Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 217 They were both brilliant and unknown.
Standing before tens of thousands of people, Wu Qiwen appeared calm and composed.

No matter how much you say, it's impossible not to feel excited when you actually get to this place.

Taking a deep breath, the chill of winter seeps into my chest, yet it cannot extinguish the warmth in my blood.

With so many eyes focused on him, and Su Xun watching quietly not far to his side, Wu Qiwen composed himself and spoke:

"Comrades, friends."

The loudspeaker carried his voice throughout the square and even the entire base city.

"I am honored to stand here as the third-tier champion of the Legion's Extraordinary Warriors Competition, to receive this weighty honor and the award personally presented by the Commander-in-Chief."

"For me personally, this championship honor was hard-won. It was born from every morning and night of sweating on the training field, and is marked by the scars left from fighting danger time and time again in secret realms, wilderness, and on the coast. Especially... after losing this arm, every bit of difficulty and perseverance in relearning to control my superpower and learning to fight. Those days and nights when I doubted whether I could continue to fight eventually turned into the courage to step into the ring."

His voice was clear, his tone calm and frank, and he did not shy away from his physical disability. As his youthful yet composed voice rang out, the square gradually quieted down.

“But in these days, I have been thinking about it repeatedly and I have come to realize one fact more and more—this honor does not belong to me alone.”

Wu Qiwen paused slightly, then continued, "Without the firm and effective leadership of the commander-in-chief, there would be no stable situation as we have today. And without the unity and concerted efforts of everyone in the base city, we would not have been able to hold such a grand event during this great catastrophe."

"It belongs to me, and also to my comrades who endured the bitter cold on the Daizong battlefield but still held their ground."

"It belongs to those comrades who braved the wind and waves in the bay to fight against sea monsters but didn't have time to participate, and even more so to those names that will forever be absent from the finals!"

The young man's voice became increasingly fluent, as if he had found his rhythm, and he continued to speak.

"I am Wu Qiwen, an ordinary soldier who lost an arm in the secret realm. Some people ask me, how can you fight with only one arm?"

"I have asked myself this question before. During the days I was lying in the hospital bed, fear, helplessness, and confusion constantly enveloped me."

As Wu Qiwen spoke of these things, his eyes showed recollection, and the expressions of the people present changed accordingly, with many expressing curiosity about the issue.

Without keeping everyone waiting, Wu Qiwen said, "At that moment, I remembered the deeds of one of my regimental commanders. His deeds gave me renewed motivation to move forward. Here, I would like to tell the story of this regimental commander."

"At that time, the Great Cataclysm had just begun, and a disaster occurred in Haiqu—the Secret Realm expanded abnormally, and tens of thousands of survivors were scattered. A dozen or so of us were ordered to enter the Secret Realm to bring the survivors home!"

"When I heard the words 'The time has come for the organization and the people to need us,' I followed my regimental commander, Comrade Dong Jie, into the secret realm!"

Wu Qiwen's gaze was somewhat unfocused as he reminisced: "In the secret realm, my strength was enhanced, so I became quite proud, believing that I would be the key to completing the mission, and I also began to look down on my comrades around me."

"So I asked my leader, 'What is your special ability?' I have to admit, I started to compare myself to him."

"But what I didn't expect was that my team leader, Comrade Dong Jie, told me that he didn't have any special abilities—yes, Comrade Dong Jie, as an ordinary person, led the team into the secret realm and directly faced the danger!"

"It's hard for me to describe the shock I felt at that time. From that moment on, I realized that although I possessed powerful superpowers, I was still lacking in many other things!" "Later, our team encountered a fifth-tier alien in the secret realm. In that battle, I lost an arm, while my leader and several other comrades sacrificed their precious lives!"

The atmosphere in the square was somber, as if frozen in the cold wind, but the red flags fluttered, their colors appearing even more vibrant.

"Comrade Dong Jie, as an ordinary person, dared to enter the dangerous secret realm and fight against alien species head-on. And what about me now? Although I am missing an arm, I still have superpowers. Extraordinary abilities give me more possibilities."

"Compared to my commander, how lucky I am!"

Wu Qiwen's voice trembled slightly as he recalled the events. He paused for a moment before speaking again.

"Comrades! Friends!"

"I believe that the millions of ordinary people who are not yet able to reach the extraordinary level can learn from comrades like Commander Dong Jie! Even without superpowers, the power of thought and action can give people the courage to move forward and dedicate their own strength to the motherland and the Corps!"

"I believe that those who possess superpowers and extraordinary abilities should instead learn from the ordinary people around them, learning from their perseverance, hard work, and dedication!"

"There are so many heroic deeds worth learning from. They are glorious and unknown. I am just one of the millions of people in the Corps, an ordinary soldier under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief, and the most insignificant one in the infinitely glorious People's Army!"

"War is so cruel! We advance by treading on the blood of our fallen heroes! Perhaps one day, I too will die on the battlefield, and that day may not be far off!"

"But I firmly believe that the people in the rear will bravely follow in our footsteps, advancing wave after wave, and will surely defeat the enemy!"

A wave of applause erupted in the square, as if everyone was eager to convey their respect and recognition to the young, one-armed warrior on the stage.

Amidst the applause, Wu Qiwen concluded, "Thank you all! Please allow me to dedicate this honor to all my comrades-in-arms, and to all my brothers, sisters, and compatriots who have dedicated their strength to the great rejuvenation of the Eastern nation!"

He took a step back and saluted in all directions, and Su Xun also stood up from the podium and applauded him sincerely.

For Su Xun, having Wu Qiwen publicize his deeds in this setting was the perfect opportunity, and judging from the reactions of the audience, the speech was a great success.

Of course, this was actually inevitable. Even if Wu Qiwen hadn't won the championship, which of the remaining contestants didn't have admirable hardships and sacrifices behind their backs?

Not only were there participants, but there were also countless audience members!

Everyone has their own story; we are all the same, yet each is different.

Wu Qiwen stepped down from the podium, and Su Xun took the microphone and said in a deep voice, "Now we will begin the third stage of the grand competition."

"Fourth-tier transcendent beings, enter!"

(End of this chapter)