On the beach south of Port French Fries.
Because the makeshift pier was far too narrow, Sisi had to make several attempts before finally docking the ship securely.
A long gangplank dropped from the deck, coming to rest at an angle against the newly laid planks of the pier.
Standing in the frothing shallows, dozens of eager eyes stared fixedly toward the deck out in the deeper water.
Right then, a tender little face peeked over the ship's railing.
"Land!"
Standing on tiptoe, Culi gripped the railing with both hands and looked wistfully at the golden stretch of beach just a short distance away, her timid eyes brimming with curiosity and longing.
Sister Misa had told her that once they went ashore, they wouldn't have to stay cooped up in the cramped hold anymore.
Though she was deeply grateful to the freighter that had carried them away from that living hell, she truly preferred living under the sun. Especially when the warm rays bathed her skin, making her feel cozy all over and lifting her spirits right along with it.
And while she was looking at the crowd on the shore, the crowd was looking right back at her.
Sure, she was pretty adorable...
*But where the hell are the maid outfits we were promised?!*
In less than a minute, more and more Moon Clan maidens stepped out onto the deck, gathering excitedly along the railing. They gazed at the end of their journey just within arm's reach and at the people on the beach.
Beneath the metallic frames of their exoskeletons were shirts soaked through with seawater. Looking at those robust, athletic figures and handsome faces, quite a few unmarried young girls couldn't help but blush, averting their eyes under the pretense of admiring the scenery.
By contrast, the married women were bold and unrestrained, drinking in the sight with unabashed eyes. Some even nudged their companions, whispering and giggling amongst themselves.
The shelters had preserved more than just the knowledge and ideals of the pre-war era; they had also preserved its finest genes.
Not to mention that the DNA used for Shelter 404's clones had gone through layers of meticulous screening. As long as human aesthetic standards hadn't undergone a radical shift, their good looks were naturally beyond question.
Otherwise, when the Frost Spear Tribe first arrived at the shores of Ling Lake, they wouldn't have taken an immediate liking to them and gone so far as to make the absurd request to borrow some breeding stock.
To be fair, in a situation like this, it was hard to say who was really taking advantage of whom.
"Ah haha, sorry about that, everyone—"
Sporting an apologetic grin that showed she had messed up, Tail scratched the back of her head as she strolled down the gangplank.
Yet before she could even plant both feet firmly on the pier, furious roars surged in from all directions, startling her so badly she nearly tumbled into the sea.
"Fuck! Where are the maid outfits you promised?!"
"Why are they in default skins?!"
"Geneva!"
"Refund!"
Confronted by the outraged crowd, Tail leapt backward like a cat seeing a cucumber for the first time. Still, she steeled herself, stepped forward, and squeaked out a sheepish explanation.
"Th-this is totally an accident, *giao*! I—I'll make Rou Rou wear one for you guys, how about that?!"
The crowd: "#@#&!"
Watching the uproar on the beach, Misa stood by the railing, glancing back at Sesame Paste in utter bewilderment.
"What... are they saying?"
"That's just the Alliance's special way of welcoming guests, don't worry about it..." Sesame Paste chuckled vaguely, quickly brushing past the awkward topic. "Let's get everyone off the ship. Don't crowd against the railing—it's dangerous."
Misa nodded blankly. Then, remembering something, she took Sesame Paste's hands and said with profound gratitude, "Thank you so much... When we were brought to that camp, I thought we were done for. If it weren't for you, we might have already..."
"Don't mention it."
A gentle smile appeared on Sesame Paste's face as she gave those cold, slender hands a reassuring squeeze.
"I hope you can start a brand-new life in this new world."
A glimmer of hope shone in Misa's eyes, and she gripped her hand and nodded vigorously.
"Mm! We definitely will!"
...
For the players, who came up with fresh antics every single day, the maid outfit incident was nothing more than a tiny footnote.
Although it was a pity they hadn't gotten to see the young maidens in maid outfits, most players weren't petty enough to hold a grudge over something so minor.
As long as an apology was sincere, everyone was willing to let it slide.
To demonstrate her contrition—and as punishment for toying with the feelings of the Strength-type brutes—Tail was presented with a long list of humiliating punishments that even Brother Guang would shake his head at. In the end, she chose the mildest of them all: wearing a maid outfit for three days straight.
Compared to the other explosive options, this relatively harmless choice was practically mercy.
Besides, this crummy beach didn't have a branch of Tengteng's Cabin, meaning there was nowhere to buy a maid outfit in the first place.
So when she made the solemn decision that went against her ancestors, Tail had already calculated the odds and was convinced she would get off scot-free.
Yet to her horror, the moment she checked off that option, wicked grins broke out across everyone's faces.
"Knew you'd pick that one!"
Moments later, Crawling Model Worker wheeled out a rolling rack packed with maid outfits, grinning as he made a grand sweeping gesture.
"Take your pick! Don't be shy!"
Staring at the array of masterpieces in every conceivable cut and style, Tail's smug, cocky expression shattered in an instant.
"*Giao*! W-wait a second, do you seriously expect me to wear that sort of thing?! Me, me, me, out here?!"
"Who else?" A Strength-type brute standing nearby rolled his eyes. "You expect me to wear it?"
Another player chimed in with a shout.
"Exactly!"
"Hurry it up!"
Seeing that this rascal had the nerve to renege right in front of them, the crowd began jeering in waves.
"Sisi!"
Tail turned a pitiful, pleading gaze toward Sisi.
To her utter dismay, Sisi—who had always indulged her the most—completely broke character. Far from taking her side, a look of keen amusement curled the corners of her lips.
"Well... you did promise them, and breaking your word isn't good. Don't worry, Tail, it's just changing clothes. It'll only take a minute... I can help you."
As she spoke, her smile turned increasingly wicked.
Showing a rare look of genuine terror, Tail pulled her neck in, shrinking like a turtle into its shell as she stammered in a trembling voice, "S-Sisi... your face is terrifying."
"Is it?"
Sisi touched a forefinger to her cheek, seemingly unaware that the gesture only made her smile look even more sinister.
Sensing that things were going south, Tail quickly scanned the gaps in the crowd, preparing to grease her soles and bolt.
Yet before she could find an escape route, her dearest friend saw right through her.
"Rou Rou, grab Tail!"
"On it!"
Almost the instant the command left her lips, a pair of furry bear paws clamped around Tail from behind, hoisting her clean off the ground like a pulled radish.
"*Giao*! Rou Rou, stop! Noooo—!"
"Oho! Suspect apprehended! Heheh, it's useless, Tail! Prepare for judgment!"
Tail's flailing silhouette receded toward the freighter alongside that broad, furry back.
Leaning over the rack packed with maid outfits, Sisi browsed for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up, picking out the one she liked best.
She then hurried after Rou Rou and followed them into the cabin.
After a chaotic quarter of an hour or so, the two girls and the bear emerged back onto the beach.
Looking at the brand-new Tail, the spectators watching the commotion on the sand wore almost universal looks of stunned surprise.
"Holy crap."
"What the hell?! Is that Tail?!"
"There's zero awkwardness!"
"I honestly thought she'd look like Mosquito in drag..."
Hearing the rude catcalls, Tail's face flushed red as a baboon's rear, and she glared with mortified fury.
"Fuck! What do you guys mean by that?! What do you mean 'like Mosquito'?!"
A few of the Strength-type brutes who had shouted the loudest scratched their heads, their own cheeks turning a little red, before slinking off in embarrassment.
Who would have guessed that this rascal would actually look pretty good in women's clothing, completely ruining the comedic spectacle they had been hoping for?
Whatever, they'd let her off easy this time.
They'd just pretend they hadn't seen anything...
Gathering up the cumbersome hem that dragged down to her ankles, Tail hopped down from the pier with a tearful grimace, stomping her feet in despair.
"Curse it all! Why on earth are there maid outfits in a godforsaken dump like this?!"
"Oh, right. Why *are* there maid outfits here?"
Rou Rou, who had nearly laughed herself silly, suddenly spotted the blind spot as well. A puzzled expression spread across her face, and she stroked her chin with a paw, turning to look at Crawling Model Worker, who had wheeled out the rack.
Seeing everyone staring at him with bizarre expressions, Crawling Model Worker froze, waving his hands frantically in defense.
"Don't look at me! I rolled it out of the warehouse behind Yiren's tavern... I saw it when I went in to fetch beer a few days ago!"
He had wondered at the time why a pile of women's clothes was sitting in the warehouse.
But because he had been in a rush to join the fun, he had only cared about lugging out the beer and hadn't asked any questions. After that, a bunch of other things happened, and he simply forgot about it.
At those words, dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward Yiren, who was standing nearby cracking melon seeds and watching the spectacle.
Under the collective gaze, Yiren looked completely bewildered, a seed still between his lips.
"What are you looking at me for?"
Unable to contain his curiosity, Killing Dagger spoke up first.
"Why do you have these clothes? And so many of them?"
Yiren froze, the melon seeds slipping from his fingers onto the sand. He stammered out an explanation.
"Th-they're uniforms for the shop... For commercial use."
"Oh, I see. Fair enough."
Killing Dagger nodded in understanding, but he still felt something was off.
*What is this guy so nervous about?*
Beside him, Crawling Model Worker scratched the back of his head and muttered, "Wait, that's not right..."
He recalled that the maid outfits sold at Tengteng's Cabin had to be custom-ordered.
How had this guy managed to buy so many at once...?
...
With the *Rou Rou* docking at Port French Fries, the once-deserted settlement finally showed a breath of life.
It proved that a settlement without NPCs was incomplete—just like *Minecraft* without villagers, no matter how many houses you built, the place still felt empty.
With the arrival of these immigrants, regardless of what tangible value they produced, the players' enthusiasm for production surged considerably.
After finishing the headcount, Fang Chang demarcated a residential zone on the eastern side of the camp, reserving paths for transit and fire lanes, and allocated them a portion of the materials gathered during the initial reclamation.
These consisted mainly of balsa wood, coconut shells, banana leaves, and the like. There were far more piled up than they could ever use, making them perfect for assembling thatched shelters to keep out the wind and rain.
Before proper dormitories were built, they needed to erect temporary sheds to shield themselves from the elements.
At first, several players, including Spare the Blade, had worried the girls wouldn't be up to the task, but they quickly realized they had vastly underestimated them.
The Moon Clan maidens were far more capable than expected; before the sun dipped below the horizon, they had already pitched a substantial number of tents.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Brahma Province was a wasteland just like River Valley Province, merely of a different variety. Even if some of the women looked frail, they had never been delicate flowers raised in a greenhouse.
While they might lag behind the hardy folk of the River Valley in combat experience and sheer grit, when it came to farming, handicraft, odd jobs, and DIY construction, they were every bit as capable—if not more so—than the scavengers of the River Valley.
Another factor was their diligence.
The tenets of their faith endowed them with an extraordinary endurance for suffering.
While that was hardly something to boast about, in adversity it was undeniably an advantage.
Faced with the same degree of hardship, a certain Miss Xia might have given up on life entirely, but these girls soldiered on, perpetually maintaining an optimistic outlook toward tomorrow.
Though the cramped tents left much to be desired, they were still vastly better than being trapped in the ship's hold.
Life might not be wonderful from day one.
Still, it would get better day by day...
In the camp.
Looking at the bustling quarters in the distance, Chen Yutong, who held a tablet in her arms, asked with keen interest, "Are those girls from Brahma Province?"
"Yes," Lao Bai nodded, looking in that direction with a smile. "With more people around, this port finally feels like a real harbor."
Chen Yutong's lips curved upward.
"You people really do love a crowd."
Lao Bai narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"Don't you?"
"How could I not?"
Brushing aside a strand of hair blown across her nose by the sea breeze, Chen Yutong quipped playfully, "If I hated a crowd, I wouldn't have slipped out of Wandering Marsh."
Lao Bai grinned, and noticing the work tablet in her arms, took the initiative to ask, "Is there something you need?"
"Mm," Chen Yutong nodded, her voice crisp and melodious. "There are a few leads we need you to send back to the Alliance Institute of Biological Research via the shelter's dedicated line... Could you help me with that?"
The so-called dedicated line was, in truth, the *Wasteland OL* official website.
Key scientific institutions such as the Scientific Expedition and the Institute of Biological Research had a vague awareness that the shelter possessed such a unique network, capable of transmitting information back to the shelter at top speed with absolute secrecy.
As for the technology behind it, only the shelter's Administrator knew.
Lao Bai nodded, his expression turning serious as he tapped his VM.
"Go ahead."
Pulling out the tablet from her arms, Chen Yutong tapped the screen twice with her index finger, cleared her throat, and spoke.
"There are two main parts. First is the investigation regarding the Baiyue Province broodmother; second is the investigation into the local forest's 'self-healing property' requested by the port district... Where's that friend of yours, Fang Chang? Have him come listen as well."
As luck would have it, just as she finished speaking, Fang Chang walked briskly over from the adjacent camp area, holding a map in his right hand.
"I'm right here. Are the results from the investigation out already?"
He had just finished confirming the layout of the roads in the eastern camp and had distributed food, fuel for fire, and daily supplies to the Moon Clan people settling in.
Next came the identity registration.
After careful consideration, he decided to temporarily issue them the status of supervised residents and introduce the management regulations of the Refugee Home here.
Back when he only talked a big game, he had often poked fun at how the NPCs loved copying others' homework. But once he actually took charge of managing a settlement, he realized that Brother Guang in the game truly had it tough.
Managing over a thousand people was far harder than killing a thousand monsters, even if they were gentle, hardworking Moon Clan maidens.
And his responsibilities didn't stop at looking after the residents' daily lives; he also had to resolve the challenges confronting the settlement.
Such as the rainforest's "self-healing property."
If they couldn't solve that problem, the land they had worked so hard to clear would be reclaimed by this "living" rainforest the moment they let their guard down...
"Mm, let's take it one thing at a time. First is regarding the Baiyue Province broodmother."
Seeing Fang Chang arrive, Chen Yutong nodded, then turned to Lao Bai, who had activated his mission recorder, and got straight to the point.
"The investigation into Baiyue Province has corroborated some of our earlier conjectures regarding 'Gaia.' Opening the channels of genetic information exchange between living organisms is the very essence of its power."
"This forest is the phenomenon produced when 'it' fused with Earth's ecosystem without human interference—or under very limited interference, to be precise."
"And the series of problems troubling us right now are almost identical to what the colonists encountered when they first set foot on Planet Gaia..."
Chapter 679