Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 181 - 176: Revisiting Old Places
”Let me tell you about an interesting group. They’re called the Mechanical Resistance Army.”Gorzo paused, saying no more.

As the name ”Mechanical Resistance Army” reached Chen Pingchuan’s ears, the image of that foolish girl, Vivian, flashed in his mind. He continued to ponder. Ugh, my Super-Power Armor is there too, isn’t it? A glint flashed in Chen Pingchuan’s eyes. It seemed he had just found a way to resolve the death threat that had been plaguing him. Looks like it’s time to get my armor back. Based on the simulator’s previous hints and his current location, Chen Pingchuan determined that the place couldn’t be far.

Their shared silence made Liu Haofeng, who was driving, squirm with impatience. He had no idea that in another world, there was an affliction called obsessive-compulsive disorder, which had symptoms remarkably similar to his current behavior.

Liu Haofeng figured he would be interacting with this formidable ”big brother” for a long time to come. So, he did his best to compose himself, consciously relaxing his body before speaking in a calm, even tone. ”Brother Erzhuang, please continue. Don’t stop halfway.”

”Hahaha! Little brother, if you want to hear more, then I’ll keep going.” Gorzo looked at Liu Haofeng with a smile, sizing him up. ”Judging by your speech and bearing, you’re nothing like me. You must be one of those nobles from the Inner City District—a cultured man!”

”You flatter me. I just had a few more years of schooling, that’s all.” Liu Haofeng’s modesty was a testament to his noble upbringing.

”Hmm, I wonder if you’ve read about the Celestial Palace in your textbooks?” Gorzo asked softly.

Liu Haofeng’s expression suddenly stiffened, and his tone grew heavy. ”I have. The Celestial Palace One War Fortress is one of the three great, long-standing powers of this world. Although it’s nominally under the jurisdiction of the Great Ming Empire, all the districts within its sphere of influence are effectively autonomous.”

Liu Haofeng’s reaction was so intense because of his lifelong education. He had been taught to constantly improve his strength, grow more powerful, and make the Great Ming Empire stronger with each passing day. The ultimate goal was to reclaim all the world’s territories and unify the planet.

For the Genetic Warrior faction, two great obstacles stood in the way. The first was the mechanical faction represented by Celestial Palace One. The second was the heresy of the Blood Beast Ban, a method that enhanced power by fusing with beast genes.

Eliminating these two heresies was the ultimate goal for all Genetic Warriors. From the moment they chose the Genetic Warrior path, all other forms of evolution were automatically considered heresy. Without this conviction, it was impossible to break through the next barrier relying on genetic serums alone.

And any story involving a behemoth like the Celestial Palace was bound to be complicated.

Liu Haofeng suddenly regretted asking. The experiences he’d had with Chen Pingchuan recently had made him paranoid and jumpy, and right now, all he wanted was to observe the world in peace.

Perhaps sensing Liu Haofeng’s unease, Gorzo offered a thoughtful reassurance. ”Don’t worry, little brother. I’m not crazy enough to go provoking a power of that magnitude.”

The moment Gorzo finished speaking, he felt a gaze on him like needles in his back. He glanced at Liu Haofeng, who was intent on driving—it wasn’t him. Cautiously, Gorzo’s eyes shifted to the rearview mirror, looking at Chen Pingchuan in the back seat. To his surprise, their gazes met perfectly in the reflection.

For a moment, the corners of their mouths curled up into faint, awkward, and inscrutable smiles before they both quickly looked away.

Chen Pingchuan complained internally. I’m just sitting here minding my own business. If you’re going to tell a story, just tell it. Why throw in veiled insults at me? It’s ’crazy’ to provoke them? Couldn’t a guy be forced into it? Fine, even if I wasn’t forced... so what if my head wasn’t screwed on straight back then? You can’t just discriminate against the mentally handicapped, can you? This black-faced gorilla is a nasty piece of work. Just you wait until I plant a parasite seed in you, or find a way to make you eat one. Then... GYEHEHEHE...

Not only had Chen Pingchuan perfectly taken the bait, but he was already plotting how to deal with the dark-faced man.

Gorzo, sitting in the passenger seat, was also lost in thought. This kid, Chen Pingchuan, probably doesn’t trust me yet. I need to work harder to earn his confidence. Then, when the time is right, I can complete my mission.

The situation between them could be summed up perfectly: I know you’re up to no good, and you know I’m just playing along.

Gorzo cleared his throat and continued, ”You’d never guess, but that group brazen enough to call themselves the Mechanical Resistance Army? They’re based in a small town just a few hundred kilometers from here.”

”They even call that little town the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.”

”Inside that town, which they call the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, there’s a peculiar religious group called the Natural Church. Their doctrine seems to be about worshipping nature and resisting mechanization.”

As he spoke, a flicker of excitement lit up Gorzo’s eyes. ”If that’s just enough to pique your interest, there’s another special feature there you have to know about. There’s a group of young female Priests with a special status. Every one of them is stunning, with an enchanting figure. To convince powerful outsiders to stay, they... TSK TSK...”

As Gorzo spoke, a strange and alluring picture began to unfold in Liu Haofeng’s mind. He even started to imagine whether he, too, would become degenerate in such an environment.

Finishing his tale, Gorzo still seemed to have more to say. ”They’ve got some nerve with that name. It’s a good thing the place is so remote and desolate. If it were anywhere bustling, the Celestial Palace’s lapdogs would have been all over it long ago. And then, the people there wouldn’t even know what hit them!”

Gorzo’s gaze was clear and sincere. This information came from his own personal experience, and he had no intention of changing or hiding any of it.

”Brother Erzhuang, how do you know all this so well?”

As usual, Liu Haofeng’s question was somewhat blunt and poorly timed.

”Er...” Gorzo’s expression shifted, his face turning shades of green and white. He was too ashamed to recount the embarrassing story.

Back then, perhaps out of youthful arrogance or simple carelessness, he had completely underestimated the severity of the Black Demon disaster in Kailing Province. As a result, he quickly ran out of food. With no other options, he was forced to fall in with a group of vagrants and shamefully make his way into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

In that so-called ’Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,’