This Game Is Too Realistic-Chapter 514.2: Celebrating The Birth Of A Settlement

Looking out at the fiery, determined gazes around him, he raised the flaming cup high and, in a solemn and resounding voice, toasted the players and NPCs before him.

"To the future of Pioneer City!"

The cheers in response were loud and excited.

"Cheers!"

"Long live Pioneer City!"

"Long live the administrator!"

"Long live the New Alliance!"

The preparations were complete, and the banquet officially began. The noise was incessant, filled with laughter, chatter, and the clinking of glasses.

The city, named in honor of old companions, would become the fourth survivor settlement established by the New Alliance, following Falling Leaf City. It was also the second overseas camp after Bist Town.

New Alliance warriors were celebrating the birth of Pioneer City with a grand party, offering their blessings while also bidding farewell to comrades who would soon go their separate ways.

The Heart of Steel had been repaired and would begin its return journey after that night.

Most players would be heading back to Dawn City aboard the Heart of Steel, though more than 100 had decided to stay behind.

They intended to continue unfinished quests, explore the undeveloped ruins of the Eastern Industrial Zone of the Federation Era, and track down the Enlightenment Society’s presence in the area.

Although that might mean missing the wave of events next spring, Wasteland Online had never forced players into a single play style.

Even skipping the main story still left plenty to do. As for their save data, there was no need to worry.

Chu Guang had already ordered 100 clone cabins to be transferred from the airship to the surface.

The New Alliance’s infrastructure aid to the Falcon Kingdom and Honey Badger Kingdom went beyond roads and railways. It included power grids and communication systems too.

Especially the communication network.

Currently, the easternmost New Alliance signal tower had reached Bist Town, and soon, Pioneer City would raise a massive signal dish of its own.

Though signals in the Great Desert were unstable, there were still stable windows. Once a pod finished scanning, its data could be transmitted back during optimal conditions.

By reducing risky behavior and rotating use of save points, 100 clone cabins were enough to meet the save needs of several hundred players.

As long as they stuck with the main force, saving had never been a problem.

While the New Alliance was celebrating Pioneer City’s birth, General Adelia was having a headache dealing with food, sanitation, and logistics for nearly 1,000 stranded marines, crew members, and returning officers in the desert.

Food wasn’t a huge issue. The Adjudicator carried ample supplies, and the Falcon Kingdom wasn’t far. They could send for more.

But aside from food, everything else was a problem!

The airship needed a full overhaul, and all the marines and crew who had lived aboard had to disembark and make camp.

There were no nearby locals to conscript, and only a few laborers had been brought along. While camping was a basic marine skill, the pampered troops of Adjudicator were not the same as those from the Heart of Steel.

The latter actually fought wastelanders, often operating beyond supply lines. Building tents from junk, reloading ammo by hand. It was all routine business for them. They even carried lathes and iron furnaces with them.

The former, however, were usually docked at Triumphant City’s skyport, with zero combat deployments. That was why there were only 1,000 personnel total between marines and crew.

As for importing slaves from the Falcon Kingdom...

Even setting aside their collapsed mobilization capability, that kingdom barely had any young men left. Workers who could actually do labor were in short supply.

Too many prisoners had been left in Bist Town. The strong young ones would rather eat dirt in the desert than go back to the Wislanders. Adelia had thickened his face and asked Cohen for help, but Cohen scowled and hung up after snapping at him. All he got was a quick "Handle it yourself."

So, even without wilderness survival skills, 500 marines had no choice but to make do and get to work.

Thankfully, they still remembered what they were taught in boot camp and military school. After a flurry of effort, the camp of linen tents began to take shape.

Adelia’s brow twitched as he looked at the crooked tents scattered among the ruins.

His adjutant hurried over and whispered anxiously, “We’re 100 tents short...”

Adelia’s eyes widened. “How can we be short that many? Call the logistics officer!”

“It’s not their fault. It’s just... There are more people than we planned for...” The adjutant explained with a pained smile, sneaking a glance at McClennan.

Adelia immediately understood what he meant, though McClennan, standing nearby, clearly didn’t.

The shabby conditions reminded McClennan of his brief time in the New Alliance’s prisoner of war camp. The thought of reliving that bitter memory made his face darken. He couldn’t hold back a jab. "... Your camp setup is surprisingly awful."

“We only prepared enough tents for ourselves...” Adelia, considering McClennan’s noble status, responded tactfully.

But McClennan wasn’t letting it go. “I don’t think that’s the problem.”

That instantly triggered Adelia. He shot back immediately, “No choice, we had just enough, until a few hundred losers who lost a fight showed up expecting to be waited on.”

McClennan’s face froze.

Seeing him about to erupt in shame and fury, Adelia softened a little and turned to his adjutant with a dark expression. “I’m going for a walk.”

With that, he left the camp, trailed by several guards.

But wandering about didn’t help. After a couple of laps, he unconsciously drifted toward the New Alliance’s camp. Just last week, representatives from the Academy and Enterprise had been staying there, he and McClennan too.

Maybe... He could crash there for the night?

He didn’t feel too bad about it. It wasn’t like he was the one who lost to the New Alliance.

Staring at the distant camp, Adelia was just figuring out how to ask when the smell of roast meat hit his nose. Instinctively, he started sniffing the air.

Mixed in with the smoky aroma were loud, boisterous voices. The smell made him swallow involuntarily, but the noise made him frown. “What are those people doing?”

His guards were just as puzzled. At his signal, three of them jogged ahead to investigate. Adelia waited.

Soon, one of them returned. “Reporting! The New Alliance soldiers seem to be celebrating a new settlement!”

“A new settlement?” Adelia felt a creeping dread.

Are the New Alliance settlers planning to stay here?

It was unclaimed land, so technically, he had no right to object, but the feeling was familiar. He had felt it before, back when the New Alliance insisted on moving into Bist Town.

What the hell are those blue rats scheming this time?!

“Take me there,” Adelia ordered sternly.

“Yes, sir!”

With his guards, he strode forward and soon spotted the other two guards he had sent, who were being harassed by two New Alliance soldiers.

One of them, clearly drunk, grinned and reached for the guard.

"Hey, big nose! Come have a drink with us, hahaha, hic, bring that Pangolin of yours too! Tell him this grandaddy here thinks he’s chicken and wants a duel!"

Pushing away the hand reaching for his chest, the Wislander soldier scowled. "Who knows if you’ve poisoned your drinks!"

Darkest snorted dismissively, "Heh, you think we're like you?"

The Wislander soldier glared and him while snapping, "What did you say?"

"What? You wanna go?" Darkest said before turning to Eye Owe Money beside him. "Help me beat this guy!"

Eye Owe Money had drunk a bit but not much. He shook his head furiously. "Nope, I’m a support class. Go get someone from the construction team."

Darkest rolled his eyes instantly. "Heh! Loser!"

Eye Owe Money was triggered instantly "Screw you! If you’re really capable, you go fight him alone!"

"Enough!" Seeing the two about to fight each other, Adelia panicked and hurried forward, yelling to stop them.

He had no choice. His own guards were too close. If a fight broke out, it would be impossible to determine blame in the chaos, and if someone fired a shot, the ceasefire would be worthless.

What Adelia didn’t know was that the two were actually close. They were just messing around and had no intention of actually fighting. Besides, one was a perception type and the other intelligence type. Neither could do much anyway.

Staring at the guy with the big nose, Darkest didn’t recognize him. He asked impatiently, “Who are you?”

Eye Owe Money chimed in, “Yeah! What are you yelling for?”

Fixing them both with a glare, Adelia said stiffly, “Where is your administrator?”

Darkest rolled his eyes. “What’s it to you?”

So what if he was a general?

His buddy was also a commander in the Army! Rank meant nothing to them anyway!

Not wanting to argue with drunkards, Adelia swallowed his anger, took a deep breath, and said calmly, “Just tell your administrator that General Adelia of the Adjudicator would like to discuss something. You wouldn’t want to get scolded by your superior for screwing up official business, would you?”

Hearing it was important business, Darkest sobered up a little and waved a hand. "Damn, should’ve said so earlier... Wait outside."

Adelia watched with murder in his eyes as the two drunken idiots staggered off, arm in arm. After waiting in the cold wind for quite a while, someone finally emerged from the camp gate.

Adelia straightened his collar, but upon seeing who it was, his face turned dark.

He had expected the administrator himself, not the same two rude drunkards.

Darkest giggle as he spoke, "Hic... Our administrator drank too much. He said whatever it is, talk tomorrow. Also, your old room is still reserved. If you don’t mind, you can stay there tonight."

Adelia was secretly pleased. The earlier annoyance vanished, though he kept his expression neutral.

“Drank too much? Hmph.” He snorted and replied coolly, “Then I’ll wait until he sobers up.”

The wine smelled suspiciously good. Maybe he would snag a couple bottles later.

Feigning reluctance, Captain Adelia waved his hand and headed toward the gate with his guards.

Watching the big-noses’ backs as they entered the camp, Darkest suddenly remembered something and shouted after them.\ “Oh right, our Administrator also said, when he saw your doghouse, he knew it wasn’t fit for people..."

He didn’t finish. Eye Owe Money quickly covered his mouth. "You idiot! Why the hell would you repeat that part too?!"

"Mmph mmphhhhh!"

Hearing the shout from afar, Adelia nearly tripped. Scowling, he quickened his pace and pretended not to hear it.

His guards were furious but, seeing their commander remain silent, had no choice but to swallow their rage.