Wasteland Echoer

Before walking out of the bedroom, Wright and Feng dressed neatly in the Socra Guard uniforms and the army green legion uniform respectively. They looked at the full-length mirror in the bedroom and tidied themselves up.

Wright didn't bother to straighten his haggard face, and simply smoothed his long black hair with his hands. He looked generally neat, but not very energetic.

Under the leadership of Kerton, Wright walked through the old corridors of the military camp in Area B and went downstairs along the old stairs with a "battle-damaged" style.

In Camp B, the floor where the "Strategic Command Branch Office" is located is unusually bright. In Wright's opinion, whether it is morning or dusk, golden light can always penetrate from all directions, either through skylights or the open simple wooden door of the office. , people can always feel that this place is filled with the emotion called hope.

But as we walked down a few floors, the feeling of light became weaker and weaker, and the atmosphere of darkness became more and more shrouded in this crucial office building in the camp, which controlled all military operations.

Even when he went down to the ground floor, combined with the dusk light emitted by the gas lamps hanging on the wall, which were transported by winding metal pipes, Wright actually felt like he was in a depressing, dim, dark, dim, and even somewhat mysterious place. The feeling of eerie atmosphere under the Socratic Dome.

Although [soldiers] and some civilian staff from various military stations came and went, it was difficult to feel the indescribable aura of the lost ones. Moreover, there were many tall, tall and straight soldiers with a strong sense of decency. , but in the dim environment with swaying gas lights, Wright could always feel the flickering, mysterious and fantastic feeling of "dark terror" that seemed to be eroding his spirit.

"Mr. Wright."

Seeing Wright stop in front of the gate of the military station, hesitating and staring thoughtfully at the faint light on the wall, his eyes were dull and empty. Cotton patted Wright on the shoulder and shouted in a deep voice vigilantly.

"Ah, ah, I didn't sleep well last night and was a little distracted. You should know, Mr. Cotton, that I have experienced too many battles during this period and the time has passed too tightly, which has led to some mental discomfort now. Stable." Wright quickly explained after coming back to his senses.

"Understandable. The temporary reports sent from the Sokra and Chekavsk regiments this morning show that you at least participated in the battle of Kosv Station, the retreat of Migov, and some military missions to the ruins of the city of Donusk . But any one of them is dangerous and difficult to survive. But..."

Keton's eyes flickered abnormally. He did not dare to look directly at Wright's pure black eyes that were as deep as the abyss and the depths of the universe. He said pointedly:

"People with superpowers are usually accompanied by a lot of mental problems. Of course, the same goes for ordinary Empire [soldiers]. They are always in battle and the spirit is suppressed by high intensity. It is inevitable that they will collapse. But I want to remind you that some time ago, Zinets The Department of Biology of the University of Cambridge mentioned this in a latest research report titled "Virus Infection and Drug Use Rules" sent to cities, small towns, and military strongholds in various places."

"For normal humans, injecting No. 13 and 16, or even a double dose of No. 20, within two hours after being scratched, bitten, or even eaten by an unintentional person can solve the problem.

Although people with superpowers can be immune to viruses to a certain extent and only need regular injections of No. 15 medicine for prevention, the accumulation of viruses in weak infections must not be ignored. "

"Accumulation in weak infection? How to...understand it?" Wright suddenly felt that his brain was a little confused and asked in a daze.

"Actually, superpowers themselves are human beings with different levels of infection. If the infection is shallow, it is nothing more than an increase in physical strength. If the infection is serious, they can gain a lot of extraordinary power and even create many scenes that are difficult for normal people to understand. Some of them are very beautiful and very... Brilliant. And if the infection deepens to the point where he must eat live meat, he will be closer to the Lost."

"As we all know, it is difficult for most of the powerful Lost to maintain absolute sanity, and they are often in mental breakdown and trance. But in fact, many people in the three major churches, that is, the Lost groups that need to be annihilated in this 'Silence's Advent' campaign, Not a real lost person. In other words, as the camp you support changes back and forth, your identities as a superpower and a lost person can change back and forth. After all..."

Cotton showed a bitter and helpless smile, patted Wright's shoulder heavily, sighed and said:

"Now the empire is not only short of resources, it is also short of talents. The top officials of the empire, especially the Crown Prince Ivant, who holds the real power in the royal family, have no moral obsession. He hopes to unite all the forces that can be united and obtain the blessings of the Lord. The last, the greatest victory. To this end, he can use any talent without restraint, including his teacher Aaron. According to rumors, Aaron is a lost person and may even be a high-ranking member of the Church of Hope."

"Aaron?" Wright muttered the name and felt his heart twitch.

There was a trace of imperceptible fear in the corner of his mouth, as well as a very subtle twitch and tremor that was difficult to detect with the naked eye.

Aaron, the Chekavsk ruler who divined for me, the man whom John introduced so that I could get some guidance.

Darling, if the Socra Committee or even the Empire knew that I was secretly communicating with the Lost One, things would definitely become complicated and weird.

Taking a deep breath, trying his best to calm down the depressing feeling caused by the space and the topic he was talking about, Wright smiled slightly, glanced to the right unconsciously, scratched his itchy hair a few times, and changed the topic:

"Speaking of which, Mr. Cotton, as an inspector of the 'Security Corps', how come you are so involved in such a wide range of subjects, including science, politics, military affairs, simple medicine, and even high-level gossip?"

"This is the duty of the 'security team'. Wright, looking to the future, if this war successfully annihilates all the lost people entrenched in Silent Heights, you soldiers on the front line will inevitably be transferred to other departments. You Your rank is not low among the 'cannon fodder' at the bottom. If you are lucky enough to be transferred to the 'Public Security Station', you will be able to experience our responsibilities firsthand. Investigating extraordinary things, assisting in patrols and inspections, and cooperating in battles, these tasks are not It’s not as easy as imagined.”

Keton spoke earnestly, leaving Wright with a look worthy of careful consideration and reflection.

Following Keton, he passed through the dim space on the ground floor of the military base, pushed open the door, and entered the courtyard surrounded by a few "tall buildings" in the camp in Area B, surrounded by the warm and bright morning. Shrouded in the brilliance of the sun, Wright felt unable to adapt for a moment, feeling as if he was in another world.

Even though the sun along the way to the ruins of Donusk City was not unforgiving and the sunlight was abundant, it was still filled with the stench of the bodies of unintentional people, the intoxicating smell of blood that was emitted from time to time during the battle with the Lost, and many plants. The rotten smell, the unpleasant exhaust smell of the mechanical chariot, the smell of volatile gasoline, and even the smell of the ground being burned all made Wright feel a kind of loneliness.

The loneliness that goes deep into the soul, the confused emotion that seems to be abandoned by the world.

Now the surroundings are finally filled with all kinds of human beings, most of whom are not evil. Human beings full of ideals gathered here to work together to restore the empire and order. Wright feels that he is not alone, not alone, and surrounded by shadows.

Squinting his eyes, trying his best to restrain the convulsions and tears caused by the strong light, Wright blocked the light with his right hand covered with small wounds and calluses, and quickly followed Keton to a concrete and steel structure behind the military office building. The "auxiliary building" for living and entertainment is painted with a yellow earth-colored paint that is close to the yellow sand style.

…

After going up to the third floor of the "auxiliary building" and entering the currently empty military dining hall, Wright did not bother to observe the old furnishings around him, the peeling dining tables and seats, and the mottled walls full of scorch marks. , and the relatively flat masonry floor with occasional potholes.

Instead, he followed Keton through a long and dark corridor that seemed very depressing, and came to the room in Area B camp where a metal signboard said "Special Restaurant" was used to receive distinguished guests.

After pushing open the brand new, wide door covered with red leather, which seemed to be used in an imperial palace, what caught Wright's eyes was a dining room that was almost the size of ten bedrooms where he stayed last night.

Very British style, European style.

The long dining table is covered with a pure white tablecloth, and the whole room is extremely bright. The windows close to the white paper with the ability to transmit light reflect a bright white light, and the floor of the "special restaurant" is paved with mahogany. , even dotted with some faint stars.

The surrounding walls are covered with light yellow-style wallpaper with patterns of sunflowers, iris flowers and sunflowers. Between the two windows on the opposite side, hanging on a protruding wall are the emperor Reka I and the crown prince Yi. Portrait of Fante.

They were all dressed in the dark green uniforms of high-ranking generals of the Zine Empire. Their chests were covered with various metal badges and medals. They wore white gloves, and their hands were crossed on top of canes inlaid with gems and gold. .

Their half-purple eyes looked sideways to the upper left, where a few rays of light appeared, as if they were looking forward to, looking forward to, looking up at something.

"General Peter, I brought Wright to you, and his brother came with him. Do you think you want to invite Mr. Wright to dine alone, or together?"

Seeing Peter standing calmly, Keton gave a half-bow with obvious respect, and said in a calm but not hasty voice.

"I probably didn't tell you, and I don't blame you for that. I am the middle-level general of the Sugla Guards, that's true, but it's a part-time job.

My official identity is a mid-level civilian of the Socra Committee, the industrial planning group, oh, that is, the head of the industrial planning group under the current ruling group. I don't like others to call me general. You should call me sir or teacher everywhere. "Peter emphasized in a sharp voice.

"Yes... Peter... sir. Then Wright's brother..."

"Stay outside and let him eat. I can feel that his 'brother' must be a powerful superpower. How can he do it without eating? What if he has a mental breakdown and does not serve the empire? It’s a small thing, it would be bad if he was like the [Guardian] who carried out indiscriminate bloodthirsty killings with a spear from the Third Age in the city of Socra a few years ago. Remember, Keton, give him more chicken and Beef, don’t forget to give him a box of canned cultured meat.” Peter arranged.

"Yes, sir. Then let's go, kid." Keton turned around and said to the wind in a rich but extremely "soft" tone.

Feng, whose arm was being held by Keton, glanced at Wright in confusion. Under Wright's nod, he still reluctantly followed Keton without saying a word and left the bright, luxurious and bright "special restaurant." ".

"Do it, Wright Socra, Mr. Superpower." Peter said pointedly in a weird and high tone.

Then, he stretched out his right hand and made a gentlemanly gesture of greeting to Wright.

"Okay... okay." Wright nodded and pulled out the chair closest to him, which was painted with white paint and covered with cushions embroidered with intricate artistic patterns.

For some reason, since entering the bright "special restaurant", Wright unconsciously did not pay attention to Peter, the middle-level general who calls himself a "middle-level civilian".

It wasn't until he sat down smoothly that Wright focused on the man across the table.

His appearance is actually not ugly. He has the unique aura of being a civil servant or even a [scholar]. He is well-mannered, and his manners and manners are very dignified.

Moreover, his appearance is a bit rounded and his face is a bit broad, but he does not appear fat. It seems that a good education allowed him to develop control over food and energy intake, and he would not overeat, which would lead to changes in his body shape.

Looking carefully, there are no wrinkles or scars on this round face. It seems that he has not participated in any battle.

In the wasteland world, especially among the soldiers of the Zine Empire, it is very normal to have some paint on the face and body. Scars can even bring people a kind of honor. Soldiers without scars are likely to be looked down upon because they are very Possibly a coward.

The Peter in front of him seemed to pay great attention to his appearance. He was wearing a British-style dress, a round top hat, and a blue bow. There was no tie hanging, but a small golden chain extending from his chest.

According to Wright's guess, he must have a pocket watch hidden in his breast pocket for checking the time.

Moreover, he wears a pair of glasses with metal lace on his face. Overall, he has the look and feel of a factory owner or entrepreneur that can be associated with "street lights", lighting facilities that can be seen everywhere in big cities.

"Wright Socra, I'll call you Wright, my name is Peter James, you can call me Teacher Peter.

Needless to say, you should also know that I come here for the two most important purposes. First, to convey to you the next tasks assigned to you by the Socra Committee and the escort team. Second, recycle the ‘Crest of Tomorrow’ you obtained. "Peter said straight to the point.

"Then..." Wright deliberately paused for a few seconds, lit the dining table with his hand, and then said with a smile:

"Teacher Peter, should we eat something first? After all, I have been hungry for more than a day. Keton told me that you want to treat me to a full meal."

This section is mainly about the reconnection between Wright and the Socra Committee and the escort team. Later, the plot of joining the combat team and going south to officially enter the highlands will be introduced. At the same time, Wright will also meet an important teammate from before.