Chapter 691: The Approaching Storm

Chapter 691 The Coming Storm

Along the coast of the Sea-Reach Province.

It was utterly unlike the pleasant, bustling Silver Moon Bay.

This beach, soaked in blood, emitted a stench more pungent than fish in the sunlight; there was no fertile soil flowing with milk and honey, only shocking fear and death.

Near the Weeping Rock, which bordered the coast of death, on its cold, damp leeward side, a cacophony of chattering now filled the air.

A group of blue-skinned, humanoid creatures with scales and gills chanted obscure dirges, led by a priest in prayer for the hunt about to begin that day.

Two burly monsters approached a cage half-submerged in seawater, deftly opened it, and dragged out a man who was barely alive.

After days of immersion in the sea, the skin on his neck had festered and ulcerated, his throbbing veins seeming ready to burst through the cracked flesh.

The two monsters carried him to the beach, threw him among the praying creatures, and then stepped aside.

Hearing the gibberish around him, the man tried to rise from the ground, but his whole body was utterly powerless, his limbs feeling as if they were not his own.

He had not eaten for three days and was severely dehydrated; his dazed spirit might drift to another world at any moment, and he could not even utter a plea for mercy.

Seeing his dying state, the scaled monsters around him let out excited cries and even began to dance.

This meant that the ancestors who had vanished into the waves had accepted their offering; the surging tides had drained the prey’s vitality, and the sacrifice’s weakness was the best proof!

Now only the final step remained—

“…Filthy blood shall drench the sand, to console the souls of our ancestors.”

The priest, chanting the sacrificial incantation with mud smeared on his face, walked up to him, extended a withered yet powerful arm, and yanked him up from the ground.

Before he could react, the priest slit his throat and chest with a sharp flint, letting blood gush and spill onto the blackened sand.

Those twisted figures were like shrieking imps from hell.

They pounced on the corpse, smearing the blood-mixed mud and sand on their foreheads and chests as a symbol of receiving the ancestors’ blessing.

If any survivor from the Cloud-Reach Province saw this, they would surely recognize these blue-skinned creatures performing the bloody ritual.

They were the aquatic mutants that struck fear into countless fishermen and sailors!

These creatures, active along the coastline, were even harder to deal with than their green-skinned cousins—fierce, savage, and cunning. They would swarm and tear apart lone wastelanders, but if they encountered a tough opponent, they would turn and flee without a second thought.

Compared to land mutants, they had less human and more beast in them.

That was why few aquatic mutants formed tribes of tens of thousands; most lived scattered in villages.

With a broader range and diet, their craving for mammalian flesh was less intense than that of their green-skinned kin, and their attacks on humans were usually driven by instinctive hatred, ritual needs, or reproductive urges.

But to think them more merciful or gentle than the green-skinned ones would be a grave mistake. Precisely because they did not see humans as a primary food source, their talent for “wasting food” made even the bloodthirsty greenskins frown.

In truth, before the Torch Church set foot on this land, there were no aquatic mutants here.

The Iron Tower’s militia patrolled the coastline, destroying every nest they found, even more diligently than the mercenary contractors in Cloud-Reach Province who worked for pay. Thus, almost no aquatic mutants could gain a foothold in this area.

But since the Torch Church arrived, everything changed.

Those zealots used “Paradise” to manipulate ordinary humans captured by Nago, and for mutants not controlled by Nago, they used what the latter craved as bait to forge alliances.

In just over a decade, the coastline of Sea-Reach Province had become a breeding ground for aquatic mutants.

Especially around Weeping Rock, it had become the domain of these fish-scaled monsters, so much so that even cargo ships from the East Coast dared not approach these waters.

The priest, having completed the ritual, stood silently on the shore, tucking the bloodstained flint into a dirty cloth pouch.

Just then, his pupils suddenly contracted as he looked toward the rocky beach.

There stood a golden, radiant apparition, like a deity emerging from the surging waves.

The surrounding mutants paid no heed to the golden figure, as if they could not see him.

And indeed, that was the case.

Only the chosen ones, implanted with chips, could gaze upon that ineffable presence.

The aged priest trembled as he lowered himself, kneeling on one knee.

Gazing at that ugly creature, Alzu spoke slowly.

“Do something for me.”

The mutant priest replied deferentially.

“Your command, please.”

Alzu continued.

“Go west along the coast, then south, and you will see a strait. On the north shore, there is a human village.”

“Kill them all—leave none alive!”

A human village!

Hearing this, a gleam of excitement and bloodlust flashed in the priest’s eyes.

He bowed respectfully, pressing his wrinkled, scaly forehead to the bloodstained sand.

“Yes!”

When he raised his head again, the pale golden light had vanished, leaving only the roar of tides and waves on the reef-strewn beach.

He stood up, looked at his kin scrambling for the ancestors’ favor on the sand, and let out a shrill, piercing howl.

That sound was like a war drum; not only did the prostrate tribesmen rise, but behind Weeping Rock, scaly faces emerged one after another.

Blue fish scales gathered toward the beach, and in moments, there were over a thousand.

Their weapons were a motley assortment: harpoons, fishing nets, hooked clubs, and turtle-shell shields. Besides these crude arms, some elite among them carried harpoon guns, iron short cannons, tubular mine launchers, and even assault rifles.

Most of these weapons were looted from humans, while others were DIY creations from parts of shipwrecks.

Seeing the growing crowd, the priest let out another fierce howl.

“Enemy! To the south!”

“Along the coast! Find their village!”

“March!”

A pair of murky pupils lit up with thirst for blood, and the response to that howl was even more frenzied and bloodthirsty cries.

“Oooh!”

Watching those excited young ones, the priest’s face beamed with a fanatical, sickly smile, his withered hands trembling with excitement.

At last—

The true sacrifice was about to begin!

……

Chips Harbor.

At the edge of the golden sand, green palm fronds swayed gently in the sea breeze, a scene of tranquil peace.

Under the dappled shade, in a simple shed of straw and coconut shells, a few black chassis sat carelessly, incongruous with the surroundings.

The fans in the chassis hummed, and pale blue holographic light wove a flickering three-dimensional image on the disc-shaped imaging device.

What is now displayed on the holographic screen is the full structural diagram of the "Turtle" engineering armor designed by Vault 100.

This thing is currently the most advanced multi-purpose construction equipment on land in the Alliance. Even the Corporation, which completed the grand project of the Ideal City, marveled at its exquisite design, praising it as "a miracle born in the sewers."

Although the title carries a hint of inexplicable superiority, there is no doubt that even the engineers of the Ideal City were "slightly" stunned by this contraption.

Clearly, this shock was shared by the engineers of Coral City as well.

Staring at the holographic image unfolding before him, the middle-aged man in plain glasses wore a look of astonishment, then turned to Fang Chang, who stood nearby, and asked.

"An unbelievable design... Did your vault come up with this?"

His name was Zhou Zhehui, a survivor of Coral City and one of the designers of the "Electric Ray" underwater automated welding unmanned boat.

Since joining the Alliance some time ago, he had used the professional equipment and editing software provided by the scientific expedition team to copy the blueprints of the "Electric Ray" unmanned boat for Meng Liang and his team. Subsequently, on their recommendation, he joined the Alliance's scientific expedition team.

The thing's appearance resembled a real electric ray, like a flat fan, capable of wriggling its body forward hundreds of meters beneath the sea, using suction cups on its underside to grab construction materials and replace divers in hazardous underwater welding operations.

Based on the blueprints he provided, the automated production workshop on Floor B7 of Vault 404 produced ten samples. These had already been sent to Fries Port via the Niu Ma airship and put into use in the construction of the submarine freshwater pipeline from Fries Port to Ring Island.

According to feedback from the construction workers, this unmanned boat called the Electric Ray was indeed effective, with a construction speed more than three times faster than the strength-type Ox-Horse workers.

The Administrator quickly approved a production plan for a hundred Electric Ray unmanned boats again, cutting the line to place them at the front of the production queue. Soon, more Electric Ray unmanned boats would be airlifted to Fries Port to participate in the construction of the port and the submarine pipeline.

Currently, Engineer Zhou's daily task was to guide the technicians dispatched by the Alliance in mastering the use of the "Electric Ray" unmanned boat, including setting work targets and paths through automated programs installed on terminals.

Since this task didn't require much time, he was often idle most of the day, with nothing to do but wander around the settlement.

It was during one of these strolls that he happened to spot the Turtle engineering armor being assembled by the construction team on the shore of Fries Port, and he grew curious about that uniquely shaped behemoth.

Upon learning of his interest, the Alliance's scientific expedition team didn't hold back; they directly copied the blueprints and usage tutorials for him to study at his leisure.

Having heard about this from the scientific expedition team, Fang Chang quickly recalled his experience in designing underwater engineering equipment. He immediately sought him out and asked if he could make some improvements based on the "Turtle" engineering armor, designing a two-piece amphibious engineering armor that operated similarly and could be used underwater.

Thus, Zhou Zhehui pulled out the blueprints he had already flipped through many times and studied them again with a professional attitude.

Yet no matter how many times he looked, he couldn't help but feel admiration and astonishment.

What kind of harsh, dire living environment could give birth to such simple yet efficient engineering armor, both bulky and agile?

Hearing his question, Fang Chang cleared his throat lightly.

"No, it was designed by the residents of Vault 100."

The creativity of Vault 404's residents was mainly confined to the realm of wild ideas.

This kind of engineering equipment, which had ascended to the realm of science fiction, was still a bit too advanced for players whose knowledge ceiling remained in the realm of reality.

After hearing Fang Chang's explanation, Engineer Zhou's expression grew even more surprised.

"They joined you too? Vault 100?"

"Sort of... Do you know them?"

Engineer Zhou shook his head and said apologetically.

"Not really. The only vault we've had contact with is Vault 117, and even then, it was mainly the Bluecoats of Vault 70 interacting with them. As for us, we've only heard of their existence and don't know much."

He paused, then asked curiously.

"What kind of people are they? Like the residents of Vault 70?"

Fang Chang's expression turned subtle.

"The difference is quite significant... They went through a lot, and those who survived turned themselves into androids."

Zhou Zhehui was stunned for a moment, then finally gave a vague assessment.

"That... is truly regrettable."

Fang Chang shrugged.

"Every family has its own troubles."

Although most NPCs in "Wasteland OL" held reservations about whether AI could be equated with humans, most players held an open view on the matter.

He was no exception, even more open than the average person.

After all, it was a game.

Weren't NPCs set as AI and NPCs set as real humans both just AI to people in the real world?

Moreover, the AI technology in this game had advanced to the point of being indistinguishable from reality.

Unless one deliberately pondered those profound philosophical questions, he habitually treated them all equally, regarding those NPCs with only one life as real people.

Zhou Zhehui sighed softly.

"I'd love to have a chance to exchange ideas with them, whether about academics or about our own affairs... It's just that I wonder how much of their human traits the androids they've become have retained. It feels a bit strange to discuss humanity's future with an AI."

"I feel they're not that different from humans; you might get along well," Fang Chang paused, then cleared his throat to remind him. "So... about the modification."

Snapped back to reality by the reminder, Zhou Zhehui smiled apologetically and quickly shifted the topic back to the technical aspects.

"I've looked it over; basically, there shouldn't be a big problem. Their sealing design is already quite good. I just need to redesign the gas exchange system... Give me a week, maybe three days, and I'll get you a revised plan as soon as possible."

Hearing it would be that fast, Fang Chang's face lit up with surprise, and he smiled.

"Then I'll leave it to you! By the way, what do you think we should call this improved model? I'll need it for the budget sheet."

Clearly, this NPC wasn't great at naming things either, scratching the back of his head as he thought for a long while.

But just then, his gaze happened to fall on the nearby beach, where a few players were laboriously dragging a giant mutated sea crab, as tall as two people, ashore.

Inspiration suddenly burst forth in his mind—not just for the name of this equipment, but also for more design details.

He looked at Fang Chang with gleaming eyes.

"Since it's amphibious engineering equipment."

"Let's call it the 'Crab'!"

Ever since the players of Fries Port reached an agreement with the Federal Patrol, both sides had spent several days in peace.

During this time, nothing particularly noteworthy had happened, but the changes in Fries Port were far from insignificant.

With the addition of the Coral City engineer, the settlement was transforming almost visibly.

Under the leadership of an engineer named Li Shihao, the construction team responsible for the port quickly threw themselves into the port construction work.

Meanwhile, with the assistance of the Electric Ray unmanned boats, the submarine freshwater pipeline from Fries Port to Ring Island had advanced ten nautical miles.

During this period, the Niu Ma airship made another trip to Dawn City.

It brought not only the fifty newly produced "Electric Ray" unmanned boats but also a batch of port-specific equipment manufactured on commission by the factories of Boulder City.

Even if he didn't think highly of this "small fishing village" on the north shore of the Baiyue Strait, Ring Island's Governor Channing had to admit that this water pipeline could potentially serve as an alternative to seawater desalination devices, solving the urgent need for domestic and industrial water for the island's residents.

What he found particularly irresistible was the price offered by the Baiyue Strait Development Co., Ltd.

Each cubic meter of tap water cost only 0.8 silver coins; 1,000 cubic meters cost 800 silver coins, and the pipeline's construction and maintenance were entirely borne by the Baiyue Strait Development Co., Ltd.

Eight hundred silver coins was merely the price of four LD-47 rifles. The annual water consumption of Ring Island's residents was about 400 cubic meters, which translated to less than two assault rifles—costs even lower than before the ocean current power station was destroyed!

Once the price of freshwater dropped, it would not only mean that the island's residents would no longer have to endure the frugal life of bathing only once a week but also that a series of industries shut down due to rising freshwater costs would resume, and food production, which had required subsidies to operate, would turn a profit.

Having easily calculated this account, Channing almost without hesitation signed a contract with the Baiyue Strait Development Co., Ltd., and signed it for ten years at once.

As for the Baiyue Corporation, though this deal seemed meager in profit, from a long-term perspective it was absolutely a worthwhile venture.

After all, the freshwater resources of Baiyue Province were nearly limitless, and transporting this water to the islands required no highly advanced technology, while the maintenance costs of the pipeline were negligible.

In other words, once they built this pipeline, they could almost lie back and rake in profits.

Not only that, but with this faucet firmly in their grasp, Fries Port would be tightly bound to the islands of the southern seas!

They would make the local survivors believe they came to solve problems, not to bring destruction and disaster to this land.

Beyond the projects centered on economic work, the Alliance’s military base and logistics depot on the high ground northwest of Fries Port were also completed one after another.

Currently serving as the garrison for the Burning Legion and the Jungle Legion, it might later host other legions dispatched here.

Additionally, players had deployed simple watchtowers and beachhead positions equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers on the higher ground on both sides of the coast directly south of Fries Port, to guard against potential threats along the shoreline.

The investigation into the ruins of the ocean current power station had served as a warning to the players here.

The Torch Church might have already cultivated some aquatic mutants controlled by mental interference devices, capable of moving underwater.

The dangers they faced came not only from the rainforest ahead but also from the beach behind them.

Fries Port now resembled a bustling construction site.

From beneath the sea surface to the beachfront, and then to the rainforest just a stone’s throw away, the clanging and banging rang out almost from dawn till dusk.

As for the *Dolphin* docked near the port and the residents of Coral City on the shore, the sailors of the Federal Patrol turned a blind eye as agreed, deliberately ignoring them.

And as compensation for this blind eye, the Baiyue Strait Development Co., Ltd. paid them an extra “bonus” every month.

Regarding this money, which seemed like a bribe, Muda initially refused, and refused with righteous indignation.

He had agreed to help the *Dolphin*’s crew escape pursuit not for money, but out of conscience and justice.

However, Fang Chang eventually persuaded him to hand this money, which put both sides at ease, into the hands of this upright patrol captain.

“…Just think of it as payment for helping us patrol. We’re busy with construction and don’t have time to watch the surroundings. If it’s not too much trouble, you could extend your patrol range another hundred nautical miles to the west, and if pirates or raiders approach, remember to alert us.”

Pausing, Fang Chang continued.

“And even if you don’t want this money, you have to think of your brothers. They’re taking risks by following you in this.”

Staring at the stack of bills in his hand, Muda was silent for a long time, then said with a wry smile.

“Does this mean I’m drawing two salaries?”

Fang Chang smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Think of it as a side job, how about that? Does that make you feel better?”

Muda took a deep look at this man who kept pulling him deeper, said nothing more, and tucked the stack of bills into his chest.

Just as he was about to return to the speedboat, he suddenly thought of something and spoke.

“Oh, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Fang Chang: “What is it?”

As if hesitating whether to say it, Muda paused for a moment before finally speaking.

“The day after tomorrow, there’s a maritime patrol exercise near North Island. Patrols from all islands will participate.”

Fang Chang raised an eyebrow with interest.

“And then?”

Muda said with a complicated expression.

“There’s something very unusual. The Federal Ministry of Finance hasn’t made any arrangements for duty assignments in each patrol zone that day, nor mentioned whether the Federal Navy will temporarily take over patrol duties for one day…”

Fang Chang smiled.

“So that means even smuggling won’t get caught that day?”

Muda glanced at him.

“Don’t be like that.”

“Just kidding. We’re all law-abiding good people, only doing legitimate business,” Fang Chang said, wiping the smile off his face and looking at him seriously. “Thanks. This information is very important to us.”

Someone was planning to divert the Federal Patrol away from these waters!

It seemed something would happen that day that wasn’t convenient for others to see.

Especially inconvenient for the Federal Navy’s own people to see.

Withdrawing his gaze from Fang Chang’s face, Muda looked at the turbulent sea in the distance, his expression quite complex.

“I’m just wondering if the Federal Navy plans a surprise inspection of some patrol zone, but that would seem too deliberate. Whether or not we’re suspected, you’d better move that submarine farther away in the next couple of days.”

Fang Chang nodded seriously.

“Yeah, I’ll arrange it right away.”