Surprise Attack! Mobilization!

"It's far too peaceful here." North of Changjiu Farm. In a pitch-black, silent abandoned town. Exhaling a plume of white mist, the man carrying a rifle glanced out the window, a dangerous glint flickering in his narrowed eyes. A lantern sat beside his boots, and a black hyena lay prostrated at his feet, rumbling a low growl from its throat. The man's name was Gray Wolf. Even though his name bore the word "wolf," he had no relation whatsoever to the Wolf Clan, one of the Bone Chewer Tribe's three great clans; he was merely a centurion under Lion Fang. Unlike the native centurions, before joining the Bone Chewer Tribe, he had been nothing more than a wandering mercenary. He had risked his life for the Legion and turned around to beat up his old employer for the people of the Great Rift Valley. In short, he followed whoever paid. Later, as the Bone Chewer Tribe began recruiting widely and marauder factions flocked to join them, he took the opportunity to bring a few of his brothers along and enlisted. It had proved to be an undeniably wise decision. Living as a marauder was far more thrilling than being a mercenary. The law of the jungle reigned here, where the strong were revered and fists and bullets were the only law. As long as you were strong enough, you earned respect; as long as you were ruthless enough, you became the leader of a pack. Following Lion Fang's banner, he had fought his way from the central reaches of River Valley Province all the way to its southernmost border. Inside his tent hung over a hundred heads of all sizes, and his rank had climbed from an initial decurion to centurion. Still, he was an outsider after all. Centurion was essentially the limit he could achieve on individual prowess alone. Even if bloodline consciousness was weak among the marauders, with organization and discipline maintained entirely through violence and plunder, entering their inner circle of power was not something just anyone could manage. He had to prove his valor. He needed a resounding victory to demonstrate his worth. And now, that opportunity had finally arrived. Roughly a month ago, the Black Snake Tribe stationed to the east had refused to rendezvous with them, seemingly intending to hoard the spoils of Qingquan City's northern suburbs for themselves. Lord Lion Fang was furious, but with roads buried in deep snow and blizzards howling relentlessly, no matter how unwilling he was, he could not simply march his forces straight into snowdrifts. Recently, however, circumstances had taken a turn. The blizzard that had raged for a month finally began to subside. Seizing the chance, Gray Wolf immediately volunteered to serve as the vanguard, offering to lead his warriors to assault Changjiu Farm in Qingquan City's northern suburbs and clear the way for the main force's advance. After consulting his staff officers, Lion Fang promptly approved the request. Yuanxi Town was too far from Qingquan City's northern suburbs. If they could seize Changjiu Farm, their main army could catch the tail end of winter and advance at least twenty kilometers south, completely leaving behind the Black Snake Tribe stationed far away in the southern suburbs of Tianshui City. Lion Fang praised his valor highly. To increase his odds of victory, he even assigned Gray Wolf an extra fifty outsider marauders along with weapons and equipment, ordering him to rip out this thorn planted in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City at all costs. Incorporating those fifty-odd outsider marauders into his ranks, Gray Wolf promptly gathered over a hundred and fifty warriors, packed ten days of rations, weapons, and ammunition, and set out toward Qingquan City's northern suburbs. Marching through blizzard conditions was a reckless gamble, but the near-zero visibility also provided cover. Gray Wolf was far from brainless. Though he was unsure of the enemy's true strength, the fact that they had repelled the offensive of their allied forces and forced Black Snake's troops to stall in the southern suburbs of Tianshui City proved these people were clearly not as easy to deal with as imagined. Taking advantage of December's final blizzard, he and his men reached an abandoned town ten kilometers north of Changjiu Farm and concealed themselves there. He did not launch an attack right away. Instead, he sent out scouts to observe while letting the rest of his men rest inside the ruined houses to conserve their strength until nightfall. Outside the window, the snow began to taper off. Watching a figure gradually approach in the distance, Gray Wolf gently kicked the sleeping hyena beside him. "Get up." "Time to work." With a low whine, the hyena lifted its head. Seeing its master pick up the lantern and walk from the chair toward the doorway, it padded after him on tiptoe. In the ground-floor living room where half a wall had collapsed, a man wrapped in white cloth shook the snow from his shoulders at the entrance, walked over to Gray Wolf, and respectfully bowed his head. "Boss." Gray Wolf sat down on a dilapidated sofa and looked at him. "Tell me what you saw." The scout reported respectfully, "The east gate is a ruin. The refugee camp that was supposed to be there was completely demolished by the blizzard, with trash everywhere. It seems those survivors aren't having an easy time either; the storm hit them hard." Gray Wolf pressed on, "Where did the people go?" The scout shook his head. "Not sure, but definitely not inside the walls. I watched all day. They only cooked twice, and the smoke that rose was at most enough for seventy or eighty people." The walls of that survivor outpost called Changjiu Farm were fairly high, and there were no prominent high vantage points around—just a few gentle slopes. It was difficult to get a full view of the interior from outside. Gray Wolf's eyebrows twitched slightly. Seventy or eighty people? "Are you certain?" The scout nodded firmly. "Positive!" Gray Wolf's brow gradually furrowed. A survivor settlement of merely seventy or eighty people. Frankly, that number seemed off. He did not believe those survivors failed to see the strategic value of a fortress sitting in the wasteland; it had effectively become the gateway into Qingquan City's northern suburbs. Capturing that place was tantamount to kicking open the front door to every survivor settlement in the entire northern sector. Or could it be... Those fools naively believed that the cover of heavy snow meant they could rest easy? Regardless, his enemy's naivety worked entirely in his favor. The corner of Gray Wolf's mouth curled into a smirk, an expression bearing an uncanny resemblance to the hyena lounging at his feet. "Head back and keep watching." "We'll be there shortly." The scout's spirits lifted, and he answered eagerly, "Yes, sir!" ... Late at night. Light snow drifted from the sky. Atop the walls of Changjiu Farm. Clad in a black overcoat, Lü Bei gazed northward. He tightened his rifle sling and shifted his numb feet slightly to get the frozen blood circulating again. Today was the final day of Wasteland Era Year 211. Ten kilometers away at the outpost, people seemed to be celebrating the arrival of the New Year, but that had little to do with them on duty. The threat from the north was drawing near. And this was the front line. Standing watch here, they could not afford a single moment of laxity. Carrying a lantern onto the wall, a slightly older guard patted Lü Bei on the shoulder and said with a chuckle, "How're you holding up, kid? If you're worn out, let me take over for a bit. It's about time for the shift change anyway." Lü Bei checked his VM and shook his head stubbornly. "Ten more minutes." "Hoh, looks like I came a bit early, then," the old fellow laughed, setting his lantern on the battlement. "I'll just keep you company for a bit." This older guard's name was Ji Xiang. He was the oldest member of the entire guard team, reportedly turning forty next year. People always affectionately called him "old fellow." Although he constantly protested that forty wasn't old, with his arthritis growing increasingly severe lately, he had gradually begun to lament that the years showed no mercy. Lü Bei had heard his story before. He had once been a resident of Boulder City, later became a mercenary, and eventually ended up as a captive of the Bloodhand Clan, thrown into their dungeon. He had a scar across his chest that he claimed was left by a deathclaw, but no one believed him, all assuming he was bragging. After all, if someone could escape the jaws of a deathclaw, how could they possibly be captured by mere marauders from the Bloodhand Clan? Whenever the topic came up, the old fellow would argue passionately, describing how perilous the situation had been and how he had only been captured while covering his comrades' retreat. And whenever that happened, someone would invariably poke holes in his story: *"Where are your teammates, then? Bloodhand's ashes have gone cold by now—shouldn't someone have come to take you home?"* At that point, the old fellow would instantly fall quiet, merely muttering that it was pretty nice here anyway, that he wouldn't go back even if they showed up, and that it was better if they didn't come at all. It had become a running joke in the guard team. Although nobody believed he had ever faced a deathclaw—excluding the one kept by the Lord Administrator—Lü Bei believed him. After all, that scar truly didn't look like something made by a blade. Just then, excited shouts came from the staircase, and a young man came bounding up, his boots clattering against the steps. "A truck came from the south!" "The Administrator sent us food!" His name was Xu Shun, a year older than Lü Bei. Also a youth who had only recently come of age, he was Lü Bei's closest buddy. "What kind of food?" Lü Bei asked eagerly. It wasn't that he was a glutton, but rather that the dishes prepared by those blue coats were simply too delicious. A dazzling array of grilled skewers, piles of steamed buns, meat buns, hand-pulled noodles, and the like instantly flashed through his mind. Xu Shun said excitedly, "Dough drop soup! With meat! I had a taste—it's a little spicy, but downing a bowl warms your whole body right up!" Saliva rushed traitorously to the corners of his mouth, and Lü Bei swallowed hard. Watching the hungry youngster, Ji Xiang chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Go on, it's shift change now." "Yeah!" Lü Bei nodded eagerly. "I'll bring some up for you in a bit!" The old fellow waved his hand. "No rush. I'll head down for a bowl after my watch." The two young men descended the wall. Ji Xiang smiled, sighed at how wonderful it was to be young, and turned to look out over the vast expanse of white snow beyond the ramparts. The snow was truly heavy this year. Next year ought to bring a bumper harvest. He planned to save up some money to buy a plot of land, try planting a few crops, marry a wife, and settle down here once he retired from the guard. That would count as putting down roots. As for Boulder City, he had no intention of ever returning. Life here was no worse than there, and only here had he ever felt a sense of dignity he had never experienced before. The Administrator had said they would never have to kneel before anyone again. No one would ever strip them of their freedom again. The howling north wind blew bitterly cold. The light snow caught in the gusts gradually eased, revealing a luminous moon behind parting clouds. Small creatures that had slipped out to forage quickly darted back into their burrows. Ji Xiang exhaled a plume of white vapor. Feeling a sudden chill, he reached toward the oil lamp on the battlement, wanting to press his hands against it for warmth. Unexpectedly, his hand twitched, knocking the lamp over the edge. The lamp tumbled into a snowdrift. It didn't shatter, but the flame went out. Ji Xiang cursed his damn bad luck, planning to climb down and retrieve it once the next shift arrived. Right then, his expression froze. He grabbed his binoculars and peered toward the north. Across the snow bathed in moonlight, a pack of silhouettes was accelerating toward their position under cover of darkness. A pair of ferocious eyes locked onto him like an arrow. The suffocating killing intent rolling toward him— It was identical to the men of Bloodhand! Ji Xiang's face changed drastically. Without another word, he snatched the whistle hanging around his neck, jammed it into his mouth, blew with all his might, and fired a shot into the darkness outside. "Enemy attack!" ... "Hmm-hmm..." "The iron hammer of order beats the war drums." "Faith of steel erupts from the earth." "The white bear knight charges forth with an 'Ooh!'" "Capturing evil and savagery." "..." The truck's engine rumbled loudly. Sitting in the passenger seat, Tail rested her elbow on the window frame, letting the cool breeze wash over her while humming a tune she had picked up from who-knew-where. Sisi, gripping the steering wheel, cast her a sidelong glance. "Forgive my ignorance, but is that a nursery rhyme?" Tail retorted in dissatisfaction, "What nursery rhyme?! It's called BGM!" Sisi truly envied her boundless energy; she wasn't sleepy in the slightest. Was she on the verge of awakening? Sisi sighed. "Right, right, whatever you say." In the truck bed. Two pairs of eyes—one large, one small—stared at each other. Eventually, the ratman couldn't take it anymore. He coughed dryly and said, "Staring at me like that makes me nervous." Hugging her knees, Aoao Sesame Paste blinked. Her warm hat slipped to the floor again, and she hastily reached down to pick it up. "Eh? No, I'm just curious... What's it like to be a rat?" How many people had asked him that question by now? Qiangren Suonan wore a helpless look and let out a sigh. "How should I put it? Greeting friends is a pain since I have to tilt my head way back. But weaving through ruins is super convenient, and if I accidentally burrow into a rat nest, they don't gang up on me; I can just walk out." "Plus, unlike other mutants, my fingers aren't clumsy, so using tools isn't an issue at all. And there's no slow EXP debuff either. All in all, it's a sequence with limitless potential." Sesame Paste nodded, half-comprehending. *He's discussing this purely from a power-level perspective...* "I thought rolling a mutant would make you really upset." Lying on his back with his belly exposed, the giant rat gave her an odd look. "Why would I be upset?" "Because... it doesn't look cute?" "..." *Motherfucker!* He hadn't been upset before, but now he was drowning in misery! Brother Nan couldn't help cursing internally. They were both covered in fur—how on earth was a rat inferior to a cat? *Human-things! Die! Die!* ... The truck pulled to a halt. The two guards riding in the back hopped down first, calling for everyone in the camp to come grab their takeout. The guards were far more worldly than the refugees. Having seen lizards and bears, a one-meter-tall rat standing on two legs was nothing shocking, so they paid it little mind. Qiangren Suonan stretched, preparing to slip off the truck for a stroll, when a shrill whistle suddenly cut through the air ahead. Immediately afterward, gunfire and explosions erupted, giving Sesame Paste such a fright as she prepared to jump down that her freshly donned hat fell off yet again. "W-what's happening?!" "No idea..." The giant rat swallowed hard. Gunfire roared fiercely to the north like popping firecrackers, punctuated from time to time by flashes of explosive fire. The camp fell into chaos. The two guards who had jumped down earlier were nowhere to be seen, likely having sprinted toward the north gate to reinforce the defenders. Standing beside the truck, Sisi looked up toward the north wind, her brow furrowing. "Gunfire... at least fifty... no, maybe a hundred?" Or perhaps even more? She couldn't tell the difference between the guards' weapons and the attackers'. The giant rat spoke nervously, "Isn't your margin of error a bit too huge?!" "Well, the gunfire in this game isn't as rhythmic as PUBG... Tail, what do you say?" As she spoke, Sisi looked over. She saw that Tail had already unslung her Scythe assault rifle, her eyes shining with excitement. "Si! Charge!" That look was unmistakable. Sisi froze for a moment, then broke into a grin, giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "Ohh!" "Looks like Ah-Tail's chance to shine has arrived!" They couldn't end up at the bottom of the scoreboard again this time! Seeing the two of them dash toward the north, the remaining cat and rat were left dumbfounded. "W-what do we do now?" Sesame Paste looked at the rat beside her, utterly at a loss. But Brother Nan was just as bewildered, having no clue what to do either. He had been on a battlefield once before, sure. But that was just tagging along behind Mosquito, hearing loud noises the entire time. "A-anyway, I'll head over to help first." *Dammit!* *Wasn't this supposed to be an errand quest?!* *The quest briefing didn't say anything about fighting!* Otherwise, there was no way he would have come along without even bringing a weapon. Tossing out those words, Qiangren Suonan bit the bullet and sprinted after Tail and Sisi, leaving Aoao Sesame Paste alone by the truck. "Hey! Wait, don't leave just yet..." It was already too late. By the time she shouted, the giant rat had vanished without a trace. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Sesame Paste looked left and right in mounting panic, unsure of what to do. Right at that moment, her eyes suddenly lit up, her gaze falling upon the building inside the farm closest to the south gate. That was a save point! Having run courier quests frequently, she remembered that a hundred hibernation pods were installed there for players who were too lazy to return to the outpost to log off! "Anyway... I need to find a way to notify the others first." No sooner thought than done. Sesame Paste immediately sprinted over, burst through the door, found an open hibernation pod, and climbed inside. As the pod door sealed shut, the connection severed. Logging off at lightning speed, she yanked off her helmet, flipped open her laptop, accessed the official website's forum, and rapidly typed out a post: *Disaster! Fighting broke out at Changjiu Farm!* Within seconds of going live, the thread drew everyone's attention. "Fighting broke out??" "Holy crap, what's going on?" "Weren't you guys having a celebration?" "Dammit! The dog planner is pulling stunts behind our backs while I'm offline again!" Almost at the exact moment her post went up, an announcement banner suddenly flashed across the official site. [Server Announcement: Marauders from the north have assaulted Changjiu Farm, triggering an emergency quest.] [Dawn: A band of bloodthirsty bandits has launched a despicable sneak attack while we were celebrating the New Year! We will show them just what a foolish idea that was!] [Defeat Condition: The save point is destroyed. (All players with characters at Changjiu Farm will enter a respawn cooldown.)] [Victory Condition: Repel the invaders!] The moment the announcement went up, the forum exploded instantly. "Holy shit?!" "A sneak attack?!" "No way, we can get killed even while logged off?!" "Has the dog planner finally decided to abandon all humanity?!" "Brothers, log in! Grab your gear and fuck 'em up!" "You want to loot my god-tier gear? I'll fight you to the death!"