NOVPUBChapter 188 -187: Entering Dreams and Waking from Dreams (Part 1)
Chapter 188 -187: Entering Dreams and Waking from Dreams (Part 1)
The off-road vehicle screeched to a halt at the entrance of the city’s military encampment.
It wasn’t that Ailuodi didn’t want to drive straight in, but the already jittery city soldiers immediately blocked the entrance so tightly that even the two large cannons beside the gate were aimed straight at the vehicle’s hood. She bet that if the vehicle moved any closer, they would definitely open fire.
“It’s me, the Priest of the Mechanical Sect. I need to see your Commander!” Ge Wei called out as she poked her head out.
“What is this contraption? You’ll have to park your oddity outside!”
“These poor souls, they have no idea that this is not some oddity at all.” The priestess’s tone was full of superiority and also tinged with pity, “It seems we’ll have to walk in.”
Chaoyang and Ailuodi exchanged looks and couldn’t help but laugh silently.
In just a few minutes, Ge Wei had taken a liking to this loud, powerful machine. That was hardly surprising, as a Priest of the Mechanical Sect had a natural affinity for machinery, especially one like her who adorned her body with gears and screws. If this vehicle weren’t the property of Paradise, she probably would have stamped the Mechanical Sect’s emblem on the hood already.
After alighting from the vehicle, the four were led into the encampment where bonfires burned brightly. Disheartened, silent soldiers were seen everywhere, their numbers surprisingly high.
“Why are all these people staying in the encampment?” Ge Wei couldn’t help but ask the guide, “Don’t you know that heretical cultists are attacking the city?”
The latter also had no answer, “I’m just the guard officer for tonight, for specific arrangements please ask Mr. Woody.”
“The city soldiers must have run into trouble,” she muttered to Chaoyang, “No wonder we didn’t encounter a single troop heading for reinforcement on our way here from the Lord’s mansion.”
Chaoyang nodded silently without saying a word.
In fact, it had only been about an hour since he resurrected players. In an age without wireless communication, there was a significant delay in information transfer. These troops were originally tasked to inspect the Heigang Company’s assets in the Inner City District, to distract attention for a tri-party encirclement effort. When the headquarters issued a red flare, they should have returned to the encampment in an orderly manner, eliminating emergencies before immediately proceeding to the next step. However, they now looked as if they had lost their structure completely, becoming a group of scattered mercenaries.
Before even entering the reception room, the four could faintly hear a heated argument coming from inside.
Not until the guard officer knocked on the door did the voices inside suddenly quiet down, followed by Shandela’s call, “Come in!”
Chaoyang pushed the door open and entered to find only two people inside—one was the Commander, sitting on a recliner, and the other was her deputy, Woody. It was now clear who the earlier debaters were.
Shandela’s gaze swept over Chaoyang and the rest, finally resting on Leisk. “This is…”
“An Apostle of Paradise, Leisk.” Chaoyang had learned his lesson and refrained from mentioning topics like the real truth about the Envoy of Mist.
She nodded her head, “I apologize… you must have found it quite embarrassing. You must have heard the argument between me and my deputy outside the door, right?” 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
“Is there? I didn’t pay much attention,” Chaoyang shrugged, feigning confusion.
But Shandela obviously didn’t believe him, “Alright, you don’t need to make excuses for me. It’s good you guys came, now tell me how the operation is going? I saw the red and green signal flares at sea, but the patrol still hasn’t fired the boarding signal.”
“You mean those two ships haven’t returned?” His eyebrows furrowed, “I thought they saw the three red flares from the base and turned back to evacuate.”
“Those flares were sent by the traitor! Damn it, I thought by excluding the suspicious personnel from the operation, there wouldn’t be any interference with the original plan, but the cultists still managed to disrupt us with this method!”
“I see.” Chaoyang recounted the intelligence learned on the ship once again, “Not only have cultists infiltrated the Magnificent Castle, but the infiltration is quite deep, with many nobles becoming their supporters. What’s even worse is that this event is like the opening ceremony of a massive war. The Divine Envoy of the Evil God has decided they are strong enough and no longer hidden; now in the southern and eastern parts of the city, there have been incidents of cultists attacking residents, with the casualty count estimated to be over two hundred.”
“You actually know all this so clearly!?” Shandela was shocked, “You can even tally the casualties?”
Um… because he could see everything happening on the spot through the eyes of the players. Chaoyang also knew that his intelligence was too detailed and could only attribute it to the vast powers of the Divine Envoy of Paradise, “The Divine Envoy gave me this information. He also told me that warriors of Paradise are engaged in a desperate fight with the cultists, and they have already killed at least five of those black ribbon monsters.”
“Woody, listen to this!” Shandela punched the armrest, “The citizens of this city need us more than ever, yet we cower inside the base, afraid to move! Even the warriors of Paradise are fighting the cultists. How much longer are you going to let the city guard wait? If you’re too scared to lead the team out, I will do it myself!”
After speaking, she attempted to rise forcefully, clutching her abdomen, but her adjutant stopped her with a hand, “It’s not that I’m afraid to lead the team, it’s for the sake of your army! They were ambushed by cultists on Central Street and barely made it back to the base. Plus, you’re injured and can’t move, morale has already dropped to its lowest point! Sending them out forcibly now could mean they may not come back at all!”
“Where could they flee to as deserters?”
“Where else but the Old Continent?” Woody pleaded earnestly, “There are still over eight hundred people left in the city guard, your last resort for survival. Just let them settle down, wait until dawn, and their morale will be able to recover a great deal! But right now, the situation outside is unclear, and it’s deep into the night. If there are still hidden cultists causing trouble, I fear the soldiers’ morale will collapse!”
“It seems they still don’t know about the attack on the lord’s residence…” Ailuodi communicated telepathically, “Even if they wait until daylight, this army probably won’t recover.”
“But what if the person who died in the residence isn’t the real lord?” Chaoyang silently replied, “Suppose Shandela is the only leader left, the city guard still has a chance to regroup. On the other hand, if the army collapses now, whether the lord is dead or alive has nothing to do with her.”
“Are you planning to speak on behalf of Woody?”
“It’s also speaking for ourselves—the night when the city guard vanishes, only the faithful of Paradise stand up to protect the citizens. Isn’t that an ideal outcome too?”
Chaoyang cleared his throat and spoke in a soothing voice, “Commander, you needn’t be too anxious, the sanctuary has already taken in many fleeing citizens, and they are currently safe. Moreover, the city guard lacks weapons to counter the ribbon monsters, and a hasty attack at night could easily lead to an ambush. I believe the cult’s goal is clear, if they can wipe out the city guard in one fell swoop, the entire city will have no power to resist.”
Woody breathed a sigh of relief, “Mr. Zhao is indeed quick-witted, even in such a situation, to discern the enemy’s strategy.”
“But still—” Shandela remained somewhat unconvinced.
“If you’re really concerned, you can go to the sanctuary to oversee. I assure you, I’m not deceiving you, there are many refugees gathered there, and if they see you, they will certainly feel much more at ease.” Chaoyang took a different tack, “However, our most important task at the moment is to identify the identity of the Divine Envoy of the Evil God. He is at the core of all these plots and schemes.”
