Life Game In Other World
Chapter 1214: Before the Battle

Chapter 1214: Chapter 1214: Before the Battle

Clang, clang—

The sound of large machines operating incessantly in the darkness echoed through the night, accompanied by the crisp clinks of metal components fitting together.

People dressed in engineering exoskeleton armor moved swiftly through the canyon, making precise adjustments to the structures and transporting construction materials to their designated locations.

He Ao navigated quickly through the bustling crowd and stopped beside Orey, who was standing at the forefront. "What’s the situation?" he asked.

"Equipment installation is progressing smoothly, sir,"

Orey, holding a tablet, looked up immediately at the sound of his voice. He gestured toward the large construction printer in the distance, which was rapidly "printing" walls using synthetic building materials, and continued,

"The heavy industrial capacity of the Nolanka Group has far exceeded our expectations. The engineers in our team say this thing is way better than the scrap metal we used to get from West Steel. The addition of the Wilderness Wanderers has significantly sped up our progress. At this pace, we should finish the basic outer wall construction in at most half an hour. However—"

He paused mid-sentence, carefully gazing into the night ahead as he picked up the binoculars hanging from his neck. In a low voice, he said, "Our activity here is pretty conspicuous. Do you think the forces below might notice us?"

Following Orey’s gaze, He Ao looked down. Seeing He Ao’s movement, Orey immediately removed his night-vision binoculars and handed them over. "We’re doing our best to stay in their blind spots while prioritizing the rear defensive structures, but as they get closer, it’s inevitable they’ll spot us."

He Ao waved his hand, declining the binoculars. His eyesight was already sufficient to see the densely packed troops advancing quickly up the slope in the darkness below.

In a low voice, he asked, "Did the Nolanka Group send any optical camouflage devices or similar equipment in their shipment?"

"They did,"

Orey nodded, pointing toward three sleek silver machines placed in a corner nearby,

"There are three optical camouflage devices that they manufactured themselves. These machines, along with the construction printers and materials, were originally supplied for the Limen City Defense Army to patch up the city walls in case of damage, like dents or cracks, during combat. Unfortunately, their coverage area is limited—they can’t conceal the entire Northern Gate.

"Moreover,"

Orey hesitated briefly before continuing, looking at He Ao, "the effectiveness of these machines is not great compared to their construction equipment. The engineers say the camouflage quality barely meets mainstream standards, falling far short of the top-tier products from the Evis Spatial System."

Scratching his head, he added, "Honestly, the poor camouflage quality isn’t a huge issue, since it’s nighttime, and the weather tonight isn’t good in the first place. But the machines are few in number and can only cover a smaller area than typical models."

"Approximately how much ground can they cover?"

He Ao walked briskly toward the silver-colored optical camouflage machines.

Orey glanced at the tablet in his hand. "Maybe about one-third of the area?"

"Let me take a look."

He Ao gave Orey a quick glance and appeared beside one of the camouflage machines in an instant.

He raised his hand and connected his wristband to the machine.

Soon, detailed instructions integrated with Eve’s annotations were displayed on his wristband via projection.

He Ao skimmed the instructions and notes, then swiftly selected an option.

[Removing Limitations]

[Limit Removal Complete]

As the text appeared on the wristband, He Ao unplugged the connection and quickly moved to the next machine.

These machines were, after all, produced by the Nolanka Group, and their software had been partially developed with Eve’s involvement.

Eve had profound knowledge of the machinery, and modifying their functionality was as simple as granting an authorization.

In no time, He Ao had tweaked all three devices and disconnected the cables. He raised his wristband and turned toward Orey, who had just run over, still catching his breath. "I’ve lifted the power limitations on these three machines. Operating at full power, the image fidelity and camouflage effects will take a slight hit, but it should suffice."

"Phew—" Owai gasped heavily, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "It...it should work. I’ll get an engineer to check right away."

He Ao glanced at the slim young man before him.

Orey clearly wasn’t relying on his own judgment but rather relaying the collective assessment of the engineering team.

This modestly built young man seemed to have an innate ability for logistical management and had adapted quickly to the tasks assigned to him by He Ao.

"One more problem,"

He Ao said quickly, glancing at the camouflage machines, "Under overclocked conditions, these devices can only run stably for half an hour at most. Can we finish constructing all the defensive facilities within that time frame?"

"Half an hour?"

Orey froze, his eyes widening slightly. Running a hand through his hair, he muttered, "Half an hour would be barely enough to complete the outer perimeter."

Looking at He Ao, he gripped the tablet tightly. "To be honest, sir, with the artificial intelligence system you’ve provided, we’re all already working at maximum capacity. Even finishing the basic outer wall in half an hour is pushing us to the limit."

"But the forces below won’t give us any more time."

He Ao glanced toward the blackness below. From his vantage point, he could see the enemy troops accelerating their advance on the Northern Gate. The opposing commander seemed to have detected something.

Redirecting his gaze to Orey, who followed his line of sight into the darkness, He Ao spoke briskly, "The optical camouflage barriers can be easily compromised. It’s unlikely we’ll be able to hide for half an hour."

For Orey, time was undoubtedly running out.

Having made a detour to rendezvous with the Nolanka Group’s caravan and transported various equipment, they had arrived here almost simultaneously with He Ao.

They had no time to prepare in advance.

For everyone, time was slipping away too quickly.

"Moreover, the construction materials delivered by the Nolanka Group aren’t sufficient either...we can’t simply stockpile materials to build defensive facilities quickly."

Orey muttered in a low voice. He opened his mouth as if to say more but hesitated in silence.

He knew they didn’t have enough time. The mercenary corps below could discover them at any moment. Yet, he had no solutions—the team was already at its limit.

Just then, a calm voice came from the front.

He Ao raised his head and glanced toward the slope behind them. "The manpower issue—look."

Orey followed his gaze, somewhat bewildered. There, a short-haired girl was leading a group of people rapidly toward them.

"The Wilderness Wanderers?"

Orey froze momentarily, then looked at He Ao in shock. "How did you convince them?"

When he first encountered the Wilderness Wanderers, he had attempted to recruit them. However, their extreme wariness thwarted all his efforts, with internal disagreements further complicating the situation.

Negotiations weren’t his forte, and the discussion almost escalated into an argument with the wiry leader.

Eventually, he was practically driven out. Shortly afterward, He Ao had arrived.

Recalling this experience, Orey had hesitated to accompany He Ao to the Wanderers’ makeshift camp, fearing his prior mishap would taint their impression of He Ao.

Although Orey greatly trusted He Ao, he never imagined that He Ao could win over the Wanderers with just a few words.

"Their goals align with ours to begin with,"

He Ao shook his head, speaking calmly. "Otherwise, they wouldn’t linger in such a dangerous area. Of course, Xiya’s involvement also helped greatly."

Xiya’s father had been the leader of this band of Wilderness Wanderers, granting her an innate credibility. Additionally, her own work in the city had earned her the trust of some.

With these factors combined, her endorsement gave He Ao a measure of influence among the Wanderers.

Without it, they wouldn’t have even listened to He Ao.

"I see."

Orey scratched his head.

He Ao glanced at Orey’s face, which bore a mix of surprise and embarrassment. During their earlier visit to the Wanderers’ camp, Orey had already shared the story of his failure with He Ao.

Smiling gently, He Ao said, "It’s fine. No one is born knowing everything. Learning is a gradual process, and improvement takes time."

"Mm."

Orey nodded.

"Mr. Suote."

At that moment, Xiya walked over, looking at He Ao.

"Thank you all for your assistance,"

He Ao glanced at the Wilderness Wanderers behind her. "For the people of this land, and for ourselves."

"Go on then, Suote. What do you need us to do?"

The burly man behind Xiya rubbed his hands, glancing around the site, and asked gruffly.

The others surrounding him also looked at He Ao.

"We’re constructing a temporary defensive structure,"

He Ao said directly without pretense, "I’m sure you all understand its importance. The sturdier it is, the greater our chances of survival in the coming battle."

He swept his gaze across the gathered crowd, including Orey. "The mercenary corps from the north are nearly at our doorstep. We don’t have much time."

He gestured toward Orey. "This is our logistics coordinator. We need to divide everyone into groups and begin construction and patrol duties immediately. He’ll assign your tasks."

Swish—

In an instant, the gaze of the Wilderness Wanderer leaders fixed on Orey.

Orey’s muscles instantly tensed. His hands, clasped behind his back, flexed slightly, reddening.

"We’ve got half an hour. Perhaps even less,"

He Ao directed his gaze toward Orey, who stiffened immediately. "Consult the AI for the updated construction plan. Speed is paramount."

Orey straightened up at once and saluted He Ao. "Understood, Commander!"

"Go."

He Ao gestured dismissively.

Orey swiftly nodded and left with the Wilderness Wanderers in tow.

Nearby, several soldiers were busy setting up the optical camouflage devices.

He Ao stepped aside to give the soldiers room to work and began walking along the cliffside toward the northern darkness.

"How long do you think it’ll be before they attack?"

Xiya followed behind him, speaking softly.

"I don’t know,"

He Ao gazed into the thick night ahead. "Could be thirty minutes, could be ten. Our time in the shadows is short."

"The enemy we’re supposed to face—do they seem exceptionally strong?"

Xiya watched the impenetrable darkness with quiet apprehension.

"If you want my answer,"

He Ao replied calmly, "I have only one choice: to stop them, seal this gate, and block anyone from entering."

Xiya froze briefly, raising her head to look at He Ao. After a short silence, she asked the question that had been weighing on her mind,

"You knew all along the northern mercenary corps would come, didn’t you? Is that why you had me send people to investigate? What’s their real target? Is it truly Minte City? But Minte City is already besieged by the mercenary corps of two major conglomerates. Who else, and why, would send such a massive army here?

"Even if they occupied Minte City, how much could they possibly gain from such a small town?"

"You can’t figure it out?"

He Ao glanced at her.

"No, I can’t."

Xiya nodded faintly.

"Minte City isn’t as ’insignificant’ as it seems,"

He Ao said slowly. "From its very design, it was meant to guard the Northern Gate. Although no one has cared about that purpose for a long time, Minte City remains far more important than most realize.

"If you need a base to sustain an army to hold the Northern Gate, you’ll require a logistical hub capable of supporting it. Minte City was built for this very role.

"Whoever controls Minte City controls the Northern Gate. That’s why the conglomerates are vying for it.

"Of course,"

He continued before Xiya could interject, "Your skepticism is valid. Even if Minte City is crucial, it doesn’t justify deploying such a large force against it. So the enemy we’re about to face doesn’t just want Minte City—we’re merely ants they intend to crush on their way."

"Then what are they after?"

Xiya asked hesitantly.

"Don’t you already have an idea?"

He Ao glanced at her briefly before continuing his climb along the northern slope where there was no path.

"It’s Dawn City, isn’t it?"

Xiya whispered the answer she found hard to believe.

"Once they pass the Northern Gate, the road to Dawn City is a straight shot."

Then she hesitantly added, "But why would they attack Dawn City? That’s the Federation’s largest city, home to tens of millions. Aren’t they afraid of facing Dawn City’s retaliation?"

"They are, but first,"

He Ao said quietly, "the question is whether Dawn City’s government can hold out this time to deliver that retaliation."

Xiya opened her mouth slightly, as though her worldview had just been upended. After a brief struggle to speak, she finally turned to look into the darkness ahead and added quietly, "Don’t they fear anything anymore?"

"Perhaps they do,"

He Ao said, his voice hoarse as he watched the endless sea of troops below. "But it’s clearly not Minte City, and it’s not Dawn City, nor does it include ordinary people like you, me, or those around us."

"Then,"

Xiya asked hesitantly, "will we have reinforcements? Doesn’t Dawn City have allies too?"

He Ao fell silent for a moment, glancing at the construction equipment scattered around them. "This might be the only aid we can get from other cities."

He paused, then looked again at the night ahead, his voice growing raspier. "The attack isn’t coming just from the north."

Xiya clearly understood his implication. Her lips parted slightly before she finally voiced a bitter smile. "It seems the group from the north is quite ’lucky.’ If the two conglomerates in Minte City hadn’t pushed everyone to the edge and left no choice but to resist—while simultaneously obstructing their plans—we wouldn’t be standing here."

The conglomerates in Minte City, if even slightly less oppressive, wouldn’t have forced unity between the city and the Wilderness Wanderers, nor hindered the invading force’s "agenda."

"Indeed."

He Ao turned his head to look at Xiya’s fragile smile.

This nineteen-year-old girl was trying her best to project composure and confidence.

Since her father’s disappearance, she had become the de facto leader of the Wilderness Wanderers. No matter who she faced, she bore the weight of this responsibility.

"Are you afraid?"

He Ao suddenly asked in a soft voice, turning his gaze away.

Xiya froze momentarily before falling silent. Finally, with a light breath, her taut composure collapsed like a string snapping.

"Yes."

She whispered in reply.

They were alone, without outside support, about to face an army bold enough to target the Federation’s largest city.

An army that dwarfed Minte City in every conceivable way.

"If you wish, you can leave with some of your people,"

He Ao said softly.

Xiya raised her head, looked at He Ao’s sharp profile, and after a brief silence, replied earnestly, "A warrior cannot flee."

He Ao turned to glance at her but said nothing more.

"Do you think we’ll succeed?"

She asked quietly.

"We will,"

The calm answer echoed in the darkness. "As long as I’m still alive."