Since the "Southern Invasion" expansion pack was released, the Alliance’s population has nearly reached the six million mark.
In both Dawn City and Giant Stone City, where the population is most dense, the number of permanent residents has surpassed the million mark, with the forr heading towards two million.
The industrial and research hub, Falling Leaves City, as well as the transportation center, have a population approaching one million.
These include not only migrants from other regions but also newborns born on Alliance land.
After the "Bone Chewing Chaos" ended, there was a baby boom in the Alliance.
Now, the children born during that ti are already attending kindergarten, and the teenagers who joined the Alliance then have gradually grown into young adults.
The growth isn’t just in population but also in player numbers.
As more refuges are unlocked, the number of closed beta accounts has gradually increased from 100,000 to 200,000, with 170,000 accounts already distributed.
During the remote alpha testing phase, the ratio of players to NPCs could barely maintain between 1:5~1:10, but now the number of players has been far outstripped by the explosive growth of NPCs.
This is, however, inevitable.
The refuges cannot sustain a civilization; the refugees from the old era, after enduring harsh winters, will eventually sow the carefully cultivated seeds of hope on the ground...
"Wasteland OL" Official Website.
During the daily peak log-in tis, the forum remains lively as always.
New and old backseat drivers exchange ga strategies and insights, while seasoned players continue to drive at full speed.
Compared to the brake issues of Train No. 97 and distant world cultural changes, most fun-seekers are more interested in what new antics Mosquito Brother and Tail have been up to lately.
Recently, it was Tail’s turn.
The White Bear Knights sohow went to the continent’s northernmost point and found a nearly bankrupt private research institute in a swamp with no villages or land in sight.
Allegedly, the director claid to be a "non-staff personnel" of the Academy and learned so gene editing techniques with a researcher.
However, he didn’t know if his ntor cooled off or forgot about him and his project, waiting ten years without seeing the ntor.
The institute’s resources have now depleted, and the unfortunate middle-aged man was planning to beco a drifter in the wasteland when he t helpful Ah Wei.
In short, after completing a series of resource collection and specin recovery tasks, the guy promised to help her restore so extinct species using gene synthesis technology.
But to accomplish this, rely a research institute and so DNA won’t suffice.
They need an entire gene pool, which in pre-war tis was mostly scattered across the polar regions.
As such, the White Bear Knights are headed further north than Ice Sea City, towards the Arctic.
It’s said that parts of that area are Northern Corps territory.
No players have ever been there.
An enthusiast has already started a betting thread on the forum to guess how long it will take before she appears at the respawn point in Dawn City.
Of course, the forum is never short of people clamoring "Give the helt," "Going to the Arctic is better than going to the Antarctic," "This is pointless," or "How did this group get the helt?" - all those who enjoy telling people what to do.
These know-it-alls resemble family eting mbers.
This is part of the forum’s ecosystem.
Like the mammoth story or what is Garbage Lord, Difficult for the strong actually playing - just snippets of the forum’s many trivialities.
Just as the forum ho page posts were being refreshed by the second, Mosquito Brother suddenly jumped out to paste a line filled with eye-catching punctuations on the public screen.
"Holy crap! Guess what happened?!"
Tail: "!?"
Quit smoking: "What the heck? There’s no preamble whatsoever, what are we supposed to guess?"
Night Ten: "I suspect this guy is going to fart again, let’s be a prophet first. (Funny)"
Mosquito: "Don’t panic, brothers, listen to my story slowly. I was in Kun Town playing cards, an NPC sat opposite , and during our ga, he suddenly couldn’t play anymore...so guess what happened?"
Tail: "???"
at at: "Holy crap, the claws are flexing!"
The post reached over a hundred floors.
As Mosquito teased the crowd gradually becoming impatient, he dared not hold back any longer and typed out what he encountered yesterday at the bottom of his post.
"That guy dug out so earwax, and I thought he was going to do sothing, but unexpectedly he turned into the Manager himself!"
The post fell silent for a while, several seconds passed without anyone comnting.
Tail: "Giao! Is this even human behavior?! (Angry)"
Si Si: "..."
Teng Teng: "What the heck."
Crow: "Psht, and here I thought you were going to say sothing significant. (Speechless)"
Mosquito: "Wait, don’t you guys find it horrifying?! Honestly, I almost peed my pants back then. (Horrified)"
Wild Wind: "If you don’t do bad things, you’re not afraid of ghosts knocking at the door, seriously reflect on what bad things you’ve done recently. (Side-eye)"
Mosquito: "?? Holy crap, I’m a good guy, don’t falsely accuse , okay!"
Night Ten: "I bet you pulled out that Golden Legend again. (Funny)
Clear Wind: "By the way, Captain, how co you ended up in Brocade River Province?"
Gui Gui: "The front line needs people, hey! Hurry back after you’re revived! (Angry)
Mosquito: "Cough, let rest a bit, I’m a human not a machine. Been flying for over half a year, pretty tiring... Plus, the pilots over there are getting more skilled now. Can’t always rely on to help, in the end, their victory coming from the sky might not be such a good thing."
Edge Shoveling: "You guy, making laziness sound so refined. (Sweat)
Fang Chang: "Hmm, speaking of which, the Manager seems to be in Weifu City lately, but that guy is so busy, usually both around and not to be seen. Having ti to play cards with you is definitely a bit unusual... Think carefully about what else he did besides playing cards."
Mosquito: "...Uh, is this really important?"
Fang Chang: "Whether it’s important or not, isn’t it helping analyze for you? If not needed, just forget it. (Side-eye)
Mosquito hesitated for a mont, but eventually still narrated the whole story honestly.
Including how he used a fusion card to summon the [Manager Riding Nicole], including the several-billion value "Golden Legend Card" forcibly bought by the Manager with a few bills.
After listening to his account, the thread was filled with jeers of schadenfreude, obviously, quite a few people had seen that card.
Besides those card friends who suffered because of it, there were also good brothers sincerely helping Mosquito analyze.
Like Spring Water Brother.
"Perhaps the Manager is warning you not to ride on others’ heads in his na. (Funny)"
Mosquito: "Ah?! I didn’t do that. (Awkward)"
Spring Water Commander: "Well, interpret it from another perspective, he hopes you use the abilities and status the refuge granted you more cautiously. Rember, with greater ability cos greater responsibility, or one day your tools for committing actions might be confiscated. (Funny)"
Mosquito: "Whoa... Is it that serious?! (Horrified)"
Fang Chang: "Cough, don’t tease Mosquito anymore, though the Manager occasionally acts a bit black-hearted, in past events he’s never been as dark as you’re saying."
"However... I’m wondering about another possibility. Since you say he understands all your jokes, including real-life ones, could it be possible that what you saw at that ti wasn’t the Manager, but Ah Guang who was playing the Manager?"
Mosquito: "What?! Are you saying the planner logged into a big account?!"
"Hmm... Based on existing intelligence, the planner should be able to log into NPC accounts. Technically, this shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. What puzzles is why he did this, is there so deeper aning behind it... Or as Spring Water Brother said, might he be trying to convey so ssage to you through this thod."
Night Ten: "Ah Guang maybe just thought Mosquito was too smug, wanting to use the NPC’s mouth to tell him ’the Manager is watching you’. (Funny)"
Mosquito: "Whoa... He really said that! (Surprised)"
Crow: "Uh, I think you’re overthinking it... Maybe Ah Guang simply wanted to play cards."
Tail: "Boohoo, damn, Crow Boss is so naive, makes wanna bully her."
Crow: "???"
Watching the increasingly absurd chattering sand sculptures in the forum, Chu Guang, peeking through the holographic computer, shook his head with a smile.
"These guys have such big imaginations."
In a few words, he went from "able to possess the Manager anyti" to "able to appear and possess any NPC at any place at any ti."
The forr speculation was completely pointless, as the planner and Manager are intrinsically the sa person, Ah Guang and Dawn are rely his aliases, he never needed to possess anyone and has always been dual-opening.
As for the latter assumption, it’s sowhat laughable, even evolving into spicy eye theories that made even Xiao Qi’s fists harden, prompting Chu Guang to close the thread as he couldn’t stand it anymore.
Honestly speaking, he indeed doesn’t want anyone to forcefully persuade or oppress others using his na.
But there’s truly not much deeper aning to confiscating Mosquito’s "Golden Legend"; simply because this guy’s drawing of him holding a hamr was too awkward.
If this dog coin had drawn him more realistically or more handsoly, he wouldn’t have spent 500 silver coins to buy a piece of paper.
This crappy thing is expensive even at five silver coins.
After buying it, he just threw it to Xiao Qi to keep for him.
Ultimately, Crow’s broad-mindedness understood him the best.
...
On another side, to the south of Poluo Province, at the border between Wolf State and Snake State, soldiers carrying guns were moving supplies with large bags from Wolf State’s direction.
They dressed simply, had thin bodies, but sharp eyes like wolves in the jungle.
Days ago, under the command of General Groove, they launched an operation nad "North Wind Action."
Units including the 101st and 102nd ten-thousand troops fragnted into smaller groups, advancing from the northern state border of Snake State into Wolf State, launching sudden attacks on strategic facilities throughout the southern part of Wolf State held by the Southern Legion using small-scale infiltration, ambush, and encirclent tactics.
Tactically speaking, this operation is a textbook victory, the Southern Legion had no idea that Shaluk would attack, spies planted in Snake State didn’t receive any intel about "North Wind Action," and several garrison and logistics forces in the southern counties were pushed back dozens of kiloters.
Strategically speaking, this force from Snake State not only heavily damaged the Southern Legion’s logistics deploynt in the southern part of Wolf State but also greatly relieved the military pressure on the southern part of Tiandu.
Since the Southern Legion occupied Wolf State, it engaged in massive training of the Servant Army in the area, and attempted to infiltrate from the southern Tiandu into various states east of Poluo Province.
There are several industrial facilities and railways constructed with alliance support in those eastern states.
Their safety is not only related to the economy of Poluo Country but also concerns the supply of materials to the front lines.
Shaluk, running faster than a rabbit, this ti seed to finally rember he’s a wolf, not a dog, and fiercely bit at the Southern Legion’s heel.
Although it can’t be sure about Shaluk’s attitude toward the "North Wind Action," those troops were ultimately his people.
This exhilarating victory not only served as a loud slap to those who mocked him for "resting and storing strength" but also greatly boosted the morale of radicals in Jinjaron Harbor.
And this is the sa for those soldiers on the front lines, especially the 101st unit commanded personally by General Groove, where officers and soldiers all displayed expressions of pride and satisfaction.
When they left Snake State, the two of them were so poor they shared one gun. But when they returned, not only was everyone carrying two or three guns, they also had a whole lot of rifles, short cannons, and heavy machine guns.
Not just that, but they also took the military trucks of the Southern Legion, and together with those freight tricycles and ox carts, they carried crates and bundles of ammunition back to the mountains of Snake State.
Besides the frontline combat units, General Groove, who directed the battle, was equally thrilled.
Looking at the guns and ammunition brought back from the frontline, he enthusiastically patted Dog Brother’s shoulder, his mouth almost splitting to his ears.
"Mr. Dog Bear truly has a masterful strategy! This battle, we must have wiped out at least twenty to thirty thousand of them!"
Hearing this, Dog Brother smiled awkwardly, humbly and modestly saying.
"Not at all, not at all, just a little everyday skill."
Twenty to thirty thousand might be exaggerated, but it shouldn’t be much off.
After all, he personally saw the spooked expressions of those Weilante people and their servant army.
This ti, those big noses were sure beaten embarrassingly!
By the way, Dog Bear is a nickna he gave himself, since his ID doesn’t sound very refined no matter how you say it.
Can’t go around telling everyone he’s called Old Dog or Duct, right?
The na "Dog Bear" needs to be a bit more imposing.
Hearing that strange expression, Groove paused, scratching his head in confusion.
"Everyday... skill?"
Dog Brother coughed lightly, explaining.
"Ahem... what I an is, when we fought the Chewing Bone Tribe back then. Those Looter accepted the army’s equipnt and command staff, their combat power far exceeded ours, but facing our continued skirmish tactics, they were eventually defeated."
After a few months of practice, his United Human language wasn’t as terrible as it was at the beginning of the year, though sotis his wording was still a bit "unorthodox," making it hard for survivors outside the Alliance to understand.
But fortunately, this little problem didn’t hinder their communication. Groove didn’t ask much and just nodded in realization.
"I see... guerrilla skills, are everyday skills for you guys."
At this point, Groove’s gaze beca even more admiring.
People always told him, Weilante people were so kind of fighting race, but in his view, these River Valley folks were!
After all, at least they had a group helping, but these guys could rely on their own strength to floor the army-installed Looter.
Dog Brother: "Uh, it’s not that exaggerated... whatever, understand it however you want."
A misunderstanding is just a misunderstanding.
After all, it’s not a bad thing.
As for why the Alliance’s players appeared in Groove’s troops, well, that’s a long story.
Over the past few months, Dog Brother had been lurking in Snake State, trying to understand what the Family eting was all about, gathering information on this organization.
Interestingly, what he saw completely overturned his preconceived notions of the Family eting.
Setting aside the notorious preaching practices, compared to other monsters active within the borders of Poluo Province, at least these families were genuinely practicing the equality and love they proclaid.
When military factions in Tiger and Leopard States robbed self-farming land and water sources, these families didn’t just plant and grind their own bean paste but even wove and dyed their clothes themselves.
If they were villains, then General Jieha in Tiger State was smokingly evil.
After all, everyone saw Jieha’s actions, he was a lawless prototype, if he wanted the profits of a factory, he wouldn’t even pretend, just sent the Thousands-of-Leaders to rob them directly.
Compared to the deeds of these noble folk, he really couldn’t find any fault with these poor folks.
Moreover, what’s even more admirable is, they were willing to change.
After eting Zayed, that gentle and elegant man not only earnestly considered his opinions, but also formulated improvent plans overnight, gathered everyone to vote on the revised plan, and legally declared networking illegal, conducting a thorough self-review.
This situation is extrely rare even in Tiandu or Jin Galun Harbor.
Later Dog Brother learned Snake State also had its own committee mbers, just nad Family Heads.
Unlike the arbitrarily chosen mbers by Absek, their Family Heads were genuinely elected through free choice, one person one vote.
Additionally, he, as a friend from the Alliance, these family mbers treated him like their own, warmly and cordially.
Even though they weren’t wealthy, they were willing to go hungry but offered their few good resources and choice ats to host him, every ti making him feel particularly awkward, could only share the leftover food with those nearby kids eagerly waiting.
Besides food, a few young pretty girls fell for him, seizing any chance to pull him to discuss life and ideals.
Looking at those watery big eyes, saying he wasn’t moved would be heartless.
But to avoid affecting the locals’ lives, after a battle of conscience, he ultimately chose to be a good person, voluntarily proposing to leave the relatively comfortable rear for the tougher conditions of the frontline.
Zayed tried to persuade him to stay, and the young fellow always besides Zayed tearfully held his hand, saying he hoped to ask him more questions.
But maybe seeing his firm decision, they eventually agreed to let him go.
Thus, he t General Groove at the frontline in North Snake State—legendary second in command of the Gray Wolf Army.
Unlike Gopal, the head of Gray Wolf Army, who always kept a cold face, giving off an eerie feeling, Groove felt like a cheerful optimistic "old young man."
In terms of age, this guy was over 30, but maintained a youthful spirit of boldness and communicative nature.
Most appreciated by Dog Brother was this straightforward guy’s honesty, he said whatever ca to mind, acted fearlessly.
Moreover, his strategy was as comndable as his bravery.
Dog Brother could feel that although Shaluk was surrounded by ambitious figures like Zayed, just like the Governor’s Mansion in Tiandu, at least the guy in front of him was a true idealist.
To compare, he and the "Jungle Rat Yishel" printed on playing cards by the Vellante people up north were like cut from the sa mold, only he had slightly less political talent than the latter.
But very coincidentally, Dog Brother later discovered that this guy was actually a "fan" of Yishel.
It was rare for a Wolf Tribe mber to admire a Rat Clan mber, yet whenever this guy ntioned that na, he always showed admiration and respect, even openly viewing him as a role model.
This was quite unusual in the class-strict Poluo Province.
I’m afraid even Yishel himself wouldn’t have imagined that far away in the Northern Three States fighting guerrilla warfare, he would beco the subordinate of a high-ranking officer in the Grey Wolf Army.
In any case, when General Groove learned that this "Dog Bear" was a friend of Yishel, he seized every opportunity to have long conversations with him through the night, each ti inquiring about Yishel’s matters, and praising him as the "second War God of Poluo Province."
As for who the first War God was, Dog Brother never asked, and Groove never told him.
The feelings most of the old parts of the Grey Wolf Army have towards Imperial War God Arai Yang are extrely complicated.
That was both their disgrace and their glory.
"...After this battle, I wonder if I’ll have a chance to be painted on the Southern Legion’s playing cards."
Putting down the binoculars in his hand, Groove’s face was alight with excited red, as if he had drunk two cups of vodka.
Dog Brother approvingly nodded and said.
"I think it should be enough, this ti we’ve definitely made them hurt."
Pausing, he cautiously continued.
"However, it’s ti to retreat."
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who thought so; standing next to him, General Groove also wasn’t swept away by the victory before him.
"Hmm, I think so too. If we continue forward, it will be our logistics that can’t keep up, achieving such results can already be considered stellar... What was that saying again? That proverb from your Alliance."
Dog Brother laughed and said.
"Quit while you’re ahead, and contentnt brings happiness?"
"Yes! Hahaha, quit while you’re ahead, and contentnt brings happiness!" Groove laughed so much he couldn’t close his mouth, patting his good brother on the shoulder.
It was clear he really liked this saying.
Dog Brother’s face showed a knowing smile, but soon his expression turned bitter.
Damn.
That damn Eagle tricked him into taking this lousy na, saying that a family needs to be neat and tidy.
If he had known he had the chance to "beco famous," he would have picked a more normal na when choosing his nickna!
Just as the two were discussing retreat, fifty kiloters north, next to the woods, the sound of tank tracks quietly crushed over the empty fields.
This was the first thousand team of the 60th Armored Division of the Southern Legion, mainly composed of light tanks and wheeled armored vehicles.
Upon receiving the order to attack, Commander Gibson decisively took action after entering Wolf State, first sending reconnaissance aircraft to search for enemy movents, then personally leading a light armored force to swiftly march towards Millyans County, a pivot point on the retreat route of the Snake State direction forces.
This place was on the border line of Snake State, mostly hills to the south, and plains to the north, conducive to the advance of armored units.
He could conclude that those old rats had mostly fled.
However, with nine ten-thousand troops advancing simultaneously, considering their radio prevalence and organization level, it’s impossible for all to escape, so will definitely leave a tail or two.
Sitting in the command vehicle, Commander Gibson squinted his eyes looking south, the complex and enigmatic expression made it hard to see what he was thinking.
Sitting next to him, the adjutant compared with the map and earnestly said.
"Five more kiloters ahead is Millyans County. According to aviation squad reports, a thousand team is resting there... We should encounter them soon."
"Hmm."
Squint-eyed Gibson nodded, raised the binoculars in his hand, but instead of putting them against his bridge of the nose, he strangely pressed them to his mouth like holding a wine bottle.
Noticing the strange gaze beside him, he finally rembered he wasn’t sitting at the bar in a pub, but standing on the battlefield.
Coughing awkwardly, he hastily grabbed the radio and placed it to his mouth, correcting his expression to issue the order seriously.
"Attention, all units, target Millyans County, clear units in this area!"
Upon hearing the decisive voice of the commander, the young n on the communication channel erupted with high morale shouts, shell loaded into the chamber, and throttle pressed to the bottom.
"Received!"
Having had enough of that stifling frustration at Evernight Harbor, they can finally aim their guns at those who they should be pointing them at.
In the bumpy cabin, under the turret, Kafer held his breath, his right index finger constantly rubbing the trigger, the sight equipped with night vision aid distantly at the wooden house illuminated far ahead.
Last three kiloters!
He had already seen the man standing by the window smoking, and the face gradually changing from proud to panicked.
They’re dood!
Having found the target, Kafer had already pronounced that guy’s death sentence in his mind, and at this very mont, the shouts of his comrades ca from behind him.
"High-explosive bomb! Loaded!"
"Fire!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)