Chapter 10: Tower Master: Light

Upon hearing the broadcast calling for an assembly in the first-floor conference hall, Wang Zhi and his three companions, who had been training, immediately moved and took the elevator to the first floor.

After arriving at the conference hall, Wang Zhi found that more than half of the seats were already occupied. The four of them randomly chose four empty seats and sat down.

Half an hour later, everyone had gathered in the hall. Wang Zhi swept his gaze across the room and estimated that there were around ten thousand people present.

Fully armed guards stood motionless at various corners of the venue, holding their rifles.

In front of them was a large elevated stage where more than ten individuals stood. Behind them, a massive screen was mounted on the wall. Among the people on stage, Wang Zhi recognized one person—the captain of the security forces, Jie Xi.

“Is this setup for a war?” the fat man leaned in and asked.

“What did you say? Speak louder!”

Wang Zhi saw the fat man’s mouth moving but couldn’t hear a word he was saying. There was no helping it—more than ten thousand people in a hall, all talking loudly at the same time, had created a noise level that drowned out his voice completely.

“Silence!”

Just as the fat man was about to raise his voice, Jie Xi, the security captain on stage, grabbed a microphone and put an end to the commotion.

The hall instantly fell silent.

“I am the security force captain, Jie Xi.”

“This is Sophie, the head of the medical department.”

“This is Adam, the head of the command unit.”

“This is Zhao Yan, the head of logistics.”

“This is Yang Lifan, the head of the research lab.”

“This is Li Wan, the head of the resource division.”

“This is Wang Yaoxing, the head of the industrial sector.”

“This is Cao Mei, the head of the ecological zone.”

“This is Aililans, the head of the biological research lab.”

“This is Fan Qi, the head of finance.”

“These are the key figures responsible for various departments in Dawn Tower. If you have any issues in the future, feel free to contact us. Now, let’s move on to the main topic. You must all be curious—why have you been locked underground? Why are you not allowed to go outside? Some of you came here because you genuinely believed in the apocalypse; some of you were merely curious. But now, no matter your reasons for coming, they no longer matter. The video you are about to see will give you the answer!”

As Jie Xi finished speaking, the large screen behind her suddenly lit up.

On the screen, people ran chaotically through the streets, cars crashed into each other and blocked the roads, and smoke and fire engulfed the surroundings. The entire city seemed to have suffered some massive catastrophe. On the streets, groups of people—acting like crazed lunatics—pounced on others, tearing them apart and devouring them alive.

Several different angles showed cities that had either already fallen or were in the process of collapsing.

The final shot depicted an unidentified flying object approaching in the sky. A few seconds later, it became clear—it was a missile! The moment the missile landed, the screen cut to black.

Everyone who had watched the video fell into silence. Now, they had a clear understanding of what was happening outside. The surface world had already become a wasteland—a living hell!

“Survivors! I am your Tower Master: Light.”

Suddenly, another image appeared on the screen.

A figure sat on a chair, hands resting on a massive sword planted in the ground. The individual wore a platinum mask and battle armor, with long, straight golden hair cascading over their shoulders. Their sharp gaze locked onto everyone in the hall.

“First, I can assure you that everything you just saw in the video is real and has already happened. Second, I must congratulate you all—you are the lucky ones. Since you chose to believe in Light and in Dawn, we have fulfilled our promise. When darkness arrives, we will provide you with light—a beacon of hope. I hope you will cherish this opportunity. Dawn Tower does not allow bystanders. Each of you has a purpose here. You may fight for Dawn Tower, or you may serve it. Lastly, let us endure the darkness together and welcome a new dawn!”

After Tower Master Light finished speaking, the large screen on the stage turned off.

This was Wang Zhi’s first time seeing the Tower Master. Even though a mask obscured their face, their aura of authority and power was undeniable.

But was this Tower Master truly just? How did she know about the global catastrophe in advance? If she knew beforehand, why didn’t she try to stop it? Why did she choose instead to build a massive underground base? Was it because she was powerless to prevent it? Or was it intentional? What kind of existence was this Tower Master? A flood of questions swirled in Wang Zhi’s mind.

“Survivors, the apocalypse has arrived. We will be issuing new missions, which require you to venture to the surface. Each team must accept at least one surface mission per month. Those individuals or teams unwilling to go to the surface may apply to become permanent laborers in the ecological or industrial sector. However, those who dare to brave the surface will receive generous rewards and, most importantly, their freedom.”

The one speaking was Adam, the commander of the forces.

The hall erupted in uproar. The surface? They had just seen what it looked like! That was no place for humans—it was a death sentence!

To Wang Zhi, signing up as a permanent laborer in the ecological or industrial sector was no different from selling oneself into servitude. Once signed, they would be stuck in drudgery for life. But going outside was a gamble—the rewards were great, as was the freedom, but the risk was immense. Death could come at any moment.

“I hope everyone considers carefully. When leaving, follow the rules and do not push or shove.” After Adam finished speaking, those on the stage left the hall first.

“Let’s go back.”

Wang Zhi spoke in a deep voice and got up to leave.

On their way back, the four remained silent, each lost in thought about the events that had just transpired. Even Ying, usually carefree, wore an unusually serious expression.

Back in their dormitory, the first thing Wang Zhi did was check their remaining resource points. After eight days of training, their team had accumulated 800 resource points.

“I have an idea. Our remaining food supply will last for about seven days. We must accept an outside mission before we run out of food.”

Wang Zhi shared his thoughts with the group.

“What? So soon? We can delay it for up to a month. Why go out so early?” The fat man objected.

“Because we need resource points to upgrade our gear. Once we run out of food, the daily resource points we earn from training won’t be enough to feed us. If we delay even one more day, we will lose 50 resource points that could be used for equipment. Old He, Ying, what do you think?”

“I have no objections.”

Old He responded briefly, his mind clearly preoccupied—perhaps with family, comrades, or even his country.

“No objections here. I’ve been itching to go outside.”

Ying’s usual carefree attitude returned, and Wang Zhi couldn’t help but admire her mental resilience.

As for the fat man, he kept mumbling about signing up as a permanent laborer—until Wang Zhi silently disengaged the safety on his gun, making him shut up instantly.

“I plan for us to take a mission in four days. We’ll save three days’ worth of food as a backup. In these four days, we can earn another 200 resource points. If we reach 1,000 points before then, we can upgrade to a Level 2 team.”

Seeing no objections, Wang Zhi left the room and headed back to the training hall.