This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 735: Infighting in the Corporation and the Army?

Chapter 735: Chapter 735: Infighting in the Corporation and the Army?

"Wasteland OL Official Website"

[Beta0.7 New Content: Zombie Mutants]

[Features: Lacks the regular mutants’ head vulnerability, has stronger recovery abilities and higher toughness, some are equipped with a small amount of mechanical prostheses. Most "Zom-Mutants" look indistinguishable from other green-skin mutants, so be careful when you encounter them!]

[Weakness: Highly resistant to radiation and toxic substances, no obvious weaknesses.]

[Recommended Ammunition: Ammunition over 20mm, explosion arrows (bomb gun), "Dragon Breath Bullets" (shotgun), thermobaric bombs (RPG launcher), etc.]

[To Be Verified: Flamethrowers, Molotov Cocktails, etc. (Note: Please maintain a safe distance to avoid being knocked down by burning mutants.)]

Midnight with Umbrella but No Knife: "Damn, turns out it’s a stealth-updated elite monster!"

Awoken and Confused: "I freakin’ thought it was a bug!"

Night Ten: "So the question is, how do you know Ah Guang didn’t just turn a bug into an elite monster? 😉"

Quit Smoking: "That makes sense, damn it!"

Irina: "Ah Guang: Well said, don’t say it again next time. 😉"

Dinosaur Warrior: "This is unscientific... a head can regrow after being exploded. That’s not what our biology books say. Shouldn’t the dog planner consider repeating nine years of compulsory education?"

Night Ten: "Makes sense, but why don’t you ask how psychohistory manages to completely account for all variables? What the heck is being shot out of a nuclear gun? How does the Force power a lightsaber? How do higher animals dehydrate their nerve centers and immune systems? And... why does SpongeBob always ask the Magic Conch when there’s a problem?"

Dinosaur Warrior: "I know about SpongeBob, but it doesn’t ask the Magic Conch in every episode, does it? What are all those other things? (confused)"

Gnome King Riches: "You’re asking so many questions all at once, are you trying to fry his CPU? 😉"

Night Ten: "Strange, I thought he could understand at least two. Unscientific. 😉"

Quit Smoking: "Haha, damn!"

...

North of the Military Base at the Manor House, about two kilometers away, there was a deserted village.

This place used to be a small village under the manor settlement. After "Torch" arrived, the villagers disappeared, and the village was abandoned.

When the Southern Construction Corps first arrived here, they used the houses for a while, and then withdrew after the military base was built.

Afterwards, when the Glue Host and "Torch" officially went to war, the Allied forces garrisoned the Manor House Military Base, and survivors from Mafu Town often drove carts here to trade. Over time, they simply moved into the unnamed village, renovated the run-down facilities, and opened bars and hotels.

Later on, a group of life-skill players brought barbecue grills here, and the once peaceful village became "smoky and chaotic."

An unassuming tavern.

A group of corporate soldiers sat at a table, drinking and skewering meat, grumbling to themselves.

"Such freaking bad luck!"

The Dinosaur Warrior slammed his cup down on the wooden table, cursing in exasperation.

A group of soldiers from the Free State glanced at each other from the table next to them, and one of them turned to him and asked.

"What’s wrong, brother?"

Dinosaur Warrior burped, reeking of alcohol as he said.

"Our officer took us for a stroll on the front lines and dragged us back without firing a single shot!"

The man laughed and said.

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

It’s most comfortable not having to go to the front lines. If possible, he’d love to stay in the rear forever.

But that’s impossible.

Every combat unit has its own mission and it will eventually be their turn.

However, the thought processes of residents of Ideal City always seemed different from others on the Wasteland.

"A good thing my ass!" Dinosaur Warrior glanced angrily and shouted, "We came here to kill mutants! Not to drink! Can’t I drink anywhere else? Why come all the way here!"

"Exactly!" Another soldier from his own unit sitting next to him complained, "We’re here for the fate of all humanity! Even though we can’t access Endpoint Cloud here, we haven’t complained once! It’s after coming here that we’ve discovered there’s none of what we were looking for!"

The soldier from the Free State was taken aback and asked with incomprehension.

"What are you pursuing?"

Tang Feng asked without hesitation.

"Ideals, courage, and of course other things... I hope my name can be a source of pride in the eyes of my family and friends, just like the crew of the Pioneer,"

Several soldiers from the Free State exchanged glances, their eyes filled with admiration.

They truly are from the Ideal City.

Their vision is simply different!

They were different.

They came here for money, and those who sent them here did so for money too.

As for those at the higher echelons, maybe they had other purposes.

But that’s for those guys to worry about; they weren’t very concerned.

They just wanted to pay off their debts as soon as possible, earn a lump sum so large they couldn’t spend it all in their lifetime, end this goddamned unstable life, and retire to a slower pace of living.

Although they didn’t have dreams, for those without dreams, people who hold onto their dreams and are willing to act on them are indeed charming and seem to radiate an aura.

Maybe it’s not the skyscrapers of the Ideal City that shine—after all, they had those too—but rather the ideals in the hearts of the people there...

At least, that’s how it seemed to them.

"Edem, sniper of the Hound Special Forces 7th Battalion," the calloused palm patted Tang Feng’s shoulder, as Edem gave a thumbs up in admiration, "I admire you guys the most, those who don’t sell their lives for a reward. When I pay off my loans, I want to live for the freedom in my heart too... please allow me to buy a drink for the warriors of humanity!"

Flattered by the praise, Tang Feng responded with an embarrassed smile and bumped fists with him.

"Tang Feng, First Battalion, Second Platoon... wait, sniper? You’re a sniper?"

Seeing his suddenly excited and wide eyes, Edem asked, confused.

"You too?"

"No, but I shoot Sniper Six," Tang Feng said, slightly embarrassed as he rubbed his nose with his finger and chuckled, "It’s a shame our squad doesn’t have a sniper, even though our company has a sniper squad. Otherwise, I’d definitely get a sniper rifle to use."

Edem’s eyes lit up, excitedly saying.

"What a coincidence, it seems you’re quite the sniper enthusiast. Let’s have a contest sometime."

Tang Feng agreed immediately.

"No problem... by the way, where do you usually jump?"

Edem appeared baffled for a moment.

"Jump... where?"

Just then, a few jeering laughs came from nearby.

A few big-nosed men at a nearby table, visibly inebriated, cast glances over with faint disdain.

The bottles on the table made it clear they had been drinking quite a bit.

Otherwise, their mouths wouldn’t be so loose.

"First Battalion, First Company... that’s right, those are the numbers."

"Aren’t those the guys from yesterday?"

"Ha ha, the layabouts of Ideal City."

"That’s not entirely fair; Awakeners do have bigger appetites, maybe they’re all Awakeners?"

"Are you kidding me, with those who treat Awakening as a terminal illness?"

At first, Tang Feng didn’t want to deal with them; the rudeness of the Weilante People was notorious across the Wasteland.

However, the group’s voices grew louder and more unrestrained to the point of being impossible to ignore.

Tang Feng, who had been somewhat heady from the praise he’d received, suddenly became enraged, slamming a fist onto the table as he stood up.

"Say that again, I dare you!"

The noisy bar instantly fell silent, including the rowdy Weilante People.

However, the latter only paused for a few seconds before they started mocking and laughing again.

"How’s that? You trying to say even deadbeats can bite? I’d like to see that."

The Weilante man with the loudest voice earlier squinted and stood up, undoing his impeccably neat uniform and threw it aside, revealing a light green tank top and clusters of solid muscles.

He exuded a dangerous aura, like a panther poised to pounce.

Clearly.

He was more than just a smooth talker; he had some real assets to show for it.

Tang Feng finished the rest of his drink in one gulp and threw his jacket over the back of a chair as well.

"Want to see a deadbeat that bites? Why don’t you go look in the mirror in the toilet, or do I need to invite you to see a doctor?"

He didn’t have much muscle, like he had just started working out, but in terms of presence, he was not lacking at all.

The biomechanical implants attached to his iris had already honed in on that ugly nose, and he swore he could smash it in within three moves, precise like a fully-equipped G9 "Black Swan" assault rifle.

It didn’t require too much strength, any adult could do it.

His companion pulled at his arm, reminding him with a sober gaze.

"Hey, don’t cause trouble, beware of being sent back."

"Then let the officers send me back," Tang Feng snorted, nonchalantly twisting his neck, "I don’t think he plans to send us to the frontline anyway."

Being sent back was no worse than wasting time here; moreover, he could wait for the other side to make the first move and then hit back. Then, even if he was taken to a military court, no one could blame him.

He was doing it for the honor of Ideal City, not only would the jury be on his side, but the majority at Endpoint Cloud who harbored the same sense of glory would be too.

Just as employees were trying to discourage the fight, the Weilante people were still fanning the flames and not minding their own business.

"Damon, looks like this kid is looking down on you?"

"Ha-ha, don’t let a deadbeat look down on you."

"Shut up," Damon cursed, squinting at Tang Feng’s eyes, "I’ll beat him down first, then deal with you."

"Don’t use your mouth," the guy joked with a smirk, with the expression of someone looking forward to the show, "I’m not into that sort of thing."

The atmosphere between the two groups was tense, the bar charged with a smell of gunpowder.

Almost every customer in the bar was casting curious glances their way.

On one side were the employees, and on the other, the army.

If the former backed down, they’d undoubtedly solidify their reputation as deadbeats, but if it was the latter who yielded, then the Weilante people’s fame as a warrior race would seem somewhat hollow.

Everyone was curious to see how the two groups would end up settling it.

Including players drinking in the bar.

Especially Debt Big Eyes, who was watching the excitement without fearing trouble and started taking bets.

"Small bets make for light-hearted fun, huh? Any bets?"

Outlaw Maniac: "I bet fifty silver coins! The Weilante guy is gonna knock him flat!"

Seeing everyone leaning toward the army’s victory, Debt Big Eyes chuckled, speaking leisurely,

"That’s not a sure thing. If that guy dares to stand up to the challenge, he must have some tricks up his sleeve."

Seeing no one believed him, he paused and continued to offer guidance.

"As everyone knows, folks from Ideal City like carrying prostheses and smart wearables; who knows, he might have a Mantis Knife up his sleeve!"

The words of the veteran player weighed somewhat heavily on the bunch of newbies.

A pair of eyes suddenly widened.

"Damn, it’s not gonna get bloody, is it?"

"Awesome! I bet one hundred silver coins, the enterprise wins!"

"I’ll bet on the enterprise too!"

Seeing the odds reversing, Debt Big Eyes’s eyes sparkled with delight.

Thinking of his bet on the army, Outlaw Maniac grew anxious and walked up to him to whisper.

"Bro, who did you bet on to win?" Big Eyes glanced at him and whispered in his ear.

"Army."

Outlaw Maniac’s eyes immediately bulged.

Fuck!

This bet isn’t just fooling around!

Seeing that the two were about to come to blows, the tavern owner behind the bar had no idea what to do.

Neither of these people was someone he could afford to provoke, so all he could do was look helplessly towards the good folks of the Alliance.

However, those guys didn’t even glance their way, seemingly not wanting to get involved in the conflict between the corporation and the army, just muttering something incomprehensible there.

Just as the tavern owner was sweating bullets, a nonchalant cough suddenly echoed from the eye of the storm.

"Even if you guys fight, it won’t prove anything. One person’s bravery and a group’s are two different things. Take those mutants, for example... even I would find it difficult to beat them in a one-on-one duel. But on the battlefield, where we each play to our strengths, they wouldn’t even have the chance to touch me."

Hearing this untimely voice, the Weilante guy named Damon squinted his eyes and looked over to see a guy wearing a blue jacket, he couldn’t help but curl his lip.

"So?"

Tang Feng also furrowed his brows and said softly to his Alliance friend.

"Don’t get involved in this."

"You guys are misunderstanding. I don’t want to stop you, but this way, you can’t really tell who will win," seeing that both were staring at him, Mosquito sighed and continued languidly, "So I suggest we try a different kind of competition, one that’s more civilized, more refined, and better reflects a soldier’s military prowess."

He couldn’t blather on anymore, so with a forceful cough, he reached into his pocket and slapped a few decks of cards on the table, ending his nonsensical discourse.

"Anyway, let’s start with a game of Gwent."

Both were stunned for a moment, especially the Weilante guy named Damon.

"What’s that?"

Tang Feng frowned slightly, and another corporate soldier sitting next to him muttered.

"I think I’ve heard of it... was it last year or the year before?"

Mosquito said with a smile, "It should have been last year. My brother seemed to have sent it to the auction as an exhibit, but that goofball isn’t cut out for business. He didn’t grasp the essence of the game and just copied formulas, so it never caught on... But no matter, I can personally demonstrate for you."

"So this is a corporate rule?" Damon narrowed his eyes, "Isn’t that a bit unfair for us who aren’t familiar with the rules?"

"Corporate rule? No, this is something we came up with in our shelter. Clearly, these young lads don’t understand it, but they seem pretty eager to try new things," glancing at Tang Feng who was raring to go, Mosquito turned to Damon with an encouraging smile, "Or are you scared?"

Damon scoffed disdainfully.

"How could that be."

What a joke.

He was a reserve officer, after all, graduated from a regular military school and had received formal military training.

He might be a fighter, but that wasn’t all he could do.

"Then come take a seat," Mosquito grinned, winking as he pulled out a chair for him, "Pick a deck for yourself first, then I’ll walk you through the rules of the game, starting with the factions..."

The rules of Gwent weren’t complicated, originally consisting of a total of 150 cards including 4 factions and neutral cards.

There were three main areas on the field: close combat, ranged combat, and siege, as well as weather cards, hero cards, and leader cards.

But of course, what Mosquito brought out wasn’t the original rules, but a modified version.

For example, beyond the Nilfgaard, Northern Kingdoms, Squirrel Party, and Monsters, the four factions, he added a bunch of "self-made" factions and decks, as well as "headcanon" to allow these decks to integrate smoothly into the game.

Like trap cards, magic cards, and equipment cards.

The Weilante guy named Damon was originally disinterested, but as Mosquito went on with his slick talk, he couldn’t help but become immersed.

And it wasn’t just the two men at the center of everyone’s attention in the tavern; other patrons also began to listen out of curiosity.

After all, there weren’t many entertainment options here, and a set of rules that weren’t too complex, coupled with a bunch of colorful cards, seemed quite interesting.

But...

Could they really memorize all these cards?

Moreover, to collect all the cards, it’s going to cost a pretty penny...

"I’ve got the rules down; when do we start?" Having understood all the rules, Damon revealed an eager expression and looked at the guy who called himself Mosquito to ask.

"Anytime." After saying this, Mosquito turned to look at Tang Feng, who was sitting on the other side of the wooden table, and spoke with lively enthusiasm, "How about you?"

"I’m ready as well," Tang Feng suddenly remembered something and added, "By the way, this is a fair and square duel, so don’t you play favorites with me."

"How could I? I’m always fair! Even if the Manager himself were sitting here, I would never allow him to cheat in front of me!"

Anyway, his eyes were his own, and he could close them at any moment if needed.

However, the focus of the pubgoers was on another matter—

Even the Manager is playing Gwent?!

Just thinking about this got everyone pumped up, staring at the card table, not even touching their drinks, and crowding towards it, leaving their seats.

Seeing that the mood had reached its peak, Mosquito coughed loudly, and amidst the rousing cheers, he strained his unique, nasal voice.

"Then now—"

"Let the duel begin!"

...

Although card playing isn’t as thrilling as fighting, Mosquito’s silver tongue heated up the atmosphere.

In a pub, the atmosphere is like the background music of a movie.

Play some spirited background music, and even playing Dou Dizhu could feel more exciting than Boruto.

Not to mention the stories and topics packed into the cards Mosquito whipped out—making conversation was a breeze!

The onlookers who didn’t understand were swept up in the commentary nonetheless, cheering for the evenly matched strugglers.

The boisterous noise in the pub made beer sell like hotcakes.

Seeing the crowd’s excitement, the bar owner behind the counter finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sent a grateful look Mosquito’s way.

As for the players watching by the side, they were baffled, and when they saw the cards drawn by the players, they were even more bewildered.

"Holy crap, what the heck is Blue-Eyed White Dragon?"

"Why the hell is Dinosaur Warrior popping up now?"

"Druids???"

"Hah, Teng Teng’s artwork can increase defense???"

Listening to Mosquito go on, they almost forgot what the original game rules were.

But that stuff was never really important.

Mosquito even improvised a bunch of rules on the fly, completely disregarding the fairness he’d just vouched for.

But since the logic was self-coherent, no one raised objections.

The scoring system went from the best of three to the best of five rounds, and each player at the wooden table had scored two points each.

It was the final round, and both players were holding onto their cards tightly, looking fiercely at each other.

Standing behind Damon, a group of Weilante People shouted till their faces turned red and their necks thick, egging him on loudly.

"Go, Damon!"

"Take him down!"

"Smash his head with that Super Mutant you’ve got!"

Seeing these idiots blow his cover, Damon almost spit blood in frustration and resignedly threw out his strongest card.

"Shut it, will ya?"

This game had somewhat similar rules to Tian Ji’s horse racing; once your hand was known by the opponent, there was no game left.

Catching this momentary slip, Tang Feng swiftly played a Magic Card he’d held for a long time, smiling viciously as he placed it on the table.

"My turn at last!"

"Activate Magic Card! Rise from the dead, my Blue-Eyed White Dragon!!"

Seated at the judge’s table, Mosquito suddenly leapt up, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Blue-Eyed White Dragon! The moment it’s summoned, it can launch an attack on Changsheng! Remove an opposing melee zone card with an initial combat power no higher than its own!"

Without any buffs, both cards had 100 combat power.

The moment his voice dropped, Mosquito, with quick reflexes, snatched away the Super Mutant card and stuffed it back into his pocket.

Seeing his trump card destroyed, Damon sitting opposite, widened his eyes and couldn’t help but let out a swear.

"Damn it!"

Standing beside the card table, Debt Giant Eye also couldn’t help but explode with an expletive.

"Holy shit, is this even allowed?!"

Mosquito, sitting at the judge’s table, winked at him and said in Mandarin.

"Heh heh, the tide of battle is just that fickle..."

He coughed before turning to the dumbfounded Weilante person again.

"Are you going to play a card? If you don’t, this round is over."

He definitely had to play a card.

But looking at that darkened face, it was clear the remaining battle had lost any suspense.

Just as he predicted, the Weilante person played out the rest of his hand but couldn’t turn the tide of the points on the field.

The winner had been determined.

Mosquito stepped on the table with one foot and lifted Tang Feng’s arm, loudly announcing the winner of the duel.

"The victor is the warrior from the 100th Mountain Brigade, First Battalion Second Company’s Tang Feng!"

The room erupted with fervent cheers.

Apart from those players who knew the original rules and the Weilante people who lost the match, nearly all the Wasteland Wanderers enjoyed the spectacle.

When Mosquito climbed down from the table, Debt Giant Eye, having lost the bet, grabbed him and furiously exclaimed.

"Do you call this Gwent?!"

Mosquito casually clicked his tongue.

"You don’t get it, this is what we call localization of the product... Besides, how much money can you make from just those few Gwent cards? After a few card packs, you’ve drawn them all, how else would I clip the chives."

Outlaw Maniac also exclaimed angrily.

"You’re destroying the original work, aren’t you?!"

Mosquito, cheekily grinning, said.

"No big deal, the original isn’t my daddy! It’s not like those NPCs have ever played it, the rules are whatever I say they are. If it bothers you that much, just call it Kun-pai or whatever, as if it’s not that thing, it’s all the same to me."

Outlaw Maniac: "@#%&!"

Suddenly becoming the center of attention, Tang Feng wore a look of embarrassment, but seeing so many cheer for his victory, his vanity was also satisfied, and he modestly smiled and waved to the crowd.

Watching those big noses with their dissatisfied looks, Mosquito, having dealt with his comrades, chuckled and said.

"Easy there, buddy, winning and losing is all part of the game. One match doesn’t prove anything. If you want, you can try to reclaim victory next time, unless... you guys lose every time. Tomorrow, same time, I’ll still be here. As for these cards in your hands, think of them as a gift from me."

"I’ll be waiting for you!"

Staring hard at Tang Feng, who wore a small victory smile, Damon angrily left a threatening remark, then turned to Mosquito and whispered.

"Got any other cards? Mine are crap."

"Of course, but you have to buy card packs to draw the rest... Don’t worry, it’s not too expensive, ten Silver Coins a pack, and you get a full twenty cards!" Mosquito paused, then continued sincerely, "Honestly, the cards aren’t the key to victory. It’s the person using them that matters, like equipment. I recommend you get fully acquainted with the cards you have before thinking of assembling other decks..."

This was actually nonsense; no card game could ever reduce randomness to zero.

Especially a game where the entertainment factor outweighs the competitive aspect.

The Weilante person couldn’t be bothered with his drivel and directly threw down a hundred Silver Coin note.

"You better have enough."

Silver Coin could get you two cards, and he could easily buy 200 cards to take back and ponder over at his leisure.

Why bother listening to his nonsense?

Upon seeing the bill on the table, Mosquito swiftly snatched it up and stuffed it into his pocket, then he called over the shill who was mingling and jeering with the crowd, directing the fellow to carry a sack into the center of the throng.

"Choose any you like! I hope you assemble the card deck of your dreams! Don’t blame it on the cards next time if they’re not good enough!"

Damon, face darkening, reached into the sack.

"Shut up!"

Mosquito chuckled and closed his mouth, watching as the guy meticulously picked through the selection, feeling pleased as punch about it.

The cost of producing this kind of card pack was even less than 1 Silver Coin, yet he just sold it for more than ten times that!

Especially heartwarming were the eager gazes all around him.

He was afraid that this one sack wouldn’t be enough to sell!

Thinking this, Mosquito couldn’t help but consider maybe hosting a Gwent card tournament, with a cash prize or something...

And just as he expected, the several large sacks of cards he had prepared sold out in no time.

Especially those folks from Ideal City, every single one of them didn’t seem to care about money and spent it without any hesitation.

They were so desperate to get that 100 combat power Blue-Eyed White Dragon that they were willing to tear open half of the card packs.

However, these people didn’t know that the invincible god card they were so eagerly pursuing would become outdated in the next version.

combat power?

Haha, that would become nothing but a joke!

Mosquito had already imagined what a card with 10,000 combat power would look like.

He was even considering adding several Army units of the Alliance to the card packs!

In a little while, the tavern’s main hall was filled with the sounds of card-playing and the shouts of Wasteland Wanderers.

Flipping through the stack of colorful cards in his hand, Tang Feng remarked with a touch of emotion.

"I don’t understand why such an interesting thing didn’t become popular in Ideal City."

This kind of small but exquisite game was indeed rare on Endpoint Cloud, where virtual worlds as big as entire planets, albeit vast, felt somewhat empty.

It would be even better if they could make the battles into virtual reality scenes.

Like using holographic computers to project the combat scenes and skill effects or something.

Mosquito, who was busy counting money at the next table, chuckled and said.

"I told you, my brother isn’t cut out for business; the era of just selling products is long gone. Marketing is not only about strategy but also about telling stories."

Tang Feng was momentarily stunned.

"Telling stories?"

Shuffling the cards in his hands, Mosquito leisurely said.

"Exactly, like today, a round of Gwent successfully prevented internal conflict between the Army and the Corporate Allied Forces... How do you like that story?"

He paused, then cast his ambitious gaze out the window.

"Speaking of which, this village doesn’t seem to have a name yet... ’Unknown Village’ sounds too bland; how about we call it ’Gwent Town’?"

Or maybe Gwenton would be nice too.

Before, this place seemed to be called something like ’Fu Villa,’ also a monosyllabic name.

Hearing these profound words, Tang Feng was taken aback for a moment and then it dawned on him.

Damn.

Were they being used as pawns all this time?!

...

While the distant tavern not far from the front line was bustling with noise, the faraway Broken Blade Mountain was eerily silent, with only unmanned drones quietly spying from the sky.

The middle-aged man wrapped in a white cloak gazed towards Black Cloud Mountain in the distance, his face revealing no emotion.

No one could "see" his face anyway.

Except for his own kind—

The "Human Emperor" standing behind him.

That is, if he could still be considered human.

"Too weak..."

The Beast King spoke softly, with his back turned to his colleague who had also ascended to heaven.

"At this rate, even without the flying beasts developed by Luo Gan, those green-skin mutants with stronger regenerative powers alone could hold them at bay here."

He was never good at naming, especially after he had forsworn his own name.

Terms like green-skin mutants and goblins, he had picked up from those players who fought against the mutants.

But that didn’t hinder anything.

Names were just tags, after all. Everything would start anew once heaven descended.

"...These weak and incompetent creatures have stayed in the cradle for too long and have forgotten how to hunt."

"They have already experienced the cruelty of the universe at South Gate Two, yet they still babble incessantly over trivial matters."

"Entrusting the fragile destiny of humanity to such weaklings is a sure sign that our future is truly at an end."

"I think you are quite right." The Human Emperor seemed uninterested in the topic. He was only here to deliver goods and incidentally, to appreciate the scenery and check on the state of the northern defenses.

If Ten Peaks Mountain couldn’t hold, he would have to make some early preparations within his own parish.

The Beast King looked back at him.

"What about the south?"

The Human Emperor answered calmly.

"Alzu is dawdling. The apostles under his control don’t entirely listen to him. It might take a little more time."

There was no change in the Beast King’s expression, but his matter-of-fact tone carried a hint of faint mockery.

"I’ve always said that Sanctuary No.2 couldn’t be reliable. Only by shedding the flesh can one transcend human limitations and ascend to another dimension."

In fact, Luo Gan’s failure was due to his incomplete ascension; a sliver of humanity still lingered in his sea of consciousness, leading him to treat the ugly child of an Old Human as an extension of his superior life form.

This was an unforgivable mistake.

Several key moves had gone awry due to that momentary weakness.

Had he initiated the heavenly domain sooner and turned it into a world like Haiya Province before the Alliance acted, they wouldn’t have had to engage with the Alliance so close to Ten Peaks Mountain.

After pondering for a while, the Human Emperor said softly,

"Saint Heir surely has his considerations. Perhaps he finds Alzu’s rhetoric more appealing. I believe it is a purely rational decision, so there’s no need to worry."

One or two failures were not unacceptable and didn’t signify anything.

The evolution of life is achieved through a succession of "mistakes."

They had enough examples to prove that expecting to "step into the sky" in one go was unrealistic.

Unfailingly, the only destination such a path led to was hell, and a price not paid now would have to be paid in the future.

The Beast King frowned but said nothing, simply turning his gaze toward the northern peaks.

"Perhaps."

He couldn’t quite agree with the Human Emperor’s words, but this wasn’t a pressing matter.

Rather than reaching a consensus on such irrelevant details, what he cared about most at the moment was the present.

He believed that while they were busy preparing for war, the other side was also anxiously getting ready for the upcoming battles, meticulously considering their next move.

It was a pity that the "Holy Land" relied on relay servers to transmit information, and synchronization had to be achieved through them. Otherwise, he would have really liked to send a couple of agents to see what those Old Humans had prepared these past few days...

"Don’t worry about my side. You’d better urge Alzu to hurry up; we can’t wait forever."

The Human Emperor nodded slightly, his figure gradually fading.

"I will."