This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 731: Since You’re Here, Stay and Work

Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Since You’re Here, Stay and Work

"Survivor’s Daily"

[Yesterday, enterprises, academies, armies, and other survivor forces from various factions gathered at the southern military base of the Alliance. Commanders from all sides discussed the specifics of the battle plan and the tasks each would undertake. Chu Guang, the manager of the allied forces, stated in an interview that the sticky community will go all-out against the enemies of civilization, at any cost, to make those beasts who have committed heinous crimes pay the price they deserve!]

The hotel in the north of the City of Dawn.

The Duke of Garava flipped the newspaper over and over again, his expression one of displeasure as he lifted his eyebrows.

There was no mention of the West Winds Empire on the front page, which made him feel somewhat slighted.

"These rats from the sewers only know how to play petty tricks on inconsequential issues."

Muttering cynically, the Duke of Garava tossed the newspaper aside.

Just then, a servant approached with a tray, setting a plate of curry rice omelet in front of him.

The rising steam carried an enticing aroma, and the Duke of Garava inhaled deeply, his appetite whetted as he clumsily picked up the spoon beside him.

Indeed, the City of Dawn offered a variety of food. With some effort, one could find something different to eat every day of the year.

This was the dish that most resembled the food from his homeland, and while it was less complex in texture, the combination of savory flavor, fluffy baked eggs, and fluffy rice grains was second to none!

The Duke grudgingly admitted that, aside from beans and flatbread, there were other ingredients that could match the spices from the Poluo Province.

Seeing the Duke venting his displeasure on his lunch, Nyian, standing nearby, noticed the regret in his face and respectfully whispered,

"My lord, perhaps other newspapers have news of us. Would you like me to buy them for you?"

The Duke of Garava, who was busy eating, was tempted to ask him to go purchase them, but then he suddenly recalled the doctor’s advice and shook his head nervously.

"Forget it... It’s better not to see."

Seeing that the Duke had suddenly come to his senses, Nyian felt a slight disappointment and thought it a pity.

Compared to "Survivor’s Daily," today’s "Goblin Observation Report" headline was the real bombshell...

...

"Goblin Observation Report"

[Shocking! Thirty thousand soldiers set off for the front line, and an entire ten thousand got lost! General Babita, the Tower General of the West Winds Empire, reignited with rage, bellowing "Where are my men?" in front of the formation, furiously berating the train conductor!]

[...]

"Where’s my steel???"

Potato Harbor.

Fang Chang, standing on the dock of the light industrial zone, looked at the delivery order in his hand and then at the crowded ships anchored at the harbor, completely baffled.

Two weeks ago, while he was in Jinga Lun Port, he had ordered 10,000 tons of surplus steel at a price 50% below the market rate through a Weilante merchant.

According to the merchant, the steel was rough, not yet formed, but of assured quality, produced to Weilante casting standards.

Whether it was to be rolled into T-shaped beams for construction or mixed with other materials to create high-end alloys, it was all very practical.

Although Jinga Lun Port also had steel mills, their capacity was largely allocated to local infrastructure projects and those in Potato Harbor, and orders were backlogged.

After securing this unexpectedly delightful deal, Fang Chang immediately arranged for it to be sent to Anle Island, planning to let the submarine factory and technicians there tackle the "submarine mother" concept he and his buddies on the forum had brainstormed.

According to the contract, the two parties would complete the delivery of goods in Potato Harbor, and today he was supposed to receive 5,000 tons of steel bars and pay 40% of the contract payment.

Wary of the saying "cheap goods aren’t good," he had even made a special trip from Jinga Lun Port to check.

But what he hadn’t expected was that what arrived was not steel bars, but over ten thousand soldiers?!

If not for the fact that these people were behaving with some restraint, he would have suspected they hadn’t learned their lesson and were up to some clever trickery again.

The man standing at the prow of the ship also had an embarrassed expression; he was now certain he was on the wrong ship.

But admitting his error was out of the question.

To break the awkward silence, he cleared his throat and introduced himself,

"I’m General Yiselle, Baron, of the Horse Tribe... the Ten General of the Third Ten Thousand Troop of the Expeditionary Army."

Fang Chang stared at him intently, "I don’t care whether you’re a horse or a cow; I just want to know why you’re here! And where is my steel!"

General Yiselle was stunned, looking at him blankly, clearly unaware of any trade.

"What steel?"

"Steel! The steel I bought from those big-nosed guys!" Fang Chang took a deep breath, quickly regaining his composure, and addressed him, "Where’s your captain? Bring him here!"

It was pointless to discuss whose fault it was now; the situation had to be resolved as soon as possible.

Soon enough, the captain was brought out.

More accurately, he was dragged out by the arms by a group of soldiers.

Confronted with the furious Fang Chang and General Yiselle, the Rodent captain was nearly in tears.

"Sir... I didn’t know, really! The Weilante people told me not to ask questions, not to look, just load the ship and sail ahead following the course. Then the next day, these men rushed up, urging me to sail quickly. I couldn’t reach the person who arranged my voyage, so... I could only set sail."

Yiselle kicked the guy in the butt with an awkward expression.

"Why didn’t you tell me we were heading to Potato Harbor?"

The captain said with a tearful face.

"How dare I ask any questions with the way you guys were acting?"

Fang Chang was dumbfounded as he looked at the two on the deck.

So, his steel wasn’t sent to Silver Moon Bay or Jinga Lun Port, but it wasn’t even loaded onto the ship?!

"...Didn’t you realize this is a cargo ship?"

Yiselle looked at him, confused.

"Does it make a difference?"

Fang Chang found himself speechless for a moment, but then quickly remembered that several gunboats of the West Winds Empire Navy were converted from cargo ships, and the previous raid on Potato Harbor had also used civilian ships. His expression became a mixture of tears and laughter.

Good lord...

He hadn’t anticipated such a novel form of dragging their feet. With so many ridiculous points, he didn’t even know where to begin his criticism.

He guessed that the Weylent Merchant who sold him the goods also hadn’t expected that the cargo ship he arranged wouldn’t bring the supplies, but instead brought the Expeditionary Army over...

Seeing that the "person in charge" of this port was at a loss for words, Yiselle coughed and continued to speak.

"Could you please tell me how far it is from here to Brocade River Province?"

Fang Chang pinched the bridge of his nose, saying with a headache,

"Not far, Ten Peaks Mountain is just a bit to the east of the south side of Baiyue Province, even 1000 kilometers is an overestimate from here."

Yiselle brightened up at those words.

"That’s great—"

Before he could finish, Fang Chang couldn’t help but burst out,

"Great my ass! Are you planning to walk there on your own two legs? The war would be over before you could even reach it!"

Of course, the more likely possibility was dying in this forest.

Even though Potato Harbor had successfully established itself on this land, the radius of the players’ active area was hard to expand beyond 50 kilometers without a stable supply line. One couldn’t go too far unless they never intended to return.

After pondering for a moment, Fang Chang turned to the captain and said.

"Wait for me on the sea for a while, I’ll discuss with others how to solve this issue... Move a bit further out and don’t block the dock in the meantime."

"Wait, please wait!" As Fang Chang turned to walk outside the dock, Yiselle who was standing on the deck hurriedly called out to him; then, somewhat embarrassed, he spoke, "We’re running out of food, could you... lend us some?"

Fang Chang twitched his eyebrows.

"...Wait here."

...

Wasteland OL Forum.

Fang Chang brought back the events that happened in Potato Harbor to the Forum, and the mystery of the disappearance of the West Winds Empire’s Third Ten Thousand Army was finally solved.

Edge Shoveling: "Well damn... getting lost like that is just ridiculous."

WC Got Mosquitos: "Hahaha! I’m dying of laughter, today’s headline is set!"

Fang Chang: "Alright... let’s not worry about headlines now, I’ll urge that Weylent Merchant again for the steel, if that doesn’t work I’ll personally make a trip to West Sail Port. The current problem is, what to do with these people? You guys should also give some suggestions."

Wild Wind: "To have made you speechless is quite something. (Smirk)"

Debt Giant Eye: "Just let them stay on the southern front. They’re here anyway, and looking at that bunch with Clone equipment, I feel like they’d just be making up numbers on the northern line anyway. (Amusing)"

Construction Youth and Bricks: "+1, the north currently belongs to the big leagues. There’s a full 20 Cloud Dragonfly Flapping Machines stationed, and we’re barely able to transport ammunition, now we even have to fix an airport. It’s lucky our 500 Death Claws are somewhat presentable, or we’d be reduced to mere spectators."

Spring Water Commander: "Weren’t you planning to land on Death Coast? Let Old White and Brother Chicken give them some training. (Smirk)"

Old White: "Their basics are a bit lacking, we might have to start teaching them from how to eat. (Cry-laugh)"

Midnight Chicken Killing: "I’m against letting them land. They are soldiers of the Empire, with their previous track record, no one can guarantee their safety."

Si Si: "+1, We have many Moon Tribe settling in our ports, they were previously slaves liberated from Jinga Lun Port, the Empire never recognized their status as freed people. Allowing them to land might inevitably lead to friction."

Ahh Sesame Paste: "Hmm... If they renounce their identity as Imperial soldiers, it might be feasible. Doesn’t Potato Harbor need a lot of laborers?"

Si Si: "That’s not realistic, though... And even if we needed the workforce, we wouldn’t need to look for accomplices of Slave Owners, Jinga Lun Port has so much better labor willing to come."

Night Ten: "It seems the Alliance might need to establish a customs and immigration department now. We’ve never had so many people come at once before. (Amusing)"

Elena: "+1, Without newcomers the game would die out, but too rapid an increase of new players isn’t entirely great either. Every multiplayer game turns into a mess during a free weekend, as if it became a completely different game. (Amusing)"

Tail: "Oh! That said, sending them to the front line as Cannon Fodder is too pitiful, how about building another settlement on the South Shore? Let them reclaim land and train there? _(:з」∠)_"

Fang Chang: "It doesn’t seem cost-effective. Just maintaining the port on the north shore is already draining us of a ton of ammunition. As for training... I guess even if they were trained, with their current state, they’d hardly be of any use."

Feudal Army would only possibly muster a bit of fighting spirit if their home turf was being hit and Gold coins were at stake, but that’s limited to fighting on their own turf.

This is entirely different from cultural ideas, ethnic bloodlines, and religious traditions. Only if it can be said that a certain religious tradition or cultural idea reduces the debuff. For example, the Restoration Army of Honey Badger Kingdom is an example; they are united from top to bottom, and even after having their homeland blown up, they still managed to establish an exiled government. The princess, in order to enrich the country, is even willing to marry an "infidel." However, in Lion Kingdom, it’s a different story altogether; the serfs in the occupied areas are all waiting for the royal army to act, while the royal army is waiting for the Alliance to make a move.

As for Poluo Province, objectively speaking, they have used their theory of Thousand Tribes and Thousand Gods to diffuse conflicts and consolidate the royal authority over two hundred years, but this has also brought larger issues.

Fang Chang has no hope of training them into a competent fighting force in just a few months; it’s not something that can be changed so quickly.

Tail: "Then we just clear the fields and skip the training!

Midnight Chicken Killing: "And how will we sustain the ammunition expenses for the settlement?"

Si Si: "I heard that Dawn City is recently undergoing industrial upgrades. The newest ammunition production line at Floor B7 processing center has just been assembled, ready to replace the old one... How about we buy it and ship it to Jinga Lun Port? If we process bullets there and ship them to Baiyue Strait, we should save some costs."

Old White: "That’s not a bad idea... But after the war ends and the Expeditionary Army retreats, those ten thousand vacant positions will probably be a problem."

Si Si: "It shouldn’t be a problem to bring in some population from Jinga Lun Port. Once the infrastructure work there is done, we’ll have a lot of labor freed up. We can use this new port as a buffer for the influx of population from Potato Harbor."

The South Shore of Baiyue Strait also has vast undeveloped lands available for reclamation.

Plus, compared to the rugged terrain of the North Shore, the lands on the South Shore are much flatter and suitable for planning large plantations and farmlands to produce tropical economic crops.

Jungle Corps would be responsible for clearing the Variants near the coast, and then it would be a good option to send those Expeditionary Army soldiers who took the wrong turn to cultivate the land.

Anyway, sending them to the battlefield would likely just hold us back. It’s enough to have them pose and do some target practice or drills every once in a while just for show.

Fang Chang: "So, what’s the name for the new settlement going to be?"

Elena: "Since we already have Potato Harbor, why not just go for Cola Port next? (Jokingly)"

Night Ten: "At this rate, the Alliance map will turn into a menu. (Jokingly)"

Makabazi: "Hahaha bloody hell!"

...

At this moment, General Yiselle didn’t know that his and his troop of cannon fodders’ destinies were being clearly arranged in another world.

However, thanks to this, they also inadvertently stepped onto a completely different path of fate.

The North Line.

The third day the Allied forces arrived.

Atop Black Cloud Peak, the second mountain of Ten Peaks Mountain, a bloody battle had just begun.

It seems that seeing the Death Legion of Alliance take over Fushan so smoothly, the distant Weilante People couldn’t wait to show their prowess to the rest of their allies.

Tower Manchu General Lucien, the commander of the Army, almost "snatched" the mission to conquer Black Cloud Peak from the hands of the academy and corporate commanders.

And thanks to an old friend’s help, General Babita of the Imperial Expeditionary Army also got lucky and sent out a thousand-troops team as a feint—which is to say, as backups.

After all, the winding mountain roads of Ten Peaks Mountain could only fit the military strength of one or two camps at most.

If nothing unexpected happened, the Legion would send the Glory Army first and keep the main force for the central battlefield behind Ten Peaks Mountain.

And just as General Babita expected, the Glory Army had assembled at the base of Fushan early in the morning, led up the mountain by a team of Weilante military officers.

At ten o’clock in the morning, the "Wild Bull" walking machine raised its 200mm cannon and spat out enough shells to fill five train carriages toward the peak of Black Cloud Peak!

Dense flames exploded around that magnificent peak and on its sides, burning the woods halfway up the mountain and scattering the clouds lingering among the mountains.

At the same time as the bombardment ended, a thousand-troops team of Glory Army assembled at the top of Fushan began their charge amidst deafening roars, wielding Ripper Rifles.

They advanced along the narrow mountain road, firing intensely at Mutants with the help of the rugged rocks.

Sitting in the command center, Lucien, while eating ice cream, looked down at the battlefield filled with shouts of killing, with a faint smile on his face.

Suddenly, he turned slightly to his deputy and asked.

"How long did it take the Alliance to take Fushan again?"

The deputy standing beside him respectfully said,

"I remember it was before dusk."

Lucien nodded, glanced at the mechanical watch on his left wrist, then leaned back comfortably in his chair, crossing his right leg over his left knee.

"It seems we can end the battle before noon. I plan to dine downstairs later... I’ve heard that the Alliance’s chefs are not bad. Have you eaten there yesterday? What dishes would you recommend from the camp’s canteen?"

The deputy was slightly startled, hesitated for a moment, and said,

"The pig trotter rice I had yesterday was pretty good."

The taste was indeed quite nice.

Back in Triumph City, pig trotters were usually roasted or smoked in wooden boxes. It was his first time encountering such soft pig trotters that were almost more tender than bread, almost like jelly.

Lucien said with a smile,

"Let’s go try it together later."

Not only did Lucien not take those Mutants seriously, General Babita at the front line felt the same.

But unlike the Weilante People who had seen plenty of Mutants, Babita’s confidence came from never having seen these green-skinned creatures before.

Drawing from hearsay along the way, he regarded the group as nothing more than a bunch of unevolved wild men.

Only beggars begging for food in the Wasteland could peck at them for three hundred rounds, yet Poluo Province was by no means the Wasteland—had he entered the fray, he could have killed that brood of chickens in minutes.

However, it seemed that his people would not need to take the field this time, as the Weilante people had already made their move.

Just when General Babita thought that the battle was merely a formality and that he could go to the front lines and then return, the progression of events took him by surprise.

The clone soldiers who rushed up the mountain had actually come to a deadlock with that group of under-evolved wild men!

"...damn it all."

Holding up the binoculars, General Babita stared for a long time, and when he saw that group of clones unable to push forward, he couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

"What are those Weilante people dawdling for..."

He had never fought a mountain battle, but he could at least understand the battle lines. Even if his eyesight wasn’t always sharp, he was indisputably skilled at "judging the distance between the front line and the rear by the sound of gunfire."

In the blink of an eye, two hundred-men teams had already been wiped out.

A wounded Weilante military officer was carried down the mountain by medical soldiers, while those green-skinned guys kept popping up, even appearing to grow stronger as they fought.

Seeing the dreadful state of the battle, General Babita’s palms couldn’t help but sweat.

If his old friends didn’t exert their full strength soon, they would be pushed to the bottom of the mountain!

It wasn’t just General Babita who was stunned; the players observing from the top of Busan Mountain were also dumbfounded.

The previous round of cannon fire had been quite a spectacle, they even opened bets on how long it would take those big noses to plant their flag at the summit.

But the result was beyond shocking: after being bombarded, that group of mutants acted as though nothing happened, and beat the clone soldiers on the mid-mountain to a bloody pulp.

Debt Giant Eye swallowed hard, staring in disbelief and commenting.

"Good Lord... they bombarded the entire mountain top and yet the battle turned out like this?"

Could it be that the mutants had evolved too?

Holding the binoculars, the young construction worker with a brick furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice.

"Something’s wrong with those guys."

"Mhm..."

Edge Shoveling nodded, his expression grave, "It’s really not quite the same as when we first arrived here."

At that time, a single cannon fire had killed half of the green skins, and the remaining half was wiped out by one charge.

There had been some resistance when pushing towards the summit, but it was only slight.

Seeing his ally’s position on the verge of collapse, General Babita could no longer sit still; he hurriedly urged the thousands of leaders next to him to launch the attack.

"Take your men and charge up! Hurry!"

"Yes!"

The thousands of leaders did not dare to delay and quickly gathered his subordinates, leading over a thousand men into the fray.

That mountain seemed just within view and didn’t appear to be anything special, yet when he actually approached the front line, he found that the situation was far more complex than General Babita had thought.

The towering mountains were like an insurmountable cliff with no path to be called a road, save for a narrow trail barely leading to the summit.

It was impossible to bypass the mountain; sheer cliffs flanked its sides, and further beyond lay unnamed peaks, their situation even worse.

Their soldiers could only climb upward while grasping the rocks on both sides of the mountain path, shooting at the enemy while carefully avoiding being knocked down by the bodies of their fallen comrades.

In contrast, their opponents, the mutants, had the high ground and fired down upon them.

Some shorter goblins would suddenly jump out from behind cover, wielding rocks, daggers, and even packs of dynamite, to give them a "surprise."

In the past two weeks, the Death Legion had already experienced such surprises and were no longer alarmed by them.

However, the newcomers from Poluo Province were witnessing these vicious and ferocious creatures for the first time.

The Weilante’s Glory Army had at least pushed up to the mid-mountain before their momentum was halted, while these newcomers hadn’t even reached their ally’s positions before their morale nearly collapsed.

No matter how General Babita cursed and scolded from behind, he could not prevent those Rat Soldier’s morale from crumbling, frightened by the green-skinned goblins and big guys.

The battle continued from morning until dusk, with the entire sky turning a bloody red.

On the bridge of the Loyalty Airship.

Lucien stared dumbfounded at the now silent mountain summit, his mouth agape and speechless.

The ice cream bar that had once been in his grasp had long dropped to the ground, but no one noticed.

Because it wasn’t just him who was stunned; everyone on the bridge had fallen silent.

A poorly timed growl of hunger "gurgle" broke the silence on the bridge inappropriately.

Watching the mountain top that couldn’t be taken even by dusk, Lucien’s face gradually turned as red as a liver, and he suddenly pounded his fist onto the armrest of his chair with fury.

A bunch of disgraceful waste!

Had he known, he would’ve had General Modlin take charge!

"Prepare the main cannon at the bow! Aim at that mountain top!"

"Blast the hell out of it!!"