Chapter 789: The Torch at the End of Its Rope

Chapter 789: The Torch at the End of Its Tether

The battle was already over.

And it ended in a complete victory for the Alliance.

In the square of Fort Town, standing beside an armored vehicle, NameHardToTake switched off the tactical visor's visual battlefield guidance system, took off his helmet, glanced around, and suddenly couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"...Unbelievable."

Silence, holding a rifle beside him, looked at him curiously.

"What's unbelievable?"

"That this place once housed over twenty thousand people." NameHardToTake's gaze fell on the playground equipment at the edge of the square, where rusted horizontal bars and a slide stood, showing that these people had once enjoyed good times.

Life on the wasteland was harsh, but it wasn't all desperate struggle.

NobiTooPoor, who had been silent, pursed his lips and said.

"Pfft, my hometown, a small place, still has millions of people."

NameHardToTake: "Tsk, is there any comparison between reality and the wasteland?"

Silence chuckled and teased.

"Haha, you should say, is there any comparison between the game and reality?"

Suddenly thinking of something, NameHardToTake spoke again.

"Speaking of which, given the realism of this game so far... these twenty thousand people must have existed, right?"

Silence: "Maybe, so what?"

"Nothing," NameHardToTake was silent for a moment, "I was just wondering... where did all those people go?"

...

Fang Chang had thought there would be a tough fight after entering the shelter, but to his surprise, as soon as he reached the entrance, the other side surrendered outright.

"I surrender!"

Seeing the power armor at the door and the rows of exoskeletons behind it, Alzu did not hesitate and raised his hands without any delay.

Without a doubt, it was the people in the monitoring room who opened the door.

But whether the door opened or not no longer mattered; no one knew better than the Alliance how to pry open a shelter's door, after all, quite a few of those guys were Blue Moles.

A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, but in the end, he raised his hands.

Being captured wasn't such a bad thing.

After all, he had plenty of chips left outside; there was no need to sacrifice his physical body for meaningless resistance.

As soon as Fang Chang saw the gray robe on this guy, he knew his status was definitely not low, and his head was surely loaded with chips, so without a second word, he pulled out a medical gun and aimed it at him.

This gadget had a range of only twenty meters, could fire hemostatic capsule rounds containing nanomachines, or anesthetic rounds loaded with alkaloid sedatives. It was priced at 10,000 silver coins on the official website, one of the Alliance's early flashy but impractical imported equipment from Ideal City.

Since players who could afford this thing usually wore armor, and those without armor generally didn't need treatment, its application scenarios were quite limited, used only occasionally for specimen retrieval missions in biological research institutes.

Not knowing that this was a medical gun, Alzu's face showed surprise as he stepped back and instinctively raised his right hand.

"Wait... I've already surrendered—"

Before his words could finish, a bang rang out, and a stream of heat struck his arm.

Before he could come to his senses, a wave of drowsiness climbed into his brain, pulling his consciousness into a bottomless quagmire.

"You can sleep for a while."

Glancing at the "suspected VIP target" lying unconscious on the ground, Fang Chang turned to look at the staff member who was sitting on the ground, having wet his pants, and said in a teasing tone.

"If you don't want to end up like him, you'd better cooperate with us."

The staff member nodded nervously.

"I, I will cooperate."

"Good," satisfied with the expression on his face, Fang Chang nodded and continued in a relaxed tone, "Introduce yourself, and the person next to you, and this underground facility."

The man nodded again fearfully and began to speak haltingly.

"Tomiler, my name... this, this man is Alzu, an apostle of the Church, but his status is higher than ordinary apostles."

Fang Chang raised his hand to stop him.

"Can you stand up and talk? I'd like to walk and listen, not wait at the door."

Not bothering to hide the wet patch on the floor and his pants, the staff member hurriedly scrambled to his feet.

"Okay, okay... I can show you around here, please don't kill me."

"Do you think we are like you? Of course, whether you survive in the end depends on the judge's verdict and your performance after surrender."

Having said that, Fang Chang tapped his helmet and contacted the rear command.

"This is Fang Chang. We have successfully secured Shelter 182... It seems the Torch has converted it into a research facility. We captured a suspected high-ranking apostle of the Torch at the entrance, along with a suspected researcher. No missing Fort Town residents found."

After a brief crackle of static, a steady voice came through the communication channel.

"Command received. In two hours, relevant personnel from the scientific expedition team will arrive to investigate. Preserve the scene and control the relevant individuals as much as possible."

"Received."

After closing the communication, Fang Chang noticed that the staff member who had wet his pants suddenly pounced on Alzu and started rummaging under his gray robe.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Fang Chang aimed the medical gun at him, but saw the latter pull out a thumb-sized electronic component from Alzu's body and hand it over with a fawning smile.

"This, this is for you!"

The thing looked a bit like a USB drive.

Fang Chang was momentarily startled, then reached out with interest and took it from his hand.

"What is this?"

"It's everything from this Institute 182."

Tomiler spoke rapidly.

"The data on the Gestalt Lifeform project, as well as the related research and experiment logs conducted by this institute... Alzu copied everything from this institute onto this hard drive, then erased the original data from the servers."

As he said this, he looked cautiously at the soldier before him, his voice tinged with ingratiation.

"Does this... count as a merit?"

Amused by his cautious demeanor, Fang Chang replied sarcastically.

"That depends on what we recover from it. I'm not a judge; at most, I can help you submit the evidence."

He paused, then pointed his gun at the airlock door.

"Now, I need you to show me around this shelter."

Whether the data stored on the hard drive is valuable depends on the opinion of the professionals from the scientific expedition team.

However, the Alliance is relatively reasonable; they generally impose maximum penalties on decision-makers, while for executors, they specifically examine which of their actions were subjectively anti-human and which were coerced.

If he were merely a researcher, uninvolved in actual decision-making, the death penalty would hardly be warranted—at worst, he’d lose his personal freedom, locked away in Vault 79 for life.

But Tomiller had misunderstood his intent, thinking the Alliance deemed this merit too trivial—after all, a simple pat-down would have uncovered the hard drive anyway, rendering his voluntary surrender pointless.

Seeing only one chance left, Tomiller hurriedly stepped ahead of Fang Chang, eagerly introducing Vault 182 to him and the soldiers behind.

The group had barely passed through the buffer airlock and hadn’t yet crossed the vault’s plaza when a swarm of researchers burst through the corridor’s sliding doors.

Before Fang Chang could ask what was happening, they rushed forward, tears and snot streaming, leaving him and the players utterly bewildered.

“What are you doing?”

Staring at the researchers who seemed ready to cling to his legs, Fang Chang let out a helpless laugh, reached out, and hoisted the most agitated one off the ground.

A slightly older researcher grabbed his arm, voice trembling with emotion.

“Brothers of the Alliance… you’ve finally come!”

“You… have suffered,” Fang Chang said with a soft cough, quickly glancing at Tomiller beside him. “What’s the deal with these people?”

Not daring to hide anything, Tomiller hastily answered truthfully.

“They’re researchers sent by Charlas, from a company called North Island Heavy Industries. Those tanks and anti-tank guns outside—they designed them all.”

At those words, the older researcher panicked.

“Don’t talk nonsense! What do you mean, we designed them all?”

Several younger researchers chimed in.

“We were forced into it by you!”

“Exactly! Seeing what happened to the folks in Fort Town, how could we dare say no to you?”

“Fort Town’s residents?” Fang Chang’s heart stirred. He turned to the young researcher and pressed. “Are they still alive?”

The plaza by the buffer door fell silent.

Everyone—Tomiller included, whether they were original researchers of this facility or those dragged here by Charlas—wore strange expressions, as if reluctant to touch on those details.

Under Fang Chang’s piercing gaze, the young researcher finally stammered out an answer.

“…On the fifth underground level of the vault, there’s a converted bio-factory. Its culture vats can turn living people into mutants… I heard it’s the oldest mutant cultivation equipment.”

Beside Fang Chang, Yincha Yangcuo’s throat bobbed as he forced out a sentence.

“So that means…”

The researcher looked at Tomiller.

“They drove some residents to plant Nectar Fruit, and turned others into mutants…”

Seeing the players’ hostile stares, cold sweat beaded on Tomiller’s forehead. He stammered an explanation.

“I… I had nothing to do with this… It was Alzu’s project team handling that research. I just manage the daily operations of this facility…”

“A bunch of animals,” Yincha Yangcuo couldn’t help cursing.

Ignoring Tomiller’s excuses, Fang Chang addressed the North Island researchers.

“I roughly understand the situation. I’ll arrange for someone to send you home later.”

Looking at their joyful faces, he paused, then continued.

“As for whether you were coerced or joined willingly for your own reasons, we’ll assign special personnel to investigate. Rest assured, we won’t wrong a good person, but we won’t let a bad one off either—I hope that’s clear.”

Hearing this, they quickly voiced their assurances.

“Please rest assured, we’ll cooperate fully!”

“Our families can vouch for us!”

“Just let us get out of this hellhole as soon as possible… anything’s fine!”

Fang Chang nodded, arranged for their identities to be registered, then instructed Tomiller to lead him and his team deeper into the vault.

The scientific expedition team would take over here; the players needn’t worry further.

Before evacuating, he wanted to see what kind of hell lay on the fifth underground level…

…

The captain’s cabin of the Steel Heart.

After hours of waiting, Chu Guang, commanding from the northern front, finally received a victory report from the south.

In the pale blue hologram, Old White reported with exhilaration.

“…Honorable Administrator, our forces have successfully secured the Death Coast and cleared the mutant nests along the shore, along with the strategic facilities controlled by the Torch Church!”

“The enemy’s defensive units have been destroyed by our mechanized forces and air power. The remaining remnants are retreating toward the Celestial Domain away from the coast.”

“Not only that, we’ve established defensive positions and a temporary dock at the landing point on the Death Coast. Soon, this will become our bridgehead for transferring military supplies and personnel from Fries Port to the front lines!”

“Excellent!” Chu Guang nodded approvingly, looking at Old White standing in the hologram. “Keep up the pace, and continue expanding our advantage on the southern front. Don’t give our enemies any chance to counterattack!”

Old White struck his right fist against his chest plate, his voice brimming with energy.

“Understood!”

At this stage of the war, everyone could see the dawn of victory.

After the communication ended, Chu Guang tapped his index finger to close the holographic screen and leaned back in his chair.

Seeing Chu Guang in good spirits, Xiao Qi, perched on the pen holder, said cheerfully,

“Congratulations, Master! Progress on the southern front at last. At this rate, it feels like this war will be over soon.”

Hearing Xiao Qi’s voice, Chu Guang smiled faintly, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip.

“I said long ago—from the moment the Torch stood against civilized society, their ultimate defeat was sealed… It’s just a matter of when.”

Saying that might sound a bit arrogant, but the war’s outcome had never been in much doubt from the start. The only headache was how to handle the aftermath.

And not just him—even the Academy had no good solution. Researchers in the Pangaea Swamp had once suggested burning it all.

Even Heya thought fire was the simplest and most direct method.

But these seemingly intractable problems, thanks to his little players’ activities in the Baixia Strait and southern seas, had all found new solutions.

Though the Torch had implanted the aggressive genes of the Qingquan City Mother Nest into the Nectar Fruit, granting them the ability to devour other life, in the end, they couldn’t resist fusion with the original strain.

Type B strain had already been proven to inhibit the Nectar Fruit strain. Little Yu, fused with the Type B strain and the Shifeng Mountain Mother Nest, had even gained the ability to “graft” synthesize Type B strains and their inhibitory pheromones. Dismantling the Torch’s “Celestial Domain” was only a matter of time.

Now that the Torch itself—the primary contradiction—was no longer a concern, establishing a new post-war order was becoming a more pressing topic at the Conclave meetings.

Chu Guang could sense that not only the Willians, who had long profited from the Complete Lifeform Project, but even the Academy and the Corporation were intensely interested in the biotechnology the Torch Church had mastered.

If the “spoils” were divided unevenly, it might spark another conflict. But letting certain technologies spread unchecked could also cause massive trouble.

On this matter, he might need to talk with the Academy’s high command.

Moreover, it wasn’t just about balancing the post-war order—

How to maintain the Conclave’s unity and keep the hard-won coalition of survivor factions moving forward was also a significant challenge for the Alliance.

Just as Chu Guang was pondering his next move, the Inquisition’s punishment squad, retreating from Fort Town, finally withdrew into the Celestial Domain.

The thick gray mist was a natural camouflage, and the Nectar Fruit mycelia permeating the soil were enough to halt the Alliance landing forces’ advance.

But the Hunter knew well that this was by no means foolproof.

If the Coalition could use artificially improved mutant slime mold to erode the Kingdom’s territory on the northern front, there was no reason they couldn’t do the same in the south.

Already, the Coalition had established a temporary dock on the Hainan line, and soldiers in exoskeletons would land endlessly on their rear.

Time was running out for them.

Leaving his men at the logistics base, the Hunter went alone to the sanctuary where the Son resided, and reported to the Son the capture of Alzu’s original body and the fall of Shelter 182.

After hearing the report from his trusted subordinate, the Son, seated in his chair, fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“I understand. You may go now.”

The Hunter was slightly taken aback.

He had expected the Son to assign him a new task, but never imagined he would receive only such a simple sentence.

He did not rise to leave but couldn’t help asking.

“You… don’t need me to do anything?”

He still had twenty-two brothers under his command; he could still fight!

Not just him.

There were others in the Inquisition, and the knights loyal to the Torch… they all still had strength to fight! The Church had only lost a beach; they had not surrendered!

Yet, from the Son’s voice, he sensed a hint of resignation—as if they were beyond saving, as if no one could rescue their Kingdom anymore!

He had devoted his entire life to the ideal of the Kingdom descending upon the mortal world; he could not, under any circumstances, accept such an ending!

Seeing the fire burning in the Hunter’s eyes, the Son knew what was on his mind, and spoke in a gentle tone.

“My child, I know you can still fight, but at this stage of the war, victory or defeat can no longer be reversed by the outcome of one or two battles.”

“The Kingdom in Haiya Province had a fatal flaw, and the remnants of the old era found a way to crack it… That was indeed our mistake.”

“Logically, even if they reached Baiyue Province and found the original strain of Naguo, as long as we found a way to repair the genetic defect of Naguo before them, we could render their cards useless. But unfortunately, we were ultimately one step too slow.”

Luo Qian, conducting experiments in the Jinhe City area, had once been on the verge of victory.

Yet, just before the Kingdom fully descended upon Jinhe City, the Coalition suddenly intervened and disrupted their plan.

To this day, he still found that incident unbelievable.

The most aggressive hive on the wasteland was right above their heads; those people hadn’t even solved the trouble above them, yet they found the time to send reinforcements to people they had never met.

He had to admit that the administrator of Shelter 404 was indeed a far-sighted leader—at least far more decisive than the administrator he had once known.

But then again, if Seven Villard had truly been that kind of person, Shelter 117 might not have ended up in ruins.

Seeing the Son’s thoughts seemingly drifting away, the Hunter couldn’t help but speak.

“Are we… just going to sit and wait for death?”

Reining in his wandering thoughts, the Son looked at him with interest and spoke.

“Why do you think we are sitting and waiting for death?”

The Hunter lowered his head and said.

“The coalition of the Sticky Commonwealth is constantly squeezing our living space… If this trend continues, we have no chance at all.”

This was not just his own opinion; many of his soldiers thought the same—they were walking further and further down a path doomed to fail.

Looking at his trusted subordinate with his head bowed, the Son pondered for a moment and continued.

“If you’re talking about the Kingdom in Haiya Province, its collapse is indeed hard to reverse, but that doesn’t mean we have lost.”

“But if you’re talking about our ideal, it’s still too early to speak of victory or defeat.”

The Kingdom in Haiya Province was merely a failed attempt; it did not prove that their ideal of ascending to a higher form of life was wrong.

The Hunter suddenly lifted his head, his eyes blazing as he gazed at the Son sitting before him, a glimmer of hope gradually rising in his gaze.

“…You have other cards up your sleeve, don’t you?”

He knew it!

They wouldn’t lose so easily!

Seeing that look—like a drowning man spotting a lifeline—the Son couldn’t help but curl his lips into a faint, amused smile.

Cards up his sleeve…

Could that even be called a card?

But it could perhaps count as a last resort born of desperation… even though he had never imagined he would one day need to use it.

His gaze fell upon the clock hanging on the wall of the meeting room, and in that instant, many memories flooded back—especially the old acquaintances from Shelter 117.

The pioneers had already set out.

It was about time for him to depart as well…