The "Wolf Cavalry" Project and the "Pangolin" Century!

Official Website: [Server Announcement: World Boss "Yong Shi" has been slain by Sisi, Tail, Rou Rou, Sesame Paste, Brother Edge, Battlefield Atmosphere Group... and many other players! This achievement will be inducted into the Wasteland Online Hall of Fame.] [Announcement: Vault 79 Unlocked!] [Vault 79: An underground city located in Ruigu City, a fallen research facility. Endless mutant beasts lurk in every corner of this three-dimensional labyrinth, where peril and opportunity coexist...] [Closed beta cap increased from 5,000 to 8,000. Newly added closed beta players will spawn in Vault 79.] [Spawn point transfers now available: Pay a 100 silver coin relocation and shelter room exchange fee to transfer your spawn point to an under-capacity shelter. (Currently available shelters: 404 (Full), 117 (Full), 401, 79)] [Major Pet System Update! Reservations are now open in Vault 79 to purchase mutant beast pets such as Deathclaws, Red-Eyed Wolf Spiders, and Saber-Toothed Tigers! Some mutant beasts can be used as mounts! Please check in-game for details!] [Heya: Vault 79's ecosystem is astounding. A century of evolution has turned this place into an environment far more extreme and harsh than the vast majority of urban ruins on the wasteland... Unbelievable. Would anyone like to be my guinea pig? Generous rewards—please apply via VM!] [Yin Fang: The research on implanting bionic prosthetics into mutant beasts has been a resounding success. Now you can not only swap your own arms for mantis blades, but even equip your pet with a pair... That said, it's best to choose relatively intelligent beasts, or you might run into an intellect mismatch.] [Ma Ban: We plan to construct a new survivor settlement in Ruigu City to house displaced survivors... For now, the war isn't over, so the new outpost will be temporarily set up in the underground bunker outside Vault 79.] [Today's Recommended Menu: Braised Eggplant, Chicken Stew with Mushrooms] Following the conquest of Vault 79, the official Wasteland Online website updated with a massive dump of content. For most players, gameplay where game content dynamically progressed alongside their raid achievements was a breath of fresh air. While open-world titles were plentiful, MMORPGs where player decisions could permanently reshape the game world were few and far between. It felt as though playing the game went hand-in-hand with developing it. Double the fun in one game—and not only was it free to play, but you could actually make real money off it! This game was practically a saint! Yet, even though their dog of a game developer had been so generous with this sprawling content update, the focal point of the forum players and armchair gamers today was not him. Nor was it the White Bear Knights and Death Corps, who had secured the World Boss kill. Instead, it was Battlefield Guy, who had sniped the final kill credit... Wasteland Online Forums. Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Brothers!!! I'm back, haha!" Jieyan: "Holy crap! This dog has finally surfaced!" In Debt Big Eye: "Been waiting for you forever!" Brother Mole: "Heard you lugged a Deathclaw's head over to the overlords to claim credit?" Elaina: "And they even gifted you ten babes! (Funny)" Elven King Fugui: "For real?? (Funny)" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Ahem, first of all... of course it's real. But am I the kind of guy who lusts after female beauty? Obviously not!" In Debt Big Eye: "I almost fucking believed you!" Kakarot: "Holy shit, they actually gave them to you?!" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Let me state upfront, I didn't do a single thing. But to be fair, our dev is pretty damn generous. The game is crazy realistic and well-grounded. When it launches into open beta, charging 99,999 for it wouldn't even be excessive. (Blush)" Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Ah?! Please don't, bro, I only get 10 bucks of pocket money a week... By the way, I'm a student, can I get it for free? T.T" Ye Ao Nai Wo He: "Lmao, no way, no way, people still live on pocket money these days?? What can that pocket change even buy! My New Year's lucky money alone has eight zeros every year, not to mention stock dividends, investment returns, and all that—my bank interest alone is way more than that!" Elaina: "Case solved! We finally found out why Brother Ye Ao can't get closed beta access. (Funny)" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "I'll say it again: kids shouldn't play this game! Enough bullshitting, though. Thanks to that Deathclaw head, I'm a centurion now, but right now I only have ten troops under me... Any good brothers want to come plot big things with me?! (Grin)" In Debt Big Eye: "Me, me, me! Look at me, bro!" Next Door Old Wang: "Count me in!!!" Kakarot: "Holy crap, Spring! I fucking want to defect to the enemy!" Commander Spring: "Damn traitor! Can't you withstand even the slightest test?" Catching Ghosts at Graves: "What do you mean, withstand a test! I just want to... challenge my weaknesses. (Blush)" Teng Teng: "You guys... are way too dirty." Yaya: "┐(‘～`；)┌" Even though players signed up in droves—and even armchair gamers jumped in on the fun—Battlefield Guy ultimately only recruited about a hundred men. As previously agreed, everyone who infiltrated the Legion's Auxiliary Army were brothers from Death Corps. They excelled at using small arms and melee weapons, with proficiency that was inversely proportional to weapon cost. After all, with such high casualty rates, fielding high-tech gear was far too wasteful. It simply made no economic sense compared to a rifle and an entrenching shovel; when you died, you just returned to the forum to wait for your respawn. As for Brother Edge, the corps commander, he did not join them. People with too strong a moral compass made poor undercover agents. Knowing his own nature, he remained behind at Vault 79. Besides, he had other duties. The Alliance Army Headquarters had issued him new orders, hoping he could combine Vault 79's technology and resources to develop tactics for mutant beasts operating in coordination with light infantry. Specifically, the "Wolf Cavalry" Project! The project called for unleashing the mobility of mutant beasts alongside the Death Corps soldiers' exceptional independent combat capabilities. By combining the two, they would forge a light cavalry unit capable of all-terrain strike operations. While it sounded somewhat fanciful, such a concept might genuinely find a market on the wasteland. Without reliable road or rail networks, blown tires and thrown tracks were everyday occurrences. If one wasn't careful, a single crooked anti-tank tree trunk could hoist a vehicle's front axle straight into the air. Compared to wheeled and tracked vehicles, mutant beasts capable of nimbly bounding and parkouring through high-density urban clusters and forested ruins were far better suited for the job. Especially the Deathclaw. As the prototype that Crawlers were knockoffs of, the Deathclaw possessed mobility and stamina that were virtually flawless. Its sole downside was a voracious appetite. However, a beast's rations could be resolved by hunting and feeding on enemy corpses. As long as they were not garrisoned in one place for long, the logistical strain would not be as dire as imagined. The Administrator attached immense importance to this project. Not only did he allocate a hundred neural link rigs to Brother Edge, but he also singled out Goblin Technology to provide technical support. While Brother Edge found the latter rather redundant, Brother Mosquito was thrilled beyond belief upon hearing about it, even offering to fund the initiative out of his own pocket. Faced with such enthusiasm, Brother Edge had raised no objections. *** Fallen Leaves Camp. A ragged band of scavengers appeared before the gates. Dressed in tatters and wielding clubs and rebar, none of them were registered. It wasn't unheard of for survivors to seek shelter here on their own initiative; serving as dogs for the Legion at least provided a bite to eat. However, an organized group arriving all at once was a first. And more than twenty had shown up in a single batch. The patrolling sentry spotted them immediately, stepping forward to bar their path as his suspicious gaze swept over them. "Where are you from?" "Bet Street!" In Debt Big Eye, leaning on a wooden stick, answered in broken speech. "A fellow townsman... made officer. We came to join him." The sentry paused. The only native promoted recently seemed to be that fellow named Pangolin. And if memory served, he had only been promoted the day before yesterday... Could word have traveled that fast? Suspicion lingered in his eyes. Just as the sentry prepared to press further, a man clad in an Auxiliary Army uniform came jogging over from the camp gates. "They're from my village." The sentry stared at him for a moment before lowering his rifle without another word. "Take them to be registered." Battlefield Atmosphere Group put on an air of importance. "I was just about to." Although he was merely a native, he was a centurion personally appointed by General Maclen, holding higher standing than an ordinary grunt. Disdainful though the bridge-nosed Legion soldiers were toward him, they were reluctant to provoke him needlessly. True to form, the sentry pressed no further, turning to resume his patrol. Following Battlefield Atmosphere Group into Fallen Leaves Camp, the players looked around curiously, wide-eyed like country bumpkins entering the city for the first time. "Holy crap, this place looks even cruder than the POW camp beside Dawn City." "Pretty much. They make everyone build their own shacks here too." In Debt Big Eye's eyes darted around, and he leaned in with a mischievous grin. "By the way, Pangolin, where are your ten wives?" Battlefield Atmosphere Group nearly choked on his own spit. He coughed dryly and snapped back, "Piss off, what wives?! I told you I didn't do anything shady... I put them to work washing laundry." The Auxiliary Army issued two sets of linen uniforms. Between daily drills and patrol duties, the clothing would turn foul in no time if left unwashed. He had simply dumped all of his subordinates' dirty clothes on them to wash, giving them something to do. As for sleeping together... How could he put it? Mainly, there was no fun in sleeping alongside them anyway. The moment he closed his eyes, he logged off; having a stranger lying beside him only made him feel unsafe. Besides, he always felt like an operator was watching the livestream. Still, to ward off unfavorable rumors, he pitched the ten women's tent right beside his own. Everyone could just assume he had slept with them. Hurriedly dropping the topic, Battlefield Guy urged, "Quit interrogating me. I'm taking you to get your dog tags in a minute... By the way, have you guys thought of your stage names yet?" In Debt Big Eye said excitedly, "I'm Big Eye!" Construction Youth and Brick chimed in, "I'm Brick!" The other players gave their names one by one. Battlefield Atmosphere Group held his head in exasperation. "...Damn it, what kind of names are these? Not a shred of creativity." In Debt Big Eye couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Come off it! Any of these sounds way better than your damn Pangolin!" Construction Youth and Brick agreed, "Exactly! At least my name is easier to remember than yours!" Next Door Old Wang asked eagerly, "Cut the crap, you dog Battlefield. Where are we harvesting heads today?" Battlefield Guy glanced up at the sky. "This afternoon. Last night I agreed to stage a fixed match with Brother Spring... We'll grab a few heads then, so you guys can snag decurion ranks too." The players exchanged smiles and chuckled knowingly. "Sounds like a plan!" *** After guiding his brothers to collect their dog tags and gear, Battlefield Guy led them over to his unit and introduced them to Li Ba and the other Auxiliary Army decurions. From that moment on, they were officially inducted into the ranks of the Auxiliary Army's Pangolin Century, becoming proud senior double agents of the Alliance. Many of the players were thrilled with their new undercover identity. Better yet, that very afternoon brought their first assignment as undercover operatives: accompanying Battlefield Guy on a patrol through the Western District! Aside from the clueless NPCs, every player knew exactly what was about to happen and was fully prepared to beat down their allies. After a long march, the Pangolin Century finally reached the rendezvous point. Exactly as planned, they ran straight into an expected ambush by an Enterprise squad. Bullets whistled through the air, frightening Li Ba and the conscripts so badly they instantly hit the dirt, pressing their faces to the ground and freezing in terror. The newcomers, however, were an entirely different breed... Not only did they show zero fear, but they didn't even bother seeking cover. Grabbing their rifles, they charged forward howling. Their beastly, reckless assault battered the Enterprise guerrilla squad so hard that the latter were forced into retreat. Lying on the ground watching, Li Ba felt his head buzzing. Could Enterprise really be this weak? He couldn't make heads or tails of it. In fact, none of the other decurions could understand it either. It felt like they had just fired blindly into the dirt in prayer, and somehow won. "Damn it... could you guys act a little more convincingly?" Watching their fleeing allies, Battlefield Guy couldn't resist kicking Big Eye in the backside. Big Eye looked utterly bewildered. "Huh? That's how we always fight." Battlefield Guy: "..." By the time Korwei arrived with reinforcements, the fighting was already over. Spotting the Enterprise soldiers fleeing in disarray in the distance and the bodies scattered across the ground, a satisfied smile spread across the officer's face. After enduring harassment from Enterprise guerrillas for so long, they had finally reclaimed their pride! Watching the bloodthirsty conscript soldiers, Korwei narrowed his eyes and spoke smugly to his adjutant. "We've struck gold!" *** Dusk. Upon returning to camp, Korwei walked up to the centurion named Pangolin, patted him on the shoulder, and said with satisfaction, "Well done! Your villagers fight bravely. Warriors like these are precisely what the Legion needs... By the way, what was the name of your village again?" Battlefield Guy answered with feigned loyalty, "Bet Street!" Korwei pondered for a moment. "Bet Street... Where is that settlement located?" Battlefield Guy spun a lie on the spot. "On the border between Jinchuan Province and River Valley Province, up in the mountains! There are plenty of people in our village. Do you want me to summon them here?" A grin instantly spread across Korwei's face. "Splendid! Call them all over! Also, tell your villagers that the Legion never skimps on rewarding the valiant! Starting today, each of you will receive an extra half-jin of potatoes and a bounty of 5 dinars!" A look of delight broke across Battlefield Guy's face. Wasn't this exactly what he had been waiting for? Snapping to attention, he immediately declared, "Yes, sir! I'll have a message sent back right away!" Potatoes and dinars were just trivial bonuses. The real prize was winning the trust of these big-nosed Legionnaires! In a few more days, he could arrange for even more brothers to infiltrate the camp and join him undercover! *** Vault 79. Riding Neko in a day-and-night dash, Chu Guang and Heya finally arrived in Ruigu City's Eastern District, reaching the Municipal Library at 79 Xiangling Street. "My back... is about to snap." Clambering down from Neko's back, Heya's legs wobbled so badly she could barely stand. She braced both hands against the wall, catching her breath for a long while before recovering. Glancing at the weak female, Neko curled its lips and snorted softly, as if mocking her. A Deathclaw's intelligence was close to that of a human infant, though their feral nature made them far harder to tame than dogs. Technological means, however, could overcome that hurdle. With just a single glance from Chu Guang, Neko meekly pressed its head to the floor, docile as a husky that had just received a scolding. Once Heya had recovered, Chu Guang led Neko through the breached trash wall. The entire library had been stripped bare, including the books inside. After the local residents evacuated, Legion troops seemed to have swept through the site. Finding no one, they had set a fire before departing. Evidently, they hadn't expected the residents to hide underground. The arson had been thoroughly perfunctory, merely scorching the main lobby black before dying out on its own. On the second floor, Chu Guang located the elevator concealed behind a bookshelf. Leading Neko and Heya down into the depths, they advanced along the underground bunker until the colossal alloy gear door came into view. Vault 79's spacious buffer room and preparation area had been converted into a rest camp for refugees. The local residents were busy skinning Deathclaws to produce leather and packing meat brought by players in salt for preservation. In exchange for processing the game, players shared part of their supplies, including instant noodles, bottled water, and soap. These three items were hard currency in any wasteland settlement, far more useful than coin. All in all, with the players' assistance, these survivors weren't faring too poorly—certainly much better off than the people in Fallen Leaves Camp. To avoid startling the poor souls, Chu Guang tethered Neko at the shelter's entrance, strictly instructing it not to harm anyone, before leading Heya through the vault's main blast doors. The player named Sisi was waiting by the buffer room entrance, flanked by Tail, Sesame Paste, and Rou Rou of the White Bear Knights. Upon spotting the azure power armor, she bowed respectfully, fully immersed in her role like the other dedicated roleplayers. "Respected Administrator, we have secured administrative access to Vault 79." Looking at the young woman before him, Chu Guang nodded in approval. "You did splendidly. Thanks to your efforts, we have taken another major stride toward the revival of civilization." Sisi smiled warmly, about to utter a few diplomatic lines to farm favorability, when Tail cleared her throat and cut in with a booming, forced baritone. "You're welcome! Serving you is the honor of the White Bear Knights! As our quest reward... could you bestow upon us ten maids dressed in maid outfits—mpphh!" "Apologies, my companion suffered a minor head injury during the battle against Yong Shi..." Glancing at Tail, whose face was buried in Rou Rou's belly as she flailed, Sisi turned back to Chu Guang with an apologetic look. "Please forgive her insolence." Though Chu Guang knew full well there was nothing wrong with the girl's head—it was just the players' customary irreverence—he maintained his persona and feigned concern for the sake of their immersion. "Is she truly all right?" "She'll be fine, we'll take her to the clinic..." Sisi nodded quickly. Remembering something critical, she raised her VM. "Right, submitting the quest... I'll transfer administrator privileges to you." With that, the Vault 79 questline was fully concluded. The reward of hundreds of thousands of silver coins and massive contribution points sent the White Bear Knights leaping for joy—including the little girl whose head had supposedly been injured by a Deathclaw. Taking over administrator privileges from Sisi, Chu Guang noticed that his shelter system interface had updated with an entry for Vault 79. With the assistance of his AI, Xiao Qi, he could now oversee every building and room in this underground metropolis—as well as hold the power of life and death over every living soul within it. Scanning through the shelter's facilities, Chu Guang discovered quite a few intriguing assets. For instance, the armory situated directly beneath the Central Research Area housed 500 sets of Type 5 "Light Cavalry" police exoskeletons, 50 sets of Type 6 "Heavy Cavalry," and an abundance of police riot gear. These armaments were in nearly brand-new condition. Aside from their accompanying miniature reconnaissance drones, most had never seen use—presumably because the opportunity never arose. In addition, vast quantities of specialized laboratory equipment were stored in the Central Research Area, along with twelve "black boxes" of varying functions! All of these treasures now belonged to the Alliance. Later, Chu Guang would arrange for logistics personnel to retrieve them. Before that, however, he planned to pay a visit to the vault's original master. The Mother Deathclaw. Or in other words, the Great Horned Deer God revered in the legends of countless nomads and wastelanders... *** Footsteps echoed through the chamber. The Mother Deathclaw, resting with closed eyes, slightly lifted her lids toward the faint light flickering in the pitch darkness. Her amber pupils contracted slightly. With just a glance at the azure power armor, she deduced the visitor's identity. "...Are you the Administrator of Shelter 404?" "Chu Guang." Offering a concise introduction, Chu Guang sized her up. Her frame was a full size larger than Yong Shi's. No wonder she was trapped down here, unable to move. "Chu Guang..." Murmuring the name softly, the Mother Deathclaw gazed at him for a moment before speaking in a low, measured voice. "This is the first time I have heard of designation 404... May I ask what project your shelter was carrying out?" "I don't know." "You don't know?" Her amber pupils contracted once more, genuine astonishment coloring her tone. Chu Guang said, "I only know my mission is to lead my residents to rebuild our home on the surface... Aren't all three-digit shelters dedicated to that purpose?" That included Shelter 117 and Shelter 401. Chu Guang had reviewed their administrator logs. While secondary tasks were involved, their primary directives all revolved around the grand objective of rebuilding civilization. By contrast, research-oriented installations like Vault 79 were the true anomalies. "I see..." The Mother Deathclaw sank into deep contemplation before letting out a soft sigh. Though her obsidian-hard features betrayed little emotion, Chu Guang caught an unexpected note of relief in that breath. "My mentor... the first Administrator here, told me on his deathbed that the failure of Project 79 was itself part of the calculated outcomes. Even if we did not succeed, our sacrifice would not be in vain... Every shelter will eventually meet its destruction, but fresh green sprouts will always emerge from decaying corpses." Chu Guang voiced the lingering question on his mind. "Was the objective of Vault 79's experiment truly to breed an immortal Emperor?" He had been curious about this ever since following the players' raid progress. As if anticipating his question, the Mother Deathclaw sprawling on the floor curled her lips. "Yes, and no..." "Knowing full well the unreliability of human nature, how could we not foresee what has transpired today? Of course... it took me until now to truly understand." "Back then, most researchers participating in the project were merely told that we would cultivate an immortal Emperor who would shepherd our civilization through the dark age and return everything to his people once it ended... Yet that was not the entirety of Project 79." "The part left unmentioned in the experimental logs was this: when the Emperor's soul began to rot, when he was consumed by arrogance, and when he refused to fulfill his purpose, his loyal subjects would make the choice for him. They would bring an end to both him and the dark feudal age, closing the loop of history... and rekindling the spark of civilization upon this wasteland." "I once asked my mentor in confusion what the point of all this was, and why we didn't simply impart advanced theories and science to our residents from the start. His answer was that theories and science can be learned, but courage cannot." "It sounded absurd. I pondered it for a century and could never fathom what use such a thing had. But upon seeing you and your residents, my question was answered." "Even if our home has been reduced to rubble, and even if our past glory is forgotten by future generations, as long as they hold courage in their hearts... sooner or later, they will reclaim everything we have lost." "Without a doubt, you are the most fitting successors... I only hope that you inherit not just our wealth, but our lessons as well." Chu Guang nodded slowly. "I consider those lessons part of your legacy. Once everything has settled, I will place them in a museum." The aging behemoth smiled faintly, lowering her rotten-wood eyelids. "Is that so..." "Thank you."