Chapter 826 - This Game Is Too Realistic

### Chapter 826: An Alliance Obligation "This guy is fairly popular..." On the outskirts of Dawn City Square, Captain Bennot wore a perfunctory smile as he clapped his hands symbolically, watching the power armor march to the center of the square. A year ago, he might not have taken the grandiose statements made by Chu Guang seriously. But today, standing here, he couldn't help but feel stirred. Though this fellow certainly boasted a lot and painted many rosy pictures that seemed too good to be true, it was interesting that every one of those ambitious promises had, without exception, become a reality—or at the very least, was gradually becoming so. The previous phase of the Alliance's plan had been completed, and he quickly guided those who had paused to the next direction. In a sense, the things he spoke of are precisely what the Alliance aims to accomplish in the upcoming stage. For example, resolving unresolved disputes and continuing to maximize the impact of the Adhesive Assembly—its function being the very reason they haven't immediately launched into another war. Or, recreating the grand spectacles of the Prosperous Era with its technology, reliving the miracles of the old times—like the space elevator, the most direct representation, which they've reportedly succeeded in bringing the Ideal City Corporation on board. They're already doing it. Watching the people striving towards a united goal, Bennot couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy. The Verlantes were not lacking in strength, and they had plenty of power with their vast territories. However, because everyone was pulling in different directions, they had fragmented internally into countless small factions for longer than he could remember. Now, the Legion was like an obese, decrepit giant, whose gaze remained fierce but its body sluggish. He had this feeling more than once, but couldn't come up with a solution. If only the respected Marshal could guide the Verlantes step by step as he did, things might be different. It was said that long ago, things were indeed so. But then, suddenly from one day onwards, that great figure faded from their sight, hastily leaving the unclear future to them, clueless about their way forward... As Bennot's thoughts unconsciously drifted years back, a light cough suddenly came from beside him. "Mr. Bennot, I apologize for interrupting you in such an informal setting." Bennot turned to see a face he disliked, immediately frowning instinctively. It was Cheng Yan, the Alliance's Foreign Minister, and the lifelong rival of Duke Garawa. However, he was not Duke Garawa and, as a diplomat, he maintained a basic level of courtesy and demeanor. Especially as he noticed the Foreign Minister seemed a bit anxious. Realizing this fellow wanted something from him, Bennot was suddenly energized, not only smoothing his frown but also wearing an immensely pleasant smile. "Oh, if it isn't the Foreign Minister of the Alliance; what a rare sight! What wind blew you to me today?" Detecting the sarcasm in the voice, Cheng Yan's eyebrow twitched slightly. This guy. Could he be thinking I’m here to ask him for a favor? Before coming here, Cheng Yan wasn't sure if Bennot knew about the incidents on the Empire’s west coast four days ago, considering information spread in the region outside Silver Moon Bay was always a mystery, and the Alliance came to know by coincidence. However, now Cheng Yan was almost certain this guy had no clue about what happened there. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be leisurely attending the Alliance's celebration but would be in a panic cleaning up the mess. Amused by Bennot's obliviousness to the looming disaster, Cheng Yan smiled knowingly, returning the quip. "You jest, though each time you arrive unannounced, skip queues, and enter without knocking, have we ever turned you away?" Bennot's face turned slightly displeased as he lifted his chin slightly. This is the attitude of someone seeking a favor? "Out with it, what do you want?" Though he said this, he had already decided in his mind whether he would cooperate. "It's not we who have a problem—it's you." Not beating around the bush, Cheng Yan fixed his eyes on the incredulous Bennot, enunciating clearly. "There's serious trouble at your West Sail Harbor." ... On the vast sea, a fleet of eight cargo ships was approaching the eastern coast of the Boluo Province, slowly rounding towards the southernmost tip of the land along the shoreline. Three almost-newcomers were standing at the ship's bow, lazily conversing in vernacular only they could understand. "Damn! Looks like there's a festival at Dawn City!" "Does it matter? It was the same events the past couple of years; we watched enough on the forums." "Agreed." "But they say this year the crowd’s massive—from a mere 20-30 thousand last year to breaking a million this year." "Day two hosts a Creative Expo for Wasteland Survival Gear, led by Goblin Technology; apparently, some incredibly badass new gear’s on display." "Bet you that 'badass' needs quotation marks..." "Absolutely." "Hard to say though, apart from Brother Mosquito, reliable organizations like Factory 81 and Boulder Military Industries are participating too. Forum folks mention a new prosthetic design by Eberth listed—he spent last year experimenting on the strength-type beasts, might come up with something fierce this time!" "Damn! I’m tempted." "Futeng Hut collaborated with major fashion design companies on North Street for a fashion art exhibition, held at the Exhibition Center... Rumor has it the models are Ideal City androids; they scored sponsorship from Commao Group or something." "…Damn it! Does West Sail have an airport? Ugh, I wanna go back to Dawn City!" "No way there'd be one!" "Forget it… there's always next year, worse comes to worst." "For sure… you barely have enough dough in your pocket, even if you go, it’d be just to hang out, better focus on making money first." All three heaved a collective sigh, suddenly losing interest in lingering online, and turned back into the cabin, agreeing to meet on Ionia later. "Wasteland OL" is a helluva game; its freedom and realism are second to none, yet the map travel speed is painstakingly slow without so much as a "teleport" feature. They’ve been adrift for over a week now, and the torture isn't over yet—they have another three days of floating till they reach the destination. While onboard, one could either daydream staring at the sea or join sailors in drinking and card games. Such boring life quickly drained the initial enthusiasm from their voyage, leaving them perplexed at how fellow player Sisi manages to sustain his frequent wasteland travelogue updates on the official site... As Wolf, Dog, and Guan logged offline one after the other, their comrade Eagle brother stayed persistently online. Being the only diligent player in their team, he didn’t waste any of the idle time onboard; in the absence of quests, he busied himself learning "foreign languages" with the NPCs onboard or engaged in casual chatting. Despite not having particular talent in languages, leveraging his intelligence attribute advantage, he genuinely picked up quite a bit over the past week. As for the Verlantes onboard, the guy hadn't worn out their patience either. After all, life on the ship was dreadfully tedious. Seeing as he had nothing better to do, Aerman didn't mind chatting with this friend from the Alliance, picking up phrases of "Vault 404 Language" in the process. This language's grammar was much more complex compared to the United Language, reminiscent of local dialects in pre-Prosperity Era nations. Moreover, these languages often shared a common trait of strong regional characteristics, posing a high learning barrier for observers outside the environment. Conversely, the United Language is a scientifically designed and propagated language with a relatively lower entry threshold. Admittedly, these peculiar trivia Aerman picked up from the journey—he was no linguistic academic, merely a merchant at best. Nevertheless, he intended to jot these interesting phenomena into his diary, along with the bizarre ideas proposed by the Vault residents during the voyage… "I actually find the Snake State pretty intriguing, located right at the southern tip of the Boluo Province, not too far from Golden Gallon Harbor and West Sail Port, analogous to the geographical position of Kanyakumari near Sri Lanka… ahem, I mean much like your Legion's Evernight Port at the southern end of the Vast Desert." The Captain’s Cabin. ### The Vision of the Eagle Standing by the window, full of vigor, Vision Eagle gazed towards the coastline and suddenly blurted out an unexpected statement. Aerman, sipping his tea, couldn't help but smile wryly at the bizarre notion coming from the window. "Interesting idea... but unfortunately, people here are quite poor. Not every coastline is worth docking at, and not every shore is suitable for building a port." A prosperous inland market, convenient land transportation, and dense isobath lines—many indispensable elements need to line up. After the loss of the slave trade port at Golden Gallon Harbor, they had painstakingly selected West Sail Port as a prime spot on the west coast of Boluo Province. As for building a new port in the southern Snakestate... it all depends on the Empire's intentions. "Lots of poor people, huh? Haha, isn’t that perfect? We’re here to aid them!" Vision Eagle beamed, turning his eyes from the window. There were plenty of wealthy folks in Fries Harbor and Golden Gallon Harbor, but the commercial opportunities there had all but been exhausted. To make it big in places like that, one needed either scale or technological advantages, or to be a genius—or insanely lucky. In contrast, these untapped lands brim with more opportunities. Although investing in a port might seem a bit far-fetched for a newcomer, there's always plenty of time for the future. He aspired to become a man like Elder Fang; this minor setback wouldn't deter him! Seeing this overly confident fellow, Aerman could only give a helpless smile, humming in agreement. "You make a good point... Let’s develop West Sail Port’s market first, then we can check it out." At the moment, he had no plans for such distant prospects; he just wanted to finish the current deal quickly. All for the pie in the sky dangled by Lord Bennot, he was already deep in debt to the bank. If he couldn't quickly find a job to recoup losses, the interest alone on those loans would be a nightmare for him and his partners! He jotted down another of the Vault residents' wild ideas in his diary, tossing it into the drawer to ponder later, then pinched the bridge of his nose, preparing for a quick rest. Lately, he couldn't shake off a sensation of unease; he was wide awake at night and exhausted during the day. Normally, he wouldn’t nap in the afternoon, but this time he just wanted to catch some sleep... Just as he closed his eyes for a moment, urgent footsteps and knocking interrupted, the door to the captain's room burst open, and Dog Brother rushed in. "Something big's happened!" The words, spoken in the vault vernacular, were directed at Vision Eagle by the window. Having picked up a bit from Eagle Brother, Aerman understood the words this time, yawning as he asked. "What happened to leave you in such a hurry?" Dog Brother was surprised and widened his eyes, baffled by how this NPC understood him? But there wasn't time to ponder this; he glanced anxiously at Vision Eagle and continued. "West Sail Port has fallen into rebellion! And it happened four days ago!" "Four days ago?! Damn!" Vision Eagle paused, then reacted in shock, urgently asking, "What about now? Has it been suppressed?" Dog Brother could only smile wryly. "How would I know? It depends on the local Velete garrison’s effectiveness… but I doubt it, heard there were lots of rebels, and local communication still hasn't been restored, chances are it's beyond saving." Beyond saving?! Would that mean this trip was for nothing?! Vision Eagle stood agape for a long while before abruptly realizing an issue, promptly asking. "Wait, how the hell did you know about the rebellion?" Dog Brother just rolled his eyes, looking at him like he was an idiot: "Duh! Offline task! The manager pinged us directly; all three of us got it! You should check yourself—you might have it too!" Vision Eagle: "Damn! I’m gonna check!" A hidden task! He couldn't decide whether to be happy or worried. Watching the two fire off words at high speed, Aerman remained utterly perplexed. He vaguely caught the mention of West Sail Port, but nothing else made sense. Could it be... Something major happened at West Sail Port?! As Eagle Brother was about to leave the room, Aerman quickly grabbed him. "Wait, what exactly happened?" Vision Eagle couldn’t explain on the spot and shrugged off Aerman's hand. "I'm not sure yet; I'll know in a bit… just wait for me here." Aerman stood dumbfounded as they disappeared through the captain's door, and after a long while, he slowly sat back at the desk. What on earth happened at West Sail Port? And… How did they even get this information? With question marks swirling in his mind, Aerman took a swig from his teacup. For some reason, his unease only grew stronger... ... Coincidently, the Alliance’s Guard Corps did not have a solid intelligence network in West Sail Port; even the informants in Golden Gallon Harbor and Mammoth State were indirect connections. Thus, learning about West Sail Port was purely coincidental. The matter stemmed from a cement trading order processed within the Golden Gallon Harbor banking system. The officer handling the order suddenly lost contact with clients at West Sail Port, specifically a widespread loss of contact, and promptly reported the anomaly to the relevant authority. At first, Golden Gallon Harbor banks believed the Velete had noticed something and were withholding cement intended for Mammoth State, but soon realized the situation wasn't that simple. Subsequently, the Governor's Office in Golden Gallon Harbor received word from informants in Tiger State, indicating an imperial order suddenly authorizing local Lionstate forces to mobilize. Given the close parent-child relationship between the Empire and the Legion, this mobilization was unlikely targeting the Velete, yet it didn’t seem aimed at the Alliance either given the distances involved. Piecing together the simultaneous intel from different sources, Governor’s office secretary Yodu quickly inferred there might be a severe regional conflict at West Sail Port that had spiraled beyond Velete control. Without hesitating, he immediately transmitted the information via telegram to Fries Harbor. Whether due to imperial reluctance to disclose the situation to the Legion, or the capital itself being in the dark, Chu Guang ended up learning about West Sail Port’s situation before Bennot, the Legion’s ambassador. Though that port lay thousands of kilometers from the Alliance, for numerous humanitarian reasons and more, Chu Guang couldn't ignore the people stationed there. Moreover, the Vault itself was a disaster relief agency, obligated to prevent further escalation. In the worst scenario, the 3,000 or so Velete residents there might already be in peril. Considering the Legion's habitual conduct, their reprisal might go beyond just capturing the main culprits and accomplices. Given enough time, they might end up wiping out the hundreds of thousands of inhabitants there in one fell swoop. Even out of sheer humanity, the Alliance must act. However, that region was not Alliance territory, nor were there Alliance military bases nearby. Deploying troops was neither appropriate nor feasible; only diplomacy could be utilized as much as possible. Thus, while having Cheng Yan explain the gravity of the matter to Ambassador Bennot, Chu Guang instructed Xiao Qi to locate players closest to West Sail Port to investigate the situation. Though West Sail Port was exceedingly distant from any save point, Chu Guang initially had scant hope—yet, unexpectedly, luck was on his side. Despite these four little players being newcomers who joined during the Paradise War, there was little choice at this juncture. Back at Vault B4, after drafting the task document, Chu Guang immediately sent a real-time communication pop-up to the last player who logged out. This was a new feature developed by Xiao Qi after the last update, enabling real-time conversation with offline players. However, since the lack of "filters" offline could impact player immersion, Chu Guang would generally avoid using it unless it’s especially urgent. "...We've learned from our intelligence system that West Sail Port is experiencing a severe regional crisis. As a disaster relief agency, the Vault cannot ignore the survivors there, whether out of moral duty or responsibility." "Both the Velete and the people of Boluo Province have the right to survive in this world. Though we remain neutral in their conflicts, we must do everything possible to minimize innocent casualties." Despite the thrill of receiving a direct "call" from the manager offline, Vision Eagle found himself troubled after hearing the details of the mission. Regardless of the mission's nature, his "aid mission" seemed virtually doomed now. There's no need to think twice; if the worst had occurred, the hot-tempered Velete would likely leave no stone unturned or even ensure no shop’s egg is left uncracked—assuming any shop existed there. If it weren't for the substantial contribution points and in-game currency the task offered, he would have considered simply abandoning ship and restarting. "But sir, we’re at sea; even in the best-case scenario, we won't arrive until the afternoon of the third. By then, it might be too late." There was a pause, then Chu Guang spoke slowly. "We cannot always appear before disaster strikes in the places that need us, but we must still do what we must. Compared to two centuries of waiting, three days isn’t too long." "Remember your role and responsibility. Don't let personal feelings dictate your actions. Do what you can to minimize risks and harm within your ability... Just do your best." The task’s difficulty may indeed be somewhat excessive for them. After all, these four players were newcomers, possibly having just completed the Torchbearer Quest not long ago. As Chu Guang hesitated, Vision Eagle was also considering backing out. But then, he suddenly thought of someone. If it was that guy, he would definitely take the task without hesitation and calmly strategize a solution... Taking a deep breath, Vision Eagle spoke earnestly. "I understand... I'll do my best—no, I will not let you down; I'll complete this mission flawlessly!" Hearing his sudden burst of determination, Chu Guang was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "Good, I believe you can do it. Go ahead." "This is a task only you can complete; it's yours now." After the communication ended, Chu Guang let out a long breath, removed the headset, and leaned back on the couch. Sitting on his shoulder, Xiao Qi looked at his profile with concern. "Are you sure leaving it to those newbies is okay?" It couldn't shake the feeling that those kids weren’t really reliable, especially compared to the players the master usually relied on. Not just in ability but across all aspects. Of course, this was based on big data analysis, so the conclusion wasn’t definite. Unlike the worried Xiao Qi, Chu Guang merely chuckled softly, tapping its forehead with his finger. "No one is born knowing everything; everyone needs time to grow." "Let's give them this chance. Minister Cheng will also continue to monitor the situation." To be continued.