Chapter 126: The Battle Begins!

In the sterile expanse of a white void, the exhausted serpent lay sprawled upon the ground. "This is the utmost I can achieve…" it murmured. "To shatter the illusion, you must rely on your own strength…"

The once-cosmic illusion, a torrent of data streaming at breakneck speed, began to mend itself fragment by fragment. When 13 opened his eyes again, he found himself in a solitary hospital room. The blurred edges of his vision gradually sharpened. The stark white ceiling glared harshly, while outside, tree branches swayed in the breeze. A drip bottle ticked rhythmically, echoing like a clock.

He tried to move, but his body felt drained, as if every ounce of strength had been siphoned away, leaving even his fingers immobile. Tilting his head slightly, he saw Angel asleep by his bedside, her delicate face resting on the edge, a faint glimmer of tears clinging to her lashes.

A quiet euphoria warmed his heart.

Perhaps his awakening had disrupted this tranquil moment. Angel stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

"Did you dream of me?" Zhang Jie's pale face broke into a faint smile.

The jest fell flat. Angel's radiant features contorted, and tears, once restrained, spilled anew. She threw herself into Zhang Jie's arms, clinging to him desperately.

"You fool! You're finally awake! I was so worried! I thought you'd never wake up, you idiot!" Her tears were of elation, a cascade of relief.

"I'm sorry for making you worry…" Gazing at the girl before him, guilt was his sole companion.

"As long as you're okay…" Angel regained her composure, settling back into her chair. She wiped her tears with a tremulous smile.

"Why am I in a hospital? My memories… they're a mess…" Zhang Jie's mind was a tangled web, the illusion's fabricated memories still under repair.

"You don't remember?" Angel's eyes widened, a blend of joy and reproach crossing her face, leaving Zhang Jie even more bewildered.

"We'd finished strolling through the park and were heading home. You, being lazy, insisted on jaywalking. I tripped over the guardrail and fell into the middle of the road. A massive truck was barreling toward me. I was terrified… but you pushed me out of the way and…" Her voice broke, tears streaming once more.

"Why were you so reckless? If something happened to you, what would be the point of my life?" Angel embraced the bewildered Zhang Jie again.

His mind had constructed this narrative, yet his reaction wasn't as dramatic as scripted. He simply let Angel hold him, silent and still.

"Is that so?" For the first time, a question mark hovered over his memories.

"Wait here, I'll get the doctor to check on you." Angel released him, urgency in her voice.

When she left, Zhang Jie was alone.

Struggling to prop himself up, he gazed at the sun outside the window, lost in a quiet reverie.

The doctor, a seasoned expert in his forties, conducted a thorough examination. Pausing, he said with relief, "What a tenacious young man! Treatment was timely, and your recovery is progressing well, though severe internal injuries remain. You'll need extensive recuperation."

"How long, Doctor?" Zhang Jie asked calmly.

The doctor pondered, consulting the system for a precise estimate. "About three months."

"Will there be any lasting effects?" Angel asked, concern for Zhang Jie's future evident.

"None at all," the doctor replied with a reassuring smile, waving his hand. "Once healed, you'll be as good as new—leaping and bounding like before!"

"That's wonderful, Jie!" Angel turned to Zhang Jie, her excitement palpable, but his expression remained serene, as if the world could no longer stir his soul.

Unbeknownst to them, cracks began to form in the serpent's fabricated reality.

In the research institute of the real world, jubilation erupted. 13's pulse and heartbeat had stabilized, his internal injuries lingering but no longer life-threatening.

The celebration was fleeting. A researcher, pale as death, rushed in, stammering wordlessly for a moment.

"What's wrong?" The elder's heart lurched.

"The Japanese forces… they're advancing…" The researcher's voice was flat, yet chilling.

"What's the situation?" the elder asked, steadying himself.

"Over six thousand beast-like weapons form their vanguard. Tanks and armor follow, with one hundred thousand Japanese soldiers as rear support. Satellite imagery shows fully armed helicopters in nearby city airfields. At their current pace, the assault will reach our cave in no more than one hour." The researcher trembled.

"How many troops do we have?" 1 clenched his fists. This was the greatest crisis their task force had ever faced.

"Only three hundred defensive soldiers. The institute never anticipated an attack by such a massive army. Country H wasn't prepared for a war of extinction." The elder's heart quaked with sorrow.

"Three hundred soldiers? They'll be slaughtered before reaching the cave's mouth…" 36's calm facade belied the sweat pooling in his palms.

"What about weapons? Firearms, specifically…" 1 calculated.

"We have ample firearms—enough to equip one thousand soldiers for three days of saturated fire," the elder replied, grasping 1's intent.

"Good. Arm every able-bodied man immediately. Seal all passages. This facility is roughly three hundred meters deep, sturdy enough to hold for a few hours. If enemies breach, the confined space will limit their numerical advantage." 1's analysis was sound.

"You want us to fight too?" the reporting researcher exclaimed in disbelief.

"Why not?" 36 asked with disdain.

"We're the nation's elite! We're here for research, not to kill like savages!" The researcher's face twisted, fear of death overwhelming him.

36 sighed, striding toward him. Despite his shorter stature, he loomed large. "Listen!" He yanked the researcher's collar, choking him until his face flushed. "They won't spare you for being an 'elite.' To them, you're no different from a pig. When a bullet tears through you, your blood will be just as red. If you want to live, make them see you as a person—a person who fights, who shoots. If you still don't get it, I'll end your pathetic life now. My methods might be crueler, but at least you'll understand the value of survival." Releasing him, 36 watched as the gasping researcher collapsed, eyes reflecting only terror.

"Doctor!" 1 faced the elder. "Willing or not, everyone must become a vital combatant. Those who refuse will be our defense's weakness. You understand, don't you?"

"I do," the elder said resolutely. "Anyone who refuses to fight will be executed for treason on the spot."

"Excellent!" 1 nodded with a smile. "As for us, the task force will go out to delay their advance, easing the pressure here."

"Of course, the most dangerous job falls to us…" 36 sighed wryly.

"What about us?" Baozhu asked, her face devoid of fear.

"You can bolster internal defenses and protect your lady and our 13," 1 said, glancing at 24. "And you?"

"I'm with you," 24 replied, resuming his soldier's demeanor. "Since 13 is temporarily safe, staying here would waste my combat strength."

"Doctor, seal the passages after we leave!" 1 charged toward the exit, 24 and 36 following in sync.

They didn't look back. Their battlefield allowed no hesitation.

"Why are they fighting so hard?" Madman asked abruptly.

"Who knows? Definitely not for us…" Uncle replied.

"Let's get ready too!" Baozhu clapped their shoulders.

The outside world seemed irrelevant to Zhenxian. She merely watched 13 in silence.

In the forest, black beasts advanced, their emotionless red gazes like a horde of moving corpses, the most terrifying zombies.

Snipers perched in the trees waited silently, knowing their prey would come. Massive anti-materiel rifles rested on branches, poised for deadly fury.

Tanks moved slowly, hindered by trees and mountain paths, keeping distance from the vanguard. Soldiers, many wielding chainsaws, marched ahead, felling centuries-old trees—a crime against humanity, regardless of the battle's outcome.

"One hour left?" Miyamoto glanced at his military watch, anxiety mounting. At Hideaki's pace, he'd arrive in ninety minutes. If they couldn't eliminate 13 by then, Hideaki would face the world's most fearsome warrior alone.

In the sky, two massive military transport planes flew side by side, more like a stunt than a mission. A slight misstep could spell collision, as these behemoths lacked a fighter's agility. Thick black cables extended from their rears, trailing into the clouds, tethered to a single white object: the "Yamata" heavy weapon.

In the cockpit, Hideaki's eyes were closed, his body trembling—not with fear, but with exhilaration at the thought of killing 13 himself.

"Wait for me…" Hideaki's mind whispered. "Your life is mine, and no one will take it."

In the cave, a familiar stone platform sank rapidly, rising again with three figures. Without leaving, they checked their gear.

"Boss, ever think about dying?" 36 asked calmly, inspecting his magazine.

"Of course," 1 replied, chambering a round. "Every battle, I imagine dying in all sorts of ways."

"What's the death you fear most?" 36 pressed.

1 paused, caught off guard.

"Dying alone, without comrades…" 24 answered for him.

"We're all the same…" 36 sighed, loading his weapon. "That's what I fear too."

"No need to fear," 1 said, clapping their shoulders. "We're together now."

"Not all of us. That jerk's still sleeping like a log!" 36's voice carried a hint of anger. "We're fighting for him, and he's napping comfortably. It pisses me off."

"That's exactly why we don't need to fear," 24 said, gripping his rifle as a bullet slid into place. "He hasn't entered the fray yet. When he does, the tide will turn, like an invincible hero in a novel."

"He's sleeping like a dead pig. Who knows if he'll even wake up?" 36 muttered skeptically.

"Don't we already know the answer?" 1 smiled, tightening his grip on his weapon.

36 sighed deeply, a faint smile creeping onto his face. "I just hope that guy wakes up before we're done for. Otherwise, I'll haunt him as a ghost!"

"He will," 24 said, striding toward the cave's mouth. "We'll make sure he has time to wake."

1 and 36 followed 24's lead.

At that moment, the final battle against Japan began…