Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

The soldier's honor and desire to return to the battlefield overwhelmed the fear of the unknown.

"I was given this life by chance! To receive Your Highness's grace of resurrection is already an immense blessing! Dean Lin of the Heavenly Mystery Institute trusts Your Highness, and so do I! Your Highness, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west! If this simulated body can serve Your Highness and the Heavenly Mystery Institute again, and study that profound and all-encompassing knowledge, that would be the best end for me!"

An old craftsman from the Tianji Institute was so excited that his beard trembled and his withered hands clenched into fists.

"Yes! We all want to!"

"Your Highness's grace! We are like second parents!"

"As long as I can live! As long as I can get rid of this illness! I'll do anything Your Highness asks!"

"Yes! We'll listen to the Prince! We'll all listen to the Prince!"

The warehouse erupted in commotion once more, this time with resolute vows.

Not a single person chose to withdraw. For these people struggling on the brink of death, the risks and costs proposed by Xiao Ce seemed so insignificant in the face of the triple temptation of surviving, escaping suffering, and gaining power!

The worst that can happen is death? Isn't that what they're experiencing right now? But becoming a simulated human, at least, offers endless possibilities! As for obeying the prince?

In the hearts of most people, this is not even a price to pay; being able to follow God and serve Him is the greatest glory!

This is truly a perk.

Looking at the crowd, so passionate and eager to express their opinions, a complex emotion flashed in Xiao Ce's eyes.

He understood this fanatical choice born of desperation, but he was uncertain about the uncertainty stemming from the creation base...

He nodded slightly, his voice regaining its calmness, yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"Very well! Having made your choice, there is no turning back. Remember the oath you swore today! I will do everything in my power to protect your consciousness and help you complete your transformation. Until you are reborn..."

He turned to the three men, Mi Zhuren, Mi Long, and Mi Hu, who had been standing solemnly to his side, and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Director Mi!"

"My subordinate is here!"

Director Mi immediately stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.

"Begin preparations immediately! Arrange consciousness translation procedures according to the list order and the severity of each person's condition! Prioritize those in critical condition! All procedures must be rigorous, meticulous, and safe! Equipment monitoring must not be relaxed for a moment!"

Xiao Ce's command was concise and powerful.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The three directors responded in unison, their voices carrying the calmness of technicians and absolute obedience to orders.

"General Qi Lin!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Qi Lin answered with his chest out.

"Everything here is classified as top secret! Strengthen perimeter security to ensure the process is not interfered with in any way! Provide all necessary supplies!"

Xiao Ce's gaze swept across the warehouse.

"Your humble servant obeys! Please rest assured, Your Highness!"

Qi Lin solemnly replied, his sharp eyes sweeping over his guards.

Xiao Ce glanced one last time at the hopeful, excited, and even fanatical eyes in the warehouse and nodded slightly.

Inside the door, Director Mi and his two colleagues had already begun their tense but orderly work. They first quickly assessed everyone's physical condition, and based on Xiao Ce's orders and the severity of the situation marked on the list, they identified the first batch of people to undergo consciousness translation: Qin Shan, Old Master Qian, and two other critically ill patients whose vital signs were the weakest and who could die at any moment.

These individuals were then carried off into the submarine by Qi Lin's trusted guards.

After everyone returned to the submarine, Director Mi began to speak.

"Prepare the source carrier life support capsule! Number One, Qinshan! Connect the neural bundle docking arm and maintain minimum biological activity!"

"Number Two, Qian Yuan (Old Master Qian), prepare for gel injection!"

"Mihu, activate the processor core's independent storage unit, prepare for maximum capacity! Proceed with the stripping procedure optimized by the Prince!"

"Energy field resonance module preheating! Parameter calibration!"

The pale blue biogel was slowly injected into the specially made life support capsule, enveloping the heads and upper bodies of Qin Shan, Old Master Qian, and others.

The slender, silver nerve bundles, as if alive, connect precisely to the pre-set interfaces on their heads.

A pale blue light illuminated the life support capsule, and the equipment emitted a low, steady hum.

The other people waiting inside the warehouse were placed in a slightly more distant area...

They watched with tension and awe at the life support pod that shimmered with a mysterious light, and watched as Director Mi and the other two operated the control terminal with effortless grace, the waterfall of data silently rolling across the screen.

The air was filled with a faint smell of ozone and active electrolyte, mixed with a somber atmosphere that seemed to concern life and death.

For Grandpa Qian and the others, the physical pain seemed to be covered by some strange feeling at this moment, as if their souls were being gently drawn.

What they saw last was Director Mi's calm and focused profile, and the dazzling holographic projection screen of the control panel.

For Qin Shan, amidst the low hum and strange pull, his remaining will was driven by only one unwavering thought: to survive... to fight again... to fight for the Prince...

Master Mi's fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, precisely adjusting the frequency and intensity of the energy field resonance based on real-time monitored data streams. He guided the faint and precious consciousness energy, carefully peeling it away and extracting it before importing it into the storage unit that shimmered with golden light.

Since Xiao Ce provided those parameters, their efficiency has improved considerably...

On the screen, the curve representing the integrity of the consciousness field fluctuates occasionally, but under precise control, it remains stable above the safe threshold.

One by one, entries with name tags appeared in the storage unit's list: "[Consciousness File: Stored, Status: Stable Dormant]".

Meanwhile, the creation of the lifelike humanoid figure inside the submarine was proceeding at full speed...

...

In addition, in the heart of the Zionist Church's stronghold, in its secret chamber.

Scarface rushed in, the hideous scar on his face throbbing slightly under the oil lamp. His heavy breathing, still carrying the smell of gunpowder, broke the oppressive silence of the secret room.

His voice trembled as he said, "My...my lord! Rock Harbor...the operation...has failed..."

After he finished speaking, he lay prostrate on the ground and recounted what had happened the previous night.

Although the mysterious man did not actually tell them to kill Xiao Ce, he did cause chaos in Panshi Port.

But in reality, they didn't even cause any chaos...

"Brothers...brothers, we haven't even gotten close to the core area! Qi Lin's soldiers are ten times more vigilant than we thought! Searchlights, sentries, snipers...our men were spotted the moment they showed their faces! Those explosives...those Molotov cocktails...at most they blew up a few planks of wood and set fire to a patch of weeds! All our brothers are gone! Not even a sound was made in the port's core area! That traitor Xiao Ce probably didn't even sneeze!"

After he finished speaking, he lay prostrate on the ground, waiting for the expected thunderous wrath and the punishment that would freeze one's bones.

He could even imagine how easily the black-gloved hand in the shadows would crush his throat.

However, what he received in response was a very soft, even slightly amused, chuckle.

"Hehehe..."

Laughter was like a venomous snake slithering across cold rocks!

The cold air lingered in the shadow of the cloak, devoid of any warmth, yet without the slightest surprise.

Scarface suddenly raised his head, his face contorted in astonishment: "Master...Master?"

He thought he had misheard, or that this was the final mockery before the storm; he stared tremblingly at the mysterious figure...

"Well done, Scar Wolf."

The mysterious voice rang out, still that deep, hoarse tone, like the scraping of metal, but the calmness within it sent a chill down Scar Wolf's spine.

"Did...did it well?"

Scar Wolf's mind went blank for a moment.

He sacrificed all his elite soldiers, only to receive a few insignificant sounds in return, without even harming a hair on their heads...

How can this be considered good?

"My lord! Brothers...brothers, your deaths were utterly pointless! We didn't even catch a glimpse of that usurper! This...this is what you call..."

He stopped midway through his sentence, as if choking back his words, and dared not utter the word "good" again.

"Of course."

The mysterious man interrupted him, speaking in a flat tone as if stating a given fact.

"Their sacrifice, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creates ripples far deeper than the surface splash. You might think those sounds aren't enough, but I think they're loud enough. They pierced the steel walls of Rock Harbor, reached Yin Weiyong's ears, and Xiao Ce will surely hear them too..."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, which was wearing a black glove, and his fingertips seemed to gleam with an eerie light in the dim light.

"Do you really think I expect those homemade explosives and Molotov cocktails to hurt Xiao Ce? Or to shake the military fortress that Qi Lin has built up over the years?" He paused, and for the first time, his voice carried a barely perceptible, almost pleasant curve.

"No. Last night's operation was never intended to kill. Didn't I tell you that? It was about killing two birds with one stone."

Scarface was taken aback by the mysterious man's words, then nodded: "Yes... I understand... but, that result..."

The mysterious man waved his hand, interrupting Scarface before he could finish, saying, "What kind of results do you want... I just want them to see an attitude, an attitude that is the determination of our people... a determination to face death... that awareness alone is enough to frighten them..."

After hearing this, Scar Wolf seemed to understand and nodded.

The mysterious man then said, "And also, I wanted to understand some information... and confirm some information... Now I have the answer!"

After listening to the mysterious man's words, Scar Wolf nodded and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"To confirm how sensitive that old dog Yin Weiyong's nose is, and to confirm how quickly he has mastered power."

The mysterious man's voice suddenly turned cold: "Shortly after the fires at Rock Harbor went out last night, their people started frequently visiting each other..."

The mysterious man spoke cryptically, but Scarface understood...

"You mean... the Shadow Guard?! One of the Night Owls?!"

After he finished speaking, he instantly understood what his master meant by "how sensitive Yin Weiyong's nose is."

The Kyoto secret guards, that ghostly organization, actually managed to sneak up here so quickly?

This is incredible!

Their lair was so well hidden, with elaborate camouflage and surveillance around it...

The mysterious man said slowly and meaningfully, "Not only the Shadow Guards... but also those hounds from the Punishment Department who specialize in gnawing on tough nuts. It seems that old dog Yin Weiyong has been thoroughly enraged by the attacks on the road and the 'fireworks' at the port. He has used 'Shadow Hunter' and will stop at nothing to find us and tear us to pieces."

He gave a soft, ambiguous snort and continued, "The efficiency is commendable. However..."

The mysterious man stopped speaking halfway through his sentence...

Scarface's breathing instantly became heavy...

The mysterious man didn't spell it out...

However, he knew very well that the mysterious man was waiting for him to take over.

He knew very well what the mysterious man hadn't said.

He immediately reacted accordingly, clenching his fist tightly: "Traitor! My lord! There must be a traitor! Otherwise, they couldn't have located this place so quickly! Let me investigate! Find that traitorous scum, I want him..."

Scarface was right; his reaction pleased the mysterious man greatly...

The mysterious man's voice carried an air of confident command: "No need..."

"No need?!"

Scarface almost thought he'd misheard. He looked up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot: "My lord! If we don't find the traitor, we..."

"Traitor?"

For the first time, the mysterious man's voice carried a clear, undisguised sarcasm: "Scarface, you still don't understand. The existence of those 'little rats' was part of my plan. I... deliberately let them find me by following their scent. I knew about their existence all along... wanting them dead was as simple as flicking a finger, as easy as crushing an ant..."

Boom...

These words were like a thunderclap in Scar Wolf's ears, leaving him dizzy and his mind blank.

He stared blankly at the shadow, as if he were truly getting to know this "Lord" for the first time.

Intentionally sending the secret guards to their door? This...this is suicidal! Insane! Absolutely insane!

"My...My Lord..." Scar Wolf's voice was completely distorted by extreme shock and fear, making it sound like he was splitting into two lines: "You...you mean...we...are you telling us to...stay here...and wait to die? We've already provoked them, and knowing their vengeful nature, they'll definitely come after us..."

Even...even...

"They're even on their way..."

"Waiting to die?"

The mysterious man slowly shook his head after listening...