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

"Phew... So, the Reunion Movement didn't continue south, but instead headed towards the western mountains?" During the time they were setting up camp, Talulah, Patriot, and others learned about the current situation of the Reunion Movement from Wang Chong, Big Bear, Yang Ge, and others.

“Absurd…” the Patriot said in a deep voice.

“Mr. Patriot, I was worried something was wrong with you since you hadn’t spoken for so long. Thank goodness, being able to speak proves you’re still in good health,” Wang Chong said with a grin.

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

“Mr. Wang Chong… While I should be grateful for your rescue, the Reunion Movement shouldn’t be confined to the mountains; that would be tantamount to trapping ourselves,” Talulah said in a deep voice.

"Oh? So Talulah, you really think your Reunion Movement can break through the Fourth Army's defenses? If you could, would we even need to come to your rescue tonight? A mere 5,000 elite troops and 3,000 heavily armored ambush troops—that's less than 10,000 men—is enough to wipe you out. I really can't imagine what gives you the confidence to break through their defenses in the plains, the area the Army is best at? Is it with your Patriot's halberds and shields? Or your Little Spark?"

Wang Chong sneered and began to speak.

"You bastard! You're not allowed to insult us..."

"Shut up! Your boss hasn't said anything, so why are you interrupting! Do you think I'm being too polite?!"

One of the shield guards, hearing Wang Chong's sharp words, couldn't help but speak up in a fit of anger. However, before he could finish speaking, Wang Chong's sudden burst of aura pressed down on him, forcefully suppressing him.

"What? You can't stand what I'm saying? But isn't what I'm saying the truth? If it weren't for us tonight, what price would you pay? Even if you successfully captured these three thousand men, could you escape the encirclement of tens of thousands of army groups on the plains?" Wang Chong said coldly. "If you want to die, I don't care. At worst, I'll just pack up and leave in 20 days. I just hope you remember one thing: things are different now. The army group's attitude towards you has changed. If you continue to head south, the only outcome will be death."

Wang Chong's words forced everyone to consider Ursus's current attitude towards them. Could they withstand the army group if it became serious?

“Mr. Wang Chong… since you’ve decided to adjust your strategy and head up the mountain, you must already have a plan, right?” Talulah raised her head, as if she had made a decision, and spoke.

"Hehe, of course." Wang Chong resumed his smiling demeanor. He knew that Talulah had been persuaded by him. From now on, the Reunion Movement would develop around his plan.

Chapter Fifty: Talulah's Silence

"Before we talk about our future plans on the mountain, I'd like to ask you a question. Do you know what your Reunification Movement is currently lacking the most?" Wang Chong asked everyone.

"Food? Equipment? Money? Powerful magic?..." One guerrilla member after another offered their answers. However, Wang Chong unanimously shook his head at them. After all, they had already gained a large amount of food and equipment during their raid on the camp, and they wouldn't lack these things in the short term. Especially regarding food, once the high-yield potatoes that Wang Chong had provided were planted, they would no longer have to worry about food shortages.

As for money? At their current scale, they don't need it at all; they're completely self-sufficient. Only when the Reunion Movement can capture a mobile city will they be able to establish a trade system and require payment. And powerful magic… Wang Chong looked at himself, then at Patriot, Talulah, and the rest of the group. To be honest, in terms of high-end combat power, they were already top-tier.

"Is it about ideology and awareness?" Talulah carefully considered the current state of the Reunion Movement. With so many mixed members, it was inevitable that some were good and some bad. Even within the Reunion Movement, there had been repeated instances of people leaving and betraying. In the past, Talulah, because of her own high moral character, was able to tolerate and forgive those infected. But now, the repeated tragedies she had caused forced her to confront whether her previous actions were correct.

"You're half right that you thought of that. It seems that the blow wasn't entirely without its benefits for you." Wang Chong nodded slightly and said, "In my opinion, all of the things you just mentioned are easily solvable for you. Because these are ultimately just short-term goals, very easy to achieve, and there's plenty of experience from predecessors to refer to, isn't there?"

Some people listened attentively and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Long-term...goal?" Patriot suddenly gasped for breath, managing to force out those words.

“That’s right, you’ve achieved all your short-term goals one by one. When there was a shortage of food, you borrowed or even robbed it. When the infected were oppressed, you rescued them. When ordinary refugees couldn’t survive, you helped them. You’ve always been doing this, moving 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 you should do. Am I wrong?” Wang Chong asked.

“No, our Reunion Movement has always had an ideal, a goal we want to achieve: we want to change those people’s stereotypes about the Infected, so that the Infected can be proud of their identity and take back the justice that rightfully belongs to them.” 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 joined the Infected organization. It was her original intention.

"Okay, so what's next? How do you plan to lead the Reunion Movement to achieve this goal?" Wang Chong nodded and asked further.

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

"But can you break through the blockade now? How do you break through these blockades?" Wang Chong brought up the same question again, leaving Talulah speechless for a moment. After all, the battle to break through the blockades was something they could only take one step at a time. No one could guarantee that they could actually lead everyone out. Especially with the Fourth Army's change in attitude, they were even less confident in breaking through those blockades.

“Hehe, I won’t bully you. Okay, so let’s assume we successfully break through the blockade and hold off the south. Talulah, where do you think would be the best place to settle things?” Wang Chong asked.

“Here…” Upon hearing Wang Chong’s words, Talulah immediately took out a map and drew a circle. That spot happened to be the blank buffer zone between Chernobog in Ursus and Lungmen in Yan Kingdom. Talulah also mentioned some future plans, including gathering some city builders to design a new city and create a home for the Infected, where any Infected could live without prejudice.

This could even become a role model, a role model passed down by word of mouth among those infected, so that all those infected will understand that they too can stand up and live without discrimination, just like everyone else. It can also help ordinary people understand that those infected are no different from them.

"Hmm, a beautiful ideal." Wang Chong listened very carefully to Talulah's explanation and plan. After listening, Wang Chong slowly said, "Okay, I understand your plan. Now I have three simple questions for you to answer."

"..." Talulah had a bad feeling for some reason. Was there something wrong with her plan?

“First, building a city requires a lot of manpower and resources because the power layer needs to be built before the Originium Catastrophe arrives. So, since you have people to choose from for the manpower, where will the resources, or rather, the huge sums of money, come from?” Wang Chong said.

“There will always be a way. After all, who can say for sure what the future holds? At least if we can settle down in the south, we will have a chance,” Talulah said.

“Alright, I'll say you barely managed to answer the first question. The second one: you've established a mobile city between Ursus and Yan. How will you resist the covetousness of both Yan and Ursus? And how will you deal with the diplomatic issues between the two countries?” Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

"This..." Talulah was momentarily stumped by Wang Chong's question. She only wanted to build a mobile city, a home for the infected. But regarding the power struggles at the national level, Talulah couldn't really give a clear answer for the time being.

"Don't tell me you've never thought about these issues, and don't naively assume that two countries would just sit idly by and watch a city spring up between them. You should understand the value of a mobile city to a nation."

Wang Chong finished speaking slowly, stared at Talulah, who was frowning and deep in thought, for a long time, and finally just shook his head slightly, saying, "Forget it, this is not difficult for you, because in the end, diplomatic matters should be left to professionals to handle and manage. This is not a question you should be thinking about. Rather than how to conduct diplomacy, you should consider which of Ursus and Yan is your enemy and which is a partner you can cooperate with, and then formulate a strategy."

“Enemy…cooperation partner…” Hearing Wang Chong’s hint, Talulah felt as if she had grasped something, but not quite.

"So, one last question, Talulah. This is a question you must answer directly: From beginning to end, what you've done to build this city has to do with the ideals of the Reunion Movement you mentioned? Or, to put it more bluntly, has everything you've done changed the stereotypes and prejudices that ordinary people hold against the Infected? Has it taken away the justice that rightfully belongs to the Infected?" Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

“What do you mean, no? Didn’t I just say that once a city is built, a city where the infected are no longer prejudiced, we can definitely spread this idea and thought…” Talulah couldn’t help but feel displeased, and her emotions became somewhat intense. But at this moment, she noticed that Patriot beside her let out a heavy sigh.

"As a patriot with nearly a century of experience, it seems you've understood what I mean," Wang Chong said slowly.

"..." Patriot didn't speak, but his attitude was no different from acquiescence.

“Mr. Patriot…why…” Talulah didn’t understand what was wrong with what she said.

"Don't you understand why? Because it's very simple, Talulah. What you're talking about has already been done by others, and the final result was a complete failure." Wang Chong walked up to Talulah and said slowly, "Kazdel."

Talulah's face paled instantly; she finally realized where she had gone wrong. How could she not have paid attention to what was happening in Kazdel, especially since their team had quite a few Sarkaz? A "Demon Lord" who wanted to change the status quo of the Sarkaz and the country of Kazdel had ultimately died in the ensuing internal strife.

Like Talulah, that Demon King once harbored lofty ideals, and after a difficult struggle against the combined forces of three kingdoms, successfully rebuilt Kazdel. He wanted to give the Sarkaz a happy homeland, free from the ravages of war. He wanted other races to integrate into the nation of Kazdel, eliminating racial and national boundaries. He also wanted to prove to the world that the labels of "savage," "brutal," and "the embodiment of evil" attached to the Sarkaz were merely prejudices.

Ultimately, she failed. Nearly half of the Sarkaz did not accept the Demon King's ideals; they sought revenge and wanted to reunite with the three kingdoms that had previously attacked them! A civil war ensued. And just recently, that civil war ended. The Demon King, who harbored such ideals, died in that racial civil war.

The stark examples laid bare before Talulah plunged her into a long-forgotten silence.

Chapter Fifty-One: A Sudden Enlightenment

"This...could it be because of the Sarkaz's own reasons..." Before she could finish, Talulah immediately stopped and smacked her face. Wasn't saying this a slap in the face to the very ideals she wanted to achieve?

"It seems you've realized it yourself. You say you want to eliminate prejudice, but the words you say actually create prejudice against the Sarkaz. Besides, is there a difference between prejudice against the Sarkaz and prejudice against the Infected? Don't forget that many of the Infected in your team are Sarkaz. And don't forget that their prejudice against the Sarkaz includes prejudice against the Infected. They've never been separate." Wang Chong shook his head and said.

“Perhaps, things might be different? Maybe it’s because the Sarkaz and their people have experienced blood feuds with various countries, and their extreme desire for revenge is what drives them…” Talulah thought for a moment and tried to refute, but as she spoke, her voice became weak.

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

As Wang Chong spoke, he inadvertently reopened a wound in Talulah's heart. Talulah's mood sombered; she thought of her former best friend. Because of this, Talulah no longer had the confidence to refute Wang Chong.

"Now you understand, right? Talulah. The plan you've been crafting from the beginning has nothing more than repeating the tragedy of Kazdel. Like that Demon Lord, you've only created a home, a home exclusively for the Infected, a home exclusively for the Sarkaz. But 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 Sarkaz to get along with ordinary people and other races? From the moment their identities are set, the Infected can no longer empathize with ordinary people, and the Sarkaz can no longer empathize with the surrounding races. And yet, your leaders are too tolerant and too idealistic. The end result is that you are being swayed by public opinion. How can this not lead to division? How can it not lead to failure?"

"Crack!"

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

"Ah, you guys continue, continue. I just came to add some firewood." W said with a smile, holding the wooden stick that had been broken in two, as if nothing had happened.

A group of people paid little attention to W's appearance, and instead began to ponder Wang Chong's words. After throwing the wooden stick into the fire, W brazenly plopped down next to Wang Chong.

She had actually been eavesdropping nearby for a while, originally just wanting to know what tricks Wang Chong was up to and to enjoy the gossip. But she never expected that while she was enjoying the gossip, she would end up getting involved herself.

"Damn it! How dare he speak of His Highness like that!" W was initially furious. But as he listened on, W inexplicably fell silent. What Wang Chong said was all true; he was simply stating the facts. Especially the last sentence, so sharp, that W, overwhelmed with emotion, snapped the wooden stick in his hand to vent his frustration. "Did His Highness make a mistake from the beginning? Hmph, I'll see what you can come up with next." W decided to openly listen to the outcome. After all, he was now the leader of the Sarkaz mercenaries and one of the representative cadres of the Reunion Movement; it was only natural for him to listen to matters concerning the future direction of the Reunion Movement.

“No wonder you said we lack long-term goals… We clearly have a clear ideal. But everything we’re doing now doesn’t really help us achieve that ideal… We’re even going in the opposite direction.”

Talulah sighed. After thinking for a long time, she realized just how naive her previous plan had been. Even if she managed to break through the blockade, even if she managed to build the mobile city, failure would still be the only path awaiting her.

“Talulah, without a doubt, the plan you devised is noble and lofty, just and idealistic. But unfortunately… it’s not ‘correct.’ It’s not ‘correct’ to the Reunion Movement, not to your ideals.” Wang Chong said slowly, “Think about it carefully, Talulah. What do you need, justice or ‘correctness’? This question will accompany you for the rest of your life as long as you continue on this path.”

"Thank you for your guidance," Talulah nodded.

“No need. Let’s go back to the original question. Why did we choose this mountain instead of somewhere else? Look…” Wang Chong pointed to the map in front of Talulah and drew circles around the mountain range.

"Do you know what these places are?" Wang Chong asked slowly.

“I know some of these places… those are mining areas we’ve been to before, where we’ve rescued quite a few civilians and infected. There are other places I’m not sure about,” Talulah said slowly, frowning.

“Don’t you think the mining area is a great place? It has the source of everything—Originium. It also has Infected people, those being infected, and civilians who haven’t been infected yet… They’re all oppressed by a common enemy. Do you understand what I mean, Talulah?” Wang Chong raised his head and said slowly, “Since the Infected and ordinary people can’t empathize after a city is built… why don’t we unite them from the beginning?”

"Snapped!"

Talulah slammed her hand on the table, staring intently at the locations of several mining areas. After Wang Chong's reminder, Talulah's mind seemed to have been struck by lightning, and a multitude of thoughts began to surface.

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

"Is there a more suitable place than a mining area? Infected, infected who are being transformed, and ordinary people. Their situations are actually the most similar. The infected were ordinary people not long ago, and ordinary people also know that they will become infected in the future. They are all under the oppression of a voice, acquiescing to this change. They only have one enemy, and that is the oppressor."

Wang Chong smiled slightly and said slowly, "Talulah, there's really no need to worry so much about people's desire for revenge. Emotions can be guided in a more positive direction. Avoiding the tragedy that your plan ultimately caused is simple yet not so simple. It means understanding who our friends are and who our enemies are. Unite with true friends to attack true enemies."

"Who are our friends, and who are our enemies... Unite with true friends to attack true enemies." Talulah recited these words, feeling as if she had been enlightened, a completely new concept permeating her understanding. Not only Talulah, but everyone present, including Patriot and W, began to ponder Wang Chong's simple and unadorned yet incisive words that pointed out the key to the problem.

“This is just one of the reasons I chose this mountainous region. But I think it’s enough as a reason for your Reunion Movement to be stationed here. Only by being stationed here, taking advantage of the mountains’ concealment, and being able to support those in the mining areas at any time, can you take the first step towards your ideals. As for more, I won’t say more. There’s plenty of time in the future, and it’s time for you to rest.” Wang Chong put the map away and said with a smile.

Chapter 52 Talulah: I have a feeling my house has been robbed

Silence fell, and dawn was approaching.

Wang Chong had already abandoned one of his clones and pretended to be asleep. He had long since returned to the Dimensional House to chat with his group of female heroic spirits about the interesting things in this new world, and also to get closer to them.

However, Talulah did not sleep peacefully by the campfire. She should have been exhausted long ago, but after hearing Wang Chong's words, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Sometimes she would grasp the key points and be overjoyed, sometimes she would be trapped in a dilemma, unable to find the answer. Sometimes she would smile, sometimes she would frown, as if she were possessed.

"Ha..." Helpless, Talulah propped herself up and looked at the soundly sleeping "Wang Chong" opposite her. She couldn't help but cup her cheeks in her hands and stare at him in a daze.

"Snap—"

Suddenly, a flame ignited, accompanied by a thunderous roar. Talulah was startled, realizing that yet another person was awake, adding firewood to the fire.

"Mr. Patriot?"

Talulah couldn't help but ask, "The one who added firewood and stayed up just like me was a patriot."

"Ah."

Patriot only gave a muffled response, placing his hands on his knees, his eyes holding a profound meaning. Talulah followed Patriot's gaze and saw that he, too, was the same "Wang Chong" sleeping soundly opposite her.

"Mr. Patriot... what is your opinion of Wang Chong now?"

After a moment of silence, Talulah hesitated, but finally asked her question.

“People… dislike… saying… you must listen to.”

These few simple words are already somewhat difficult for patriots to utter these days. However, they clearly express the patriots' attitude towards Wang Chong's character and their approval of his previous words.

“I…I originally planned to tell you earlier…but, it’s not appropriate…” Patriot gasped for breath, uttering each word one by one.

"You mean, you actually saw the flaws in my original plans a long time ago, but you just couldn't find a suitable time to tell me?" Talulah understood Patriot's meaning and said slowly.

The Patriot nodded, then said, "Because... I want to see... I want to believe you just this once..."

Talulah felt a pang of sadness. She understood why this elder, so much older than her, had been so resistant and "stubborn" to some of her words and opinions in the early days of their relationship. It wasn't that the patriot was prejudiced or obstinate; on the contrary, he had seen too much, and he had actually foreseen his own path.

Ultimately, his passion and unwavering sense of justice won over the patriots, leading them to choose to believe in him. But now, can he truly live up to the patriots' change of heart, and the trust they placed in him despite knowing the road ahead was a dead end?

“No need to blame yourself… You’re young… I still believe…” Patriot saw through Talulah’s thoughts and said in a forced yet comforting tone, “Justice… is right, he’s right… You need to exhaust… think… and choose… I still believe.”

“Hmm.” Talulah nodded, finally responding.

The flames flickered, mirroring the turmoil in their hearts, and the two remained silent for a moment. Suddenly, the Patriot spoke: "So... Talulah... what... do you think?"

"Huh? Me?"

The conversation shifted abruptly, and Patriot posed the same question back to Talulah, leaving her momentarily speechless. Initially, Talulah had perceived Wang Chong as mysterious, enigmatic, dangerous, and lewd. The events that had unfolded in the village now seemed like yesterday to her.

During their time together, Talulah found Wang Chong both magical and approachable. His healing of Frostnova, and the various methods he displayed, were truly astonishing. Even if he claimed he could soar to the heavens and grasp the moon, Talulah would believe him.

He interacted with the infected without any reservations, his eyes showing neither contempt nor pity, truly treating the infected the same as ordinary people. Even Talulah herself couldn't achieve this, because she always viewed the infected as the vulnerable party. It was precisely that pity that led her, driven by a sense of justice, to envision giving the infected a home.

Now, after hearing Wang Chong's words, Talulah felt a profound change in him. She actually felt admiration for him, a stark contrast to her initial impression. Because of these three drastically different faces, Talulah was momentarily unable to discern which was Wang Chong's true nature.

Perhaps it's all of the above? Perhaps it's neither? Talulah didn't know, and she couldn't treat Wang Chong as simply as Patriot suggested. The reason? Because… Wang Chong was pursuing her.

"I don't know... but I kind of hope he'll stay after a month." That was the only answer Talulah could give in the end. Now, it seemed that neither the Reunion Movement nor she herself could do without the person who was already fast asleep.

"..." This time, Patriot remained silent again, as if he had tacitly accepted Talulah's choice.

……

Midday

After sleeping soundly for a whole morning, Wang Chong had his clone pretend to wake up, find a secluded spot, open the Dimensional House, and switch back. He then led his well-rested team, ate some large loaves of bread to tide them over, packed their bags, and began their journey towards the mountains.

Talulah forced herself to rest for a few hours before setting off again, seemingly having figured something out before bed. Now, Talulah and Wang Chong were unusually close.

Although Talulah was merely asking Wang Chong for advice on some unresolved issues concerning the future of the Reunion Movement, based on his previous remarks, the rapport she felt was genuinely strengthened.

Seeing this, Wang Chong didn't rush to press his advantage. He listened attentively to Talulah's questions, offered a few hints, and then let her figure it out herself. Instead, he quickly went off to chat with W, Ines, and even Faust and the Yeti team members, seemingly discussing something amusing.

For a moment, Talulah felt an unbearable itch. Hey, don't misunderstand, Talulah simply felt that her problem couldn't be solved as clearly as before, and that Wang Chong's explanation was only half-finished, leaving her feeling a little annoyed.

Talulah even had this inexplicable thought: "He clearly said he wanted to pursue me. But now that I've taken the initiative to get closer and ask for his advice, why is he pulling away from me and instead seeking some peace and quiet with someone else?"

This ambiguous attitude made Talulah's heart itch with desire. Little did Talulah know that Wang Chong had already seen through her gaze and demeanor.

However, this feeling only lasted for an afternoon. The sun set again, and they finally entered the mountainous area before dark. Soon, they were discovered by the Reunion Movement members on patrol. Some went back to report, while others welcomed Talulah, Wang Chong, and the others back, telling them about the events of the past two days.

Passing numerous visible and hidden sentry posts along the way, Talulah realized that the vast mountain range had been quietly and meticulously organized. Especially after hearing the team members describe the changes the Reunification Movement had made since entering the mountains—the patrol areas, the secret passages to the granaries, the clearing of land for planting, and so on…