Hyberian Wars Chronicles

A cold and indifferent request for orders was passed up.

"Permission granted." The commander in the STP operations command center said coldly.

Everyone around fell silent; this action would leave very few survivors in the E7 area.

"Rejected."

Just as the order was being acknowledged, it was directly displayed as invalid and rejected.

The commander was taken aback and turned to look at the person approaching.

"Captain?"

"Every life is precious; we cannot abandon them unless absolutely necessary. Change the combat strategy; there is no need to destroy the spore clothing. After all, this is still different from a real anomaly. We just need to forcibly pull out the control plug; as for where to start, you should know." The captain said calmly.

"But what about now?"

The commander seemed to be subtly reminding.

"We have already made a mistake; we cannot afford to make a second one on top of that."

"Alright." The commander finally fell silent.

"Change the combat strategy; forcibly pull out the control plug."

"Yes."

The blue mech stepped back a few paces and then accelerated, charging forward at high speed.

With a flip, it jumped directly onto the head of the monster.

The long blade-like legs were instantly covered in light, then fiercely stomped down on the monster.

In mid-air, the AT field barrier formed again, and the blue mech deployed the same barrier, the two intertwining and distorting.

A violent explosion erupted, and at that moment, another red mech moved, pulling out another light sword and charging forward at high speed.

Taking the opportunity, it stabbed the light sword into the spine from behind, forcibly severing the neural connections.

Suddenly, a stream of red liquid gushed out from the spine, and Mad Eye Rein Hawke became like a toy with its power cut off, the crimson eyes instantly losing their luster, becoming incredibly dull.

A large amount of red liquid washed over the entire area like a tide. When everything ended, the control plug was forcibly pulled out and placed on the ground.

The surrounding mechs rushed forward, directly cutting open the control plug.

Many pilots jumped down from the mechs.

Qianlong stood frozen in place, witnessing an unforgettable moment: a humanoid monster was dragged out from the control plug, its body covered in red cells, making it impossible to discern its appearance before death, yet it retained the expression of despair from its life.

Phantom spoke.

"The level of mental contamination is extremely severe; the body structure is completely destroyed. Confirmed target shows no signs of life."

"Man-made." Qianlong echoed in his mind.

More and more people rushed in, and Qianlong stood quietly in place, gazing at the shattered remnants before him. Once beautiful and peaceful, was this the shattering of a fantasy?

A day later, Qianlong sat in a chair, the enclosed metal room feeling particularly cold.

In front of him sat several men in special uniforms.

"You just need to recount everything you saw that day in full detail. Rest assured, we mean no harm."

Qianlong calmly recounted the process, but deliberately omitted some parts.

For instance, he left out the part about seeing the control plug being ejected and the existence that was pulled out.

Half an hour later, "Thank you very much for your cooperation, Mr. Qianlong. Your physical examination report is out, and no signs of contamination were found."

"Thank you, can I leave now?" Qianlong replied.

"Yes."

Qianlong followed the staff out of the interrogation room and walked towards the outside.

"Do you think he really told everything he saw truthfully?"

"No matter what he saw or knows, as long as he doesn't spread other things around, it doesn't matter. He knows better than us what should be said and what shouldn't."

"I understand."

"What about those who are mentally agitated?"

"Aren't they infected by radiation?"

"Leave it to the STP personnel to handle."

"...Yes, I understand."

Qianlong returned to his room in a daze, lying on the bed with his eyes closed.

For some reason, those images uncontrollably flashed before his eyes.

Qianlong knew he was sleepless again.

In the deep of night, Qianlong sat up and walked out of the cramped room.

Wandering aimlessly on the sparse streets, Qianlong didn't know how long he had been drifting. When he looked up, he found himself in front of a late-night diner in District D.

He walked in, and as he passed through the door, a crisp wind chime rang.

"What would you like to eat?" A big man with a steady demeanor and a headscarf on his forehead smiled at Qianlong.

"Just bring me something to eat." Qianlong replied, too lazy to order.

"Alright."

"Do you have any alcohol?" Qianlong asked.

"Yes."

"Bring me a bottle."

Qianlong found a spot to sit; there weren't many customers here.

Including himself, there were only five people.

Soon, a plate of steaming spicy stir-fried West Vine (a plant with strong vitality and fast reproduction, with a crisp taste) was served, along with a bottle of dark beer.

Qianlong sat quietly, drinking beer to numb himself.

Around him, voices of discussion arose, "I heard the E7 area was attacked by unidentified biological monsters yesterday, and many people died. It's truly tragic."

"Ah, it's really a natural disaster."

"I wonder how that monster got in."

"That's just one aspect; the price of vegetables is probably going to rise again."

"Prices have been rising every year; there's no way around it. With the population growing, the demand naturally increases."

"Boss, add some peanuts."

"Okay."

Before long, a small plate of peanuts was served.

"Why does it feel like the portion has decreased?"

The big man said, "There's no choice; prices have gone up."

"Then there's nothing to be done."

"Bring me a plate of peanuts and another bottle of dark beer," Qianlong said calmly.

The other diners couldn't help but look at Qianlong; it was indeed rare to see someone so young with such spending power.

"Alright," the big man replied calmly.

The next morning, Qianlong opened his eyes, having slept in a bit late.

He got up and opened the door, surprised to find a basket of vegetables quietly placed at his doorstep.

Qianlong bent down thoughtfully to pick up the basket and brought it inside.

For the next half month, Qianlong did not see Kromi; it was said he was in the hospital undergoing a physical examination due to radiation exposure.

For some reason, Qianlong felt an unusually heavy heart. One day, he stood at the door and saw a familiar figure, his heart skipped a beat.

Dore, with her right eye wrapped in bandages, showed no signs of anger, merely being mechanically led by her father.

Qianlong couldn't help but walk over.

Dore's mother unfortunately was caught in that incident and did not survive. Although Dore was lucky to be alive, her right eye was affected and she could no longer see. It wasn't that current technology couldn't treat it, but rather there were no points available.

This was the first time Qianlong had seen Dore since his return. Dore's father saw Qianlong approaching and wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

(End of Chapter)