Chapter 740: A Phased Victory

Chapter 740: A Stage Victory

The dawn slowly rose at the horizon, and the snow-capped peaks of Blood Mountain were gilded with a burning gold.

As the highest of the Ten Peaks Mountains, this place stood at an elevation of about three thousand meters, rugged and treacherous with jagged rocks, where only two or three narrow paths wound up from the mountainside.

Suddenly a gentle breeze swept by, and in the blink of an eye, two ethereal figures stood upon the expanse of white snow.

Looking closely, one saw that they left no footprints—no one knew how they had reached such a place.

“…I recall the Axe-Clan Tribe was your proudest work, along with that fellow named Oron.”

“That statement I made two years ago; your database should be updated.”

“Oh? Then what is your proudest work now?”

“The next one.”

Gazing at the distant peak, the Beast King spoke these words calmly.

The Axe-Clan Tribe was still far from perfection.

Including that Oron.

Yet that was precisely the meaning of his existence.

In the struggle against those decaying old powers, he would continually refine his works, until finally breaking through the limits of the organic body and achieving a literal ascension.

He would create the true “Beast King.”

“An intriguing notion—the best is always the next,” said the Human Sovereign, glancing at the Beast King beside him with a faint smile, continuing in an offhand tone, “But I must remind you, you have already lost a third of the ground.”

“Three-tenths,” the Beast King corrected flatly, without expression.

The Human Sovereign shrugged lightly.

“Regardless, I need you to hold here for at least half a year, until Alzu succeeds in opening the southern front.”

“Half a year,” the Beast King said, a barely perceptible chill curling at the corner of his mouth, his face still impassive. “The mountain range beneath my feet will be their terminus.”

“Don’t be too aggressive, my friend,” the Human Sovereign said with a faint smile. “I prefer our plan to proceed methodically, not built on baseless assumptions. An unforeseen outcome may not be a pleasant surprise for us—it could be a risk. I hope you remember that…”

With those words, the figure standing beside the Beast King slowly dissolved into the wind and snow.

Casting one last glance at the two banners on the distant peak, the Beast King furrowed his brow slightly, then turned and vanished as well.

…

As the Storm Corps planted their flag atop Broken Blade Mountain, the Battle of Broken Blade Mountain officially came to a close.

The Alliance rescued over a thousand survivors from the caves in the mountains, seized thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition, and nearly ten thousand tons of food and other supplies.

According to the frontline discoveries of the Storm Corps, these mutants cultivated certain fungal crops within their fortifications as a supplement to their food.

Not only that, but these brutes also used simple production equipment to modify weapons, and even smelted ore to craft new ones.

The weapons they crafted were usually crude, and the quality of their DIY modifications was often worse than the originals.

Yet even so, compared to the trash lords who could barely handle chopsticks, these people’s craftsmanship could be called dexterous.

Moreover, they were not discouraged by the inefficiency of their modifications; instead, they took great delight in it, and some individuals within the tribe had even evolved to specialize in this craft.

Some oversized rifles with excessive powder charges fired chromium-tipped bullets that could penetrate 45mm hardened steel plates at a distance of 100 meters.

These things could no longer be called guns—they had reached the category of cannons. Even for human Awakened, using them without an exoskeleton was quite challenging.

“They are evolving creativity—just like the mutants in the Great Desert and those we encountered in Jinhe City…” The Spring Commander fiddled with the massive rifle as thick as a calf’s leg, pondered for a moment, then tossed it back into the cart of spoils.

“You call that creativity?” I’m the Blackest said dismissively.

“Don’t underestimate these creatures. Creativity is the driving force behind the birth of civilization, no matter what form it takes. Knowledge is merely one of its products.”

As he spoke, the Spring Commander glanced around at the production equipment inside the cave, a hint of worry creeping onto his brow.

The trouble left by the Torch Church was probably more than just a few coded genes and a handful of Nago fruits…

But regardless, this war had ended in a great victory for the Alliance.

Although some remnants of mutants still lurked in the mountain tunnels, just like the situation at Black Cloud Mountain, eliminating them was only a matter of time.

Of the ten natural strongholds in the Ten Peaks Mountains, three were now in the hands of the coalition forces.

Construction teams from the Southern Construction Corps had already set out toward Fortress Mountain, beginning to dig tunnels, build concrete roads, and lay railway tracks through the range.

The gateway from Jinchuan Province to Haiya Province was within reach!

News of the victory quickly spread from the front lines to the rear, and throughout the entire Fortress Mountain military base. The Alliance’s Storm Corps became famous in the coalition!

As for the Legion, they unfortunately played the role of the clown.

Though their combat skills were decent and their fierce assault did inflict heavy casualties on the mutants, it was also true that they launched the attack without coordinating with their allies.

If they had won, it might have been forgivable. But the key was that not only did they fail to win, they nearly allowed the mutants to counterattack and seize the Black Cloud Mountain position.

This time, even General Babita of the Xilan Empire didn’t know how to spin it…

…

The Storm Corps handed over the position at Broken Blade Mountain to the Enterprise’s 100th Mountain Division.

The next peak was the highest and most perilous of the Ten Peaks, anciently called Snow Peak, but wastelanders called it Blood Peak.

It was said that the Bloodhoof Tribe, which occupied this peak, was the largest and most motley branch of mutants in the entire Ten Peaks.

They raised all sorts of grotesque “ugly things.”

Unlike those “short things,” these humanoid-but-not-quite creatures were extremely dangerous. Most survivors would rather take a long detour than pass near them.

But while ordinary merchants could go around, the coalition could not—they could not leave their supply line hanging over the enemy’s head.

This position would be taken by the Academy’s Alpha Task Force.

After witnessing the “prowess” of the Legion and Enterprise, the northern friends seemed eager to show their own skills.

At the same time, the Steel Heart had arrived at the edge of the Weifu Military Base and parked not far from the Loyalty.

Meanwhile, at the Weifu Military Base, the conference room of the operations command center was packed with people.

Enterprise officers had taken their seats early at the conference table, with a single division headquarters sending five or six people—second only to Xilan, which had brought thirty thousand troops to the battle and lost ten thousand of them.

Word had it that the box lunches at noon were free, so even the Xilan chiliarchs had tagged along under the pretext of bolstering the show of force.

The Academy’s Alpha Task Force sent only one commander; the Free State’s “Hound” Special Forces sent a commander and a deputy; and there were representatives from the Lion, Honey Badger, Hump, Gold Lizard, and Falcon Kingdoms, along with about twenty others from various survivor factions.

The Legion’s representative arrived last, and only General Lium came alone.

Watching the tardy General Lium, Lin Shangwen said nothing, but the two officers beside him exchanged glances and smirked knowingly.

One of them tore a sheet of conference paper, folded it into a paper airplane, and winked at his colleague.

“Watch closely—I’ll only show this once.”

With that, he lightly tossed the plane, deliberately letting it fall under the table without picking it up, and gave an exaggerated cough.

“…That one doesn’t count. Let me try again.”

The representatives of other survivor factions didn’t know about the phone call the night before, so they didn’t understand his performance art.

But the Enterprise officers got it, and they were all struggling to hold back their laughter.

Even Lin Shangwen's adjutant couldn't suppress a smirk, though Lin Shangwen himself gave a soft cough, using his gaze to remind the paper-airplane folder of the gravity of the occasion.

Lioum's brow twitched violently. He kept his face dark, refusing to look their way, and sat down alone in his seat.

The commander of the Alpha Task Force glanced at him, his emotionless pupils seeming to see through everything, yet he offered no judgment.

The two commanders of the Free State exchanged glances, whispering briefly to each other as if weighing something.

Sensing the hostile atmosphere toward the Legion at the conference table, General Babita of the Xilan Empire keenly sniffed an opportunity to shine. He put on a fawning smile, trying to curry favor with Lioum.

But after several attempts, Lioum ignored him entirely, and he had no choice but to give up in chagrin.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Vanus, seated at the conference table, stacked the documents in his hands and rose from his seat.

"Then, let the meeting begin—"

Before his words could finish, a voice from the conference table interrupted him.

"Wait."

Vanus looked toward the source of the voice. It was General Lioum, and his face showed no surprise.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Lioum?"

Lioum stared hard at Vanus, fixing his gaze on him for a long while, but the latter remained expressionless, showing no reaction, merely looking back at him calmly.

Seeing Vanus unmoved, Lioum suddenly smiled, his tense expression seeming to relax.

But only his expression relaxed; his tone remained unyielding as he spoke, word by word.

"Where is Chu Guang?"

Vanus looked at him and said.

"Administrator Chu is currently listening to General Li Jinrong's report and inspecting the military base."

Clearly unsatisfied with this answer, Lioum narrowed his eyes and asked.

"For such an important meeting, why isn't he presiding over it himself?"

Vanus continued meticulously.

"Precisely because it is important, he chose to entrust it to a professional like me."

"Professional?" Lioum chuckled, his face full of disdain.

He did not believe that a mere chiliarch of a cannon-fodder unit could have any insight.

But using status as a point of contention would make him seem petty, so he just smiled and launched his attack from another angle.

"And him? As the supreme commander of the allied forces, what is he doing?"

Vanus replied succinctly.

"In the Administrator's own words, his job is to have you sit here. If you feel incapable of fulfilling this role, you may raise it early, and we will communicate with your superiors to arrange a suitable replacement."

Lioum stared at him intently, but in the end, he said nothing more, sitting obediently at the conference table.

Vanus nodded at him, said nothing further, and simply cleared his throat.

"Then, the meeting now begins."

...

At one corner of the Weifu Military Base, in front of a three-story concrete building, Chu Guang, accompanied by Li Jinrong, was inspecting the frontline battlefield research institute.

Here were stored specimens sent from the front lines.

These included specimens from the Stonehorn Clan, as well as those from the Rockaxe Clan, recently defeated by the Storm Corps, and that massive creature that kept shouting "Olong."

Transporting that creature from the front lines had been no easy feat; the Enterprise had deployed a Killer Whale transport aircraft for the task.

Currently, research teams from the Enterprise and the Alliance were dissecting the specimens, trying to unravel their mysteries.

Leaving the place to Heya, Chu Guang, along with Li Jinrong and Lü Bei, went on to visit the largest cafeteria of the military base.

As they walked, Xiao Qi spoke with a hint of concern.

"Is it really okay to leave that meeting to Vanus?"

She remembered that before coming here, Chu Guang had mentioned to her the Legion's views on Vanus and other Vlandrians who chose to stay with the Alliance.

Although Vanus was competent and had shown loyalty in his actions with the Alliance, she worried that his chairing the meeting might provoke dissatisfaction from the Legion.

Sensing Xiao Qi's unease, Chu Guang smiled faintly and spoke to her in a very soft voice.

"He and Yin Fang are experts in their respective fields, best suited for strategic-level deployments and coordination among various military branches. Entrusting it to him is the best choice. As for the Legion, their opinions are certainly important, but not so important that we need to cater to every individual's personal feelings. If they can't even overcome this, it only proves that Lioum isn't cut out for this role. I'll suggest to their marshal that they find a replacement."

Chu Guang knew well that his own expertise did not lie in the deployment of a specific battle or the exact conduct of every war—just as his players knew what made a game fun but might not necessarily create a game that appealed to the majority.

Delegating specific tasks to professionals was the optimal choice.

As for himself, he only needed to be the alliance's mascot, without having to personally set up every machine-gun nest or command every skirmish.

Doing so would not only give the soldiers headaches but also drive the generals crazy.

With that time, he would rather stroll through the settlement and see how his little players were building it up.

Seeing the satisfied smile on Chu Guang's face, Li Jinrong guessed he was in a good mood. After a moment's thought, he spoke.

"Your Excellency, there is one matter... I couldn't discuss it over the phone; I must report it to you in person."

Chu Guang said, "Go ahead, no need to ask for my permission."

"Yes..."

Pondering how to begin, Li Jinrong hesitated before continuing. "Some time ago, the Xilan Expeditionary Force began farming and reclaiming land north of the Wei River. At first, we didn't take it seriously, just noting their peculiar training methods. But later, they seemed to... lose sight of priorities."

Whenever the Xilan Empire's expeditionary force was mentioned, his face twisted into a strange expression.

From the moment they arrived, he had wanted to complain. Those fellows didn't seem like they came to fight; they seemed more like they came to tell jokes.

Not to mention the ten thousand who got lost in the Baiyue Province, even the twenty thousand who made it to the front lines didn't look like they knew how to fight.

Especially after a recent defeat, General Babita simply issued farm tools to his men.

At first, Li Jinrong didn't want to interfere, but the area they were reclaiming kept expanding, taking over forty to fifty square kilometers of land along the river.

Some of that land was originally intended by the Southern Construction Corps to be distributed to soldiers involved in building the Weifu Military Base, leading to some friction between the two sides.

Learning that the farm tools in their hands had been sold to them by shelter residents, Li Jinrong wasn't sure if this was the Administrator's intention, so he took this opportunity to ask.

Chu Guang was surprised to hear this but didn't say much.

"If they truly aren't good at fighting, staying behind to farm isn't a bad thing."

He had heard that the 30,000-strong expeditionary force had performed well at the Baiyue Strait, opening a second port, Oil Port, under the leadership of his little players.

If these fellows could contribute to the reconstruction of the Weifu region, that would be a good thing.

Attacking Ten-Peak Mountain was a short-term tactical goal; eliminating the Torch Church was a medium-term strategic necessity. But ultimately, "wasteland reconstruction" was the Alliance's long-term and ongoing mission.

Whether it was reclaiming the Baiyue Province, rebuilding Jinchuan Province, or restoring the Bahr Province, the Southern Sea Region, the Haiya Province, and all other wasteland areas, all fell within this long-term objective, differing only in priority.

"But... how do we handle the land ownership?" Li Jinrong asked the question that concerned the soldiers most.

Many in the Southern Construction Corps were reformed criminals sent from the Punishment Battalion, while others were nearby refugees or volunteers from other Alliance regions.

Except for a few who were driven by the ideal of rebuilding the wasteland, most people had rather pragmatic thoughts.

That is, the land promised by the Alliance.

Many among them no longer have a place in their hometowns, all hoping for a new beginning.

And the Alliance had promised them it would help carve out their own homeland at the southernmost edge of Jinchuan Province.

Yet the sudden influx of a vast number of outsiders left many feeling at a loss, especially when these outsiders began to encroach on the living spaces that were rightfully theirs.

The most typical example was the Expeditionary Force of the Western Silla Empire—they were ostensibly here to fight, yet they had set their sights on the fertile land north of the Wei River.

Then there were settlements like Mafu Town and other survivor enclaves.

These folk couldn’t take a train to the front lines, so they came on horseback or drove oxcarts to do business at the front, even occupying the abandoned villages they had their eyes on.

From the Alliance’s standpoint, this was naturally a good thing, but from the perspective of the grassroots personnel, it was a completely different view.

They welcomed the idlers from Ideal City and the Academy, felt neither like nor dislike for the Valyrian soldiers of the Legion, and harbored dislike—even disgust—for the ratfolk of the Western Silla Empire and the foreign merchants who came to steal their business.

As the head of the Southern Construction Corps, Li Jinrong found himself caught between the grassroots and the higher-ups.

He had to fulfill his duties while also considering the feelings of those beneath him.

Of course, the most crucial factor was the attitude of the administrator.

So he chose a less sensitive entry point, intending to test Chu Guang’s intentions.

Seeing through Li Jinrong’s thoughts and his predicament at a glance, Chu Guang did not directly expose him but instead said with a smile.

“Of course, we’ll settle it as it should be settled. The wasteland has no shortage of land—whoever cultivates it owns it… Though, saying that might seem unfair to you, since you’ve put great effort into this military base.”

Li Jinrong quickly explained.

“I wouldn’t dare… This is what we ought to do.”

Seeing his nervous demeanor, Chu Guang smiled and said.

“Nothing is simply ‘ought to be done.’ Since I’ve said that good things will emerge from the Alliance’s society, I will surely reward your contributions sufficiently—no need to worry.”

“Jinchuan Province has more than one river; the Tian River has hundreds of tributaries, large and small, with plenty of arable land. Besides, in the Alliance, farming isn’t the only thing one can do. In the future, the Weifu Wasteland will become a settlement, and the land beneath your feet is the ‘Long-Term Farm’ of Weifu City. After all I’ve said, you should understand my meaning, right?”

Li Jinrong’s expression turned serious as he nodded earnestly.

“I understand!”

“You understand nothing,” Chu Guang said with a laugh, patting him on the shoulder. His tone turned earnest. “I hope you’ll take a longer view and stop fixating on the petty gains before your eyes. Squabbling with refugees over land and with merchants over stalls—is that what you should be doing?”

“Don’t think I’m oblivious just because I’m in the shelter. I’m not blind to the friction between you and the Expeditionary Force soldiers, or the residents of Mafu Town. Bickering over a plot of land by the Wei River or a house in Kun Town—I find it laughable just hearing about it.”

“Remember your name: you are the Construction Corps. Your task isn’t just to build a military base, but to ensure that those who want to farm have land to till, and those who want to trade have an environment to do business. They will leave one day, but not all of them. You must make those who stay leave with gratitude toward us, and those who finally depart carry back to their hometowns their admiration for us.”

“And what you gain is not just honor, but a brand-new settlement—a homeland where you can start life anew! How many of you can’t return to Boulder City? Some have made mistakes in Dawn City and can’t face their friends and family there. Even you yourself cannot go back to Haiya Province. Though it’s not your fault, since you were once part of the Iron Tower organization, it can’t be said that their failure has nothing to do with you!”

“Don’t say the Alliance or I haven’t given you a chance. The land beneath your feet is your Dawn City. What you need to do now is the same as what we did back then—rebuild a new order on a lawless wasteland, a better order!”

Looking at Li Jinrong, who seemed lost in thought, Chu Guang withdrew his hand from his shoulder and stared earnestly into his eyes.

“This is my greatest expectation of you, of all of you, and of the entire Southern Construction Corps.”

“I’m sorry…” Li Jinrong lowered his head in shame, reflecting. “I have failed your expectations.”

So many people who could have been united were already standing here, yet they had not united them.

From this perspective, it wasn’t the Expeditionary Force of the Western Silla Empire that had put the cart before the horse, nor the bumpkins from Mafu Town who came to steal business—it was them, who could have done something, that had done so.

Only at this moment did he realize where the problem lay.

“Haha, not quite that far! Your contributions are evident to all,” Chu Guang said with a laugh, glancing around. “To be fair, this military base is built quite impressively—the hardware is impeccable. But what’s built on top of it still needs strengthening.”

Li Jinrong said solemnly.

“After I return, I will convene officers at all levels of the Corps for a serious review! We will tighten discipline from top to bottom!”

Chu Guang advised.

“It’s not just about tightening discipline. Besides making demands, you must also earnestly address the concerns of the grassroots. The Southern Construction Corps isn’t a real army after all—aside from a few who came with ranks and assignments, most are here to break new ground. These people will serve at most two or three years before being transferred to local posts. If they see refugees coming to reap the rewards, it’s only natural they’d be anxious. You need to settle their future affairs.”

“For instance, the equipment for building the military base is still here. Now that the base is finished, you can lead those with free time to renovate the nearby infrastructure—build roads and houses at the same time, and allocate them to the pioneers who have shed blood and sweat for this land. That way, they won’t fret over those freeloading outsiders, and they’ll better understand and cooperate with your work.”

“Such matters can’t rely solely on calls and mobilization. You must first unite your own people before you can unite others.”

If the Refugee Home was meant to absorb the vast, unstable wastelander population and help those who had fallen from civilized society reintegrate, then the Southern Construction Corps was Chu Guang’s attempt to push the Alliance toward active outward expansion.

Used wisely, it could transform those who had undergone labor reform in “Penal Battalions” or “POW Camps” into units akin to “Settlers” in *Civilization VI*, establishing more strongholds for the Alliance.

The Baiyue Company was a similar entity, though its name, operational body, and mode of operation differed.

It was the players, through the shifting versions, gradually exploring a playstyle that suited them.

Chu Guang truly hoped that the Alliance’s NPCs could become as active as the players, proactively exploring paths to rebuild civilization.

But after being an administrator for so long, he had come to understand the difficulty of this.

Those people were unquestionably loyal, loyal to the unity and equality he advocated—after all, most of them were beneficiaries of this philosophy.

In fact, beyond loyalty, their faith and ideals bordered on fanaticism, to the point where they wished to elevate him to a pedestal as high as the Great Horned Deer God.

Yet when he mentioned that the Alliance’s ultimate goal was to end the Wasteland Era, whether it was Lü Bei following behind him, Banshou guarding the Alliance’s borders, or Luca diligently sitting in his mayoral seat, they all couldn’t help but show a bewildered expression.

Like true NPCs.

He could sense that their bewilderment wasn’t about the Alliance’s ideals, nor was it doubt about his words—otherwise, they wouldn’t have followed him this far.

It was just that, in many people’s eyes, the Alliance’s wasteland had already ended.

Why end something that no longer existed?

They had even gained recognition from ancient survivor powers like the Legion, the Academy, and the Enterprise, as well as respect from other young survivor settlements.

It was fine to continue as they were; exploring new methods only risked unnecessary trouble.

And those who truly understood him, aside from the players, seemed to be only Yin Fang, Heya, Old Charlie, and Vanus…

For some reason, Chu Guang suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for the Legion’s Marshal.

Though he didn’t know what kind of life that man led, if he had indeed lived to this day as the Legion claimed, the Valyrian comrades who first stood by his side must all be gone…

Whether it was Vanus presiding over the meeting or Liuwumu sitting gloomily at the table, they were merely the great-great-great-great-grandsons of that man’s comrades.

He could hardly imagine how difficult this game would be without those brave little players…

Watching Li Jinrong’s retreating figure in the distance, Chu Guang let out a soft sigh.

“Xiao Qi, our work is a long and arduous road.”

As if sensing the emotion in his voice, or perhaps empathizing with something, Xiao Qi murmured softly in his ear.

“Indeed, Master.”