Heroes Return

Hearing Leng Yan's icy words, both Master of Miracles and Bai Yu nodded in agreement. Leng Yan was right; the meaning behind Lin Jie's words wasn't hard to guess. At least, aside from those Salvation Army ability users who had actually committed numerous extreme acts, the accusations against ordinary Salvation Army civilians were directly changed from members of a terrorist organization to being instigated by one. In effect, Zero's declaration had taken on the blame for all those ordinary people.

"Why! Why is Zero helping the Salvation Army! Do those ordinary people in the Salvation Army really deserve sympathy? They chose to join them themselves!" Bai Yu couldn't help but speak, looking at Zero in the sky. Even he couldn't believe Zero would do such a thing. After all, Zero's strength was more than enough to wipe out those twenty million people without any problem. Clearly, Zero didn't accept the Salvation Army's theories.

But Zero chose this particular approach, which is quite strange.

"Is Zero planning to turn himself into a criminal? Or is he going to make himself the ringleader of the Salvation Army?" Master of Miracles sighed helplessly. Is it really worth it for Zero? If this gets out, Zero's reputation could be severely damaged!

"Zero! Is it really necessary to protect these people?" Looking at Zero in the sky, Torus, who was being trampled under Fenrir's feet, couldn't help but sigh similarly.

However, Zero in the sky did not finish speaking.

"It seems there are many heroes and World Government troops here!" In the midst of the silence, Zero's voice began only once: "You can prepare to build graves for those who have studied mystical abilities. Because when I achieve my goal, everything in the world related to mysticism will disappear, and at the same time, everyone in the world connected with mystical power will also disappear! This is my final notice to you. Because I have obtained this bottle! This Miracle Bottle."

"Zero! What exactly are you trying to do?!" This time, Leng Yan finally couldn't hold back anymore! He took a step forward and was about to rush up and question Lin Jie! But Master Miracle still managed to protect Leng Yan.

"Let's wait and hear what Zero has to say! Maybe there'll be a twist!" As if he had thought of something, the Master of Miracles once again calmed the somewhat out-of-control Cold Flame.

As for the crowd below, they all stared blankly at the zero in the sky. Many couldn't even believe this terrifying reality.

"This bottle is the only thing in the world that can contain the power of miracles, and the power of miracles can achieve anything considered impossible. And I will use this bottle to extract all the power of miracles scattered throughout the world!" Zero's words remained cold and eerie, as he was revealing his upcoming plans and methods to everyone present, seemingly without any intention of keeping anything secret: "Both the underworld and the netherworld were born from the power of miracles. The gods are the same. Therefore, if I use the power of miracles, the gods will disappear, magic will disappear, those who use magical power will disappear, legendary saints and ancient beings will disappear. And some scientific creations considered miraculously born, or even those who accidentally gained abilities, will also disappear!"

This time, the reason I made so many people disappear was simply to satisfy my own desires. Of course, life on a planet is born from the power of miracles, so I don't know if all life on Earth will disappear. As for how much of a shock the disappearance of miracles will cause to humanity? I don't know either! But I should know soon enough. Believe me, since we've lost miracles, the consequences will definitely not be good.

If you think I'm doing something wrong, then try and defeat me! I'll be waiting for you in one place! Let me make this clear first! I won't accept anyone's opinions, nor will I voluntarily stop what I'm about to do. If you want to stop me, then defeat me with all your might!!!

"..." Upon hearing his words, all the heroes were shocked!

Zero has declared war! This is a declaration of war against the entire world. Because this time, it's not just the Salvation Army and the surrounding military heroes who are hearing Zero's words, but also several towns in the vicinity. This time, Zero is declaring war on humans, gods, and demons! A declaration of war against all three realms!

Moreover, all three parties must respond to the challenge!

Otherwise, both realms would vanish, and humanity would suffer a devastating blow. Many heroes who wielded mystical powers would also disappear.

Those far away are unaffected: the Master of Miracles, his teacher the Mystic, and Lin Jie's students Harry and Chig. At least they will all disappear!!

After saying these words, Zero flew away into the distance without giving anyone a chance to react.

"Wait a minute!!!" This time, Leng Yan finally had a chance to call out to Zero! The giant wave that Fenrir had transformed into swept past everyone in one step, finally blocking Zero's path: "Do you know what you're doing? You are the greatest hero in the world, and your words and actions are influencing many people! I hope you can take responsibility for what you say next. If you really intend to do that, we will have no choice but to go to war with you!"

"I will take full responsibility for everything I've said." Zero's voice suddenly rang out: "This time, I am not a hero. This time, I will fight you all as a criminal!"

After saying that, Zero brushed past the others. As for why Leng Yan and the others didn't attack Zero at this moment, it's simple: with their limited strength, they were no match for him.

"Oh, right!" Just as they were about to leave, Zero suddenly turned around and said to Leng Yan, "Smash that Zero statue in the Hero Association. It's kind of embarrassing to look at."

Chapter 25

With Zero's departure, everything seemed to have come to a temporary end. Although Zero had disappeared, his words still seemed to echo in everyone's ears.

This time, the one issuing a challenge to the whole world is none other than Zero himself.

It is foreseeable that this news will spread like wildfire throughout the world, causing a huge sensation. All because of a title, the 'strongest hero in human history' has issued a challenge to the entire world. This time, he will not stand on the side protecting humanity, but on the side of those who harm it.

In an instant, Zero's mystical power undoubtedly shocked the entire magical world. Mysterious forces worldwide began to tremble. Even with the global outcry, these ancient, powerful, and mysterious forces, which considered themselves invincible, were all trembling this time.

The reason is simple: the person who issued this announcement is someone who stands at the pinnacle of all power. That is someone who can make any force on Earth tremble.

Of course, putting all that aside for now, at least the moment Zi Ling departed, the entire Salvation Army of over twenty million people finally collapsed. Many stared blankly at the sky, completely unable to believe what they were seeing. Just when everyone thought their efforts were about to bear fruit, the being who symbolized their faith abandoned them without hesitation! And told them that he had been deceiving them.

Such ruthless words and such stark reality overwhelmed many, causing the crowd to collapse and erupt into a massive riot. With just one order, the entire Salvation Army crumbled before the world's eyes. This vast underground organization, which the Hero Association had investigated for years with little progress, collapsed simply because of a single command.

Many people burst into tears, and some even went into a frenzy. The collapse of faith is by no means an easy thing for people. Even the heroes present showed expressions of shock at the chaotic scene before them.

"Holy crap! Lin Jie! Has his chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) acted up again?" Seeing all this, Xiao Zhan finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"..." In the sky, Dong Xue'er looked in the direction Ling had left, muttering unconsciously, "Why, what happened..."

"Alright, stop thinking about it, we have to get out of here as soon as possible!" As if she had suddenly thought of something, Dong Xiaoye suddenly looked at the crowd not far away. The crowd surrounding them had also undergone a strange change. Now, many people were looking at them with a madness and ferocity in their eyes, as if Zero's decision was entirely because of them.

Without a doubt, it won't be long before they are overwhelmed by the terrifying sea of ​​people.

Fortunately, Leng Yan's ice wall had already enveloped everyone present. As Xiao Zhan and his group were surrounded by the ice wall, an even larger ice wall appeared around it. Centered on the town, a large area of ​​the surrounding land was enclosed. All the members of the Salvation Army were also blocked by the ice wall.

In the sky, a newly formed air carrier fleet appeared above everyone's heads. Countless warships simultaneously aimed their cannons at the crowd below. Warriors wearing military exoskeletons began to jump from the sky. Accompanied by the continuous announcements of surrender over loudspeakers, a massive mech legion slowly descended from the air carrier. In an instant, the crowd below was divided into many sections.

Finally, on a rather uniquely designed sky carrier, the heroes of the Hero Association jumped down from the sky one after another.

This time, the number of heroes of rank B or higher exceeded nine thousand. Without a doubt, this is the largest gathering of heroes since the descent of the gods.

With the full force of numerous heroes and troops, the Salvation Army, which had gathered over 20 million members, was wiped out in one fell swoop. Although there was considerable resistance encountered during the operation, thanks to the efforts of the entire Hero Association, casualties were minimized.

It can be said without hesitation that, starting today, the Salvation Army is completely annihilated.

The Salvation Army collapsed completely because of a single order.

The capture of the Salvation Army went surprisingly smoothly, as most of them were ordinary people who surrendered immediately upon being pointed at by the army. As for the ability users and combat-capable Salvation Army soldiers, although they put up a resistance, Commander Zhao Lei had completely lost his mind, and coupled with Zero's order to disband, the Salvation Army's fighting capacity almost entirely abandoned any further resistance.

The battle progressed exceptionally smoothly, with almost all of the Salvation Army's top fighters, including Lin Qian and Zhao Lei, captured. Simultaneously, almost all members of the Salvation Army were captured. If there was any major problem, it was the transportation of the prisoners. After all, the number of Salvation Army members captured for detailed interrogation was simply too large.

For a time, the Salvation Army had to urgently requisition transport ships from several surrounding cities. They were also divided into different teams based on the prisoners' locations, and all Salvation Army members were sent back to their original residences for interrogation. Of course, those found to possess significant power, or who were Salvation Army members currently wanted, were directly escorted by air carriers for investigation.

During this period, many Salvation Army soldiers and ability users were captured. Although a few Salvation Army remnants escaped, it was clear that they were no longer capable of causing any significant trouble.

As for the ordinary people who joined the Salvation Army, it's impossible to say they escaped any punishment. Even with a staggering 20 million people, their local governments would still question them individually and impose appropriate penalties. However, because of the previous zero-summons, their status is no longer that of participants. They were merely deceived. At least they won't face the same fate as high-ranking Salvation Army members, who are sentenced to anywhere from a few years to hundreds of years in prison.

However, it's certain that ordinary people will have a criminal record. After all, they chose to fund a terrorist organization like the Salvation Army. Consequently, many of them will likely spend some time in detention. It's just that it's mostly young people who end up in detention; the elderly and children are being let go.

Furthermore, many who joined the Salvation Army quit their original jobs because of this incident. After leaving the detention center, they will face the problem of finding new employment. It's a lesson in itself.

Fortunately, only a small portion of the Salvation Army are actually key personnel; out of 27 million people, only tens of thousands actually participate in the Salvation Army's various operations around the world.

Of course, even so, prisons around the world are likely to be overcrowded.

Apprehending 20 million people at once is an extremely difficult task, both for the Hero Association and for the government. To re-educate, detain, and interrogate these individuals, almost the entire world was mobilized. Police forces in cities around the globe were also extremely busy.

For a time, there weren't many people available to deal with anything related to Zero.

However, there's no doubt that both the World Government and the Hero Association have established a special task force to address Zero's situation. Unfortunately, those involved in this task force don't seem particularly happy.

……

Three days passed, and during these three days, Zhao Lei, the last key member of the Salvation Army, finally stood trial in the world's largest courtroom! As a hero present at the time, the man with glasses was also invited to participate in the trial as a witness. Ultimately, Zhao Lei lived up to expectations and received a life sentence.

Meanwhile, Zero remained elusive. During this time, the World Government utilized virtually every satellite in the world to search for him. Organizations such as the Hero Association and the Magical Society also employed their own methods to find him. However, Zero seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

The more elusive Zero became, the more anxious people grew. A heated debate erupted worldwide regarding Zero's actions, with various interpretations. Some denied that the person was Zero, suggesting it was yet another instance of someone impersonating him. Surprisingly, this view gained considerable traction.

Among the other calligraphic styles, some supported Zero. Most of these people were ordinary people. In their view, there was nothing wrong with letting magic or mysticism disappear. After all, many disasters were caused by them. And Zero had saved the world so many times; what harm would it do to let him be willful just this once? After all, without Zero, everyone present would probably be dead.

Of course, there are also those who refute Zero's claims. There are also those who gloat, arguing that Zero was never a good person, and that everyone has simply been blind to it all along.

Similarly, there are conspiracy theories suggesting that this was deliberately orchestrated by the World Government and the Hero Association to damage Zero's reputation. After all, Zero's fame skyrocketed after the God Slayer War.

Some even have wildly imaginative theories, suggesting that Zero actually lost the war against the gods. The heavily wounded figure who emerged wasn't Zero at all; his true identity was a god who killed Zero and then impersonated him.

In short, within three days, speculation about zero swept across the entire world's internet. These speculations could be seen on almost every homepage around the world.

"I can't even go in and properly read the news! So, is it really so satisfying to hide behind a screen and maliciously speculate about others? These trash." Zhao Lei said unhappily as he looked at the news in the armored truck.

"Shut up! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!!" Hearing his words, the bespectacled man glared angrily at Zhao Lei: "Isn't all of this your fault?!"

"If they were all good people, would things be so chaotic?" Zhao Lei simply pushed up his glasses: "To put it bluntly, it's because you've been protecting those with wicked intentions and twisted minds."

"I think you're the one with the most twisted mind."

"Is that so? Aren't you all twisted in the heart to spare the lives of those unrepentant criminals?"

Chapter 26

"Tell me, you're almost exactly like I used to be, a stubborn person." Looking at the serious-looking guy with glasses, Zhao Lei couldn't help but show a helpless expression: "Speaking of which, the hovercar that was escorting me should have passed by H City, right?"

"So what if we're just passing through H City?" The bespectacled man didn't respond kindly to Zhao Lei's question. After all, their values ​​were fundamentally incompatible.

“I see. Speaking of which, H City is quite an interesting place, you know? I heard it used to be a battlefield for immortals! Legend has it that a group of immortals once fought an earth-shattering battle here.” Zhao Lei suddenly said to the man with glasses.

“I heard that rumor when I was a kid,” the bespectacled man replied.

"I never imagined I'd have the chance to pass by here again, the place where Zero grew up. Speaking of which, what exactly changed Zero? Do you know? Our ideals were supposed to be the same: to kill all sinners. When did Zero change?"

“That’s certainly true of Zero in the past. I don’t know what he went through, but it’s clear that Zero wouldn’t do these things now! You should understand that just by sitting here, right? At least from Zero’s perspective, your thinking is wrong.” The bespectacled man said again, “Don’t you understand? Your thinking was wrong from the very beginning!”

"My thinking is wrong? Impossible! My thinking is never wrong! To make patients healthy, killing the virus is the most effective way. To control pollution, disposing of garbage is the most effective way. Similarly, to achieve peace, eliminating criminals is never wrong." Regarding the bespectacled man's opinion, Zhao Lei calmly replied, "My thinking is not wrong at all; it's just that Zero's experiences over the past few years have led him to have the wrong ideas."

"Hey!! What's with this attitude of yours, like you're the only one who's wrong and the world is the only one who's wrong?" The bespectacled guy was already too lazy to even bother with Zhao Lei anymore: "Anyway, you can just reflect on your actions in prison!"

"Hmph!" With his handcuffed hands pushing up his glasses, Zhao Lei's lenses gleamed coldly: "I'll prove it to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, bright red and blue light suddenly erupted from a vehicle transporting criminals in the distance, instantly overturning the entire convoy. Zhao Lei and the others' hovercars were also thrown out.

Before the bespectacled man, still dazed and confused from the fall, could stand up, the car doors were flung open by a powerful force. Lin Qian's figure appeared between Zhao Lei and the bespectacled man at that moment.

Without any unnecessary words, Lin Qian placed her hand directly on Zhao Lei's handcuffs, and the energy handcuffs were actually broken.

From the very beginning, the Hero Association made a mistake: in their experiment, Lin Qian's power was suppressed by the special field. However, that special field was actually ineffective against Lin Qian from the start. She had simply altered the flow of the two medications within her body, causing them to temporarily disappear. When the transport truck arrived near H City, Lin Qian suddenly regained her power and directly destroyed the convoy.

As for the bomb collar placed around Lin Qian's neck? The moment Lin Qian regained her strength, the bomb collar was directly destroyed by the red and white power.

Zhao Lei wasn't treated the same way, after all, he was just an ordinary person.

"Thank you!" Getting out of the car, Zhao Lei ran straight off in a certain direction on the street. Just as the police and the heroes present were about to give chase, Lin Qian blocked their way.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Qian did not run away herself, but instead gave Zhao Lei the opportunity to escape.

"Hmph! Why don't you just run away? Or do you think there's no need to run away when dealing with us?" Fenrir's figure appeared in front of Lin Qian from a hovercar in the distance.

"I owe Zhao Lei a favor, and this matter is just me helping him out," Lin Qian said calmly to Fenrir. "Actually, I didn't want to run away."

As soon as the words were spoken, a battle broke out in H City. Meanwhile, the bespectacled man was pulled from his car by a hero.

"Are you alright?" the hero asked the bespectacled man with concern.

"It's nothing, I just bumped my head!" After putting his slightly cracked glasses back on, the man with glasses looked at the hero in front of him: "Where did Zhao Lei go?"

"Using city surveillance to track him!! You have teleportation abilities, right? Perfect, you can go and catch him! We can handle Lin Qian!" the hero said to the bespectacled man.

"Leave it to me! After all, it escaped right under my nose!"

Without any hesitation, the bespectacled man vanished from the spot. At that moment, his communicator finally revealed Zhao Lei's escape route. However, what was shocking was that Zhao Lei seemed to have no intention of hiding, instead rushing off in a familiar direction. And that direction was very familiar to the bespectacled man—because it was his home.

Thinking of his young mother and adorable younger sister, the bespectacled man's expression became anxious.

Almost in the blink of an eye, he appeared beside the glass window marked on the street and then crawled out. Seeing the bespectacled man suddenly appear before him, Zhao Lei didn't react in any particular way. He simply turned and ran, lunging towards a nearby trash can. Just as he reached the trash can, the bespectacled man's glasses smashed into Zhao Lei's back, and the next second, the bespectacled man appeared beside Zhao Lei, his knee striking Zhao Lei's back.

As an ordinary person, Zhao Lei's body was not actually very strong. Under the push from the bespectacled man, he was directly pushed to the ground. However, almost at the same time, Zhao Lei's hand also reached under the trash can.