature plummet. Her muddled mind began to clear, and within a couple of breaths, the feeling of being sick and feverish vanished.

The high fever was gone.

[Wish has been fulfilled.]

The girl stared blankly, unable to believe it.

’Is it really... a system?’

She quickly found the Prayer System’s user guide and began to read, her heart starting to pound with excitement.

"Dad... Mom... I can finally avenge you!"

At the same time, a voice sounded in the ears of countless people all over the World.

—[DING!]