183: Chapter 183 The US Admits Defeat and Wants to Escape, Jiang Ming: The First Battle is the Decisive Battle!

After a long silence, that American Admiral finally spoke.

"Sir Newton, is there... an upper limit to this replication?"

This question was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's head, and the last shred of hope in the hearts of everyone present.

Newton didn't look at him, but merely tapped lightly on the virtual interface in front of him.

On the giant tactical screen, a new data window popped up, containing topological formulas and information entropy models more complex than a celestial script.

"General, you've misunderstood."

"It doesn't replicate matter or energy, but 'information.' It analyzes our attack patterns, energy spectrums, and even... combat will, then uses its endless black mud as 'printing material' to reproduce this information."

"Theoretically, as long as the total amount of black mud is sufficient, there is no upper limit to this replication."

This conclusion caused the temperature in the meeting room to drop a few more degrees.

The Admiral's temples throbbed. Forcing down the horror in his heart, he asked a question that strained everyone's nerves to the limit.

"If... I mean if! We use our last resort and conduct a saturated nuclear strike on the New Delhi area... what would happen?"

"Nuclear weapons?"

As soon as this question was asked, even the Russian general, who had been resting with his eyes closed, snapped them open, a flash of violent red light in his eyes.

For those who believed 'caliber is justice, range is truth,' this was the ultimate violence human civilization relied on for survival, and their final line of defense.

"Exactly! Big Ivan! No matter how eerie the monster, it should turn to ash under a hundred million degrees of heat!" The Russian Admiral panted, as if grasping at a life-saving straw.

Newton didn't answer immediately.

He simply reached out his finger and quickly constructed a new simulation model on the screen.

"Watch closely; this is a 100% realistic simulation based on existing data."

Everyone saw a miniature point of light representing 'Little Boy' fall into the area representing the black mud in the model.

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

The moment the point of light touched the black mud, it was wrapped and swallowed by countless surging tentacles.

Immediately after, the graph representing the energy spectrum on the screen began to climb frantically, and the radiation index readings went off the charts, turning a glaring red.

"This... what is this?!" the American Admiral stood up in horror.

Newton watched all this calmly until the simulation ended.

"The unique energy spectrum produced by a nuclear explosion, the initiation pattern of the chain reaction, high-energy gamma-ray bursts... all of this will be recorded, analyzed, and replicated by it within 0.013 seconds."

"The conclusion is that in the next, or the one after that, proliferation, it will create 'nuclear bomb monsters' capable of self-sustaining nuclear fusion or fission. At that time, thousands of... walking, tireless, infinitely proliferating mobile nuclear bombs will appear in New Delhi."

The Russian general slapped the table and stood up abruptly.

"This means... our strongest weapon will become its strongest weapon!"

These words were like an invisible sledgehammer, ruthlessly shattering the last bit of hope in everyone's hearts.

The American Admiral leaned back, sinking into his chair. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the sharpness in them was gone, replaced only by a deep exhaustion.

"We... only have one option left." His voice was soft, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Strategic retreat."

"Abandon the Mirror World, withdraw the entire army to Tokyo in the real world, use the 'gate' as the only passage, blow up the entrance, or establish a permanent super defense line on the real-world side."

This proposal was like throwing a life-saving straw to a drowning person.

The representatives of France and John Bull agreed almost immediately.

"I agree! This is the only way to preserve humanity's effective forces!"

"Yes! We cannot be wiped out here; we must preserve the sparks of civilization!"

"Retreat! Organize the retreat immediately!"

The talk of retreat instantly became the mainstream.

Everyone's eyes finally converged on the young man in the main seat who hadn't said a word from beginning to end—the Commander-in-Chief of the Human Joint Expeditionary Force, Jiang Ming.

Just as Jiang Ming was about to speak.

"Heh..."

A voice, tinged with a bit of drunkenness and mockery, rang out lazily.

"Retreat?"

Li Bai, who had been leaning against the wall playing with an empty wine flask, slowly raised his head.

"Where do you think you can retreat to?"

The gazes of all the officers instantly shifted from Jiang Ming to Li Bai.

The American Admiral frowned deeply. "Lord Li Bai, please watch your words! This is a strategic transfer, for the future of all humanity!"

Li Bai chuckled, but there was no lightness in that laughter.

"Future? Ha!"

"Don't you understand yet?"

"That thing is not an army, not a monster; it's a 'living' plague, a thinking, learning rule-based virus."

"Once we retreat, it will devour the entire Mirror World without hindrance in a very short time, turning it into nutrients."

"Then, this 'plague' that has expanded to its limit and possesses the volume of an entire world will pour back into reality through the 'gate,' the only passage!"

"At that time, the real world will also turn into an abyss."

These words were like a bucket of ice water, dousing the fire of hope that had just been lit in everyone's hearts.

They finally understood the reality before them.

Moving forward was a dead end with no chance of winning.

Retreating meant dying along with the whole world, perhaps even faster and more miserably.

There were no choices left.

Absolutely no choices left.

A Lieutenant General from France collapsed into his chair as if his strength had left him.

With trembling hands, he took off his military cap and repeatedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, but the sweat wouldn't stop.

Finally, as if he had lost all strength, his hand loosened, and with a 'clack,' the military cap fell onto the conference table.

This small sound seemed to serve as a signal.

In the entire headquarters, no one discussed tactics, no one argued, and no one even spoke.

Only the sounds of heavy breathing, rising and falling, remained.

"Thump, thump, thump."

A rhythmic tapping sounded. Everyone looked toward the source and saw Jiang Ming, sitting in the head seat, lightly tapping the table with his hand.

Then, Jiang Ming slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across every terrified face before fixing on that black dead land on the tactical map.

"Since there is no way back, then the first battle is the decisive battle."