Chapter Fifty-One: The First Campaign Begins!

Page (1/3)

[Grade One Battle Vehicle]
[Function: Expels gray mist within a three-meter radius around the vehicle. Suitable for thirty passengers. Cannon can use "black powder" as propellant, with an effective range of 500 meters.]
[Note: Immune to spiritual damage below Lord level, reduces Lord-level spiritual contamination by twenty percent.]

"Phew, that's not bad," Colin remarked after a brief inspection.

Just as he was about to climb aboard and test the vehicle, he sensed something unusual behind him.

Turning around, he found a group of survivors staring at him with peculiar, complicated expressions.

Clatter...

The bowl in the hands of Li Chou, who was lying on a stretcher eating, suddenly slipped, shattering the eerie silence.

Colin pondered for a moment and quickly realized why...

The system had just announced his name.

"You're Colin?!" Huang Weijian asked in disbelief, gazing at the striking man before him.

"Don't I look the part?" Colin smiled. "Or are you all tempted by my thousand mist points?"

"Not at all!" They all shook their heads in unison.

Everyone knew that Colin possessed immense resources, but their lives now hung in his hands; anyone who dared covet them would surely meet their end...

"We just never expected... that the one to capture us would be you..." murmured an unknown Lord, visibly relieved after speaking. "But since it's you, I trust you won't force us into anything against our will.

"If you're willing, I personally would follow you.

"I owe you my life."

Their understanding of Colin was limited to the system's punitive announcement—a simple yet profound method of lighting lamps, which had saved countless people.

Nearly half the people present owed their survival to Colin's lamp-lighting technique.

Who could have imagined beforehand that lighting a lamp required blood, not fire?

Especially those rooted in scientific principles—they found such mystical ignition methods inconceivable.

Many had struggled to ignite flames, only to despair when they failed to light their lanterns; they knew that feeling well.

Moreover, after Colin revealed the secret and the system displayed its blood-red warning, people harbored no resentment toward those who withheld the lamp method.

Just seeing those ominous letters instilled a supernatural dread—let alone Colin, who faced it first.

Thus, Colin's name had begun to take on a legendary status in the chat channels.

For many, it was a name not to be profaned.

Page (2/3)

But none of them expected that the legend would be standing right before their eyes.

"I owe you too... Without your secret, I would've starved to death," someone said.

"And me as well..." Voices chimed in, eyes filled with gratitude.

Of course, some were deliberately flattering him, eager to don the cloak of virtue and pursue their own schemes.

"So you're Colin! You should've said so earlier—I wouldn't be in such a miserable state!" Li Chou lamented, almost in tears. Had he known who he was dealing with, he would've surrendered without hesitation.

Anyone in the top ten of the resource rankings must possess something of great value, which could only be a mysterious item.

Clearly, Colin at the top had mysterious items far superior to his own.

Yet he couldn't fathom how, despite the restrictions on mysterious items, Colin was still able to use them.

Li Chou knew that only a mysterious item could cause such sudden changes.

The others had no idea what was on his mind, only casting him sympathetic glances—he was the only one beaten so badly.

The rest, seeing the overwhelming numbers, had all chosen to follow their hearts and comply.

"Ha, I thought everyone wanted me dead, so I kept my name hidden," Colin said, a bit embarrassed by their praise, waving his hand modestly. "It was just a small thing, don't mind it."

With that, he prepared to open the car door and experience these two "wasteland battle vehicles," but just then, someone called out to him.

"Mr. Colin."

A man, unfamiliar to him but neatly dressed, stepped forward.

"What is it?" Colin asked curiously, opening the heavy battle vehicle door and peering into the spacious interior.

The inside matched the rugged exterior.

"It's like this—I think there's a flaw in your management. I have some suggestions..."

"Oh? Do you realize what you're saying?" Colin turned to him, his expression odd, as if the man had just told a police officer his handcuffs weren't secure.

Paired with the man's earnest expression, his words sounded suspicious...

But to Colin's surprise—

[You see genuine sincerity on his face; you believe he truly wants to help you.]

Apparently, he was honest...

For a moment, Colin reflected on his actions, unsure how to respond.

"Mr. Colin, you needn't feel guilt. In some ways, your approach is quite prudent," another survivor stood up, showing understanding.

"Let me introduce myself again—I'm Huang Weiyang, trained in military chemistry. I'm quite confident when it comes to gunpowder..."

Page (3/3)

"Mr. Colin, I... I can warm your bed..."

"Sir! I must report that guy just hinted at how we could escape your control! He's betraying you!"

"Li Chou, don't slander me! What I said can't be called betrayal!"

The man who pointed out flaws in Colin's management flushed red, quickly launching into cryptic phrases about "self-preservation," "human nature," and "testing loyalty."

The atmosphere immediately grew lively.

Colin kept his customary smile, watching them, though he felt a bit strange inside.

Is this what it means to "gain their hearts and unlock new possibilities..."?

Still, it seemed to be a good sign...

In the cheerful, friendly atmosphere, preparations accelerated noticeably.

Under Colin's coordination, the battle vehicles sped from one survivor territory to another, with each stop marked by a tearing, furious "roar."

Before long, ten crimson beams of light accompanied by earth-shaking thunder erupted from the mist.

In Colin's name, the first campaign had begun!

On the gray-misted land, some corpses lying on the ground suddenly trembled and slowly rose.

Yet before they could fully stand, red light pierced through the mist.

The next moment, nine massive battle vehicles charged out in a V-formation, crushing the corpses into unrecognizable pulp, then roaring off in black smoke without a pause.

This was a squad of nine battle vehicles, each packed with thirty people, several hanging off the sides and others clinging to the rear.

Though designed for thirty, they clearly ignored the "official capacity."

At this moment, one vehicle was a platoon.

Nine vehicles made a battalion.

Led directly by Colin, their goal was clear: Lord-level aberrant giants.

Meanwhile, another vehicle, five "Lamp Bearer" squads, and several Lords were stationed by Colin in the mining area to provide a steady stream of resources.

The vibration from the battle vehicle's engine rumbled beneath their feet, the thick steel walls gave everyone inside a powerful sense of security. Colin sat in the passenger seat, gazing ahead through thick glass.

"This time we should be safe, right?"

He never underestimated these monsters—they had undergone a kind of transcendence, far beyond ordinary aberrants.

Now, on the world channel, all news about them was uniformly bleak: unbeatable.

Some Lords had assembled over a hundred-man campaign teams to hunt an aberrant Lord in the ruins, only for a handful to escape.

Among the casualties, they said, were some of the top-ranked survivors.

...

..