[Late at night, Ron leads a great army, breaking through the blockade between the Overworld and Underworld and heading to the surface via the Engine of Creation's core.]
[As a field medic, you follow the army to the Overworld. The moment you set foot on the surface, you are met with a dense array of gun barrels aimed at the entrance.]
[The Silvermane Guards await your invasion in full formation. The Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, stands at the exit of the train station, her long spear in hand, cutting an imposing figure.]
[Conflict between the two worlds is on a hair trigger. She requests to negotiate with Ron, the leader of Wildfire, even willingly putting herself in danger to show her sincerity.]
Reading the text on the light screen, Natasha couldn't help but frown.
Why would the Supreme Guardian know about the Underworld's movements?
In the last simulation, when they fought their way up from the Underworld, the Overworld had no reaction whatsoever. The Supreme Guardian clearly had no intelligence channels to learn about what was happening below...
But this time, they had managed to prepare in advance, lying in wait with a full army before the passage was even cleared... What was the difference between this simulation and the last that could lead to such an outcome?
Natasha pondered for a long time before she suddenly remembered the stolen Blessed Berries and the thief who had left behind the smiley face mask. If there was anyone who could have tipped off the Overworld, it could only have been that thief.
The thought gave Natasha a headache. This simulation, which had been relatively smooth sailing until now, had finally hit a proper snag...
The root of this trouble was still the theft of the Blessed Berries. That thief was clearly determined to oppose them; otherwise, he wouldn't have informed the Supreme Guardian and obstructed their unification of the two worlds.
As for the Supreme Guardian's talk of negotiation?
Natasha had zero trust in it. As a top graduate of the Belobog College of Medicine, she was a true high-achiever. Back then, the gap between the two worlds was immense, and it was for the sake of the people in the Underworld that she had given up her promising future in the Overworld, willingly heading to the poor and backward region to provide aid.
And Cocolia had betrayed everyone who had willingly gone to the Underworld... from the miners who chiseled out the geomarrow to the volunteers who went to offer their help, all of them had become victims of Cocolia's betrayal, sacrifices for her goals.
How could she trust the so-called negotiations of a woman who had done such things, especially now, with tensions at their breaking point?
Even if Cocolia completely disregarded her own life and death, appearing full of sincerity, Natasha didn't believe her for a second. She felt that Cocolia would stab them in the back at the first opportunity.
But if they didn't negotiate and a real fight broke out under these circumstances, the problems would be far too great...
Natasha hesitated. She knew very well that although the conflict between the two worlds was severe, it was not impossible to resolve.
If it could be resolved peacefully, then a Belobog armed with "Snowstorm Immunity" could stride quickly into a new future. This world would finally return to the hands of the people, free from the fear of an impending doom, no longer forced to just barely survive in the bitter cold...
But that meant worrying about Cocolia's betrayal... What would Ron do?
If it's Ron, he must have a good way to handle this, right?
With this thought, Natasha, filled with trust in Ron, tapped the screen and let the simulation continue:
[Ron agreed to negotiate with Cocolia.]
[You see Ron tie Cocolia up like a rice dumpling, hoisting her in his hand and stepping into the night with her, seemingly in complete control of the situation.]
[Ron and Cocolia disappear from your line of sight.]
[Due to Ron's extremely disrespectful action, the Silvermane Guards grow agitated. Many of the hot-tempered guards are already glaring with fury, their spears loaded. Their fingers on the triggers seem to tighten, and the sound of muttered curses echoes in the silent night.]
[The Underworld army, having been betrayed by the Supreme Guardian in the past, gloats at Cocolia's predicament and shows the Silvermane Guards no mercy. They respond to the curses with even cruder insults, and the sounds of fury from both sides intermingle as tempers flare.]
[Faced with this situation, you notice Bronya Rand, who had accompanied the Underworld army, quietly leave the ranks. Unnoticed by everyone, she moves deep into the Silvermane Guards' formation and, in her capacity as their acting commander, begins to calm their emotions, doing her best to avoid bloodshed.]
[Seele, the acting commander of Wildfire's First Pioneer Group, also steps forward. Using her authority as commander, she forcefully suppresses the anger of the crowd.]
[A military order is law. With Ron absent, Seele is the highest-ranking officer, and no one would dare disobey her command at this time.]
[The hair-trigger situation is thus defused, and no bloodshed occurs between the two sides.]
Reading the text, Natasha couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for Seele and Bronya. Based on the situation just now, a massive battle seemed all but inevitable...
She watched as new text continued to appear on the screen:
[As time passed, not long after, the crystal rock entwined with vines reappeared in the sky.]
[Ron and Cocolia have returned.]
The text on the screen faded, replaced by a new image:
Treading on a staircase made of vines and crystal rock, Ron and Cocolia returned from Qlipoth Fort.
Unlike before, however, the hemp rope that had been tightly wound around Cocolia was gone. Ron was no longer restraining her. Instead, she walked beside him with a faint smile on her face, having clearly gotten the result she wanted from their negotiation.
Everyone watched them return, their eyes filled with tension and a sliver of hope.
Now, everyone awaited the outcome of their talk. After all, whether in the Overworld or the Underworld, no one wanted a blood feud, no one wanted a war that would engulf all of Belobog...
But it was completely out of their hands. Whether a war that would affect all of Belobog would break out depended entirely on the outcome of Ron and Cocolia's negotiations...
They each belonged to their respective factions, and every single one of them would be swept up by the tide of events, without exception.
Ron and Cocolia descended from the sky on their vine-and-crystal staircase and stood before the two front lines.
Ron said nothing, simply standing there quietly. Cocolia, on the other hand, was visibly excited. She pulled her Lance of Preservation from where she had embedded it in the ground and, in her capacity as Supreme Guardian, announced to the world:
"The Overworld and Underworld have been sealed for a long time, but in the end, we are all part of Belobog. Peace is the only theme that should exist within this city."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, a sense of security filling them.
No one wanted war, and Cocolia's words as the Supreme Guardian were final. Since both worlds were ultimately part of Belobog and the legal status of the Underworld had been acknowledged, there would be no large-scale bloodshed from here on out...
At most, there might be some minor conflicts between the people of the two worlds...
However, just as everyone was feeling reassured by Cocolia's declaration of peace, she suddenly spoke again, sending a massive shock through the crowd:
"On a related note, after our recent negotiation, I am convinced that the leader of the Underworld, Ron, possesses extraordinary abilities, far beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve."
"It has been ten years since the Overworld and Underworld were sealed. A peaceful unification is certain to face many obstacles..."
"The position of Belobog's Supreme Guardian has always gone to the most capable. In order to better resolve these obstacles to our peaceful unification, I have decided to relinquish the position of Supreme Guardian and abdicate in favor of Ron..."
Cocolia's words sent shockwaves through the crowd. The armies of the Overworld and Underworld, which had just been calmed by Bronya and Seele, erupted once again. Her words sparked heated discussions among everyone—
"Who's Ron?"
"Why is the Supreme Guardian abdicating to him? Does he even deserve it?"
"I remember... I think I've seen him before. Wasn't he the captain of the guards at Qlipoth Fort's gate...?"
...
"I knew Ron could do it!"
"Haha, Supreme Guardian? Our boss deserves to sit in that seat!"
"That's Boss Ron for you! How long has it been? With just a few words, he made Cocolia step down. Supporting him as the leader of Wildfire was the best decision I've ever made in my life..."
And one person had the most intense reaction of all—
"Mother?! How could you..."
Bronya stared in astonishment at Cocolia standing before the front lines. Her mind went completely blank, unable to process anything. She felt dizzy, as if her entire world were collapsing...
What on earth happened for things to turn out like this?
She couldn't understand it, and her questions were drowned out by the roar of the crowd, disappearing without a trace.
The image on the screen faded, and new text appeared:
[The possibility of war between the Overworld and Underworld has been completely eliminated.]
[Matters concerning the peaceful unification are being pushed forward at full steam. The entirety of Belobog is operating at full capacity, rolling forward with the wheels of history.]
[News of Cocolia's impending abdication to Ron has spread throughout Belobog. In every corner of both the Overworld and the Underworld, people are discussing this shocking event.]
[Initially, the people of the Overworld were hostile towards Ron and did not trust him.]
[However, the unification of the two worlds gave rise to numerous conflicts. As one of the primary drivers of the peaceful integration, Ron personally stepped in to resolve the vast majority of these disputes. Many potential incidents of bloodshed were averted under his guidance.]
[The people of the Overworld, having benefited from Ron's grace multiple times, gradually changed their attitude towards him. Coupled with the relentless public opinion campaign led by Ron and Cocolia, the people of the Overworld no longer held any animosity towards him. All that remained was a small sense of anticipation for their future Supreme Guardian.]
[All preparations are now complete.]
Reading this, Natasha felt a sense of relief wash over her.
As expected of Ron. He negotiated with Cocolia and got her to abdicate directly to him...
The dissent in the Overworld had also faded. It seemed he would be able to become the Supreme Guardian of Belobog very peacefully and bring the entire city under his control.
Now, Belobog would stride into a new future, just as she had hoped...
As Natasha thought this, new text appeared on the screen:
[The day before the new Supreme Guardian's inauguration ceremony, Ron came to see you.]
The text faded, and a new scene emerged:
A travel-worn Ron walked into the hotel late at night. Most of the Underworld leaders had been arranged to stay here, waiting until the unification was complete before being assigned to their new posts by Ron, where they would continue to lead Wildfire and guide the Underworld into a new future.
As the true leader of Wildfire, Natasha was naturally staying here as well, awaiting Ron's ceremony tomorrow.
"What brings you here all of a sudden?"
Natasha smiled teasingly at the dusty Ron and gently brushed the dirt from his clothes.
"Get some rest. The Supreme Guardian's inauguration is tomorrow... You're the star of the show."
But as he looked at Natasha's face, Ron fell silent for a moment before suddenly shaking his head.
"No, Natasha. I don't want to be the Supreme Guardian."
"You don't want to be the Supreme Guardian?"
Natasha was taken aback. "Why?"
"Because simply becoming the Supreme Guardian isn't enough... Too many obstacles dilute the Guardian's power. What Belobog needs now is not a gentle protector, but an emperor who can take complete control of the entire city."
"From here on, we face the Fragmentum across all of Jarilo-VI, not just the small skirmishes we had in the Underworld... My methods will become extreme, and a Supreme Guardian cannot do what needs to be done."
"I don't want anyone disturbing me while I establish my empire."
Ron looked at Natasha and said earnestly:
"I came to you today to talk about this... I need your support, Natasha."
"I have complete control of the Silvermane Guards. There aren't many who can stop me now, but I don't want a single voice of opposition to be raised tomorrow..."
"Take the Pioneer Group, and help me deal with those troubles in the shadows, Natasha."