Chapter 719.2: Played

On Ring Island, the freshwater activation ceremony successfully reached its conclusion.

Governor Channing publicly read aloud the declaration of friendship between Ring Island, French Fry Harbor, and the New Alliance, while Midnight Pubg represented the New Alliance in delivering the administrator’s blessings to the local survivors.

And just as the New Alliance had promised, the freshwater pipeline suffered absolutely no disruption despite the sudden alarm. Crystal-clear water continued flowing endlessly from the inverted hammer-shaped fountainhead, steady and unwavering, just like the order the New Alliance represented.

Instead, that sudden alarm itself now seemed more like a misunderstanding.

At first, the crowd surrounding the plaza had panicked, believing some major disaster had occurred.

But when they saw the band continue playing and the ribbon-cutting ceremony proceed uninterrupted, they gradually calmed down and once more immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere.

The celebration finally ended.

Standing beside the fountain, Midnight Pubg grinned and looked toward Governor Channing, whose face still carried traces of disbelief. “See? Told you there was nothing to worry about.”

Unable to suppress the questions building in his mind any longer, Channing finally asked, “That explosion just now... what exactly was it?”

Midnight Pubg thought for a moment before he answered seriously. “It was most likely Mutant Humans.”

“Mutant Humans?!” Channing stared at him in shock. “How can there possibly be Mutant Humans in the southern seas?!”

He had certainly heard of aquatic Mutant Humans with gills and scales, but those creatures didn’t truly live out at sea. They usually nested near coastlines.

The southern archipelagos lay far from shore. Without methods to repel marine mutants, even ships floating on the surface were unsafe there.

Seeing Channing’s disbelief, Midnight Pubg didn’t bother explaining further. Instead, he pulled out a tablet and handed it over.

Moments earlier, Prone Model had already uploaded footage captured near the undersea freshwater pipeline through the Roro Boat’s radio equipment.

Watching the combat footage playing across the screen, Channing unconsciously gulped.

It really was mutants... And there were so many of them!

The murky seawater floated with severed limbs, broken weapons, and aquatic predators attracted by the scent of blood. There was even the enormous Laken thrashing violently underwater, apparently drawn in by the aquatic mutants as well.

Although fabricated footage remained theoretically possible, these people clearly weren’t foolish enough to attempt such an easily exposed trick.

“There’s nothing surprising about it. The southern seas sit right beside Ocean Edge Province. Ever since the Torch Church introduced those monsters to the Death Coast, it wouldn’t be strange for them to spread anywhere.”

Looking at Channing, whose gaze remained glued to the screen, Midnight Pubg suddenly seemed to recall something else. “Oh right. Two months ago, another group of Mutant Humans attempted to attack our harbor too. Fortunately, we spotted them before they reached shore.”

“T-this... is truly shocking news.”

Channing stared at him in disbelief, his expression visibly stiffening.

Mutant Humans... That was no joke.

The explosion site lay less than 100 nautical miles from Ring Island! If those creatures could swim that far, then they could absolutely reach the island itself.

The island possessed some defensive forces, and reserves could be mobilized in emergencies, but if 1,000 mutants launched a surprise assault, they likely wouldn’t even have enough time to distribute rifles to the young men.

The shared consensus throughout the southern seas had always been that defensive strength had to be established at sea.

Their strategy had existed since the era of Shelter 70.

Namely, the Federation’s fortress should stand outside the islands, upon the seas themselves, with steel fleets serving as shields against threats from the wasteland. And precisely because of that defensive doctrine, almost no raider speedboats had ever approached within 100 nautical miles of the islands over the past two centuries.

Yet now, that defensive system suddenly seemed to have failed. What had happened was already the second major incident in a row...

Observing Channing’s shifting expression, Midnight Pubg continued calmly, “And what’s even more interesting is that on the very same day, your maritime patrol teams in nearby waters all mysteriously disappeared. Of course, I’m not blaming you for failing to warn us. Our safety is ultimately our own responsibility. But judging by your reaction, you genuinely had no idea what happened over there. If I remember correctly, that area should be one of your patrol zones.”

“Two months ago...” Channing coughed lightly. “I remember there was a military exercise around that time. Perhaps it was simply a coincidence.”

The words sounded like he was defending the Federation, yet also like he was trying to convince himself.

Midnight Pubg nodded. “That’s certainly possible, but I suspect the Federation Navy knows exactly what happened there. After all, the patrol fleet returned the very next day while the blood on the beaches hadn’t even been cleaned up yet. Have they not warned you to be cautious of threats from Mutant Humans?”

Channing’s expression began visibly cracking. “No... our primary enemy has always been Shelter 70. The main threats we watch for are their submersibles.”

After a pause, he slowly grew serious. “This situation is strange... Why would mutants be interested in an undersea pipeline?”

“I think what you should really be concerned about,” Midnight Pubg replied calmly, “is why the fleet supposedly protecting you would selectively ignore such an obvious threat. Letting mutants reach shore is no joke, especially those scale-covered freaks. I’ve heard their sadistic habits when tormenting prey are even worse than the green-skinned ones.”

That was where he stopped. Midnight Pubg did not continue pressing the uncomfortable subject any further.

Midnight Pubg knew that although Channing hadn’t said it aloud, the governor clearly understood the real issue.

Compared to whether a specific problem had been properly resolved, what mattered more was whether the problem itself had been exposed in the first place. Otherwise, something that had already happened twice would very likely not stop at a third or fourth occurrence. It might continue happening countless times while nobody notices.

The Federation fleet had, without approval from command headquarters and without the consent of the settlements, tacitly allowed Mutant Human military operations within their jurisdiction for some unknown purpose.

“Of course, this is merely a friendly reminder. We’ve never pinned our hopes for safety on other people. Whether the Federation fleet provides us with support or not, we’ll deal with those scale-covered freaks ourselves.” Casting the governor a meaningful glance, Midnight Pubg turned around, preparing to lead the Jungle Corps brothers back aboard their ship.

Watching his departing figure, Channing frowned slightly.

After struggling internally for a moment, he finally could not help but speak. “Please wait.”

Midnight Pubg stopped and looked back at him with a strange gaze. “What is it?”

“I think we need to strengthen our cooperation in the field of security. Frankly speaking, it may be even more urgent than economic cooperation.” Forcing out a somewhat awkward smile, Channing coughed lightly before continuing in a tone that sounded difficult for him to say aloud. “If we are attacked by Mutant Humans, I hope we can receive your support, and naturally, the same applies if you come under attack. Additionally, any warning information we receive, we will share with you as well.”

Since the New Alliance had managed to locate the Mutant Humans and eliminate the threat before they could attack the pipeline, it was obvious they had already established a patrol and defense system encompassing both intelligence gathering and interception strikes.

Regardless of the reasons behind it, the Federation’s navy’s repeated dereliction of duty had made it impossible for him to continue trusting those people.

At present, Ring Island was exposed to threats from Mutant Humans. He needed an additional line of defense for the local survivors.

He needed a much more reliable one.

In exchange, he was willing to share Ring Island’s intelligence network with the New Alliance. Any warning signals received by the surrounding islands would also be simultaneously transmitted to French Fry Harbor.

In a sense, that was equivalent to both parties sharing map vision and verbally signing a mutual defense agreement. Although Ring Island lacked its own military or fleet, the harbor itself could still function as a strategic military facility.

Having roughly understood Channing’s meaning, Midnight Pubg revealed a surprised expression before immediately bursting into hearty laughter and agreeing without hesitation. “No problem! If the enemy is Mutant Humans, we’ll step in anytime, anywhere, especially since you’re our business partner.” After pausing briefly, he continued, “Of course, there are still 200 nautical miles between us. If we only rush over after an attack begins, it’ll probably already be too late. I suggest building an 800 meter airstrip beside the island as soon as possible. Concrete or steel, either works. If our aircraft can land near your island, we’ll be able to support you much more quickly.”

Carefully memorizing the advice, Channing nodded seriously. “I’ll arrange it as soon as possible.”

...

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