Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 660 A sumptuous breakfast
"Are these... fireworks?" Wright hurriedly got up from the wooden bed, opened the window filled with gray and yellow dust, and looked outside.

More fireballs rose from all directions and then fell to different locations, causing violent explosions that briefly illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime.

"The Fire of Divine Punishment." Dark shook his head and sighed.
"This is the consequence of Shaneva's death. I originally thought that even after the leaders, number two and number three of the Federation Council were killed, at least Kuka and a group of core members of the former Vasily faction would be able to maintain order for a short time, and at least hold out for more than a month before the civil war broke out. Now it seems that I was overthinking it."

"The one who started this, will he have no descendants?" Wright remarked, watching the "fires of divine punishment" that shone like fireworks.

“When Shaneva cast the first ‘fire of divine punishment’ at her own people, rather than at the lost and the ‘heartless,’ she lost all legitimacy to become the head of the Federation. If she had been a strong ruler, it would have been fine, but she was an ambitious woman who was even more foolish than Vasily, and she was destined to lead Crusad to its doom.”

“Look…” Dak took off his military boots, climbed onto the wooden bed, put his arm around Wright’s shoulder, pointed to the outside world, and analyzed:
"Torii Town is located at a slightly higher elevation, allowing us to see the approximate launch and landing points of these 'Heavenly Punishment Fires.' The first few bombs were likely launched from the direction of Novayask and the Icefield Province. It is estimated that the troops in front, who were not originally part of Novayask, made a decision or kidnapped Shaneva's temporary successor, which led Novayask to launch an attack."

"The governor of the Icefield Province, Avano, has long been allied with Shaneva, but due to a lack of strength, he has never participated in joint military operations. Therefore, it is more likely that he has early 'Heavenly Punishment Fire' stored as a secret reserve. As for the subsequent counterattack, it is estimated that it was launched by Khotov, as Shaneva's army has a large number of members of Khotov's Legion."

“It feels complicated. Most of the troops that Shaneva has deployed in this war are not Novayask’s personal guards. Could it be that her original intention was to let those local legions fight the rebels to the death, thereby consolidating her position as the head of the federal administration?” Wright analyzed.

“That’s right.” Dark patted Wright on the shoulder to show his approval, and said:
"In fact, during Vasily's time, the local governors or legion leaders were still quite obedient to the Federal Council. As governor, Vasily had a strong sense of control. But after the fall of Icefall City, the governors in the east were more inclined to establish their own independent regimes, like the foreign governors of the Putoa Federation or the military governors of the Khitan-Lis people. These large cities and their surrounding territories were more like autonomous territories."

"Shaneva herself was jointly elected by the seven eastern cities to succeed as the head of the federal administration. If it weren't for the support of Kuka in Choigler, it would have been difficult to organize an army of 200,000. Now I understand that Shaneva does not want to integrate the forces in the east and cooperate with Kuka to attack westward and reclaim the former political and industrial center of the Federation."

"For example?" Wright asked curiously. It seemed that the bombs in the sky had become a little less frequent, but they still occasionally shot up from the ground and landed, blooming into a suffocating mushroom cloud. However, the long night was difficult to shake by these evil specks of light.

“Konigler, Budade, and Mayan are the largest industrial centers in the entire Federation. Ice City, needless to say, is the Federation's capital. Kanosk and Vasilysk are stable rear cities established by the Federation in the extreme cold region, serving a triple purpose of military, technological, and administrative functions,” Dark explained.

"However, all of this is now in the past. If Shaneva hadn't been so impatient, the governors of the east would naturally have obeyed her once these cities were recaptured. She could have replicated the glory of Charles XV and become the first great woman to revive Crusad."

"Unfortunately, she chose the second path, using civil war to weaken the power of different factions in order to achieve her absolute rule. This was a decision that put Crusde in the furnace, and 'Pramini' will not let it go even after her death."

"It's a pity that the god Pramini is dead. Even if she went to the underworld, Shaneva might still be better than that madman, the 'Lord of Eternal Red'," Wright thought to himself.

“However, I’m not so sure about the rest of the ‘Heavenly Punishment Flames.’ With so many ‘Heavenly Punishment Flames’ attacking back and forth, it’s likely that more than one force is involved. I think news will get back here soon.” Dark sat back in his chair, rolled up his cuffs, looked at the mechanical watch with its broken glass case but still functioning perfectly, and said:

“It’s already 11:30 p.m., Wright. You should get some rest for the night. We can find a doctor here to check on you tomorrow. If there are no problems, we can discuss going to Nabsk and leaving Nabsk to cross the Aventure no-man’s-land.”

Seeing that Letty nodded in agreement, Dark smiled and turned off the relatively bright electric light. Before closing the bedroom door, he said "Goodnight" in the language of the Flame Empire.

……

February 10th, 559th year of the new calendar.

Torii Town, "Town Center No. 02", first floor.

As soon as he got up, washed up quickly, changed into a military green shirt, and walked down to the first floor of the detached wooden building, Dak saw that He Feng Yiwa had already laid out fresh, hot food on a gilded wooden table with a strong Cruz style.

Guided by He Feng Yiwa, Dak took the seat of honor and began to admire the food on the table.

Unlike yesterday's food shortage, when He Fengyiwa had barely managed to make some white porridge, this time the bread on the table included not only easily stored large rye bread but also a considerable amount of white bread that seemed to have been made recently. In addition, there were sliced ​​sausages produced by factories in the south, rabbit and bear meat artificially raised in the eastern city, large skewers of freshly baked grilled meat, cooked vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions, and even bear meat and borscht that had been simmering for a long time before it was ready.

Of course, in addition to these main Crusaders-style dishes, there are also a few dishes with a distinctly Khitan Ris flavor, such as stir-fried mixed vegetables, stewed chicken with potatoes, and a few small plates of Japanese snacks, such as sushi rice balls.

Faced with these "high-end" foods that had transcended the lowbrow tastes of canned goods, Dak first showed surprise, then smiled and asked He Feng Yiwa:

"What? You were saying you were short of food yesterday, and today you've got such a huge feast? Did you take it after defeating the surrounding separatist armed groups?"

“Of course not, but it’s pretty much the same.” He Feng Yiwa took off her apron, sat down opposite Dak, picked up a bowl with a gold rim, scooped some “bear meat and borscht,” and placed a plate of sushi rice balls in front of her. She ate with the soup, explaining as she ate:
"The men who went to the west to fight the war have returned, although only one-fifth of them have returned, but they have brought enough food to keep us from having to go to any trading post to exchange food for at least three months."

“That’s good, Ms. Hefengyi. At least we can eat something decent now. Since leaving Novayask, apart from the decent food I ate at Nabrius’s place, most of the time I’ve been eating ‘canned insect meat’ like the other soldiers.” As he spoke, Dak picked up a few slices of white bread, grabbed two freshly grilled meat skewers, put them in the middle of the bread, slid them apart, threw away the skewers, grabbed the bread full of meat, and began to eat heartily.

“We… expect to stay here for 7 days. I will pay you 30 new rubles for accommodation and meals. If that’s not enough, you can ask us for more. If you have any left over, you don’t need to return it to us. As for the cost of repairing the mechanized vehicles and purchasing weapons, food, and other supplies, I will pay the person who purchased the supplies separately.” Dak and Hefengyeva reached a small agreement.

As they were talking, Wright, still half asleep, pushed open the bedroom door, grabbed the handrail, and slowly walked down the stairs. Clearly, his body was still very weak. The red magic source required him not to be hungry or to fall into a mental breakdown, and Wright was violating the first rule. The physical reaction was that his limbs were weak and sore, and his head felt as if it were covered with a thin layer of mist.

However, when he smelled the food and saw the table full of fresh food, the red magical energy drove his instincts, making him walk quickly to Dak's side, grab a handful of sausage slices and a few pieces of beef that hadn't been cut yet, and start eating.

During the meal, the "Dark Touches" on Wright's back, which had been drooping and listless, suddenly regained their vitality and swelled up rapidly, like flowers that had been watered.

Fortunately, Wright's consciousness did not loosen its absolute control over the tentacles. They were suppressed when they swelled to nearly half the size of a person. They only bumped into the cabinet behind them, causing a slight sway, but no additional damage was caused.

However, the swelling tentacles still made He Feng Yiwa put down the sushi rice ball she was slowly chewing and look at Wright:

"This is Commander Dak's close friend? The one with the red magic power, Light Sogra?"

“That’s right. He’s very powerful, at least stronger than me. Whether in the German Empire or in our Crusad, he has slain gods. Even Commander Shaneva wanted him for a high-ranking position in the Federal Council, but unfortunately, Commander Shaneva is no longer with us.” Dark patted Wright’s shoulder, who was frantically eating, and said:
"The red demonic energy within him requires him to remain in a non-starving state at all times, otherwise he will descend into monstrous madness. Of course, to truly reach that monstrous state, he would have to starve for half a year, so... well, his eating habits are rather unsightly,"

“He looks a lot like someone from the Flame Empire. Does he also have our blood?” He Feng Yiwa asked further.

“Obviously not,” Dark explained.

“Wright doesn’t belong to our world. He was forcibly summoned to this world by the people of Genne and the former governor of the Federation. Hmm, perhaps the Creator created countless parallel universes, and the world Wright is in is one of them. He probably comes from a country in that world that is similar to the Flame Empire.”

"Is that so? Then that's quite a legendary human being." He Feng Yiwa nodded slightly in approval.

But seeing the "Dark Touch" wriggling behind Wright as he ate, a strange fear and unease arose within her. Suddenly, she remembered the legend related to Torii Town and "God's Edge Mountain," and tentatively asked:

"Commander Dark, Commander Wright... are the tentacles on his back mutated from an infection?"

“No.” Dak said with absolute certainty, reassuring He Feng Yiwa:
"Don't worry, his tentacles weren't created after he was infected with the 'Heartless Virus,' nor will they release any viruses or harmful substances. They're purely for combat. As long as he doesn't actively use these tentacles to attack, they're still quite cute and won't hurt the children."

"Then, may I inquire about the origin of these tentacles?" He Feng Yiwa asked apologetically with a smile.

"Commander Dak, I am not, and do not wish to, pry into your information. I and the Federation army have no connection with those Lost Ones organizations. I just think that these tentacles might be related to 'God's Edge Mountain' and 'Spirit-Suppressing Tree'."

"The legend about the 'Chosen One' that I mentioned to you before... may be related to tentacles."

"Oh, tell me about it?" Dak looked at Hefeng Eva curiously, while Kright was still happily eating and filling her stomach.

"Inside 'Mountain of the Gods,' beneath the Tree of Suppressing Spirits, lies a treasure left behind by the Chosen One—a piece of information related to his memories. Legend has it that it can guide humanity to find the relics of the gods and save the wasteland world." He Feng Yiwa said, taking a notebook from a nearby cabinet, flipping to the first few pages, putting on her reading glasses, and continuing:

“Once, the ‘adult’ who founded Torii Town said that he received an obscure instruction from the ‘Chosen One’ in a dream. It was a poem from our hometown. It was said to be a prophecy, and the instruction might have been about things, but now it seems that it might have been about people.”

"A person?" Dark asked curiously.

"Yes, the poem is as follows:" He Feng Yiwa recounted in as full a tone as possible:
“Red Dragon Red World Born”.

Those who have been exposed to darkness in the past are lost.

"Choose a path to enlightenment in another world."

“I think the key to unlocking the ‘Chosen One’s’ relics might be this Mr. Wright. If you can help our town obtain the Chosen One’s relics, your lodging and food here will be provided free of charge. We will also repair the officers’ mechanical vehicles free of charge and provide you with enough supplies and weapons to reach Nebusk,” Hefengyeva made her request.

“‘Those who have touched darkness in the past are lost…’…” Dak repeated the lines of poetry that He Fengyiwa had just recited, then, as if remembering something, said:

"Perhaps the protagonist of this prophecy is Wright. These tentacles are byproducts of the red magical energy, and their former owner was the 'Ancient God' Depser. And the name of these eight tentacles happens to be 'Touch of Darkness'."

With that, Dark stood up abruptly, patted Wright on the shoulders, sighed, and remarked:

"The Chosen One is truly a persistent ghost. However, whether I agree or not is not up to me. You should ask the person in charge of the prophetic poem, the one sitting in front of you, the owner of the 'Touch of Darkness': Light Socrates."