At the same time that Apocalypse Base was absorbing new blood and actively preparing for war.
Approximately five hundred kilometers from the City where Apocalypse Base was located, on an abandoned highway, a massive convoy was rolling forward like a steel flood.
The roar of engines was deafening, and the stirred-up dust obscured the sky.
Leading the way were more than a dozen armed pickup trucks and off-road vehicles, crudely reinforced and welded with steel plates and spikes.
Heavy machine guns and rocket launchers were mounted on the vehicles, and fierce-eyed gunmen in various clothes vigilantly scanned the wilderness.
Following closely behind were endless military trucks and troop carriers modified from civilian buses, packed with armed personnel of varying expressions. They were either cleaning their weapons or conversing in low voices, and the air was filled with the smell of sweat, tobacco, and excitement.
Even more striking were the ten rusty main battle tanks in the middle of the convoy, their main guns and machine gun turrets still intact, being slowly towed by heavy trailers.
Although a lack of professional maintenance and sufficient fuel prevented them from high-speed maneuvering for long periods, their symbolic significance and their ability to break through defenses at critical moments could not be underestimated.
In the sky, ten utility helicopters circled at low altitude, serving as reconnaissance and communication.
The airflow stirred by the rotors lifted the ground dust even higher.
This was the allied expeditionary force, composed of eighteen factions led by the Godslayer Guild.
The total number of people was close to eight thousand, half of whom were elites.
They carried their factions' most prized weapons and supplies, with a clear objective: to crush Apocalypse Base and divide its accumulated wealth, population, and the long-established base.
In a modified command armored vehicle at the very front of the convoy, Rex, the Guild Master of the Godslayer Guild and an SS-Rank Hunter, was listening to a report.
Rex was a well-built white man, nearly 1.9 meters tall.
He wore a sleeveless leather vest, exposing his muscular, tattooed arms.
"Reporting, Boss!"
A Reincarnator responsible for reconnaissance squeezed into the vehicle, shouting loudly.
"According to the map and feedback from the forward reconnaissance team, we will reach the outskirts of the City where Apocalypse Base is located by tomorrow morning at the earliest!"
"Tomorrow morning... Hmph, gives those Tianqi people one more night to live."
Rex sneered, his thick fingers tapping the map spread out on the table, his gaze fixed on the marker representing Apocalypse Base, full of greed.
They verbally claimed to be avenging their brothers, but the leaders of these factions knew it was just a justifiable excuse.
Even if Apocalypse Base hadn't arrested the powerhouses of the Godslayer Guild, they would still find an excuse to attack Apocalypse Base and divide its Points.
Rex turned to look at another man sitting opposite him, eyes closed in meditation.
This man was named Marcus, once a legend in the underground black boxing world. Now, he had awakened an SS-Level Talent, Steel Bones, which allowed him to metalize his bones and muscles for a short period, gaining terrifying defense and strength.
He was the representative and Guild Master of the Ultron Guild.
His physique was not as exaggerated as Rex's, but every inch of his muscle was forged like fine iron, with smooth lines full of explosive power, like a dormant beast when silent.
"Marcus, what do you think?"
Rex asked.
Marcus slowly opened his eyes, his pupils a strange silver-gray, devoid of emotion.
"Since Apocalypse Base chose not to leave, they must have something to rely on. William and that newly emerged Fenrir are not simple individuals; we should be careful."
"Reliance? Ha!"
Rex scoffed dismissively.
"In the face of absolute power, any trick is futile! We have two SS-Rank, sixteen S-Rank Hunters, and nearly four thousand elite combatants! What can Apocalypse Base use to block us? Just their supposedly non-existent SSS-Rank? Even if they have one, I don't believe he can fight a thousand!"
He stood up and looked through the armored vehicle's observation window at the vast army stretching for several kilometers behind them, a surge of pride swelling within him.
"The era of thermal weapons is over! Most technicians are dead, and missiles and cannons are scrap metal! Now, it's the era where fists and talents speak!"
He patted his thick chest, then pointed to the tanks and helicopters outside the window.
"And these are my fists! Tomorrow, let Apocalypse Base have a good taste of being crushed!"
Marcus did not retort, merely closed his eyes again, continuing to conserve his energy.
He agreed with Rex's judgment that force reigned supreme, as in this era, everyone tacitly wanted to eliminate the technicians who controlled weapons of mass destruction and let fists do the talking.
Times had changed, and what humanity valued had also changed. The enhancement of power and the pursuit of power magnified all human desires.
However, Apocalypse Base, that mysterious faction, always gave him an uncomfortable feeling.
After all, the opposing side was a faction capable of unifying a City. Regardless of the means used, it indirectly proved that the person controlling Apocalypse Base was not simple.
Moreover, Apocalypse Base was clearly setting a trap this time; at least the judgment of those few incidents was too suspicious.
One Hunter chasing three Reincarnators for more than ten kilometers seemed unreasonable no matter how one looked at it. At this stage, Hunters had all chosen their respective growth paths, and their strength should have already surpassed that of Reincarnators.
From an outsider's perspective, this was clearly intentional on Apocalypse Base's part.
"I hope I'm overthinking it."
Marcus murmured softly, continuing to rest with his eyes closed.
He couldn't give up on the Apocalypse Base cake.
If these people truly succeeded, his faction would fall behind these other factions by an insurmountable distance.
Many factions allied to form a group. If he didn't join, then he could only join the Sentinel Alliance, but the Sentinel Alliance was not as friendly as one might imagine.
The convoy continued to rumble forward.
The setting sun cast long shadows of this army, a mixture of modern weaponry and savage aura, like a ferocious beast baring its fangs and claws at its prey.
Dust billowed, killing intent soared... On the other side, inside Apocalypse Base, Lilith stood on the highest watchtower, gazing westward, her snow-white hair fluttering in the rising evening breeze.
Her ruby-like eyes pierced through the twilight, as if she could already see the rising dust at the horizon.
The hem of her military uniform gently swayed.
She raised her small hand and gently pressed it against the cold railing in front of her.
Dark red energy patterns flashed across her fingertips, then vanished...