Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 680 An Extremely Complex Situation (Part 1)
“It should be ‘Red Wolf,’ I’ll go open the door.” Dark covered Wright’s mouth and whispered a reminder:
"The current situation is extremely complicated. In the chaotic city of Nabsk, people like 'Red Wolf' who are willing to risk their lives for profit can act recklessly, but we can't. We'd better remain absolutely cautious and serious until we meet Hoshino Shota."

“I understand,” Wright said, sitting back down on the edge of the old-fashioned oak bed.

Soon, as the gas supply gradually weakened, a chilling fog began to fill room ST.905, completely obscuring all the dim light.

"Commanders Dak and Wright, it seems your check-in at the St. Vasily's Inn went very smoothly. Oh, and by the way, there's also that dragon we rescued from Sener Prison, the one Vasily and Shaneva value highly." "Red Wolf" looked at Adaloni, who was sleeping soundly in the center of the oak bed, as soon as he entered.

"What, are you eyeing this dragon, or is someone in Novayask keeping an eye on it?" Dark closed the door completely, locked it from the inside, and drew the curtains behind it. He turned around and said with a slightly displeased tone:
“In the area east of Novayask, fog usually only starts to appear in March and disappears around June when summer arrives. It’s only February now, and the weather is colder than usual, so it’s far from the time when fog would appear… Nebsk, why is there such thick fog today?”

“'Red Wolf,' if you can explain these two issues to me in detail, I'd be willing to talk to you about something that interests you. After all, it's quite suspicious that someone who has come back from the dead would suddenly contact us while Hoshino Shota is not around.”

As he spoke, before Wright and "Red Wolf" could react, Dak grabbed a dagger that originally belonged to the Lost Ones and held it to "Red Wolf's" throat.

At the same time, he pinched the "mutated dark pupil" that had been made into a pendant on his chest with his left hand, thereby skipping the complicated spirit binding process and allowing his dark magic power to quickly reach a full level.

"It seems I haven't built enough trust with you. However, Commander Dark, I can answer your question. But before that, I promise you that I will protect you safely from Nabsk, as instructed by the Goddess of Light, until you reach the first stop in the Aventure no-man's-land, the Curved Axe Valley. Her incarnation will descend upon this place in 30 days, bringing either blessing or punishment." "Red Wolf" suddenly became devout, his tone and expression completely different from his previous unruly manner.

It was as if they had been possessed by some mysterious force.

But the next second, Dark stabbed the dagger into the wooden floorboards and sat back down on the creaking old wooden chair next to him.

“You’re hiding something from us, something you can’t say outright because it involves the gods. If you reveal the plans of the order gods, you will be subject to the most severe punishment, right?” Dark’s tone softened considerably, but he still remained somewhat wary.

"It's good that you know." "Red Wolf" gave a wry smile and said:
"Zhou Han's incorporation of the 'mechanical flesh prosthetic body' into my bloodline merely saved me from death, but the gospel of the Goddess of Light truly gave me a new life. The divine punishment of the apostles is not as simple as death; eternal enslavement, perpetual pain, and eternal despair are the ultimate punishments that shatter one's soul."

“However, Commander Dark, I can indeed give you a detailed explanation of this fog. But please believe me, I have no ill intentions. And please believe that all destinies are guided by the Creator and the order of the gods. They will control the course of all things until you stand at the pinnacle overlooking all living beings.”

“Then please explain this fog first.” Dark’s expression turned serious again; clearly, he was tired of Red Wolf’s talk about gods.

“Your guess is correct. This fog didn’t form naturally; it was created by the ‘Temporary Cooperative Council’ that manages the city. They want to use this fog to lure the ‘Alienated Losers’ of the ‘Chaos Group’ into their trap,” Red Wolf explained.

By the dim light of the gas lamp in the fog, Wright noticed the excitement, cunning, and mockery in "Red Wolf's" eyes. He seemed to be hoping that the thick fog would help achieve some ulterior motives for the "temporary cooperation meeting."

“Explain in detail, ‘Red Wolf’… Brother. Since the two important battles in the west ended and Yaroslav was killed, Dark hasn’t received any news from west of Icefall City. You’ve used so many confusing terms; we can’t possibly understand them instantly,” Wright demanded.

“Alright, then I’ll explain all this in language you can understand as best you can.” “Red Wolf” paused, gulped down several mouthfuls of the thick liquid in his thermos, and then let out a long sigh to ease the oxygen deprivation caused by the dense fog. Then, he sat down opposite them, crossed his legs, and leaned back in his chair in an exaggerated posture, arms crossed over his chest, and said:

"Shaneva once gave Levri a top-secret document called 'New Humans,' which contained detailed information about Ato, the current leader of the 'Chaos Group.' The most important point was that he was a 'new human' jointly created by the scientists John and Shamon of the German Empire."

“I know that. I saw him thirty years ago, both before and after his transformation. I have a strong connection with him. You could say he was the first Lost One to try and completely bring me into the wasteland. At least before I left the Zine Empire, he was already a complete monster.” Wright said in a low voice, clearly having been reminded of many unpleasant memories.

“That makes things easier.” “Red Wolf” skillfully took out a cigarette, lit it with a flame condensed from his fingertip’s magical energy, took a deep drag, and then said:

"After accepting the heart of the former leader of the Chaos Group, Iceblade, and seizing his water-based magic power, Ato killed Anna Putorian, who went to negotiate with him. She was the 'ruler' of the Order Society and had been imprisoned by Shaneva in the 'Destiny Interpretation Center' in Novayask. Ato obtained her mutated plant-based magic power, which is lightning-type power."

"Then, he forced the successor, a teenager named Loca, to become his absolute servant, assisting him in constantly absorbing the complex energy generated by various elemental reactions within the 'Axe of Pramini' to 'grow' himself..."

"Wait, you're saying Loca became Ato's servant? Didn't Anna say he was dead? And... how did Anna die? Why would she go to Ato to negotiate?" This series of explosive pieces of information left Dark unable to process it all at once, and he had to ask about each one in detail.

“Let’s start with Loca. He’s the sole heir to ‘Ice Blade’ and a key figure in the ‘Chaos Group’s’ cultivation of a leader among the lost. Unfortunately, the Federal Council pressured them too much, forcing them to revive Ato. This is equivalent to opening a ‘Box of Hades.’ On the surface, the ‘Chaos Group’ has weathered the current crisis, but in reality, they’ve destroyed the ‘future.’” Seeing the continued confusion in Dark and Wright’s eyes, “Red Wolf” further explained:

"Before transforming into a monster, Ato was already a high-ranking professional, the [Disruptor]. The enhancement of his physical body, coupled with relentless mental torture, allowed him to more smoothly mobilize the magical energy within his body. Catalyzed by various potions, magic, and mystical rays—technological products left over from the old empire—he had already mastered the ability to control the Lost Ones."

"You should know that the Lost Ones generally possess mental strength that surpasses that of the Extraordinary Ones and those who possess the power of the Magic Source from the previous era. They are difficult to break down mentally and even more difficult to be mentally manipulated. Ato's power is no different from that of a giant looking down on ants. He can easily cause the world of ordinary Lost Ones to 'collapse and crack'."

“So, since Loka has become Ato’s absolute servant, the other lost souls of the ‘Chaos Group’ naturally cannot escape its clutches either. Hmm, indeed… being a walking corpse is no different from being dead, and we have never considered ‘heartless people’ as living beings.” Dark seemed to understand some of it, and then asked:

"But Anna... 'Ray Page,' why did she walk right into the trap, like a fish entering the territory of an ice bear... to her death?"

"It's said that after Shaneva murdered Commander Levri and imprisoned Anna, she went into a semi-mad state. Professor Igor, who now lives in Torii Town, once told Shaneva that when humans and the Lost Ones suffer attacks that exceed their mental threshold, their brains shut down more than half of their areas and delete most of their memories as a form of self-protection..." "Red Wolf" explained to Dark and Wright as he laboriously read through the secondhand information in his notebook:

"However, the brain cannot erase the most precious memories, much less clear them. So, after meeting the people sent by Loka in Joigler and confirming that Loka was still alive, Anna, driven by her obsession, actually trekked across the Southern Swamp and the Broken Stream Zone, heading north along the Northern Mamous River, and found the 'Chaos Group's' base in the 'Old Mine'. She... sacrificed herself, allowing Ato to absorb the lightning power within her, in exchange for a guarantee from this 'monster'."

"Guarantee?" Wright sneered.

"Is it a promise not to kill Loca? I'm sure Ato will just laugh at her ignorance and stupidity and then gladly accept this unexpected 'fortune.' He doesn't really care whether that kid Loca lives or dies."

In response to Wright's sarcasm, "Red Wolf" explained, "Not just Loca, but you too, Commander Wright Socrates. Anna hopes that if you ever meet again on the battlefield, Ato will show you mercy. At the very least, let you escape alive."