Chapter 797: What a Steal!

Chapter 797: What a Steal!

Favri was certainly not confused from sleepiness; in fact, his calculations were ringing loud and clear.

The Burning Corps would, of course, not obediently withdraw from the hard-won positions, but that didn’t stop him from making exorbitant demands at the start of negotiations.

And conveniently, there was a perfect candidate right beside him.

Since this Pangolin was so capable, let him be the one to spin the yarn.

In short,

he just wanted to see this guy make a fool of himself, never actually expecting him to persuade the Burning Corps to retreat. Once the Alliance was provoked by this fellow, ready to settle old and new scores, wouldn’t it be wonderful for Favri to step in and mediate?

The more Favri thought about it, the more he felt like a genius!

Yet, as he thought this, he had no idea that the people before him were all “game buddies” of the man beside him.

In fact, just a few hours ago, they had been chatting on the same forum.

While Favri smiled at “Pangolin,” the latter’s expression gradually shifted from surprise to speechlessness.

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group could now confirm that this guy was definitely not joking.

He was genuinely dazed from staying up all night!

This fellow truly believed that with just his mouth, he could talk the Alliance’s elite corps into retreating.

Facing the gazes fixed on him, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group, though extremely reluctant, could only nod with a dark face and a forced resolve.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Tossing out that cool line, he stepped forward, leaving behind a tall and imposing silhouette for the group of Valiant soldiers.

At the same time, on the opposite ruins, Old Bai and Fang Chang had been watching the Valiants with interest, waiting for their “Pangolin” to approach.

Seeing the helpless look on this brother’s face, Fang Chang first teased with a smile.

“You guys move fast.”

Didn’t expect it to be one of their own.

That made things easy!

Hearing his good buddy’s jab, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group sighed.

“No choice… I did my best to stall.”

Old Bai glanced at the Valiant soldiers standing in the distance, then turned to him curiously.

“So, what does your commander want?”

Glancing at the guy standing with arms crossed watching him from afar, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group pursed his lips and lowered his voice.

“That guy’s not my commander—more like a colleague. I was temporarily assigned to the frontlines with the 37th Myriad Corps; my current commander is the Myriad Commander, Corvey.”

Remembering that name, Bai Gei Dai Ju, standing beside Old Bai, exclaimed in surprise.

“Damn, back to your old boss again?”

“…Sort of.” The Battlefield Atmosphere Group’s expression was subtle.

His temporary assignment only lasted until the end of this war; after it was over, he’d be transferred back to the embassy.

Though it might sound arrogant, the truth was that thanks to his brothers’ support, he was now quite sought after among the various factions of the Legion.

Both the Eastern Legion and the Civilian Clique were very interested in him.

The reason he chose to develop within the Civilian Clique was partly for a better chance at Triumph City and partly on the advice of the Administrator.

In any case, he wouldn’t stay long in the 37th Myriad Corps.

Old Bai nodded understandingly and asked seriously.

“And your mission?”

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group didn’t hide it and confessed bluntly.

“While you’re locked in a tough fight with the Torch, we were to take control of this area under the guise of reinforcing you.”

Prop Master: “Damn, that’s dirty.”

“Yeah, I agree, super dirty! Is that even human?” The Battlefield Atmosphere Group also cursed indignantly, then shrugged and continued.

“But when we got here, the battle was already over. That guy behind me, Favri, couldn’t make up his mind, so he sent me to try my luck and see if I could talk you into leaving.”

Old Bai rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Looks like the Legion isn’t ready for a direct conflict with us.”

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: “Definitely. Hundreds of thousands of frontline troops rely on the Alliance’s railway for supplies; without our help, they can’t even get home. What would they fight us with? If you reject my outrageous demands, they’ll probably just find another way to haggle.”

Bai Gei Dai Ju snorted. “Pfft, since they don’t dare fight anyway, I don’t see the point in talking. Just tell them to go cool their heels somewhere—”

“Hmm, I think… since those Valiants want it so badly, why not just give it to them?” Fang Chang, who had been deep in thought, suddenly looked up, cutting off Bai Gei Dai Ju mid-sentence.

“Give it to them?”

Hearing Fang Chang’s words, the nearby players looked at him in surprise, wondering if they’d heard wrong.

But the surprise lasted only a moment before everyone quickly caught on to what Brother Fang meant.

“Makes sense…”

“Whoa! Why didn’t I think of that.”

“666!”

Seeing these guys change their faces faster than flipping a book, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group was baffled and quickly said.

“You don’t have to consider me, really. I don’t care about gaining merit or not.”

“It’s not about considering you,” Fang Chang said with a faint smile, explaining. “But this is indeed an opportunity for you. I suggest you seize it.”

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group’s expression turned serious as he looked at him intently.

“…You really plan to hand this place over to them?”

Fang Chang said matter-of-factly.

“Why not? There’s nothing here but a pile of rubble.”

“Nothing… at all?” The Battlefield Atmosphere Group was stunned again.

How could that be?

If there was really nothing, why would the Alliance’s elite paratroopers have fought here all night?

Seeing his “Do you take me for an idiot?” expression, Fang Chang patiently explained.

“Last night, our attack on this district was mainly a diversion to cover another unit entering the real entrance of Vault 20… As for here, it’s actually just the nest of the Flame Cave Tribe.”

“Right now, we’ve rescued all the prisoners locked in the dungeon and recovered most of the valuable loot. What’s left are scraps and useless stuff, maybe some unexploded mines or duds. Might as well let our ‘old friends’ have some fun.”

“Damn!” The Battlefield Atmosphere Group couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

Good grief!

Black is still this black, huh.

Not knowing what the battlefield comrade was thinking, Fang Chang, seeing the utterly stunned expression on his face, merely smiled faintly and continued.

"...The Legion is convinced there's some treasure hidden in this area. They'll spare no effort to pressure us through the Adhesive Commonwealth, or else sling mud at us. When the time comes, explaining the situation here will be nothing but trouble."

"So rather than letting them keep coveting these ruins, it's better to toss them over for them to puzzle out themselves."

"On the surface, we've taken a step back, but in reality, we've seized the initiative to advance or retreat."

"Then, if they try to pin things on us, we can instead use the excuse that 'the Torch Church's key strategic defense facilities have been handed over to the Legion's 37th Maniple' to accuse them of secretly moving critical personnel, data, and equipment elsewhere and refusing to disclose it."

The entrance to Vault 20 was separated from this abandoned urban area by at least seven or eight kilometers.

That distance sounded close, but actually walking it was still a fair stretch.

Ceding this abandoned urban area didn't mean giving up the entrance to Vault 20.

"Anyway, that's how it is. We'll pack up and leave," Old Bai said with a grin. He wanted to clap the battlefield atmosphere group on the shoulder, but remembered that guy's 'colleague' was nearby, so he just winked instead. "The job of licking the plates clean is yours."

"Awesome..." the battlefield atmosphere group said, his face full of admiration.

These sly old dogs were getting more and more cunning...

...

The negotiation ended quickly, taking only a little over ten minutes in total.

Favri, waiting at the rear for the negotiation result, saw Pangolin walking back. The expressionless face from a moment ago instantly twisted into a mocking grin, as if waiting for a joke.

No need to think.

Coming back so fast—it must have been a total breakdown!

Though he'd already guessed the outcome, Favri still asked knowingly.

"So? How did it go? Esteemed Pangolin Chiliarch, did the Alliance flee in terror at your invincible might?"

Facing that mocking gaze, the battlefield atmosphere group suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and replied succinctly.

"They agreed to withdraw and hand this position over to us."

The air fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Favri stood frozen, stunned for a long time, thinking he must have misheard.

And not just Favri.

Even his adjutant, junior officers, and rank-and-file soldiers—almost everyone wore expressions of shock.

"With... withdraw?"

Staring blankly at Pangolin, Favri instinctively looked toward the front not far away.

And just at that moment, he happened to see soldiers in exoskeletons and power armor gradually leaving their positions, packing up, and retreating southward.

At that instant, when he looked at Pangolin, his gaze was as if he were staring at some kind of monster...

Able to guess the shock in the guy's mind, the battlefield atmosphere group pretended not to notice, merely nodding coolly with the air of a reclusive master.

"That's right. This fortress is ours now. The parts they didn't get to explore—we'll continue exploring... As for what we might find, they don't know either. They just heard from intelligence that there's an entrance to a Torch research facility here."

An entrance to a research facility!

The officers under Favri's command, upon hearing this, instantly had red eyes.

And the soldiers too.

What they cared about wasn't so much the research facility, but that they had captured the Torch's fortress without shedding a drop of blood!

Even if it was from friendly forces.

Even if no one knew what was inside.

The moment his words fell, the soldiers behind Favri couldn't hold back their cheers, whistling at him and giving thumbs up.

"Well done!"

"Hero!"

"Haha! Look at the Alliance's pathetic state—they're really unlucky to run into us!"

"Keep it down, they haven't gone far yet..."

"What's there to fear? This area is ours now!"

At that moment, almost every gaze fixed on the battlefield atmosphere group looked at him as if he were a true hero.

Vallians worship true strength.

He had proven his might through action and fact!

Without stopping his men's cheers, Favri stared blankly at Pangolin.

After a moment, he shook off his dazed expression, his face gradually turning serious.

Seeing this guy walking toward him, the battlefield atmosphere group felt a flicker of caution, but didn't show it on his face, calmly watching to see what trick he'd pull next.

But to his surprise, the annoying fellow didn't do that. Instead, he took off his military cap, bowed his head, and gave a slight nod.

Looking at the slightly astonished Pangolin, Favri put his cap back on and spoke in a serious tone.

"I apologize for my earlier rudeness and arrogance... You are a true hero, no mere name without substance."

Seeing the guy apologize sincerely, the battlefield atmosphere group couldn't help but slightly revise his impression of him.

This guy wasn't actually that annoying; he just placed a bit too much importance on honor and tradition.

But one thing was separate from another.

He was a man of the Alliance, putting the Alliance's interests first, and wouldn't hesitate to screw people over when needed.

"I accept your apology, though I never took the earlier matter to heart."

A smile spread across Favri's face.

"Thank you!"

After a brief exchange, Favri ordered his men to advance and take over the now-empty position from the retreating Alliance forces.

The dense bullet holes on the walls, the un-cleaned bloodstains and corpses on the ground—all showed how brutal the previous battle had been.

To capture this position, the Alliance had clearly paid a heavy price.

Now all of it had become the Legion's spoils.

Snatching such a big bargain from the Alliance, Favri was overjoyed.

If it weren't for being on the front lines and needing to keep a clear head, he'd have pulled out a bottle of wine and taken a couple of swigs to vent his excitement.

But just as he was patiently waiting for good news from the forward reconnaissance team, a sudden boom echoed from somewhere deep in the ruins ahead.

The explosion was like a thunderclap out of a clear sky, shaking the concrete debris on the ground.

Favri, still lost in his daydream, was startled by the sound. The Vallian soldiers clustered around him also raised their rifles in alarm, aiming toward the direction of the blast.

A dozen Vallian soldiers in protective suits scrambled out of the ruins, following the dust kicked up by the explosion.

Grabbing one of the decurions who had fled in panic, Favri roared a question.

"What just happened?!"

"I—I don't know... I was cleaning up the battlefield when the squad ahead of me suddenly got blown to bits." The decurion stammered, his face etched with lingering terror, and when he looked back at the ruins, his eyes were filled with even greater fear.

It had all happened so suddenly—there wasn't even time to react!

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group, of course, knew what had happened, but still pretended to ponder deeply for a moment before speaking.

"Probably a dud that didn't explode."

Fafri was completely stunned.

"...A dud that didn't explode?"

"Of course. And now it exploded."

Though it was a pointless remark, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group said it with all seriousness.

The sudden explosion cast a shadow over the hearts of all the Verlanders, who had been riding high on excitement.

Indeed, the free things are the most expensive—it seemed things were not as simple as they had imagined...

Just as the Verlanders were busy playing their "mine-sweeping game," a "Viper" transport plane trailing a pale blue plume was slowly descending onto the deck of the Steel Heart.

Watching Karen jump down from the transport plane, Heya rushed over excitedly, startling the still-unsteady Karen, who nearly fell to the ground.

"You—what are you doing..."

"Master!!"

Unable to contain her longing any longer, the emotional Heya threw her arms around Karen, resting her chin on the latter's shoulder and sobbing. Soon she was crying profusely, tears streaming down her face like rain on pear blossoms.

Karen was startled by her reaction, frozen in place, standing motionless, not daring to speak, and utterly at a loss as to what was wrong with this person.

As for the soldiers standing around, especially Lyu Bei of the Praetorian Guard, they watched this person warily.

Although she had performed meritoriously in the previous battle, it did not change the fact that she had once been a researcher at the Torch.

He had to be cautious of any possible sudden situations...

Compared to Lyu Bei and his group's "sense of imminent danger," Chu Guang appeared quite casual, at least not showing any wariness on his face.

Of course, that didn't mean he was completely at ease with this Karen.

There were too many suspicious points about her, including Vault 20, which the Burning Corps was still searching and investigating, and the rows of brains stored in that vault...

Perhaps he should seek the wisdom of the masses on the official forum...