This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 429: My Friend, Not Everyone in This World Is as Simple-Minded as You

Chapter 429: Chapter 429: My Friend, Not Everyone in This World Is as Simple-Minded as You

"Damn..."

The man, clad in bulletproof armor, standing at the entrance of the camp, couldn’t help but curse aloud as he looked at the chaos before him at the military base.

His name was Vag, part of the Ninth Thousand Team of the Thirty Thousand Troops. He led a ten-man squad stationed about 20 kilometers from here, at an outpost responsible for monitoring the northwestern valley of Camp 530 and also guarding a relay signal tower.

An hour ago, he received a message from the Ninth Thousand Team. Camp 530 had not made its routine safety report and had not responded to HQ’s communications. He was ordered to go there immediately with his subordinates to check whether their communications equipment had malfunctioned or if they had encountered some unexpected event.

Vag didn’t hesitate, immediately taking three of his brave subordinates on diesel tricycles, driving across rough terrain for over twenty kilometers straight to Camp 530.

However, when he arrived at the military base, he found it had already turned into ruins...

"Anyone there?"

He shouted at the top of his lungs. There was no stir inside, nor any response.

With heightened tension, Vag raised his rifle horizontally, decisively waved his fist, and cautiously led the three riflemen through the camp gates into the depths of the military base.

The street lamps on either side of the road were all out. The local power system seemed to have been sabotaged, leaving only the still-burning barracks and a thin sliver of moonlight.

Walking along the broken road, passing near the garage area, everyone’s faces turned pale, now green, now white.

Burned corpses lay twisted and intertwined; many were curled up together, making it impossible to spot a complete human form.

As for the garage with its doors wide open, all the tanks and trucks had been driven away, and the supplies were gone too, not even a wrench or screwdriver was left behind.

Vag swallowed hard, moving forward with his riflemen towards the direction of the command center.

They soon passed a checkpoint that seemed to have experienced fierce gunfire not too long ago.

From the collapsed sandbag walls and the bodies riddled with bloody holes, it wasn’t hard to tell that the soldiers stationed here had faced brutal firepower just an hour ago.

The mutant mercenaries nearby met the same fate.

Those big guys either had their heads smashed or their chests blown open with huge holes by some large-caliber weapon, their bodies almost completely disfigured, their deaths utterly agonizing.

Even the mutants with their strong regenerative abilities couldn’t withstand it...

Let alone ordinary people.

"... damn it, I bet this wasn’t the work of the guerrillas or the kingdom’s army!" one of the riflemen nervously looked around, cursing under his breath.

Another, slightly younger rifleman, breathed hastily, also casting nervous glances around, and whispered.

"Could it be the people from the Grand Canyon?"

Listening to the soldiers whispering under their breath, Vag looked around gravely and replied succinctly.

"... We just reached a ceasefire agreement with them at the beginning of the year. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of them violating the treaty, but launching an attack without declaration isn’t their style."

Leading his subordinates, Vag moved to the entrance of the command center.

The situation here was equally grim. Nearby, barracks tents and the partitions were riddled with dense bullet holes, and on less than fifty square meters of the open space, about fifty bodies lay disorderly, all Weilante people with prominent nose bridges.

After searching the area, Vag couldn’t find the body of the thousands leader Piman until he reached the command post and nearby artillery shelter. That’s when he noticed something.

"... all the documents here have been taken out."

Furrowing his brow slightly, Vag recalled what his superior had told him.

Camp 530 was tied to a major plan devised by General Griffin himself, crucial for ending the war by the end of August.

Thus, monitoring the state of Camp 530 at all times was imperative.

Without hesitation, Vag took the walkie-talkie off his shoulder, pressed the button, and said.

"... calling headquarters, this is the patrol team of outpost 151, we have reached Camp 530, and the situation here is quite bad, I don’t see a single living person... nor the body of the commanding officer of this military base, suspecting that they’ve been captured by an unknown force."

"Even the top-secret documents in the command post, military supplies in the nearby warehouse, tanks in the garage... the raiders almost took everything that could be moved."

Looking around, his gaze suddenly fell on the rows of extinguished street lamps, his expression gradually becoming unnatural.

In an instant, Vag thought of something, his expression growing solemn.

"All electronic devices are paralyzed, including all the streetlights being out, the military base is pitch dark, I can’t find any electronic devices that are still working."

"Though it may sound bizarre, my gut tells me... this definitely isn’t just a simple power system malfunction."

Pausing for half a second, he took a deep breath and voiced his speculation.

"Most likely, it’s an EMP!"

...

Camp 530 suffered a catastrophic attack.

The elite troops stationed there were almost entirely wiped out.

And—

Suspected to have been hit by an EMP attack!

The news, reported up through the ranks, quickly reached the army’s frontline headquarters at Oasis No. 9, startling several senior officers from their sleep.

In the war room.

General Griffin stood with his hands behind his back, perfectly upright in front of the strategic map, his eyes narrowing dangerously like those of a vulture.

The officers behind him were silent as the grave, exchanging incredulous and astonished glances.

Over the past month, their outposts and military bases had endured several attacks by the kingdom’s army and guerrillas, but those wasteland wanderers, fighting with flaming sticks, had never won.

That the command center only found out about the destruction of a military base after the battle had concluded was unprecedented...

And moreover, it was Camp 530 that was hit.

It had to be that location!

A staff officer took a deep breath, breaking the silence in the meeting room, and reported.

"Our aircraft have scouted the nearby areas; no enemy troops were found. After stealing the supplies, the attackers seem to have hidden in the valleys thirty kilometers northeast of Oasis No. 9. They must have built hidden fortifications there; our planes saw nothing."

The silent atmosphere was pierced.

The officers around also chimed into the conversation.

"According to the intelligence fed back by nearby outposts, the enemy seems to have used EMP weapons, preemptively destroying the communication tower of the military base... There are two possibilities, the Grand Canyon has entered the war, or companies have increased their military presence in Luo Xia Province."

"Aren’t they building an air base around West State City in River Valley Province? The person could well be from there!"

"It’s possible!"

Listening to his subordinates’ numerous discussions, Griffin, with hands behind his back, remained silent.

More than the painful loss of personnel, equipment, and supplies, what Griffin found unacceptable was that the combat plan he formulated last month had been leaked.

Camp 530 served as the logistical fulcrum for launching the next round of total onslaught across the northern front. He didn’t mind the casualties of vassal attendants on the front lines but had to carefully consider the heavy losses involved in taking over the Northern Defense Area of the Lion Kingdom without sufficient armored strength and supply support...

Luo Xia Province wasn’t just about Honey Badgers and Lions, but also Camels and Golden Lizards. If they wanted the Hawk Kingdom to conquer the entire Luo Xia Province, they needed to control the casualties.

Otherwise...

What they gained would soon be lost.

"...It’s regrettable that our flawless plan was leaked. They knew exactly where Camp 530 was and could pinpoint the location of our troops by the day and hour."

Griffin glanced around the tent, his gaze sharply sweeping over every face present as he spoke distinctly.

"The strategic deployment on the northern front must be adjusted... It won’t be difficult, but I want to know exactly where the fault lies."

The room turned terrifyingly quiet, as if the drop of a pin could be heard.

Just when everyone was tensely on edge, Griffin suddenly shifted the topic lightly.

"Of course, I trust your loyalty. The problem must lie with some link below us. I need you all to keep your eyes peeled and root out the traitor."

Upon hearing this, the officers finally relaxed, their faces revealing a relieved expression as they stood at attention and said,

"Understood!"

"Yes, sir!"

Watching his subordinates lift their heads proudly, Griffin nodded, his gaze returning to the map hanging on the wall, sinking into contemplation.

EMP weapons.

Clearly, that wasn’t equipment from the kingdom—most likely, no, it certainly was a tactic by the corporations!

According to the message logged by the logistics department, Camp 530 had just received a batch of supplies from Bugra Free State two days ago, indicating that the Grand Canyon was unaware of this supply line; otherwise, they had ample other ways to organize their vassals to continue dealing with the army.

With this in mind, Griffin frowned.

Could it be that McCullen wasn’t boasting?

Was Iron Heart truly destroyed by corporate reinforcements?

If that was the case...

Their troubles might not be small.

...

Meanwhile, at the front-line headquarters where they were holding an overnight meeting to formulate combat plans, a desert-colored truck halted at the entrance of the military camp.

Coleway, who jumped down first from the truck, glanced at the entrance and brightened upon seeing the waiting officer.

"Fedir?! Great! You’re still alive!"

Fedir, an officer under General McCullen’s command, held the same rank as Coleway—a Centurion—but was older by a round.

Watching the dusty Coleway, Fedir saluted excitedly and walked up to him, grasping his right hand.

"At the last critical moment, I escaped aboard the escape pod with General McCullen and miraculously survived... As for you, it’s really good to see you’re still alive!"

The two had a good private relationship.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be waiting here.

Coleway, with a smile on his face, spoke in a wistful tone.

"Honestly, I barely made it out of the desert. The battlefield was chaotic, I couldn’t even muster ten men around me, and there were barbarian pursuers behind. At one point, I almost gave up... It was all thanks to this brother here."

He pulled the now-disembarked Old Soldier next to him.

Fedir looked at this dark-skinned man, noting his flat nose, and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Who is this?"

"Pangolin!"

Coleway patted the stoic man’s shoulder vigorously, grinning at Fedir.

"Don’t be fooled by his Wasteland Wanderer appearance. He’s unlike the others, a brave fellow... not just in skill, but his loyalty to the army shames even me. To gather enough money to return, he even set aside a soldier’s pride to dig in coal mines. If it weren’t for his encouragement, I might have died in shame in the desert."

Hearing the name Pangolin, Fedir finally recognized this Retinue Army’s Centurion personally promoted by General McCullen—the fierce man who single-handedly killed the Mother of Dead Claw!

All the way here, McCullen had been lamenting about the head of the Mother of Dead Claw, regretting not bringing that collectible along.

He hadn’t expected this fierce man to have followed and led Coleway through the desert all the way here.

Saving a high-ranking Centurion.

For an attendant army, that could be considered a great achievement!

Fedir, looking at Old Soldier, spoke earnestly.

"Thank you for saving my friend and bringing him back safely... I will definitely repay this favor."

"No need to thank me. I was merely doing my duty," Old Soldier repeated the phrase he had said many times before.

"We all do what we must, but for those who do exceptionally well, proper rewards are due... I will report your merit."

Fedir smiled, clapped Pangolin on the shoulder, and then turned to the equally smiling Coleway, continuing,

"Come with me. There have been considerable changes here. I’ll take you to report for reassignment first. We can talk about other matters along the way..."

Coleway needed to report in first and restore his military status since he had been missing for so long and was already considered half-dead in the record books.

The army would verify his identity through some professional procedures, ensuring he wasn’t an impostor clone or a synthetic human or something of that sort.

As for "Mr. Pangolin," there wasn’t a need to go through such a complex process. Once his name was registered in the Retinue Army’s roster, he was left to wait at the logistics department’s barracks.

It was now late at night, and apart from the lights at the security posts, everywhere else was pitch dark, making it impractical for him to wander around.

After waiting for quite a while, a logistics personnel finally approached and took him to the nearby cafeteria, arranging for a cook to prepare a large table of midnight snacks for him.

Gazing enviously at the epaulettes on Mr. Pangolin’s shoulders, the logistics worker said respectfully,

"Lord Fedir instructed me to take care of you, sir. If there is anything you need, just let me know. At this time, other than alcohol and women, I can probably find a way to get you anything else."

Observing the facial features of the young man, whose nose was not prominently risen and whose deep-set eyes resembled those of a desert dweller, he surmised that the man was probably a citizen of the Falcon Kingdom.

Hungry from the journey, he spoke straightforwardly,

"Please prepare some extra meat for me, preferably beef, as I might eat quite a bit more than an ordinary person."

After all, it was free.

It would be a loss not to eat more!

The young man laughed upon hearing this and said,

"You must be an Awakener, right? Please rest assured! Lord Coleway has already instructed me to prepare food for three people!"

So Coleway had already given him a heads up...

Seeing the smile on the young man’s face, the Old Soldier smiled bashfully.

That sounded...

As if he were nothing but a big eater.

After a short wait, the food was quickly served.

Included was a whole roasted beef leg and a basket of freshly baked large bread covered with icing sugar and nuts.

Moreover, there was a basket of juicy grapes, bright red dates, and an unlimited supply of milk.

Looking at the lavish spread that was hard to take his eyes off, the Old Soldier felt a sense of appreciation.

No wonder it’s the headquarters’ cafeteria.

They eat damn well here!

"If it’s not enough, I can arrange for the kitchen to prepare more..." the young man bowed slightly, respectfully adding, "Please enjoy your meal."

Embracing the thought of "the more I eat, the less the enemy eats," the Old Soldier sat down at the long table and started eating voraciously without care for his image.

Seeing him devour the food so deliciously, the young man standing beside felt hungry himself, swallowed his saliva, and tried not to look over.

Shortly after, Coleway, who had finished with the procedures, also arrived at the cafeteria.

He admired Mr. Pangolin flaunting the beef leg, not finding the eating manner uncouth in the slightest, pulled out a chair and sat down directly opposite him, snapping his fingers at the young man.

"Bring me a steak," he said.

"Right away, sir."

The young man nodded respectfully and quickly turned to head to the kitchen.

Wiping his silver dinner knife, Coleway casually said,

"I was delayed a bit by the paperwork just now. I didn’t expect that as soon as we arrived here, we’d run into a big event."

Hearing Coleway’s words, the Old Soldier, while swallowing the food in his mouth, reflexively mumbled vaguely,

"Camp 530 was attacked."

"Camp 530? What’s that?"

"It’s the logistics hub for the northern line troops, the camp we passed two days ago," Coleway said with a helpless expression, "It’s such a coincidence... just two days apart. If we had been delayed on the road for two more days, we might have died there."

The Old Soldier nearly choked on his food as he heard this, struggling not to cough and turning red in the face.

Well damn.

He had just delivered the intelligence when the Alliance, using his intelligence, took down that military base.

They really pushed him into the fire!

However, Coleway didn’t suspect him, not even thinking in his direction.

After all, they had been in the same truck for two days, and no one would think that a man who slept like a log could talk in his sleep.

"Could they... suspect us?"

"Us?" Hearing this hesitantly phrased question, Coleway slightly paused.

Then, as if he had heard a very funny joke, he laughed and shook his head,

"How could that be? We just retreated to this area and don’t even know the camp number, let alone know what role that military base plays in General Griffin’s plans."

"Besides, stepping back ten thousand steps, we only arrived there two days ago. Even if the news were leaked immediately, our enemies would need time to verify the intelligence and then plan their strategy based on that... It would take at least a month."

Taking a sip of hot cocoa, Coleway cleared his throat, his expression becoming somewhat serious,

"To be honest, I’m a bit suspicious of that man named Ah Dan."

"Ah Dan?" The Old Soldier paused, "But he... why would he betray us?"

"Sometimes, you don’t need many reasons to do something, and my suspicion is not just about him, but all the merchants from Bugra Free State."

Coleway looked at the Old Soldier and said softly,

"My friend, not everyone in this world is as simple-minded as you."

"Those merchants have no loyalty to speak of; they don’t serve anyone. Their lives are but soulless husks, mere dirt that doesn’t come with birth nor departs with death. Today they might sell us spears for the attack, and tomorrow they could sell shields to our enemies. While I am grateful for their favors, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he has betrayed us."

The Old Soldier nodded guiltily.

"I understand."

"That’s good to hear. I was really worried that you might be deceived by those people," Coleway nodded in approval, pausing for a moment before adding, "I had previously mentioned introducing you to General Griffin, but with this incident, it might have to wait."

The Old Soldier quickly replied sensibly.

"It’s alright, sir, I’m not in a rush. It can be as late as it needs to be."

He couldn’t introduce him just yet anyway.

He didn’t want to meet that guy right now either.

Old Soldier believed that the army couldn’t possibly all be as naive as this guy in front of him.

Especially that one always called "Old Fox" Griffin, who probably had more tricks up his sleeve than he did; he was truly afraid of being seen through at a glance.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Coleway looked at his good brother with concern, "You look a bit off."

Old Soldier brushed it off with a remark.

"A bit, perhaps it’s the change of environment... I’ve never been to such a dry place before."

Coleway nodded, speaking in a comforting tone.

"It’s indeed like this in the desert. You’ll need to adapt quickly; the road ahead is long, and we will eventually head to even more distant places."

Old Soldier brightened up and replied,

"I’ll adapt as fast as I can!"

...

Shelter No. 404.

As he leaned on the couch sipping an ice-cold Coca-Cola, Chu Guang couldn’t stop grinning at the flood of messages on the official forum and the frontline reports sent by the fallen players.

His index finger scrolled the wheel, and he couldn’t help but let out a sound of admiration.

"This money was well spent!"

Both the "Seagull" drone and the "Hellhound" unmanned vehicle had performed beyond expectations on the battlefield.

Had to give it up for the "Degenerate Empire," the stuff they provided was truly impressive!

Of course, it was also thanks to the over-the-top performance of the players. The Death Legion, known for their casualties, only lost about thirty-something men this time.

Normally, such a casualty number would barely be a drop in the bucket for them.

"Got to stock up more goods during this battle!"

Including the R-36 "Sanction" air-to-ground missile used by the "Seagull" drones—one EMP missile had turned a whole military base into deaf and mute with a price tag of only 250,000!

Then there were the white phosphorus shells, priced at just 100,000 Cr, with astonishing effects on soft targets.

Although the price wasn’t exactly cheap, since it was budgeted military aid, not out of his own pocket, it didn’t really matter.

Honestly, Chu Guang assumed that the folks on the East Coast would shy away from such cruel weapons, but it turned out he was overthinking it.

Leaning back on the sofa, Chu Guang, looking at Xiao Qi sitting at the desk, said excitedly,

"Xiao Qi, contact the representative Wu Mu from Chang Ge Group for me. Tell him I plan to purchase ten more of those ’Seagull’ drones!"

"Got it! Master!" Xiao Qi answered energetically and obediently contacted the seller.

Chu Guang continued browsing the forum and noticed his "Pangolin" had just come online, so he clicked on the newly posted thread by this chap.

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Damn! You guys are ruthless, barely had I left and you struck!"

Elena: "Was your cover blown? If it was, I’ll get Mole to draw a comic for you. (playful)"

Canyon Escape Mole: "Piss off! I’m not drawing that kind of stuff!"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Blown my ass! Good thing I’m clever enough to bluff my way through. Ease up next time, at least wait till I’m farther away before you bomb! By the way, that Camp 530 you blew up seems to be the logistical hub of the army’s northern front... Because the battle plan was exposed, the northern offensive had to be postponed; I just heard this from Coleway."

Quit Smoking: "Damn! Impressive!"

Night Ten: "666!"

Spring Water Commander: "Hahaha, actually I think the timing of this operation was pretty good. Although it was a bit coincidental, it makes it less likely for you to be suspected."

Fang Chang: "+1, more important strategic targets require meticulous planning, or things can easily go awry."

Edge Shoveling: "Ah, stop, those troops responsible for the feint messed up the time zones; they started a whole hour early! Lucky we got there in time, a few more minutes and we might have been totally wiped out!"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Damn, is it that real?"

Edge Shoveling: "You bet, the Old Soldier’s tricycle nearly went up in smoke!"

Construction Youth & Brick: "MMP! You still have the nerve to say that! (angry)"

Roller Wash Hair Machine: "Exactly! Too damn stingy! At least sort out a battery-operated vehicle next time!"

Edge Shoveling: "Damn! Can you really call me stingy? Consider the actual situation for once! With nothing but sand as far as the eye can see, where am I supposed to charge your batteries?"

The Death Legion’s commander argued with the strength type beasts in his squad. Meanwhile, a few intelligence type players started a new thread to brag to other players.

Especially Debt Giant Eye.

Operating the "Seagull" drone up in the sky fetching fries had thrilled him to no end; he nearly blew the drone’s capabilities out of proportion.

The only downside was, the ammo capacity was too low.

He hadn’t had enough fun before he ran out of bullets.

Anyway, seeing that "Pangolin" was safe, Chu Guang finally felt relieved.

The reason he had acted so hastily was to prevent this guy from being suspected, but now it seemed the situation he worried about didn’t occur.

Eight hundred kilometers.

That distance, even a pigeon would need a day to fly.

Without major communication bases or satellites, completing intelligence exchanges and devising battle plans in two days seemed far-fetched.

After confirming the safety of his intelligence personnel, Chu Guang didn’t rush to assign him new tasks but let him lay low.

This chess piece, he planned to use at a crucial moment.

Ideally, to take those big noses out in one sweep.

As for now, it wasn’t time yet...