At this moment, Yu Zhou was still fast asleep in his inn room, snoring away without a care.
Fortunately, the inn he rented hadn't been damaged during Zoiger's attack last night.
Unfortunately, the greedy innkeeper had tried to take advantage of the chaos and raise the price. He was nearly beaten half to death by Yu Zhou for it.
A shameless profiteer, Yu Zhou thought at the time, as bad as Ria.
In the end, after some "friendly negotiation," the innkeeper reluctantly gave Yu Zhou the lowest possible rate for the room.
Before he knew it, it was already noon. Yu Zhou yawned, stretched, and made his way to the Dragon Hunter Restaurant.
After working through the night and skipping breakfast, this lunch would have to make up for everything he missed.
He sat down, ordered a plate of honey-stuffed flower chicken, and began to enjoy his meal.
Despite the recent disaster, the restaurant was still as lively as ever.
While eating, Yu Zhou listened to the conversations around him—people chatting, gossiping, and spreading all sorts of news. He was hoping to pick up something useful.
Before long, one conversation caught his attention.
"Did you hear? According to rumours from the royal capital, His Majesty the King has established a new department to resist the invading darkness!"
"Really? That's amazing! At least we'll feel a little safer now!"
"The leader of this department is none other than our Second Princess—Princess Yuzare!"
"Princess Yuzare! She's my goddess!"
"Not only beautiful, but her combat strength is unmatched!"
"Exactly! I heard that during the royal meeting, everyone was arguing over who should lead the new department. But once Princess Yuzare's name was mentioned, no one dared say another word."
"That just shows how highly everyone regards her!"
Yu Zhou munched on his chicken, listening quietly.
"So, it's finally happening, huh…" he muttered.
Just then, the door to the Dragon Hunter Restaurant slammed open, and a young man in travel gear rushed in, out of breath.
"Breaking news! His Majesty and Princess Yuzare have officially issued a royal decree! The Earth Defence Force has been founded!" he shouted excitedly.
"They're recruiting warriors from all across the continent to join!"
The restaurant erupted instantly.
"The Earth Defence Force?! A group to protect the planet? That's incredible!"
"Princess Yuzare—my goddess!"
"I'm signing up! I must meet her!"
"Me too! Goddess, wait for me!"
"To protect the Earth—it's my duty!"
"I want to fight alongside Princess Yuzare to defeat the darkness!"
"Whether I meet the princess or not doesn't matter—I just want to fight for the light! I'm going to register now!"
"Count me in!"
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
Soon, nearly half the restaurant emptied out as people dashed toward the registration site, fired up with passion and devotion.
At least they were decent enough to leave coins on the tables before running off.
Yu Zhou finished his meal, paid the maid at the counter, and followed the crowd outside.
"So, the Earth Defence Force was founded at this point in time, huh…"
As he walked, Yu Zhou thought deeply.
"That means a whole chain of events is about to unfold— the appearance of the Giant of Light, the dark giants, and then Degel and the evil god Gatanozoa…"
He frowned slightly.
"But since I made Dark Tiga appear earlier than in the original timeline… could that cause a butterfly effect?"
He didn't want to admit it, but the thought lingered in his mind.
"Well, if I can meet Yuzare now, it'll be a good chance to ask her about the source of darkness directly."
With that, Yu Zhou quickened his pace.
To join the Earth Defence Force, one first had to pass Princess Yuzare's examination.
Because the capital had been badly damaged by Zoiger, the assessment site was set on the plains just outside the city.
Despite the recent destruction, the open fields still looked peaceful—green grass rippling in the gentle breeze under warm sunlight.
Countless people streamed from the capital toward the plains, forming a long, winding line of applicants.
And this was before the news had spread to the entire continent—once it did, the crowd would be even greater.
Yu Zhou, unlike others, didn't pull the cliché of wearing a black robe in broad daylight. He simply dressed in his usual travel clothes.
At the testing grounds, a young officer and several soldiers had cordoned off a wide area. Princess Yuzare sat elegantly on a chair, a small table before her holding various registration materials.
"Your Highness," a soldier reported, "the applicants are lined up all the way from the city gates."
"It seems there are more people with a heart of justice than I expected," Yuzare said with a gentle smile.
She had originally thought few would respond to the call, but the sheer number of volunteers from the capital alone surprised her.
"Well… I think it's really because of your charm, Princess Yuzare," the young officer admitted, blushing slightly.
Clearly, Yuzare was his goddess too.
"Ah—well…" Yuzare coughed softly, feeling a little embarrassed. Men nowadays really have no filter, do they?
"Ahem." She composed herself. "Since there are so many people, let's start with a written test to filter the applicants."
"Have everyone enter the field, record their names, and distribute the exam papers."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
After giving her orders, Yuzare rose and walked to the entrance of the test area.
The crowd outside went wild the moment they saw her.
"Look! Princess Yuzare!"
"Princess Yuzare, I love you!"
"Princess Yuzare, you're my goddess!"
"I finally get to see her in person!"
"Goddess, over here! Look this way!"
"…"
Shouts of adoration and excitement filled the air.
To them, Princess Yuzare was not just a leader—she was a divine presence, a living embodiment of hope and beauty.
Watching from a distance, Yu Zhou sat casually atop a tall tree, observing the whole scene.
"Well, her charm really is something else," he said with a sigh.
He wasn't here to take the test—he only came to find Yuzare and ask the questions that had been lingering in his mind.
Looking at the swarming crowd of her "fans," Yu Zhou couldn't help but feel exasperated.
There were even a few elderly men—grey-haired, wrinkled, and waving their canes—shouting "Yuzare, my goddess!" with all their might.
He nearly fell off the tree laughing.