Chapter 101: Grim

The Type Two Land Tiger armored vehicle soared into the sky, and with the road no longer binding him, David felt an intoxicating freedom.

This was different from the Beacon; the Beacon could only be used in secret at night, whereas the Type Two Land Tiger armored vehicle could not only serve as transport at any time, but even more importantly, it stood for the military. No one would dare to intercept it.

Its formidable weapons were enough, too, to make anyone who might want to deal with him think twice about the danger.

Of course, David did not fly too high. He stayed about twenty meters above the ground, high enough to see the scenery below clearly.

"David, come here. I've made the arrangements. Myron, Daley, and DeQuincy are already there. Let's get together properly!" After David had had his fill of the drive, Jim sent him an address and said with a laugh.

"Jim, why didn't you say so sooner? They must have been waiting ages!" David said at once.

He entered the address into the vehicle's navigation system, and the Type Two Land Tiger armored vehicle turned around and flew toward its destination.

As they flew, David saw dozens of military transport ships approaching from the distant horizon, forming a vast aerial convoy overhead.

"David, stop for a moment. I'll ask what happened!" Jim told David to halt the Type Two Land Tiger armored vehicle, then took out his identity bracelet and began entering information.

David looked at the military transport ships. In all his memory of Peran City, he had never seen so many military transports appear at once.

One such military transport ship had enough space to carry five hundred soldiers and a portion of their combat equipment. With so many of them appearing together, it would be enough to launch a sizable war.

Could the war still be continuing? David was suddenly startled.

No wonder Jim had immediately queried the city defense formation when he saw so many military transports.

"David, Shuo City has been breached by the insect race. The remaining armored warriors and troops led a million residents in retreat. They fought the insect race for about an hour before reinforcements arrived. These military transports are carrying all of Shuo City's remaining civilians!" Jim said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

David knew of Shuo City, a city not far from Peran City. The two cities had long been rivals.

Though relations between the two were not good, that was only ordinary competition. When facing humanity's common enemy, their aim was still the same.

Now that he heard the bad news from Shuo City, David fell silent as well.

The scenes he had seen on the battlefield today had already seemed to him the most terrifying hell imaginable, but Shuo City now was the true hell.

Shuo City was about the same size as Peran City, with a population of at least several million, yet the military transports before them numbered only a few dozen. The number of civilians they could carry was pitifully small compared with the millions in the city.

"Because Peran City suffered relatively little damage in the insect invasion, the survivors from Shuo City are being transferred here to become residents of Peran City," Jim continued.

"I hope life will become better for them in Peran City," David said softly.

But both of them knew that starting over without a home was never easy.

The jobs in Peran City were already fully occupied. Now that so many outsiders had arrived, there would inevitably be many people without work.

Perhaps among them would be many crows, gambling with their lives so the rest of their families could survive.

"It will get better. Once the surrounding insect race has been cleared out and Shuo City's mine sites are opened again, there will be a huge demand for labor," Jim comforted himself.

That was no easy task. At the very least, after this insect invasion, the military had also suffered heavy losses. Merely protecting the city was already difficult enough; how could they have the spare strength in the short term to exterminate the wild insect race?

In particular, some first- and second-tier insects had fled into the wilderness, making the situation outside even harsher on Rock Star.

"Jim, can we go take a look?" David asked, turning to Jim as he saw the military transports descending to the military air station.

"No problem. The hover car assigned to you has no restrictions in Peran City," Jim said gravely.

Neither of them mentioned the gathering anymore. They both wanted to see the survivors from Shuo City.

The Type Two Land Tiger armored vehicle received no warning. When it entered the military zone, even several soldiers on the ground saluted the armored vehicle.

The two of them stood beside the massive apron of the military air station and watched the survivors step down from the military transports.

Most of these survivors were injured, and it was clear what dangers they had faced while fleeing the city.

Peran City's already overstretched medical staff were gathered here again, beginning emergency treatment for the survivors' wounds.

Those with severe injuries were sent to the hospital, while the less serious cases received simple first aid and then some medication.

"That's Bruno!" Jim said to David, pointing at a man just coming down from a military transport.

Seeing a familiar face alive was at least some comfort, even if that person had once had a few minor disputes with them.

When David saw Bruno, the confidence and swagger he had once displayed were gone. He was covered in blood, and in his hand he still held a heavy axe, its surface badly damaged.

At that moment, Bruno's eyes were dead and gray. Like a walking corpse, he stumbled down from the military transport and walked toward the assembly point.

With numb obedience, he let people take the weapon from his hand, and allowed Peran City's military personnel to work on his identity bracelet.

"Come on, let's go take a look!" Jim said as he walked toward Bruno, and David followed him.

"Mr. David!"

"Mr. David!"

The continuous greetings drew the attention of all the survivors. Whether military personnel or medical staff, everyone who saw David respectfully greeted him.

The respect came from the heart, with not a trace of falseness.

In particular, when the military personnel and medical staff saw the tragedy of Shuo City, which had the same defensive strength as Peran City, their gratitude toward David became even more profound.

If not for David, they might already have been dead, or else among these survivors themselves.

Hearing the voices, Bruno lifted his head and saw Jim, then David.

"Bruno, what happened to you?" Jim stepped forward, seized Bruno by the shoulder, and asked loudly.

Though he had competed with Bruno before, there had never been any deep enmity between them. At this moment, only concern remained.

"They're all dead. My father, my mother, everyone I knew—they're all dead!" Bruno murmured.

Perhaps his tears had already run dry, for blood was now flowing from the corners of his eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Jim asked again.

"I'm enlisting. I'm going to the war star. I'm going to kill insect race!" Bruno said through clenched teeth, hatred filling his eyes.

"I'll help you," Jim nodded. He could only do what he was able.

David remained silent beside them. The cruelty of war and the terror of the insect race had now become all too real to him.

He was grateful that he had the Shadow Attendant, and with it the ability to fight. At that moment, a goal formed in his heart for the days ahead: become stronger, protect himself, protect his family.

As the two turned to leave, a quiet voice came from behind them.

"Thank you."

"David, I want to drink. The strongest liquor you have!" Jim said gravely after returning to the vehicle.

"I can't drink, but I can keep you company and talk," David replied with a nod.

The Type Two Land Tiger armored vehicle flew toward the gathering place, a large hotel called the West City Hotel.

Seeing the hotel's name, David suddenly remembered that he seemed to own forty percent of its shares.

"Mr. Jim, your friends are waiting for you in Private Room Six on the second floor. Please come this way, and I'll escort you and this gentleman there!" A waiter spotted Jim and hurried over at once, bowing as he spoke.

Inside West City Hotel, it was already past mealtime, but because of the war, many people had not managed to eat on time. At this moment, some who had the means were still laughing and celebrating victory in the hotel.

Looking at the joyful scene here, David thought of the survivors who had stepped off those dozens of military transports, and the gloom in his heart, stirred by the news from Shuo City, began to change.

The victory these people were celebrating was one he had helped bring about. He had changed Peran City's fate.

And this was only the present him. When he became stronger still, he could change the fates of even more people, not just one city.