The End of the World

Li Ce wanted to find a hint of disguise on Chen Guan's calm face.

But he found nothing.

There was no desire, no ambition, not even the hot-blooded passion a young man should have in those eyes.

"Then what is your goal?"

Li Ce's voice sounded again. This time, he was no longer speaking as a recruiter, but simply asking out of curiosity.

People are always curious about the unknown.

Hong Yuan and Yin Chen both softened their breathing.

They also wanted to know the answer. Chen Guan was like a mountain shrouded in mist; you could only see a vague outline, but never know his true face.

Aloof yet present, cold and taciturn.

Even as adults, it was hard not to be drawn to someone like him.

Chen Guan raised his head, his gaze passing over Li Ce's shoulder to look at the sky, which was fragmented by the rugged rocks.

"I want to see what the end of this world looks like."

His voice was very light, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

Everyone froze.

Chen Guan was not speaking nonsense. He had thought about it a long time ago. Once his true body awakened, he would lose the motivation to continue following the plot. When that time came, where would he go?

Continue to get stronger? How strong was strong enough? What would he do after becoming stronger?

There was no need to wait for that distant future; the current Chen Guan already had his own questions.

What exactly was this world, and how was it related to his previous world?

What would be the end of an anime world?

Would it be the author putting down their pen, or the audience leaving the theater?

What he needed to do was to get everything he wanted before the curtains fell, and then smash this stage to pieces.

That was why he had to go to the end of the world, to figure everything out.

The expression on Li Ce's face froze. He had anticipated many kinds of answers.

But he never expected this one.

This answer was so boundlessly arrogant, yet so hollow that it was irrefutable.

What kind of answer was this?

The end of the world? What was that? The pinnacle of power? An unknown domain? Or some ultimate philosophical concept?

For a teenager to say such a thing, a normal person would just think he was having a bout of adolescent delusion.

But coming from Chen Guan's mouth, combined with everything he had just done, it sent a chill from the bottom of Li Ce's heart.

Because from that calm tone, he couldn't detect the slightest hint of a joke.

Yin Chen's pupils dilated for a moment. He suddenly understood. He understood why Chen Guan was so dismissive of military ranks and resources.

When a person's goal was the sea of stars, why would they care about a mere puddle at their feet?

He fancied himself a genius and believed he had a broad horizon, but compared to Chen Guan, he realized his own vision was too narrow.

In Yin Chen's envisioned future, he only needed to follow the prescribed steps to become a pillar of his family. He didn't need to struggle at all; everything was known, predetermined, and dull.

Hong Yuan, on the other hand, was full of bewilderment. She scratched her head and muttered softly to Yin Chen, "What does he mean?"

Black Crow coughed at the right moment, breaking the heavy silence.

He walked up to Li Ce and lowered his voice, "Colonel Li, he is still a student. Young people always have some unrealistic ideas."

These words gave Li Ce a way out.

Black Crow was also mentally exhausted. He was just a minor instructor; why did he have to deal with such troublesome matters?

Li Ce took a deep look at Chen Guan and retracted all his imposing aura.

He no longer tried to understand. He knew that the young man in front of him was not the same kind of person as all the geniuses he had encountered before.

He was a river that would not be bound by any dam. Trying to forcefully recruit him would only backfire.

Better let Jing try to win him over. He admitted he didn't have the ability, so he wouldn't try to poach him anymore.

"Alright, a very good goal." Li Ce nodded, his tone returning to a businesslike flatness.

He turned around and issued a series of orders to his adjutant, and the soldiers began to move efficiently.

After handling the matters, Li Ce walked back to Chen Guan.

He took a metal badge out of his pocket and handed it over. The badge was entirely pitch-black, engraved only with a crossed sword and shield.

"This is my private contact badge. It uses a non-military channel for direct contact. If you ever encounter trouble you can't solve within the Great Wall Control Zone in the future, or if you change your mind, you can contact me."

He did not mention recruiting again, but instead chose a more long-term approach to form a good connection.

Getting to know a genius wasn't a loss. After all, they were all from Huaxia.

Chen Guan glanced at the badge, didn't refuse, and reached out to take it.

"Thanks."

This was the first time tonight that he had spoken a word carrying any emotion to Li Ce.

Li Ce's mouth twitched slightly. So this kid wasn't just cold; he simply hadn't wanted to talk to him before.

He sighed inwardly, turned, and left without looking back.

...

The subsequent inventory and transportation work no longer required Chen Guan and the other two to intervene.

Hong Yuan was excitedly checking the loot list, calculating the string of points and bonuses.

Yin Chen leaned against a boulder, resting with his eyes closed to recover his massively depleted mental energy, but Chen Guan's words were still echoing in his mind.

Chen Guan's words had ignited new possibilities for him. He wondered, was he really doomed to live such a step-by-step life? Was that really what he wanted?

He could see his future, which was exactly why he couldn't see a real future for himself.

For the first time in a long while, Yin Chen felt lost about his future.

Chen Guan found a quiet corner. The Tier-5 leopard leader lay quietly at his feet like the most loyal guard, forbidding anyone from approaching.

Just then, Black Crow walked over. He glanced at the leopard at Chen Guan's feet, then at Chen Guan.

"Colonel Li and his men have taken over here. Our assessment officially ends now. Your points are already maxed out; there is no need to continue."

Black Crow's tone carried a trace of weariness that even he didn't notice.

Leading these three students was more mentally exhausting than leading three hundred ordinary ones.

They were too worry-free, which sometimes made them even more worrisome.

He paused, organizing his words.

"The performance of you three exceeded everyone's expectations. I will submit the report truthfully. Now, pack your things and prepare for the return trip."

"Back to the academy?" Yin Chen opened his eyes and walked over.

"No." Black Crow shook his head and looked at Chen Guan.

"Your dear Instructor Jing said I can bring you to his place. He has a little new activity planned."

The military transport vehicle drove along the rugged mountain road. The inside of the carriage was very quiet.

Hong Yuan hugged her giant axe, leaning boredly against the wall of the vehicle. The excitement in her eyes hadn't completely faded, and she was softly calculating their harvest this time, occasionally letting out a silly giggle or two.

Yin Chen sat opposite her, his gaze cast toward the rapidly retreating scenery outside the window.