Chapter 920 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 920: Who's Ambushing Who? Gunfire erupted like a sudden storm, bullets flew like a swarm of locusts toward the convoy, startling all the players standing nearby. Who would have thought the Southern Legion had something up their sleeves, managing to gather an army right under their noses? However, the main accomplishment of this ambush was merely to give them a scare. As the metallic clangs rang out, Hei Yi, with heavy steps, darted behind a jeep for cover. While seated in the vehicle earlier, his heart pounded fiercely. It turns out these guys were, indeed, lying in wait ahead. Thanks to the heightened perception attributes, he sensed the threat in advance. Because of this, the group avoided plunging directly into the enemy's ambush and instead halted at the edge of the trap. Clearly, the enemy hadn’t anticipated the sudden stop, so the raiders hiding at the abandoned town’s edge hadn’t fully deployed their firepower. Nonetheless, the firepower net formed by over a hundred people firing at once was ferocious enough. “Damn! The firepower from these bastards is intense!" Startled, Hei Yi remained hidden behind the vehicle, not daring to expose himself. Meanwhile, the other players who came along were howling with excitement. Half of them were newbies, while the other half were veterans within the legion. Perhaps due to pent-up energy, even the old-timers were shouting loudly. “Prepare for battle!” “Let’s do this, brothers!” The battle erupted instantly! However, Wyatt, observing from a distance, felt increasingly uneasy. Especially when he saw that blue "power armor" cowering behind the jeep, with a squad of guards rushing forward, leaving their commander unprotected—an overwhelming sense of incongruity filled his heart. Is this guy truly the commander? Although it seemed somewhat reasonable, it still felt problematic in every sense. “Hahaha! Taste this!” Pulling a heavy machine gun from the jeep's trunk, a burly player excitedly shouted as he loaded the ammunition with a click. The 30-kilogram machine gun seemed like a mere toy in his hands. He held the barrel with his left hand, bracing the stock against the exoskeleton’s shoulder plate. Targeting a low wall 300 meters away, he fired without hesitation. The tracer rounds zipped like javelins, piercing through the raiders hiding by the wall. The fierce firepower quickly suppressed the other side. Several raiders were blasted into pieces, along with the wall. Blood mist and debris scattered in the air, the booming sound thunderous enough to make heads spin. The bloody scene left everyone around shivering with fear. No wonder they belonged to the Guard Legion! Rumors said the Guards were the commander's elite force, and seeing them in action proved it! However, the raiders were only scared for a moment. Even with formidable combat prowess, there were only about thirty people on their side—not even enough for a full hundred-man squad! Seeing his underlings’ shaken morale, the leading centurion clenched his jaw and shouted at the nearby junior officers. “Hold the line! There are only around thirty of them! We outnumber them a hundred to one! We can drown them with just one spit each!" Saying this, he grabbed a centurion by the collar, spitting everywhere in his excitement. “Old Six, take a hundred men and flank them! And bring the rocket launchers!” “Yes!” Roaring in reply, the centurion ducked through the chaotic battlefield and yelled at the hesitant lackeys hiding near the buildings. “Stop dilly-dallying here! Follow me now, or the alliance reinforcements will be upon us!” Though fearful, the men tagged along, intimidated by his bulging eyes. This group skirted around the western side of the abandoned town, planning to use the forest's cover to flank the convoy and catch the opponents by surprise. It was, indeed, a good idea—unfortunately, the target was poorly chosen. Hundreds of the lackeys poured out of the town, only to be met by the chilling shine of armor in the woods. Unlike them, who shared merely ten exoskeletons among a hundred men, this group each donned their own “big piece,” with some even wearing “Radiance” power armor. However, it wasn’t just their equipment; the aura these people emitted was intimidating. These were seasoned veterans! Merely meeting eyes with one suited in power armor sent a chill down Old Six’s spine. It’s the Storm Legion! But why?! Meanwhile, watching the raiders approach, a grin spread across the face of Kakarot, leading the group. “Finally, after guarding home for so long, we have a chance to stretch our legs—” Before he could finish, a “clang” resonated off his chest plate. A raider had dared to shoot him, but all it did was hit his power armor's ceramic-steel chest plate, leaving not even a dent. Furious at being interrupted, Kakarot swiftly drew a short spear and hurled it with all his might at the offender. “Whoosh—!” The piercing sound sliced through the air, and under the dual boost of his strength attributes and power armor, the spear flew like lightning, impaling the raider who dared to shoot him, pinning him to a tree and causing the thick branches to tremble violently. The raider’s gruesome demise froze the others in their tracks, some showing terror as they instinctively stepped back. Yet, one foolhardy raider raised his rocket launcher with trembling hands. Before he could fire, a transparent dagger slit his throat. Ripples shimmered in the air as a player, clad in exoskeleton, appeared beside him like a ghost. Blood shot skyward, while the redirected rocket blasted into the raider ranks, scattering them in panic, sending several flying from the unexpected explosion. “Damn... Using HE rounds against power armor, what were you thinking, buddy?” BuryingGround clicked his tongue, swiftly enabling optical camouflage to once again become an invisible specter, hunting the terror-stricken raiders. Simultaneously, overwhelming gunfire erupted among the trees. The battle instantly escalated into a frenzy! Facing a full battalion from Storm Legion, the mere hundred raiders didn’t stand a chance; it was a completely one-sided slaughter! “Hold them off!!” Seeing victory slip away, the centurion named Old Six called out frantically before turning to flee in the opposite direction of the battle. He barely took two steps when the air was pierced by a whistle as something struck through his neck, stringing him up on a tree. Striding confidently, Kakarot stepped forward, pulling the blood-streaked spear from Old Six’s dangling body before casually tossing it onto his back and swapping it for the compact submachine gun hanging on his armor. The terrified raiders looked at him, their legs as heavy as lead. Realizing escape was futile, they channeled their fear into reckless cries and charged. In mere moments, a volley of bullets pinned them to the ground. Having emptied a clip, Kakarot reloaded, glanced at the corpses scattered around, and felt no hint of remorse. These scum, steeped in the blood of survivors, were less than human, more detestable than the mutants of the jungle. Reloading his submachine gun, he eyed the remaining dozen raiders, announcing coldly: “Leave none alive!” ... Simultaneously, back in the abandoned town, Hunterclaw, managing the operation, heard gunfire from the nearby woods. Before he could react, a whistling shell exploded on the rooftop of a nearby derelict building. “Boom—!!!” The deafening blast shattered the windows, sending the men inside diving for cover. “Dammit—where did they get artillery?!” A raider outfitted with cybernetic enhancements yelped in disbelief, arrogance replaced by fear and uncertainty. Hunterclaw was equally stunned. Wasn’t this supposed to be an ambush?! Where did these artillery shells come from, making our foe seem like a regular army?! Before Hunterclaw could process what was happening, a succession of shells exploded around them. Scorching shrapnel flew amid black smoke, and the communications channel was filled with frantic shouts. "It's mortar fire!" "It seems to be coming from the west!" "No—! Wait, there's movement to the east as well!" The command channel was in chaos, even though they hadn’t been hit by any EMP weaponry. Apparently, the enemy didn't bother to use such high-tech measures. Or perhaps they were keeping the radio lines open to further confuse and frighten them... Unable to control his subordinates any longer, Hunterclaw cursed in panic. "Damn it... What are those Southern Legion idiots doing?! Where's their big gun?! Why haven't they used it yet?" Wyatt had assured him of a trump card, supposedly stationed in the town, capable of obliterating the enemy with the press of a button. Watching his men fall one after another while his allies remained inactive, Hunterclaw cursed inwardly. Why haven't they used their trump card yet? Are they waiting to lay an egg?! Just then, a raider stumbled in through the door. Instinctively, Hunterclaw raised his revolver, pointing it at the newcomer's head, only to realize he was one of his own. He lowered the weapon. The raider collapsed onto his knees, looking disheveled, stammering. "Boss! Their firepower is too intense! The brothers can’t hold out!" Hearing the explosions outside, Hunterclaw's face twisted as if he'd seen a ghost. "How is this possible?! They only have twenty or thirty people! You have two or three thousand, how can you not stop them?!" "But, but..." The raider, at a loss, scratched his head, trying in vain to explain. These guys seemed like they had three heads and six arms, moving so fast they left only afterimages and aiming as precisely as eagles. Even though the Southern Legion had provided them with some exoskeletons, they hadn’t had them long enough to make a real difference in their combat capabilities. And the continuous casualties among their allies had further shaken their will to fight. In essence, they were just bandits—far less organized and trained than a regular army. Though three thousand might sound like a lot, if they couldn't deploy fully on the battlefield, they were no different from having only three hundred. Spit at them, you say? You still need the chance to spit. At this moment, Hunterclaw didn't even know that two squads he had sent to flank the enemy had already been intercepted and crushed by the Storm Legion. In less than a minute, another raider burst through the door, shouting in a panic. "Boss! There's a squad emerging from the west! Judging by the gunfire, there must be thousands of them!" The report nearly made Hunterclaw spit up blood. He wanted to smash open the raider's head to see if it was filled with dirt. "Nonsense, where did thousands come from?! The whole Settlement 10 has only 2,000 people, do you think they can just conjure up more?!" The raider paled, mumbling but unable to articulate any answer. Perhaps there weren’t thousands, but there were definitely hundreds. Otherwise, their comrades wouldn’t be hastily retreating from the gunfire. But before he could explain, a shout, mixed with gunfire, tore into the room. "Boss! The Alliance... Damn it, they're charging at us!" Hunterclaw's expression changed completely. Ignoring the cannonade outside, he walked briskly out the door. Just then, a mortar exploded nearby, causing him to stagger and nearly fall. He no longer had the mind to curse; he hurried towards the east side of the town. In that instant, he glimpsed a power armor suit standing crookedly on the street. Around the figure lay seventeen or eighteen corpses, the ruins streaked with blood. Hunterclaw's eyes widened in terror. Only then did he realize the true nature of the adversaries he faced. It seemed they weren't the ones ambushed—instead, they were the prey caught in a beast’s gaze… Unbeknownst to Kakarot, the raider leader was watching him, nor did he realize the turmoil brewing in that man's mind. Drawing a short spear from a wrecked exoskeleton, Kakarot flicked away the blood and armor fragments, letting out a hearty laugh at the terrified raiders around him. "Hahaha! This is so damn fun!" ... The Storm Legion players who stormed the abandoned town fought with the ferocity of predatory beasts among sheep. The kill count soared in bursts. Seeing the opposing firepower wane to almost meaningless levels, the thirty or so decoys could no longer hold back. They tore away the pretense of being "ambushed" and raced toward the town 300 meters away. Watching the players leave cover and rush forward, Hei Yi shouted after them. “Damn it, cover me, will ya!” Before he finished, he was retorted swiftly. “Cover you for what?! Just stay put as the bait, don’t move.” “Attack, attack!” “For the management team!” “Use the common tongue, or they won’t understand your babbling!” “Who cares?!” “Awoo!” Clearly, this bunch didn't treat him with the respect due a manager. As everyone left him behind and charged forward, Hei Yi, feeling both amused and exasperated, followed from behind, charging ahead with them. It wasn't that he feared being alone. Mostly, he dreaded missing out on the action and ending up not scoring a single kill. However, as a perception-based player, hauling nearly a ton of exoskeleton proved arduous, and struggling to keep up with the faster, more athletic players wasn’t realistic. When he finally arrived at the town, the southern side’s battle had practically concluded. Raiders’ bodies sprawled beside houses and walls, decimated by heavy weaponry. The gruesome scene resembled hell! Seeing the battlefield no longer required his input, Hei Yi sighed and sat on a stone. “No broth left even for a brother…” For a moment, he understood what it felt like to be the manager. Long ago, that guy would have charged alongside them. But at some point, they had developed enough not to need his intervention. And indeed, they'd much prefer him staying in a safe place than taking risks. After all, unlike them, he couldn’t respawn, and the penalty for his death was too severe for anyone to bear… Reflecting on this, it did seem rather lonely—having all that strength with nowhere to use it. But then again, thinking about it, the manager wasn’t a player. His mindset might not mirror theirs. Who knows, he might actually enjoy working from behind the scenes. It’s hard to say. The distant gunfire gradually ceased. With over half their forces lost, the remaining raiders finally abandoned the fight, scattering as they fled the town. Yet this only delayed their demise. To this point, the Storm Legion had only deployed two companies. Three more waited on the escapees' route. Following the plan, Brother Fountainhead would eliminate some of them on the road, then track the survivors back to their base and eradicate the rest. Hei Yi dusted off his armor, preparing to regroup with his comrades. And just then, a premonition crawled up his spine to the back of his head. In that instant, a figure shot toward him like a projectile. Instinctively sensing the threat, Hei Yi turned to block a clawed hand slashing at his face. “Clang!” The clashing metals rang out, revealing a distorted visage. This man's arms bore metallic claws—likely titanium alloy—leaving marks on Hei Yi’s armored fist. Not only were this guy’s arms modified, but his legs seemed enhanced too, moving with unnatural speed and power. Failing his strike, Hunterclaw used the momentum to flip mid-air, landing nimbly on the ground. Hunterclaw adjusted his stance for another attack, eyes locked fiercely on the bright blue power armor. His gaze was as venomous as a viper's flickering tongue. Since the guy didn't continue his assault, Hei Yi leisurely remained in place, waiting for the next move. It wasn't that he was reluctant to act; the exoskeleton was just so damn heavy that he preferred not to move unless necessary. Staring at the "administrator" for a long time without finding any flaws, Hunterclaw let out a sinister laugh. “Impressive moves…” “I could say the same.” “Hmph, I thought pampered folks like you would be cowards on the battlefield, but you've got some skills.” Hei Yi intended to shrug, but the shoulder plates remained motionless, so he gave up. “You haven’t seen me in action on the battlefield.” “Is that so?” Hunterclaw squinted, scrutinizing his prey from top to bottom. He then chuckled, “Your subordinates are strong, but you made a grave mistake giving me the chance to face you alone.” Annoyed by the endless chatter, Hei Yi couldn’t help but yawn. “And then? Now that you've seen me, what do you intend to do?” In that brief moment when Hei Yi yawned, Hunterclaw’s pupils contracted sharply. Finally, he spotted a fleeting opening! With a terrifying burst of power, he launched himself forward, the concrete beneath him cracking under the force! His claws became a blur, shooting towards Hei Yi like an arrow from a crossbow. “Die!” He roared with excitement, mustering all his strength to deliver his strongest strike to Hei Yi’s throat. He envisioned himself as a legend among raiders—the one who would be worshipped by every raider across the land. He would personally behead the Alliance’s manager! Yet at that moment, Hei Yi’s massive fist came crashing down like a sledgehammer towards Hunterclaw’s face. Caught off guard, Hunterclaw instinctively raised his arms to block, but the hand reached out and clamped down on his titanium claws, stopping them in their tracks. The tough blades let out a strained hum as they struggled under the pressure. Relieved, Hei Yi thought that while he wasn’t specialized in strength or reflexes, the exoskeleton had performed well enough, allowing him to predict the threat and block the lethal blow just in time with the engine’s overloaded drive. The blades lodged deep within the steel armor, making it near impossible for the titanium claws to break free. Seeing the look of terror on the raider’s face, Hei Yi’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “Wanna know a secret?” Without waiting for a reply, he lifted the visor on the helmet. “I’m not the manager.” Hunterclaw was paralyzed in shock, as if struck by lightning. Not…the manager? What had they been ambushing all night for?! Before he could fully comprehend, a compact spear whizzed in from the side, impaling his upper arm. The titanium component cracked instantly, and before he could do more than let out a pained scream, the ceramic-steel spearhead hacked off his arm and continued to embed into his rib cage. Electric sparks erupted, and Hunterclaw, fatally impaled, collapsed lifelessly before Hei Yi. "Oh, stealing my kill, are you?" Lowering the visor again, Hei Yi tossed away the titanium claw, flipping a middle finger at Kakarot in the distance. Kakarot chuckled with a teasing grin. "I just thought you might not handle it alone." Hei Yi rolled his eyes, not bothering to argue further. "What about the nuke? Is it real?" Kakarot approached, pulling the spear out of the corpse and stowing it in the sling on his back. "We’ve found it, in the center of the town, but they've already activated the nuke, set to detonate in an hour.” Clearly, they intended to blow the nuke after completing their battlefield sweep. The hour was likely their escape window. But the Southern Legion hadn’t realized the Guard Legion had been tracking their plans and knew about their trump card in advance. Thinking a nuke would scare the Alliance was rather wishful. Hei Yi’s expression turned serious. “Can it be defused?” “Not likely. We've decided against it,” Kakarot shrugged, but then smirked, “Why would we want to defuse it?” “With an hour to spare and having pinpointed their base location, we can load it onto a Viper transport and send it directly back to them.” To Be Continued...