At this moment—
The entire Earth, countless human beings watching the live broadcast, had fallen into utter despair.
"What should we do? Who can save us humans?"
"Oh no! Look at the soldiers on the front lines! They're giving everything they have to fight back!"
"Who else can stop these monsters?!"
"No! Don't die anymore!"
"Heavens, please! Save humanity! Save the brave soldiers on the front lines!"
Countless citizens of the Dragon Kingdom stared at the live footage, their eyes wide with anguish.
They watched as the soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom, one after another, charged forward without hesitation—throwing away their lives like moths flying into flames—as they faced the towering golden giant.
These warriors were up against enemies many times stronger than themselves. And though fear lingered in their hearts, they still pressed forward with bravery and resolve.
Charge!
Keep charging!
As long as the horn of battle sounds, even if an abyss lies ahead, they will stride into it without flinching.
They are soldiers, warriors, and guardians! Carriers of heavy responsibility!
And so, they marched forward step by step, not retreating even half a pace.
Just to delay these golden giants for half a minute more!
Because they knew—once they fell back, the inland civilians of the Dragon Kingdom would suffer unimaginable tragedy.
At that moment—
Countless Dragon Kingdom citizens watching the live stream had tears falling down their faces.
Pacific Line of Defense.
"Come on, you golden bastards! Your daddy isn't afraid of you!"
A young soldier, no older than his early twenties, piloted his fighter jet with unwavering determination. As he fired missiles, he charged straight toward a golden giant.
Boom!
A fiery explosion burst midair—his fighter jet had been obliterated with a single swat before reaching its target.
"Father! Mother! Your son is unfilial this time—I won't live long enough to see you again!"
Another young warrior, eyes bloodshot and full of rage, screamed as he slammed his fighter into the chest of a golden giant.
The fighter exploded, and with it, the life of the pilot—his sacrifice reduced to a fleeting spark that left only a faint scorch mark on the golden colossus.
"Golden giant! Listen closely! I'm Liu Jindou of the 19th Class of the Dragon Kingdom Air Force Academy!"
Boom!
Another jet, out of fuel and ammo, refused to retreat. It launched a final suicidal charge, crashing headlong into a golden giant's skull.
And that was just the beginning.
"Chen Sanbiao of the 20th Air Force Academy is here!"
"My comrades! Wait for me! Wang Wei of the 19th Class is joining you!"
"Damn it! I didn't even get to kiss a woman! What a pity! You golden beast, remember my name—it's Chen Baoguo!"
"Father! Mother! Your son has failed you!"
"Air Force Instructor Lu Zhipin of the Dragon Kingdom—willing to die alongside my students!"
"Dragon Kingdom Air Force Academy, present—!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One fighter after another, their weapons spent, hurled themselves forward in suicide strikes. Their goal—buy just a little more time.
That's right!
Most of these brave warriors were still students.
They took to the skies because the Dragon Kingdom's front-line air force had already perished in battle against the golden giants.
They were young, barely into adulthood, and should have been enjoying the most vibrant years of their lives.
But when their nation and humanity fell into crisis, they stood up without hesitation!
Like mayflies striking mighty trees, they burned their short lives in exchange for fleeting hope—for the survival of humankind.
At that moment—
In the rear, countless humans watching the broadcast were already sobbing, their entire bodies trembling.
"I hate it! I hate not being able to fight on the front lines!"
"If it means dying to take one of those bastards down, I have no regrets!"
"Damn it—golden giant, go to hell!"
Countless Dragon Kingdom citizens were driven mad with grief and rage, screaming until their throats cracked.
"You children... you're all heroes. All good children!"
An old woman stood shaking, red-eyed, weeping silently.
Meanwhile, the golden giants pressed on with indifference, their expressions cold as they stepped over fallen soldiers like stepping over ants.
"Nature dictates: the weak are prey to the strong. Your species is inferior. You should have long been ruled. Why resist?"
A three-eyed golden giant spoke without emotion as he continued walking forward.
With a casual sweep of his hand, the sheer pressure of wind from his fingers blew apart an oncoming fighter jet.
"No matter how hard you try, at most you'll leave a scratch that doesn't even matter. So what's the point of resistance?"
The youth in the cockpit gritted his teeth, gripping the control stick tightly, dodging the golden giant's grasp and retaliating with missiles.
"If we don't resist simply because we're weak, our fate will only be worse!"
He clenched his teeth even as his arm—snapped from the impact—hung uselessly. He refused to let go of the controls.
Ever since these golden giants descended upon Earth, humanity had known only pain and death.
But they never gave up.
Even if they were small like dust and gravel, even if the gap between them and the golden giants was like heaven and earth—
They never gave up!
Because humans possess a will that refuses to break.
They carry the torch of resistance from generation to generation.
The father falls, the son rises.
The elder brother dies, the younger steps forward.
It was this relentless defiance that pushed back the golden giants during their first appearance and bought humanity three more years.
"No matter how small the ant, it can break the dam."
"No matter how fragile the grain of sand, it can build a tower."
"Even if I die, someone else will stand where I fall and continue the fight!"
The young pilot pushed the throttle forward, steering the fighter jet with his remaining strength and charging toward the three-eyed golden giant.
"Even if I only leave a tiny wound—more people like me will follow. Wound after wound... until we destroy you!"
"Monsters like you will fall in the end—do you hear me?!"
With a defiant roar, the flat-topped youth made his final charge!
His fighter jet drew a silver arc through the sky, slamming toward the giant's head.
"Futile."
The three-eyed giant shook his head slowly, stretching out his mountain-like fingers and gripping the jet in his palm.
Just as he prepared to crush both jet and pilot into powder—
Boom!!!
The world changed!
Above the ocean sky, a massive vortex appeared.
From within, immortal light burst forth—sunlight like divine fire, accompanied by terrifying void storms and thunder from the Nine Heavens.
And then—
A faint, confused voice echoed out.
"…Is this the Earth of today?"