Biochemical Warfare

The world of Wasteland Online was not a collection of isolated islands, but a seamless, continuous whole. A typhoon over the Polo Sea could trigger torrential rain in Baiyue Province. After such a long closed beta, the players had long grown accustomed to the interconnected chain reactions on the wasteland. Thus, the moment Kuang Feng saw the Legion dumping corpses into the river, he immediately connected it to the potential impact the virus carried by those bodies would have on downstream settlements. After consulting researchers from the Academy, Fang Chang promptly relayed the intelligence to Absaik, hoping the authorities of the State of Brahma would make thorough preparations against an epidemic. Unfortunately, beleaguered by mounting crises and relentless factional infighting, Absaik clearly failed to give the matter sufficient weight. He gave his verbal agreement and indeed passed instructions to the health commissioner, but neither he nor the commissioner took this "minor matter" to heart. In truth, one could hardly blame him. The players' understanding of viruses was completely different from that of the wastelanders. After all, infectious diseases had been rare even back in the Human Alliance era, and to the Brahma people living on the red soil, they were practically nonexistent. Alliance volunteers often fell ill from cold or acclimatization—even an Awakened like In Debt God had caught a cold once. Yet in all his years living locally, Absaik had heard only of people starving to death or dying of poverty, never of anyone being killed off by a virus. The greatest legacy left by the Human Alliance to its descendants was tucked away within everyone's DNA. It was the product of controlled evolution. Even with human civilization stalled, naturally occurring viruses would likely need several centuries just to catch up to humanity's evolutionary stride. However, that applied strictly to natural evolution. Throwing technological catalysts into the mix produced a starkly different reality... Barely a day after Fang Chang warned Absaik to prepare for an outbreak, a severe catastrophe erupted in a riverside village north of Tiandu. Over sixty percent of the nearly one hundred households developed high fevers, and more than half of those afflicted fell into deep comas. Fortunately, having anticipated the possibility, the Alliance Field Hospital stationed in Tiandu dispatched medical teams without delay. They treated patients while placing the village under strict quarantine and collecting viral samples for testing. Meanwhile, researchers from the Academy also followed up with an investigation. Only then did Absaik realize the horror of "biochemical warfare." In haste, he deployed a millury from Tiandu to garrison the banks of the Everflowing River, cooperating with the Alliance Field Hospital to establish containment zones. He then dispatched telegrams across the State of Brahma, demanding all administrative levels enforce sanitation protocols, mount public awareness campaigns, and instruct survivors under no circumstances to drink unboiled river water. In truth, Absaik's administration hardly needed to run any awareness campaigns. The moment word spread that the Southern Legion had poisoned the Everflowing River, survivors from Tiandu all the way to Golden Gallon Port were terrified out of their wits. Households set pots, pans, and basins across their rooftops to catch rainwater. Far from daring to touch the river, people were terrified even of drinking well water. Though perhaps an overreaction, no one dared to gamble with the odds. After all, aside from Academy researchers and the Alliance Field Hospital, nobody could guarantee boiling water would truly neutralize the virus. On the third day following the outbreak, the Alliance Field Hospital, working alongside the Academy researchers, swiftly concluded their analysis of the samples. Upon receiving the report from the field hospital, Absaik found the first half a dizzying blur of technical terms, but when his eyes landed on the estimated casualties of over a million at the end, he could not stop himself from cursing furiously. "Fucking Wilante bastards! Cruel, vicious dogs!" Although the Alliance doctors had clarified in the report that this death toll would not directly reflect changes in the total population or household registries and might overlap with natural deaths, cold sweat still drenched Absaik's back. One million people! The entire population of Lion City was barely a million! Those Wilante bastards had practically just taken a piss in the Everflowing River, and it was enough to wipe out the equivalent of an entire Lion City of Brahma people! Furthermore, according to the predictive model provided by the Alliance Biological Research Institute, the virus known as "Death Agent" had completely contaminated the Everflowing River's water system. Although its current transmissibility remained low, with the Southern Legion actively modifying and refining it, no one could say what the future held. Worst of all, despite knowing the sword was pressed against their throats, he, as supreme commander, could do nothing except fret in vain. This was a contest between the Southern Legion and the combined might of the Academy and the Alliance. Though this duel would decide the survival of the Brahma Province's people, they lacked even the qualification to step into the ring. Only at this moment did Absaik truly appreciate the power of technology and the critical importance of the educational reform advocated by Commissioner Kabaha. If they could not master knowledge and allow it to play its rightful role in society, the Brahma people would never truly stand tall, condemned forever to endless suffering! Tossing down the report, Absaik wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and muttered a low curse under his breath. "Dammit... this education reform must go on!" No matter how fierce the resistance, it had to be pushed through! Seeing Absaik cursing, Internal Affairs Commissioner Vadiya, who stood before the desk, had no idea why the supreme commander had suddenly veered into educational reform, but he lowered his voice and reported nonetheless. "Rest assured, my lord. Commissioner Kabaha and his family have already been transferred to the Heavenly Palace. Under the protection of the Internal Affairs Committee, no one can harm them." Absaik sighed and continued, "I'm not worried about Kabaha right now. I'm worried about those students. Fighting in Tiandu will break out any day now, and on top of that, a plague has hit. We must arrange their departure as soon as possible." Akale County had already fallen. The two hundred thousand cannon fodder on the front lines were on the verge of collapsing. Soon, it would be the turn of Duwata's and Nigeli's forces to step up. Including his own core troops. Compared to the poison in the Everflowing River, the Legion's army driving deep into their lands was the far more immediate threat. The Alliance had already warned him of what might soon unfold within the city, and before that came to pass, he had to get those students safely out. Watching the anxious Absaik, Vadiya remained silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "This task was originally the responsibility of the Education Committee. But ever since Commissioner Kabaha was taken away, rumors have spread that the army intends to purge the Education Committee, bringing the entire educational apparatus to a near-total standstill..." Absaik flew into a rage. "Who the hell is spreading that garbage?!" Vadiya offered a bitter smile. "Most likely Myriarch Duwata... though it could also be someone under him." "That slippery fox!" Absaik narrowed his eyes. What a brilliant counterplay! Duwata had clearly seen through his true motive in putting Commissioner Kabaha under house arrest—namely, rebuking the education commissioner publicly over the grand exam to appease the military's resentment, while quietly shielding the man under house arrest. So that bastard had turned the tables, turning Absaik's "good deed" into ammunition against him. From the administration's standpoint, there was no way to clarify the truth. After all, they had indeed arrested him. Clarifying now that the arrest had been for the man's own protection wouldn't be believed by anyone, and it would only infuriate the grunts he had gone to such lengths to pacify. Absaik pondered with narrowed eyes for a long while before looking at Vadiya and issuing his order. "Since they want to play along, we might as well see the play through to the end... Effective immediately, the Education Committee is temporarily placed under the control of the Internal Affairs Committee until the state of war ends." Vadiya straightened his expression and bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir!" ... It was not just the hunting cat that had gone mad with bloodlust; the cornered rats were turning feral as well. Even with the Legion's iron heel knocking at the city gates, the Brahma people of Tiandu had not forgotten their age-old habits. Under the brutal pressure, their infighting grew worse. A single exam had not only brought down a commissioner, but had also paralyzed the entire Education Committee. Schools shuttered, teachers suspended classes, and strikes demanded that Absaik release Kabaha. As for the soldiers stationed in the city, every one of them glared menacingly. Regardless of whose command they served under, their resentment toward Kabaha was universal. They dared anyone to lift a finger! Once again, it was the Internal Affairs agents of the State of Brahma who took the stage. A cohort of black-capped officers swiftly took over the Education Committee compound and proclaimed Absaik's directive. Due to passive sabotage by the Education Committee, administration of the department was temporarily reassigned to the Internal Affairs Committee. The news instantly stirred up a tempest, causing an uproar throughout the city. Some cheered, declaring that those decrepit old fools should have been lined up and shot long ago. Others sighed in despair, lamenting that Commissioner Kabaha had never found a wise ruler to serve. Sharp contradictions had effectively fractured the social strata of the State of Brahma. Everyone harbored pent-up fury, waiting only for an outlet to unleash it. It was no exaggeration to say that this riddled Tiandu was like a leaky house; even if no one kicked down the door, it might collapse on its own at any moment. In that sense, Absaik truly had the Legion to thank. He had not only secured an angel round of investment from those big-noses, but had also leveraged their sheer barbarity to prop up this teetering structure. For an ordinary former dockworker, this was practically the limit of his abilities. All in all, though the process had been fraught with twists and turns, the outcome was favorable. The five hundred students selected through the grand exam finally secured their flights to the Mammoth State. Furthermore, through repeated discussions between Tiandu University and Mammoth University, the latter granted an additional one hundred study slots reserved for the families of military officers and fallen soldiers. On the day of departure, outside the perimeter fence along the runway of the military airfield on Tiandu's outskirts, crowds of family members gathered to see the children off. Looking at his father, whose wrinkled face beamed with a broad smile, the rather youthful boy lowered his head and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Dad, once I finish my studies and make something of myself... I'll bring you to the Alliance." Old Rots froze, then gripped his son's shoulders with both hands, staring at him in astonishment. "Silly boy, what nonsense are you talking? Lord Absaik is waiting for you to return and take up an official post! What would you go to the Alliance for?" Nayak looked up, meeting his father's honest, simple-looking face and astonished eyes. The neighbors always praised his father for being an honest, decent man, but Nayak knew his father was anything but simple. That man with the cloudy gaze was shrewder and more worldly than anyone else. Yet Nayak did not think his father was a bad person, nor did he believe shrewdness was a fault. In the brutal jungle, even the most harmless rabbit grew a thousand eyes and a thousand ears. If his father hadn't been clever, he and his siblings would never have survived. Rather, the truly wicked were those who wracked their brains to slap the label of "honest" on his father. On the cattle farms of Ox State, the most honest and docile creatures were the two-headed oxen. And they were also the ones slaughtered at will. The old empire had bestowed supreme honors upon them, but had never truly respected them for a single second. Nobles could consume them at will, as could outsiders; only the people who raised them could not. Everyone in Tiandu claimed that the heavens had changed, but he saw clearly that whether this fickle sky shifted through its seasons or not, what difference did it make? The people remained the same people. They had grieved, raged, awakened, and slept, but never had they truly changed. Looking at his still-deluded father, Nayak kept his voice low. "Commander Absaik never said any of that... Those were words all of you put in his mouth." Seeing his foolish son talking nonsense, Old Rots was desperate to shake some sense into him. "Does something so obvious even need to be said? Stop overthinking. Just study hard and listen to your father." Nayak fell silent, ultimately letting out a soft sigh and keeping the truth locked in his heart. "I understand." Janusz's death was the real accident; whoever killed him was truly doomed. Yet there was nothing Nayak could change. No matter how successful his studies were, that commissioner under house arrest, Kabaha, was the ceiling of his life. If he adopted his father's cunning, he might become a Kabaha who avoided house arrest, or even a Kabaha placed upon an altar... but what point was there in that? Power had never been his pursuit, nor had those ever-shifting slips of colorful paper currency. If he had any true interest, he would rather travel to the moon to take a look. He had heard that two centuries ago, there had been a magnificent era when people were far more powerful and far more knowledgeable than now, standing just a step away from truly reaching into the stars. It would be such a pity to let that great endeavor languish halfway through; someone had to carry on the unfinished road for those pioneers. He wanted to become that kind of person. Of course, that did not mean abandoning his family. He would simply help them in his own way... Unaware of what was passing through his son's mind, Old Rots only saw the boy bow his head obediently. A relieved smile finally spread across his face, and he grinned, rubbing his son's head. "Good boy..." While drinking yesterday, a neighbor's comment had struck a chord with him. His son eating from the imperial trough was only a matter of time. Perhaps he should start thinking seriously about a family name for their future lineage... At the same time Old Rots was seeing his son onto the plane, Myriarch Pikeli's youngest son, Gail, picked up his luggage amid tearful goodbyes from his band of fair-weather friends. Unlike Old Rots's son, Gail had no desire to go to Mammoth City. First, with war imminent, he did not want to be far from his father. Second, that was the territory of the ruthless Laxi, where his father's reach could not extend. Once there, he would have to tuck his tail between his legs. How could that compare to living like a king in Tiandu? In Tiandu, the people he dared not cross could be counted on one hand. As long as someone wasn't a foreign guest from the Alliance or the Academy, he could bully whoever he wanted and do whatever he pleased. What was more, he had a circle of buddies he caroused with, and what pained him most was leaving these loyal brothers behind. Yet unfortunately, this was not his call to make. In his father's words, this opportunity had been won by putting his neck on the line before Grand Commissioner Duwata. A massive debt of gratitude had already been incurred; whether Gail wanted to go or not, he was going. Though Gail was somewhat dissolute—and ungracefully so—he was no fool. Staring at the leather belt clutched in his old man's hand, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and comply. Seeing Gail about to board, a plump boy squeezed to the front, sniffling through tears and snot. "Boss, once you leave... who knows when you'll be back." Gail felt a twinge of emotion, but maintaining the air of a big brother, he patted the kid on the shoulder. "Stop your damn blubbering! If you bastards really miss me, buckle down and study for half a year or a year, pass the grand exam next year, and come keep me company!" Hearing that, the plump boy, who had been weeping a second earlier, instantly put on a bitter grimace. "Boss... you know how twisted the questions that old bastard wrote were. Even if I wanted to pass, my brain wouldn't cooperate." Several other sons of millurions chimed in, echoing with flattery: "Yeah, Boss." "How could our brains compare to yours?" Seeing these boys dawdling endlessly without boarding, the player standing by the cabin door waiting to shut it finally lost his patience and barked a complaint: "Hey, can you hurry up and finish your cutscene? We're on a schedule for the next run!" Cutscene? Gail blinked in confusion, but dared not ask. His father had warned him long ago about who he could and could not afford to offend. Muttering a polite apology, Gail hurriedly dragged his luggage into the cabin and slumped into an empty seat. Shortly after, the roar of the engines vibrated through the fuselage walls. Four arcs of eerie blue light propelled the massive craft faster and faster down the straight runway until it lifted into the sky. It was a runway hacked out bit by bit by the survivors around Tiandu using hoes and shovels. And those silver wings carried the hopes of everyone on the ground, lifting countless longing gazes beyond gravity's pull toward the unknown distance... ... Meanwhile, in northwestern Lion State, in Sulak County bordering Dog State, soldiers shouldering rifles patrolled along square field ridges. They were auxiliary troops from the colonies. Though speaking the same Human Alliance language, their accents varied widely. Just as Myriarch Ryan captured Akale County, the 17th, 18th, and 19th Myriads led by Myriarch Olette had overrun Dog State and were advancing toward Sheep State, nestled in the center of the three northern states. As a subordinate under Myriarch Olette, Ross, stationed in Sulak County, had also followed orders and marched off to the northern front with the 171st Millury. Sulak County, meanwhile, had been handed over to colonial auxiliaries to defend. It served as a logistical hub for the northern front and held considerable strategic importance. In addition, a certain "Alliance tough guy" who had refused to confess anything was also handed over to the auxiliary garrison. Unlike the Wilante, these colonial laborers had little appetite for torturing prisoners. Seeing that the captive stubbornly refused to talk, they simply dumped him in the dungeon and paid him no further mind. Truth be told, Old Dog felt somewhat regretful about these lackeys' lazy negligence. Not that he was a masochist; it was just that the big-nosed officer who had previously locked him up had bragged about teaching him a lesson, yet only cycled through the same few tricks. He had to admit he had been frightened half to death at first. Yet at some point, he had suddenly found it surprisingly tolerable. The helmet filtered out most of the pain, allowing him to stay completely lucid and thoroughly relish the frustrated expressions on those Wilante faces. Before his iron will, the Wilante were utterly helpless, forced to endure his mocking jeers of "Is that all?" and "Weakling!" Since he was in no hurry to die anyway, he figured he might as well practice his Human Alliance language and pry out some intel in the process. And the Wilante trying to extract intelligence from him, though ruthless in their torture, never dared to actually kill him. On top of that, he had another joy: sharing his "gaming experience" in his private chat group with his buddies. Even though none of the other three in the small group wanted to hear his descriptions and kept urging him to smash his head against a wall and respawn, warning that if he squatted there any longer, the expansion pack might be over... On another quiet night, hearing movement outside the door, Old Dog assumed someone had come to bring him food. To his surprise, a stealthy figure slipped inside. The person was short and skinny, with bits of dry straw clinging to his clothes and hair. One look convinced Old Dog that this fellow was no lackey of the Wilante. In halting Human Alliance language, he asked curiously: "Who... are you?" "I'm from the Family Association! Just call me Family! Brother, you've suffered!" Paying no heed to the straw on his clothes, the youth hurried over, produced a key, and with a clatter unlocked the gate's lock before releasing the irons on Old Dog's feet. Family Association? Chewing over the term, the dying Old Dog's eyes suddenly lit up. In broken speech, he stammered, "Oh, oh... I've heard of you guys. You went to Dawn City, right?" He remembered this group. Because of a post by Brother Mei You Jia Ren, they had once gone viral on the forum, and quite a few players had donated money to them. The NPCs in this game were all remarkably smart, but few were willing to play along with their memes. The honest-looking youth smiled politely, whether he understood Old Dog's Human Alliance language or not, before adopting a grave expression. "... This is no place to talk. Let me get you out of here first!" Barely understanding the words, Old Dog was overjoyed. Finally, a chance to save his progress. Yet the thought of leaving made him feel strangely reluctant. "Hey, you're being too kind... Honestly, you don't need to bother with me. I'm doing pretty well in here." Whether the youth understood or not, he abandoned all further communication. Hoisting Old Dog onto his back, he hunched low and slipped out the door. The night was still, save for the croaking of frogs. Though Old Dog was tempted to stay, he had no intention of causing someone else trouble, so he obediently shut his mouth. Not long after the two figures slipped away from the dark cell, the roar of jet engines echoed from the sky. A metallic hydrogen aerial bomb detonated with pinpoint accuracy directly inside the camp where Old Dog had been held, the blast's fiery light instantly turning night into day. Hit by the airstrike, the panicked auxiliaries chattered frantically and scrambled in disarray, inadvertently creating an escape window for the two hiding near the village edge. Right then, out of the corner of his eye, Old Dog caught sight of several stealthy figures lurking in the shadows. In their hands were automatic rifles swiped from the village... On an earthen ridge in the distance, two players draped in ghillie suits peered toward the center of the explosion through binoculars. "Ammo depot destroyed. Nicely done." Static hissed across the communication channel, followed by Luo Yu's voice: "What about the newbie?" Ye Shi yawned. "Already retrieved... Honestly, I think it was redundant. It would've been fastest for that guy to just finish himself off; rather than wasting time rotting in a cell, he'd have been better off respawning and grinding back his lost EXP long ago." Kuang Feng glanced at him. "Everyone understands the game differently. You can't expect everyone to play like you." Ye Shi gave a helpless shrug. "Just saying... Time to pull out." Two bundles of grass quietly vanished from the ridge, as though they had never been there at all. After the fall of Akale County, they had not retreated alongside the rest of the Burning Corps. Instead, they had ridden electric scooters all the way west, redeploying into Lion State. From here on, their mission was to coordinate with Alliance air power and local guerrilla forces to disrupt the Southern Legion's logistical network. As for rescuing prisoners, that was merely incidental...