Magic? My Iron Torrent will sweep it all away!

In the square, everyone listened silently, and some even shed tears silently.

The population plummeted from 1.4 billion to 700 million. The disappearance of half the population means that everyone present had lost a loved one.

Looking back on the past few years, we struggled in despair, excavated and built underground cities in the dark, and persevered through days when there was no hope...

That's not history, but the not-so-distant past, vividly remembered.

"Daddy, I want my daddy! I've finally grown up, but I can't see you anymore, waaaaaah..."

I don't know which little girl's voice came from.

Her cries immediately resonated with others, and the sobbing gradually became contagious.

"My dad is a great hero who fought the demons, and I will always miss him!" a child shouted.

"I miss my mom and dad too... Waaah!"

Old Zhao saw and heard all of this, and his eyes welled up with tears.

He paused for a moment, then continued:

"In just three years, we have gone from being on the verge of extinction to where we are today."

"There is pain, there is laughter, there is despair, there is hope, there is sacrifice, and there is passion!"

Even when we knew it was a dead end, we never gave up!

"We have built a vast underground city complex, mastered interplanetary portals, acquired our own land on Terra, forged friendships among the various races of Terra, and created the World Tree!"

"Our technology has also developed rapidly. We have powerful robots and mechs, antimatter weapons capable of fighting against demon-level beings, planetary engine projects to push the entire planet out of the solar system, and fully automated all-purpose factories!"

"All of this used to only exist in science fiction movies."

"And now, they have become a reality under construction in the Great Xia Dynasty!"

In the square, some people looked up at the canopy of the World Tree.

Bright, emerald-green light filtered through the leaves, illuminating every face.

Old Zhao paused for a moment, his tone gradually becoming heavy.

"But comrades, the disaster is not over."

"Just the day before yesterday, the demons launched another large-scale attack on the Kona satellite base."

"This time, the demon race has deployed our demon god codenamed Aker, along with eight demon lords, leading over five hundred space plasma worms and an army of over three hundred million demons to launch a fierce offensive against the Kona base."

A hushed gasp rippled through the square.

Many people are unaware of this news, as this is the first official announcement from the government.

"Faced with the overwhelming tide of evil, Comrade Zheng Jinren remained calm and commanded all officers and soldiers of the Kona Base to hold the line."

"At the critical moment when the barrier shatters and the base is on the verge of collapse, a desperate counterattack is launched!"

"Finally, all six antimatter devices activated simultaneously, forming a pincer movement both on the surface and underground, successfully defeating the demon god Aker!"

"Without the Demon God's command, the demon army was forced to retreat, and the defense of the Kona Satellite Base was ultimately won by a narrow margin!"

Old Zhao's tone turned serious as he spoke.

"But this victory also came at a heavy price."

Old Zhao raised his eyes and looked back at the large screen behind the podium.

Two photos of soldiers appeared on the screen.

One person had a resolute expression, while the other had a faint smile on his lips.

Comrade Shen Minghe.

"Comrade Wang Ce."

"In the final moments before the barrier was about to shatter, the two comrades, piloting the Pangu mech, with unwavering courage, approached the demon god Aker, dropped the antimatter bomb, and heroically sacrificed themselves!"

"They opened the breach in victory with their lives!"

Old Zhao suddenly said:

"Please all stand up."

Within the viewing area, everyone who was able to stand stood up simultaneously.

The elderly comrade with mobility issues also stood up with the help of those around him.

Mr. Zhao turned around, faced the two photos on the screen, and raised his hand in salute.

In the square, tens of thousands of arms were raised in unison.

There was no applause, no cheers, only a silent and solemn salute.

Thirty seconds later, Old Zhao lowered his arm.

"Let us remember the heroes Shen Minghe and Wang Ce!"

"And please remember every comrade who fell in the past battles."

"They did not disappear into the darkness; they sacrificed themselves to bring hope to the Great Xia!"

"It is these small glimmers of hope that, together, form the future of each and every one of us!"

The photos on the screen slowly faded away, replaced by a set of postwar statistics.

"According to statistics, more than 160 million demon units were confirmed to have been annihilated in this battle, including demon god-level units, 230 space plasma worms, and a large number of high-level demon units."

"Currently, battlefield cleanup and body recovery are still underway."

"These demon corpses contain a large amount of rare metal materials and energy blocks needed for the development of the Great Xia."

"This will provide strong support for the future development of the Great Xia Dynasty for the next century!!"

This time, low murmurs finally broke out in the square.

The development required over a century is simply too massive.

For those who experienced the cataclysmic event on Earth, the significance of this number far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine.

Two years ago, they were still worrying about the next batch of food, the next round of electricity supply, and the air circulation in the underground city.

Today, the spoils of a brutal war have become the foundation for the continued development of the Great Xia Dynasty for nearly a century to come.

Sure enough, risks come with rewards.

Old Zhao raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Comrades, these resources are not a gift from the demons."

"They come from the battlefield, from sacrifice, from the perseverance of countless people."

"We cannot let our guard down just because we have achieved some success, nor can we squander our gains on meaningless things."

"We will use them for scientific research, production, urban development, weapons manufacturing, and planetary relocation programs!"

"Let every resource gained through sacrifice be transformed into the power for Great Xia to continue to survive, continue to develop, and continue to reach for the stars."

At this point, Old Zhao's tone rose again.

Today is an important day.

"That's the Great Xia Interstellar Fleet, officially established!"

The large screen behind the podium suddenly switched.

The original battlefield data disappeared, replaced by a deep starry sky.

A massive silver-gray ship slowly sailed across the screen, its surface covered with black armor and silver-white runes, its enormous body almost obscuring half of the screen.

"The newly formed interstellar fleet consists of thirty-eight large spaceships."

"Thirty-six ships came from the thirty-six underground cities of the Great Xia Dynasty, and the other two were the Luna and the Kona."

"As for the Kuafu, it was the first kilometer-class spaceship of the Great Xia Dynasty and a pioneer of fleet technology. Currently, it undertakes long-distance transportation, scientific research experiments and technology verification tasks, and is not included in today's fleet designation."

Lin Mo nodded secretly upon hearing this.

The development of the Great Xia Dynasty was too fast. Unexpectedly, the Kuafu ship could not keep up with the times and had to be relegated to the second line shortly after its construction.

Old Zhao continued:

"Now, proceed with the fleet roll call!"