Chapter 617.1: The Development

In a dark and unfathomable chaos, it slowly awoke from its slumber.

Around it were unseen walls and a black domain, shadows pulsing to block its sight, and its hearing at the same time.

It opened a mouth that did not exist and let out a cry like a newborn infant.

Just then, a gentle force traveled along an unseen umbilical cord, making every cell in its body stretch with comfort as it floated in the chaos.

"My child... you are finally awake..."

That trembling call carried loneliness, and also yearning.

It did not understand that feeling, but the voice made it feel at ease.

"You are?"

"I am your mother."

"Mother?"

"The one who births all things. I gave you soul and flesh."

"... I am?"

"Thea. That is your name, and the third gift I bestow upon you."

Thea...

It repeated its name silently, gazing at the pulsing walls and dark domain, the stirrings of its soul tinged with reverence as it listened to the voice flowing down the cord.

"On the day the ice ends, you will awaken. On the day of awakening, you will understand your destiny."

"Go forth to conquer."

"Go forth to devour."

"Go forth to liberate."

"Go forth to become the new sovereign."

Its vision, veiled by darkness, grew clear. The black walls were replaced by surging crimson flesh-membrane.

That bloodthirsty color reflected in the amber eyes it had just opened.

The voice continued to reach its ears.

"... We shall at last enter eternal prosperity."

Without the slightest hesitation, it opened the mouth still bound by threads, a hot breath mixed with a low growl spilling forth.

“Yes...”

...

At Boulder Town’s gate, the clamoring of vendors rang out endlessly. Alongside traveling merchants, there were naturally no shortage of little players from Shelter 404.

“Exploding mushrooms! One silver coin each, edible and explosive, its power rivals a grenade! Wholesale from Boss Yaya, pre-order now!”

“Mutated ironworms soaked in liquor! Fresh booze, fresh worms, don’t miss out!”

“What the hell?”

“Ironworms? Damn you, that’s just earthworms!”

“Boss, take a sip yourself!”

“Cough, requires Constitution type players at LV20 to try. I’m an Intelligence type. My constitution is too low.”

“Boss, give me a pound. I’ll buff my buddy.”

“Sure thing!”

The heavy snow had stopped, and the Tide was near. The market would soon shut down.

Many stall owners hurried to make their last sales before Spring.

Besides food and supplies, plenty of arms dealers hawked weapons and gear.

It was especially so for Goblin Technology.

Their sign stood out brightest in the crowd.

Beside a three meter tall suit of armor, Mosquito yelled into a loudspeaker, “Goblin Tech’s newest Model 2 Unpowered exoframe! Requires LV10 strength type players, or LV15 constitution type players! It’s tough and deadly. Dive into a crowd and it explodes!”

The moment players heard that distinctive duck-like voice, they swarmed over with interest.

“Holy crap, Mosquito? You’re running a stall yourself?” Eye Owe Money fiddled with the armor, tried moving its arm, but gave up in vain.

Mosquito sighed with grief, “

Ugh...

botched the last mission, broke as hell lately, selling some secondhand gear to recoup.”

Mostly because Irene and Elf Wang had been useless.

They searched the lands but never found his mechanical arms.

In a few days, he planned to order a new one.

This time, he would make them detachable.

Construction Boy leaned in curiously. “Question. Is this gear trash?”

Unbothered by the jab, Mosquito chuckled, “It’s not bad at all, can’t be considered trash, just average.”

Eye Owe Money snapped, “Damn it!”

Meanwhile, Falling Feather was heading north through the crowded market when he suddenly stopped, pressing his right hand to his chest.

The flesh once torn away by bat-men had regrown, an extension of Little Feather’s sub-bodies.

Suddenly, it felt like it was on fire!

While Falling Feather puzzled over it, a whisper came through the comms channel.

“Yiwuu. (It woke.)”

He understood Little Feather’s murmurs, easier than human speech.

Glancing around instinctively, he asked in confusion, “Woke? Who woke?”

“Yiwu...”

(Thea...)

(That is its name.)

Falling Feather froze.

That was the first time he hadn’t understood Little Feather’s words.

Thea?

It?

As he puzzled, a familiar shout came nearby.

“Damn, Falling Feather! You’re finally back!”

He turned and saw Mosquito waving excitedly at him from a stall.

Instinctively lifting a hand in greeting, his gaze fell on the massive iron box-like torture-device beside him.

His eyes sharpened instantly, withdrawing his hand. “What’s this?”

“Don’t be so cold, bro,” Mosquito grinned, tugging his arm. “Seriously, help me demo this new gear, show these rookies what’s what.”

Falling Feather jerked away like shocked, retreating ten steps. “Not interested, thanks.”

Watching him vanish into the crowd, Mosquito froze, hand still out.

Even a wasteland ace wouldn’t test it?

The rookies who had gathered earlier scattered instantly.

Hearing laughter behind him, Mosquito shouted toward Falling Feather’s retreating figure with a wry grin. “Damn it! You heartless man!”

His voice faded into the bustle.

Most survivors aboveground failed to notice the gray-green fog, rooted in the center of Clearspring City like a towering tree, quietly spreading outward...

...

Chu Guang still remembered when he took the Heart of Steel on an expedition to the Brocade River Province, the snow was thick enough to bury a man’s calves.

When he returned, only a thin layer remained.

In his absence, much had changed in New Alliance settlements.

Dawn City had changed the most.

As the New Alliance’s capital and first spark of hope in the wasteland, it had always been the focus of development.

Especially since last year’s economic meeting, when Chu Guang threw 900 million silver coins into infrastructure.

That vast budget had an immediate impact.

Not only were streets widened and cleaned, commuting more convenient, but daily life visibly improved.

Even new arrivals and regulated migrants weren’t left out.

A thousand refurbished apartments in the eastern suburbs had been completed, housing over 40,000 residents.

Registered population had doubled from 50,000 to 100,000.

Even better, the Health Department’s records showed a looming baby boom after the war in the Sunset Province.

Though this strained limited medical and education resources, the upside was a healthier population structure.

Survivors of the New Alliance were stepping into new lives. Though disasters on the land were far from over, hope filled every heart.

Because their administrator had fulfilled the passionate promise he made at the triumphal ceremony, to let noble qualities shine in New Alliance society.

The diligent would never be fools. By learning, working, and living earnestly, by contributing to society, they would get better lives.

Daybreak City was much the same. Its changes were second only to Dawn City.

The train station that once had only a wooden sign had now become a concrete-built station hall.

From the industrial zone to the logistics center ran a six-lane road. The workers who once lived in tin shacks fixing drainage now lived in apartment buildings with elevators, and the old clattering workshops had become sprawling factories covering dozens or even hundreds of acres.

Objectively speaking, although the level of development and living standards there couldn’t match Dawn City, its urbanization and industrialization rates were higher than Dawn City and Boulder Town combined.

After all, the New Alliance’s only city-level fusion reactor was located there. Even transport costs for power resources were negligible.