This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 501: Where Civilization First Collapsed

Chapter 501: Chapter 501: Where Civilization First Collapsed

The Great Desert was located to the west of Luo Xia Province.

Although called a desert, in reality, it was not as "barren" as most Waste Land Wanderers imagined.

Those crumbling concrete buildings, as well as the rust-streaked warehouses and factories, all attested to the area’s past prosperity. Even after being swept by rolling sandstorms for two centuries, this man-made wonder that stretched over thousands of kilometers was not entirely submerged.

And there was more, since the underground current’s transport pipelines intersected here, a large amount of desalinated seawater had leaked into the underground rock layers due to pipeline ruptures, forming a rich underground water reservoir.

Thus, despite being plagued with earthquakes, sandstorms, fallout dust, thunderstorms, and so forth, the species active in this region were actually more thriving than those in neighboring Luo Xia Province.

The era had left Luo Xia Province with only a few oases as a blessing, but here the situation was quite the opposite.

The legacy of blessings was so abundant that it had even spilled over...

"Damn... what the hell is that?"

A giant snake as thick as an oil barrel slowly slithered between two collapsed skyscrapers, its cracked skin resembling the parched yellow earth, lying in the soft quicksand like a fallen giant tree.

Watching the tens-of-meters-long giant snake wriggling forward through the sands, a soldier in an exoskeleton stepped back two paces, his scalp tingling.

His name was Su Ming, a precision shooter by position, and the number 26 printed on his breastplate and arms was the number of him and his brothers, as well as the emblem of "Enterprise Assault Team No. 26."

As one of the few ground units of the enterprise that had participated in the Luo Xia Province battles, their main tasks in the war were to execute vanguard, guerrilla, and enemy rear sabotage missions.

Although most residents of Ideal City credited their allies with the victory in the war, their participation in the fighting was actually not insignificant.

It just didn’t sound as good in the press releases.

Arriving next to Su Ming, Yun Song glanced at the giant snake for a moment, the squares in his tactical goggles locking it in the center, a progress bar going around the frame’s edges.

"There’s no record of it in the database... You discovered it first, so why not name it?"

Su Ming scratched the back of his head.

"Sand Worm?"

Before Yun Song could respond, Gu Wei, who was wearing power armor, laughed and teased.

"Too mundane, and there’s already one in the neighboring desert, nothing like this creature."

"Then how about... Earth Dragon? Giant Earthworm? Burrowing bug?"

"Let’s just call it Burrowing Bug... don’t waste any more time."

Interrupting their conversation, Yun Song extended his index finger and tapped twice in the air, operating the holographic window to archive the image data, then switched to the tactical map.

"The target is about a kilometer ahead... everyone, stay alert, we’ll soon be bringing our employees home."

"Oh," Su Ming called out weakly.

They had been on duty for nearly a whole year.

Crossing thousands of kilometers of Wasteland, they had even been dragged into the war in Luo Xia Province... He couldn’t help but think that the experiences along the way could make a movie when they got back.

Under Yun Song’s command, Assault Team No. 26 continued its operation.

Led by bionic soldiers and drones, the group moved along the broken concrete road for a while, carefully avoiding large areas of quicksand and several zones with abnormal life signals.

At this time, there was new news from the communications soldier, and Yun Song raised his right fist, signaling the team to stop at the entrance of an abandoned factory.

By now, they were only the last three hundred meters away from the Mutant tribe, and atop the distant abandoned buildings, they could even see the camouflaged dump and the Mutant Sentinels standing watch with binoculars.

"...mission status updated, it’s good news, the Alliance has decided to send an airship to support our operation before evacuation."

Hearing this, many people sighed with relief.

They hadn’t brought everyone out this time; more than thirty logistics personnel and over twenty soldiers stayed at the campsite.

Relying on ten sets of power armor, thirty exoskeletons, and less than thirty bionic soldiers—without heavy firepower—it was a bit difficult to take down a Mutant tribe more than ten times their size.

Even if they could win, they would suffer significant casualties.

The mutants in the Great Desert weren’t just armed with iron pipe rifles; through trade with the Army and the Falcon Kingdom, these beasts had gotten their hands on semi-automatic and even fully automatic weapons.

Not to mention the pre-war relics and trash they turned into DIY weapons.

Those things might not look reliable, but underestimating them would cost dearly.

Like the one time they encountered a mutant wielding a thermal melt ray gun made from the head and spine of a "Vanguard" robot, which managed to take down one of their power armor units with a sneak attack.

These unexpected attack methods were tough to defend against.

Hearing that Alliance support was on the way, Su Ming excitedly said,

"That 400mm heavy cannon?"

Yun Song nodded.

"Yes... including the ground forces and those unreliable gliders. However, we need to first confirm that there are no employees in the camp, then decide whether to use an axe or a scalpel."

Saying this, he looked towards the drone operator at the back of the group.

"Reconnaissance is up to you."

"Roger that."

A solemn-faced man gave a hand signal, knocking on his shoulder, and the back of his drone pack popped open the hatch door.

A quadcopter drone shot out like a bolt from a crossbow, whistling as it soared into the sky.

The view was linked to the tactical goggles in his helmet.

The signal was poor but barely manageable.

Under the drone operator’s control, the quadcopter carefully avoided the gaze of the Mutant Sentinels, moving to the side of a building, passing through rows of twisted rebar and concrete debris, and flew over the Mutant Tribe’s territory.

The entire tribe was situated inside an abandoned factory.

Shanties made of garbage and the half-collapsed factory merged into one, with vast metal sheds and beast skins hung out to dry blocking the winding alleys.

Yet through the gaps in those obstructions, one could still make out bodies black as coal, with bloodthirsty canine teeth and bulging muscles.

They resembled orcs from a fantasy movie.

What was chilling was the fact that these flesh-eating beasts had somehow learned to mimic human societies, developing their own city and even clear societal roles...

There were residential areas reeking of excrement, arenas for venting violence and entertaining Mutants, blacksmith sections filled with the clang of metalwork, plantations growing unknown fruits, and pastures imprisoning various livestock...

Overlooking this vast tribal encampment through the drone’s lens, the operator felt his scalp tingle.

Especially when he discovered, in a pasture that looked like a garbage heap, caged fellows of his kind, rage surged to his forehead.

"Motherfucker..."

"What’s wrong?" Upon hearing his curse, Yun Song threw an inquisitive glance at him.

The drone operator didn’t speak, instead he simply drew his index finger through the air, sharing the scene he witnessed with his teammates who were looking his way.

The drone’s lens zoomed in.

All one could see was a series of iron baskets constructed from rebar, holding numerous battered and naked bodies.

Those with protruding bellies were considered "fortunate," as the Mutants usually wouldn’t consume them, while those who hadn’t borne them offspring were not so lucky. Many were terribly tormented, not only deprived of arms and legs but also suffering from festering, maggot-infested wounds.

The Mutants themselves possessed incredible healing abilities and had no need for bandages or antibiotics, which naturally meant they wouldn’t bother to dress the wounds of unfinished meals.

Many people sat on the ground with lifeless eyes, not even having the strength to swat the swarming flies around them, while others lay immobile, their state of life or death unknown.

Not far away, on a butcher block, a bare-armed Mutant Priest was delivering human babies in a crude and primitive way, indifferent to whether the laborers would survive the ordeal.

The chaotic worshipers were never picky eaters; their stomachs were as robust as their muscles and bones.

Those slaves raised like livestock might come from the Falcon Kingdom, the Honey Badger or the Male Lion, or even have been trafficked from further afar... Few bothered to trace where those who vanished in wars ended up.

Even after witnessing many hellish sights throughout their march across the Wasteland, Su Ming’s face couldn’t help but turn slightly pale.

This was even more brutal than those imitation Looters.

The soldier not far from him couldn’t repress the urge to retch.

"These goddamn beasts!" Gu Wei clenched the heavy machine gun in his hands, wishing he could rush in right then and riddle them with bullets.

"They were always beasts, when did you start thinking otherwise?"

Yun Song, with an expressionless face, manipulated the holographic window, selecting parts of the camp and marking potential areas with living humans.

After completing all this, he signaled the communications officer to set up a signal booster, roughly aiming in the direction of the Iron Heart.

"This is Assault Team No.26, we have confirmed the location of the ’Black Rock’ Mutant Tribe, about two thousand in number, just as the intel said."

"There are survivors in the tribe... We can’t get any closer, not sure if any of ours are there, and I hope not."

After a buzz of static,

A voice from the other end of the communication channel responded.

"Received... We will arrive in half an hour, if possible, please help us draw them to a more open area."

Yun Song looked towards two old buildings leaning against each other not far away—the previous "earthworm" had just burrowed through there.

It was a good spot.

Whether for cannon fire landing points,

Or as the grave to bury those beasts.

"Received, leave it to us."

After ending the communication, he waved at the soldiers behind him.

"Time to get to work."

...

Meanwhile, tens of kilometers away at the edge of the desert, a massive Iron Airship slowly pushed through the rolling sands, heading towards the endless ruins.

If Chu Guang had been shocked once by the vast sands and rolling clouds when he first entered Luo Xia Province,

Then the shock in his heart at this moment was in no way inferior to that time.

In fact, it was even more intense!

"Incredible... Was this place once a city?" Standing inside the bridge, Chu Guang looked down through the floor-to-ceiling windows in disbelief.

The hundred-meter-wide highway stretched out straight ahead, merging with the cluster of high-rise buildings on the horizon, such that even when viewed from a kilometer-high airship, one could not see the end at a glance.

The earth was divided into countless grids with intertwining roads and the remnants of tracks, half of which were dense buildings and the other half were boundless deserts.

Perhaps it would take another few hundred, or even a thousand years, for this land to completely take on the shape of Luo Xia Province...

Standing beside Chu Guang, Wu Changnian squinted his eyes slightly, his face not just showing shock, but also a hint of melancholy.

"...I heard that during the Prosperity Epoch, which was two centuries ago, the Great Desert wasn’t called the Great Desert, but was divided into four industrial zones of the United Human."

Chu Guang glanced at him puzzled and asked,

"Four industrial zones?"

"Yes."

Wu Changnian nodded his head and looked out the window as if sinking into memories of a certain video record. After a pause, he started to speak slowly.

"...The Western Industrial Zone was the starting point of the entire industrial chain, responsible for producing the most basic raw materials, and for rough processing of raw materials for the logistics network and space elevator transport, such as synthetic chemicals, catalysts, alloys, and so on."

"The Northern Industrial Zone was the logistics storage center, responsible for storing logistics surplus, distributing finished goods, and transferring intermediate products and waste materials. It had the densest transportation network of the Prosperity Epoch where, in theory, as long as you chose the right mode of transport, you could reach it directly from any corner of this planet, on track or off. It also had the highest density of office buildings."

"The Eastern Industrial Zone was the endpoint of the industrial chain, where a large, efficient, and dense industrial chain was responsible for processing or assembling raw materials and intermediate products into the final products."

"As for the Southern Industrial Zone, it was mainly an energy hub. It acted like a huge charging plug, its role being to receive energy produced by the outer space power generating facilities."

"With the addition of the space elevator, the four industrial zones surrounding the space elevator formed a complete closed-loop industrial chain."

Chu Guang expressed his amazement,

"Building an industrial center in the middle of the continent?"

To him, from another world, it seemed counterintuitive.

After all, in his hometown, industrial zones are mostly concentrated in the east, especially in coastal areas, while there were fewer industrial centers in the western inland, and their distribution was relatively sparse.

However, it seemed to be an entirely different matter here.

Wu Changnian nodded and continued,

"Yes, there are stable climate conditions here, far from the junctions of continental plates, without active earthquakes and volcanic activity. And unlike the ocean or coastal areas, which are sometimes hit by typhoons... there’s no better place than this to construct a space elevator base."

As he spoke, his tone unavoidably took on a hint of emotion.

"At first, it was just an elevator. Later, the dense transportation network began to extend into near-Earth orbit and gradually became a tower, a mountain, and even a greater mountain. Endless resources poured from space to the surface in amazing abundance... The prosperity of that era is hard to imagine now, even the Ideal City is just recreating the tip of the iceberg of it."

Wu Changnian had also heard that in the initial plan, the United Human intended to use another two centuries with the space elevator at the center to radiate the urban cluster to every corner of the Central Continent. Using the energy and alloys from space mining, they wanted to transform the entire planet into a cosmic metropolis.

That blueprint was the embodiment of the dreams of everyone in the Prosperity Epoch; individuals’ ideals, ambitions, and imaginations would extend infinitely on this planet of endless prosperity and spread from it to the more distant galaxy.

Unfortunately, a war that lasted only three years shattered all those dreams.

As Wu Changnian reminisced about the past, the Chu Guang standing beside him had yet to recover from the grand blueprint.

While the things visible to the naked eye were not exaggerations, he still couldn’t understand how this vast industrial center was placed right in the center of the continent.

"...What about industrial water? Where does the water come from?"

Wu Changnian paused; he hadn’t expected this to be his point of interest, then replied with a laugh,

"Aren’t there underground ocean current pipelines? What do you think the Grand Canyon was for before?"

Chu Guang suddenly realized.

He seemed to vaguely remember hearing that the existence of the Grand Canyon was for storing surplus energy generated by controllable fusion power plants, with the specific implementation being seawater electrolysis.

As for the surplus chlorine gas, sodium, and various metal elements precipitated from seawater and other by-products, they would be packed and sent to the industrial zone for processing.

So the underground ocean current pipeline was not only built for the Grand Canyon but also had the purpose of supplying industrial water to the center of the continent!

The might of that era turned out to be even more terrifying than he had imagined...

Amidst the shock in his heart, Chu Guang couldn’t help but feel a tingling in his scalp.

Especially when he thought about the claims he had made and the "pies" he had drawn for Yin Fang, Heya, Vanus, and other survivors...

How on earth could they return to the greatness of the Prosperity Epoch?

Even mobilizing seven billion players wouldn’t be enough!

Moreover, it was obvious that the Morphogenesis Field couldn’t accommodate so many people... otherwise, there was no reason the First Generation Manager would have set up so many rules and given him "activation codes" as part of a plan.

Unaware of the thoughts in Chu Guang’s mind, Wu Changnian chuckled and continued to speak,

"Of course, the solid hydrogen beneath the Grand Canyon is a strategic reserve that isn’t used regularly. The main supply of industrial water comes from the Southern Industrial Zone. Not only is it an energy hub, but it’s also responsible for seawater desalination and wastewater recycling... I don’t understand the specifics too much, as I’ve only looked at an overview from the database. To deeply understand how the entire system operates, you’d need to ask an expert in that field."

"In any event, the four industrial zones made up over 60% of the United Human’s total production value, with the peak reportedly reaching 70%,"

"So remember, no one knows what might be inside Shelter No. 0, we’d better be careful, and ensure proper personnel are selected."

Listening to that cautious tone, Chu Guang also nodded solemnly,

"I will arrange for a resident of the shelter with outstanding perceptual abilities."

Wu Changnian nodded approvingly,

"That would be best."

Shelter No. 404 was known for its average Awakeners per Resident.

Although he trusted AI and machines more than the unstable biological factor of Awakening, the Alliance had proven in the previous War that humans could match machines under certain circumstances and even create miracles that machines could not reach. It never hurts to bring along a couple of reliable experts.

And that was also why he was able to persuade the corporations and the Army to help the "inexperienced in relic excavation" Alliance secure two spots.

There was only one access card.

According to the employee named Luo Hua, the elevator they discovered that led to No.0 Shelter wasn’t very large, and the number of people who could go down at one time was limited...

Just then, the door to the bridge opened.

Vanus walked in from the outside, saluted, and spoke crisply.

"Assault Team No.26 from the corporation has sent news; they have confirmed the coordinates of the ’Black stone’ Mutant tribe but are unsure if there are any corporate employees among the slaves imprisoned by the Mutants."

"If it’s not certain, then assume there are," Chu Guang turned and said seriously to Vanus, "Is there a new combat plan?"

Vanus nodded.

"The combat plan is a frontal assault. We have informed Assault Team No.26 that fire support will arrive in half an hour, and they plan to launch the attack in half an hour, drawing enemy units to the artillery coordinates they have recommended."

"Very well, follow this plan," Chu Guang nodded, then after a pause, continued giving orders, "Have the airship’s gun positions ready for fire support, and have the Burning Corps stand by on the lower deck, ready to support our allies."

"Yes!" Vanus saluted again crisply and turned to leave the bridge.

Moving his gaze from his retreating figure, Wu Changnian looked at Chu Guang with a thankful expression.

"Thank you for the importance you place on our employees."

Chu Guang responded with a faint smile.

"Don’t mention it. The crew of Pioneer are not only our friends but also have done us a great favor."

Without that revolutionary lathe, the industrialization that followed would not have progressed so smoothly. No matter how big the players’ imaginations were, there had to be something to turn those ideas into reality.

Even though it was a mutually beneficial transaction, he was well aware that the other party had indeed taken good care of them, otherwise they would not have condoned them shearing so much wool.

He had told Captain Lu Yang when they parted that he would remember this favor, and now was the time to repay it.

"...But come to think of it, was that man from Weilante?" Wu Changnian suddenly seemed to recall something and mentioned.

"Yes, he is."

Seeing Chu Guang’s calm reaction, Wu Changnian couldn’t help but ask.

"Is that really okay?"

He had just reminded this young leader to be wary of every Weilante person.

Looking at that slightly concerned gaze, Chu Guang said unconcernedly,

"He opted to stay voluntarily."

Long before heading to Luo Xia Province, Chu Guang had discussed this issue with Vanus: if he felt uncomfortable fighting the Army, he could stay in Qingquan City, and he would not force anyone to engage in a War they did not wish to partake in.

Objectively speaking, the efforts Vanus made in training officers for the Alliance and establishing a command system for the Alliance during its early startup were sufficient to repay his "debt."

After the War, like other prisoners, he could return to his homeland as a prisoner exchanged, and no one would know that he had served the Alliance.

However, upon hearing his proposal, Vanus not only decisively rejected this only chance to return home but even stood in front of Finod and McCullen, two prisoners destined to be exchanged, with an open stance, showing his loyalty to the Alliance.

And the reason he gave left Chu Guang silent for a long time.

"...I have spent a year contemplating the meaning of this War, yet aside from hatred and death, it seems we have gained nothing. My unit was senselessly wiped out in the South, my commanders and their men were exterminated in the North. At the moment of failure, I had no regrets, instead, I felt a certain relief."

"I don’t think his Highness the Marshal is wrong, nor do I think General Kras is foolish. Perhaps by continuing on their path, we might indeed reach a bright future, it’s just that we in the present do not understand."

"As General Kras often says, we are atrocious criminals, and we all will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame for reflection by future generations, but they will thank us for leaving them a vast world. In that world, there will only be Weilante people; Weilante people will not loathe each other, and the tragedies of the past... whether they occurred two hundred years ago or even further back, will not be repeated."

"But with you, I have seen another possibility that we never envisioned, perhaps there is a unity in this world that transcends blood, ... just as you said, we are all survivors, whether residents of the refuge or Wasteland Wanderers outside. What should be eliminated is not one of us but the savagery that ravages the Wasteland"

"War is my Work, unfortunately, it’s the only thing I can do. But if here with you, it can become slightly meaningful, even if just a little bit, please allow me to continue forward by your side."

At the same time, on the lower deck of the ship, the flashing signal lights had already conveyed the command to fight.

The eager players had donned their Exoskeletons, picked up their most elite gear, and were equipped with ample ammunition.

This time they were going to bring back an old friend.

And it was a public military operation under the joint scrutiny of the Army, corporations, and the Academy.

Everyone was ready to show off in front of those old folks, to let the new governor from Weilante see if their loss was truly unjust.

"Brothers! Our opponents this time are the Mutants! Back on Street No.76, friends from the East Coast pulled us through, now it’s our turn to pull them."

Walking up to his good brothers.

Old White, clad in Dragon Rider Power Armor, glanced at the brothers with soaring morale and spoke loudly with his resonant voice.

"There’s only one purpose for this operation—"

"Leave no one behind!"

The cry that came from the hatchway leading to the deck was so deafening that even the alloy floor shook violently under that burning will to fight.

"Ooh-rah!"

"Wipe out those beasts!"

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