No one had expected this "epic" quest to proceed so smoothly.
They had walked right out of the valley without suffering a single casualty.
What baffled everyone even more was what was actually going on with this "Luo Yu."
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Staring at the utterly wooden "Luo Yu," Mosquito scratched the back of his head and turned to Brother Mole beside him.
Just moments ago, he had logged off to try and shout Luo Yu awake, only to find that the guy was completely bugged out and couldn't respawn.
Brother Mole pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "No idea... But if this guy is really that important, I bet the Administrator will send a plane to pick him up."
Then again...
The quest objective called for recovering his remains, didn't it?
It was definitely remains, right?
Wouldn't it be pretty weird that he was still alive?
The look in Brother Mole's eyes as he stared at Luo Yu suddenly grew quite ambiguous.
Sisi thought it over and chimed in, "I think so too... Since this quest is so crucial, it won't just end without a follow-up. We probably don't need to worry about what happens next."
Tail: "Ooh! Brother Guang will definitely have a way!"
Trailing behind the group, "Luo Yu" had zero awareness that he was the center of attention. Right now, he wore a completely blank, wooden expression, and a string of drool even dangled from the corner of his mouth.
No matter how one looked at him, he didn't appear very bright.
Brother Mole couldn't help but sigh softly in his heart.
*If only Elaina were here...*
The party returned to the valley's mountain pass and found the truck parked by the roadside, only to discover that the guide was gone and the motorcycle had been driven away.
Still, nobody blamed him.
As a devout believer who had just witnessed a dead god come back to life, having his worldview shattered was inevitable.
Yet just as everyone emerged from the valley and prepared to head back, they were stunned by the scene before them.
A dense squad of cavalry galloped in from the west, surrounding the valley entrance.
Leading the troop was Lord Saien, accompanied by that old priest named Preste.
Craning her neck to look, Tail teased playfully, "Ooh! Sisi! It's your suitor!"
Sisi pretended not to hear, discreetly averting her gaze.
*Thank you, but no thank you.*
As the imposing force of over a hundred cavalrymen drew near, before the lord could even speak, the old priest dismounted first.
Seeing that Sesame Paste was safe and sound, the old man hurried forward in agitation and asked, "Lord Envoy, are you all right?"
"I'm... pretty fine, haha."
Sesame Paste wore an awkward yet polite smile, completely at a loss for how to handle the situation, and glanced at Sisi for help.
Saien dismounted as well. Without bringing up what had happened earlier, he walked close and asked, "What happened over there? I heard that the God of the Sky..."
Sisi replied with a solemn expression, "The seal had indeed loosened. The bones of the God of the Sky had already been corrupted by an evil spirit, and it crawled right out of the tomb just now."
Everyone gasped, and the cavalrymen looked visibly distressed.
Compared to facing an unspeakable horror, they would rather charge directly at a machine gun nest.
Saien looked at her in shock, while the old priest turned imploringly to the "Envoy" beside her.
Catching the look Sisi shot her way, Sesame Paste hurriedly nodded. "Yes... that's exactly what happened."
The old priest asked with a trembling voice, "Then... what should we do?"
Wearing a gentle smile, Sesame Paste continued, "Don't worry, we've resealed it... The remains of the God of the Sky have fallen back into slumber. As long as its eternal rest isn't disturbed like today, it will sleep forever."
Saien looked at her gratefully, then glanced at everyone behind her, saying in an earnest voice, "Thank you. You've done us such an immense favor... I truly don't know how to thank you all."
"Ooh! You're welcome! As long as—" Rou Rou instinctively slapped a hand over Tail's mouth.
Sisi gave a light cough and answered for Sesame Paste, who was struggling to respond: "...As long as the residents here can return to their peaceful lives, and the turmoil sweeping the desert can come to an end."
Saien gave her a complicated look. Everything he wanted to say was written all over his face, yet he didn't utter a word, merely nodding.
Standing next to Brother Mole, Mosquito turned his head and murmured in a low voice, "If that girl transmigrated to ancient times, she'd definitely make a top-tier charlatan."
"Not necessarily. Depends on the situation—if she ran into folks who weren't easy to talk to, she might get burned as a witch."
"Hiss... you know what, that might actually happen."
Watching the two whisper to each other, the wooden Luo Yu tilted his head, letting a drop of drool fall to the ground.
No one heard the barely audible sound:
"Eee..."
...
The Skeleton Corps' encampment was situated right beside the White Bear Knights. Including the light tank Brother Mole had salvaged, sixteen tanks and over thirty logistics trucks were parked inside the camp.
The players took turns on watch, and the long night finally drew to a close as the morning sun rose.
Just as Brother Mole had guessed.
Early the next morning, an Enterprise transport aircraft landed north of Petra Fortress.
Its streamlined fuselage, brimming with sci-fi aesthetics, clashed sharply with the nearby perimeter walls and cast-iron cannons.
Yet in this absurd wasteland world, it felt surprisingly natural.
"This game's art director is a master!" Brother Mole, standing at the camp entrance, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
No praise was too high.
To integrate so many distinct art styles into a single game, have them blend seamlessly without any sense of jarring incongruity, and make everything look as vivid as reality—
That level of skill was simply unbelievable!
Just then, a pilot holding a helmet under his arm walked toward the camp. He gave a flick of his index finger in a casual salute and reached out his right hand with a broad, carefree grin.
"Orca No. 3 pilot, Liu Yue!"
"Skeleton Corps commander, uh... Brother Mole."
Every time he introduced himself, Brother Mole's toes curled inside his boots, wishing he could travel back in time and slap his past self twice.
Hearing the strange name, the pilot didn't laugh. Instead, his eyes lit up, and he gripped Brother Mole's hand tightly in excitement.
"Wait, Brother Mole? You're *that* Brother Mole?"
Brother Mole was utterly dumbfounded.
In the entire Alliance, was there anyone else who went by this name?
"Uh, can I help you with something?"
A bashful smile appeared on Liu Yue's face, though his hands didn't slow down as he quickly fished a small notebook out of his pocket.
"Sorry to bother you, but could I get an autograph?"
Brother Mole was completely baffled, but he still reached out, took the notebook, and scribbled a line in the Human Alliance language.
"Thank you!"
Liu Yue took the notebook back like a cherished treasure, tucked it into his pocket, and patted Brother Mole's shoulder with a laugh.
"Thanks, buddy... The game you made is fantastic! Too bad I only got to play a few matches before I was pulled over here for rotation!"
Hearing those words, Brother Mole froze. Then, realization dawned, and he asked excitedly, "Wait! You played my game? Where did you hear about it?"
"Downloaded it from Endpoint Cloud, of course..."
Seeing Brother Mole's astonished expression, Liu Yue realized something and smacked his own forehead. "Oh, I almost forgot. You've been out fighting, so you probably don't know. Shortly after you left that day, multiple media outlets in Ideal City reported on your heroic deeds!"
"I heard a film studio is planning to adapt your story into a movie! Not only that, all the 'warmongers' across the city are playing your *Battle Royale* right now! Haha, just kidding, everybody's against the war... I just hope this damn war ends soon so we can have a few matches on Endpoint Cloud when there's time."
Looking at this genuine fan before him, Brother Mole felt dizzy, as if he were dreaming.
Seeing that his idol wasn't reacting, Liu Yue didn't mind and simply grinned.
Suddenly remembering another important matter he had forgotten to mention, he smacked his forehead again and got down to business.
"Oh, by the way, your commander assigned you a new mission. It should've already synced to your personal terminal... VM? I think that's what it's called."
Saving the most important thing for last.
Brother Mole strongly suspected that if the guy hadn't suddenly remembered, he would have forgotten entirely.
He had gained a whole new understanding of just how unreliable Enterprise soldiers could be.
Yet right now, Brother Mole had no time to complain. He was completely overwhelmed by the news that had traveled more than four thousand kilometers.
*It blew up?*
*His game actually blew up???*
Only after a long pause, his eyes wide and blank, did a single phrase slip from his mouth:
"Holy crap!"
...
The Enterprise transport brought not only the Alliance Administrator's orders, but also the fuel required by the Skeleton Corps' tanks and generators to recharge their Electric Mules and Electric Bulls.
Resupply was expected to take three days. After three days, the Skeleton Corps would set out once more to rush to the front line.
At the Administrator's request, Brother Mole picked two reliable players from the Skeleton Corps to escort "Luo Yu" aboard the plane back to Qingquan City for treatment.
Also escorted to the Alliance were General MacLaren of the Legion, his adjutants, and other high-ranking officers.
These people were bargaining chips for a future armistice agreement.
As for the officers below the rank of centurion and the nearly six thousand soldiers, they were temporarily placed under the custody of the Camel Hump Kingdom.
Regardless of whether the nobles of the Camel Hump Kingdom liked it or not, they were now effectively strapped to the Alliance's war chariot.
At this stage, no matter how naive someone was, they could no longer harbor any illusions of bending the knee to the Legion; they had no choice but to keep fighting alongside the Alliance.
Before boarding the plane, Brother Mole gave stern instructions to the two players.
"Keep a close eye on 'Luo Yu.'"
"If that guy does anything abnormal that threatens the aircraft or the safety of the prisoners, don't hold back. Take him out directly..."
As he spoke, he drew a finger across his throat in a slashing gesture.
Last night, he had discreetly discussed this with Luo Yu to ask for the man's opinion.
Upon learning that his corpse had been possessed and might turn into a gnawer, Luo Yu had panicked completely, wishing he could log in just to off himself.
The two players nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry, Commander!"
"When we handle things, it's guaranteed to be solid!"
Brother Mole nodded in relief, watching as "Luo Yu" followed the two onto the plane.
Just then, he noticed Mosquito walking toward the plane as well and couldn't help asking, "Where do you think you're going?"
Mosquito gave a sheepish grin. "Heh heh, catching a ride home. Waiting out the respawn cooldown is way too agonizing."
Petra Fortress was lively and fun, but he still preferred the atmosphere back in Qingquan City; the humid air smelled much more comfortable, too.
Especially after seeing that slime-mold-controlled Titan last night, a bold idea had suddenly popped into his head.
He intended to test it out once he returned.
Brother Mole blinked in surprise. "Wait, if you leave, who's flying the plane?"
"The plane? Oh, you mean the one I flew over here?" Mosquito smiled. "I already gave it to the lord of Petra Fortress."
Brother Mole was stunned. "You can do that??"
Mosquito waved a hand generously. "Pfft, why not? That thing isn't expensive! I called the shots!"
In truth, he didn't have the authority to call the shots; he was just seizing the opportunity to brag.
Giving the plane to the lord of Petra Fortress wasn't his decision, but an order the Administrator had given him before his departure.
Not only that, the Administrator had also instructed him to inform the lord of Petra Fortress that if he found the propeller plane useful, he could send envoys to the northern outskirts of Qingquan City to purchase more.
Twenty head of cattle could buy one plane, complete with a thousand rounds of ammunition—a genuine bargain.
Furthermore, the Alliance was selling not just weapons, but the technical training to operate them. The lord of Petra Fortress could send pilots along with the envoys to fly the planes back once they learned how to pilot them.
A flight range of nearly a thousand kilometers exceeded the W-2's combat radius, but a one-way trip was no problem at all, and they could even bring back local specialties along the way.
As the propeller plane that had served the longest in the Alliance, mounting light machine guns allowed it to dogfight, heavy machine guns allowed it to strafe ground targets, and stripping off the armaments turned it into a crop duster. Its applications were diverse.
It was exceptionally handy!
Once all personnel were aboard, the Orca transport's hatch closed. Trailing two brilliant blue arcs of light, it lifted off from the dunes and flew toward the east.
Watching the glint of blue light vanish over the horizon, Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Brother Mole beside her.
"What are your plans after this?"
Recalling the updated mission on his VM, Brother Mole replied casually, "...The combined forces of the Legion and the Falcon Kingdom are withdrawing from Oasis No. 9. The Administrator ordered us to head to Oasis No. 9 to reorganize, link up with reinforcements from the rear, and then push toward Oasis No. 3 to liberate the Honey Badger Kingdom in one fell swoop!"
Standing nearby, Tail gasped in surprise, "Ooh! Sounds like things are going really smoothly!"
It seemed this war wouldn't take much longer to conclude.
Brother Mole smiled. "Hahaha, it's thanks to you guys too. Otherwise, it definitely wouldn't have gone this smoothly!"
The major victory at Lost Valley and the counteroffensive at the City of Abundance were essentially the turning points of the entire war.
Much like the Normandy landings and the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II.
Rou Rou scratched the back of her head, looking a bit sheepish. "Right back at you. It's thanks to your tanks, too. If it were just us and the Petra garrison, our combat strength definitely wouldn't have been a match for the Legion."
"Don't say that. Victory in battle isn't measured purely by combat ratings. On a battlefield of this scale, buying even one extra second gives everyone a better chance at victory."
Brother Mole smiled and continued, "Speaking of which, what about you guys? Are you heading to the front? We can give you a lift."
Sisi curled her lips into a smile. "Brother Spring told us to operate freely. He said we're more useful roaming around outside than tied down in a corps."
"Giao! Did he really say that?" Tail looked thoroughly crushed.
Brother Mole broke into a hearty, uninhibited laugh.
"Hahahahaha! That sounds like him! That's totally something that scheming bastard Brother Spring would say!"
Tail turned dejectedly to Sisi, who smiled and patted her head.
"Don't be sad. I actually think it's a form of praise."
"Praise?"
"Mm. Acknowledging Tail's accomplishments in other areas."
Everyone had things they were good at and things they weren't. Rather than struggling where one was weak, it was better to excel in one's area of strength.
Besides, this game had never set rigid rules on how to play.
Why hadn't *Wasteland OL* restricted closed-beta access to only a specific type of player?
Or in other words, why hadn't it limited participation to players of specific professions?
Given the technical prowess demonstrated by the developers so far, implementing such restrictions would have been child's play.
Yet since they hadn't done so, there was naturally a reason for it.
...
Three days later, at dawn, the fully resupplied Skeleton Corps embarked on their march once more.
Under the watchful eyes of the Petra Fortress garrison and its residents, the steel torrent rolled grandly toward the north.
Though three days was brief, quite a lot had occurred during that time.
The news that the Legion had detonated a nuclear weapon at the ruins of Oasis No. 7 spread across the entire Alliance, as well as to neighboring Boulder City.
The journalist who penned the report was none other than Miss Dolly, the renowned reporter from *Survivor Daily*, and the accompanying photos were stills taken from Tail's recording of the blast.
When they learned that the Legion had originally intended to detonate this nuke over Qingquan City, Boulder City erupted in an uproar from top to bottom, with calls to join the war echoing through both the inner and outer cities.
Unlike Sunset Province, the southern region of River Valley Province had a fierce and martial culture, especially among the survivors of Qingquan City.
Many had fallen asleep to the sound of gunfire while still nursing on baby bottles, learning to shoot at the same time they learned to walk. The seeds of violence were deeply woven into their genes and pumped through their veins.
People raised in such an environment were not entirely devoid of cowards, but even their cowards were only cowardly by comparison.
If the militia hadn't been held firmly in the lord's grip, and if City Hall lacked the authority to declare war, Boulder City's forces might have already marched into the desert...
Yet even without directly mobilizing Boulder City to enter the war, the propaganda apparatus was far from useless.
To help the Alliance gain further advantage on the battlefield, the Bank of Boulder City took the unprecedented step of offering the Alliance a loan with an interest rate so low it was practically negligible.
Beyond official support, civilian aid flowed quietly as well.
More and more commoners were drawn by the Alliance's bravery, leaving the great walls behind to head to the northern outskirts and join the Alliance.
Among them were skilled workers with technical expertise, as well as mercenaries seasoned in combat.
Even illiterate laborers who knew nothing were a precious asset to an Alliance undergoing rapid expansion in both territory and industry, so long as they could swing a hoe or turn a wrench.
It was not just Boulder City that seethed after feeling the fire at its heels; across the continent on the east coast, multiple media outlets in Ideal City reported the news as well, sending massive shockwaves through Endpoint Cloud.
The most direct result was that the Enterprise's direct aid to the Alliance jumped from three hundred million Cr to one billion Cr, while its indirect aid surged to two billion Cr.
Beyond expressing determination through money, five Cloud Dragonfly ornithopters were delivered directly to the northern outskirts of Qingquan City.
Arriving with them were ten flight instructors.
They would provide one-on-one training for Alliance pilots, ensuring they could properly operate these next-generation aircraft.
In addition, more advanced forward-swept wing jet fighters were already under development.
Mutants might not be able to fly planes, and the east coast had previously had no use for supersonic fighters, but that was in the past.
To curtail the Legion's ambitions, their resolve to arm the Alliance had only hardened.
All these changes were unfolding in silence.
Compared to the turbulent broader situation, the Camel Hump Kingdom, situated closest to the epicenter of the nuclear explosion, appeared relatively peaceful and detached.
The nuke detonated in the valley was like a brick tossed into the ocean; though it kicked up a sizable splash, it was quickly swallowed by much larger waves.
The king of the Camel Hump Kingdom visited Petra Fortress to learn about the situation from the lord.
Arriving alongside him was the kingdom's High Priest.
When the white-robed old man learned of Sesame Paste's status as an "Envoy," he immediately declared his intention to confer upon her the title of Saintess.
At first, Sesame Paste was quite intrigued by the title. After all, what player would complain about unlocking too many titles?
However, upon learning that she would henceforth only be allowed to reside in a temporary palace prepared specially for her, she turned down the title in sheer horror.
Being confined to one place without the freedom to travel—how was that any different from being banned?
Without needing Sisi's guidance, she immediately channeled the posture and tone of a mystic, improvising a prophecy on the spot: her mission was complete, the Goddess of the Silver Moon was calling her back to the realm of yellow sands, and remaining behind would only bring disaster upon the local inhabitants.
The old priest of Petra Fortress was naturally reluctant to see her go.
Yet the High Priest from the capital did not press the issue too hard.
The man didn't seem particularly keen on having her stay around permanently. After offering a few hypocritical pleasantries, he expressed regret and agreed to respect the Lord Envoy's choice.
Though she hadn't unlocked the achievement, Sesame Paste didn't feel it was much of a pity.
Being able to journey alongside her companions was her most precious treasure, far beyond what any mere title could match.
Besides, looking at it from another angle, waving goodbye and leaving behind a legend might very well be the best ending.
When open beta eventually launched, other players would inevitably set foot upon this land they had crossed.
And when that time came, how would those rookies interpret this bizarre and fantastical legend?
Just thinking about it made her look forward to it...
Watching the Skeleton Corps vanish beyond the horizon, Sisi, standing by the entrance of the encampment, glanced at the residents and nobles who had come to see them off. She rubbed her chin and murmured to herself:
"Hmm... Looks like we need to speed up our plan."
Tail tilted her head. "Plan?"
Sisi nodded. "Yeah. The plan to buy up gold lion coins."
In fact, ever since the victory celebration banquet that day, people had already begun eyeing this business.
Including Count Ruskin.
Quite a few nobles in Petra Fortress had started offering currency exchange services to the refugees outside the city under the guise of "relief."
Previously, a whole bag of gold lion coins couldn't fetch a single gold camel coin, but now ten gold lions could be exchanged for one gold camel.
Though these were only small-scale exchanges, they clearly indicated that the stance of certain nobles in the Camel Hump Kingdom was beginning to waver.
The outcome of a single battle might not determine the trajectory of the entire war,
but the myth of the Legion's invincibility had quietly collapsed in everyone's hearts.
Nothing was unconquerable.
From the eyes of those watching the Skeleton Corps depart, she had already caught sight of the dawn of victory...
At the very same time, as the Skeleton Corps marched north, the capital of the Lion Kingdom nearly a thousand kilometers away was buzzing as if celebrating a festival.
The epic victory at the City of Abundance had completely reversed the offensive and defensive dynamic between the two warring sides.
During the three-day counteroffensive that followed, the Heart of Steel, the Storm Corps, and the cooperating Goblin Corps had stolen the spotlight on the frontal battlefield with their exceptional firepower and mobility.
Helping the Lion Kingdom reclaim its lost territory and completely liberating Oasis No. 9 was only a matter of time.
However, Chu Guang was in no hurry to press forward.
For one, the Alliance expeditionary force had consumed vast quantities of ammunition, particularly the heavy shells for the Heart of Steel, requiring a resupply run back to Qingquan City.
Second, the Skeleton Corps had only just departed from Oasis No. 4, and it would take some time for them to reach Oasis No. 9 and rendezvous with the main force.
Strategic factors aside, there were also political interests at stake.
Fighting a war cost money, and handing out quest rewards to players cost money as well.
Someone had to foot the bill for all of it.
The King of the Lion Kingdom was clearly well aware of this, having deliberately prepared a lavish welcoming celebration in the capital for their guests from afar.
Chu Guang intended to bring up a certain matter while reviewing the Storm Corps—the series of promises Prince Kaliman had made to him, including the kingdom's status as a vassal...
Chapter 450