Two days later, in Xijiang County of Liao City.
Upon entering the county, Xu Que and his companions found a desolate wasteland. The ruins spoke of destruction, with scarcely a trace of ordinary life remaining—only soldiers patrolling in silence.
"Halt! The dimensional war zone is up ahead," a soldier commanded, blocking their path.
"We're with the Magic City Special Training Camp, here to handle the dimensional rift," Shen Mengchu stated, presenting her credentials.
The soldier inspected the documents, saluted briskly, and let them pass.
"Having the military's support sure makes everything smoother, doesn't it, sis-in-law?" Kun Shao remarked with a sly grin.
Shen Mengchu glanced at Xu Que, noticing that his gaze remained fixed outside, lost in thought. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face.
"You blockhead... Do you really not understand my feelings?"
Unaware of her thoughts, Xu Que was immersed in a puzzle. Given that two D-rank powerhouses had already fallen, a massive invasion of creatures from the dimensional rift should have been imminent. Yet, judging by the evidence around them, only minor skirmishes had erupted.
One by one, questions surfaced in his mind, each one prompting a swift recollection of past life memories.
What Xu Que didn't realize was that non-A-rank rifts like this seldom triggered large-scale invasions early on. Even when containment failed, only a handful of creatures ever escaped.
As they approached the deployment area, two soldiers stepped forward, halting their advance.
"Good day. Who among you is Mr. Xu Que?" a soldier saluted and asked.
"I am. What do you need?" Xu Que replied.
"Our commander would like a word with you," the soldier explained.
"Very well, lead the way," Xu Que responded, stepping out of the vehicle.
When Xu Que and his team reached the temporary command post, a middle-aged officer greeted him warmly, extending his hand.
"Hello, I'm Chen Daguo, commander of operations here."
"Pleasure to meet you," Xu Que replied. "How can I be of assistance?"
"To be candid, I'd like you to take some of our people with you," Chen Daguo stated.
"How many?" Xu Que asked, frowning slightly.
"The more, the better," Chen Daguo answered with a grin.
"I can allow you up to ten, but they must follow my instructions without question," Xu Que said.
Chen Daguo paused, visibly taken aback by the response.
Noticing this, Xu Que continued, "Having too many people only increases the risk. We can protect a maximum of ten."
Understanding dawning, Chen Daguo nodded quickly. "Understood, I'll arrange it immediately."
Within half an hour, Chen Daguo had selected the participants. Aside from two soldiers, the rest were trainees of roughly Xu Que's age.
"Once inside, remain in place to train. Anyone acting on their own will answer to me," Xu Que warned the group of ten.
"Understood!" they responded in unison.
Satisfied, Xu Que turned and said, "Let's move out."
As the seventeen of them entered the rift, the dimensional tear slowly faded from sight.
"Is he really up to this?" a junior officer asked, eyeing them with skepticism.
"Given the intel from Magic City, would you still question it?" Chen Daguo responded with a raised eyebrow before strolling back to the command post.
While others might still harbor doubts, Chen Daguo had a deep respect for these elites from Magic City. After all, it was the city with the most closed dimensional rifts in all of Z Nation, leaving little room for skepticism.
Under Ningkang Bridge, downstream from Magic City...
Two heavy trucks emerged from the water, speeding toward the city outskirts.
"How confident are you of success?" Tang Xue asked, her face obscured by a mask.
"Eighty percent. My intel is rock-solid," Ji Boda replied, his face hidden beneath a blank mask. If anyone could see the smile beneath, they'd know just how unhinged he truly was.
"Our benefactors promised that if we acquire Z Nation's research secrets, they'd bestow the Chisfield family's powers upon us," Tang Xue reminded him.
"Don't worry. As long as they're not in Magic City, no one can stop us," Ji Boda boasted, a wicked grin concealed.
In truth, only Xu Que truly unsettled him; after all, he'd witnessed Xu Que's ruthless efficiency against these entities.
"When this is over, we'll need to part ways for a time. In the meantime, I hope I won't find you dallying with other women," Tang Xue cautioned.
"Rest assured. They're just distractions. My heart's with you," Ji Boda replied, hands raised in mock surrender.
The trucks slowly entered the outskirts, where Ji Boda and his team quickly disembarked, ready to commence their operation.
At the Magic City Operations Command Center...
Upon confirming that Xu Que and his team had entered the rift, Shen Tianhe convened a strategic meeting. With only one Xu Que, and Zhao Xian and the others still building their combat skills, there were countless rifts nationwide requiring containment. They were determined to cultivate more talents like Xu Que.
"Up north, there are still four rifts. According to their data, only a hundred or so are eligible to enter, yet over forty have already perished in a single D-rank zone. I propose sending Zhao Xian and his team to attempt a retrieval, and bring back anyone they can," Elder Ye suggested, reviewing the reports.
"The rifts in the Tri-State area remain relatively stable, with prominent martial families managing to close two D-ranks already. It's a small step forward, but a promising one," Elder Zhao added.
"The real challenge is cultivating new talent. Our military's training methods won't suffice in the long term," Shen Tianhe said.
The others nodded gravely; they, too, recognized this issue.
"Perhaps we could adopt Xu Que's approach?" Elder Zhao proposed.
"But his corporate model is overly privatized, leaving the lower classes at a disadvantage," Elder Peng argued.
"Is now really the time for such considerations? Without Xu Que, the Harbor District battle might've spelled our end," Shen Tianhe retorted.
"I was only suggesting..." Elder Peng began, but Elder Ye swiftly raised a hand, interrupting him.
"Peng, I understand your concerns. But this moment demands different measures. If the military could rapidly train elites, I'd support you wholeheartedly. Yet the current situation tells a different story. The Y Nation is already advancing, and we cannot afford to lag behind," Elder Ye replied.
Elder Peng fell silent, pondering the gravity of the issue despite his resistance.
Seeing his colleague's reluctant understanding, Elder Ye continued, "Remember, Xu Que warned us that another dimensional rift surge looms just ten days ahead. If we maintain the status quo, we're inviting disaster. I therefore propose full support for Xu Que's company."
Elder Ye raised his hand. Shen Tianhe followed suit, as did Elder Zhao.
"This is a conspiracy against me!" Elder Peng sighed, finally raising his own hand.
"Come now, Peng," Elder Ye chuckled. "With the nation's backing, do you truly think Xu Que would abandon us?"
A revelation dawned upon Elder Peng: it had all been part of Elder Ye's plan from the start.