Wait, Why is the Sky Already Bright?

"With the talent I have at my disposal right now, I can already foresee how terrifyingly powerful an SSS-level talent could be," Mike murmured."And those with the 'Pioneer' prefix on their SSS-level talents... they're practically gods!"Mike could think of no other word to describe Wang Chen's power, other than "god."Before upgrading the shelter, Mike had worried about whether his defensive strategy in the Jiangnan region was flawed. He had secretly feared that the mysterious enemy lurking behind the scenes might strike at any moment with a fatal blow.But now, Mike was no longer concerned.What a joke—no matter how strong the enemy, could they really fight a god?With Wang Chen's terrifying talent and abilities, Mike was certain that even other SSS-level combat talents would struggle to match his power.Moreover, considering the capabilities of the other talents under his command, Mike knew they generally outclassed other talents of the same level.Only a few talents with exceptionally rare abilities might be stronger than their peers in certain areas, but when it came to combat, talents were generally weaker than the units built for battle.Take Chen Dafu for example—when his talent was at S-level, it was completely countered by Wang Shi's S-level talent!Even now, with Chen Dafu's combat talent at SS-level, Old Man Dongfang Zhi Yuan would likely still be able to overpower him.Though the old man had never fought seriously, Mike, having compared their abilities, could tell that Old Man Dongfang was still slightly stronger.But now, with Wang Chen, Mike could confidently say that he had someone more powerful than even an SSS-level combat talent.Until now, Mike's top combat force had always been lacking.Dongfang Zhi Yuan had made it clear that he wasn't interested in warfare and preferred focusing on city management and internal affairs.Mike knew that unless the enemy launched an attack on their doorstep, the old man wouldn't activate his combat stance.And aside from Dongfang, the only other person capable of standing as a top-tier force was Wang Shi—just barely.Others, like Lu Nianxin, Chen Qiuren, and the others, though not lacking in rank, had talents that weren't purely combat-focused.As for talents like Qin Dashan and Lin Yue, their combat skills were weaker than Chen Qiuren's. They were more suited for military support, enhancing the effectiveness of army units.The remaining combat talents were mostly A- and B-tier, lacking in top-tier combat power.This is why, until now, Chen Dafu had often been assigned to lead as the vanguard—going wherever the danger was, wherever brute force was needed.Mike didn't want to overwork Captain Chen, but for the longest time, he had only one top-tier combat force at his disposal—Chen Dafu.Even Wang Shi, though strong, wasn't quite at the top level, leaving only Chen Dafu as the one who could truly push the limits of strength.But one Chen Dafu wasn't enough.Mike had already learned the hard way from the recent crises in Xinchang about Chen Dafu's weaknesses. Captain Chen was strong, but his physical strength had clear limits.With just Chen Dafu, Mike could barely manage Xinchang and Jinling—he wouldn't be able to handle national rescue missions or any further advances.The decision to send Chen Dafu to Guangling was a desperate measure. If he didn't flex his muscles, others would start taking advantage of him.Mike had no choice but to act aggressively, using strength to deter opponents from making rash moves.But deep down, Mike knew that if the enemy could field someone as strong or stronger than Chen Dafu, their entire strategy would collapse.The enemy's reluctance to act so far was likely due to the uncertainty of whether Mike still had a hidden ace up his sleeve.But now, that worry was gone."Dammit, with the God of War on my side, what do I have to fear?" Mike chuckled, the most profane he'd been all day.But he couldn't help it—he was genuinely thrilled.With Chen Dafu and Wang Chen, two top-tier combat forces at his disposal, Mike felt much clearer about the strategic situation in Jiangnan.Many of his earlier concerns, fears, and gaps in future plans were now irrelevant.There's a saying: "Planning ahead only matters if your strength isn't enough."With overwhelming power, who needs to think? Just swing your fist!At that moment, Mike began to understand the allure of Chen Dafu's philosophy: Being a brute was incredibly satisfying.Lost in thought, Mike suddenly sensed someone watching him.He tensed, looking toward the source of the gaze.To his surprise, the golden light in the room had faded, and the token was gone. Standing silently in the empty space of the living room was a young man.The man was young, with dark eyes, black hair, and a yellowish complexion. His hair was messy, and his gaze, empty and emotionless, fixated on Mike."Wang Chen?!"Mike exclaimed, excitement in his voice. He cautiously approached, but the young man simply nodded without saying a word.Damn it! This God of War is so cold!Mike knew Wang Chen wasn't mute; the man likely just didn't feel like talking.After recruiting so many top-tier talents, Mike had learned one thing: The higher the level of the talent, the harder they were to deal with.Top-tier talents, under the influence of the system, were rarely constrained by loyalty.Jiang Xiaoci had once explained to Mike: High-level talents either had the strength to resist the system's influence or knew how to break free of it.The psychology of top-tier talents boiled down to two possibilities:Either they were like Jiang Xiaoci, understanding the source of their loyalty but keeping quiet, testing the survivors to see if they were truly worthy of allegiance.Or, like Old Man Dongfang, they made it clear: "My loyalty is my choice, and it's none of your business. If I'm respected, I'll work, but if not… there will be consequences."After Jinling's development, many survivors had recruited talent units. Some unlucky survivors even faced rebellions from their own units.These rebellions often came from the survivors mistreating or abusing their talents.But Mike wasn't worried about such issues.With Jiang Xiaoci and Lin Yue's loyalty traits influencing his talent units, Mike had never mistreated them.He saw his talents as equals, never as tools for exploitation.As long as survivors didn't overstep their bounds, their talent units wouldn't rebel, even if they were top-tier.Just like Old Man Dongfang—if he hadn't been loyal from the start, he wouldn't have come here.Top-tier talents, when they responded to the system, had no problems with loyalty or goodwill.Moreover, because these talents understood the core workings of the system, they could communicate openly, without need for subterfuge."Mr. Wang..." Mike began, stepping forward with a polite smile. "Since you're new here, perhaps I can introduce you to the current situation and the world's background?"Mike was careful not to offend; after all, treating talent units like slaves never ended well."No need."Wang Chen's voice was calm, his gaze still fixed on Mike, his stance unchanged."Ah..."Mike paused, then tried again. "So... you already know where you are and what needs to be done?""I do," Wang Chen replied flatly. "Just another round. A new battle."Wang Chen's eyes locked with Mike's. Though he was barely over five feet tall, Mike didn't dare underestimate him."Mr. Wang," Mike asked, his curiosity piqued, "Do you mean... this isn't the first time?""I don't count."Wang Chen shook his head and gazed out the window.He stood up and walked to the window.Mike was about to ask what he was doing when suddenly Wang Chen pushed open the window and casually waved his hand at the sky.A flash of silent golden light streaked from his palm, and before Mike could fully comprehend it, the darkness outside began to dissipate."W-What?! The sky's brightening!"Mike rushed to the window in disbelief. The once-ominous city sky was now illuminated, the ghostly fog that had cloaked the city was vanishing.It split into two from the sky, as though parted by divine hands.Outside Jinling, the fog was still swirling, but inside the city, the blue sky emerged, and warm sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining down on the city once again."No way... the sun's up!"Mike's breath quickened as he stared at the scene in awe, his mind struggling to grasp the enormity of it.This was impossible!The third apocalypse's greatest disaster had been the global fog—how could Jinling's fog be gone?Before, Old Man Dongfang had managed to light up the whole city. That had already astonished Mike.But now... Wang Chen, the God of War, had casually waved his hand, and the fog vanished."Wait...!"Mike turned stiffly, staring at Wang Chen in shock. "Brother Wang, you really are a god!"