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

In the square, sunlight shone through the dense crowd, reflecting countless panicked and bewildered glances.

On the high platform in front of the square, a faceless mechanical woman stands.

"Keep quiet."

The sound was amplified by some kind of loudspeaker.

The players gradually quieted down, and all eyes were focused on the mechanical woman.

"First of all, I deeply regret the accident that just happened."

She lowered her head slightly, seemingly mimicking the gesture of human mourning, but without showing any emotion.

"But please do not lose faith in the future because of a few isolated incidents. You are ascendants, and you bear a greater mission."

The crowd's gaze remained full of skepticism.

Without pausing, the cyborg continued, "Currently, the human borders are under fierce attack from the zombie horde, and we need your strength to stop them."

As soon as these words were spoken, the square exploded.

"what?"

"They've ascended to immortality and now they're sending us to the front lines?"

"Do you think we're stupid? This is just sending us to be cannon fodder."

Some timid players were also caught up in the atmosphere and began to protest in hushed tones.

A burly man stepped out of the crowd, his eyes filled with anger.

He loudly questioned the mechanical woman atop the tower: "We risked our lives to ascend here, only to become your cannon fodder?"

His words provoked more agreement and anger from others.

Seeing the cyborg woman on the stage remain completely calm, only pointing at the burly man with her hand, Chen Yang felt a sense of foreboding.

"Come back quickly!"

Before the words were finished, a sharp gunshot silenced all other sounds.

A burst of blood erupted from the burly man's chest as he fell straight down, his eyes still holding a final glimmer of disbelief.

The machine gunner on the side, a wisp of black smoke rising from the barrel.

The square fell into a deathly silence.

The cyborg woman coldly stared at the fallen corpse, her tone remaining calm: "Please keep quiet."

Her gaze swept across the crowd below.

The machine gunner's dark muzzles moved slowly with her movements, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

No one dared to cause any more trouble.

The players lowered their heads, suppressing their anger, not daring to even breathe.

“You have no choice.”

The cyborg's voice was icy, piercing everyone's eardrums.

"But I do not mean for you to give up hope."

Her tone suddenly softened, as if giving everyone a moment to breathe.

"As long as you perform well in battle, you will not only receive generous resource rewards, but you will also be able to establish yourself in this world and obtain citizenship."

She paused, a sharp glint in her eyes.

"Of course, I warn you all that any refusal to cooperate will only lead to your deaths."

"Now that you've come to this world, you are part of it. In the face of zombies, all of humanity is on the same side."

As she spoke, she gently raised her hand, and the screen on the platform lit up, displaying footage of the battle as zombies attacked the border.

The players watched in silence as the intense firefight and horrific scenes unfolded on the screen, their anger gradually turning into a complex sense of unease.

The cyborg woman spoke again: "Now, please leave through the exits of the square in order."

"The train to the front lines will take you to the battlefield."

At her command, the massive metal door behind the platform slowly opened, revealing a staircase leading underground.

"We would like to remind you again that we refuse to accept any form of non-cooperation, and those who violate this rule will be dealt with severely."

The crowd began to move slowly, the atmosphere oppressive and heavy.

Chen Yang stood in the line, his expression slightly somber.

What's the difference between this and being a slave?

However, he had no power to resist and could only be slaughtered at the mercy of others.

This feeling is not pleasant.

After passing through the metal doors, they were led into a spacious underground platform where trains were quietly parked, their bodies completely black.

"This fortress is sealed off, and the only way to connect it to the outside world is by this train."

The cyborg's voice echoed on the platform: "This train will take you directly to the front lines."

Chen Yang was at the back of the line, following the crowd forward, when a nut suddenly rolled up behind him, causing him to stumble.

"Hiss—" Rubbing his sore buttocks, Chen Yang looked at the green nut in front of him with a surprised expression.

After its round body came to a stop, Nut struggled to utter a few syllables: "Follow...me."

Chen Yang was stunned for a moment before he understood what it meant.

While he hesitated, the gun was already pointed at his forehead.

The machine gunner silently told Chen Yang that he had no choice.

Following the nut, Chen Yang left the crowd and came to a secluded stairwell. A woman was standing in front of the stairs, obviously waiting for him.

Upon seeing the woman, Chen Yang's eyes lit up slightly.

This was the first time he had seen living humans since his ascension.

In the Tower of Ascension, players are greeted only by cold, faceless mechanical women and plants.

The existence of humankind implies the possibility of negotiation.

Upon seeing Chen Yang arrive, the woman calmly said, "Mr. Chen Yang, Lord Soren wishes to see you."

“Soren?” Chen Yang raised an eyebrow. “Who is he?”

"The administrator of this fortress."

The woman didn't explain further, turned and walked towards the stairs, with Chen Yang following behind.

They remained silent the whole way. Chen Yang tried to ask some questions, but the women responded with silence.

They climbed upwards until they reached the top floor of the fortress.

In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, Soren stood quietly, his back to them, looking down at the square below.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around and gestured for the woman to leave.

The door closed behind them, leaving only Chen Yang and Soren in the room.

"Soren? This is Chen Yang. What do you want?" Chen Yang spoke first.

Soren did not respond to Chen Yang.

He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, hands behind his back, pacing back and forth to himself.

Do you know Zhao Changming?

"We've dealt with each other a few times," Chen Yang replied cautiously.

The sudden mention of Zhao Changming left him confused about Soren's intentions.

"What kind of person do you think he is?"

"What kind of person?" Chen Yang frowned slightly, not understanding the significance of the question, but after thinking for a moment, he still answered seriously:

"He has a strong sense of justice, is upright, and is also very capable."

After a pause, Chen Yang added, "I guess the ascension of so many players must be related to him."

Soren nodded and said softly, "That's right, but he did much more than just 'somewhat connected'."

Chen Yang frowned and pressed further, "Not just that?"

Soren stopped, his tone slightly somber: "If I'm not mistaken, he should already be dead."

Chen Yang was shocked: "Dead? Didn't he ascend to immortality?"

"He died on his way to stop the zombie invasion."

"If it weren't for him, the zombie attack on the garden wouldn't have been delayed by eight hours."

"These eight hours were bought with his own life."

"How is that possible? How did he do that?" Chen Yang pressed, his mind filled with complex emotions.

"I gave him a premium energy bean, and he and two teammates headed to the teleportation tower that allows zombies to enter the garden."

Soren looked out the window and said calmly, "They probably blocked the zombies in front of the tower for eight hours."