Undercurrents Beneath Victory

"Aaargh!!" With a barrage of teeth-grating screeches, the roaring chainsaw chewed straight through the battleaxe in the mutant champion's grasp and bit deep into the steel ballistic plate across its chest. Taking the heavy blow dead-on, the mutant champion unleashed a roar of agony, a flicker of terror bleeding into its bloodshot pupils. Summoning every ounce of strength left in its body, it lashed out frantically with the snapped haft of its axe, hammering the hunk of iron before it in a desperate attempt to bash him senseless. Yet nothing could stop the chainsaw from carving through its ribcage. It could only watch helplessly as its own flesh and blood sprayed high into the air from the churning teeth. "Rooaaar—" The roar grew steadily weaker, its flailing struggles subsiding. Seemingly unable to endure the agony any longer, it finally collapsed over the player like a tattered rag. Shoving the fallen mutant champion aside, the player inside the exoskeleton panted heavily and surveyed the battlefield around him. Across the smoke-choked ruins, not a single mutant remained standing. The one crumpled before him appeared to be the very last! A flash of exhilaration lit up his blood-spattered face. Straining, he yanked the chainsaw from the mutant’s chest cavity and swung it high overhead, showering the patch of ground where he had just fought with gore and crimson mist. It was over! This War in Heaven was finally over! "Victory—!" Looking up at the cloud-choked sky, he let out a full-throated, cathartic roar. Answers came in an instant, and shouts of triumph quickly resounded across the entire battlefield. "Victory!" "Long live the Administrator!" "Long live the Alliance!" "Ooooh—!" The unending chorus drifted into the distance, shaking apart the dark clouds overhead and rolling onto the open deck of the Heart of Steel... Standing on the bridge of the airship, Chu Guang finally let a heartfelt smile break across his usually stoic face. "It's finally over." ... Events unfolded just as Vannus had anticipated. This decisive campaign against the Church of the Torch drew to a close before dusk could settle over the peaks of Mount Luosong. A warrior clad in an "Iron Wall" exoskeleton planted the Alliance flag at the battlefield's highest point. As the last Apostle and mutant fell, the final bionic chip carrying the Sanctuary ceased functioning, dissolving into the dirt alongside crushed brain matter and bloody slush. From this day forward, there would be no more posturing Pioneers looking down from high perches to dictate how the people of the earth should live. Their twisted ideals and heinous atrocities had been reduced to ashes, burned away without a trace by the sparks kindled across the wasteland. Later that day, Chu Guang delivered an address from the bridge of the Heart of Steel in his capacity as Marshal of the Coalition forces. "...Today is destined to be remembered as a great day. Our history will etch this date in memory forever." "Over the past six months, our troops have crossed grasslands, scaled mountains, and sailed across the seas. We ventured into the most savage hells to battle the ugliest and most brutal abominations..." "Now, every drop of blood and sweat we poured out in the name of justice has borne fruit. We have utterly driven the wicked Torch from the lands beneath our feet!" "Through our actions, we have proven our courage—and we have proven that we are invincible!" "Cheer for this moment! Celebrate!" "For the people who were saved!" "For this hard-won victory—" "And for our alliance!" The resounding voice echoed across the bridge and was broadcast by radio throughout Alliance territory and to every unit of the Coalition forces. At this moment of jubilation, nearly every television and radio blared the same broadcast. At the Weifu City military base, triumphant cheers erupted across the encampment. Every light in the compound was switched on, illuminating the night sky in a brilliant blaze as soldiers vented the joy overflowing in their hearts. In the field hospital, wounded troops went so far as to yank the IV needles from their arms, staggering out of the wards to embrace their celebrating comrades in tears. Whether they were citizens from Ideal City or Wilantes from Triumph City... No matter their station or origin, everyone cheered as one for the very same joy. In a tavern near the base, the lads of the 100th Mountain Division looked ready to blow the roof off. After enduring the front lines for so long and seeing far too much death, their mindsets were a far cry from what they had been half a year ago. However belligerent they had once been was how homesick they were now. Using a beer bottle as an impromptu microphone, Tang Feng jumped onto a table and bellowed to the cheering crowd of brothers below. "Praise the Administrator! Praise the Alliance! Praise the madmen in the Storm Corps! This damn war is finally over!" Ideal City's bars, nightclubs, and most of all, the beloved Endpoint Cloud! It was all coming back! Exhilaration surged through him, his spirits soaring as if on wings. He swore that once he returned home hailed as a war hero, he was going to take a long, proper rest—bragging on the Endpoint Cloud for an entire week, for starters! Of course, most importantly, he had to bring back the Gwent card game that had taken the front lines by storm! It would be a crime not to share such a brilliant game with everyone back home! Their commanding officers had already informed them back at the barracks: the moment the Orca transport planes touched down at the airfield tomorrow, they would board their flights home and leave this miserable hellhole behind. Watching Tang Feng dance in drunken excitement, Adam of the Hound Special Forces smiled warmly, raising his cup to clink it against Tang Feng’s. "Congratulations! You're finally going home!" To be frank, this bunch had never really looked like they were here to fight a war—it felt more like an extended camping trip. Still, with the fighting finally concluded, it had to be an immense relief for them. Grinning, Tang Feng bumped his bottle against Adam's cup and tossed back the rest of his drink in one swig. He let out a loud burp and chuckled drunkenly. "Hahaha! Right back at you! It's not just us—you guys get to head home too!" Adam smiled, though a faint shadow of melancholy flickered in his eyes. "Us? I doubt it'll be that soon... and even if we go back, there'll just be another job waiting for us." The Hound Special Forces were a profit-driven outfit that tolerated no idlers. As long as the wasteland existed, there would never be an end to the work they had to do. Besides, he still had debts to pay off. In truth, he probably wished this war wouldn't end even more than Mr. Sigma sitting in the Flint Group tower. If the fighting genuinely stopped, his relatively decent livelihood would vanish, and he might very well end up begging in the streets... While cups clinked continuously in the taverns of Weifu City, the scene aboard the Legion's airship Loyalty was much the same. Standing by a viewing portal, General Lium savored the fine wine in his goblet, his eyes squinting into satisfied crescents as he looked south. "...Those disgusting roaches have finally been wiped out." Though the clash on Ten Peaks Mountain had been a mere interlude in the grand scheme of the campaign, he had not forgotten the humiliation he suffered on those slopes. He genuinely couldn't fathom what the Eastern Expansion faction had been thinking, getting into bed with such repulsive abominations... Still, to give credit where it was due, the Church of the Torch truly had something going for them in the field of biotechnology. If only their limb-regeneration tech could be combined with rapid eight-fold cloned growth... With that, the Legion could forge a truly immortal army! Their march would make the entire continent tremble! Beside General Lium, Myriarch Modlin let out a soft sigh, a trace of regret lingering in his expression. "...A pity that the research facilities we captured held nothing more than scraps. Word has it the truly valuable technology was stashed away in a place called Shelter 20." "Shelter 20..." Lium's pupils narrowed slightly, his thoughts unreadable. Glancing at the general, Modlin kept his voice low and continued. "I suspect the Alliance and the Enterprise have already quietly seized control of that shelter. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so certain the war was over... Unfortunately, we have no proof. Even if we called them out, they would just deny it." In truth, it wasn't just the Alliance and the Enterprise. Even the tight-lipped Academy, and the Legion itself, had been covertly absorbing the Church of the Torch's research teams. This was an unspoken understanding forged at the start of the conflict: whichever faction captured a zone in Haiya Province held administrative rights over it, and no one else was to interfere unless the occupying power withdrew voluntarily. The benefit of this arrangement was obvious. To secure more bargaining chips, each army put forth its best efforts on the battlefield rather than hanging back to let allies do the heavy lifting while they reaped the rewards. Yet now that the fighting had drawn to a close and the spoils were being divvied up, the dynamic had shifted. To the Legion, the other members of the Coalition were no longer just allies—they were rapidly turning into rivals. Having heard Modlin's pointed remarks, General Lium merely gave a light chuckle, waving the matter off. "Proof? Do we need such a thing?" This was a battlefield, not a courtroom. Now that the massive headache of the Church of the Torch had been resolved, it was time to settle old scores with the Alliance. After a moment of contemplation, Lium set his goblet on the sill of the viewing port, turned to the adjutant standing nearby, and said calmly, "Go contact Myriarch Bannote in Dawn City." "Pass a message along: the civilian bureaucrats have scooped up quite enough benefits in the rear. It's time they did some real work." Snapping to attention, the adjutant delivered a crisp salute with a grave expression. "Understood!" ... News of the victory spread through the Coalition forces like wildfire. Yet even as the masses raised their cups to celebrate this hard-earned triumph, an unseen undercurrent surged restlessly beneath the calm surface. The perils threatening peace did not stem solely from within the Coalition—they also came from 1.5 million kilometers away. To better understand the situation at the Lagrange point, Chu Guang summoned the representative from the Academy on Yin Fang's recommendation. As one of the three major factions inheriting the legacy of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, the Academy likely possessed the deepest insights into the Church of the Torch, making them the most probable source of intelligence regarding the Lagrange point and the "Celestials." Looking at Yang Kai, whose projection materialized in the holographic conference room, Chu Guang skipped the pleasantries and cut straight to the point. "What do you know about the Celestials?" At the word "Celestials," Yang Kai's expression visibly shifted. That subtle reaction confirmed Chu Guang's suspicion: the Academy indeed knew something. "I'd like to say I don't know much either... though I imagine you wouldn't believe me if I did." Seeing his intent to brush it off, Chu Guang kept his gaze locked on him. "I am asking you with utmost seriousness." Noting the unyielding composure on Yang Kai's face, Chu Guang pressed on in a grave tone. "According to intelligence gathered by our forward units, the leadership of the Church of the Torch digitized their minds and uploaded themselves to a server 1.5 million kilometers away. And when our troops attempted to apprehend them, they learned that a faction calling themselves the 'Celestials' took them in." At these words, the rigidity on Yang Kai's face finally began to crack. "Why are you so certain I know anything?" Chu Guang gave a slight shrug, speaking as if it were self-evident. "Isn't it obvious? No one pays closer attention to matters beyond Earth than you do." Pausing, he added, "I know you don't have the authority to decide whether to share this information with me, but I hope your leadership thinks this through. Right now, a group harboring active hostility toward us is lurking somewhere in outer space, watching us like hawks. You wish to leave the solar system in search of a new home, and I won't contest a choice you made after deliberate consideration. But given the present circumstances, do you honestly believe you will be allowed to leave?" Yang Kai fell into an extended silence. After a long while, he let out a sigh. "The Celestials... frankly, we have zero desire to provoke those people, and I'd advise you to leave them well alone. Besides, wasn't your goal to end the wasteland era? Now that the war is over, go do that. Why go looking for unnecessary trouble?" Using the Alliance to eradicate the Torch had been the Academy leadership's strategy. Though being dragged into the war and forced onto the field directly was an unforeseen complication, the ultimate outcome was favorable, and the leadership's primary objectives had been achieved in full. Neither the Chief Technology Officer nor Dr. Conclusion wished to see this conflict escalate any further. Ending it here was the best possible outcome. Though Yang Kai didn't fully comprehend every nuance of the leadership's decisions, he possessed boundless faith in the Chief Technology Officer's wisdom. Yet Chu Guang merely knitted his brows slightly upon hearing Yang Kai's words. He sensed a deeper meaning beneath them. "Hearing you say that only makes me more curious. What kind of faction could make even the Academy so reluctant to cross them?" Noting the slight provocation in his tone, Yang Kai sighed again. "I won't deny your words; we genuinely do not want to make enemies of them. Furthermore, you might want to consider one question... Why would that Holy Son go to the trouble of doing so many superfluous things on the verge of death? Not only did he reveal where he was going, but he was even 'kind' enough to warn you about who took them in. Think about it carefully!" Looking at Yang Kai's pained expression, Chu Guang remained unfazed and continued, "I know what he was trying to do. He wanted nothing more than to lure us into investigating the Celestials." Yang Kai's brow twitched sharply, and he couldn't help snapping, "If you know it's a trap, why are you prying so deeply?" "Whether it's a trap is a separate issue. I will naturally gauge the risks based on the intelligence and leads at my disposal," Chu Guang said, staring at him intently with solemn resolve. "What I cannot tolerate is a pack of filth lurking in the shadows, waiting to hand us a nasty surprise whenever it suits them. Compared to a trap laid bare in the light, a hidden hazard lurking in the dark demands far more of my vigilance." Yang Kai lapsed into silence once more. Seemingly checking with his superiors, he finally sighed a moment later. "We don't know much about them either... I can only tell you what I know." Chu Guang signaled with his eyes for him to proceed. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Yang Kai began slowly. "If you know the history of the Human Alliance, you should be aware that two centuries ago, the Human Alliance dispatched an expeditionary force toward Alpha Centauri." Chu Guang's heart stirred, and he immediately asked, "Those Celestials are descendants of that expedition?" "You could say that." Yang Kai nodded slowly, validating his guess. Yet upon receiving this confirmation, even more doubts welled up within Chu Guang. "...Then I don't understand. If they are descendants of the expeditionary force, shouldn't they be standing on our side? Why help the Torch?" Unsurprised by Chu Guang's confusion, Yang Kai continued, "Standing on our side... what exactly do you mean by 'our side'?" Hearing that loaded question, Chu Guang frowned slightly. "What do you mean?" Yang Kai answered succinctly, "I mean it literally." "This planet is overrun with retro-militarists, far-sighted escapists, and hedonists already enjoying comfortable lives... along with plenty of other chaotic elements. Do you honestly believe any of them have the slightest hope of ending the wasteland era? Most of them have probably never even entertained the thought. Take us, for example: we don't care, because we will leave this place one day." Chu Guang said, "Yet there are those who do care, aren't there?" Yang Kai offered a meaningful smile. "You mean yourselves? From your vantage point, naturally so. But from the perspective of onlookers like us, it's an entirely different matter. You've managed to unite a portion of the population, which is commendable, but you remain utterly helpless against the wider wasteland... No offense, but you know as well as anyone that certain people simply cannot be united." Chu Guang nodded. "There's nothing shameful about admitting that. We have an alternative plan prepared." Yang Kai shrugged noncommittally and went on. "Perhaps. But whatever plan you have ready, to an outside observer, it might not be any more efficient than the Wilantes' methods." "Counting on the Wilantes to end the wasteland might take five hundred years. Counting on you might take four hundred, or perhaps six hundred... Who can say? I doubt you even have a precise figure in mind yourself." Chu Guang neither contested his assessment nor interrupted his reasoning, simply waiting quietly for him to finish. After a brief pause, Yang Kai continued. "As for the Celestials... you view them as compatriots from the era of the Human Alliance, as the heirs to that golden age. But that is merely your own assumption. In their eyes, they are not heirs—they are the Human Alliance itself." "As for you, us, and everyone else on this planet, we are nothing more than 'children' of the Human Alliance to them. They don't care who comes out on top, so long as human civilization ultimately survives." Chu Guang's brows knit tight. "Even if that survival comes at the cost of sacrificing everyone...?" Yang Kai let out a dry chuckle. "My esteemed Administrator, have too few people died throughout this wasteland era? A cost we find intolerable might look entirely different to true bystanders like them... It's far from impossible. That said, under most circumstances, they won't intervene directly in terrestrial affairs—provided you don't act in a way that makes them feel threatened." Chu Guang asked in a low voice, "Such as?" "I don't know. Perhaps a piece on the board moves to shatter the barrier separating spectator from chessboard. Perhaps you do something that convinces them the end of the wasteland era is hopeless..." Yang Kai spread his hands with a helpless expression. "We know very little about them. Much of what I just told you is, in fact, our own speculation." "One thing is certain, however: these people are far more impatient for quick results than we imagined. Perhaps their time is running out... In any case, they wish to end the wasteland before their own clock runs dry, and they find certain radical shortcuts entirely acceptable—even the methods of the Church of the Torch or the Enlightenment Society." "After all, according to our simulations, had the Torch's plan succeeded, this planet would have entered a new era within fifty years at most... Naturally, the price would have been exorbitant, especially for those of us currently living." Pausing, Yang Kai looked at Chu Guang and added with sincere earnestness, "That is why I urge you not to provoke them. Treating them as nonexistent is hardly difficult... The Torch's forces on this planet have been wiped out anyway. What waves could those people possibly stir from 1.5 million kilometers away? And if another existential danger threatens this planet, we will warn you, just as we did before." Listening to this naive rationalization, Chu Guang shook his head. "...If the Celestials' mindset merely strikes me as insane, your choice to bury your heads in the sand like ostriches strikes me as pure idiocy." Seeing Yang Kai flush with irritation yet unable to find words to retort, Chu Guang pressed on mercilessly. "Since you already know these people are far more impatient and reckless than you imagined, how could you possibly reach the naive conclusion that 'they won't intervene in terrestrial affairs'?" "Let me be blunt: they intervened long ago. The black boxes held by the Torch were likely provided by them, even if you refuse to admit it." "If we truly leave them alone, it was the Torch this time—who knows what other monstrous filth will crawl out next!" Yang Kai couldn't help asking, "And what can you do about it? They might command an entire fleet, while you can't even reach outer space." He still hoped the Alliance would refrain from meddling with the Celestials, trying to persuade Chu Guang to abandon such an unrealistic pursuit. After all, setting aside whether provoking them was feasible, there was no benefit whatsoever to doing so, and it risked inviting even greater catastrophe. Yet Chu Guang did not back down. Instead, he answered with resolute finality. "We will naturally have our own ways." "Whatever choice we ultimately make, one thing is certain: we will never sit idly by and wait for death."