This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 107 - Although a Pest, Its Entire Body is a Treasure

Chapter 107: Chapter 107 - Although a Pest, Its Entire Body is a Treasure

Devil Moth.

One of the most dangerous Variants in the Wasteland.

Although its individual combat power is not particularly strong, even a single Eater might have a tough fight against it, but ranked by danger, even Crawlers likely bow down to it.

Danger level, at least B-class!

This creature usually appears in swarms; its larvae feed on Spirit Leaves, while the adults are omnivorous and primarily carnivorous.

The larvae have no combat capabilities, but the adults have incredibly sharp mouthparts with great bite force!

It’s said that the strongest among them, the Queen Devil Moth, can even tear through steel, and the ordinary Devil moths biting through several bulletproof vests is nothing extraordinary.

Of course, not every Devil Moth nest can produce a queen, just like not all Crack Claw Crabs have their queens.

Nevertheless, they are dangerous enough.

Interestingly, although this type of Variant is no different from a pest, it’s not entirely useless.

For example, the larvae of the Devil Moth secrete a type of silk called "Devil Silk" used to make cocoon rooms.

It is said the silk’s strength exceeds certain high-polymer biopolymers, and due to its lightweight nature, it’s typically used to create superior performance armor. This material is not only a favorite among mercenaries, caravan guards, and other Wasteland wanderers but is also highly sought after by the upper echelons of Giant Stone City society.

However, these Variants are not common, and their environmental needs are even more stringent than the Mutated Leeches.

First, they require sufficient light and heat, and their larvae must feed on Spirit Leaves, otherwise, their colonies can’t reproduce.

Speaking of Spirit Leaves, it’s said that they can be used to make a mildly addictive stimulant, and brewing it as a tea also has a more potent mind-alerting effect than your regular coffee or tea leaves.

Why would Spirit Leaves appear in an abandoned greenhouse ruin?

That was the most baffling part for Chu Guang.

According to Brother Macabazi’s description on the Forum, they encountered quite a few Devil Moths in the greenhouse...

Macabazi: "Darn! You can’t imagine just how unlucky I was! Brother Edge and I went to the greenhouse ruins to see if there was anything worth salvaging, and as soon as we stepped in, we got swarmed by those moths!"

Night Ten: "Peeking through the bushes isn’t so bad, always reminds me of someone. (Funny)"

Crow: "Hahahahaha! The guy died twice! Such a noob! LOL o(*≧▽≦)ツ"

Macabazi: "(#`Д´)!"

Fang Chang: "Let’s not focus on whether it’s noob or not for now, how did you get in?"

Wild Wind: "I’m also curious about that. If I remember correctly, wasn’t the greenhouse’s main gate electronically operated? Plus, it was rusted shut. Old White tried bending two steel pipes without opening it, even explosives didn’t make a dent; we started to suspect it was game graphics."

Macabazi: "Brother Edge is a firefighter, and also an Agility system user. He kept muttering that there had to be a fire escape that would lead inside as we circled that tower-like greenhouse. That sounded logical to me, so I accompanied him as we looked around, and sure enough, we found a safety door near the warehouse!"

Fang Chang: "A safety door in the warehouse? I think I’ve seen that one, but it’s locked, isn’t it?"

Wild Wind: "Yeah, that thing also runs on electricity."

Macabazi: "Here’s the amazing part! We tried and indeed couldn’t force it open, but we found a distribution box inside the room. Brother Edge checked the distribution box and discovered the circuit breaker was stuck, and the fuses had burned out. Brother Edge tried to fix it but couldn’t understand how that thing worked, so we brainstormed and just pulled out any replaceable parts we could, then we scoured the surroundings and replaced them."

"We didn’t even think it would work, but after switching a few things—don’t know whether they were batteries or fuses—the light on the door suddenly lit up miraculously! We hastily opened the safety door and walked into the greenhouse...then I hit the cluster of big moths right in the face!"

Edge Shoveling: "They’re called Devil Moths! I asked!"

Macabazi: "Yo, Brother Edge, you’re back? How are you?"

Edge Shoveling: "Hehehe, I’m okay, got the VM back, and my gear is intact. I’m just badly wounded, had to be patched up by my teammates."

Crow: "o(*≧▽≦)ツ"

Fang Chang: "I just saw an update on the official website about the Devil Moth; it says that the silk produced by the larvae is an excellent fabric material, and devil Moth’s teeth could be used to create tools like daggers and scissors. Moreover, the Spirit Leaves consumed by the larvae can be used to make stimulants."

Waste Land Wanderer: "Holy smokes! High-level equipment materials?! Could this be a fortune?!"

Escaped Vole in the Canyon: "All the fortune is useless without a life to spend it. Look at Brother Ba and Brother Edge, one a Strength-type and the other an Agility system, both Level 4, and they were direct dones, doesn’t that tell you something?"

Fang Chang: "Yeah, especially the fact that a Level 4 Agility system player didn’t even make an enemy detection check. The Devil Moth’s stealth might be even greater than a Crawler’s!"

Old White: "This thought is indeed terrifyingly thorough, and the fact that there are crops inside the greenhouse, does this mean... there’s still electricity in there?"

Fang Chang: "This possibility is very high, the power system for the door and the greenhouse’s internal cultivation system might be two completely different sources. Let’s make a bold assumption—the most concerning safety issue for this highly integrated greenhouse, what could it be?"

Old White: "A power outage?"

Fang Chang: "Exactly! Unlike traditional agriculture, once there’s a power cut in this type of greenhouse, it means a complete halt of the ventilation, water supply, and lighting systems. Just a few hours under unsuitable temperature, air, and light conditions might cause the crops to die. So, apart from relying on the public grid, this facility must also be equipped with an independent power source."

Wild Wind: "Hmm, and the backup power for the internal facilities and the external facilities are not the same."

Night Ten: "What kind of power can work for two hundred years?!"

Escaped Vole in the Canyon: "Are you dumb? Wasn’t the pre-war era in the game background almost like a utopia? Isn’t controlled nuclear fusion basic? A kilogram of helium-3 can produce 1.7 billion degrees of electricity, and a hundred tons would be enough for the whole world for a year. What does that mean? If there’s a fusion fuel rod weighing one ton inside, forget two hundred years, I reckon it would last till the next century without a problem."

Wild Wind: "You don’t even need nuclear fusion, even the solid hydrogen batteries often seen in sci-fi would last a long time. Since hydrogen itself is not reactive, as long as the battery structure is intact, theoretically, the battery can be preserved for a very long time."

Night Ten: "How is that possible?! Even with controlled fusion, doesn’t the equipment need maintenance?"

Escaped Vole in the Canyon: "What else do you want? Do you expect the game developers to build one for you to verify it? Does EVE need to build you a stargate? Does J.K. Rowling need to cast a spell for you?"

Seeing that the two were about to argue, Fang Chang quickly intervened.

"All right, all right, Night Ten is nitpicking too much. Let’s ignore that and talk about your ideas."

Escaped Vole in the Canyon continued typing.

"It’s simple, I think it should be a monster-spawning spot. The official website says Devil Silk is a great item, there are also materials from the Devil Moth, and those Spirit Leaves that can be used to make stimulants, it’s clearly a lucrative source. The real question now is, how do we farm monsters safely. A frontal assault won’t work; a level 4 strength-type brother couldn’t withstand it, I guess others would have a tough time too."

Players discussed back and forth for a total of twenty pages, Chu Guang read everything till the end.

At first, the group decided to try using fire since fire can counter insect-type Variants, but the downside was that the loot might also burn, leaving almost nothing.

Some mentioned putting in air conditioning.

But the building itself is quite durable; tearing down the greenhouse might not be that easy. Additionally, if the facility inside is still working, producing enough heat, it’s hard to say how effective a window-sized hole would be.

Finally, after some discussion, a group of players decided to lure the Devil Moths out through a safety passage and then take them down one by one outside.

Once the number of Devil Moths in the lair had decreased, they would rush in, loot quickly, and retreat.

As for Mosquito...

He opted out, leaving a message that this work was his specialty, then he logged off the official website early and went into the game.

Chu Guang didn’t know what he was up to, but didn’t interfere with the players’ methods, as the active material reserves at the Outpost Base were still sufficient to allow them some risky moves.

Not only are Devil Silks great for making armor, but they can also be traded with other Survivor Bases as specialty goods, which is super cool.

Especially, as the players analyzed, this greenhouse likely hides a recoverable controlled fusion battery.

If that’s true, that would be a real fortune!

...

The players were very proactive.

They gathered a caravan on the official website, set foot on the Wasteland at six o’clock sharp in the morning, surrounded the Greenhouse Ruins with loads of gear.

It’s too wasteful to shoot moths with guns; without enough ammo to spray recklessly, using larger surface area, lower-cost cold weapons proved more effective.

The group acted separately and quickly found the greenhouse’s blueprints, and also found some spare parts that hadn’t yet been scavenged.

A thumb-thick cylindrical tube was likely some kind of solid-state fuel battery, powering independent devices like gates and firefighting equipment; a forefinger-thick cylindrical tube was probably some kind of fuse used in professional equipment, though the specific material was unclear.

This game doesn’t mimic reality in every setting.

The Niuma Squad didn’t participate in this operation. The combat command was led by a forum authority, the laid-off artist "Escaped Vole in the Canyon."

Everyone, hearing he was an unemployed artist turned commander, immediately appointed him as the commander.

Mole Old Brother didn’t disappoint, quickly devising a battle plan.

"The entire greenhouse is divided into above-ground and underground sections, with the above-ground having 5 levels and the underground having 10 levels. According to unreliable analysis, around the 9th basement level, there might be a connection to the city’s disabled drainage system, which I think the Devil Moths might have used to get in, and the Spirit Leaf seeds might have been brought by them too!"

"The 10th basement level should be where the backup reactor is! The Devil Moths might have turned it into their lair!"

"According to the design description, there’s an automatic closing valve connecting the first and second levels of the greenhouse."

"Strategically, we’ll close the valve, cutting off the connection between the first level and the others, making the entire first level ours!"

[Youth with Bricks] nodded excitedly.

"Great plan! Close the door and beat the dog! Attack level by level downwards, we can definitely get to the lair! Those Devil Silks and other materials, won’t they all be ours!"

[Elf King Fortune] excitedly chimed in.

"Sell to rich lady Teng Teng!"

A strength-type player asked.

"What’s the plan?"

Escaped Vole in the Canyon tapped the map, then used a charcoal pencil to draw a cross at the end of the corridor.

"Tactically, we need two tanks in front, using concrete debris and wood for cover, to keep the Devil Moths outside the passage. Then, two agility system players will follow behind and stab them with spears through the gaps! These insects have no brains; they’ll just swarm straight at us. If we coordinate well, there shouldn’t be any problems!"

"Let’s do it!"

The two strength-type players teamed up, carrying temporary covers made by carpenters, setting up simple obstacles in the secure corridor leading to the Greenhouse Ruins.

These obstacles were mainly to make their retreat easier to manage without getting overwhelmed by the pouncing Devil Moths.

As they neared the exit of the corridor, the strength-type players dropped sacks filled with concrete chunks onto the ground and used the incoming wood to build temporary fortifications.

The crisscrossing wood formed layers of netting, supported by several main beams, sealing off the entire half-meter-wide space tightly. It took two hours to complete this barrier.

The moths were as long as an arm, and even the smaller ones were half an arm long; the holes left out were too small for them to pass through.

"Everyone ready? I’m going to draw the aggro now!"

Saying this, a strength-type player took out a Molotov Cocktail from his waist, reached outside the cover to light it, and threw it onto an open space inside the greenhouse.

With a crisp snap, the bottle shattered.

The flames hissed and immediately attracted the Devil Moths lurking on the walls nearby.

There were no flammable materials around, so the fire did not burn long and soon extinguished.

But right after, those Variants discovered the "dazzling" heat sources hidden behind the crude barricade.

An ear-piercing friction sound followed.

Moths slammed into the wood barrier like bullets, heavily impacting the thick wooden logs, which made squeaking noises under the force.

The two sides collided solidly!

"Damn! These moths are really strong!"

"Hurry up and act, man! I can’t hold on anymore, fuck!"

"I’m moving, I’m moving! Just hang in there!"

The agility system players squatting behind didn’t hesitate. They immediately thrust their spears forward, retracted, and thrust again, repeating the straightforward piston motion.

Although not every thrust was accurate, such chaotic stabbing inevitably killed a few moths.

The Devil Moths didn’t have strong defenses; their soft abdomens were like paper mache, and a spear thrust would leave the spearhead wet with blood, guts, and fine hairs scraped from their wings.

"Fuck, when will this end?!"

"Put some effort into it!"

"Damn! I’m pushing harder, but there’s just too many!"

"I can’t hold it anymore! Stop poking and come help me—"

However, just as the unfortunate kid was midway through his plea, the wooden fortifications, like a breached dam, were overwhelmed by the swarm.

Even if the strength-type players pushed back, the barrier couldn’t hold.

The wood was chewed to pieces.

Soon, bones and flesh followed.

Four players even didn’t have a chance to turn around as the connection to their clones was instantly severed, and they rolled back to official online observers.

Since there was absolutely no chance to retreat, the obstacles they left along the way were also completely useless.

Cries and deafening wing-buzzing echoed through the corridor.

The players guarding at the entrance exchanged glances, looking at each other.

"Did we just lose that quickly?"

"I don’t know... but from the sounds of it, it seems over."

The first attempt ended in failure.

However, the players did not give up; instead, they became more determined and quickly started the second round of action.

This time, the frontline had three strength-type players, followed by two strength-type rookies serving as substitutes, responsible for repairing covers and replacing exhausted frontline players.

Behind them were three agility system players, each carrying four lances, with a body constitution system player carrying Goblin Technology’s "Hellfire 0.3," playing rearguard.

This device was sponsored for free by Mosquito, no charge, as long as they wrote a usage experience on the official website afterwards.

It was said that this version of "Hellfire" had been fitted with a backfire valve, preventing flames from burning back along the fuel line.

However, even Mosquito, who had boasted so confidently about the device’s effectiveness, couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be other accidents.

What else can you expect from a trial product?

It was already free; what more could they want?

In any case, the general advice from Mole Old Brother, the frontline commander, to his soldiers was to avoid using Goblin Technology products unless absolutely necessary.

The nine players were finally ready and moved together toward the corridor, their crowded formation completely blocking the path.

They were fully committed to the fight against these moths and would not rest until they had retaken the site.

However, the current battle situation didn’t look optimistic.

The moths kept coming, wave after wave, seemingly endless.

Eventually, the nine-person squad couldn’t hold them off any longer and were forced to use the Goblin Technology device, managing to retreat before the flamethrower exploded, and temporarily closed the entry to the safe passage.

The battle, which had lasted from morning to evening, including the team that had been wiped out earlier, had cost the players four deaths and two injuries.

At least a hundred, perhaps even more, of the first level’s Devil Moths had died.

As for the exact number, that was unclear; in such circumstances, it was impossible to tally the battle results, and they could only estimate based on feeling.

A casualty ratio of 4:100+, which could be considered very powerful. Ordinary survivors wouldn’t even have the courage to enter the lair to face such creatures, let alone fight them.

The only downside was that there were no spoils today, only the depletion of some of the opposing force...

Seeing that it was getting late, the players, despite feeling reluctant, could only wait to try again tomorrow.

As for the "four dead, two injured" result, Chu Guang, who had observed the entire process, fully expected this and didn’t take it to heart.

The players had become somewhat arrogant after their great victory over the Looters a few days earlier, and taking some losses wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Fire was a good tactic, but the quantity was an issue, and hunting differed from war, as the former required preserving materials.

Perhaps they could try using smoke next time?

As for Chu Guang, a small amount of casualties was an acceptable price for growth, especially since any important equipment could always be retrieved.

Especially since Chu Guang had recently discovered that Eaters could also be a source of active substances.

Although the amount was pitifully small, with each providing only 0.1 to 0.2 units, and the waste produced was utterly useless, only fit for discarding like biological trash into a septic tank, it was still better than nothing.

Killing Eaters wasn’t very difficult.

As long as they weren’t encountered in narrow terrains like subways or ruins, even a rookie caravan could easily take down several using kite tactics.

As of now, over 70% of the 100 new players had reached Level 1, and the highest level among the older players had even reached Level 6, almost catching up to their own.

Chu Guang himself, possessing the "Manager" sequence, had developed it to 9%, or in gaming terms, Level 9, and was very close to reaching Level 10.

Perhaps another battle or tagging along with other players for some experience would allow him to break through.

A force leader as brilliant and brave as himself was indeed quite rare among survivor bases outside the Barbarian tribes.

A little pride in that fact seemed quite reasonable.

With these thoughts, Chu Guang patrolled the industrial district with a large hammer on his back.

Just then, Brother Levin from Factory No. 81 hurried over to him.

The young player’s face was red, whether from the northwest wind or out of admiration and reverence for him, it was hard to tell.

"Respected Manager Sir! I have an important matter to report to you!"

Stopping, Chu Guang said,

"Speak."

Brother Levin clenched his fists excitedly and took a deep breath.

"Your custom-made armor!"

"We’ve finished it!"