Across the wide, open square, a perimeter wall patched together from rebar, iron plating, and wooden piles stood at the entrance. Its heavy gates were shut tight, and the watchtowers on either flank were completely deserted.
The mutants stationed here had retreated in great haste; they had not even had time to take some of their gear, leaving it abandoned right atop the wall.
More than twenty Chimera armored vehicles formed a line outside the perimeter. Over a dozen players carrying satchel charges jogged forward, planting high explosives at the base of the wall.
Watching his teammates pull back from the wall, Brother Edge, standing within the ranks, barked an order over the comms channel:
"Detonate!"
A player instantly clamped down on the detonator in his grip. Flares of orange-red fire immediately erupted along the edges of the wall.
Along with the tattered gatehouse, the perimeter cobbled from scrap was blasted apart in an instant.
"Advance!"
The corps commanders issued their orders.
Engines roared as one Chimera armored vehicle after another rumbled to life. Flanked by swarms of rifle-toting players, the column rolled into this den of evil with overwhelming momentum.
Sticking his head out of the turret and steadying himself against the hatch, Brother Mole bellowed over the comms channel:
"Search every corner thoroughly! Don't let a single mutant slip away! No prisoners—kill on sight!"
A unified chorus echoed back over the channel:
"Understood!"
Not just the Skeleton Corps.
The Jungle Corps was the same.
Brother Killing Chicken, walking at the very front, looked like a fiend clawing its way out of hell. His steel chassis was splattered with gore and minced flesh, and the chainsaw embedded in his left arm whirred furiously.
If the kills scored by the Chimera armored vehicles weren't counted, he had probably racked up the highest kill count in the entire battle.
After all, from day one he had been gunning down those green-skinned beasts here, arriving far earlier than the other corps.
And aside from him, the player with the second-highest tally was Scavenger.
The thick gray fog had provided exceptional cover for his close-combat style. If not for the mutants' hide being so tough and thick, and some cybernetically modified mutant warriors being close-combat experts themselves, his kill count would have climbed another notch higher.
After entering this lair, the players pushed forward with caution.
Though they were inside the heart of the Chi Tribe's stronghold, no one let their guard down.
For one thing, the green-skinned beasts weren't entirely wiped out yet—lone wolves would leap out from time to time. For another, the horrifying sights all around shattered the lowest bounds of human conscience, making everyone who witnessed it grind their teeth in fury.
This had been the site of a residential settlement during the Three-Year War.
Two centuries ago, hundreds of thousands of people, if not more, had been temporarily housed here.
Yet now, it had turned into a living hell...
Looking at the cured meats hanging from wooden frames, the human hides laid out to dry, and the countless bone artifacts, Wo Xiang Jingjing felt his stomach convulse.
He hadn't been playing this game for very long, but he had caught the war in Sunset Province and thought he had seen some brutal sights.
Yet compared to the sheer evil before his eyes, that paled in comparison.
While the Wilante didn't treat other races as human, they rarely slaughtered just for the sake of slaughter.
The mutants were completely different.
In their eyes, old humans were mere livestock. Not only would they casually toss captives into boiling cauldrons of oil, they would also fashion their bones into utensils and develop a whole culture of blood sacrifices to prove their genetic superiority and legitimize their dominion.
The screams of their prey were music to their ears, and they had even specifically borrowed numerous crimes against humanity and tortures from old human history.
Spotting a corpse pinned to a stone slab with its belly cut open, the fresh newbie finally couldn't hold it in and dry-heaved.
"...$#%@! Are these things even human?"
Scavenger Lv99 looked comparatively composed. Though he was equally stunned by the sights before him and rendered speechless, his facial muscles merely twitched; he wasn't quite nauseated to the point of retching.
Qiangren Suonan, walking beside him, sighed.
"If pictures of this got uploaded to the official website, they'd probably be entirely pixelated."
Scavenger coughed softly with an odd expression.
"Based on past experience, you probably couldn't even upload them at all."
"Past experience, huh?"
Wo Xiang Jingjing whipped his head toward him, flabbergasted.
"Holy crap, bro, what on earth do you keep in your gallery?"
Scavenger cleared his throat.
"That's a secret."
In all honesty, he really hadn't saved anything excessively grotesque. His gallery mostly contained snapshots of his own valiant combat maneuvers and highlight kills—well, given his fighting style, some clips might indeed qualify as R18G.
Regardless, that wasn't the point.
Under the rules set by the operator, excessively grotesque images could not be synced to offline accounts.
The operator's explanation was that the dreamworld constructed by the VR helmet possessed a protective mechanism that dulled sensory input. In practice, even timid players who fainted at the sight of a syringe needle in real life would merely feel disgusted when blood splattered across their faces in-game.
However, once disconnected from the "dream," that protective mechanism no longer applied.
After all, the wasteland was no harmonious society.
For the sake of players' mental and physical well-being, and to keep them from growing increasingly traumatized upon reflection after logging off, the operator subjected offline-synced photos to necessary censorship and restricted access to certain images based on viewer age.
Not far from this "slaughterhouse" stood a massive department store.
Shaped like a cruise ship sailing across land, it rose a full twelve stories high, covering over a hundred thousand square meters of land with a total floor area exceeding one million square meters. Crossroads connected in every direction, and its grand, imposing silhouette offered a clear glimpse of its former glory.
Yet its builders could never have imagined that two centuries later, their masterpiece would serve as a "barn" where green-skinned beasts penned human beings like cattle.
The moment they crossed the north main entrance of the mall, a pungent stench of rot slammed into them. Elven King Fugui, walking at the head, couldn't help but scowl.
Just as he was about to complain, "What the hell smells so awful?", a howling gust blew in from the side.
A jolt went through him. Brother Fugui ducked by reflex. A table grazed past his helmet and smashed against the wall, splintering into pieces.
Seeing the ambush fail, the mutant lurking in the shadows let out a furious roar, hefted a broad-bladed meat cleaver, and charged toward the entrance in great strides.
Elaina raised her PU-9 submachine gun half an inch and loosed a burst into the mutant's chest.
A spray of blood erupted across the bare-chested mutant's torso. Before taking two more steps, it crashed heavily to the floor without a sound.
"Damn, trying to ambush me!"
Cursing under his breath, Brother Fugui scrambled up from the floor and brushed at the grime on his gear, only to smear a handful of black muck across his body.
Instinctively bringing his fingers close to sniff, his expression froze. He shook his hand in disgust and stared at the dark sludge on his cuirass with a face that looked utterly constipated.
Now there was no need to ask what that stench was.
"There must be a lot of people locked up here... You alright?" Elaina asked with an odd expression, watching Brother Fugui rummage around for something.
"Fine, fine, I'm good..." Having finally found a ragged, yellowish cloth to wipe off the black muck, Brother Fugui cleared his throat, looked at Old Na, and said, "What kind of hellhole is this?"
"Obviously, the Chi Tribe's pasture."
Elaina practicedly swapped magazines and glanced up toward the sprawling vaulted ceiling. The escalators had been retrofitted into sturdy wooden stairs.
Not only that, but the mutants had also rigged makeshift hoist cranes using chains and pulleys next to the escalators.
They appeared to be used for transporting cargo, still piled with jars, bottles, and moldy wooden crates.
Leaving the upper levels aside for the moment, the players entering the ground floor atrium crossed the open space near the doors and explored toward the nearest shopping arcade.
Soon, everyone bore witness to a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
The glass display windows of the storefronts had been replaced by bars fashioned from iron rods. Behind the grates were emaciated figures and pairs of numb, vacant eyes.
Most were disheveled with sunken eye sockets; without looking closely, one could hardly recognize them as human.
Seeing the soldiers standing before the bars, the people locked in the cages showed sheer terror, retreating backward like animals.
Someone in the back was stepped on and let out a garbled, babbling cry.
"Don't be afraid! We aren't mutants! We're here to save you!" Seeing this, Elven King Fugui quickly called out in halting Human Alliance language, attempting to soothe them. Yet they showed no comprehension at all, growing even more panicked.
Looking at the helpless Elven King Fugui, Elaina sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder with a conflicted expression.
"Don't waste your breath. These people... might not even understand Human Alliance language."
Elven King Fugui froze.
"Don't understand...? What do you mean..."
"They probably weren't captured from outside. They were born right here."
Pausing, Elaina added his guess:
"...Most likely descendants of Singularity City's residents."
Elven King Fugui stared at him in disbelief, then looked back at the cage beside them, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.
It was hard to imagine that these people, living like livestock, had once shared a history as glorious as Boulder City's.
Connecting the adjacent storefronts was nothing more than a series of feeding troughs filled with dark-green slop, aligned with the discharge chutes of nutrient paste synthesizers.
Judging by the mottled rust, the machine had seen considerable years; judging by its build and model, it was likely an outdated unit phased out from Boulder City's industrial zone.
The cage wasn't particularly sturdy.
Elven King Fugui reached out and gripped a rusted iron bar. Without much effort, it groaned under strain; with a slight push from his exoskeleton, he ripped it clean off.
Yet the caged captives merely shuddered as they watched the opened barrier. They showed no other reaction, harboring not the slightest thought of running away.
"How to handle these people is probably going to give Ah Guang a real headache," Elaina said, glancing around. "Anyway, let's report it to headquarters first."
Elven King Fugui fell silent for a long time before speaking with difficulty:
"What about sending them to Pioneer City?"
"That's an option," Elaina said with a helpless shrug. "Though I feel... no matter where we send them, it might not be a good solution."
Those damned beasts.
He cursed inwardly, yet he was powerless against what had already transpired for decades, if not centuries.
This place had been a wretched hellhole for a very long time.
And who knew how many similar hells existed across the wasteland?
Unless the wasteland itself was brought to an end, horrors even more cruel than this would continue to crop up, and past tragedies would replay themselves over and over.
Yet as to how one could possibly bring such a wasteland to an end, he honestly hadn't a clue.
Perhaps...
The omnipotent Administrator had a complete plan in mind.
As an outsider, it was better to brush aside the brutal core and just enjoy the game itself.
At least daily life in the Alliance was still quite cheerful.
...
Yet what Elaina didn't know was that the omnipotent Administrator didn't have a great solution either.
A considerable portion of the population in the Chi Tribe had been born in the mutants' breeding pens; only a minority were wastelanders captured from outside or slaves voluntarily contributed by nearby plantations.
It was common knowledge that a person's worldview formed gradually during brain development. Only someone raised within a society could transition from a biological human into a social human.
The survivors here, however, were more like humans raised by beasts.
Although the Blackstone Tribe encountered in the Great Desert had people in similar conditions, the proportion was nowhere near as staggering as in the Chi Tribe.
Based on isolated cases in real life, it would take these biological humans a decade or more just to learn how to eat with their hands, let alone learn a trade to sustain themselves.
The Alliance did not have the material conditions to absorb ten thousand dependents out of thin air. This was not a problem that could be solved simply by dumping them into Pioneer City.
Not to mention that most of these survivors were also addicted to Na fruit.
Relocating a large number of survivors carrying Na fruit mycelium away from the area was a terrible idea, especially given the current circumstances.
Standing on the bridge, Chu Guang was lost in thought.
Right then, Vannus spoke up from beside him:
"How about using the psychic interference device?"
Seeing Chu Guang remain silent, Vannus paused a beat before continuing his analysis:
"Since they are addicted to Na fruit, they should theoretically be susceptible to the psychic interference device while in their trance state. As long as this brainwashing tool is used properly, perhaps we can bring them back to normal society."
After listening to his reasoning, Chu Guang sighed softly.
"Using the psychic interference device on humans is something that has never been done in the Alliance. We carried over the Human Alliance era's practice of only using it to drive away dangerous alien species. It's not that I'm inflexible, but I'm pondering a question... How do we ensure that the choice we make today won't plant an even greater hidden danger for the future?"
Vannus was slightly taken aback.
"Such as?"
Chu Guang replied succinctly:
"For example, let me ask you a simple question: how does a psychiatric patient prove they aren't insane?"
Vannus asked, utterly confused:
"Is that something that needs proving?"
Chu Guang continued:
"If we do this, the people living here in the future will all have to face that very question—and that might be the smallest problem of all."
Though giving the order took just a single sentence, executing it was a massive, systemic undertaking.
And across this vast undertaking, there were far too many junctures where the order could stray from its original intent, using a technology that should never have been applied to humans in the first place to forge a dystopia.
The Alliance's sixth settlement would turn into a colossal mental asylum, perhaps even becoming a dark blemish on the Alliance's history.
Yet frankly, Vannus's suggestion genuinely tempted Chu Guang. The psychic interference device could at least enable those survivors who lacked full civil capacity to perform simple labor and feed themselves.
The only problem was that he needed a morally flawless, selfless administrator to execute his directive.
Regrettably, not even he was such a perfect person.
Just then, Frost, who had remained quiet all along, suddenly chimed in:
"How about letting me give it a try?"
Eclipse shot him an expressionless glance, subtly hinting that he take back words that could bring trouble. Yet Frost showed no inclination to retract them.
Chu Guang was slightly surprised, a look of genuine interest dawning in his eyes.
He had almost forgotten.
He had someone like this right by his side!
Still, this involved the fate of over ten thousand people, if not more; it was no trivial matter to play around with.
To confirm his resolve, Chu Guang looked into his eyes and said in a grave tone:
"Are you certain? This won't be an easy job. You can think of these survivors as infants possessing the strength of adults, and you are everyone's nanny. You will have to plan their daily work, living arrangements, literacy, and education across all fronts—down to their eating, drinking, and basic bodily needs—using limited resources to let them live as much like human beings as possible."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Chu Guang felt the gaze of the android before him growing increasingly excited.
He was clearly describing an excruciatingly tedious undertaking.
Could this guy be a masochist...?
Harboring this odd thought, Chu Guang cleared his throat and continued gravely:
"...In short, during the initial phase, you need to make them at least self-sufficient, and ultimately enable them and their descendants to fully integrate into our society. During this period, we will provide you with some aid, but frankly, we're quite broke ourselves, so we probably can't give you much."
"Have you thought it through—"
"I have considered it thoroughly!"
Answering Chu Guang's question without hesitation, Frost looked at him with resolute eyes, resting his right fist against his chest in an awkward Alliance salute.
"I have always yearned to use my knowledge and experience to help those suffering across this wasteland, and now the opportunity is right before me... I can feel it!"
Chu Guang stared at him intently.
"Feel what?"
Clenching the fist against his chest, Frost cried aloud with brimming emotion:
"My sapience plugin... is burning!"
His voice carried a slight tremor, almost melodic, and the rising inflection at the end took on a pious, sacred tone.
Yet Chu Guang was utterly bewildered.
What on earth did he mean by his sapience plugin burning?
Whatever.
Never mind that for now.
From the android's eyes, Chu Guang could indeed feel an unwavering sincerity and determination.
That compassion for the sufferers of the wasteland was just as unshakeable as the madness of Ibers, that troublemaker who wanted nothing more than to see the world burn.
Furthermore, as an android, he had no material greed or moral failings.
Having him carry out a task that no human administrator could conceivably accomplish was the best fit possible!
At the very least, it was worth a shot!
Vannus cast a worried glance at Chu Guang. Even though the idea had been his, he couldn't help but feel this android wasn't entirely dependable.
Yet Chu Guang's attention had been fixed the entire time on those eyes full of zeal, completely disregarding the staff officer beside him.
"Then I'm leaving it in your hands!"
"Yes!" Staring at Chu Guang with burning eyes, Frost declared with immense conviction, "Leave it to me!"
Standing behind him, Eclipse clapped a hand to his forehead.
This fellow seemed to have completely forgotten that he was a representative of Kangmao Group...
He had a feeling things were about to get troublesome.
...
Night.
The captain's quarters.
Perched atop a pen holder at the corner of the desk, Xiao Qi rested her chin in her hands, dangling pencil-thin little legs as she spoke with a touch of gloom:
"Master."
Looking up from the tablet terminal where he had been handling official business, Chu Guang asked gently:
"What's the matter?"
Xiao Qi mumbled:
"Even though Xiao Qi is just an assistant AI, I can be of plenty of help too, you know..."
Seeing right through her thoughts, Chu Guang couldn't help but smile faintly, reaching out an index finger to rub her little head.
"I know you want to help me, and I believe in your capabilities, but this isn't within your scope of work. Besides... you represent me."
"Mmh?" Xiao Qi tilted her head in confusion.
Glancing at the draft proposal for the Alliance's sixth settlement currently in progress, Chu Guang smiled faintly.
"The Alliance needs to unite all the survivors it can unite, but we must do so based on their actual circumstances. For survivors who voluntarily choose progress, we give them ample room for autonomous development so they can bring progressive ideas into our society. But for the unique situation of Singularity City, we can only adopt the polar opposite approach to manage them and prevent them from destabilizing our society."
"This isn't just a matter of ten thousand people. Haiya Province still has vast dioceses waiting to be liberated. When that time comes, the pressure we will have to endure could be several times, or even dozens of times greater than now."
"Though it might sound a bit unkind, if Frost screws up, the blame falls on Kangmao Group, or even Enterprise as a whole. The viability of androids participating in public affairs would also be called into question, wouldn't it? I'm inclined to believe that, within their capabilities, certain members of the Council won't just sit idly by."
In fact, it was trouble caused by their predecessors in the first place!
If not for that accident a century and a half ago, none of this mess would exist today.
Xiao Qi nodded half-comprehendingly.
"So you did it just so it's easier to pass the buck later?"
This girl didn't understand at all...
Then again, some people probably would interpret it that way.
Chu Guang chuckled and shook his head, saying nonchalantly:
"If I really wanted to pass the buck, I wouldn't have bothered with this mess in the first place."
Chapter 604