Chapter 429.1: My Friend... This World Isn't As Simple As You Think

"The fuck..."

Looking at the chaotic military base in front of him, the man standing at the camp entrance in bulletproof armor couldn't help but curse out loud.

His name was Wagg, belonging to the 30,000-strong battalion. He was from the Ninth Troop, and he led a 10-man squad. He was stationed around 20 kilometers away to act as an outpost, and he was responsible for monitoring Camp 530 while guarding a relay tower.

An hour ago, he received a message from the Ninth Troop that Camp 530 had not reported its routine security status and had not responded to the command center's communications, instructing him to immediately take his subordinates to check out the situation. They needed to know whether it was a communication equipment failure or some kind of accident.

Wagg didn't hesitate. He led three brave brothers on their trikes and rushed off to camp 530.

However, upon arriving at the military base, he found it had already been reduced to ruins.

"Is anyone there?" He yelled loudly, but there was neither disturbance inside nor any response.

Wagg was on high alert as he held his rifle horizontally and decisively waved his fist, leading his men carefully through the camp gate and deeper into the military base.

The street lamps along the road were off, the local power system seemed to have been sabotaged. Apart from the still-burning barracks, only a thin sliver of moonlight illuminated the lands.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Proceeding along the broken road, as they passed near the garage, everyone's faces looked quite unpleasant. They turned pale, then ashen.

Charred corpses lay twisted and contorted. Many curled up together, with hardly a complete human shape recognizable.

Due to the wide-open garage, the tanks and trucks inside were nowhere to be seen. The supplies had been completely looted. Not even a wrench or screwdriver was left.

Swallowing hard, Wagg and his men moved toward the direction of the command center. Soon, they passed a checkpoint that seemed to have experienced fierce fighting not long ago.

The collapsed sandbag walls and bodies full of bloody holes made it clear how fiercely the soldiers stationed there an hour ago had been attacked.

The situation was the same with the mutant mercenaries nearby.

Those brutes either had their heads smashed or chests blown open by some large-caliber weapon. There was not a single intact corpse. Their deaths were extremely gruesome.

Even the mutants, known for their strong regenerative abilities, couldn't withstand the attack. There was no need to mention ordinary people.

"Damn it, I bet this definitely wasn't the work of the guerrillas or the kingdoms!" One of Wagg’s men looked around nervously and muttered under his breath.

Another younger soldier, breathing somewhat heavily, looked around in fear and muttered softly, "Could it be the people from the Great Rift Valley?"

Listening to the soldiers whispering quietly, Wagg looked around with a solemn expression and replied slowly, "... We just reached a ceasefire agreement with them at the beginning of the year. It's not impossible they broke the treaty, but attacking without declaration isn't their style."

Leading his subordinates, Wagg moved into the command post.

The situation there was equally dire. Nearby tents were filled with dense bullet holes. Around 50 bodies lay scattered over an area of less than 50 square meters, all of them members of the Army from their huge noses.

Wagg searched the area but couldn't find Piman’s body no matter how hard he looked. As he moved into the bomb shelter, he finally noticed the problem. "... All the documents here have been moved."

Frowning slightly, Wagg recalled what his superior had told him.

Camp 530 was linked to a major plan, personally devised by General Griffin. It was crucial to ending the entire war by the end of August.

Therefore, it was vital to keep an eye on the situation at Camp 530.

Without hesitation, Wagg reached for the radio hanging on his shoulder. "Reporting back to headquarters. This is Patrol Team 151. We've arrived at Camp 530. The situation here is quite bad, I see no survivors... nor do I see the body of the commander. He is possibly captured by unknown forces."

"including the secret documents in the command post, the military supplies in the nearby warehouse, the tanks in the garage... Those who attacked took everything that could be moved.”

His gaze wandered around, suddenly falling on the row of extinguished street lamps, his expression gradually becoming unnatural.

In an instant, Wagg thought of something and his expression gradually grew solemn.

"All electronic devices are paralyzed, including all street lights. The military base is completely dark. I can't find any working electronic devices."

"Although it sounds unbelievable, my intuition tells me this is definitely not just a simple power system failure." He paused for half a second, took a deep breath, and voiced his suspicion.

"It's probably an EMP!"

...

Camp 530 suffered a devastating blow. The elites of the Army were almost completely wiped out in the surprise attack.

Suspected to have been hit by an EMP!

The news was quickly relayed up through the ranks, soon reaching the Army's frontline headquarters at Oasis No.9, waking all the senior officers from their sleep.

In the war room, General Griffin stood behind the map with his hands behind his back, his posture rigid, his eyes dangerously narrowed like a vulture's. The officers behind him were silent. They exchanged glances filled with disbelief and astonishment.

Over the past month, their outposts and military bases had suffered attacks from the kingdom's army and guerrillas, but those armed with mere firesticks from the wasteland had never won.

To learn of the destruction of a military base after the battle had ended was unprecedented... and moreover, it happened to be Camp 530.

Why the hell did it have to be that?!

A staff officer took a deep breath, breaking the silence in the room before beginning his report. "Our aircraft have surveyed the nearby area. We found no enemy troop movements or those who attacked us. After they won and looted our supplies, they are suspected to have hidden in the mountains 30 kilometers northeast of Oasis No.9. They must have built concealed fortifications there. Our planes didn't see anything."

The silent atmosphere was broken.

The surrounding officers also joined in the discussion.

"According to the intelligence reported by the nearby outposts, the attackers are suspected to have used EMPs, preemptively destroying the military base's communication tower... There are two possibilities, either the Great Rift Valley has entered the war, or the Enterprise have increased their military presence in the Sunset Province."

"They've built an air base around West Continent Municipality in River Valley Province, right? They might well have come from there!"

"It’s possible!"

Listening to his subordinates' discussions, Griffin, with his hands still behind his back, remained silent.

More than the loss of personnel, equipment, and supplies, what Griffin couldn't accept was that his battle plan made the month prior had been leaked.

Camp 530 was a logistical hub for launching the next round of offensives on the northern front. He didn’t mind the casualties of vassal states, but he had to carefully consider the heavy casualties required to take over the northern defenses of the Lion Kingdom without sufficient armored support and supplies.

The Sunset Province was not just about the Honey Badger Kingdom and the Lion Kingdom. There was also the Camel Kingdom and Golden Lizard Kingdom. If they wanted the Falcon Kingdom to conquer the entire Sunset Province, they had to control the casualties.

Otherwise... What they gained would be lost quickly.

"Unfortunately, our flawless plan has been leaked. They were able to precisely locate Camp 530. They know where our troops will be at what hour of what day."

Griffin surveyed the tent's occupants, his gaze sharply sweeping across each face, and spoke slowly and solemnly, "The strategic deployment on the northern line must be adjusted... It won't be difficult, but I want to know where our leak is."

The room was terrifyingly quiet. It was so silent a pindrop could be heard.

Just when everyone on edge, Griffin suddenly changed the topic, casually glossing over it.

"Of course, I trust your loyalty. Our problem should come from someone at a lower level. I need you to keep your eyes open and find that mole."

Hearing his declaration, the officers finally heaved a sigh of relief, their faces easing up visibly as they stood at attention. "Yes, sir!"

"Understood!"

Watching his subordinates, Griffin nodded, his gaze returning to the map on the wall, lost in thought.

EMP weapons.

That clearly wasn't the kingdom's equipment. It was most likely... No, it definitely had to be the handiwork of the Enterprise!

According to the logistics department's records, Camp 530 had just received a shipment of supplies from the Bugra Free State two days ago, indicating that the Great Rift Valley was unaware of this supply line's existence. Otherwise, they would have many ways to stop their vassals from trading with the Army.

A frown appeared on Griffin’s face.

Could McClennan have not been boasting?

Was the Heart of Steel truly taken down by the Enterprise’s reinforcements? If that was the case...

They were in considerable trouble.

...

On the other side, as the frontline command held an overnight meeting to formulate battle plans, a desert-colored truck stopped at the entrance of the military camp where the headquarters was located.

As the first to jump down from the truck, Cowley looked towards the entrance and saw the waiting officer, his eyes brightened. "Feder? Fantastic! You're still alive!"

Feder, a high-ranking centurion like him, but older by a generation, was an officer under General McClennan.

Looking at the dust-covered Cowley, Feder gave a military salute. He revealed a look of excitement as he walked over to shake his hand.

"At the last critical moment, I followed General McClennan into the escape pod and narrowly escaped... But you, it's really great to see you still alive!"

The two had a good personal relationship.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be waiting for Cowley after hearing he would be coming.

With a smile on his face, Cowley spoke with a touch of emotion. "Honestly, I almost died in the desert. The battlefield was chaotic, I couldn't even gather ten people. With those barbarians chasing us, I almost gave up... Thanks to this brother..."

Saying this, he pulled the newly disembarked wastelander to his side.

Feder looked at this man who had a tanned face and noticed his flat nose. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Who is this?"

"Pangolin!" Cowley patted the expressionless man's shoulder vigorously, grinning at Feder.

"Don't judge him by his wasteland origins, he's not like those people! He's a brave guy... He’s not just skilled at fighting, but his loyalty to the Army puts even me to shame. To gather enough money to return, he was even willing to abandon a soldier's dignity and dig coal in a coal mine. If it weren't for his encouragement, I probably would have died dishonorably in the desert."

Hearing the name, Feder finally recognized the officer of the reserve army, a personal attendant promoted by General McClennan himself, the man who single-handedly killed a powerful Deathclaw!

Throughout the journey, McClennan had been talking about the head of the super Deathclaw he kept on the airship and how it was a pity he hadn't taken that collectible with him. It was unexpected that this man had also followed, and even brought Cowley across the desert.

For an attendant, that was a great achievement! Feder looked at the wastelander, speaking in a serious tone. "Thank you for saving my friend and bringing him back safely... I will definitely repay this favor."

"No need to thank me, it's what I should do." Battlefield Cheerleader skillfully repeated the words he had practiced many times before.

"We all do what we must, but those who do exceptionally well deserve appropriate recognition; rest assured I will report your merits." Feder smiled, patted Pangolin's shoulder, then turned to Cowley. Seeing the smile on Cowley’s face, he continued, "Come with me, there's been quite a change in the situation here, I'll take you to register your identity again, and we can talk about other matters as we walk..."

Cowley needed to first report in to restore his military status, after all, having been missing so long, he was already considered to be killed in action.

The Army would verify his identity through some professional procedures to ensure he wasn’t an impostor clone or synthetic being.

As for Pangolin... He didn't need to go through so many complicated procedures. After registering his name in the attendant military roster, he was left to wait in the logistics department's barracks.