This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 237 People Can’t, or at Least They Shouldn’t

Chapter 237: Chapter 237 People Can’t, or at Least They Shouldn’t

It was night.

Chu Guang had a very, very long dream.

Although he couldn’t remember the specifics of the dream, the lingering déjà vu told him that it was probably some bizarre nightmare.

Honestly.

Sometimes, Chu Guang felt that the reason he was cautious in his daily life was at least half due to those dreams.

The dreams were so real, it was as if they had actually happened...

"What was the cause of death this time?"

Muttering to himself, Chu Guang sat up in bed.

It must have been the continuous labor and training bearing fruit.

Persistence paid off.

He had leveled up again.

[

ID: Chu Guang

Gene Sequence: Manager (Stage 2)

Level: LV.16→LV.17

--Basic Attributes--

Strength: 17

Agility: 11→12

Constitution: 16

Perception: 12→13

Intelligence: 15

]

In the medical laboratory.

Lying on the scanning bed, Chu Guang looked at the Attribute Panel in front of him, a surprised expression on his face.

Good grief.

He had actually gained two points this time!

He remembered there had been similar instances before, but those were long gone.

One point in Perception and one point in Agility enhanced his intuition for danger and his response capability.

As for his Talents, they were still the same, "Wild Instinct" and "Mind Intimidation."

The former’s all-attribute enhancement effect, combined with the power armor and Nitrogen-Powered Hammer, could deal tons of damage in a short period.

The latter was very useful during interrogation.

Apart from that, Chu Guang recalled that only during the introductory cutscene for new players entering the Game did he have a chance to use them.

Looking at the 17% Progress Bar, Chu Guang couldn’t help but feel a bit hopeful.

Just three more levels until the Second Awakening.

He didn’t know what kind of Talent would be unlocked at the Third Stage of the Gene Sequence.

"Your DNA is very unstable."

Heya, standing by the terminal, threw a wet blanket on Chu Guang’s excitement.

Her forefinger and thumb stroking her chin, the puzzled look on her fair face was unmistakable.

If it weren’t for her incessant nagging making her seem a bit neurotic, the crane-haired youthful beauty would indeed be stunning.

What a pity.

With the addition of being mute, this SSSR Card would have been perfect.

"Logically, it shouldn’t be like this."

"Gene expression should be a stable process, even with artificial intervention, it’s difficult to make multiple and consecutive adjustments to the phenotype in such a short time."

"And what’s most incredible is that these ’adjustments’ are occurring in completely different directions!"

Cutting off her rambling, Chu Guang got straight to the point.

"Just tell me, is it good news or bad news?"

After pondering for a while, Heya shook her head.

"It’s hard to define as good or bad—"

I get it.

It’s good news.

Chu Guang nodded.

"Okay, I got it, you don’t have to say anymore."

Seeing that Chu Guang wasn’t interested in her assessment, Heya’s face betrayed a resigned expression as she shrugged.

"As long as you’re happy."

...

Western Entrance of the Outpost Base.

This was where the guard team’s firing range and the cells holding the prisoners awaited interrogation. It was also where Lord Manager kept the creature known as Claw of Death.

Hearing footsteps outside the shed, Claw of Death, curled up in a pile of hay, slightly lifted its wrinkled eyelids.

The scent of humans?

No...

It also smelled something familiar.

Its amber pupils gently shifted, scanning over the figures at the doorway, eventually coming to rest on an odd silhouette.

That was a Lizard.

This fellow was wrapped in strange cloth, dressed like a human. Moreover, it carried a large pot on its back, from which heat emanated.

Was something being cooked inside?

It had never seen such a strange guy before.

However...

It was too weak.

Standing just over two meters tall, not even as long as its own tail, it wondered how such a small thing had managed to survive until now.

Snorting a breath through its fist-sized nostrils with a sound of "tssk," the slightly mocking greeting blew away a few dry grass blades.

Its thick tail shifted direction to form a circle, and the bored Death Claw closed its eyes to continue napping.

The players standing at the door looked at each other in dismay.

This reaction...

It was quite different from what they had planned.

They initially thought that Trash King and this guy might share a common language.

Night Ten, "That expression just now..."

Fang Chang, "I think I understood it."

Wild Wind, "Feel sorry for our bro Trash."

"Damn it! What’s there to feel sorry about, ya ball of fluff?" Pick up trash 99 level said, caught between laughter and tears, "I told you it was no use, didn’t I? But you didn’t believe me!"

This thing isn’t a Bear!

It’s a Death Claw, bro!

Not to mention the Lair outside of regular consideration; this thing is one of the top Variants in the Wasteland food chain.

Upon rational analysis, it’s at least Level 80!

And itself, had only just reached 8...

Mosquito, who had come along for the excitement, stroked his chin pensively, his eyes full of confusion.

"That’s not right, this beast didn’t act like this when it saw the Manager."

Old White nodded in agreement.

"That’s right, I saw it once... this creature was much more docile."

Much more docile was an understatement.

The way it laid on the ground shaking in fear, it was nearly peeing itself, right?

Of course, it might also be because of the power armor.

Looking at that metal lump that was impossible to bite into, any creature with even a lick of sense would panic.

Especially when it was badly injured.

Mosquito looked at Trash King with a skeptical expression and continued.

"Could it be because you’re too weak?"

Hearing those words, Pick up trash 99 level got so angry that his nose was nearly bent out of shape as he cursed.

"It’s your ass that’s weak! You little Old Six, you’re not even higher leveled than me!"

WC Real Mosquito, "Scram! Do you know I’ve already reached LV7, huh?"

Pick up trash 99 level, "Heh, weakling!"

WC Real Mosquito, "％￥#@!"

The two began to quarrel.

The people from the Cow and Horse groups were used to such sights and didn’t take it seriously at all.

Stroking his chin and pondering for a moment, Fang Chang tried to analyze.

"There are two possibilities now; one is that Variant players have defective reproductive functions, leading to less pronounced secondary sexual characteristics. The other possibility, as Night Ten said, is that you’re too low-leveled, and to this Death Claw, you seem weak, just like the young cubs of its species."

Wild Wind, "So using Trash King to lure the Death Claw is not working, huh?"

Suddenly, Night Ten had an inspired thought, suggesting wildly.

"Could it be because there’s nothing there?"

"How about we try attaching a fake one?"

A subtly awkward silence filled the air.

Everyone was stunned.

Old White, "What the fuck?"

Wild Wind, "Humans shouldn’t... well, at least they shouldn’t..."

Fang Chang, "Damn, you little genius."

Pick up trash 99 level, "Scram!!!"

While the players from the Cow and Horse groups were experimenting with Trash King, Chu Guang, who was standing on the third floor of the sanatorium, was also watching from afar.

From a genetic standpoint, Trash King’s DNA did indeed have quite a few similarities with the Death Claw; you could even say that, aside from a brain structure akin to humans, the rest of its body was designed based on a Death Claw—or at least it stemmed from the same source.

However, regretfully...

The mother Death Claw seemed uninterested in Trash King, too lazy to even give him a glance.

"What a pity."

"It seems Trash King’s charm is not enough to conquer that Death Claw."

Was it because it was too small?

Chu Guang stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.

Speaking of which, didn’t he have a rat in his refuge?

Compared to other mutant rats in the Wasteland, that big rat was significantly larger.

If he could tame a few or even several colonies of rats...

Chu Guang’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

"Holy fuck!"

"Could it be that this panel data that looks weak is actually super awesome?!"

With that thought, Chu Guang could no longer sit still; he immediately opened VM, drafted a quest, and sent it to the "Difficult for the strong" brother.

[Task: King of the Myriad Rats]

[Description: Perhaps we could try uniting with creatures unlike ourselves.]

The name of this task alone sounded far from simple; it should be no problem to appease a newbie.

As for the reward.

Besides silver coins and contribution points, it wouldn’t be excessive to add a special achievement.

As for the name of the achievement, Chu Guang hadn’t thought of it yet.

Anyway, there was no rush.

Whether this task could be completed was still an unknown.

It wouldn’t be too late to decide once that young player had finished it.

...

Far Creek Town, perched on the edge of the forest, was as tranquil today as it ever was.

Standing by a barricade made of wood, a Looter yawning with a "Blade" assault rifle hanging across his chest.

The shift from late night to early morning was the hardest to endure.

It’s not just the tiredness—there was also hunger.

Was there really going to be an attack at this hour?

At this point, besides those on sentry duty being dead tired, everyone else was brimming with energy.

"When the hell is this snow going to melt?" asked a Looter, totting a dog chain, bored out of his mind.

"Don’t know, you’d have to wait until early February if you’re up north."

"Maybe less in the south, perhaps next week? Or the week after?"

"I can hardly wait."

"Ha, what a coincidence, neither can I!"

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously revealed a knowing smile.

And it wasn’t just humans who understood.

Even the Hyena lying beside them bared its teeth and let out excited pants.

Probably because they’d heard yesterday that people from Black Snake had set out from the southern suburbs of Tianshui City, marching southward to the northern suburbs of Qingquan City.

That guy was ruthless.

From north to south, his conquests were a series of swift victories; the number of Survivor Settlements he’d burned down was too many to count on one hand, and the plunder stacked up like little hills.

Otherwise, the chieftain wouldn’t have rewarded him with a Tank.

The only thing they were worrying about now.

Was that the survivors in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City were not much for a fight.

It would be a real suffering if by the time they reached the North Suburb, there wasn’t even a sip of meat soup left.

Just as the two were chatting in fits and starts, a swath of dark figures suddenly appeared at the edge of the forest to the east.

The two Looters immediately became alert, hurriedly loading their guns and flipping off the safety, pointing them toward the approaching line of people.

"Halt! Stand there and don’t move!"

"Who are you?"

The line of people came to a stop.

The man at the front shouted out.

"We’re from Black Snake... I’m a Centurion under his command, Gang Ya."

People from Black Snake?

A Centurion?

Upon hearing this, the two Looters were taken aback.

Wasn’t Black Snake in the south?

Why would his people show up here?

Could it be...

they’d already finished their campaign?

Realizing that something might be off, the two Looters didn’t dare to delay, with one of them immediately dashing back towards the camp.

After a short while, the Looter who went to report came running back.

"Which one of you is Gang Ya?"

"Lord Lion Tooth wants to see you!"

The man who had shouted earlier stepped forward to respond.

"That’s me, lead the way."

The Looter hurriedly nodded.

"Please follow me!"

Walking through the heavily guarded camp, Gang Ya followed the footsteps of the Looter sentinel, entering the tent of Lion Tooth.

Inside the tent, there was a brazier burning, and a bear skin laid out on the floor.

Lion Tooth, seated on a wooden chair, was gazing intently at the man who walked in through the door.

"...You are Gang Ya?"

The Ya Clan was vast.

There were at least ten people named Gang Ya.

He had never seen this clansman before, and felt that his shabby clothing made him look like a Scavenger, not at all like the direct lineage of the Chewing Bone Tribe should.

"I am, my lord."

Gang Ya knelt on one knee, bowing his head slightly.

Lion Tooth looked down at him with a contemplative expression and said in a deep voice.

"If you are under Black Snake’s command, why didn’t you join him in his conquest of the northern suburbs of Qingquan City, and instead come here to me?"

Gang Ya’s face showed a hint of bitterness.

"Lord Black Snake encountered an ambush at the provincial highway junction by the survivors from the North Suburb. We fought to the death, but the number of our enemies was enormous... Gunfire came from all directions, with at least a hundred shells falling on our position."

"We had no choice but to move westward, retreating while fighting, escaping into the woods. After a battle, both sides had left behind hundreds of bodies..."

"Lord Black Snake’s whereabouts are unknown, nearly all his four thousand teams around him have been wiped out, and we’ve lost contact with the other five scattered thousand teams. We could only risk our lives crossing through the woods to meet up here with you."

Everyone inside the tent involuntarily held their breath, their faces filled with disbelief and astonishment.

Except for one person.

"A hundred shells? Are you sure?!"

Bernie’s eyes were fixed intently on the kneeling Gang Ya as he pressed aggressively.

"And how many people were ambushing you?"

To deploy a hundred shells in a short time would require at least ten cannons.

He refused to believe that a broken survivor settlement in the North Suburb could produce ten cannons!

And what use was that kind of crude shell against the Army’s Number 10 tanks? If it was a high-explosive bomb, it couldn’t even scratch the surface!

"Absolutely true, my lord. If I speak even half a falsehood, you can have my head."

Gang Ya bowed his head, speaking softly.

"As for the number of people... I’m not sure, but according to the brothers who ran from the front line, there are at least four thousand teams!"

Lord Lion Tooth and Bernie’s expressions changed drastically.

Four thousand teams!

How could there be so many people?

Lion Tooth exclaimed angrily.

"Are you joking? Does the entire North Suburb even have four thousand people?"

Even counting the old, women, and children, such a number couldn’t be reached, could it?!

There wasn’t any affluent survivor settlement in the entire North Suburb, just small villages with a population around a hundred.

Slightly larger survivor settlements would be further south, deep into the dangerous urban area, right to the edge of the Third Ring.

They had grasped these pieces of information before even coming here!

"...If what he says is true, I’m afraid it’s the people from Giant Stone City who have taken action."

Bernie spoke gravely, continuing.

"I didn’t realize their combat power was so strong, far exceeding our expectations."

Lion Tooth swallowed hard, a rare expression of helplessness flitting across his face as he looked to his advisor.

"What should we do?"

A bitter smile appeared on Bernie’s face.

"What to do? I don’t know."

"If Lord Black Snake had been able to meet up with us, with two combined thousand teams, perhaps we’d have a fighting chance. But now, we have to bear all the risk alone."

Lion Tooth fell silent, his fingers tightly clutching the armrests of his chair.

A thousand team!

Equipped with armored pickup trucks, tanks... even heavy artillery and support from "Torch."

Whether in terms of equipment or combat experience, the troops under Black Snake could be called elite.

Yet such an elite force had been utterly annihilated in less than a day.

Without a doubt.

Conquering the North Suburb of Qingquan City had exceeded his capabilities.

Bernie, standing aside, glanced at the silent Lion Tooth and spoke in a hushed voice.

"After the snow melts, they might take the offensive. My suggestion is... a strategic shift to West State City."

"You mean to retreat?" Lion Tooth said angrily, "We’ve prepared here all winter! To leave without a fight, how will the other members of the clan view us! They will laugh at us, thinking we are cowards!"

The Looters who believed in slaughter and war revered the strong.

This was even truer for the Chewing Bone Tribe.

The weak did not deserve to enjoy the spoils of war; this was not only about his reputation within the clan but also about his prestige in the eyes of his subordinates.

Anticipating Lion Tooth’s response, Bernie sighed inwardly and continued.

"We haven’t fought without striking, and I wouldn’t call this a retreat. I’d rather think of it as a strategic shift... preserving strength for a future victory, to recuperate and build up energy."

"You’ve heard them; they have four thousand teams, more than ten cannons. With our current strength, we cannot chew through such a tough bone."

"We need more manpower and equipment, otherwise, we’ll simply repeat Black Snake’s fate."

"If anyone thinks we are cowards, let them come, and we can swap with them."

Lion Tooth fell silent.

He actually had the answer in his heart as to what to choose.

He just didn’t want to accept it.

"Retreat..."

As he uttered this word, Lion Tooth felt as though all his strength had been drained from his body.

He had wasted two, perhaps three months here and even lost a hundred team.

And all this had resulted in such a humiliating end.

He swore.

When his iron hooves stepped into this place again, he would slaughter the people here to extinction!

Standing aside, Bernie breathed a sigh of relief.

Although his previous words were a bit alarmist, it was evident that if even Black Snake had been defeated, he saw no chance of victory for himself.

With a slight nod, he said softly,

"A wise choice."

-

(The next Chapter will be around twelve o’clock, still about a thousand words short. I’ll post it after I finish writing and checking for typos. If there are any missed, please help me catch them, brothers.)

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.