Li Chuan stood silently amidst the ruins of the battlefield, watching his comrades as they worked. The burning air and the devastation before him were a stark contrast to the tranquility of the other dimension he had just left behind. His emotions were still in turmoil.

“We can’t go back…” he whispered, his gaze shifting to Su Na. Her eyes, filled with warmth and resolve, made him realize — this time, he couldn’t fail her.

A deep sense of responsibility surged through him. In that peaceful dimension, he had never felt this kind of weight. There, he had once hoped to stay forever, far from war, far from pain.

But now, he was back. His comrades’ lives seemed to rest on his shoulders. “I thought I could run away, but running was never an option for me,” he muttered, recalling the faces of the comrades who had sacrificed themselves for him. Those memories told him that he couldn’t afford to back down again.

Every battle was tied to his fate. “Why didn’t I feel this responsibility in the other world? Maybe… it’s because there was no one there that I truly wanted to protect.”

His eyes returned to Su Na and the others. He knew that it was these people, this war-torn land, that gave him a reason to keep fighting.

Su Na approached, her eyes filled with both determination and gentleness. Li Chuan smiled faintly, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he only nodded. He understood now — it was these people and this battlefield that reignited his sense of duty.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself back to reality. The war wouldn’t end on its own. Only by completely defeating the enemy could they stop the fighting. And this time, he wasn’t running away. He was ready to bear the weight of this war.

Why did the Unified Order use advanced weapons only against Li Chuan? Lao Zhao had an answer. The Unified Order had once conducted experiments on the moon. They accidentally opened a portal to another dimension, but it didn’t stay open for long. Li Chuan’s spatial control abilities could stabilize the portal, which was why the Unified Order had been chasing him.

“Maybe they don’t need Li Chuan anymore,” Lao Zhao said after a pause. “Perhaps that’s why they trapped him in another dimension. But I’m not certain.”

Su Na asked, “How did you manage to stabilize the portal?”

Li Chuan shook his head. “I… I felt like my awakening power guided me. But it’s so unstable. I don’t even know how I did it.”

Zhang Nan clenched his fists. “We need to find out what’s inside that black box.”

Xiao Bai worked quickly on the device. “I’m cracking it… just a few more minutes.”

With a faint beep, the black box lit up, and the screen displayed the title: "Internal Report: The Logos Project."

Xiao Bai frowned. “It’s a report from the Unified Order.”

Su Na leaned in, her eyes scanning the screen. “The Logos Project?” she read softly, anxiety creeping into her voice.

The screen began to reveal the document’s content.

“Emotions once helped humans survive. They allowed us to respond quickly to threats, but in modern society, emotions have become a burden. Anger and fear lead to conflict, to war and violence. These emotions waste resources and create inequality. More importantly, emotions interfere with rational decision-making.”

Su Na murmured under her breath, “Emotions are a burden… What does that mean?”

Li Chuan, calm as always, explained, “They think emotions are holding back societal progress.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Xiao Bai nodded and continued to work. “This might explain why the Unified Order is so interested in Awakeners.” He flipped through more pages, revealing additional details.

“The Logos Project aims to remove emotions through genetic modification. Emotions are no longer necessary. They are a flaw in evolution, not the core of humanity. If we are to become an interstellar civilization, our value should lie in rational contributions, not in feelings.”

Zhang Nan slammed his fist onto the table, anger flashing in his eyes. “They want to become an interstellar civilization? But without emotions, we’re no longer human!”

Xiao Bai kept decrypting the files. The screen displayed more data. “Through genetic modification, emotions are completely removed. We use advanced technology to alter the parts of the brain that control emotions. After the removal, individuals will no longer be affected by emotions and will possess pure rationality.”

Su Na’s face grew even paler. “They want to strip away everyone’s emotions… turning humanity into machines.”

Li Chuan stared at the screen. “It’s more than just removing emotions…” He pointed to a section of text.

Xiao Bai scanned it quickly. “The Green Light Project’s original goal was to activate the awakening abilities of certain humans through the sun’s green spectrum. The results weren’t what they expected.”

Lao Zhao spoke in a low voice. “We’re just their test subjects. Their real goal is to strip away our humanity completely.”

Zhang Nan clenched his fists tightly. “If we don’t stop them, this world is done for.”

Suddenly, Xiao Bai’s face lit up with surprise. “Wait… they didn’t just remove emotions. They’ve modified the body as well.” He continued reading, “The subjects’ skin has been genetically altered to become scale-like. These scales enhance defense and adapt to extreme climates.”

Li Chuan paused, deep in thought. “This means the Unified Order has foreseen some kind of disaster.”

Lao Zhao frowned. “They’re preparing for a future disaster, or maybe… they know something we don’t.”

Su Na lowered her voice. “They still think you’re trapped in the other dimension. We have to keep your return a secret. If they find out you’re back, everything will fall apart.”

Li Chuan tightened his grip. “I’ll stay hidden. But we need to move fast.”

Meanwhile, Zhaogengo stood on a high platform, gazing up at the night sky. The red moon hung overhead, the stars silent. His hands were clasped behind his back, his expression calm. Li Chuan was trapped in another dimension — there was no way he could return.

He looked up as a blue light flickered in front of him, a holographic projection appearing. The mission report was displayed, clearly detailing each step: Li Chuan trapped, the Awakeners weakened, the operation a success. Even though this mission went beyond his orders, Zhaogengo had no regrets. He believed trapping Li Chuan was more effective than capturing him.

The red cursor on the screen blinked as his superiors reviewed the results. Zhaogengo waited patiently. The system operated with precision, every action supported by calculated algorithms. Yet a subtle unease gnawed at him. The system had overlooked Li Chuan’s true threat. Trapping him could provoke even greater resistance.

A moment later, feedback appeared on the screen: “Proceed with the original plan. All measures are compliant.”

At that moment, Zhang Nan’s terminal emitted a soft alert. He glanced at the screen, his expression changing instantly. “Wait… the latest weather data shows that in the next eight hours, a massive sandstorm will sweep across the entire Wuyasha Desert.”

Zhang Nan immediately proposed a plan to use the sandstorm for a surprise attack. He believed it was a rare opportunity. The sandstorm would disrupt the Unified Order’s defenses and provide cover for their operation, creating chaos.

Su Na supported the plan. She felt that if they missed this chance, the Unified Order’s defenses would only become stronger, making future operations even more difficult.

However, Li Chuan voiced his concerns. He pointed out that it would take them at least eight hours to reach their target. Fighting in the sandstorm would be extremely dangerous. The wind and sand would impair visibility, disrupt communication, and possibly damage their equipment. He feared they were underestimating the power of the storm, and acting recklessly would be too dangerous.

Lao Zhao recalled past missions. They had extensive experience in desert combat, and their equipment was designed to handle sandstorms. Their protective gear, including respirators and tactical suits, had been specifically designed for extreme conditions. Su Na added that their preparation this time was more thorough than ever before.

After weighing both sides, Lao Zhao made the decision to proceed with the attack. Though Li Chuan saw the high risks, he understood the urgency and knew they couldn’t delay. Reluctantly, he agreed, but emphasized the need to strictly follow the battle plan and avoid unnecessary dangers.

With the plan set, Zhang Nan quickly assigned roles: the main force would strike the enemy during the sandstorm, while Li Chuan’s team would cover their retreat and secure the escape route. The wind began to rise as the team geared up, ready to launch their assault amidst the storm.