Lords: From Civilization to the Stars.

Chapter 108 Antarctic Landing Operation
The Antarctic Expedition Team was the last team to arrive in the Negative Star Realm Exploration Team. Although it had the largest number of players, it had the smallest number of Negative Stars. The main leader was Li Ang, who was said to be lucky among the players. And Li Ang was a notorious idiot among the players.

Because Norsca did not rescue him in time, and even after the war, no team was organized to rescue him, so although Leon became a bridge between the Negative Star People and the player team, it was a very unstable bridge.

For example, even though the Antarctic Expedition Team has the largest number of players, they are still there because of the card draws and various strange benefits. Otherwise, who would stay on the ship for a month?

The shipwreck research team, which has made relatively fast progress, has now begun to establish an exploration base in the ocean and has begun to explore for information about ancient shipwrecks and some ancient city marks. Some lucky players have even dug up a large box of gold coins. Under such circumstances, it is really a bit difficult to expect the Antarctic expedition team to have a good mood.

But on the other hand, the reason why the Antarctic Expedition Team has such rich player resources is not just because of the beastly player leader Li Ang. Because the Negative Star promised that in each realm, players can apply to become the leader of the local stationed faction.

To be honest, other areas don't seem like places where people can stay.

They are the Wall of the Frozen Realm with a thousand-foot-high ice wall, the Thousand Sails Deep on the sea, the crater deep in the Norse Hell Peaks, the Chaos Fortress further north, and some teams heading to the Elf Outpost and the Dark Elf Islands. It doesn't seem like there will be any land for the players.

So after comprehensive consideration, and the background story that the Negative Stars had once transformed the Arctic, the players decided to deploy some teams and forces into Antarctica while developing Albian Island.

You can make money, give some face to the losers, and help the last Antarctic team to gain momentum. Why not do it?
And many speculators also believe that Antarctica, as a place where Chaos is rampant, must be watched by many Chaos Gods. As long as they perform well enough, they don't have to take the guaranteed 10,000 gold coins to compete with those rich people for destiny.

In addition, the leader of the Antarctic expedition is Li Ang. No matter how dissatisfied or how beastly Li Ang is, he is also a player. A player must live in real life, and everyone knows him well.

If there was any important matter or discussion, he could also bring it up. Those players who tried to assassinate him were also generous enough to just chop off their heads instead of having their souls sucked away.

This is enough to prove that Li Ang does maintain a certain degree of goodwill and is not a traitor.

It is better to say that Li Ang operated a lot of things. At least in the eyes of the players, although this guy was in the captain's room with the elf sisters every day, he still did some practical things.

For example, we could persuade the negative stars to let the player team take the first right to land on the Antarctic coast, so that these people could get the first wave of credits. Another way is to let the players play a role, and after building basic facilities and camps, let the negative stars build a protective barrier for the landing site.

Although it seems to be just a small change, in fact everyone knows that this is a good thing for everyone.

The starting price for each person's grade point is one silver coin. Isn't that generous enough?

Although I know that the first person to rush to the Antarctic beach will be in danger, but in this old world, even if you survive, there is a certain risk. Not to mention the money you get back?

The players immediately summed up some experiences and events happily, and finally decided to choose a player who had considerable experience advantage over the players and was very familiar with various chaos events. He was considered an authoritative player among the players and stepped out from the shadows to preside over the current landing operation plan.

Edward, with long purple hair and a face that looked like a completely silly and soft girl, was standing at the bow, staring blankly at the continent covered in black.

"This seems a bit too much..."

Edward, the leader of the first group of players heading to Antarctica, took a breath, looked at the lavender smoke he exhaled, and shook his head helplessly.

This brilliant image greatly boosted the morale of the players who followed the army. Although the players felt a burning sensation in their lungs just by breathing in some air from the Antarctic territory, they did not shout out anything out of trust in their own immortality and the mission they were carrying.

But watching the dark continent gradually approaching and facing the land that was almost the same color as the ocean, Edward still sighed in his heart.

She was not very optimistic about this action, and even felt very pessimistic.

The players' tasks are numerous and complex, and seem very repetitive.

Basically, you go to XX coordinates to explore, and then XX team will review. If the two teams match after the review, they will be anchored. If the review does not match, a third player team will be sent to check. If all three teams have problems, they will be checked by the negative star, and a bounty will be given after confirming that it is a chaotic zone.

Even if no special landforms are found, the bounty and performance points will be recorded normally. And these performance points can be exchanged for the right to choose the gold seal - this is the name of the golden rune by the players.

Everything is in order and full of temptation, even making people feel excited.

However, Edward felt something strange.

Ever since she was blessed by the Chaos Gods, she had often had this strange feeling.

Sometimes she could even feel a strong torture, a pain, an unspeakable despair and fatigue entangled in the real world, telling her that she was a man, not a woman.

In reality and in the other world, Edward, who has grown into an unimaginable beauty, enjoys the pursuit of countless people. Almost every player and every person in the other world who meets her will be shocked by her beauty and purity. Because it is really a kind of innocent sweetness, as if it has never been tainted by anyone.

However, Edward was a man at heart. The more he realized the convenience of his life, the more he felt a sense of panic.

It was as if the previous Edward had never existed, and the current Edward was the real one. She was already the most famous player. Apart from Leon, the iron beast who used card drawing and gambling to give gold coins to the negative star players, Edward was already the highest one in terms of reputation.

The crystal-clear eyes under the purple hair, the trembling nasal sound in the breathing, the habit of staring straight at the other person when talking, and the habit of showing a bright smile and extending hands to shake hands and hug after confirming cooperation.

These characteristics and actions, if they are on a man, are generous, casual, and seem very friendly. But if they are on such a cute girl, it is like dropping a bomb on a person's heart.

Edward had received countless confessions from men, as well as some passionately worded letters.

They all believed that Edward's soul was a gentle but timid woman, and they vowed to bring Edward out of purgatory and show Edward's beauty to everyone in the world, as if they were exhibiting some unparalleled treasure. This action actually made Edward's dry heart rise with a hint of rebellion.

She wanted to prove herself, to prove that she was still the legendary admiral, the commander of the player fleet. So she volunteered to join the Antarctic expedition team, and together with Li Ang, she became the first and second in command of the player team.

She worked hard to complete each of her tasks, coordinated conflicts between player unions, and even organized multiple team-building activities, including real team-building activities, within a month.

However, she never invited Li Ang.

Because, when she saw the golden runes on Leon's body, she felt a little...fear.

This is impossible.

After accepting the blessing from the Prince of Pleasure, Edward felt that he would never be afraid again in his life.

She just has a higher threshold for happiness and demands a little more from her surroundings. She looks like a woman who has become sentimental and emotional.

But what does it matter? She has transformed into an extraordinary being, and no one can restrict her anymore. However, when she saw the golden runes and the players who were glowing with golden light and talking, she still felt a little scared.

That fear was like the embodiment of the ugliest part of her that she least wanted people to see.

He felt that the players in Hope City were whispering. The players with golden lines on their skin were now fighting against demons and war gangs in Hope City, fighting to support themselves.

Those golden lunatics seemed to have separated themselves from the official organization and established a closed organization in private, and were secretly plotting something. When they looked at Edward with their bright eyes, it was not as if they were looking at their compatriots, but rather as if they were looking at a fat prey that had gradually matured and could be harvested.

Even part of the reason why Edward wanted to leave Hope City was because he didn't want to see these extremely scary and terrifying player individuals again.

But now, Li Ang also showed such performance.

Although he looked greedy and lustful, always talked about his past experience and acted very angry, fully reflecting the diversity of the human population, but there was always a voice in Edward's heart telling himself.

That's not what he really looks like, that's not what that guy really looks like. He's a monster that lurks very deep. It's even a little worrying whether the thing under that layer of human skin is actually human. What kind of terrible and terrifying thoughts are hidden behind that seemingly greedy and lustful person?

Although she was blessed by the God of Pleasure, allowing her to travel between the two worlds in her current appearance, Edward always felt that there seemed to be a huge void in his heart, and a hungry crack seemed to spread silently in his heart, making him pursue fame and stronger stimulation. Then, as Leon who was eroded by the Negative Star, what was he pursuing in his mind?
Could he also feel the tiredness and numbness in his heart? Was he also pursuing a certain destiny? Perhaps it was because of this thought that he gave up everything and pursued the first place in this landing ship?

Watching the black coast gradually approaching, Edward was in a state of confusion. He just watched the boats begin to lower in an orderly manner and move towards the beach little by little.

The players' small boats, carrying various materials, began to march towards the Antarctic continent like ants in the dark ocean.

As the leader of the landing plan, Edward put away his sentimental emotions, stood up and prepared to get into the boat, carrying some wood for building a temporary dock, and approached the dark continent. But just as Edward was about to go down, a pair of players looked at each other, stretched out their hands, and blocked Edward's way.

"Miss Edward..."

"Just call me Edward."

Edward raised his eyebrows as he looked at the two players standing in front of him.

"What's the matter with you stopping me? Now is a very important time. If you want an autograph, please wait until the specific matter is done. I will sign for you, okay?"

"That's not necessary, Miss Edward. We are paid to deliver Leon's message."

"Leon? What is that guy going to say?"

"'The Negative Stars told me that the first player team was about to die, and it was all your fault. Can't you use your Prince of Pleasure's aura to protect those players' ships? Or do you have to be scolded before you use your brain?' These are his exact words."

"Varied--"

Edward's handsome eyes were filled with anger, but before she could say anything, something strange happened.

The players' ships, which were gradually advancing, had even reached the continental shelf area and were heading towards the beach when suddenly a layer of dark waves rolled up from the ocean.

The strange wave was not big, but it was cruel enough, with a unique cunning characteristic that seemed not to belong to the human world. It jumped out from the bottom of the sea in an instant, like a predator, and tore the players' fleet into pieces in the blink of an eye. The first beach fleet was wiped out without even making a sound.

Edward just stared in amazement at what was happening in just a few seconds, not realizing that this was going to happen.

"Why is this happening? This is unscientific. Why are there such big waves in such a shallow place?!"

"You live in this world without realizing what is happening? God's wrath, my Chosen One. You received God's grace before me, and you still don't know what is happening?"

A projection instantly appeared in front of the stunned Edward.

Served by two elf sisters, Leon, who was wearing a bathrobe and drying his hair, was shaking a glass of red wine and looking at the shocked Edward with disdain.

The relationship between the two of them has never been good. Edward promised to draw a big cake and almost tricked Li Ang into working for everyone in the Hell Peaks for free. So a greedy and lustful person like Li Ang was not fooled by Edward's slightly open mouth, which looked so good, but started to insult him directly.

"Is your head just for show? The higher-ups asked us to cooperate and you're just cooperating with me like this? ? "

"I have already stressed that Antarctica is deeply polluted by Chaos. You should either bring the Anti-Chaos Golden Seal or the Chaos Seal. Otherwise, something bad will happen sooner or later. Are you turning a deaf ear to my words?"

"I patted my chest and promised the big brothers of the Negative Stars that I brought you here because you are a good player. But you came and turned us all over. Do you think our status is too high and want to lower it to avoid being too powerful? If you can do it, do it. If you can't, go back and be a vase. Anyway, you are useless and can't do anything."

"..."

The players around looked at each other, then at Edward who was shaking with anger, and shrugged their shoulders tacitly.

The discord between Leon and Edward was well-known among all players. After all, Edward had claimed to be the best player, making empty promises everywhere, so it was understandable that he was scolded by the PUA now that he had realized his mistake.

It's just that many people feel sympathy for Edward, especially when Leon seems to be hated by everyone and hated by everyone. Many people have made statements about this, and they all think that it's a bit too much for a man like Leon to be so extreme towards a girl. However, Leon's response is also very simple.

The players around faced this scene and just watched, pretending they saw nothing.

Edward was silent, just keeping his head down. But the surrounding player fleets noticed that a lavender mist seemed to be emanating from the player ship where Edward was.

The originally bad sea conditions, which were like those of a child, seemed to be frightened, and suddenly subsided in front of the lavender mist. The invisible curtain covering the Antarctic region seemed to be confused after coming into contact with the lavender mist, wondering whether to let these people in.

Only Edward knew nothing. This pure man took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

"…What is the Negative Star doing now?"

"That guy Leon seems to be planning to set up a landing position. We just heard it."

A player who looked very honest said softly:
"They said they wanted to purify the wind of magic and rebuild a landing city... If the wizard king doesn't come, they said the situation is not optimistic. It may take two or three months to establish a preliminary position. The entire Antarctic island is covered with the wind of chaos, and it will take time to break it by force."

"Really? That's easy. Let's build our dock and infrastructure in two or three days! I want to see what that loser who relies on his luck to show off can do to me!"

Edward, with his eyes red with anger, slapped the cabin.

As the chosen one of the God of Pleasure, the girl's angry and twisted face contained unimaginable strength, and she slapped through the wood of the cabin. But there was no time for mercy, Edward just glared at everything around him and screamed to express his intense thoughts.

"Isn't it just the so-called barrier? Who isn't a chosen one? I don't believe that the ship chosen by the God of Joy can't reach the South Pole!"

"He, Leon, is a student and a Norse slave who has been deprived of his personal freedom. Why is he so arrogant here?"

"When I went to surrender to the Negative Stars, he was still playing hide-and-seek in the Hell Peaks!"

"Follow me! I'll lead you away!"

It's just a naturally occurring chaos barrier. Watch me use the power of the inner ghost to break it!
Edward looked at the people around him and let out a cute roar, then the lavender mist around him became thicker.

Some invisible will seemed to have seen this scene, and was very dissatisfied and wanted to stretch out its branches to do something. But at the moment when the invisible will was about to descend on the fleet, the golden battleship suddenly shone with golden light, and the rune representing the mark of destruction suddenly shone with light for some unknown reason.

Sitting in the chair and looking at the ocean gradually covered by lavender mist, Leon shrugged.

"The Antarctic landing operation was a success."

"You are really full of evil taste, sir."

"Just call me Leon, Oliver."

"Yes, Lord Leon."

As one of Leon's guards, Oliver stood calmly in the cabin, looking at Edward, whose body shape had begun to change due to anger and extremely strong emotions, without any change in his facial expression.

No matter if she showed a sweet and pure expression like an innocent girl, or if she was now angrily bursting out the aura of the Chosen One of Slaanesh, shocking the surrounding environment to begin to change, or if in the near future this skin would be completely torn apart by the evil god's joke, Oliver would not change.

Because in front of him, the master who was covered in light was looking at everything in front of him with admiration.

"Look, this is great. Before attacking our team, they must kill all the demons of the God of Pleasure inside. Even if they know that I am the one who brought people in, they still have to make a choice and fight. So many times, the demons only need an appearance to fight, and we can easily move in."

Look, there are cracks in their monolithic witchcraft.

Looking at the player fleet that was once again organized on the sea surface, the smile on Leon's face became happier.

I have reached the limit...10,000 is the limit today...I am still writing too slowly...I even fell asleep for a few hours halfway through, so sorry. I feel my biological clock is a bit messed up. I will try to adjust it and start updating at 6pm. Today is Saturday, I have nothing to do, so it should be OK...Alas, I don't feel confident at all, the most I can write in the next few days is 10,000 words. I am so sorry.

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(End of this chapter)