Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 653 The Death of Shaneva (Part 1)
“Commander Shaneva, are you sure you’re alright staying here alone? Our exploratory team of ability users sent a report earlier saying that there are still some remnants of the ‘Dedication Group’ here, and they might attack us.” Mikhail walked up to Shaneva, looking anxious, and whispered his advice.

Unexpectedly, Shaneva burst into laughter. She weighed the "Dominion" brand pistol, specially made for the head of the Federation Council, walked to the window, suddenly turned around, her back to the sky that was becoming incredibly bright after the shield was removed, and said with extreme confidence:

“Mikhail, do you know where you fall short compared to Light Socrates?”

Mikhail shook his head without answering, but instead lowered his head slightly to listen to the leader's instructions.

At this moment, Shaneva, who was at the center of the battlefield, was no longer his lover, but the supreme ruler of the Federation, an unquestionable leader.

Shaneva glanced briefly at the surrounding superhumans, confirming that they were all members of the Novayask City Guard, before speaking in the deepest, most mature female voice possible:

“He has never felt fear, and he will not back down under any circumstances, not even when faced with the threat of death. You may serve as the deputy to the head of the Federal Council until your death, but Light Socrates, if he so chooses, must take over my position and lead the great Crusad Federation.”

“Since this is your decision, I absolutely support it and stand by it. I am loyal to the leader and the country, and my loyalty will never waver.” Mikhail bowed generously, expressing his loyalty.

Clearly, Shaneva was quite pleased with her lover and deputy, Mikhail. She stepped forward and stroked Mikhail's hair a few times, as if petting a pet, and continued her story:
"We only fear fear itself, and only fear itself terrifies us. When you truly understand this, you will possess the power to wield the authority of Crusad. Mikhail, first, take the 'Beginning of Ashes' back to the 'Former 08' military outpost. Don't gather too many people, about two or three thousand will suffice. Have them put on their protective suits and come to clean up the battlefield, and while they're at it, search for the [Core of Khitanria].

“The battle between Olga and Nebrius just now has increased the radiation concentration here considerably. It’s not convenient for me to go to the center of the battlefield, and you should not go there for the time being either. Otherwise, if any of you start to mutate, I will personally kill the mutated one.”

“And one more.” Shaneva walked to Mikhail’s side and handed him a refurbished “Krusd Hero” badge made in the old Empire, instructing him:
"Olga was loyal to the nation, loyal to the Federation, and loyal to humanity. To protect the peace of the Federation and the continuation of human civilization, he worked for the Lost Ones organization, but truly sacrificed himself for the Federation. I know that he had no more family, only a younger brother who was a Lost One wandering around Nebusk."

"After the 'Cleanup Campaign of the Fall of Atlas' is over, you must send someone to Nebsk to find his brother and bring him back to Novayask. If his brother has gone mad, find a way to treat him."

“Yes, Commander Shaneva.” Mikhail gave Shaneva a standard military salute this time, extending his white-gloved hands to take the “Krusd Hero” badge from her.

“And another thing.” Shaneva looked out the window, sighed softly, and then added:
"If possible, find Olga's body, as much as you can find. I want to hold a state funeral for him in Novayask... no, Nebsk! He will surpass Alexander, the Vikings, and Gennady to become the new hero of the Krusd people."

"At the Eastern National Assembly of the Federal Council next month, I will announce the posthumous recognition of Olga as 'First Marshal of the Federal Council' and 'Chief Officer of the Federal Council Strategic Regiment.' I will also... at his funeral, confer upon him the highest rank of the Federal Army—Dawn 5."

At this point, Shaneva choked up a few times, not only because Olga chose to perish together with the crazed "Hades-like" Nebrius in order to protect the Federation and preserve her.

More importantly, Olga is the highest-ranking of the newly promoted officers she has made. In addition, the first batch of elite ability users and outstanding Federation warriors who rushed here have all died. After the "Fall of Atlas" campaign, she will face a situation where she has no one to use for at least a year.

……

Meanwhile, unlike Shaneva and the Federation soldiers who dared not leave their "residential layer" to clean up the battlefield, Adaloni, Dark, and Hoshino Shota appeared in the center of the battlefield without any regard for the radiation left by the remnants of Nebrius and Olga's power.

Fortunately, this is not a completely open space. The ruins of the buildings and the surrounding dilapidated walls create certain blind spots, which can block the view from the "residential area".

If it weren't for the high enough position that Dark and his companions were in, they wouldn't have been able to keep a constant eye on the development of the battlefield.

What was terrifying was that when Dark stood on the battlefield where Nebrius and Olga had disappeared together, they discovered that neither Hades's beast-like, enormous body nor Olga's god-like form remained.

All that remained at the scene was a layer of salt floating on the surface, making it look like walking on a dried-up salt lake.

There are also some metal remnants that were partially fused with Nebrius and were difficult to completely melt in battle, as well as the dark bones left behind after some human bodies evaporated.

After observing for a long time using his dark magic power, Dark finally found the giant eyeball that originally existed on Nebrius's chest in a triangular structure formed by chance among a group of buildings.

Although the eyeballs still retained their original shape, they were half-open and half-closed, appearing exhausted and on the verge of death. The hairs that had been wriggling on the surface now drooped listlessly, and drops of crystal tears overflowed from them, mixing with the salt on the ground to form a black, sticky filth that smelled like asphalt.

Upon seeing Dark, his eyes strangely brightened briefly as he looked at the three of them.

"You are the [Core of Khitanria], right? And you've fused with the 'Mutant Dark Eye'?" Dark asked.

However, the eyeballs remained silent in place, blinking mechanically twice without any other movement.

Instead, Adaloni, standing to the side, activated "Dragon Spirit Scent," scrutinized the eyeball from head to toe, and then suddenly extended his sharp dragon claws. He then stepped forward, placing a foot on the "back" of the eyeball and forcefully prying open its eyelids, forcing it to stare at Adaloni's handsome dragon face and his exceptionally robust muscular body, further evolved through "Dragon's Return."

The other dragon claw was positioned less than five centimeters from the eyeball, and in a deep voice, it threatened sharply:
“I know you are an intelligent being, that you can understand our language and respond. But you deliberately avoided our questions, didn’t you? Of course, you don’t need to answer me; my dragon power has already given me the correct answer.”

“If we wanted to destroy the core of the Khitania, I could easily use these claws to tear your flesh apart and crush it in a bloody mess. Of course, you would die along with it. However, I want to give you a chance, and give us a chance as well.”

"What...what do you want?" The eyeballs uttered a soft, childlike voice, sounding exceptionally gentle and pitiful.

This deceptive tone might briefly disrupt the minds of ordinary federal soldiers or superhumans, capturing them with temporary sympathy and making them act according to the commands of their eyes.

But standing before them were three seasoned veterans who, aside from extraordinary events related to gods and the creator, had experienced almost every kind of fantastical and supernatural thing. This temptation not only failed to impact their spirits but also aroused their contempt.

This only strengthened Adaroni's dragon foot, and his tone carried an even stronger threat as he said:
"By handing over the [Core of Khitanria], I can use the blood of the dragons to nourish your entire body, allowing you to escape safely. You can hide in the wild without ever interacting with any humans again. After being nourished by my dragon blood, you will be one step closer to obtaining the 'Inspiration' sequence core, and perhaps you will even be able to mutate into a human form and enter human society."

"After all, all we want is the [Core], which we can use as leverage to exchange for our brothers leaving Crusd. If you refuse, I don't mind letting Shaneva's plan fall apart completely, making her and Vasily a laughingstock of the Crusd forever."

“Don’t say that. Commander Nabrius created me, and I’m willing to do more for the Federation for him. In fact, Commander Nabrius also longs for the success of the ‘Universal Energy Evolution Platform’ project; he just wants to be the one in charge,” the eyeball replied.

“Wait.” Dark stepped forward, gesturing for Adaloni to remove his foot, then crouched down, his tone softening slightly, and asked:
“From the moment Commander Nebrius jumped out of the ‘fortress layer’ until his death, you were the one who truly controlled his language system, weren’t you? You talked to Olga so much, and I want to know, was this Commander Nebrius’s original intention, or yours? Did you orchestrate his transformation from a resolute, intelligent, and rational rebel into such a huge and violent monster?”

"That's not true." Eyeballs, clearly startled, jumped back a few steps, shook their bodies violently, tears streaming down their faces, and denied it:

“I have no reason to lie. In short, Commander Nebrius has been using my power for a long time. But because of the existence of the Creator’s ‘reason,’ I can influence anyone’s mind, but I cannot influence Nebrius, who created me by borrowing the power of the gods.”

"When he jumped out of the ground, his already fragile vocal cords were further damaged by the impact with the ceiling. I can only temporarily perform his speech function and relay his thoughts... In his last few days of full lucidity, Nabrius told me that if he died at the hands of the Federal Council, then I could hand over the [Core] to Commander Dark Tirith."

“I am Dark Tirith.” Dark held up the old, grime-covered “Federal Military Member ID” and flipped it open in front of his eyes, making him read it carefully.

After receiving a nod of confirmation from the eyeball, Dak took out a box of matches, pulled out one, quickly slid it, and lit the "Federal Military Member ID" that symbolized his identity. He then threw the flaming fragment into the air, as a brief farewell to the past.

"In that case, Brother Dark, the [Core] is right behind me. Let this dragon brother help me cut it open. Please be gentle, I'm afraid of pain." The eyeball pleaded again in a pitiful voice, and used its drooping tentacles to barely point out the direction for Adaloni.

"Don't worry, the dragon's blood will make you feel warm, not painful. Your wounds will heal quickly, and you'll even become stronger." Adaloni said, taking a short sword from Hoshino Shota and slashing his wrist.

Steaming hot dragon blood gushed down, pouring onto the surface of the eyeballs.

As his eyeballs were enjoying the bath of dragon blood, before he could even react, Adaloni slashed his back with a claw and pulled out the dark, eerie [Core of Khitanria].

With the help of the dragon's blood, the eyeballs not only healed rapidly from their wounds, but their previously exhausted bodies suddenly became full of life, becoming bright and alert. Even their previously weak fur and tentacles regained their lively, wriggling state.

“You can leave now. The battle here isn’t over. I think there will be one last, not-too-small, war. You’re just a tool; you don’t belong to the war. But…” Adaloni opened his eyes and, like Dark, half-squatted down, asking in a relatively gentle voice:
Tell me your name, and perhaps we'll meet again.

“That’s what Commander Ionie, Nebrius, and the others call me.”

……

Half an hour later, the former No. 08 military outpost, the command center of the "Final Battle of Atlas", and the "Shallow Modified Cave Layer".

Following Mikhail's orders, the three tall "soldiers" behind him, dressed in combat uniforms of the Novayask City Guard, did not escort him through the main gate into the military fortress. Instead, they took a detour through a small path, passing through an unguarded "shallow cave layer," and then took an elevator to the top floor.

Mikhail didn't want to enter the stronghold alone, revealing the fact that most of the [warriors] had died. Besides, taking Wright to the battlefield was Shaneva's secret order, and the fewer people who knew, the better. He didn't want to display Wright's power in front of the army, threatening his future position within the Federation.

He had barely stepped off the "Earth of Ashes" chariot and taken a few steps forward when the tallest "guardian warrior" behind him called out in a familiar, deep voice:
"Commander Mikhail, please wait."