This Game Is Too Real -
Chapter 486: Liberation of the Honey Badger Kingdom (Thanks to the Sterling Silver alliance reward from "Schrödinger X"!)
Chapter 486: Chapter 486: Liberation of the Honey Badger Kingdom (Thanks to the Sterling Silver alliance reward from "Schrödinger X"!)
After ending the call with the Alliance, Li Ke immediately sent a communication request to the Army. After it was passed through various levels, he finally contacted General Griffin, the commander in the Sunset Province of the Army.
However, when he presented his prepared proposal, Griffin’s response was unexpected—
"Dream on." Looking at the face in the holographic image, Griffin gave a cold smile.
Li Ke was stunned for two seconds before trying to persuade him.
"You no longer have any chance of winning; if we negotiate now, you can still save Oasis No. 2."
Griffin stared at him for a while, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"Do you think it’s that piece of oasis we need?"
Li Ke massaged his temples with a headache.
Negotiating with the Army was much more difficult than negotiating with the Alliance.
He believed he had done sufficient research and preparation, yet the prices he offered still failed to interest the other party.
He couldn’t help feeling a sense of defeat.
"What exactly do you want then? We can still talk about it."
"What do we want? Hahaha."
As if hearing a very funny joke, Griffin suddenly laughed out loud, and after a long while, he looked at the man in front of him and continued in a sarcastic tone.
"You, who are still weighing the pros and cons, will never understand."
Without waiting for the person in the holographic screen to speak, Griffin casually waved his right hand and disconnected the communication rudely.
"Those calls from the Academy need not be reported to me anymore."
The guard in bullet-proof armor respectfully saluted.
"Yes!"
Griffin nodded calmly.
"Dismiss."
The personal guard turned and left the tent.
Only he remained in the spacious tent.
Sitting on a carved palm-wood chair, Griffin quietly gazed out at the silent night sky beyond the curtain, and the shadows flickering dimly and brightly because of the fire basin.
Kras...
McCullen...
The most fanatic die first, followed by the foolish.
Even though he did not like the way those two operated, it did not prevent Griffin from respecting them.
Compared to the traitors who raised their hands in surrender and the cowards who dared not move forward, they had fought for His Majesty the Marshal’s ideals like heroes till the end, paving the road to triumph for the Weilante people with their own blood.
"We once agreed to plant the Army’s flag at the highest peak of the Grand Canyon, and return to Triumph City with the honor of victory..."
"How lonely."
Reaching for the brass jug, Griffin poured himself a cup of red wine, the fresh red reigniting a spark of longing in his cloudy pupils.
"Such twisted, foolish fellows like you... Neither hell nor heaven would take you in... If that’s the case, then stand there and watch closely."
Even if all plans failed completely, he still held the last trump card in his hand.
He would tell those fools that caution wasn’t a sign of cowardice, and his loyalty to His Majesty the Marshal had never meant fearing death.
As long as his sacrifice was meaningful, he would not hesitate to cast aside this body of flesh and blood.
"...I will fulfill your long-held wishes."
Even if it cost him his own life.
Pouring the wine from the cup into the fire basin, watching the sparks and charred debris flying, Griffin’s face burned with madness.
"Come."
Evil, ugly, chaotic barbarians...
You must have prepared yourselves, too.
...
Oasis No.3, Honey Badger City.
Below the towering embankment was a cloud of rolling smoke, and the twilight of the distance along with the gradually subsiding gunfire fell curtain.
Before the ground troops arrived, the aircraft from the Goblin Corps guided the Steel Heart, bombarding the suburbs’ positions in rounds.
The bunkers and trenches standing in the wheat fields were almost completely buried by the dust raised by the shells.
After nearly a thousand casualties, the retinue soldiers left behind to cover the retreat finally couldn’t withstand their fear of death and raised their hands in surrender, coming out of the trenches.
The Death Legion and the restored forces of the Honey Badger Kingdom took down Honey Badger City, which had blocked the Army for three days, in less than two hours.
Charging into the city, Edge Shoveling raised his arm and shouted, holding up his rifle.
"Brothers! Take the lord’s mansion! All the valuable information and documents are there; don’t let the NPCs get there first! Remember not to kill those who surrender; try to capture them alive!"
Following him, a crowd of Strength Type brutes, eyes glowing a green that could scare the children, frightened the survivors so much that they didn’t even dare to come out of their houses to welcome the king’s troops.
"Roar, roar, roar!"
"Take them down!"
Taking down a survivor settlement with a population of hundreds of thousands in less than two hours.
This MVP should be in the bag!
Elsewhere.
Looking at the capital city, battered and in ruins, within arm’s reach, Marshal Yard from the restoration army felt his eyes moisten, his chest churning with myriad thoughts.
He dismounted and knelt on the ground, drawing the sword from his waist and planting it in the earth as a makeshift tombstone, his palm pressed against the blade as he prayed devoutly.
"Father... Mother... I have returned."
The personal guards beside him also dismounted and knelt on one knee.
At that moment, a messenger ran over.
Upon seeing Marshal Yard kneeling on the ground, he quickly fell to his knees and reported.
"Sir! While we were recovering the embankment, we captured several lackeys of the Falcon Kingdom... They were installing dynamite on the embankment, preparing to destroy the blessings given to us by the Spirit of the Sand Sea. How should we handle them?"
Yard slowly stood up from the ground, pulled the sword out from the earth, and handed it to the messenger.
"Use this sword to chop off their heads and place them under the embankment."
The messenger’s eyes flashed with hatred as he took the sword from the marshal’s hands, accepting the command.
"Yes!"
The Alliance does not kill prisoners, but they weren’t so constrained.
For the traitors who betray their faith and souls, the desert residents have their own ways to punish those sinners.
After everything was explained, Yard flipped back onto his horse, waved his reins, and led his personal guard into the city.
The battle within the city had already ended.
The governor appointed by the Falcon Royal Family had fled, leaving only an accountant servant who failed to escape and was captured alive by the Alliance.
Now, the city hall was under the control of the Death Legion.
And his army had recaptured the castles and palaces that had once belonged to them.
The Army’s flags that had been raised on the river banks were torn down by the soldiers and replaced with the royal flag of the Honey Badger Kingdom, newly woven from Devil Silk.
Watching the flag flutter over the river banks, residents of the city came out from their homes, standing on both sides of the street, welcoming the entering soldiers.
Looking at the ragged, emaciated subjects on both sides of the street, Yard felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
It was a sacrilege against the gods to have famine on the land blessed by the Spirit of the Sand Sea.
He turned to the chief of his personal guard.
"Open the granary and distribute the food to them."
The face of the chief of the guard showed difficulty as he reported in a low voice,
"The granary is under Alliance control."
Yard was silent for a while.
"Take me there."
The chief of the guard took the order.
"Yes!"
The granary was not far from the city hall, and while taking control of the city hall, the Alliance’s soldiers had simultaneously taken over this place.
Yard noticed that these were not Death Legion soldiers; their uniforms and badges appeared to belong to the First Corps of the Alliance.
"Who is in charge here?" he shouted, looking at the soldiers at the entrance to the granary.
Unexpectedly,
instead of an Alliance officer, a woman dressed in jeans and a T-shirt—a plain outfit—came out from behind the courtyard wall.
"It’s me."
Standing at the doorway, Teresa nervously looked at the man on the warhorse.
Just as she anticipated, the moment her face was visible, Yard on the horse narrowed his eyes.
The guards accompanying him tightened their grip on their muskets, and without exception, their eyes flickered with hateful ferocity.
A few soldiers of the Alliance glanced at each other, took two steps forward, and stood beside Teresa.
They were not interested in the grievances of the desert residents, but since the Manager had ordered them to ensure her safety, no one would harm her.
"What are you doing here?" Holding the reins in his right hand, Yard motioned his cavalry to put away their weapons and coldly looked at her.
Teresa took a deep breath and spoke honestly,
"I am in charge of the Alliance Home of the Refugees... The Alliance handed over the confiscated food to us for resettlement, and they instructed me to do everything possible to help the residents here—"
Her words were cut off by the furious shouting of the guard soldiers behind Yard.
"That’s food pillaged from our land!"
"The citizens of the Honey Badger Kingdom do not need the Army’s lapdogs to rescue them!"
"Pah!"
"You see," Yard tossed his chin back, squinting at the woman in front," the warriors of the Honey Badger Kingdom do not need your help. Hand over the keys to the granary; we will take care of the famine."
"As for you, go wherever you like, just don’t obstruct our way."
He deemed it unnecessary to trouble an unarmed woman.
But that didn’t mean he would show her any kindness.
Facing the somber mood, a drop of sweat trickled down Teresa’s pale cheek.
Although a reflexive panic flickered in her eyes, she didn’t step back but kept her gaze firmly on the man mounted on the warhorse.
"What do you plan to do for these starving people?"
Yard answered without hesitation.
"Distribute the food to them."
As expected.
Teresa was not surprised by his answer.
How could royalty born in affluent lands understand hunger, imagine what starving people think, or have experience handling famines?
Like that proxy king Sommer, in their view, the problem seemed resolvable by just distributing the food.
However, the reality was far from this simple.
The famine caused by the war wasn’t just about the lack of food, but also the absence of social order and the halt of productive activities.
She didn’t fully understand those complex theories, but with her grassroots experience, she knew that just distributing the food wasn’t enough.
Teresa took another deep breath, continuing,
"...there are eighty thousand recognized households in Honey Badger City, and the granary has only six thousand tons of grain. How will you ensure everyone is fed?"
Yard frowned.
"It’s simple, seventy kilograms per household should be enough."
Teresa relentlessly pressed on.
"Is that so for a household of three or six? What about families that have lost their wage earners and the unregistered residents?"
Yard impatiently said,
"Then distribute it per capita."
"That’s even less likely... Adults will snatch food from children’s hands, strong adults will overpower the weak and elderly, and even if the citizens of Honey Badger City are law-abiding and do not steal, there will still be those who buy surplus food from others, and then sell it back at a high price when people are forced to eat their own."
Yard’s face turned a shade of iron as he glared at her.
Standing aside, the chief of the guard shouted fiercely,
"That’s nonsense! How could the citizens of the Honey Badger royal family do such a thing!"
Teresa replied, "Perhaps they are noble and devout enough, but when there are means to prevent a tragedy, why rely solely on morality and faith?"
The chief of the guard coldly said,
"It’s not the place of the Army’s lapdogs to teach us—"
"Shut up."
Yard rebuked him, narrowing his eyes at the woman.
"You tell me what should be done."
Teresa took a deep breath and said earnestly,
"Set up relief points throughout the city, divide districts, and provide food rations on a community basis, while registering the names, ages, heights, weights, families, and occupations of the famine victims, and organize those who are capable of working to participate in post-war reconstruction and the cultivation of farmlands beyond the riverbanks."
"Let those unable to work survive without starving, let those able to work eat well and channel their energy into the right places. They will be in hardship for a while, but as long as they can make it to next year’s harvest, everything will get better."
"Trust me... we have enough experience and capability to handle this. If you don’t trust me, you can send someone to watch over me."
Teresa looked at Yard seriously.
This was the work experience she had accumulated over the past few months.
This was how the Alliance had been operating in the River Valley Province, particularly around Rui Valley City; it proved much more effective than simply handing out food to the starving.
"Sir... she’s the Queen of the Falcon Kingdom." The Chief of the Guard, worried, looked at Yard, who was lost in thought, and reminded him in a subdued voice, "Those people would not hesitate to blow up the riverbanks to destroy us!"
Yard did not respond but glanced at the alliance flag beside him and finally turned his gaze towards Teresa, who was watching him nervously.
"Why do you want to do this?"
Teresa was silent for a while, then shook her head with a wry smile.
"I don’t know... You might not believe me, but doing this makes me feel better."
Perhaps...
It would be up to the Manager to persuade him.
But just as she had this thought, the situation took an unexpected turn.
It seemed Yard had believed her; he waved his hand backward, signaling the Guard to turn around.
Before turning away, he dropped a remark,
"If you have troubles that can’t be resolved, come find me at the castle."
Teresa sighed with relief and murmured softly,
"Thank you."
Resolving conflicts in such a way was ideal.
She did not expect them to forgive the Falcon Kingdom for its faults, but she still wanted to do something in her own capacity.
As for the reason—
Perhaps it was because of that day on the Iron Heart, when she was asked by the acting king of the Honey Badger Kingdom, Sommer, "In what capacity are you staying with the Alliance?"
’(She) is a person liberated by the Alliance.’
’...whether they are residents of Oasis No.3 or Oasis No.2, they are all victims of this war.’
The voice did not hesitate.
’We will go to liberate them.’
...
Wasteland time, midnight.
The official website of another world was bustling.
Debt Giant Eye: "Hahaha! Took down Honey Badger City in two hours! Just asking, are we incredible or what?"
Quit Smoking: "666!"
Gnome King Riches: "Pfft, that’s nothing, we freaking wiped out a division in two hours! (roll eyes)"
I Max Black: "Exactly! And most of the troops from the Army and Falcon Kingdom have withdrawn to Oasis No.2, what main force would you guys cleaning up the battlefield possibly meet?"
Construction Youth and Brick: "Doesn’t matter! Oasis No.3 is liberated by us! (Proud)"
Gnome King Riches: "Damn!"
Elena: "Speaking of which, next up is Oasis No. 2, right? (Wry smile)"
Valley Escaping Mole: "We’re reaching Bister Town tomorrow. The Army has built plenty of fortifications there; it’s going to be a tough fight."
Night Ten: "@Battlefield Atmosphere Group Pangolin brother, where are you at?"
WC Truly Has Mosquitoes: "Do tell, what’s the situation over there? (mischievous)"
I Max Black: "Damn! Where is he? He was just online a moment ago."
Night Ten: "He didn’t go off to do something shady, did he??"
Just an hour ago, many people had seen Old Soldier online, bubbling in the posts about him following Coleway’s retreat to the logistic hub of Bister Town in Oasis No.2.
Then suddenly, mid-conversation, he vanished.
Thinking of his usual habit of going offline in the outhouse, everyone became worried.
The @ symbol flooded the posts.
Perhaps sensing he was being plotted against, with the persistent @ calls of numerous players, Old Soldier finally showed up belatedly.
"Cough... I’ve got news, big news, absolutely explosive!"
Fang Chang: "Big news, really now."
Spring Water Commander: "Did you persuade Coleway to surrender? (sidelong glance)"
Debt Giant Eye: "How did you persuade him? (mischievous)"
I Max Black: "Do tell, brother, did it hurt? (curious)"
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Get lost!"
Teng Teng:
Night Ten: "Cut the crap, amazing and unbelievable situation (GKD)!"
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Cough, about the movements in the far-away Triumph City... things are a bit tricky. I’ve just sorted it out and submitted it to the task interface, I’ll go outside and start a detailed post in a bit."
Using about two to three thousand characters, Old Soldier detailed the complex interests entangled within the Army Eastward Expansion Faction in his newly started post.
To put it简单来说, Lush Falling Leaves Province had三个 "generals" before.
The highest-ranked was the Five-Star Ten Thousand Leader, General Kras, followed by Griffin, and then McCullen.
All three were once pillars in the Army Eastward Expansion Faction, advocating for the conquest of the origin land of the post-war rebuilding committee, the Grand Canyon, and to project their power across the Central Continent through the canyon.
However, the Eastward Expansion Faction did not hold a dominant position within the Army, and even the Eastern Legion was not fully supportive of advancing into the eastern part of the Great Desert.
In order to gain support from Triumph City, Kras and others from the Eastward Expansion Faction launched their first expedition. However, due to inadequate preparation, Kras perished during the first expedition.
Griffin took over the foundations Kras had built in Lush Falling Leaves Province and adopted a series of strategies. These included economically courting Bugra Free State, inciting the Chew-bone Tribe to sweep through the central and southern parts of River Valley Province, and militarily supporting the Falcon Kingdom to annex the monarchies of Lush Falling Leaves Province, among others.
However, his plans clearly did not progress smoothly. Not only was he unable to conquer the nations in the desert, but he was even pushed back by the Alliance into Oasis No.2.
Now, Griffin had only one card left to play.
That was to sacrifice ten legions of ten thousand troops, himself, and the Army’s vassals in Lush Falling Leaves Province in exchange for the other factions’ "sympathy" towards the Eastward Expansion Faction in Triumph City.
Not exactly sympathy.
Regardless of whether it was for the prestige of Triumph City, for the promising young officers in those ten thousand-strong forces, or for the Weilante nobles who came to the front lines to earn their stripes, the Legion would have to respond to this war supported by corporations.
And the greatest possibility was the war of paradise between two "Degenerate Empires."
This was exactly what the corporations had always tried hard to avoid.
Regarding whether to continue fighting, there was a clear disagreement among the players.
Mole, who had just escaped the gorge, supported continuing the battle.
His reason was simple, he hadn’t had enough fun after experiencing the surge of steel rivers. If the corporations and the Legion really started fighting, the Alliance might just be able to fish in troubled waters.
But Edge Shoveling hesitated.
The situation in Oasis No. 3 had exceeded his expectations.
According to the incomplete statistics he had scavenged from the master’s office of Honey Badger City, the population of the Honey Badger Kingdom had decreased by 5% in just the short span of a month.
It wasn’t that his sympathy was overflowing.
If it were the headquarters’ orders, he would go without hesitation to Oasis No. 2 to fight those die-hard maniacs to the end.
It’s just that, continuing to fight, he couldn’t see where this war would end.
"I agree with driving the Legion out of Luo Xia Province, as they started this war, but I am unsure of what to do afterward. Unless we have the capability to push the front line to Triumph City, this endless war will drag us... even everyone into the mire."
Fang Chang, "Actually, I think debating whether to cease fire isn’t very meaningful. If the Legion refuses to let go, even if we agree to a ceasefire, it would be pointless. (skeptical)"
WC such a mosquito, "How about decapitating Griffin? I’ll donate a plane! (smug)"
Tail, "Oh! That sounds thrilling! Tail casts a vote! (`∀´)Ψ"
Si Si, "If Pangolin comrade can get his coordinates, it might be possible... but it always feels like it might end up worse."
Spring Water Commander, "Mm, the ideal situation would be to capture him and force him to surrender. But honestly, if he is prepared to sacrifice ten thousand-strong forces... probably he is ready to die for his beliefs."
Construction Boy and Brick, "Headache... why do I have to think about this? Just tell me where to fight. (dizzy)"
Fang Chang, "Because this is our Alliance. (skeptical)"
...
While the players were discussing whether to continue fighting, Chu Guang, who was sitting in front of the computer in the captain’s office of the Steel Heart, was screen peeking.
Although most of the time his little players, for active purposes, tagged his major account "Ah Guang" with suggestions that were of no reference value, when it came to making crucial decisions about the future of the Alliance, Chu Guang still wanted to see the players and backseat drivers’ thoughts.
Just as Brother Fang Chang had said, this was an alliance belonging to all survivors, naturally, it also belonged to the players.
However, what surprised Chu Guang was that Pangolin had brought him another groundbreaking piece of intelligence—
That the governor dispatched by Triumph City was on his way to Luo Xia Province!
And he was on a mission for peace talks!
With a clear understanding of the opponent’s bottom line, the next moves would be much easier to manage.
"... Looks like I really need to compensate Pangolin brother with a set of power armor."
Having reclaimed this unexpected trump card, Chu Guang smiled, turned off the webpage, and then looked at Xiao Qi sitting at the edge of the pen holder.
"Xiao Qi, call Vanus here for me."
Xiao Qi playfully saluted.
"Sure thing!"
After a short wait.
Vanus, who was on duty on the airship, quickly arrived at the captain’s office.
Without mentioning the helium-3 matter, Chu Guang briefly informed this Weilante, who had once served as a Thousand Leader in the Legion, about the Academy’s prediction of the future situation in Luo Xia Province and the next possible strategies of the Legion.
After listening to Chu Guang’s description, Vanus thought for two seconds before speaking.
"The representative from the Academy is likely not joking... If Griffin faces a severe defeat in Luo Xia Province, the Legion will definitely not let this war end abruptly."
His statement was very conservative.
But Chu Guang could discern his implication and slightly nodded.
"Mmm, I understand."
It wasn’t just the Academy.
Including corporations, they had discussed with him about cutting their losses while ahead, and Yi Chuan had even hinted to him that the Supreme Council was willing to offer them a bit of compensation.
Of course, nominally still in the guise of aid.
"The Alliance needs space and time for development... We have already fought for space, now we are just a bit short on time."
"What do you plan to do?" Vanus looked at Chu Guang.
If it was against the Eastern Legion stationed in Luo Xia Province, the Alliance definitely had a comparable strength.
But if it was against the entire Legion...
It might be difficult for the Academy and corporations combined to win honorably.
He was curious about what this man in front of him would choose.
"...I need to buy time for the Alliance."
Chu Guang stretched out his index finger, sketching in the air, and unfurled a holographic map on the office desk.
At the center of the map was the southwestern corner of Oasis No. 2—Falcon City’s location.
That was the capital of the Falcon Kingdom!
"... Our pilots have finally gained aerial superiority, I’m not planning to just give that up. The Alliance’s flag hasn’t yet flown over the skies of the Falcon Kingdom’s royal city. If I tell our young soldiers to go home now, they definitely won’t be satisfied."
Vanus looked at Chu Guang in surprise, his eyebrows slightly raising.
"Are you planning to ignite this keg of dynamite?"
"Of course not," Chu Guang paused before continuing, "According to intelligence, the governor from Triumph City is on his way to Oasis No. 2, his mission is most likely for peace talks... and we will take down the capital of Falcon Kingdom before he reaches Oasis No. 2."
Vanus frowned slightly.
"The Legion probably won’t sit back and watch Falcon City be captured by us... If it really comes to that, even if that governor is on a peace mission, the situation here would likely lose its foundation for a ceasefire."
Chu Guang spoke succinctly.
"That’s why we won’t occupy it."
Vanus was taken aback.
"Then you mean..."
Chu Guang smiled faintly.
"We will plant the Alliance’s flag atop their royal palace, destroy as much as we can of their military factories, railway, road network, and fortresses, eliminate their war potential, and maximize the war-weariness from their royal aristocrats to common civilians... making them pay their due price."
Looking at Vanus’s surprised face, Chu Guang paused before continuing.
"Then, we will pull back."
-
(Thanks to "Schrödinger X" for the sterling silver donation!!! Thanks to "House of the Little Cotton Padded Jacket" for the leader donation!!!)
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