This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 278: The Lair Falls!

Chapter 278: Chapter 278: The Lair Falls!

Street No. 65.

Beneath the bell tower covered in sticky mold.

In the center of the mold carpet, the Queen let out a dry, raspy roar.

Panic and anger swept through like a tsunami, sending restless ripples spreading from her tentacle-like hair.

The surrounding Variants let out screeching cries.

Behind her, the Lair continued to produce non-stop, yet those frail "newborns" provided no sense of security.

Especially with the continuous death of the Node Creatures, she had lost control of the front lines—her children were enduring senseless casualties...

Her crimson pupils were filled with confusion.

The relentless attacks had lasted for nearly ten nights, and through the grey-green mist, she could see the withering of life.

Yet she didn’t understand.

Those humans...

Why couldn’t they be completely exterminated?

Even after so many days of attrition, they still had the strength to launch offensive attacks.

What baffled her the most was that, through the grey-green mist, she sensed a familiar "ripple."

Completely incomprehensible.

Those ants resisting evolution...

Hadn’t they already died once?

...

Underneath the collapsed overpass.

A mold-covered truck was slowly retreating, while swarms of Eaters rushed towards Old White and his group hiding inside a building.

Before the truck reached the end of the street, a rocket with a fiery tail chased after it and exploded right on its hood.

The warhead burst violently, sending sparks flying inside the cabin and piercing it with molten metal at high temperature.

The cabin was its weak point.

More precisely, the driver’s location.

As the mold in the cabin was destroyed, the truck stalled on the spot, the mold inside the compartment stopped wriggling, and the Eaters previously crawling into the cargo quit coming out.

"Nice!" shouted Night Ten, who was aiming a rifle from a second-floor window.

"Enemy artillery position destroyed!"

Old White, standing at another window, calmly stowed the smoking launcher and glanced at his arm’s VM with a flicker of delight in his eyes.

[Mission: The Decisive Moment!]

It’s on!

The counter-attack had begun!

Next to him, Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, supporting an LD light machine gun, continued to pull the trigger, shredding the Eaters crawling down from the truck with the tongues of flame from his gun’s muzzle.

The destroyed Node Creature allowed the uncontrolled Eaters to continuously rush to their building’s base, amongst which a few Crawlers mixed in!

But the Lizard standing guard at the door acted like a guardian deity, preventing the swarming Variants from entering; each swipe of his claws was like stirring up a storm of blood and foul wind.

Tearing the approaching Crawlers in half, the amber pupils in the darkness flickered with excitement and bloodlust.

This alone was not enough—the Trash King, now utterly frenzied, kept slashing while incessantly howling.

"Utterly insane!"

His violent instincts buried deep in his blood were fully unleashed, feeling the intense longing flowing inside his veins.

The parts of his DNA not yet expressed—

Were awakening!

Fang Chang next to him fired an arrow, precisely piercing another Crawler’s head, the ensuing explosion shattering half its skull.

His archery had become a gust of wind!

And standing by him, Wild Wind, with a light machine gun braced against his right shoulder, relentlessly mowed down the ascending Eaters.

Although it was difficult for a mechanical arm alone to play to its fullest in combat, paired with the KV-1 Exoskeleton for suppressing fire, it was extremely stable!

To fully adapt to the close-quarters environment of alley fighting, he swapped the bipod under the gun’s muzzle for a bayonet, transforming completely into a front-line warrior!

Bodies piled up into small hills.

The artillery position’s Eaters had been cleared, with almost all the Variants now rushing up from other areas.

The Tide seemed to be retreating.

However, the Variants withdrawing from the front lines crashed right into their faces.

Watching the swarm of Variants pouring from the street corner, Quit Smoking crouching by the second-floor window changing his magazine, his expression slightly shifted.

He had only two magazines left!

"Old White, the mission is already completed... when do we retreat?"

"Retreat? Out of the question!" Old White shouted excitedly.

"Brothers, hold firm! The signal for a counter-offensive has been blown! Our reinforcements will arrive soon!"

Night Ten turned his head, surprised.

"Reinforcements?"

He hadn’t expected this mission to have reinforcements.

This position was already quite far back; a few more steps forward and they would be at Street No. 65’s bell tower.

It could be said that the Lair was right underneath their noses!

"Our allies at the front have crushed the Tide! They’re on their way here!"

Old White’s words had scarcely finished when a piercing screech descended from the sky.

"Take cover!"

At first, everyone thought a rocket was incoming. Old White shouted, and everyone instinctively ducked.

However, they soon realized that it wasn’t a rocket headed their way, but something even more terrifying— Mosquito-style gliders.

The sound of rapid gunfire roared like a fabric tearing machine, drawing deadly arced lines across the streets.

The Eaters huddled at the street corner fell like mowed grass.

Looking at the fleeting shadows and the swiftly passing "WX-1," Night Ten’s face was filled with utter confusion.

"What the fuck? What is that?"

"Mosquito’s glider..." Old White swallowed hard, his eyes equally filled with surprise.

Apparently, he hadn’t expected that pile of wooden parts to actually take flight.

He thought Mosquito was just joking!

"Hahaha, this is too damn thrilling!"

Inside the glider, Mosquito’s hands gripped the control stick tightly, his face flushed with excitement and adrenaline surging through his body.

Empty shell casings continuously flew out from the cockpit, the roaring guns numbing his legs.

Pity the caliber was a bit too small!

The Maxim, stripped of its water-cooling container, wasn’t having any splash effect. If only he had an A-10’s 30mm cannon, he could have flipped the whole street upside down!

A dive-bombing run took out swathes of Eaters.

Mosquito suddenly pulled the control stick up.

The glider, howling downward, nearly skimmed past a half-collapsed overpass before it twisted sideways, barely missing a slanted building and passing through the gaps between constructions.

His racing heart gradually calmed down, and Mosquito took a deep breath, stabilizing the aircraft’s body and then elevating the altitude.

The plane was a bit tricky to control.

Without a gyroscope, he had to rely on his senses to determine if the craft was balanced.

"Damn it... really should have made a gyroscope and an airspeed tube—flying this way is like flying with your life on the line!"

Muttering to himself, Mosquito took a quick glance at the battlefield below.

The full counterattack had already begun.

Company A, consisting of 120 players, took the lead in the assault. Companies B, C, and D stood by behind Company A, while Companies E and F unfolded at the flanks, aiming to infiltrate both sides of Street No. 65, coordinating a pincer movement with the front forces of ABCD.

In addition, there were four hundred reserve troops standing by at the rear, ready to fill in as soon as heavy casualties occurred on the front.

Despite the city’s not-so-small area, there were only a few roads that could actually be passed, making it difficult to fully deploy over a thousand people.

Moving forward in units of one hundred was already the limit of how many the battlefield’s width could accommodate.

Moreover, if one aimed to interlace from the complex ruin conditions to the backside of the lair, it required further breaking down the units into groups of ten or even three to five people.

Nonetheless, this was precisely where the players had an advantage.

Even in isolated combat scenarios, the players maintained high spirits and were willing even to sacrifice themselves without hesitation for the collective victory.

If it were mercenaries or the militia of Giant Stone City instead, scattering their teams into the ruins and infiltrating into the belly of the Variants, it wouldn’t be much different from sending them to their deaths.

Mosquito swiftly initiated a second round of air strikes after adjusting the direction of his plane.

A VM was now strapped to his thigh, serving as his radar.

From the positions of other players and the flickering gunfire on the streets, he could roughly discern where the battle was most intense and where the Variants were densest.

Then he just swept through them with gunfire!

As Mosquito began his third dive, the players had already completely occupied Street No. 67 and met with the Bull Horse squad under the overpass.

Over twenty heavily modified KV-1 Exoskeletons paved the way at the front, the machine guns in their hands spitting flames as they strode forward.

They were the vanguard of firepower, the mobile ammunition boxes, and a steel wall!

Groups of five or six players followed behind them, some holding rifles, others carrying Iron Fist Rocket Launchers, and also light and heavy cavalry guns for suppressing heavily armored units.

With the support of artillery, armor, and airpower, Company A’s offensive was unstoppable!

Additionally, a ten-man team of flamethrowers followed behind Company A.

They wore thick protective gear and gas masks, the flamethrowers on their backs being Mosquito’s creation—"Hellfire 1.0."

However, these flamethrowers did not join the frontline battle.

Burning Eaters became even more dangerous; while incendiary bombs were a good choice against dense clusters of Variants, Molotov Cocktails and flamethrowers definitely were not.

The thirty-plus liters of fuel carried on their backs were meant for clearing fixed targets.

Like the lair!

Without the control of the "Node Creature," the Eaters on the street became disorganized, and their overly concentrated numbers turned into a burden, clumping chaotically together.

The street was rendered black with scorched corpses and sludge.

Occasional 88mm shells fell, cooperating with Company A’s advance and swiftly recovering a large area between Street No. 68 and Street No. 65.

Some Variants, summoned by the lair, retreated towards the Bell Tower on Street No. 65, but many stayed, moving instinctively toward the nearest player, their movements as rapid as before.

But it was evident to anyone that they were on their last legs!

Street No. 65.

The fungal mat covering the concrete surface quickly turned to charred remains under the flames.

Incubation chambers hidden within the street-side stores were smashed one by one, the players using incendiary bombs and flamethrowers to destroy the pulsating rows of eggs.

Soon, nearly four hundred players from three companies had secured the main thoroughfare of Street No. 65; the burning flames and thick smoke covered the ominous grey-green clouds.

Standing at the front line in his cobalt blue power armor, Chu Guang gripped his Nitrogen-Powered Hammer, surveying around the chaotic battlefield.

The Full Cycle Systems were already activated.

Not a spore, nor even a speck of dust, could pierce his armor.

A Crawler was running towards him, but before it could reach him, it was turned into a sieve by a group of awakened players with their rifles.

Looking at the creature struggling on the ground, Chu Guang casually pulled out the Silver Snake revolver hanging from his waist and with a loud bang, he blew its head off, ending its life.

He felt nostalgic thinking about it.

He remembered, more than half a year ago, when he was just level five, he, along with the complete novices Night Ten and Fang Chang, went to Brown’s farm to trade. A Crawler nearly wiped their group out.

As for now...

There was no need for him to act at all.

Putting away his revolver, Chu Guang looked towards the building not far away adorned with a giant clock.

The dark red mold carpet had already climbed up to the third floor, and thick fungus filaments as big as thighs were sticking to the nearby buildings, with the dark hollow windows emanating a terrifying scarlet hue.

That must be the Lair...though it was still young compared to its counterparts in the city center, almost infantile.

It was unimaginable.

In less than two weeks, it had developed to this state. If given a few more weeks, who knows what would happen.

Chu Guang waved his hand, signaling the A squad that had arrived below the building to launch the attack.

Strength-type players lined up, dozens of 20mm light cavalry guns fired in turns, and within a minute, nearly a hundred high-explosive and armor-piercing incendiary rounds were fired, blowing up the six Tyrants guarding the entrance and the mold carpet and concrete walls around them into debris.

Large pieces of rebar were exposed in front of the players.

Chu Guang continued to issue orders, and the eager flamethrower soldiers ignited the caps on their flamethrower nozzles and began to advance under the cover of other players.

Looking at the bodies on the ground, Canyon Escape seemed to mutter to himself.

"Sure enough..."

Hearing his mutter, Edge Shoveling glanced at him.

"Sure enough what?"

Canyon Escape: "The Lair controls the mold not through direct manipulation, but by governing the Node Creatures indirectly. So by taking down those creatures, the Tide naturally diminishes...until its ultimate extinction."

Edge Shoveling: "...Isn’t that what I said?"

Canyon Escape coughed dryly.

"I summarized it for you."

"..."

That’s some summary.

Edge Shoveling suddenly became speechless, looking towards the bell tower ahead.

That must be the command center of the Tide, the breeding ground of the mold, spreading spores.

A team of ten had already covered the flamethrower soldiers as they charged inside. It wouldn’t be long before the whole street would be filled with the smell of roasted mushrooms.

Has it ended—

Huh?

Just as he was thinking this, an explosion sounded from inside the bell tower, and a ten-meter-long tongue of flame burst out of the door.

Burning concrete blocks flew out one after another, and a several meter tall figure emerged from the thick smoke, with flesh-red mold hanging down to the ground like a skirt and numerous tendrils floating behind its head like writhing snakes.

Enemies meet, particularly fierce competition.

Looking at the figure emerging from the thick smoke, the Spring Water Commander’s eyes widened with excitement as he pointed and shouted.

"That’s it! The Queen!"

"Heavy Infantry, advance with me! Shield wall defense! Strength-type put your guns up, switch to armor-piercing rounds, ready on my command—"

This time, he was wearing the Heavy Cavalry Exoskeleton, rigid armor from toe to hair, and there was no way he’d give in easily.

The Queen let out a piercing roar, and from its towering stature, numerous tendrils shot out like lightning, aiming at the players outside the bell tower.

Twenty KV-1 Exoskeletons stepped forward in unison, raising the steel plates in their hands to protect the teammates behind them.

The tendril-like whips came lashing over, striking the steel plates with a dull ’duang’ sound!

Many staggered slightly, their feet shifting back an inch, but the tendrils did not cause any real harm.

Standing at the frontline, Spring Water slightly frowned, a hint of doubt arising in his heart.

It feels...

Somewhat weak?

Just then, an ear-piercing screech came from the sky, followed by a series of dense firestorms.

A glider spitting tongues of flame dived, firing bullets from the staircase all the way to the top of the Queen’s head.

The 7mm bullets didn’t penetrate the keratin armor on the outside of the Queen, but they shredded the tendrils extending from its back into pieces.

Bursts of blood mist and dust exploded!

The dozens of meters long tendrils broke inch by inch, lying on the ground and twisting in agony, dark blood gushing from the breaks like a fountain, quickly soaking the broken steps.

The players preparing for the boss fight were shocked upon seeing this.

What the fuck?!

Is it that weak?

Not just Spring Water and the frontline players prepared for battle, even Chu Guang, who had just raised his Gauss Rifle, was taken aback.

He had thought that since this creature had dared to attack, it must have had some aces up its sleeves, but it turned out to be nothing more than a desperate struggle.

The Queen, hit hard in its weak point, let out a cry of pain and began to move backwards.

The mold attached to the building was also uneasily inching, a slew of crimson eggs falling onto the steps, from which undeveloped offspring continued to emerge.

Some without arms, some without legs, or simply missing the lower half, only heads and mouths hanging from the necks.

They roared and charged at the players.

It seemed to be their final charge.

"Fire!"

Spring Water swung his right hand forward vigorously.

Dozens of rifles and light machine guns unleashed their firepower simultaneously, instantly shredding those Eaters that hadn’t fully hatched.

Players wielding heavy and light cavalry guns were about to charge up the stairs over the littered corpses, pursuing the Queen that had retreated into the lair.

But at that moment, a piercing shriek darted in front of them.

Faintly—

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group at the forefront heard a familiar, monstrous cry.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"A head! Mine!"

The glider dove headfirst into the main entrance of the Bell Tower, its propeller spinning at high speed, and its nose crashed directly into the Queen’s chest.

The massive inertia pushed the Queen’s several-meter-tall body to the ground, dragging it forward for a few meters—her chest churned by the propeller as she let out a pained roar.

However, soon, a sudden explosion enveloped both the glider and the Queen lying on the ground in a blast of fire.

The heatwave from the explosion hit their faces.

A flying piece of wood clunked against the helmet, and I Max Black, clad in a KV-1, finally came to his senses, swallowing instinctively.

"Isn’t solid hydrogen supposed to be safe..."

He had heard that the solid hydrogen batteries in the setting weren’t made purely from solid hydrogen. They contained some intermediary materials that made the batteries less prone to explode.

That’s why, although the energy storage of solid hydrogen was slightly less effective than metallic hydrogen, its applications were more extensive.

The pausing Battlefield Atmosphere Group went silent for a while before giving an uncertain answer.

"...Maybe someone added a detonating cap to the battery?"

Or maybe there was dynamite with a timed fuse inside the engine compartment.

The Old Soldier didn’t find it strange, but I Max Black was shocked, his eyes wide open.

"Holy shit...was that really necessary?!"

Even though it was a wooden airplane, wasn’t it expensive?

The two Maxim machine guns alone were quite costly; he had seen them in the NPC shop before, each costing thousands of silver coins!

The Spring Water Commander, wearing a "Heavy Cavalry" exoskeleton, walked up from behind and glanced at the smoke-filled hall.

"Is she dead?"

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group nodded.

"She should be."

"Better go in to make sure," chuckled the Spring Water Commander, slapping his arm. "You’re up."

The Old Soldier rolled his eyes but said nothing.

The steel-plated Miner Type I was not weak in protection either, slightly less than the United Human’s Type 6 "Heavy Cavalry."

Watching his two teammates calmly discuss the situation, I Max Black couldn’t help but say.

"Wait, how come you guys aren’t shocked at all?"

The Spring Water Commander and Edge Shoveler exchanged glances, their expressions a bit peculiar.

"It’s just a mosquito, after all..."

"Yeah... if the plane were equipped with useful features, that would be strange."

I Max Black: "..."

...

[Worldwide Announcement: "The Queen" was first killed by "WC True to Mosquito"!]

[Since this player chose to make it public, this achievement will be entered into the Hall of Fame!]

[Mission: Decisive Moment (Completed)]

[We have defeated the Tide, victory belongs to us!]

Both online and offline players, at the exact same moment, saw a series of pop-up windows on VM or official websites.

With the "Boss" defeated, this newly formed Lair lost its last barrier protecting it, and was completely exposed to the players.

The distant horizon was already tinged with the pale light of dawn.

Barrels of fuel were brought into the Bell Tower.

The fire swiftly ignited.

The scorching flames boiled inside the Lair, swallowing the egg masses throbbing on the mycelial mat, along with the tendrils transferring nutrients and organic matter.

Amidst the smoky blaze, large chunks of the mycelial mat fell from the walls of the Bell Tower.

Even if the remaining fuel might not be enough to completely burn through these thick mycelial mats, deprived of nourishment, they would soon decay.

Or regress into "harmless" mold patches.

Below the Bell Tower, players let out victorious cheers.

Since the launch of Wasteland OL, this was the first battle on such a large scale—a thousand players.

Many stood in front of the burning Bell Tower, taking photos with their comrades, passing around camera-enabled headphones.

On the streets bathed in morning light, Chu Guang felt a shock much deeper than the players as he looked at the burning Bell Tower.

They had defeated the Tide!

Nothing in this city could threaten their survival, marking that they had truly established a foothold in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City.

Giant Stone City, situated in the West Third Ring, might be a potential threat, but for now, they had shown no overt hostility.

Perhaps the south held more of their interests.

Chu Guang raised his eyes to the north, his emotions surging within him.

If Giant Stone City and the Grand Canyon had no intention of ending the turmoil in River Valley Province, then it was up to him to resolve it.

At that moment, a pale blue window popped up in Chu Guang’s field of vision.

[The Tide will end in 7 days.]

[Congratulations, young Manager...]