After the Venus finished loading Lungmen's cargo, her engines roared to life. Adventurers and operators returned aboard, while another group remained behind in Lungmen to handle postwar cleanup and reconstruction. Lungmen commissioned several construction projects, and some players who wanted to rest during the journey, or who had long since come to regard Lungmen as a second home, chose to stay for the time being.
A new wave of operators joined the ship. Among them were Infected from Reunion who bore no hostility, as well as Hellagur, the head of the Infected clinic in Chernobog, and his affiliated organization, Azazel. Their arrival brought a fresh atmosphere to Tomorrow's Development. After witnessing the Lungmen operation, many operators deeply admired the leadership Hellagur displayed. As for former Reunion members, the most popular figures were undoubtedly Alina and Yelena.
After several days of rest and intravenous treatment, Alina's burns finally healed. Columbia's special medicine proved remarkably effective, leaving not even a scar behind. Once she was able to walk again, she immediately threw herself back into activity. After talking with Loughshinny, she voluntarily took over part of Loughshinny's workload. Loughshinny placed great trust in this gentle elafia woman and seemed inclined to nurture her further.
However, considering that Alina had grown up as a village girl in the northern reaches of Ursus and had previously only taught basic classes, her background differed vastly from Loughshinny's. As such, Loughshinny made time to give her extra guidance, helping her view and handle matters from a higher and broader perspective. Alina studied diligently every day.
Without fail, Alina visited Talulah in prison each day. She would talk with her for a while, sharing her thoughts on Tomorrow's Development, her progress in learning, and memories from their past together.
After joining Tomorrow's Development, Yelena quickly became the leader of the Reconnaissance Group. True to her role, she took on duties similar to Scout's in Rhodes Island. Her Yeti Squad had always specialized in concealment and reconnaissance amid snowstorms. Given that all its members were Infected, and prolonged combat could worsen their Oripathy, Felix assigned them to reconnaissance work.
Yelena proved highly responsible. Compared to Siege's initial unfamiliarity with command, Yelena memorized almost every codename in the recon unit from the very first day and immediately began organizing training exercises. Her schedule was packed. She frequently coordinated between units with Siege, and at times Felix worried she might overwork herself. Yet she always appeared energetic, as though she had finally found within Tomorrow's Development what she had never found in Reunion.
Patriot and the Shieldguards, on the other hand, seemed somewhat out of place among the rest of Tomorrow's Development. They were veterans tempered by countless battlefields. While Tomorrow's Development' operators were generally stronger due to superior equipment and training, there was still a clear generational gap. Felix arranged for the Shieldguards to focus on medical examinations and rest. Years of fighting had left many of them with hidden injuries, and continuing to fight would likely endanger their lives. At Felix's suggestion, they chose not to rush back into combat but instead rested alongside Patriot on the medical decks.
Occasionally, Hellagur and Patriot would encounter each other in the corridors. The atmosphere was so oppressive that passing operators could barely breathe. Yet later, some operators discovered the two sitting together in Rafaela's bar, quietly drinking. That only made their relationship more puzzling.
This operation caused Tomorrow's Development to spend an enormous amount of resources. The cost of medication for the Infected alone was astronomical. However, Tomorrow's Development gained an even greater reputation in return. Even those who despised the Infected found themselves unable to criticize the decision to provide free treatment.
Some might scoff, claiming the money was being thrown away, since no one expected gratitude from the Infected. Others might consider it foolish, arguing that helping the Infected brought no fundamental benefit to Tomorrow's Development.
Only those within Tomorrow's Development understood. Only the Infected truly felt that deep, shared sense of respect. Tomorrow's Development was precisely the kind of organization that sought to carve out a better tomorrow.
After ending his fairy-tale-like conversation with Amiya, Felix set down his terminal. Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical was preparing to dock near Yan for a time, and Amiya had no reason to hide anything from him. Rhodes Island was conducting a large-scale recruitment drive, seeking reliable operators willing to fight for both the Infected and the uninfected. Their manpower was still too limited. In large-scale operations, Rhodes Island could not afford heavy losses.
"How much time until my interview with that lady?" Felix asked.
"The timing is perfect, Your Highness. She is waiting for you in the lounge," Loughshinny replied.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Your Highness, are you certain that Sankta is not officially sent by Laterano? I reviewed her background. She once belonged to the Laterano Church. Even though she left of her own accord, her past identity cannot be erased."
"It may well be a test from the Pope," Felix said calmly. "Besides, as Tomorrow's Development continues to grow, there will be no shortage of spies from various factions. Even if that Sankta lady is an observer sent by the Pope, I don't mind. Tomorrow's Development has nothing to hide."
He nodded to Loughshinny. "Please inform Ms. Ingrid that we will soon be heading to Siracusa."
"Understood, Your Highness. I will also check on little Lisa while I'm at it."
Loughshinny saluted and left. Felix pushed open the lounge door. Inside, an elderly Sankta woman was calmly brewing black tea, heavily sweetened. She wore loose clothing, a cowboy hat with holes cut for her halo, and a large revolver hung at her waist.
"I've long heard that the leader of Tomorrow's Development is quite extraordinary," the woman said with a smile. "It seems the rumors were true."
She continued, "The basic interview process is already complete. I passed and received my codename. What, then, compelled the leader of Tomorrow's Development to come see me personally?"
"It's rare to see a Sankta aboard the Venus," Felix replied. "And although I haven't returned to Laterano in a long time, I've never believed my ties to it were truly severed."
Through his empathic sense, Felix felt her curiosity and her desire to gauge him. After all, he appeared very young, yet led such a massive organization. Curiosity outweighed everything else.
She sensed Felix's momentary hesitation, his confusion, and his faint realization regarding the Pope.
Which only proved that mutual probing between Sankta was meaningless and led nowhere.
"In the Church, I was nothing more than a dispensable cardinal. As for my coming here, the Pope knows nothing of it," the woman said with a grin. "Leader, you may call me Outcast."
"I would rather he actually send someone to the Venus," Felix replied.
Outcast shook her head. "For the Pope, that would still be far too risky. Laterano has never been a single, unified block. Young people nowadays all carry different ideas. Even among the younger generation of cardinals, there are countless conflicting voices."
"In such circumstances, dispatching personnel to embed themselves within Tomorrow's Development, or the official forces of Kazdel, would be easy for certain factions within Laterano to exploit. You must understand that Laterano still has quite a few hardline factions."
Felix nodded slightly. "I don't mind if you pass information back to Laterano. I only hope that you judge things by what you see with your own eyes. What I care about is not just Laterano or Kazdel alone. The Sankta within Laterano may wish to make Laterano great again, but their vision is clearly limited."
"Lady Outcast, it is a pleasure to meet you. I hope that in the future, you will often keep an eye on my growth and help guide my progress within Tomorrow's Development."
Outcast was quietly startled. As expected of someone who had reached such a position at this age, his manner of speech and his way of thinking far surpassed those of Laterano's youth. While they were still seething with anger and dreaming of revenge against Kazdel, they failed to realize that the true master of Kazdel had already changed.
He truly wished the Pope would send a few burly members of the Laterano Apostolic Gun-Knight Order aboard the Venus to expand his available forces. Unfortunately, with the Grand Convocation yet to be held, even the younger generation within Laterano had no idea what the Pope was truly thinking.
If his influence could one day reach Laterano, that would be ideal. Yet deep down, Felix felt it was impossible. Laterano was far too detached from the world, like the only candy house standing on a land of suffering. The Sankta within were ignorant of hardship, their minds filled with joy and sweetness. If such people were to step rashly onto this land, their fate would not be a good one.
As for Lady Outcast, given her age, Felix intended to transfer her to the central command as part of the senior leadership. At present, the vast majority of his high-ranking members were Sarkaz. The balance needed adjustment with representatives of other races.
Outcast also made it clear that she harbored no deep-seated hatred toward the Sarkaz, which put Felix at ease as he handed her background information over to Loughshinny.
As the landship slowly began to move, the Venus once again set out on her journey and campaign.
The players aboard, however, were not gathered in the recreation decks like before, laughing and playing around. Instead, they sat together in small groups, whispering among themselves, each holding a dungeon crystal in hand.
"Ready?" asked Kumori, glancing at her teammates such as Qiu Muyu, as well as high-level players from the strategy groups like Xiaolang.
They all looked down at the crystals in their hands.
[You have triggered the Memory Crystal: "Sarkaz King's Castle Extreme Battle." Level 60. Party size 8/8. Do you wish to participate?]
Everyone clicked confirm at the same time. A burst of white light followed, and they found themselves standing in the central plaza of Kazdel's mobile city. Not far away stood a statue. It wore a general's uniform, a longsword hanging at its waist, radiating both authority and flair.
"Holy crap, isn't that the King of Dawn?" one of the team members blurted out.
The players took a closer look and realized that the statue's face had been carved in striking detail, vividly capturing Felix's eyes. The expression was unmistakably fierce and brimming with killing intent.
A chill ran through the group.
"Holy hell, we're not seriously being asked to fight the King of Dawn, are we? He can cleave a meteor in half with one swing. What are we supposed to do, die for laughs?"
Kumori barked sharply, "Calm down. Even if the King of Dawn shows up, he would still be a conquerable target. Don't forget, this is a dungeon. Even the hardest extreme battle has a clear path to victory."
Her words set the tone. The team quieted immediately.
Then, they heard footsteps.
Countless Kazdel mercenaries in hooded uniforms raised their spears, sealing off the plaza without leaving a single gap. The spearpoints were aimed toward the center, forming a massive circular arena. It was obvious. Just like the Midnight Rain Knight Desperate battle, stepping outside meant instant death.
Once the mercenaries took their positions, the footsteps grew clearer.
At the front walked a woman wielding a massive warhammer as tall as herself. When the players first saw her, they were stunned for a few seconds by her youthful and striking appearance. Then they noticed her utterly expressionless face. She wore Kazdel combat armor, her eyes cold and solemn, radiating unyielding resolve.
Entering alongside her was a caster holding a staff. The players all knew her title, the Northwind Witch. Very little was known about her Originium Arts.
Recognizing the two of them, Kumori's expression turned grave. Every player tensed at once. Though they did not know the full extent of these two's strength, all of them had taken part in Kazdel's civil war. They knew just how much these two had altered and shattered the battlefield in Saviadel. Facing them, no one dared show the slightest carelessness.
"Enemies... I advance," Mudrock declared, raising her hammer.
Behind her, the Northwind Witch, Qalaiša, lifted her staff. "Let the ravaging begin."
"Damn it! Why are you just standing there? Mudrock is charging!"
"Medic, get ready with cleanses. The caster debuffs are coming!"
"There are too many debuffs. I can't clear them all!"
Two minutes later, the eight of them reappeared at the starting point, faces pale. They looked at Mudrock and Qalaiša standing idly in the distance and could only sigh.
"No, seriously. I've sparred with Mudrock before. She didn't feel this insane."
"How could she possibly go all out during practice?"
"Enough arguing. Figuring out the strategy is what matters."
As the usual round of noisy analysis began, Kumori rubbed her temples.
Surpassing the current progress this time would be extremely difficult.