Mission: The Queen, Part One

Foreword:

On their third encounter, the fox finally mustered the courage to confront the lion.

[Part 1: The Survival Rules for the Weak]

"Dachun, catch!"

The dogfish hybrid in the Dragon Cavalry group is named Hong Fan. He has an ugly face and a fierce heart. He is also an over-aged baby in the Dragon Cavalry Corps scout group, leading the old and helping the new—he is over 130 years old.

The leader of the scout group was much younger. He took the cigarette that Master Hong Fan threw to him, took out a kerosene lighter from the battle group's equipment, and lit it for himself.

This is the leader of the scout team, a 23-year-old student named Sun Dachun —a 2031 graduate of the Adulis branch of the Galahad Magic Academy. His last two years of military service barely allowed him to squeeze into the second-level combat readiness team, becoming a substitute for the assault team.

This idea of the new leading the old can be attributed to Mr. Hong Fan's eccentric temperament of being old in years but young at heart. This dogfish truly deserves the name of a vicious dog in the water. Just like his mixed-race ancestors, he has a bad character and depraved nature. Apart from the centurions of the Dragon Cavalry Corps, he would not even take the orders of the regimental commander to heart. After all, a higher rank can crush a person, and if the rank is several ranks higher, he doesn't care.

Old Dogfish from the scout group was consistently the least disciplined member of the legion, which led the 26th instructor (Hasben Madison) to create a set of rules for individualized instruction based on the [etiquette] principles of knightly combat.

In this group, newcomers are the leaders.

Hong Fan, a living fossil of the scout group, has been with the Dragon Cavalry for over fifty years. Fearless of anything, he has an exceptionally high tolerance for children. As long as a reliable recruit is found, the atmosphere within the team will transform from males of different races vying for territory to a father-son bond between different species.

"How many hours late did the news of the battle at Huacheng Bay Market reach us?" Da Chun had a thick beard and dark skin, making him look nothing like a twenty-three or twenty-four-year-old. His movements while holding a cigarette were clumsy, indicating he wasn't a regular smoker.

"At least three time points," the observer in the group, who had been holding a single-channel telescope at the window, immediately replied. "One minute, perhaps."

The "point in time" here refers to the time consumed by the intermediaries in the information transmission process.

There is a complex urban area four kilometers from the northwest side of Huacheng Bay to the Church of Dionysus. The temporary command post has limited computing power, and the call bells have one set each for Summoning Bell and receiving messages—unlike traditional radios, they do not have a public channel.

The person who sends messages between groups is the team leader, namely Da Chun.

When different scout groups transmit regional information, they do not occupy the temporary command post's channel. Instead, observers send messages and vanguards receive them, using a model where the Spirit Elementals select the nearest matching target, and the groups communicate with each other by shouting.

Since the start of the battle at Huacheng Bay Siyao Bureau, information about the battle between Lady White Snake and the Soul Weapon had to be relayed three times before reaching the vicinity of Que Mountain Street, much like the ancient beacon towers. By the time the information from the front lines reached Da Chun's ears, a full minute had passed.

"Zhang," Mr. Hong Fan tossed a cigarette to the observer, "You have one too."

Observer Zhang Hao didn't share this idea. Although the combat group didn't prohibit soldiers from smoking, and even encouraged them to smoke to relieve stress under high pressure, he didn't smoke or drink and was a good boy.

The three followed Gloria all the way, witnessing firsthand the self-destruction attack of the six scout leaders but being powerless to provide support, only able to maintain surveillance. They hid outside the silver jewelry shop on the street and huddled in the storeroom on the second floor of the granary.

In the dim light, Master Hong Fan's face looked like a deformed shovel, which made the two young Homo sapiens feel uneasy. Despite having been comrades-in-arms with this monstrous hybrid for two years, they were always frightened by the master in environments with abnormal spiritual pressure.

"You're still greenhorns." Hong Fan put away his cigarette, his grayish-white fish-skin fingers coated with an oily film as he deftly stuffed the cigarette back into the box. "Why would you be afraid of a tiger? The gunsmith specializes in killing monsters like me, and he's killed quite a few people. He should be far more terrifying than this strange fish."

Da Chun whispered, "Concentrate."

"Alright!" Master Hong Fan didn't waste any words and focused on loading bullets into the pistol magazine.

The three of them held their breath, feeling immense pressure.

With the leader of Group Six fallen, the task of monitoring Gloria's movements naturally fell to Group One. Old Master Dogfish had extremely poor psychic talent. He spent over fifty years in the cocooning stage, but due to a missed diagnosis of lung cancer, he was unwilling to stay in the military hospital. After being cured with Universal Elixir, he fell back into the pupa stage.

Da Chun and A Hao were both in the nymph stage. Because of their excellent knightly combat skills, they were assigned to the scout group of the Dragon Cavalry Corps.

According to the temporary command's instructions, they had already had close contact with Gloria three times, but each time it was a situation where the enemy was in the open and they were in the dark. The most recent time was in the Church of Dionysus, only sixteen meters away from the top-floor bedroom - the two young men were almost forced to faint by Gloria's spiritual pressure, bleeding from all seven orifices.

However, Master Hong Fan is very reliable. Whenever these two little guys fall into an uncontrollable state, he can always pull them out of the deep spiritual pressure zone in time.

"There's a new development." The dogfish hybrid had sharp eyes and saw Gloria and Axue walk out of the door in the wind and snow. He immediately extinguished the cigarette and the fire, and even his breathing slowed down.

Da Chun immediately sent a message using the Summoning Bell, while the observers were also conducting the most basic elemental analysis.

"The readings on the Spirit Calamity Probe' remained unchanged. Gloria changed her clothes; her shoes and hat were gone—the explosives from Group Six had caused her some non-fatal injuries. She still retained the shame of Homo sapiens and was unwilling to act naked."

Every behavioral habit would be listed to the temporary command as part of the metaphysical analysis process. If conditions allowed, the soldiers would also try to strip Gloria naked, causing her to break down and become vulnerable.

"Axue can control where the snow falls at will; they need to leave this place."

Just then, observer Zhang Hao paused, as if he had noticed something.

"Gloria wants to escape. Although there's no concrete evidence, I've sent a letter to headquarters, Da Chun, stating that I believe Gloria is trying to flee."

"What's the reason?" Da Chun couldn't send incorrect information to the combat command center based on subjective judgment, "Give me detailed evidence."

"The Governor's Mansion is just two streets away from the silver jewelry shop," Zhang Hao analyzed logically. "After the self-destructive explosion, this proud Immortals not only showed no intention of organizing a native counterattack, but instead chose another route, heading northwest of the city—whether for emergency evacuation or subsequent revenge—"

"--She should have gone to the Governor's Mansion, or returned to the Magpie Hill ruins, back to the underground sewers. Team Six found the nearest sewer entrance while transporting Jason Megan; she didn't go in that direction."

"All signs indicate that she is going to leave East Horse Port."

On the other side, Axue escorted Gloria towards the city garden in East Horse Port.

After traversing two more main roads, a distance of approximately 1,800 meters, she could completely escape the range of [Virtual Insanity] and leave this hail, rain, and snow. Then, she could hire a rickshaw to take Gloria to the North Gate exit, and from there, travel about forty li along the official road with a freight caravan to board a cargo ship at the Pingyang Ferry— Gloria could then escape and fly away.

"Lord Feather," Axue asked in a low voice, "Chief Judas has always cherished you, but you have repeatedly disappointed him. I'm not very bright, I really can't understand it."

"What's wrong?" When it comes to bullying those within her own unit, Gloria is a pro. With a look of disdain, she casually replied, "He sent you to help me, do you expect me to teach him how to do things?"

East Horse Port is more than 400 kilometers away from the Immortal Elixir Cauldron located at Ax Peak Mountain. Gloria's decision to stay in East Malaysia to guard the Immortal Elixir Cave was her own—such a treacherous area should not be guarded by feathers, yet Judas agreed to Gloria's request, showing unparalleled favoritism and affection.

It should be noted that all the other workers in the alliance were unconditionally monitored and controlled by Judas. Apart from Fay Foroisin, who was her protector, Gloria received the most freedom from Judas.

Axue didn't say anything.

Gloria, on the other hand, went even further, flaunting her soul power.

"I can change his fate! How dare he make demands of me?"

"I deserve at least half the credit for the alliance's success today."

"You used to be Qingjin, and you worked under Ming De. Haven't you heard the saying, 'Three parts hard work, seven parts destiny'?"

"Judas relies on my spiritual power to avoid misfortune and attract good fortune; he doesn't need to consult any charlatans like feng shui masters or qi cultivators—to find a suitable elixir cave, he only needs to ask my dice."

"In business, the most important thing is to consider the will of Heaven—if Heaven is not pleased, nothing can be accomplished."

"How much time have I saved him? How much wealth have I created? How many wrong answers have I eliminated?"

"Young lady, you simply don't understand—the host-guest relationship is reversed."

"If you ask me, if this kid didn't have some money-making skills and be able to control this bunch of cowardly bastards, I should be the leader of the Immortals Alliance."

"I'm his lucky charm!"

Gloria spread her hands, regaining some confidence, and freely expressed her artistic sentiments in the harsh environment of frost and snow.

"There will always be a place for me on his horse. I always knew things would turn out this way, ha."

"As long as I'm in danger, he'll Grandfather and plead to save me, without me even having to say a word—heaven will naturally send you lackeys to protect me."

"No matter what happens, Dadu will not abandon me."

At this moment, a hint of anger appeared on Axue's face. She lowered her eyes and peered at Gloria's expression, revealing a venomous look in her cold and desolate face.

"If that Dagda's Cauldron really works!" Gloria said as she walked, her voice practically soaring to the heavens.

She thought to herself that she was about to leave East Horse Port and leave this land of freedom.

These lowly mortals who knelt before her also had to see her off, listening to her tell the story of Dionysus.

"When the Guiyi Sect gains the upper hand, we will usher in a golden age where those who have given their blood will rule over everything."

"I want to be king too! Judas will just have to be queen!"

"Is a king always a man? Not necessarily, right?"

"If he has any objections, then the Queen should step down. If you General of Tears, he can take his place. I've heard that Qingjin is also a blood-born chaste dog—no different from you, both are obedient good dogs."

[Part②·Renewing the Earth]

Axue didn't argue. She carefully pushed aside the snow and cleared the road for Gloria.

Besides the industrial zone, the governor of East Horse Port seems to have received guidance from a wise man, reserving a high-quality residential area for business owners to concentrate business resources and create an excellent living environment. This is the origin of the name "City Garden".

The scout team received orders from the temporary command to hold off Gloria Sebastian at all costs. This was a huge challenge for Mr. Hong Fan's career.

One old and two new people acted separately. In the short time that Gloria was talking about her ideals and life in a splendid manner, they crossed the southwest work area and arrived at the City Garden ahead of time to begin planning the attack.

After about ten minutes, Gloria finally sensed that something was wrong.

"Didn't Consort Zhao and Consort Zhao come along?"

Axue immediately replied, "They're all local natives; there's no need for them to come along."

Gloria felt uneasy. Without her familiar henchmen to listen to her chatter, and only this cold, aloof mercenary by her side, she suddenly felt insecure.

"Why don't you call them over and have them come back to Danqiu with me? If that's not possible, Judas doesn't want to see them, you can arrange for them to stay in Dandong, Dannan, or even just in Ermao County."

The Wings of Light in East Horse Port originated from the followers of the Church of Dionysus. They obtained elixirs of enlightenment, enabling them to fly, command spirits, and even summon flying swords from the avatar of a grass owl to kill—this family of gentry wholeheartedly revered Gloria as a true goddess.

"Why didn't you ask me?" Axue led Gloria to the viewing area of the city gardens. "Why didn't you bring them here?"

The Magpie Mountains extend to the southwest of the city, where they, together with a tributary of the Niedun River, form a stunning scenic area overlooking the sea.

The eight entrances are all built around the large and small river valleys and fjords of the tributary system. The various passes and natural barriers can isolate ordinary people. Only wealthy merchants and officials can enter the city garden and obtain the assets of the mountain villa. It is a certificate of power and wealth personally issued by the governor. The stone arch bridge built over this fjord is also the burial place that Axue specially left for Gloria.

"Yeah, why?" Gloria yet.

The miscarriage of her celestial fetus, the invalidation of the bet, the destruction of her life contract—she crushed even her Old Bones with her own hands. These successive changes in just a few days plunged her into a dangerous state of mental instability.

Just like the mission execution standards that gunsmiths set for their students --

This mental state has severely impaired Gloria's judgment.

She fell into a state of confusion where she couldn't organize her thoughts logically, focused too much on her inner feelings, and ignored the objective facts of the material world.

In layman's terms, she's on the verge of madness, but she just appears rational.

If a gambler starts losing, she might feel frustrated and regretful, and adjust her betting strategy accordingly.

If she has already lost many rounds, she is numb. Many factors contribute to the disastrous outcome, and apart from the chips disappearing one by one, she is unable to perceive these crises.

Later, the siege of General of Tears failed again, and a nymph injured her body by committing suicide. This mental disorder became more and more serious - even if Axue brought her to this dangerous place alone, her brain would automatically ignore some facts that were unfavorable to her.

This was the moment when Gloria most resembled Bu Liuxing, a state she herself described as—walking entirely by feeling and depending entirely on her mood, a state of being Red Stone People.

Lady Luck smiled upon the brothers of the scout team.

Before they could blow up the stone arch bridge, Axue had already taken action.

The hailstones struck Gloria's head mercilessly, nearly breaking her neck.

Master Feather had more than a dozen bloody wounds cut open on half of his body by shards of ice, and suddenly collapsed in the cold wind and snow.

Just moments ago, the god of wine was bidding a glorious farewell to his fellow villagers, but now he was both shocked and angry.

"How dare you?! You actually!"

Her voice was strong, but her body was out of control. The cold wind and snow were even more cruel to the Blood-giving Monster, and her body temperature was far lower than that of the scouts who were hiding under the bridge and watching the situation unfold.

Axue slowly retreated, not wanting to fight this wretched lioness to the death. The ice block, falling freely from the clouds over 700 meters high, would do those things for her.

"Why wouldn't I dare? When a fox encounters a lion in the forest, the first time it flees in terror, the second time it trembles in fear, and the third time it finally becomes indifferent—"

"--Lord Feather, your spiritual pressure and spiritual energy seem to be just so-so."

"How long has it been since you last ate human flesh? Do you ever feel cold? Do you ever go hungry?"

Just as Old Master Dogfish, hiding in the shadows, was about to pull the pin on the grenade, Da Chun swiftly pushed it back down.

Ah Hao asked, "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Master Hong Fan replied.

Da Chun: "They're fighting amongst themselves."

Axue was originally a mercenary active throughout the Central Plains, who adjusted the warlord forces in Judas, consumed the lifespan of ordinary people, and quickly killed a large number of people to produce raw materials for immortal elixirs.

But after arriving in East Malaysia, she witnessed the privileged living environment of Lord Feather and felt the rebellious and free spirit in his blood. She no longer wanted to obediently follow orders or protect Gloria.

"I'd like to ask you the same question," Axue Gloria tumbling about in the icy Ice Rain, a surge of pleasure rising within her. "How can you be so naive and childish, completely disregarding Patriarch Judas?"

"How dare you insult my benefactor? How dare you insult my king?"

"If you don't want to be queen, there are plenty of people who would love to be it."

"You've probably never experienced hunger, so you don't know how pitiful I was when I was starving."

"Even the scraps that fall from your lips become our plates, and we, the Wings of Light, have to fight tooth and nail to get them."

The wind and snow almost drowned out all of Gloria's voices. Her self-healing speed was extremely fast, but this blessing turned into cruel punishment. As her body was bombarded by hail, bright red pustules appeared, constantly healing and regenerating only to be quickly injured again.

"I'm so sorry, Gloria Sebastian." Axue was in high spirits, mimicking the swagger of Master Feather as she spread her arms wide. "It was an accident. You ultimately couldn't escape this city. After the nuclear explosion, even your body couldn't be found."

"You fucking bastard," Gloria uttered, spitting out half a curse word.

Then a beam of brilliant light fell from the sky, and the dark clouds deliberately made way for the Storm Eye.

"Killing you would be too easy," Axue sneered. "It's just that when we first met, I was a little shy, a little wary, and had a bit of a sense of awe— Fret Caesar and the General of Tears both terrified me, and the Hunter King was lurking in the shadows, watching me with a sinister gaze."

The sunlight shone on Gloria's face, burning her beyond recognition as she screamed in agony.

"Of course, I also want to thank you." Axue deliberately controlled the direction of the clouds to make the sunlight less intense. "After so many years of working for the alliance, the fruits of victory are finally going to be handed over to me."

"After losing you, the Patriarch of Judas will become even more careful and cautious."

"The nuclear explosion process is very fast. The MK28 thermonuclear bomb has a yield of more than 80 times that of the atomic bomb that bombed Hiroshima. The explosive power of two million tons of TNT should not cause you any pain."

"If things really go wrong, Magpie Mountain will bury you and the General of Tears together, thus fulfilling your little wish. Bring this good news to Patriarch Judas, and my [Virtual Insanity] will become the Patriarch's new feather, and I will be the Feather Master."

"The twelve radiant stones of the Dagda's Cauldron shine forth, and a new, revitalized land awaits its new king—"

"--I am the Queen of the New World."

Da Chun: "Did she just say that?"

"Nuclear explosion, yes," Zhang Hao replied.

Master Hong Fan pinched Ah Hao's cheek to make sure the boy was crying out in pain and wasn't dreaming.

"Yes, I said it twice."

Axue chuckled softly as she gradually retreated onto the stone arch bridge, looking at Gloria, who was paralyzed with a broken leg and covered in festering sores.

"I won't kill you with my own hands. The High Priest Judas has all sorts of methods to investigate the cause of death (see the dead communication spells used by Jason Megan, which can determine part of the cause of death). Your death has nothing to do with me."

"Right here, right here in this city."

"May you and your loyal followers, and your disgusting Dionysian cult, turn to ashes."

Axue's eyes reddened, her smile and politeness turning into resentment and hatred.

"Damn traitor"

She then crossed the stone arch bridge, found a stable in the nearest house, and rode away as fast as she could.