Two days later, in the small clinic in Boulder Town.
Oleg looked at Natasha in front of him and noticed she seemed a bit distracted, her hands slowing by half a beat as she organized the medicine bottles.
"Natasha, are you alright?"
"You haven't seemed quite right these past two days."
Natasha's movements paused, then she nonchalantly straightened a bottle of medicine, forcing herself to calm down.
She looked up, a professional smile gracing her face.
"It's nothing, Oleg. Just a lot more patients lately, a bit tired."
She avoided Oleg's probing gaze, turning to another topic:
"Oh, by the way, regarding the patrols around Boulder Town, I have an idea."
Oleg frowned slightly but listened patiently.
"Recently, the activity of the Fragmentum monsters has become more frequent, especially in the Great Mine and the entrance to the Rivet Town. Our current patrol routes are too fixed and easily exploited by the monsters."
"I suggest we adjust them, increasing the frequency of random patrols, especially at night, and shifting defensive forces towards these two areas."
She carefully packaged the instructions Orion had given her as her own analysis and suggestions.
Every word was carefully considered, striving to sound reasonable.
Oleg stroked the stubble on his chin, pondering Natasha's words.
This suggestion indeed made sense; the previous few incidents of Fragmentum monster attacks on residents had all occurred during patrol gaps.
Although Natasha rarely actively interfered with specific defense deployments, her analysis was not without reason.
"Hmm, you're right. Fixed routes are indeed easy to exploit." Oleg nodded, "I'll arrange it, we'll adjust the patrol plan and strengthen vigilance in those two areas."
He did not delve into the reason for Natasha's sudden suggestion; their long-standing cooperation gave him considerable trust in his partner.
Moreover, the suggestion itself was beneficial to the Wildfire.
Natasha secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn't easy to relay instructions for that child for the first time…
A few days later.
Orion was in his shelter, listening to the scattered discussions from outside.
"...Hey, did you hear? Last night, the Wildfire caught a few more monsters trying to sneak in near the Great Mine!"
"Really? I thought it was always pretty peaceful there?"
"No way, the monsters have been clearly restless lately! Luckily, the Wildfire patrol diligently, otherwise, if those things got in, we'd all be in trouble!"
Orion leaned on his makeshift bed, his face devoid of any expression.
Good, the first step was smooth.
Oleg carried out the order.
His chess game had quietly begun.
In the following days, the residents of Boulder Town truly felt the change.
The harassment by Fragmentum monsters did not stop; in fact, it showed a tendency to intensify.
But each time they tried to attack the town, they were always discovered and repelled in time by the Wildfire's patrol team.
The new patrol routes and defensive arrangements were surprisingly efficient.
After several dangerous situations were successfully resolved, the townspeople looked at the Wildfire members differently.
More and more people voluntarily joined the Wildfire.
The prestige of the Wildfire steadily rose in Boulder Town.
During this time, Seele also grew rapidly.
Within the Wildfire, she learned combat techniques and teamwork.
Her agile movements were particularly outstanding when fighting monsters, and she quickly earned the recognition of Oleg and the other members.
Every time she completed a patrol mission, Seele felt very fulfilled.
That night, Seele returned to the shelter, tired but excited.
"Orion! Let me tell you, we repelled another wave of monsters today!"
She couldn't help but exclaim as soon as she opened the door, her eyes sparkling beneath her blue-black short hair.
"Uncle Oleg is truly amazing; his patrol method is so effective! We discovered those monsters as soon as they showed their heads!"
"Really? What exactly happened?"
Orion put down his work and casually asked.
Seele immediately became excited and described enthusiastically: "Well, we're no longer rigidly walking the same old routes; instead, we've split into several teams, sometimes going this way, sometimes circling that way, and paying special attention to the Great Mine and the Rivet Town… Anyway, those monsters have no idea when we'll appear!"
She chattered about her day's experiences, completely unaware of Orion's leading questions.
Orion listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word or two, guiding Seele to reveal more details about the Wildfire's internal operations, personnel allocation, and material reserves.
He needed to gather enough information from the grassroots personnel to better plan his next step.
Watching Seele's cheeks flush slightly with excitement, Orion inexplicably felt happy too.
A few months later.
Order in Boulder Town gradually returned, but new problems arose.
Resource scarcity became increasingly severe.
Food, daily necessities, medicine… every item was in short supply.
Although the Wildfire received some support from residents, the collected supplies were still limited.
And these resources they controlled soon attracted the covetous eyes of other factions.
The Underworld never lacked desperadoes.
The various gangs that emerged after the Silvermane Guards withdrew were not just the Wildfire.
To describe them as springing up like mushrooms after rain would not be an exaggeration.
Among them, a gang led by a former miner boss named "Ironhide" was the largest and most ruthless.
They set their sights on a batch of warm clothing stockpiled by the Wildfire in their warehouse.
The provocation soon occurred.
Several of Ironhide's subordinates deliberately sought trouble with the Wildfire patrol members on the street, spreading word.
They demanded that the Wildfire be sensible and hand over the items in the warehouse!
Debate immediately erupted within the Wildfire.
Oleg's opinion was clear; he slammed his hand on the table:
"We must fight! We cannot back down! If we give in this time, everyone will step all over us in the future! The dignity of the Wildfire must be upheld with our fists!"
However, Natasha put forward a different view.
"Oleg, we will suffer heavy losses if we meet force with force."
"The Ironhide outnumber us, and their weapons and equipment are more abundant, and they are more unscrupulous in their actions."
She paused, as if organizing her words, but was actually repeating Orion's instructions:
"Actually, if we have to fight, we can use the terrain. The ruins behind the warehouse area are like a labyrinth, a natural trap. We can lure them in…"
She did not continue, merely pushing a piece of paper with a crude map drawn on it towards Oleg.
It marked ambush points, retreat routes, and even the possible time and general direction of Fragmentum monster tides.
This plan… was too insidious and cunning, too unlike Natasha's style of planning.
It was full of calculations and risks, even utilizing Fragmentum monsters.
Natasha was actually somewhat resistant when relaying it.
But Orion's words were like a spell, making her unable to resist.
Oleg picked up the map, frowning as he scrutinized it.
This plan was very risky, but if successful, it could indeed resolve the threat of the Ironhide with minimal cost.
He looked at Natasha, trying to find a hint of hesitation in her eyes, but Natasha just lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
Finally, Oleg took a deep breath and made his decision:
"Alright, we'll do as you say!"
The battle began two nights later.
Everything proceeded according to Orion's script.
The Wildfire members deliberately showed weakness, luring the Ironhide into the abandoned area.
The narrow, labyrinthine terrain prevented the Ironhide's numerical and weapon advantages from being fully utilized.
Relying on the terrain, the Wildfire caught the Ironhide off guard!
Just as both sides were fighting fiercely, as planned, a group of Fragmentum monsters were attracted by the commotion and entered the battlefield at just the right moment!
In the chaos, the Ironhide completely collapsed!
They not only had to face the Wildfire's ambush but also deal with the suddenly appearing monsters.
Ultimately, the leader of the Ironhide was personally struck down by Oleg; his subordinates either died or fled.
The Wildfire won this crucial victory at a very small cost, and also seized the supplies accumulated by the Ironhide gang.
More importantly, it completely deterred other forces in Boulder Town.
After this battle, the prestige of the Wildfire soared.
Seele performed remarkably in this battle, taking down several enemies much larger than her.
Soon, Orion learned the news of the Wildfire's great victory.
A knowing expression appeared on his face.
Information asymmetry and the precise exploitation of human nature were his greatest weapons in this Underworld.
He didn't need to act personally to cause huge waves.
Meanwhile, at the other end of Boulder Town.
The lights in Natasha's clinic stayed on very late.
Natasha looked at her pale, haggard face in the mirror, feeling increasingly unfamiliar with herself.
She was like a puppet controlled by strings, executing every command from that child.
Each success was accompanied by deeper self-doubt.
She rubbed her temples, and the blurry image of her brother Vache appeared in her mind again.
That was the only motivation supporting her to continue.
She tried to inquire about her brother through her past connections, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no news.
This made her increasingly dependent on Orion's promise.
Soon, a year passed.
The strength and influence of the Wildfire continued to expand, and Boulder Town became a rare safe zone in the Underworld, attracting more and more residents fleeing from Rivet Town or other places.
Orion was ten years old.
On his birthday, the Underworld was as gloomy as ever.
But inside the shelter, there was a rare hint of life.
Seele, blushing, handed him a crooked little cloth doll sewn from scraps, the rough stitches showing the maker's care.
"Orion, for you… Happy birthday."
She then turned her head away, not daring to look at Orion.
Orion accepted the gift, a smile on his face.
"Thank you, Seele."
Although he was happy.
What he cared about today was something else.
Late at night, the cold wind howled outside the shelter.
Orion sat alone in the darkness, reviewing the past year.
The Wildfire had become an undeniable force in Boulder Town, Natasha was firmly under his control, Seele grew increasingly dependent and trusting of him…
Everything was on track.
Just then, a long-unheard mechanical voice sounded:
[Host age has reached ten, fulfilling the conditions for the second simulation.]
[Do you wish to activate the Villain Simulation?]