This Game Is Too Real-Chapter 1059 - 1059: Shedding the Armor

Triumph City.
Below the steps of the Glory Court, torchlight flickered, held by the citizens of Triumph City.
From the grave threats of celestial beings to the Vellante Alliance, the residents have overcome all crises.
Now, the Alliance and various survivor forces have jointly announced the end of the Wasteland Era, and the Battlefield Atmosphere Group finally found the opportunity to reveal everything to the residents of Triumph City.
From the Battle of Fallen Leaf Valley to the solitary journey across Luo Xia Province, and then to the mission at West Sail Port and being embroiled in power struggles that led to imprisonment, he recounted all his experiences along the way.
Including that he was a resident of Shelter No. 404, initially joined the Army to gather intelligence, and later was moved by another side of the Vellante people, deciding to do something to help those around him and everyone trapped by the past...
Except for parts about the Game and the players, he confessed almost everything he could... even though, regardless of whether he said anything at all, no one would blame or question him.
However, thinking of everything that happened after Marshal Julius left, he agonized over it for quite some time before ultimately choosing to be honest with those who supported him.
Some things can be left to time, but some things, if not completed today, are destined to become historical regrets.
This was beyond the expectations of the Battlefield Atmosphere Group.
After listening to his statement, the Vellante people standing below the Glory Court steps were calmer than he had imagined.
Including Coleway
Including Penny, her father Centurion Bennott, and other civil officials supporting his ascent.
Perhaps——
They had already guessed, maybe.
The Old Soldier wasn't clear about others, but Bennott probably had some inkling all along.
However, at that time, Triumph City needed the Alliance's help, and indeed there wasn't anyone in Triumph City who could step forward to take the lead, so everyone in the know tacitly overlooked these insignificant details.
Politics itself is an art of compromise.
At least for the civil official group representing the citizens of Triumph City, the title of the power in the Welch Governorate—whether Army or Vellante Alliance—was not important.
What matters is whose interests it represents, whose voice it amplifies, and whom it protects.
That fellow may not be a skilled Leader, but he certainly kept those who supported him close to heart.
That's already enough.
Under the shadows of the side hall.
Watching the Pangolin standing on the steps, Centurion Bennott remained silent for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.
"...He is an honest young man, but unfortunately not a mature politician."
Penny's expression was far more complex, encompassing shock and bewilderment, sadness and sorrow, and confusion and many things she herself couldn't quite discern.
Though she had slightly perceived something before, especially after learning he hailed from River Valley Province...
But each time she convinced herself, ultimately burying the doubts deep within her heart.
Yet surprisingly, he himself brought everything to light...
"...Why did he lie?" Penny's eyes were filled with bewilderment, feeling as if the filter in her heart shattered.
Bennott glanced at his daughter and sighed softly, unusually taking the "Pangolin's" stance.
"Though you might find it hard to accept what I'm about to say, from my perspective, his actions could indeed be considered honest... albeit selectively retaining parts of the truth at times."
"But why?" Penny looked at her father with incomprehension, eyes full of melancholy, "Couldn't he... have been straightforward from the beginning, explaining everything to us clearly?"
Bennott remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Let me ask you instead, had he not done so back at West Sail Port and Tiandu, would you have remained steadfastly by his side?"
Penny gazed blankly at her father, momentarily speechless.
She wanted to unhesitatingly say "yes," yet found herself not as unwavering as she imagined.
Seeing Penny's eyes fall into confusion, Bennott's gaze suddenly carried some approval and warmth.
He reached out to touch his daughter's hair, the rare gesture of a father rather than as a minister.
"When you begin to hesitate, it means you've started to examine your own heart... instead of blindly chasing after progress as a fashion like many young people with no worldly experience."
"People often hope others are completely open with them, yet rarely face their own hearts with honesty. We all know it well, we as humans are far from flawless ourselves, why burden others to be someone even we cannot hope to be?"
"I don't mean to say his actions were glorified, or perhaps as you mentioned, there were better choices, or he could have done better, but such matters only exist in our imagination."
"At least in terms of outcomes, he didn't abuse your trust to do anything against you, nor did he ever betray those supporting him, even with his many private struggles... actions should speak instead of intentions, which I believe is enough, even I might not have done better in the same position."
"I think... most folks in this settlement think so too. And on the walls of the Glory Court, there will be a dedicated space for him."
When everyone longs for a flawless saint, what they eventually receive must be a silver-tongued liar.
Only a liar could ever satisfy all desires within people's hearts... however contradictory, twisted, and unreasonable they may seem.
Teil was precisely this kind of existence.
He painted a vision of an era where Vellante people were omnipotent, promising his followers that such an era would inevitably come if they followed his lead.
In the end, he led everyone to Hell.
To the extent that, in the end, shattered by dreams, he shamelessly revealed his twisted and ugly mental state, intending not only to obliterate everything of the Southern Legion but also to eradicate Vellante people from existence.
It's hard to say if this was due to the celestial beings' temptation.
After all, it wasn't merely the obsession of one or two people but that of everyone in the Southern Legion.
Penny bowed her head with a complex expression, a tangle of emotions within her heart rendering her speechless, seemingly hesitating over something.
Bennott didn't speak further, instead casting his gaze to the stairs in the distance.
He suddenly realized that his daughter had grown up, no longer the ignorant girl she once was.
She should go live her own life.
He made up his mind silently in his heart that no matter what decision she made, he would respect her choice...
...
The speech had come to its conclusion.
As the Pangolin said at the beginning, this was his final speech.
"...My mission is completed, the path ahead will be for you to walk, and only you can walk it."
"Hold tightly to the reins in your hands, do not give them to anyone else, always hold them yourself. Be loyal to yourselves, to your family and friends, to the ones you love... Before doing anything, ask yourself, have you lived up to them, for this is the noblest form of loyalty."
"As for me—"
"I will return to the place where I set out."
The Old Soldier bowed deeply, then walked down from the high platform, blending into the crowd holding torches.
From now on, he would no longer be the Leader of the Welch Alliance but a regular Resident of Shelter No. 404.
Before this, he had done full preparations for the aftermath, having spent the past six months readying for this.
After he stepped down, the Civil Official Group would initiate a new selection process to choose the next Leader, under people's supervision, to lead the Survivors living in this province into the new era...
People spontaneously made way, nodding to him, shaking his hand, and even saluting him.
In response to the people's expressions of respect, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group also smiled in acknowledgment.
The show was finally over, and it ended at just the right moment.
After all, he was not a professional politician, nor did he have the rich management experience of a Manager, continuing in the position of Leader would surely mess things up; better to hand it over quickly to the truly talented experts after the end of the Wasteland Era.
With the help of the Guard Brigade and the Civil Official Group, he perfected the selection mechanism, powers scope, and accountability mechanism for the Leader position he created, and institutionalized the existing political factions, turning the original Black Box into a relatively transparent box... This was the only thing he could do as his last task.
As for what remains, leave it to history to judge.
In the end, he did not let anyone down and after confessing everything, he returned to be himself again.
His heart felt an unprecedented sense of relief, the long-awaited day finally arrived!
He, an undercover from the grassroots, worked his way up to the leader's position, and finally could retreat with full accolades—
If the Manager did not bestow upon him the title of "The first undercover in the history of the Alliance," it might be hard to conclude finally.
The people standing on the steps of the Glory Court watched him leave.
With eyes filled with reluctance, people watched him get into the black car parked by the roadside, and they did not leave until the car's lights disappeared at the end of the road...
Today was destined to be a sleepless night.
For everyone in this city...
...
Returning to the lodging palace.
The Old Soldier packed his luggage simply, planning to set off back to the Alliance tomorrow.
His work locally had been completed and was highly appreciated by the Manager.
It is said that after the public test, a new version will be opened, with a brand new map and mainline content to be provided.
To not be left behind by other players, he should also spend some time leveling up and catching up on the progress he had previously missed.
"This power armor... it's better to leave it for the locals."
Gazing at that golden-painted power armor, the Old Soldier felt a bit reluctant in his heart, yet eventually decided to leave it here.
Although Julius had given it to him, after all these things were imbued with many emotions of the people of Vellante, and were no longer simply private possessions of an individual.
Perhaps he was too deep into his role, too strong in his sense of identification, he really couldn't treat the people here as purely NPCs.
In his mind, they had long been his comrades, comrades-in-arms, even unrelated family members...
"...Well, anyway, I already received my mission rewards." Glancing at that golden power armor, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group muttered, the corner of his mouth suddenly curled into a faint smile.
He believed if Marshal Julius was watching from the heavens, he would surely be gratified by his choice at this moment.
It's harder to lay down than to pick up.
The golden armor shimmered faintly under the light, seemingly acknowledging his choice.
At this moment, soft footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a knock.
"May I come in?"
That was Penny's voice.
Although a bit unsure how to face that face, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group eventually said, "Please come in."
The door creaked open.
Penny stood at the doorway.
She wore an off-shoulder long dress, with a slightly slit hem extending to the knees.
Her smooth brown hair fell over her shoulders, its tips outlining bold curves, like the tail of a squirrel falling on a treetop.
Unlike her usual simple and capable appearance, after a careful dress-up, she looked like a princess on a leisurely outing in a stage play, both decisive and elegant.
With her sapphire eyes staring straight at him, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group momentarily didn't know where to place his gaze, and his eyes suddenly fell on the suitcase in her hand.
"...Where are you going?"
He asked without having anything to say, but Penny seemed to have come prepared to speak to him.
She glanced at the suitcase spread open on the floor, gently raising the corner of her lip glazed lips.
"Wherever you go, I'll go."
Perhaps because he had just resigned, the battlefield atmosphere group was no longer as composed as when he stood on the high platform earlier. He coughed clumsily and said.
"Don't be silly. Your father is a minister, and from tomorrow onwards, I won't be a leader anymore."
"Does that matter?" Penny said nonchalantly, "That's his business, not mine."
Looking at her indifferent expression, the battlefield atmosphere group couldn't help but quietly mutter.
"It's irrelevant to you; anyway, he'll eventually end up killing me."
Penny raised her eyebrows slightly and provocatively asked.
"Are you scared?"
Out of male pride, the battlefield atmosphere group would never admit he was scared.
But out of a man's responsibility, he ultimately said, "Don't be silly."
"I'm about to return to the Alliance... As for the future, even I don't know where I'll end up."
Penny teased and said.
"You've done something so sensational that even the Emperor of the Eastern Empire and the President of the New Federation were shocked. Your manager won't just make you disappear, will they?"
The battlefield atmosphere group shook his head and said.
"Not to that extent, but I might go explore a new map—cough, I mean another planet, outside the Solar System."
"So what," Penny said nonchalantly, "I'll go with you."
The battlefield atmosphere group stared blankly at this capricious person, feeling that she seemed different from before, but unable to tell if she had become more mature or more childish.
Or maybe it wasn't her who changed, but himself, suddenly becoming hesitant and cautious for some unknown reason.
He wasn't like this before.
Looking at the mute Pangolin, or the battlefield atmosphere group, Penny continued seriously.
"I'm not joking with you. I don't care about any 'code names in the refuge' or 'real-life names'; I can't remember such complicated things... I only know one thing: you're my Pangolin. So what's your answer?"
"To be frank, it's a very attractive proposition. Can I take it as a confession—"
She no longer cared to listen to his nonsense, tossed her suitcase into the room, and then caught him by the neck in his surprised gaze, pushing him against the door.
The door collided with the door frame with a "bang," and the abrupt sound echoed in the empty hallway.
Perhaps this is the tradition of Vellante—
But is this position somehow wrong?
The battlefield atmosphere group initially wanted to resist but suddenly realized he wasn't really against it.
After going through so much together, he already had an answer in his heart... But due to some concerns and a sense of responsibility, he never crossed that line.
And just a few hours ago, with his honest confession, those concerns no longer existed.
His mind buzzed for a while, eventually squeezing out a sentence in a consultative tone.
"Wait— I accept your feelings, but can you let me choose a cooler name?"
Dang!
Pangolin really lacks immersion!
If only he hadn't listened to those fools' encouragement back then; he could've just used his real-life name!
After all, it was his name, no problem.
But it's too late for regrets now.
Looking at the one who shot himself in the foot with a rock, Penny's face showed a devilish smile, biting mercilessly.
"Don't even think about it!"
…
Silence reigned for the night.
…
The next morning, sparse light filtered through the gaps between the leaves outside the window, spilling into the messy room.
The overturned tables and scattered cabinets looked as if they had been blown over by a tornado.
At this moment, sitting by the bed, the battlefield atmosphere group had entered the sage phase.
Reflecting on last night's madness, he couldn't help but smack his head a few times.
Originally, both were novices clashing, theory far exceeding practice, agreeing to stop at friendly competition, yet both enjoyed showing off.
Anyway, because someone said something arrogant like, "Your cards are played awfully well," the card game dragged from the early morning into midnight.
Faced with the provocations from Vellante's talented individuals, the battlefield atmosphere group ultimately upheld the dignity of the Fourth Heaven Disaster before dying of exhaustion.
Sadly, his principles were all shed...
Watching the serene face bathed in sunlight, a soft smile suddenly appeared on the battlefield atmosphere group's face.
Honestly, it was the first time he saw her like this.
Her even breathing gently lifted the hair resting on her nose; he reached out to brush it away, only to find those sapphire eyes staring intently at him.
"You're awake?"
Penny gently nodded without speaking, just watching him with affectionate eyes.
She seemed like a satisfied cat, leisurely licking her paws in the sunshine.
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group felt their heartbeat quicken, yet there was a hint of tenderness as they gently brushed through those smooth locks of hair.
"Can you get up?"
Just as he finished speaking, Penny, who had been lying on her side, sat up with a yawn, stretched lazily, and casually grabbed clothes to drape over her shoulder.
"Are you kidding? It's just a minor injury, nothing to me."
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group made a helpless expression.
"Are you sure? That wasn't what you said yesterday."
"That was an exception."
Penny squinted slightly, her lips curling gently.
"Next time, I won't lose."
It seemed like her competitive spirit was misdirected, but the Old Soldier had no desire to argue.
In the future, he should try to be more gentlemanly and allow for some concessions when appropriate.
After all, she had sacrificed so much for him and decided to accompany him to a faraway place...
As if understanding his gaze, Penny flicked his forehead with her index finger.
"Listen, I don't want you to feel like I've made some huge sacrifice or that you owe me a great favor, turning things into some sort of transaction."
Holding that soft yet strong hand, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group spoke with solemnity.
"I swear I never thought that way, I was just thinking... about my responsibility."
Even though it sounded cheesy, he honestly couldn't think of a more suitable expression.
"You better not have," Penny said in a lazy voice, her cat-like eyes narrowing slightly. "As for responsibility, just think about your part, I am not a child and can take care of myself."
At this point, she suddenly stared at him, her expression half-serious, half-playful.
"So if you dare to be disloyal or do something that wrongs me, you won't need my father to act, I'll do it myself."
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group had no doubt she could do it, even though she wasn't his match if they truly fought.
However, that kind of situation would never occur, he could vouch for that with his integrity.
Whether in reality or in the game, his character was trustworthy.
Looking into those sapphire-like eyes, he made the most solemn promise of his life.
"I promise! If that ever happens, I won't trouble you to act, I'll resolve it myself."
In those bright eyes, waves of emotion stirred.
She could feel that there wasn't the slightest reservation in this promise.
It wasn't a vow made in anyone's name or with a disposable name, but a genuine promise from one soul to another.
The two gazed deeply into each other's eyes, the room fell into a silent stillness.
At this moment, speaking seemed unnecessary.
Biting the edge of her lip gently, Penny maintained eye contact for a long time before confirming the mutual, unfaltering sentiment, then laughed aloud.
"No way, I call the shots here."
After saying this with a touch of playful mischief, she suddenly pounced like a hunting tiger, pinning the unready Battlefield Atmosphere Group onto the pillow.
Outside the window, snow-laden branches gently swayed and creaked in the northern wind, while snowflakes fell like a bridal gown draped over the earth by the sky.
Perhaps—
He didn't really need to leave in such a hurry.
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group contemplated for a long time.
In truth, he hadn't entirely been without failure, even nearly disappointing someone he should never disappoint, making a girl who had accompanied him in life-and-death adventures become a regret.
It's better to leave in a few days.
He still needed to clarify things about Penny to Bennott and meet his future mother-in-law.
It's shameful to say.
Despite being in Triumph City for so long, he had been preoccupied with important tasks and hadn't officially visited her home.
Although Vellante people are rather unconcerned with these things, he still had his own traditions and cultural customs...
This is tricky.
How to explain this situation to the family?
Getting married to a two-dimensional character?
Wouldn't that get him sent to Professor Yang?!
Thinking about a jumble of chaos, this time the Old Soldier completely lost the round.
Looking at her triumphant face, he laid back in a complete surrender, raising both hands in submission.
Whatever!
Just take it step by step, before returning to the Alliance, get this marriage completed.
This too was Penny's thought.
Though she mentioned this was just a heads-up and wouldn't care if her father disagreed, he couldn't be as capricious and rash as she is, leaving a permanent regret in this beautiful ending.
In any case, during this time before the birth anniversary, it'll surely be busy...