Lion City, capital of the Lion Kingdom.
Among the rows of neat, boxy Western-style villas, collapsed buildings were scattered here and there, and the streets still bore the scorched scars of heavy fires.
Even though the Legion and the Falcon Kingdom had never pushed their way into the city itself, the marks of war were still plainly visible in the uncleared ruins throughout the area.
Dense crowds lined both sides of the main avenue leading from the North Dike Gate all the way to the royal palace, stretching as far as the eye could see in a solid sea of black.
Men, women, the elderly, and children—whether they were farmers, artisans, or fruit peddlers—stood on tiptoe with their necks craned toward the city gate.
In just a few short days, life had improved at a visible pace.
The screeching bombers were gone, and the piercing air-raid sirens were no longer part of the residents' daily routine.
No longer did people wake up in terror to sirens in the dead of night, and no longer did they have to huddle under bedframes with their families, trembling and praying their names would not appear on the casualty lists.
This certainly was not due to any sudden awakening of conscience on the part of their enemies.
It was because the Alliance had arrived.
Word had spread that the Storm Corps, rotating from the front lines to the rear to rest and refit, would pass through the city. Many had rushed out at the break of dawn just to catch a glimpse of the allied forces who had rescued them from the brink of disaster.
The kingdom's elite ten-thousand-man Scarab corps entered the city first under the lead of Prince Winter, closely followed by the relief forces from the Alliance.
They did not disappoint the residents of Lion City.
A squad of dashing, formidable soldiers marched forward in crisp, synchronized steps.
Rifles hung across their backs, and their frames were encased in uniform exoskeletons, their polished alloy breastplates emblazoned with the Alliance flag and the insignia of the Storm Corps.
The scheming devs had explicitly hinted on the forums that this review ceremony would be included in the game's official cinematic. If anyone didn't want to get edited out of the final cut, they had better look civilized for once.
Although Chu Guang had merely asked for neat and proper attire, the moment Commander Spring learned that his corps would be featured in an official cutscene, it was as if he had been shot full of adrenaline. He bellowed to his comrades:
"Brothers!"
"This is our chance to flex on the forums! Give me a hundred and twenty percent! Slap those rifles on your shoulders, push out your chests, march in goose-steps, and snap your necks to the right!"
"For the Alliance!"
The players responded with roaring enthusiasm, dialing their energy up to a full one hundred and fifty percent and unleashing an astounding surge of momentum.
"Long live the Alliance!"
"Demacia!"
"Awoo—!"
Most of the players simply wanted to show off or put on a piece of performance art.
Commander Spring, however, was playing 4D chess. He was already treating this spotlight in the official game cinematic as free recruitment advertising.
*Do you want to become the Shield of the Alliance?*
*Do you want to dedicate your loyalty to the Administrator?*
*Do you want to spread the light of order across this wasteland?*
*Then join the Storm Corps!*
*They will sweep aside chaos like a tempest, delivering righteous judgment to barbarism and returning in triumph to the cheers of the people!*
In just a few seconds, he had already drafted the entire slogan in his head.
While Commander Spring indulged in his grand vision, the eyes of the Lion City residents lining the road were fixed squarely on the players.
People waved their arms and cheered, whispered in hushed awe, or cast envious glances.
"Is that the Alliance army?"
"I heard they're called the Storm Corps!"
"Why are there so few of them?"
"That's just a thousand-man unit, isn't it?"
"Few? Are you joking? And what do you mean by 'just a thousand-man unit'? Every single one of those young men is an Awakened!"
"A thousand Awakened?! How is that possible? Have you had too much to drink?"
"I'm not bragging! Both sons of the blacksmith next door to me are serving at the front. According to him, their combat strength is absurd—a thousand of them chased down ten thousand men!"
"Hiss..."
A bare-armed man boasted to several neighbors, sharing wild tales about the Alliance he had picked up from who-knew-where.
Supposedly, this Storm Corps wasn't even the Alliance's strongest unit.
Back then, a marauder tribe called the Bone Chewers, numbering nearly thirty thousand, had been thoroughly battered by a squad of fewer than five hundred paratroopers.
It was not just neighbors and peddlers who were intrigued; young maidens in the crowd also gazed at the marching formation with longing eyes.
"Their armor looks so handsome..."
"The men do, too."
"..."
Whether it was the advanced gear, the soaring morale, or those sharp, confident faces, they left an indelible impression on the watching citizens of Lion City.
Even the kingdom's finest—the ten-thousand-strong Scarab corps led by Prince Winter—was completely eclipsed by this mere one-thousand-man unit.
Girls carrying flower baskets scattered petals into the air.
Bathed in the cheers and applause of the throng, Commander Spring couldn't stop a grin from creeping onto his face as he marched amidst his squad.
For a brief moment, he finally understood the joys of being the Administrator.
"Why do I feel like I just tagged along for the ride and suddenly became a hero?"
Walking beside Brother Spring, I'm the Darkest scratched the back of his head with a thoroughly bewildered expression.
Commander Spring rolled his eyes at him.
"Tagged along my foot! We fought two whole battles, alright?!"
Ten-Punch Superman sighed helplessly. "True, but without a nuclear explosion, it just feels like something's missing."
Catching Ghosts at Graves nodded in solemn agreement. "Yeah, and Battlefield Guy isn't here either, so we can't watch him flex."
Broken-Leg Kevin: "+1."
Commander Spring: "..."
These people were truly impossible to please!
Three days ago.
Just as the Skeleton Corps completely secured the airfield near Lost Valley, the joint army of the Alliance and the Lion Kingdom sounded the horn for the counteroffensive.
The Falcon Kingdom's 1st Corps had established a defensive line near Mount Idles, attempting to halt the westward breakthrough of the Lion Kingdom's Scarab corps.
To help their allies rapidly reclaim lost ground and preserve strength for the next phase of the campaign, the Storm Corps, acting on orders from the Army Command, conducted an airborne drop thirty kilometers behind enemy lines. Under cover from the *Heart of Steel*, they launched a surprise raid on the 1st Corps' rear artillery positions.
At the time, the unit stationed near the artillery positions was the Falcon Kingdom's 2nd Corps, which had pulled back to refit. The moment the two sides clashed, a fierce firefight erupted across the wheat fields.
Under Brother Spring's command, the Storm Corps dispersed across a ten-kilometer front, using ten-man squads as basic tactical units to infiltrate the enemy lines, with groups of three squads maneuvering, flanking, and cutting off enemy formations. Relying on sheer grit, a thousand men created the presence of ten thousand, scattering the 2nd Corps until they discarded their gear and armor, completely routing them in less than twenty-four hours.
It had been a resounding, exhilarating victory that fully showcased the Alliance's prowess.
Naturally, the smooth advance owed much not only to Brother Spring's tactical leadership, but also to the Administrator's strategic foresight.
Having lost their nuclear strike capability and armored divisions, and with their northern supply line severed, Griffin, cunning as he was, was almost certain to pull back.
It was fully expected that the allied forces of the Alliance and the Lion Kingdom would face little fierce resistance in Oasis No. 9; they were only encountering rearguard elements left behind without reinforcements.
After securing the artillery positions behind the Falcon Kingdom's 1st Corps, the Storm Corps immediately commandeered the guns the enemy hadn't had time to destroy, turning the enemy's own fire into a path forward for their allies.
Pinned from both front and rear, and with the *Heart of Steel* looming overhead, the Falcon Kingdom's elite 1st Corps was swiftly annihilated as an organized force.
Over seventy-two hours of westward sweeping, the Alliance pushed the front all the way to the western edge of Oasis No. 9.
Except for sporadic pockets of resistance, the Lion Kingdom had effectively reclaimed all of its lost territory.
And none of it would have been possible without the Alliance.
As the central figure of the celebration, Chu Guang naturally made the most striking entrance.
The majestic *Heart of Steel* glided directly over Lion City. An elevator descended from above, coming to a steady halt at the far end of the red carpet covering the grand stairs.
Looking down at the sea of flowers, applause, and the Storm Corps marching up to the palace gates, a faint smile formed at the corners of Chu Guang's lips.
The residents of the Lion Kingdom saw only the immediate triumph, but he already saw a future granary for the Alliance.
Didn't those Awakened eat like horses?
Would an oasis of one hundred and ten thousand square kilometers be enough?
This rich black soil irrigated by the river dikes was far more fertile than the tens of thousands of mu around northern Ling Lake.
As long as the Alliance introduced advanced seeds, machinery, agricultural expertise, fertilizers, and pesticides, doubling the total grain yield would be trivial.
With more and cheaper food, they could attract more immigrants from other regions and recruit more players.
He wasn't sure what surprises floor B6 had in store for him this time, but the closed-beta player cap was bound to expand.
"Xiao Qi, remember to find a good angle and make me look sharp."
Inside the power armor's helmet, a faint blue floating window appeared.
Xiao Qi: "Hehe, that's kind of tough, Master. You look super handsome from every angle! (///ω///)"
"Hahaha!"
Chu Guang chuckled heartily. He raised his index finger to tap his helmet, retracting the faceplate.
Once the elevator settled, he stepped out, followed by Lü Bei and an escort of guards wearing exoskeletons.
The airship cast a sprawling shadow over the royal palace, blotting out the blazing sun.
King Edward Lion and an assembly of ministers stood on the palace steps, awaiting the arrival of this hegemon from the River Valley Province.
Beside the king, a tall, gaunt minister frowned slightly.
Leaning close to the king's ear, he whispered, "...Your Majesty, bringing his airship directly over your palace is an undeniable display of disrespect. And now he steps into your hall clad in power armor. I fear the Alliance has no genuine sincerity regarding an alliance—"
The old king, eyes previously half-lidded, opened them slightly and shot the minister a warning glance.
"Silence."
A chill ran down the minister's spine. He immediately clamped his mouth shut, not daring to utter another word.
The genial, benevolent expression returned to the old king's face. He looked at the Administrator advancing with his retinue and spoke in a clear, resonant voice carrying a hint of a smile.
"Welcome to Lion City, Administrator of the Alliance, Hegemon South of the Tianshui... I had not expected you to come in person."
He knew full well that this was the Alliance flexing its military muscle, but even knowing so, he could only turn a blind eye.
At least...
These people did not seem malicious.
Since entering Oasis No. 9, they had neither bullied civilians nor seized women like the Legion did, nor did they show any interest in meddling with the royal court or internal affairs. That was already an immense stroke of good fortune.
"You are too kind," Chu Guang said with a faint smile, extending his right hand. "We came for justice and order, and to crush our common enemy."
As for anything else, it was merely incidental.
The elderly king reached out and gently shook the Administrator's hand.
Standing before that towering, imposing figure, he felt like nothing more than an ordinary old man; his golden crown and lavish cape did little to bolster his stature.
Looking at that young, handsome face, Edward could not help feeling a pang of envy. If only he were thirty years younger.
If he were still in his prime, able to ride a warhorse and lead troops in battle, the Lion Kingdom's military would never have fallen into such decline.
He could only hope that his children, out traveling to temper themselves, would bring back some pleasant surprises...
A silver spherical drone hovered nearby, recording this historic moment.
From the moment their hands clasped, the Lion Kingdom had ceded a portion of its sovereignty in exchange for the Alliance's support.
And from this moment forward, the Alliance's sphere of influence finally expanded beyond the River Valley Province, incorporating this fertile land nourished by pre-war civilization into its domain.
"...It is not mere courtesy, but heartfelt gratitude," Edward said with gravity, meeting Chu Guang's gaze. "If not for you, this city would likely have been reduced to ash... The people of the Lion Kingdom would never surrender. Rather than live as slaves of the Legion, we would prefer to perish on the soil left by our ancestors."
Marshal Yade of the Restoration Army, who had also been invited, looked rather uneasy and curled his lip in contempt.
He certainly didn't think the Lions possessed more courage than the Honey Badgers; his people were the ones who had faced the Western menace alone.
If the Lion Kingdom were truly as unyielding as this old man claimed, they would have marched into Oasis No. 3 to fight side by side with them the moment the Falcon Kingdom invaded.
These hypocritical words were nothing more than an attempt to save face.
Even so, his social awareness was not so low that he would jump out and cause a scene here.
At the moment, his attention was completely captivated by the Alliance's Administrator.
The azure power armor and the two-handed warhammer mounted on his back undeniably belonged to that legendary figure.
Yet unlike the rumors, he was neither a sixty-year-old elder nor bearded to his collarbones.
Instead, he was—
A remarkably handsome young man?
Paying no mind to the stray gaze of surprise in the crowd, Chu Guang smiled and gave the old king's hand an easy squeeze, speaking in a measured tone.
"I witnessed your courage from the bridge, and we have honored our promise."
The unspoken meaning was clear—
*Now it is your turn.*
"Naturally... We shall honor our commitments as well."
Edward smiled, though a quiet sigh echoed in his heart.
The royal house of the Lion had once ruled supreme over this desert. The Falcon and Honey Badger kingdoms, as well as the Gold Lizard and Camel Hump realms to the north and south, had all been their tributary states.
Now they had to submit to another. To say there was no bitterness would be a lie.
Yet he had no ground to default.
Given the dominance the Alliance had shown on the battlefield, even at the height of their kingdom's power, they would never have stood a chance in a head-on clash.
With that thought, Edward comforted himself.
Becoming a vassal of the Alliance might not be a bad thing after all.
Having successfully defended the City of Abundance, his younger brother, Prince Winter, now enjoyed peak prestige among both nobility and commoners.
Worse, the man was already restless, trying to establish some sort of intelligence apparatus...
Having the Alliance around to keep him in check was not the worst outcome.
Beyond balancing domestic factions, the royal house would gain industrial aid from the Alliance and the East Coast, alongside security guarantees personally pledged by the Administrator.
On the surface, he was surrendering a portion of his power.
In truth, he stood to gain far more...
***
The ceremony celebrating the arrival of the Alliance reinforcements concluded in a lively, cheerful atmosphere.
Though the Lion Kingdom's palace lacked a banqueting hall capable of seating a thousand soldiers at once, the royal finance minister bestowed a reward of 2,200 gold lion coins upon each man.
This sum was five times what a soldier of the Scarab corps received.
Even with wartime inflation driving up prices across the Lion Kingdom, it remained a substantial amount.
The Alliance soldiers were free to spend the money in local bazaars and taverns.
Before dismissing them, however, Commander Spring reiterated repeatedly that they must remain civilized and well-mannered. No picking fights with the locals, no brawling, and under no circumstances was military gear to be brought outside the barracks.
They were a disciplined force, and more importantly, they represented not just themselves, but everyone in the Alliance—both players and NPCs.
Weighing his coin pouch in hand, a player who had changed into plain clothes couldn't help lamenting.
"Man, I thought I'd finally get to play US troops stationed in Korea. Can't do this, can't do that."
The NPCs of Sunset Province had a distinctly different aesthetic from those in the River Valley Province.
The former had deeper eye sockets and slender noses, giving them an exotic flair.
Those from River Valley Province possessed the more common southern features, with relatively lighter skin due to the humid, cooler climate.
While the Lion Kingdom might have lacked artistic sophistication, that didn't stop him from having an eye for discovering beauty.
Of course, that sounded too shallow.
Mainly, he just wanted to practice his Human Alliance language.
Seeing right through his thoughts, his squad leader rolled his eyes.
"Can't you have a shred of ambition?!"
Another player standing nearby chimed in.
"Exactly! We're the Alliance, not the Coalition! Come on, let's go help some old grannies cross the street!"
The first player threw his hands up in defeat.
"My bad, I'm just a guy with no ambition, forgive me."
"Get lost, I don't know you."
"Got it! Thanks, Cap! I'll be back in a bit!"
Grinning, the player hurried off with his pouch, vanishing into the crowd.
"That guy..."
Watching his back disappear, the squad leader shook his head and clapped his buddy's shoulder.
"Forget him. Come on, let's grab a drink."
Hearing that, the player who had been preaching about helping grannies across the street suddenly showed a bashful look.
"Cap... I just realized we can't leave that guy on his own. What if someone harvests his kidneys? I'll go talk some sense into him."
The squad leader: "Scram!"
At the word 'scram,' the player's eyes lit up.
"You got it!"
With that, he bolted, leaving the squad leader standing alone in the wind.
Managing this squad was getting harder by the day...
***
While the players freely explored the new map, the reception banquet was underway in the palace halls.
Declining the maidservants' offers to assist him, Chu Guang put on his blue jacket himself, pulled up the zipper, and made his way to the banquet hall.
The kingdom's ministers and nobles had been waiting for some time, as had King Edward, all anticipating his arrival.
Only when Chu Guang stepped into the hall did the court orchestra strike up a sweeping symphony, and the master of ceremonies formally announced the start of the banquet.
In addition to Chu Guang, the banquet was attended by his personal guard, select officers from the airship, and several high-contribution players from the Storm Corps, including Commander Spring.
Through recent battles, their contribution points had reached the rank of Apprentice Knight.
Those tangible points and glowing combat medals were the finest proof of their loyalty.
Although officers under Prince Winter were also war heroes, their limelight was entirely stolen by the Alliance officers.
Watching the crowned old man present honors to the Alliance warriors, an earl seated in a corner of the banquet hall couldn't suppress a quiet scoff.
"Who is the master of this kingdom, really?"
Decorating officers of the Storm Corps was one thing.
Even the Administrator's personal guard was awarded the Gold Lion Medal—and ahead of Prince Winter, no less.
Had those guards even seen combat?
Even if it was meant to flatter an ally, this was going far too far!
A colleague sitting beside him gave a faint smile and murmured softly,
"Our royal Majesty, of course... though who his master is remains up in the air."
The earl gave him a startled look, but said nothing. He simply clinked glasses with him and took a sip of red wine.
Previously, no one would have dared utter such treasonous words.
Now, royal authority had plummeted to its absolute nadir, and the nobles' reverence had eroded right alongside it.
No one cared what the old king thought anymore; everyone was busy scheming how to curry favor with this new 'emperor.'
The word 'Alliance' was too abstract for them to grasp.
Raised in a feudal realm, they couldn't fathom the concept of a shared destiny for all survivors, nor did they possess the slightest interest in such grand blueprints.
Above a kingdom stood an empire. That was the only tier they could—or cared to—understand.
"What are your plans?"
The colleague leaned in close and whispered,
"I intend to open a distillery. The Alliance plans to invest in the kingdom's agriculture and infrastructure, so grain prices will definitely drop... but alcohol won't. Those men look like they can drink like fish."
The earl's eyes lit up.
"My estate happens to have twenty thousand mu of farmland!"
The other man smiled broadly.
"Splendid... We can work together."
Minor nobles far from the center of power cared primarily about the pouches in their pockets.
High-ranking ministers with their own factions and political ambitions, however, were far more concerned with power and the future of the kingdom.
Under normal circumstances, the two interests clashed, but when it came to dealing with their suzerain, they aligned.
Only by securing more benefits from their overlord could they keep their own power from shrinking too drastically.
In another corner of the hall...
Nobles and generals of Prince Winter's faction stood in a tight circle.
A chronicler kept his voice low, murmuring to the surrounding nobles and officers while no one was watching.
"...I heard the Emperor of the Alliance has yet to take a consort."
"Are you certain?" A commander's eyes widened in disbelief.
It truly was hard to fathom.
Usually, even if a ruler showed no interest, his ministers would submit endless petitions.
Having no heir was a grave concern, and having no heir while roaming all over the place was even more baffling.
The chronicler kept his voice down and continued, "It's the absolute truth—word came from Prince Kaliman himself. And I heard the Honey Badger Kingdom plans to break ancestral tradition and pursue a marriage alliance with the Alliance..."
Glancing at Yade drinking alone at his table, a general cursed under his breath.
"Cunning weasels!"
"We shed blood and sweat on the front lines, while those cowards who couldn't hold out for a single week resort to such underhanded tricks!"
"We can't let them steal the fruits of our victory!"
"Indeed, we cannot fall behind!"
A commander clenched his fist.
"I will petition the prince. We must convince His Majesty, no matter what!"
Chu Guang paid little heed to the hushed chatter in the banquet hall.
How to develop the Lion Kingdom's market?
How to extract greater profits from trade?
How to get more potatoes and corn out of each mu of land?
These granular details would naturally be handled by the lifestyle players.
As the Administrator of the Alliance, consolidating the fruits of victory for its people was what he needed to focus on right now.
The banquet had gone on for half an hour.
Once the formalities were concluded, Chu Guang merely sampled a few bites of the delicacies before reminding the king about signing the treaties.
Though slightly puzzled as to why the Administrator was in such a rush, King Edward took the hint and invited him and several Alliance representatives into an adjoining conference room.
The specific treaties had already been drafted before the Alliance deployed its troops.
They covered free trade, military transit rights, mutual defense, marauder suppression, immigration, extradition, and pre-war ruin exploration rights—essentially every conceivable agreement that avoided direct territory annexation.
Glancing through them briefly and confirming the terms matched earlier discussions, Chu Guang took a fountain pen from Lü Bei, signed his name on the document, and stamped it with the Alliance seal.
Under these agreements, Alliance merchants carrying credentials issued by the Alliance could enter and leave all cities in the Lion Kingdom freely, access local markets without impediment, and hold and operate both fixed and non-fixed assets.
Furthermore, to guarantee the safety of Alliance citizens and travelers as well as the Lion Kingdom itself, the Alliance would establish no more than five military bases and outposts, alongside no more than seven large military communication installations, in Oasis No. 9.
For a kingdom covering one hundred and ten thousand square kilometers, these installations were more than sufficient.
Any more, and the Alliance wouldn't have the personnel to spare anyway.
In exchange for these terms, Chu Guang pledged that the Alliance would not interfere in the Lion Kingdom's internal politics.
Simultaneously, the Alliance would provide a post-war aid loan of five hundred million silver coins to fund reconstruction and expand agricultural infrastructure.
This would generate orders for the Alliance's industrial zone, and the food produced would ultimately be sold back to the Alliance.
For both parties, it was a clear win-win.
Setting down his pen, King Edward looked at his copy of the treaty, then turned his gaze back to Chu Guang.
"May I ask what your plans are next?"
Returning the pen to Lü Bei, Chu Guang checked the time and lowered his crossed leg.
"I intend to return to Dawn City."
Edward froze for a moment.
"You don't plan to stay a few days longer? I have prepared a retreat palace for your rest—"
"No need. I have a more urgent matter to attend to on my end."
Seeing the troubled expression on the old king's face, Chu Guang suddenly understood and chuckled.
"There is no need to worry. I will leave the Storm Corps and the Goblin Corps here, and the armored units of the Skeleton Corps are currently en route."
"They are all Alliance elites. They will ensure your safety."
"Once the *Heart of Steel* finishes resupplying, it will return to the front line immediately."
Though the Legion had pulled out of Oasis No. 9, they had not lost their offensive capability.
The old king feared only one thing: that the moment the *Heart of Steel* departed, the Legion would wheel around and strike back.
While the probability was slim, putting oneself in his shoes, what grand foresight could one expect from an old man who had slept in an underground air-raid shelter for over two months?
Chu Guang was not surprised by his anxiety.
Sure enough, upon hearing this assurance, Edward let out a profound sigh of relief.
Leaning back against his chair, a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you so very much... for being so considerate of our plight."
Chu Guang smiled faintly, rising and extending his right hand.
"Think nothing of it. May our friendship prove as dependable as an unbreakable alliance."
The old king scrambled to his feet to match the gesture, grasping the Administrator's hand and shaking it.
"Indeed, Your Excellency!"
Chapter 451