Chapter 351 The battle between awakeners!
Chapter 351: Awakeners vs. Awakeners!
”Boss, do you think they will come from here?” The strong man with a steel nail on his nose bone said excitedly, rubbing his index finger repeatedly on the rifle wrapped with tape.
”They will definitely come…”
In the middle of the abandoned building covered with moss and vines, a man in a leather jacket held a telescope in his hand and stared at the street in front of him.
His name is Blake. He lives in the slums outside the giant wall. He is a bounty hunter fighting for his employer. He
is also an awakener.
Although he lives in the slums, the reason is not because of poverty.
For an awakener, moving into the outer city is not a difficult thing. No mercenary group will refuse an awakener to join, as long as the ability is not particularly useless.
However, Blake does not want to live a life of being controlled by others. In the eyes of others, the giant wall is the dividing line between barbarism and civilization, but in his eyes, it is a useless cement cage. Only cowards need protection from others.
And the real strong ones rely on their own fists.
Last night, he received the task from his client in the Pirate Bay Tavern.
The employer did not want to reveal his name, but he was generous. He paid him a chip with a face value of 1,000 as a deposit, and said that he would give him two more chips after the task was completed.
Such large-denomination chips are rarely circulated in the market, and are usually used by the nobles in the inner city. Ordinary stores cannot find them at all, and you need to go to the bank to exchange them.
After seeing the deposit, Blake’s eyes wished they could turn into colorful chips, and he accepted the task without saying a word.
Although generally speaking, the more expensive the reward, the more dangerous the task, but he was not very worried.
First, he had absolute confidence in his own strength, and second, the content of the commission did not sound difficult.
The New Alliance’s delegation was heading to Boulder City. For the future of Boulder City, the mysterious employer hoped that he could intercept and kill the envoys halfway.
He didn’t need to kill everyone, he just needed to launch a sudden attack, teach those country bumpkins in the northern suburbs a profound lesson, let them learn to be humble and polite, and take the so-called friendly cooperation agreement with them, and go back to where they came from.
Blake licked the corner of his mouth excitedly, but as time passed, his eyes suddenly became a little unnatural.
”… Something is wrong.”
Why haven’t they reached the ambush circle yet?
Were they discovered in advance?
Logically, this is impossible.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered a rumor circulating in the Pirate Bay Tavern.
There was a mysterious “intuitive” awakener in the northern suburbs, and a group of mercenaries had fallen in their hands.
Blake’s expression gradually became a little solemn.
If this rumor is true, the other party may have discovered them.
”Everyone prepare for battle.”
He said in a low voice, gestured to the brothers next to him, and then picked up the RPG launcher on the ground and inserted a high-explosive grenade in it.
He bought this thing from the weapon store.
Although its explosive and armor-piercing capabilities are not as good as the rocket launchers produced by Boulder City Military Industry, it is still better than the short and powerful Iron Fist.
The most important thing is that it is cheap and can be reloaded. Even if the hit rate at medium distance is not very good, not everyone needs it.
Just like not everyone needs to face the evolution.
The brothers next to him were also ready. The submachine guns and automatic rifles in their hands were loaded, and the heavy machine gunners hidden in the building also pulled the bolt with a click.
The silent street was filled with murderous intent.
Although the fighting has not yet begun, it seems that the smell of blood can already be smelled.
Blake waited quietly and adjusted the rhythm of his breathing.
However, at this moment, a loud explosion suddenly came from a window 200 meters away from him.
Boom!
He looked over there suddenly and saw a figure thrown out of the window, with a long scream, smashed into a pulp on the tilted concrete broken bridge.
That was the direction of the heavy machine gun position! The one who
was thrown down before was his partner!
Blake’s eyes instantly showed bloodshot, with anger and fear written in his pupils.
”Damn it! Lute!!”
How was he found? !
But now there was no time to think about this question. He raised the launch tube without saying a word and pulled the trigger towards the window.
With a whoosh, a white tail flame rushed towards the window diagonally opposite.
The air wave and flames of the explosion surged out of the dark ruins, even scorching the moss on the wall.
At the same time, Blake opened his voice and roared with red eyes.
”Tear them apart for me!”
On the other side, in the window that was hit by an RPG, an agile player got up from the ground with his head shaking.
His ID is [Killing Dagger], and he entered the game in Alpha 0.5 version. Because “Killing” and “Dagger” are not easy to pronounce, his friends who are familiar with him call him Killing Dagger.
As a LV15 agile player, his ability is to convert half of his reflex nerves into perception of the environment.
Although in the current version, the Perception system has a tendency to inherit the position of the Intelligence system, this talent is just right for stealth players!
The polymer bulletproof plate of the Light Cavalry exoskeleton blocked most of the fragments, but the shock wave of the explosion still shook his internal organs.
However, since he couldn’t feel the pain, he was more worried about his equipment and the flying spoils.
”Damn it – my original armor!”
And that heavy machine gun!
It was about to be seized, but a bullet hit it and directly shot it.
It was definitely a plot kill!
Targeted by the dog planner!
Just as he was cursing, Lao Bai’s voice came from the communication channel.
”…How is the situation on your side?”
”I’m fine…the other side has heavy firepower.”
”Do you need support?”
”No, no,” Sha Bi smiled, “Leave it to us!”
There are a total of three people in the reconnaissance team, in addition to him, there are [Kidney Fighter] and [The dog gave all the good names].
One of them is from the Strength Department, and the other is from the Perception Department, their levels are 15 and 14 respectively. Like him, they are old players who entered the game in the Alpha 0.5 version.
Before joining the Burning Legion, the three of them had teamed up to do missions.
Reaching out and tapping the side of his helmet twice, Sha Bi moved to the half-collapsed stairwell while communicating with his teammates.
”Shen, bastard, what’s going on over there?”
A response came quickly.
”…The outer defense has been lifted and is being pushed upstairs. What about you? I seemed to hear something exploded over there.”
”I was hit by a bullet, it’s okay… I’m on my way to the support position and will arrive in one minute.”
”Got it, be careful.”
”Quick fight!”
Gunfire rang out in the ruins, and flames flickered.
The small drone on their shoulders was released, and the two players wearing exoskeletons held rifles in their hands, advancing all the way, and flexibly shuttled through the damaged concrete ruins.
The light cavalry exoskeleton can exert unparalleled mobility in urban terrain, especially in complex ruins. Places that ordinary people can’t reach even if they jump, wearing a light exoskeleton can easily climb up.
The screams of his men continued to be heard downstairs.
Listening to the gunshots getting closer and closer, Blake’s eyes were filled with fear and anger.
In the end, all his emotions turned into a roar, and his muscles began to swell outward, like a coiled python, his eyes were bloodshot, emitting a creepy red.
”I’m going to fight you!”
A steel needle pierced his thigh, and Blake, who was roaring, left the bunker, grabbed a rusty steel plate, and rushed towards the flashing gunfire at the other end of the corridor.
Every cell in his body swelled to the limit, and the whole person was like a mad tank. As he charged forward with big strides, the floor tiles of the entire corridor made a mournful cry.
The bullets hit the steel plate and left only pits, and the 7mm full-power bullet could not penetrate it! At
such a close distance, it would definitely be too late to use a rocket launcher, and the reconnaissance team could not bring that thing.
”Fuck! Is this guy crazy?!”
The dog thing was surprised, but he had played the game for so long, and he had seen everything.
Before he even glanced at him, the Kidney Fighter next to him put down his assault rifle, pulled out his engineer shovel, and let out a low roar.
”Frenzy!”
His whole body was full of strength, and he charged at the muscular man instead of retreating.
A flash of surprise flashed across his face, but soon turned into an arrogant laugh.
”You want to die? I’ll grant your wish!” Blake roared, and crashed into the steel plate.
Exoskeleton?
Drone?
Those precious things are nothing in front of pure power!
His muscles are the strongest engine!
Boom!!!
The collision of metal and metal made a clanging roar.
However, the man in front of him was not knocked away as he expected.
The steel plate in his hand was like hitting a wall, shaking slightly and then not moving at all.
A trace of surprise appeared on Blake’s face, but it was soon replaced by anger.
He suddenly opened the steel plate, pulled out the nail hammer hidden inside the steel plate, and hit the head of the exoskeleton.
The clanging sound rang out again.
The man was holding a shovel in his hand, which was very different from the high-tech equipment, and he took his blow!
Blake was shocked and frightened, especially a little numbness came from his palm.
”Haha! Come on!”
The man shouted something he didn’t understand, and the engineer shovel in his hand drew an arc and slashed towards his head.
Blake hurriedly raised the nail hammer in his hand to block, and two clanging sounds burst out, which actually hit him back two steps.
The man seemed tireless, and the engineer shovel in his hand was waving like a windmill.
Even though the steel had been deformed by the smash, it continued to hit him in the face.
Blake was scared, and a trace of fear was written on his face.
Even if he was stupid, at this moment he clearly realized that the man in front of him was an awakened one!
And his strength is not inferior to his!
With the support of the exoskeleton, the warhead driven by muscles and motors at the same time attacked like a violent storm.
Not only was there no sign of fatigue, but the man became more and more courageous.
His physical function was on the verge of reaching its limit.
Blake could no longer resist, pulled back a distance, fell to his knees with a flutter, and raised his arms to beg for mercy.
”I surrender!”
The few brothers who survived behind him were stunned on the spot and looked at each other. However, seeing that the boss had surrendered, they finally put down their weapons.
Staring at the level BOSS kneeling on the ground, the player called Kidney Fighter was slightly stunned, and the raised engineer shovel stopped in the air.
He was having a great time.
Why did he surrender?
Get up and continue!
Blake, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled and sweat broke out on his head. The look in the eyes of the man in front of him made him feel instinctively uneasy.
However, he really couldn’t fight anymore.
At this time, the two players heard the panting voices of their teammates.
”Damn, I’m finally here… I’ve reached the support position. Which floor are you on? Why did the gunfire stop? Are you all right?”
”…It’s over. The boss surrendered,” the dog thing said with a subtle expression, “You go down.”
Killing Dagger: “%￥#@!”
…
On the roof of a building not far away, a woman covered in alloy stood there quietly.
The black mirror and helmet covered her entire head, and her gender could only be determined from her body shape.
At first glance, she seemed to be wearing an exoskeleton, but a closer look would reveal that the helmet and mirror were non-detachable parts, growing directly on her neck.
She had no name, only an X-16 number, written on her left chest and on the processor buried in her chest.
A small and exquisite electronic sparrow landed on her shoulder, and a string of dark green strings flashed across her smart black eyes.
X-16 nodded silently, looking straight ahead with the black mirror, and spoke in a cold electronic voice.
”…The bait was captured.”
”Do you need to start plan B?”
The answer came from the communication channel.
”No need, come back.”
X-16 nodded.
”Yes.”
Not long after the voice fell, the figure standing on the roof had quietly left.
As if he had never been there…
…
On the other side.
Blake and his five dejected men, under the guard of three players wearing exoskeletons, walked out of the dilapidated abandoned building with their hands on their heads.
When he saw the seven soldiers standing next to the mission, Blake couldn’t help but reveal a trace of despair on his face.
Until a few seconds ago, he naively thought that the three people he had just met were the strongest fighting force of the New Alliance Mission.
However, the seven soldiers wearing exoskeletons standing in front of him at this moment were not inferior to those three in momentum.
Especially the one standing in the front, whose strength was even more unfathomable!
At this moment, he finally realized how stupid it was to take on this mission.
The seized weapons were gathered together.
Looking at the RPG launcher on the ground, Lao Bai’s face was a little surprised.
”Bazooka, where did you get it from?”
He said this in human language.
Blake answered cautiously.
”…This stuff is sold on the black market in the slums.”
The weapon store in Boulder City actually has it, but it’s not very big on the shelf, with only a small launch tube.
Explosives with an equivalent of more than 50 grams are not allowed to be brought into the giant wall. After payment, you need to pick up the goods at the trading post outside the giant wall. It
seems that this is the case in all the survivor settlements in the wasteland.
Luca walked over, looked down at Blake who was squatting on the ground with his hands on his head, and said in a deep voice.
”Who sent you here?”
Seeing the plot triggered, the surrounding players looked over here with interest.
”I don’t know…”
Blake said tremblingly. Suddenly, seeing everyone’s unfriendly eyes, he hurriedly explained, “I really don’t know. I, I also get paid to do things. The boss who contacted me is a frequent visitor to the Pirate Bay Tavern. His name is Bit… You can go and ask the bartender there. They all know that person.”
”Get paid to do things?” Luca stared at him with a frown, “What did those people ask you to do? How much did they pay you?”
”My boss only told me to bring people here to ambush you, and then gave me… 1,000 chips as a deposit,” Blake said with flattery and flattery on his face, begging, “I am willing to give you all my property, just ask you to let me live.”
Without listening carefully to the bounty hunter’s plea for mercy, old Luca’s face was a little solemn.
Although he had expected that his trip would not be peaceful, in order to avoid more trouble, he deliberately arranged the signing time very close to avoid those who had ill intentions.
However, unexpectedly, they were still targeted.
Old White cast a questioning look at Luca.
”How to deal with these prisoners?”
Luca pondered for a while and said.
”Let the administrator handle it.”
After that, he showed the VM, set the coordinates on the map, and then looked at Old White.
”The Guards will send people to collect the prisoners. Please arrange two people to wait here for a while.”
Old White nodded and looked at the two agility players on the side.
”The NPC who detained the prisoners is on the way here. You stay here for a while and follow up after the handover.”
The two nodded in unison.
”Ok!”
”No problem!”
…
The prisoners and spoils were left in place, and two people were assigned to guard them, and the group continued on their way.
If they retreated because of this difficulty, it would undoubtedly play into the hands of the other party.
Old Luca made up his mind in his heart that no matter what happened, he must bring the agreement back.
At the same time, in the outer city of Boulder City, in an industrial-style building.
A man in formal clothes sat in an office, quietly looking at the holographic image projected on the desk.
Although it is an office, there is no sense of simplicity here.
The whole room is designed according to the standard of the presidential suite of the inner city hotel.
From the table in front of him to the bed in the next room, every piece of furniture is imported from Ideal City.
His name is Ibers, the chairman of Giant Stone Military Industry.
As the underground emperor of the outer city of Giant Stone City, he is the only one in the entire outer city who has the financial resources to enjoy all this.
Only he deserves such enjoyment.
Standing next to the man, the slightly old secretary said softly.
”…Their strength is amazing.”
Ibers nodded and said expressionlessly.
”Well, they should have mastered some technology that can induce awakening.”
”And the strength of awakening is not weak.”
Although inducing awakening is not easy, it is not impossible.
When a population is in a crisis of life and death, there will always be one or two unreasonable individuals.
Superimposed on the achievements of the Human Union era in the field of genetic engineering, this special situation has been infinitely magnified, which has led to the so-called “awakening” – this is the most mainstream view.
Even without any technical means, some survivor settlements can naturally give birth to awakeners.
And if some technical means are used, it is also possible to induce individuals with potential to awaken actively.
Although this will be accompanied by a series of risks including reproductive isolation.
Ibers has heard of this kind of technology, and even he knows more than a dozen technical routes for inducing awakening.
Giant Stone Military Industry has mastered two of them, and it is meaningless to master one more.
They will regularly produce a batch of cloned babies, select a few with awakening potential and concentrate on training, and throw those without potential into orphanages in slums or dispose of them.
Although the screening is not 100% accurate, as long as the overall yield rate is greater than 80%, it is enough for them.
The awakener is just a “high cost-effective, low-yield” equipment for Giant Stone Military Industry. Their military industry capabilities rely not only on one or two pieces of equipment, but on the entire system.
However…
what makes Ibers feel daunted is…
The New Alliance has too many of these cost-effective equipment.
The secretary standing next to him obviously thought the same thing as him.
”…If their ordinary soldiers and awakened ones have such combat power, I’m afraid we have to mobilize the militia to deal with them.”
According to the intelligence they investigated, the New Alliance has a corps of awakened soldiers with a size of 1,000 to 3,000, and this is also the confidence they announced the Northern Expedition.
Although their high-tech equipment is limited, sometimes numbers are also a terrible power.
”…And, these people always give me a feeling that something is wrong.”
Ibers asked casually.
”What are you talking about?”
”In various senses,” the secretary paused and continued clearly, “They are not like normal people, but they are not like clones either. They are more like special existences between the two.”
”I suggest that we can increase communication with them, and it would be best to find out what these people are like.”
There are countless strange things in the wasteland, but this incident happened at their doorstep after all.
Ibers thought for a moment and nodded slowly.
”You are right. This is indeed necessary to study.”
The old secretary said respectfully, “Do you need me to arrange for the director of the city hall to meet with you?”
”No need. I called him last night and things are developing in the direction we expect.”
The old secretary continued, “Although that is what I said… but Mr. Dulong seems to have encountered some trouble.”
Ibers raised his eyelids.
”What trouble?”
”The workers surrounded the city hall. They are not satisfied with the negotiation results between Dulong and the New Alliance and demanded a renegotiation.”
Ibers was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
”Interesting.”
…
A long, long time ago, the Stone City was not a city, and it could not even be called a survivor settlement, but just a building.
Like other survivors in the doomsday, the people living there struggled hard in the doomsday.
However, at this time, a group of people came here and told the people in the building——
”We will build a high wall for you, and give you swords, seeds and torches.”
”But the unreliable alliance is collapsing, and our lifespan is already a candle in the wind.”
”For the future of all of us, please keep the last flame.”
”Until the end——”
Later, as time went by, more and more people gathered in front of the “flame”. The more
people gathered, the higher the flame, and the fire burned more and more vigorously. Although it was not as strong as the prosperous era, it still retained a trace of warmth.
Gradually, the original building and the surrounding blocks became the inner city, and the buffer zone between the inner city and the giant wall developed into the outer city.
Now, even the huge outer city is not enough to accommodate all the people. People who cannot enter the giant wall have built shacks outside the wall, or spread to the surrounding areas, forming villages like Beth Street.
Of course, if you are unlucky, you may be caught by slave traders and sold to places like Brown Farm.
”…Or, just become the rations of mutants, predators, and aliens.”
After listening to Xia Yan’s “history”, Chu Guang said thoughtfully.
”That group of people… is it called the Post-War Reconstruction Committee?”
He repeatedly watched the video of Dr. Principle. Although the Boulder City was not mentioned in it, the mysterious organization of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee was mentioned many times.
Two centuries ago, there should be no big forces such as enterprises, legions, and colleges in the wasteland. The Torch Church only emerged more than ten or twenty years ago.
It seems that there is only one possibility to build such a majestic giant wall on the ruins.
”Then I don’t know. I heard that there are other versions, but these are the stories I know…”
Sitting on the sofa in the browsing room, Xia Yan held a cup of hot milk with cocoa in her hand and blew it gently.
She didn’t know why Chu Guang suddenly became interested in the story of 200 years ago, but she happened to have heard a little about it.
For the sake of chocolate, it doesn’t hurt to chat with him for a while.
Chu Guang nodded thoughtfully and tapped a few buttons on the keyboard.
Xia Yan looked at Chu Guang curiously, who was staring at the computer meticulously. The slightly curved bionic prosthesis was casually placed on the other well-shaped leg.
”Are you writing a diary?”
”Diary?” Chu Guang was slightly stunned, then smiled, “Why do you think so?”
Xia Yan blinked.
”Because it feels like you write every day.”
Chu Guang stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment, then spoke.
”… Well, it’s better to say it’s weaving dreams than a diary.”
Xia Yan rolled her eyes helplessly.
”You’re saying something hard to understand again.”
Chu Guang smiled faintly and said nothing.
Every sentence he said was true, but he rarely finished a sentence.
In this regard, politics and sales are really similar.
It’s just that the things sold are different.
After completing the world view in the setting collection, Chu Guang logged into the official website forum and took a look.
It’s not time to go offline yet, and the players are all in the game, but the excitement on the forum is indeed not reduced at all.
Two hours ago, the silver coin trading platform was reopened, and the trading price has been on a roller coaster for more than a dozen rounds, making the onlookers who were eating melons call it out of the blue.
”Fuck! It’s over 100!”
”Awesome!”
”How did it drop to single digits?!”
”Big guys, give me some help! No one is selling, drive the silver coins up to the sky!”
”Damn! Who is selling?!”
Since the gossip section prohibits the discussion of related topics, similar posts flooded the trading section.
The leeks are concerned about the price, but Chu Guang is looking through the information of those big orders in the background.
Even without using Xiao Qi’s computing power, he can roughly judge based on the flow of funds that the major forces in reality are consciously increasing their holdings of the air coins he issued.
Even professional traders were hired.
”…It seems that this battery has a lot of energy.”
A smile appeared on Chu Guang’s face.
If they decide to mistake themselves for extraterrestrial civilizations and regard Wasteland OL as some kind of allegory of enlightenment, then let them continue to misunderstand.
This is not a bad thing.
It is only natural to pay those who work hard.
Although he can’t go to that world, he still hopes that his little players can live a better life.
At this moment, Xiao Qi’s voice suddenly came.
”Master.” Chu Guang
was almost ptsd about the assistant AI’s characteristic of only reporting bad news but not good news, and he looked at the puppet sitting in the corner of the table nervously.
”What’s wrong?”
Being stared at like this, Xiao Qi showed an embarrassed expression and a shy smile.
However, this does not turn bad news into good news.
”You only have the last two closed beta qualifications left.”
Chu Guang was stunned.
”Only two left? Didn’t I say that the number of closed beta qualifications
should be reduced when they are almost all out?” Xiao Qi said aggrievedly, “I am doing what you ordered… Last week, the number of qualifications issued per day was reduced to 10, and this week it was reduced a little more, but there are only so many.”
Although it also wanted to help Chu Guang recruit more players, it had no choice because of the “recruitment limit”.
Chu Guang didn’t speak today, Xiao Qi whispered.
”Do you want to change it to one per day?”
Or give a gold coin every day, and collect 10 to exchange for a discount coupon for buying a helmet.
Xia Yan tilted her head, not understanding what Chu Guang and the ornament on the table were talking about.
”That’s not necessary, just give out the last two directly.”
Chu Guang looked at the tasks in the work log and pinched his eyebrows with a headache.
”…It seems that contact with Shelter 101 should be put on the agenda as soon as possible.”
In order to make Pai happy, he specially sent the well-behaved, sensible and cute Xiaoyu to act as her “exclusive customer service.”
I don’t know what’s going on over there…
——
(Thanks to “czhang59” for the reward!!!)
(End of this chapter)
