Chapter 394.2: SSSR Mount... It's Not Going Too Far If I Sell By Weight, Right?

Lucky Valley Municipality, Falling Leaf Camp.

When Battlefield Cheerleader returned, pulling a wooden plank and dragging the head of a Deathclaw to stop into the camp under the twilight, both the soldiers on duty at the gate and the survivors inside the camp were stunned.

He was covered in blood and looked like a demon crawling out of hell. His right hand clutched a rope he dragged on his shoulders while his left hand carried a blood-stained axe. Well... It wasn’t his axe, but something he bought from Sisi with 20 silver coins.

Tossing both of them to the ground, he stared at the guards and snorted casually, “Deathclaw...”

"I killed it!"

He wanted to say something cool, but unfortunately, his ability to speak in the Federation language was limited. He only knew a few short phrases.

Whispers immediately started to spread at the gate.

The soldiers in black robes looked at him doubtfully, not quite believing he could have killed it himself. However, Battlefield Cheerleader didn’t give a damn.

Before he returned back, he had deliberately found a mutated hyena. He fought it barehanded, bumping and scraping himself on everything to make it look more realistic.

He didn't need to make the lie perfect. All he had to do was to play the part of a silent expert and that would be enough.

As for everything else...

Those people would naturally fill in the blanks for him.

At the camp entrance, survivors gathered around, casting curious glances his way.

The expressions on their faces varied. There were some admiration, some envy. Others whispered and applauded. They couldn’t help but cheer for him.

That was the monster that even the Army's 100-strong team couldn't handle.

However... It was resolved by a wastelander just like them!

Nearby in the crowd, Battlefield Cheerleader saw many familiar faces.

There were the apprentices who had peeled potatoes with him, the squad members who had gotten lost halfway, and the only person whose name he could remember, Li Ba.

Probably noticing the commotion at the camp entrance, Cowley walked out from inside the camp. A frown could be seen on his face as he snapped, "What's everyone gathered here for? Is the work done?"

At the crack of his whip, the survivors blocking the gate instantly scattered.

Carrying a whip, Cowley walked up to the camp entrance, saw the blood-soaked ‘Pangolin’, and glanced at the head on the wooden plank beside him. A look of shock immediately appeared on his face.

The head, the size of a calf, was too shocking. It was especially so when they saw the demonic face. It looked like it endured too much pain before death, more than a living being could bear.

The entrance fell silent for a good five minutes.

The petrified Cowley finally came back to his senses. His gaze fixed on Battlefield Cheerleader, squeezing out a question from his throat. "Did you do this?"

Battlefield Cheerleader nodded without feeling the slightest feeling of shame, taking credit for the work instantly. "Yes!"

Although not entirely his doing, he had contributed to the DPS...! Anyway, thinking about it, he decided to round it off and call it his credit for finishing off the beast.

Although skeptical, Cowley couldn’t find a reason to doubt him, especially after seeing his blood-soaked appearance. He just couldn't believe that the monster that had cost him a dozen men had been taken down by the wastelander before him.

"I will report your merits. Go wash off the blood in the river." Cowley looked at a nearby guard and pointed to Pangolin with his chin. "Give him a bar of soap."

The rifle-carrying guard doing sentry duty saluted. "Yes, sir!"

...

It had only taken a few minutes to smear the blood on himself, but cleaning it off took over an hour. Battlefield Cheerleader realized he was really doing himself a disservice, but there was no other way.

After all... To chop the head off the beast would involve hacking at the neck endlessly. The scales connecting the head to the neck were smashed up as if they had been chewed by a dog. If there wasn’t a single drop of blood on him, it would be mighty suspicious!

Finally getting the sticky blood cleaned off, the sky had turned completely dark.

Walking towards the camp, Battlefield Cheerleader organized his thoughts, pondering how to boast later.

Just then, a soldier in a black robe approached him. "You're Pangolin, right?"

Battlefield Cheerleader was stunned and stared at the solider for two seconds before replying promptly, "Yeah?"

The black-robed soldier continued, "Come with me."

Although puzzled, Battlefield Cheerleader had no choice but to follow.

Watching the soldier lead him out of the camp and towards the depths of the forest, doubts began to nag at him.

Is Cowley trying to kill me to hog the credit?

Surely he isn’t that despicable!

As he entertained those wild thoughts, the dim light of a campfire appeared not far ahead, revealing another campsite behind the forest.

Unlike Falling Leaf Camp, whether it was the duty personnel or those patrolling, they were all soldiers clad in black robes and wearing heavy armor.

There was no doubt about it...

That was the base of the Army’s marines!

Amazed, Battlefield Cheerleader followed the soldier further, passing the camp's gate while quietly observing the camp's defensive setup.

Soon, they arrived at the center of the camp where an elevator stood.

"Get on."

Hearing the black-robed soldier's voice, Battlefield Cheerleader obediently stepped onto the elevator while cursing in excitement.

Damn!

Are they actually inviting me into their fountain?

Before he could ponder further, the elevator started moving.

Guided by several chains, the platform slowly ascended, inching closer to that majestic steel fortress until they entered it for real.

The elevator ended in a hall, the space so vast it was unbelievable. Its layout and furnishings somewhat resembled a submarine port, and the several rolling shutter doors nearby were probably garages.

Battlefield Cheerleader looked around in astonishment, wishing he could capture everything and share the shock with those fools on the forum.

Unfortunately, let alone a camera, he didn't even have his VM.

Two soldiers came over to search him, patting him down thoroughly from head to toe before letting him pass through the airlock room.

After several doors and hallways, he was led into a room decked with red carpets and bearing opulent decor.

There were many people standing around, but only one person was sitting.

That person's identity was unquestionable. He was the commander of the Heart of Steel, General McClennan.

Battlefield Cheerleader surreptitiously took a couple of glances at him.

That man was probably in his early forties, with sharply defined features, a prominent nose, and a robust physique. He had eyes like an eagle's, sharp and penetrating. Despite his high position, he hadn't neglected his physical training.

In fact... He might even be an awakener...

While Battlefield Cheerleader covertly observed the man seated in the chair, that man was also sizing him up.

With an interested look in his eyes, General McClennan spoke. "You're the pangolin?"

"Yes, sir." Battlefield Cheerleader responded, though his thoughts were racing.

If he were to pull a Jing Ke and assassinate the general before him, would the expansion pack end before it even started?

However, it might be a little difficult.

He was an awakener, but he was certainly not faster than a bullet.

Some would say a knife was faster if the distance between them was seven steps or fewer, but in reality, a gun wasn’t just faster. They were fucking accurate if fired at someone at point blank range. Moreover... There were dozens of guns ready to fire if he made a stupid move. It was more than enough to turn him into a human sieve countless times.

If only he had an exoskeleton...

General McClennan observed the honest-looking and silent wastelander before him with interest and continued speaking, "Tell me, how did you kill that monster?"

"Your shells wounded it. I trapped it with a trap. I blinded it. I bled it. I chopped off its head." Battlefield Cheerleader answered to the best of his abilities.

Though the narrative was crude, McClennan hadn't expected the barbaric native to spin a tale like a minstrel.

He nodded approvingly and declared. "Good, you're a warrior."

"From today, you are the first centurion of the reserve army. Your men will be promoted to decurions... You can go back later and share this good news with them." General McClennan spoke casually before looking to the side.

"Also, about the rewards I mentioned."

As he spoke, a military officer approached with a chain, leading 10 slaves.

They were barefoot, dressed in simple clothes. Their hair colors varied, and they were of different builds. However, their appearance were pretty good in general.

Their exotic facial features clearly weren't those of survivors living nearby but seemed more like the Army had brought them over from other places.

For example... From the desert.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Battlefield Cheerleader was slightly stunned and his heart pounded in shock.

He had thought the cunning developer would reward him with a bunch of buff dudes. However, they were testing him with sugar-coated bullets.

Was this content that could be experienced without spending money?!

General McClennan observed with satisfaction at Battlefield Cheerleader’s baffled expression.

He didn't mind his subordinates being greedy or lecherous. In fact, people with flaws were easier to manage.

If someone was indifferent to wealth and beauty, he would suspect that they were there with ulterior motives.

After all, there were only two types of people like that. They were either saints who were completely detached from worldly desires, or someone with ambition far beyond ordinary people.

"I keep my word, they're yours now."

Seeing Cowley give him a nod, Battlefield Cheerleader quickly bowed his head and solemnly replied, "Thank you, sir!"

The meeting lasted only about 10 minutes.

Although interested in the wastelander who had killed the Deathclaw, to General McClennan, it was merely an entertaining interlude during his campaign.

If the native truly had a talent for warfare, he wouldn't mind promoting him to command 1,000 soldiers in the reserve army.

After letting ‘Pangolin’ go, General McClennan turned to Cowley, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation.

"It seems not all the natives here are worthless. Seems like we can still find a few capable ones occasionally."

"Go develop people like these."

"We need to foster our power in the southern part of the River Valley Province. These people are all seedlings worth cultivating."

Cowley bowed his head, respectfully accepting the order. "Yes!"