A Wait Destined to Be in Vain

Out on the boundless open sea. Two warships rose and fell with the rolling swell, one behind the other. The two green-field twin-saber ensigns fluttering proudly from their bridge towers snapped in the wind. Yet the sailors aboard were in no mood to celebrate. They scrambled to lower lifeboats, frantically pulling their waterlogged comrades from the waves. However triumphant and spirited their pursuit had started, their present state was twice as wretched. Watching his men paddling about like drowned rats, Captain Achim stood by the railing, his face livid. His fists clamped around the guardrail in a white-knuckled grip, his sharp eyes dark with brooding fury. That cargo ship had made off with at least a thousand Moon Clan captives, costing Port Kingallon a staggering million dinars! And it was far more than just a matter of money. It struck at the prestige of Governor Nihak, and worse, stained the honor of the Xilan Empire itself. If those wretches actually made landfall at Silver Moon Bay, heaven only knew what outrageous rumors their mouths would spread. Even if the survivors of Poluo Province knew the score, outsiders knew nothing about them. People out there might actually mistake their righteous campaign for mere piracy and banditry. He had to insist—this was never robbery! This was for the prosperity of the Xilan Empire and the peace of generations to come! Captain Achim turned toward his adjutant beside him, grinding his teeth as he snarled, "Those bastards... just who in the hell are they?!" "Their ship was built by the shipyards at Silver Moon Bay..." The adjutant paused, then added with absolute certainty, "I'm positive of it. There's only one shipyard there, so there's no mistaking it. Our own ships were purchased there too." "Cut the crap! You think I don't know that?!" Achim barked, terrifying the adjutant into a trembling silence. Not only was this commanding officer higher in rank, but he also carried noble Tiger Clan and Sun Clan blood—just like the Grand Marshal himself! Such an exalted pedigree meant the adjutant barely dared meet his eyes, terrified of inviting his wrath. At that moment, a quick-witted junior officer stepped forward, bowing low with deference. "My lord, I may know a little something about them." Captain Achim snapped impatiently, "Speak." The officer wasted no time. "When I traveled through the Hump Kingdom, I saw that white bear emblem. Considering the bear they keep by their side... those people should belong to the White Bear Knights!" Captain Achim frowned. "What is that?" The officer continued, "It's a bank operating out of Petra Fortress. Word has it the owner is a young woman who was remarkably generous during the war in Sunset Province, helping several nobles who were persecuted by the Wilante. That won her good favor with the royal houses and nobility of the desert nations, and her business was given preferential treatment. Later, when the Enterprise and the Legion declared a ceasefire and Alliance merchants poured into Sunset Province, her order made a fortune on currency exchange. After that, they expanded straight into loans and deposits." Most of it was gossip he had picked up by word of mouth. Yet one thing was undeniable: the White Bear Knights' operations were renowned throughout the Hump Kingdom, especially around Petra Fortress. Achim stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing to slits. "Are they rich?" The officer blinked, then nodded vigorously. "Beyond a shadow of a doubt!" A crafty gleam flickered in Achim's eyes, and a plan instantly formed in his mind. He turned to his adjutant and barked an order. "Pass down my command! Everyone back on board immediately. We set sail in five minutes! Head straight for the waters off Silver Moon Bay!" With what little courage the Hump Kingdom possessed, they would never dare let that cargo ship dock and discharge its passengers under the noses of imperial warships. If they could seize that freighter, they could not only recapture those thousand slaves, but perhaps even extort a hefty ransom from this so-called White Bear Knights. The adjutant turned pale at once and hurried forward. "Captain, sir, our rescue operation is only half-finished. There are still several men in the water we haven't found—" Before he could finish, Captain Achim cut him off with an impatient wave of his hand. "Those useless fools are a disgrace to the Empire. They couldn't even commandeer a measly cargo ship—what good is fishing them out?" With that, he glared at the breathless adjutant and added in a chilling tone, "The Governor ordered us to bring back those thousand-odd slaves and the foreign troublemakers no matter what. He told me to accomplish it at any cost." "If you don't feel like feeding the fish yourself, you'd better do as I say." Sweat beading across his forehead, the adjutant bobbed his head and sprinted toward the railing, shouting at the top of his lungs for his men to board. As for the sailors still unaccounted for in the water, they could only be marked down as lost at sea. Having cleanly and decisively scrapped the rescue, Captain Achim summoned his helmsman and navigator, staring down at the nautical chart to issue an absolute directive. "I don't care how you do it. We must reach the waters near Silver Moon Bay before those smugglers and cut them off from shore." The crewmen exchanged nervous glances, none of them daring to voice a single objection. They nodded like chickens pecking at grain. "Understood." "Yes, my lord!" ... While the White Bear Knights had become practically synonymous with righteousness across the Hump Kingdom—especially within Petra Fortress—their business across the mountains in Poluo Province had not gone smoothly at all. Lately, they had even been painted as the very image of evil. When boiled down to it, it was simply because a certain hyperactive busybody couldn't keep her nose out of other people's business. The slave trade was hardly a novelty in the wasteland, but clapping freefolk in irons en masse over arbitrary pretexts was exceedingly rare. Even the overgrown infants of Boulder City were smart enough to recognize that there were far more lucrative arrangements in this world than slave contracts. A debt-ridden laborer could generate ten times the value of a slave while subsisting on an even lower standard of living. Yet this bizarre atrocity was indeed unfolding across the soil of Poluo Province, right under the noses of the Alliance players. A whole group of people had arbitrarily been slapped with the label of traitors, instantly turning them into lawful prey for plunder and slaughter. At first, Sisi had intended to stay out of it, covering Tail's eyes and repeatedly warning her not to make a mess in someone else's backyard. Yet the moment she saw those beasts rounding up children under the age of twelve with no intention of sparing them, her patience shattered, and she was the first to charge in. After that, they had used the *Rou Rou*'s 155mm howitzer and six 100mm short-barreled field guns to bombard Port Kingallon. At point-blank range, they sank two imperial warships docked for overhaul, and then handed over a million silver coins' worth of arms—originally destined for local arms dealers—to the thousands of Moon Clan captives imprisoned in the harbor. Perhaps galvanized by the bravery and generosity of these strangers, or perhaps realizing that the imperial army was far from invincible, the Moon Clan captives, who had previously waited like sheep for the slaughter, finally resolved to take up arms, fight back, and liberate the rest of their oppressed kin. They entrusted their women and children to the hero wearing the red bandana. The able-bodied men and the elders volunteered to stay behind. Arming themselves with supplies looted from the imperial port, they followed several Moon Clan veterans into the dense forests of central Poluo Province. And that was precisely why the Governor of Port Kingallon had flown into a rage, issuing orders to hunt down the crew of the *Rou Rou* at all costs. Even though they hadn't made a single cent on this voyage and had actually taken a massive loss, none of them felt the slightest hint of regret. A person had plenty of chances to strike it rich in a lifetime, but standing up like a hero was an opportunity that might only come once or twice. The moment she tied that red bandana around her head, Tail felt unimaginably cool. As for the lost game currency, who cared! ... The following day. The rising sun cast its golden light across the vast, undulating ocean, turning the whitecaps into glittering sheets of gold. Basking in the sea breeze, Sesame Paste gave a contented stretch, lazily squinting her eyes. A sudden thought drifted through her mind: she wondered what the worlds five light-years away looked like. Did they have oceans as boundless and breathtaking as this? "Ah, the camera, the camera..." Realizing it would be a shame to let such scenery slip by uncaptured, she hurriedly rummaged through her satchel. Though they had just endured a white-knuckle naval clash the previous night, veteran players of *Wasteland Online* had long since adapted to the game's rhythm. As long as you didn't die, it was no big deal. And if you did accidentally kick the bucket— Well, that wasn't that big a deal either. The White Bear Knights' operations in the Hump Kingdom weren't limited to finance; they also provided communication relays and respawn points for players. For a mere two thousand silver coins, you could hire a Dawn City merchant or a dedicated trader to transport a hibernation pod along their route. She had updated her save point before setting sail, so she felt no anxiety at all. Yet while brush-with-death encounters had become mundane routine for the players, the NPCs, who had only one life to lose, saw things very differently. Watching the cat-eared girl happily snapping pictures on the deck, the mercenaries and sailors from the Hump Kingdom were filled with immense reverence. As expected of the envoys of the Silver Moon Goddess! Perhaps it was precisely thanks to that deity's blessing that this battered old tub had stayed afloat this long... Just as the mercenaries and sailors stood staring at the "emissary of the goddess" in a trance, Sisi suddenly came bounding onto the deck, her boots thudding against the planks. "Sesame Paste!" "Huh?" Sesame Paste blinked at Sisi, who was practically skipping toward her with unbridled joy, camera in hand. "Do you want me to take a couple of pictures of you too?" "Forget the photos for a second—huge news! Come with me!" Sisi grabbed her arm excitedly and dragged her toward the cabin. By the time Sesame Paste gathered her wits, she had already been hauled inside. A yawning Rou Rou and Tail were already sitting there. Seeing that everyone was present, Sesame Paste pulled out a chair and sat down, asking curiously, "What's with the formal setup?" Sisi took a deep breath, looked around at her companions, and announced in a voice trembling with excitement: "When I logged off last night, my account inbox received an email from the developers!" Having never seen Sisi lose her composure like this, Tail swallowed hard. "An email? What did it say?" "An invitation to test a new map!" Sisi said, her voice shaking with thrill. "I got a fourteen-day trial activation code for Administrator privileges at Shelter 70! The shelter is in the southern waters, not far from us, and it's located under the sea!!" The two girls and the bear froze for a second, then simultaneously erupted into gasps of disbelief. "An activation code?!" "An underwater shelter?!" "Giao!" A thought suddenly struck Tail. She slammed both hands on the table and shot to her feet. "Wait! Something's fishy! Why did Sisi get the code?!" Sesame Paste gave it some serious thought. "Mm... maybe... Brother Guang thought Sisi is a bit more reliable?" Tail puffed up. "Outrageous! Are you saying Tail isn't reliable enough?!" Sesame Paste blinked innocently. "Huh? No, of course Tail is super reliable too." Meat Mountain Steamed Bun brought his massive paws together, rubbing them up and down in a pious prayer. "It seems accumulating good deeds really pays off. Amitabha." Having calmed down, Tail propped her chin on an index finger and muttered thoughtfully with a dead-serious face: "I see. It all makes sense now... Sisi must have made an immense personal sacrifice behind our backs. Tail has to treat her extra nicely for the next few days." Rou Rou also reached out a furry paw and patted Sisi's head. "It hasn't been easy on you. Amitabha." Beset by the boisterous cabin, her head being patted by the bear's paws, Sisi couldn't help but laugh helplessly. "What on earth are you two babbling about? I don't understand a single word... Alright, Tail, stop fussing over minor details like who received the code. Once we get to the shelter, there'll be plenty of fun for everyone. Let's talk about our next move. Do we keep heading for Ideal City as planned, or—" "Is that even a question?" Tail stared at Sisi in shock. "Straight line toward the new map, obviously! Is there even another choice?" Rou Rou raised a paw in excitement as well. "Agreed! My vote goes to the shelter!" "Plus one!" Her cat ears twitching left and right, Sesame Paste rested her chin in her hands, her face glowing with yearning. "An underwater shelter... I really want to see what it looks like. By the way, aren't there survivor settlements nearby? Maybe they can take in the refugees on our ship, or at the very least, we can buy the supplies we need." Seeing how instantly a consensus had been reached, Sisi blinked. "So it's decided just like that?" "What else?" Tail gave her an odd look. "It's not like we had anywhere we absolutely had to be anyway, right?" The logic was airtight. Sisi couldn't think of a single argument to counter it. Sesame Paste and Rou Rou exchanged smiles and chimed in cheerfully, "Then it's happily decided!" ... Captain Achim could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that the big fish he was angling for had never intended to swim into his waiting net, charting a course due east straight toward the southern waters instead. His wait was destined to be entirely in vain. Watching the bustling ships entering and leaving Silver Moon Bay, Captain Achim ground his teeth in helpless frustration, venting his fury entirely on his lower-caste crewmen. Meanwhile, the councilors and nobles of Silver Moon Bay shuddered at the sight of two foreign warships idling right at their doorstep. Though their coastal defense batteries could reduce both ships to kindling in an instant, they could not ignore the terrifying fact that the massive Xilan Empire lay just beyond the mountains. To people living in a quiet corner of the desert, an empire that claimed a thousand clans, a thousand gods, and a population surpassing a hundred million posed a far more immediate threat than the Legion. Rumors even circulated that the Xilan dynasty, which had recently united Poluo Province, was merely a puppet propped up by the Wilante. The Ripper rifles and 100mm artillery equipping the imperial army were the most damning evidence. Yet others claimed the Legion had little genuine interest in Poluo Province, and that only a few frontier lords were trading with the Xilan dynasty, trading dinars for exotic beauties and young, sturdy slave laborers. Regardless of which was true, the Xilan Empire was an unquestionable behemoth to the Hump Kingdom. In a rare show of unity, the twelve city-states found themselves in total agreement. Both the reformist Protestants of the Silver Moon faith and the traditionalists clinging to ancient customs concurred: they needed to seek help from the Alliance in the east. Little did Captain Achim know that his reckless gambit over a ransom and a batch of slaves had set in motion a colossal headache for his governor and his emperor. Had he known the sheer magnitude of trouble he would bring down upon them, perhaps he would have reined in his greed. But that was a story for later... While Captain Achim was taking out his impotent rage on his lower-caste sailors, far-off Dawn City was basking in tranquil calm. The three-day celebration had just drawn to a close. Still savoring the lingering festive mood and looking forward to a brighter future, the people gradually returned to their posts. A great deal had transpired over those three days. First, the Alliance had established formal diplomatic relations with more than fifty survivor settlements across the wasteland with which it maintained trade. These included old neighbors who had long viewed the Alliance with wary eyes, such as Garbage City, as well as Dam City far off in Yuema Province, and even the Free State to the north. Second, major progress had been made in the negotiations for a cross-regional cooperative organization. The Academy had displayed an open attitude toward collaborating with the Enterprise on limited issues. This was likely the first time such an accord had occurred in a century and a half. Regarding the name of this cross-regional body, both the Enterprise and the Academy deferred to the Alliance, which spared them the awkwardness of having to justify the choice to their own constituents. Not knowing what to call it either, Chu Guang had simply created a poll on the forum. To his bewilderment, the players voted for the "Glued Nations." Though he couldn't help marveling at the wicked brilliance of the community, Chu Guang ultimately passed on the top-voted entry, submitting instead the more respectable and fitting name he had cooked up: the "Slime Mold Research Community." The Academy was quite pleased with the name, and the Enterprise raised no objections, formally cementing the organization's moniker. Additionally, news arrived from Mayor Teresa that a Wilante envoy had arrived in Pioneer City, submitting an application to join the cross-regional organization. Although Chu Guang had anticipated such a possibility, he was still surprised by the speed of the Wilante's response. Even so, he didn't mind. He granted permission for the envoy to take a scheduled airship flight to Dawn City for face-to-face talks. The friction between the Alliance and the Legion was an internal dispute of human civilization, whereas the mutant slime mold was a common threat facing all of humanity. When it came to priorities, he could see the bigger picture clearly. As long as the Alliance retained leadership and ensured Xiao Yu's control over the various sub-bases, he had no objection to cooperating with them on the mutant slime mold issue. Even if a major war between the two remained a very real possibility down the road. However, while Chu Guang saw no issue with it, both the Academy and the Enterprise remained wary of the Legion's involvement. Yang Kai stated he needed to consult the Chief Technology Officer, while Luo Yong noted he had to confer with the other members of the Council. Chu Guang expressed his understanding, stipulating that if either the Enterprise or the Academy opposed an applicant, the Community would not admit the new member. This would also serve as the standard protocol for admitting future members into the SMRC. With the behind-the-scenes work of the celebrations finally wound down, all that remained was meeting the Legion's envoy and hammering out the fine details through long, arduous negotiations. As the only person who hadn't rested a single moment over the past three days, Chu Guang could finally grant himself a well-deserved break...