This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 374: Army and Steel Heart!

Chapter 374: Chapter 374: Army and Steel Heart!

The long barrel of the gun spewed out flames, and in the blink of an eye, two soldiers were torn apart.

The explosive roar of the gunpowder nearly shattered Halec’s eardrums as he awkwardly scrambled for cover behind some debris. Just as he was about to set up his gun to return fire, he saw one of his brothers crash into the swooping claws.

Flesh flew everywhere!

The white bear seemed just as shocked by its own ferocious momentum as the soldiers wrapped in black cloaks were.

"Scatter!!"

Halec watched in horror as two more of his brothers were mercilessly cut down by machine gun fire. Enraged, he lifted his gun and sprayed a burst of bullets towards the truck’s front.

The bullets struck the welded steel plate at the front of the machine gun, clanging uselessly and leaving only a trail of sparking fireworks and pockmarked indentations.

"Giao!"

Tail instinctively ducked his head, nimbly dodging the incoming bullets and steadying the machine gun without any sign of panic.

It was Sesame Paste, seated at the driver’s position, who was startled by the rat-a-tat gunfire.

"Yah!!"

She instinctively buried her head under the steering wheel, her foot welded to the gas pedal.

Staring at the oncoming truck and the impenetrable steel plate, Halec, holding a submachine gun, felt a surge of despair wash over him.

Especially when he saw that thick barrel atop the vehicle aiming straight at him.

For a moment, his heartbeat seemed to freeze.

However—

What ultimately knocked him unconscious was not the oncoming bullets.

But rather the truck’s front that crashed straight into his chest.

In the final instant before his consciousness faded, he vaguely heard someone shouting something.

Although he couldn’t understand it at all...

"Ah Wei! Leave one alive!"

"Roger! Got it!"

...

Cold water splashed on his face.

Halec woke from his unconsciousness to find himself facing the dark muzzle of a gun.

"We always persuade with reason, so you’d best not make any sudden moves."

Si Si returned these words to the guy lying on the ground, only to see him looking at her as though she were a monster.

Emmm...

She touched her chin with her left hand.

Was she really that frightening?

She was quite satisfied with her in-game character, though.

"You scared me to death... We suddenly received a mission, saying you were in trouble, so we rushed over immediately. Just now, seeing you shot so many times, Tail and I thought you were dead." Sesame Paste came down from the truck, looking worried as she approached.

"It’s all thanks to the bulletproof vest, though I did break a few ribs."

Si Si spoke as if it was nothing.

Although she felt that her condition was probably not as simple as just a few broken ribs.

But to think that such severe internal and external injuries had already recovered by thirty to forty percent.

Choosing the Body Constitution System had been in anticipation of such scenarios, and now it seemed to be the correct decision.

Pain beyond a certain limit would be blocked out, which was probably one of the most convenient features of this game, akin to having an in-built sedative and painkiller.

Otherwise, no matter how high she stacked her constitution points, it would be useless if she couldn’t handle the pain.

"You really are Si Si! That line you just delivered was super cool!" Tail said with eyes sparkling.

Meat Meat looked at her worriedly.

"Are you really okay? You were shot so many times..."

"It’s nothing."

Si Si showed a soft smile on her face.

"... Thanks to your timely arrival, I might have been captured if I were alone."

"Especially Meat Meat, you were very brave!"

"What are you talking about... When I see a friend in trouble, how could I possibly shrink back?"

Lifting his cumbersome bear paw, the shy Meat Meat scratched the back of his head in embarrassment,

resulting in blood smeared all over his head.

The sentimental atmosphere turned somewhat bizarrely bloody.

At that moment, however, an untimely voice suddenly steered the conversation in a strange direction.

"Giao! Captured?! Will it turn into something like in those doujins?!"

Sesame Paste looked bewildered: "Doujin?"

Looking at someone whose eyes were sparkling, Si Si sighed helplessly.

"You should watch less of that stuff, Ah Wei."

"!!! Have you installed surveillance in my house?"

"Yikes, you woman... you’re no simple one."

The sound of gunfire and commotion drew nearby people, and the first to hurry over was Kaliman and his guard.

Although the head of the guard was strongly against getting involved in the disputes of the Waste Land Wanderers, recalling that just a few minutes earlier he had promised to protect these people, he still bit the bullet and led his men over.

By the time he arrived, however, the battle had already ended.

The Waste Land Wanderers, draped in black cloaks, lay in disarray on the ground, their deaths anything but peaceful.

The impact of 10mm caliber machine guns on human bodies was more than mere bullet holes; the flesh and limbs ripped apart by the tremendous kinetic energy were scattered around the wreckage of the tents, making him, who had left the desert for the first time, feel like his stomach was churning, and his complexion turned slightly pale.

"What happened here..."

The head of the guard with a beard on his face stepped forward and squatted on the ground.

He reached out his index finger, touching the face of one of the corpses, his expression suddenly grave.

"Members of the Army..."

On the wasteland, people of all skin and hair colors can be found, but only the Army people had that protruding bridge on their noses.

There were theories that they used ancient human DNA, and others that they had modified their genes to distinguish their noble bloodline from others.

The Army...

Kaliman muttered these two words in his mouth, anger and hatred flickering in his eyes.

At this time, the commercial Teams and mercenaries stationed nearby also rushed back.

Seeing the disastrous scene all over the ground, a merchant’s face instantly showed a pained expression.

"Damn it, what have you all done! My tents, my bags, my luggage... all ruined by you."

Looking at the truck parked next to the tent, a few rifled-carrying mercenaries gathered around.

"It’s just a few tents..." Si Si threw a few Dinars on the ground, "Is that enough?"

This small amount of money was clearly not enough, and the merchant wanted to say more, but was gently pulled by the guard beside him.

"Those three girls are Awakeners... If we really start fighting, we’re likely to suffer heavy losses."

The merchant’s face turned red, he held back his anger, but in the end, he swallowed it, picked up the gold coins from the ground, and walked away without saying a word.

The nearby residents looked over from a distance, watching the commotion.

To the north of Karting Post Station were the camps of the merchants and travelers; as long as bullets didn’t fly into their homes, no one cared about a few dead Waste Land Wanderers.

However, clashes as fierce as what happened today hadn’t been seen in many years.

Just as the crowd was abuzz with speculation, a man past fifty years old stepped out from among them.

His skin was darkened, his face crisscrossed with wrinkles, giving him the appearance of a man weathered by hardship, but his frame was still robust.

The dozen or so strong men following him dressed similarly, each carrying a revolver rifle on their back.

After taking a glance at the bodies on the ground and the man lying there, then another glance at the three people and the bear next to the truck, the elderly man slowly furrowed his brow and said.

"I’m Mudka, the village elder here."

"Si Si, and over there are Ah Wei, Sesame Paste, and Meat Meat."

Si Si took the opportunity to introduce her companions, although she felt that the old man in front of her didn’t care what they were called.

Indeed, that was the case. The old man didn’t inquire where they were from, but he directly stated.

"This is a safe zone. You’ve broken our rules here. You need to compensate the residents and their cattle and sheep that were frightened by your actions."

Si Si said expressionlessly,

"Oh? Since it’s a safe zone, why didn’t I see you step in before they started?"

"I came over after hearing gunfire. No matter what, driving through the camp, crushing tents and belongings, firing your machine guns...that was too much."

Tail, who only half-understood, protested discontentedly.

"Hey, I didn’t harm any innocent people—"

Si Si cut off Tail’s explanation, staring at the old man, and spoke deliberately, word by word.

"This is a matter between the Alliance and the Army. Are you sure you want to get involved?"

It was clear to her that the old man was trying to extort something from them.

If she hadn’t thrown those few Dinar earlier, they might not have gotten into this mess.

Sure enough, the attitude of the old man changed immediately upon hearing the word "Alliance."

In his fierce and cunning gaze, there was an addition of evident wariness and suspicion.

He had, of course, heard of the Alliance and the rumors from the East.

The newly risen Alliance had blocked the Chewing Bone Tribe’s advance southward, ending a year of chaos in the River Valley Province.

Before that, the towering mega walls were the only beacon of light within hundreds of miles.

"...You are with the Alliance?"

Si Si looked at him and answered,

"Yes."

The elder’s facial expression stiffened slightly, affecting the several strong men beside him too.

He indeed had the thought of extorting something from these young girls—after all, the truck had plenty of good stuff on it, and the compensation he was asking for was arguably justifiable.

But now, the situation was different...

Listening to their conversation, the onlookers exchanged astonished looks.

And their whispers began to spread among the crowd with those looks.

"The Alliance? They’re actually people from the Alliance."

"It’s said that the warriors of the Alliance are brave enough to take on ten foes each, and with just over a thousand men, they razed the Chewing Bone Tribe."

"No wonder..."

The strength of the Alliance definitely could not match that of the Army, but after all, they were neighbors.

The Army and this place, separated by half a continent, are located on the far West Coast.

"This could become very tricky... From the Alliance to here, at the slowest it’s a week, but at the fastest, it might be just two or three days," a middle-aged man whispered as he lowered his head beside the elder.

Making an imperceptible grunt, Mudka kept his unwavering gaze fixed on the young woman in front of him.

After some time, he began to speak slowly,

"...We have no interest in meddling in your disputes, but we also hope you won’t disturb our way of life."

With that, he waved his withered right hand and, taking the clan members beside him, turned and walked away.

He didn’t mention compensation any further.

Lying on the ground, Halec’s gaze moved back and forth over the three people and the bear.

He hadn’t heard of the Alliance and had no interest in understanding what it was. At this moment, his mind was racing, contemplating how he would extract himself from the situation he was in.

However, when his eyes rested on the dark muzzle of the gun, his shoulders, tense yet slack, succumbed to resignation, and he abandoned any thought of actively trying to escape.

The power displayed by the other party had exceeded his understanding.

Whether it was the woman who had been shot by a high-velocity bullet and seemed unharmed or the mysterious weapon that had instantly killed five of his brothers.

To this point, he didn’t even know what that thing was.

Perhaps...

There truly had been some earth-shattering changes in the River Valley Province.

"Are you sure you want to make an enemy of the Army?"

Halec lowered his voice, invoking the name of the Army in an attempt to intimidate them into releasing him.

Si Si looked down at him.

"Even if we didn’t have that intention, would trouble not find us anyway?"

While saying this, she shook the gun muzzle.

"Don’t waste my time, what’s your name?"

"Halec..."

"What do you want with Luo Hua?"

The man’s face darkened slightly, his lips pulling into a faintly mocking smile.

"Heh, you’d like—"

Bang!

The sudden gun report startled all the onlookers.

Naturally, the one who felt the gunpowder smell most keenly was the one lying on the ground.

The bullet blasted into the ground beside his ear, splattering his half-face with mud.

Staring at the smoking muzzle and those merciless eyes, Halec felt a bone-chilling coldness.

"I was about to say..." Halec’s voice, brash a second ago, became a stutter in the next—it was not fear but an instinctual response.

"Then hurry up." Turning on the voice recording function of her vm, Si Si urged impatiently.

"...Corporate, Corporate people."

"Of course, I know the guy you’re chasing is a Corporate Employee. What else?"

Halec swallowed hard and continued to speak quickly.

"...That moving fortress, it broke into the desert. Our servants heard they were looking for some treasure there. Whatever it is, we can’t let them take it off our land."

"Servant?" Tail tilted his head.

"Falcon," Kaliman, with a face full of gloom, standing aside, interjected, "The kingdom that rules Oasis No. 2... A bunch of craven cowards, abandoning their dignity and faith, pledging their souls to the barbarians from the Land Without a Master."

Tail: "?"

Si Si sighed, pressing her slightly aching brow,

"So it means a Servant Country?"

Kaliman’s face stiffened as he nodded.

"...Yes."

Si Si fell into thought.

Combining the discussions from the forum and the information officially released on the website, she had roughly understood the whole story.

In short, a vassal of the Army discovered the Pioneer, and then reported the information about the Pioneer to the Army.

To prevent the Enterprise from taking control of No.0 Shelter, the Army had presumably sent an expeditionary force of unknown size to the desert, working with the locals to trap that moving fortress.

Although the Pioneer was armed with powerful firepower, even the most advanced technology cannot create something out of nothing.

At least the necessities like electricity and ore couldn’t just appear out of thin air.

What Halec said next confirmed her guess.

"... We surrounded them while the Pioneer was searching for supplies, and they had no choice but to retreat to the ruins with their fuel rods. Those power armors were strong, but they were few in number, and we quickly managed to divide and encircle them. Some fled into the desert, some were cornered in the ruins, and a few were trapped inside the fortress."

Si Si immediately asked.

"Have you already taken control of the Pioneer?"

Halec replied.

"The battle is over, taking control is just a matter of time, but what we want is not a pile of scrap. They set a passcode for the engine room, we can’t get in from the outside, and if we force our way through, the remaining nuclear fuel will be injected into the self-destruct unit... then it would all be for nothing."

"Does Luo Hua know the passcode?"

"...I don’t know, but he seems to be a key figure on the Pioneer, likely to have some clues about No.0 Shelter... The General ordered me to capture him before he could rendezvous with the reinforcements from the Enterprise. If we can’t capture him alive, then bringing back his head will do."

"Reinforcements..."

Ah Wei stroked his chin, a thoughtful look on his face, "It’s not simple; they actually knew the Enterprise sent reinforcements."

Sesame Paste said with a subtle expression.

"... er, does this still need guessing?"

Gazing at Halec lying on the ground, Si Si continued.

"Tell me the number of your unit, the name of your superior, and how many of you were sent to the desert."

"Iron Heart..."

"What?"

"My unit," Halec swallowed his saliva, whispering low, "Iron Heart Battalion... the 29th Marine Division, our commander is the Ten Thousand Leader McCullen."

"How far are they from here?"

"Right here."

"Here?!""

Si Si was stunned.

Including Ah Wei, Sesame Paste, Meat Meat, and Kaliman with his guards, everyone stood frozen in place.

Just as Si Si was about to question further, she noticed a sudden change in the expression of Halec, who had a look of fear just a second ago; a hint of fervor now sparkled in his eyes.

He was staring straight at her.

However, his pupils weren’t focused on her face, but rather on the back of her head.

A bad premonition slowly surfaced in Si Si’s eyes.

"Right behind you... just turn around and you’ll see," Halec said with a smile on his face.

No matter what he was so smug about, Si Si was very clear, this was not a "look, a flying saucer" trick.

Since a moment ago, the onlookers began to shift their gaze away from the scene to the distant sky.

And now, those unfamiliar faces all simultaneously bore expressions of confusion, hesitation, and panic.

"What on earth is that?"

"A whale, is it a whale?"

"By the Great Antler God..." some of the herders knelt to the ground, their foreheads pressed firmly against it.

Many mercenaries were bewildered, but there were some far-sighted merchants who recognized the creature.

"Airship... it’s the Army’s airship!"

Staring toward the northwest of Rui Valley City, Kaliman’s eyes widened, his pupils shimmering with bewilderment and fear.

And the guards standing by his side couldn’t help but grip their guns tighter.

That towering steel emerged from beneath the clouds, like an iceberg surfacing from the sea. Its wings, stretching out on both sides like the wings of a Peng, and the rows of whirling propellers cutting through the mist, resembled the canines of a wild beast.

So this is what the legion’s airship looks like...

He had often heard rumors about it, but this was the first time he saw it.

It was like a giant whale flying in the sky... although he had only seen such an animal in photos.

Several players were also dumbstruck.

Especially Si Si.

Rather than where the airship came from, she was more curious about how that steel monster managed to fly.

The shell, full of metallic texture, didn’t look like it was just a layer of painted canvas. This most definitely wasn’t the kind of airship seen in reality.

And if it were an airship made of alloy, even if made from aluminum alloy, even if the thickest part of its armor was only 10 millimeters, its weight would still be hundreds or even thousands of tons.

And how on earth was such an unscientific creation propelled by a row of parallel propellers?

Si Si felt like her common sense was being challenged, her brain momentarily crashing.

This wasn’t the first time, though...

Lying on the ground, Halec enjoyed watching their stunned faces and said in a sinister tone,

"Now’s your last chance to surrender and submit..."

Bang—!

A gunshot cut him off.

Halec painfully clutched his left ear and curled up on the ground.

Putting away the smoking pistol, Si Si adjusted her headset and took a photo of the sky.

However, just as she opened VM and was about to sync the photo to her official account, she discovered she had lost her connection.

The signal’s gone?

Just then, Tail, who was also craning her neck looking northward, suddenly changed complexion and exclaimed.

"Giao! My balloon!"

Seeing the disappeared signal on the VM, Sesame Paste said with a wry smile,

"I told you... not to let it float too far, but you insisted on climbing to the top of the mountain."

"I, I just thought the signal would be better..." Tail said in a soft voice, evidently feeling guilty, "And the manual said we should find a higher place."

"But that was way too high!"

"It’s fine... The Manager will surely drop another one for us," Tail patted Sesame Paste’s shoulder, but her uncertain tone seemed more like reassuring herself than others.

She wouldn’t have to compensate for it, would she?

Surely... not, right?

"Ah... We finally made it to the hot search." Meat Meat sighed and sat down on the ground.

"Wuwu... Damn, my heart hurts."

Unlike the NPCs who were afraid of the legion, they had no fear of any legion.

Whether it was the Looter, the legion, or the mutants and other Variants that were hardly human, they were just monsters with higher levels.

Instead, they were more eager to spread this fresh news to the Forum.

The "Dog planner" is up to new tricks!

Unfortunately...

The photo would have to be posted later.

...

Steel Heart.

The bridge dangled beneath the airship, and the man in luxurious attire slightly lifted his chin, overlooking through the floor-to-ceiling windows the mountains, city ruins, vast forests, and plains, as well as the handsome face reflected on the glass.

His name was McCullen, captain of the Steel Heart airship, belonging to the Eastern Legion, holding the rank of Ten Thousand Leader.

Although the rank of Ten Thousand Leader did not literally mean commanding ten thousand people, there was no doubt he stood above tens of thousands.

At the heart of the entire airship was an unfinished Allied Sky Army Guard Ship, featuring a power room with a fusion reactor and a Deflection Shield Generation Unit specifically designed against "kinetic energy weapons."

Although most of the technologies had become indecipherable, and those deciphered were hard to replicate, that did not impede its continued use.

Even if it was in another form.

In short, this airship embodied the pinnacle of pre-war civilization technology and mechanical expertise of the legion.

It could not only serve as an aircraft carrier in the sky but could also directly engage in the front lines once the enemy lost air supremacy, raining down tons of dynamite upon the enemy’s heads.

Few forces on the entire wasteland could withstand them.

Aside from those rats hiding in the swamps, the dung beetles beneath the Holy Shield, and the cockroaches curled up on the East Coast... other ants wouldn’t dare to look up even if they had the ability to bring down the airship.

No one knew how many airships the legion possessed, nor did anyone know how much undiminished armory remained from two hundred years ago.

Except for the all-commanding Marshal himself.

"Esteemed General, right beneath your feet lies Rui Valley City! Just beyond that plain is the South Corridor of the River Valley Province, its Western Gate wide open before you!" Standing beside General McCullen, the adjutant spoke respectfully.

However, this flattery seemed to have missed the mark.

"I don’t need you to educate me on the history of this insignificant land. What you need to tell me is where those cockroaches that crawled over from the East Coast have gotten to."

General McCullen spoke deliberately, yet there was a clear tone of impatience in his voice.

He was supposed to be enjoying the services of his servants at Oasis No. 2, but a piece of intelligence from Bugra Free State had led his superiors to assign him here to intercept reinforcements the corporate troops had sent from the East Coast.

Speaking of superiors, that old fox called Griffin was only a half-rank above him, with just one more star on the insignia of a Ten Thousand Leader.

But there was no choice, even half a star ranked higher than his own.

Moreover, the man was the Legion Leader of the Eastern Legion, appointed personally as the frontline commander.

No matter whether it was piloting airships or Universe Battleships, he had to obey that commander’s orders.

Every time he thought of this, McCullen felt infuriated.

The Pioneer had been taken down, and the remaining crew trapped within the remnants of a civilization without supply or reinforcements were bound to surrender sooner or later.

The spoils were about to be divided, yet he had been sidetracked to this godforsaken place.

For just a corporate employee.

Was it really that important?

"...Griffin’s ambition is not small; he likely wants to take this opportunity to bring the entirety of Luo Xia Province under the Eastern Legion’s sphere of influence," the officer standing by his side remarked quietly.

Such talk seemed like wishful thinking.

The Great Desert stood between Luo Xia Province and the legions’ core territory.

The so-called Great Desert was not just a place name—it was a life-forbidden zone stretching thousands of kilometers.

The legion simply could not govern Luo Xia Province, an enclave so far from their core interests.

Were it not for the Grand Canyon, they would have no need to keep any vassals.

Although every year the Falcon Kingdom contributed a wealth of treasure to them, every general in the Eastern Legion knew all too well that compared to their investments in that pliant kingdom, the king’s tributes of Dinars and slaves were insignificant.

However...

The tragic defeat of the Expeditionary Army and the death of General Kras finally made some legion higher-ups realize that hoping to take down the Grand Canyon, which had once caused the corporations great losses, within a few months was a naive thought.

They needed to invest more strength, build more reliable logistics, perfect the supply lines, and mobilize a massive workforce to shine the Centurions’ shoes—whether from their own or the servant countries.

In a nutshell, they needed to strengthen their grip on the East.

There were many methods to choose from.

For instance...

He supported that honest and simple king to become the emperor.

"...so you purposefully sent us away to hog all the glory for yourself."

Thinking about Griffin’s arrogant face, General McCullen narrowed his eyes slightly, a thought suddenly stirring in his heart.

Looking toward the wilderness in the southeast, the corners of his mouth curled into a cruel arc.

"It’s a blasphemy to our ancestors’ legacy to let these barbarians who drink blood and eat raw meat linger here. In my opinion, the Army’s frontier should expand another 500 kilometers to the east."

"We are fully capable of that!"

The aides and staff beside him simultaneously showed expressions of surprise.

"...Throwing a wrench in the works is not a good idea. I think we should defeat the Enterprise’s reinforcements as quickly as possible and then return to Oasis No. 2."

General McCullen said expressionlessly.

"What’s the point of going back? That old fox will definitely find another excuse to send us away. Once we have breached the South Corridor, the Southern Gate of the Grand Canyon will be wide open to us. Not to mention the Legion Leader, even the Marshal himself won’t be able to ignore our contribution."

"But..."

"There are no buts."

He cut off the staff officer’s words, McCullen looked up at the panoramic window ahead, his face gradually breaking into a pleased smile.

"Let’s bring true order and civilization to these savages!"

Almost the moment his words fell, the airship suddenly tilted two degrees to the right, the connecting parts emitting a creaking buzz.

It was only a slight movement.

Yet at this moment, McCullen’s attention was focused entirely on the handsome face in the floor-to-ceiling window.

Caught off guard, he almost had a close encounter with the handrail next to his nose.

Fortunately, his quick-witted aide grabbed him, preventing a fall.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Picking up his hat from the ground, McCullen cursed furiously.

"What in the world just happened? Which idiot is piloting this ship?"

"Maybe it was just turbulence..."

Faced with McCullen’s roar, the aide spoke tremulously.

However, before he could finish, a soldier hurried into the bridge from outside, reporting nervously.

"Captain! Our right propeller seems to have snagged on something!"

"Send someone to fix it immediately!" McCullen barked.

"Yes!" The soldier stood at attention, saluted, and quickly rushed off.

McCullen grumbled and returned to his seat.

His fellow officers exchanged glances, all shutting their mouths tight, not daring to make a sound, afraid of becoming the target of his ire.

Not triggering the deflection shields meant that the object wasn’t fast, perhaps just a bird that wasn’t paying attention; the problem shouldn’t be serious...

But to be honest, that jolt just now was not a good sign.

"The guy I sent to the ground... what was his name, Halec? Any news from him?"

Hearing the captain’s question, the aide nearby promptly responded.

"Not yet, but his last report said he had locked onto that commercial team... We should have news soon."

McCullen’s mood improved slightly.

Capture that corporate employee and deal with the reinforcements sent by the Enterprise faction, one problem after another resolved and he would also have time to attend to his own matters.

While the Steel Heart was busy checking for malfunctions, Chu Guang, over a hundred and fifty kilometers away, was looking baffledly at his VM.

Where was the signal?

Just moments ago it was full, and he was deeply engrossed in peering at the screen.

How did it suddenly disappear?