Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 699 Invitation to "Singing"

“You are truly strong, Lord Wright. It seems… cough cough… it seems the red magical energy hasn’t corrupted your body. The power of the ‘Ancient God’… the power of the god hasn’t violated your spirit in the slightest.” “Singing” said in a hoarse voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp burning sensation in his abdomen and vomited several mouthfuls of blood.

Then, ignoring the pain from her ruptured internal organs, "Xianyong" wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, struggled to get up slowly, and swayed forward like a "heartless person" wandering in the wilderness or abandoned city, but stopped at a "relatively safe distance" of about 5 meters from Wright.

“No one can control you, Lord [Order].” The tone of “Sacrifice” was now more respectful, as if addressing a god. “Just now, I used ‘Erythia: Intoxication’ to create a ‘future space’ for you, intending to drag you into an illusion, then defeat you and bring you to the side of the ‘Blood Wolf’ leader.”

“You are quite honest, ‘offering a song,’ but you shouldn’t force me. I’ve said it before, I won’t stay in Nebusk. The Federation Council has amplified the evil and shamelessness of the Crusaders to an extreme. It’s hard for any hope of ending the wasteland to blossom on such a land.” Wright spoke with a mocking tone at first, then turned to a calm sadness.

However, "Offering a Song" did not argue with Wright about the moral standards of the Crusaders, but rather stated his demands and purpose more directly:
"What you see is the future you must experience. All illusion-like skills are not mirages like the Hanging Gardens; they all have a basis, and that basis is your subconscious. Fate is nothing more than a 'result' that humans cannot fully calculate, and thus forcibly summarize. However, your subconscious will ultimately guide you towards the 'future' that truly belongs to you."

"'Blood Wolf,' the leader of the 'Blood Wolf' knows your thoughts. He cannot force a 'Chosen One' chosen by the Creator. After all, we Lost Ones only want a peaceful world that can accommodate our existence. After all, we are not extremists like Ivan XXII. 'Those who defy the destiny ordained by Heaven will be punished most severely by the Heavenly Dao.' The leader of the 'Blood Wolf' sent me here only... to help you complete the last thing you left in Crusad, which is also the 'unfinished business' you should have completed."

"'Unfinished business'?" Wright asked in confusion. He withdrew all the red magical energy surging within him, and "Chant" also retracted all its tentacles and the strange notes produced by the "Chant" skill, completely restoring him to the appearance of a cute, lost boy.

With his eyes tightly closed, he paused for a few seconds before finally managing to organize his thoughts, uttering a slightly mature, youthful voice:
"'Hades's Box,' do you remember it? It's the 'treasure' that poor mechanical being gave you, the ordinal monster that the now-defunct organization called 'MB-2024.' Legend has it that it came from the underworld, was tempered by the Blood Moon, Iron Mountain, and Crimson Sea for ten thousand years, and was then brought out by the incarnation of the Creator and flowed into the human world."

“It…is indeed with me. Does that mean the ‘Dedication Group’ wants to forcibly take it?” Wright questioned, this time choosing to directly pull out the “Wild Bear” pistol from his waist and press it against “Dedication’s” head as a deterrent.

After all, the previous clashes of magical energy had already depleted most of their strength. In addition, "Singing" was no longer able to use any more magical energy skills, which meant that "Truth" in Wright's hands was enough to end "Singing's" life at any time.

"Possession? Heh, we 'Dedication Group' have absolutely no interest in the things of the gods. You should know that we are all 'Abandoners of God.' We are unwilling to accept the power of the gods, nor do we want to pry into their existence. However, the previous owners of the 'Box of Hades' were all erased from existence by the 'residual power of the Creator'... They had no idea how fascinating the secrets hidden in this box were."

"A mystery?" Wright's expression showed a hint of doubt, but more so, an expected curiosity. He wanted to know whether the last "treasure" given to him by Ronnie concealed a divine blessing or a demonic calamity.

“That mechanical human was a servant of the ‘Master of Machines,’ which means that the last owner of the ‘Box of Hades’ was the ‘Master of Machines.’ However, Lord Wright, you and I both know very well that in this continent, the ‘Master of Machines’ followers are few and far between. His miracles, his relics, even the slightest sound of his voice have never truly appeared again. So…” “Chant” paused, a chilling smile creeping onto his lips.

Immediately afterwards, he stood up straight, grabbed the "Bear" pistol that Wright was holding aloft with one arm, pointed it at his own head, and said without fear:

“People believe that the ‘Box of Hades’ might contain the heart of the Lord of the Underworld or the Lord of the Night, but in reality, its interior, or rather the entire box itself, is just a key… What we, the ‘Dedication Group,’ seek is only to control this city. We have no interest in mysterious and extraordinary monsters or miracles.” “Explain yourself,” Wright urged in a commanding tone.

“Then I’ll be frank with you. In reality, Atlanca has never truly controlled this city, while Nebrius attempted to control it but failed. Nebusk has never been just a simple military stronghold; beneath the ‘Gate of Truth’ lies a crimson realm, the ‘core control hub’ of the entire city.” “Song” further explained:

“Once, Ivan XXII attempted to build a supreme fortress outside the rebellion holy site of Novayask, which could both revive Krusd after the disaster and defend against the invasion of the Eventre, as the last trump card of the empire and the last guarantee of civilization. Thus, he chose Nebsk.”

"After generations of construction and the infusion of a large amount of mechanical resources, the city's underground not only contains a large number of mechanical weapons from the 'pre-New Era,' but also a 'control pod' that can turn the entire city into a 'mobile fortress' and 'combat machinery.' Furthermore, there exists a 'monster' that is of paramount importance to you, the [Order Keeper]."

"So, this is a deal?" Wright holstered his "Mad Bear" pistol, his tone softening slightly, but his gaze remained wary. "Your 'Dedication Group' wouldn't be planning to take over the entire Crusad Federation... no, the country, while the Federal Council is completely destroyed, would you?"

"Why not?" "Song" smirked slightly, a trickle of pure, bright red blood gushing from his lips, like a wild beast still unsatisfied after a meal. Facing Wright's question, he grinned, revealing a gleam of bright red and pure white canines, and answered in a tone that grew increasingly strange:

"The gifts bestowed by God are the gospel that believers must accept. All the graces that belong to God become good fortune and eternity once accepted, while those who resist the gospel will be punished by God. Since Vasily abandoned the people west of the 'Gnady Line,' Kuka abandoned the army west of Choigler, Shaneva was unable to control the half of the country east of Novayask, and Atlanka abandoned Nebusk out of jealousy and selfishness, then someone should fill the power vacuum that has appeared."

“I don’t understand.” Wright put down the “Mad Bear” pistol, pointed the muzzle at the ground, and held the gun at a 90-degree angle to the ground, making a gesture of “brief truce” in Crusaders and Genie culture.

Seeing this, "Xianyong" dared to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly walked to Wright's side. First, he sniffed the scent of the [Order] emanating from Wright like a beast, then gently stroked his abdomen with his hand, while pressing his head against his chest, where the semi-mechanical heart was, to sense his heartbeat.

This strange, unsettling yet exhilarating posture lasted for about half a minute before "Singing" wrapped his arms around Wright's waist and whispered:

"You will eventually understand that a true leader never misses an opportunity. Before the restoration of order in the world, before the revival of civilization, Lord Wright, you should seize every opportunity to seek power, grasp power, and ultimately possess power. The leader of the 'Blood Wolves' is nearing his end. If you are willing, the entire 'Dedication Group' will pledge allegiance to an 'Orderer' dedicated to building a new world where the Lost and Humans coexist."

"But once you abandon Crusad and head to Khitanris, the last vestiges of Order here will crumble and vanish in an instant. Order will bring its own fate, Lord Wright. Order 2: The magical power that abandons rank is your perfect asset for controlling the 'Dedication Group' and all the Lost Organizations."

“I refuse.” Wright swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the surging desire for “power” within him, and pushed “Song” away.

"Well then, Lord Wright, since this is your final decision, I will not object. The leader of the 'Blood Wolves' awaits your arrival in the 'Hall of Truth' within the 'Magnificent Tower.' He... needs the key 'Hades's Chest' in your possession to open the 'Crimson Domain' and obtain the 'Creator's Heart' within the Crimson Space to prolong his and the 'Dedication Group's' lives." As "Dedication" spoke, he straightened his slightly disheveled clothes and performed a standard Crusader courtly curtsy to Wright.