The First Order
chapter-1256

D−2.

Late at night.

The autumn rain stopped briefly as a musty smell of soil filled the air.

At the third echelon of the defensive line where the command center was located, the sound of gunfire could still be heard coming from the second echelon of the defensive line.

The abyssal ravine that stretched across the ground blocked the path of the second group of enemy troops in the northeast. Those AI-controlled soldiers who traveled on foot would have to continue marching for at least a day before they could go around the rift that spanned dozens of kilometers.

Yan Liuyuan had single-handedly shielded the Dawn defensive line from the most immediate threat they were facing.

When Yan Liuyuan finally arrived at the defensive line from the north with the nomads, Ren Xiaosu immediately noticed Yan Liuyuan's short hair which made him look like an ascetic monk.

He was stunned for a moment before asking Yan Liuyuan, "What's with your hair?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Yan Liuyuan replied with a laugh, "It'll grow out again. Bro, I brought 20,000 of my tribe's warriors here. They might be of help to y'all."

However, P5092 shook his head and said, "There's no need for that. Currently, the Dawn defensive line is planning to retreat. If your people have the strength, please help take some of our wounded away from this place."

Yan Liuyuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright."

On this defensive line, the wounded were the only ones other than the third echelon's troops who could leave alive.

It was not that P5092 was suddenly upholding the spirit of humanitarianism, but that even if these wounded soldiers were to remain at the defensive position, they could not continue fighting. In that case, they might as well be brought back to the rear so they could help rekindle the flames of humanity.

At this moment, a specialized group of troops were responsible for evacuating the wounded. They went around to the various defensive positions to tally the number of wounded personnel before retreating together with them.

At Position 141, the soldiers had just repelled a group of enemy troops and were able to take a short rest.

The commander of the Iron 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Field Division, who was in charge of this position, was being bandaged up by his orderly.

Yesterday in the middle of the night, he was shot during an unexpected attack and was left with a broken arm.

Their camp was equipped with splints purpose built for setting bones, so there was no need to resort to using wooden sticks to fix such injuries.

When the battalion commander's wound was being dressed, he was in so much pain that beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and his lips turned pale.

Even the toughest fellas of the Northwest Army could not bear the excruciating pain of broken bones.

At this moment, a young soldier at the defensive position ran over and said to the battalion commander in surprise, "Battalion Commander, the rear has ordered all wounded personnel to retreat. I heard they'll be evacuated back to Fortress 178. Quickly let them take a look at your injuries. Only the wounded are allowed to retreat for now. Sis-in-law is still waiting for you at home."

In fact, the Northwest Army soldiers at the second echelon already knew they weren't allowed to retreat. That was because they had to buy time for their comrades at the back to leave.

How were they going to do that? Using their lives of course.

Initially, everyone still found it quite upsetting. But for some reason, they suddenly accepted this reality overnight.

No one came to give them any pep talks, nor did anyone attempt to use patriotism as a reason for them to remain behind. Everyone only felt that since they were soldiers of the Northwest Army, they should not be afraid of death.

The mention of the words "Northwest Army" seemed to fill them with inexplicable pride. They had not really received any special treatment even though they were Northwest Army soldiers. Instead, they had to be more tolerant towards others everywhere while they were living in the strongholds. Even when they took the streetcar, they had to give up their seats to the elderly and children as they were afraid it would disgrace the epaulets they wore on their shoulders.

For example, this young soldier, who wasn't originally from Fortress 178, had joined the military only after the Northwest was unified.

For some reason, he decided to sign up when he saw the bright red banner at the recruitment office that day.

When Stronghold 144's trade boomed, many of his family members advised him to not be a soldier of the Northwest Army anymore. If he followed his uncle into business, he would be able to earn more than what a soldier earned.

But every time, he just smiled without saying anything to them. He did not know how to answer them, but all he wanted was to stay in the Northwest Army.

He still felt that way now. Although he knew he would die by staying behind, he still wanted to remain at the defensive position and fight alongside his comrades.

There was no reason. He just thought this was what he had to do.

But the situation had changed now. The soldiers who were wounded had a valid reason to leave the defensive line. The young soldier knew the battalion commander had two children and his wife was not working, so his family was fully dependent on him.

Therefore, he thought the battalion commander could take this opportunity to leave the second echelon of the defensive line and retreat with the main forces.

It was not an issue of cowardice, but that it was really unnecessary for the battalion commander to continue fighting at the defensive position with the current state of his arm.

At this moment, footsteps came from the outside of the tent.

The young soldier actually saw the battalion commander tearing off the splint on his arm and concealing the wound under his military uniform.

An unfamiliar face walked in from the outside. That person said to everyone, "I heard there's wounded personnel here. We're taking them away to evacuate together."

But before the others could say anything, the battalion commander spoke first. "It must be a misunderstanding. There aren't any wounded personnel here."

The soldier in charge of evacuating the wounded was taken aback for a moment. "Is that so?"

He gave the battalion commander a skeptical look. Actually, even if the battalion commander had removed the splint on his arm, his pale face still gave everything away. As such, the evacuation officer could already tell that the battalion commander was injured.

The battalion commander hesitated for a moment before saying, "Bro, I want to fight alongside my brothers. I can't go back by myself."

The evacuation officer fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he straightened his back and saluted the battalion commander before turning around to leave.

There was no further exchange of words. They were all soldiers of the Northwest Army. If he were in the shoes of the battalion commander, he might have made the same decision as well.

After the evacuation officer left, the young soldier looked at his battalion commander and said in a daze, "Battalion Commander, don't you want to go back? You're not pretending to be injured; you really are! There's no cowardice in that."

The battalion commander scolded, "Fuck, it hurts so much! Hurry up and help me set the splint again. By the way, tell those scoundrels outside to perk up. We have to fight our last battle beautifully."

The battalion commander did not answer the young soldier's question.

Similar incidents like this happened throughout the second echelon's defensive positions. As a result, the evacuation officers were all left teary-eyed.

At this moment, the sky was still dark. The military corps at the third echelon of the defensive line started retreating towards Fortress 178 while visibility was still low for the satellites.

Before leaving, everyone saluted in the direction of the second echelon of the defensive line.

Just as the 1st Military Corps was retreating from the Dawn defensive line, Ren Xiaosu, Yang Xiaojin, Yan Liuyuan, and Xiaoyu stood at the edge of the defensive position and looked out at the night sky.

Yan Liuyuan looked at Ren Xiaosu and said with a smile, "Bro, are you still hesitating?"

Ren Xiaosu sighed and said, "You know what I'm thinking?"

"Mhm." Yan Liuyuan nodded. "The AI seems unstoppable. Until now, I haven't managed to think of another way to resolve this crisis. So there seems to be only one way out."

The way Yan Liuyuan was referring to was for Ren Xiaosu to turn into the world consciousness and end Zero's future at its origin.

No matter how powerful Zero was, it was still an existence in the world. There was no way it could go against the will of the world.

Therefore, when calamity struck, the question always seemed to come back to whether it should be others or oneself who should be sacrificed.

Ren Xiaosu said in a low voice, "Sometimes, I think that since there's only one way out, I might as well be more decisive. That way, fewer soldiers of the Northwest Army will have to die. The longer I hesitate, the more people are going to die because of this disaster. But, Liuyuan, you know I've always been a very selfish person. Before this, I'd never thought I'd sacrifice myself for anyone, unless it's for Xiaojin, you, or Big Sister Xiaoyu."

"Mhm, I know that." Yan Liuyuan said in a low voice, "That's why I rushed over this time. Because I wanted to stop you. Bro, let's leave this place. It's a big world out there. Regardless of how powerful Zero gets, there can't possibly be no place for us to seek refuge. Sure, I know that might sound self-deceptive, but, Bro, I really don't wish to see you sacrifice yourself for the sake of the entire world when it has been so clearly unfair to you."

Ren Xiaosu said, "Can you let me speak in private with Xiaojin?"

Yan Liuyuan and Xiaoyu exchanged glances before leaving quietly.

Ren Xiaosu took out a tarp from his storage space and laid it out on the raised step of a trench. He and Yang Xiaojin sat side by side on it and looked up at the dark night sky.

"You don't wish for me to take that step either, right?" Ren Xiaosu asked.

"Mhm." Yang Xiaojin said firmly, "Xiaosu, y'know, no one should have to sacrifice anything for the world."

"Liuyuan always feels that the world has been a little harsh on me, but I feel I'm actually quite lucky to have such a beautiful girlfriend and become this strong. In the past, I thought I had been abandoned by my parents. But after my trip to the Kingdom of Sorcerers, I realized how great of a sacrifice they had made to let me survive. That's why I don't feel I'm all that miserable anymore. I heard that my father died trying to save everyone during The Cataclysm. Now that I think about it, I'm actually a little impressed by his boldness. In fact, after hearing his story from the Riders, I realized he's more of a qualified leader than I am. I'm just a kid who hasn't really found his direction in life yet."

Yang Xiaojin shook her head. "You don't necessarily have to follow in his footsteps."

"But there's no other way. Xiaojin, you must live on," Ren Xiaosu said, lowering his head.

Yang Xiaojin turned to look at Ren Xiaosu. She realized she could not see his expression clearly as his face was hidden in the shadows.

Ren Xiaosu continued in a low voice, "If I continue hesitating, even you might die. I thought about it for the entire day yesterday and suddenly realized that I couldn't accept such an outcome. I don't have to save the entire world, but I want to save you. We all have to admit that with Zero's strength growing to this extent, we'll have to face it sooner or later someday. Perhaps we can escape to the Kingdom of Sorcerers for the time being or live by ourselves in a faraway place. But every time we choose to avoid it, it'll increasingly become more difficult to beat."

Yang Xiaojin looked at Ren Xiaosu in a daze. On this cruel battlefield under the heavens, Ren Xiaosu suddenly used the simplest of logic to convey the most unforgettable romantic words to her. This left her a little overwhelmed.

"But you still mustn't sacrifice yourself," Yang Xiaojin said.

Ren Xiaosu smiled bitterly. "I don't want to either. If there's really a chance to live, who would want to die?"

"Promise me this. Since Qing Zhen said to wait for him for nine days, we should wait until the ninth day before deciding." Yang Xiaojin said, "If he doesn't succeed at the end of it, I'll accompany you wherever you want to go at that time."

A message from weirdo and Legge:

Thank you all for being such patient readers in this tale of Ren Xiaosu. It has been fun translating and reading your comments, and I hope the quality was up to expectations. Every word chosen, and every character's motivations were analyzed to reconcile possible "out of character" behavior. It is my belief that translations should bring across the author's intended message in its most original form.

I know I took a long time clearing up at the end, but I know you'll understand. Yes, we're really reaching the end. My thoughts are that The Speaking Pork Trotter had planned out the story very well, and most side characters were not forgotten. Their backstories also endeared to me as I translated their parts. My personal favorite has to be P5092, depicting how everyone has two sides to them. Sometimes, you just can't judge a person if you don't understand their motivations. Who can forget Hu Xiaobai and Wang Yuexi, two side characters who aren't extraordinary in strength but made a difference in the Prosperous Northwest goal. Zero's story affected me pretty deeply as well.

…

The 1st Military Corps of the Northwest Army had already withdrawn most of their forces from the Dawn defensive line. In P5092's plan, the second echelon of the defensive line would have to hold off the artificial intelligence for nearly a day.

This place was still about 131 kilometers away from Fortress 178. Based on how fast the AI-controlled troops were advancing, they should be fighting the final battle at Fortress 178 on the final day.

Win or lose, all would be revealed on that day.

While retreating from the defensive position, Wang Yun suddenly asked amid the sea of tens of thousands of people, "Eh, where's P5092? He was still there with us when we started retreating just now."

As he spoke, the Great Hoodwinker and the others also looked around for P5092.

At this moment, Ren Xiaosu, who understood P5092 the best, turned around and ran back to the defensive position without another word. When he rushed into the command center, he saw P5092 pointing a gun at his lower jaw.

Ren Xiaosu reached his hand through the Shadow Door and slapped the gun muzzle aside. With a loud bang, the gun went off. If Ren Xiaosu had been any slower, P5092 would probably be dead.

"What are you doing?!" Ren Xiaosu asked in bewilderment, "Why did you try to kill yourself?"

P5092 said, "The final objective of the Dawn defensive line has been achieved, so my mission is also completed. There isn't much of a point in having me around for any of the later battles. The final battle at Fortress 178 will rely not on strategy but courage."

"And that's why you have to die?" Ren Xiaosu frowned and asked, "Why?"

"Because I personally sent Black Fox and the others on the most dangerous mission. Because I refused to let the frontline soldiers at the Dawn defensive line retreat." P5092's eyes were filled with weariness.

For the sake of winning the war, P5092 made the most ruthless decisions and issued one cruel order after another.

However, that was for the sake of victory, not for himself.

If he were not burdened by the mission of the Pyro Company, he might have made other choices.

P5092 said softly, "That day I parted ways with Black Fox, I had wanted to be like the commanders of the other troops who fight alongside their soldiers. But I knew the Dawn defensive line needed me, so I couldn't die. However, as their commander, I've let them down."

Ren Xiaosu fell silent. He did not know how to comfort the military genius in front of him.

The other party was clearly born for war, but he still had a benevolent heart.

But the kinder the other party was, the more painful each decision they undertook would be.

This pain kept accumulating until P5092 finally had the thought of suicide. He wanted to accompany his men because he was the one who had personally sent them to their deaths, even though he had a very valid reason for doing so.

Ren Xiaosu put P5092's gun away into his mind palace and then said coldly, "After we win this war, I'll think of a way to use the Martyr's Palace to summon Black Fox and the others back. But if you commit suicide, you'll get separated by death from them. Because the Martyr's Palace can't summon those who die by suicide."

P5092 was stunned. He suddenly remembered Ren Xiaosu's power. "But there's more than 10,000 Pyro Company combatants led by Black Fox! Luo Lan's Martyr's Palace can only summon 12 people."

Ren Xiaosu said earnestly, "That's because Luo Lan isn't strong enough to summon more. It's not that the superpower is unable to."

At this moment, the artificial intelligence also seemed to have realized the Northwest Army at the Dawn defensive line was retreating.

All of a sudden, the garrison troops at the second echelon of the defensive line felt the pressure escalate. It was as though a boundless tsunami was crashing down on them.

Together with the troops that were cut off by Yan Liuyuan's ravine, the enemy forces started advancing at a trot.

In the southwestern direction, the two groups of enemy forces that were heading north from the Qing Consortium even threw away some of the supplies they were carrying and picked up their pace.

That turbulent tsunami was about to flood through the Dawn defensive line and devour Fortress 178 along with it.