That's an Incantation from My Homeland, Bad Luck Will Entangle Their Oars

"Goodbye, brothers, don't miss me... Your Lord Pangolin has got to go solo for a while." The *Heart of Steel* hauled in its anchor chains, sailing farther and farther toward the east under the midday sun. Countless thoughts were carried into the distance by that colossal leviathan drifting among the clouds. Battlefield Guy waved his hand, bidding farewell to his triumphant brothers. Before long, he would make his own triumphant return. Only, he wouldn't be heading to Dawn City, but to Triumph City. Although he didn't know what methods Legion Commander Salen of the Eastern Legion had pulled off, they were ultimately returning to Triumph City as victors. To be honest, Battlefield Guy was still baffled even now. The Legion had fought a bewildering war and was now returning home in an equally bewildering manner. Aside from giving Enterprise and the Academy a scare, where exactly had these big-nosed folks won? Well, call it a win, then. He didn't really care about such trivial matters. What made him feel utterly melancholy was something else. Back then, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, practically a joke, yet who would have thought he would end up crossing an entire desert for it, and now even had to head to the distant west... Triumph City. Forget it, he'd just treat it as an early look at a new patch. Closed beta, closed beta... Isn't that what closed beta players are supposed to do? "What are you saying?" A melodious voice sounded from behind him. Guessing who it was, Battlefield Guy smoothly switched to the Human Alliance language and said with a solemn face: "That's an incantation from my homeland; bad luck will entangle their oars." Penny blinked in surprise, then burst into a giggle. "...You're so humorous." Seeing the silent Pangolin, Penny assumed he was still dwelling on what had happened at Vault 0, so she softened her tone to comfort him: "Governor Cohen didn't blame you for what happened to Wali... It wasn't your fault. You loyally fulfilled your duty and brought back the original Project Torch document, keeping us from being kept in the dark by those greedy, cunning East Coasters and the sinister marsh people." Suppressing his amusement, Battlefield Guy said in a deep voice: "It was my duty." Penny looked at him with bright, affectionate eyes. "Could you do me a small favor?" "It would be my honor to be of service." Watching this Pangolin who was clumsy at times and a gentleman at others, Penny couldn't help the slight upturn of her lips. Soon, however, a rare hint of bashfulness crept into her expression. "My... uh, father wants to meet you." "Your father?" Seeing Penny avert her gaze, Battlefield Guy was taken aback. "Why does he want to see me?" "You might not know this..." Tossing her bangs lightly, Penny spoke in what was meant to sound like a casual tone, "The *Triumph Daily* has reported on your deeds quite a bit, and as it happens, many of the reports sent to the royal capital were written by me. In short, just help me out, okay?" He had a feeling her casual tone sounded rather forced, but Battlefield Guy didn't say anything and nodded anyway. Truth be told, he was never good at turning people down, whether in reality or in the game. He'd just treat it as triggering a side quest. Seeing this wooden block nod, a delighted smile surfaced on Penny's face. She turned her gaze to the wispy clouds in the sky. "By the way... are we going to stay here for an entire winter?" "Yeah," Battlefield Guy nodded. "Without an airship, traveling overland is too dangerous... If we don't stick with the main forces, accidents could easily happen." The Northern Industrial Zone had once been the logistics hub during the Human Alliance era. Although it possessed the densest transportation network, that was during the Era of Prosperity. Today, those express networks and underground transit passages were completely severed, intertwining with the labyrinthine office buildings and warehouses into a three-dimensional maze. Desertification there was not as severe as in the Eastern Industrial Zone, but the danger was not a bit lesser than here. To bypass it, one would have to go through the Wandering Marsh, which was the Academy's moat—hardly a pleasant place either. Just from reading the descriptions on the official *Wasteland Online* website, Battlefield Guy lacked the confidence to solo the Great Desert or the Wandering Marsh. Perhaps things would be better once he reached Level 50 or 60. By the way, he had only just passed Level 30, which placed him at the fourth stage of the genetic sequence—or in the common wasteland parlance, having completed his third awakening. In this game, only the first ten levels were easy to grind. He couldn't help suspecting that Ah Guang was deliberately capping the leveling progress of closed beta players. At this rate, practically no one would ever reach the legendary Level 100. Penny sighed softly. "I really wish I could go home sooner..." It was merely a casual, offhand remark, yet it stirred a pang of "homesickness" in the heart of the person beside her. He heard Old Hook had bought the warehouse behind the Highway Town inn, torn it down, and rebuilt it into a multi-story building encircling a large courtyard. The trading post was originally at the very edge of Dawn City, but with more and more buildings going up, it was now enclosed within the secondary town center. The greatest change was at the train station. Where an empty lot had once fronted the platform, rows of concrete buildings now stood in staggered clusters all around. And the square where they had previously held their triumph ceremony had now been planted with plenty of greenery, becoming a prime spot for Dawn City residents to stroll, socialize, and unwind. The newly established Municipal Parks and Landscaping Department under Dawn City Hall was dedicated to planning public architecture, keeping everything neat and orderly... Word was that this was largely thanks to a lifestyle-class player majoring in urban planning. Reaching over 1,000 regional reputation in a specific NPC settlement allowed players to invest in and open factories; over 10,000 let them participate in grassroots municipal governance; and over 100,000 even qualified them to serve as the City Hall director overseeing civic affairs. Battlefield Guy had only recently heard that there were actually players tirelessly grinding regional reputation just to experience what it felt like to be a mayor in a game. Wouldn't it be better to just start a game of *Cities: Skylines*? Ever since the start of the year, Yaya had been occasionally updating the official forum with aerial photos of Dawn City, a thread Battlefield Guy had also followed. Yet looking at those pictures, he always felt something was lacking, as if an essential piece were missing. Only at this moment did he realize that what was missing was the people. Those NPCs, each driven by their own logic, were just like living, breathing individuals. Together with the throng of players from "another world," they formed an entire society and gave genuine meaning to the players' actions. He knew what it was he truly missed. Damn it... I want to go home too! *** While the *Heart of Steel* was en route back, new content was posted on the official *Wasteland Online* website. Although there was still no news of Beta 0.5 and no new closed-beta invitations were issued, the update was by no means smaller than Beta 0.4. [New Survivor Settlement: Pioneer City—Standing on the ruins of the Human Alliance's Eastern Industrial Zone, Pioneer City is far from hospitable, yet it holds a richer heritage of pre-war civilization than Dawn City. A group of brave adventurers once walked here, and those with courage in their hearts shall follow in their footsteps.] [New NPC Corps: Bister 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Construction Corps—The prisoners of war from the Falcon Kingdom refused to return to being beasts of burden for noble lords; they would rather face the blazing sun and yellow sands. Even if building a city in the desert is no easy task, at least the sweat dried by the sun is shed for themselves. They will prove that even without those arrogant lords, they can thrive just the same!] [New NPC Corps: Thorns Corps—Among them are seamstresses, herders, carpenters, teachers, and even scholars. The poison of chaos destroyed their past lives, but it failed to break them. To spread the light of order and rescue those yet to be saved, they have resolved to remain, declaring war on all chaos and barbarism, and taking vengeance against the Enlightenment Society that stripped away their pasts...] [New Map: Eastern Industrial Zone—A manufacturing center during the Human Alliance era. Even though it has fallen entirely into ruin, unexpected treasures can still be unearthed beneath the crumbling concrete and iron-rich sands. If you find hibernating Blue Coats, bring them to Pioneer City before the Enlightenment Society gets to them. Recommended Map Level: Lv15+. (Note: As this area is far from respawn points, players exploring this map are advised to exercise caution when courting death.)] Tail: "Oh! Sisters of Thorns! Cunning spellcasters! Sisi! Let's go sign up!" In Debt God: "'Sisters of Thorns' is all right, but wouldn't the 11th Interstellar Corps fit better? Bad review!" Sisi: "Tail, wake up. We barely just made it to the Southern Archipelago. Heading all the way back would probably take several thousand kilometers." Tail: "Damn it, the boat is too slow... If only we could get an airship." Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "That'd probably cost tens of billions of silver coins." Ye Shi: "Be more confident. Drop the 'probably.' (Funny face)" Aowu Sesame Paste: "Ahahaha... That's way too much." Brother Edge: "By the way, will leaving local defense to the regional survivors actually work?" Fang Chang: "From the Falcon Kingdom to the Honey Badger Kingdom, there are too many places requiring garrisons. The Alliance's standing corps aren't enough to go around anymore, though we have plenty of leftover exoskeletons, body armor, and firearms. Since the local survivors are willing to protect themselves, I think it's worth encouraging." Canyon Escaped Mole: "+1. From an economic perspective, recruiting troops locally is far better than deploying garrisons all the way from the Alliance. Besides, large-scale military conflicts are unlikely to break out there anytime soon. As for small-scale skirmishes... hasn't someone stayed behind?" Elaina: "We can trick newcomers into heading over to help out. (Funny face)" Commander Spring: "Still, coming to think of it... a manufacturing hub from the Human Alliance era. Purely by probability, the good stuff there must be several times more plentiful than in Qingquan City." I'm the Darkest: "Damn! Now you've made me regret it. I should've stayed behind to keep that dog Battlefield company!" In Debt God: "Hahahaha!" Compared to the newly formed NPC corps, most players were clearly far more intrigued by the ruins of the "Human Alliance Eastern Industrial Zone." Nobody knew what lay buried beneath those concrete ruins. If someone dug up an operable set of power armor, wouldn't they instantly jump to tier 0! The only problem was the distance. The Great Desert was simply too far from Dawn City. Departing from Dawn City without chartering an Enterprise transport plane required first taking a train through Fallen Leaf City to the Lion Kingdom, then transferring to trucks to travel northwest toward the Honey Badger Kingdom, continuing onward to Bister Town, circling the southern edge of Oasis 2, and only then entering the Great Desert. A single trip would take at least half a month. Things might speed up once the Alliance laid tracks to the Honey Badger Kingdom, or else players would have to wait until the Alliance engineered faster transportation with longer operational ranges. While the players on the forum chattered excitedly about intelligence on the new map, Chu Guang stood before the bridge's floor-to-ceiling window aboard the airship, gazing toward the horizon. Perched on Chu Guang's shoulder, Xiao Qi swung her legs and pointed excitedly at the distant mountains and forests, shouting: "Master, River Valley Province is right ahead!" They were finally going home! Communication in the desert was erratic and intermittent, leaving her disconnected for most of the day. Once back in River Valley Province, that headache would be gone. Squinting at the horizon, Chu Guang couldn't help letting a smile surface on his face. "Yeah." It had been a long time since he had been back. He missed the people there quite a bit, and he was confident the residents of Dawn City missed him just as much. Having shed a portion of its armor plating and left a supply cache behind at Pioneer City, the *Heart of Steel* was making its return trip much faster than its outbound journey, reaching an average long-distance cruising speed of up to eighty kilometers per hour! While that couldn't match an airplane, covering nearly two thousand kilometers a day meant taking less than two days to get from the Great Desert to River Valley Province. It had to be said that on a wasteland crawling with mutants, an airship was indeed a fine vehicle for long-distance transit, even setting aside rare antigravity devices. The only drawbacks were that hydrogen was too dangerous and helium was rather hard to come by. "Up ahead is our Fallen Leaf City." Standing beside Chu Guang, the acting captain gazed spiritedly at the settlement nestled beside Ruigu City. Rows of houses flanked both sides of the train station like stars circling the moon. Warehouses beside the station were stacked high with agricultural produce shipped in from Sunset Province and industrial goods bound for the desert. Originally, the Alliance built this settlement merely to take in the wastelanders rounded up by the Legion. Once the Alliance Expeditionary Force marched into Sunset Province, it served as a frontline transit depot for supplies, drawing crowds of itinerant merchants from the Camel Hump Kingdom and Boulder City, along with displaced refugees fleeing the ravages of war. Now that the war had ended, prosperity had not faded; rather, with the uptick in merchant traffic, it had climbed to another level. In the future, this survivor settlement would continue to exist as a trade hub linking Sunset Province and River Valley Province. Chu Guang held high hopes for this settlement's future. Compared to Dawn City and Daybreak City, Fallen Leaf City had broader plains to capitalize on, and without the massive ruins of Qingquan City blocking the way, traveling from Fallen Leaf City to Jinchuan Province would be considerably easier. It would be wonderful if Jinchuan Province to the south could also be incorporated into the Alliance's trade map. Even if the Alliance, now holding the granary of Sunset Province, had little need for their grain, that land still held immense development value. Furthermore, according to intelligence gathered by the White Bear Knights' seafaring expedition and clues provided by Enterprise, the Human Alliance's exploitation of the oceans was no less intensive than that of the land. From sea level to the ocean floor lay countless ruins from the Era of Prosperity, perhaps even vaults! To exploit those resources on a meaningful scale, the Alliance first needed an outlet to the sea of its own. Forging a southward corridor starting from Fallen Leaf City seemed, at least on the map, like a solid choice. "...I hadn't expected such enormous changes in just a few months." Looking at the night view of Fallen Leaf City, Chu Guang felt a trace of anticipation rise in his chest. He wondered what it would feel like to look down upon Dawn City's night view from high in the sky. It seemed quite some time had passed since the last festival. Keeping a close eye on Chu Guang's expressions, the acting captain spoke respectfully from his side: "...Sir, should we make a stop here?" "No need. Keep advancing. Rather than enjoying this beautiful night view, I prefer to bring the news of our triumph home as quickly as possible." Pausing, Chu Guang smiled and added: "By the way, hoist our flag! Make sure everyone can see it! Don't keep our compatriots waiting anxiously for our return, and while we're at it, let those who cursed us take a good look." "Not only have we returned, but we return laden with victory and glory!" Staring at the Administrator with gleaming eyes, the acting captain straightened his back in excitement, pressed his right fist against his chest, and saluted: "Yes, sir!" *** While the *Heart of Steel* hoisted the Alliance flag and made its grand return, Boulder City was in the midst of bustling prosperity. It was not only the Alliance that had profited from the war; the major trading firms and factory owners who had invested early in the Alliance had likewise made a handsome return. Guests bustled in and out of the Queen of the Night's bar, causing the temperature along the entire street to rise several degrees. Whether inner-city nobles or factory owners, having made a fortune, they naturally needed a place to spend it—otherwise, what was the point of making money? The liveliness extended beyond the bars and commercial streets all the way to City Hall several blocks away. Thanks to his brilliant decision months ago, Mr. Malvin, president of Boulder City Bank, was basking in the limelight. Had he and Dulong not overcome all objections to pass that resolution loaning money to the Alliance, Boulder City's prosperity today would not exist! Now that everyone's pockets were overflowing, he deserved top credit! Having just returned home from a meeting, Malvin originally wanted to sip a little liquor to unwind, only to be cornered by his adorable young daughter, who insisted on reading him a bedtime story. Malvin had been quite pleased at first, but his expression soured upon seeing the copy of *Survivor Daily* on the table. He could guess with half an eye that the little girl had likely picked up some rhetoric from those wastelanders and wanted to lecture him on lofty principles she barely understood herself. Though impatient, she was after all his favorite youngest daughter, so Malvin couldn't bring himself to be angry. It just so happened his mood was excellent anyway, so he patiently sat on the sofa. Alyssa cleared her throat, held up the picture book in her hands, and read in a tender voice: "...Long ago in the history of the Human Alliance, there was a very, very small kingdom, smaller even than the Honey Badger Kingdom." "To pioneer the kingdom's future, merchants set sail across the seas with the king's backing. Yet once those merchants amassed immense fortunes, they bribed the kingdom's subjects, sent the aged king to the gallows, and became the uncrowned rulers of the realm." "Though the king was gone, the lives of the kingdom's subjects did not improve. Where they had once labored in the fields for feudal lords, rising with the sun and resting at dusk, they were now driven into coal mines and factories, working day and night without end, young and old alike." "Until eventually, the townsfolk, unable to bear it any longer, united to overthrow the kingdom jointly ruled by merchants and nobles, hanging those who had swindled them out of their wealth from lampposts... just as those merchants had once sent the king to the gallows." Having listened to his daughter's story, Malvin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You want to say that our current situation is very dangerous." Alyssa looked unblinkingly at her father, her youthful face bearing an intelligence and shrewdness beyond her years. "I heard the household servants say that a piece of bread outside now costs two chips, and even the price of nutrient paste has tripled... It's very strange. You said our factories have multiplied, there are more jobs, and everything is getting better, but the lives of Boulder City's residents haven't improved much at all. Isn't that abnormal? I don't think it's a good sign." Not a good sign... How much better did she want it to get? Hearing her childish voice, Malvin chuckled and shook his head. Was there any sign better than "everyone's pockets are stuffed with chips"? "My child, we are fundamentally different from the kingdom in that fairy tale picture book of yours. Have you forgotten how the outer city came to be? Originally, there was only a single building, an inner city... If we hadn't taken in those wastelanders who now live in the outer city, their corpses would have long bleached in the wild, reduced to scraps between the teeth of Gnawers and hyenas! Or marauders and mutants'... well, nothing good." As he spoke, he unconsciously carried his spirited demeanor from the conference table into his home. Alyssa knitted her brows, thoroughly displeased by her father's tone, and corrected him in all seriousness: "...This isn't a fairy tale picture book. It is our history." "Of course, my child... this may well have been something that once happened on this planet." Instantly realizing his tone had been slightly off, Malvin softened his words to sound gentler. Looking at his adorable young daughter, he continued patiently: "...The difference, however, is that Boulder City has never been ruled by merchants from beginning to end. Do you really believe it's the banks that made bread unaffordable for them? Quite the opposite. Your father might not be a saint, but if I hadn't lent money to those factories, the poor wouldn't have a single chip in their pockets. What good would cheap bread be then?" A hint of bewilderment surfaced in Alyssa's eyes. Though she had learned a bit from newspapers and books, it was only what others had shared... and what her father was talking about had already exceeded the scope of her knowledge. Malvin patted his daughter's head and spoke with affectionate warmth: "Don't mechanically apply theories to real life. Our situation has been different from your picture book right from the opening chapter. Whether it's Weijia Trading Firm or our Boulder City Bank, our shareholders have always been the inner-city nobles from the very start. They were the ones who lent us our first chip." "I must have told you before about your mother's family... Her ancestors were among the very first survivors of the Boulder Building. I hope you'll learn more from her about aristocratic etiquette and ways of the world. If all else fails, I'll have to send you to Ideal City for your education." He loved this bright, clever little daughter of his, but at times he would think that it might be better if she weren't quite so clever... or perhaps if she were a bit duller. Being clever wasn't a bad thing. Yet when paired with naivety, it easily invited major trouble. She wasn't that young anymore; in another two years, she'd be of marriageable age. Perhaps he ought to be a little stricter, or at least stop indulging her like a child. Alyssa blinked. "To where big brother is?" Malvin nodded. "That's right." It was an exit strategy. He naturally knew that Boulder City's current situation harbored hidden dangers, but that wasn't a problem within his power to fix. The castellan wouldn't back him, the militia commander wouldn't, the chairman of Boulder Military Industry wouldn't, and the inner-city nobles certainly wouldn't. Even beasts knew to seek advantage and avoid harm, let alone a banker with an olfactory sense as keen as his. Since the problem couldn't be resolved, he might as well rake in more money before the crisis broke. Particularly of late, he had discovered a fine avenue: the Alliance rising in the northern suburbs. Although those wastelanders and Blue Coats were always doing things he couldn't fathom, the eventual outcome was surprisingly good. Not only had they weathered the Legion's assault, but they had also secured the friendship of ancient survivor factions. According to letters from his younger son far off in Ideal City, Alliance merchants had even managed to sell fried chicken wings and cola all the way to Ideal City! It was downright incredible! Heaven only knew how those fellows managed to solve their logistics problems! None of that was the crux, however. The crucial part was that silver coins could be converted into Cr in large quantities—something even chips couldn't achieve. In the past, acquiring Cr required trading for it at the Boulder City Exchange like merchandise, and the transaction volume was pitifully low. Don't be fooled by the current rate where a single chip could fetch several Cr banknotes; that was merely because caravans from Cloud Province rarely visited, and most people had no use for Cr. If transaction volumes were to surge, ten million chips at the Boulder City Exchange might not even fetch one million Cr. At this thought, Malvin's eyes unconsciously drifted toward the *Survivor Daily* on the coffee table, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, that Administrator has returned." Alyssa nodded vigorously, looking at her father with anticipation. "Mm! I heard they're holding a huge triumph celebration... Can we go take a look?" Patting his daughter's head, Malvin smiled gently and said: "Of course we can... But you have to listen to Daddy. Beyond the wall is the wasteland after all, nowhere near as safe as home." "Really?! Hooray!" A rare flutter of excitement washed over that serene face. Alyssa gazed in delightful surprise at her kindly smiling father and pledged in all earnestness: "I promise you, I'll be on my best behavior!" Looking at his daughter whose face was full of anticipation, Malvin smiled warmly, though his mind was occupied with other matters. Earlier, Boulder City had lent the Alliance a handsome sum of money to wage war, and the time to pay interest was fast approaching. He was certain that man must have brought back plenty of good things. Yet what he had his eye on wasn't the Falcon King's treasury or that glittering, useless gold, but something else entirely. Perhaps... their cooperation could go a step deeper.