Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

East Pacific Training Base.

Lilith clicked her tongue when she heard Samael's words: "That's still better than you, you playboy."

"The essence of romance is uncertainty." Samael held his wine glass, tilting his head slightly, as if looking at Lilith in the picture, or perhaps at his own reflection in the glass.

Lilith didn't bother to respond, scoffed, and turned to walk towards the edge of the training field.

Samael put down his glass, his tone slightly more subdued. "Lilith, how do you plan to proceed in North America? Your superiors aren't going to be so compliant with your plans."

Lilith paused for two seconds, then said firmly, "They will cooperate, because I won't give them a choice."

Samael picked up his glass, took a sip, and looked at Lilith: "I think the same thing. Those who can't keep up with the times are destined to be abandoned by them."

He twirled the glass in his hand, as if suddenly remembering something: "Oh, right, there's something else—I heard your father's attitude has changed quite a bit recently. A friend of mine met him at a dinner party in Washington, and he told others that you now hold a high position of power, all thanks to your own hard work. He seemed quite proud of it."

Lilith raised an eyebrow: "What does his arrogance have to do with me? He hasn't given me a second glance in twenty-seven years, and now he remembers?"

"Isn't that good? Old people, once they've figured things out, they'll—" Samael hadn't finished speaking when Lilith interrupted him: "Samael, if you want to die, just tell me, and I'll personally send you on your way."

Samael paused for a moment, lowered his eyes, and gently placed the glass back on the table, the bottom of the glass touching the wooden surface with a very soft sound. "I'm just trying to be helpful, and you... well, fine. But if you're ever homeless, feel free to come to Europe—I'd be very happy to."

"If you had half the wisdom and power of a prophet, I might seriously consider it," Lilith said with a mocking tone. "Right now? You're still far from it."

Samael, unusually, did not refute, but chuckled in a low voice, "You're comparing me to a prophet?"

"What, you're afraid?"

Samael chuckled softly. "It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I know my own limitations. But..." He lazily stroked his jawline, "why not have a competition to see who's more handsome?"

"You don't deserve it." Lilith glanced at him, her tone flat, but the coldness in her eyes was like the surface of a lake before it freezes, so deep that no one dared to look any further.

Samael wisely stopped talking: "Alright, I won't bother you anymore—if we keep talking, I'm afraid you'll actually buy a plane ticket to assassinate me. Besides, I have an appointment for dinner, so please excuse me."

His image went dark.

Lilith remained silent for a moment before walking out of the base gate.

In the distance, the sea and sky met, an endless expanse of blue. The afternoon sea breeze, carrying a damp scent, swept over her, ruffling the stray strands of hair that fell across her forehead.

She was born into a political family in Washington, D.C. Her father was a senior senator, her brother worked for the State Department, and her mother came from a prominent East Coast family.

  

From childhood, everything around her was gray—gray suits, gray ties, a gray-decorated bedroom, and gloomy political calculations. Her father placed high hopes on her older brother, but only had one thing to say about her: "When you grow up, marry into a prestigious family, live a peaceful life as a lady of leisure, and don't cause trouble for your brother."

She still remembers that tone, so flat it was like reading a pre-written verdict, leaving no room for negotiation. In her father's eyes, her life was never her own to decide from the very beginning.

Lilith refused to comply. Why should her life be destined to be a footnote to a political marriage? She was determined to show her father that women could forge their own path.

She studied diligently and was admitted to Georgetown University with excellent grades, majoring in international relations and intelligence analysis. After graduation, she went directly into the government and started as an intelligence analyst at the lowest level.

People around her always think she got to where she is today because of her father's connections, but only he knows that his father has never provided her with any help, and she doesn't care about asking for it.

Five years ago, she discovered a mysterious force emerging within the Federation, frequently making covert contact with high-ranking military and political officials. As the investigation deepened, the clues eventually pointed to one name—the Dawn Group.

One early morning, she was cornered by several men in a safe house on the outskirts of Virginia. These men were incredibly skilled; they kicked open the military-grade blast door with a single kick.

She thought at the time that her life would end there.

But instead of harming her, they presented her with a mountain of intelligence she possessed and warned her in an uncompromising tone that her investigation was over. Otherwise, even her father couldn't protect her.

After those people left, the night wind blew into the room through the open door, cooling the sweat on her back.

Lilith stood there, suddenly realizing something: those people knew who she was, who her father was, and even the extent of her investigation. A force that knew her so well had only come to warn her—instead of making her disappear.

This shows that the other party is leaving her room for maneuver. And leaving her room for maneuver means that she has leverage to negotiate.

A thought popped into her mind: perhaps... this is her chance.

Afterwards, she took the initiative to contact the members of Dawn.

She was right.

She will never forget the scene of the first time she met that person.

He was much younger than she had imagined, wearing a dark gray long-sleeved shirt, sitting there casually, yet the world seemed to be separated from him by a quiet distance—mysterious, powerful, and…especially handsome.

Later, with Dawn's help, she entered the core of the Federal Defense Department in just five years, wielding power that spanned both the military and political spheres, and even influencing the entire Federation's defense strategy and resource allocation.

At the same time, as the continental head of Dawn in South America and North America, she is in charge of all matters related to Dawn on these two continents.

Twenty-eight-year-old Lilith is no longer the girl her father described as someone who would "marry into a prestigious family when she grows up."

A sea breeze blew by, and she came back to her senses.

"Let's go." She withdrew her gaze and turned to walk towards the helicopter.

Two bodyguards followed closely behind her, always keeping a step's distance.

The helicopter was still waiting for her on the helipad, its rotors slowly accelerating, emitting a deep, rhythmic roar. Lilith got into the cabin, the door closed, and the helicopter took off, flying towards the distant continent.

Inside the cabin, she leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.

After the spiritual energy recovered, the Dragon Kingdom took the lead in establishing the Extraordinary Affairs Bureau, and other countries began to follow suit. On the Federation's side, a special authority to deal with extraordinary events was also being prepared, and the person behind this was none other than her.

The prophet's instructions were clear—to let the power of dawn permeate every piece of land, whether in the light or in the dark.

The defense systems in South and North America need to be advanced as soon as possible, and the progress of training bases, resource allocation, and personnel deployment in various places all rest on her shoulders.

She has so much to do, but she likes it.