Wasteland Echoer

December 31st, 528th year of the New Lunar Calendar.

Zhenie Empire, Imperial Province, capital Zhenetsk, St. Vanya Parliament Building.

It was extremely cold in the imperial capital Zhenetsk in December, especially during this difficult period this year when factories in most cities in the empire were forced to suspend production due to extremely frequent "waves of unintentional people".

The streets of the imperial capital, which has a temperate continental climate, have long been covered with white snow. Even on the banks of the Ruin River, the river water with a large specific heat capacity did not regulate the low temperature as in previous years. Instead, it was covered with silver-white armor. The thick ice has forced the empire's "Odyssey", "Dawn", "Chekavsk" and "Mamous" warships to stay in the harbor, waiting for the arrival of spring and the time when the ice melts.

Originally, near the tall, majestic and magnificent parliament building, there were white almond blossoms with a blush, and cornflowers that bloomed from time to time on the lawn. However, after their respective glorious seasons, they all withered. Even the "Demon Wind Plum" that was transported and transplanted thousands of miles from the south of the Fire Empire more than a hundred years ago died due to the cold temperature, leaving behind bare branches that looked like devil's claws.

It was around 5 o'clock in the afternoon. According to the regulations of the imperial capital, during non-war periods, no matter which department or agency the empire had to work at, they had to stop working at this moment and return to houses or underground residences wrapped in lead shells.

Due to the big explosion that occurred in Sokra, the previous capital city, more than a year ago after the dome disappeared, the sky of the empire has been filled with gray clouds full of poison for more than a year.

Whenever there is a heavy rain or snowstorm, except for abnormal animals, plants, superpowers, lost people and "unintentional people", normal humans, even if they have acquired immunity to the "unintentional person virus", will be affected by the rain and snow as long as they come into contact with the rain and snow. In an instant, he fell into madness and turned into a monster that lost his mind.

As the empire's ability to control various strongholds suddenly declined, its industrial capabilities and organizational strength collapsed rapidly, and it no longer had the ability to build buildings like the Socratic Dome to resist the gray "cloud of mutation".

The current empire, like an old man in his twilight years, can only look up and wail in the wind and rain of his twilight years, lamenting the difficulty of rebuilding [order] and the ease of its decline.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

The bell of St. Zhvanne Church in Zhenetsk struck seventeen times in succession, heralding the arrival of the hour on the hour. As various civilian and military personnel in the parliament drove away quickly, Leto Street, the closest to the parliament building, became deserted within a few minutes. In less than half an hour, Zhinetsk was like those who had fallen into the trap of "careless people". "Like the abandoned city of the Lost, it became lifeless and lifeless.

Da, da, da, da, da, da...

The crisp, rhythmic sound of high-heeled shoes extended all the way from the main entrance hall of the parliament building to the end of the stairs on the negative floor, and then ended at the end of the gradually dimming corridor, like the depths of a green forest full of weird thorns.

A plump and graceful woman with standard curves like the artist's paintings appeared in front of the "Secret Archives" door.

After stopping, he tidied up the slightly compact military green imperial female army uniform, and handed the "Capital Military Membership Card" to the heavily armed guard with a slightly tired look.

Accompanied by a heavy "squeak" sound, she walked into the door alone.

Sitting on the leather sofa, the woman waited for a few minutes before another man wearing a military uniform appeared in front of her as promised.

He has black hair, a high nose, blue eyes, and very regular facial features, but his face is covered with various small wounds.

As soon as he entered the door, the man immediately gave a half-bow and apologized in a gentle tone:

"Ms. Melinal, no, I should call you General Melinal. I'm sorry that you, a general of the second level of Dark Star, are waiting for me, a little person of the first level of Dark Star."

"That report..." Melinar ignored the slightly hypocritical man in front of her, and held her chin as she said:

"There are still two small parts left, and I don't know how to perfect them. Just so, Kaia, you are Kaiwukski's younger brother, and you also led the 'Storm Legion' to participate in the undefeated 'The Coming of Silence' You should know more details about the battle."

"Of course, Ms. Melinal." The man named Kaia nodded and said:

"Except for not witnessing the death of His Highness the 'Undertaker' Crown Prince Ivante, I have basically participated in the rest of the battles. It's just a pity that my brother is too obsessed with power. In order to become the marshal-in-chief of the empire who holds real power, He deliberately concealed my identity, and even because he was afraid of my strength and talent, he did not let the empire's high-level officials know my name for more than ten years. So, it was not until last month that I was able to work with Reka who had just succeeded to the throne. Entered the Imperial Strategic Corps with the appreciation of His Majesty II."

"It's a pity for you, General Melinal. During your 'three years of sleeping', you had an unforgettable love with that bastard crown prince, but he failed to fulfill his promise to marry you and become the empress of the empire. Just Because you were once a Lost One, it was not until the Church of Hope openly surrendered to the Empire that you were able to be transferred to the capital city to assume the position of Deputy Director of the Strategic Group."

"Kaia." Melinaer said with a deep voice unique to mature women, very displeased:

"Exposing someone's scars is an unfriendly act. If you want to taste my little baby Seye's 'Dragon Flame', you can continue the topic just now."

"By the way, speaking of Thayer... How is the investigation of the whereabouts of [Deceiver] Dylan, the 'great hero' who hatched it? I heard that he was alone in order to find his old mechanical friend Luo Nie. A man escaped from the magic shield of the fortress and went to the yellow sand in the center of the Silent Highlands. It has been more than a year, and the imperial army has almost flattened the Silent Highlands. Haven't they found him yet?"

"I'm sorry, General Melinaer. Until yesterday, we tried to send a team into the Silent Highlands to search. The telegram they sent this morning was the same as usual, but nothing was found. As for the mechanical body, there is news that he has gone south to the old town. He met his master Bude once in the ruins of Kofu City, and then people saw it in the ruins of Migov Town, Chekavsk and Zollin City."

"But I heard from the governors of the two big cities that people who had seen that appearance didn't think he had the feeling of a mechanical body, but that he looked like a living human being, so they were not sure about the true identity of that person. Melina General, do you believe there are anecdotes about machines turning into humans?"

"Of course I believe it." Melinaer nodded slightly and said:

"After the arrival of Xinyuan, all the previous myths and legends are gradually being confirmed. Even the god 'Daughter of Mechanical Yuan' in the data is said to have seen his scattered body. However, if you find Luo Nie, you should be able to find it. Dylan, unless he has already been submerged in the endless yellow sand and gone to meet the Lord."

"General Merlinal, having said that, in the report you made called "The Last Order Before the Collapse of the Empire," I think the last two paragraphs about the Battle of Silent Heights were the most difficult for Yvante and me. The death of my brother Kaiwukski. At that time, the landing points of all the air and space forces were some distance away from Ivant and the others. It was not until the 'Fire of Punishment' fell that they knew what happened near the Lake of Silence." Kai Seeing Melinaer's expression becoming a little disappointed, Ya quickly changed the topic to the right track.

"Yes, those who were close were basically not engulfed by the flames and turned into charcoal. People in the distance did not see the scene. However, I heard from the escort team of the Air and Space Army directly under Ivant that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince originally wanted to take advantage of the situation. As the war was about to end, I rushed into the yellow sand to find the 'Daughter of the Tool Element'. After all, a middle-grade Simon from the Hope Church noticed the abnormal movement of the magic source power in the center of the highland the day before Ivant was killed, and hurriedly reported it to me. I told him again."

"It's a pity that my memory hasn't been fully restored at that time. Otherwise, I really should have gone with Evante." Melinaer sighed, turned her head to the side, and subconsciously looked at Houchuang Beyond the glass, gray snow lay on the path to the Capitol grounds.

"The lives lost can never be restored, and our sighs are ultimately to make up for the regrets in our hearts. However, Miss Melinal, we should look forward. Although I have no good impression of Yvante himself, I admire him for his courage in The courage to reconstruct [order] at the wrong time." Kaia comforted:

"He mobilized a mere 50,000 troops and more than 5,000 Sucra legionnaires who almost rebelled. He eliminated two of the three most important churches of the lost in the empire and forced the Church of Hope to surrender. This is unprecedented for any empire. A feat that no monarch has ever accomplished. His 'Old Technology Research Team' is still working hard to decipher the technology left behind by Crusted. Although we have been defeated, with the help of the 'Electromagnetic Pulse Rifle', 'Krew' The German Air Force', at least, managed to hold on to its basic base and avoid a complete collapse."

"No, just two months after he died in the war, a grand funeral was held for him in the capital. Even Rekha I, the bishop who died on Christmas Day on January 7 this year, dragged his sick body to the ceremony and even He was buried under the Saint-Gevanne Church, sleeping among the monarchs of all generations. Although I mocked him as the 'Burner', the official title was 'Constructor', which can be regarded as recognition of his achievements. "

"It's a pity that Rekha II, who succeeded to the throne last year, is only a 12-year-old child. His father was killed by Aaron long ago. He has been living in fear and has not received much orthodox education. I heard that not only does he not recognize many He doesn’t even know how to use Zine words or even use firearms, which is a headache for his teacher who was born in the army.”

"Kaia." Melinare came back to her senses and interrupted Kaia's story. "Do you think the 'Diary of the Decider' was created by the devil? In fact, the Decider has never written any information. , our research on the diary is just falling into His trap, slowly destroying the Rurik family, destroying the Zine Empire, and ultimately destroying everyone?"

"Maybe." Kaiya sighed:

"In order to find the so-called 'Daughter of the Mechanical Element' of God, the Imperial Crown Prince Ivante, his teacher Aaron, Yato of your church of hope, the imperial scientist John and his student Shamon, the cardinals of the three major churches 'Blood Wind', 'Mysterious Sound', 'Xue Mu' and 'Ning Yuan', George, the senior leader of Sugra, Pusev, the leader of the 'Lone Wolf Society', my brother Kaiwu Keski, and 30,000 people from the Empire [Soldiers] all paid the price with their lives. It is not an exaggeration to say that the diary is the product of the devil. Perhaps, if you think about it differently, could the decision-maker be the devil himself?"

"We have never understood that god, and we don't have much information about his history. For the sake of selfish desires, several forces, especially Socrates, who wanted to create the so-called environment, that 'paradise', listened to this ridiculous information and created the Put it into action. So, human beings are stupid creatures, and the lost ones and those with powers who share the same origin with them can never get rid of the shackles of desire. By the way..." Kaia said, taking out a He handed the printed information to Melinaer and continued:

"The situation on the day Ivant died was very chaotic. A lot of the information that can be investigated now comes from the oral accounts of the [Fighters] and the Lost who were nearby at the time. The general situation is that Ivant wanted to ensure that he would not be killed by the Lost." He was captured and suffered humiliation, or was forced to issue a retreat order. Therefore, he used two imitation sequence monsters, the 'Spirit Shadow Pendant'. Once he was injured, the sequence monsters he carried with him would be stored in the 'control room' The one that transmits a blue signal, requesting support. Once a red signal is transmitted, it means that Ivant is dead, and the 'Fire of Punishment' carried on the Silence airship will attack the location where the signal came out, completely destroying it. enemy."

"But it seems that the 'Fire of Punishment' is also a temporary imitation, and its power is limited. Therefore, when other air and space forces rushed to the vicinity of the Lake of Silence, in addition to seeing a sea of ​​scorched animals and plants, the lake water was almost evaporated, and All that's left of Evante's 'Time Wheel Watch' is a pile of charcoal. You know, the sequential monster 'Time Wheel Watch' is exclusive to the royal family. Wherever it is, it means where Evante is. .”

"What you said...and this information is quite detailed, Kaia." Melinaer carefully placed the information on the oak table aside, her face finally improved a little, and then she calmed down De looked at Kaia with purple eyes and continued:

"I would rather believe that the 'Daughter of the Mechanical Element' really existed and was killed by someone, so she turned into a bunch of scattered machines. Because, I have seen a person from the Klein family who possesses the 'divine nature' A powerful man named Brett, who can compete with the stronger 'Mad Body' as a human being.

There is a young man beside him named Wright Sugra, who hopes that the church has been investigating him and has been trying to cooperate with him. After all, he possesses the extraordinary power that transcends all, the ‘red magic source power’, and he is the [Orderer] profession. You must know that due to road blocks and temporary inspections, Sogra's coat of arms has never been transported to the Silent Highlands. The yellow sand has retreated, which represents the opening of the divine realm. Only he, or the person who controls him, can enter the temple of the gods behind the stone gate. "

"By the way, Kaia. After the 'Socra Explosion' happened last year, didn't you catch former Prime Minister Holly? Did he give any information about Wright? I remember that he was a member of the Socra Guard." Mei Linal asked.

"That fat guy..." Kaiya recalled for a few seconds, sneered twice, and said:

"He went crazy after being arrested by us. He was covered in filth every day, like a wild boar rolling in the mud. We have been interrogating him, but in addition to always saying 'The God of Pramini will destroy me' Apart from crazy talk, he never said anything useful. No, he died just last month. I heard that he died of adrenaline surge due to panic and cardiopulmonary failure. Commonly known as, he was scared to death."

"Regarding his death, I'm more curious about the 'Plamini' he mentioned. If I remember correctly, that word should be the meaning of 'flame' in Kreuz German. You also know that the Zine Empire and The culture of the Crusad Empire has the same origin, but we are more deeply influenced by Psius and Ptoia, and many ancient words related to the north have been discontinued a long time ago."

"Speaking of flames, I feel that either he was frightened crazy by the big explosion, or that there was a god in the dark rebuking him. The history of Crusted once recorded a god related to flames, who seemed to be called ' Lord of Eternal Red'."

"I also remember that period of history." Kaiya said with interest:

"Gurji, a poet from the north, also said that in the Second Era, a 'god who brought fire' appeared in the Krusted Empire. 'The trees in the places he passed turned to red, and the ice in the extremely cold areas turned red. All are dissolved. He is the aggregation of all flames, and it is said that He can control the power of the sun.'"

"So, I think 'Plamini' is the name of that god. Kaia, by the way, can we still contact the people in the north now?" Melinaer asked.

"It's difficult." Kaia shook his head. "The 'waves of careless people' are becoming more and more frequent. I estimate that it won't be long before we can get out of any stronghold. Moreover, the situation in the north will only be worse than ours. However, I promise you that I will try to send 'Warriors' to break through the 'Wuxinren' blockade and strive to re-establish contact with the north."

"Thank you for your trouble, Kaia." Melinaer said, bowing slightly to express her gratitude.

Then, she pulled up the wooden chair and continued to improve her report based on the information provided by Kaiya in front of the oak table.

After being busy until twelve o'clock in the night, Melinaer rubbed her dry eyes and prepared to get up and leave.

Just as she was about to open the heavy iron door, Kaia, who had been waiting for several hours and was about to leave together, suddenly said:

"Miss Melinal, have you ever heard of the strange things that happened in Silent Heights on the day His Highness Evante died?"

"Strange...strange thing?" Melinaer asked curiously.

"I heard that late that night, the air force stationed in a nearby camp to deal with the aftermath heard the roar of wild beasts. A few of them who were brave even ran to the lake that was drying up to check the situation. Guess they said they saw what?"

"What?"

"A monster with red eyes, wings, and a body wrapped in red light crawled out of the water. However, a chaotic light flashed after a few seconds, and the monster disappeared. Listen to the people you hope to teach. Said, that may be the messenger of the 'Dragon Clan Head of State'."

"Dragon clan...the head of state? I remember that Thayer showed his power, which was indeed dominated by flames." Melinaer murmured in a low voice:

“Is it possible that ‘Pramini’, the future chapter of this story, is about to begin?”

As she spoke, she casually tore up the information Kaia printed for her and put it into the wastebasket.

Accompanied by falling debris and a heavy door slamming, the lights on the first floor of the parliament building gradually went out.

The whole of Zhinetsk finally fell into a long, dark night again.

(The first and second parts of Volume 1, "Echoes" are completed.)

The first two parts of the "Echo" volume have been completed!