Chapter 770.3: Taught By The Same Fellow

Honestly, Version Firstborn also admired Ample Time somewhat. He even thought the damned developers had gone too far in targeting him.

Why had no one else been summoned to a hearing to report on their work? Why was Ample Time the only one Xiaoyu had called back to be disciplined?

Without the developers interfering, Ample Time would probably have been slaughtering enemies throughout the Southern Seas by now.

Two Moonlight curiously looked at Zero Rush, who had just sat down when he asked, “Was that foul-mouthed Laxi trained by you?”

Zero Rush shook his head. “Hell no. I’m not that capable. Some professionally trained brother probably taught him.”

The Burning Corps included several players who had retired from military service and changed careers, including Old White. It was hardly a shameful secret. However, an unspoken understanding had developed during the server’s early days. People rarely brought their real-world identities into the game, well, that was unless they already knew each other in reality.

“That makes sense.” Mountain River Dreaming nodded deeply. “After all, someone who genuinely understood discipline wouldn’t–”

“If you fucking mention entering a local’s home again, I’m seriously going to lose it!” Zero Rush’s eyelids twitched and was about to stand when a trainee jogged over and performed a military salute, pressing his right fist against his chest.

“Reporting! Sir! Your family is here to see you!”

“Pfft...!” Two Moonlight, who had been drinking seaweed egg soup, sprayed it out on the spot. Seaweed came shooting from his nostrils.

The usually reserved Version Firstborn had initially shown no reaction, but the sight of seaweed hanging from Two Moonlight’s nose made him collapse over the table, pounding it repeatedly with his right fist. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The nearby trainees all turned curiously toward them.

Mountain River Dreaming shook his head and cursed. “Fuck! Damn noob can’t even keep your laughter in!”

Zero Rush shot up from his chair and furiously covered the recruit’s mouth. “Don’t fucking say things like that! What family? How long have I even been here? How could I have a family in this place?”

The trainee looked confused upon hearing that.

The main problem was that an old man kept bringing a young girl to the entrance of the barracks and asking everyone he met whether a blue coat named Zero Rush was stationed there.

The recruit also thought it was absurd. No matter what the relationship was, the girl was far too young. Claiming such a connection seemed excessive.

However, there really was an instructor with that name. What if his claims were true? Wouldn’t that be like the Everflowing River flooding Tassen?

Normally, Laxi should have dealt with this sort of matter. He had handled it in the past. Supposedly, he had dismissed the old man with two steamed buns, frightening him so badly that he never dared return. However, Laxi had resigned. Even if the old man were nearly deaf, he could hardly have missed the entire city discussing the matter, so he had apparently decided to try again.

Seeing the instructor’s anxious expression, the trainee stuttered, “Then... should I drive the old man away?”

“No! Wait! Damn it. I’d better go myself.”

Facing the malicious grins of the three animals, Zero Rush gritted his teeth, dropped his chopsticks, and headed outside. Ultimately, he had to resolve the matter himself. Otherwise, the rumors would grow increasingly outrageous until things he had never done were blamed upon him.

While everyone in the barracks was eating, he hurried toward the entrance of Camp Rowell. Sure enough, he saw an elderly man holding the hand of a young girl.

It was clear that Port Gallon’s earth-shaking transformation had greatly affected the two of them, materially and spiritually. It was for better and for worse.

The old man was not actually old. At most, he was middle-aged. Time had simply carved too many marks into his face, and like many wastelanders, he simply looked too old for his age.

Now, however, he appeared energetic, his face glowing with health and his back held straight. He finally looked like a middle-aged man. He seemed to believe he possessed some form of support and paid little attention to the soldiers guarding the barracks entrance, though he still obeyed the rules and did not attempt to pass them.

The soldiers also appeared reluctant to offend him. They merely blocked him politely and refused to let him inside.

The little girl did not possess so many complicated thoughts. Innocent and pure, she did not yet understand the affairs of adults. Seeing that the big brother who had given her candy had returned, a delighted expression appeared on her face. The second he appeared, she called out to him. “Brother Rush!”

The old man beside her heard it as well and looked happily toward Zero Rush as he approached, even waving at him. “My lord! You’ve finally returned!”

As pair after pair of eyes turned toward him, Zero Rush felt as though ants were crawling across his entire body. Still, he forced himself to approach.

The little girl named Ano had grown increasingly lovely.

Perhaps thanks to the flourishing import and export trade, she had eaten well recently. Her cheeks had become rounder and pinker, while her large dark eyes appeared especially bright and sparkling.

Yet the more adorable she looked, the more Zero Rush felt a dull ache of guilt in his heart.

That simple gaze untouched by education was truly not something that should be destroyed. Because of a single piece of candy and several unrealistic ideas, a family that should have boarded the train instead missed the train heading toward the new era, becoming people hurriedly abandoned by history.

He could hardly imagine it.

Only a few months ago, the old man had told him that the girl was too young and to choose another one.

Yet now, he persistently tried to place his daughter’s hand into Zero Rush’s. As though doing so would allow them to escape a sea of suffering... At least, a sea of suffering that existed within the old man’s mind.

When Zero Rush reached him, the old man forced a flattering smile onto his face. “My lord, my daughter is no longer young. It’s time she...”

“It’s time she attended school.” Zero Rush interrupted him without hesitation. He searched through his pocket and, disregarding the surrounding stares, forced himself to stuff a banknote into the old man’s hand.

The sudden arrival of happiness stunned the old man. His eyes widened, and he thanked Zero Rush ecstatically. “Th-thank you!”

Ano stared fixedly at the pocket that seemed to contain countless magical objects. She was not interested in the colorful pieces of paper, but she still wanted another piece of the candy she had eaten before.

Her father had told her that if she followed the big brother, she would have endless candy. She thought that sounded rather good. If she truly could not finish it all, she could share some with her older brothers and sisters.

Seeing that the old man still wanted to speak, Zero Rush stared directly into his eyes and said seriously, “Don’t thank me. This money isn’t for you. It’s for her school fees! I acted too abruptly that day. I won’t deny that it was my fault, but you can’t cling to me forever because of it, can you? I’ll find someone to watch you. If you don’t send her to school, I’ll... I’ll fucking tear down your house!”

The old man’s expression changed repeatedly, but fear ultimately gained the upper hand. He nodded submissively. “I’ll definitely send her. Definitely...”

He could not afford to offend such important people.

The events of that day remained vivid in his memory. One of Lord Ample Time’s subordinates had merely frowned, and the terrifying Laxi had immediately killed the men who had offended the New Alliance without even furrowing his brows.

He had not asked a single question. The entire 10-man squad had been executed.

A faint smile of relief appeared on Zero Rush’s face. However, disappointment appeared on Ano’s. “Big Brother doesn’t want Ano?”

Her mother had carefully washed her hair and placed a beautiful hair clip upon it.

Zero Rush crouched down and comforted her gently. “You don’t need me. Or, more precisely, what you need isn’t any particular person. You need a school and books.”

He had gradually realized that there were no shortcuts in what they were doing. They had given the survivors of the wasteland certain things, but ultimately, some tasks had to be completed by the people themselves. Otherwise, they would become a black box.

Well, a black box in another sense.

Once the players left, everything would return to the way it had been. They might not even need to leave before the place ended up like the North Island Federation in the Southern Seas.

“But... there won’t be any candy,” Ano lowered her head and whispered softly.

“Study hard and learn properly. In the future, you’ll have plenty of candy. You’ll be able to buy it yourself and even give it to children who cry because they don’t have any, just like I did.” Zero Rush instinctively reached out to pat her little head, but suddenly remembered something and awkwardly withdrew his hand.

This time, he did not soften. No matter how pitifully those large eyes looked at him, he did not reach into his pocket and take out another piece of candy. He merely waved and watched the father and daughter disappear into the distance.

After they vanished, he heaved a sigh of relief and turned to return to the mess hall. Only then did he notice his three terrible friends standing not far behind him, carrying plastic bags of packed food.

“We knew a bottomless pit like you wouldn’t have eaten enough.” Two Moonlight grinned and shook the bag of buns. “Version Firstborn is taking me out to broaden my horizons. Are you coming?”

“We’re only going to the theater to watch a stage play.” Version Firstborn looked unhappily at the annoying bastard beside him and complained, “Can you stop phrasing it in a way that’s so easy to misunderstand? You make me sound like an actual beast who wants to do something to you.”

Two Moonlight looked at him in astonishment. “Aren’t you?”

Mountain River Dreaming walked over, patted Zero Rush on the shoulder, and grinned. “Now you understand why we told you not to give people candy. No matter how you explain it afterward, it always ends up like this.”

Simple kindness was not a mistake. However, doing the right thing did not always produce a good result. They belonged to two entirely different dimensions, perhaps even parallel dimensions that never intersected.

Zero Rush sighed deeply. “I understand. Isn’t that what I’m fucking trying to fix?”

Surely the butterfly effect caused by a piece of candy could not be greater than that caused by a pistol. Under his mixture of threats and incentives, the old father would presumably send the child to school.

At that moment, Zero Rush suddenly understood why Ample Time was always telling them to do fewer unnecessary things.