Chapter 403

"The Sarkaz army is currently stationed inside the city, so if they've brought this, they should appear from the west. The other Duke are stationed outside the city, located to the northwest and southwest respectively. If they're coming from the east, then they're following our route. As expected, it should be our ally— Doctor Zhongli."

"What?!"

Although Misery had only recently rejoined the team, she had heard of this legendary figure from Operator like Ace.

The idea of a Giant Stone Shakes the Earth and blocking Snow Disaster is incredibly exaggerated and sounds absurd.

If Doctor Zhongli is willing to help, it will undoubtedly be a huge boost to this operation. At the very least, it will prevent Rhodes Island from becoming extremely passive when surrounded by multiple forces.

A short while later, a sound came from outside.

The fact that they were able to pinpoint this location so precisely strongly suggests that it's Doctor Zhongli himself. The Doctor and Amiya proactively left the Scrap Processing Warehouse, intending to go to the This Ship to confirm.

The Crownslayer had a solemn expression, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. After pondering for a moment, she beckoned to Dagda and Morgan, and then followed behind the group.

Since Shi Lei had worked on Rhodes Island for three months, most of the Operator recognized this Divine Doctor. When they saw him appear from the sky, they all waved and greeted him.

After learning about the various deeds of the Penguin Logistics Messenger, they had high expectations for Doctor Zhongli.

During the discussion at Londinium, someone suggested inviting Doctor Zhongli. However, Doctor Kal'tsit didn't get along with him and pretended not to hear it. Seeing this, the other Operator wisely refrained from bringing it up again.

To my utter surprise, we actually made it through!

With him around, we have the strongest guarantee. We saved them from Chernobyl back then, and we can do the same today!

When the Doctor came out to greet Shi Lei, he discovered Doctor Kal'tsit, who was hiding on the deck of the This Ship, spying on him. Her serious expression as she secretly observed him gave off an ominous feeling.

This was done behind her back. Now that they've already brought everyone here, they can't just send Doctor Zhongli back, can they?

"Doctor Zhongli, thank you so much for accepting our invitation. It's not convenient here, could we talk in private?"

"Um."

Amiya led the way, taking Shi Lei and his group back to the warehouse of the Scrap Processing Factory.

Misery followed behind, but her attention was focused on Broca and Mudrock. On the contrary, she couldn't figure out the true strength of Doctor Zhongli, whom everyone praised.

The main reason is that Shi Lei has already reached the Seven Archons Realm, and his ability to conceal his aura has reached its peak. Even if he spreads his Psychic Scan, he will not reveal his whereabouts.

How can one govern without engaging with the world?

Shi Lei had previously visited the town and learned that Mandela's troops had already left. Perhaps his flight speed was too fast, or perhaps the Deep Pool Forces took a different route. He searched along the way to this place but couldn't find any trace of them.

However, on the way back to camp, they learned that Horn's subordinate Venti, had defected to Rhodes Island. Considering that they were going to the same destination, they decided to bring her along.

Since this Yu Kong is impossible to hide anyway, it's better to be open about it and reveal it willingly.

"Rita!"

Venti had just been training in the gym, preparing for the high-intensity combat after entering the city. Just now, Operator had shown her Doctor Zhongli, saying that he was an extremely capable person. It was in that fleeting glimpse that she saw the commander she had been thinking about day and night.

Shi Lei looked in the direction of the sound and saw a female Operator tightly embracing a bugle, tears welling up in her eyes.

Amiya noticed his gaze and immediately realized what he meant, explaining:

"Doctor Zhongli, this is Venti. She used to be Horn's subordinate. Their Second Storm Assault Squad suffered heavy casualties in Little Hill County. Only Venti escaped. Horn was captured by Mandela while covering her."

"Mandela ..."

Upon hearing this address, Texas continued:

"Amiya, we were just chasing this Deep Pool Forces, but unfortunately they got away."

"I see, that's a real shame."

Amiya looked at the Venti and horns, her expression grave:

"According to our intelligence, Mandela is one of the instigators of the Little Hill County incident. Rhodes Island does not intend to blame Outcast's sacrifice entirely on her alone, but not only Misery and Venti, many of our Operator harbor strong hostility towards her. If we encounter her in the future, we hope Mister Zhongli will not interfere. We will handle this grudge in our own way."

Shi Lei shrugged, indicating no problem. This was Rhodes Island's own vengeance, so let them settle it themselves. If things went wrong, he could step in to help later.

"That's up to you, I don't care. What exactly is the purpose of Tuonian's request for me?"

The Doctor looked exactly the same as a year ago, wearing a hooded uniform that concealed his entire face behind a protective shield.

"I hope you can stop this war."

"This..."

Shi Lei was reluctant to participate in the war because the general trend of the world was like the Three Kingdoms: unity followed by division, and division followed by unity. His bias could only have a temporary effect, not a lasting one. Sometimes, the grievances between countries were more complex than imagined.

Seeing his hesitation, the Doctor offered some advice:

"Mister Zhongli, please hear me out. Victoria is the center of this land, yet it has become fragmented and devastated. Many forces have gathered here, and one day a large-scale war will break out. When that happens, countless people will be displaced. Rhodes Island and our charitable organizations alone will not be able to provide enough relief. Therefore, I hope you can help stop the war and reduce casualties."

"Tsk, you've put me in a difficult position."

Shi Lei has read many books over the years and has some understanding of the history of the Sarkaz. He then asked the Doctor a question:

"I usually follow current affairs news and have a general understanding of the current situation in Londinium. Aside from the Deep Pool Forces who committed atrocities and should be eliminated, who should I help—the remaining Sarkaz Garrison or the Victoria Army?"

Centuries ago, the Sarkaz's homeland, Kazdel, was decimated by Multinational Allied Forces. Unable to survive on the barren land, they took advantage of the power vacuum created by Victorian Emperor's death and moved into Londinium. I would find it a bit strange to help them, because from a normal person's perspective, the Sarkaz army should be the invaders.

But if I help the Victoria army and expel all the Sarkaz, the Doctor, are the local people better off under the rule of these power-hungry Duke, or under the Sarkaz Garrison? Are we pursuing our own version of justice, or are we trying to improve the lives of the people in the war zone?"

"..."

The Doctor remained silent, because neither of the two answers was the best, and therefore he could not provide a response.

If the mission were to assassinate the leader of a faction, such as Regent Theresis or the Duke Kester, the task would be much easier. Just do it directly, without any psychological burden.

But this is war, and the situation is far more complex. Seeing that the Doctor did not respond, Shi Lei continued:

"There can only be one Victoria throne. Unless a situation of Dual Monarchy, like in the past in this country, is established, it is impossible to resolve the current conflicts."

I could go directly to the King of Sarkaz and the Duke of Victoria and beat them both up. This simple and brutal method would promote the emergence of Dual Monarchy.

Human greed is insatiable. After I left, they switched from open conflict to covert infighting, infiltrating and spying on each other. Will things improve then?

Once war breaks out, it's always the ordinary people who suffer. The rich will remain rich, and perhaps even richer than before.

War is a whirlpool; the slightest touch will draw you in. All I can do now is uproot the Deep Pool of evil. To be honest, I don't want to help either the Sarkaz or Victoria."

At this point, Shi Lei asked a question out of the blue:

"Do you have any other reinforcements that haven't arrived yet?"

Amiya shook her head vigorously, denying it:

"No, Doctor Zhongli, what's wrong?"

"Then let's hurry up and pack up. There's a force both inside and outside the city that's converging on this place."

Amiya was somewhat surprised, but she had complete faith in Doctor Zhongli's judgment. She immediately Closure through an encrypted channel, asking her to help notify everyone to return to their This Ship.

"No, it's too late, we need to get back to the ship."

Shi Lei sensed that the two forces were approaching very quickly, so he crouched down and touched the ground with his hand. Before long, he created a large stone wall that concealed the This Ship inside.

Because the sand and gravel are of the same material, they are indistinguishable from their surroundings in appearance. They seem to have always been there, giving a sense of being perfectly natural.

Many Operator were amazed by such extraordinary methods. They cast admiring glances at Doctor Zhongli, who had said, "I'm not pretending anymore, I'm laying my cards on the table."

Upon learning that Misery could sense their presence, Shi Lei assisted Mudrock and Broca concealing their auras. In this way, they could simply stay here and watch the two tigers fight from the sidelines.

He also built a stone house on the deck of his This Ship and cut several small holes for people to observe.

Less than three minutes later, a group of about five or six hundred people arrived from the east in land vehicles.

The Sarkaz Army patrolling the city numbered approximately five hundred. They had received an unknown report half an hour earlier that a large number of people had gathered there.

The two groups were on the verge of war as soon as they met, with their respective leaders standing on either side of the sand.

Who are you? Which unit are you from?

"From the Deep Pool."

Upon hearing this, the Sarkaz Leader grinned and sneered:

"Tch, I thought it was someone else. Turns out it's the army that betrayed Victoria and wants to start their own operation."

This remark angered the Deep Pool Soldier, who, while issuing a warning, did not forget to retort:

"Don't use that word! Demon Race!"

The two armies clashed, and the atmosphere was tense from the very beginning.

Upon hearing this, the Sarkaz Leader immediately showed disgust.

"You betrayed your country and you won't let others say it? Then who gave you permission to use that term to address us?"

The Deep Pool Soldier maintained their offensive momentum and did not falter.

"Ha, just a bunch of rabble driven from all sides. They think they can take advantage of the chaos to occupy Londinium and become its masters? Wake up, you Demon Race! Only the leader of the Deep Pool is qualified to ascend Victoria's throne."

"Hahaha, getting impatient, getting impatient. Do you think we're like you, Londinium like a treasure? We're only here because the Demon King is here. As soon as the Demon King leaves, we'll leave. If you ask me, this city is already rotten to the core, it might as well be torn down into ruins and used as building blocks by you bunch of kids."

Hearing this from afar, Shi Lei asked the Little Rabbit:

"They just mentioned Demon King? Does the Sarkaz race even have such a being as Demon King? Or is Regent Theresis their Demon King?"

Amiya shook her head, offering her answer:

"No, that's not Demon King, just a leader. According to our intelligence channels, we haven't received any news about Demon King yet. It's just that the City Defense Army of Londinium seem to be gathering members of the Ten Royal Courts, and some older and more powerful forces are converging here."

However, even if Demon King were to emerge from the Sarkaz army, it wouldn't change our original intentions. Rhodes Island is here to stop this war."

On the sandy ground, the verbal battle between the two armies continued.

"So, are you done with your long, stinking, shroud-like greetings? If you're done, then get out of here!"

"Why should I, Demon Race?"

"Ha, just because we now occupy the Central Urban Area of Londinium, we can kick out whoever we want!"

"Enough! Stop!"

Mandela sternly reprimanded his subordinates, preparing to go forward and have a good talk with the Sarkaz City Defense Army.

Seeing that the two sides were on the verge of shaking hands and making peace, Texas grinned and several jade stones appeared out of thin air in his hand.

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Chapter 482 Collateral Damage (Bonus Chapter)

The Sarkaz Leader sized up Mandela, who had stepped forward to mediate, with a look of utter contempt.

"Feline, I know you are their commander. But why should I listen to you?"

Mandela suspected the other party was deliberately causing trouble, but finding no evidence, he could only bite the bullet and say:

"Because I've been to the Western Grand Hall of the Holy King's Assembly."

She should have kept quiet, because what she said made the other person laugh:

"Hahaha, we've all heard. You once requested an audience with His Majesty, but were turned away. Feline, do you really think you're nothing to us?"

"..."

Seeing their commander humiliated, the Deep Pool Soldier felt indignant on Mandela's behalf. One of them stepped forward, filled with righteous indignation, and said:

"Victoria is our home, why should we be insulted by these Demon Race here? Damn it, I can't take it anymore. Dealing with these inferior beings every day makes me feel utterly disgusted..."

"Alright, that's enough."

"If he dares to speak disrespectfully again, we can go back to the leader, she..."

The word "leader" seemed to be a thorn in Mandela's side. She was shunned by Ablana because of the Little Hill County incident and was sent to Londinium as an envoy.

If you can't even handle this, it will only make the leader more disappointed in you.

"I told you to stop talking, didn't you hear me?"

The sudden increase in volume startled the Deep Pool Soldier. He stared at his superior, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopped, and didn't speak again.

This roar released some of the negative emotions that had accumulated in Mandela's heart. Her face was like a sharp blade in the snow, cold and dangerous.

"Sarkaz, no matter how much you mock, insult, or humiliate me, I will not leave this place. I am here to cooperate; I am your guest."

"Guests? What a joke! Do you know how we Sarkaz treat disobedient guests?"

Seeing Mandela show weakness, the Sarkaz Leader remained relentless. This was not due to his nature, but rather to a death order given by General Manfred.