A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

Regardless, the mercenaries' submission to Wang Chong is now an unstoppable trend, and there's no way to oppose it. Even Hadley is no exception; he has already accepted Wang Chong's power, and his life is likely in Wang Chong's hands.

He could only pray that the new leader would treat people like them as he had said.

“Now, W, Hedley, and Ines, come forward,” Wang Chong said.

The three men approached Wang Chong. Wang Chong scrutinized them for a moment, then looked at W and said, "Now that the former mercenary leader Garson has unfortunately died in battle, and since you, W, have taken over his group, you will take over Garson's position and continue to serve as the mercenary group's nominal leader."

"Thank you for your trust, sir," W replied with a smile.

“Ines, Hedley, I have witnessed your outstanding performance on this battlefield. You two will serve as W’s adjutants, assisting W in leading the Sarkaz mercenary group,” Wang Chong said.

“Yes!” Hedley and Ines leaned forward and answered respectfully.

"Then, you can handle the rest yourselves. I won't be involved too much; for now, just continue as usual." After saying this, Wang Chong transformed into a cloud of black mist and left. Only after watching Wang Chong depart did the Sarkaz relax.

“A terrible man,” Hedley remarked after Wang Chong left.

“Hehe, I suggest you don’t judge him too much. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, the black mist around us can communicate directly with him. In a sense, our every move is basically under his watchful eye,” W said with a grin.

"Instead of saying such things, you should think about how to manage this huge mercenary group. Now that you've become the leader, you can't just leave all the work to me and Hadley, can you?" Ines said coldly.

"Ha, you don't need to worry about that. I know those guys' personalities inside and out." W said confidently, clearly not worried about the matter.

“Alright, let’s put that aside for now. The Reunion Movement troops should be entering the camp soon. Since Mr. Wang Chong has appointed you, W, as the apparent leader, it means he doesn’t want to reveal that he has taken control of the mercenary group yet. In that case, we need to make sure everyone understands this beforehand, coordinate our statements, and make sure this isn’t revealed without Mr. Wang’s permission,” Hedley analyzed.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Battle Conclusion

"Congratulations, host, on successfully subduing the Sarkaz mercenary group. Your support rate in the Reunion Movement has increased by 10%, and your current support rate is 33%."

"Congratulations to the host's faction, Unity Movement, for defeating the Ursus Thousand-Man Camp. Your faction has gained 1000 reputation. Your faction's current reputation value is 1200. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the reputation title: Emerging Talent. You can equip it on your faction at any time to increase the corresponding attributes."

"Under your covert coordination, your faction has successfully taken the first step in its struggle for supremacy. As the mastermind behind it all, you, host, have also successfully taken the first step on your path to villainous supremacy and overthrowing the empire. Therefore, you are rewarded with 500 villain points and a random item jar. Your current villain points are: 9200 points."

"They actually gave me a jar. Looks like it's time for another lottery draw. If I remember correctly, I've already accumulated 15 epic lottery draws. It's about time to do one." Wang Chong sighed as he looked at his current reward screen.

"By the way, system, show me how effective the reputation title is?" Wang Chong said.

"Okay, your current faction title is: Obscure. Description: Your faction's reputation is practically unknown, and almost no one takes your faction seriously. The operators under your command are well aware of this and are temporarily content with their current life of sticking together for warmth."

Equipment Effect: Your faction's stealth increases by 10%, the probability of your faction's base being discovered decreases by 10%, the success rate of launching a sneak attack increases by 10%, and the daily mood recovery rate for all members of this faction slightly increases, allowing everyone to maintain a more optimistic attitude towards their current situation.

"The effect of this 'unknown' title is even more powerful than I imagined. No wonder the attack went so smoothly. So it was because of this reputation title bonus?" After reading the effect of the "unknown" title, Wang Chong immediately looked at the effect of another reputation title.

"Emerging Talent: Your power is beginning to gain some recognition, full of vigor and showing its strength. Everything is developing in a positive direction. However, one thing to note is that your current power has begun to attract the attention of some people. Be prepared to meet the challenges ahead."

Effects: Base resource output increases by 10%, collective morale increases by 10% when facing enemies, everyone's luck is slightly increased, everyone's mood recovery speed is moderately increased, and everyone will have a more positive attitude towards things. The favorability of people in the surrounding area of ​​your base will dynamically change: favorability towards those who approve will increase by 5, while favorability towards those who resist will decrease by 5.

"This title seems suitable for starting development. Especially the two crucial aspects: increased resource output and improved reputation with surrounding areas. These are basically the two most critical aspects for the development of a power: stockpiling food and recruiting people. Hmm, it's also suitable for me to draw cards." After taking a look, Wang Chong prepared to switch his reputation to draw cards.

"Beep—Error, you do not currently own a base and cannot switch titles." However, a pop-up window immediately interrupted Wang Chong's thoughts.

“What does that mean?” Wang Chong asked.

"Host, the effect of this title is linked to the faction's base of operations. However, the Reunion Movement is currently in a state of constant movement, without even a fixed camp, so it naturally cannot be equipped and take effect," the system said.

"So, as long as we set up camp and establish an area, we can still wear it, right?" Wang Chong pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Yes, that makes sense," the system nodded.

"Looks like we'll have to find somewhere to stay tonight. Hmm?" Just then, Wang Chong stopped in his tracks because he had spotted the Reunion Movement members. They were all staring nervously ahead, and their expressions became somewhat unnatural, especially after they noticed Wang Chong's arrival.

"So that's why you haven't come over yet. You've been staying on the mountain all this time... Why are you all staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Wang Chong said, looking at the members of the Integration Movement.

"Let me explain." At this moment, Froststar's voice reached Wang Chong's ears. Froststar walked quickly towards Wang Chong and asked in a low voice, "Was that slap that was as big as a mountain just now your doing?"

"Huh? You mean that one? It's me. What's wrong?" Wang Chong asked, surprised.

"What happened... Everyone was excitedly rushing down after receiving the crossbowmen's notice, but then you suddenly pulled this stunt, which shocked us all. We can't figure out the purpose of your strike, and there are even rumors that you killed all the Sarkaz mercenaries..." Frostnova didn't finish her sentence, giving a knowing look.

“I see, no wonder. My slap was actually to put out the fire quickly. After all, if those flames kept burning, we wouldn't get much benefit. Food, equipment, and all sorts of supplies are in there,” Wang Chong said with a smile.

"I see. Big Bear, Yang Ge, you two come here." Froststar wasn't surprised by Wang Chong's explanation. She quickly turned around and called over the two most capable people in the Yeti team.

"Big sister, how is it? Did you find out?" the two asked after arriving.

“Well, the situation is... You take some men and pass this message on to those people, and quickly stop all the wild speculation. The crossbowmen and scouts and I will set off first to take over the camp. Tell them to catch up quickly so as not to delay the progress.” After explaining to the two, Frostnova immediately gave new instructions.

"Yes!" The two immediately returned to the group and began to gather everyone. Froststar then gathered the crossbowmen and scouts and came to Wang Chong, saying, "Let's go together. Some things only work if people take the lead first, then others will follow."

"Okay." Wang Chong nodded and began to descend the mountain side by side with Froststar, while the crossbowmen and scouts followed behind them.

“Don’t worry about what they think. It’s only natural that they’re afraid and even make wild guesses because you’ve displayed overwhelming power. In fact, quite a few people already believe in you, such as those wounded who listened to your stories and received your treatment. And me, for example…” Froststar said suddenly as she walked down the mountain with Wang Chong.

"Do I look like the kind of person who can't understand or cares about these things?" Wang Chong said with a smile.

“That’s true…” Frostnova nodded slightly and said.

"But thank you very much for your help, Miss Froststar. It made things much easier for me. Miss Froststar seems to be very good at handling these kinds of things," Wang Chong said.

"Hmm... that's not it. It's probably just because of what I've been through," Frostnova said slowly.

"Have you experienced it?"

"Don't let my current appearance fool you. Back when I first joined Reunion, many Infected people looked at me and the Yeti Squad with the same prejudice and disdain. They said we were monsters who brought winter, with blood colder than ice and snow, and unpredictable and hard to fathom. As a result, they did quite a few foolish things during that time," Frostnova said.

“Many people were afraid to approach me back then, after all, my body temperature is really… cold. They always thought that if they accidentally offended me, I would turn them into an ice sculpture. Even now, this prejudice still exists,” Frostnova said.

"Really? I think Miss Froststar is the most kind-hearted girl I've ever met. After all, you're the only one who's been coming to me so often these past three days asking all sorts of questions," Wang Chong said with a smile.

"The most kind-hearted?" Frostnova's lips curved slightly, but the smile vanished in an instant. She said, "Perhaps I just want to heal my body and stop feeling that pain, or perhaps I just want to eat warm food. I'm not as good as you think."

“Is that so? But I think that a girl who longs for warmth is one who cares about warmth and passion more than anyone else. Miss Froststar, although your body is cold, your heart may be warmer than you imagine.” Wang Chong looked at Froststar and said gently.

Shuangxing was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but meet Wang Chong's gentle eyes, momentarily captivated. Then, her gaze shifted away in a flustered manner, her head turned away, her slightly flushed face covered by white hair, just like the burning heart beneath that cold exterior.

"Thump, thump... thump, thump..."

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Base Area

"My God, we saw flames shooting up earlier, but we didn't expect there to be so many intact supplies left." At this moment, the scouts and Sarkaz mercenaries cooperated to start clearing and moving the undamaged supplies, food, and other items in the camp.

However, the amount collected far exceeded their expectations. Whether the camps were burned or not, they collected nearly 1000 sets of armor of various sizes and levels. Of course, this included the armor from the corpses of the Ursus soldiers, but even excluding the Ursus soldiers, there were still nearly 300 sets.

The sheer number of artillery pieces, ballistae, shields, standard-issue swords and spears, and spellcasting units is staggering. It's safe to say that the Reunion Movement has truly struck gold this time, enough to fully arm their entire force. With further systematic training, there's no doubt that the Reunion Movement's army will be equivalent to a regular army of a thousand men.

If it were just about equipment and supplies, that would be fine, since these things are not easily destroyed by fire, and such a harvest is already quite gratifying. But they never expected that even the grain would make their scalps tingle with worry.

Wait, how come the fire didn't set the grain on fire? When they found the camp, they discovered that all the granaries were intact. Whether the tents were on fire or not, the grain was almost completely undamaged.

"It must be because of the black mist that Mr. Wang Chong used. Didn't he use that mountain-sized black mist palm to extinguish the flames in the entire camp in one go? Mr. Wang Chong must have seen that the flames were about to burn the granary, so he hurriedly put out the flames," one person said.

“That’s right, that must be it, otherwise why would putting out a fire cause such a commotion? Great, with so much food, we won’t have to worry about going hungry for at least several dozen days. And if we count what we already have, and eat sparingly, we won’t have to worry about food for almost two months,” another person said excitedly.

"Thanks to Mr. Wang Chong for the black mist! Now everyone doesn't have to worry about going hungry."

"Meat... I actually saw meat... These damn military thugs, they eat such good food. This half pound of meat is enough for a dozen of us brothers to drink meat soup for a whole day."

The scouts were incredibly energetic as they carried the food, wishing they had an extra pair of hands. Among them, a rather short figure was also carrying the food; it was Faust. Usually silent, calm, and never showing his emotions, he now wore a gentle smile—a smile of hope.

Finally, after they had inventoried all the supplies, they displayed them in abundance on the open space, piling them up like small mountains. Even W, Hedley, and the others couldn't help but feel a little pleased at the sight; after all, who doesn't like to be well-fed and watered every day?

At this moment, Froststar exhaled a puff of white breath. She hadn't expected this thousand-strong camp to be so wealthy; it was practically like raiding someone's granary. However, faced with so many supplies, a new problem arose: how to take them all?

Even if everyone carried their own supplies, they probably wouldn't be able to move even half of what's here. Moreover, they were already carrying baggage, so they could carry even less.

"Even if we build carts now, it might be too late. Another 500 Ursus soldiers will be on their way soon. It's not that I'm worried about not being able to eliminate them, but I'm afraid that if even one escapes, news from here will get out, and then we'll be facing an encirclement by the Fourth Army." Frostnova pondered the next steps, but unfortunately, she wasn't Talulah. She could handle combat command, but deciding the future direction of the Reunion Movement was not something she could easily do.

"What? Are you worried that you won't be able to move everything?" At this moment, Wang Chong's voice rang out from behind Shuangxing.

“Yes… I’m wondering if we should just bring the food, otherwise we might not be able to leave this place at all. If those 500 Ursus soldiers reveal our location, we’ll probably be surrounded and annihilated by the Fourth Army,” Froststar said.

“Since we’re taking them, then naturally we’ll take them all… And look at those people, do you think we can convince them not to move these things?” Wang Chong said. “As for your worries, it’s simple. Since I was able to wipe out more than 700 people in this camp without a sound, and not a single one escaped, are you still worried that I can’t handle these 500 soldiers?”

"But……"

"As for the encirclement and suppression you mentioned... Now that the Reunion Movement has attacked the camp and seized so many supplies, they have already offended the Army Group to the death. It was only a matter of time before they encircled and suppressed us. And I just looked at the map of the tundra. It's simply a pipe dream for our thousand men to cross this snowy land and break through the Fourth Army Group's blockade."

As Wang Chong spoke, he used black mist to display a terrain map directly in front of Froststar, showing her the current situation.

“Froststar, the moment you stationed this thousand-man battalion on your only road ahead… the southward march was no longer an option. Forcing your way forward would only result in being surrounded and annihilated by the Fourth Army on the plains, with no way to avoid it and no way to defend it,” Wang Chong said, circling the area.

"Then can we rely on your..." Froststar looked at Wang Chong with hopeful eyes, but suddenly seemed to think of something and stopped talking.

"Hmm, it seems you understand. My abilities can indeed help you break through the encirclement... but why should I do this? You have no relation to me, I am neither an infected nor a member of your Reunion Movement. In fact, many of you still reject and fear me. So why do you think I should go to such lengths to do this? Out of respect for Talulah, I might help once or twice... but if I get tired of it and just leave, you will face annihilation."

Wang Chong slowly said, "Relying too much on my black mist... can kill people. Garson is the most suitable example. Once you get used to that black mist combat method, you will completely lose the fighting spirit that war should have, becoming reckless and arrogant. In the end, after losing this power, only destruction awaits you. Moreover, are you sure you want to bet the entire ideals and future of the Reunion Movement on an outsider like me? Can you afford to gamble?"

Faced with Wang Chong's questioning, Frostnova fell silent, especially after hearing his last sentence: "The ideals of the Reunion Movement are the shared aspirations of all Infected individuals, and should be created through the collective efforts of everyone, not by entrusting all tasks to the power of one person while others reap the benefits."

“Then what should I do… Talulah isn’t here either. Sir… could you teach me?” For the first time, Frostnova understood what it meant to lead such a large group, and she began to understand why Talulah had ultimately collapsed under pressure and setbacks.

“This…this is your chance to survive.” Wang Chong pointed to a location in the southwest and said, “Although we are heading west, we are generally moving south, where the temperature will be much better. Of course, that’s not the main point. The most important thing is that these mountains and ridges are the most suitable place for you to hide and establish a base for defense.”

"Mountainous terrain? You mean we should not only not break through the defenses, but instead defend the mountains? But if we are surrounded, wouldn't we be trapped like turtles in a jar?" Froststar asked, somewhat confused.

“That’s true, but the mountains at least prevent you from engaging in direct combat with the army group, and at least it won’t be like the road through the southern plains where you’re almost certain to die. And now that the Reunification Movement has acquired these resources, it can not only withstand the losses, but it can even develop further,” Wang Chong analyzed.

"Moreover, the mountainous terrain is different from the plains. The Fourth Army has no idea how many of you there are, so it won't wipe you out in one go like it would on the plains. Instead, it will only use a certain number of troops to probe in the early stages. This way, you will have enough confidence to fight against those army groups and also buy enough time to develop."

“Establish a base, rely on the mountains to buy time and develop, and sustain your war effort through war. This is your only chance to break the deadlock,” Wang Chong said.

Chapter 40 Another Wave of Burning

Frostnova ultimately did not directly adopt Wang Chong's suggestion. After all, Talulah, the Patriots, and many Infected representatives were not present at the time because they were busy attacking the outpost, and she alone could not make decisions for the entire Reunion Movement.

However, she set her next destination in the southern birch forest region. This area, nestled between the southern plains and western mountains, was well-suited to their situation where they needed to transport large quantities of supplies and could not travel quickly. Entering the birch forest would not only conceal their movements, but also provide abundant timber, especially hardwood, which would be ideal for building wagons and camps.

Moreover, since this forest area is nestled between the southern plains and the western mountains, they can choose any direction to move in after settling in. Whether to continue migrating south to break through the tundra's defenses or to enter the mountains to seek new development, these decisions can be made after Talulah and the others return.

Wang Chong didn't continue speaking. He knew that Shuangxing had already taken his words to heart; otherwise, she could have continued her southward migration according to the original plan. Choosing this compromise meant she had already accepted her own ideas, though she lacked the decisiveness of a truly excellent and mature leader.

“Right now, it will take us a lot of time to move all of this to the nearest forest area, and I’m afraid it will be difficult for us to move it any far. If we also need to clean up the tracks, then the process will be even slower,” Froststar said.

"It's alright, you can handle the moving yourself. I don't expect you to move it too far, just make sure it's somewhere out of sight of the 500 returning men. You continue to leave the scouts, crossbowmen, and Sarkaz mercenaries to me. I'm confident I can take them down," Wang Chong said with a smile.

“Alright, I believe you, but if you need combat personnel, my Yeti squad and I can lend them to you,” Frostnova said.

“No need. If I ask you for more men, you probably really won’t be able to move all this stuff. Alright, time is of the essence. Go and organize the men to start moving it and head to the next destination. I’ll go find those mercenary leaders and have them stay here to fight an ambush.” Wang Chong turned around and immediately headed towards the mercenary group.

Upon seeing this, Froststar immediately gathered several representatives of the infected individuals and began assigning tasks to move the large pile of supplies away as quickly as possible.

"Hmm?... Hmm, haha, your plan is really insidious and crazy... But I like it~ Okay, my group will go crazy with you one more time."

Meanwhile, after Wang Chong said something to W, W smiled knowingly and then began to command the Sarkaz to take action.

……

As dawn broke, a unit was advancing towards their original camp. They were in poor condition; many bore burn marks, and some were missing limbs, rendered incapacitated by the battle.

Of course, these people are much better than those pieces of flesh that have long since died and are no longer human, rotting on the frozen ground.

"Madmen! Those people are madmen! They're a bunch of ingrates! They actually wear the armor that the Empire once awarded them and commit such a rebellious act! Why doesn't the army group suppress all those rebels... Pfft!" A young soldier started cursing, but before he could finish speaking, he was slapped hard across the face, almost spitting out his teeth.

"Fool! That was once the Shield Guard of the Empire, and that captain was once a hero of the Empire! How dare you, a mere brat, slander him! If I hear such rumors again, I will punish him according to military law for disrupting morale!" A middle-aged man who looked like an officer shouted angrily. These older officers had experienced the glorious moments of Ursus, and none of them did not admire the hero of Ursus—Patriot Bozokasti.

They all knew that the hero's ultimate choice stemmed from his disillusionment with the decline of Ursus and the previous rebellion. Therefore, the army's leadership had always turned a blind eye to this force roaming the frozen plains.

"Sir, judging from the movements of our other colleagues, they don't seem to intend to let this guerrilla force go this time." At this moment, an officer in the middle of the group said to the captain.

"That guerrilla force is making more and more noise on the tundra. In particular, their attacks on the mines and the abduction of slaves mining Originium have severely delayed the progress of the emerging nobles in making huge profits. Those people are already very dissatisfied and have been putting pressure on the Third and Fourth Armies. Now, with their repeated incursions and plunder of our army's food supplies, even the army's high command has no reason to protect them anymore."

Then the captain slowly began to speak: "After all, there are too many new recruits in the army group now. They don't care about the face of past heroes. They probably want to step on the flesh and blood of so-called outdated heroes as stepping stones to achieve their own heroic dreams. Ha, how ironic."

"Who can argue with that? Those lads in the army probably already hate those guerrillas to the core, and they'd love to use their blood and flesh as their own merits." The officer nodded in agreement.

"Hmm...hmm? Have the troops halt." Just then, the captain looked at the camp not far ahead, frowned for some reason, and gave the order.

The officer immediately ordered the troops to halt, then looked at the captain and asked, "Sir, is there something amiss?"

"The firelight in the camp is about the same as when we left... but it's too quiet. And where are all the people stationed at the camp entrance? There's not a single person here." The captain squinted, staring at the top of the camp, and said, "Send a few scouts over there."

The officer immediately ordered several scouts to go and investigate the camp. A short while later, the scouts returned in a panic, rushing to the captain and exclaiming, "It's terrible! Captain! Everyone in the camp is gone! There are signs of burning, bombing, and fighting everywhere! All our men are dead!"

"What did you say! Oh no! That batch of goods! Everyone, get into the camp immediately!" The captain was startled at first, then seemed to remember something, and immediately became angry and ordered everyone to quickly enter the camp.

The troops then marched quickly into the camp. Seeing the devastation all around, the captain roared, "Who! Who did this! Where are those supplies?! We were ordered to deliver these supplies to the Fourth Army's Central Corps! Where are they now?!"

No wonder the captain was so shocked and angry that he hurriedly led the troops into the camp without a proper inspection. It turned out that the large amount of food and supplies stored in their camp did not belong to their camp at all. Those things were only temporarily placed there and would be transported to the main force of the Fourth Army in the morning.

But now, the camp has been destroyed, and the supplies have vanished without a trace. If he doesn't retrieve them, he'll face military law and certain death!

"Go find them! Find every single clue you can find! I need to find the whereabouts of those people!" the captain roared. With his life at stake, he had lost all composure.

"Sir, our camp still had 700 men, plus those defending the stronghold, yet we were all wiped out. Even if we find their trail, I'm afraid we might not be able to defeat this bandit army that appeared out of nowhere. Should we request reinforcements?" the officer said worriedly.

"Fools! Requesting reinforcements would be telling the higher-ups we've abandoned everything! Do you think they'd let us off? We'd rather die on the battlefield than be court-martialed!" the captain roared. "Besides, we 700 men aren't so easily wiped out! The enemy has probably paid a heavy price! If we give chase now, we might still have a chance to seize those supplies—!"

"boom!!!"