### Chapter 9: Unification of the Three Races (16)
In the joint command center of the Sky Tower, the top figures of the three races gathered in a scene straight out of a chaotic family reunion.
Among the attendees were not only the seven Sect Leaders of the Human Race but also the city lords and famous Great Demons from the Monster Race, along with the brainiacs of the Demon Race, led by Monroe and Janet—who, by the way, was totally rocking the look.
Of course, Lin Nan, as the supreme commander, held the final say in strategic decisions. Can you believe it? They were preparing for full-scale war against Divine Punishment, and what they needed most was a brainstorming session that would make even a marketing team green with envy.
As summer sizzled on, time was slipping through their fingers, and they had less than two weeks before the dreaded Day of Divine Punishment.
It was clear that Cold Moon Great King had outsmarted everyone by choosing Black Stone City as the battlefield. If the three races had scattered like confetti again, they would have been picked off one by one by the Divine Clan before they could even say “Oops!”
Now, thanks to the clever use of the nearly hundred-layer underground structures beneath the Sky Tower, Cold Moon had crammed around five million souls from the three races into those subterranean layers. Talk about an unprecedented population density record for a city on the Asking Dao Continent!
In the face of d*ath threats, people turned into construction maniacs, dedicating their lives to improving the defenses of Black Stone City. It was like an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Fortress Edition.”
Thanks to the players’ help, their food supplies were in a stable growth stage. Meanwhile, the Monster and Demon Races were drooling over the technology to cultivate plants with artificial light. They were in awe of how players could expertly manipulate an array of fancy machinery. It was like watching a magician pull rabbits out of hats!
Considering the time crunch, players could only manage to kickstart the Industrial Revolution with steam engines boosting production. But hey, it was a big step towards liberating human labor, right? They could finally funnel their energy into developing and manufacturing firearms!
By the time Divine Punishment rolled around, the armory had churned out a mountain of TNT explosives—dubbed the “King of Explosives” back before World War II! Priorities, people! Explosives took precedence over firearms because refining and mass-producing firearms was going slower than a tortoise in molasses, with a high defect rate to boot.
After producing about 300,000 firearms, the armory focused mainly on ammunition, cannonballs, and explosives. Not that Black Stone City was lacking in people—five million citizens strong—but when you excluded the elderly, the sick, and women and children, that left a solid fighting force of around three to four hundred thousand able-bodied men and women.
The real kicker? Firearms let ordinary civilians—who’d never seen a magic spell or cultivation technique in their lives—close the gap with the elite. I mean, one unsuspecting noob with a g*n could take out an Inner Door Disciple before they could say “Not my day!”
This reminded everyone just how terrifyingly appealing technological advancement could be! And the explosive power of firearms and TNT was giving everyone some serious confidence boosts against the Divine Punishment.
With the Day of Divine Punishment looming closer, it was no surprise that people were fueled by an adrenaline rush that would make even energy drinks jealous!
Time flies when you’re in crisis mode, right? It felt like just yesterday that the bl**d of All Spirits Formation in the East Sea Underground Palace was activated.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, everyone returned to their resting spots, and for a moment, it hit them: tomorrow was the day that had sent chills down so many spines.
But as Black Stone City grew stronger day by day, with defense measures falling into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, their hearts turned surprisingly calm.
Yes, they had given their all to survive; they had done their absolute best. If that wasn’t enough to withstand annihilation, then the only thing left to say was, “Well, apparently, fate had other plans!”
Meanwhile, Lin Nan sat in the spacious command center, gazing out at the starry night sky, lost deep in thought.
It had been two and a half years since she stepped into the Asking Dao Continent—a time that totally flipped her world upside down! Going from a low-key gaming enthusiast to the leading lady controlling the fate of the entire realm? Yeah, that sounded easy on paper, but the reality was a rollercoaster of life-and-d*ath challenges that would give anyone anxiety.
Technically, she could have turned her back on the Asking Dao Continent and let it rot. But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to make that call; even thinking about it felt like a crime against humanity.
Why? Because she knew that this was no mere game—the natives living on this continent were as real as it got! And the players stuck there with her? They all hailed from the same world, forced into this mess by the local deities, enduring famine and bloodbaths.
For the surviving tens of thousands of players, Lin Nan felt it was her duty to bring them back home. And looking around, it seemed like she was the only one capable of rallying the three races to face Divine Punishment head-on.
If she didn’t step up now, the Asking Dao Continent was doomed to become nothing more than a Deus Ex Machina’s battery bank—silent and lifeless, waiting for who knew how long until new sentient beings came to life.
So she had to give it a shot!
Plus, the Divine Clan wasn’t exactly a united front; even they had their own internal squabbles and suspicions. This gave her a glimmer of hope, along with the system’s support that had helped bolster Black Stone City’s defenses dramatically, aided by all the technological goodies and scientific papers she’d brought back from her modern little world.
As the night deepened, her thoughts sharpened like a finely honed blade.
Before she knew it, Cold Moon had slipped beside her and said softly, “Great King, it’s getting late.”
Lin Nan nodded, “Ah, you worry too much, Second Great King. You should sleep; I’m not tired.”
But Cold Moon didn’t budge. Instead, she plopped down next to Lin Nan.
“If the Great King doesn’t mind, how about I keep you company until dawn?”
“Sure, why not?”
Lin Nan accepted without reluctance.
Cold Wind Cave had been Lin Nan’s first stronghold. Cold Moon had been by her side as her deputy from that very beginning, and here they were now—trust like theirs was like a bond forged in dragon fire.
“Second Great King, I’ve always wanted to know your story. You’re so different from other monsters. You’re fluent in human literary culture and write like a pro. Ordinary monsters don’t have this skill!
With dawn marking the Day of Divine Punishment, could you satisfy my curiosity before it arrives?”
Cold Moon smiled. “Who would’ve thought my humble skills would linger on your mind for so long?
Honestly, there’s not much to say. Strictly speaking, I’m a half-demon. My father was a bookish scholar, and my mother belonged to the Monster Race.
They fell in love and retreated to the mountains to escape worldly disputes, and a year later, voilà! Here I am!”
Even in the dim light, the brilliance in Cold Moon’s eyes shone bright.
