This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 510: The Dispersing Storm

Chapter 510: Chapter 510: The Dispersing Storm

The dimly lit Manager’s Office.

Faint blue fluorescent lights flickered, illuminating three silent faces. After a moment of shaky footage, it focused on a power armor sitting against the wall.

The person looked quite disheveled.

There were bullet marks on the armor and black slime left by mucosal entities.

He placed the camera on the ground, greeted the lens, then tapped his finger on his helmet, disengaging the locked faceplate.

Just minutes before, Corporate Employees almost came to blows with the Army’s Attendants. Luckily, Meng Liang thought quickly and pointed out his suspicion before the conflict escalated—that someone might be trying to restore the deleted data.

This discovery finally made the Corporation and the Army temporarily set aside their dispute, deciding to first catch that rat hiding in the gutter.

To gather more clues, Su Ming thought of the hard drive previously recovered from the power armor. Although hesitant to display Captain Lu’s last words in front of the Army and the Alliance, he eventually handed it over to Meng Liang.

Making information public could reduce suspicions.

He was unsure whether the hard drive contained secrets not to be disclosed to others. However, it was not the time to be mutually wounded in a fight with the Army’s people.

He believed that Cloud Team would understand his decision...

Pangolin didn’t speak, he merely handed over his weapon temporarily to Meng Liang’s care and signaled Su Ming to do the same.

The Alliance was the Corporation’s ally.

Handing over weapons to the Alliance’s non-combat personnel was a show of his sincerity.

Looking at Pangolin’s actions, Su Ming was also prompted to demonstrate his sincerity and decisively handed his gun over to Meng Liang.

In this silent understanding, both sides put their conflict aside and stood quietly in front of the holographic video camera, uncovering the secrets hidden within this refuge for months...

"Hey, by the time you’re watching this video, I’m probably no longer in this world... But I believe you’ll come. You said you wouldn’t give up on anyone, and I believe that you’ll definitely find me, so I decided to leave something behind."

Meng Liang had never met the man in the video, but judging by the solemn expressions on Su Ming and Pangolin’s faces, they seemed to know him well.

Strange.

He didn’t even recognize this guy; why would the Army’s men know him?

But he didn’t want to interrupt.

The video might contain clues about the Torch Plan.

Right now, he just wanted to figure out who exactly was reconstructing those technologies in X-13 Area.

Lu Yang took a light breath and, after organizing his thoughts, spoke.

"Listen well, the Torch Plan is no small matter. The so-called No.0 Shelter is even less so. It’s a weapon of mass destruction, its power surpassing the collective might of all known weapons in our civilization, engulfing the entire planet."

"This isn’t something that one or two nuclear weapons can describe. The high-transparency neutron flux will obliterate all life forms above and below heaven. Even refuges buried deep underground won’t be spared. Don’t think you will be the one-in-a-million lucky survivor. Those killed by it won’t even decompose, they will just oxidize slowly, because it eliminates every last bacterium attaching to dust. The entire ecosystem will start over... sounds terrifying, doesn’t it?"

"Across the whole planet, only those protected by ’Handle’ might have a chance of survival. I even suspect that ’Handle’ must be the epicenter of the neutron flux release."

"I don’t know if that data was ever completed, but I’ve deleted it all... A strategic weapon that can sweep across the planet sounds really cool, but when I think about my relatives, my friends, and those striving to survive on this planet, I can’t feel a lick of joy."

"Maybe in the distant future, we might need it to punish some evil, but absolutely not now... If it’s developed at this moment, it will only be used against ourselves."

"By the way, those guys who call themselves the Enlightenment Society tried to bribe me. They said they could give me ten thousand slots. All of us, including our relatives, friends, and even our descendants, could become gods in a new world. They intend to use the fruits of the Prosperity Epoch, to reshape a strong and great civilization in a brand-new world."

"I told him, you’re dreaming. Our forefathers made the decision to stand with the countless displaced survivors two centuries ago. The descendants of heroes might not be so great, but there are definitely no cowards... Go dream on."

"I had them cornered, forcing them into a dead end, deleted the Torch Plan’s research findings, it’s just a pity I couldn’t wipe out all those rats... Their betrayal came so suddenly, with many of them and our non-combat personnel together in Area X-13 gathering supplies. They locked the doors leading to Area X-13 from the inside, and chances are, Li De and the others are in more danger than good luck."

"Later, I realized that the conflict with the Weilante People was deliberately provoked by them. But there was no way around it, who asked those Weilante People to come all the way to fight us before we entered the desert? I thought those war-crazed lunatics were coming right for us."

"Actually, leaving wasn’t impossible, except there were still those unaccounted for Disciples of the Enlightenment Society in Area X-13. My technician told me with his dying breath that the deleted data could be repaired, particularly since the archives in Area X-13 could connect to the main server of the refuge—unless I destroyed the entire refuge."

"I found the wreckage of the Pioneer, took the lair samples we’d recovered during the trip, and threw it onto its favorite reactor. I’ll leave my gear and my experience to that kid later, to ensure the destruction plan is foolproof... It’s just a shame there are no nuclear warheads left, otherwise I could have done an even more thorough job."

Lu Yang paused for a moment, leaned his head against the wall, and continued to talk to himself.

"...I really couldn’t erase the original Torch Plan, I tried my best. But then I thought about it, and I realized there’s no need to erase every trace of its existence."

"That plan didn’t just record an evil thought; it also documented the many who stood up against it, who were once deceived, but ultimately came to their senses. They withstood the pressure from elites and aristocrats of that era, refused the buyout of money and power, and made choices loyal to themselves, their friends and family, and everyone around them."

"I believe their stories should not be forgotten. The light that burst forth in that moment should be recorded. I’m sure whoever reads it will see not just the most evil part—how our world was almost pushed to the brink of destruction by a handful of smooth-talking egoists—but also the many ordinary people who bravely stood up and said no."

"At least what I see is not just a conspiracy by a group of people, but also the bravery of another group. At the very least, the latter should not be buried."

"As for mistakes... there’s nothing to fear. People make mistakes their whole lives. Write down the mistakes you’ve made in a diary; even if you regret them occasionally, the days ahead will be better."

"Cough! Haha, this is all nonsense. I probably won’t have the chance to write a diary... Anyway, our adventure ends here."

At this point, Lu Yang coughed twice, but a hint of relief appeared on his face, and he seemed much more relaxed.

"...I don’t regret following a piece of shit for so long. Someone has to see what it really is. Buried landmines are much more terrifying than bombs lying on the ground. To my companions, I’m honored to have walked with you for so long, and I’m honored that at the end of it all, I have the privilege of making a brave decision, just like people have done in the past."

"Lastly, please relay a message to the residents of Ideal City."

With a weary smile squeezing onto his face, he faced the camera of the action recorder and made his final farewell.

"That No.0 Shelter, my brothers and I found it for you, but alas, it’s not the paradise as rumored. The rumors on Endpoint Cloud are bullshit; it’s just as shitty."

"Don’t harbor unrealistic dreams. There is no shortcut on this road. Our world ultimately depends on us. Those who are still spectating and waiting for a savior... it’s time to wake up."

...

On the ground.

The battle had just reached a fever pitch.

A 400mm heavy artillery shell whistled down, and boiling smoke and flames burst into the sky.

The abyss-like crater imprinted on the ruins split the battlefield and completely cut off the disciples’ hopes of a retreat.

The deafening war cries broke through the roar of gunfire, sweeping over the center of the camp like lava from a volcanic eruption.

The disciples in front of the Death Legion’s Wolf Cavalry, who stood like ants on a beach, were instantly crushed by the surging tide.

On this battlefield littered with ruins, the primitive cavalry, equipped with near-future weaponry, unleashed an unstoppable charge.

The "Cavalry Gun" firing 20mm armor-piercing incendiary bullets was as lethal as a Gauss Rifle when it came to soft targets.

Facing over a hundred cavalry firing simultaneously, the first ranks of the disciples were immediately routed.

When the half-meter-long claws and the scorching breath rushed to their faces, the brutal and bloody nightmare had just begun.

The twenty-or-so squads serving as the vanguard were instantly overwhelmed by the hooves of the Claw of Death.

The supporting units in the rear were even more tragic; at least a hundred disciples perished under the counter-fire of the 400mm main guns.

The unmanned drone squad moving up to support the vanguard was even more unfortunate, having been struck by an EMP rocket launcher fired by soldiers of Assault Team No.26 before they could be effective, falling from the sky like dumplings.

Amid the boiling flames, a disciple struggled to stand up from the rubble, raised his Gauss Rifle, and aimed at that azure power armor, gritting his teeth as he pressed the charging switch.

"Just kill that guy—"

"Capacitor fully charged!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, he decisively pulled the trigger.

Bright white arcs flickered from the gun barrel as a tungsten-core mass bomb, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, hurtled toward the power armor like lightning.

However, to his disbelief, the man in the power armor did not fall from the back of the Claw of Death.

The projectile, accelerated to several times the speed of sound, appeared to hit a wall instead, tracing a curve in the air in front of his Warhammer and flinging into the sky.

His pupils constricted violently, his face a canvas of astonishment and shock.

Deflection shield?!

Impossible...

The phase energy rectifiers had already suppressed the area, the Research Ship’s inability to take off was the best proof!

But what else could stop a bullet from a Gauss Rifle other than a deflection shield?!

As he panicked, the tidal wave of flesh and steel had already surged to the front of him and the other disciples beside him.

"Kill!!!"

The nearly two-meter-long "Cavalry Gun," with a half-meter bayonet, delivered its cold edge and deafening roar almost simultaneously.

There was no time to fall back, a bloodthirsty maw snapped shut on his throat, while not far from him, a disciple clad in an exoskeleton was tossed into the air by the Claw of death’s forepaw, the whistling bayonet piercing right through the bulletproof lining on his chest.

It wasn’t just the Wolf Cavalry of the Death Legion that had launched the charge.

There were also the foot soldiers without mounts and close to a thousand players in total, including the elite of the Burning Corps!

They turned to dust in the charge’s horn call without even a chance for the defensive line to collapse...

Meanwhile, anchored at the edge of the battlefield, aboard the Research Ship.

Yang Kai, sitting in the cockpit, watched the video sent by the Alliance Managers over and over again, his gaze deep in thought.

About fifteen minutes ago, those who claimed to be from the Enlightenment Society seemed to have used phase energy rectifiers, causing chaotic graviton movements in the area and rendering anti-gravity devices and deflection shields ineffective.

Until the curtain fell on the Prosperity Epoch, the United Human hadn’t found a way to counter ’phase guns’, and he didn’t have a good solution either.

However, Yang Kai wasn’t too worried about facing danger himself.

The phase gun’s disturbance to the gravitational field would last only so long; it couldn’t keep him pinned down here forever. The ship’s hull, built from sturdy alloys, was difficult for conventional weapons to damage.

Moreover, the Research Ship was carrying five hundred "swarm" units and four Wolf Spider Robots. The former could effectively kill soft targets within the region, while the latter could defend against EMP attacks and handle hard armored targets.

Up until now, no one had seen his trump card.

Even his face had never been seen.

Just then, the door to the cabin behind him opened, and Zheng Hao, wearing an exoskeleton, walked in from the central chamber of the Research Ship, speaking respectfully.

"The battle outside is over... The Alliance has won."

He wasn’t too surprised by the Alliance’s performance on the battlefield.

Although those outside had decent equipment, it was not much better than his previous Beacon team. At least they still had two ’Bee Swarms’ with a range of kilometers and drones patrolling high in the sky.

Other than the phase rectifier, which had surprised him for a moment, their support firepower consisted only of a few mortars and rocket launchers with electromagnetic launch capability.

If they expected to beat the Alliance elites fresh off the battlefield with that gear, then the Alliance’s battles over the past few months would have been for nothing.

To be fair, the quality of those weapons themselves was not bad.

Including some electromagnetic rifles, some of which Zheng Hao could tell at a glance were from United Human regular army surplus.

But weapons are ultimately just tools, without a matching combat system, being able to utilize even one-tenth of the equipment’s power would be considered good.

In small-scale skirmishes, these novices might be able to gain the upper hand with the superiority their equipment provided, but in systematic confrontations, their lack of war experience and mismatch between weapons and tactics quickly became glaringly obvious.

It was like even if you gave the Falcon Kingdom a thousand Gauss rifles, those feudal kingdom’s armies couldn’t possibly win against the Alliance’s forces on the front lines.

The heavy weaponry allocated to the support troops had barely begun firing and hadn’t yet played a decisive role when they were dispatched by the Alliance’s counter-barrage.

Perhaps those people never imagined that falling from such a height, the Alliance’s airships would still retain their fighting capability.

This was also unexpected for him.

Yang Kai nodded in his chair and tapped twice on the touchscreen, releasing the weapon system from alert mode.

"You’ve clashed with the Alliance’s people, what do you think of their strength?"

Zheng Hao paused, pondered for a moment, and said,

"They are a group of professional soldiers."

Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Zheng Hao nodded, speaking earnestly.

"Their equipment isn’t outstanding, but their use of weapons, adaptation to the environment, understanding of tactics, and responsiveness on the battlefield are all astonishingly strong. Perhaps it’s the tumultuous environment of the River Valley Province that has shaped them, they’ve grown accustomed to fighting opponents with superior equipment. Once they catch on to the rhythm of the enemy’s offense, they quickly seize control of the battlefield."

"To beat them, you must act swiftly and decisively."

Yang Kai closed his eyes to think for a while, then summarized,

"So, what’s special about them is their experience as soldiers themselves, is that it?"

"That’s one way to put it," Zheng Hao lamented, "They are born soldiers, I even feel... that they themselves are weapons."

"I see."

After a pause, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and continued,

"By the way, have you heard anything from Jiang Xue Zhou?"

Zheng Hao shook his head with a wry smile.

"Not yet... With all due respect, she is a non-combatant, and it’s too much to expect her to operate with a team that she has never worked with before."

Yang Kai said nonchalantly,

"No matter, I’ve given her the best equipment. That mechanical dog has excellent output capabilities, both in close-quarters street fighting and medium to long-range combat, enough to fill the gaps in her combat ability."

Zheng Hao was silent for a while, then spoke in a low voice,

"What if the threat comes from elsewhere...?"

Yang Kai furrowed his brow.

"Like what?"

Zheng Hao silently glanced out the window.

"Like those."

In the ruins, anything could be encountered.

Most of the time it was Variants or mucosal entities, but occasionally one would come across Mutants or Looters occupying the ruins, or even other unknown armed groups or Mercenaries eyeing the relics.

Unlike most researchers from the Research Department, he had been stuck in the position of a Class D explorer for many years and knew better than anyone about the dangers of delving into an unexplored ruin.

And the greatest danger came from the unknown.

Not even the United Humans themselves might remember how many contingencies they had prepared for the apocalypse, let alone what might happen over two hundred years.

It was just like opening a Blind Box...

If it were up to him, he would rather bring a couple of experienced fighters than a self-propelled gun that could travel through tunnels.

After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai nodded.

"Hmm, that is a problem... but there’s nothing we can do, the spot Li Ke secured for us is only one, and she’s the best choice."

Zheng Hao sighed.

"All we can do is pray for her safe return."

...

Just as Zheng Hao reported to Yang Kai, the battle outside had already been decided.

Under Chu Guang’s order, the Death Legion’s Wolf Cavalry spread out nearby to search for the downed Phase gun and the remaining enemies.

The thundercloud storm disrupted communications and flight devices equally, so the commander of those Disciples and the psychic operatives controlling the Clone soldiers couldn’t be too far away.

The Claw of Death was one of the finest hunters on the Wasteland.

Those behind-the-scenes perpetrators couldn’t have gone too far.

As for the rest of the players, they began cleaning up the Battlefield.

"Holy shit! A Gauss Rifle! This is a good find!" said the construction kid with a brick, his face beaming with excitement as he looked at the spoils picked up from the Battlefield.

A Type 15 "Python" Gauss Rifle!

Previously, the odds of winning this item in a lottery were less than 0.1%, with only a handful available throughout the entire service, and now they were being wholesale distributed after this battle!

In addition to the "Python," which was tailored for Precision Shooters, there were also light machine guns for those who pursued fire rate and magazine capacity and caseless assault rifles designed for weight reduction.

Looking at the high-tech weapons scattered on the ground, nearly every player’s eyes gleamed with desire. A few soldiers from the Weilante on the edge of the camp also looked canny, but given the frantic expressions on those guys’ faces, it didn’t seem right to go over and pick them up.

After all, it was one thing for the other side to have fought.

But more importantly, the fanatic zeal with which they coveted the spoils of war made them seriously doubt whether they would be allowed to join the fray without being horizontally escorted back...

"Heh heh, I’m gonna be a sniper too," said Debt Giant Eye, carrying two Gauss Rifles on his back, chuckling.

The washing machine snorted in disdain.

"You’re an Intelligence System, what sniper are you gonna be!"

It was intended as a joke, but on hearing this, Big Eyes immediately took offence.

"What’s wrong with that, if a Perception System can snipe, why can’t I?"

Sheep Again Package came over with a sly grin.

"Listen to my advice, brother, just stick to playing with your drones; sniping is too tricky for you to handle, leave it to someone agile and strong like me—"

"Buzz off!" Debt Giant Eye glared and hugged the two rifles from his back in his arms, "Don’t even think about it!"

The Outlaw Maniac, carrying a bunch of junk, approached and scratching his head, he asked the laughing bosses.

"Guys, have you seen the chief?"

Debt Giant Eye replied with a smile,

"You mean Brother Shui? The guy’s leading his cronies to find the enemy’s command center."

The Outlaw Maniac was stunned.

"Damn, he left the spoils of war?"

The construction kid with a brick waved his hand dismissively.

"Hmph, it doesn’t matter who picks it up."

A proper Battlefield wasn’t just a skirmish among bandits; naturally, the spoils of war wouldn’t necessarily belong to those who found them.

According to the Player’s Handbook’s rules on dividing spoils from skirmishes, all these collected spoils would later be registered by the logistics department.

After a small portion is added to the Alliance’s inventory, most would be distributed to players who participated in the battle based on their Contribution scores and the preferences of the players themselves.

The contribution score was also easy to tally.

The role each player had played in the battle and the combat tasks they had undertaken were public knowledge.

Players carrying VM were all marked with locators on the Battlefield, and combined with the combat footage shot by the Hummingbird drones, it was pretty clear who was slacking and who was not.

In fact, slacking was impossible.

With something so interesting going on, who would want to slack?

Besides, the combat footage often ended up edited and filtered on the official website, so if you were caught slacking, you would embarrass yourself.

On the other side, at the Burning Corps’ position, Old Six couldn’t help but mutter as he looked at the wreckage of Exoskeletons scattered around.

"Damn, these people really have good gear."

Apart from the Clone soldiers, nearly everyone in the various teams had their own piece of Exoskeleton, and their Tactical Belt was stocked with a row of grenades.

EMP and fragmentation grenades had practically become standard issue for these guys.

Now, their misfortune was to their advantage.

Sniper Bai, who was picking through the debris, touched something and then compared it to the Exoskeleton he was wearing. His face immediately showed shock.

"Holy fuck, this Exoskeleton is actually the same model as ours!"

The Type Five "Light Cavalry" police Exoskeleton!

Only it had been repainted from its original black to concrete gray camouflage, with some adjustments made to suit the Wasteland, like reinforcing the vulnerable arms and legs to fend off the Variants.

Besides the Type Five "Light Cavalry," there were also some exoskeletons they couldn’t identify, probably similar military models.

Corner Old Six spoke with a nuanced expression.

"I was looking at the official website’s information, and it seems that most members of the Enlightenment Society are residents of the refuge. Some of the refuges even seem to have close ties with the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, so it’s not surprising that they have equipment from the Prosperity Epoch."

"Indeed," Lost Rookie scratched the back of his head in confusion and said, "But it’s still weird, why these guys are here looking for trouble with us."

The Item Carrier shrugged.

"Do you know?"

"Who knows what they want to do, maybe there’s something else going on, maybe someone is using them, but that’s none of my damn business. When I play games, I never care about the story. Just get the job done!"

Killer Dagger licked his lips unenthusiastically.

"All I know is that these guys are wielding weapons of the Regular Army and fighting like damn Rebels... it’s just too damn ridiculous."

...

On the other side of the battlefield.

A group of people surrounded a damaged barracks.

Including Wu Changnian, the soldiers of Assault Team No. 26, and Yi Chuan, who stood there looking utterly dejected.

Chu Guang, after hanging the warhammer on his back, gently patted Nicole’s neck to signal it to lie down, and then he stepped off onto the ground.

Everyone turned to look at him in unison.

There was gratitude, relief, but more than anything, admiration—especially from those young men from Assault Team No. 26.

They had heard that the Alliance Managers were formidable fighters, but they hadn’t expected this big shot would ride on the back of the Claw of Death himself and lead the charge with the soldiers of the Alliance.

Compared to that, their Deputy Minister Wu was just disappointing; they’d be grateful if he could avoid getting taken out by stray bullets.

Of course, those were just the immature thoughts of the young men.

In reality, even if it was a publicity stunt or there were ulterior motives, having a high-ranking political figure dare to come to this godforsaken place with them was already an incredible thing. If he actually respected the frontline soldiers without meddling and honestly listened to the professionals, he’d be truly worth commemorating.

It’s unreasonable to expect anyone to be perfect; such unreasonable demands are impossible for anyone to meet.

"Thank you for your assistance!"

Seeing Chu Guang approaching, an emotionally charged Wu Changnian clenched his fist and spoke assertively.

"Those... shameless villains dare to fool us with such tricks—the council will surely make them pay a painful price! Any refuge that participates in the Enlightened Society’s conspiracy will be placed on the permanent blacklist! If you have any information about the Enlightenment Society in the future, please make sure to provide it to us!"

"I will do so. The moment they chose to trade with the Mutants, they already betrayed their humanity... they are enemies to all forms of order, no matter what that order is."

After a pause, Chu Guang glanced at the reporters nearby, then turned his gaze back to Wu Changnian.

"However, I still hope that the media of Ideal City can be as objective as possible when reporting this incident, not to steer the conflict towards all residents of the refuge... and I hope this incident doesn’t affect our future cooperation."

The Enlightenment Society was able to grow so strong precisely because it exploited some Blue Jackets’ hatred for the order established by the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, Survivor Forces’ anger on the Wasteland, and the overall despair with the situation on the Wasteland to lead them towards the extreme of anti-civilization.

If corporations, armies, and academies, because of the Enlightenment Society’s conspiracy, directed hostility toward the entire resident population of the refuge, it would fall right into the trap of those villains.

Wu Changnian spoke with a firm tone.

"The residents of Ideal City can discern right from wrong. To say nothing of the fact that our ancestors were also residents of the refuge. The council’s countermeasures will not broaden to target all refuges, and we will make a public statement at the news conference. I can assure you of that!"

He knew what Chu Guang was worried about, but such concerns were utterly unnecessary.

The Alliance itself was not just an alliance of residents of the refuge but a collective established by both residents of the refuge and Wasteland Wanderers.

Even if the residents of Ideal City harbored prejudice against Blue Jacket, it wouldn’t be far-fetched enough to vent their anger on the Alliance.

Chu Guang nodded slightly.

"I hope so."

He too believed in his allies, but it was just a precaution to mention it additionally.

To be realistic, Triumph was imminent.

He did not want the clandestine scheming of some rats to affect the fruits of victory that his little players had fought for with countless Resurrection Coins.

After chatting with Deputy Minister Wu for a few moments, Chu Guang walked into the half-collapsed barracks and patted Yi Chuan’s shoulder reassuringly as he passed by the door.

"...Maybe my brother is still down there," Yi Chuan muttered quietly, staring straight at the hospital bed, "at least this is a Clone..."

Chu Guang did not know how to respond, so he remained silent.

He was well aware that Yi Hai was already dead.

But he couldn’t say so.

It wouldn’t soothe a person’s grief; instead, it would only add unnecessary suspicion. Giving him a little time to adjust might be the kindest approach.

Observing the ’Yi Hai’ who lay motionless on the hospital bed, scrutinized by a group of doctors, Chu Guang pondered for a moment and spoke in a very soft voice.

"I have always believed that memory is fundamental to a person."

"Not just one’s own memories but also the memories of others... This mutual recognition forms our social attributes."

"Including our worldview, values, and even self-consciousness... all are built on the foundation of memories, so it can be said that memory is equivalent to a person’s soul."

"That’s why some people, even after they die, don’t disappear from this world. We carry on with the memories of them, and they accompany us in another form."

"To think that by accessing one’s memories, one can completely replace, even become that person, is a naïve thought that is absurd and arrogantly laughable."

"You have never truly replaced anyone’s place in this world, not even for a second... You have merely exploited a part of people’s emotions, temporarily deceiving their eyes."

"Whatever the case, you have desecrated with technology that which is most sacrosanct, so be prepared to endure people’s wrath."

The person lying in the bed said nothing, and Chu Guang had no expectations of him sitting up to retort.

The neurological link was already severed.

Even if granted a seat of honor, the coward lurking in the shadows didn’t have the courage to witness the end of this battle.

At this moment, he was probably on the run with his tail tucked between his legs.

But it didn’t matter.

He had already dispatched his most elite players to search the nearby area.

Chu Guang looked up at the sky, the black clouds rolling with thunder, slowly moving toward the southern sky.

Such peculiar weather phenomena were not uncommon in the Great Desert, usually coming quickly and leaving just as fast. It wouldn’t be long before communications in this region would be restored.

And this desert, like other places, would welcome the long-lost clear skies.

"It’s almost over."