Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 563 Outpost

Tang Zijun hadn't forgotten his "first meeting" with Suolin; the stuttering little girl had left a deep impression on him. Although he didn't know her identity, he believed that the little girl must be someone very important to Suolin. Now that Suolin had lost her memory, he really wanted to find that little girl if he could. But Fang Xin shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry, I've been inquiring about that girl's whereabouts ever since I arrived here, but I haven't received any valuable information. After all, finding a young girl in the wasteland... that's a bit... difficult."

Tang Zijun frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Is that so?"

"We've located the place where Zorin was attacked, but it's deserted and there's no signal from any omnics. It's probably been abandoned. I'm trying to expand the search area and crack the information from the omnics' internal network, since that little girl was most likely captured by the omnics, wasn't she?"

As Fang Xin spoke, he took out a map from his pocket. The map was similar to Lei Sen's, with many locations marked on it. "We've searched the entire southwest line. We're still missing three points in the north and east. Those places are where the AI ​​imprisoned prisoners and experimental subjects, but after the God of Life died, we're not sure if they're still operating. However, I'll do my best to investigate."

Fang Xin didn't know what that little girl meant, but since it was Tang Zijun's request, he would naturally do his best and put all his energy into completing it. Tang Zijun also saw through Fang Xin's thoughts and said softly, "Just do your best. We don't know the exact time the other party was attacked; it might have been decades ago." Suolin looked young, but after all, she was a robot. Who knows how long her lifespan was? Judging from what she had experienced, even if Little Stutterer was still alive, she probably wouldn't be that young. Asking Fang Xin to find her was undoubtedly asking too much of him.

Hearing Tang Zijun's words, Fang Xin nodded slightly. "Don't worry, boss, I know what I'm doing."

"Okay, as long as you know what you're doing." Tang Zijun looked at Xiao Yue and Zhang Wei. "If you need anything, just tell these two. Whether it's food or water, ask them to help you apply. The bureau can reimburse you." "Really?!" Fang Xin blinked. This was exactly what he needed right now.

"Sorlin has already opened the passage, so sending some supplies over isn't difficult. Besides, let alone a few thousand of you, even tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, the bureau can afford to support you." "Yeah, Fang Xin, don't forget, we're big farmers." Zhang Wei chuckled. "This grain isn't a problem." "That's great! What I need most right now are all kinds of supplies. This year's harvest was bad, and people in the southern district are almost fighting over supplies. Otherwise, we wouldn't have asked Waist Rat to help escort supplies from other areas." Fang Xin took a deep breath. "With the bureau's help, if we have enough supplies, we can take in more wastelanders and scavengers, enriching our forces." "That's what I'm thinking." Tang Zijun nudged Fang Xin and pointed in the direction of Hawke and Old Chimney. "See those two?" "Yeah." Fang Xin nodded.

"That scarred guy is Hawke, one of the leaders of the East District resistance. Their ranks were scattered. See if you can get him involved. He's stubborn, but he's good with his hands. And his men are no pushovers either."

"I could tell from the first shot that these are definitely trained 'regular troops.' Their teamwork and actions are excellent," Fang Xin replied, squinting. "The other fat guy, nicknamed 'Old Chimney,' used to run a human smuggling business in Glory City. We originally wanted to ask him for help, but things didn't go as planned," Tang Zijun continued, arms crossed. "But he's got connections. People who do this kind of work are all quick-witted. If you can keep him around, he'll definitely be a significant asset." "An asset is hard to say; it's a double-edged sword," Lei Sen interjected. "Old Chimney is incredibly cunning and selfish. Cooperating with him is like playing with fire." "But undeniably, he's very useful, isn't he?" Tang Zijun's lips curled into a smile. "And with him around, you'll save a lot of trouble." "Easier said than done, but neither of them seems like the type to be dependent on others," Lei Sen shook his head slightly.

"People always change." With that, Tang Zijun turned to look at Fang Xin. "I believe you can do it."

"Yes, don't worry, boss, I'll do my best!"

Fang Xin gently waved his fist and said firmly.

As the wind and snow gradually subsided, the leaden-gray sky hung low, pressing heavily upon the vast wilderness.

The greyish-white snow, no longer propelled by the wind, drifted down helplessly, covering the jagged rocks, withered thorns, and forgotten metal wreckage, outlining a desolate and monotonous silhouette. Soon after, a makeshift camp built upon a massive group of weathered rocks appeared on the horizon—this was the Hedgehog's Nest outpost Fang Xin had mentioned. The camp itself was devoid of aesthetic appeal, serving only practical purposes. Several wrecked heavy trucks, their original appearance long unrecognizable, were roughly shoved to a key pass, acting as a barrier. Thick steel plates were crudely welded to the truck bodies, their edges jagged like jagged teeth, and sharp steel bars of varying lengths were welded onto them, gleaming coldly in the dim light.

Several laser cannons, equally weathered by time, stood silently behind welded firing ports, their dark muzzles pointing in the direction from which they had come, like vigilant eyes. The main body of the camp consisted of several heavily corroded standard shipping containers half-buried in the permafrost, partially obscured by the dark brown frozen ground and snow, revealing only their tops and reinforced entrances. Heavy curtains hung at the entrances, roughly sewn together from the tough fur of mutated beasts and cut alloy plates, their edges worn and stained with indistinguishable dark dirt. In the center of the camp, a crude metal pole rose from the ground, its top topped with a searchlight powered by a diesel generator, emitting a dim, persistent halo that barely dispelled the surrounding viscous darkness, casting huge, distorted shadows onto the haphazardly piled oil drums, tool racks, and blurry figures within the camp.

Outside the camp are massive, weathered rock pillars, as if carved by a knife and axe. The rock surfaces have been eroded by wind and sand over the years, creating countless holes and ravines, presenting a deathly color of iron gray and dark brown. The permafrost is as hard as iron, with black icicles frozen in the cracks.

As the weary troop snaked its way closer, the camp guards cautiously peeked out from behind cover. Once they confirmed it was Fang Xin, the heavy alloy-hide curtain was lifted, releasing a pungent blue smoke mixed with the incomplete combustion of cheap fuel, the metallic stench of old engine oil, and the intense aroma of burnt meat. It all rushed out, instantly enveloping everyone who approached. "This is the outpost, our first line of defense against the AI," Fang Xin explained simply.

The camp's interior was cramped and chaotic, with the ground being incredibly firm frozen soil mixed with oil stains and melted snow.

The container's interior walls were thick with black grease, and dusty toolboxes and bundled parts were piled in the corners. The only "campfire" was a stove made from a huge oil drum, burning unknown dry wood and the bones of mutated beasts, crackling and popping. Dark red flames licked the drum's walls, and above it sat a similarly blackened tin barrel, churning a thick, bubbling paste. Scáthach silently blended into the noise and filth, heading straight to a relatively dry corner at the far end of the camp. Her deep purple eyes were slightly closed, as if the surrounding clamor was merely a blurry background from another dimension. Tang Zijun declined Fang Xin's enthusiastic invitation. Tonight was a night to celebrate, but they were too exhausted. Tomorrow they would need to change vehicles to return to their territory, and Tang Zijun hoped they could get some rest. The direction of the AI ​​outpost they had left behind was now shrouded in a deep, deathly silence; the horizon was blurred, and only the massive spatial rift, like a hideous scar on the sky, cast a cold and eerie glow. Inside the camp, Fang Xin and his team were noisily allocating resting spaces. Quite a few "guests" had arrived today, and they needed to handle them properly. Hawke leaned against another container, silently wiping his large-caliber hand cannon; Rayson, clutching his gun, vigilantly watched from a high point on the other side of the camp; Old Chimney huddled under a sheltered shed, his eyes darting around, taking in everything. Yedi sat quietly in a corner, neither crying nor making a fuss.

Tang Zijun's gaze swept over the camp's simple yet practical fortifications, giving him a basic understanding of Fang Xin and his group's strength and situation. It seemed he wasn't joking when he said there was a shortage of supplies here; the food shortage was outrageous. The pot of food being cooked in the house was so bad it made Tang Zijun's nose ache, and he didn't know how they managed to eat it.

But things are better now. Delivering supplies to the wasteland isn't as restrictive as it was to the dream world, but too many supplies can't be given at once. There's a balance to be struck, and Tang Zijun trusts Shangguan Su will handle it well. Just as Tang Zijun was deep in thought, a gentle breeze blew by, like a cold little hand caressing Tang Zijun's skin.

Tang Zijun knew who it was without even turning around.

"I never imagined the connection between the real world and the wasteland would be this strong. I never even noticed a living human being descending into this world," Scáthach murmured softly. "To be precise, Fang Xin was 'lured' here."

The thought that Fang Xin had been transmitted through Hou Suolin's arm by accident made Tang Zijun chuckle.

"Don't even mention you, even the gods of the era didn't notice it back then."