"What’s going on here?"
"What are they queuing for?"
Ah Long took the initiative to ask a young man standing in front of them.
The young man looked somewhat nervous—
He vaguely sensed a powerful extraordinary aura from Ah Long and his companion.
"Registration!"
"The queue is for registration!"
The young man answered bravely.
"Registration?"
"Registering for what?"
Ah Long and Don Flack exchanged a glance, both puzzled.
"Registering information, filling out an application form..."
"If you’re lucky, you might become an official subordinate of Dawn Fortress!"
The young man answered quickly.
When he mentioned ’becoming a subordinate,’ his tone was noticeably more excited and longing.
"Ah..."
Ah Long and his companion were momentarily stunned by his words.
Until this moment.
They noticed—
The back of the young man’s hand didn’t have the special subordinate logo.
In other words,
This young man wasn’t an official subordinate of the fortress, but was likely a member who surrendered after the Celestial God Civilization Corps was defeated, or perhaps a member from a subordinate civilization like Farben.
"Hmm..."
Ah Long and Don Flack pondered after realizing this.
For a long time, neither spoke.
But...
Neither of them left the line but stood quietly behind the young man, gradually moving forward with the queue.
"You..."
"You probably shouldn’t, right?"
"You’re Miss Athena’s subordinate."
Ah Long suddenly spoke, addressing Don Flack.
Don Flack remained silent, just queuing.
"If you do this..."
"What if Miss Athena gets angry, what will you do then?"
Ah Long was kind-hearted, and these words were not meant as sarcasm or irony.
"..."
Don Flack said nothing.
He knew Ah Long’s situation and knew that the moment he became the Governor of Heaven Star, he officially became Yu Jin’s subordinate—despite neither he nor Athena understanding how Yu Jin managed it, being in a low dimension yet holding control over Heaven Star, without even the Federation Government knowing.
"Two bosses..."
"It’s my turn now."
"I, I’ll go in first!"
The young man queued ahead of them suddenly turned around and spoke softly.
"Oh, okay."
Ah Long responded.
Don Flack showed a hint of envy.
This young man’s strength was weak, not even Tier Fifteen, let alone Tier Twenty.
Yet at this moment, in this matter,
Don Flack wished he could be like this young man.
"Sigh—"
Don Flack finally sighed deeply.
He stepped aside and exited the queue.
"Ah Long."
"Your luck often makes me jealous."
Don Flack very much wanted to join Dawn Fortress, or in other words, become one of Yu Jin’s subordinates.
But...
Everything he had now was given by Athena.
He ultimately couldn’t betray Athena, nor could he switch to Dawn Fortress without her permission.
In contrast, Ah Long had no such worries.
From the beginning, Ah Long and Yu Jin were tightly bound together.
"Hmm..."
Ah Long understood Don Flack’s thoughts, but for a moment, didn’t know how to console him.
"Next!"
At this moment.
A mechanical voice called from the temporary tent at the front of the queue.
"Quick, go in!"
Don Flack urged Ah Long.
And just then.
Whoosh—
A fragrant breeze suddenly swept in.
An elegant female figure appeared before them.
"Miss... Miss Athena!"
Ah Long and Don Flack were both taken aback at the sight of the newcomer.
And immediately after.
Something even more shocking to them happened.
"Cutting in line?"
Simply three words spoken by Athena had overwhelmed Ah Long and Don Flack.
After quite a while.
It was Ah Long who first reacted.
"Okay, okay!"
He said repeatedly, making space for Athena.
As for Don Flack.
At this moment, his face showed surprise, confusion, excitement, and relief...
Various emotions, like an overturned dye vat, are indescribable.
Before this scene unfolded.
He could never have imagined—
Even his own master, the heiress of the Ophelia Federation, was thinking of joining Yu Jin’s Dawn Fortress...
...
...
"Huh?"
"Athena’s application?"
"Ah Long and Don Flack, these two, also filled out the application form?"
Top of the Tower of the Sky.
Yu Jin looked at the lines of text on the translucent panel in front of him, his expression odd.
Beside him, Yin Yao, who came to report this matter, pressed her lips together without speaking.
This scene.
It’s hard not to recall the very beginning of the story—
When she, Yin Yao, filled out the application form wanting to join Yu Jin’s Environmental Protection Club during the recruitment at Jiang University.
The situation then seemed exactly like now.
"These three guys..."
Yu Jin stared at the lines of text on the panel for quite some time, his expression changing from initially odd to helpless.
"Approve?"
"Or reject?"
Yin Yao asked in a low voice.
She had already learned from Cao Fang about Athena’s background and identity, knowing that this was no small matter, so she specifically came to Yu Jin to make a decision.
"Approve it."
"It’s just the status of subordinates, let it be."
"Strictly speaking..."
"In the near future, they will be one of us."
Upon hearing this, Yin Yao’s eyes widened slightly.
"One of us..."
Yin Yao bit her lip, and out of the corner of her eye, glanced at the extravagant, luxurious, hundred-meter bed behind Yu Jin.
Of course.
The person she was considering naturally didn’t include the two men, Ah Long and Don Flack, but rather Athena, the heiress of the Ophelia Federation.
"Understood."
Yin Yao responded softly.
"Alright."
"Is there anything else?"
Yu Jin looked up and asked.
"Nothing else."
Yin Yao pressed her lips together.
"Hmm..."
"It’s just as well you came over, saving me from having to specifically greet Neil."
"It’s like this—"
"For the upcoming period, as short as a few days, as long as a month, I will be in seclusion."
"During the period of seclusion, don’t let anyone disturb me."
"For major fortress decision-making, you can discuss with Nayaniel and decide."
After hearing this, Yin Yao felt a slight movement in her heart.
She looked up at Yu Jin and saw his face full of seriousness.
"You..."
"Are you returning to A3 Planet?"
Although Yin Yao didn’t know how Yu Jin manifested in the Low Dimension, she had already learned much about the Venus Server from Bai Zhining.
At the high-level meeting half a day ago, when Yu Jin mentioned bringing the A3 Planet players stationed on Blue Star back, Yin Yao anticipated this moment would come.
"Yes."
Yu Jin didn’t hide it, nodding affirmatively.
"Understood."
"During this time, I will definitely do my best to manage all matters of the fortress."
Yin Yao spoke softly, then left the lord’s private area.
Accompanying her departure were the Tao Naimu Xiang sisters, who had just given Yu Jin a massage not long ago.
Their delicate faces were filled with deep disappointment.
...
...
"Huff—"
On the extravagant, luxurious, hundred-meter bed.
Yu Jin adjusted his breathing rhythm.
In front of him.
Words that only he could see have appeared—
[Would you like to create a clone projection to be deployed to the low-dimensional server?]
"Yes!"
With all affairs arranged, Yu Jin no longer had any worries.
[Random deployment coordinates?]
"No."
"Lock coordinates..."
Yu Jin’s heart stirred, giving the coordinates he had previously locked onto Xiaoming inside the Reincarnation Arena.
[Coordinates locked!]
[Creating clone projection...]
[Deployment mode—direct control!]
[In this mode, during the projection, your main body will enter a state of slumber...]
[You will have complete control of the consciousness of the low-dimensional server’s projection clone!]
[Clone projection creation complete!]
[Random attribute, random ability, random talent... inherited!]
[Deployment initiated!]
Sitting upright on the bed, Yu Jin slowly closed his eyes.
His consciousness, accompanied by a unique fluctuation, descended to a place extremely far away.
There.
Was the very starting point of Yu Jin’s Wasteland journey, the A3 Wasteland Planet...