This Game Is Too Real

"Poof—"

What the heck is an ancestor?!

Night Ten didn't expect this old man to speak the United Human language, but opening with that left him totally baffled.

It reminded him of when he landed in Jinjaron Harbor a long, long time ago.

The people there were also amazed by their equipment, exclaiming them to be "Iron Men."

But at least those people could communicate, and soon things turned normal.

"Quick, act quickly!"

A hurried prompt came over the communication channel.

Night Ten could tell that Jiang Xuezhou, watching the drama unfold from synchronic orbit, was even more anxious than him on the scene.

"I know..."

Night Ten replied hoarsely, then coughed, turned on his power armor loudspeaker, looked at the old man prostrated before him and a bunch of young men, and said.

"Everyone... speak standing up."

Most of the people didn't understand what he was saying, but the old man seemed to understand, muttering something while shakily getting to his feet.

The young men prostrated behind him did the same.

The confusion written on their faces was replaced by solemnity and reverence as the old man mumbled.

"What on earth are they saying?" Night Ten, unable to understand their discussion, projected a calm exterior, but inside he was quite anxious.

Jiang Xuezhou: "I don't really know... But I did develop a set of language behavior analysis models, maybe it could come in handy."

Night Ten felt a burst of joy upon hearing this.

"Awesome! When did you do this?"

Jiang Xuezhou: "Something I did before... not that you always say weird things!"

Night Ten chuckled.

It seems the habit of joking around paid off, didn't it?

While he was joking, more and more "little green men" emerged from the forest, gazing at this iron-clad figure standing by the river with curious yet fearful eyes.

They wore clothes woven from straw and flax, both male and female, or maybe public and maternal.

Not everyone carried weapons; some held woven baskets filled with berries and some oddly shaped insects collected nearby.

That old man continued to chatter excitedly with his clansmen, his emotion growing more intense as he spoke.

And those young men gathering slowly wore expressions that transitioned from fear and curiosity to devotion.

"... It seems they regard you as some kind of religious totem." Jiang Xuezhou said quietly in the communication channel, "I tried translating some of their language, and generally speaking... in their culture, they believe they are a race from the heavens, and they originally descended to this world wearing 'iron' clothing."

"They even know about iron?" Night Ten exclaimed, noting their primitive lances.

Jiang Xuezhou spoke uncertainly.

"Uh, that's just my translation; it could also mean metal or similar stuff. I'm certain they haven't mastered forging techniques, but they might have seen metal; the wreckage of the Gemini missile cruiser is in this area after all."

Translating it to wear the same material as that "Starship" might be more accurate, but if you nitpick words, it becomes quite awkward to read aloud.

Night Ten tried to grasp it, roughly understanding Jiang Xuezhou's intended conveyance.

"I kind of get it... You mean these people are descendants of the Gemini missile cruiser?"

Jiang Xuezhou was evidently confused, responding ambiguously.

"Hard to say, I can't decipher more information from their dialogues... We shouldn't rule out the possibility that they could be survivors from the Human Alliance Era colonies, as the early colonists also descended from high orbit wearing protective gear similar to power armor, many sentences can be interpreted in multiple ways."

Night Ten pressed a finger to his forehead in frustration.

In fact, whether they are descendants of the Gemini missile cruiser or survivors from Human Alliance Era colonies, both claims are fraught with issues.

After all, the former endured a neutron torpedo, and the latter was further obliterated by neutron torpedo or neutron extermination devices, presumably leaving none alive.

Yet here he was, witnessing a different scenario.

They survived in another form, even becoming a different kind of humans.

At this moment, Jiang Xuezhou's voice continued over the communication channel.

"Currently the only certainty is that the civilization here has severely regressed, reverting to tribal times. Although this might seem like an overreach... I still suggest you visit their settlement, maybe you'll discover answers."

Ultimately, Jiang Xuezhou tossed the decision back to him, and truthfully, Night Ten shared the same thought.

He was completely unfamiliar with this forest, making frequent missteps, with who knows what bizarre troubles awaiting him in the valley ahead.

This was a one-life playthrough; the nearest respawn point was five light-years away. Exploring with the face-in-the-bushes method might not be optimal, but perhaps finding a guide to help could be the right approach.

After all, there were so many people here who viewed him as an ancestor.

After experiencing the Hunter incident, Night Ten abruptly realized he'd gradually learned to solve problems with his mind.

And just as Night Ten was basking in self-satisfaction, that old man seemed to have finished communicating with his tribesmen and invited him with a devout expression.

"Honorable ancestor... Would you be willing... to accompany me to our tribe."

The old man's grasp of the United Human language was limited, mixing many words Night Ten did not understand into his sentences.

Fortunately, with Jiang Xuezhou's help, using that so-called behavioral language model, those unclear words were roughly guessed and translated into sentences for Night Ten.

Looking at the elderly man with a devout expression, Night Ten nodded slightly under the heavy helmet, responding in the most concise manner.

"Okay."

Seeing Night Ten nod, the elderly man seemed to experience a great honor, with a look of ecstatic joy, making Night Ten wonder whether this universally human body language had some other meaning here.

Regardless, this accidental "first contact" was seemingly successful.

The elderly man shouted something indistinctly into the forest, and soon the forest echoed with bird-like calls.

In that ongoing chorus of sounds, the birds and beasts in the forest were disturbed and driven away.

Thus, under the dancing and singing of a group of small green people, Night Ten followed the meandering creek towards higher ground upstream.

According to the elderly man, their tribe was built at the bend upstream of the creek.

All the while, Night Ten kept observing the surrounding environment.

To his surprise, the further upstream he went, the thicker the trees became, and the strange plants growing among them became even more lush and bizarre.

Conversely, the paths for traversing became fewer and narrower.

According to experience on Earth, these lush areas were not suitable for settlements; places with open terrain near mountains and water were preferred for inhabitation.

Yet, such Earth-based experiences seemed inapplicable here, especially with those agile small green people, who appeared unaffected by the verdant and flourishing forest, moving even more swiftly and lightly than they did in open areas.

The only one struggling was Night Ten.

Even with a guide ahead, squeezing into the dense forest with his heavy gear was not easy.

Especially with that half-human-high box on his back, managing to squeeze it through the forest was miraculous!

He couldn't help but wonder if he could walk out without their help.

He did have some incendiary bombs on him.

But such individual equipment was decent for warding off beasts, not for large-scale deforestation.

Especially considering the lurking unknown entity known as "Gaia."

Unless absolutely necessary, he definitely didn't want it to know that the opponent from two centuries ago had returned.

Passing through a dense thicket, a towering "city wall" quickly came into Night Ten's view, causing him to widen his eyes in astonishment.

And what shocked him even more—

To his surprise, he found this city wall actually grew from the ground!

The thick tree trunks were tightly pieced together, and the sprawling roots intertwined downward like hands gripping the earth firmly.

Night Ten involuntarily lifted his head, seeing the dense canopy interwoven in the sky, resembling a sea growing in the heavens.

No wonder Jiang Xuezhou's drone couldn't find this settlement!

Without a guide to lead, it was likely that even if he passed by, he wouldn't discover this village buried deep in the forest!

Noticing the commotion outside the city wall, a guard holding a lance walked over briskly.

He was dressed in Man Vine Woven Wooden Armor, with a helmet and faceplate elongated downward resembling the wooden elven armor from medieval warhammer styles.

Night Ten found himself astounded that the world five light-years away was a complete contrast to the Wasteland of the Solar System; he wouldn't be surprised if these people suddenly started chanting magic spells in the next second.

Of course, the likelihood was small.

He was more inclined to believe these peculiar outfits were local survivors adapting to the bizarre environment, evolving a unique set of lifestyles and traditions.

"...I never expected a city hidden here; I didn't see it from the sky at all," Jiang Xuezhou whispered quietly in his ear.

"Better look carefully again... I have a feeling there are similar settlements hidden in this forest."

Somewhat suspecting it was a coincidence, Night Ten felt just as Jiang Xuezhou spoke, the guard holding the lance cast a wary glance towards him.

But it was merely an instant of eye contact.

The guard quickly shifted his gaze back to the seemingly highly respected elderly man.

"What happened? Why bring outsiders back? If he's... what should we do?"

"...@%#!," the elderly man said emotionally, seemingly refuting him, then excitedly repeated the previous words, "Ancestors... Our ancestors have returned!"

As he vividly described, the vocabulary Jiang Xuezhou could translate gradually became richer.

Essentially, the language they used was still United Human, but it had evolved into another form after two centuries of independent development.

Listening to the elderly man's explanation, the man on duty at the camp entrance showed a shocked and bewildered expression, then hurriedly ran back towards the city gate.

Soon, a large group of small green people wearing wooden armor emerged from under the tree wall's roots, staring at Night Ten with eyes filled with seventy percent tension and thirty percent reverence.

Being watched by such peculiar gazes, Night Ten felt quite uneasy but didn't express anything.

Instinct told him that pretending to be mysterious was the best choice when he didn't understand the situation.

He was waiting for them to explain themselves to him.

Sure enough, after finishing his argument with the soldiers, the elderly man turned and gazed respectfully at Night Ten.

"Honorable Ancestor. My name is Saquai Doma. We are your kids."

Jiang Xuezhou quickly translated what he said.

Doma should be the surname of this tribe, while Saquai was likely a profession, similar to a priest or monk.

Night Ten managed to understand his words, suppressing the urge to make a sarcastic comment.

Then he pitched his voice high and spoke in a tone of kindness he had never used in his life.

"My children, you've waited long enough."

It seemed they understood his words, or perhaps it was the compassion in his tone, for the elder's eyes welled up with tears of excitement.

Seeing such devout expressions, Night Ten almost felt guilty about continuing to deceive them.

After all, he wasn't a celestial being and was never meant for this kind of divine pretense.

However, Jiang Xuezhou seemed quite open-minded about it and even praised his acting skills.

"Pretending to be divine isn't a bad approach. Our technology is too advanced for them. Rather than trying to explain concepts beyond their understanding, it's easier to have them worship us to effectively reduce communication costs... Hmm, that's what the extraterrestrial civilization communication course taught us."

These people, though human-like, were difficult to classify as part of human civilization from any perspective.

Because of this, she was not as conflicted as Night Ten. Besides, they didn't intend to use their divine pretense for any ill purposes; they merely wanted to obtain fuel needed to return home and gather some local intelligence.

Night Ten quietly grumbled.

"What strange knowledge do they teach at your Academy..."

Jiang Xuezhou replied with a smile.

"It's not that strange, is it? Didn't I say? Our ideal is to travel to distant worlds, so we need to prepare in advance, don't we?"

"Whatever," Night Ten sighed, "It's not like we're trying to deceive them about anything. Let's just get what we need and leave without interfering in their civilization."

In principle, the items on the Missile cruiser of Gemini belonged to the survivors on Earth.

So what he said was not wrong.

Just then, Jiang Xuezhou suddenly had a stroke of inspiration.

"Wait, I just remembered... let me show you something fun."

Instead of being curious, Night Ten became alert upon hearing this.

"What are you up to?"

Jiang Xuezhou chuckled but didn't explain, only urging.

"Don't worry about it, just raise your right hand above your head and hold it there!"

Night Ten was a bit confused.

However, remembering that Jiang Xuezhou wouldn't harm him, he compliantly raised his right hand.

Not only was he puzzled by this unnecessary action, but the surrounding little green men were also in turmoil, unsure of what this Ancestor intended to do.

At that moment, the clear sky suddenly echoed with a pattering sound.

It was the sound of raindrops hitting leaves!

The dense tree trunks acted like a huge opened umbrella, delaying the falling raindrops in the air.

However, it didn't take long before the blessed rain from the sky enveloped the entire settlement!

All the little green men present were dumbfounded.

Especially the guards in armor, whose lingering vigilance was replaced by overwhelming astonishment.

Water is the source of life.

And to summon rain meant something extraordinary to these people still living in an era of primitive worship.

Since it was artificial dry ice spraying, the heavy rain came and went quickly.

A colorful rainbow pierced through the tree leaves, hanging across the canopies dripping with water droplets.

Witnessing this miraculous scene, the elder's face instantly transformed with excitement, once again prostrating respectfully on the ground.

Night Ten was also stupefied.

However, the visor of his power armor hid his dumbfounded expression, so he didn't show any weakness.

After a while, he lowered his voice to ask quietly.

"...Was that you?"

A tinkling laughter came through the communication channel, and Jiang Xuezhou spoke with joy.

"There just happened to be a cumulus cloud passing by, so I used a drone to spray some dry ice... Didn't expect they would fall for it, just like in the textbooks."

Looking at the rows of prostrating believers, Night Ten couldn't help but display an amused, helpless expression.

At this point, a tall and muscular man emerged from beneath the high tree wall.

He wore wooden armor inlaid with dark green crystals, with a crown carved from crystal on his head.

His commanding presence immediately made it clear he was the leader.

What surprised Night Ten the most was the familiar aura of pressure he felt from the man.

The pressure that penetrated deep into the soul was remarkably similar.

Although due to the difference in level, the pressure emanating from the man was not as pure or intense as the Manager's.

Also, perhaps because the man was unaware of the talent he possessed, his rough power was like roadside weeds, unable to be controlled or restrained.

While Night Ten was observing the man, the latter was also observing him.

Focusing on that angular armor for a long time, the man placed his palm on his chest and said.

"...Honorable Ancestor, I am the leader of the Doma Clan, Tunnan Doma."

This guy's knowledge of the United Human language is actually more extensive than that of the priest named Saquai, suggesting he might be a noble among them.

Night Ten nodded and, looking into those eyes filled with astonishment and bewilderment, spoke in a solemn and serious tone.

"Greetings, leader of mortals. I am... Night Ten of the Alliance, also known as your Ancestor."

Tunnan stared blankly at Night Ten, and although he was perplexed by his words, he still nodded and said.

"May I ask why you have come here?"

Night Ten did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"We have an item that fell to the ground, which you cannot control. It will bring calamity to you. To prevent disaster, we need to take it back to the sky."

Perhaps understanding his meaning, Tunnan's face showed a look of emphasis.

"The Doma Clan will definitely do our utmost to assist you!"

Seeing this "small manager" being so cooperative, Night Ten couldn't help but show a satisfied smile.

"We won't let you help for nothing. As long as you are willing to assist me, we won't be stingy in repaying you."

Steam engines and printing techniques are still too distant for them, but casually sharing a bit of the metallurgy "Eureka" with them is not a problem.

While he was secretly delighted, a voice of complaint came through the communication channel.

"Didn't someone just say we should try not to interfere with their civilization's progression?"

Night Ten awkwardly cleared his throat, unable to maintain his composure.

"Did I say that? Fine, just pretend I farted just now."

Jiang Xuezhou: "..."

After listening to Night Ten's words, Tunnan exchanged a few words with the tribal elders behind him, after which a look of great joy appeared on his face.

Soon after, he solemnly looked at Night Ten and asked in a serious tone.

"May I inquire what that item is and where it is located?"

"I can't describe what it looks like. Its position should be across the river, approximately one or two thousand steps away in the valley... I need a guide, and I will find it myself."

Night Ten tried to describe his need.

However, what he didn't expect was that upon learning his destination was in the opposite valley, the leader named Tunnan and the elders behind him all showed expressions of extreme fear.

Even Saquai, who was prostrated on the ground, raised his head with a look of terror.

"Honorable Ancestor, that is the Forbidden Forest... we dare not approach it."

"Forbidden Forest?"

Night Ten furrowed his brow, hearing an ominous undertone in the name, and asked further.

"What is the Forbidden Forest?"

Saquai explained in a trembling voice for a long time.

Thanks to Jiang Xuezhou's simultaneous translation, he managed to barely understand the gist.

In short, the valley is not an unowned land. Under the forty to fifty-meter-high trees lives a group of tribal people whose culture and beliefs are completely different from those of the "Forest People."

The tribes in the forest refer to these people as "Sinners."

Not only are they numerous and robust, but they also wear hardened armor, have tamed fierce Wild Lizards, and can ride on the Wild Lizards to fight.

And the "Wild Lizard" that Saquai spoke of seems to be the Variant he encountered in the forest earlier.

If these threats were all there was, Night Ten would find it troublesome but not frightening.

However, according to Jiang Xuezhou, Saquai's description of threats seemed to include more than just these.

In addition to being adept at war and forging, these people can harness a power unknown to the forest dwellers.

And this power is the true source of their terror...

"I hope it's just a few pretentious drones..." Jiang Xuezhou muttered quietly in the communication channel, "But for them to function for two hundred years in an oxygen-rich environment... this thing must be of incredible quality."

Tunnan stared frostily at the metal hulk before him, his expression shifting between uncertainty as if weighing the pros and cons.

As the tribe's leader, he had to make more pragmatic considerations for the future of the tribe.

However, the prophecy of the Ancestor is also a part of the future.

Calamity, or blessings.

He had to make a choice.

After discussing with the elders behind him, he responded with a dignified voice.

"The Ancestor's children will always heed the call of the Ancestor. We will assist you in retrieving the heavenly 'Sacred object' from the Forbidden Forest and the Sinners."

"But this is not an easy task; we need to gather the other tribes in this forest together."

"We ask you to grant us a little more time."