I told you to plant peas, and you summon Mordekaiser?

[The original garden space was only intended to allow summoned humans to adapt to using plants in combat; actual death would not occur.]

[Since the Tower of Ascension was located within human territory, Edgar opened another passage to the Garden Space.]

[He used this passage to teleport zombies into the garden space, prematurely infecting the summoned humans into zombies.]

[As a result, the zombies' strength increased dramatically, plunging humanity into a predicament.]

[The human leader at the time took a risky step in an attempt to change the situation.]

[He infiltrated the zombie headquarters and held a negotiation with Edgar.]

[Possessing the Tower of Ascension is humanity's last trump card.]

[The human leader threatened to detonate the Tower of Ascension, burying the entire world alive, but both sides eventually compromised and agreed to the Garden Ordinance.]

[The conditions, including the fact that zombies can only attack in two waves per day, and that the zombies' strength must match the player's strength, as well as everything you're experiencing in the garden now, were all agreed upon at the time.]

Through generations of agreements, the garden space has evolved into its present form.

[There is an Ascension Tournament held once a month. Players who qualify for ascension will descend into this world through the Tower of Ascension.]

Players who die during this period will turn into zombies.

[Twelve months later, all surviving players will ascend, then summon humans from the next dimension to begin the next cycle.]

[The Ascension Plan is set at one thousand batches.]

[During the Ascension Project, zombies and humans enjoyed a period of peace.]

[The Ascension Project is now nearing its end.]

This document is now complete.

Zhao Changming frowned, repeatedly processing this information in his mind.

This involved a new world, which he found difficult to digest at first.

He hadn't expected the other party to reveal so much information, but upon closer reflection, it made sense.

After all, we've already summoned a thousand waves of players and encountered all sorts of situations, so there's no need to hide this kind of information.

The room was no longer as noisy as before, and the other nineteen teammates were also repeatedly studying the document.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

After a long while, someone finally spoke up in disbelief.

"This...this...a thousand years? Is this real?"

“If they wanted to deceive us, they wouldn’t need to fabricate such a lie,” Zhao Changming said calmly after a long pause.

"But...this...this is too incredible."

"Indeed, I thought it was just a regular Plants vs. Zombies game."

"..."

The group discussed the matter in the room until it grew dark.

The doorbell rang, and the cyborg woman's voice came from outside the door.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please proceed to the dining hall for your meal."

Players filed out and followed a mechanical woman toward the hall.

Zhao Changming was stopped by another female mechanic.

"Mr. Zhao Changming, Mr. Soren invites you to dinner alone."

After giving his teammates a reassuring look, Zhao Changming followed the cyborg woman in another direction.

......

I walked through a quiet corridor, my footsteps falling silently on the red carpet.

At the end of the corridor is a double mahogany door, carved with intricate patterns, which appears majestic and profound under the pale yellow light.

The mechanical woman pushed the door open, and a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out, carrying a hint of coolness.

The restaurant's decor is elegant and understated, with an antique crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, casting soft light onto the long tables, creating an interplay of light and shadow.

The long table was covered with a dark red velvet tablecloth.

Soren was sitting at the end of the long table, dressed in a sophisticated dark gray suit.

Upon seeing Zhao Changming, he smiled slightly and said, "Sit down."

Zhao Changming nodded and sat in the chair that the mechanical woman had pulled out.

Soren waved his hand, signaling the mechanic to fill Zhao Changming's wine glass.

The door closed, leaving only the two people in the room.

Zhao Changming's eyes sharpened as he looked up at Soren: "Can you give me an answer about the zombie invasion?"

Soren picked up his glass and gently swirled it a few times, the amber liquid swirling within.

Instead of giving a direct answer, he started talking to himself.

"You should have finished reading that document by now. I was just as surprised as you were when I first saw it."

"Back then?" Zhao Changming's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That's right, I am a human who was summoned to this world twenty-seven years ago."

"You're not a native human?"

"Are you surprised? Actually, I can be considered half a native. I was only fourteen years old when I was summoned to this world, and I have spent most of my life here."

"Since you are also a human from another world, we should be able to understand each other."

"Heh, understand what? Understand your desire to save the other humans in the garden?"

Soren chuckled softly, his words laced with sarcasm:

"It's all just a show. All that so-called righteousness is just a performance for others to see."

"You've already ascended to immortality. No one's watching you anymore. You can completely cast off those hypocritical shackles. Why carry burdens that aren't yours?"

The air seemed to freeze instantly. The servants quietly withdrew, leaving only the two of them staring at each other in the dining room.

Zhao Changming lowered his eyes slightly and remained silent for a moment: "You're wrong. I never intended to put on a show. Everything I did was for peace of mind. I'm in this position, so I should bear this mission, nothing more."

Soren raised an eyebrow, his tone still nonchalant: "So, don't you seek fame and fortune, and don't you want people to sing your praises?"

“I’m just an ordinary person, and naturally I hope my name will be remembered. But what I should do has nothing to do with whether anyone remembers me or not. There are some things I will do no matter what.”

Soren's gaze sharpened, as if he had grasped the true meaning behind the words, and he leaned forward slightly to ask, "Even if you are shattered to pieces and die in obscurity?"

Zhao Changming looked up and stared straight at him, his tone calm: "If it comes to that, I won't hesitate."

Zhao Changming and Soren locked eyes, and a silent pressure filled the air.

Zhao Changming remained calm and composed, his eyes as firm as a rock.

This silent contest lasted for a long time, until finally, Soren sighed softly and withdrew his gaze.

A faint smile appeared on his lips, carrying a hint of mystery: "You're quite good."

Zhao Changming raised an eyebrow but remained silent, simply waiting for the other party to continue.

Soren abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming serious: "I have received definite intelligence that the zombie invasion of the garden area is almost certain."

He slowly rose, walked to the window, and gazed into the endless night: "The energy of the Tower of Ascension is about to run out, and it will no longer be a threat to zombies."

"On the borders of human territory, zombies are becoming increasingly rampant. With the Ascension Project over, the situation is bound to change. Their invasion of the Garden is just the prelude."

Zhao Changming spoke up: "I just want to know how to save the humans in the garden."

"Since the zombies are breaking the rules first, we can naturally use the Tower of Ascension to guide all the players."

"However, the Tower of Ascension requires five days to recharge each time it is used."

Soren paused, then added, "Your ascension time is 12 noon on the 27th day of your player survival, which means that the next ascension will be completed and charged at 12 noon on the 32nd day."

Zhao Changming pondered: "The original Ascension Tournament was scheduled for the thirtieth day, while the zombies' offensive was planned for the thirty-first day. By that calculation, they did indeed accurately predict the Ascension Tower's charging intervals."

Soren nodded: "But now, due to the mass deaths of participating players, the Ascension Tournament has been brought forward. The zombies are responding faster than I expected."

He paused, then continued, "The zombies have begun sending troops into the garden space, and could launch an invasion at any time."

"I will enforce Article 307 of the Garden Protocol, temporarily suspending the zombies' right to enter the Garden space. This measure will last for four days, until midnight on the thirty-first day of survival."

Zhao Changming frowned: "So, there's a twelve-hour gap in between during which the zombies will launch their attack?"

Soren looked out the window, his voice low and somber.

"That's right. Whether they can survive these twelve hours depends on their fate."