Everyone was caught off guard by how smoothly this "epic" quest was completed.
Not a single person died as they erged from the valley.
What puzzled everyone even more was just what the heck "Falling Feather" was all about.
"What should we do now?"
Looking at the stupefied "Falling Feather," Mosquito scratched the back of his head and turned to Mole.
He had logged off earlier in an attempt to wake up Falling Feather, only to find the guy stuck in a bug and unable to resurrect.
Mole thought for a mont, then shook his head.
"I don’t know... But if this thing is important, I guess the Manager will probably send a plane to pick it up."
But then again...
The quest required the recovery of a corpse, right?
It was a corpse, wasn’t it?
Wouldn’t it be strange if it was still alive?
Mole’s gaze at Falling Feather suddenly took on an "amorous" quality.
Si Si pondered for a while and said, "I also think... since this quest is so important, there must be a follow-up. We probably don’t need to worry about it."
Tail said, "Oh! Brother Guang must have a way!"
"Falling Feather," trailing behind everyone, was completely oblivious to being the center of everyone’s attention. At that mont, his expression was dull, and a string of drool even hung from the corner of his mouth.
He didn’t seem too bright, that’s for sure.
Mole sighed inwardly.
"It would be nice if Old Na were here..."
The group made their way back to the narrow entrance of the valley and found the truck parked by the roadside, but their guide had vanished without a trace, and the motorcycle was gone too.
No one blad him, though.
As a devout believer, the shock to his worldview after witnessing a dead god co back to life was understandable.
However, as everyone was about to leave the valley, ready to head ho, they were stunned by the scene before them.
A dark mass of cavalry approached from the west, surrounding the entrance to the valley.
Leading the group was Saen, the city lord, and the old priest Prest was with him.
Craining his neck and instigating others, Tail called out,
"Oh! Si! Your admirer!"
Si Si pretended not to hear and subtly shifted her gaze.
Although grateful,
She was still sorry.
The impressive group of over a hundred cavalries approached, and before the city lord could speak, the old priest dismounted first.
Seeing Sesa Paste safe and sound, the old man quickly stepped forward to ask,
"Are you alright, ssenger of the gods?"
"I’m... okay, haha."
Sesa Paste’s face was adorned with an awkward but polite smile, unsure of how to respond and looking helplessly towards Si Si.
Saen also dismounted and, instead of bringing up earlier events, ca closer to ask,
"What happened over there? I heard that The God of the Sky..."
Si Si replied with grave seriousness,
"The seal indeed beca loose. The God of the Sky’s bones had been corrupted by evil spirits and had just crawled out of the tomb."
Everyone gasped. The faces of the cavalries all showed discomfort.
They would even prefer to charge towards a machine gun emplacent than face an indescribable entity.
Saen looked at her in astonishnt, while the old priest turned for help to the "ssenger of the gods" beside him.
Seeing the look passed by Si Si to him, Sesa Paste quickly nodded.
"Yes... that’s what happened."
Trembling with his voice, the old priest asked,
"What should we do then?"
With a gentle smile on her face, Sesa Paste continued,
"Don’t worry, we have resealed it... The bones of The God of the Sky have fallen back into slumber. As long as it is not disturbed from its eternal rest like today, it will continue to sleep."
Saen looked at her gratefully, and then considered the people behind her, saying sincerely,
"Thank you, you’ve helped us a great deal... I really don’t know how to thank you."
"Oh! No problem! Just as long as—" at at instinctively covered Tail’s mouth.
Si Si gave a small cough, speaking on behalf of Sesa Paste who didn’t know how to respond,
"... as long as the residents here can return to their forr peaceful lives, and the chaos that sweeps across the desert can co to an end."
Saen looked at her with a complex expression, all the things he wanted to say apparent on his face, yet he didn’t voice a word, simply nodding.
Standing next to Mole, Mosquito whispered a jibe with a sideways glance,
"If this guy went back to ancient tis, he could probably beco a fortune-teller."
"That’s not certain," whispered Mole in response, "Depends on the circumstances. If they t soone less forgiving, he might have been burned as a witch."
"Sss... That actually might be possible."
As the two quietly chatted, the blank-faced Falling Feather tilted his head, and a drop of drool fell to the ground.
Nobody heard that almost imperceptible sound.
"Eee..."
...
The Skeleton Corps’ base was located right next to the White Bear Knights’, with sixteen tanks, including the light tank that Mole had scavenged, and over thirty logistics trucks all parked in the camp.
The players took turns on duty, and with the rise of the morning sun, this long night finally ca to an end.
Just as Mole had guessed.
Early the next morning, the Company’s transport plane landed north of Petra Fortress.
The sci-fi aesthetic of the streamlined fuselage contrasted sharply with the nearby Enclosing wall and cast-iron Artillery.
Yet in this absurd Waste World, it blended in without any sense of discordance.
"The art director of this Ga is a genius!" Mole, standing at the entrance of the base, couldn’t help but exclaim.
No exaggeration, no belittlent.
Being able to integrate so many art styles into the sa Ga, achieve harmony among them, and make them as realistic as the real world...
That skill was simply astonishing!
At that mont, a pilot, with a helt tucked under his arm, walked towards the camp, tossed a salute with a flick of his index finger, and greeted them with a carefree smile, extending his right hand.
"Tiger Whale No.3’s pilot, Liu Yue!"
"Skeleton Corps leader, er... Mole."
Every ti he introduced himself, Mole couldn’t help curling his toes in embarrassnt, wishing he could give his past self a slap in the face.
Upon hearing the unusual na, the man didn’t laugh but instead lit up with excitent, gripping his right hand firmly.
"Wait, Mole? Are you that Mole?"
Mole was baffled by the question.
Who else in the entire Alliance was called that?
"Uh, yes? Can I help you with sothing?"
Liu Yue’s face broke into a shy smile, but he didn’t rest his hands, quickly fishing a small notebook out of his pocket.
"I’m sorry, may I have your autograph?"
Mole was perplexed but still took the notebook and scribbled down a line in United Human language.
"Thank you!"
Liu Yue took it back as if he had found a treasure, stuffing it into his pocket before giving a friendly pat on Mole’s shoulder.
"Thanks, brother... your Ga is aweso! It’s a sha I only managed to play a few rounds before I was rotated out here!"
In an instant, Mole felt a wave of confusion, suddenly realizing sothing, and excitedly asked,
"Wait! You’ve played my Ga? Where did you hear about my Ga?"
"Of course, I downloaded it from Endpoint Cloud..."
Seeing Mole’s astonished face, Liu Yue imdiately realized sothing and slapped his forehead,
"Oh, I almost forgot, you’ve been out fighting a war, so you might not know, but right after you left that day, several dia outlets from Ideal City reported your heroic deeds!"
"I heard that a film company is planning to adapt your story into a movie! Not only that, now the entire city’s ’war enthusiasts’ are playing your ’The Great Escape’! Haha, just kidding, of course—we’re all against War... I hope this damned War ends soon so we might spar a bit on Endpoint Cloud."
Looking at this true fan in front of him, Mole felt dizzy as if in a dream.
Seeing his idol unresponsive, Liu Yue didn’t mind, just grinned and laughed.
Suddenly rembering sothing important he had forgotten to say, he smacked his head again, then got down to business.
"Oh right, by the way, your commander assigned you a new mission, which should already be synchronized to your personal terminal... VM? I think that’s the na."
He saved the most important thing for last.
Mole seriously doubted whether the guy would have rembered at all if it hadn’t co to him.
He had a new appreciation for the unreliability of Company’s soldiers.
But at the mont, Mole was too shocked by the news that had traveled over four thousand kiloters to concern himself with criticism.
Famous?
His Ga beca famous???
After a good while, the stunned Mole managed to blur out a word.
"Damn!"
...
The Company’s transport plane brought more than the Alliance Managers’ new mission; it also delivered fuel for the Skeleton Corps’ tanks and generators to recharge the "Electric donkeys" and "Electric bulls."
The supply operation was estimated to take three days, and after that, the Skeleton Corps would continue on their way to the front lines.
At the Manager’s request, Mole carefully selected two reliable brothers from the Skeleton Corps to escort "Falling Feather" back to Qingquan City by plane for treatnt.
Also, being transported to the Alliance were General McCullen of the Corps and his adjutant, among other high-ranking officers.
These individuals were bargaining chips in the ceasefire agreent.
As for officers below the rank of Thousands of leaders and nearly 6000 soldiers, they were temporarily overseen by the Cal Hump Kingdom.
Regardless of whether the nobles of Cal Hump Kingdom were willing, they were now effectively bound to the Alliance’s chariot.
By this point, even the most naive could no longer entertain the illusion of a chance to submit to the Corps; the only option was to continue the fight alongside the Alliance.
Just before boarding the plane, Mole took extra care to instruct the two players.
"Rember to keep a close eye on ’Falling Feather.’
If he shows any unusual behavior or threatens the safety of the plane or prisoners, don’t hesitate, just take him out..."
As he said this, he gestured a throat-slashing motion with his hand.
Last night, Mole had tactfully discussed the matter with Falling Feather, seeking his opinion.
Upon learning that his body had been hijacked and he might beco an Eater, Falling Feather beca agitated, wishing he could log in and take himself out.
The two players nodded earnestly.
"Rest assured, leader!"
"We always handle our business reliably!"
The Mole nodded in relief and watched "Falling Feather" follow the two onto the plane.
At that mont, he suddenly saw the Mosquito also heading towards the plane and couldn’t help asking,
"What are you up to?"
The Mosquito gave a shy smile and said, "Heh heh, I’m just hitching a ride ho. The respawn CD is too long to wait for."
Indeed, the Petra Fortress was a lively and interesting place, but he still preferred the atmosphere over in Qingquan City, where the moist air felt more comforting to breathe.
Especially after seeing that Titan controlled by the sli mold last night, a bold idea suddenly popped into his brain.
He planned to give it a try on his way back.
The Mole was stunned and asked, "What the fuck? If you leave, who’s going to fly the plane?"
"The plane? Oh, you an the one I flew in on," Mosquito laughed, "I’ve given that to the Lord of the Petra Fortress."
The Mole was shocked: "Is that possible??"
Mosquito said generously, "Hmph, why wouldn’t it be? It’s not like that thing is expensive! I decided on it!"
In fact, he wasn’t in charge of such decisions and was just bragging a bit.
Actually, gifting the plane to the Lord of the Petra Fortress was not his choice, but sothing the Manager ordered him to do before he left.
Not only that, but the Manager also told him to let the Lord of Petra know that if he found the propeller aircraft useful, he could send an envoy to the north suburb of Qingquan City to purchase more.
Twenty cows would buy one plane, and they’d even throw in 1000 rounds of ammunition, which was a bargain considering the quality and price.
Furthermore, the Alliance didn’t just sell weapons but also provided training for operating them. The Lord of the Petra Fortress could have his pilots accompany the envoy, learn to fly, and then directly take the plane back ho.
A journey of nearly 1000 kiloters, though beyond the operational radius of the W-2, was still manageable for a one-way flight, and they could even transport so local specialties en route.
As the Alliance’s longest-serving propeller aircraft, it was very versatile—arm it with a light machine gun and it could dogfight; swap for a heavy machine gun and it could strafe the ground; remove the weapons and it could even be used to spray pesticides.
Very handy indeed!
All the personnel had boarded, the Tiger Whale Transport Aircraft’s cargo doors closed, and, trailing two brilliant blue arcs, it took off from the dunes and headed east.
Watching the blue light vanish on the horizon, Si Si narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at the Mole beside her.
"What plans do you guys have next?"
The Mole recalled the tasks updated on VM and casually responded,
"...The Army and the Falcon Kingdom’s Allied Forces are withdrawing from Oasis No.9. The Manager has ordered us to go to Oasis No.9 for reorganization, and after rging with reinforcents from the rear, we’ll advance to Oasis No.3 and seize the Honey Badger Kingdom in one fell swoop!"
The one known as Tail, standing nearby, exclaid in surprise.
"Wow! Sounds like things are going well!"
It seed the war would be over before long.
The Mole said with a laugh.
"Hahaha, we also have you to thank for that—if it hadn’t been for your help, we definitely wouldn’t have had such smooth sailing!"
The great victory in Lost Valley and the counter-offensive in the City of Abundance were turning points in the entire war.
Much like the Normandy landings and the Battle of Stalingrad were to World War II.
at at rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
"Likewise, we have to thank your tanks as well. Just based on our and Petra’s garrison’s combat power, we wouldn’t have stood a chance against the Army."
"Don’t say that; victories in battles are not asured by combat power alone. On battlefields of this scale, even gaining one extra second can improve our chances of winning."
The Mole continued with a smile.
"Speaking of which, what about you guys? Are you heading to the front lines? We can give you a lift."
Si Si curved her lips slightly as she replied.
"Spring has given us the freedom to move around. He says we’re more useful outside the Army than in."
"Giao! Did he really say that?" Tail’s expression showed he was deeply affected.
The Mole laughed heartily, without a care.
"Hahahaha! That’s the spirit; it does sound like sothing Spring would say!"
Tail looked dejectedly at Si Si, who smiled and patted his head.
"Don’t be down, I think it’s actually a form of affirmation."
"Affirmation?"
"Yes, it affirms Ah Wei’s achievents in other areas."
Everyone has things they’re good at and not so good at. Instead of struggling in areas where we’re weak, it’s better to do even better in the areas where we’re strong.
The ga was never ant to be played in a predetermined way.
Why didn’t Wasteland OL "only" offer test qualifications to a certain type of player?
Or in other words, why wasn’t it specified that only players of certain professions could participate in the ga?
With the technical capabilities presently shown by the operator, it would not be difficult to accomplish this technically.
But since they didn’t do it, there must be a reason for it.
...
Three days later, at dawn, the replenished Skeleton Corps set off once again.
Under the watch of both the defending forces and residents of the Petra Fortress, this iron tide rolled out impressively towards the north.
Though the ti was brief, a lot had happened in those few days.
The news that the Army had detonated a nuclear bomb at the Oasis No.7 ruins spread throughout the entire Alliance, and also reached nearby Giant Stone City.
The author of the related news report was the well-known journalist Miss Dolly from Survivor’s Daily, and the photos ca from the nuclear explosion video shot by Tail.
When it was revealed that the Army had intended to secretly drop the bomb over Qingquan City, Giant Stone City was imdiately abuzz with talk, and calls for war rang out from both inside and outside the city walls.
Different from Luo Xia Province.
The people in the southern River Valley Province were fierce, especially the survivors from Qingquan City.
Many had been lulled to sleep by gunfire since they were babies, and even learned to shoot at the sa ti as they learned to walk. The gene for violence was ingrained in their DNA, coursing through their veins.
Even in such an environnt, there were those who lacked courage, but even their timidity was only relative.
If the Militia Group weren’t firmly in the hands of the city’s Lord, and if City Hall didn’t lack the right to declare war, Giant Stone City’s forces might have already marched into the desert...
But even without mobilizing Giant Stone City to directly join the fray, propaganda tools weren’t entirely aningless.
To support the Alliance in gaining more advantages on the battlefield, Giant Stone City Bank remarkably took the initiative to offer the Alliance a low-interest loan so minimal it could be ignored.
And beyond official support, civilian aid was also occurring silently.
More and more civilians, drawn to the bravery of the Alliance, left the Enclosing Wall and joined it in the "North Suburb."
Among them were skilled technicians and experienced rcenaries.
Even the illiterate who did not know anything, as long as they could wield a hoe or carry a Wrench, were considered valuable assets to the Alliance, which was expanding both its territory and industry.
The excitent wasn’t limited to Giant Stone City, which seed to be sitting on hot coals; at Ideal City on the East Coast, multiple dia outlets reported the news, causing quite a stir on Endpoint Cloud.
The most visible result was that the scale of corporate direct aid to the Alliance increased from the original 300 million Cr to 1 billion Cr, and indirect aid expanded to 2 billion Cr.
Aside from expressing their commitnt with money, five "Cloud Dragonfly" Flapping Machines were sent directly to the North suburb of Qingquan City.
Ten instructors also arrived with them.
They would be responsible for one-on-one training of the Alliance’s pilots, ensuring they could properly operate these next-generation aircraft.
Moreover, more advanced swept-wing jet aircraft were also being developed.
Though mutants couldn’t fly planes, and the East Coast had no use for supersonic fighter jets, that was in the past.
To curtail the Legion’s ambition, their determination to arm the Alliance has only grown stronger.
All these changes were unfolding quietly.
Compared to the growing turmoil in the overall situation, Cal Hump Kingdom, closest to the core of the nuclear explosion, seed to be in a "world of its own."
The nuclear explosion in the valley was like a stone thrown into the sea; it caused ripples but was quickly subrged by larger waves.
The King of Cal Hump Kingdom visited Petra Fortress to learn about the situation from the city’s Lord.
The Kingdom’s High Priest also arrived with him.
Upon learning the identity of Sesa Paste as the "ssenger of God," the white-robed old man imdiately wanted to confer the title of Saint on her.
At first, Sesa Paste found the title interesting; after all, which player would complain about unlocking too many titles?
However, when she learned she would only be able to reside in a special palace prepared just for her, she imdiately paled and vehently refused the title.
Being restricted to one place, unable to move about, what’s the difference from being banned?
Without waiting for Si Si to teach her, she imdiately improvised a prophecy in the expression and tone of a charlatan, declaring that her mission was over and the Silver Moon Goddess called her back to the land of yellow sands, staying would only bring disasters to the local Residents, and so on.
Old Na, the Priest at Petra Fortress, naturally found it hard to let go.
But the High Priest who ca from Royal City did not insist too strongly.
It seed he didn’t really want her to stay there; after so half-hearted persuasion, he regretfully agreed to respect the choice of the divine ssenger.
Although she didn’t unlock the achievent, Sesa Paste didn’t feel any regret.
Being able to travel with her friends was the most precious treasure to her, far beyond any title’s value.
And from another angle, simply waving goodbye and leaving behind a legend might actually be the best choice.
Soday when the ga opens to the public, there will surely be other players who will set foot on this land they have visited.
And by then, how will those newbies interpret this bizarre legend?
It’s quite an intriguing thought...
Watching the Skeleton Corps disappear over the horizon, Si Si, standing at the entrance of their encampnt, glanced at the Residents and Nobles who had co to see them off and muttered to herself while stroking her chin.
"Hmm... It seems we need to speed up our plan."
Yu tilted his head.
"Plan?"
Si Si nodded.
"Yes, the plan to buy Golden Lion Coins."
Indeed, since the victory banquet that day, people had been eyeing this business opportunity, including Count Ross Gold.
Several Nobles of Petra Fortress started offering currency exchange services to the refugees outside the city in the na of "aid."
A bag of Golden Lion Coins used to not even fetch a Golden Cal Coin, but now ten Golden Lions could be exchanged for one Golden Cal.
Although these were small-scale exchanges, it wasn’t hard to see that so Nobles of Hump Kingdom were beginning to waver in their stance.
The outco of a single Battle may not determine the direction of the entire war situation.
But the myth of the Legion being unbeatable was imperceptibly crumbling in everyone’s mind.
Nothing was invincible.
From those eyes watching the Skeleton Corps depart, she saw the Dawn of victory...
At the sa ti, just as the Skeleton Corps headed northward, nearly a thousand kiloters away, Royal City of the Lion Kingdom was abuzz as if in the midst of a festival.
The epic victory at the City of Abundance completely reversed the offensive and defensive situation between the warring parties.
In the three days of the counter-offensive that followed, the Iron Heart, the Storm Corps, and the cooperating Goblin Corps put on an impressive show of force with their exceptional firepower and mobility, on the frontlines.
Assisting the Lion Kingdom in recapturing lost territory and completely liberating Oasis No.3 was only a matter of ti.
However, Chu Guang wasn’t in a hurry to press forward.
Firstly, the Alliance’s Expeditionary Army was running low on ammunition, particularly the rounds needed by the Steel Heart, which required a return trip to Qingquan City for resupply.
Secondly, the Skeleton Corps had only just set out from Oasis No.4, and it would take so ti to reach Oasis No.3 and join the main forces.
Putting aside these strategic factors, there were also political benefits to be considered.
War costs money, and so does giving players mission rewards.
Soone had to foot the bill.
The King of the Lion Kingdom was clearly aware of this, holding a grand welco celebration in Royal City for the victors who had co from afar.
Chu Guang planned to bring up, during his inspection of the Storm Corps, the series of promised matters from Prince Kaliman, including "vassalage"...
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