I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

Does that mean that in the future, if I see any rare materials that I want, I can just ask for them without having to look for them myself?

His eyes lit up, and he immediately became interested.

"Well... I can consider it." Lu Yuan stroked his chin. "However, I don't have time to deal with those trivial matters. Tell them I can be the commander-in-chief, but I must be assigned a secretariat. The secretariat will handle everything, and I will only be responsible for signing the final documents."

"And most importantly! My 'Master Craftsman's Workshop' must be expanded! It must be the largest in the world! All countries' strategic material reserves must be unconditionally open to me! Whatever I want, they must send it to me!"

Hearing Lu Yuan's blunt and humiliating conditions, Su Lie was not angry at all; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He was afraid that Lu Yuan wouldn't want anything.

As long as Lu Yuan has "desire," even if that desire is just greed for materials, then things will be easy.

This shows that he is still a "human being".

"Okay, I will convey your conditions to them word for word," Su Lie said with a smile. "I believe they will be very happy to accept them."

"Okay, that's fine then. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. My meat is almost done grilling."

Lu Yuan was about to hang up the call when he said that.

"Wait!" Su Lie quickly called out to him, "There's one more thing, something... very important."

"What is it?" Lu Yuan frowned.

Su Lie's voice became extremely solemn.

"While you were fighting the End, we detected... an unidentified 'gaze' from the depths of space, directed towards Earth."

"Those 'gazes' are not through optics, nor through any detection methods we know. They are a kind of... higher-dimensional 'gaze'."

"We cannot analyze it, we cannot understand it, but we can sense that those 'gazes' are filled with...greed and malice."

"Dean Qian suspects that it might be the 'Void Hunter' you mentioned before."

Upon hearing the words "Void Hunter," Lu Yuan's smile slowly faded.

Of course he knew what those were.

He had already encountered those monsters once while he was fighting the End in the Void.

A group of cosmic cleaners who feed on rules and information, and cannot be completely killed even by "zeroing out".

He knew that his battle with the End had caused too much of a commotion.

It was like lighting a sun in a dark forest.

Those hunters lurking in the darkness could not possibly fail to notice.

"I understand." Lu Yuan's voice became calm and deep.

"They...will come sooner or later."

Su Lie was silent for a moment, then asked, "What... should we do?"

"What should we do?" Lu Yuan glanced at the flickering flames in the campfire, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it."

"If they dare to come, I'll teach them a lesson..."

"What does it mean to say, 'High-level hunters often appear in the form of prey'?"

Lu Yuan grinned, a smile so wide that Su Lie on the other end of the phone couldn't help but shiver.

"I was just worried that my [Chaotic Godhood] was lacking 'nourishment'."

"If they come, that'll be perfect; they can be my 'dessert' after dinner."

After the communication was disconnected, the atmosphere on the island became somewhat heavy.

Although Yan Ji, Mu Bingli, and the others did not know what the "Void Hunter" was, they could sense from Lu Yuan and Su Lie's conversation that it was a threat even more terrifying than the "End".

"What's wrong? Why are you all looking so gloomy?" Lu Yuan looked at them and laughed, "The meat's almost cold."

"Boss..." Gu Tianye couldn't help but ask, "Um... what is 'Void Hunter'? Is it very powerful?"

"Strong?" Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, pretty strong. They're probably... a bunch of cosmic-level, super-enhanced Plus Pro Max... mantis shrimps, like they've been starving for billions of years."

Mantis shrimp?

The group exchanged bewildered glances; this analogy was simply... far too far-fetched.

"Don't think too much about it." Lu Yuan cut off a piece of Chaos Beast meat that was roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and handed it to Yan Ji. "If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. What you need to do now is eat well, train hard, and strive to become stronger."

"Only when you become stronger can you help me hold out for a few more seconds in group fights, instead of me having to protect you. Understand?"

Although these words were quite blunt, they dispelled everyone's worries.

Yes.

No matter how terrifying the enemy they face in the future, they are not fighting alone.

They have Lu Yuan.

This is the captain who always walks at the forefront, sheltering them from the wind and rain, and then turns around to exploit them with a sense of righteous indignation.

"Got it!" everyone responded in unison, and then began to devour the food on the grill like a whirlwind.

The island was once again filled with laughter and joy.

Lu Yuan watched this scene with a knowing smile on his face.

But his gaze inadvertently drifted towards the deep starry sky.

He knew that the real war might... have only just begun.

He needs to become stronger.

His team also needs to become stronger.

……

three days later.

An unprecedented, colossal "Master Craftsman's Workshop" spanning the entire Pacific Ocean rose from the ground.

Its name is Pangu.

It's no longer a mech, but a... real, mobile war temple!

It is based on the "Xuanwu" that Lu Yuan had previously captured, and incorporates the technology and rules of Atlantis, Hell, Chaos, and even the End.

Its interior houses some of the world's most advanced laboratories and forging furnaces.

Its exterior is covered with planet-destroying cannons and law-based weapons powered by the power of chaos.

Its core is Lu Yuan's [Chaotic Godhead].

On this day, Lu Yuan officially assumed the position of the sole supreme commander of the "Earth Defense Alliance".

His first words in his inaugural address were:

"Starting today, disband the armies of all countries in the world."

"All extraordinary individuals must report to the Pangu Workshop within three days."

"I will personally carry out... an 'upgrade' for you."

"In the future, Earth will only need one army."

Its name is the Legion of Gods.

This incredibly domineering declaration was broadcast live globally and reached every corner of the world.

No one objected.

Because everyone knows that the gods have returned.

A brand new era belonging to "Lu Yuan" has officially begun.

However, just as the whole world was immersed in the joy of surviving the disaster and the hope for the future.

Nobody noticed.

Beneath the Antarctic ice sheet lies a prehistoric site that has remained silent for millennia.

That mysterious building that Qian Sen called Earth's "backup" and "reboot program".

At its core, an indicator light flashed countless times before falling silent.

The resting place, which used to represent "alertness" yellow, has changed to... blood red, which represents "activation".

"What did you say?! Disband all the world's armies?!"

In the highest command room of the Pangu Temple, Su Lie stared wide-eyed at Lu Yuan as if he were an alien.

"Do you know what you're saying? This will cause a huge upheaval! The military is the cornerstone of national stability!"

"Foundation?" Lu Yuan leaned back in the commander's chair, made of chaotic metal and comparable to a throne, and said lazily while drinking the chilled juice that Mu Bingli had just given him. "Old Su, times have changed."

"Before, you relied on your numbers and your guns. What about now?"

Lu Yuan extended a finger and tapped it lightly.

The space in front of him was instantly "reset to zero," revealing a fist-sized, absolutely black spherical void from which even light could not escape.

"In the face of absolute power, quantity is meaningless."

Lu Yuan said calmly, "Ten thousand sheep can't defeat a Tyrannosaurus Rex. What's more, what's coming now might be a whole herd of Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Su Lie stared at the black void that made his heart tremble, and fell silent.

He couldn't refute it.

"But... what about the ordinary soldiers? They gave their youth and blood to the country, you can't just leave them like this..."

"Who said I was going to abandon them?" Lu Yuan rolled his eyes at him. "I'm just having them 'change careers'."

"Change careers?"

"Yes." Lu Yuan snapped his fingers, and a huge holographic projection immediately appeared in the air in front of him.

The projection showed a detailed plan of the Pangu Temple.

"See that? The Pangu Temple is divided into the 'Divine Legion,' 'Research Department,' 'Logistics Department,' 'Construction Department'..."

"The Legion of Gods is composed of all extraordinary individuals worldwide and is responsible for external combat."

"The research department, led by Qian Sen, is responsible for researching the new topics I gave them, such as 'how to convert chaotic power into civilian energy' and 'physiological structural analysis of void creatures,' etc."

"The logistics and construction departments are composed of retired ordinary soldiers. Their willpower and discipline are unmatched by ordinary people. They are the most suitable to be in charge of the daily operation of [Pangu], and... rebuilding the Earth."

Lu Yuan pointed at the projection and began to speak eloquently.

"In the future, there will be no more concepts of 'nations' on Earth. There will only be one unified whole—'Earth Civilization'."

"Everyone has their own role. The extraordinary are responsible for protection, scientists for development, and builders for creation. Everyone will strive for the same goal."

"That is... to survive."

Su Lie listened blankly to Lu Yuan's grand plan. He realized that all his previous worries seemed so narrow-minded and ridiculous.

This young man never considered a country or a nation.

What he was considering was the continuation of the entire civilization.

"I understand." Su Lie took a deep breath, stood up straight, and gave Lu Yuan a standard military salute.

"Commander-in-Chief! The Chinese Military Headquarters will resolutely carry out your orders!"

Lu Yuan looked at him, smiled, and waved his hand.

"Alright, Lao Su, stop with the act. I still prefer you calling me 'brat'."

"From now on, you will be the head of the 'Ministry of Construction'. I don't want to deal with those trivial family matters every day."

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!" Su Lie responded loudly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He knew that a brand new and magnificent era had been ushered in by the young man before him.

……

three days later.

Tens of thousands of extraordinary individuals from all over the world, traveling by various means of transportation, gathered at the Pangu Temple in the Pacific Ocean with feelings of trepidation, excitement, and curiosity.

Among them are former elite soldiers, superhumans hiding in the city, inheritors of ancient families, and even some non-human intelligent races.

But at this moment, they all share a common identity—reservists for the "League of Gods".

Standing on the vast, continent-like deck of the Pangu Temple, they gazed up at the central divine tower that pierced the clouds, feeling the pure, almost liquefied energy permeating the air. Everyone was utterly awestruck by this miraculous creation.

Gu Tianye, Xiang Batian, Yan Ji, and others, as veterans of the "God's Legion," were wearing the uniform Chaos Armor personally crafted by Lu Yuan. Standing on the top floor of the God Tower, they looked down at the dark mass of people below, their faces showing expressions of pride and honor.

"Tsk tsk, back then, our 'God-Making Project' only had a dozen or so people. Look at it now, it's almost the size of a country," Xiang Batian clicked his tongue and remarked.

"This is just the beginning," Gu Tianye said in a deep voice. "Our boss's goal is the stars and the sea."

"I wonder how Boss plans to 'upgrade' them," Yan Ji said curiously, looking at the superhumans below with varying strengths.

Just then, Lu Yuan's figure appeared silently beside them.

"It's very simple."

Looking at the faces below, filled with youthful vigor and anticipation, Lu Yuan spoke calmly.

"Just throw them... into the 'washing machine' and churn them up."

"Washing machine?" Everyone was taken aback.

Lu Yuan didn't explain; he simply raised his hand and waved it lightly at the massive deck below.

"Buzz—"

The entire Pangu Temple trembled slightly.

The vast deck rippled like waves.

The next second, from the center of the deck, one hundred enormous trial arenas, made of chaotic metal and resembling the ancient Roman Colosseum, slowly rose up...

In the center of each trial arena, there is a slowly rotating black vortex composed of chaotic energy.

"This is... the Chaos Trial Grounds," Lu Yuan explained. "It's a different battle environment that I simulated using the power of chaos, based on the characteristics of each of you."

"Inside are the enemies you once defeated, and also... your deepest fears."

"All reserve members will enter the training ground in groups of one hundred."

"Inside, there are no rules, no restrictions; the only task is to survive."

"Those who survive to the end will gain my approval, become official members of the 'League of Gods,' and receive the... standard equipment I have tailored for you."

Lu Yuan's voice was clearly transmitted to everyone's ears through the amplification array.

All the reservists were trembling with excitement.

Equipment crafted by a master craftsman!

What an honor!

"Of course..." Lu Yuan changed the subject, a devilish smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "If someone dies inside... then they're really dead."

"I will recycle your souls and turn them into 'spirits' for equipment."

"Now, I'll give you three minutes to think it over."

"Those who are afraid of dying can quit."

The cold and cruel words instantly cooled down the previously fervent atmosphere.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. They hadn't expected the "selection" to be so bloody.

However, three minutes passed.

Not a single person chose to withdraw.

Although there was fear in their eyes, there was even more longing!

A thirst for power! A yearning for the future!

They didn't want to be powerless like ants in the face of catastrophe again, as they had been before.

They wanted to...follow the god before them and see the wider world!

"very good."

Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

"So..."

"Welcome to Hell."