HI3: Starting from the Previous Civilization

[General POV]

Yan wore a troubled expression, his voice tinged with sorrow. 

"So you're telling me these disasters are merely tests of our civilization? That even worse catastrophes lie ahead? And if we can't overcome them, our only fate is destruction?"

Fan, face solemn, nodded. 

Beside Yan stood Maya, momentarily stunned. The sharp-tongued, headstrong attitude she had earlier seemed to vanish. In truth, the entire room was thrown into chaos: some people fumed with hate, others wept in grief, while others teetered on the edge of madness…

Suddenly, Mu banged hard on the table, producing a loud smack that drew everyone's attention. 

"That's enough! Calm down! At least we've found out the truth."

Under that order, the group gradually settled. A few had completely lost it after hearing this new reality, stuck in a near-psychotic state. Yan quietly circled behind them and delivered light chops to their necks, causing each to collapse unconscious.

Mu studied Fan, the only teenager present, and posed the question on everyone's mind: 

"If you already know the truth, why don't you tell the authorities?"

Fan spread his hands, shrugging. 

"Honestly, it's not that I refuse. It's that even if I did, how would it help? They probably wouldn't believe it. Right now, the Honkai situation is still somewhat contained; it's just scattered incidents, not yet at the point of total chaos.

"And suppose we ran around warning everyone? Most people would label us lunatics and forget about it in a week. Humans like to remain in their pleasant illusions, refusing to face ugly truths.

"Besides, you've all experienced society's darker corners more than I have. You know as well as I do that human nature's 'dark side' often overshadows whatever light it may have. Put it another way, if the profit is high enough, people'll betray anything."

Pausing, Fan took a breath. 

"I do have an idea for beating the Honkai. But it demands a near-impossible condition: a unified world."

He rose from his seat and extended an open hand toward them, speaking gently. 

"If I went so far as to start a war to unify humanity, would you join me?"

That bombshell left everyone dumbfounded. Mu shook his head with a chuckle. 

"Hahaha… so that's your real goal, huh? Meeting Dr. Mobius today was also part of your plan, right? Then you stumbled upon us and adapted your plan as needed."

Fan gave a simple nod. 

"Yes. That's precisely it. I'm a man of rather dark methods—so what do you say? Will you join me?"

Mu placed his hand atop Fan's, smiling. 

"Count me in. If it means saving the world—being heroes for once—why not?"

Yan followed suit, pressing his palm on theirs. 

"Same here. I won't let you hog the hero spotlight alone."

Maya slid her own hand onto the stack, made a silly face, and grinned. 

"Sounds like fun; no way I'm missing this."

"And me! I want revenge on the Honkai for taking my family!" 

"Me too. I've got nothing left but these old bones; might as well go crazy one last time, right?" 

"Yep, I'm in. If it becomes a big deal in the history books, I definitely want a part!"

All except the few who had passed out stacked their hands together. Fan glanced around: men and women, young and old, all looking back with unflinching resolve.

He murmured, 

"Like a sun slowly rising to pierce the darkness… We'll chase away the shadow looming over us, this thing called 'Honkai.'" 

Then, with a clear voice, he declared, 

"I officially announce the founding of 'Break of Dawn.'"

They erupted into cheers. Fan surveyed these earliest followers and felt a glimmer of hope. 

A sudden thought crossed his mind: 'Right, the system's shop had some sort of "Soul-Summoning Ritual" for just 100 coins. Could I really conjure souls here? Is the "soul" concept even valid in this world, or would it pull from somewhere else? Maybe I should give it a shot—it only costs as much as two hours of study. If successful, I'd gain a batch of loyal underlings… plus, maybe I could see my parents again…' 

With that, he decided: buy the ritual, complete with its required equipment.

[General POV]

Fan lifted his voice, calling everyone to order. 

"Alright, quiet down a moment!"

They obeyed immediately, turning to him expectantly. A faint grin spread across Fan's face. 

"I thought we'd celebrate the founding of Break of Dawn with a meal, but something urgent came up—I need help assembling something first."

Mu gave him a hearty pat on the back. 

"No need to be polite. You're our boss now."

The rest chimed in: 

"That's right, Boss!" 

"Lead the way!" 

The atmosphere brightened noticeably. 

"Alright then—follow me."

Yan and a few others hefted the unconscious stragglers over their shoulders. Fan guided them all the way to… a bathroom. Everyone paused, eyes full of confusion.

Without a word, Fan pressed a tile near the toilet. In an instant, the toilet flipped around, and the walls parted, revealing a hidden elevator rising to meet them. The group stared in amazement.

Fan stepped inside, motioning for them to follow. 

"Come on—if we finish this quickly, there's still time for that celebratory meal."

Curious, they piled into the elevator. Everything about it—from the walls to the flooring—felt strangely smooth, unlike any standard construction. When Fan hit the down button, the lift descended with a soft hum.

Eventually, it arrived at the lowest level. With a mechanical chime, they stepped out into a gigantic space lined with gleaming silver plating. Everyone gaped at the sight of such an expansive underground facility—and the bizarre equipment scattered around.

Fan scratched his head in awe. 

'Wow, these system-supplied construction robots are efficient. I told them to build a grenade-launcher assembly line first, then expand the space… So that must mean the production line's already finished. Not bad—looks like my 100 coins were well spent.'

He gave a small cough, then spun around dramatically, striking a "praise the sun" pose. 

"For those seeing this place for the first time… yes, this secret base was built back when I was in elementary school."

Silence. Everyone traded bewildered looks. Maya immediately raised her hand high. 

"I've got questions. If you built this in elementary school, where'd you get the money? And how'd you haul away all this dirt without anyone noticing?" 

All eyes fell on Fan, curious how he would respond.

With hands on his hips, he puffed out his chest, wearing a smug expression: 

"That's easy—banks have plenty of hidden accounts, right? Just help yourself to those. As for the construction…"

He trailed off when a gleaming silver robot came clanking over, steps somewhat uneven, and snapped to attention before him. 

"Welcome back, sir. The grenade-launcher assembly line is complete. The underground base is still expanding. Anything else you'd like us to do?"

Fan tilted his head thoughtfully. 

"Still expanding, huh? Okay, pause it for now and build a few tunnels to the outside. Big enough for two people side by side. Make sure you keep them well hidden."

The mechanical figure saluted. 

"[Follow your command, my master.]" 

Moments later, the same model of engineer robot sprinted by in identical droves, vanishing into the deeper tunnels. Fan's eyes sparkled at the sight. 

'This is definitely worth the money. Next to these guys, current tech doesn't compare at all.'

He glanced back at the slack-jawed faces behind him. 

"So… any questions left?" 

They shook their heads so vigorously it nearly blurred, each answering in hushed tones: 

"No… no more questions. Not a single one."

After all, every one of them had steeled themselves to become beasts of burden or even sacrifice their lives for this cause. Yet here stood their boss, armed with technology that eclipsed modern industry. How could they possibly complain?

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Idiom Explanation: 

• "Beasts of burden" is used figuratively to mean they were fully prepared to do the hardest, dirtiest work without complaint.