At this moment, led by Clive and a large group of insiders, the resistance forces had successfully entered the imperial capital and were rushing toward the imperial palace.
Just then, a communication device on Clive's body buzzed, and a string of clipped syllables came through, making Clive's face change drastically.
"This is the code we agreed upon with our mole inside the palace — it means they've discovered the plan. The palace gates are sealed, and they've already begun to mobilize..."
Clive's expression was grim: "Without our inside people's help, breaking into the palace directly is going to be significantly harder than we'd anticipated..."
"We never expected it to be easy. In fact, the fact that we've made it into the capital smoothly is already cause for celebration, isn't it?"
Wuyan glanced behind them.
They were now on a broad avenue of the imperial capital, with a massive force of ability users, martial artists, and some military officers arrayed behind them, pressing forward in a grand procession that had the feel of a ragtag mob.
Even more astonishing was that the capital's residents were all hiding behind their doors, sneaking glances at the resistance through their peepholes, yet not a single person had stepped outside. The capital's security department seemed to have been wiped out entirely.
It was as if... the entire capital had tacitly accepted their entry, giving Wuyan and the others an eerie sense of disorientation, as though they were the ones who constituted the empire's regular army.
"It looks like leaking Project X and the Tree of Life Project to the public before the uprising really did make a difference..."
Botti surveyed their surroundings. "At least the lower-ranking soldiers and the like won't fight us to the death anymore."
"What's more crucial is... we pinned the previous great disaster on them as well, completely destroying the imperial government's credibility..."
Wuyan seethed inwardly with satisfaction.
"We need to split our forces — only by cutting off the palace's energy supply can we create enough chaos and opportunity, even if they have backups!"
A determined look appeared on Clive's face: "And besides... the Special Operations Division has detailed maps of the palace on hand, which will be invaluable to our plan! Don't any of you try to take this from me!"
"Want to settle things with your little brother, do you?"
Botti rolled his eyes beside him. "Suit yourself. I've always thought those scumbags from Special Ops were despicable, but the primary objective right now should still be the palace!"
"Thank you!"
Clive straightened his back, radiating an air of defiance and resolve: "I promise. I'll succeed!"
Soon, a contingent of rebels — made up of retired and defecting officers — split off from the main force and charged toward the Special Operations headquarters.
"Hm? What's going on?"
When Clive arrived at the Special Operations headquarters, he was shocked to find that it had already become a slaughterhouse. Numerous bodies in black coats lay sprawled across the ground, their faces frozen in expressions of disbelief.
"It was done by a single person, and..."
Clive rose to his feet, stepping over a fair-haired corpse whose eyes remained wide open in death, and passed through the main gate of the headquarters.
"You're finally here... my merciful brother!"
Sure enough, Janner had been waiting there all along, a sinister smirk gleaming in his eyes.
"You killed everyone outside, didn't you? Why?" Clive restrained his subordinates from acting rashly. His voice was heavy.
"A bunch of fools. The moment they heard your little rumors, they panicked and even started thinking about defecting... Useless trash. I had no choice but to send them on their way myself."
Janner blew on his fingernails, speaking as though he had merely crushed a few ants.
"Even now, you still can't let it go? I'm sorry about what happened to our third brother, but that's no reason to embrace darkness! Stop this!"
Tears welled up in Clive's eyes.
"Stop?! Are you joking? The plan is almost complete! Third brother's soul is about to return — and you want me to stop now?"
Janner's coat rustled and snapped as waves of dark energy radiated outward from his body.
"I'll collect your corpse right now!"
"Sigh... I never imagined that we brothers would end up like this in the end."
Clive sighed. "You were a genius from the very start! You kept pushing further down the path of power, yet you lacked the most important qualities of the strong — compassion and forgiveness..."
One by one, the soldiers raised their laser weapons, powerful energy waves pulsing from them. Every barrel was trained on Janner.
"It's not too late to change your mind — even now!" Clive was clearly making one last attempt.
"You're the one who should be changing his mind!" Surrounded by the rebels, Janner showed not the slightest trace of fear on his face — instead, he wore the expression of someone thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
"Oh no!" Clive, who knew him all too well, immediately sensed something was wrong, but he had no idea what the problem was.
Thud!
Suddenly, one of the rebels collapsed to the ground, twitching involuntarily.
"What's happening?" Clive's keen eyes allowed him to instantly spot the dark green discoloration spreading across the skin of the man's neck.
Thud! Thud!
As if it were contagious, rebels fell one after another, leaving only a handful staring at each other in disbelief.
"It's the X-Gene mutation! He's already made his move?" Clive's expression shifted rapidly.
However, in that very instant, Janner seized the opportunity and struck without hesitation. "Shadow of the Wind! Thrust!!!"
Whoosh whoosh!
A violent tornado materialized out of nowhere, sending the crowd stumbling in every direction. A burst of shadow spikes erupted outward, forming a cloud of blood mist among the rebels who were still standing.
"Guards!"
Janner's arrogant laughter cut through the wind with eerie clarity.
Clang! Clang!
The metal doors slid open, and rows upon rows of mechanical soldiers — equipped with metal sensors and armed with metal firearms — marched out and surrounded Clive and the others.
"Well now? Who's surrounded whom?"
Janner looked at his brother. "You actually let yourself get distracted over a few soldiers falling? You really haven't changed at all — still as hypocritical as ever!!!"
"Even if it is hypocrisy — I still believe it's my duty! I didn't come here to save the nation! I came because I couldn't let you sink any deeper! Come back, brother!"
Clive shot to his feet.
"Insufferable sermonizing..." Janner stuck a finger in his ear and turned his back. "But... I can give you a chance!"
"A one-on-one duel! Neither my people nor yours interfere. If you can defeat me — whether it's the layout inside the palace or the most critical intelligence — I'll hand it all over to you..."
"Just what I wanted!" Clive slammed his fists together, a terrifying shockwave erupting in the air.
"Very well... Follow me!"
Janner walked deeper inside, leading Clive directly to a place resembling an ancient colosseum. "How do you like this setting? Not bad, is it? It'll make a fine burial ground!"
"If your death can save you, I won't hesitate for a second!"
Clive now fully understood — his brother had long since changed. After joining the Empire's Special Operations Division and aiding tyranny, he had become... a demon!!!
Boom!
Amid a sky full of sand and dust, two figures crashed into each other violently. Terrifying combat energy erupted in all directions, rippling throughout the entire colosseum.
……
At the same time, across the entire Empire, most people collapsed silently.
It didn't matter who they had been — wealthy merchants, high-ranking officials, even members of the royal family. No one was spared.
Every person who fell foamed at the mouth, dark green marks spreading across their bodies. Their eyes were worst affected — thick, engorged blood vessels had surfaced around them, and their pupils had lost all color, turning pure white.
This wasn't limited to humans. In fact, the entire natural world and the ecosystem had been struck by catastrophic devastation.
Countless insects and small animals had been affected moments before humans, while some of the larger beasts succumbed a little later.
The dark green patches spread across their bodies, gradually forming the vague outline of a massive symbol — X!!!
"It's the X Gene! Damn the Empire! They actually dared to go through with it!!!"
Uruk watched in horrified rage as his people dropped one after another. The Military Division, the Martial Arts Palace, and the Knights of the Round Table suffered the heaviest casualties.
The Bloodline Alliance and the Witch Coven, protected by their peculiar powers, had luckily escaped the worst of it — their losses were the lightest.
"X has already been activated! How much longer until the Tree of Life plan? We have to break into the palace as quickly as possible and destroy that evil core!!!"
Uruk gazed out at the sprawling imperial capital.
The masses who had already been weeping over the previous disaster now faced yet another blow. Nearly half the capital had fallen into dead silence, and the rest could do nothing but cry.
The X gene had already spread to over sixty percent — meaning sixty out of every hundred people were infected. Once the empire activated their plan, they would be controlled in an instant!
"Right now it looks like they've only lost mobility and consciousness? The situation seems manageable — maybe there's still hope!"
Porti let out a long breath.
"No! Don't you think this is suspicious?"
Uruk's expression was grave. "Look at what's happening. Doesn't it seem like they're wiping clean the host's original thoughts and consciousness, clearing the way for the Tree of Life plan?"
"Report!"
At that moment, a communications officer ran over. "Our vanguard has reached the imperial palace, but they're deploying mechanical guardians to defend it. The situation has temporarily stalemated!"
"I knew it! The empire was already prepared for this!"
Uruk waved his hand. "Let's head over as quickly as possible… Now all we can hope is that Clevey and Xavier can move faster on their end…"
……
Before the imperial palace.
Xavier, fighting fiercely, suddenly noticed the palace's defensive energy barrier flicker and weaken. The glow in the eyes of the other mechanical guards dimmed as well. A look of elation crossed his face.
"It's Clevey! He succeeded on his end! Charge with me!"
The resistance fighters' morale surged instantly. The palace, its energy source severed, had no time to switch to its emergency reserves. Its defenses crumbled in moments.