Chapter 244

PSS: After seeing today's illustration, I remembered that Jack is also a launch operator, and according to this timeline, he should be appearing soon... They're both from Siracusa, so let's group them together with Suzuran.

The Chernobog's Blood Money: 273 This is exactly how we prepared.

What is it like for ordinary people on the battlefield to live in a place after being driven out of the war zone?

In the cold winter, fine snow poured in through the passage. For some unknown reason, the lone person could only stay on the coldest outskirts. These people wore all their clothes, hugged their luggage like precious treasures, and lay on the ground, oblivious to their own mortality.

Going deeper, the occasional bonfires and hot pots, along with the scattered cardboard houses, give the underground of the Mobile City a bit of a 'village' feel.

But only a few have roofs and doors. More often, groups of two or three people are wrapped up in dirty sheets or rags, staring intently at everything that moves around them, their eyes reflecting the campfire, whether longing or wariness is hard to tell.

Since these small groups mostly have readily available weapons, Nana instructed the team to maintain a safe distance from them as they advanced.

As the group ventured deeper into the industrial zone, they encountered gates still in operation, and the temperature further inside was noticeably more comfortable than on the outer perimeter... This meant the temperature was no longer below freezing.

Cardboard houses no longer exist here. Although it is unknown whether those on the outskirts are simply antisocial or have been expelled by a larger group, legitimate refugee groups mostly use tents to demarcate their territories.

What were once large industrial machines have now become the foundation for people to live on, with fabric tents and various sheet metal and industrial products forming a three-dimensional town.

Pipes, knotted ropes, staircases fixed in various ways on the ground, and building exteriors of various materials construct the underground skyway.

Crowds gathered here, men, women, and children divided into groups, and although order was disrupted, it still existed... As Nana made eye contact with the people in the buildings, a high-pitched whistle rang out in the underground space.

Just as the enemy would panic and sound the alarm upon seeing a fully armed squad underground, Nana was at a loss with the complex terrain before her. Regardless of whether the enemy was hostile, Nana would not allow her squad to venture deeper without heavy firepower support.

"... It's a complete mess..."

Just looking at it from the outside, you'll be dizzy from the layers of pipes, stairs, and ropes... If Chernobog, Mobile City built over decades, is a living organism in some sense, then Nana and her companions' underground march is like navigating a complex biological maze.

So what you see in front of you is a blood clot; you have no idea where the hole is or where you can drill through.

If the 'Arius Special Operations Team' were really going to fight something in this three-dimensional maze, Nana's first reaction would definitely be to call in a grenade launcher to blow it all up.

"Be wary, but don't show hostility... Mika, you and I are here."

With the seemingly most harmless, idiotic pink-haired girl in the group by their side, and putting down the large bags that might get in the way if they ran away, the 'nuns' set off. As they did so, representatives from the refugee camp appeared before them... Nana could even hear their argument.

"Wait... Dad, the other party really doesn't look like an ordinary person. I can't let you go to negotiate alone, it's too dangerous!"

"It would be truly dangerous to have you come along. The fact that they only sent two unarmed nuns shows they meant no harm. You want me to bring a fully armed, burly man to negotiate with them? What will their Firearms Arts squad in the rear think?"

The elderly Ursus man spoke angrily, striking the 2.3-meter-tall, burly man beside him with his cane, but the latter stood tall and refused to budge.

He not only carried the standard spear of the Ursus elite, but his coat and equipment were also in the style of the Ursus regular army... Except for the badges representing his rank and position, which were completely empty, this fierce-looking Ursus strongman looked like an active-duty veteran.

"Hello... perhaps you need a little more time?"

"You--!"

"You shut up..."

With a single blow, the old man refuted the burly man's unfriendly opening remarks, then calmly met Nana's gaze.

"Sorry, the atmosphere here has been a bit tense lately... This big guy is a veteran in charge of our security. His men were recently attacked by someone else, so he's a bit overreacting."

Nana ignored the burly man glaring at her, letting the pink-haired girl beside her grow increasingly hostile, while she focused on the conversation with the old man in front of her... Although the old man seemed to be showing weakness from the start, the crowd running behind him and the people hiding with crossbows and other weapons from time to time did not suggest that they were as defenseless as they claimed.

But Nana still had a smile on her face, and the reason was probably because Jessica had already set up the grenade launcher that Mika had left behind, and the clattering of the ammunition belts was as melodious as a wind chime.

"That was clearly a disaster... both the war and the divisions in people's hearts."

"Oh? So you, Sister, also dislike conflict... Even heretics share the same pursuit of peace and happiness. May the grace of the Holy Fool descend upon you."

May the Lord have mercy on us.

After the two exchanged greetings using the etiquette of their respective religious sects, the atmosphere, though still tense, had eased considerably. The old man stopped probing and instead asked directly:

"So, what brings you all from Laterano? If your target is something deeper into the industrial zone, you can turn right through the passage behind you, jump down from the misaligned steel frame, walk 300 meters north, and go up that ladder to reach the passage to Industrial Zone N29. That's the next adjacent industrial plant area."

Listening to the other party's explanation, Nana turned slightly to signal her teammates to take notes, then continued with a smile:

"Thank you for your guidance, but in fact we don't have a particularly specific goal this time... If we had to say, we're here for all of you stationed here."

As she spoke, Nana picked up her scarf and showed the small embroidered words on it:

"If we have to pinpoint a purpose, then without a doubt, our only goal is to leave the battlefield itself... Not long ago, we located the official shelters built by the Chernobog Military Police. It seems that the higher-ups noticed the long-standing shortage of supplies below and initiated strategic stockpiling... And our job is to inform everyone of the locations of those official shelters."

"... What does the location of the official shelter have to do with leaving the battlefield? Is the Chernobog Military Police organizing an evacuation?"

The old man was very perceptive, but unfortunately, Nana's head-shaking gesture made him frown.

"The Chernobog Military Police probably don't have the resources to organize an evacuation right now... We are the ones who want to leave, but if possible, even just taking one person with us out of this hell would be a way to put the 'Building Paradise' into practice."

Afterwards, Nana quickly told the old man about how she had entrusted the military and police to contact the outside world, especially regarding the information about the Contingency Contract.

Unlike Dalia, who seemed completely unprepared for this, the old man appeared to be a remnant of the previous emperor's reign, having personally witnessed the rapid decline of relations between Ursus and its surrounding countries... When discussing the Contingency Contract, he displayed more distrust than the new generation's bewilderment...

"... Contacting the outside world to transfer refugees... while the idea is good, the success rate might not be high... Do you know about the decades Ursus was cut off from the outside world? The war of the late emperor, that era of everything surrounding the Ursus government..."

Seeing Nana nod, the old man shook his head helplessly, leaning on his cane. "Flirt..."

"Although to us Ursus people, conquering everything... is such a glorious word, to the outside world, Ursus's rampant conquests have severed its connection with the outside world."

"Nowadays, Ursus merchants can only trade raw materials. They constantly sell Originium and other basic materials, then use the precious Lungmen Dollar they earn to buy expensive Orundum technology products by the cartload... Money is constantly flowing out, national strength is declining day by day, and the country can no longer fight, so it begins to digest itself... The current civil war is nothing more than a continuation of the great conquest of decades ago."

"It's common to see people kicking someone when they're down, but how often do they offer help in times of need? I won't even discuss whether the rescue team you called is truly capable of helping refugees; the very fact that someone would do such a thankless and arduous task is enough to raise suspicions among those in power."

"The Ursus Civil War is one thing, but allowing 'foreign forces' that were at war decades ago to enter... neither conservatives nor reformers would do that." Sigh

Seeing the old man's sighing expression, Nana frowned slightly and asked, "Pull..."

"Even if it's Contingency Contract?" Ling

Even if it's Contingency Contract.

Seeing the atmosphere sink again, and knowing that continuing like this wouldn't even guarantee their own group's escape route, let alone help the refugees in front of them... Nana could only helplessly gesture for the other person to be quiet and listen to her: Phosphorus

"... But as far as I know, the Emperor of Ursus has granted access permits to partners in the Contingency Contract... to a pharmaceutical company called Rhodes Island."

"Rhodes Island? Ah... I know, Rhodes Island, the one that helped Chernobog a lot during the Sarcophagus Pollution incident a year ago... But they must have been furious with the mayor's mysterious actions, and they've disappeared since then. So, would anyone really turn their right cheek after being slapped on the left?"

Although somewhat speechless at the old man's strange wording, Nana maintained the composure expected of a nun, and the white-haired, black-clad girl assumed a praying posture:

"... If they are truly acting on the Contingency Contract and their belief in saving more lives, then they will do whatever it takes... The most direct manifestation of idealism is not ignoring the plight of those seeking help."

"Besides, now is not the time to sit and wait for death... I think the fate of this... big man's men, and the condition of the people we saw in the passage when we came in, all indicate that Chernobog is now on the verge of running out of ammunition and supplies."

The old man didn't refute the nun's statement, after all, it was true. But Sister Nana also understood that sometimes, even if you're thinking of someone, they won't necessarily believe you just because you say it.

"In short, how about we explain it step by step?"

In the end, the old man agreed with Nana's suggestion... With a reluctant gesture from the big guy, the haphazardly built and chaotically situated refugee camp welcomed new guests.

After briefly expressing their concerns about the camp's Fire Department and security along the way, the group was led to the center of the building. Surprisingly, instead of a cluster of tents, they found a small plaza resembling a courtyard.

This is the common area of the refugee camp, and some areas seem to also serve as communal kitchens... In the center, some kind of industrial equipment has been converted into an electric heater, and the dark red metal is radiating heat from all directions. Apart from what appears to be a place where children are resting and playing, the warmest area is the treatment area, which is separated from the camp by white screens and contains medical equipment.

Nana and the others received hospitality from the camp... however, because Jessica visibly didn't want to eat rat meat, and there were also some children of various races staring blankly at the halo above Mika's head while their stomachs involuntarily growled... in the end, it turned out that Nana and the others were the ones replenishing the camp's supplies.

Watching the old man order the women in the kitchen to open a few cans of food and stew a large pot for the children, while everyone else tried to turn their heads away from what was happening, Nana tilted her head in confusion as she drank MRE's incredibly sweet instant juice.

"... Aren't you going to eat it right away?"

"Just supplement the children's nutrition... focus on building up reserves... Thank you, I now truly believe that there is such a thing as 'helping in times of need'... However, regarding your desire for outside interference in Ursus, I still feel the same way; it's best you don't have too high expectations."

"In this kind of situation, all we can do is try our best. If all we have left is to preserve our own strength, then I can only abandon any other thoughts that we shouldn't have without hesitation."

"Ha~ That's how it should be... But, the official shelters do have supplies, right?"

Nodding in affirmation, Nana glanced at the burly guard who seemed to have something on his mind and added:

"Not only are there supplies, but also soldiers maintaining order... and even free charging stations to charge your phone."

"That sounds really good... but we still need to confirm it."

"That's natural. After all, the evacuation plan hasn't been finalized yet. If too many people flood into the official shelters all at once, it might actually be bad... After all, if a riot breaks out in the official shelters, then ordinary people really have nothing to rely on."

Hearing Nana's worries, the old man from Ursus, who was drinking hot water from an enamel mug, seemed completely unconcerned.

"It's alright, the Ursus people aren't such a fragile race... If you can't rely on conquest, rely on yourself. It's just war, I've seen it all before... But this time it's fighting on our own soil... We all know exactly what's best to survive."

"It's good that you have a plan."

"Also, have you seen this child?"

"... Is it another missing child? Give me their photo and contact information, and we'll add it to the missing persons poster wall."

"Thank you all for your help."

Just as Nana was about to say goodbye, she suddenly heard a soft, questioning sound. Then, Nana saw the old man holding the photo with a suspicious look on his face.

"This child... I've actually seen her before! Isn't that the little girl from the Loban family in my neighborhood? Look closely, is the scarf you're wearing also one of their prizes?!"

The old man slapped his thigh, looking as if he regretted not having met him sooner:

"You should have said earlier that your official was that kid Loban! I don't trust the government because I don't trust that bastard Boris. Loban and Dalia are such a perfect couple... Oh, and they're in charge of the shelter too?! You need to gather enough people to convince the military of your Safe Corridor, right? Move! We're moving today!"

Seeing the old man's almost overwhelmingly positive reaction, Nana blinked a few times with her mouth slightly agape, then cautiously asked:

"Is it alright? This matter hasn't been decided yet..."

"Generally speaking, this definitely requires multiple confirmations from various parties, and depending on who is in charge, it's hard to say whether things will work out... But I know that Loban will definitely do his best to make this happen! I don't trust Chernobog, and I don't really trust you either... but I trust Loban and Dalia."

"Also, if you're looking for Zhuoya, you can try looking in the underground area of the middle school... We have a shortcut here! I'll mark it for you!"

Seeing the old man preparing for a long speech, Nana smiled and agreed for a while before taking out a map:

"That's where we're going."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: No... no, it wasn't because I was so busy playing that it turned into a deadline...(turns head)

The Chernobog's Blood Money: 274 The Shadow of the Battlefield

Although the elderly people in this outlying area became very enthusiastic after hearing the names of Loban and Dalia, and even invited Nana and the others to rest next to the warmest electric heater that night.

However, Nana's mission was arduous. If she wanted to notify all the settlements in the industrial area before the Exploration Vehicle ran out of supplies, she would inevitably have to go through a long and arduous march.

The group continued to operate in the manner of the Sankta forces, and Huang remarked with some emotion:

"Fortunately, the old man said he would also mobilize people to help notify the scattered residents in the surrounding area, otherwise it would have been a really troublesome thing to notify everyone... Nana, you originally wanted to use the underground broadcasting system, right?"

"Although I don't know how well it's intact, we did have that plan in mind. However, the wireless communication environment inside Mobile City is too demanding for ordinary civilian devices... Right now, only the communication base stations are still working normally, but we don't know how long they can continue to support it."

As she spoke, Nana put away her phone, which showed 18:24... It had just been symbolically charged in the previous settlement along with the other people's personal Terminal and spare batteries... After all, thanks to Liskarm's Originium Arts, Nana's team would never have a problem running out of power.

Just as Huang was about to continue the conversation, Nana, who was in the front row, suddenly raised her hand and clenched her fist.

The entire squad suddenly stopped in place, accompanied by the click of several Firearms Arts being deactivated. In the dimly lit environment, illuminated only by the faint Halo human lights, the only sound was Jessica's slightly trembling breath.

Clearly, Jessica noticed this as well. As the girl held her breath, even the person with the worst hearing among them heard the footsteps coming from afar.

'Number of people between twenty and thirty, heavy footsteps, uncertain whether they are armed...'

As Franka lowered her hands from her head and ears, using gestures to inform everyone of the situation, Nana began to survey the terrain... At this moment, the group had only left the first shelter a few hours earlier.

Although the industrial zone is far from the surface of the fighting, the corridors connecting the structural compartments of the industrial zone, which are linked by modular corridors, are not easy to navigate due to the structural damage caused by the Mobile City.

After everyone quieted down, the deformed steel plates occasionally emitted eerie creaking sounds, and the structures that had fallen off somewhere collided left and right in the deformed Mobile City, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Although it's called a 'Mobile City,' the area where everyone is located is essentially just a section of a ship like Rhodes Island where the hulls are connected... This area has some common features, such as thin panels that make footsteps Echo clearly; low investment in the walls of the passageways, making sound insulation almost non-existent; and a flimsy structure, so even the most ordinary sorcerer can completely interfere with it using simple sound wave or echo search spells.

Therefore, the other party's footsteps suddenly disappeared after they approached within fifty meters.

On the surface or a plain, fifty meters would be enough for the 'Arius Special Operations Team' to blow the enemy's head off and then have afternoon tea... But here we are inside Mobile City, and fifty meters in a straight line is separated by two corridors and three Fire Department doors.

Upon realizing that their side was also on guard against by the other side, Nana deactivated the sound control. With a gesture of "on your positions," accompanied by the girls' hurried footsteps, Nana and the others remotely opened two of the three doors... except for the two doors in the very center, the two closest to themselves and the unknown target.

It must be said that seizing control of the Chernobog power system was a brilliant move by Nana. This control of the site has created most of the Trauma Team's site advantages over the past year, and this time is no exception.

While Nana was analyzing the spell type by following the spell echo from the other side, Mika frowned as she listened to the Kazdel curses that were being uttered in a low voice by the other side because the gate had suddenly opened.

"... Sarkaz, most likely armed... Shall we launch an attack?"

Logically, if they wanted to maintain the "Laterano Special Operations Team" persona, they should have launched an attack immediately upon discovering armed Sarkaz.

But Nana isn't playing a normal person, after all. Normal special operations teams wouldn't take on jobs like helping refugees evacuate; that's something only members of the Contingency Contract would do.

Here's a little-known fact: Laterano remains isolated from the world to this day. This pristine holy city maintains absolute neutrality, refusing to join any international organizations or adopt any ideological bias... This is the premise that Laterano religion has been able to spread smoothly across this land.

However, Nana had heard priests complain in the past that many people in the Holy City had doubted their faith because of the Vatican's inaction... but that was none of Nana's business for the time being.

As a proper Sankta who inherited the Guardian Gun and was granted the Firearms Arts order, Nana is a member of Rhodes Island's Medic, Contingency Contract member company, and an SHD agent whose mission is to stand up in times of crisis. Even though she knows the chances are slim, she still wants to give it a try.