Chapter 24: Settling Down

Following the events involving the construction of the city and the Great Dragon, news that the Commander had survived spread rapidly. The fact that a city could be erected in a single day and night, and that it had emerged unscathed from the wrath of a dragon, was incredibly heartening. Although no true battle had broken out, they had at least successfully repelled the first wave of attacks.

Most people remained in a wait-and-see mode; after all, this was no small matter. It represented the rise of a new power, and the various races would not easily allow Shen Yi to expand his territory. Due to the deterrent power of Shen Yi, the spies withdrew, and the city returned to its usual tranquility. The villagers from the edge of the forest, who were now accustomed to living there, were informed they would be moving to a larger city. Everyone was filled with excitement. The stark contrast between their former "drinking blood and eating raw meat" existence and this modern lifestyle made the villagers feel as if they had entered another world. Consequently, they obeyed the Commander implicitly. Today, the hundred or so villagers walked out of the forest toward the massive steel city, their faces beaming with satisfied smiles. A young boy named Feiqian, who had diligently learned to pilot a mech, was given a custom-made small-scale model by Shen Yi because there were no mechs his size. Feiqian was ecstatic when he saw the little machine-gunner puppet and spent his days leaping and bounding about while controlling it. Now, in the middle of the crowd, a small machine-gunner puppet ran back and forth, followed by several older children, their laughter ringing out occasionally. The adults simply looked on, unbothered.

The lives of the young were so beautiful—so beautiful that, no matter how one lived, it felt like a waste to do anything else!

Shen Yi was busy naming the city. What should he call it? "City Has One?" Shen Yi was truly terrible at naming things, so in the end, that was what it became. Meanwhile, the villagers entering the city heard the voice from the loudspeakers: "Welcome to City Has One. Please proceed to the registration office to complete your registration. Once registered, you will automatically become a resident of this city and receive protection." The announcement played three times, and the hundred villagers understood; they dispersed to explore the city.

"Please follow the navigation. The registration office is five hundred meters ahead before the city gate!" The loudspeakers chimed again three times.

As the villagers followed the instructions to the registration office, they stated their ages, levels, and skills, and provided their DNA. Everyone's data was stored in the city's database for personnel management. After completing the process, they were assigned to finished housing. Upon reaching the residential area, the villagers were left speechless; twenty-story buildings were everywhere.

"Welcome, first batch of residents..." Following the automated announcement, these hundred people finally moved into their apartments. They kept screaming while riding the elevators, unaware that they had only seen the tip of the iceberg—bathrooms, waste disposal systems, and much more awaited their discovery.

Back at the base, Shen Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking, "Being a tour guide is no job for a human! I'll just let them adapt slowly."

In one of the three-bedroom apartments in the residential zone, a villager shouted, "Big brother, this washbasin made of white porcelain is so advanced!"

"It really is! Let me try—haha, the water is so cool!"

"Is that so? Hurry up, big brother, I want to wash my face too!"

Suddenly, the synthetic voice in the command hall rang out: "Report to the Commander: among the first batch of residents, some are washing their faces in the squat toilets, some are urinating in the corners, and others are..."

Shen Yi listened to the chaos and sighed helplessly. The previous fortress hadn't had such comprehensive facilities, and he couldn't remind them of every single thing; he would be exhausted to death! What could he do? He had already provided them with housing; let them figure it out. They would learn eventually. Shen Yi considered whether he should create artificial intelligence staff for them.

Although the hundred or so people occasionally went downstairs for walks, it still felt a bit desolate. He had already registered their skills and combat values, so he couldn't let them sit idle; he had to put them to work. He needed butler-like androids. With no other choice, he manufactured another hundred androids, programmed them with the city management chip, and had a transport plane deliver them.

Shen Yi breathed a sigh of relief. The hard work was done; now, it was a matter of seeing how many people Wang Sheng could bring in.

Wang Sheng was currently recruiting people. The Commander hadn't specified what kind of people he wanted, implying that anyone would do, so the recruitment went smoothly. Using carrier pigeons and the connections he had built over the years, he began gathering people. Soon, a group of the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled were sent off as the first batch to "City Has One."

A massive transport plane landed on the academy square once again. A group of people began to board, seventy percent of whom were elderly. The boarding process was slow. Shen Yi watched from the base and cursed Wang Sheng under his breath: "Do you think this is a nursing home? There are plenty of people, but if they drop dead on the way, are you trying to frame me?" After a discussion between the two, the second batch was much better. There were many from humble backgrounds looking for a chance. Generally, those with status or stable lives would not go to "City Has One," as it was considered newly developed territory, and whether it could be held remained unknown.

Thus, the migration consisted mostly of the poor. As transport planes took off and landed, the ten thousand or so people gathered by Wang Sheng were quickly moved. As the last plane departed from Sacred Heart City, Wang Sheng stood on the square, watching it disappear, and sighed: "I truly wonder what rank of puppeteer the Commander in the Boundless Forest is!"

Alchemy identification was already difficult, and due to the decline of the puppeteer profession, almost no one studied it. Those who wanted to learn couldn't find a master or teacher, leading to the near-extinction of puppeteers.

After his lament, Wang Sheng looked at the Vulture hover-bike nearby with great affection and, amidst the envious gazes of those around him, climbed into the vehicle.

In an era without artificial intelligence, the profession of a spy could never disappear. The Fox clan of the Monster race was world-renowned for their illusions and shapeshifting. Hu Yu was one of the leaders of the monster spies operating in the human kingdoms. Though he could disguise himself as anyone, he had a penchant for appearing as a child.

Usually dressed in opulent robes, Hu Yu was now wearing rags covered in patches, his little face smeared with dirt, making him inconspicuous in the crowd. This group was the final batch of humans migrating to "City Has One."

He had chosen not to board the transport plane at Sacred Heart City, as that was too dangerous, so he had blended into the crowd when the plane landed outside the city walls. The people around him noticed nothing unusual. However, Shen Yi, back at the base, had already noticed this unassuming child because the base alerted him to the individual's abnormal energy signature.

As the crowd entered the city and began to settle in according to the announcements, Hu Yu looked around, touching this and that. After so many years, very little could surprise him, but everything here defied his understanding. These foolish and cunning humans had actually created so many incredible things. From the moment he entered the city until he moved into the room in the so-called "residential complex," Hu Yu felt as if he were sleepwalking.

Hu Yu watched as a service staff member—who claimed to be part of the residential complex management—introduced him to the use of various pieces of furniture. His eyes were glazed over, his mind lost, feeling as if he were nothing more than a pig!

If someone were to assassinate him now, they would never miss. Hu Yu shuddered, snapping back to reality; after all, he was an elite of the Monster race!

"This is a toilet, used for convenience. It automatically flushes and dries afterward—very convenient. Remember to flush after use by pressing this button!" The staff member demonstrated...

Once the person left, Hu Yu poked and prodded everything, recalling how to use the various items. "How lazy must a person be to invent these things? But it is truly miraculous. This Commander is a genius!" Just as Hu Yu was marveling at this, he picked up the remote, sat on the comfortable sofa, and pressed the power button on a device called a "television."

The image that appeared on the wall startled him. "Holy crap, magic imagery!" On the screen, a human in a green military uniform held a metal rod and spoke: "Respected residents of City Has One, this city operates on a people-oriented philosophy, striving for equality for all. If you feel there has been an unfair incident, you may file a complaint at any time. Today's broadcast is exclusively sponsored by the Commander."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the screen shifted to the Battle of Sacred Heart City. "The wolf smoke rises, the mountains and rivers..." With the stirring music, the camera pulled in from a god's-eye view, showing the millions of orcs—a truly shocking sight. Then came the intense siege battle. Hu Yu watched, his blood boiling.

When he saw Ren Zituo pull an arrow, the camera even gave a close-up. Hu Yu laughed so hard on the sofa he couldn't close his mouth. "Which dog-man shot that arrow? Right in the bullseye! Patriarch Ren is famous in City Has One now! I bet the whole city is watching this, hahahaha..."

Laughter and chatter echoed through the residential complex from time to time, and combined with the lights in the windows, a peaceful and cozy atmosphere permeated the air.