William stood respectfully half a step behind Lilith, his wine-red eyes gleaming with calm light.
"Leader,"
William looked at Lilith, his voice steady.
"For tomorrow's battle, please allow Fenrir and me to lead the response."
Lilith did not turn around, but her small, furry ears twitched almost imperceptibly, signaling that she was listening.
"Although the Coalition Army is numerous, most of them are a disorganized rabble. Relying on the strength Fenrir and I gained after our transformation, coupled with the support of the newly joined SS-Rank Hunter Eagle Eye and Leah, and leading Tianqi's existing elite, we are more than capable of handling them."
William paused, lowering his voice, which carried a more profound consideration.
"More importantly, after this battle, Tianqi's reputation will surely shake the four corners of the world. At that time, the Sentinel Alliance, which has been holding its forces back, will definitely not stand idly by."
"Their Envoy, or perhaps even the SSS-Rank Hunter himself, will likely come personally to make contact—either to pressure Tianqi or to try and win us over."
Saying this, William paused, his gaze fixed on Lilith's petite yet straight back.
"Leader, you are our Ultimate Trump Card. The less your information is exposed, the greater our initiative will be when dealing with future variables."
"This battle is an excellent opportunity to temper Tianqi's forces. If you handle everything personally, those below you will easily become reliant, which is detrimental to long-term growth."
William spoke clearly and logically, considering not only the immediate combat needs but also planning for the strategic situation after the war and focusing on cultivating Tianqi's internal strength.
What Tianqi values is far from its current achievements.
To gain a firm footing in the distant future, we must proceed cautiously and advance steadily.
Lilith remained silent for a moment. After a long pause, she slowly turned around, her ruby eyes resting on William's face.
There was little expression on her delicate little face, but William could sense that the Leader was thinking and weighing the options.
"You may."
The clear, childlike voice uttered two words, signifying her agreement to William's request to fight and her approval of his plan.
William felt slightly relieved. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Lilith's lips curve upward into an extremely faint arc.
The smile, appearing on her porcelain doll-like face, should have been innocent, but paired with her cold, translucent ruby eyes, it possessed a strange, heart-stopping charisma.
"The SSS-Rank Hunter coming personally..."
Lilith softly repeated William's words. Her tone revealed neither anticipation nor wariness; it was more like stating an interesting, impending fact.
She did not continue speaking, but that hint of a smile said a lot.
"Let's go."
Lilith started walking, her military boots clacking clearly on the metal floor of the Observation Deck.
"As you predicted, they won't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest. Tonight, during the first half of the night, let them recuperate and gather their Spirit."
"If the casualties are too high this time, I will personally intervene."
Facing the Coalition Army of eighteen Factionss, even though Lilith trusted William, she did not want the current Tianqi to suffer too many losses.
William smiled slightly and quickly followed.
"Yes, Leader."
...The moonlight was like water, spilling onto the giant Training Ground at the center of the Apocalypse Base.
Two thousand Tianqi Warriors had already assembled.
They stood in teams according to their different functions. The front row consisted of heavily armored Defenders holding specialized Alloy Shields and melee weapons.
Behind them were Ranged Firepower Specialists equipped with long and short firearms and Bullet Belts hanging from their waists.
On the flanks were agile Rangers carrying bows, crossbows, or special throwing weapons.
Further back, there were dozens of Reincarnators emitting faint energy fluctuations, clearly possessing support or special abilities.
Their configuration allowed them to quickly form a five-person squad with considerable combat power, striking the enemy through tacit cooperation.
The surroundings were silent.
Only the flapping sound of the night wind blowing the banners and the steady, deep breathing of the two thousand people could be heard.
There was no whispering or looking around; every person stood like a javelin nailed to the ground, their eyes sharply fixed on the high platform ahead.
They were uniformly dressed in black Specialized Combat Uniforms, with Tianqi's Emblem—an abstract White Bat Logo—worn on their arms.
Most people also had dark Camouflage Greasepaint on their faces.
This was a concentrated and silent force, yet it exuded an aura of iron and blood.
It was vastly different from the noisy and chaotic armed forces outside.
On the high platform, William and Fenrir stood side by side.
Eagle Eye and Leah stood slightly behind William, on his left and right respectively. Both had also changed into the Standard Combat Uniforms provided by Tianqi, though with slight differences in detail to highlight their special Consultant status.
William's gaze slowly swept over the two thousand pairs of eyes below the platform.
His wine-red eyes appeared even deeper and more mesmerizing under the moonlight, but what they contained was absolute calm and authority.
"Warriors!"
William spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire square, carrying a strange penetrating power and infectiousness.
"Tomorrow, a disorganized rabble patched together from eighteen Factionss, calling themselves the Tianqi Punitive Coalition Army, will arrive at our gates!"
Below the platform, the breathing of the two thousand people seemed to collectively deepen slightly, their eyes growing brighter, yet still no one made a sound.
"What do they want?"
William's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of icy mockery.
"They covet the order that Tianqi painstakingly established, the resources we have accumulated, and this base that we can call home!"
"They want to seize all of this, destroy all of this, and drag you, your families, and your children back into that barbaric era of precarious existence and the law of the jungle!"
"Tell me,"
William took a step forward, his voice like a drawn sword.
"Do you agree to that?!"
"We do not agree—!!!"
Two thousand people roared in unison, the sound wave exploding like thunder, rushing toward the sky, as if even the moonlight was rippling from the shock.
Contained within that roar was immense determination, the fury of a violated home, and absolute confidence in their own strength and conviction!
William nodded in satisfaction, raised his hand in a pressing gesture, and the square quickly returned to silence.
"Very good!"
William proclaimed loudly.
"Since you do not agree, then let us use the weapons in our hands to tell them: Tianqi is inviolable! Tianqi's dignity must be forged with the blood of our enemies!"
He paused, his voice shifting to a more rousing and passionate tone.
"Tomorrow's battle is not just about defending our home, wives, and children; it is the first battle where Tianqi officially steps onto the world stage and declares its existence! We must use this victory to take the first step toward becoming stronger!"
"Now, I announce the combat rewards!"
William's voice became decisive and firm.
"In this battle, killing one ordinary enemy member rewards 1 point! Killing one C-Level Talent rewards 3 Points! Killing one B-Level Talent rewards 10 Points! Killing one A-Level Talent rewards 30 Points!"
The eyes of the Warriors below instantly became fervent!
Points! In the Main God Game, Points are the foundation of becoming stronger!
They mean equipment, skills, and Attribute Points!
Such a clear, generous, and readily available reward system was something they had never heard of!
"Furthermore!"
William's voice rose again.
"For accumulating ten kills of enemy troops, you will receive an extra 10 Points! For accumulating fifty kills, an extra 100 Points! And if..."
William scanned the entire field.
"Anyone who can achieve the feat of a Hundred-Man Kill will be immediately rewarded 1,000 Points! And instantly promoted to Commander of a Tianqi Battle Team, independently commanding a thousand-person Elite Unit!"
"Whoosh—!"
Even with strict discipline, a wave of suppressed astonishment and heavy breathing involuntarily arose from below the platform. One thousand Points! The position of Commander!
This was a temptation great enough to drive anyone mad! Yet, that wasn't all.
"All brothers who participate in the battle and return alive,"
William's tone softened, yet carried more weight.
"Regardless of Merit, all will receive 100 Points as a Basic Subsidy! Those who shed blood for Tianqi will never be mistreated by Tianqi!"
"Should any brother unfortunately die in battle, Tianqi will be responsible for the future livelihood and safety of all their immediate family members, ensuring they receive the best care."
"Fallen brothers will be interred in the Hall of Heroes, enjoying Tianqi's highest honors and forever commemorated by future generations!"
"Now, tell me!"
William raised his arm and shouted.
"For Tianqi! For Points! For glory!"
"Fight! Fight! Fight!!!"
The mountain-shaking, tsunami-like roar erupted again, igniting the morale of the two thousand Warriors to its peak!
What burned in their eyes was no longer just the belief in defending their home, but also a fierce desire for Merit, Points, and the future!
The enemies before them were no longer threats, but moving monuments of Merit!
"Night Fall—!!!"
William ended with an ancient Battle Cry.
"Night Fall—!!!"
The Warriors responded with an even greater wave of sound...