A beam of white light shot from the muzzle of cool-fire, piercing through the entire Taipei 101 building in the blink of an eye.
It didn't feel different, but suddenly, a large white sphere of light rose from the ground, instantly engulfing Taipei 101. The apex of the light sphere was 13's muzzle...
The Elf roared in panic as its metal body slowly disintegrated...
Taipei 101 was disappearing along with it. The sphere of light showed no signs of stopping, greedily expanding outwards, consuming everything in its path as food...
No one shouted anymore, no one clamored...
They just stared blankly...
"Did I create this?" 13 looked blankly at the objects slowly vanishing within the sphere of light.
To 13, guilt was a foreign concept. His birth was the world's sin against him. Now, the world was atoning for its sin...
"So beautiful..." Propping up his weary eyes, he found that everything within the light sphere was like a cherry blossom forest swept by the wind. The delicate petals scattered, piece by piece...
His own left hand holding the gun was also like the cherry blossoms in this forest, slowly dissipating...
13 understood why Nie Yun had said he would die after firing the seed...
13 had contemplated countless ways to die, but he never thought his death would be so beautiful?
Looking at TB from outer space, it resembled a small bump on someone's head, yet no one in the world would underestimate it. Because it encompassed a land area with a diameter of 150 kilometers.
"It's over..." He no longer paid attention to his body disappearing bit by bit.
13 was too tired...
He closed his eyes...
Zhang Jie's image remained in his heart, her expression still so gentle. So this was what it felt like to like someone.
13 smiled sweetly...
Her lips began to move. What was she saying?
13 could no longer hear, but he could tell from her lip movements she was asking, "Has your fate changed?"
13's eyes snapped open...
"My fate hasn't changed yet!"
The sphere of light lasted for 3 minutes. When it dissipated, it left behind only a massive circular crater, over 500 meters deep and spanning an area 150 kilometers in diameter.
What remained in people's hearts was a new fear...
Edward stared blankly at the television, motionless, barely managing to force out a sentence.
"A new nuclear bomb has arrived..."
March 21st, 2011 AD, 2:13 PM.
A new weapon of mass destruction was born in Z Country's TB City...
On March 22nd of the same year, M Country issued an order for all troops stationed abroad to return home...
On March 23rd, Chen Bian was escorted to BJ to face public trial...
On March 24th, R Country declared the Diaoyu Islands as Z Country's territory and pledged to permanently cease visits to JGSS...
On March 28th, YN amended its laws, granting Z Country citizens in Y tax exemption privileges...
On April 1st, the leader of E Country arrived in J to discuss matters of a permanent alliance...
On April 5th, all of M Country's peripheral forces completed their return. A massive, nationwide search was launched for suspicious objects, with Chinatown being the primary focus. Due to the search personnel's polite and reasonable attitude, and the provision of tax reductions or cash rewards upon completion of inspection, the operation caused no public discontent...
On April 10th, the leader of E Country returned home disappointed...
On April 13th, H Country merged with CX, the nation now called H Country. According to unreliable sources, Z Country played the role of mediator in the merger...
From April 19th to 25th, various countries successively lowered tariffs on goods from Z Country...
On May 12th, M Country made another major move, constructing a huge offshore airport capable of simultaneously accommodating 600 passenger planes. Henceforth, all passenger aircraft entering M Country had to transit through this airport for inspection...
The seed had sprouted. This was the effect Nie Yun had aimed for after twenty years of research. All nations now recognized Z Country's power. Compared to the deterrence of nuclear bombs, the seed was far more terrifying. Its greatest advantage was its extremely small size, easily operable by a single person, its power absolute, with no means of evasion within its coverage area (except for digging extremely deep shelters. T-scientists later speculated that the launch point was over 500 meters above ground. The effect if launched from the ground was unpredictable, but the crater's depth would likely not be less than 800 meters).
Thus, China's seed project came to a temporary end...
June to September 2011 marked a period of high economic growth for Z Country. The gross national product multiplied...
On National Day 2011, the Chairman commended the soldiers who fought in T, promoted Liu Tao to Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, and awarded the entire Special Ops Team 7 the title of National Honorary Soldiers...
Everything seemed perfect, but it wasn't. 13's fate after the "Single-Soldier Nuclear Weapon" incident remained unknown. However, he was removed from Special Ops Team 7. The state no longer recognized 13 as a citizen of Z Country, all because his firing of the seed caused irreparable, permanent damage to TB, with losses exceeding 500 billion. Fortunately, due to Chen Bian building the "Flesh and Blood Wall" and M Country conducting single-soldier military exercises, a large number of personnel had been evacuated from the city, resulting in minimal casualties...
In the Chairman's words, "He is a hero of the country, and also a sinner of the country..."
After National Day, Z Country began a large-scale reorganization and expansion of its military, named the "Special Ops National Defense Force." All personnel were equipped with prototypes based on Special Ops Team 7's gear.
Meanwhile, other countries fervently developed their own secret weapons... research into ion cannons became a top priority.
During the Spring Festival of 2012 AD, the people of Z Country celebrated the proudest New Year's Eve in decades. A video clip appeared on the internet, garnering over 100 million clicks daily.
It was an edited recording of the entire battle between 13 and the Elf that day. The video was titled——Sniper King!
Time flew by, and 2012 soon drew to a close...
Looking back at the events of the past two years felt unimaginable. The world was genuinely free of war; even localized armed conflicts ceased. Nations overtly pursued economic development while covertly developing trump card weapons. The result was a legendary era of peace...
The Third World War, as predicted by Nie Yun, did not occur...
But in Nie Yun's small office at the National Weapons Research Academy, events were unfolding that would later cause another seismic shift in Z Country...
"Director Nie." A young man sat opposite Nie Yun, idly surveying the messy surroundings. Looking closely, he was quite refined, with clear features and skin as fair as a woman's. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose gave him the air of a learned scholar. Yet, he wore a neat black military uniform.
"I've told you countless times. No means no." Nie Yun didn't even lift his head, continuing to calculate the data in his hands.
"Do you take us for idiots?" He slammed his hand forcefully on Nie Yun's desk. "Are we supposed to believe there's only one seed? Speak! Name your price..."
"There isn't just one seed..." Nie Yun looked up. "But I will absolutely not hand it over to you, because you lack the ability to use it..."
"Does 13 have this ability then?" The young man stared at Nie Yun, his eyes holding an inviolable authority.
"Yes," Nie Yun stated calmly.
"Slap!" The young man struck him hard across the face.
"What right does someone expelled by the state have to use the 'Seed of God'?" The young man held only contempt for 13. "A failure of genetic engineering! What's in his head? No concept of country whatsoever. Only causes trouble for the nation. To actually use the seed on home soil!"
"You have no right to judge 13!" Nie Yun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Without him demonstrating the seed's perfect power in TB, Z Country would never have achieved this current state of universal awe! You so-called 'Special Ops National Defense Force' wouldn't possess such immense power now! He is an undisputed hero..."
"Ha... Ha... Ha..." The young man laughed wildly. "What national hero? The state doesn't even recognize his nationality anymore."
"Here!" An arrest warrant was placed before Nie Yun. "For defying state orders and refusing to hand over required items, thereby seriously endangering national security. I, Guo Mingqing—Commander of the 3rd Sniper Division, Special Ops National Defense Force—hereby arrest you. You can say whatever you have to say to the military tribunal!"
The young man clapped his hands, and a dozen soldiers wearing the same White Tiger gear as 13 rushed in, surrounding Nie Yun.
"Truly pathetic..." Nie Yun sighed. "That the White Tiger armor I invented is worn by you lot, and not even during wartime. Just for showing off. What an insult!"
Ignoring him, two soldiers lifted Nie Yun, handcuffed him, and escorted him out the door.
"Search!" At the young man's command, the soldiers dared not disobey and quickly began their search.
As he was being escorted into the vehicle, Nie Yun calculated the data from earlier in his mind. The final answer he arrived at was, "It's time to wake up!"