Thirteen days.
That was all the time humanity had left before the gods shattered the World Barrier and descended in full glory.
Su Chen didn't waste a single moment.
As dawn broke across Huaxia, the sun rising behind cracked buildings and hastily reinforced bunkers, he stood atop the massive Awakening Tower—a structure reactivated from a long-forgotten age. Ancient runes spiraled around its spire, glowing softly in resonance with his mana.
Below, tens of thousands had gathered.
Awakeners. Soldiers. Researchers. Volunteers. Children barely old enough to fight, and veterans who had seen the rise and fall of nations. They came from every corner of Huaxia, drawn by a single word:
Hope.
Su Chen raised his hand—and the ground trembled.
The tower pulsed, sending out rings of energy that blanketed the capital. A vast illusionary screen hovered above, projecting his image to all corners of the city.
"This is not the end," Su Chen's voice boomed. "This is the beginning of our retaliation. Thirteen days may not sound like much—but it is more than enough to forge monsters. And monsters are what we need."
The crowd remained silent, listening, breathing together.
"You have seen the illusions. The gods' whispers. Their threats. They want us to bend… to break. But we are humanity. We are defiant even in the face of eternity."
He paused, eyes flashing.
"I will personally train ten squads. The rest of you—report to the Awakening Grounds. You will be guided by those I trust. In these thirteen days, you will become more than human."
And with that, The Thirteen-Day Forge began.
---
Day 1 to Day 3 – The Awakening Surge
Su Chen led the training of a handpicked group: potential Tier 5 and Tier 6 candidates. Many had already broken into Tier 4, their foundations stable and potent. With Su Chen's guidance, some began to stir the embers of Tier 5 Awakening.
But it wasn't just his knowledge. It was the System of Eternity—his unique ability that let him manipulate mana flow, adjust training conditions, and create temporary time acceleration fields.
Inside the Eternity Zones, one day felt like five. Time bended, condensed, intensified. Pain was multiplied, progress forced through sheer will.
Each zone drained vast quantities of mana, but Su Chen had what others didn't—unlimited mana. The zones stayed active, allowing hundreds to train beyond mortal limits.
In three days, over 300 awakeners surged past Tier 4.
Among them, names began to emerge—rising stars like Fang Hua, whose lightning spear tore apart training dummies in a flash; Zhou Hao, whose earth-based defense became a wall of moving stone; and Bai Feng, whose shadow-step assassinations struck even illusionary gods.
The world was beginning to notice.
---
Day 4 to Day 6 – Weaponry, Strategy, and War Forging
While awakeners trained in body and mind, the researchers Su Chen had gathered began activating ancient technologies and forbidden knowledge unearthed from relics of the past.
They called it the War Forge.
Deep beneath the capital, a hidden chamber pulsed to life. Within it, the Spear of Divine Energy was replicated—not perfectly, but close. The copies were unstable, their power unrefined, but still capable of wounding divine beings.
They were called Echo Spears.
"We can only produce fifty in time," said one researcher, sweat dripping down his brow.
"Then give them to those who won't miss," Su Chen replied coldly.
Meanwhile, he personally trained elite tacticians like Qin Hao and Tang Fei, educating them in divine warfare—how gods thought, fought, and manipulated reality. He drew from his past life's knowledge, teaching what could not be found in any book.
---
Day 7 – Oracle's Interference
Just as momentum reached its peak, a ripple of divine energy cascaded across the planet.
A second oracle message descended from the heavens, this time visual and auditory. The skies darkened as a massive, illusory throne hovered above the cities of the world.
A voice—twisting, melodic, cruel—rang out:
"Six days left? No. We grow bored. Make it three. Let's see how quickly your hopes crumble."
The illusion burst, casting shadows of divine creatures across the world. Panic returned. Faith trembled.
But Su Chen stood before the people again.
"They want us to panic," he said, his voice firm and unyielding. "Let them try. Three days is more than enough."
His eyes blazed. "In three days, we will be ready."
---
That night, Su Chen sat alone atop the Awakening Tower.
A message burned across the inside of his soul, one only he could see:
[Suppression Protocol Fragment Detected.]
[Kill Count: 73 Gods Required for Unlock.]
[Current Kills: 0.]
He frowned.
Something stirred in the stars.
And in the depths of the planet, an ancient vault trembled… ready to open.