Chapter 659: This Is Destined to Be a Fruitless Wait

Chapter 659: This Is Destined to Be a Fruitless Wait

On a vast expanse of sea.

Two warships rose and fell with the waves, one after the other, while the twin green-bladed swords flags hanging from the bridges fluttered proudly in the wind.

Yet the sailors aboard were far from triumphant, frantically lowering small boats to rescue the soldiers who had fallen into the water.

The more triumphant they had been in the chase, the more wretched they were now.

Watching his men floundering like drowned dogs, Captain Achim, standing by the railing, wore an ashen expression. His fists clenched the rail tightly, and his sharp eyes were clouded with gloom.

That cargo ship had taken at least over a thousand Moonfolk and cost the port of Jingarun a full million dinars!

And this was not just a matter of money; it touched upon Governor Nihak’s prestige and even the face of the Sylvan Empire.

If those people managed to land at Silvermoon Bay, heaven knew what outrageous rumors their tongues would spread.

Though the survivors of the Brahmin Province knew the truth, outsiders did not understand them and might think they were committing robbery.

He had to insist this was not robbery!

It was for the prosperity of the Sylvan Empire and the peace of the next generation!

Captain Achim turned to his adjutant and spoke through gritted teeth.

“Who the hell are these people?!”

“Their ship was built at the Silvermoon Bay shipyard…” The adjutant paused, then added with certainty, “I’m sure of it—there’s only one shipyard there, no mistake. We bought our ships there too.”

“Nonsense! I know that without you telling me!” Achim cursed him, making the adjutant tremble in fear, not daring to speak.

This officer outranked him and possessed the noble blood of both the Tiger and Sun tribes, just like the current Marshal!

Such nobility made the adjutant afraid to even meet his eyes, lest he incur displeasure.

Just then, a clever junior officer stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Sir, I might know something about them.”

Captain Achim said impatiently, “Speak.”

The officer immediately replied, “I saw that white bear emblem while traveling in the Kingdom of Humpback. Combined with the bears they keep with them… those people must be from the White Bear Knights!”

Captain Achim was taken aback. “What is that?”

The officer continued, “It’s a bank in Petra Fortress. I heard the bank’s owner is a young woman who, during the war in the Sunset Province, generously helped nobles persecuted by the Varlings. That earned her good relations with the royal families of the desert kingdoms, and her business thrived. Later, when the Enterprise and the Legion ceased fire, merchants from the Alliance entered the Sunset Province, and the Knights made a profit through currency exchange. Eventually, they started lending and deposit services.”

Most of this was hearsay.

But one thing was certain: the White Bear Knights’ business was well-known around the Kingdom of Humpback, especially in Petra Fortress.

Achim stroked his chin, eyes narrowing. “Is that fellow rich?”

The officer was startled, then quickly nodded. “Absolutely!”

Achim’s eyes flickered with thought, and he made up his mind. He turned to the adjutant and ordered, “Pass my command! All men back aboard immediately. We set sail in five minutes! Head for the waters near Silvermoon Bay!”

Given the Kingdom of Humpback’s timidity, they would surely not dare to let that cargo ship dock and unload in front of Sylvan Empire warships.

If they could seize that cargo ship, they could not only retrieve those thousand slaves but also possibly demand a ransom from the so-called White Bear Knights.

The adjutant, standing by, panicked and stepped forward. “Captain, we’re only halfway through the rescue. There are still a few men in the water we haven’t found—”

Before he could finish, Captain Achim waved him off impatiently. “Those men are a disgrace to the Empire. If they couldn’t even capture a single cargo ship, what use is finding them?”

Then he glared at the trembling adjutant and said in a threatening tone, “The Governor ordered us to bring back those thousand slaves and the troublemaking outsiders at all costs. He told me to spare no expense.”

“If you don’t want to end up as fish food, you’d best do as I say.”

The adjutant nodded, sweating profusely, then turned and trotted to the railing, shouting for his men to board immediately.

As for those still missing in the water, they could only be presumed dead.

Having cleanly and decisively ended the rescue, Captain Achim summoned the helmsman and navigator. Staring at the sea chart, he gave them a stern order.

“I don’t care how you do it. We must reach the waters near Silvermoon Bay before those stowaways. They must not be allowed ashore.”

The crewmen exchanged glances, not daring to refuse, and nodded like pecking chicks.

“Aye, sir.”

“Yes, sir!”

…

Though in the Kingdom of Humpback, especially Petra Fortress, the White Bear Knights had become almost synonymous with justice,

their business across the mountains in the Brahmin Province had not fared well. Recently, they had even become a symbol of evil.

At root, it was because some restless soul was too fond of meddling.

Slave trading was not uncommon in the wasteland, but mass enslavement of free people under flimsy pretexts was extremely rare.

For even the dullest old infants of Boulder City knew that there were contracts far more efficient than slave bonds. A debt-laden worker could produce ten times the value of a slave and accept an even lower standard of living.

Yet this outrageous thing had happened in the Brahmin Province, right before the eyes of the Alliance’s players.

A group of people had been arbitrarily labeled traitors, then became legitimate targets for robbery and slaughter.

At first, Sisi wanted nothing to do with it. She even covered Awei’s eyes and repeatedly warned her not to cause trouble on foreign soil.

But when she saw that those beasts would not even spare children under twelve, she lost her composure and joined the fray herself.

Later, they used the 155mm cannon and six 100mm short-barreled field guns on the Meatball to bombard Jingarun Port, sinking two warships undergoing repairs at close range. Then they gave the million-silver-worth of arms, originally meant for local arms dealers, to the thousands of Moonfolk imprisoned in the port.

Perhaps emboldened by the courage and generosity of these outsiders, or perhaps realizing the Imperial army was not as invincible as they had imagined, the Moonfolk, who had been resigned to slaughter, finally resolved to take up arms and resist, liberating their oppressed kin.

They entrusted their women and children to the hero with the red headband, while the men and elders stayed behind, taking supplies looted from the Imperial port and vanishing into the forests of central Brahmin Province with a few veteran Moonfolk soldiers.

This was the direct reason why the governor of Jingarun Port, in a rage, ordered the pursuit of the Meatball and its crew.

Though this venture had earned not a single coin and even incurred heavy losses, no one regretted it.

In a lifetime, there are many chances to get rich, but only one or two to stand up like a hero.

When she tied that red headband around her brow, Tail felt she was utterly cool.

As for the game currency lost—it all meant nothing.

……

The next day.

The rising sun cast its glow over the boundless sea, where rolling waves shimmered with layers of golden light.

Sesame Paste, savoring the sea breeze, stretched lazily and squinted in contentment. Suddenly, a whimsical thought struck her: what might a planet five light-years away look like?

Did it also have such vast oceans?

“Ah, the camera, the camera…”

Realizing it would be a shame not to capture this beautiful scene, she quickly rummaged through the satchel slung over her shoulder.

Though she had just experienced a tense and thrilling naval battle the night before, for most veteran players of *Wasteland OL*, the rhythm of the game was already second nature.

As long as you weren’t dead, it was no big deal.

And if you accidentally died—

Well, that wasn’t such a big deal either.

The White Bear Knights’ operations in the Hump Kingdom weren’t limited to finance; they also offered information transmission services and save points open to players.

For just 2,000 silver coins, you could have a merchant from Dawn City or a player keen on trading bring a hibernation pod for saving your progress along their route.

Before her last voyage, she had saved her game, so she wasn’t too tense.

Still, while players took surviving close calls in stride, the NPCs, who only had one life, felt entirely different.

Watching the cat-eared girl amusing herself and taking photos on the deck, the mercenaries and sailors from the Hump Kingdom were filled with admiration.

Truly, she was the envoy of the Silver Moon Goddess!

Perhaps it was the blessing of that deity that kept this battered ship afloat and sailing…

Just as the mercenaries and sailors were lost in thought, gazing at the “envoy of the Silver Moon Goddess,” SiSi suddenly came clattering up onto the deck.

“Sesame Paste!”

“Hmm?”

Sesame Paste, holding her camera, blinked at SiSi, who was approaching with a delighted, hurried step.

“Need me to take a couple for you too?”

“Forget the photos for now—huge news! Come with me!” SiSi excitedly grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the cabin.

By the time Sesame Paste came to her senses, she had already been dragged into the cabin, where Rourou and Tail were also present, the former yawning.

Seeing everyone gathered, Sesame Paste pulled out a chair, sat down, and asked curiously,

“What’s so serious?”

SiSi took a deep breath, looked around at her companions, and spoke with trembling excitement.

“When I logged off last night, I got an email from the devs in my account inbox!”

Tail, who had never seen SiSi so worked up, swallowed hard.

“What did the email say?”

“A beta test invitation for a new map!” SiSi’s voice quivered with excitement. “I got a 14-day trial activation code for the administrator privileges of Vault 70! That vault is in the southern sea not far from us, and it’s underwater!”

The two girls and the bear were stunned for a moment, then almost simultaneously burst into incredulous exclamations.

“An activation code?!”

“An underwater vault?!”

“Giao!”

Suddenly remembering something, Tail slammed her hands on the table and shot to her feet.

“Wait, that’s weird—why did SiSi get the activation code?”

Sesame Paste pondered for a moment.

“Hmm, maybe… Ah Guang thought SiSi might be more reliable?”

Tail: “Dammit, isn’t Tail reliable enough?!”

Sesame Paste: “Huh? No, Tail is definitely reliable too.”

Rourou the Bear pressed her paws together, rubbed them up and down, and made a devout praying gesture.

“Looks like doing good deeds usually pays off. Amitabha.”

Calming down, Tail rested her chin on her index finger and muttered seriously,

“Got it, I see… So SiSi made some huge sacrifice when we weren’t looking. Tail should be nicer to her these next few days.”

Rourou reached out a bear paw and patted SiSi’s head.

“That’s tough. Amitabha.”

Watching the noisy cabin, SiSi, with her head being tousled by Rourou, said with a mix of laughter and exasperation,

“What are you all talking about? I can’t understand a word… Anyway, Tail, don’t sweat the small stuff like who got the activation code. Once we get to the vault, everyone will have a share. Let’s discuss our next move instead—should we continue as planned toward Ideal City, or—”

“Is there even a need to discuss?” Tail stared at SiSi in surprise. “Of course we head straight for the new map! Is there any other option?”

Rourou raised her paw excitedly.

“Right! I vote for the vault!”

“+1!”

Sesame Paste, her cat ears swaying left and right, rested her chin on her hands, a look of longing on her face.

“An underwater vault… I really want to see what it looks like… Speaking of which, aren’t there survivor settlements nearby? Maybe they could take in the survivors from the ship, or at least we could buy the supplies we need.”

Seeing everyone instantly in agreement, SiSi was taken aback.

“Is that settled, then?”

“What else?” Tail gave her a strange look. “It’s not like we have a fixed destination, right?”

That made a lot of sense.

SiSi couldn’t think of a rebuttal.

Sesame Paste and Rourou exchanged glances and said with a smile,

“Then it’s settled—happily!”

…

Captain Achim would never have imagined that the so-called “big fish” he had his eye on wasn’t swimming toward his palm at all, but heading east straight for the southern seas.

This was destined to be a wait with no results.

Watching the ships come and go in Silver Moon Bay, Captain Achim gnashed his teeth in frustration but could do nothing, venting his anger on the inferior clan sailors.

The councilors and nobles of Silver Moon Bay trembled as they watched the two warships anchored at their doorstep.

Though their coastal defenses could sink those two ships in an instant, they couldn’t withstand the threat of the vast Xilan Empire, separated only by a single mountain.

For those living on the edge of the desert, that empire—boasting a thousand clans, a thousand gods, and a population over a hundred million—was a more direct menace than the Legion.

Especially, they had heard that the Xilan Dynasty, which had recently unified Bolo Province, was itself a puppet propped up by the Verlanders, and the Ripper rifles and 100mm cannons equipped by the Imperial Army were the most compelling evidence.

Yet there were also claims that the Legion had little interest in Bolo Province, and that only some lords from border regions were trading with the so-called Xilan Dynasty, exchanging dinars for exotic beauties and strong young slave laborers.

In any case, the Xilan Empire was a behemoth in the eyes of the Hump Kingdom—of that there was no doubt.

The twelve city-states had, for once, reached a consensus on the same matter: both the new believers of the Silver Moon Sect and the traditionalists clinging to ancient customs agreed that they needed to seek help from the Alliance in the east.

Captain Achim did not yet know that his reckless decision, made for a ransom and a group of slaves, would bring a great potential trouble to his governor and his majesty.

Had he known it would invite so much trouble, perhaps he would have curbed the greed in his heart.

But that was a story for later...

While Captain Achim vented his impotent rage on the inferior clan sailors, far away in Dawn City, all was calm and peaceful.

The three-day celebration had just ended, and people, with lingering excitement and hopes for a better future, gradually returned to their posts.

Many things had happened in those three days.

First, the Alliance established formal diplomatic relations with over fifty survivor settlements on the wasteland with which it had trade ties.

These included the old neighbor Garbage City, which had always been wary of the Alliance, as well as Dam City far away in Leaping Horse Province, and even the Free State in the north.

Furthermore, significant progress was made in negotiations for a cross-regional cooperation organization, and the Academy also showed an open attitude toward cooperating with the Corporation on limited issues.

This was likely the first time in a century and a half.

As for the name of this cross-regional cooperation organization, the Corporation and the Academy suggested that the Alliance decide, so that each could better explain it to their own people.

Chu Guang had no idea what to call it either, so he simply posted a poll on the forum, only to find that "Sticky Union" had been chosen.

Though he marveled at how damn creative those guys were, Chu Guang ultimately abandoned the most-voted name and hastily concocted a more fitting one—"Slime Mold Research Community"—and submitted it.

The Academy was quite satisfied with the name, and the Corporation had no objections, so the name of the cross-regional cooperation organization was thus finalized.

Additionally, news came from Mayor Teresa that a Verlander envoy had arrived at Pioneer City and submitted an application to join the cross-regional cooperation organization.

Though he had anticipated such a possibility, Chu Guang was still surprised by the swiftness of the Verlanders' actions.

Nevertheless, Chu Guang did not mind and granted the envoy permission to take an airship flight to Dawn City to discuss the matter in person.

The conflict between the Alliance and the Legion was an internal affair of human civilization, while the mutant slime mold was a problem faced by all of human civilization.

He could clearly distinguish the priorities among these matters.

As long as the Alliance held a dominant position and could ensure Xiaoyu's control over the various "branch bases," he did not mind cooperating with the other side on the issue of the mutant slime mold.

Even though the possibility of war between the two sides in the future was not small.

However, although Chu Guang was indifferent, the Academy and the Corporation harbored some wariness toward the Legion's arrival.

Yang Kai said he needed to consult the Chief Technology Officer, while Luo Yong said he had to ask the other members of the Council.

Chu Guang expressed understanding and stated that if either the Corporation or the Academy objected to a new member, the Slime Mold Community would not accept that new member.

This would also serve as the standard for the Slime Mold Community's future expansion.

The behind-the-scenes work of the celebration was finally over; next came the meeting with the Legion's envoy and the lengthy negotiations to finalize the specific details of cooperation.

As the only person who had not rested during those three days, Chu Guang finally had time to take a few days off for himself...