Wasteland Echoer.

"Anno 1454: The Creator was born before the universe. No one can describe His appearance, no one can understand His existence, and no one can peek into His entity. The Creator who can be described is the evil god in disguise, and the Creator who can be named is the evil spirit created by heretics. The Creator created the entire universe and the world from nothingness. Time 0 is the beginning of everything, and Time 7 is the end of everything." - "Dark Book"

New calendar year 558, January 1, 16 a.m.

Cruz Federation, Ice Province, Novayask City, Absolute Administrative District, deep underground in the "White Administrative Building".

Levri, the newly appointed member of the Novayask City Council and the new military commander of the "Provisional Strategic Group" of the Cruzd Federal Council, had just driven through a giant door made of pure steel, which was built fifty meters underground.

Standing in front of the open, 20-meter-high giant door, Levli looked at the "gem" bound in the lead box "deep in the laboratory" that was emitting a little pink light. He listened to the subtle noise coming from the intercom headset, coughed a few times, and asked the "Red Wolf" behind him in an extremely serious tone:
"Have those lost ones from the 'Devotion Group' betrayed the city?"

“Of course not.” “Red Wolf” stood behind Levli. His broad physique seemed to be comparable to that of the officer who had long fought in the blood of the “Heartless People” and the Lost Ones, but there was a world of difference in momentum.

Even though, at this moment, he had already put on the latest mechanical armor designed by the city of Novayask with a futuristic style, and could destroy ordinary Lost Ones who did not have much extraordinary power in an instant with a flick of his finger, but behind Levri, he could only remain humble and cautious, facing the officer as a real subordinate.

He took two steps forward, deliberately avoiding the soldiers of the City Strategic Regiment who were responsible for opening and closing the "Giant Laboratory Door", and lowered his voice and said:
"These Lost Ones have never obeyed the city, so naturally they don't have an emotion called 'loyalty'. We... have a cooperative relationship with them at most. Now, their artificial Lost Ones have disappeared, and the thirteen groups of adventurers we sent have all been sacrificed. The 'Sacrificial Group' no longer needs the city's contribution, and similarly, they are no longer able to continue to implement Commander Shaneva's plan.

"So, the current cooperation is actually on the verge of termination. I think it won't be long before those mysterious 'Forsaken Gods' pick up guns and artillery again and become enemies of the city and the federation once again."

"Then..." The muscles on Levli's nose twitched noticeably. He continued to stare into the depths of the laboratory and asked in a superior's tone:
"The 'Devotion Group' has not yet taken over the 'Former Core Military Base' where Nebrius is located. In fact, are they preparing to retreat?"

"Yes, sir." "Red Wolf" sighed and said:
"Our people in the Outer Nebuya Mountains and those lurking in the 'Sacrificial Group' brought back accurate information. The 'sole leader' of the 'Sacrificial Group', known as 'Blood Wolf' Quilanov Dracula Vladimir, announced yesterday that due to the failure of the 'Heart-Exhausting Glory' ritual, the 'Sacrificial Group' is unable, unwilling, and incapable of aggregating the Heart-Exhausting Ore in the vast area from the Castard Lake to the Nebsk Plain, let alone using its power."

"Red Wolf" said this, raising his head slightly and glancing upward through the gap in the mechanical armor covered by tempered glass, as if testing Levli's attitude.

However, the serious expression and the long silence made it impossible for "Red Wolf" to continue the topic until Levli snorted coldly, sighed slightly in his throat, moved his mouth, and opened and closed his lips, as if he was saying "this group of monsters" and "not trustworthy". "Red Wolf" swallowed his saliva and continued:

"'The Radiance of the Heart' can only be performed once. This is detailed in the documents left by John Reese, the successor of Ivanov in the Old Empire. People who defected to the 'Order Society' and mystics of the 'Devotion Group' all hold the same view."

"Go on," Levri ordered, his eyes and expression instantly regaining the seriousness and coldness that a military leader should have. "'The Radiance of the Heart' can only be activated at night when the sun, planets, and moon are in the same line. Because only at this time can the universe gather the remaining consciousness of the Creator and provide a stable source of energy for the 'blooming' of the 'Mechanical Crimson Moon'." "Red Wolf" opened the notebook he carried with him and read word by word according to the records on it:
"Moreover, the concentrated fluctuations of the 'Earth Collapse Remnants' are needed to integrate these two forces and guide them into a reasonable direction for release, providing an opportunity for the birth of the 'Heart-Exhausting Flame Point' and the dedication of the 'Mechanical Crimson Moon'. Sir, the three planets are in the same line and can shine on the Outer Naibuya Mountains, which only happens once every fifty years; and the revival of the 'Earth Collapse Remnants' will take 135 years.

"Our losses are incalculable. After all, we have already sacrificed 1032 adventurers in advance, as well as the 107 Federation psychic warriors with magical power sent in this batch, just to ensure the smooth progress of the entire ceremony. Originally, the artificial lost one 'Jie Yan' should have sent all the 'energy light spots' formed by the 'refining' of all adventurers into the 'Jie Xin Flame Point'. After activating all the 'Jie Xin Ore', not only can we successfully summon the 'Net Hunting Spirit Niche' to promote the 'innovation' of fate, but also activate all the energy to make the dead volcano at the bottom of the Outer Nebuya Mountains erupt and destroy Nebrius. After all the flames subside, we can successfully recover the [Core of Khitanria] and open all the 'Evolution Platforms'."

"But..." Red Wolf closed the notebook in his hand that was covered with dirt and blood, raised his head, and stared at Levri's eyes with a slightly horrified look. The eyes were like those of a real wolf, emitting a faint green glow. He said:
"Sir. It's not that the 'Devotion Team' didn't cooperate with us. It's that Dark Tillis, the former 'Vice Captain of the Search Team' who followed the Adventurer's Association members to 'rescue' Nebrius and is now the captain of the 'Special Task Force' under the Federal Committee Strategic Group, knocked out 'Jieyan' himself.

"Not only did he rely on his powerful magical power, unknown extraordinary strength, and excellent physical fitness to destroy the 'Mechanical Crimson Moon', he also broke the Khitanris-style furnace constructed by the energy body. In addition, our people also reported that at dawn, they saw with their own eyes that Dak successfully summoned the Net Hunter Sacrifice, but made an almost useless wish."

"What wish did he make?" Levri asked curiously.

"Sir, there were a lot of 'Sorrow' and many extraordinary powers whose sources could not be ascertained at the scene. Some of our people lost their common cognition and fell into the valley. Some came back crazy and spoke many languages ​​we were not familiar with. The psychic who saw Dak making a wish lost most of his memories of that place after he came back. He only remembered that Dak made a rather ordinary and meaningless wish, but he did not remember the content of the wish. However..." Seeing several more mechanical chariots flying the flag of the city of Novaask near the giant gate, "Red Wolf" deliberately lowered his voice and said:
"The psychic also saw that 'Jie Yan' was not dead and Dak was not injured. He and another former Federation [Soldier] named Anthony took 'Jie Yan' to the 'Former No. 03' military fortress controlled by the 'Devotion Group'. I guess Dak should be quite familiar with the plans of the top leaders of the Federation Committee. Maybe 'Jie Yan' said something to him, or Shaneva found a way to reveal some information to him, which may have stimulated him. He should be planning to cooperate with the 'Devotion Group'."

"This traitor!" Levri shouted angrily, but there were more and more city guards around him. In order to keep some information confidential, he could only lower his voice to the limit, and almost uttered a word from between his teeth, which was quick and difficult to conceal his anger:

"Why didn't Commander Shaneva dismiss him from all his posts and military status in the name of the Federation Council, strip him of all his ranks, and order a warrant for his arrest throughout the Cruzde Federation? Instead, he tried to win him over with the help of those people who have a background in the Order Society and are suspected to be Lost Ones?"

"It's very simple, Commander Levri. According to the information Kuka sent us, it was the last will of the former Chief Executive Vasily to appoint Dark Tillis as the captain of the 'Special Task Force' and promote him to the Dark Star 1 level." "Red Wolf" explained and said to Levri in an admonishing tone:

"Originally, Dark Tillis and Light Sugra were both talents that Vasily favored, so he sent his illegitimate son Wolfya to help Dark return to the human world, and sent Yaroslav, who was abandoned by the 'Viking Faction', to launch two important battles, the 'Bitter Ruins' and the 'Red Fantasy Ruins'. He ignored internal opposition and forced cooperation with the 'New Gods' faction in the 'Order Society' that was close to humans, in order to officially rebuild Cruzde after the success of the 'Evolution Platform Plan', and to launch wars to eliminate the 'Heartless People' all over the world and restore human civilization.

"Now that Commander Shaneva has chosen to inherit Vasily's 'plan', she has no reason to break any of the arrangements made by the previous chief executive. I heard that Kuka will come to Novayask in two weeks with the old empire technology that was transported from the 'Red Fantasy Ruins' through the 'Yudian Port'.

"I think this is why she brought Wright to 'observe' the 'Order of the Stars' today." (End of this chapter)