Zheng Zha frowned, glancing down at the figures on the ground, then up at the colossal aerial fortress dominating the sky. He murmured to himself, "Regardless of the specifics, let's use the assumption that the other party originated from the aliens. The horror movie world has officially begun, so we need to figure out our next move first. The watch indicates we aren't allowed to leave Washington D.C. for one hour before the bombardment. Does that mean we are currently in Washington?" The surrounding scene was absolute chaos. Pedestrians stared dumbstruck at the massive steel object descending from the heavens. The young Black men playing ball nearby had just thrown a shot when they froze, their eyes glued to the horizon, ignoring the basketball rolling into the gutter. Several taxi drivers on the road exited their cabs, only for their abandoned vehicles to be violently rammed from behind by cars whose occupants were equally mesmerized, yet none spared a glance back, continuing only to stare upward.

"It is truly staggering, isn't it? Never mind them; even I am utterly shocked by this sight. It is immense, practically obscuring the entire skyline. Alien technology indeed..." Zhang Heng looked up at the extraterrestrial fortress, speaking softly to the others.

The rest nodded silently, though the two most profoundly affected were Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun.

They had only just departed the 1930s or 40s, an era preceding even commercial air travel. In reality, one was a living fossil spanning millennia, and the other a girl harboring the memories of that ancient fossil. If the world of The Mummy had just begun to accustom them to modern life, this current reality was purely the stuff of fantasy; everything here was capable of shattering their composure.

Zheng Zha was the first to notice their shock and discomfort. He clapped Imhotep lightly on the shoulder with a smile. "Relax. Experience a bit more, and it will all become natural. This world is much like our own reality, just with an alien mothership hovering overhead. Ask me anything, Imhotep. This is a team effort this time. Perhaps this battle alone will earn you enough Reward Points and sub-plots to acquire whatever you desire back in the 'Main God' space. So... just stay alive."

Imhotep, the handsome bald man, chuckled.

He intimately held Anck-Su-Namun’s hand. "Don't worry about me; I am immortal... I am only concerned about Anck-Su-Namun. She is nothing like me or any of you—she is an ordinary person. If possible, I hope you can devise a plan to protect her."

Zheng Zha nodded thoughtfully regarding the scene that was supposed to happen between Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun in The Mummy Returns.

Zheng Zha hadn't told them that he could clearly perceive Imhotep’s genuine love for Anck-Su-Namun; even across thousands of years, he still adored her. Anck-Su-Namun, however, remained somewhat enigmatic. According to the film’s storyline, she had allied with Imhotep millennia ago for various reasons: Imhotep’s youthful handsomeness, jealousy toward the Pharaoh's daughter, and perhaps even underlying motives for revenge against the Pharaoh. In short, her reasons for being with Imhotep were not purely affection. This, in the original plot of the second film, led her to betray and abandon him when he needed her most... (But everything had changed now. They were no longer the people from The Mummy. In that original plot, Imhotep forcibly pulled Anck-Su-Namun's ancient soul into this body; two consciousnesses collided, and they hadn't spent long together, so perhaps Anck-Su-Namun felt confusion at the end. But now they have been together for so many years; even if Anck-Su-Namun’s core nature is cold and malicious, after spending so long with someone who loved her so deeply and for so long, surely some affection must have blossomed? I only pray my actions have not ultimately harmed Imhotep...) Regardless, the Central Continent Team had gained Imhotep. While it wasn't clear how much their strength had instantly improved, having this indestructible High Priest, especially with Zheng Zha entrusting him with the Book of the Dead, gave Imhotep immense utility in many situations; at the very least, his ability to wield the Book surpassed anyone else’s.

Setting aside Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun for a moment, the Central Continent members were silently recalling the events of the film Battle: Earth.

It was a science fiction film detailing a massive alien invasion of Earth. In the movie, the alien civilization vastly surpassed modern human technology... The aliens constructed a massive, circular mothership nearly the size of a small continent, traversing countless light-years to reach Earth. Even their secondary ships were the size of small cities. The aliens reigned supreme with overwhelming weapon technology, surpassing all human armaments, including nuclear bombs... Ultimately, humanity prevailed only through a chance discovery: a computer virus that could disrupt the alien fortress's shield system. Otherwise, only annihilation awaited humanity.

In the original film’s plot, the aliens used human satellites for signal transmission, which displayed a countdown timer. When this timer hit zero, the space fortresses would unleash heavy ordnance upon the targeted city. Washington D.C., in that plot, was indeed struck by this heavy weapon; the fortress fired directly down from the White House, the resulting blast wave obliterating the entire city. And the team currently stood within this very Washington D.C., awaiting destruction.

"Alright, everyone, let’s discuss things inside a vehicle. Zero Point, Wang Xia, you two figure out how to procure a bus or some other large vehicle capable of holding all nineteen of us. Then, we need to try and reach the outskirts of D.C. The 'Main God' stipulated we cannot leave the city for one hour before the firing. Remember the movie plot: as this space fortress appeared, many citizens tried to drive out of the city, causing massive gridlock. We need to get to the edge of the city first so we can evacuate as quickly as possible once the hour is up... Chu Xuan, analyze the current situation."

Chu Xuan wasn't looking toward the zenith of the sky but was intently inspecting the contents of his space pouch, so absorbed it was difficult to draw his attention. When Zheng Zha questioned him, the man casually replied, "Well, assuming the opposition originates from the aliens and arrived before us, we are at a tactical disadvantage in terms of momentum..."

Cheng Xiao scoffed loudly. "We already know that, don't we? Come on, Chu Xuan. Use your supreme intellect to devise a strategy so we can instantly eliminate that opposing squad, hahaha..."

"Impossible," Chu Xuan stated flatly. "In this horror movie world, regarding momentum, we are at an absolute disadvantage. In fact, if we slip up even slightly, our Central Continent Team could be wiped out right here, so..."

"Impossible?!" the others exclaimed in unison.

Chu Xuan ignored them, coldly sneering, "Why impossible? It’s the same as the dominance we held in The Mummy. Because the disparity is too vast, the two sides exist on entirely different planes. For instance, 1940s human technology in The Mummy could never contend with us wielding Goblin Gliders and Magic Cannons. Similarly, we cannot contend with beings possessing super-strong shields, capable of hovering flight, and able to travel into outer space... Remember, those shields can withstand nuclear attacks. Even if our Magic Cannons could bring down this hovering fortress, what about the mothership in outer space? We have absolutely no way to harm it..."

"Or you could suggest the original movie plot: piloting a small warship into the cosmos, carrying nuclear warheads to attack the mothership? That might succeed if it weren't a team battle. But in a team battle, wouldn't the other squad know the plot? If we flew out in a small warship, we would likely be blown to pieces halfway there. Do you understand? We are at an absolute disadvantage in terms of momentum."

Silence fell over the group. Zheng Zha sighed. "No matter what, we need to leave Washington first. This team battle occurring under these circumstances is quite strange; we don't even have a designated Captain, yet we are still entered into a team battle. Moreover, we must determine which of these two newcomers is the Guide, and we absolutely must capture their psychic controller to awaken our team members... Ugh, let's discuss everything once we're in the car; there are too many complex issues right now."

"Entering team combat without a Captain? That’s easy to understand; it means the final battle is approaching, and the 'Main God' needs all teams to engage each other quickly so the ultimate confrontation can arrive sooner..."

"But, the car? Leaving Washington?" Chu Xuan shook his head. "What if the plot has changed, and this fortress's main cannon is far more powerful than in the film? Or what if we are blocked in traffic right now? If we attempt to leave the urban area of Washington D.C. before the bombardment, and use that one hour to get as far away as possible, we have a 30 to 40 percent chance of being caught in the main cannon’s radius. Furthermore, the moment we leave Washington, we are in an absolute disadvantage. For the remaining three days, we would only be able to continuously flee or hide; there would be no chance to capture the enemy's psychic controller, let alone annihilate their entire team."

Seeing the bewildered looks on the team members' faces, Chu Xuan sighed again. "Don't you truly understand? Once we leave Washington, where are we supposed to find that alien small warship owned by the U.S. government? And if our main mission is the alien mothership, what is the other team’s sub-mission? I suspect it is highly related to Area 51 from the original plot. Therefore, both for safely escaping the fortress's main attack and for how we should counterattack, we must stick closely to the original movie protagonists. Otherwise, unable to leave the atmosphere, we risk being relentlessly hunted by the other team using alien warships over the next few days; that possibility is far from remote..."

"So, first, we must enter the White House, just like in the original film plot, board an aircraft to leave Washington before the main cannon fires, and then proceed to Area 51... Our primary battleground is outer space; it will be the alien mothership! Jumping to..."