The villain's journey from the Type-Moon world

"Huh... In other words, the Reunion Movement didn't continue to advance southward, but instead headed towards the western mountains?" During the time they were setting up camp, Talulah, the Patriot, and the others also learned about the current status of the Reunion Movement from Wang Chong, Daxiong, Yang Ge, and others.

"Ridiculous..." the Patriot said in a deep voice.

"Mr. Patriot, I saw you haven't spoken for so long that I thought something was wrong with your health. Fortunately, you can speak, which proves that you are still in good health." Wang Chong said with a smile.

"Hmph..." The Patriot just snorted coldly. He couldn't vent his anger with words now and could only hold it in alone.

"Mr. Wang Chong... Although I should be grateful for your rescue, the Reunion Movement shouldn't be trapped in the mountains. That would be tantamount to tying ourselves up in knots." Tallulah said in a deep voice.

"Oh? So, Tallulah, do you think your Reunion Movement can break through the Fourth Army's defenses? If so, would it be our turn to rescue you tonight? A mere 5,000 elite troops and a 3,000 heavily armored ambush force—less than 10,000 in number—are enough to devour you. I really can't imagine how you can confidently break through their defenses on the plains, where the Army excels. Is it relying on your Patriot's Halberd and Shield Breaker abilities? Or your little Spark?"

Wang Chong sneered and began to speak.

"Asshole! Don't insult our..."

"Shut up! Your boss didn't say anything, why would you interrupt? Do you think I'm too polite?!"

A shield guard heard Wang Chong's sharp words and couldn't help but speak in a fit of anger. However, before he could finish his words, Wang Chong's sudden burst of momentum instantly pressed down on him, forcibly suppressing him.

"What? You think my words are too harsh to bear? But isn't what I said the truth? If we weren't here tonight, what would the price be? Even if you managed to take down these 3,000 men, what would you do? Can you escape the encirclement of tens of thousands of troops on the plains?" Wang Chong said coldly. "You're looking for death, I don't care. At worst, I'll just walk away in 20 days or so. I just hope you remember one thing: times have changed. The army's attitude towards you has changed. If you still insist on heading south, you'll end up dead."

Wang Chong's words also forced everyone to consider Ursus's current attitude towards them. If the group army got serious, could they still resist?

"Mr. Wang Chong... since you have decided to adjust your strategy and head up the mountain, you must have a plan to deal with it, right?" Tallulah raised her head and spoke as if she had made a decision.

"Haha, of course." Wang Chong's smile returned. He knew that Tallulah had been convinced by him. From now on, the Reunion Movement would begin to develop around his plan.

Chapter 50: Tallulah's Silence

"Before we talk about our future plans on the mountain, I would like to ask you a question first. Do you know what your Integration Movement lacks the most right now?" Wang Chong asked everyone.

"Food? Equipment? Money? Powerful spells?..." One guerrilla after another offered their own answers. However, Wang Chong unanimously shook his head. After all, they had already reaped a large harvest of food and equipment from their raid on the camp, so they wouldn't be short of these things anytime soon. Especially regarding food, once the high-yield potatoes Wang Chong had given them were planted, they wouldn't have to worry about food shortages anymore.

As for money? They simply don't need it at their current scale; they're completely self-sufficient. When the Reunion Movement captures a mobile city, only then will they be able to establish a trade system and demand compensation. And powerful magic... Wang Chong looked at himself, then at Patriot, Tallulah, and the others. Honestly, in terms of high-end combat power, they're already at the top level.

"Is it about ideology and awareness?" Tallulah reflected carefully on the current state of the Reunion Movement. With so many members, it's inevitable that there's a mix of good and bad. Even within the Reunion Movement, there have been repeated instances of withdrawal and betrayal. Tallulah, because of her own integrity, once tolerated and forgave those infected. But now, the repeated tragedies she's caused have forced her to confront the validity of her previous actions.

"You're half right to think of that. It seems the blow wasn't without its benefits for you." Wang Chong nodded slightly and said, "In my opinion, the issues you just mentioned are all easily solvable. After all, they're only short-term goals, easily achievable. There's also plenty of experience from previous generations for you to draw on, right?"

Some people listened carefully and became thoughtful.

"Long-term...goal?" The Patriot suddenly gasped and forced out these words.

"Yes, you have achieved your short-term goals one by one. When there is a shortage of food, you borrow food or rob food. When the infected are oppressed, you rescue them. When ordinary refugees can't survive, you help them. You have been walking like this, from north to south. But that's all. As for the longer-term future, the future of the infected, you don't have a clear goal, nor do you know what to do specifically. Am I wrong?" Wang Chong asked.

"No, we in the Integration Movement have always had an ideal, a goal we want to achieve: we want to change those people's stereotypes about the infected, let the infected be proud of their identity, and seize the justice that originally belonged to the infected." Talulah sat up straight and said very seriously, because that was what she wanted to do when she first witnessed the tragedy of the infected and devoted herself to the infected organization. This was also her original intention.

"Okay, then what? How do you plan to lead the Integration Movement to achieve this goal?" Wang Chong nodded and asked further.

"The original plan was to lead everyone in the Reunion Movement, break through the blockade of the Fourth and Third Armies, head to the southern cities, and find a suitable place to settle down," said Tallulah.

"But can you break through the blockade now? How do you do it?" Wang Chong posed the same question again, leaving Tallulah unsure how to respond. After all, the battle to break through the blockade was a matter of taking things one step at a time. No one could guarantee they could truly lead everyone out. Especially with the Fourth Army's change in attitude, they were even more uncertain about breaking through the blockade.

"Haha, I won't bully you. Okay, let's assume we successfully cross the blockade and resist the south. Then, Talulah, where do you think is the best place to settle the outcome?" Wang Chong asked.

"Here..." Upon hearing Wang Chong's words, Tallulah immediately pulled out a map and drew a circle. It was the buffer zone between Che City in Ursus and Longmen in Yan Nation. Tallulah also outlined some future plans, including gathering city builders to design a new city, a home for the infected, where anyone infected could live without discrimination.

Even more, this will become a role model, a role model that will be passed down by word of mouth among the infected, so that all infected people will understand that they can also stand up and live without discrimination like ordinary people. It will also make ordinary people understand that they, the infected, are no different from them.

Well, that's a wonderful ideal. Wang Chong listened very carefully to Tallulah's story and plan. After that, Wang Chong slowly said, "Okay, I understand all your plans. Now, I have three simple questions for you to answer."

"..." For some reason, Talulah felt something was not right. Was there something wrong with her plan?

"First, building a city requires a huge amount of manpower and material resources, because it requires the construction of the power layer before the Originium disaster arrives. So, since you have chosen the manpower, where will the material resources or the huge amount of money come from?" Wang Chong said.

"This... there will always be a way. After all, who can predict what will happen in the future... At least as long as we can settle down in the south, we will have a chance." Tallulah said involuntarily.

"Okay, I think you can barely answer the first question. Second, you built a mobile city between Ursus and Yan Country. So how are you going to resist the covetousness from Yan Country and Ursus? How are you going to resist the diplomatic problems from the two countries?" Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

"This..." Tallulah was momentarily stunned by Wang Chong's question. She simply wanted to build a mobile city, a home for the infected. But regarding the national-level game, Tallulah couldn't immediately articulate the reasons behind it.

"Don't tell me you've never thought about these issues, and don't be so naive as to think that two countries would just sit back and watch you build a city between them. You should be aware of the value of a mobile city to a country."

Wang Chong finished speaking slowly, staring at Tallulah, who frowned and thought deeply, for a while. Finally, he just shook his head slightly and said, "Forget it, this isn't difficult for you. After all, diplomatic matters should be left to professionals to handle and negotiate. This is not a question you should be thinking about. Instead of how to conduct diplomacy, you should consider which of Ursus and Yan Kingdom is your enemy and which one you can cooperate with, and then set a policy."

"Enemy...cooperation partner..." After hearing Wang Chong's suggestion, Tallulah felt like she had grasped something, but not completely.

"Then one last question, Talulah. This is a question you must give me a direct answer to: From the beginning to the end, does the construction of the city you built have any connection to the ideals of the integration movement you mentioned? Or let me ask more pointedly, has everything you did changed the stereotypes of ordinary people towards the infected? Has it taken away the justice that originally belonged to the infected?" Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

"Why not? Didn't I just say that once we build a city where the infected are no longer prejudiced, this concept and thought will surely spread..." Tallulah couldn't help but feel a little unhappy, and her emotions became a little intense. But at this moment, she noticed that the patriot beside her let out a heavy sigh.

"After all, you are a patriot with nearly a hundred years of experience. It seems that you have understood what I mean." Wang Chong said slowly.

“…” The Patriot didn’t say anything, but his attitude was no different from acquiescence.

"Mr. Patriot... why..." Tallulah didn't understand what was wrong with what she said.

"Don't you understand why? It's very simple, Tallulah. What you're talking about has already been done by someone else, and the end result was complete failure." Wang Chong came to Tallulah and said slowly, "Kazdel."

Talulah's face paled as she finally realized where she had gone wrong. How could she not have noticed what was happening in Kazdel, especially with so many Sarkaz in her group? A "demon lord" who wanted to change the Sarkaz status quo, and transform the nation of Kazdel, ultimately perished in civil strife.

Like Tallulah, the Demon King once harbored lofty ideals. He had finally managed to rebuild Kazdel despite the siege of the three nations. He wanted to give the Sarkaz a happy homeland, free from the ravages of war. He wanted other races to assimilate into the nation of Kazdel, dissolving racial and national boundaries. He also wanted to prove to the world that the labels of the Sarkaz as "barbaric," "brutal," and "the embodiment of evil" were mere prejudice.

But ultimately, she failed. Nearly half of the Sarkaz disapproved of the Demon King's ideals. They sought revenge and wanted to fight the three nations that had previously attacked them! Ultimately, civil war erupted. And just recently, that civil strife had ended. The Demon King, so idealistic, had perished in that inter-ethnic civil war.

The bloody example was placed before Tallulah, causing her to fall into a long-lost silence.

Chapter 51: Enlightenment

"Could this be due to the Sarkaz themselves..." Before she could finish her sentence, Talulah immediately shut up and slapped herself in the face. Wasn't saying this a slap in the face of the ideal she wanted to achieve?

"It seems that you have realized it yourself. You clearly said that you wanted to eliminate prejudice, but what you said instead created prejudice against the Sarkaz. What's more, is there any difference between the prejudice of the Sarkaz and the prejudice of the infected? Don't forget that many of the infected in your team are Sarkaz. Don't forget that those people's prejudice against the Sarkaz includes prejudice against the infected. They have never been separated." Wang Chong shook his head and said.

"Perhaps, there will be a difference? It may be because the Sarkaz have experienced blood feuds with various countries, and the extreme desire for revenge will drive them..." Tallulah thought about it again and refuted, but she was running out of breath as she spoke.

"Isn't it the same for the infected? Haven't they all experienced discrimination from ordinary people and oppression from those in the upper class? Can you guarantee that they don't harbor any resentment towards them? Can you guarantee that the so-called homeland for the infected you've built won't cause them to become even more hostile towards normal people? Haha, rather, this phenomenon has already occurred within the Reunion Movement. You should still remember it clearly, right?"

As Wang Chong spoke, he in effect revealed a scar on Tallulah's heart. Tallulah's mood darkened, and she thought of her former best friend. Consequently, she no longer had the nerve to refute Wang Chong.

"Now you understand, don't you, Talulah? The plan you've been crafting from beginning to end is nothing more than a repetition of Kazdel's tragedy. Like that demon king, you've simply built a home, a home exclusively for the infected, a home exclusively for the Sarkaz. Yet, you've never changed the status quo of the infected and the Sarkaz in the slightest. Rather, from the moment you established a home exclusively for one identity, you've already excluded everyone else."

Wang Chong shook his head and said, "With this kind of start, how can you expect the infected or the Sarkaz to get along with ordinary people and people of other races? From the moment they're fixed, the infected can no longer empathize with ordinary people, and the Sarkaz can no longer empathize with the surrounding races. And leaders like you are too tolerant and idealistic. The end result is that you are swept away by public opinion. How can this not cause division? How can it not lead to failure?"

"Crack!"

Suddenly, there was a sound of a wooden stick breaking, and a group of people couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound.

"Ah, you guys go on, go on. I just came to add some firewood." W held the wooden stick that was broken into two pieces and said with a smile, as if nothing had happened.

A bunch of people didn't pay much attention to W's appearance, and they couldn't help but start thinking about Wang Chong's words. After throwing the stick into the fire, W sat down next to Wang Chong without hesitation.

She had actually been eavesdropping nearby since the beginning, originally just wanting to know what Wang Chong was up to and to have a taste of the melon. Unexpectedly, while she was eating, she ended up eating the melon herself.

"Damn it! How dare you say that about His Highness!" When W first heard this, he was naturally filled with hatred. But as he listened further, W fell silent for some unknown reason. Because what Wang Chong said were all real facts, he was just making everything clear. Especially the last sentence was too sharp, so much so that W, overwhelmed with emotion, directly broke the wooden stick in his hand to vent his frustration. "Did Your Highness do something wrong from the beginning? Humph, I want to see what else you can say." W simply came to listen to the results openly. After all, he was now the leader of the Sarkaz mercenaries and one of the representative cadres of the Reunion Movement. It was normal for him to listen to such things about the future direction of the Reunion Movement.

"No wonder the gentleman said we lack long-term goals... We clearly have a clear ideal. But everything we do now doesn't contribute much to the ideal we want to achieve... We're even going in the opposite direction."

Tallulah sighed. After a long moment of reflection, she finally realized how naive her previous plan had been. Even if she managed to break through the blockade, even if she managed to build a mobile city, the only thing that awaited her was failure.

"Tallulah, there's no doubt that the plan you've formulated is noble and lofty, just and ideal. But... it's not 'right'. It's not 'right' for Reunion, for your ideals," Wang Chong said slowly. "Think carefully, Tallulah. Do you want justice or 'right'? This question will haunt you for the rest of your life, as long as you continue on this path."

"Thank you for your advice." Tallulah nodded.

"No, then let's go back to the original question. Why did we choose this mountain? And not somewhere else. Look..." Wang Chong pointed his finger at the map in front of Tallulah and drew circles one after another near this mountain range.

"Do you know where these places are?" Wang Chong said slowly.

"I know some places... Those are the mining areas we've been to before, where we've rescued many civilians and infected people. There are some other places I'm not sure about." Tallulah frowned and said slowly.

"Don't you think the mining area is a great place? There's the source of all power—Originium. There are also the infected, as well as civilians who are being infected, and those who haven't been infected yet... They are all oppressed by a common enemy. Do you understand what I mean, Tallulah?" Wang Chong raised his head and said slowly, "Since the infected and ordinary people can't empathize after building a city... then why don't we unite them from the beginning?"

"Snapped!"

Tallulah slammed her hands on the table and stared closely at the locations of several mining areas. After Wang Chong's reminder, Tallulah's mind was like a switch being touched, and many thoughts emerged.

"You mean... we should make the infected and ordinary people share the same hatred of the enemy from the very beginning?" Tallulah said after taking a deep breath.

"What better place than a mining area? The infected, those being transformed, and ordinary people. Their situations are actually the closest. The infected were ordinary people not long ago, and ordinary people also know that they will become infected in the future. They are all oppressed by a voice and acquiesce to this change. They have only one enemy, and that is the oppressor."

Wang Chong smiled faintly and said slowly, "Tallulah, there's no need to worry so much about people's desire for revenge. Emotions can be channeled and released in the right direction. To avoid the tragedy that your plan ultimately caused, it's simple, yet difficult. We must understand who our friends are and who our enemies are. Unite with true friends to attack true enemies."

"Who are our friends, who are our enemies... Unite with true friends to attack true enemies." Tallulah muttered these words, feeling as if she had been enlightened. A completely new concept was permeating her cognition. Not only Tallulah, but everyone present, including Patriot and W, began to ponder Wang Chong's simple, yet poignant statement that pointed to the key issue.

"This is just one of the reasons why I chose the mountainous area. But I think it is enough reason for your integration movement to be stationed in the mountains. Only if you are stationed in this place and take advantage of the concealment of the mountains to support those in the mining area at any time, can you take the first step towards your ideal. As for more, I will not say more. There is a long way to go, and it is time for you to rest." Wang Chong put the map back and said with a smile.

Chapter 52: Tallulah: I always feel like my home has been robbed

No words, it was almost dawn.

Wang Chong had already left one of his clones behind to pretend to sleep, and had returned to his dimensional home to chat with his group of female heroes about the interesting things in this new world, and to strengthen their emotional connection.

Yet, by the campfire, Tallulah could not sleep. She should have been exhausted long ago, but now, after hearing Wang Chong's words, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Sometimes she would be overjoyed when a sudden realization struck her, and sometimes she would be in a state of embarrassment, struggling to think. She would smile, then frown, as if possessed by a demon.

"Ha..." Helplessly, Tallulah propped herself up and looked at "Wang Chong" who was sleeping soundly opposite her. She couldn't help but hold her cheeks with both hands, staring at her in a daze.

"Click——"

Suddenly, a fire erupted, and there was a loud thunderclap. Tallulah was startled, and then she realized that another person was awake, adding firewood.

"Mr. Patriot?"

Tallulah couldn't help but ask, the man who was adding firewood and was also awake like Tallulah was actually a patriot.

"Ah."

The Patriot merely uttered a dull response, his hands resting on his knees, a meaningful look in his eyes. Tallulah followed the Patriot's gaze and saw, like herself, "Wang Chong" sleeping soundly across from him.

"Mr. Patriot...what do you think of Wang Chong now?"

After a moment of silence, Tallulah hesitated, but finally raised her question.

"People... don't like... words... you need to listen."

These few simple words were already somewhat difficult for the current Patriot to utter. However, they clearly expressed Patriot's attitude towards Wang Chong and his approval of his previous words.

"Words... I had intended to tell you... earlier... but, it's not appropriate..." The Patriot gasped, spitting out each word one by one.

"What you mean is that you actually saw the flaws in my original plans a long time ago. But you couldn't find a suitable time to tell me?" Tallulah also understood what the Patriot meant and said slowly.

The Patriot nodded, then said, "Because... I want to see... I want to trust you for once..."

Tallulah's heart ached slightly. She began to understand why this elder, so much her senior, had been so resistant and stubborn to some of her words and opinions during their early days together. It wasn't that the Patriot was paranoid or stubborn; on the contrary, he had seen too much and had long foreseen his own path.

I finally used my passion and sense of justice to convince the patriots to trust me. But now, am I still worthy of this change in the patriots, and the trust they placed in me despite knowing there was no way out?

"Don't blame yourself... You're young... I still believe..." The Patriot saw Tallulah's thoughts and spoke with reluctance, "Justice... Right, he's right... You need to exhaust... think... choose... I still believe."

"Yeah." Tallulah nodded and finally answered.

The flames flickered, like the turmoil of human hearts. The two were silent for a moment. Suddenly, the Patriot said, "So... Tallulah... what do you... think?"

"Eh? Me?"

With this change of topic, the Patriot threw the same question back at Tallulah, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words. Initially, Tallulah had treated Wang Chong with a mysterious and treacherous air, a dangerous and filthy gaze. Tallulah now recalled the events in the village as if they were yesterday.

Yet, during their time together, Tallulah found Wang Chong both miraculous and endearing. His healing of Frost Star and the various methods he demonstrated were truly astonishing. Even if he claimed now that he could soar to the sky and reach for the moon, Tallulah would believe him.

He treated the infected with complete sincerity, his eyes devoid of either contempt or pity, truly treating them equally with ordinary people. Even Tallulah herself struggled with this, always viewing the infected as vulnerable. It was this compassion that inspired her, a woman of justice, to embrace the vision of providing a home for the infected.

Now, after hearing Wang Chong's words, Tallulah felt a profound change. She actually developed a sense of admiration for Wang Chong, a stark contrast to her initial feelings. The stark difference between the three faces revealed made it difficult for Tallulah to distinguish which was Wang Chong's true self.

Maybe both? Maybe neither? Tallulah wasn't sure, and she couldn't simply treat Wang Chong as the patriots had suggested. As for the reason... it was because... Wang Chong was pursuing her.

"I don't know... but I kind of hope he'll stay after a month." That was Talulah's final answer. Now, neither Reunion nor herself could leave the man who was already fast asleep.

“…” This time, the Patriot remained silent again, as if he tacitly agreed to Tallulah’s choice.

……

Noon

After a peaceful morning of sleep, Wang Chong had his clone pretend to wake up, find a deserted spot, open his dimensional home, and switch back. He then led the rested team, ate some bread, packed up their bags, and began their journey towards the mountains.

Tallulah eventually forced herself to rest for a few hours, then pulled herself together and set off on her journey. It seemed she had figured something out before bed; now, Tallulah and Wang Chong were unusually close.

Although Tallulah had merely consulted Wang Chong about some unanswered questions about the future of the Reunion Movement, the shortening of their distance was real.

Wang Chong, observing this situation, didn't rush to strike while the iron was hot. He simply listened attentively to Tallulah's doubts, offered a few pointers, and then let her figure it out. Instead, he immediately went back to chatting about something interesting with W, Inès, and even Faust, the Snow Monster Squad, and the other members of the rescue team.

For a moment, Tallulah felt a pang of itchiness. Oh, don't get me wrong, Tallulah simply felt like her problem couldn't be solved as clearly as before, and Wang Chong's half-answers and half-repeated statements were a bit frustrating.

Tallulah even had this inexplicable thought in her mind: "He clearly said he wanted to pursue me. But now that I've taken the initiative to get closer to him and ask for advice, why is he pulling away from me and seeking some free time with someone else?"

This ambivalent attitude made Tallulah feel a little itchy. However, Tallulah didn't know that Wang Chong had already seen her expression and gesture.

However, this feeling only lasted for the entire afternoon. As the sun set again, they finally entered the forested area before nightfall. They were soon discovered by members of the Unification Movement patrolling the mountains. Some returned to report, while others happily welcomed the return of Tallulah, Wang Chong, and the others, recounting the events of the past two days.

Passing numerous sentries, both visible and hidden, along the way, Tallulah realized how the vast mountain range had been quietly and meticulously organized. She was especially impressed by the team members' explanations of the changes to the integration movement now that they had entered the mountains, including patrol areas, secret passages to granaries, and the cultivation of fields.