The headquarters was alive with movement.
The sharp clatter of metal against metal, the murmurs of awakeners double-checking their weapons, and the heavy scent of mana saturation filled the air. Every warrior here carried purpose, whether it was duty, survival, or ambition.
But amidst this chaos, one man stood still.
Zhuo.
His black eyes remained unwavering, their depths calm—too calm, as if the urgency of the moment meant nothing to him.
His posture was relaxed, his hands loosely resting in his coat pockets, exuding an air of quiet detachment. It was as though the entire battlefield was merely a passing scene, not a moment of crisis.
To any outsider, it would seem that this was not a man standing in the middle of an impending warzone.
He might as well have been a traveler observing the scenery.
Seraphine exhaled sharply.
Even with all her responsibilities pressing on her shoulders, she couldn't help but glance at him.
---
"Evacuate immediately from here. We are marching toward the gate."
---
Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
She was a high-ranking officer. This was not a request—it was an order.
And yet, Zhuo made no movement to comply.
Instead, he simply watched her, amusement flickering across his face.
Seraphine had no time for this.
She turned on her heel, prepared to return to her soldiers, when--
"Hey, Captain."
His voice was casual, completely unfazed.
Seraphine halted, glancing over her shoulder.
---
"What's your opinion on me joining this war?"
---
His lips curved into a faint smirk.
"I may look weak, but I'm actually a little strong, you know? I might even be of some help."
---
Seraphine narrowed her eyes.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, unexpectedly, a small smile played at the corner of her lips.
---
"Oh?"
---
Her voice carried a hint of amusement.
"I thought you were just here for sightseeing."
She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly.
"Never thought you'd actually offer to help."
But her amusement vanished in an instant.
Her expression hardened.
---
"No thanks. I can't put your life at risk. Just evacuate immediately."
---
Her tone was final.
Zhuo raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening, but before he could respond—
---
"Ma'am! We're ready to march!"
---
A high-ranking officer approached, standing at attention.
Seraphine turned to face him and nodded.
---
"Good. Let's go."
---
Without another glance at Zhuo, she strode forward.
Her movements were sharp, purposeful.
She knew what she was walking into.
A Major Gate was no joke.
Even a Grandmaster Realm awakener wouldn't approach such a threat carelessly.
But with dozens of Expert and Intermediate awakeners, alongside a handful of Masters, she had confidence.
They could take this thing down.
They had to.
As the army marched away, Zhuo remained standing in place, watching them disappear into the distance.
His smirk faded into something more contemplative.
Then—
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
A familiar translucent blue screen flickered to life before him.
The words that appeared carried an almost eager tone.
---
[Master, are you really going to participate in the war?]
[I must say, I'm quite excited to see you fight.]
---
Zhuo chuckled.
"Hell no. Why would I waste my time on this child's play?"
---
The interface flickered again.
---
[Master, I think you're forgetting something.]
---
Zhuo frowned.
---
[You are mortal now.]
---
His body stiffened.
Then—
---
"Shit."
---
He had forgotten.
For the first time in an eternity, he was back in a mortal body.
His true existence—the one that had transcended divinity, destruction, and creation itself—was sealed away.
He wasn't a being who could destroy worlds with a glance.
Not right now.
But Zhuo quickly calmed himself.
He lifted his hand, flexing his fingers, as if testing his own strength.
---
"Even though I'm mortal… it's not like I've lost everything."
---
His voice was thoughtful, almost amused.
He wasn't starting from zero.
Even in this weakened state, he still had access to a fraction of his true power.
He pondered for a moment before nodding to himself.
---
"I can probably use around 1% of my real power. Though…"
A wry smile crossed his lips.
"There will be backlash."
---
The Veil Interface flickered again.
---
[Oh, I see.]
---
Zhuo sighed.
Of course, the Veil didn't understand his full capabilities.
It only knew what he himself had programmed into it.
It had never witnessed the full depth of his abilities.
It had never seen what true power meant.
And now, it was his turn to teach.
---
"Listen, Veil."
His voice grew more serious.
"When you reach a realm beyond everything—realm doesn't matter anymore."
"It doesn't matter if you're high or low in cultivation."
"It doesn't matter what title you hold—Awakener, Grandmaster, God, or even something beyond that."
"All that matters is experience. The sheer experience that you develop through battle."
"A sword is a sword, whether it is held by a mortal or a god."
"But the hands that wield it—that's what makes the difference."
"That's why even though I'm in a mortal body, I haven't lost the experience that allowed me to fight those… things."
"The terrors that even gods feared."
---
The interface flickered.
Processing his words.
Then—
---
[Oh, I see! Thank you for enlightening me, Master.]
---
Zhuo smirked.
His lesson had been received.
---
[By the way] the Veil continued, [if you're not going to participate… are you going to evacuate? ]
---
A mischievous grin played at the corner of Zhuo's lips.
---
"Where would I even go?"
"It's only been a few hours since I arrived on Earth."
"I don't know a single soul here…"
"Well—except for that little girl, Seraphine."
---
He laughed softly to himself.
Not that they were friends.
Not even close.
But still, out of everyone here—
She was the only one who had caught his interest.