At the edge of a camp housing several hundred people, rows of tents stretched into the dusk.
A campfire crackled rhythmically.
Beside an Electric Mule truck, a young woman with shoulder-length short hair sat cross-legged on the ground, tinkering with the wrist-mounted computer in her hands.
Passing travelers couldn't help stealing glances in their direction, for a group of three women and two bears was rarely seen in these parts.
Especially three young, beautiful women.
Their fair, delicate skin and striking faces were enough to turn the heads of hot-blooded young men, and even female mercenaries rougher than hardened men couldn't resist sneaking an extra look or two.
However, the heavy machine gun with its thick, elongated barrel welded to the roof of the truck, along with the barbed wire and bloodstains clinging to the front bumper, warded off most ill intentions.
Once the deal was done and the money safely pocketed, wasn't there plenty of fun to be found elsewhere?
This was the wasteland.
No one gambled with their life over a passing whim.
"Dammit... why is there even a communication range setting? Shouldn't a player system be accessible from anywhere?" Looking at the top right corner of her VM screen, Tail sighed and grumbled.
"Oh, come on. Asking that makes it sound like it's your first day in this game," the white bear sitting beside her retorted, rolling her eyes.
Hearing that, the corners of Tail's mouth curved upward, and she fired back with righteous self-assurance.
"Rou Rou, that's where you're not using your head. If we complain a bit more in-game, what if the developers hear it? Maybe they'll go ahead and change the setting."
"Huh? It works like that?" Rou Rou blinked, momentarily stunned.
Sesame Paste gave a subtle chuckle. "Ah-haha... probably not."
"Be confident. You can drop the 'probably.'"
Calmly maintaining the rifle in her hands, Sisi expertly clicked the final component into place, then raised the barrel to sight toward the distant forest. "...Even a baby bus can't keep every single baby happy. If they adopted every piece of feedback, the game would turn into a total mess."
Teddy, lying nearby, let out a yawn and curled up in the shadow behind the truck.
As a genuine bear, it couldn't understand what the humans were rambling about; it only felt sleepy.
If possible, it naturally wanted to snuggle closer to Rou Rou, but every unintentional approach earned it a swipe of her claws, so over time it had learned to keep its distance.
Still, tagging along with this group of humans wasn't bad at all—certainly far better than the iron cage it used to inhabit, and there was meat to eat every day.
It had already grown accustomed to its present life.
Gazing into the crackling flames, Sesame Paste's cat ears twitched gently atop her head, her eyes alight with visible anticipation.
"Say, how much longer until we can see the desert?"
Sisi pulled out a paper map to check, rubbing her chin with an index finger as she pondered.
"No idea. The desert's edge is always shifting. The farther west we go, the less reliable pre-war maps become... But since we've already reached the outskirts of Ruigu City, it shouldn't be much longer."
At this moment, they were resting at a survivor settlement called Kating Post.
As for why they were here?
That was a long story.
A week ago, Pai had returned to Camp 101, bringing the escort mission to a close. Tail, who could never sit still for long, suddenly announced her desire to "fulfill Sisi's dream of seeing the desert," thereby setting the White Bear Knights' next stop as Oasis 9 in Sunset Province.
Though the bizarre phrasing left everyone at a loss for words, Sisi felt a gentle twinge of warmth that Tail actually remembered something she had once offhandedly mentioned.
And so, packing several crates of devil silk, some of Teng Teng's designed "art pieces," and various goods likely to fetch a decent price in the desert, they embarked on their westward journey.
After a week of trekking, they had finally arrived at the border between River Valley Province and Sunset Province.
This place was called Ruigu City. To the north loomed steep, towering mountains; to the east stretched a forest; and to the south lay a vast, unbroken plain, where collapsed civilian houses and construction rubble blanketed the wilderness.
Because it served as the western exit of the southern corridor of River Valley Province, merchant caravans streamed through endlessly, and scattered survivor settlements dotted the edges of the forest.
Kating Post, where they were staying, was the largest survivor settlement in the vicinity. Most passing caravans chose to rest here, so they had followed along.
Most of the people here lived in tents, making a living by grazing and hunting, alongside cultivating small amounts of green wheat, ram horn potatoes, and a drought-resistant fruit tree.
Excluding the locals' tents, at least sixty percent of the encampment belonged to visiting caravans.
The locals possessed no currency of their own, relying mainly on barter or trading in pure gold dinars.
Here, chips, Cr, and silver coins were equally useless.
To Sisi's surprise, however, the instant noodles they had brought from Dawn City could actually pass as currency here.
A single pack of instant noodles was worth two dinars—which amounted to nearly ten grams of gold.
If that gold could be brought back into reality, it would be an absolute fortune!
While Sisi and Sesame Paste continued studying the map, Rou Rou had already begun dozing off.
Just then, Tail, who was still fiddling with her VM, suddenly let out a joyful shout.
"There's a signal!"
"A signal?"
Sisi blinked, instinctively tapping open her own VM, only to find that the top right corner showed no change at all.
"Why don't I have anything on mine?" Sesame Paste was just as puzzled, staring at her VM screen.
"It's not the shelter's signal, it's on my friends list!" Tail said excitedly. "It's Brother Spring!"
The VM could do more than just connect to the shelter's server; it could also establish point-to-point connections between two devices, though some functions were restricted and the communication range was relatively limited.
A faint signal would only appear when within three to five kilometers.
Leaning over to glance at Tail's VM, Sisi's face filled with surprise.
"Commander Spring? What's he doing here?"
If she recalled correctly, hadn't that guy headed into downtown Qingquan City to grind reputation with the Scientific Expedition?
From Qingquan City to here had to be at least a hundred and fifty kilometers; it had taken them an entire week of traveling to arrive.
Just then, a communication request popped up on the list. Tail immediately tapped the accept button.
"Testing, testing, can you hear me?"
Amidst noisy static, a familiar voice came through.
"...Tail, are you guys in Ruigu City right now?"
"Yeah!"
"I'm right above you."
"Holy crap?!"
Tail looked up, but the sky was pitch-black; she couldn't see a thing.
Commander Spring didn't pause, speaking rapidly.
"A hundred and fifty kilometers is pushing the edge of our flight range, so I'll make this quick. Earlier today, our corps unlocked a mission from the Scientific Expedition concerning Shelter 79. That shelter is right near you—"
"Huh?! Right near us?!"
"Yeah. We'll get into the details after we link up. In a bit, we'll drop an airdrop just north of you. Dropping under cover of darkness, nobody should spot it. First thing tomorrow morning, retrieve the crate using the coordinates."
"What's inside the crate? Food?" Tail asked eagerly.
"Communication equipment! I need you to set up a relay station in the southern outskirts of Ruigu City, then hold your position and wait for further instructions..."
"Hold on, we've got our own business here, too," Sisi said, lightly furrowing her brow and interrupting Commander Spring in a gentle tone.
It would take at least a week to travel from Qingquan City to here, and there was no telling how long they'd be tied up once the mission got rolling.
A shelter-opening mission was certainly tempting, but the overall payout might not even beat what they earned running cargo. Had he told them a week earlier, she would have dragged Tail along to join without hesitation, but now they had already reached the border of Sunset Province.
She liked keeping everything meticulously planned and hated unexpected variables throwing things off course.
Though on good terms with Spring, they were merely regular friends.
The only things that could make her abandon her established plans were sudden emergencies and Tail.
A sigh carried through the channel.
"I know, and I'm really sorry to impose, but this mission is truly critical! For the Storm Corps and for the Alliance alike... Right now, you guys are the only ones I can turn to. Could you do me a personal favor?"
"Sisi... Brother Spring is begging us like this, let's help them out!" Tail tugged on Sisi's sleeve, her eyes sparkling.
Her main motivation was sheer curiosity about what lay inside Shelter 79.
A two-digit shelter!
The very first one since the server launched!
Seeing right through Tail's thoughts, Sisi wore a helpless expression.
"Alright, fine... for the Alliance's sake."
Shelter 401 was nearing capacity, Shelter 404 and Shelter 117 had long been packed full, and Shelter 101 found in Xizhou City already had an owner. The new players had nowhere left to go.
Securing Shelter 79 might prompt the official team to release more closed-beta slots, which would make the server even livelier.
Hearing that, Commander Spring breathed a sigh of relief.
He had actually prepared a backup plan—airdropping a few paratroopers to establish an outpost—but the results would never compare to having Sisi and Tail's group, who were already on-site.
As early-access players, their combat capabilities might still trail slightly behind the very top tier, but they were still among the server's finest.
Beyond setting up the outpost, he also needed them to carry out some reconnaissance.
"Thank you so much! We plan to set out first thing tomorrow morning... By the way, do you need anything brought over? We can carry it on our way."
At those words, an idea suddenly struck Sisi, and she spoke up.
"Bring me a truckload of instant noodles and cola."
"A truckload of instant noodles?!"
Commander Spring was flabbergasted, coughing awkwardly. "Uh, our logistics team only has six Electric Mules available. We have to carry plenty of supplies and construction materials, so space is tight. Besides, the cost of a truckload of noodles... It's going to be tough for me to front that kind of cash."
A pack of instant noodles sold for two silver coins, and a box of twenty-four went for forty silver wholesale. A single truckload held at least five to six hundred boxes—amounting to no less than twenty thousand silver coins.
His total assets certainly exceeded twenty thousand, but scraping together twenty thousand silver coins in liquid cash was another story.
At this moment, however, Tail, sitting by Sisi's side, chimed in with grand generosity.
"No problem! Once I log off, I'll transfer the silver coins to you! Including the cost of buying the truck!"
Good grief!
So 'a truckload of instant noodles' literally meant the truck plus the noodles.
Faced with such wealthy-sugar-mommy rhetoric, Commander Spring was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Alright then... I'm about to fly out of communication range. Let's talk after logging off. And don't forget to recover the airdrop."
"Okey-doke! Leave it to Tail!"
The call disconnected.
Tail turned curiously to Sisi. "Sisi, why are we buying so many instant noodles?"
Rou Rou and Sesame Paste also looked perplexed. They had brought plenty of dry rations, more than enough to sustain them.
Looking at several desert merchants not far off slurping their noodles ravenously—looking like they'd lick their plates clean—a meaningful smile crept onto Sisi's face.
"Mmm... how should I put it?"
"I just have a sudden feeling that this stuff will sell like crazy in Sunset Province."
It might even pass as money.
Perhaps noticing her gaze, several desert merchants in white turbans whispered among themselves.
They seemed to reach an agreement.
Two of the young men stood up and walked toward them.
Spotting them approach, Sisi quietly slipped her hand into her pocket, gripping the pistol hidden within.
"Don't be alarmed... We mean no harm. My name is Kariman, from the Lion Kingdom of Oasis 9." The young man leading the way raised both hands to show he carried no weapons.
Even so, Sisi didn't take her hand from her pocket, watching them impassively as she spoke in somewhat halting Human Alliance language.
"Can I help you with something?"
Kariman took a deep breath before speaking.
"...Pardon the intrusion, but are you merchants from Qingquan City?"
Sisi nodded. "We are."
Seeing her nod, Kariman and his companion exchanged a look, joy spreading across their faces.
Just as Sisi was wondering what had made them so glad, the man named Kariman continued.
"Here's the situation... Before leaving the desert, we came across an injured traveler. He was severely hurt, his consciousness fading; by the time we found him, he had barely a breath left in him. Following the teachings of the Desert Spirits, we couldn't just leave him behind, but we have our own affairs to tend to..."
Sisi immediately asked, "Is he from the northern outskirts?"
Kariman shook his head. "That we don't know... But after regaining consciousness, he only asked us to take him to Qingquan City—to go to the northern outskirts of Qingquan City and find a man named Chu Guang."
Hearing the Administrator's name, surprise washed over Tail's face.
"Whoa! An acquaintance of the Administrator!"
Sisi also gathered her wits and promptly asked, "Did he mention his name?"
Kariman looked hesitant, thinking for a moment before answering.
"Luo something, I think... Luo Hua?"
Luo Hua?
Sisi sank into thought.
She seemed to have heard that name somewhere before...
***
North Street, Dawn City. Eight in the evening.
Though night had long fallen, the street remained bustling, crowds flowing without end.
Zhang Hai's Noodle Shop.
Sitting at a table near the entrance, Su Ming slurped his noodles, suddenly letting out a heartfelt sigh.
"Honestly, I'm actually a bit reluctant to leave this place."
He was a soldier from the Enterprise 26th Assault Team, serving as the squad designated marksman.
Following Team Captain Yun Song all the way from Yunjian Province on the eastern coast to the heart of the continent, this was the first time he had ever entertained the thought of wanting to linger anywhere outside Ideal City.
The companion sitting across from him teased playfully.
"Are you reluctant to leave the food, or reluctant to leave the city?"
"Both, I guess!" Su Ming chuckled, lifting his bowl and draining every last drop of the broth.
Joyful days were always fleeting.
They were only permitted to stay in Dawn City for three days, and today was already the last. First thing tomorrow morning, they would hit the road.
Thus, this was his final dinner here.
If forced to choose between Ideal City and Dawn City, Su Ming knew he would choose Ideal City without a shadow of a doubt.
Moreover, he was certain that anyone who had ever visited Ideal City would make the exact same choice.
Yet the culinary delights here were equally hard to give up.
If only he could open a ramen shop in Ideal City.
Su Ming couldn't help harboring such a thought.
Of course, that would have to wait until he returned alive...
"Damn, I'm suddenly kind of envious of Old Shen," the companion across from him remarked out of nowhere.
Su Ming knew who he meant—Shen Feng, the unlucky bastard whose arm had been parasitized by the slime mold.
Looking back now, though, it was hard to say who the truly unfortunate ones were.
They had to head west, venturing deep into the desert, whereas that fellow got to kick back here comfortably for an entire month before hitching a ride home with an eastbound caravan.
The inhibitor had halted the slime mold's progression; aside from somewhat impaired mobility in that arm, it hardly affected his daily life anymore.
Thinking of him, Su Ming couldn't help remarking with a tinge of sourness.
"Take one look at that arm of his and you won't be envious anymore."
"Fair point," the companion across from him agreed with a sigh. "I've never seen anyone with symptoms like that. I doubt they'll have any great solutions back in Ideal City either."
Another companion nodded.
"Nine times out of ten, he'll end up getting it amputated..."
At that, the group fell into silence, their moods growing heavy and complicated.
No one knew what dangers lay ahead waiting for them.
They weren't even sure if the people they were setting out to rescue were still alive...
***
The next day.
Northeast of Dawn City, outside the barracks near the airfield, ten half-track trucks were neatly parked in a line.
The trucks were laden with ammunition and supplies, partly manufactured by the New Alliance and partly imported from Boulder City.
As for the spoils of war previously loaded onto the trucks and the luxury items brought from Ideal City, those had already been left in Dawn City's warehouses.
Several million silver coins would be more than enough to sustain this force of under two hundred men for a very long time.
Twenty sets of gleaming power armor and over a hundred soldiers clad in exoskeletons assembled beside the convoy.
Slung across their backs were Scythe assault rifles—the LD-47 series. The wooden stocks clashed wildly against their sci-fi armor, yet they themselves saw no issue with it.
After three days of practice, they had grown reasonably familiar with this weapon and its simple, retro receiver structure.
Until the ammunition production line was completed, it served as an outstanding substitute.
Standing at the head of the formation, Captain Yun Song stepped forward, looking at Chu Guang with a solemn tone.
"Thank you for your hospitality. But our compatriots are waiting for us up ahead, so we must be on our way... Until we meet again!"
"You're welcome. The Alliance's doors are forever open to its friends; you're welcome to return at any time." A friendly smile graced Chu Guang's face as he extended his right fist. "Safe travels!"
"Take care as well!"
Yun Song bumped his fist against Chu Guang's, then turned cleanly around, leading his subordinates toward the west.
Hedin followed along with the unit.
Though he sorely wished to stay behind, as an attached merchant, he had to move with the force.
However, to ensure his "cooperation" with Chu Guang went smoothly, he left his apprentice behind.
Alongside his apprentice, five logistics personnel stayed behind as well. They would assist the New Alliance in setting up production lines for G9 assault rifle ammunition and replacement parts.
This work would continue until the end of the month.
Watching the Enterprise expedition depart, Chu Guang turned back into the barracks, fixing his gaze upon the fully armed Commander Spring.
At the moment, Spring wore the Destroyer Type I exoskeleton he had previously drawn from the lottery, with a stubby 120mm autoloading mortar mounted upright on his back.
Not far behind him, two hundred players from the Storm Corps stood fully geared and ready to deploy.
They were tasked with escorting the Alliance's pioneer team to Ruigu City, a hundred and fifty kilometers away, to establish an outpost there.
To the New Alliance, Shelter 79 represented more than just an archaeological endeavor; it could also serve as a beginner village.
Once that shelter was secured, Chu Guang would ship three thousand incubation pods there in batches, building it into the Alliance's third survivor settlement.
Since the inception of the corps system, this was likely the first time he had entrusted the duty of "expanding territory for the Alliance" entirely to the players.
Looking with high hopes at the eager Commander Spring, Chu Guang spoke with solemn gravity.
"Ruigu City sits right at the border between River Valley Province and Sunset Province. Its strategic and economic significance cannot be overstated."
"We need to establish an outpost there to lay the groundwork for developing that wasteland. Your mission is not merely to explore Shelter 79, but also to unite the local survivors and bring the spark of civilization to that land!"
"That will be our next settlement."
"I intend to entrust this assignment entirely to you. I hope you will weigh every decision you make with great care."
Pioneering a new settlement!
And entrusted entirely to him!
Hearing those words, Commander Spring felt a surge of excitement, instantly snapping to attention and saluting.
"Rest assured, Respected Administrator! I promise you, the mission will be completed without a hitch!"
"My eyes will be upon you."
Chu Guang nodded, striking his fist against his chest armor to return the salute.
"Go forth."
Under Brother Spring's lead, the Storm Corps set out in high spirits.
Chu Guang swept his gaze over the trucks behind them and noticed an extra vehicle, seemingly owned by the players themselves.
Crates upon crates of instant noodles were piled high on the flatbed—at least ten thousand packs in all.
At the sight, Chu Guang's expression turned somewhat peculiar.
Why were these players hauling so many instant noodles?
He'd never seen them eat them regularly...
Still, Chu Guang didn't dwell on it. Under the rules he had established, beyond the standard supplies provided by the command post, whatever extra items the players chose to carry were entirely their own business.
Roughly two hours later, the two hundred players of the Storm Corps had cleared the New Alliance's signal range, and the small green dots disappeared one after another from the map.
Even without their signal on the map, Chu Guang could still sense the players' presence through the shelter system powered by morphic resonance.
"...May you travel in safety, warriors of the Alliance."
Chu Guang was just about to close the map when, suddenly, four small green dots lit up near Ruigu City, a hundred and fifty kilometers away.
Looking at the four green dots on the screen, Chu Guang's eyes showed a flash of surprise.
"They move fast."
Last night, he had dispatched a Dragonfly transport aircraft to Ruigu City, dropping a communications kit packed inside an airdrop crate.
It seemed his little players had successfully retrieved the crate and erected a makeshift relay station.
Restoring communication meant he could issue quests remotely, monitor the local situation in real time, and direct his little players with far greater ease.
At the thought, a pleased smile surfaced on Chu Guang's face.
As expected of the little players he had personally cultivated.
Their outstanding self-management was as gratifying as ever.
Opening the quest editor, Chu Guang pulled up a pre-configured template, intending to assign a few reconnaissance quests to those exceptional players, when Xiao Qi's voice suddenly chimed in his ear.
"Master!"
"Your players in the Ruigu City area have found a crew member from the Pioneer land fortress! The man is critically injured..."
His hovering index finger paused.
Without waiting for Xiao Qi to finish, Chu Guang immediately pressed, "What's his name?"
"His name is Luo Hua—the man you always used to drink under the table!"
Chapter 372