·

"According to our diagnosis, this new plague is far less dangerous than the Crystal Virus. The infected only exhibit symptoms of fatigue and high fever, similar to a common flu. Some have seen their fevers break after taking medication, with no adverse side effects. However, we must continue to observe them. An Extraordinary virus cannot be compared to a common one; there may be other hidden symptoms that have yet to manifest...

I recommend we proceed with disinfecting the entire army to prevent our warriors from contracting the disease. The population density in the army is high. If even one person is infected, the plague will spread explosively, which would severely impact our combat effectiveness."

Inside a Salvation Army command tent, the Minister of Health was explaining the situation regarding the latest Extraordinary plague.

As of 12:00 PM on March 23rd, thirty-two cities had reported cases of infection. But compared to the Crystal Disease that recently ravaged North Carolina and claimed tens of millions of lives, this new plague could be considered "harmless." The symptoms displayed so far are indistinguishable from the common flu.

But the Salvation Army’s high command knew things were certainly not that simple. Both the Crystal Disease and this new plague were man-made. Anything connected to "Fallen Paradise" would inevitably steer toward a dangerous cliff’s edge.

"What does the Star Association have to say?" a regimental commander asked.

"The Star Association has already intervened and is searching for Fallen Paradise. They told us to heighten our army’s security to prevent anyone from poisoning our ranks," the Minister of Health replied.

The Salvation Army didn’t need to worry about the cities. The Star Association’s radar, satellite Investigation Mirrors, monitoring Secret Ceremonies, and even all sorts of strange Forbidden Objects and Extraordinary Artifacts already had every city completely covered. The moment the slightest anomaly was detected, an "Any Door" would open on the spot, and a fully armed unit would eliminate anything that could possibly threaten human society.

The only thing the Salvation Army needed to worry about was its own troops.

Conscription is inevitable in times of war, and with conscription, it’s unavoidable that some spies will slip in. If a spy finds an opportunity to poison the army, it would be a huge problem.

"This concerns the lives of our warriors and must be taken seriously. Pass down the order for all legions to tighten their management. Have the soldiers watch over one another, and report any suspicious activity to their superiors immediately," the Salvation Army Leader said grimly.

"Yes, sir!" the regimental commanders replied, accepting the order.

The Salvation Army Leader paused in thought, then added, "While the plague has yet to spread through the army, we must accelerate our advance. The sooner we take the Capital and liberate the nation, the sooner we can free up our forces to deal with the plague and Fallen Paradise.

Make a public address to the government. Force them to abdicate."

"I’ll see to it at once." The Minister of Foreign Affairs stood up and left in a hurry.

Half an hour later, the Salvation Army diplomat’s statement was trending on "International News."

[Salvation Army Diplomat’s Statement: We hope to conduct a peaceful transfer of power with the North Carolina Government to ensure the safety of more of North Carolina’s people, end the civil war as soon as possible, and preserve enough strength to deal with the plague ravaging the entire nation.]

The moment the news was released, it received support from countless netizens and even many countries. There was nothing to be done about it; the North Carolina Government’s public image was just that terrible. No sane netizen would support them, and the foreign ministries of other nations certainly weren’t about to touch that hot potato. Anyone who dared to voice support for the North Carolina Government would be immediately flamed into oblivion.

As for the Salvation Army’s public address, the North Carolina Government gave no response, remaining as quiet as a stagnant pond.

Two straight hours passed with no response from the government. The Salvation Army’s high command gave up on the idea of a peaceful handover. In that case, they would have to seize power by force.

At 2:00 PM on March 22nd, the Salvation Army began its final northern expedition.

Marching on the North Carolina Capital!

·

「The North Carolina Border.」

Loud, explosive music shattered the tranquility of the border as a jeep drove in from America.

A man in sunglasses and a cowboy hat drove while eating a hamburger. The tires kicked up clouds of yellow dust as he stomped on the gas. The engine roared, and the jeep ignored the warning signs posted by the border, driving straight into North Carolina.

An hour later, the jeep entered a border city. The man followed his map’s navigation to a bar, the clamor from inside audible even through the closed doors.

Marvin twitched his nose, a look of disgust on his face. "What a foul smell..."

He pushed open the doors and walked in.

The dimly lit bar was bustling, filled with wanted criminals and mercenaries from all over the World. They drank hard liquor, chatting idly and recounting their various exploits in North Carolina.

"This North Carolina place is really somethin’ else. When I first got here a while back, I got ambushed by a bunch of goblin bandits. Damnedest thing. If it weren’t for my trusty left hand, I would’ve been a goner." A burly Green-skinned Orc rapped his prosthetic left arm, producing a crisp metallic TAP. He then grinned. "I ended up tearing those goblins apart with my bare hands. Their screams were pathetic."

"Tch. Big deal, you only killed a bunch of goblins. I took down seven internationally wanted criminals. Their combined sentences are longer than old lady Susan next door has been alive," a male Elf dressed as a Samurai sneered.

"You’ve got some nerve, saying that out loud. Aren’t you afraid someone’s going to jump you the second you step out of this bar?" said a kobold in armor nearby.