This Game Is Too Real

A damp aura lingered in the pitch-black sewer, with faint moss on the walls appearing intermittently in the weak light, refracting an ominous greasy sheen.

The rubber soles of military boots kissed the moist ground, emitting a slight creaking sound reminiscent of rodents gnawing.

Meanwhile, this seemed to be the only sound echoing through the entire sewer.

This was the sewer beneath Street No. 17 in Yavente City.

Got to admit, the Vellante people truly have a knack for city construction.

Although the maintenance of Yavente City's infrastructure has almost come to a halt due to the war, the drainage system still operates well, with sewage steadily running under the river warning line without flooding onto the walkways.

However, even so, the situation here can't exactly be described as optimistic.

In just three days, the Yavente City Guard Bureau received seven reports of "sewer variant injury incidents," and the news about mutant rats nesting in Yavente City's drainage system has terrified the surrounding residents.

To protect the lives and properties of Yavente City's survivors and ensure the smooth progress of reconstruction work, the Goblin Corps accepted this mission worth 1000 Silver Coins, an additional 200 Contribution Points, and 5000 regional reputation, without hesitation.

At the moment, two agile figures were moving one after the other along the narrow passageway.

On their way here, the two had already dealt with dozens of variants.

Not just mutant rats, but also elusive mutant cockroaches and mutant flies that launch fly eggs.

Although they still hadn't seen any sign of the alien nest, it could basically be confirmed that the information provided by the guard bureau was accurate.

"...I didn't expect so many variants to be hidden in such a residential area."

"It's Wasteland after all."

"Damn it...this Game is overly realistic in strange places, I still prefer ones that aren't so smelly."

"Calm down, it's a thousand Silver Coins, you know."

"I know, I know."

The two were wearing the same model of Type Five Exoskeleton, with fully protective helmets, lightweight tactical backpacks on their backs, and possibly some breaching tools.

As they had insured the equipment, they wouldn't feel too distressed even if they lost them.

Thus, while the two were cautiously searching the corners of the sewer, the expressions on their faces, apart from calmness and disdain, did not carry much tension beyond that.

They even had time to chat idly.

"Speaking of which, aren't the locals afraid that a variant might suddenly pop up from underneath while they sleep?"

"I think being afraid won't help, maybe they should just put a gun on their bedside table?"

"Eww! That sounds kind of thrilling." Gui Gui shuddered involuntarily at the thought of running into a half-human-sized rat when getting up to use the bathroom at night.

She wasn't afraid of rats.

But only if confronted face to face.

Speaking of which, mutant rats and mutant cockroaches are indeed the weakest variants in the Wasteland.

The mutated hyena is somewhat stronger.

Even a fragile Waste Land Wanderer like Little Fish can manage to kill a mutated hyena; it wouldn't be difficult for Vellante people with gunpowder running through their veins either.

As for the next generation, that's hard to say.

Fortunately, there are technologies like the Mind Interference Device in the system to drive away variants, so limiting their activity range should still be achievable.

While Gui Gui was lost in thought, a faint sound suddenly came from the side.

"Squeak——"

Upon hearing that subtle noise, Feng Qing immediately moved the tactical flashlight over.

The beam illuminated the shadow-covered corner brightly.

Under the twisted metal pipe, a pair of round eyes stared at her in fear.

The little creature seemed terrified, its whole body bristling with gray fur, shivering and kicking backward, yet unable to retreat.

Though the war left all the city's survivors hungry, the rats in this city were surprisingly fat.

"Eww, what a fat one!" Gui Gui leaned in to take a closer look, rubbing her chin with her forefinger, commenting, "Still, can such knee-high rats be considered variants?"

Feng Qing gave it some thought, then gently shook her head.

"It doesn't seem like it."

So-called variants are abnormal species; although there's no clear defining standard, natural creatures conforming to common sense clearly cannot be considered variants.

At least grow some extra claws, right?

Feng Qing reached out and pinched the rat's neck, pulling it out from the twisted metal pipeline.

The frightened rat squeaked and struggled, kicking with its paws and biting her hand, but its not-so-sharp teeth couldn't penetrate her tactical gloves.

"All right, all right...I won't kill you. Hope you bring us some surprise."

Saying reassuringly, she took a piece of plastic band tied with a chip from the exoskeleton's tactical strap, carefully securing it on the struggling rat, then gently set it off.

As soon as the plump rat hit the ground, it scurried off into the distant darkness.

Its mind, just freed from peril, harbored only one thought: to hurry back to its nest and hide!

However, it didn't know that cunning humans had installed a transmitter on it, waiting for this traitor to return home.

Watching Feng Qing fiddling with the VM screen, Gui Gui sighed.

"Suddenly, I think this task should have been given to 'Difficult for the strong' to do, that guy would have resolved it instantly, right?"

Feng Qing, focused on the screen, casually replied.

"Emmm...Theoretically, yes, but you can't expect someone to fly all the way to Yavente City just for a thousand Silver Coins."

Besides, it's not something that can't be handled.

In the time it took to have that conversation, the small mouse with the transmitter had already retreated to its nest, shivering and motionless inside.

According to intelligence early on corroborated by the Alliance Biological Research Institute, mutant rats and regular-sized rats do not segregate due to size differences; instead, they are more inclined to cohabitate and divide into social classes based on size.

Seeing the signal point on the screen no longer move, Feng Qing's mouth curled into a smile as she shared the coordinates with the teammate beside her.

"Done."

"Let's finish quickly and wrap up the mission." Gui Gui stretched her arms and loaded her pistol.

However, just as she was about to proceed forward, Feng Qing suddenly reached out and grasped her shoulder.

"Wait."

"What's wrong?"

Gui Gui turned her head back in confusion, only to see Feng Qing not speaking, but making a gesture for silence and closing her eyes.

Sensing something, Gui Gui immediately quieted down and lowered the beam of her flashlight.

In the sewers, it was silent, with only the gentle sound of water flowing quietly through the darkness.

The tips of her hair lightly swayed beside her ears, and after a long time, Feng Qing finally opened her eyes and spoke slowly.

"There's movement, not far away."

Gui Gui also nodded with a grave expression, looking towards the direction not far away.

"Hmm... I heard it too."

Both were agility system players.

Although perception was not their strong suit, they had unusually keen sight and hearing, capable of actively detecting anomalies in the environment.

The two exchanged a look of understanding, turned off their flashlights, and lowered their footsteps as they walked toward the corner at the end of the passage, moving closer to the source of the sound.

One hundred meters.

Fifty meters...

It's nearby!

The surroundings were silent, and the slight noise that had just been heard seemed to vanish into thin air.

Feng Qing controlled the rhythm of her breathing, gently unlocking the safety on her submachine gun with her index finger.

She sensed that hidden in the darkness might not be rats, but something else.

Just then, a faint "drip" sound came from the side.

It seemed like the sound of sewage from a damaged metal pipe dripping into a puddle, but at the moment it sounded, it caused Feng Qing's mind to tense.

Almost instinctively, she quickly raised her left arm to shield the left front of her helmet!

At the same time, a piercing whistling sound sliced through the deep darkness, accompanied by a "clang" as it struck the bulletproof insert on her exoskeleton frame!

The sharp edge forcefully embedded itself in the polymer material, almost touching her arm.

Fortunately, she blocked it, otherwise, that cold gleam might have pierced her face.

Gui Gui quickly raised her gun, switched on the tactical light mounted below the barrel, but saw no one, only a magnetic emitter with a mechanical base and infrared sight embedded in the twisted metal pipes.

"It's a trap!"

Since the hidden enemy had already targeted them, stealth was no longer an option.

Saying this, Gui Gui pulled the trigger, firing two shots that destroyed the fixed weapon aiming at them.

Having neutralized the danger, she quickly looked to Feng Qing and asked with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Looking at the dart embedded in her arm, Feng Qing removed it indifferently, took a glance at it in her hand, and thoughtfully said.

"This is not the handiwork of the Variants..."

This thing might very well be laced with poison, and it's likely extracted organic toxins from the Variants.

The reason, of course, is to disguise the cause of death.

Once Feng Qing was confirmed to be okay, Gui Gui finally sighed in relief, but soon became alert again.

The danger had not been entirely resolved.

The enemy was still lurking, ready to strike!

She could feel the killing intent hidden in the darkness, drawing closer to them!

That guy would never let them leave the sewers alive; he would find a way to keep them here!

"Is it Teil's remaining forces?"

"Hard to say, maybe it's the Enlightenment Society? Didn't you see on the forum? They hijacked a research ship and even took out several Academy prospectors." Feng Qing stored the dart in her tactical band, vigilant and scrutinizing the front while comparing the map on her VM screen, "In any case, this place is more than just an alien nest..."

It's possible that not only are the traps here but also those Variants they encountered earlier were artificially spread, with the purpose of concealing unspeakable secrets hidden in the sewers.

In other words—

They triggered a hidden mission!

With this realization, Feng Qing instantly felt invigorated, exchanging a look with an excited Gui Gui, neither with intentions of retreating, instead they continued advancing into the eerie depths of the sewer.

As the two of them advanced, Flynn, hiding and watching over the monitors, grew tense, couldn't help but curse.

"Damn it!"

This place was a secret stronghold set up underground in Yavente City by the Enlightenment Society, or rather, a safe house.

The disciples and Guides active in the area were using this secret stronghold to hold regular gatherings, exchange intelligence, and plan actions, while those Variants active in the sewers were released to divert attention.

However, what he hadn't expected was that the Alliance was so meddlesome, even wanting to control the rats in the sewers.

Seeing the two soldiers getting closer to his stronghold, Flynn had no choice but to risk activating the bait deployed on their path to guide them into an ambush for the kill.

However, something even more unexpected happened.

The skills of those two soldiers were exceptionally good; the one in front effortlessly blocked the deadly dart with a single motion, while the one behind didn't even give him a chance to follow up, shooting and destroying the meticulously set trap with two quick shots!

This was a major problem.

Not only did he fail to kill them, but he also exposed the secrets hidden in the sewer!

There's no time to hesitate, Flynn immediately stood up from the holographic computer, taking down the exoskeleton hanging nearby.

The signal in the sewer is very bad, and the two soldiers operating inside probably haven't reported what they've discovered yet.

There's still time!

Transparent ripples spread outwards along the armor of the exoskeleton, like snowflakes falling into water, quickly merging with the environment.

Fully equipped, Flynn grabbed the rifle placed at the safe house entrance, loaded it, passed through the security door, and stepped into the pitch-black sewer, following the guidance projected by the tactical goggles to pursue the target with murderous intent.

No matter what, he absolutely cannot let those two little mice get back alive!

At this moment, Flynn vaguely realized that the soldiers of the Alliance could acutely detect the murderous intent hidden in the darkness, much like some Awakeners who have unlocked special talents.

But it was obvious he hadn't realized that the warriors of the Alliance were capable of more than just this, and that there existed such an inexplicable thing as the "Official Forum".

Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't be doing such a pointless "clean-up" task, but would have blown up the stronghold and fled immediately.

Killing one or two players is meaningless, his coordinates will be exposed on the forum the next second!

At this moment, Feng Qing and Gui Gui were still cautiously searching ahead, also not expecting that their opponent, rather than fleeing, was charging straight at them.

It was then that a barely noticeable sound suddenly came from the corner.

The two swiftly aimed their tactical flashlights towards that direction, but saw nothing.

Guessing that the opponent might have optical camouflage, Gui Gui decisively drew the dagger strapped to his arm and swung it forward, but unfortunately, hit nothing but air.

"Tch, it's nothing."

Gui Gui, who hit nothing, sheathed the dagger back, skillfully holding it in a reverse grip with the left hand, positioning it under the pistol.

Feng Qing knitted her brows slightly, swiftly moving the flashlight beam, sweeping the surroundings with her gaze.

She was certain she heard something.

It's the experience honed from long years on the battlefield, her ears wouldn't deceive her!

Just then, her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a metal pipe ten meters away.

The beam from the flashlight cast a colorful oily sheen on it, but at this moment, a noticeable tear appeared in that faint layer of oil!

In the instant her gaze met that invisible stare, Feng Qing felt her heart leap to her throat.

It was there!

"Over there!"

"Where?!" Gui Gui, who was on alert in another direction, quickly turned her head at Feng Qing's shout.

"Ratatat—!"

The sound of submachine gun fire answered her question, and without time to report coordinates, Feng Qing simply pulled the trigger, using the trajectory of the bullets to guide her teammate's attack direction.

As she anticipated, the orange tracers missed the twisted metal pipes, instead striking an invisible wall, causing ripples to spread.

Outlined by those ripples, a pitch-black figure slowly emerged.

The opponent was evidently caught off guard, taking the full brunt of the burst fire, staggering backward nearly falling to the ground.

"Damn it—"

Flynn cursed angrily, raising the rifle in his hands to retaliate, only to find a swift figure already upon him, a flash of cold light thrusting at his face.

"Clang—!"

The metallic clash echoed in the narrow tunnel as Flynn barely managed to parry the deadly strike with the drawn scimitar, cold sweat already trickling down his back.

What he thought were two small-time thieves turned out to be special forces!

Not giving him any time to think, Gui Gui swiftly ducked low, swinging the dagger towards his side waist once again.

Even though he was experienced in battle, Flynn couldn't handle the unexpected assault, barely turning his body, using the bulletproof breastplate to take the hit.

A dull thud like an axe hitting the wall sounded, and it was Gui Gui's turn to widen her eyes.

"Damn it! Can't even cut through that?!"

That was her full-force blow.

Even with a Type 6 heavy exoskeleton's bulletproof breastplate, she was confident she could poke a hole through it.

However, this guy's response was merely like being kicked.

With his abdomen struck, Flynn grimaced in pain, but this also granted him a chance to counterattack, kicking the flat chest in front of him.

Gui Gui felt like she got hit by a truck, getting knocked back along with the exoskeleton, crying out in pain as she crashed into the wall.

That kick likely fractured three of her ribs, though it didn't hurt much, it took her out of the fight.

No time to check her teammate's injuries, Feng Qing calmly swapped in a new magazine, raising the submachine gun again, while pouring suppressing fire at him, holding two grenades in her hand and timing the explosion.

As soon as the magazine emptied, she fiercely threw the grenades at the target.

Less than 1.5 seconds after leaving her hand, the explosion shook the entire sewer!

The scorching blast wave, laden with shrapnel, slammed into her bulletproof breastplate and raised arm.

At such close range, she herself also bore considerable damage.

However—

The opponent apparently took even greater damage.

Feng Qing, having discarded the submachine gun, smoothly drew the dagger from her tactical backpack and dashed straight into the thick smoke, preparing to deliver a fatal hit to her opponent.

However, just as she stepped into the smoke, a sudden sense of alarm surged in her heart.

Almost instinctively, she bent her knees, and the whistling blade nearly swept over her head simultaneously.

"Whoosh——!"

So fast!

Is it the speed of that exoskeleton?!

Feng Qing's pupils involuntarily contracted slightly.

Before she could react, a knee strike hit her chest, almost knocking the wind out of her.

"Ugh——"

A painful groan escaped her lips as Feng Qing felt a hand grab her neck, lifting her completely off the ground.

Holding her last breath in her chest, she swung the dagger in her hand towards the person's head in front, but it was punched away before completing a half circle in the air.

Crack—

The sound of bone cracking reached her, and she felt the right arm go numb, likely dislocated.

With her toes barely touching the ground, she dropped her left hand trying to reach for the ring on her backpack, only for the opponent to catch on to her intent evidently, gripping her left shoulder directly, followed by a crunching sound.

Though she couldn't feel any pain, sweat still poured like a waterfall from her calm face.

This guy is something else.

From that earlier move, her shoulder was probably shattered.

Looking at the struggling little ant being held by him, Flynn, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, displayed a ferocious smile.

"You're from the Burning Corps, right? I admit you folks have some skills, but unfortunately, compared to me, you are still a bit weaker."

Originally on the verge of passing out due to suffocation, Feng Qing suddenly felt the hand gripping her neck loosen slightly.

A violent cough brought her shaky consciousness back to clarity.

This guy...

As a villain, really lacks class.

She said impatiently.

"...So much nonsense, just finish it already."

Upon hearing the cool voice, Flynn's pupils contracted slightly, his victorious smile freezing on his face.

This voice...

A woman?

Flynn reached out and grabbed Feng Qing's helmet, ripping it off the exoskeleton.

Seeing the flowing hair and the softly contoured face, doubt instantly flickered in his eyes, as if the hard-earned victory suddenly took a back seat.

That expression was really annoying, Feng Qing pursed her lips looking aside.

Perhaps provoked by this action, the hand gripping her neck tightened slightly.

Flynn stared her down.

"I'll ask you again, which corps are you from?"

You only asked once?

Feng Qing retorted in her mind, carelessly spoke.

"Goblin Corps...a pilot. What, want to match against me in the sky?"

"Fly...how could a pilot be here! You're kidding me!"

In rage, Flynn's entire face twisted.

Though the facial expression couldn't be seen, Feng Qing could roughly discern from his tone.

This guy must be regretting not being able to gauge the Burning Corps' strength.

Perhaps even a bit surprised, or even frightened.

Though such matters hardly matter.

"...Haven't you heard that villains die from talking too much? Your words are a bit excessive."

Wishing to start the respawn countdown sooner, Feng Qing reminded him, after all, the longer he dragged here, the longer her teammates would wait at the respawn point.

Flynn took a deep breath, suddenly regaining composure, his eyes coldly fixed on the woman clinched in his hand.

"...Stop pretending, die."

As he spoke, his right hand was about to exert force to crush the neck, yet a numbing electricity suddenly shot through the back of his neck across the body, seizing control of his exoskeleton.

A sneak attack?!

Flynn's heart jolted with shock, inwardly cursed before intending to turn around but it was too late.

Whether due to a virus or a close-range electromagnetic pulse, the exoskeleton seemed leaden, locked utterly in place, immobile!

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

At that moment, a hand was placed on his shoulder, subsequently, a jovial voice echoed behind him.

"Your equipment looks nice, mind giving it to me?"

——

(Here's a new book recommendation, "Guardians of the Multiverse", interested friends may want to check it out~)