This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 404: The Finale of the Battle (Long - )

Chapter 404: Chapter 404: The Finale of the Battle (Long Chapter)

The fuel was depleted, the long shuttle-shaped escape pod’s engines died, and parachutes opened up both at the top and tail, dragging it down into a sandy expanse.

Radiation Scorpions, half the size of a person, scattered in fear at the disturbance, leaving only a few confused Yellow Beetles swaying their antennae.

The hissing of a leak filled the air as the hatch cracked open slightly.

Several Guard Soldiers wielding submachine guns were the first to crawl out, crouching on the ground and keeping watch.

After confirming the safety outside, one of them immediately returned to the escape pod to signal their comrades inside to fully open the hatch.

Soon, with the support of two Guard Soldiers, a beleaguered General Mclen limped out from the escape pod.

This so-called escape pod was essentially a giant "rocket," with a few parachutes as its slowing devices, naturally offering a less than pleasant riding experience.

Although Mclen had ridden in it a few times during drills, he never imagined he would use one himself one day.

"These damned natives... maggots..."

He constantly cursed under his breath, his stormy eyes scanning the sky in worry that an airplane might catch up.

Fortunately, though, the Alliance’s planes did not pursue him, clear skies stretched for miles around, indicating one thing clearly.

This was Sunset Province.

Besides him and several Guard Soldiers, the escape pod also carried over twenty senior officers including his adjutant and staff.

This was about the maximum capacity the escape pod could hold.

The remaining fuel wasn’t enough to help them fly the thousands of kilometers back to the military base, though they were already a couple hundred kilometers from the River Valley Province.

During his time in the escape pod, he had learned through communication channels that the Iron Heart had completely fallen... and almost within less than ten minutes after his departure.

Thinking of this made him shiver involuntarily.

He dared not think about how rudely he would be treated if he fell into the hands of those barbarians who consumed raw flesh and blood.

At the same time, he also learned from the frontline troops that those barbarians not only captured his airship but also hung a flag on its bridge.

That flag appeared to belong to the Alliance.

Yes.

Now, he finally understood the identity of his adversary.

Opposing the Army was not just Giant Stone City, a single Survivor Settlement, but a complete "Alliance" consisting of all the Survivor Settlements in the Southern River Province.

"...these mongrels."

Mclen almost crushed his teeth, squeezing the words out between gritted teeth.

He swore.

He would come back.

He would make those people pay for their stupidity with their foul blood and wash away this disgrace...

...

No matter how furiously Mclen raged, it could not change his awkward and pathetic situation or the outcome of the Legion’s complete operational collapse in the River Valley Province.

Fallen Leaf Camp.

An incessant gunfire lasted nearly an hour.

Soldiers clad in black robes and bullet-proof armor and guards dressed in counterfeit military uniforms engaged in fierce firefights between tents.

An hour ago, led by Debt Giant Eye, Construction Site Youth, and Brick among others from the Death Legion and Storm Corps veterans, over two hundred Retinue Soldiers swiftly captured five ammunition and weapon depots in Fallen Leaf Camp.

After seizing control of the ammunition depots, Big Eyes immediately threw weapons to the Retinue Soldiers who were still in shock.

"The Army burned our homes! They enslaved our brothers, sisters, wives, and children! Today, they again want to send us to the frontline as cannon fodder!"

"We’ll use our fists and rifle barrels to tell them, we are people, not animals bred by these Hyenas!"

"If you have any dignity left, even a little—"

"Take up arms, follow me!"

Honestly, this mobilization was hastily prepared, and Big Eyes’ speech in United Human language was mediocre at best; most people didn’t understand clearly.

Yet, amidst the deafening gunfire and chaos, most were moved by the impassioned voice and instinctively caught the rifles and magazines thrown their way.

The rebels rolled up their sleeves past their elbows to distinguish friend from foe and engaged in fierce shootouts with the black-robed soldiers who came to suppress them.

The most loyal Cannon Fodder were sent to the frontlines, leaving behind these three thousand-plus untrained soldiers who had only handled rifles for a few days or who were naturally at odds with the Army, yet had submitted to the Army’s tyranny only to don this uniform.

The Army soldiers stationed in Fallen Leaf Camp numbered over five hundred, but there were over a hundred Awakeners mixed in the camp.

More than that, most of these players were promoted junior officers, who, upon hearing gunfire, immediately led their subordinates to switch sides.

Coleway’s troops quickly fell into disarray.

Especially after the forward gun compartment of the airship was destroyed and the Alliance flag appeared on the bridge, the black-robed soldiers became utterly hopeless.

In the chaos, Coleway, armored in an exoskeleton, held a rifle and led around ten of his Guard Soldiers towards the camp’s west gate.

However, before he could reach the gate, over half of his guards had fallen, leaving only four to protect him.

Watching the sparks fly across the sky and the flickering flames within the camp, a trace of despair emerged on Coleway’s face.

He couldn’t understand how the Retinue Soldiers, who just yesterday were fiercely battling those natives, had suddenly turned their rifles and fierce gazes against them.

Especially those junior officers, each of them had in their hands the lives of several, even a dozen, indigenous soldiers. In turning their coats, did they not fear being captured and held accountable by the enemy?

And when had these people colluded?

Usually, there was no sign of them whispering to each other!

Just then, a fierce soldier from the Retinue Army, armed with a Ripper Rifle, charged alone to his side.

Coleway instinctively looked at his arm, saw that the sleeve was not rolled up, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, signaling to a few of the tense personal guards not to open fire.

Fortunately, this one had not betrayed him.

Having just carved a bloody path out of the mountains of corpses and seas of bones, the Old Soldier, breathing heavily, said to Coleway,

"Sir, those traitors who do more harm than good have betrayed the army! My people were unfortunate and fell while suppressing those traitors."

"Under no circumstances must you fall into the hands of those barbarians. I will cover you, please retreat at once!"

He had memorized this line, which was crafted for him by Fang Chang, word for word.

Originally, he had planned to stir trouble with Big Eyes and give Coleway a surprise. However, he was tasked last night with a new mission from the Forum.

The Manager required him to continue acting undercover and to ensure Coleway’s safe retreat to the army’s military base in Luo Xia Province.

There was no choice, as military orders were absolute, and the rantings would have to wait.

But then again, the army’s defeat was inevitable, with numerous Centurion and Ten-man squads surrendering en masse. There were already enough captured officers; one or two less would not make a difference.

Better to let a few small fish escape and bait bigger ones later.

"These are turncoats and traitors..." Coleway gritted his teeth and somehow managed to squeeze out these words, looking at the Pangolin still standing by his side, feeling a wave of emotion.

Even if everyone else had betrayed him.

There were still one or two loyal folks steadfastly at his side.

He swore.

If he were fortunate to survive, he would never betray this shining loyalty.

"Cover me!"

Seeing that Coleway was not suspicious, the Old Soldier relaxed and loyally said,

"Yes, sir!"

...

Shortly after Coleway’s escape, the Skeleton Corps’ armored division swiftly reached the south gate of the Fallen Leaf Camp.

Upon seeing the imposing quad-mounted machine guns, the fifty-plus sentries guarding the gate immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered.

They had wanted to surrender all along.

But they did not want to surrender to the false army with rolled-up sleeves.

After all, they were dogs fed by their own hands; psychologically and physiologically, they could not accept this humiliation.

However, the outcome was virtually the same.

With limited infantry numbers, the Skeleton Corps disarmed these gatekeepers and made them squat by the wall in a line, monitored by the emerged Retinue Soldiers.

Seeing the inevitable, many of the Retinue Soldiers still resisting alongside the army also began to turn their coats.

In the end, over fifty black-robed soldiers of the Army, including junior officers like the Centurion and those who had fled from the marine corps camp, were surrounded and driven up Falling Leaf Ridge by the Rebels.

Although the majority of the Army troops had already surrendered en masse, there were still those who resisted tenaciously.

But it changed nothing.

On Mole’s command, five tanks parked on the gentle slope, lined up along the edge of the Fallen Leaf Camp.

Aimed at the enemy’s last position atop the hill, Makabazi shouted to the loader at his feet,

"High-explosive bomb!"

"Received!"

The Strength-type player yelled, pulled out the armor-piercing round from the breach, and then grabbed a shell marked HE from the ammo rack, stuffing it in and forcefully closing the breach.

"Loaded!"

"Fire!"

With resounding blasts, 88mm high-explosive rounds traced parabolas through the air, landing on the crest of Fallen Leaf Ridge and exploding into billowing smoke.

At the same time, players wielding submachine guns, led by their squad leaders, orderly maneuvered through the smoke-filled camp and rushed towards the direction of Fallen Leaf Ridge.

Standing by the truck, Mole raised binoculars and glanced at the hillside being suppressed by artillery fire.

There were no preemptive defensive structures there.

The army people probably never imagined that one day they would be disgracefully pushed back against the hills.

"Tank formations alternate fire, maintain suppression, cover the infantry as they advance to the hilltop!"

Excited shouts transmitted through the communication channel.

"Roger that!"

The Alliance’s flag fluttered at a height of hundreds of meters, and with the fall of Fallen Leaf Camp, there was no suspense left in the outcome.

Now it was time to clean up the battlefield.

Glancing at the trembling survivors, all huddled and cowering, Mole saw Debt Giant Eye and the construction site youngster with bricks, leading a group from the direction of the camp entrance.

The faces of those pseudo-army soldiers were filled with unease.

It was not difficult to guess the identities of these men,

who as of yesterday, were still exchanging fire with them.

However, they did not trouble them, nor did they even confiscate their weapons but merely pointed them in a direction to help guard the prisoners of the Army at the wall.

As for the players who had arrived with them, they did not leave but stayed behind.

"You came right on time, the group on the mountain is yours to handle, don’t blame us for not leaving you some soup," Giant Eye said with a playful grin.

Standing next to Mole, Irina glanced behind him and asked curiously,

"Where’s your Pangolin?"

The construction site youngster with bricks replied with a smile,

"The Alliance double agent has a new task, this time it’s to cover Cowell’s retreat."

"Coleway?" remembering a serialized post by the Old Soldier on the forum, Mole immediately recalled the name, "The highest officer of Fallen Leaf Camp?"

"That’s him."

Seeing Giant Eye nod, Mole looked regretful.

"Damn! That was a big fish that got away."

Debt Giant Eye said with a laugh, "You call that a big fish? Just a few small leaders, the real big fish are on the airship."

Mole sighed.

"Enough chit-chat, let’s clean up the battlefield."

The sound of gunfire from the distant mountaintop had stopped.

The Skeleton Corps’ infantry had already charged up, leading several prisoners down the mountain.

The appearance of one prisoner, seemingly unlike the usual small fry, suggested he might be a high-ranking officer.

Mole glanced around and then suddenly looked at the driver’s seat of the armored truck beside him and ordered,

"Fugui, keep heading west to find the Old Soldier."

The yawning Gnome King Fugui rolled his eyes,

"Fuck you, why not call me Gnome King?"

"Get moving, while he’s still in range, scare him with a burst, and when he fires back, pretend your engine has been hit and yank the steering wheel like this."

Mole gestured with his hand.

Gnome King Fugui saw the gesture, started the truck and said,

"OK, got it."

The armored truck, dragging a quad-barrel machine gun, restarted and pulled out of the formation, heading west to increase the difficulty for the Pangolin.

Mole waved his hand and led the rest deep into Fallen Leaf Camp to tally the captured spoils of war with his brothers.

The Army had left quite a lot of supplies in the camp.

Including generators, nutrient paste synthesizers, a large amount of military supplies, several workbenches and tools for processing scrap, and enough weapons and ammunition to arm half a division.

Without a logistical supply line, the Army could only produce the required ammunition and chemicals by scavenging locally.

In a makeshift workshop, one could even see gun barrels and bullets that had just been machined, and even 100mm shells that had not had time to be loaded with explosives.

Among those prisoners, there must be some of the Army’s technicians; otherwise, these Wasteland Wanderers and Mutants couldn’t manage such complex tasks alone.

As Mole inspected the ammunition depot, Debt Giant Eye and the construction site boss headed to the tent of the Battlefield Atmosphere Group.

That was where the officers of the Army and the Retinue Army were stationed.

Including those officers’ personal belongings, slaves, and some other valuable items, they were generally kept there.

Scavenging the spoils of war.

Naturally, it started with their good brothers’ tents.

Debt Giant Eye and the construction site boss exchanged smiles and walked towards the tent.

Maybe it was their overly lewd laughter, or maybe it was the blood-stained bayonet that was too intimidating, but as the Chaotic Army pushed in from outside, the faces of the women hiding in the tents were filled with bewilderment and panic.

One of the girls, slightly shorter and with light brown hair, suddenly showed a look of despair in her struggling eyes.

Since she could remember, the instructors of the Army had told them that it was an honor to serve as the Army’s dogs, and if they fell into the hands of those Wasteland Wanderers and Mutants, these weak and frail poor things wouldn’t even have the chance to be whipped, either being abused to death or skinned and tossed into boiling oil.

Previously, when General McCullen gave her and others to that "native" Pangolin, her heart was so nervous she thought she might be cooked and eaten.

However, during the half-month they spent together, she gradually realized that he was not as barbaric or evil as she had imagined, even treating them better than the Army’s people did.

He not only refrained from forcing them to do unwilling acts but even took into account their physical strength, only allowing them to do manageable tasks like laundry.

To prevent them from being harassed by other refugees and Wasteland Wanderers, he even specifically placed their tents next to his own.

At that time, she even had an unexpected thought in her heart—being a servant to that native lord didn’t seem so bad.

However...

That person never returned.

Clearly, he had fought bravely to the last moment and had been killed by these "rebels."

Rather than being captured by these devils, she thought...

She watched as two people entered the tent. A determined look appeared on her face as she quietly picked up the shaving blade from the table, planning to end her own life.

Big Eyes, who was joking with the construction worker, noticed the young girl’s action and was startled.

Without enough time to understand the situation, he quickly stepped forward and grabbed the girl’s arm, prying the blade from her hand.

"Have you lost your mind?"

The girl who was yelled at seemed terrified.

Her lips were white from biting them, and her eyes, wide with horror, stared blankly at the man in front of her.

"Uh, I’ve heard this called Stockholm Syndrome... but it doesn’t quite fit," the youth from the construction site chimed in, "Anyway, don’t expect your basic United Human language to make her understand. Leave it to the NPCs from the logistics management."

The Alliance had places like shelters.

These places were similar to refugee camps, mainly for sheltering and educating slaves redeemed from slavers, as well as the pitiful ones rescued from the Looters.

Most of these people had had their ability to function in a normal society destroyed by continuous torment, making it difficult for them, both mentally and physically, to adapt to new lives.

Before letting these "supervisees" re-enter society, the Alliance would assign instructors to indoctrinate them, teach them to read and understand newspapers, and after they had acquired at least one survival skill, register them with new resident identities so that they could begin new lives.

These people had not been tortured, but had lived as slaves from birth, with no sense of longing for freedom in their eyes.

"This game is really damn troublesome..."

Officers knowing to surrender when defeated while those Cannon Fodders nearly bleed dry, yet the most loyal turned out to be a slave...

Of course, that loyalty might not necessarily be to the Army.

Big Eyes sighed.

Although he was an Intelligence System player, he didn’t like to think about such complex issues.

Letting go of her arm, he tossed the blood-stained blade aside, ignoring the blood dripping from his hand, and took out a piece of paper from his chest, handing it to the girl who was intent on dying.

"This is... something the Pangolin wrote for you guys, take it."

The girl looked confused at the piece of paper in her hand.

Clearly, she couldn’t read.

Debt Giant Eye reluctantly took the paper back, cleared his throat, and read in not quite standard United Human language,

"Dawn City’s hotel is hiring a laundry worker, recommended by the Road Town Inn, old man Hooke there is a good person. When the Looters came, we reached out to help them."

"There are no slaves or oppression on the Alliance’s land; we have established our own country there, under our flag we vow never to submit to barbarians."

"Therefore, you shouldn’t submit to me either."

"You have learned skills to earn a living, you can—and should—go there to live a normal person’s life."

Debt Giant Eye, combining his own understanding, slightly refined the phrasing to make it less difficult to understand.

The women in the tent looked at each other.

The girl with light brown hair kept her head down, silent for a long time.

Debt Giant Eye and the construction worker casually collected some personal items from the Old Soldier, planning to bring them back to Dawn City.

As the two were about to leave, the girl with light brown hair suddenly raised her head and courageously stepped forward to stop them.

"My name is Lisa."

Debt Giant Eye and the construction worker stopped in their tracks, staring blankly at the girl, not understanding what she was planning to do next.

She bit her lips softly and continued in United Human language,

"If he... if he is still around, please tell him."

"I will wait for him."

Debt Giant Eye and the youth from the construction site exchanged glances.

"What did she say? I spaced out there."

"Uh, she apparently said her name is Lisa? That she’s waiting for the Pangolin."

"Damn, that’s bold!"

Seeing Debt Giant Eye’s astonished face, the youth from the construction site blurted out.

"What kind of bold?"

Debt Giant Eye gave him a look and rolled his eyes.

"Can you not crack such mood-killing jokes?"

The youth from the construction site said sheepishly,

"I... was actually wondering, is it a double-headed cow or the regular kind?"

"..."

...

After the war on the western front had subsided, Chu Guang entered the Fallen Leaf Camp and announced to the local survivors the defeat of the Army and the victory of the Alliance.

The area around Rui Valley City was incorporated into the Restoration Zone, and Fallen Leaf Camp was to be renamed Falling Leaves City, becoming part of the Alliance.

The survivors who were captured by the Army could freely decide whether to stay or leave, and those who chose to stay, the Alliance would help them rebuild their homes on the ruins... These efforts would proceed alongside the advancement of the front lines.

As for the captive soldiers from the Retinue Army, the Alliance pardoned them for the crimes committed while working for the Army during the war.

Although a small portion had voluntarily joined the Army, the majority had been coerced into becoming cannon fodder.

To hold them accountable would be somewhat damaging to morale.

Of course, if any survivor were to identify someone who had used their position in the Retinue to commit serious crimes, they would still not escape punishment.

As before, the Alliance would build a POW camp near Falling Leaves City to detain prisoners of war.

They would repay their war crimes through labor, compensating those who had been displaced because of them.

While Chu Guang was busy leading his small group of players cleaning up the western battlefield, the northern border of the Alliance was stirring.

North of West State City.

At the edge where the Tributary of Tianshui met a stretch of desolate mountains, a thousand-man force was marching southward at a leisurely pace.

The group included a dozen three-wheeled motorcycles and six-wheeled trucks, carrying various light and heavy machine guns, mortars, and anti-armor rocket launchers.

Though these people were armed only with infantry weapons, their firepower was not to be underestimated.

Their motley attire made it clear that these individuals were mercenaries.

In River Valley Province, only Giant Stone City and Bugra Free State could organize such a ragtag group into a thousand team.

From the direction they were moving, it was apparent they were from the latter.

Walking beside Hader, a man wearing a leather felt hat looked toward the southern mountains and jokingly said,

"Isn’t it a bit inopportune for us to intervene now?"

With a slight curl of his lips, Haberd, shouldering a rifle, responded lazily,

"Being too cautious will never make us rich."

Haberd was a name with some notoriety in Bugra Free State, both the man himself and the mercenary group named after him.

Just days ago, a mysterious employer had approached him through an intermediary, hoping he would attack Dawn City from the north.

Haberd initially refused without hesitation, as this was practically a suicide mission, and no amount of payment was worth it without life to spend it.

However, the employer quickly offered an additional piece of information.

The Army would adjust their deployments in the desert, and the airships from Rui Valley City would be recalled to support the battle at Oasis No. 9 in the Sunset Province.

Meanwhile, the Alliance’s forces would surely be tied up on the western front, leaving the northern defenses vulnerable, making an invasion of Dawn City face little resistance.

Besides providing this information, the employer also offered to support them with a batch of weapons and increased the original remuneration from 1 million dinars to 1.2 million.

1.2 million dinars was no small sum.

Even if it were divided evenly, everyone would get over a thousand... though considering the costs, Haberd would not distribute it that way.

Apart from the bounty, the employer had told him he could dispose of any captured spoils as he saw fit.

Long ago, Haberd had heard that Dawn City had gathered thirty to forty thousand survivors and was hoarding aid supplies worth several million chips.

With someone funding and equipping them, and all spoils for his taking, Haberd could see no reason to refuse such generous terms.

The troops reached the banks of the tributary of Tianshui.

Seeing Tianshui so close at hand, Haberd immediately ordered,

"Prepare to cross the river!"

After entering the rainy season, Tianshui was more turbulent than usual, and the river at this tributary was noticeably wider, at least one kilometer across at its narrowest point.

But Haberd was prepared for this.

Although his brothers had never fought a water battle, it didn’t mean he couldn’t read the weather.

Twenty inflatable rafts, each the size of two double beds, were launched, each equipped with four paddles.

Over a thousand men were divided into two groups; two hundred, led by Haberd himself, began crossing the river on the inflatable rafts, while the remaining men stayed ashore to keep watch.

Standing at the front of the raft, Haberd looked at the southern shore of the Tributary of Tianshui and his brothers earnestly paddling, his eyes lighting up with a mix of excitement and cruelty.

Since the Alliance was too preoccupied to pay attention here...

It might be good to stay a few extra days in Dawn City.

Though the appearances of the refugees certainly couldn’t compare to the dancers in the taverns of Bugra Free State, he wouldn’t dare mess around in the city.

Outside, however, there weren’t so many restrictions.

As myriad thoughts ran through Haberd’s mind, his vanguard was just fifty meters from the shore.

At that moment, on the lush fringe of the nearby riverbank, a figure suddenly appeared.

Judging by the slimness of the shoulders, it was probably a woman, draped in a hooded cloak, with the hood casting a shadow that concealed her entire face.

Hubbard squinted slightly.

His instinct for danger made him sense a dangerous aura emanating from that person.

He cleared his throat and shouted loudly,

"Hey, girl by the shore, this is no place for a picnic. The big boss is busy today and has no time to play with you."

The person did not respond.

Hubbard’s expression turned cold, and he signaled to his brothers while his hand reached for the automatic rifle hung on the inflating raft.

"Prepare for battle..."

His decision was resolute.

And indeed, his judgment was correct.

However...

It seemed a tad too late.

Almost at the moment he gave the command, they were only thirty meters away from the riverbank, and the person on the shore moved at the same time.

And—

The speed was unbelievably fast!

It was almost inhuman.

Hubbard saw her legs slightly bent and then, like a cannonball, she leaped into the air, covering a distance of over twenty meters to land on the foremost inflatable raft.

The massive impact almost bent the raft in half, throwing the mercenaries standing on it into the rapidly flowing river as they screamed in terror.

The instant Hubbard saw this, his pupils constricted sharply.

Before he could react, that swift figure had already jumped to the next raft, with two streaks of white light shooting from her sleeves.

From the fleeting afterimages, he barely made out—they were daggers!

There was no time to defend, and instantly, two mercenaries who had just raised their gun barrels were killed, and before their bodies hit the water, she had already slashed the throats of another two.

The twin slender daggers in her hands flew up and down, tearing the raft beneath her like a spiraling propeller, like a whirling saw blade.

The adjutant squatting next to Hubbard was written with panic, attempting to aim with the light machine gun in his hands at the agile figure.

However, she was too close to their allies!

He couldn’t aim, nor could he open fire.

"Damn... I can’t target it!"

A fierce glint passed through Hubbard’s eyes as he roared,

"Don’t engage her in close combat, push those close into the river! The rest open fire! Suppress her!"

Tat-tat-tat—!

The mounted machine gun finally spit out flames, and the adjutant, urged by Hubbard, pulled the trigger before his comrades had fully jumped off.

Bullets swarmed toward the raft like locusts!

Within that dense barrage, two mercenaries who couldn’t jump in time were instantly killed, with only less than five managing to jump into the river.

Even though they couldn’t swim.

After clearing one raft, she moved relentlessly to the next without a hint of fatigue.

In just five minutes, half of the twenty inflatable rafts had sunk, and the mercenaries in the water were mostly dead or injured, swept downstream by the fierce Tianshui, while only a few swimmers frantically dog-paddled toward the north in terror.

Seeing the situation on the river, the mercenaries waiting on the shore could only watch anxiously; even with mortars and machine guns ready, they couldn’t help at all.

She was too close to their comrades.

A mortar shot might not take her down but could likely kill their boss first.

Watching his subordinates continue to fall, Hubbard was frantic, his eyes reddened. Seeing that shadow getting closer, he finally couldn’t hold back anymore and shouted,

"Retreat! Everyone fall back!"

Upon receiving the retreat order, the mercenaries immediately grabbed the oars, straining to paddle in the opposite direction.

However, she had no intention of letting them go and chased directly after them.

One of the mercenaries pulled out an Iron Fist Rocket Launcher stored in a box, aimed at the person on the raft, and squeezed the trigger.

A trail of white smoke whizzed past.

But almost at the same time, a small quadcopter drone plunged straight down from the sky, positioning itself between him and the target.

The explosion thundered!

The rocket collided head-on with the drone, also detonating the explosives on the drone. The secondary explosion instantly engulfed two more rafts, blasting the mercenary who had fired the rocket into the air.

The chaotic airflow spread over the river surface, pushing the surrounding rafts outward, and also lifted the hood off her head.

Hubbard’s eyes narrowed slightly.

It was a face with bland features, and slightly abstract contours, like a mannequin in a clothing store window.

Realizing what it was, he screamed in shock.

"Bionic human!"

"Are you from the corporation?!"

The man didn’t answer, and while the shockwave from the explosion hadn’t pushed the raft too far, he exerted force in his legs again and leapt like a cannonball towards the vessel where Haberd was.

At the same time, it was the last vessel!

Seeing the man charging at him, Haberd roared, the veins under his muscles writhing like earthworms, causing all his muscles to swell.

Immediately after, he simply threw away his rifle and drew the two daggers strapped to his thigh, facing the man head-on.

Clang clang—!

Two metallic collisions echoed, the immense force making his palms tingle.

Standing on the raft, the bionic human took a half step back, his plain features showing no emotion, yet seemingly revealing a hint of surprise.

At least, that’s how Haberd saw it.

"Don’t underestimate me... I’m an Awakener, after all," his eyes burning with the will to fight, he positioned his daggers in front of him, adjusting his breathing, trying to stabilize his shaky center of gravity.

Through his clenched teeth, he spat out a provocative remark.

"Repulsive monster... I’m going to dismantle you into parts."

"You talk too much."

An emotionless electronic tone floated over, marking the first and only sentence it spoke after initiating the action.

The two dagger-like blades in its hands spun again.

Like the propellers of a fighter plane.

Haberd’s pupils dilated as he tried to discern the trajectory of the blades, but his eyes gradually failed to capture it.

The bionic human at the bow moved again.

This time, it was faster than before.

Watching the fake face rushing towards him, Haberd’s muscles surged as he roared and swung his blade fiercely, but the swinging through the air made his heart sink.

So fast!

That was the last thought flashing through his mind.

The slightly sidestepped bionic human easily dodged his full-force strike, its agile steps already half an inch behind his heels, the fluttering daggers just a flicker as they casually sliced open the back of his neck.

There, was the nerve center.

Because it avoided the arteries, no blood spewed.

Haberd’s eyes widened as he tried to twist his head back, but his body was already uncontrollable, falling stiffly onto the raft.

The bionic standing on the raft, flicking off the bloodstained dagger, glanced across the river and then turned and jumped into the river.

Finally snapping back to reality, the mercenaries on the river bank began pressing their triggers, unleashing fierce firepower towards where the shadow had disappeared.

Bullets rained down, splashing chunks of water on the river surface.

Followed by two mortar shells plunging into the river, the blast of water columns shot up several meters.

However, the shadow had already vanished, leaving only the chaotic river and puddles of light red blood...

The mercenaries’ faces were filled with horror.

"Devil..."

"What was that thing?!"

"Was it an Awakener?"

"No... Is that thing still human?"

It was a completely one-sided slaughter.

Although on land they were a hundred percent confident they could destroy that thing, on the turbulent river water... unless it was an Awakener with enhanced reflexes, let alone aiming, maintaining balance was a challenge.

Rifles don’t have "steady."

A man with a goatee swallowed and looked toward his comrades.

"The boss is dead."

He was a Centurion of Haberd’s Mercenary Group.

But now Haberd was dead.

He would probably lead his brothers and register a new mercenary group under his own name.

The Centurion beside him nodded grimly.

"Uh..."

The man with the goatee continued.

"So... what do we do now?"

They only brought twenty rafts and had no more equipment to cross the river, and even if they did, as long as that ghostly thing was still there, crossing was impossible.

Completing the mission had become impossible.

A slightly older Centurion gritted his teeth, his tone heavy as he spoke,

"Let’s retreat..."

After symbolically firing several rounds of mortar across the river to vent their anger and perhaps to mourn their deceased leader, the gathered mercenaries saw that no one else was coming up from the river. They hesitated for a moment but eventually retreated en masse.

Meanwhile, a bit downstream, a bionic person emerged from the water, shook off the droplets, and walked steadily ashore.

"Well done! The master will thank you!"

The doll riding on Xia Yan’s shoulder swayed its little legs, its tranquil and beautiful face voicing a sincere compliment.

Having been on the sidelines, Xia Yan felt she should say something too, so she laughed awkwardly and said,

"Looks like we didn’t even need to intervene..."

She carried an LD-47s sniper rifle on her back.

Although she hadn’t fought in a long time and was not an Awakener, her skills hadn’t gotten rusty—at least that’s what she believed.

However...

Xiao Qi had a comment to make,

"You should remove the word ’we,’ Xiao Qi did take action!"

Hearing this, Xia Yan’s eyebrows twitched fiercely as she glared at the creature sitting on her shoulder.

"You little thing, be careful or I might throw you into the river!"

Controlling the doll, Xiao Qi bent its mouth corners,

"No empty threats, go ahead and throw if you dare."

Seeing its smug look, Xia Yan grimaced, pulled it off her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. However, she dared not actually throw it into the river.

After all, unlike that trash bin,

Pai had made this doll.

Over the many days they’d spent together, she had already become friends with that little blue-eyed girl.

Xiao Qi clearly knew this, and while being squeezed, it simply disconnected from the doll and played dead.

Tianqin flicked the blood and water droplets off his dagger, looking at the manipulated doll as he responded with his unrestrained electronic voice,

"Thanks, the support was timely."

Seeing Tianqin looking her way made Xia Yan feel a bit embarrassed, and she carefully placed Xiao Qi back on her shoulder.

Reconnecting, Xiao Qi arrogantly swung its legs and continued,

"You’re welcome... and here I thought the bionics in the shelter couldn’t strike living beings."

"Normally, that’s true. But Dr. Method modified my service terms add certain conditions, such as when the shelter or listed personnel are in danger, I can use necessary force,"

Tianqin’s eyes flickered slightly as he continued expressionlessly.

"You’re no different, right?"

Xiao Qi proudly lifted its lips.

"Of course, those despicable fellows dared to plot against Xiao Qi’s master. I had to teach them a lesson!"

About half a month ago, its master had told it that the Alliance’s Northern Border might be attacked.

Later, when it went to Rui Valley City, its master seemed to have reached some agreement with the manager of Shelter 101 and had sent Tianqin here.

Seeing how concerned Chu Guang was about the security here, Xiao Qi had two drones fly to the edge of Dawn City, tagging along the Xia Yan who had been studying there.

It wasn’t exactly necessary to drag her along.

But with the master out of communication range, it was somewhat boring to be alone, so it called upon the "servant" who often carried it up and down the stairs.

Also, to show off its beautiful new body to this fool.

Listening to the two AIs converse, Xia Yan felt she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

At that moment, she suddenly noticed the noticeable marks and cracks on Tianqin, and worriedly spoke up,

"You’re hurt."

Tianqin’s pupils flickered slightly, replying seriously,

"Minor issue, just some superficial damage. The moving parts and control components are still intact, it doesn’t affect my functions."

That might have been the longest sentence she’d ever said.

Xia Yan said with sparkling eyes,

"What I mean is, I can help you fix it."

She had just learned the skill recently and was worried she wouldn’t have a chance to practice it.

Faced with those hopeful eyes, Tianqin paused briefly, then looked away,

"That’s... not necessary."