Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 655 The Death of Shaneva (Part 2)
"New Era 07: The end of existence is not necessarily death, and the beginning of death is not necessarily existence. In the long and bizarre existence of eternity, death has long lost its meaning, and nothingness is the dominant force. Hundreds of millions of creators govern different universes, and these parallel universes, existing in spacetime, existence, and causality, exhibit different results of quantum state operation, creating different alternate dimensions."

Interdimensional connections may be possible, but only through the power of creation. When eras change, the Child of Creation will descend upon the world; like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, when the new and old timelines intersect, new life will arrive. — *The Dark Book*

At the same moment, in the ruins of Belogersk, on the "Starry Sky Observatory" on the top floor of the "Residential Level," the lost vampire, Milen, who now appears as a young boy, stands beside Shaneva, assisting her in observing the battlefield situation through a telescope.

A few minutes later, he put down the military binoculars made by the Novayask Military Supplies Plant and looked at the Federation Council Administrator, Shaneva, who was extremely haggard, with disheveled hair and a dirty face, and who had temporarily lost most of the beauty of a mature woman.

"The core of the Khitania was indeed stolen, wasn't it?" Shaneva asked calmly and steadily, as if she already knew.

“That’s right, while Nebrius in his ‘Hades form’ and Olga in her ‘Salt’s Wrath’ were locked in combat, and the field was filled with a thick and dangerous ‘sorrow’ aura, those three stole it. However…” Milen’s expression held a mixture of anger, envy, and regret as he continued:
"It seems more like they obtained the [Core] from the monsters rather than actually stealing it. In any case, they've already flown far away. You and the Federation's aerospace forces suffered heavy losses due to the yellow sand and 'Heavenly Punishment Fire,' so even if you issue orders to them immediately, it will be difficult to catch up."

"Can you tell who they are and where they flew to?" Shaneva asked casually, though she secretly longed to hear Mirren's accurate answer.

Putting away his military binoculars, Miren tidied his bright red hair, deliberately concealing his prominent vampire canines. He then adjusted the new uniform Shaneva had issued him as a member of the Face Committee, turned gracefully, bowed slightly, and performed the "bowing" that Krusds use when meeting their leader, speaking in a hoarse voice:
“I’ve seen those three people before, but I don’t know them. However, based on your previous description, they should be the three who escaped from Novayask and your ‘Atlas Battle Command Center’: ‘The Former Alien Monster’ Dark, the dragon Adaroni, and Hoshino Shota, the undercover agent from Nebrius. The direction they’re heading is roughly Nebrisk.”

"So, it means I'm destined to leave?" Shaneva sighed softly, then turned around and tore the brand-new, ink-smelling telegram in her hand to shreds. She wanted to scream in alarm, but suddenly regained her extreme composure and calmness.

"The core of the Khitania—whether they take it or destroy it, is no longer my concern. The Federation doesn't care…whether these consumables are dead or alive, intact or damaged, is irrelevant to us. We must look forward, just as I…as another woman, I should indeed cry, grieve, even fly into a rage, and break down beyond control for Mikhail." Shaneva whispered, her voice chillingly calm, as she stroked the bloodstained "Dominion" pistol in her hand.
"As the head of the Federal Council and the leader of the Crusad humans, I must mourn for Mikhail, the deputy commander of the Atlas campaign, grieve for the chief of staff Olga, and pay tribute to the warriors who died in this war so that human civilization could continue."

"Their sacrifice was worthwhile, while the actions of Dak and the other two in stealing the [Core] were unwise and barbaric. I have already exhausted the energy of the seven [Core], and the seven 'Evolution Platforms' have already been activated. These seven [Core], named after the Big Dipper in the eyes of the Khitans, have already completed their mission and pointed me to the location of the final 'Source Image Pillar'."

"Commander Shaneva, I..."

“Don’t interrupt me,” Shaneva said sternly, glancing at Mirren with a fierce look before letting out a cold snort and walking to the window.

“S76.2, K35.1, D53.2, these are the locations of the source image pillars that Professor Igor calculated for me. Specifically, they are the ‘Fortress Square’ in the center of Belogersk, which is what Nebrius called the ‘training ground’.”

"How pitiful! This ambitious man, who has exhausted his efforts and painstakingly pursued his goals, stands atop the 'Source Image Pillar,' a position that could make him a god and manipulate everything, yet he remains oblivious to it. He is so devoted to the 'Universal Energy Evolution Platform' project, yet he refuses to put in a little more effort, to gather even a little information, or even to subvert the two high-ranking members of the Federal Council, so that he could obtain the information he needs."

"Unfortunately, Nebrius was a stubborn man who lacked intelligence, which ultimately led to his fate. As for Mikhail, he was merely a patriot with a heart full of passion; his wisdom needed to be honed, and his abilities needed to be supplemented. I originally thought that, given enough time, at such a high position, he could surpass Vasily and the Vikings and assist Light Socrates in completely reviving Crusad."

Shaneva forced back her tears, brushed her disheveled hair aside as a gesture of embarrassment, and said in a choked voice:

"The Khitans have said that even the best chess position can be ruined by a single wrong move. Mikhail only made one mistake, took the wrong path, yet he died at the hands of the leader of the 'Dedication Group,' that despicable 'newborn' 'blood wolf.'"

“Wait, the ‘Blood Wolves’ will likely return to hinder my plans. If you can help me repel them and ensure the smooth operation of the ‘Source Image Pillars,’ then, based on your request, I will appoint you as the new ‘Second Leader’ of the Federal Council, concurrently serving as the ‘Administrative Vice-Executive’ of the Crusad Federation. You… will succeed Mikhail.”

"Thank you, Commander Shaneva." Upon hearing this, Milen's eyes almost lit up. His eyes, which were already exceptionally crimson due to the continuous surge of energy from the Lost Vampires and the convergence of fire-type magical power, were now even more strikingly red, resembling gargoyles controlled by demons.

But after the brief excitement, Mirren did not lose the composure of someone who had suffered a loss. After kneeling down to thank Shaneva, he suddenly stood up and asked her:
"Regarding my 'former leader,' the 'ruler' of the 'Order', 'Windmine,' also known as the 'Axe of Pramini' by those Lost Ones, do you and Professor Igor really have a way to save them?"

"Are you trying to negotiate more terms with me? Or is it a sign of distrust towards me, or the Federal Council?" Shane took a few steps forward, standing before the mahogany table where Nebrius used to work. He examined the portrait of Vasily and Nebrius in military uniform, parallel to the wall, and, with his back to Milne, asked:
"Or are you planning to blackmail me?"

“I have no choice, and neither do you, Commander Shaneva. If you and Professor Igor cannot bring ‘Windmine’ to its senses, then I will have no choice but to go to Choigler alone, or even further west. I will first seek revenge on Kuka, the leader of the Western Legion, and then fight my way through the Icebound Province and the Extreme Cold Special Zone, where the ‘Heartless’ and the Lost Organization are entrenched, to seek revenge on Ato, until I die.” Milen said through gritted teeth:

“I have no trust in the Federation Council led by Vasily, but you are different. At least you have not truly broken your promises, but have done your best to fulfill them. I am grateful to you for giving us, the wandering members of the Order, an opportunity to return to the Federation.”

"However, I need to know your specific implementation plan before I can put aside my unease."

"Militarily, the 'Final Battle of Atalas' will soon be over, and all the cities and strongholds in the east will be completely under the control of the Federation Council. At the latest, the Federation Council will retake Nebusk and expel Nebrius's supporters within three months," Shaneva said, pointing to the "Strategic Situation Map of the Crusad Federation" beneath the two portraits.

"Within six months at the earliest, I will gather all the resources of Novayask and the surrounding towns, and dispatch soldiers who have fled from the west and the troops I currently control to assist Kuka in recapturing Icefall City to the west, as well as the territories that have fallen into Vasily's hands. At that time, I will give you a legion to help you completely eliminate the 'Chaos Group' and kill its new leader, Ato."

“Igor told me that the ‘Poem of Chaos’ that Loka used on your former leader ‘Windmine’ was merely using the ‘Fork of Chaos’ to prematurely activate the ‘Heartless K01’ gene hidden in ‘Windmine’, causing him to express monstrous attributes.”

"So, does Professor Igor have a solution?" Milen asked Shaneva with an expectant look.

“We discovered the ‘Green Wave Laser’ developed by the Old Empire within the ‘Shaking Light’ evolution platform. It can rearrange disordered genes, restoring them to a human state. The ‘Heartless K01’ gene exists within any Lost One and is also the source of your power,” Shaneva explained in the most scientifically possible language. “As long as we can retrieve ‘Wind Ore,’ Professor Igor will use every means to repair its damaged genes, heal it, and restore it to its original state. This is the Federal Council’s promise to you, and it is also Professor Igor’s promise to you in the name of science.”

"Thank you, my supreme leader, Commander Shaneva!" Upon hearing this, Milen actually knelt down on both knees and bowed to Shaneva as if worshipping a god.

...A few minutes later, as some of the Khoputov Legion soldiers stationed at military outposts "Former 01" and "Former 03" arrived at Belogersk, Shaneva slowly walked out of the "living area" and came to the very center of "Fortress Square".

The Nabrius and Olga who originally existed here have been annihilated and fallen into silence due to the interplay of energies during the battle. The rubble and ruins scattered everywhere caused by the "Heavenly Punishment Fire" have been cleared by bulldozers, specially made mechanical vehicles and cranes that were already parked here, leaving an open space large enough to accommodate an army of ten thousand.

Without any unnecessary words or rituals, Shaneva simply took out the "Universal Key," which was pieced together from the "Universal Key Fragments" stored in various "Evolution Platforms," ​​from the "Beginning of Ashes" beside her. After determining the location, she personally inserted it into the ground.

Soon, the violent earthquake spread rapidly throughout Belogersk, and rows of depressions resembling fortification trenches spread rapidly in a circular pattern in all directions.

Immediately afterwards, the bright, clear daytime sky suddenly became overcast, and incantations and lightning descended. From beyond the clouds, even the wails and sobs of the gods could be heard.

A few minutes later, as Shaneva and the surrounding Hoptov [soldiers] finished their retreat, the central area where the "Universal Key" had disappeared completely caved in, and streams of blood-red "clear liquid" filled the entire circular trench from the central fountain.
One by one, “prehistoric relics” that looked like they were created by ancient humans who were not good at carving rose rapidly from the ground and filled half of the trench.

Soon, the water flow stopped, and the "prehistoric relics" shed their outer shells of decaying plants and broken minerals, revealing cylindrical "stone figures" about three to five meters tall, simply carved from jade.

“Source Image Pillars, these are all Source Image Pillars. He’s going to guide us, guide us to find the ‘Mind Control Panel’!” Shaneva shouted, almost to the point of collapse with excitement, releasing all the pent-up frustration and grievances of the past few days.

However, a "restricted artificial divine punishment fire" fell directly from above towards the "source image pillar"!

boom!
The massive double explosion, accompanied by a sudden rise of dark red mushroom clouds, wiped out the existence of the "Source Statue Pillars," destroying their "bodies" and causing them to dissipate without a trace in the raging wind. The "Hoptov" [warriors] who had no time to escape were all obliterated by the "Heavenly Punishment Fire," turning into a pool of black dust. Not even their corpses remained.

Shaneva was very lucky. Milon exhausted his vampire power and fire magic to create a fire barrier above their heads, barely saving their lives.

Awakening from the aftershocks of the explosion, Shaneva exhaled several mouthfuls of black dust. She discovered that Milon, who had been desperately protecting her, was lying unconscious on the ground, his fate unknown.

At this moment, the skin on her face and arms was completely ulcerated, one arm was missing, and one leg was slightly fractured, so she could only barely stand up.

For Shaneva now, if she were to return to the former Military Base No. 08 immediately and seek medical treatment, she should have a chance to recover. However, all the soldiers around her have been killed in action, and the surviving soldiers have long since fled. There is nothing around her except for black powder, and not even blood or severed limbs have been shed.

He staggered a few steps, and in a daze, he saw a familiar figure with tentacles approaching him.

After rubbing her blurry eyes with her only remaining right hand, she was certain that this was not a hallucination, but a real human being standing before her—Light Socrates.

At this moment, he was still wearing the large, handsome federal officer's coat that Mikhail had given him, but the eight "Dark Touches" brought by the "Red Magic Source Power" were more swollen, more powerful, more bizarre, more extraordinary, and more terrifying than ever before.

In the silence beneath the "fire of divine punishment," the "clack-clack" of Wright's military boots sounded like a gentle yet exceptionally powerful drumbeat, but not towards the battlefield, but towards death.

Standing less than three meters from the disheveled Shaneva, Wright activated a "Dark Touch," placing its sharp tip against her heart, and sneered:
"Commander Shaneva, you've finally grasped the power of the 'Heavenly Punishment Fire,' haven't you? The instigator will surely have no descendants. This is the wisdom of the Khitanris, and it's also the wisdom that the Crusaders should learn. Now, the 'Universal Key' has been consumed by you, and the Source Image Pillar has been destroyed by the 'Limited Artificial Heavenly Punishment Fire' released by the 'Blood Wolf' at the last moment. Your meticulously planned 'Universal Energy Evolution Platform' project with Vasily has finally failed."

"So what? The victors are leaders, the losers are traitors, it has always been like this. As a leader, I must always be prepared to accept the fate of failure, even... death." Shaneva wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and nostrils, looked at the sun in the sky that was gradually turning orange-red, and sighed.

“I…didn’t leave here with the ‘Blood Wolves’ to go to Nebusk, but came here, to the very heart of the battlefield and radiation…I just want to ask you a question:Please tell me, from the very beginning, was I…a monster cultivated by the leaders of your Crusad Federation? Was my fate decided by you the moment I came into this world?” Wright took a few steps closer to Shaneva, gripping her neck and pointing the tips of two tentacles at her throat, yet asked in a voice relatively gentler than mine.

“Of course, of course, ahahaha, ahahaha!” Shaneva suddenly responded wildly:
“You are a monster, you should be a monster, you are a monster. Come on, pierce my throat with your tentacles, bite through my neck with your teeth, taste my blood with your tongue, and devour my fresh flesh with your stomach. We have nurtured you for thirty years to make you a mindless, bloodthirsty beast. Now, bite down, bite down like a beast, like a ‘heartless man.’ Bite down, and you can become a… truly insane beast.”

“You’re insane, your entire Crusad Federation is insane, but I’m not. I won’t bite you off, nor will I pierce your throat and heart with my tentacles. Because I am human.” Wright said, retracting his tentacles, but instead drawing the dagger left to Shaneva by her “despicable” father from his waist, and smiled.
"But that doesn't mean I won't end your life, Shaneva. This dagger has pierced the heart of the one you hate... and now it will pierce your heart as well. This is both a blessing and a punishment for you!"

With that, Wright raised his hand and plunged the dagger named "Silence" into Shaneva's heart.

puff!
With the last drop of blood spurting from her mouth, Shaneva collapsed to the ground, lifeless.