This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 261: The Hunter’s Guild! Teng Teng’s Artwork!

Chapter 261: Chapter 261: The Hunter’s Guild! Teng Teng’s Artwork!

"""

ID: Chu Guang

Gene Sequence: Manager (Stage 2)

Level: LV.17→LV.18

——Basic Attributes——

Strength: 17

Agility: 12→13

Constitution: 16

Perception: 13→14

Intelligence: 15

"""

B3-level infirmary.

Sitting beside the scanning bed, Chu Guang was looking at his Attribute Panel after leveling up, through a tablet passed by Heya.

To his surprise, he didn’t expect the level up to add two attribute points.

"...Incredible, your DNA is even more miraculous than I imagined. Is Shelter No. 404 a gene bank for The United Human? How much modified DNA have you stockpiled?"

Sitting opposite him, Heya wore an expression of disbelief and had been ceaselessly talking about her astonishing discoveries since just a while ago.

However, Chu Guang, who was a complete layman in these matters, couldn’t understand a word.

"I don’t know."

"You don’t know??" Heya looked at him in surprise, "Didn’t the former Manager of the refuge inform you about the nature of this shelter when transferring authority?"

"That old riddle-monger only told me this is the last hope of human civilization."

Whether he had seen this phrase on a piece of paper or not, Chu Guang couldn’t remember, as he often mixed up authentic events from this world with those he imagined to flesh out the "worldview" when composing little stories and background settings for The United Human on the official website.

But does it matter?

Not much.

He was a pragmatist; as long as it was useful, it was good enough.

Regarding the secrets hidden within this refuge and what exactly happened two hundred years ago, Chu Guang admitted he was curious but also understood clearly that it wasn’t his top priority.

Zippering up his jacket, Chu Guang stood up from the scanning bed.

"I have to tell you some bad news. Through my authority, I found out that the spore concentration in the air of ’North Suburb’ is rising, and something bad will likely happen in two weeks at the latest."

Heya’s expression gradually grew solemn.

"About that, I actually have something I want to report to you."

"What is it?"

"Your residents discovered a peculiar phenomenon while exploring the tunnels..." Heya casually picked up a tablet and gently slid her index finger across the screen.

Very quickly, a 15-second video was presented on the tablet in Chu Guang’s hands.

It showed a flesh-red room.

At first, Chu Guang thought that the slime on the walls and floors was blood and flesh chunks, but upon closer inspection, he found the reality to be completely different.

Layers of fine flesh-red cilia uniformly adhered to the concrete structures, clumps of flesh-red fruiting bodies the size of fridges attached to the walls, gently pulsating like breathing.

The voices of the players could also be heard in the video.

"Damn...what the hell is this thing?"

"Maybe it’s the damn slime fungus."

"Not necessarily...I feel like it’s a bit like a trap, look at those cilia, they’re like tentacles, just shorter."

"Where’s the captain? Quick, take a picture and it’ll definitely blow up on the Forum!"

"Snapping more pictures now!"

Chu Guang’s brow furrowed slightly, turning to Heya.

"This is?"

"A mycelium carpet formed by the ’Mutated slime fungus’," Heya said seriously, with her arms crossed over her chest, "According to my research, the mutated slime fungus adhering to objects usually appears in three colors: black, brown, and dark green, and they take on the form of spots."

"However, when the thickness exceeds 2mm, it will spawn the fourth state... which you see now."

Chu Guang: "What I mean is, what does it do?"

Heya: "It incubates fruiting bodies."

Chu Guang’s expression grew slightly grim.

"So, are you saying those Eaters are all coming out of these kinds of houses?"

He had heard of it.

In addition to the Lairs, there were things called "incubation rooms" scattered around the city that mass-produced spores, imitating the Lair’s environment to give life to fruiting bodies. Although not as efficient as the Lairs, when such

And this was also the reason why it seemed that the Mucor species couldn’t be eradicated entirely.

"Not just the Eaters, but the Crawlers, Martyrs, Tyrants, etc., that you’ve found...theoretically, they could all be produced by this thing."

"When I was researching the components of the mycelium carpet, I found that in most cases, the fourth state of slime fungus is quite self-limiting. Normally, it stops expanding after filling a room and starts to increase the thickness of the carpet and the number of incubation units."

"However, under certain specific conditions, this self-limitation will be lifted."

Chu Guang immediately asked.

"What is this specific condition referring to?"

"I don’t know," Heya shook her head, "Maybe when the environmental conditions are met, or maybe when it thinks it’s necessary to expand the population, the mycelium carpet will reclaim some of the previously released hunting fruiting bodies and rapidly expand the mycelium carpet area in a short time, completely engulfing the original environment, forming larger incubation rooms...and then their color changes to dark red."

Chu Guang’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

"...The Lair."

Heya nodded.

"That’s what I think too."

The increase in spore concentration in the air was one of the key indicators for monitoring the ’Tide’.

However, what Chu Guang didn’t understand was, why would the First Generation Manager know about these?

Weren’t the mutated slime fungus formed after the Wasteland Era?

According to the initial information Chu Guang received, this shelter had been sealed off for over a century. And the mutated slime fungus seemed to have started spreading after the mini Ice Age at the beginning of the Wasteland Era.

Until death, that First Generation Manager should never have left this shelter, and this was also the reason that person chose to pass on the responsibility and research results to a successor.

Or is it possible...

There were already mutating slime fungi in the pre-war era?

Or perhaps this mutated slime fungus itself was some kind of apocalyptic weapon.

Unaware of the thoughts running through Chu Guang’s mind at the moment, Heya looked worried and softly lamented.

"The city’s environment is too friendly for slime fungi. Concrete is great at insulation, and when nourished well, sewers, subways, abandoned buildings... these structures are practically natural incubators. They are probably more suited to this city than plants, and this is probably the real reason for the ’Tide’."

"Sometimes, the more I research, the more helpless I feel... Maybe just like what Mr. Saiwen said, this planet might be beyond saving. All we can do is preserve the accomplishments of the previous civilization, carve those and our stories into tombstones, and leave them to its next inheritor."

Mr. Saiwen is the Manager of Shelter No.117.

It is clear that, as a member of the Grave Keeper Sect, she greatly respects that Manager who is firm in his beliefs and benevolent.

""

However, Chu Guang didn’t quite agree with her statement.

"I have the exact opposite opinion. I don’t care about what happens after I die, nor am I too keen on pondering whether there’s any rescue or not,"

Chu Guang said succinctly as He Ya looked at him in surprise.

"But since I am still alive, and standing right here,"

"I have to take charge."

...

On the edge of the Fifth Ring Road.

On the chaotic streets, a sturdy wild boar was swaying its bristles as it crawled out of a shattered display window of a street-side shop.

The snow had melted, and tender shoots were breaking through the crevices in the concrete. As it was searching for delicacies hidden in the soil, a sudden gunshot rang out from afar.

Shot in the head, the wild boar collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"Beautiful!"

Crouching behind a partially collapsed billboard, Li Dog excitedly punched the air.

This was his first time hunting outside.

Previously, the family’s hunter had always been his older brother, Niu Li, but a few months ago Niu Li had gone to the factory, so the task had fallen to him.

Not far away, Yu Hu took a deep breath, put away the hunting gun, and urged his companion.

"Hurry and bleed it, or the meat will spoil."

"Alright!"

Li Dog, thrilled, took his dagger over to where the wild boar lay, while Yu Hu, with the hunting gun slung over his shoulder, followed him.

Ever since Brother Chu had driven away the old town mayor’s family, every household of hunters had replaced their arms with cheap and useful rifles.

Hunting with these was much easier than with bow and arrows, spears, and slingshots.

Especially when encountering Looters, they wouldn’t be completely defenseless.

A few months earlier, owning their own rifles had been beyond their wildest dreams.

"Damn... this boar is pretty heavy, must be at least eighty kilograms!"

"I’ll help you."

The two flipped the prey over, and just as Li Dog was about to slit the animal’s artery to bleed it, Yu Hu suddenly frowned.

"Wait a second."

Saying this, Yu Hu reached out to push aside the boar’s ear, revealing a festering scar at the base of its ear.

The scar was small, only about the length of a pinky finger, hidden behind bristles, easy to overlook if not examined closely.

"What’s this?" Li Dog asked curiously.

"Scratched by an Eater, lightly infected..."

Yu Hu used his dagger to part a clump of sparse hair behind the boar’s ear, and then pried open the boar’s mouth with the dagger to take a closer look at its teeth, muttering as he continued.

"It’s too rare."

With the slow speed of the Eaters, catching a wild boar was virtually impossible.

Unless...

Yu Hu swallowed involuntarily.

He had a premonition.

Something bad might be about to happen.

Seeing his cousin had fallen silent, Li Dog thought there was a problem with the prey and quickly spoke up, nervously.

"Can we still sell this game?"

"Of course, it’s just a little skin injury, doesn’t affect the meat," After examining for a while, Yu Hu urged, "Hurry up and get to work, let’s head back early today."

Li Dog immediately nodded, stopped talking, and began to bleed the game.

After they finished processing the game simply, the two men tied the wild boar to a stick, each shouldering an end and trudged nearly ten kilometers to Linghu Wetland Park.

Although the slaughter stands on Bet Street also took game, the price they offered was nowhere near as good as what the Blue Jackets in the park would give.

A big wild boar like this could sell for a hundred silver coins at Outpost Base now, but at the slaughter stands on Bet Street, eighty silver coins were the absolute limit.

Earning an extra twenty or thirty silver coins was no big deal for him, even if it meant walking an extra five kilometers.

...

The time was already three or four in the afternoon, and it would soon be evening.

After winter, the nights became increasingly dangerous, and the two travelers unconsciously quickened their pace.

Walking along the concrete road through the woods, they arrived at the south gate of Outpost Base.

Just as they were about to enter, they saw a line of guards in black coats, carrying rifles on their backs, standing to the west.

A rough count revealed there were about a hundred people.

An azure power armor also stood there, seeming to be inspecting these new recruits.

Yu Hu, who often came here, naturally recognized that blue piece of metal.

It was the Manager’s power armor.

"Are we going to war?" Li Dog’s face showed a surprised expression, with a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Unlike his older brother Niu Li, he preferred being a soldier to working in a factory.

Those black coats and the Arbitrator’s Rifles were just too cool!

Recently, the guards also got helmets and engineer shovels. To him, it seemed like the dream of every man.

"I don’t know..." Yu Hu shook his head and said in a low voice, "I just have a feeling something big is going to happen."

They didn’t disturb Brother Chu’s work.

Yu Hu urged Li Dog to stop looking, and together they took the wild boar to the warehouse.

It wasn’t Zhao Shu on duty today, but another guy whose name they didn’t know.

Since they were settling with silver coins this time, the procedure was very simple.

After checking that the game had been bled, the guy weighed it, then handed seven silver coins and a banknote worth a hundred to Yu Hu.

"Has the price of meat gone up again?" Yu Hu looked at the banknote and coins in his hand with a surprised expression.

That guy laughed and said, "It has gone up a bit, the market price for a pound of wild boar is now up to six silver coins. Recently the Manager increased the buying and selling prices and storage limits for meat products. If I didn’t suck at hunting, I’d want to be a hunter too."

Of course, although the prices of goods had risen quite a bit, so had wages. The daily wage for a warehouse manager was only two silver coins, and if you wanted to eat meat, you had to save up. Now the daily wage has increased to twelve silver coins, enough to buy a kilo of meat in a day.

But starting a fire to cook was too much of a hassle, they used to save money to buy some meat to roast and eat, but now they simply took their money to the market at the north gate to spend.

A bun weighing three liang cost just one silver coin, and two buns with a cup of soy milk or corn juice was enough for a meal, all without spending much at all.

Compared to the life of wandering around before, every day here felt like living like the gods.

After discussing with Li Dog, Yu Hu spent the money on some salt, cloth, soap, and other daily necessities, while also stocking up some bullets.

After purchasing all these items, they still had ten coins leftover.

The two split the money, and after instructing Li Dog to take the goods back, Yu Hu went to the bank to find Little Fish.

Compared to the scrawny girl who was as thin as a reed a few months ago, Little Fish now had not only grown taller but had also filled out, her fair cheeks even sporting a bit of baby fat. Her big, limpid eyes were just as clear and lovely as before, the same as the waters of Rhombus Lake.

Yu Hu was always worried that his sister couldn’t handle the important task of doing accounts because she always burnt the green wheat pancakes. In his mind, a person who could manage account books was someone steady and old like Old Charlie.

But now, it seemed his worries were unnecessary.

Although she wasn’t skilled in making pancakes, she was surprisingly good at arithmetic.

Could it be because the iron pan was too heavy?

Yu Hu suddenly realized this issue, feeling somewhat ashamed on his face.

He hadn’t been aware at all...

"Brother?"

Seeing Yu Hu, Yu Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up from behind the counter.

It had been a month since she last saw her brother after the New Year’s party.

Yu Hu smiled heartily and said,

"I came on behalf of Mom and Dad to see how you’re doing. Everything’s been okay, right? No one’s been bullying you, have they?"

Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, then shook her head like a bobblehead, her face filled with a happy smile.

"Xiaoyu is doing great! Brother Chu and everyone, they are all really good people!"

Although it was a bit tough at the beginning, she was now quite adept at her job. Everyone was kind and took good care of her.

The only thing that slightly troubled Xiaoyu was that people always sneakily left their change on the table and dashed off, forcing her to consult Xiao Qi and check the surveillance to figure out who had deposited the money.

Especially that big white bear, who was always sneaky when depositing money.

Was it because she was too fierce?

Although Brother Chu told her not to mind it, sometimes Xiaoyu still felt a little guilty.

Seeing his sister’s lively and cheerful demeanor, a relieved smile appeared on Yu Hu’s face.

"That’s good to hear!"

"Just seeing you healthy and well, I can rest easy, sis."

Xiaoyu immediately said,

"How are Mom and Dad doing? And Big Brother, I heard that they encountered Looters near the Fifth Ring the day before yesterday. Nobody got hurt, right?"

Yu Hu replied with a smile, "No, no, don’t worry, they’re all fine. And your Big Brother’s marksmanship is really impressive—I saw him hit a can from 100 meters away with a single shot."

Xiaoyu didn’t really understand this distance, but still furrowed her brow and said,

"Even if his marksmanship is good, he shouldn’t show off. The folks in the shelter are also very capable, but sometimes they still get hurt. And you too, Second Brother, even if you have a gun, you still shouldn’t go to places that are too dangerous."

"I know, I know," Yu Hu scratched the back of his head.

He had come to check on his sister, yet the little one ended up lecturing him.

What places he could go to and what places he couldn’t—he, an experienced hunter, surely knew that.

But still, it felt pretty nice to be cared for.

Just then, that azure power armor walked over from the west gate.

Seeing Chu Guang, Yu Hu’s eyes brightened, and he greeted him.

"Brother Chu!"

"Yu Hu?" Chu Guang lifted his helmet visor, looking at the young man before him with a smile, "How was today’s haul?"

"Heh, not bad, bagged a wild boar over 80 kilograms, got over a hundred silver coins for it," Yu Hu replied with a shy smile, yet his eyes sparkled with pride.

"Good job!" Chu Guang nodded in approval and joked with a smile, "Looks like there’ll be roast wild boar at the barbecue stand today."

Yu Hu laughed along, but just then remembered something important and immediately spoke up.

"That’s right, Brother Chu."

Chu Guang, "What is it?"

Yu Hu hesitated for a moment before saying, "There’s something I have to tell you. When I was hunting today, I felt that the atmosphere inside the Fifth Ring was a bit unusual."

Chu Guang’s heart stirred and he asked,

"Did you discover anything?"

Yu Hu nodded.

"Lately, the Variants seem more dangerous than before. The wild boar I bagged today had actually been scratched by an Eater... That’d have been nearly impossible before."

Chu Guang’s face showed a contemplative expression.

"That is indeed a problem, I’ve noticed it as well. Recently, the Eaters and Crawlers in the subways are noticeably more aggressive than before..."

Listening to the conversation between her brother and Brother Chu, Xiaoyu’s eyes showed concern, and she couldn’t help but say softly,

"Brother, maybe you should switch to a safer job..."

"It’s okay, I don’t go hunting at night," Yu Hu reassured his sister with a smile, "Those Eaters come out at night, during the day they all hide in their houses."

Chu Guang suddenly interjected,

"That’s not necessarily true."

Seeing Yu Hu look over in surprise, Chu Guang continued,

"According to the experts in our shelter, a Tide might break out soon. When that happens, even daytime might not be safe."

A Tide?!

Yu Hu’s face showed a slight change.

"Tides...aren’t they supposed to happen in the city center?"

Chu Guang shook his head.

"That’s not entirely accurate. A Tide could occur anywhere, given the right conditions."

Yu Hu swallowed hard.

If someone else had said this to him, he’d surely think they were a fool.

With Giant Stone City bordering the Third Ring, and no Lair beyond it, those Eaters usually head towards crowded places. How could a Tide erupt in the sparsely populated "North Suburb"?

But this was said by Brother Chu.

In his mind, Brother Chu was never one to joke about serious matters.

"By the way, Yu Hu, how have you considered the matter I mentioned to you before?"

Yu Hu was taken aback.

"What matter?"

Chu Guang said with a smile,

"Coming to help me with something after spring."

"I’m willing, of course, I’m willing!" Hearing that it was about this, Yu Hu nodded repeatedly, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly, "But I only know how to hunt... I’m afraid I won’t be of much help to you."

"How come?" Chu Guang said laughingly, "A seasoned Hunter and guide is just what we need right now."

After a pause, Chu Guang looked at Yu Hu earnestly and continued,

"The threat of the Tide is looming, and I plan to establish a Hunter’s Guild at Outpost Base to unite the local hunters and the refuge’s residents who have a talent for hunting. We’ll conduct reconnaissance into the city area along the Fifth Ring edge."

"I’m planning for you to be the Guild’s first president!"

Yu Hu was stunned for a moment, somewhat at a loss.

"Me, as president? But I’ve never been—"

"No one’s born knowing everything. I see a lot of potential in you," Chu Guang said with a reassuring smile, "Don’t worry, I’ll tell you what work needs to be done and how to do each task specifically. You just need to answer me one question: can you or can’t you?"

Compared to others, Yu Hu was the most familiar with the terrain in the "North Suburb." Not only was he an experienced hunter, but also a reliable guide.

Although he didn’t seem very smart, he wasn’t actually foolish—Chu Guang was confident in his own judgment.

Particularly crucial was the fact that whether it was the hunters from Bet Street or those from other areas nearby, they were all quite familiar with him, and players didn’t find him to be a stranger.

To have him undertake the role of this functional NPC couldn’t be more fitting!

Brother was still hesitant when Little Fish gently tugged at his sleeve and softly pleaded,

"Bro, just agree to it. Working here is definitely safer than going out hunting, and Mom and Dad will surely be happy about it."

Yu Hu scratched the back of his head, muttering,

"You little girl, you’ve only been out of the house for a few days and you’re already bossing your brother around."

Little Fish spoke with a sense of grievance,

"I’m just worried about you... and Brother Chu thinks you can do the job well, so there’s definitely no problem."

Yu Hu patted his sister’s head and looked up at Chu Guang with a smile, saying earnestly,

"Since you are willing to trust me with such an important job, I will do my utmost to live up to it!"

Chu Guang watched him approvingly and nodded,

"That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear!"

...

By evening, Yu Hu had returned to Bet Street. He planned to discuss the matter with his father, mother, and elder brother, then come back first thing the next morning.

Chu Guang told him there was no need to rush. It would be fine to sort things out at home and report back within two days.

Dusk slowly descended.

Over at Giant Stone City.

Tail, who had just had a full meal, was touching her slightly bulging belly, burping as she walked out of the restaurant.

"Burp~ Si, there’s quite a lot of tasty food here."

"Emmm... I wouldn’t say it’s delicious, though I feel the snack street at the North Gate is a little better," Si Si glanced at her sidelong, "Ah Wei, you should pay more attention to your image, you know."

Tail spoke nonchalantly,

"What does it matter? Is it a problem if an Awakener has a larger appetite? Besides, it’s just in the game, so even if by chance I put on a bit of weight, dying once would fix that."

"Well... although Resurrection Coins have gotten cheaper, I didn’t expect you to use them for this."

The two had each eaten a huge bowl of noodles, spending four coins.

Objectively speaking, the one made by that player called Zhang Hai at the North Gate was tastier.

After agreeing unanimously, they concluded that indeed, the people of Giant Stone City lived lives of destitution; the noodles were devoid of any seasoning except salt and vinegar.

Where’s the chili?

Is there even a soul to ramen without chili?

Si Si unfolded the piece of paper in her hand, which listed the investigation items she had planned.

By now, she had completed over twenty items, leaving only a few more.

"Next stop, the bar."

"The bar!" Tail’s eyes lit up at once, "Oh, there must be lots of mercenaries there, right?"

"In theory, yes," Si Si looked around, "But... this street seems to be full of shops; I don’t see any signs that look like a bar."

Brother Fang Chang’s guide didn’t mention it either.

To leave out such key information didn’t seem like his style...

Tail said energetically,

"No problem! It’s just the opportunity for us to explore!"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

The two walked along the street for a while, continuing toward the Inner City.

Before long, a large sign came into view.

On the sign was a drawing of a lady with an attractive figure, her back leaning against a beer barrel and holding a mug of beer in her hand, surrounded by colorful neon lights.

Although the painting style was a bit wild, it was undoubtedly meant to depict beer.

"Si! We found it!"

"Emmm... I don’t think this is the kind of bar we’re looking for."

"What’s the difference? Since the game developers created it, it must have its significance!"

"Eh? When you put it that way, it makes sense."

Truthfully, Si Si was also curious to what extent the game was realistic.

Seeing Tail’s face full of anticipation, Si Si made a "can’t do anything with you" expression and then led Tail over.

The security at the door looked at them in surprise but said nothing, took two coins each as an entrance fee, and let them in.

The bar was lit up with flashing lights and loud music, radiating a wild and explosive atmosphere.

The two, who had never been to a bar, felt mismatched with the setting.

Even Tail, usually so active, felt a bit out of place.

"Si, when in doubt, ask. It’s my first time at a bar; how do I act like I’m a regular?"

"I think treating this place more like a cafeteria might feel more natural."

Tail looked at Si Si with surprise, "Huh! Si Si, do you often go to such amazing places?"

"Si Si: Do you think that’s likely for someone who spends every night playing games?"

It didn’t quite resemble the kind of tavern that adventurers frequented in RPGs.

It was more like a real-life nightclub.

They found a rather inconspicuous spot at the bar and sat down in the corner.

Soon the bartender delivered two beers watered down, Si Si said thank you politely in United Human language, smelled the glass without drinking, and started to survey the surrounding environment.

The lights outside the dance floor were dim; figures were obscured, and nobody was paying attention to them.

Just as Si Si was pondering where to begin her investigation, the music in the tavern suddenly changed.

A host went up on the stage and said a few words with the microphone, followed by a forward-dressed dancer stepping onto the stage.

Excited cheers erupted from around the venue.

The magnitude of the cheer eclipsed the background music!

The dancer on the podium glanced seductively at the audience and began her performance.

However, what was notable wasn’t the dance itself.

But her clothes.

Si Si was slightly taken aback, a look of surprise appearing on her face.

That was Teng Teng’s...

Before she could comment, Tail next to her jumped up as if discovering a new continent, pulling her excitedly toward the stage.

"My giao! Si, look!"

"Isn’t that Teng Teng’s work of art?"

Si Si wore a nuanced expression, as though she could already foresee the events of the next few hours unfolding.

"Mmm... I see it."

"It’s impressive."

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