113: Chapter 113 Ushoutan

Twenty-four hours later.

Shelter B3, Genetics Laboratory.

Accompanied by a low hiss of hydraulic exhaust, the door of the oversized incubation pod slowly slid open.

White condensation mist spilled over the metal base, covering the floor.

A large foot, covered in old calluses and appearing as if cast from steel, stepped firmly onto the floor.

The supreme Commander of the Fourth Legion of the Thunder Warriors, Ushtan, stepped out of the mist.

He looked down at his hands.

The stinging sensation of genetic collapse that had haunted him for ten thousand years, like a disease clinging to his bones, had vanished.

His skin, which had begun to turn grey and necrotic, now radiated an astonishing vitality and life.

Carmen quickly stepped forward and draped a large grey robe over his old Commander's shoulders.

"Commander. You are finally awake."

With reddened eyes, Carmen gave a concise report on everything that had happened during this time and their experiences with the Shelter.

Ushtan listened in silence.

Afterward, the laboratory fell into silence.

After a long while, Ushtan let out a sigh.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping past the cold-faced Stone Man Hong standing to the side, finally settling on Lin Li, who was wearing red Power Armor.

This veteran, who had once been a dominant figure in the Unification Wars of Terra, strode toward Lin Li.

He did not kneel on one knee like Carmen; instead, he stood perfectly straight, clenched his right hand into a fist, and struck his left chest heavily, performing an ancient Terran military salute.

"Lord High Lord."

Ushtan's voice was low and filled with power.

"Carmen has told me everything. You have granted me a new life; I, Ushtan, will keep this kindness engraved in my heart."

He paused:

"I am willing to swear a blood oath to serve you from this day forward. Not only do I have extensive experience in individual combat, but as a Legion Commander, I excel in high-mobility maneuvers for large formations."

Hearing this, Lin Li was overjoyed.

Wasn't this exactly the high-end command talent the Shelter lacked most right now?

While The Fourth Calamity was fierce, they relied entirely on micro-management and chaotic swarming during battles.

If a top-tier general from a regular army could coordinate tactics, the players' destructive power would surely reach a whole new level!

"Excellent, having your help is like giving a tiger wings."

Lin Li rubbed his hands together.

"What about your other old brothers? Hurry and call them all over, let Hong cure their genetic diseases too! Everyone can join the Shelter and live the good life together!"

However, Ushtan shook his head decisively.

"I am sorry, Lord High Lord, my personal loyalty represents only me; it does not involve any of my other brothers."

Ushtan's gaze grew dim, even showing a hint of deep-seated wariness.

"I explicitly oppose other Thunder Warriors joining your faction. In fact, I will prevent them from doing so."

Lin Li frowned: "Why? Are you just going to watch them wait for death?"

"It is not waiting for death, it is avoiding the risk of repeating past mistakes."

Ushtan's voice was cold, his tone carrying a resentment that ten thousand years could not dissolve.

"Back then, we shed our last drop of blood for that man, and the result? When we lost our utility, we were met with heartless slaughter and purging!"

"In the eyes of those in high power, we are nothing more than tools to be discarded at any time. I will not allow my brothers to become consumables for someone else's conquest of the galaxy again."

Ushtan looked Lin Li straight in the eye.

After listening, Lin Li sighed inwardly.

"This old guy has had his heart broken by the Emperor; he's suffering from severe workplace trauma sequelae."

But Lin Li did not lose his temper.

He put away his usual nonchalant, joking attitude and his expression became exceptionally serious.

He looked at Ushtan and repeated something he had once said to Iron Man 73.

"Commander, I once said these words to my butler, an Iron Man AI."

Lin Li's voice was steady and powerful.

"I believe that whether it is a robot with independent consciousness or a clone, they should enjoy the same basic rights as pure-blood humans. At the same time, they must bear the same obligations."

"They are independent lives, not consumable tools. Whether it be the ancient Stone Men, Men of Iron, you Space Marines, or those mutated sub-humans outside. As long as you identify with this philosophy, everyone is treated equally in the Fire Seed Shelter."

These words completely subverted the human-supremacy doctrine practiced by the Imperium of Man—though 'human-supremacy' there referred to the human race as a whole, not individual humans.

After all, the gap between humans can be larger than the gap between a human and a banana; how could a High Lord and a servitor be considered the same kind of person?

Ushtan's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise after hearing this.

But he was, after all, a shrewd man who had lived for ten thousand years; he soon shook his head.

"I can see that you wish to restore the federalism of the classical era and unite all forces that can be united."

Ushtan sighed,

"That is fine, your philosophy is great. But we old bones are truly disheartened. We do not want to be involved in the disputes of any factions anymore."

"I know that if I were to wake my other brothers now and tell them my decision, they would follow me and join you without hesitation. But I will stop them. I serve you to repay the debt of saving my life; it has nothing to do with them."

He was completely unmoved by persuasion.

Seeing that he couldn't convince him, Lin Li didn't push further.

After all, getting a top Commander for free along with a veteran like Carmen was already a huge win.

As for the remaining Thunder Warriors, he'd let them be.

Once the players leveled up a few more times, their combat power wouldn't necessarily be inferior to theirs.

"It's fine, everyone has their own ambitions."

Lin Li waved his hand and said magnanimously,

"But the gates of the Spark Alliance are always open to you; a seat will be reserved for the Thunder Warriors in the alliance."

Ushtan was slightly moved and did not refuse.

Before leaving, Lin Li looked at Ushtan's back and suddenly spoke up to remind him:

"Finally, Commander, I still have to give you a warning."

"In this shitty era, the vortex of war will swallow everything. No one can stay clean or remain on the sidelines. Whether you are disheartened or afraid, when the vortex sweeps over your heads, you'd better have the ability to face it."

Ushtan's footsteps paused.

He remained silent for a long time, ultimately saying nothing as he followed Carmen out of the laboratory.

...

A few days later.

The Shelter's surface camp.

The early morning sunlight spilled over the open saline-alkali land.

A breeze blew past, and the distant scenery was refreshing to the soul.

Rhine wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Her sister Willow was by her side, along with a large group of natives who had come from various settlements to seek refuge.

They were carrying electric harvesters, walking together toward the fields east of the city.

The changes in the camp were too great, happening so fast that Rhine felt like she was dreaming.

Wide, level concrete roads stretched all the way to the horizon.

On both sides of the road, it was no longer bare radiation wasteland, but a vast, endless sea of golden wheat waves.

That was the famous [Jinkela No. 1].

This was a miraculous wheat that could be called divine.

It didn't need watering or fertilizer; once planted, it would mature and be ready for harvest in just a few days.

Moreover, its yield was staggering; the plump seeds from a single ear of wheat, when ground into flour and cooked, were enough for an adult to eat a full meal!

The only—and fatal—weakness of this wheat was that its leaves were extremely hard and sharp; if one wasn't careful, they would slice open skin with cuts deep enough to see bone.

But a few days ago, this problem was perfectly solved.

That big sister who was always tinkering with a sewing machine used a type of Red Demon Mushroom fiber collected from a cave to the east to sew a batch of red protective suits for everyone for free.

By wearing clothes made of this Mushroom Cloth, one could completely prevent being cut by the wheat leaves.

"Willow, are you okay?"

Rhine turned, looking at her sister behind her with some concern.

Willow had been very off lately.

Her face was as pale as a ghost, and she was often in a daze.

Even stranger, whenever other natives got close to Willow, they would feel dizzy for no reason, and some would even feel nauseous and vomit.

Everyone was now intentionally or unintentionally avoiding her.

"I'm fine, sister." Willow forced a smile, but her steps remained unsteady.

Rhine bit her lip and tightened her grip on her sister's hand.

Beyond surviving the wasteland, she also had a strong desire in her heart; she longed to be as knowledgeable as those soldiers and to have the chance to learn that profound knowledge.

The group arrived at the edge of the wheat field.

In the distance, a man was riding a giant mutated bird, followed by a flock of chirping strange birds, patrolling back and forth through the fields.

Although she couldn't understand the strange little tune the man was humming, he looked very happy, his face radiating the joy of a bountiful harvest.

"Everyone, hurry up! Before the sun gets too fierce, let's get harvesting!" Rhine called out to her companions.

The electric harvesters made a light humming sound.

Sharp serrated blades cut through the wheat stalks.

The natives nimbly tied the harvested wheat into bundles and stacked them neatly on the ridges, waiting for the tracked transport vehicles to haul them away.

As noon approached, the weather became exceptionally hot.

After harvesting the wheat and threshing it into grains, they went to the camp's processing workshop to grind it into fine flour.

After finishing a morning of farm work, Rhine hoisted a heavy bag of flour onto her thin shoulders and gritted her teeth as she walked toward the living area.

This vast residential area was personally named the Security Zone by the Administrator.

The houses here were all quickly assembled from concrete prefabricated units.

Though very crowded and with poor soundproofing, they at least provided Shelter from the wind and rain, and housing was allocated entirely for free.

A large number of new refugees who had just joined the alliance and temporarily had no means of support were settled here.

In particular, a large group of civilian women who had migrated from Shahe Town to the south, many of whom were heavily pregnant.

The two sisters, Rhine and Willow, didn't actually live here.

They had specifically brought this bag of flour to provide nutrition for a pregnant woman here who was about to give birth.

"Huff... huff..."

Rhine panted heavily, her shoulder aching from the pressure of the flour bag.

Her foot stumbled, and she nearly fell.

Suddenly!

Rhine felt the weight on her shoulder lighten instantly.

That bag of flour, weighing a full fifty pounds, was actually lifted into the air by someone with one hand!

Rhine turned her head in surprise.

She saw a burly and robust female soldier holding the flour bag with one hand, as easily as if she were carrying a bag of cotton.

"Hey girl, don't push yourself if you can't carry it! Let me help you!"

The strong female player grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

Although Rhine couldn't understand the perfectly enunciated Mandarin, she understood the other's face, which was full of kindness and helpfulness.

On the wasteland, this kind of selfless kindness was a rarity.

Rhine nodded gratefully and said in broken Chinese: "Thank you!"

Then, she led the way with Willow.

The strong female player followed with the flour, passing a male player who was dazing by the roadside.

"Hey! Gugu Eagle! Helping NPCs with daily errands again?"

The male player greeted her.

"Do these quests even give points? So stingy."

"You don't get it! This is called immersive life-profession experience!"

The strong female player, called Gugu Eagle, rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'm going offline to get some takeout then, I'm starving."

"Alright! See you tomorrow!" the female player replied with a smile.