Chapter 573.3: We Never Shortchange Anyone Who Helps Us

After all, she’d slept for nearly 20 years, waking to a world completely changed. Professor Karen was likely her only family left in it.

From the intelligence at Shelter 401, that professor was probably still alive and had gone south with the Torch Church.

Chu Guang also had many questions.

He looked toward Little Seven and said, "Little Seven, please bring us two cups of tea."

Little Seven pouted, unhappy, but still obeyed sweetly. "Alright, Master."

Soon, X-16 entered with graceful steps, set two cups of tea on the table, bowed politely, then exited with elegance.

As Hyrja calmed down, Chu Guang spoke slowly. "I don’t have any concrete information about your mentor, but when my shelter residents were active in a place called Hope Town in Brocade River Province, they discovered that 20 years ago a group of shelter dwellers arrived at the settlement and traded medicine for supplies."

"That town only had one clinic, and the doctor who worked there is now the town’s pastor. He still remembered those people... According to his recollection, the shelter dwellers stayed in town for a while, bought a lot of supplies, and asked questions about Singularity City."

"Singularity City..." Hyrja muttered softly, chewing on the word, her eyes clouded with confusion.

Chu Guang looked at her and asked, "Didn’t your mentor ever mention that place to you?"

Hyrja shook her head. "No..."

"I see..." Chu Guang thought for a moment, then continued, "In that case, I’m more inclined to believe they gathered clues about Singularity City from the wasteland, and after learning about events from a century and a half ago, they deliberately made contact with the Qi tribe."

Unless carrying out a special mission, most blue coats preferred to make contact with surface survivors. Some might even have gone to Boulder Town, only to leave disappointed by the arrogance of its nobles.

Singularity City was also one of the settlements in the Post-War Reconstruction Committee’s blueprint. They had reason to go south and try their luck.

Hyrja whispered under her breath, "What exactly... was she trying to do?"

"I don’t know. But based on what we’ve uncovered, twenty years ago was exactly when the Qi tribe first showed aggression. I’m more inclined to believe the residents of Shelter 117 reached some sort of agreement with them at that time. Back then, there likely wasn’t yet a church, the Torch was only the Torch organization."

Staring at the steam rising from her teacup, Hyrja sat in silence, lost in the fog of her thoughts. Chu Guang sighed gently. "I promised you I would tell you anything we found about Shelter 117, but I hope you don’t feel too burdened by it."

"

Mm...

" Hyrja nodded slowly, but the dazed expression betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

In her memory, her mentor was a kind woman, gentle, capable, and brave. She was like a mother to her.

She tried to understand what Professor Karen was doing, but the closer she drew to the truth, the more it felt like she was falling into a thick fog.

Working with Mutant Humans...

What exactly were they trying to do?

Hadn’t they promised that when the gates opened, they would rebuild a beautiful new world on the surface?

Hyrja faintly recalled her mentor once telling her that one day she would fall into a long dream, but not to worry. When she awoke from that dream, the world outside would already be a peaceful and fertile land.

Thinking back, the crisis that overturned Shelter 117 had probably been decided from that very moment, and her mentor had already chosen to leave her behind.

"If only... I hadn’t fallen asleep."

Her fingers clenched around her teacup, and with head bowed, she stared unblinkingly at the shimmering surface of the water, her eyes reflecting the same color.

Looking at her lowered gaze, Chu Guang gently consoled her. "Perhaps... But looked at it another way, maybe this arrangement wasn’t the worst."

Sometimes he thought the same... If only he had crossed over earlier.

Every time he raised his head, the wasteland before him was already scarred and ruined. He always felt that when he first opened his eyes, countless irreversible things had already happened.

But then he would wonder, if he had really awoken earlier, would things have turned out any differently? Perhaps they might even have been worse.

"That’s true..."

Wiping at the corner of her eyes with her sleeve, Hyrja smiled brightly once more. "If only I could talk to her face to face."

Chu Guang nodded seriously. "There will be a chance."

...

Night deepened over Brocade Lake Municipality.

On the rooftop of a derelict building, Gaen stood silently, staring north, his brow furrowed like a green worm.

Oge had left in the morning. He should have been back by then.

But the north was silent with not a sound to be heard.

A sense of dread slowly crept into his heart.

Just then, a Mutant Human sentry huffed his way up from the stairwell, dropping to one knee 10 steps behind him.

"Oge, no news. Dust Town... Wreck."

"They held feast there. Human bones... Discarded weapons, more than 200 us corpses."

200?

Shock flickered across Gaen’s face. He turned his hulking frame to look at the kneeling sentry. "Are you sure? That many?"

The sentry bobbed his head furiously. "Yes, many brothers dead... Also, me picked up shell casing this big."

He reached behind his back and produced a shell casing from the battlefield, offering it respectfully.

Gaen took the thick casing, pinched it between two fingers, and brought it to his nose. His frown deepened.

At that moment, an aged voice came from the stairwell. "This isn’t a weapon from Iron Tower. This was made specifically against us."

Gaen turned toward the voice. An old, hunched figure stood there.

It was the tribe’s high priest, Qi Gomo, the only elder he respected in his faction. Unlike the other decrepit old fogeys, he was one of the few who truly cared for the tribe.

Seeing Gaen look over, the elder mutant continued slowly, "They’re New Alliance men. No mistake about it."

"These enemies came prepared. Those stationed at Hope Town were likely just an outpost. The men you sent have no word yet. Most likely, they’re dead."

A cruel grin twisted Gaen’s mouth.

As though venting his rage, he crushed the casing into twisted scrap and flung it to the ground.

"Whoever dares stand against us, I’ll make them regret being born into this world!"

Gormo nodded slowly, replying with respect. "I believe you have the strength. But to be safe, we best consult with our allies."

"The northerners have designed troublesome weapons against us. We must prepare sturdier arms for our warriors too."

Wariness glinted in Gaen’s eyes, and he nodded slowly. "

Mm

. Truly troublesome."

His body was covered in muscle, but none had grown into his brain. If northerners had developed weapons against them, they needed stronger armor. Those so-called Torch Church happened to be experts in that field.

If they didn’t want their plans ruined, they had better come up with solutions.

...

The next morning.

The barricades at Hope Town’s gate had been dismantled. A convoy of trucks sat loaded at the entrance. Around 20 heavily armed fighters stood by, ready to depart.

Half were Little Feathers in exoskeletons, led by Falling Feather. The other half were Burning Corps players, led by Ample Time.

The rest of the players had returned with Old White to the military base at the border of the Brocade River Province.

According to Wu Wenzhou, bringing too many would arouse suspicion. After all, the six trucks together only carried goods worth about a million silver coins. Such a shipment could never justify hiring such a luxurious mercenary force.

Except for Little Feathers, who could hardly shed their exoskeletons, Ample Time’s players had all left their gear with Old White’s group to bring back to base.

"... Don’t forget our agreement," Wu Wenzhou said nervously beside Ample Time, his eyes flickering as he whispered.

The attack by Mutant Humans the night before had frightened him badly.

That moment, he understood why his boss had been so eager to pull out from that farm.

Ample Time gave him a reassuring look while revealing a broad grin. "Relax. We’ve never shortchanged anyone who helps us."

"I believe you... Honestly, I wish you guys would expand your territory here. Then we wouldn’t have to abandon our homes and go north."

After he spoke, Wu Wenzhou climbed back into the truck, grabbed the radio on the dash, and yelled, "Move out!"

The engines roared to life.

Sitting in the truck beside Falling Feather, Night Ten suddenly raised his head, glancing toward the woods.

Noticing his action, Falling Feather asked curiously, "What is it?"

"... Nothing." Night Ten withdrew his gaze and muttered, "Just felt like someone was watching us."

But he hadn’t sensed any killing intent.

It might just be some NPCs from the town...