Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 604 Different Treatment

"It's quite romantic." Dak smiled.
"I've only heard of the romance of the Gauls living in Putoya, but I didn't expect that the Khitanris also have their own romance. A romance that understands death. 'Xianyan', I'm willing to agree to your request, as long as... Dak, I, and the dragon can reach the east safely."

"Don't worry, Dak, I won't let you serve me in vain. As long as you can bring him to Qidanlis, the 'Supreme Immortal' will lead my soul to the 'Heaven'. At that time, the 'Mysterious Wrist Box' will belong to you. You know, in Qidanlis, owning a rank magic item rich in oriental cultural charm is equivalent to being recognized by the 'Immortal' and becoming a superior existence." "Xianyan" further explained:

"Even if you have a Crusaders' face, the Khitanris will still look up to you. I think you have never been to the East, and all you know about Eastern culture is from books and legends. When you go to the East and experience it in person, you will understand."

"Okay, when I get there... I will definitely keep my promise. But..." Dak scratched his head, pointed at the gradually glowing "Railway Core Hub", and asked "Xian Yan":
"You just said that these were built by dwarves and goblins more than a thousand years ago. They have now fled to the deserted frontier. I'm afraid not many of them survived the 'New Dollar Crisis'. What kind of race are they?"

"This question is very valuable." Xianyan looked up at the huge hall of the Dwarf Territory and explained:
"In the eyes of the Cruzd Empire, 'dwarves' are a type of human, roughly a minority tribe like Taharka. The more official definition is: a poor, disabled human being suffering from mass dwarfism. Therefore, any dwarf who can participate in production and research and development in official factories, research institutes or weapons centers will receive high rewards and a valuable 'relief subsidy'."

"Is it really a subsidy?" Dak asked a soul-stirring question.

"Xian Yan" smiled, shook his head and said:

"Even an ordinary officer of the Federation more than a thousand years later can see the problem at a glance. People at that time naturally knew the purpose of the Empire. You know the 'First Steel Incident', right?"

Facing Xianyan's question, Dak nodded and responded:
"Of course I know. The Cruzd Empire officials regarded this incident as a sign that the Federation had entered the 'Steam Age' and the Mechanical Age. Of course, as Cruzd's influence gradually grew, the countries on the continent also recognized this statement and designated the second year after the 'First Steel Incident' as the first year of the Steam Age. From then on, the old world dating method of 'Steam Element' was established."

"You have learned history well." "Xian Yan" praised on the surface, but his face was slightly gloomy as he said:

"Dak, do you know? People always say that it was the alien beasts that contributed to the production of the 'first batch of steel', but few people have specifically verified which tribes these alien beasts belong to. In fact, these so-called 'alien beasts' are 'dwarves' and 'goblins'."

"I'm a little confused." Dak asked further:
"Since they... the so-called 'dwarves' and 'goblins' have made such a significant contribution to Crusaders, why haven't their names been passed down? Even the names of their ethnic groups are rarely mentioned in the official documents of the old empire. Could it be that the old empire is used to discarding donkeys after they have done their work?"

"Of course not." Blood Donation picked up a broken, rusted rail from the ground, played with it with his left hand wearing a white glove, and answered:
"Emperor Cruz has always valued agreements. Perhaps he was influenced by the early 'contractual spirit' of Putoya and the Central People, or perhaps this can bring more benefits. In short, these emperors, such as Charles XII, Ivan XXII, Ivan XXV, etc., will not break their promises, and will make proper arrangements for those who cooperate. Unlike the current leaders of the Federation, compared with these so-called 'despotic' emperors, the chief executives who keep talking about 'peace, freedom, and victory' all day long look more like clowns driven by selfish desires. They should be thrown into the lava and their tongues pulled out."

After venting his emotions, Xianyan threw the rails that had been "kneaded" into a pile of iron slag aside and explained to Dak seriously:

"At least in the early days of the human era, the races that lived underground for a long time had mastered certain technologies that surpassed human development. But at that time, the magical power in nature was quite abundant. As long as most people were willing to work hard, they could obtain at least three sequence cores and cultivate to the fourth level of hope. In the eyes of my ancestors, the Khitanris, the so-called technology was nothing more than a gimmick that was not worthy of being put on the table.

"If you can study Taoism and practice immortal arts with all your heart, and explore the vast universe where the Creator exists with the blessing of magic power, that is the right way. These 'little toys' for 'entertainment' will only make people lose themselves in short-term happiness... or go astray into the dark path."

"Now it seems that the Khitanris people's point of view is not wrong. It was the technological explosion of the Steam Age that brought about the disaster. People no longer need to respect and cooperate with nature as before, and they don't need to cultivate their inner selves to gain enlightenment from the source of magic to gain extraordinary power. This will naturally arouse the ultimate evil deep in their hearts and bring about destruction." Dak expressed his inner feelings. He didn't know whether he agreed with the words of 'Xianyan' or was blaming the humans of the previous era.

In short, ever since he saw "Ivan XXII" in the "Kushen Ruins" and learned the truth about the "New Dollar Crisis", he has been immersed in an indescribable anger.

Perhaps this is what it means to "pity their misfortune and be angry at their lack of resistance." "Yes." Xianyan agreed with Dak's evaluation and continued:

"Among the tribes that are good at building and making weapons, the 'dwarves' are closer to humans and like to cooperate with them. The 'goblins' often make excessive demands and even start an uprising over trivial matters, dismantling the underground bases and networks that the empire has invested a lot of materials to build with great difficulty.

"Therefore, Ivan XXII authorized the adoption of a "Law on the Management of Underground Scientific and Technological Personnel", which classified "dwarves" as humans and "goblins" as alien beasts. Later, due to various mysterious and extraordinary experiments, including the implementation of the "New Structure Project", the goblins were hunted and killed, while the "dwarves" were collectively absorbed into the imperial scientific and technological team.

"Later, some dwarves hid their identities along with the special experimenters of the Empire, while other more famous 'dwarves' were only recorded with their names, without mentioning their race and identity. In other words, they have been completely accepted by the Empire and recorded as humans."

"No wonder there are no traces of dwarves in the old imperial documents that are being deciphered now. These scientific researchers... can save the empire from a lot of trouble by only recording their names without revealing their race. At the very least, it will be more difficult to collect real information about them," commented Dak.

"Indeed." Blood Donation nodded slightly and said:
"On the surface, the Empire slaughtered the disobedient and disloyal 'goblins', expelled some of the 'dwarves' who were unwilling to cooperate and a small number of 'goblins' who had no ability to resist, and thus perfectly concealed the 'underground railway network' plan. The huge underground railway network built by the Empire was originally a territory stronghold built by the 'dwarf ancestors'. With Ivan XXII's investment of resources at all costs and the unremitting support of several subsequent emperors, it was completely completed in the year 715 of the Steam Era and put into use as a secret military site.

"You know, the first 'subway' built by Queen Elizabeth III of Puttoa under the city of Lundy did not start trial operation until 760 of the Steam Year. The 'subway network' that can connect the interior of a city was not officially put into use until 865. And in the 26th year of the New Year, before the fall of the Puttoa Empire, a small 'underground railway' network was established between two or three cities."

"So, Crusad's technology is actually nearly half an era ahead of the so-called 'technological empire' Putoya? No wonder Ivan XXII and subsequent emperors were able to expand recklessly... No wonder he could implement the 'New Structure Plan' without hesitation, sleeping in the underground incubator for hundreds of years, waiting to restart after the destruction of the world." Dark murmured in a low voice and sighed slightly.

"Looking at the bright side, the Federal Council can use the documents and drawings of the old empire to develop 'new technology', and we Lost Ones can also use these documents to develop 'magic technology'. Humans are a race that is naturally repelled by magic and extraordinary things, and each of us Lost Ones is a natural container of magic." "Xianyan" sneered a few times and looked far to the east of the entire room, as if he was looking through these dim and magnificent "territory of the dwarf ancestors" to the core fortress area at the end of these "railway networks".

After about two or three minutes, he slowly opened his mouth and said:

"We have reached a new agreement with Nebrius. He has agreed to withdraw from the Transnebua Mountains before Shaneva launches 'Atlas's End'. Half of the guards he personally controls will stay to help us open and defend these underground networks.

"If Nebusk is not finally occupied by the Federal Committee, in return, Nebrius will give us all the information in the laboratory attached to the 'Yaoguang Evolution Platform', so that we can replicate the 'magic technology' that the old empire has never shown to anyone..."

Just as Xianyan was speaking, a loud explosion mixed with the vibration of the ground reached the eardrums of the three people.

Fortunately, the earthquake and explosion were very short. After the smoke and dust cleared, several Lost Ones wearing "Dragon and Demon Eye" masks ran to "Xianyan".

They half-knelt, unable to conceal their excitement, and said:

"Chief, we succeeded!"

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