"Inside this are the latest identity background files for everyone in that neighborhood. But most of them are from before the Fire Thief appeared; none have been updated in the last two years. Hopefully, the person you're looking for is in here."
In a certain spot in a border city of Suroma, a young man handed a portable hard drive to the other.
"Thanks, Wemban." Adam took the hard drive. "You've done me a huge favor this time."
"Don't say that." The young man named Wemban smiled. "If it weren't for you using your abilities on the island to stop the energy spread from that mech's self-destruction, none of us would have survived."
Wemban was one of the members of the "Eden Project." He had been living on the island all along. On the day Adam came to the island to fight the Red Demon mech, he was there and almost got killed by the explosion.
After that incident, the Eden Project officially ended, and everyone on the island returned to the mainland, entering different departments to work.
Wemban ended up in the intelligence department. He had always been on good terms with Adam, and later Adam reached out to him with a request for help.
After learning about it, Wemban immediately used his position to get the data from the database for Adam.
As for why the intelligence database of Suroma had intelligence on the citizens of Fahe, that was an old question.
During the era of peace, Fahe and Suroma, because they shared a border, had been allied nations bound by peace treaties for many years.
However, Suroma had been secretly monitoring everything about Fahe, from high-ranking politicians to ordinary citizens—no one was spared. As a result, detailed information on every block in Fahe was completely preserved in the Suroma database.
Wemban looked at the complex exoskeleton equipment on Adam's body and said with concern, "Adam, the authorities are still after you now, and you've become... like this. Are you really going to be okay?"
"Don't worry. Losing an arm or a leg doesn't hinder the use of my abilities. I'm still me. The question is, will you get investigated by your department for taking this file out?"
Wemban shook his head and smiled sarcastically. "Data from before this Doomsday Rule era has a confidentiality level in the department on par with 'what I ate for lunch today.' Forget copying a copy; even if I posted it publicly online, it probably wouldn't matter."
"...Yeah, that's true."
Everything had changed since entering the era of the Doomsday Rules. In the early days, even the exposure of so many major secrets hadn't caused much of a stir, let alone the data on ordinary citizens from some block in a nation that had already perished.
It was because people's forgetting speed was astonishing. In less than three years since entering the era of the Doomsday Rules, many extinct nations were already unmentioned and uncared for.
"Alright, you go back. We'll meet again next time."
"Adam." Wemban said before leaving, "Are you planning to stay out here forever? It's not just me; a lot of people from the island know you're still alive and hope you'll come back to Suroma."
Adam was silent for a moment before saying, "As long as Bruce is in power, I will not return to Suroma. You can tell from the fact that this bastard took my wife and daughter and sent thousands of innocent Ascendants to die for his own selfish interests—he will only lead our nation into hell."
Wemban was stunned by this. "Are you saying, Adam... you want to... overthrow His Majesty Bruce? That's impossible, Adam. Even for you..."
"I know I can't do it with my own power alone. But with reliable help, the right opportunity, and the countless Suromans who won't accept the truth once it's revealed, nothing is impossible."
"..."
Wemban finally left, filled with worry.
Adam understood very well that, for the Suromans, Argan was like a small mountain—completely impossible to shake.
This was related both to Suroma's power structure and to Argan's own extreme dominance. From the era of peace all the way into the era of the Doomsday Rules, all of his policies were implemented throughout Suroma—something that had been unimaginable before.
In the Suroma before Argan came to power, the king and the Senate had almost equal power. If the Senate disagreed, it was difficult for the king's policies to be fully implemented.
But after Argan took power, he quickly changed this centuries-old tacit understanding. No one knew what method he used, but the Senate, which had always loved to oppose the king, had become surprisingly obedient, almost always agreeing with everything.
Now, even if Suroma wasn't completely Argan's one-man show, it was close.
"With this more detailed information, if the True Your Holiness is among them, I should be able to find out his identity quickly."
Just as Adam was about to start looking, he suddenly received a voice message sent through a Mind Power item.
It was Moon Key's voice, containing only one simple sentence.
"The Children of Argan tribe is in a life-or-death crisis. We hope to receive your aid."
...
On the Ascendant Home website, the "Trace Origin Travel Troupe" group.
This was a group Guan Tong had created to facilitate communication among organization members.
Using the Mind Network for contact was the safest and most convenient, but not every organization member had reached the Second Stage of Ascension. For example, Black Star and White Star hadn't reactivated their Mind Networks at this stage.
Using electronic devices like phones for contact wasn't very secure, and besides, Guan Tong hadn't used his phone since the [A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea] Rule.
So Guan Tong set up a private group on the Ascendant Home, allowing only organization members to join. Whenever there was something to discuss, they talked in the group.
After the new rule was announced, the group had already started discussing it.
Black Star: "Xisiya has officially announced a large-scale plant clearance. The problem shouldn't be too big."
White Star: "Yeah, we don't have to worry over here. Deputy Troupe Leader should be more careful, right? After all, the city you're in is right next to the rainforest!"
Guan Tong: "White Star is right. Uenoshi, that rule makes your location one of the most dangerous zones."
Whether it was Beixing or Xisiya, people living in cities had the authorities doing powerful plant clearance. There would be danger, but not that much.
But Uenoshi's location in Sakura Prayer Country occupied the original territory of Andai State, with the city right next to vast rainforests.
It was easy to imagine that as time passed, when plants began to show aggressive characteristics, the entire rainforest would inevitably expand rapidly toward the neighboring cities with large populations.
Add to that Sakura Prayer Country's current national decline, with its defensive power almost zero, and facing a "plant attack" at the rainforest level, both Antu and Bandzhen cities would be in danger.
Uenoshi: "I plan to evacuate the Serpent Hair Society members. I was just about to tell you, Troupe Leader."
Black Star: "Speaking of which, Troupe Leader, isn't it dangerous where you are? The valley is full of plants, right?"
White Star: "Yeah, even though you're powerful, Troupe Leader, you should still be careful and go somewhere else!"
Guan Tong: "Thanks for your concern. I am indeed planning to leave. Uenoshi, I'll come find you and take you and your Serpent Hair Society people to the desert for safety."
Black Star: "The Troupe Leader is going to the desert? Makes sense. The desert has the fewest plants, making it the safest place under this rule."
White Star: "It's a pity humans can't just go to space yet. If only we could all go to Terra together—there wouldn't be a single plant on the entire planet, haha."
Black Star: "You'd better not fantasize too much. If we did that, I bet the Fire Thief would just change to another Doomsday Rule. It definitely wouldn't let humans find a loophole."
Uenoshi: "Okay, I'll have the Serpent Hair Society members prepare right away. Troupe Leader, a lot of people will be heading to the desert for safety under this rule, right."
Guan Tong: "Whether there are many or few people, it doesn't concern us. The desert is vast; it can accommodate however many."
Black Star: "Deputy Troupe Leader is overthinking it. Only relatively free individuals or groups can go to the desert if they want. It's not that easy for collectives living in shelters to transport over long distances."
Guan Tong: "Mm, I think so too. For the official governments of each nation, the cost of collective evacuation is too huge. They'll probably still resort to destroying the mutated plants."
Regardless, wildly growing plants were still plants. They wouldn't suddenly transform into some kind of invincible alien monster.
As long as they were still plants, various human thermal weapons and chemical agents like herbicides could still be used against them.
After the Travel Troupe members finished their online text meeting, Guan Tong also prepared to set off.
He retracted the shelter back into the [Wordless Book], took a look at the "growing" forest not far away, and felt a little wistful.
Since leaving Mingdao Mountain, this had been his second long-term residence. After leaving this time, he didn't know if he would ever come back after the rule ended.
It was easy to foresee that plants in these uninhabited mountainous areas, without any suppression, could grow wildly to what extent in a month.
By then, the entire valley would probably be covered by spreading plant clusters, and the wild animals in the valley would likely go extinct as well...
Even Coal Ball was so wary that it hid back in the shelter, let alone other animals. Facing a massive mutated plant cluster with aggressive traits, there was only one way out—death.
But these were things Guan Tong couldn't control, and even all of humanity couldn't control them.
In this era, humanity itself was constantly facing the crisis of extinction. Who still had the mind to care about whether animals went extinct?
Perhaps only relevant experts and genetic researchers would, from the perspective of the integrity of the biological gene bank, hope that the extinction rate of various animals would slow down, so that humans could organize and preserve a biological gene sample bank of Tianshui Star that was as complete as possible.
"Shadow."
Just as Guan Tong was about to leave, Adam's voice came through the Mind Network.
"Moon Key has asked for our help. Her 'Children of Argan' tribe is in serious danger now."
Children of Argan...
Guan Tong wasn't surprised by this.
With this rule announced, it would be strange if that tribe built on the grasslands didn't fall into danger.
In the modern steel-and-concrete buildings of the city, you could still isolate some plants. But how could you isolate them when living in tents on the grasslands? Grass was everywhere, which meant danger was everywhere.
It wasn't just that one tribe. All organizations and groups worldwide that settled in the mountains and wilds would definitely have to leave their homes during this rule for safety, heading to the desert or other safe zones to take shelter.
"We need to help her, Shadow," Adam said again. "She's our friend, and she just helped us find the Your Holiness... even if finding the fake was important."
"Of course." Guan Tong replied through the Mind Network.
If they hadn't found the fake first, they wouldn't have known the fake existed, wouldn't have traced the clues to the real mastermind behind the scenes, and wouldn't have gotten some intelligence on Han Qiu from Scarface.
Even just considering this, Guan Tong wouldn't sit by and watch Moon Key, who was in danger, suffer.
"Do you have a plan? We'd better move as quickly as possible. The plants grow too fast; they can't hold out long on the grasslands," Adam said.
Guan Tong thought for a moment and said, "I'll go rescue the people. I'll put them all in my mobile shelter and temporarily take them to the desert for safety. Adam, you continue investigating the True Your Holiness's identity."
"Okay."
Adam knew Guan Tong would be more efficient working alone. And his own abilities under this rule had both great and limited uses.
Whether it was rescuing people or cutting through plants, he definitely couldn't compare to Guan Tong's "Shadow."
After the two ended their contact, Guan Tong used the Mind Network to contact Uenoshi, explaining the situation to her briefly, and told her to wait for a bit.
There were priorities—urgent matters first. Even though Uenoshi's location was close to the rainforest, since she was in the city, she wouldn't face immediate life-threatening danger. Besides, she herself was a rare strong individual.
On the other hand, Moon Key's situation was different—if they went too late, people would really die.