Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 611 The Wrath of the Wolf (Part 2)
“Since you are the leader of the ‘Dedication Group’ and have come to the first basement level of the military fortress, it seems that the mechanical legions I deployed at ‘Earthline 19’ and ‘Earthline 18’ have failed to stop you.” Shaneva deliberately displayed an exaggerated sense of frustration, wishing she could tear that pile of scrap metal to shreds with her own hands.

However, "Blood Wolf" was not smug, nor did he display the pride and arrogance that Shaneva had hoped for. He simply glanced around, especially at the positions of elite snipers positioned diagonally above him, took a half-step forward, and said in a calm, even somewhat humble tone:
“Indeed, those mechanical legions seem to have a problem with insufficient power. They ran out of energy and fell to the ground before they had been fighting us for long. As for the elite Federation soldiers you deployed on the lower two levels, they died in our sneak attack.”

“Despicable act,” Shaneva said angrily, the words practically spitting out from between her teeth.

"Despicable?" Blood Wolf sneered twice, continuing in his deep, yet remarkably clear, voice typical of middle-aged men:

"Once war begins, there is no such thing as baseness. Ms. Shaneva, you should know that war may begin with your will, but it will not end with your will. A good, compliant partner, even one willing to concede benefits... is like a pearl on an icy crown in the wasteland. We Crusaders often say, 'Ice may melt, but the heart will not.' Clearly, Ms. Shaneva, your 'heart' has long since ceased to exist, which is why you have committed such a treacherous act."

“As the governor of Novayask, I am only responsible to the city’s two hundred thousand citizens, workers, and military. The resources I control are insufficient to support the needs of a ‘futuristic’ city, so naturally I must cooperate with you Lost Ones.” Shaneva said, hands on her hips, a look of both wariness and contempt for the ignorant.

"The Holy Word says: 'Holding the light of a firefly, one need only illuminate a dark pond; wielding the radiance of the sun, one must accept the destiny of saving all things.' Since Vasily died in a foolish and stubborn war, fate has entrusted the Crusad Federation to me, and I must shoulder the mission of being a leader."

"You've completely abandoned the 'Red Spider Lily' and chosen the 'Sunflower,' haven't you?" Blood Wolf demanded sharply, gripping the heavy red wolf king hood in one hand.

But Shaneva didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she walked up to Wright, glanced casually at the still surging yellow sand above and to the side, chuckled coldly, and said:
"The Federal Council will never coexist with the Lost Ones. Any temporary cooperation with the Lost Ones is in the hope that you will give up your non-human identities such as 'monster' or 'alien human' and integrate into the human world to develop an identity as a human being."

"Moreover, as the supreme leader of the Federation, I must uphold the unity of the Federation and the authority of the Chief Executive. Nabrius betrayed the Federation because he opposed me, so he deserves to die. If he hindered the Federation's great 'Universal Energy Evolution Platform Project' because of the [Core of Khitania], then he should be despised by people after his death."

"Then, those of us who assist Nabrius naturally become your and the Federation's enemies, right?" Blood Wolf said with a helpless smile.

Then, he took half a step forward, unleashing the dark magical energy surging within his body and releasing it in all directions.

Soon, a dim, curtain-like "dark light" enveloped the entire underground space of the military fortress. The barrier of light formed by the dark magic source power meant that all light sources, including the searchlights that burned indefinitely and even the electric lights hanging high on the walls, could only illuminate a limited area under the suppression of the dark magic source power.

From a distance, it resembles a bright but tiny planetary remnant in the universe.

Soon, under the control of the demonic power, the "Blood Wolf" emitted a terrifying and deep blue light, resembling the moonlight hanging high in the long night. This radiance was clear and distinct, as if it had descended from the depths of the universe to guide the lost "weak" wolf clan towards the realm of gods.

"'Wolf Moon,' a special dark-elemental skill, is said to have been comprehended by the Lord of the Night on the eve of the dragons' complete demise, beneath the ruins of the Pillar of Drogen." Although Shaneva had never met "Blood Wolf," she possessed remarkably detailed information about this enemy leader. As she watched "Blood Wolf's" deliberately showy or muscular display of magical power, she "introduced" him:

"After the complete annihilation of the dragon race and the advent of the human era, the Lord of the Night discovered that his followers and servants were becoming increasingly scarce. After all, humans are a race belonging to the earth; humans need plants to survive, and plants need warm sunlight to grow."

"Therefore, humans love light and warmth. For more than two thousand years, the Goddess of Light was the main object of worship for the Krusd and the Khitanris. Thus, the Lord of the Night ultimately chose the 'wolf clan' outside of the dragon clan."

"It's quite rare that you even know about the 'Wolf Clan'." A hint of surprise appeared on the face of "Blood Wolf" under the red wolf king's hood. "I thought that the administrative officials of your Federation were all warmongers like Vasily or the 'Vikings', too busy to care about these ancient and mysterious legends."

“However, you are not wrong. There are indeed ‘wolf clans’. In the eyes of the Putoa and the Genie people, we are a kind of ‘beast’. But among the Khitan Ris people, especially in their Eastern Province, we are beings comparable to gods.”

"Iairishera is actually a 'paradise' fabricated by your 'wolf clan,' isn't it? When faced with danger and the need for the entire clan to migrate, you always use 'paradise' to motivate yourselves and avoid dying of despair." Shaneva glanced disdainfully at the "blood wolf" and continued her story:
"In fact, although the Lord of the Night would cultivate three to five teenagers with dragon bloodlines in each era as his 'angel investors' to disrupt the world's 'order,' they all failed without exception."

"The Chosen One is like this, and so is one of His incarnations, Wolfia. What guardian of the eternal night, what creator of the Order of Hope, what protector against the scorching heat, what guide to the lost. He is nothing but an evil manipulator hidden behind the scenes."

"However, perhaps even He Himself did not expect that the mission He, the Dragon Clan, and the Wolf Clan had failed to complete for thousands of years would be realized by Ivan XXII's selfish idea. The dark, bloody, and desperate world created by the 'New Construction Project' has created too much 'sorrow' and dark power, directly destroying the original balance. In an unbalanced world, whoever dominates will face destruction in the next balance."

"What are you trying to say?" Blood Wolf asked after a two-second silence.

"In fact, the Federation's scientists, mystics, and even the superhuman organizations under the Committee all agree that after Ivan XXII's true death, the wasteland world did not end or reverse; instead, it slid into an even deeper abyss." Shaneva turned her gaze back to "Blood Wolf," glanced at Wright, and further explained: "In this situation, the newly formed [Orderers] do not have enough power to correct the world, and the Lost Ones, without the suppression of Ivan XXII's remaining power, will descend into madness even faster. As a result, the Lord of the Night will dare not show himself even more; the 'sorrow' permeating the air, and the dark power of despair, will exceed the threshold of His divine body."

“As you know, once the Lord of the Night leaves His divine realm and comes to the mortal world, His body will passively absorb all darkness, as well as all the negative emotions and energy that come with it. Now, this world is sliding further into the abyss and destruction. Once the Lord of the Night appears in His true form, He will soon be submerged in the painful darkness, and His body will explode, His mind will collapse, His divine status will disappear, His consciousness will turn into nothingness, and under the Creator’s ‘reason,’ His existence will be erased.”

“You are shaking my faith, Shaneva, you are a cunning heretic,” Blood Wolf said indignantly.

"Heretical? Sorry, I personally have no faith. Or rather, the head of the Federal Council, the chief executive of the Federation, is not allowed to have any faith. From the moment we take our oaths of office, no matter how sentimental or emotional we were before, we must become pragmatic leaders. But..." Shaneva sneered.
"Vasily was too foolish, which is why he wasted a lot of resources on developing the 'Evolution Platform' while ignoring the inherent problems of the 'Gnady Line'. When the 'Heartless Wave' broke through the line, they arrived at the foot of Icefall City without encountering much resistance."

"The Lord, the True Lord, the only Lord—these are merely different ways of referring to the Creator in different faiths. Even those who believe in Cthulhu call Him Azathoth, while the 'immortals' who believe in Eastern Taoism call Him 'Tao' or 'Heavenly Tao.' I personally agree with the philosophical views of the Khitans, after all, He is an ultimate mystery that is ineffable, indescribable, yet truly exists."

“A person without faith is nothing but an empty shell,” Blood Wolf mocked.

"A mere shell? Aren't humans just souls, pathetic creatures dragging a shell along with their struggles?" Shaneva replied. "But then again, 'Wolf Moon' is indeed a tragic skill; the more sorrowful the emotion, the greater its power."

"You, 'Blood Wolf,' are not only the leader of the 'Dedication Group,' but also the leader of this pack of wolves. 'Wolf Moon' will cover your entire body, bathing you in seemingly bright darkness, making you a 'moon' to greatly enhance the physical fitness, recovery ability, and even the clarity of thought and judgment of your subordinates."

"This is a skill for leaders, but you are not a true leader. Perhaps you can use it well in local battles, but on a higher level, you are destined to be a loser."

"So, would you like to test the sharpness of my claws?" Blood Wolf barked.

Immediately afterwards, he ripped off the red wolf king's hood, and after a blinding flash of light, three sharp blades gleaming with cold, metallic light flew out from above his head, like lightning flickering in the dark clouds and the world of the dark moon, heading towards Shaneva's throat before the sound even arrived.

when!
A crisp, lingering sound spread through the empty underground space. A few seconds later, the sharp echo of a massive metal object striking the ground continued to reverberate, causing the Federation soldiers guarding the high ground to cover their bleeding ears. Under mental torment, thick, black liquid gushed from their mouths and noses, their limbs went limp, their eyeballs bulged, and they all collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

Fortunately, Shaneva was a high-level professional [Prayer], so the noise only made her slightly uncomfortable. After a few seconds, the echo disappeared, and she returned to normal.

However, when she regained her balance, she discovered that a black, crocodile-like tentacle, several times larger than her body, was firmly protecting her behind her. Following this tentacle, which appeared even more eerie, terrifying, and powerful under the glow of the "Wolf Moon," she realized it belonged to Wright.

“‘Touch of Darkness’, it really is that. Forgive me for not noticing you earlier. If I remember correctly, you are [Orderer] Light Socrates, right?” Blood Wolf said, clutching his chest and bowing slightly to Light as a sign of respect.

Perhaps it was because of Wright's reaction speed, coupled with the power of "Dark Touch" that made "Blood Wolf" feel afraid, or perhaps for other reasons that are currently unknown, "Blood Wolf" unconsciously took two steps back and withdrew the "Wolf Moon" power that surrounded his body.

Soon, the metal electric lights on the walls and the searchlights overhead regained their brightness, revealing the "Blood Wolf's" original, almost human-like face.

Despite their status as mythical beasts, wolves are virtually indistinguishable from humans in appearance, except for their distinctive animal ears and retractable bone blades used in combat. Perhaps it is the continuous integration of humans and wolves over thousands of years that has made their descendants increasingly resemble humans.

Wright, having withdrawn "Dark Touch," took a few steps forward and looked up to examine it closely.

Blood Wolf was indeed tall, about 2.1 to 2.2 meters. Although he wore a rare cyberpunk-style jacket with reflective material that revealed a rare sense of technology and metallic texture, his lower body was a pair of worn-out cotton pants that Federation warriors often wore. Even the Federation's double-headed eagle emblem was not cut off, showing a cool and handsome feeling that was also honest.

However, the heavy, novel clothing could not conceal his muscular physique, which was almost exaggerated, or the pride and domineering aura unique to the wolf clan. And atop this powerful body was a head with a distinctly Eastern style, with black hair and black eyes set against a face that was grayish-yellow and somewhat youthful.

(End of this chapter)