Four Split Personalities

Paula smiled sheepishly and shook her head, "You flatter me, saying I excel in tactics, but it’s really just because my personal strength cannot be compared to the other generals. When it comes to strategy, Generals Mel and Darian are no less skilled than I am."

"The ’Swift Mel’ and ’Iron-Wristed Darian,’ huh?"

Having seen a great deal, Xia Lian pondered for a moment and looked at Paula with curiosity, "I’ve always wondered where those flashy nicknames of yours come from."

Paula, without looking back, fired off another shot, instantly killing several mutants foolishly aligned in a straight line, then sheathed her weapon, completing the series of moves seamlessly without hindering her from answering Xia Lian’s question, "Actually, these nicknames are given by the other soldiers, mainly based on personal characteristics. For example, General Darian is called ’Iron-Wristed’ because he disciplines the troops so strictly that he can make even the most defiant sailors more obedient than infantry..."

Xia Lian blinked, "Oh? So what’s so ’Turbulent’ about you, Oswen?"

"Breast size."

"Huh?"

"Because my chest is rather large, and I spend years on the rocking boat, so..."

"Okay, that’s enough," Xia Lian cut her off.

Xia Lian sighed heavily, and in both physical and mental exhaustion, she fell backward to the ground, her face full of despair, "I’m a bit tired."

It was then that Oswen realized just how disheveled Her Highness the Saintess was in front of her, not only covered in dark bloodstains, but her once white robe was also full of scorch marks, she exclaimed in shock, "Those monsters also used cannons and explosives?!"

Yarist, who had watched the entire process, shuddered, then quietly stuffed his fist into his mouth.

"Your initial volley blew up the few dozen mutants in the front, saving my life."

Xia Lian looked at Paula, who was indeed very ’Turbulent,’ with an expressionless face and said calmly, "And it also blew me thirteen meters into the air."

Paula broke out in sweat at that moment, enraged, "Which son of a bitch ordered to fire without seeing where Her Highness was? Who was it?!"

The first mate, who had just run over, heard ’the one who ordered to fire’ and ’who was it’ and blurted out without a second thought, "It was you, Captain!"

Paula: "..."

Xia Lian: "..."

Yarist with his fist in his mouth: "Pfft... Pfft... *hic*..."

The first mate: "???"

An awkward silence ensued.

"Your Highness, let’s settle this matter privately," Paula, on the verge of tears, broke the silence and then awkwardly changed the subject, "Anyway, I’m quite interested in the person who devised and perfectly executed the Requiem Plan up to now. I hope to have the chance to talk to him and exchange our feelings."

Xia Lian gave her a dead-fish eye look, "Give it up."

"Huh?"

"The guy has a girlfriend, with an even bigger chest than yours, the kind who would find it difficult to look down at her feet even wearing two-hundred-year-old witch boots."

"..."

...

Game Time PM 20:21

Feather Song, who had not made much of an appearance since the battle ended, appeared silently behind Motan and Yu Chen, rubbing her shoulders tiredly, "Well, everyone who can move has assembled. We can address the troops at any time."

Yu Chen, startled, shivered and patted her chest, turning back to Feather Song with a wry smile, "Can you not appear so suddenly next time... "

"Big chest but small guts. Are you really studying medicine?"

Since the only other person nearby was the unconscious High Priest Ferman, an NPC (Tero had left half an hour ago after dealing with his injuries), Feather Song naturally slipped out of her ’emotionless’ state, her face full of envy as she snarkily commented on Yu Chen’s somewhat excessive chest armor.

Motan coughed to steer the conversation back on track, "How many people do we have?"

"One thousand two hundred twenty-three."

Feather Song exhaled and, putting aside the playful expression, said solemnly, "Taking into account the severely wounded and common folk who have been forbidden from fighting again, our coalition forces are now down to one thousand two hundred twenty-three people. And the combat effectiveness has to be reduced by at least thirty percent, even though we have one more hour of rest than originally planned."

Yu Chen involuntarily clenched her small hands. Although she was already aware of the third stage’s casualties, the thought of those once vivid lives reduced by half in the blink of an eye was still hard for her to bear.

And it wasn’t just her, probably none of the coalition forces who knew this number were feeling much better...

Just a few hours earlier, the total number of coalition forces was two thousand three hundred twenty-six.

From a data point of view, exchanging one thousand one hundred three lives for nearly twelve thousand mutants was nothing short of a miraculous victory.

But that does not mean those "costs" that have been paid can simply be brushed off with the words "worth it".

However...

Yu Chen might grieve, Feather Song might grieve, every member of the united force might grieve, but there was one person who could not.

"I understand."

Motan nodded lightly and asked softly, "Have the reserve members of the charge brigade assembled yet?"

"They’ve assembled, right on the open ground to the south not far from the main force... Heh, even though there isn’t much of a main force left now."

Feather Song smiled bitterly.

"Got it, I’ll go take a look."

Without saying much more, Motan turned and walked toward the mountain wall to the west, but was then grabbed by the sleeve and pulled southward by Yu Chen.

Two minutes later

Motan and the other two (Yu Chen had simply changed her appearance) arrived at the open ground Feather Song had mentioned. There, a group of about three hundred united force warriors gathered. They were still unaware... or rather, deliberately uninformed of the specific casualties, so despite being physically and mentally exhausted like most, they were still chatting and laughing with those around them, and making many incomprehensible remarks, maintaining a relatively cheerful atmosphere.

They were the reserve members for the final phase of the Requiem Plan, a group that varied in profession, race, and strength. In a way, they were the most special group in the entire united force, even more so than the Holy Knight Order.

They were all players, their real bodies lying in game cabins, incarnate as someone in The Realm of Innocence, having fought the whole day in Misha County.

Feather Song looked at the faces of her peers, most of whom had not noticed her arrival, and with a dissatisfied expression, she tore open an Amplification Scroll and bellowed, "Quiet down, the leader is going to speak!"

Then everyone noticed Motan and Feather Song, as well as Yu Chen, who was dressed in a grey cloak and hood. However, nobody recognized that the girl hiding timidly behind the two, showing only half her face, was none other than Her Highness the Saintess.

The noise quieted for half a second, and then the scene quickly spiraled out of control...

"Hei Fan, big boss! Hei Fan, big boss, you’re awesome!"

"So damn cool, the enemy outnumbered us by seven or eight times! Seven or eight times! And we still beat them!"

"Feather Song, deputy commander, why do we have to split from those NP... Mmm! Mmm!... Why are we separated from the main force?"

"Commander bro, do we have some special task? I want to regen some health!"

"Brother Hei Fan, I want to have your babies!"

(Yu Chen rolled her eyes under her hood)

"Dream on, sister. No doubt Hei Fan wants the Saintess to have his babies!"

(Yu Chen reached out her hand and gave Hei Fan a twist on his lower back)

"Nah, people are... they’re different, huh."

"That’s what you don’t understand, man. A waifu, even a 2D one, is still a waifu!"

"Yeah, that’s true..."

Feather Song’s veins were popping with anger, and she immediately roared, "Shut your mouths! Whoever talks again will work at the Alchemy Workshop for three days!"

The whole place instantly fell silent...

Motan shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward in front of everyone, smiling, "Thank you for your cooperation. In fact, I do have a mission to give to everyone, of course, it’s voluntary."

Feather Song silently tore open a pre-prepared Soundproof Scroll.

The sound of the wind at the mountain pass disappeared...

Some looked at Motan with fervent eyes, waiting for what was to come.

Others seemed to have realized something and showed a thoughtful expression.

"To put it simply, the final phase of the Requiem Plan needs a team..."

Motan didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "Or to be precise, a suicide squad, a squad with an estimated casualty rate of eighty to ninety percent to pave the way for everyone and withstand the first wave of the final battle."

His gaze swept over the crowd, and after a few seconds of silence, he spread his hands...

"May I ask how does that sit with you all?"

Chapter 451: The End