Arknights' Lock of Heaven

In the letter, she patiently analyzed the upcoming situation for her husband again and again, guiding him on what to do.

And so it went, as he wrote the letter, a pleasant smile playing on his lips.

She knew that with the sending of this letter, her control over Streich was deepening.

-

Noon 12: 34

Kazdel border.

Amidst a sea of ​​yellow sand, an abandoned land-based warship has been transformed into a small foothold.

Thousands of people live around this land-based warship that was destroyed in the war.

Because it was destroyed right next to a small oasis, passing convoys would choose to stop there for supplies.

This place is called Granville, after the landship that was destroyed.

It is also safer and more orderly here than most places along the waterway.

Of course, this is only relative.

That's all in the past.

Thanks to a certain figure whom the bandits feared so much that they dared not even mention his face, this continental shipping route has been safer than ever before in recent months.

Most of the criminal gangs along the way were swept away like trash.

Therefore, the order that Granville once took pride in has now become just another ordinary order.

But the people here are not worried at all.

No one understands the world better than them, and governments and large corporations around the world have tried to eradicate those wilderness bandits before.

But what's the use of all this time? As long as the world remains the same, bandits will never be eradicated.

I believe that in a few months, the waterway will be back to what it used to be.

Everyone knows this.

Mudstone led the veterans ahead, his eyes gleaming with nostalgia as he looked at the various buildings in Granville.

Although the name doesn't resemble the place name Kazdel, since it's named after a land-based ship, the clothing and architectural style of the people around it are reminiscent of Sarkaz.

This made them feel nostalgic.

Even the professor, who had been arguing with Xia Yu the whole way, was unusually silent.

The lion scorpion walked cautiously at the back of the group; she was always the most reliable one.

Kroos ran around in the line without a care in the world.

Eyjafjalla looked curious; she had never been to a Sarkaz-style town before, but she stayed close to the center of the group.

The fact that everyone is so serious speaks volumes about the orderliness of this settlement...

The Sarkaz order is also an order.

All of this was instructed by the doctor. Although Xia Yu was there, there shouldn't be any problems, but we couldn't just come in carelessly without any precautions.

Sometimes, if you have the ability, you need to let those who have designs on you know it, so that they will back down.

Just like now, a row of Sarkaz veterans are lined up one by one, and anyone who wants to make a fuss has to obediently lower their head.

Being unafraid of trouble doesn't mean letting trouble find you.

Just like when Xia Yu and Lion Scorpion first embarked on their journey, they were two small, skinny people, and everyone who saw them would want to mess with them.

That's why we fought our way through back then.

But now that there are more than twenty Sarkaz veterans, things are different.

If you want to take them seriously, you'd better think twice before you try.

Even though those veterans have gray hair, the fact that mercenaries can live to old age speaks volumes about their strength.

"Let's finish resupplying as soon as possible," the Doctor said after arriving at the inn, gathering everyone together and beginning to assign tasks. "We can replenish our water and food as needed. We don't lack Originium for now, but the journey ahead is likely to be treacherous, so let's stock up on some too."

Next, they began arranging the night watch and selecting people to go and hand over supplies.

As expected of the evil spirit of the Tower of Babel, everything was arranged meticulously, and even the Sarkaz veterans under Mudrock's command couldn't find anything wrong with it.

And so, the exhausted group settled down temporarily in this small oasis, ready to spend the night in peace.

Of course, not everyone can relax; someone still needs to keep watch at night.

After all, this is someone else's territory, so we should still be on guard.

As for who the unlucky guy on night watch really is...

Xia Yu sat atop the mast of the abandoned landship, took out a thermos, and drank a mouthful of piping hot meat soup, contentedly letting the warmth spread from her throat throughout her entire body.

To be honest, the night watch should have been kept in the room; there's no way they could have made it up to the mast.

It's not like we're guarding the entire settlement.

If anyone else dared to do that, they would be torn apart by criticism and might even be kicked out of the team.

But Xia Yu... having the ability means she can do whatever she wants.

Even from the mast, you can have a clear view of the two rooms you booked, one large and one small, and react accordingly at any time.

The larger rooms are for men, mainly Sarkaz mercenaries.

Smaller rooms are meant for fewer women.

The entire land-based ship has been transformed by the people here over the years, and has long since developed into various industries.

There are even quite a few things that are indescribable.

Of course, no one in the team wanted to experience it. Perhaps the mercenaries wanted to, but they forcibly restrained themselves in front of their future boss.

Xia Yu sat on the mast, drinking meat soup and gazing at the small settlement.

Even late at night, the place is still bustling with people.

Just now, a caravan entered the settlement from outside.

Even at night, many people come here.

After all, compared to the perilous wilderness, the settlement is at least relatively safe.

In the wilderness, everyone has to be on edge almost all the time, but in a settlement, as long as sentries are properly arranged, most people can get a good night's sleep.

After a while, perhaps getting bored, Xia Yu turned her gaze to the night sky.

The bright double moons are like a pair of cool, clear eyes, gazing upon this land.

After a long while, a rustling sound came from the side, and someone climbed up the mast.

"What is the captain looking at?" Mud Rock took off his armor, put on his casual clothes, and came to sit down beside him.

Why drink alone in silence?

“Because I was the only one assigned to keep watch at night,” Xia Yu rolled her eyes and shook the thermos in her hand. “Besides, this isn’t alcohol.”

"This is a thousand times better than wine."

Mud Rock was speechless. Actually, she just wanted to find a topic to talk about, but she had chosen a rather bad one.

"Want to try it?" Xia Yu wiped the bottle opening and handed the thermos to Ni Yan. "This is my favorite. I don't usually give it to just anyone."

Without any hesitation, Niyan took the thermos.

There was absolutely no sense of shyness from the girl sharing a cup with the boy.

Perhaps, in the difficult past, this was already the norm for her.

She brought the thermos to her lips, and the rich, appetizing aroma of meat wafted out.

Upon seeing this, Niyan's eyes lit up, and he picked up the cup and took two sips.

This was a flavor she had never experienced before.

"Is it good?" Xia Yu asked with a smile.

“It’s delicious,” Mudstone put down his cup and nodded. “It’s definitely a million times better than wine.”

“If it were in the past,” a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, “many people could have survived if they had just a bowl of this broth.”

"However, does someone like you really think food is a thousand times better than wine?"

“Why not?” Xia Yu sighed. “Do you think I’m someone who has never gone hungry?”

Hearing this, Niyan nodded honestly. To be honest, it really does look quite similar.

"You're so powerful, and you're not one of us discriminated-against demons, so how could you possibly be unable to afford food?"

"So what if I'm powerful?" Xia Yu recalled her past. "I'm not an omnipotent god. I can't make food grow out of thin air and automatically turn into bread."

"The only place with normal food... they don't welcome you, fearing your presence will bring them disaster."

"I'm not the kind of person who would forcibly seize or rob someone. In this situation, do you think I would barge into their house and take away their last ration of food?"

Hearing this, Ni Yan was stunned.

She never imagined that her future captain, such a mysterious and powerful figure, would have such a past.