This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 716 Completely Turn into the Shape of an Alliance

Chapter 716: Chapter 716 Completely Turn into the Shape of an Alliance

"Time really flies..." Elena mused, sitting on a stool by the beach under a canopy in front of Yiren Tavern, wiping away at a greasy lizard thigh, her face a picture of contentment and satisfaction.

Not far from her, Gnome King Riches was chugging beer after beer, competing with the fellows from Jungle Corps to see who could drink more... the Agile system wimp never won.

Behind the bar, Manager Yi finally faced his peculiar hobby honestly and joined a group of beautiful Moon tribeswomen in donning maid outfits designed by the little house.

Unexpectedly, instead of being an eyesore as the boisterous crowd initially thought, he actually looked surprisingly good in drag.

There was that one time a confused sailor actually mistook the tavern’s manager for the lady boss and, along with a few fierce-looking companions, performed a clichéd "hero saves the damsel" act, turning into a joke that had players laughing from the game forums...

Two thousand kilometers away, wars both far and near seemed to vanish, with only the faint scent of the sea present in the peaceful evening breeze.

Old Na threw the leftover lizard bones to a stray cat that had followed a ship here and stretched lazily before standing up.

Gnome King Riches, already drunk and unsteady before nightfall, let out a belch and steadied himself on the table as he called out.

"You heading back so early?"

"It’s not early; it’s about time."

No sooner had the words ended than the person standing swayed to the side, caught just in time by an outstretched arm.

Amused by the loud laughter of the Strength Type beasts, Elena smoothly freed her right hand, clenched it into a fist, and said with a smile,

"I’ll drag this guy to the save point, you guys carry on."

The Ground Model chuckled, "Thanks, Old Monk."

A visible vein popped on Elena’s forehead as she smiled through gritted teeth,

"MMP, how many times do I have to tell you to change that nickname?"

The initial response was low,

but her words instantly sparked a barrage of cheers.

"Okay, Old Monk!"

"Safe travels, Old Monk!"

"Say hello to the master’s wife for me!"

"%￥#@!"

Rolling her eyes at the group of jerks, Old Na cursed under her breath and carried Old Wang towards the save point.

This had been the routine these days.

Taking quests to clear creatures in the forest, then heading to the beach to drink, and before it got dark, dragging this guy to the save point, then off to boast and banter on the forum.

It was as routine as clocking into a job.

Because life was too comfortable, if one didn’t pay close attention, even Elena hadn’t noticed that since the Burning Corps troops went off to Poluo Province, almost two months had passed.

And in these two months, although his daily life hadn’t changed much, the transformations in Potato Harbor could only be described as revolutionary.

The cramped shacks on the east side of the settlement had been transformed into neatly arranged rows of small isolated wooden cottages.

The wooden racks hanging at house doors no longer just bore dried fish, furs, or clothes but now also sported vibrant green vines with colorful fruits and vegetables.

The Alliance Biological Research Institute expanded its services in the area, not only collecting clues about local lair activities but also cultivating high-yield crop seeds suited for the local environment, like watermelons, grapes, tomatoes, etc.

Many Moon tribeswomen thus gained an additional source of income. They just had to pick up a batch of seeds from Chen Yutong, plant them at their doorsteps, regularly record the growth, and report to the institute to earn extra money.

Of course, they had to guard against seagulls or other birds pilfering their crops.

The diligence of these new residents made even the Strength Type beasts blush with envy; the players were seeing people who could hustle just like them for the first time.

These NPCs, although not possessing the players’ mighty physiques or the rich experience and knowledge of Coral City’s survivors, had a knack for working three jobs at a time.

Some strong young women would handle furs at the factory by day, serve in the tavern by night washing dishes and fetching water, care for the experimental crops trusted to them by the institute, and still find time to take on odd jobs like laundry, cleaning up, or gathering oysters.

The strict laws of the Alliance limited each employee’s working hours but not hvordan man jobs one could take up.

A moment’s rest seemed to guilt trip them.

To use the words of Coral City survivors, they seemed determined to cram a year’s worth of work into the first few months, leaving the rest to start on next year’s tasks.

But it was this hard work, unwittingly mirroring the players’ mindset of nurturing rather than exploitation, that allowed these poor folks to achieve a quality of life in just two months that their Poluo Province Moon Clan kinsfolk could hardly even dream of.

Besides the changes in the residential areas, other transformations in the settlement were significant.

For instance, the sawmill and slaughterhouse that used to be haphazardly dotted around the settlement had all been moved to the stretch of beach previously occupied by Imperial soldiers and aquatic variant humans.

"""It’s the new area to the west of Fries Port."""

"""Ever since players in life skills professions like "Green Lantern Old Wine" moved their small workshops there, the air in Fries Port had considerably freshened up."""

"""There was no longer sawdust and animal fiber flying around in the residential areas, and even the greasy fishy smell on the beach had significantly reduced."""

"""According to the Fries Port City Hall’s plan, that new area crowded with small factories and workshops would be the "industrial zone" of this settlement."""

"""Even though Fries Port wasn’t suited for heavy industry, to say it lacked any industrial presence would be an extreme statement."""

"""Considering the prices of raw materials, the added value of products, as well as the transportation losses and operational costs of facilities, some light industries like salt refining plants, sugar factories, breweries, wood processing plants, and food processing plants were still economically viable here."""

"""If rough logs could be processed into flat boards and then transported to Jinjaron Harbor to make furniture, it would be much more economical than shipping raw logs directly to Jinjaron Harbor."""

"""The same applied to fruits, game, and fish."""

"""Whether canned or made into other by-products, they could not only be sold to Jinjaron Harbor, but all the merchant ships passing through the Baiyue Strait would be interested."""

"""After establishing the industrial zone, the Fries Port Town Hall, following Dawn City’s industrial zone management methods, had detailed regulations on production methods and employment rules for production units, and arrangements were also made for taxes."""

"""With fiscal revenue secured, and responsibilities clearly defined, Fries Port used the tax income as collateral to borrow money from faraway Dawn City Bank to improve the infrastructure in the new district."""

"""For example, two concrete piers extending to the deep water area and a highway from the industrial zone to the heart of Fries Port were constructed by Bull Horse Group using prefabricated steel, concrete flat slab, and cement produced in Jinjaron Harbor."""

"""In addition, Bull Horse Group’s airships also brought prefabricated parts produced in Giant Stone City from Dawn City and assembled a small gantry crane and a freight railway from the wharf to the warehouse in the industrial zone, significantly enhancing the efficiency of loading and unloading goods."""

"""It’s impossible not to praise the technicians brought in by Dolphin, as well as their "Crab Style" amphibious engineering armor, which was a modification based on the achievements from Shelter No. 100."""

"""The machines, once deployed, were like wings to a tiger for Bull Horse personnel; the wharves swiftly extended forward at a visible pace."""

"""Moving forward, the cargo input and output channels of Fries Port also moved from the central beach of the residential area to the beach of the western industrial zone along with those small factories and workshops. To facilitate local residents commuting there for work, Dawn City Town Hall specifically set up a transportation office and opened public bus and ferry routes to the new district."""

"""A five to six-kilometer distance wasn’t too far, and with the north-western highland military base overseeing the forest Variants and the coastline already fenced off, the northern side of the coastal road had been converted into fenced orchards, farms, and plantations. One didn’t have to worry too much about safety unless traveling at night, so some bold Moon tribeswomen opted to bike to and from work."""

"""As for Fries Port’s original wooden pier, it had, as initially planned, become a paradise for anglers and tourists."""

"""Aside from those facilities that had been constructed, there were also an ocean current power station located on the sea bed of the strait and a solid hydrogen storage facility on the shore still under construction."""

"""However, these two facilities weren’t managed by Bull Horse Group, but had been bids won by a new energy development company based in Dawn City."""

"""Speaking of this company, it also had some connections with the Islands Federation in the southern sea area."""

"""The company’s name was Light Ag Energy, founded less than two months ago. The founder was a former citizen of the Federation—a resident of Shelter No. 70 named Huang Guangwei."""

"""When he first arrived in Dawn City, he had even made headlines in the ’Goblin Observation Report’ for knocking out the former manager of Shelter No. 70 with a single punch and was taken into custody by the guards."""

But all that had happened a long time ago.

Now, Mr. Huang had fully adapted to the life of the Alliance and, like the former manager of Shelter No. 70 who had once received a punch from him, had chosen to contribute to the reconstruction of the Wasteland in his own way.

Objectively speaking, the rapid development of Fries Port was largely due to the help of survivors from Shelter No. 70 and Coral City.

For the difficulties that some players could only overcome with the Strength Type Bull Horse and experiences from before the 21st century, they offered more constructive solutions.

And some players whose professions were related to those fields learned a lot from these solutions, things they had never seen before.

Whether it was experience in engineering or sociology,

during these two months of interaction, both sides benefited immensely.

Besides the improvements in industry and infrastructure, there were significant changes in the residential areas for the players.

The most typical example was probably the "Coastal Commercial Street" near the old docks.

Originally, this place only had the Yiren Tavern for drinking, but now it had become densely packed with many bars, hostels, and various types of restaurants.

Some were opened by lifestyle profession players, some by merchants from Dawn City and Silver Moon Bay who were optimistic about the future of Fries Port, and even some by investors from the Federation’s Ring Island.

Every dusk, the place was a riot of lights and merriment.

Not only did players returning from quests come here to drink and boast, but even federal fishermen nearby and captains and sailors who happened to pass through these waters were irresistibly drawn by those seductive long legs and would stop by for a couple of chilled beers to quench their thirst.

Of course, there were also those who harbored crooked thoughts, such as having some ideas about things other than delicacies and beer.

However, seeing that alliance flag fluttering above the city hall of Fries Port, most Wasteland Wanderers still maintained their sanity.

Not to mention the merchants and sailors from Silver Moon Bay, who had seen the fierce people of the Alliance, especially since recently, a huge guy who didn’t follow the rules had been thoroughly beaten.

Some Wasteland Wanderers from afar were compelled to suppress their wrongful desires under the threat of force, after seeing that multitude of Awakeners.

Not far from Yiren Tavern, in the lobby of a hostel.

Watching a miniskirt sway past the table, a sailor, drunk and bleary-eyed, couldn’t help but sniff vigorously and drunkenly looked at his companion sitting across the table.

"Are all the girls here from the Poluo Province?"

"Used to be, I heard they seem to be Moon people... from the land across the Baiyue Strait."

His companion was obviously a sailor and one that had been pent up on the sea for many months.

From the moment he stepped through the hostel’s door, his eyes hadn’t strayed from the girls carrying trays.

The black bodycon skirts perfectly outlined their exquisite figures, and a pair of black stockings was the finishing touch, not only masking imperfections on their legs but also making those symmetrical long legs appear even more slender.

To tell it straight, those Blue Ground Mice really had an impeccable sense for aesthetics—no wonder even the misers from Ideal City and the bookish folks from the Academy couldn’t get enough of the design of Dawn City.

Even those Waste Land Wanderers, who normally couldn’t care less about the Prosperity Epoch, sometimes found themselves nostalgically dreaming about that bygone era.

"It’s actually from Poluo Province... I thought they were from Silver Moon Bay."

"That’s normal, whether it’s Luo Xia Province or Poluo Province, they’re all people who escaped from the Great Desert two hundred years ago."

"This... it’s the first time I’m hearing this," a sailor murmured, rubbing his bald head.

He had been to Poluo Province, including the famously renowned Jin Galun Harbor, but the girls here felt completely different from those over there,

whether in complexion or spirit.

Sitting across from him, his companion belched, drunkenly saying,

"Burp... It’s also my first time hearing this, but if that’s what the Residents of the refuge say, then it must be true."

"After all, no one understands that event from two hundred years ago better than they do."

The night gradually grew darker.

A group of sailors, carrying their unfinished bottles of liquor, lazily made their way toward the dock, their noisy chatter audible even hundreds of meters away, on the deck.

Although they could stay overnight on the second floor of an inn, just like their boss, their boss certainly wasn’t about to foot the bill for their lodging.

To save that money for a few extra drinks at the next port, they preferred to head back to the ship and make do with moldy pillows.

But just as everyone was heading toward the dock, a conspicuously noticeable group was moving against the crowd, walking from the dock to the shore.

"Wow! Potato Harbor has changed so much!"

"Indeed, it’s completely different from the last time we docked here..."

A man and a bear were piled up together, craning their necks in the direction of the settlement, their large and small pairs of eyes shining with excitement.

The surrounding sailors didn’t react much to this bear-man duo, not even finding it strange that the bear could talk.

After all, if their leader could tame the Claw of Death, which stood at the top of the food chain, it seemed hardly surprising that his residents could domesticate a polar bear.

The group reached the shore and, after searching for a while, found Yiren Tavern hidden among a row of bars.

Exchanging greetings with the lady cleaning up at the entrance, the cat Ears flipped down from Meat Meat’s shoulder, running towards the bar with a clatter.

Seeing the familiar group, Yiren’s face showed a look of surprise.

"Ah Wei? Meat Meat?"

"Oh... oh! Good evening!" Meat Meat grinned and waved his paw, too embarrassed to admit he had come specifically to see Manager Yi in drag after seeing a post on the Forum.

Ah Wei, who was bolder, leaned in close and stared for a long time until the other bashfully blushed, satisfied, Ah Wei stroked his chin, remarking,

"Not bad, not bad... It’s so perfect it could warrant an extra charge."

Sesame Paste, flicking his cat ears, also encouraged cheerfully,

"It really suits you."

"Ahaha... haha..."

Yiren awkwardly chuckled a few times, his finger twirling a false lock of hair by his temple.

Despite being egged on by a bunch of rascals to try something he wouldn’t dare in real life, he still wasn’t very comfortable with receiving compliments.

"Congratulations, congratulations," Si Si, who followed behind the duo and bear into the tavern, patted the fellow’s shoulder, "Being honest with oneself about one’s interests is a good thing, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, you shouldn’t mind what others think of you."

Pausing, a mischievously wicked smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, she continued, "By the way, do you need—"

Before she could finish, Yiren, sweating bullets, interrupted,

"No, that won’t be necessary."

At this moment, the Moon tribeswomen, busily working in the back kitchen of the tavern, also noticed Tail and the group, putting down their work and gathering around.

Although they had left their homeland some time ago, many still held their fellow countrymen dear, especially since some had family still there.

A multitude of expectant eyes surrounded the group, along with the maid outfits they hadn’t had the chance to change out of.

"That... how is Jin Galun Harbor these days?"

"Did you really take down Lowell Camp too? Is it true?!"

"Have there been any news from the people who escaped the harbor with us?"

"My husband... is he still alive?"

Before Ah Wei could even exclaim, "Is this Heaven?" he was staggered by the barrage of questions bombarding him like rapid-fire.

"Giao... too many questions, I can’t keep up."

Seeing her troubled look, the surrounding crowd finally quieted down, though their eyes still held unchanged hope and anxiety.

Si Si glanced at Tail, who put her fist to her lips and cleared her throat before adopting a reliable tone.

"Ahem! First of all, the slaves at the Lowell Camp have been liberated, and not just there—every slave in Jinjaron Harbor has been freed!"

Hearing this, almost everyone’s face lit up with surprise, and two girls who appeared to be sisters even embraced each other joyfully and tearfully.

It seemed that they had relatives in that camp.

After all, it was primarily Moon people who were confined there.

Tail paused, then continued.

"...The Empire’s army has now retreated beyond the ceasefire line, and the Burning Corps is helping the local survivors set up a new authority and rebuild a more equal, harmonious new order. The local survivors are very cooperative, and the settlement is bustling with construction sites."

"In short, the changes there are quite significant. Meat Meat and Sesame Paste were stunned when they first saw it; they even thought Si Si had read the map wrong! From what I have observed, its future development might not be inferior to that of Potato Harbor. I took a look for you guys, and once the situation stabilizes, you can go and see for yourselves."

Hearing that their homeland was gradually getting better, hope shone in everyone’s eyes.

However, upon hearing the last sentence, many still showed a hint of hesitation on their faces.

Perhaps the experiences during that period had left too deep a wound in their hearts, or maybe it was their sensitivity to identity as outsiders.

Even though they worked hard, trying to repay the people here, that fairy-tale-like kindness and grace still made many feel as if it were all just a deathbed dream. Perhaps when they woke up, they would still be on that narrow, damp ship, and the Wasteland would still be just the Wasteland... even the ship that took them from Poluo Province might just be a dream bestowed by a god.

They worried that once they returned, they might not be able to come back, and they feared that those who pulled them from hell might send them back there...

Sensing something keenly from those eyes filled with insecurity and reluctance, Tail quietly added.

"...Of course, of course, I never said you should go back and not return. This is your new home now, and no one will drive you away."

A Moon tribe girl suddenly stepped forward and hugged her, closing her eyes and sincerely whispering in her ear.

"Thank you."

"No, don’t mention it, although it’s odd to say this at this time... you really don’t need to thank me that much. If you really want to thank someone, thank the others; I’m just here for the excitement." Tail’s face involuntarily flushed, and she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

The girl let go of her shoulder, took a light step back, gently shook her head, and revealed a soft smile.

"...Thank you for caring about how we feel."

Then she paused, looking out the window at the moonlight hanging in the night sky, as if gazing at the reflection of her homeland in a silver platter.

"The people there have finally started living a normal life... Knowing that they are well makes me very content."

Just then, the pleasant sound of wind chimes at the door interrupted the nostalgia lingering in the tavern.

A burly man in exoskeleton walked in, his prosthetic limbs clanking against the doorframe.

Seeing the man at the door, Tail greeted him joyfully.

"Oh! Brother Chicken! What a coincidence, are you still online?"

Midnight Chicken Killing smiled sheepishly,

"Just logged in. I heard you guys were here, didn’t see anyone on the forum, so I guessed you were still online, and sure enough, you came here."

Shifting his gaze from the sudden embrace of Ah Wei, Si Si curiously asked Brother Killing Chicken,

"Is there something you need?"

Midnight Chicken Killing bashfully replied,

"Just wanted to rent your boat. We plan to make a trip to the harbor on Ring Island tomorrow, I don’t know if that’s convenient for you."

Hearing they were going to Ring Island, Tail immediately guessed what it was about and excitedly said,

"Oh! No problem! By the way, are they going to start the water flow?"

Midnight Chicken Killing laughed and nodded.

"Yes! It’s finally happening!"

The two-month construction period had ended, and just yesterday they had tested the pressure valves and other parts to ensure everything was working smoothly.

Once the underwater freshwater pipelines officially begin operation, the Alliance’s influence on Ring Island will completely surpass the Torch Church.

It just goes to show that uniting "normal people" is far easier than dealing with destroyers of order.

One day, the settlements in the Southern sea area will inevitably resemble the shape of the Alliance.

Pausing, he added,

"Moreover, it’s not just about freshwater; they were impressed with our construction speed and decided to invest in a new ocean current power station and a submarine power cable on our side, providing the necessary technical support. Brother Fang Chang said, might as well make a friendly statement, let us take our equipment, tour the island, and come back, and the other side agreed."

Si Si thoughtfully replied,

"It seems burning coal has been somewhat difficult for them."

"After all, except for those madmen from the Torch, who would refuse a better life? Also... recently, the islands have been critical of the Federal authorities’ decisions about ending the wartime status. They might also be looking for an ally at this opportunity," Midnight Chicken Killing smiled and said, "We originally planned to take an airship, but thought a boat might be friendlier."

Releasing her arms crossed in front of her, Si Si nodded with a smile.

"No problem, leave it to us."