This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 605: Biological Armor

Chapter 605: Chapter 605: Biological Armor

On the southern outskirts of Brocade River City.

An inconspicuous factory building sat in a deserted urban area.

Vast concrete yards were piled with cargo boxes abandoned for who knows how many years, while a few tufts of wild grass swayed in front of the rusted iron gate.

Several green heads were hidden in the shadows of the factory windows, vigilantly watching over the nearby streets.

This was a transshipment depot where the Torch Church funneled weapons and ammunition to the Qi Tribe.

Although it was a good ten kilometers away from the front lines, logistics personnel could easily transport weapons to the soldiers at the front through the sprawling subway network.

The towering high-rises blocked out the relentless gunfire; only the occasional loud blasts reminded Jia En that war had burned its way to his very nostrils.

Now, even though he could no longer hear the sound of explosions, Jia En’s mood didn’t improve a bit; rather, it worsened, teetering on the edge of agitation.

Just moments ago, he had learned that his forces had retreated underground from the surface, signifying the total loss of the Qi Tribe’s aboveground lair.

Standing at the entrance of the warehouse, Jia En clenched his fists so tightly that his teeth nearly shattered, his eyes blazing with fury.

Having their lair taken over by a herd of two-legged beasts...

Such an immense disgrace had not occurred in a century!

Noticing Jia En, the mutants guarding the windows hastily left their posts and scurried to open the door for their chieftain, tripping and stumbling in their haste.

With a grating metallic squeal, the rusted gate opened a crack, and a hunched old mutant poked his head out from the narrow opening to look at Jia En and bowed slightly.

"Chieftain."

Normally, Jia En would be civil towards the old priest on his side, but at this moment, his face bore no trace of kindness.

He strode up to Gomo, grabbed him by the collar with one hand, and stared him down with eyes as big as copper bells.

"Where is the support I was promised?"

Gomo spoke calmly.

"It’s all here."

Seeing his composure even now, Jia En’s rage reached new heights, spluttering with anger as he bellowed.

"You know I’m not talking about that pile of firewood. I need something that can bring down that metal monstrosity! Tell those from the Torch! If they keep dragging their heels, they can go and defend the Institute themselves!"

Of course, he was just saying that.

If they were to lose the Torch’s support, the Qi Tribe might be annihilated by the Alliance in a matter of minutes.

Not to mention those cybernetic modifications.

With the Qi Tribe’s own manufacturing technology, even making an automatic rifle was a struggle; and if they managed to cobble something together, it was the kind that jammed after three shots.

He was acutely aware that he could use the flesh from the Biological Institute as leverage to threaten his allies.

But if the "Champion" Pharmaceuticals Bioresearch Institute really fell, the Qi Tribe would likely immediately lose the support of the Torch Church.

Watching the contorted face of Jia En twisted by anger, Gomo let out a slight sigh.

He still remembered a few days ago when this young chieftain reassured him, full of confidence, to simply continue with the sacred ritual and not worry about the battlefield.

Yet in just a few days, encountering only a minor setback, he had become like this, not only forgetting his own words but also placing all of his hopes on the Torch Church, these outsiders...

But perhaps it was to be expected.

After pausing, Gomo continued in a measured tone.

"The type of thing you’re asking for, it’s also here."

Jia En was momentarily taken aback, then squinted his eyes.

Through that narrow gap, Gomo saw his thirst for power, even if he didn’t truly understand the nature of the power he yearned for.

His expression was just like a child longing for a new toy.

Looking at the hulking child before him, a wave of sadness suddenly welled up in Gomo’s heart.

Perhaps it was this naivety that led them to this unforeseen place...

Releasing his grip on the old priest’s collar, Jia En’s tone softened slightly with a trace of courtesy.

"Take me there."

"Follow me."

Gomo nodded and turned towards the rusted door behind him.

With eyes sparkling with a hunger for power, Jia En followed without hesitation, stepping into the pitch-black factory.

The inside of the factory was pitch dark.

To prevent discovery by the Alliance’s aircraft, no lights had been turned on.

Jia En narrowed his eyes, adjusting to the dim light within the factory, and soon spotted rows of cylindrical containers filled with a dark green liquid.

Bodies two meters tall were submerged within the tanks; their skin was a dusky grey-black, with inverted fangs and pointed chins, and upon closer inspection, a fine layer of downy hair. The slender forms concealed muscles with visible fibers, scant but potent with explosive strength, all wrapped in folds of flesh membrane.

Jia En moved closer, his eyes widening slightly.

Upon closer inspection, the flesh membrane that wrapped around their bodies turned out to be two pairs of folded wings extending from under their armpits to their groins!

He had never seen such hideous monsters.

"...What are these?"

Gomo walked up to the cultivation tank and said in a low voice, seemingly off-topic.

"A century and a half ago, scholars researching the perfect life form first designed a framework for that perfect life still on the blueprint. Its DNA had to be stable enough to resist external interference while also being sufficiently inclusive to accept all the genes designed for it... And mutants are such a framework. Even though it’s still far from the perfect life form, it has already reached the first step towards it."

He paused before continuing.

"It is the most perfect ’vessel’ on this planet, an almost omnipotent multifunctional platform!"

Jia En slightly frowned, feeling completely bewildered by what the old priest was saying.

The most perfect life?

He had no doubt that he himself was the most perfect life form and didn’t feel far off from that proposition at all.

As for what vessel, what multifunctional platform...

He simply had no idea what the old guy was talking about.

Gomo’s expectation of Jia En’s confusion was right on the mark as he slowly continued to speak.

"...We can implant all the excellent qualities we need into this perfect vessel, allowing us to surpass the capabilities of any machine from birth. Take, for example, Goliath, which can devour almost any organic matter and convert it into bio-mass we can utilize. The piles of bodies outside can be transformed into useful bio-mass raw materials through it. And then there are the Batwing People right in front of you, who can soar freely in the sky without the aid of any flying apparatus."

"Batwing People." Mulling over the name, Jia En’s confusion in his eyes gradually turned into understanding and then into fervor.

If every mutant could master the ability to fly...

His tribe would undoubtedly become the dominion of the Earth!

Weren’t they just being bullied by that Iron Heart because they couldn’t fly?

However, this thought lasted for less than a minute in Jia En’s mind. When he saw the pitifully small number of Batwing People in the factory, the fervor in his eyes quickly cooled down.

"Being able to fly... that does sound good, but it’s a pity there are too few of these little fellows," Jia En said, stroking his chin, a rare calm analysis coming from him, "Counting them all, there are only about a hundred. I’m afraid they wouldn’t even be enough to get stuck in the gaps of that iron clunker’s teeth."

If only there were more of them.

Seeing the thoughts inside the chieftain’s mind, Gomo smiled faintly and said in a very soft voice,

"Of course, it’s not just the number you see here. At this moment, there are at least tens of thousands of Batwing People deployed throughout Brocade River City."

Jia En’s pupils contracted slightly, and the fervor that had subsided rekindled in his bloodthirsty eyes.

Tens of thousands!

With one spit from each person, they could flood that airship!

Watching Jia En’s battle spirit reignite, Gomo slowly continued to speak.

"The Iron Heart has fierce firepower and a deflection shield that can almost immunize it against all kinetic energy weapons, but it is helpless against close-range threats... The Alliance used this weakness to take the Steel Heart away from the Army in the past, and we can certainly use the same method to snatch this airship from their hands."

"Now that the bulk of Alliance forces are inside Brocade River City, the defenses aboard the Steel Heart must be empty. If we launch a sudden ambush under the cover of the grey mist—"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jia En grabbed Gomo’s shoulders, his expression excitedly saying, "Get started right away!"

As long as they could capture that airship and unleash a barrage on the Alliance Soldiers in the city sector, even if they couldn’t wipe out that annoying group completely, they could at least alleviate the pressure on the frontlines.

"Don’t get too excited, I haven’t finished," Gomo coughed lightly and continued, "The genetics of the Batwing People are actually not yet complete, and like Goliath, they are in a stage of exploration and learning from practical experiences. One of the most obvious unresolved flaws is that they need to be under the influence of the Mind Interference Field to exhibit their full Combat Power."

Eyebrows knotted together like green worms, Jia En stared at him intently.

"What do you mean?"

Gomo continued.

"In simple terms, without a backbone, they are just a pack of mindless wild dogs that only know to crazily bite targets beside them and then feed. We need a strong enough Warrior to command them into battle with his own will."

As he spoke, Gomo turned around and walked to the end of the storage room, standing in front of a huge cultivation tank.

This cultivation tank was conspicuously different from the others, being twice as large in volume and containing something even more unique.

It was enveloped in black scales, over four meters tall, with the outline of a human figure but not quite human; more like a piece of skin—

Or one might say, Armor!

Following Gomo to this place, the moment Jia En looked at the cultivation tank, his gaze was completely glued to it and couldn’t be moved away.

The crimson flesh pulsating inside the opened lapel was like a breathing mouth, issuing a call or perhaps an invitation to him.

He didn’t know what it was.

The Power he had long dreamed of was right before his eyes.

Gomo didn’t speak, but simply extended his index finger and gently tapped on the control terminal.

With the press of a button, the cultivation tank quickly made a gurgling water-sucking sound, and soon the dark green liquid was drained.

The hatchway slowly opened, fully revealing the Biological Armor in front of Jia En.

The pitch-black scales and thick biological shell were exposed to the air, the fleshy membranes at the sides of the ribs gently pulsated, and the flesh wings on the back unfolded to both sides.

The thing that made Jia En unable to shift his gaze was not just those black wings but the swelling and throbbing chest.

Those muscles seemed to possess the strength to tear steel apart!

Jia En asked.

"...And what is this?"

Gomo replied softly.

"A type of Biological Armor, its name is ’Nightmare.’ It not only possesses terrifying Strength, sturdy biological Armor, and the ability to fly, but most importantly, it can generate a sufficiently effective Mind Interference Field, allowing the wearer to command all of the Batwing People."

Nightmare...

Jia En savored the name over and over, liking it very much in his heart.

He had no doubt that wearing this Armor, he would become the eternal Nightmare in the minds of all Old Humans.

He looked at Gomo and couldn’t wait to ask,

"How do I use this thing?"

Gomo said in a very soft voice.

"Just put it on, and once it becomes a part of your body, you will naturally understand how to use it. It’s as simple as breathing... But you have to think it through, once you put it on, it won’t be possible to take it off again."

"Exactly what I want!"

Jia En laughed heartily, without another word, he stripped off his clothes, revealing his burly body, and stepped forward with one foot into the culture tank.

The Qi Tribe honored the strong.

Whosoever had the biggest fist was the boss.

As the strongest of his tribe, he would never let this opportunity to become stronger slip by!

Even though he was aware of the risks, he was willing to give it a try!

The moment Jia En’s back touched the biological armor, countless tendrils immediately crawled over his entire body.

Sharp interfaces pierced into his flesh, and numerous tiny cilia entangled with his entire nervous system.

"Ah!!!"

The sudden, intense pain made Jia En involuntarily cry out in pain, his eyes bloodshot, his body muscles trembling as if electrocuted.

The agony he experienced was hundreds of times greater than that of prosthetic surgery; he felt as if something was being stuffed into him while part of his own flesh seemed to surge into the body of that thing.

The first to fuse was the nerves, then the blood, and ultimately everything in body and mind!

Jia En felt as if he had returned to that chaotic womb, an invisible umbilical cord bonding him to the chunks of flesh surrounding him.

When he reopened his eyes, it was after an unknown length of time.

Jia En could no longer feel his original body; his consciousness seemed to have completely merged into a new shell—

A more powerful shell!

He clenched his fists, a cracking sound emanating from his arms, every cell in his body seemed to be cheering joyfully.

Jia En happily then moved the wings behind him, the hurricane he unleashed blew away the beast skin clothes on the ground, and the Old Priest and several underlings also unconsciously took a few steps back.

Gomo stared at the reborn Jia En with bright eyes, a hint of fanaticism gradually surfacing in his murky pupils.

Although the path was filled with twists—

a stronger creature was born before him, which did provide some consolation... at least those sacrifices were not in vain.

Jia En gripped his powerful fists satisfactorily and looked down at Gomo standing on the lower steps.

"Right, how exactly were those Batwing People created? Can the Church make more of them?"

Gomo bowed his head, saying reverently.

"Just like with Goliath, mainly through the nurturing of juvenile Mutants, the output may not be as exaggerated as you imagine... But I believe that given enough time, they will surely be able to build an invincible air force for you."

Jia En frowned.

"What about this biological Armor, then?"

"It’s similar... just with some other things added." To be honest, Gomo wasn’t very clear himself, so he vaguely responded.

However, this explanation was sufficient for Jia En, a sense of realization flashed in his amber eyes, and then that realization turned into pleasure.

So that was it.

No wonder he felt a familiar aura from this set of biological armor; it was also the bloodline of his people.

Although he felt something was a bit off, he did not dwell on it.

As long as he could attain greater strength!

How such trifling matters turned out was of no importance!

"ROAR—!"

He looked up and let out a satisfying roar, the flesh wings on his back spread powerfully to either side, the piercing sound waves surged with the wind that his wings whipped up.

The Mutant underlings retreated in horror, and it was the same for the aging Gomo, who showed no trace of fear in his eyes, only frenzy.

The Batwing People in one culture tank after another, as if heeding his call, all opened their tightly shut eyes and frantically attacked the glass with their hands, feet, and teeth, crawling out from inside with their damp bodies.

It was hard to imagine that these things were hatched from Mutant babies.

But as Jia En thought, such minor problems were utterly irrelevant.

Watching the hideous, sharp-toothed beasts, a cruel smile spread across Jia En’s face.

"...The time for revenge has come!"

...

At the same time, atop an office building kilometers away from that factory, an old man in an Exoskeleton slowly opened his tightly closed eyes.

He heard that sharp scream in the wind, he also heard the turbulent undercurrents hiding in the mist.

The biological weapons deployed by the Torch Church in this city had finally activated.

One by one, sharp-toothed monsters were led by a wild beast, howling toward that colossal steel creature.

Soon it would all be over.

Although he didn’t know where Luo Gan had gone, from this moment on, no filth would disturb the holy descent of Heaven upon this Land.

He slowly turned his gaze toward the direction of the airship, and the corners of Alzu’s mouth curled into a chilly sneer.

"A bunch of worms sucking blood from the relics of the old days, refusing to rebuild the utopia of the past, to enlighten those ignorant people. Instead, you recklessly reverse all the way back before the Prosperity Epoch. Getting the wreckage of an escort ship has made you so arrogantly ignorant of your own limitations."

This class of ship.

Wasn’t even good enough to be cannon fodder during the three-year War.

He sneered and squeezed that sentence out from between his lips.

"So you think you can fight, do you?"

"I really want to see if you have the ability to leave your bodies intact."

...

In the north of Brocade River City.

The frontline where the Alliance and the Qi Tribe clashed.

After taking control of the subway station entrance and the streets leading to the "Champion" Biomedical Research Institute, the Alliance’s ground forces did not continue to press forward. Instead, they secured the new defensive line and waited for supplies from the rear.

After a full day of combat, the ammunition of most players had been almost depleted; even if the people could hold on, their weapons couldn’t.

After delineating their own defensive zones, commanders of the various Corps immediately convened a brief war meeting to determine the next phase of the offensive plan.

The headquarters had given front-line units sufficient autonomy to decide the order of completing their tasks based on the frontline situation.

That is, players could decide whether to prioritize attacking the "Champion" Biomedical Research Institute or to pursue and annihilate the mutants who fled into the subway.

To facilitate communication and pool wisdom, the discussion, as usual, took place in the player section of the official forum.

However, it wasn’t so much a discussion as it was a non-controversy.

Almost all the Corps commanders agreed that, as much as the green-skinned brutes were detestable, taking over the Champion Biomedical Research Institute was the urgent matter.

This wasn’t just because a thousand cubic meters of nuclear fuel and the Fake nest that controlled the grey fog was stored there. Strategically, capturing the place could also effectively divide their opponents.

After all, the alliance between the Torch Church and the Qi Tribe largely depended on that Research Institute.

Once the Alliance broke through the Institute and destroyed the "Heaven" that loomed over the Brocade River City area, the Qi Tribe would lose its greatest strategic value to the Torch Church.

Conversely, if they besieged the Institute and made the annihilation of the living forces in the subway their primary target, although they might reduce the number of mutants to a minimum and prevent those creatures from hiding in the subway’s corners, it could lead to new variables.

Having lost a Bishop of a parish, the Torch Church couldn’t possibly still be in the dark. Even if there weren’t more significant actions, they would surely send someone new.

Swift and decisive action was the most advantageous option for the Alliance, even if it meant spending more time later on to eradicate the remnants of the mutants.

Within just ten minutes, the Corps commanders had reached a consensus, but just then, the Spring Water Commander, who had been silent until now, suddenly popped out with a statement.

"I always feel like you’re making progress a bit too smoothly."

The Storm Corps had taken over from the Jungle Corps by eradicating bandits in the mountainous woodlands of the Alliance’s northern territory and had not participated in this server event.

Even though his own Army had nothing to do with this event, Spring Water still couldn’t help but feel itchy seeing his good brothers discussing it so fervently, so he intervened with a comment.

Edge Shoveling didn’t mind the guy undermining him and typed back.

"Wouldn’t it be nice if things went smoothly? (amused)"

Spring Water Commander, "I never said it wasn’t good... It’s just that you guys are winning too easily. Either your opponents are really stupid, or they might be hiding a big move."

Midnight Chicken Killing, "What makes you think so?"

Spring Water Commander, "Generally speaking, if there was no chance of winning at all, if I were that mutant leader, I’d definitely turn tail and run. No matter how much the Torch Church paid me, having money but no life to spend it is useless, and no matter how good our relationship is, it’s not worth dying for an ally to this extent, right? Plus, with such thick fog, if they really ran away from Brocade River City, we couldn’t do anything about it. The subway goes everywhere; you might not be able to stop them at all."

Pick up trash 99 level, "That’s logical... But it might not apply to mutants, right? Maybe they just look down on the Old Humans whom they’ve always treated like sheep for the slaughter? They might not have thought they could lose until now."

Midnight Chicken Killing, "+1, those beasts don’t seem that cunning."

Spring Water Commander, "It’s not about being cunning. If they had never considered losing, they wouldn’t have retreated underground. Wouldn’t it be better to have a decisive battle with you on the surface?"

Fang Chang, "Hmm... I was thinking about the same thing. However, I really can’t think of any cards they might still have to play. And if there is such a card that could turn the tide, why not use it earlier? Why now?"

Spring Water Commander, "Bro, think about it, how did we manage to seize the Iron Heart?"

Elena, "Damn, this guy is about to show off. (amused)"

Gnome King Riches, "Alright, I know it was you who commanded it. (amused)"

Spring Water Commander, "Ahem, I really didn’t mean it that way, I’m serious! Think hard, do you notice any similarities?"

Quit Smoking, "Tie down the ground forces and then suddenly launch a surprise attack... Fuck? Do you mean they might learn from us?"

Canyon Escape Mole, "But mutants don’t have aircraft, right?"

Spring Water Commander, "Those big guys definitely can’t construct an aircraft... But what if, just what if they’ve got bioweapons that are not just big, tanky types like ’Goliath’ and ’Meat Mountain’, but also ones that can fly?"

Fang Chang, "So far, we haven’t spotted any flying elite monsters like you mentioned... But what you’re saying makes sense. If the Torch Church can breed biological weapons that defy common sense, we can’t rule out the possibility you’ve mentioned."

Canyon Escape Mole, "Yeah, aside from Phase guns that need to be positioned in advance, against aircraft with Deflection Shields... A sky-drop attack is indeed the only effective tactic."

Debt Giant Eye, "No way... Is that kind of thing really possible?!"

Spring Water Commander, "War is not a card game; anything is possible on the battlefield. I’m just suggesting, wouldn’t it be safer to call a team back to the aircraft? Anyway, you’re already at their doorstep."

Old White, "Understood, we better head back for a bit! (gritting teeth)"

Regardless if the mutants were holding that card up their sleeves or not, leaving someone on high ground to prevent a sneak attack would also put the minds of those pushing the front at ease.

After all, like Spring Water bro said, the frontline wouldn’t miss this handful of people.

With the brothers from Skeleton Corps, Death Legion, and Jungle Corps around, taking down a research institute would be more than manageable.

WC indeed has Mosquito, "Mother of God... Climbing the thread and seeing you guys discuss, makes my butt clench, I’m rolling back online first! (shocked)"

Night Ten, "No rush, bro, I’ll come back and join you. (sidelong smile)"

""