I've already reached the maximum level, and you guys are just starting out?

Chapter 201 Intermediate Server! The Lost Alpha! Athena Descends!

Dawn Fortress.

Sky Tower, Council Hall.

Yin Yaonaiya and other key members of the management team had received prior notification and were waiting there.

At this moment, they still felt a surge of excitement that was hard to contain.

Despite their unwavering confidence in Ember's strength.

but……

a moment ago.

The scene of Yu Jin single-handedly suppressing the galaxy-level mutated beast and the Touch of the Star Devourer still greatly shocked them.

To know.

The aftershocks of the battle caused the morning star to tremble for a full half-day.

The power of Ember's attack had completely exceeded their imagination.

"The president is even stronger than before..."

"I must work twice as hard, otherwise I will only fall further and further behind until I can't keep up with him at all..."

Yin Yaozhen lowered her head slightly, and such thoughts echoed in her mind.

The others shared similar thoughts.

Only Old Yu, also known as Yu Limin, had a smile that was harder to suppress than an AK, muttering repeatedly, "So promising, my little Jin is so promising!"

hum-

The void rippled, and suddenly the sound spread.

Everyone in the council chamber snapped out of their reverie.

All eyes turned to the throne at the very front of the council chamber, which was as clear and transparent as crystal.

The figure of Yu Jin slowly emerged from the throne.

"President!"

"City Lord!"

"Lord!"

"Owner!"

"..."

Various titles and appellations rang out simultaneously.

Upon hearing this, Yu Jin nodded slightly.

Then, without saying any unnecessary words, he went straight to the point:

"I will go into seclusion again during this period."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.

Retreat?

They recalled that the two previous times Embers had gone into seclusion, which was when he logged into Wasteland Online, each time it took at least a month.

"During my seclusion, I will assign you some tasks."

As soon as Yu Jin finished speaking, Yin Yao and the others perked up.

"President/City Lord/Master... please speak!"

Ember nodded and slowly said:

"First, the Morning Star is completely occupied."

"All the minerals on this planet, all the resources available to Dawn Fortress, including those of high-level evolved beings, and even low-level evolved miners..."

"I want you to occupy all of them within the next two weeks."

As he spoke, Ember paused slightly, then continued:
"Second, beyond the morning star."

"I told you on the very first day we landed that this is the P-8808 star system, which can also be called the newbie village."

"Within this star field, there are countless planets like the morning star."

"Dawn City has now been upgraded to a miniature fortress, and even has the ability to travel through space in the star field."

"Therefore, after completing the occupation of the Morning Star, our goal is to find more planets in the star field."

"Before I emerge from seclusion, I want you to occupy as many planets as possible..."

"While pursuing quantity, we must also pursue quality."

"You are in charge of the specific balance."

"I hope that you will soon be able to deliver a satisfactory result."

For much of the past, Ember, despite being the sole leader of Dawn City, rarely displayed such a superior demeanor.

Therefore.

Yin Yao and the others were also invigorated.

"As ordered!"

Ember did not explain that beyond the star field, there were many other advanced civilizations eyeing the region with predatory intent.

However, Yin Yao and the others still chose to believe unconditionally and carry out the orders given by Yu Jin.

"Well, that's it."

"You can discuss and decide on the specifics yourselves."

As the last words faded, spatial ripples spread once more, and Yu Jin's figure vanished from the throne.

Inside the meeting hall.

Yin Yao and the others fell silent for a moment, each of them looking thoughtful.

Not long after.

The discussions and even debates among the crowd echoed endlessly in the council hall.

……

……

Sky Tower, top of the tower.

In the city lord's private area, on a fifty-meter-long bed.

Ember has adjusted himself to his best condition.

As before, the Momono sisters were not allowed to stay in the room.

"bring it on!"

"Hopefully, this time we can find a surprising amount of airdrop resources!"

Ember muttered to himself, then solemnly picked up the helmet and put it on.

Swah——

Darkness enveloped his vision.

Then, the familiar, cold mechanical prompt sounded as expected.

[Will you log in to Wasteland Online and fight for your civilization?]

"Yes!"

Yu Jin did not hesitate at all.

【Di-】

[You have met the requirements to enter the intermediate server...]

[Should I log in to the intermediate Wasteland Online server this time?]

【hint--】

Intermediate servers are more dangerous, but the resources and game rewards are also much greater!

【hint--】

If you die on an intermediate-level server, your offline body will be penalized!

[Punishments include, but are not limited to, ...]

[Lowered limits, mandatory source point deduction, extended login cooldown time, etc.!]

"Ok?"

"The punishments have started?"

Yu Jin was slightly surprised, but not particularly astonished.

"No problem, continue logging in!"

"That's exactly what we need: a mid-range server!"

“The louder the storm, the more expensive the fish!”

Yu Jin was quick to learn and apply what he learned, directly copying Goldman Sachs's statement from Linglong City.

【Di-】

[Searching for available intermediate servers...]

A suitable server has been found!

[Logging in...]

[You have logged into the 'Lost Alpha Civilization' intermediate Wasteland Online server!]

Yu Jin's pupils widened slightly in surprise.

The lost... Alpha?
Is it the planet Alpha, Neil's home planet, that he's thinking of?
Swah——

The embers' thoughts did not continue.

His consciousness, like his vision, once again plunged into darkness.

……

……

The Cosmic Sea, on the southwestern border.

The starry sky here is no longer dazzling.

As far as the eye could see, there was only darkness.

The suns have long since gone out.

Planets, desolate and lifeless.

At the edge of the star field, a small, solid planet, roughly the same size as the Blue Star, is quietly hovering in its own orbit.

Black mist constantly emerges from the outer perimeter of the planet.

These black mists replaced the planet's former atmosphere.

Therefore, there is no daytime on this planet, only eternal darkness.

One day a hundred years ago, the sun set and never rose again.

The name of this planet is Alpha.

now.

Alpha Star, Northern Continent.

In a small border town by the sea.

One after another, human figures appeared.

"hiss--"

"It's so cold!"

"This is a mid-level server?"

"The energy feels so thin, and the air is full of pollution..."

Exclamations, discussions, bewilderment, curiosity...

Various emotions spread among this human group.

Swish-

More figures appeared out of nowhere on the streets of the town.

Not long after.

This once empty and desolate town is now crowded with people.

"Tsk..." "This team that landed this time seems to be quite important?"

"Isn't a team of 10,000 people already the maximum number of people that can log in as a team?"

"I hope they can pull some strings and hold on a little longer. I don't want to die yet..."

Inside the town, several figures, some covered in dust and even missing limbs, began to whisper amongst themselves upon seeing the group of new players.

They were the players who logged in last time.
When they first landed, they were just like this team, full of high spirits.

Can……

In just seven days.

Ninety-nine percent of the humans in the team perished in the battle.

Even the invincible captain, who had never been defeated on the low-level Wasteland Online server, perished in hatred before the army of Fallen.

They've survived to this day not because they're strong enough, but simply because they're lucky.

In that final battle, they did not participate due to various reasons, such as being wounded or managing logistics.

"oi!"

The thoughts and discussions of these lucky individuals were quickly interrupted by a shout.

A few people stepped out from the new group and found them.

"By order of Lady Athena—"

"Wait here and report the situation to the lord!"

The town center.

There stands a dilapidated church.

This church is currently being used as a central camp.

In front of the church.

Before the dilapidated cross, a tall, blonde woman stood alone.

She simply stood there, radiating an aura of holiness.

"Lady Athena!"

"The person has been brought!"

Upon hearing the sound, the blonde woman slowly turned around.

At this moment, the wounded players finally saw her angelic and exquisite face.

"S-lord!"

Without any hesitation, the wounded immediately shouted.

Then, without waiting for the important figure to ask, she took the initiative to spill all the information she knew, like pouring out beans.

"This is one of the key passes of Alpha Planet!"

"Initially, it was a super-large city, but later..."

"Due to the repeated defeats of the human players, only this last town remains..."

"Beyond the sea lies the continent of the fallen."

“Every so often, they launch an attack on the human strongholds…”

"Its scale and power are extremely terrifying..."

"..."

Athena listened quietly, her expression unchanged.

As the squad leader, she received a game notification from Wasteland Online the moment she logged in.

Intermediate servers, unlike basic servers, have extremely varied game rules and formats.

The server mission, titled 'The Lost Alpha Star,' is called 'Hold the Line.'

【hold fast--】

This is a human planet occupied by the fallen.

Your task is to defend humanity's last stronghold and resist the onslaught of the fallen army.

[Task Duration: Seven Days]

【mission rewards:? ? ? 】

【hint--】

[If the defense lasts for more than seven days and the current territory lost is less than 20%, the death penalty will be lifted.]

[After holding out for more than seven days, the rewards will increase for each additional day held out!]

Unlike the initial server's conflict between humans and the fallen, this is different.

In this planetary server conflict, humanity is clearly at a significant disadvantage.

So that...

As long as you hold out for seven days, the mission will be considered a perfect success.

"perhaps……"

"What special privileges do the fallen on this planet have?"

"The limit-breaking value is naturally higher than that of humans?"

Athena made a guess in her mind.

However, she then put the idea aside.

Athena turned her head, her golden eyes looking at the people kneeling before her.

"one question."

Her voice, compared to before, was unusually more volatile.

"Please speak, sir!"

"We will definitely speak frankly and without reservation!"

Several wounded veteran players immediately realized upon seeing Athena that she was definitely a very important figure with an extremely impressive background in their federation.

Therefore, their attitude at this time became even more humble.

Swah——

Athena waved gently.

A projection screen appeared in mid-air in front of the wounded veteran players.

Inside the light screen is...

A face?

The young man's face looked very young, and he also had a strangely confident and roguish charm.

Have you seen him?

"Whether it's Alpha Star, the Wasteland Online server you logged into before, or the Federation you belong to."

Athena spoke slowly and deliberately, each word distinct in her voice.

"This……"

The group exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.

"no!"

Upon hearing this, the glimmer of light in Athena's eyes dimmed.

"Go back."

She waved her hand, her posture turning cold again, as if keeping everyone at arm's length.

Not long after.

The wounded veteran player has left the game.

Inside the church, several young people entered one after another.

"Miss Athena!"

"I asked around..."

"No trace of him has been found, and there is no news about him!"

The first to speak was a handsome young man with blue hair.

If Ember were here, he would recognize him at a glance as Don Fleck, the captain of the Blue Silver Squad from the days of Mars Online.

Standing next to Don Fleck was an acquaintance of the Embers.

Aaron Ferguson.

Logically speaking, having spent so many years working as a mercenary and doing odd jobs for big shots, he shouldn't be qualified to log into the intermediate server.

but……

A word from Miss Athena.

He was then led by several powerful players, and he successfully cleared several beginner servers, constantly increasing his unlock value, and in a very short time, he gained the ability to log in.

Before this Alpha Star server, he had already been guided by Athena to log into several intermediate servers.

Miss Athena's goal wasn't the rewards from the intermediate server, but rather...

That man.

Aaron once met the 'Ember Brothers', and later became the 'Ember Boss' whom he looked up to.

The past period of time.

The name 'Ember' has spread throughout the entire Ophelia Federation.

The Federation rules over dozens of star systems, millions of planets, and billions of people. They all know this name.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is a household name, known to everyone from women to children.

Everyone knows that—

Miss Athena, the daughter of the Federation's Chief Speaker, is searching for a young man named 'Ember'.

Any clues or information about him have been offered with a reward of tens of millions of dollars.

Athena herself repeatedly logged into Wasteland Online, attempting to encounter Ember once more.

However, this behavior is no exaggeration to say that it's like "finding a needle in a haystack".

If Athena's background and status weren't so extraordinary...

Such behavior will surely be the subject of much gossip and become fodder for conversation.

"S-Sir..."

Aaron, seeing Athena remain silent, mustered his courage and spoke in a low voice.

"Ok?"

Athena looked into her golden eyes.

His gaze carried an innate sense of oppression that prevented Aaron from feeling any rebellious intent.

"Yes, if you ask me..."

"How about we don't withdraw this time?"

"I used to log out every time I found no messages from Ember after logging in..."

"I always feel that if we operate this way, won't the time frame be too short?"

"You said, is there a possibility..."

"Perhaps he logged in a little later than us, or maybe he didn't refresh in the same place?"

Aaron tentatively offered his suggestion.

Don Fleck frowned slightly.

Athena, standing before the cross, gazed into the distance of the black sea with eyes that seemed to pierce through all obstacles.

Time passes slowly.

a long time.

Athena finally spoke, uttering a single word: "Yes."

Aaron's words also served as a reminder to her.

She was also reflecting on whether she had been too hasty in searching for the embers, given that the 'Cosmic Genius Battle' was just around the corner...

(End of this chapter)