Wasteland Echoer

After a while, I pounded the potatoes with a fork a few times with a Roca to make sure that the potatoes were very soft. Then I took them out of the pot under the steam, put the peeled corn next to it into it, cooked it over high heat, and added Some sugar to taste.

Whether it is for federal soldiers or the lost, as long as mankind does not enter the next era, sugar will always be an important strategic material. Soldiers and lost people in the field receive very limited sugar from their respective organizations.

Using such a critical resource to cook in this wilderness is truly a luxury.

Following the faint aroma, Luo Ka put the newly cooked potatoes into a bowl and pounded them with the back of a Fire Empire-style ceramic spoon until they were all pureed.

Then, he added salt and black pepper purchased from a street store in Binglin City, and then poured in some vinegar and soy sauce. He continued to pound and stir until its appearance was similar to the relics excreted by humans during gastrointestinal discomfort. , pour into a plate and place on the table.

This is just an appetizer, or appetizer category.

But when the weak "Future" saw the mashed potatoes in such a shape, he was already hungry and ready to devour, but he suddenly felt a thankful sense of fullness for no reason.

After all, since entering the extremely cold zone, Luo Ka and "Future" have mostly eaten in the wilderness style. Apart from occasionally eating some animal bodies raw, they mostly bake them on temporary fires or use convenient military cans. host.

Today was a rare free day, and the changeable "Lei Ye" taught him some cooking methods of people from the Fire Empire. Luo Ka hesitated for a few seconds and simply poured in half the bag of white sugar. In the wok, pour two bowls of water and start boiling the sugar.

As the oil refined from animal fat is poured in, and as Roca continues to stir with a shovel, the burning flame powered by the gas tank continues to inject energy into it, causing the sugar to lose its white color containing the holy light, and continue to Stained with a red color that resembles blood and fire.

Bubbles and smoke continued to billow outward, like a steam machine that had been running for a long time and was close to red temperature. The sugar gradually turned into sand, but the movements in Lorca's hands did not stop.

At this moment, he had long been immersed in this pool of red mist, until the water in the pot became less and less. With continued stirring, countless filament-like existences were produced outwards with the spatula, turning into what the gods had given to their servants in the past. It is so omnipotent, containing dark red, terrifying, restless, and fearful tiny hairs or tentacles.

But Lorca did not let these distorted red-candy colors continue to exist. After all, in addition to the inexplicable spiritual connection between these stirred patterns and skeletons and death, the rising fog made him unbearably hot. , reducing his cognitive level.

Moreover, the remaining sticky substances in the country are also rapidly condensing, becoming harder and harder. With random tampering, they become more and more similar to the traces of rodent bites, or the internal organs scattered on the ground after being hunted by large beasts.

Wow!

With the pouring of a bowl of water, these slightly disgusting sticky things finally merged with the clear and pure things in a very short time. While dispelling the unbearable visual impact, it also brought a wave of The rare fragrance of food.

While the soup in the pot continues to simmer, Luo Ka successively adds onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, salt and other seasonings, as well as chili peppers originating from Putoa's colony in the southwest of the mainland.

It is said that the adventurous warriors among them once tried to prove that our world is a sphere. They set out from the port near the Cape of Storms and explored westward for nearly a year.

But in fact, only three people from the team of more than 100 people came back. They said that they had indeed seen and landed on a brand-new continent that had never appeared on the map, but there seemed to be monster dragons living there, and it was also the habitat of the old gods and their apostles. It was filled with darkness and Miasma, as well as extremely poisonous insects and germs, the days are unusually short and dark, and the nights are unusually long and strange.

Except for bringing back some potatoes, peppers and corn seeds claimed to be given by the disciples of the ancient god Dipser, there was nothing else.

However, before he died, the captain who went to the so-called "new continent" said that the old gods hoped to eliminate hunger for humans. After all, humans who suffered and died would have extremely twisted anger and despair, and would breed the power of the dark night.

Now, the darkness in the realm of the old gods has long been overwhelmed and is about to break through the balance and bring heavy disasters. They hope to slow down this process from the root.

Listening to the sound of Luo Ka cutting the snow rabbit meat into pieces and putting it into the wok to cook, "Future" closed the book "The Truth of the New World—A True Navigation Record" written in Putua and put it down. Underneath the perfectly washed pillow.

Yes, all of this is what was mentioned in this book. Thinking carefully about the few words in it, "Future" whispered softly and said with emotion:

"Perhaps, the captain did not change the living conditions of mankind after bringing back high-yield crop seeds. There is still pain, there is still killing and oppression. The realm of the old gods that humans have never really been able to enter may have been a few years before the New Yuan. Nian suppressed the twisted dark anger and despair to the extreme. On an ordinary day, he completely lost his balance and triggered the so-called 'reason'.

"I remember that there is a proverb circulated by the Khitanris people, 'When the light reaches its extreme, darkness will breed, use ice to extinguish the flames; when darkness controls everything, the light will grow, and spend the long night with warmth."' Wu Xin Human crisis is the total explosion of pain, helplessness, struggle and death contained in the power of darkness. But where is the glimmer of light in this long night? Does it really exist?"

Just as "Future"'s eyes were gradually staring blankly at the steaming water vapor in front of him, Luo Ka happened to bring two cooked corn cobs. While the hard-to-cook snow rabbit meat was cooking, he sat at the table and took the Pick up the corn and divided mashed potatoes, put them on the table closer to "Future", and say hello:

"Stop feeling emotional, 'Future', I heard everything you just said. Brother 'Bingren' told me that before thinking about any problem, a full stomach is the key. When you are hungry, it doesn't matter whether it is light or dark. , having something to eat is a blessing from the goddess of light.”

"Listen to what you said..." "Future" held his chin and thought:

"That seems to be the case."

"So, don't think so much. Now that you have a chance to have a good rest, eat something and take good care of yourself. Last night, 'Bingren' and several other brothers and sisters of our 'Chaos Group' said, wait." After Plamini's Ax has completed his mission, you are allowed to take him away." Lorca said while chewing the corn cob in his hand:

"No matter whether he can still exist as 'Wind Mine' in the end, that is to say whether he will regain consciousness, Brother 'Ice Blade' will respect your choice. Here, you are free compared to serving the Federal Council. ."

"Freedom?" "Future" whispered, putting a mouthful of dark, soft mashed potatoes into his mouth, and then said:

"What I actually need is not...the freedom to choose, but the freedom not to choose. I remember...Constantinlian, the original owner of my body, was always in fear before he died. , longing for the love of his brother 'Feng Mine', at least a normal brotherly relationship.

"For me, I don't want to work for any force anymore. This time, at least after seeing the 'Echoers' and 'Plamini's Truth', I want to have the freedom to refuse. If the [Order] really If Advent is the 'Echoer' and can lead Crusted to end the 'Heartless Crisis' first and rebuild [order], I may wait until the war is completely over before leaving."

"Or...are you planning to go to the east, across the quasi-no-man's land of Aventelei, and go to the Kitanlis that you miss so much, that country full of hope and new life?" Luo Ka put the finished corn in a basket beside him. He asked, wiping his mouth.

After a few seconds of silence, "Future" suddenly put all the mashed potatoes in the bowl into his mouth, wiped them clean, and replied:

"That's right. They withstood the first wave of the 'Heartless Man' crisis and built long defenses to block the invasion of 'Heartless Man' from the outside. This is a feat. From beginning to end, they are not as good as the humans and humans here. Like the Lost, they either wander in the wilderness like ghosts, or huddle in their strongholds and eke out an existence.

"They may have careerists, but they are not enough to destroy the entire country and nation. The Crusaders were once synonymous with strength and force, and have created countless glories, but now, we have long since declined."

"Although I don't want to offend you, I want to ask you a question. That is, when was the last time you saw the Khitanris people coming from the east? Did you see a ship flying the flag of the Fire Empire with your own eyes? How many years ago was it? This is a question that Brother Ice Blade once asked me." Luo Ka said.

"I, I'm not sure." "Future" slapped his head and shook his head.

"Then let me tell you, the last Khitanris to arrive in the Crusted Federation was Yan Xian, a member of the Royal Family of the Flame Empire ninety-five years ago. He only reached Kasdagler in Russ Province. Until his death, he never entered Binglin City, which he longed for. After all, he had already transformed into a lost person during the long journey.

"And the last batch of steamships belonging to Khitanris that were shipped to the entire western continent arrived at the port outside the city of Sokra in the Zine Empire one hundred and thirty years ago. That ship traveled as far as the Lirod Sea New Port and Old Port, as well as Nantoa Port in the south of the endless ice ocean.

"They came not so much to trade as to go on an official adventure doomed to a narrow escape, trying to explore the possibility of the whole world regaining contact after the New Year. But in fact, they ended up dying in the North Karloff Zone In a small town, he was disemboweled by the Lost Ones who belonged to your 'Order Society' there, satisfying his desire to eat."

"So, what do you want to explain, Luo Ka?" "Future" asked guiltily, not daring to look up into Luo Ka's eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Luo Ka spoke with difficulty:

"Is it possible that, in fact, the prosperous and beautiful Kitaris is just a fantasy we have been told by word of mouth? In fact, the situation there is far worse than we expected?"