But that wasn't set in stone; there were several such towns along the path the Americans had traveled, where they had found substantial amounts of food they couldn't carry away in time—corn, potatoes, even rice and a few vegetables. So, they had rested confidently in those towns for a few days. However, not long after, some Crawlers had quietly followed them, marking the beginning of a hunt. It was a lesson learned through blood for the American group: they could stay in any given town for a maximum of three days. Tonight was their third day in this town, so they planned to depart the following day.

“Humans… truly powerful yet fragile creatures…” Zheng Zha watched the sleeping American group in the distance, sighing softly to the person beside him. “A single biological crisis led to the global collapse of civilization. Whether it can ever be revived, or if it will sink into oblivion, or if it will take countless years to restart from a primitive or feudal society—I don’t know. But after suffering such a catastrophe, human civilization can hardly return to its former state in a short time.”

Everyone around fell silent. Wang Xia gently patted his shoulder. “There’s no helping it. Human society is built on order. A biological catastrophe, or a nuclear war—as long as the foundation of that order is shaken, the likelihood of human civilization being destroyed is extremely high… That’s why we exist. I was a soldier before, and I am still a soldier now; only the battlefield has changed. It’s also to protect the ordinary people in the real world. I fight precisely so that human civilization is not destroyed by the horrors we see before us…”

Zheng Zha sighed and said nothing. In truth, his thoughts were much broader. Although the return of the Reincarnation Squad would bring significant guarantees to humanity in the real world—whether they chose to live in seclusion, wage war, or even rule all of humanity—any member of the Reincarnation Squad who could return would possess strength reaching a certain level. This power would naturally lead to the strengthening and evolution of those close to them, and then slowly spread outward. Even in the worst-case scenario—enslaving or destroying all of human civilization—and then ruling the remainder with their own power, the direction of strength and evolution would still gradually be transmitted. At least their descendants would inherit these things. Perhaps hundreds of years of darkness would ensue, but humanity’s resilience would eventually allow it to slowly advance and reclaim its civilization… This, however, only applied if the catastrophe was within the scope that the Reincarnation Squad members could suppress. What if, like the biological crisis was to ordinary people, another crisis of equal danger were to strike the Reincarnation Squad members? Could humanity… continue to exist?

“Slap!” Zheng Zha sharply slapped his own face, muttering, “Thinking too much. For now, let’s just finish the final battle. If we can’t even survive, everything else is meaningless… Survive! And reach the pinnacle…” (The pinnacle… still held in that man’s hands… Even after breaking through again, can I defeat him?)

The night passed without incident, and the group of Americans left first thing the next morning. They were decent people; they weren't as squalid as depicted in apocalypse novels. They not only carefully briefed the members of the Central Continent Squad on the precautions for heading north but also urged them to leave the town quickly. Perhaps because the apocalypse was still new, they still held onto the morality of civilized society. What the future held… remained to be seen.

“Let’s go. We need to find that team, and then head to Raccoon City!” Not until the Americans were far away did Zheng Zha speak to all the team members. He then produced the Green Goblin’s Glider and flew into the sky first, standing upon it.

“That’s strange. Doesn’t he have the Hidden Dragon Transformation state? Why is he still using the Green Goblin’s Glider? I can’t quite place it, but he feels much weaker than before. He seemed heavily injured after entering The Lord of the Rings; the him who maintained the Hidden Dragon Transformation state before seemed stronger…” Lin Juntian asked the person next to him curiously. That person happened to be Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng watched Zheng Zha’s retreating back. “It’s not what you think… The stronger a person is, the better they can perceive the strength and weakness of others. Your strength is still too low; you can’t yet grasp the power at our level, or higher… He is far stronger than before he entered The Lord of the Rings. If before he merely needed to adapt to the Hidden Dragon Transformation, then now he must be hiding something… Just watch; he will definitely be able to defeat his clone!”

Lin Juntian shrugged and said no more. He had only just unlocked the first stage of the Gene Lock, so controlling the Green Goblin’s Glider was manageable, but he couldn't utilize the innate power of this stage very well. Thus, he dared not lose focus and just followed the main group closely. In this manner, a flying squadron on Green Goblin Gliders swept over numerous ruined towns.

The widespread use of the Green Goblin’s Glider within the Central Continent Squad was entirely thanks to Chu Xuan. The ‘Main God’ system offered flight items for exchange, but most were massive and unsuitable for individual use, or they were single-use items effective only for short periods. To acquire an item that functioned as a personal aircraft with a long service life required significant exchange points and Branch Missions. Therefore, unless a team was very powerful, or unless someone like Chu Xuan within the team possessed the skill to modify and construct them, flying apparatus remained prohibitively expensive.

Take this Reincarnation Squad, which had been spotted by satellite; they were members of the North Ice Continent Squad. This North Ice Continent Squad had participated in the Lord of the Rings team battle alongside the Central Continent Squad, but their captain had been brutally killed by Zhao Zhuikong. Most of the remaining members had also perished, and the entire team was wiped out subsequently in Final Destination. Although the horror movie worlds they experienced differed based on the Main God’s assessment of team strength, this particular squad was already a rebirth team, meaning their strength wasn't high.

Then followed a continuous cycle of veteran deaths and newcomer additions, deaths and additions, an unrelenting process of elimination. This was the first step every Reincarnation Squad inevitably had to take… The final battle began. For them, this was undoubtedly the most brutal announcement. The previous horror movie world, which should have been an opportunity to grind points and bolster strength, instead resulted in internal strife due to the fear of the impending final battle. Consequently, when the final battle arrived, the team, which originally had eighteen members, was reduced to only six… two of whom were newcomers who had joined in the previous movie.

“Damn it… where the hell is the Heavenly God Squad! They told us to wait after making contact, how much longer do we have to wait blindly?” a burly man shouted loudly as he walked, carrying a six-barreled Gatling gun in his hand. This fellow was Caucasian, tall and imposing, nearly reaching the physique of Overlord, but the sheer bulk of his face was utterly repulsive. This wasn't the inherent pressure and hardened discipline forged by long years of mercenary work that Overlord possessed; it was an outward display of savage ferocity… far inferior to Overlord’s, in fact.

The few people surrounding the brawny man kept a slight distance from him. Two younger individuals, a man and a woman, were trembling visibly, as if the big man would harm them the moment he spoke. A closer look at their arms and necks revealed many thin, long scratches, though how they sustained such wounds—whether through abuse or injury—was unclear.

“Shut your mouth, or I’ll gouge your eyes out!” the brawny man glared fiercely at a Black man nearby, who immediately resumed his cold silence. Instead, another young Caucasian man roared, “Damn it, just shut up! Or do you really want Kurt and me to team up and kill you first? In the last movie, if you hadn't tried to steal their Branch Missions and behaved inappropriately towards them, would they have resisted immediately? It’s the final battle now; do you really want to die here?”

The brawny man squinted at the youth and the Black man. After a long moment, he sneered, “I’m not wasting words on you. The moment I spot the Heavenly God Squad, I’m leaving. Being with you useless bastards is just trouble. If it weren’t for you, I’d already be the captain and have unlocked the second stage of the Gene Lock. Because you dragged me down, damn it, even trying to have some fun with new members gets stopped and cursed at. Get lost!”

He continued to curse incessantly, yet the youth and the Black man, though frowning deeply, did not immediately attack. After all, the stance of the other veteran was unclear, and they were uncertain if they could win even if they struck.

Just then, a string of tiny specks appeared far in the distant sky. From afar, they looked like a dozen birds, but as the black dots drew closer, it became apparent that these objects were clearly flying craft—and there were more than a dozen of them… To the veterans, this sight represented something deeply familiar: a Reincarnation Squad was approaching, and not just any squad—it was an extremely powerful one!

The physical conditioning of the few veterans was better than that of ordinary people, and they spotted the swarm of Green Goblin Gliders overhead almost immediately. Yet, not one dared to flee or attack, not even the brawny man with the Gatling gun, because they all understood one thing: no matter how fast a human leg was, it could never outrun flight…

Zheng Zha and his team arrived at the location of this other Reincarnation Squad just before noon. This team was incredibly weak; they didn't even have a single mental power controller. They appeared to be walking toward the town, and judging by this squad’s strength and equipment… that town could very well spell their doom.

When Zheng Zha’s group dismounted from their Green Goblin Gliders, the four veterans’ hearts leaped, and despair began to flood their minds. They recognized the man leading the group: it was Zheng Zha, already famous throughout the entire Reincarnation World for his immense power. Furthermore, the Central Continent Squad was renowned for having defeated the Heavenly God Squad—an overwhelmingly powerful team. With such a team flying before them… survival was practically impossible.

Yet, these four dared not move. The desperate desire for life kept them from committing suicide instantly. Instead, they hoped from the bottom of their hearts that Zheng Zha’s team would show mercy and let them live, leaving their fate entirely to chance. They simply stood there, frozen in fear.

Seeing the reaction of the four, and the terrified expressions of the two behind them, Zheng Zha let out a breath. “Alright, I don’t want to waste time with pleasantries. This is the final battle; talking about letting people go is meaningless. I need you to do something for me. Whether you are members of the Angel Alliance, controlled by my clone, or belonging to the Demon Squad faction… regardless of which side you are on, or if you belong to none, I need you to relay the following message to your masters.”

“We are heading to Raccoon City. There are clues there leading to Laboratory Number Seven. If you want to live, or if you want my life… meet me there. I’ll be waiting. Also, if you encounter any other teams along the way, repeat the exact same message to them. Remember, do not miss a single word!”

As Zheng Zha spoke, he walked toward the two newcomers. He could easily tell they were new, possessing no enhancements, let alone Gene Lock stages—they were essentially ordinary people. The crucial detail was the tiny scratches on their bodies, marks where someone had lightly cut the skin without touching the muscle… These were not battle wounds, but marks of abuse.

“Who abused you?” Zheng Zha asked the two newcomers calmly.

The two froze, and both instinctively glanced toward the brawny man. The man’s heart plummeted with dread. Before he could react, Zheng Zha turned, waved his hand lightly, and struck. The man’s head burst like a watermelon, and his body immediately collapsed onto the ground.

“I know you’re all doomed to die in this horror movie world, and I have no interest in playing the saint to save you. But I simply find this kind of behavior revolting. I, personally, am displeased!” Zheng Zha said with a cold smirk to the remaining three veterans of the team. Then, ignoring them, he turned and walked toward his Green Goblin Glider. Only after the Central Continent Squad members had taken to the skies on their gliders did the three survivors violently collapse to their knees, gasping for breath. The momentary oppressive force they felt earlier had nearly crushed them; that sensation was little better than death itself.

“The biggest realization from this training in The Lord of the Rings… I am me, I am not me, and yet I am still me!” “There is no need to imitate others, nor is it necessary to hypocritically claim that the environment has changed me. I have always been this person, and I will remain so in the future!” Zheng Zha said to the others while standing on his Green Goblin Glider. The oppressive aura emanating from him was, just as Zhang Heng claimed, significantly stronger than when he had maintained the Hidden Dragon Transformation state constantly. He truly was hiding something…

Chu Xuan glanced at him. “Then the next course of action is to find other Reincarnation Squads, spread our message as widely as possible, and simultaneously… wait. Wait for the other me, wait for Adam…”