On the elevator leading up to the airship.
With a backpack slung over his shoulders, Elven King Fugui was waving goodbye to his good brothers standing on the platform.
"See ya, brothers! Once I become the hegemon of the southern seas, drinks and feasts are on me!"
Having heard that the wreckage of a pre-war space station lay in the southern seas, he had specifically bought a set of diving equipment, intending to try his luck out there.
Who knew? Maybe he would salvage a working suit of power armor!
Wouldn't that instantly gear him out for endgame?
Even if it was broken, it wouldn't matter. As long as ten percent of the parts were still good, selling them for tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand silver coins would be more than enough.
Standing on the platform, Mole in the Canyon gave a beaming wave.
"No worries. I've got a hunch I'll be seeing you again in a few days."
He didn't bother participating in such minor events; as long as his money was in place, that was plenty. Besides, in a couple of days he had to fly over to Ideal City to check on how his gaming company was running.
The battle royale game launched by Skeleton Studio had been receiving rave reviews on Endpoint Cloud. Recently, he had been planning to port over a few more skin bundles to milk the Ideal City chumps for all they were worth.
Elven King Fugui snapped, "Damn it! Who curses their own brother like that?!"
Standing beside him, Elaina said with a comical smirk, "Wouldn't that be great? Saves you a return ticket."
"Old Na?" Carrying fishing gear, Stop Bullshitting glanced at him and let out an astonished greeting. "Holy shit? What are you doing here too?"
Elaina chuckled. "Just joining the fun, don't mind me. Besides, I heard there are lots of mutants out there we've never seen before. I mainly want to go see what they actually look like."
Mole grinned cheekily. "Just don't go eating them into extinction."
Elaina rolled his eyes. "Piss off! Am I that kind of person?"
While they were shooting the breeze, the elevator slowly rose, carrying the final batch of players into the cabin.
Once boarding was complete, the airship began to gain altitude. Then the propellers mounted along its belly and tail roared to life, propelling the vessel—laden with dreams and hopes—toward the distant horizon.
"Man, I'm so jealous. Damn it!"
Watching the airship cruise into the distance, In Debt God, who was watching the spectacle from the platform, wore an expression completely plastered with envy, jealousy, and spite.
He wanted to go have a look as well, but unfortunately, he currently had a huge family of fruiting bodies to feed.
Although he felt Baiyue Province ought to offer plenty of opportunities for his fruiting bodies to stretch their legs, freight costs right now were simply too steep.
He could only wait for the brothers at Niuma Group to run more flights and drive down ticket prices before heading over to check it out...
"Let's go, let's go." Having seen his good brothers off, Mole lowered his waving hand and prepared to leave the platform.
Just then, another airship docked above the gas-filling station, slowly lowering mooring cables and an elevator.
The man standing on the elevator was dressed in opulent attire. He wore an arrogant expression, his upturned mustache curling like that of a king on a playing card.
Including old players like Mole and Big Eyes, the players on the platform all caught the scent of a storyline almost at once. Halting their steps before dispersing, they cast curious gazes toward the elevator.
The elevator came to a steady stop.
A group of people stepped off the airship.
When Mole, Big Eyes, and the others spotted the familiar face mingled in the crowd, their eyes went wide, and an involuntary "Holy shit!" escaped their lips.
Bathed in those upward gazes, Bentnor's face brimmed with pride and self-satisfaction. He felt immensely pleased by the "envy" of these barbarians.
Now he could somewhat understand why those unsociable Eastern Expansionists grew so fanatical whenever an expedition was mentioned.
While this place lacked the prosperity of Triumph City, being surrounded by eyes filled with envy still felt rather pleasant.
However, his understanding extended only that little bit and not a sliver more.
Wasting vast amounts of manpower and material resources to make a massive fuss, launching a great expedition against some inexplicable adversary with zero visible benefits just to satisfy some pitiful vanity...
Such behavior was utterly selfish.
There were many questionable circumstances surrounding Griffin's death, but he certainly hadn't died blameless.
Lost in his own thoughts, Bentnor suddenly heard the sharp "Holy shit!" ring out. He casually tilted his ear toward Pangolin, who was following behind him, and asked in a low voice:
"What does 'holy shit' mean?"
Battlefield Guy, who was busy trading frantic winks with his buddies, nearly choked on his own spit. He hurriedly replied in a rush:
"It expresses wonder and deep respect... You can consider it a polite greeting."
"I see."
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Bentnor curled the corners of his lips, seemingly very pleased by the explanation.
Battlefield Guy's scalp tingled with dread. He silently prayed that this fellow wouldn't try to blend in with local customs and toss that greeting at the Administrator when they met.
Embarrassing himself was a small matter.
If his cover got blown, that would be an absolute disaster!
"Honorable Mr. Bentnor, welcome to Dawn City. I am Cheng Yan, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Alliance. The Administrator specially instructed me to receive you well. Though we have had our past grievances, the war is over, and all who come in peace are guests."
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Cheng," Bentnor offered a formulaic courtesy before glancing around and asking bluntly, "Where is your Administrator? I wish to speak with him directly."
"The Administrator has entrusted all Alliance diplomatic affairs to me. Discussing matters with me is the same as discussing them with him."
Faced with Bentnor's dismissive demeanor, Cheng Yan's expression did not waver in the slightest. Still maintaining his polite bearing, he continued:
"As for our Administrator, he is currently conferring with representatives from the Academy and Enterprise regarding the charter and cooperative details of the Slime Mold Research Community. If you wish to meet him, regulations require an advance appointment... The Academy and Enterprise are subject to the same procedure."
Bentnor's brow twitched slightly.
An envoy of the Legion had never been treated with such disrespect, and a spark of displeasure naturally flared in his heart.
However, hearing that the Enterprise and Academy were treated the same way, he kept his temper in check, merely saying in an irritated tone:
"Our delegation numbers over a hundred people. We require a plot of land to pitch camp."
Cheng Yan continued in a gentle tone, "We have arranged hotel accommodations for you."
"Unnecessary," Bentnor said, lifting his chin slightly. "I believe I mentioned in our written diplomatic correspondence that we Wilantes only reside in our own dwellings."
Cheng Yan offered a helpless gesture. "Please do not misunderstand, we were only offering a courteous suggestion... If you insist, then by all means, suit yourselves."
Seeing the other party yield, Bentnor's brow smoothed somewhat. He nodded and led the dozen or so people behind him off the platform.
The elevator slowly ascended.
There were still over ninety people on the airship, requiring several trips to bring them all down. Some were Wilantes, while others were their attendants.
A staff member following Cheng Yan couldn't help but mutter under his breath:
"These barbarians are bloody ridiculous... They won't stay in the rooms prepared for them and insist on pitching tents."
The other staffers nodded in agreement.
Glancing sideways at his subordinate, Cheng Yan murmured, "The wasteland is full of settlements with cultural customs different from ours. You have to learn understanding if you want to get along with them... It is enough for us to do our own duty well."
In truth, the Wilantes were hardly the only peculiar ones.
In his eyes, the researchers from the Academy were just as bizarre. Rather than staying in proper quarters, they insisted on sleeping in their transport vehicles.
Moreover, those vehicles were always parked in concealed locations, landing near their airfield only when strictly necessary.
By comparison, the Enterprise personnel were somewhat more normal.
Their only quirk was their obsession with tall buildings.
Word had it that in the hundred-story Grand Ideal Hotel, everything below the fiftieth floor remained completely vacant. Rarely would any traveler from Ideal City choose a room beneath the fiftieth floor.
Just as the Legion's envoys arrived in Dawn City, Chu Guang, who was in the middle of a meeting, learned of the development through Xiao Qi.
During a recess in the meeting, inside a spacious lounge.
Taking a seat on the sofa, Chu Guang retrieved the holographic pen from his pocket, placed it on the table, and lightly tapped the button to project the screen, listening to Foreign Minister Cheng Yan's report.
"The Wilante delegation requested to camp near Dawn City. Following your instructions, I agreed to their request and allocated them the open ground near the First Corps garrison."
Looking at Cheng Yan in the pale blue floating window, Chu Guang nodded. "Did they have any reaction?"
"None. They didn't care about the location. That Myriad Commander named Bentnor is leading the delegation's personnel in setting up camp."
At this point, Cheng Yan paused for a moment before continuing, "Additionally, I noticed that several attendants accompanying them appear to be slaves, which runs contrary to our laws... I am concerned this might pose a latent issue."
Long ago, when the Alliance was not yet strong enough, it had made certain compromises regarding the slave issue.
For instance, allowing traveling merchants carrying slaves to pass through Dawn City, merely forbidding them from abusing captives and slaves while mandating that slave owners isolate their slaves in designated quarters within the trading post.
Later, as the Alliance's military and economic might expanded, Refugee Home, functioning as a semi-official organization, would purchase disenfranchised survivors from slave owners at market rates and guide them toward normal lives.
And now, the Alliance possessed ample power to say no to those slave traffickers—even equating them with marauders and actively launching sorties to intercept them.
Whether cowed by the Alliance's military prowess or coveting the Alliance's market, passing merchants would conscientiously clear their wagons for the sake of silver coins, severing ties with such filthy trade.
After all, most merchants chased profit; they wouldn't abandon the entire forest for the sake of a single business.
Order radiated outward, just as chaos did.
Yet a diplomatic mission from the Legion was not a merchant caravan, and applying the methods used on merchants was clearly inappropriate.
After hearing Cheng Yan's report, Chu Guang frowned slightly. After pondering for a moment, he spoke:
"Send them a copy of Alliance law along with their supplies, and tactfully remind them that they had best respect our rules. The camping ground we provided is not equivalent to sovereign diplomatic territory. We do not recognize ownership of human beings, nor will we protect unlawful privileges. Their diplomatic immunity merely guarantees their lives; it does not guarantee they won't be expelled."
"Understood. I will convey that to them." Though Cheng Yan agreed to Chu Guang's instructions, he couldn't help nursing a headache.
He saw nothing wrong with this handling, but he truly couldn't imagine how to phrase such unyielding rhetoric 'tactfully.'
Chu Guang checked the time. Seeing that the recess was drawing to a close, he asked, "Is there anything else?"
Cheng Yan answered immediately, "One more thing... regarding the Xilan Empire."
Chu Guang paused briefly, taking a moment to recall the intelligence on this survivor faction before asking with a rather strange expression:
"Them... Did something happen?"
With a subtle look, Cheng Yan nodded and continued:
"I only learned of this recently myself, but they dispatched envoys toward us some time ago. Currently, their delegation has departed from the Lion Kingdom and is expected to reach the vicinity of Luoye City within three days... They wish for us to greet them at the border, claiming this is to help them pinpoint our location on their map."
Chu Guang couldn't help but chuckle at that, though he suppressed his amusement and asked in a serious tone:
"Did they also come for the Mutant Slime Mold Research Community?"
Cheng Yan shook his head. "They made no mention of that, and I suspect they might not even know our situation. According to the royal family of the Lion Kingdom, the original itinerary of the Xilan Empire delegation was merely to tour the Falcon Kingdom and Camel Hump Kingdom, with no plans to travel so far east... to the point where they ended up making quite a few absurd blunders upon reaching the Lion Kingdom."
Curious, Chu Guang asked, "What blunders?"
Cheng Yan hesitated. "Well... the Lion royal family didn't elaborate on their own initiative. Would you like me to inquire?"
"No need. If they didn't mention it, let it be," Chu Guang said after a moment's thought, issuing formal instructions. "All who come are guests. Arrange a few vehicles to pick them up."
Cheng Yan nodded. "Understood."
The communication ended, and the pale blue holographic screen dispersed into flecks of starlight.
Chu Guang pocketed the holographic pen from the table, rose, and stepped out of the lounge, returning to the adjacent conference room with a smile.
Now, representatives from the Legion, the Academy, and the Enterprise were gathered once again.
The moment to decide the fate of this wasteland had arrived once more!
***
News of the Legion envoys' arrival in the Alliance spread across the entire city in no time.
Although word of the Legion sending an envoy had surfaced long ago, Pioneer City was simply too far from the Alliance's core territory, so few people had paid it much mind.
Only when people laid eyes on those Wilantes appearing in Dawn City did the news spread with astonishing speed.
Dusk fell.
Inside the lobby of the Highway Town Hotel.
The drunkards seated at the tables were chattering noisily, discussing the news they had read in the papers alongside hearsay and rumors.
"For real?! Envoys from Triumph City are in Dawn City?"
"Of course it's real! They came down from the airship at the gas airport; tons of people saw them!"
"I could recognize that big nose anywhere!"
"Haha! Those big-noses have the nerve to come back? Haven't they suffered enough defeats?"
"Looks like they've truly been beaten into submission, otherwise why would they send envoys to talk with us?"
"Unbelievable... You mean right now, envoys from the Academy, Enterprise, and Legion are all gathered in Dawn City at the same time?!"
"Incredible!"
Listening to the excited banter, Lisa, holding a tray in both hands, looked on with wide, surprised eyes.
A diplomatic mission from Triumph City?
Remembering that Pangolin had gone to Triumph City, a glimmer of anticipation gradually surfaced in her startled eyes.
Those people might have news of him...
Noticing the look on the young girl's face, Lao Bai, seated before the bar counter, took a sip of beer and said with an amused smile:
"The Legion's camp is right next to the First Corps barracks. Why don't you head over and ask around... while it's still light out?"
He naturally knew Battlefield Guy was right there.
However, he felt it would make for a much better surprise if she discovered it herself.
Lisa cast him a grateful glance, bowed deeply, and then scurried off toward the kitchen behind the bar to ask Old Hook for leave.
Watching the swaying curtain at the kitchen door, Lao Bai grinned. Seated beside him, Mole let out a beer burp and said teasingly:
"I bet that dog Battlefield Guy is gonna be shocked out of his mind... To think someone's been waiting for him for an entire year without him even knowing."
"You guys are way too wicked, keeping it bottled up for so long without telling her," Tengteng quipped from the side, sipping her sparkling water.
"Haha, it's more fun this way!"
Mole chuckled mischievously, then turned toward Commander Spring at the adjacent table. "Do you think he'll accept?"
Spring made a helpless face. "Ghost knows. I've known that dog for so long, and I still haven't figured out what his type is."
Sitting by the counter drinking sparkling water, Tengteng suddenly piped up with great enthusiasm:
"Is there a possibility... that the one in his heart is actually Colwei? After all, they went through life and death together for so long, wouldn't some kind of friendship naturally spark between them? Wouldn't it?"
The guys sitting by the counter shuddered involuntarily, and Brother Edge, who was mid-drink, broke into a fit of coughing.
Spring coughed as well. "I'd say that's highly unlikely... Otherwise, I'm the Darkest would've lost his virtue ages ago."
"???" Currently struggling against a disconnect, I'm the Darkest looked up with a dazed expression, but just as he was about to retort, he disconnected again.
"What if?"
Looking at Tengteng, whose cheeks were flushed with excitement, Yaya made a helpless face. "Sorry, our Tengteng had too much to drink."
Tengteng snapped her head toward her. "Bah! I'm drinking sparkling water!"
"Ahem! Since everyone's so interested, how about we place some bets!" In Debt God chuckled and whipped out a notebook. "Friendly wager, I'll be the banker... I'll put down 100 silver coins betting that dog Battlefield Guy definitely isn't picky!"
"I bet he'll chicken out... If he was gonna make a move, he would've done it back then, no need to wait until now," Spring said, raising a hand to bet 100 silver coins. But after thinking for a moment, he hesitated and changed his mind. "Make it 50 silver coins instead."
Tengteng raised her hand excitedly as well. "I—I bet on Col—"
"Rejected! Only two options, next!"
"Tch!"
"I bet Battlefield Guy definitely wimps out! With him being so quick, he wouldn't want anyone else to find out."
"Hahaha! Then I'm betting the opposite of you!"
With everyone tossing jokes back and forth, twenty or thirty spectators had placed bets within just a few minutes.
In Debt God scribbled furiously, then looked up at Lao Bai, who was quietly sipping his drink, asking with a grin:
"What about you, Lao Bai?"
"Me?" Lao Bai blinked, then smiled. "Doesn't matter to me. Whatever he chooses is his own business."
In Debt God said cheekily, "Naturally. It's not like the boys are gonna force his head down over a hundred silver coins, right? It's just for fun."
Lao Bai made a resigned face and pulled out a 100 silver coin bill. "Put me down for fifty on both sides."
In Debt God: "Damn! You can do that?!"
Mole in the Canyon: "Hedging both sides is way too sly!"
Without them noticing, darkness had fallen outside, and the streetlights flickered on one by one.
Nearly an hour had passed since Lisa left, and the group's conversation had gradually drifted from Battlefield Guy to the port in the Baiyue Strait.
Just then, I'm the Darkest, having finally managed to log back in, pushed himself up from the table with both hands, groggily reviving the topic from an hour ago:
"*Burp*—We've talked for so long, why not head over and see for ourselves! Bros, anyone wanna come take a peek with me?!"
"Let's roll," Commander Spring at the same table paid the bill with his VM, reaching out to steady the wobbling I'm the Darkest. "Waiting for that bastard to show up is probably hopeless. I'll go take a look too."
Sitting at the counter with Tengteng, Yaya raised her hand curiously. "Me, me! Count me in for the drama!"
Just as everyone was bustling to go, the inn's proprietor, Old Hook, suddenly emerged from the kitchen, looking worriedly at Lao Bai seated at the bar.
"Lisa told me she'd be back in an hour, but it's already dark outside... I'm not stingy with time, it's just that the girl has always been punctual. Nothing like this has ever happened before."
Seeing the old man's fretful expression, Lao Bai set down his glass and gave him a reassuring look.
"Don't worry, I'll go check it out."
"Thank you! This drink's on the house!" Old Hook looked at Lao Bai with deep gratitude, then suddenly thought of something and hurriedly pulled out his terminal to draft a commission.
Nearly every tavern and inn in the Alliance was equipped with this 'Mercenary System.' Whether it was clearing a mutant nest or finding a lost cat, orders could be placed through it.
As long as it didn't violate Alliance law, someone would come to help resolve the issue.
Seeing the old man's actions, Lao Bai grinned and reached out to press down on his wrinkled hand.
"Don't mention it. This drink is payment enough."
With that, he rose from the counter, caught up with Commander Spring, I'm the Darkest, and the other players, and stepped out of the inn into the brightly lit street...
***
Meanwhile, Noreg, the Foreign Minister of the Bugra Free State who was visiting Dawn City, also received the report of the Legion envoys' arrival.
While the Legion's interest in the 'Slime Mold Research Community' came as no surprise, the Wilantes' reaction speed genuinely shocked him to the core.
Triumph City was over ten thousand kilometers away!
Separated by an immense, boundless desert!
For an ordinary merchant caravan traveling from Sunset Province to the continent's western coast, the journey would take at least half a year, and with stops along the way, it could easily take a full year!
Arriving in such a short time was proof enough of how much importance they placed on this meeting. Furthermore, word had it that the visiting envoy held the rank of Myriad Commander!
After hearing his subordinate's report, Noreg's expression grew exceedingly solemn.
Although Mayor Aldo was a pro-Enterprise politician, that did not mean the Free State had to completely abandon its old friend, the Legion.
Yet now, Triumph City had sent an envoy to Dawn City!
And this was no rogue action by some internal Legion faction, but a directive issued by the supreme Marshal himself.
A trace of worry crept between Noreg's brows.
Could it be...
That the Eastern Expansionists had completely lost influence within the Legion?
Just as he was hesitating over how to report this news to Mayor Aldo, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
Moments later, his secretary appeared in the doorway.
"New development!"
With an expression of overjoyed relief, the secretary blurted out to Noreg inside the room without catching his breath:
"The Legion delegation! Those Wilantes! They got into a conflict with the Alliance people!"
"What?"
Noreg froze for a second, and then ecstasy flooded his face.
"Take me there at once!"
The secretary nodded excitedly in haste.
"Right away!"
Chapter 662