Chapter 471.2: Is There Really A Bug?!

Back in the River Valley Province, had never cared about the lives of troops in the reserve army.

After all his time deep undercover in the Army, Battlefield Cheerleader knew better than anyone. To most Wislander officers, non-humans were merely stepping stones in their conquest of the world. They were disposable tools, slightly more flexible than clone fodder.

And Cowley, a pure-blooded Wislander, had been no different. So why the sudden sentiment?

As Battlefield Cheerleader wondered, Cowley looked out the window and spoke in a complex tone. “I don’t think their sacrifice is something to take for granted. They may not be Wislanders, but they’re still warriors...”

Then he looked at Battlefield Cheerleader lying in the bed. “But some things are out of my hands. I hope you understand.”

Battlefield Cheerleader nodded. “I understand.”

Is this about his concern for the troops at G53-7?

Honestly, that was unnecessary.

He knew full well he was a spy. No way he would be emotionally invested in a bunch of subordinates he only knew for two weeks.

If they were smart, they would drop their weapons and surrender when the New Alliance arrived.

If they really thought they were elite soldiers just because they followed him through a few lopsided victories...

Well, then it was time they learned what real New Alliance troops looked like.

What Battlefield Cheerleader didn’t realize was that, in Cowley’s eyes, his calm, obedient attitude only made him feel more guilty.

Losing his brothers-in-arms wasn’t easy. Cowley knew that all too well.

Like his former superior, Richie.

Though they’d only ever nodded in passing, when he found out Richie had died in battle at Lucky Valley Municipality instead of retreating with McClennan, he had been depressed for days.

“In any case... I never looked down on the non-humans who fought beside me. Those willing to unite under the Army banner and fight to restore order are nothing like those degenerates who wallow in the chaos. But orders are orders. Everything is for the greater good.” He put his officer cap back on and softened his tone. “Get some rest. I’ll come see you again when it’s time to move out.”

Battlefield Cheerleader nodded quietly.

Unless something bigger broke, it was about time he logged off to share the still-warm intel with his brothers...

At the same time, while the Army’s command in Sunset Province was still scrambling to contain the chaos at the frontlines, far away in another world, on the official forums of Wasteland Online, countless spectators and eccentric cloud gamers were also closely following the latest developments in their National War Event.

Although most of the players at the frontlines hadn’t logged out yet, there were always a few who either intentionally or accidentally disconnected, bringing firsthand battlefield reports back to those on the forum and the Lifestyle Profession players behind.

When word got out that those closed beta players had wiped out an entire Army division in under half a day, the entire forum exploded with shock.

Tyrannical Warmth: Holy crap! Insane!!!!

Southern Wind Song: Wiped a whole division in half a day?! That’s gotta be fake, right?!

Armor Warrior: This is seriously over the top. Even if they lined up a whole division and walked into machine gun fire, it would still take a few days!

Solo Goer: +1. And we’re talking about 10,000 troops scattered over 3,000 square kilometers of desert.

Lightning Professor: You guys just don’t get it. Modern warfare is about coordination and logistics, it’s not like the old days of lining up to get shot. Winning a decisive battle at the right time and place matters way more than just racking up kills.

- From what I can tell, the Army lost because they overextended their battlefront and their battlelines. In that 3,000 square kilometer desert, there are only a few usable roads, pretty much on par with

Afghanistan

. Which unit moves when, where logistics are delivered, whether the outpost 20 kilometers away is friend or foe, where artillery strikes go... All of it depends on a centralized command system.

- Once the frontline command is gone, and you’re relying on high command to airdrop instructions, good luck coordinating anything.

This in-depth analysis impressed quite a few clueless onlookers on the forum, but not everyone bought it.

Happy Internet Buddy: Lol, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? How many divisions have you commanded?

Lightning Professor: Cough, this game is about talking shit, right?... You're not exactly a general either.

This_lord_is_arrogant_what_can_you_do: Lmao, you’re all full of crap. I’ve said it before, there’s not a single sane person on this forum!

Tyrannosaurus Warrior: Can some kind soul send me a helmet? Please! T.T

The crowd argued back and forth about the battlefield situation, some thrilled, some skeptical. It was as lively as a holiday celebration.

But even with all the expert analysis flying around, one post by a certain pilot stole the spotlight.

According to the player, he had handed his Dragonfly transport over to the ground crew and gone off to grab a bite to eat at the mess hall.

But when he came out, he saw the very aircraft that was supposed to be in the hangar taxiing onto the runway, and taking off by itself.

At first, no one believed him. Even players on the base thought it might’ve been a staged act.

Power shorts causing aircraft to move wasn’t unheard of. But one that took off on its own? That was a first.

Especially with takeoff maneuver so precise and smooth, no one could believe it wasn’t being flown by a veteran with hundreds of hours in the cockpit.

Athlete Foot: That’s weird... This shouldn’t be possible, right? We reworked the nose avionics after that last short-circuit incident.

Mosquito: You guys are just behind the times. When I’ve got a spare moment, I’ll take the boys from my factory and whip up a jumbo jet. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Athlete Foot: Yeah right. (◔_◔)

Bathroom Goer: Exactly! Our Steel Plant 81 actually builds planes! You coffin-makers stay in your lane.

Mosquito: Damn it! I have to show you guys now.

Tail: Ooooh, are you gonna build a Gundam this time? (@~v@)

Night Ten: Believe it or not, this guy actually tried... We ended up helping him our of his stupid coffin.

Mosquito: Shut up! That was an accident! And it wasn’t meant for humans to drive anyway... But back to the plane, we did see that transport plane.

Little Ghost: Yep! And I saw it shoot something out of its fuselage that pierced the cockpit of a nearby Eagle fighter!

Light Wind: ?! Really?! (｡﹏｡")

Mosquito: Yeah. After that, the fighter went nuts and started turning on its allies... and the craziest thing? Those planes actually pulled off an Immelmann turn in combat, it was like watching an ace pilot at work!

Night Ten: Does the Falcon Kingdom even have pilots like that?

Mosquito: Hell no. I’m convinced they hadn’t even faced real opponents before they met us. Their only edge is their equipment.

Though he had to admit, there were one or two enemy pilots who were somewhat impressive. Even he found it somewhat difficult to handle.

Just then, the other ace pilot from the New Alliance popped up in the thread.

Falling Feather: Ahem... Anyone free to come pick me up?

Holy crap! Falling Feather, you finally logged out?!

Mosquito: Where are you? Wait, you crashed?!

Irene: Can you still ping your VM? If not, just buy a new one. We’re not spending hours hunting you down. (¬_¬")

Falling Feather: Damn it! Don’t talk like I’m dead or something! I’m still alive! (ᗒᗣᗕ)

The moment that message hit the thread, it instantly blew up, jumping dozens of pages.

Night Ten: ???

Quit Smoking: Holy crap! You actually survived?!

Ample Time: Yeah... This definitely smells like a bug. What now?

Falling Feather: Hell no! It’s not like I crash every time, okay?! Just once in a while!

Gale: (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

Falling Feather: Though speaking of bugs... I’m not even sure if this counts as one.

Ample Time: Let’s hear it.

Falling Feather: So I was in the middle of a dogfight with a Cutlass, and suddenly an Eagle swooped in. I thought I was screwed, but then, instead of shooting at me, it unloaded an entire mag into the enemy plane.

Little Ghost: Ohhh, yeah! That’s probably the same one we saw flying off with our transport Dragonfly earlier.

Falling Feather: Dragonfly? Huh. I didn’t see that...

Old White: Where did you drop?

Falling Feather: Somewhere near the Golden Lizard Kingdom, I think? Not exactly sure... I’m still floating mid-air. I took a picture, but I can’t upload it without a signal.

Makka Pakka: HAHAHAHA!

Ample Time: Can you see Heart of Steel from up there?

Falling Feather: Nope... But I can see a whole lotta mountains. Maybe I’m near the border of the River Valley Province.

Falling Feather: Oh right, and that Eagle also crashed nearby. Must’ve run out of fuel... But here’s the weird part, the pilot never bailed. He just went down with the plane.

Ample Time: Yeah, that’s definitely far. You’re definitely on the border.

Mosquito: Keep an eye out after you land. We’ll dispatch a bird from Oasis No.8 to search for you. We should be able to find you.

Falling Feather: Thanks, bros! T.T

Ample Time: No worries. Mostly just curious about what the hell’s going on with that Eagle pilot. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Night Ten: +1. If it weren’t for that, Mosquito would’ve just told you to TP home by now by ending yourself... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Falling Feather: ......

These bastards... They were way too damn practical.

...

Meanwhile, back on the wasteland, Chu Guang, still peeking at the forum thread, was staring at the screen, stunned.

Hot damn...

He'd been patching bugs in the void of the forum for days, and this time he might’ve accidentally patched in an actual bug!

In truth, he'd already learned about the rogue Dragonfly long before the forums exploded with speculation. The Heart of Steel's anti-air guns had already locked onto it.

But instead of ordering Little Seven to shoot it down, Chu Guang decided to wait and see what the strange aircraft was up to.

As it turned out, the situation was even more complicated than he thought.

After a long silence and with his eyes fixed on the holographic display, Chu Guang finally spoke. "What do you think that was?"

There was a pause.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Then came Little Seven’s uncertain response. "

Umm

... Do you think Little Feather did it?"