This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 606: A Familiar Bait

Chapter 606: Chapter 606: A Familiar Bait

Brocade River City North.

Old resident settlement.

Two "Viper" transport planes arrived one after another and landed on the open space next to the collapsed enclosing wall at the entrance of the Qi Tribe.

The soldiers of the Burning Corps were basically equipped with "Type Five" exoskeletons or lighter protective gear, and each "Viper" could carry about ten to fifteen people.

To transport all five hundred players of the Burning Corps back to the Steel Heart, which was sixty to seventy kilometers away, would require several round trips with just these two planes.

Honestly, most players didn’t really want to return.

The event was about to end, and everyone wanted to earn more points on the front line.

Besides, the possibility that the mutants might attack Steel Heart was just Mosquito’s speculation, and it wasn’t certain to happen.

Old White didn’t force anyone, as there simply weren’t enough seats on the transport planes to begin with.

Apart from a few veterans of the Burning Corps with higher sequence levels, other players followed the voluntary principle: those who wanted to return followed along, those who didn’t, stayed at the front line.

Honestly, he didn’t really have any solid expectations himself.

The idea that mutants might attack Steel Heart sounded rather bizarre, not something even an army would do.

And the key point was, there were no airports nearby!

Maybe Mosquito was just overthinking it?

"Are the mutants really coming?" Sitting in the cabin and feeling uneasy, Night Ten couldn’t help but mutter softly.

"No one knows; everything we’re doing now is just precautionary, considering the overall battle situation."

Fang Chang glanced at the VM screen, the mission tab hadn’t updated with any relevant instructions; perhaps they really were just overthinking.

But he still felt a sense of unease.

The reason for this unease...

Probably, as Mosquito said, their offensive was progressing a bit too smoothly, having taken over the Qi Tribe’s stronghold in just four days.

And bizarrely, these mutants were still desperately defending the research institute controlled by Torch Church.

It was hard not to suspect that those charlatans had promised them some benefits, or still had a few cards left to play.

Just then, a hand suddenly reached into the cabin, grabbing the handle next to the door and with a heave pulled itself inside.

Seeing Jiang Xuezhou holding a suitcase, Night Ten was startled and blurted out without thinking.

"What are you doing here?"

"Heading back to the airship," Jiang Xuezhou looked at him with a face full of bewilderment, as if he was asking a very stupid question, "I’ve finished collecting samples. If I don’t go back to the airship, should I stay here?"

His words were indeed irrefutable.

The researcher from the Academy wasn’t here to help the Alliance in the battle, but to assist in studying Nago and those synthetic monsters created by Torch Church and to seek a scientific solution.

That precise EMP missile strike was purely her own show-off; he had almost forgotten that this character wasn’t meant for combat.

Watching Jiang Xuezhou buckle her safety belt consciously, Night Ten found himself momentarily unable to argue against her words, but considering what everyone had been discussing on the forum, he couldn’t help but try to persuade her.

"Maybe... you should stay here."

Jiang Xuezhou glared at him.

"What stupid thing are you saying, stay here? I don’t want to spend the night in this place! If anyone stays, you can stay!"

Not to mention there wasn’t even a proper bed here, the whole camp was filled with a foul smell, all sorts of messy stuff; she did not want to have nightmares at night.

He actually had the heart to let her spend the night in such a ghostly place!

Jiang Xuezhou, originally in a good mood, felt increasingly angry the more she thought about it.

Seeing the expression on her face, it was clear she must have misunderstood something. Night Ten tried to explain that he was considering her safety, but quickly remembered that the mutants’ possible attack on Steel Heart was just a speculation discussed on the forum, not something certain to happen.

The forum and the discussions themselves were hard to explain clearly, he thought for a while, eventually found it too troublesome to explain, and reluctantly nodded.

"Fine."

Seeing his reluctant appearance, Jiang Xuezhou rolled her eyes.

"Do you need to agree? I’ve already applied with your Manager! Who do you think this plane is waiting for?"

Beside them, Fang Chang and Wild Wind barely held back their laughter, Night Ten’s expression turning awkwardly evasive, quickly changed the subject.

"...Uh, where’s your Little Wang?"

Jiang Xuezhou replied offhandedly.

"I left it here. I have to come back later anyway, saves the trouble of moving it back and forth. Besides, the plane couldn’t fit it, so it’s better left here."

That thing was almost a third the size of a Chimera; it really wasn’t suitable for moving around, so Night Ten didn’t say much.

But speaking of which, he was quite surprised.

Didn’t expect her to also consider others...

While they were talking, the transport plane’s doors closed, and with the roar of the plasma engines, the two Vipers ascended into the air one after another.

Jiang Xuezhou plugged her ears, Night Ten didn’t know where to put his gaze, so he drifted towards the gray and dim night sky outside the porthole.

But at that moment, looking at the gray expanse, he slightly furrowed his eyebrows and gently elbowed Fang Chang, who was sitting beside him.

"Did you hear anything?"

Fang Chang startled slightly, furrowing his brows.

"...A sound?"

"Yeah."

Night Ten closed his eyes tightly, slowly nodded, and said with an uncertain tone.

"It sounds a bit like..."

Everyone in the group turned to look at him upon hearing his words, everyone except Jiang Xuezhou, who couldn’t understand the language he was speaking.

After listening closely for a moment, Wild Wind looked at him and asked earnestly,

"What does it sound like?"

Night Ten opened his eyes, his voice carrying a trace of certainty.

"... like the sound of wings flapping!"

Iron Heart’s bridge.

Chu Guang stood beside the floor-to-ceiling window, silently gazing at the gray night outside.

Xiao Qi was perched on his shoulder, whispering secrets into his ear, reporting the messages she had just gathered from the forum.

At that moment, the door behind them opened and an officer strode in, standing at attention and giving a military salute.

"Report! A source interference signal has been detected coming from Brocade River City!"

The so-called source interference referred to active release of wide-area electromagnetic wave signals to drown out the radar echos, as opposed to passive interference like platinum strip reflection, achieving the purpose of cloaking one’s aircraft.

An apt yet inappropriate analogy would be shining a large flashlight directly into someone’s eyes.

The radar system aboard the Iron Heart was sophisticated, capable of spotting birds even a hundred kilometers away. Additionally, since the radar source was airborne, there were virtually no blind spots, akin to an airborne early-warning aircraft equipped with a shield.

The opponent apparently had no confidence in deceiving the eyes of the Iron Heart, so they simply resorted to a brute force approach.

But this also exposed their intent and the presence of source interference.

"Hook directly, bait salty."

Chu Guang smiled faintly, his expression slightly firming up as he continued giving orders,

"Relay my command, all units on the ship enter alert status, load all artillery positions and standby, all members of the carrier air wing to board and prepare for takeoff immediately!"

"Additionally, have the radar team continue searching for the location of the source interference device, and destroy it immediately upon discovery!"

"Yes!" The officer saluted solemnly, then turned and quickly walked towards the door.

Chu Guang then looked towards the Captain standing nearby.

"Since our enemies have already assumed their stance, I have reason to believe that they are thoroughly prepared. Remember, do not underestimate them."

"I trust your capabilities."

"I’ll leave the command of this airship to you."

Having been tested through a series of battles in Luo Xia Province, he held considerable confidence in this captain he had personally promoted.

Typically, Chu Guang would only handle strategic arrangements himself, rarely interfering in front-line troop command unless the players had creative ideas requiring an NPC’s cooperation.

He preferred to leave the specifics of tactics and execution to professionals.

Feeling honored by the Manager’s trust, the Captain nodded seriously, his right fist touching his chest as he accepted the command,

"Rest assured, leave it to me. I will not disappoint you!"

But at this point, he hesitated briefly and ultimately could not resist adding,

"Manager... please allow me to speak out of turn. If the Torch truly plans to target the Iron Heart, this place may not be safe. I suggest you consider taking cover for now."

He wasn’t worried about his personal safety, having been prepared for sacrifice since boarding the airship. However, the Manager’s safety mattered as it would be a loss to the entire Alliance.

Obviously, he wasn’t the only one with this thought; Lu Bei, who followed Chu Guang closely, held the same sentiment.

This usually reticent young man unusually took the initiative to speak up, advising loyally,

"My Lord, I feel the same! Your safety—"

Facing those two pairs of concerned eyes, Chu Guang simply smiled lightly.

"No need to worry for me. I will take care of myself, and besides, those few bugs aren’t worth me changing my route."

It wasn’t that he wanted to be reckless; mainly because both Vipers were still at the front line and hadn’t returned. Staying on the ground might not be safer than staying here.

Moreover, what would it look like if he fled as soon as the opposition made a move?

Doesn’t the Manager have a reputation to maintain?

Observing the others who still wanted to persuade him, Chu Guang uncharacteristically displayed an undeniable authority, cutting off their unspoken words.

"Enough, the fact that I am standing here means I have absolute faith in you. What you should be doing now is not trying to change my mind but to do your jobs, do what you should be doing at this moment!"

"Go ahead and act."

"I will be here to witness your valor!"

These powerful words resounded.

The response was a chorus of high-spirited replies,

"Mission will be accomplished!"

Their eyes burned with fighting spirit.

Any tremor or hesitation they felt facing the unknown threat was now completely incinerated by this blazing fire.

Even if inspired by good intentions, such emotions were not supposed to be in them.

From the communication officer to the aides to the captain, everyone instinctively clenched their fists, including the guards following Chu Guang.

They were confident in defeating any foe—

No matter who the adversary was!

It was not just for honor or belief, but because that towering figure always stood with them.

An unvoiced cheer echoed within their chests—

For the Manager!

For the Alliance!

...

The pre-battle mobilization had been completed, and Chu Guang left the bridge, leaving it entirely in the hands of the captain and a host of officers.

He himself went to the players’ save point.

The main battlefield arrangements could be fully entrusted to those trustworthy subordinates, but to ensure the entire battle was foolproof, he needed to add an extra layer of necessary insurance to this airship.

This task could only be completed by his beloved little players.

Of course.

The compensation would not be small.

The moment he left the bridge, the Iron Heart immediately started operating like a wound-up machine, orderly and swiftly.

The radar crew quickly locked onto the coordinates of the interference source, and a 400mm rocket with extended range was rapidly loaded and sent towards the distant target, delivering punishing flames.

Meanwhile, offline.

Goblin Corps group chat.

"Log in, log in!"

"Work’s here!"

"Quick, quick, quick!"

In a second, Mosquito typed out three sentences, immediately put on his headset, and returned online. He had just risen from the Sleep Cabin and was walking down the hallway when he abruptly ran into the Manager striding towards him.

Mosquito’s eyes lit up, guessing that the Manager’s appearance here likely triggered some hidden quest, so he immediately cleared his duck-like throat and said loudly with his usual humorous tone,

"Good evening, respected Manager!"

His voice successfully caught the Manager’s attention.

Seeing Mosquito Brother, Chu Guang’s eyes also lit up, but he didn’t show it explicitly on his face, maintaining the poise expected of an NPC, and slowly began to speak.

"You’ve come at the right time, I have a glorious and arduous mission for you."

WC felt genuinely excited inside, and quickly responded,

"Whatever you need, command me! Though I am humble, I am willing to lay down my life for the Alliance!"

Watching Mosquito’s exaggerated movements, Chu Guang chuckled inwardly, but his face remained impassive, and he cleared his throat before continuing,

"The mission has been updated on your VM. Follow the instructions in the taskbar, and operate like this..."

...

The 400mm main cannon aimed at Jinhe City Urban Area, and with a thick streak of fire, a rocket with extended range trailing white smoke ascended into the sky.

The screaming whistling noise as it fell rent the quiet night sky, followed by the peaceful city area being disturbed by that deafening roar.

It was as if daylight had risen from the ground.

Dispelling miles of fog.

Watching the direction of the explosion, Alzu standing on the rooftop coldly smiled, but that smile soon froze on his face.

"Damn."

The good news was that the Alliance had indeed bitten the bait he threw, a heavy rocket crashing onto the decoy disturbance source.

They aimed very accurately, although it was a lonely precision.

However, the bad news was, the Alliance had installed a nuclear warhead on this rocket with extended range, and the Compton effect induced by the gamma rays created a broad-range electromagnetic pulse.

Although it didn’t destroy the real interference device, this momentary electromagnetic disturbance revealed the decoy radar he had set up in the city completely.

Just one more shot, and the interference shining on Iron Heart would completely fail.

And...

Perhaps the slight slip just now had already exposed the position of that mutant.

Although he’d preferred to show up before that guy as the Saint Heir after achieving total victory, Alzu knew he had to do something now.

Connecting to the chip installed in the suit named "Nightmare" of biological armor, Alzu cleared his throat and slowly began to caution,

"You’d better fly lower."

At that moment, Jia En soaring in the night sky was reveling in his god-like power, oblivious to the confrontation between the Alliance and Torch Church off the battlefield.

He had never been so powerful!

The entire sky seemed to submit under his wings!

And those sharp-toothed, sharp-beaked "devils" loyally clustered around him, requiring just a look from him to lay down their lives in his service.

They were like the cells of his body!

While Jia En was indulging, a light voice floated into his ears, interrupting his boundless reverie.

Annoyed by this voice that appeared out of nowhere in his mind, Jia En flipped over, frowning, and let out a low growl from his throat,

"Who are you?"

The voice from somewhere continued,

"I am the Saint Heir."

Hearing this familiar name, Alzu narrowed his eyes.

"You are the Saint Heir?"

The biological armor was a gift from Torch Church, and he of course knew whom these charlatans worshipped.

But what he didn’t understand was why the legendary Saint Heir would communicate with him personally.

Alzu paused for a while, then softly responded,

"Yes."

Every one of them considered themselves a Saint Heir.

Although he had not entered the Holy Land, since he was replacing Luo Gan, he naturally could claim the title of Saint Heir.

The Church was not so strict about formalities with its inside people; everything was permitted for the sake of that ultimate grand plan.

However, what Alzu did not expect was that he thought this green-skinned beast would show some humility due to the title of Saint Heir, but instead, the uncivilized ape just responded with a wild and disrespectful laugh.

"Hahaha! You are a Saint Heir? Then open your eyes wide and watch! Watch how I smash that group of bipeds into pieces!"

Far from keeping a low profile, Jia En feared that his presence might go unnoticed, so he howled into the sky, then, with a kick of his wings, flew even higher.

’This idiot!’

Alzu cursed inwardly, patiently continuing the conversation.

"Listen, I’m not joking with you. The Alliance doesn’t need eyes to know where you are, don’t think you’re safe hidden in the fog. If you don’t want to crash head-on into a metal cannonball, have your subordinates disperse and fly at a height no greater than thirty meters from the ground! The closer, the better!"

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Jia En finally calmed down and reluctantly reined in his temper.

"Got it, can you first get out of my head? I don’t like talking to someone who hides their face!"

As he spoke, he folded his wings and signaled his noisy followers to descend.

"Ugh..."

Alzu clicked his tongue, irritably ending the communication, took a deep breath against the fog-drenched night sky, trying to calm himself down.

Although it was a beast, unfortunately, they needed this beast.

Everything was for the sake of that grand plan.

A necessary sacrifice.

Elsewhere, the bridge of the Iron Heart was bustling.

An employee sitting at the control terminal had just received coordinates for a new source of interference from the radar team and had entered it into the fire control system.

The 400mm main cannon slowly adjusted its angle, reloaded with a rocket-assisted projectile, preparing to strike the real source of interference.

At this moment, another report came from the radar —

"Numerous unidentified flying objects detected in the south! Speed is between 97-99 kilometers per hour! Heading directly towards us, only twenty kilometers away!"

Hearing the employee’s report, the Captain immediately asked.

"How many?"

The employee, eyes fixed on the screen and speaking rapidly, responded.

"Ten thousand and seventy-eight!"

The Captain’s pupils slightly constricted.

Ten thousand?!

His first reaction was disbelief.

No matter what, this number was too exaggerated!

And it was outlandishly similar to what had happened before—

The Alliance had previously lured the Iron Heart’s firepower using a decoy drone with an active interference source and then managed to get a transport plane over it during the reload.

Could this also be a decoy?!

Outside the porthole was pitch-black fog, the sunset had completely sunk below the horizon. The airship floating in the clouds was like a submarine diving deep into the ocean, unable to visually observe the surrounding area and could only rely on the radar, its only "eyes."

After a moment’s wait, the second heavy rocket hit the interference source in the urban area.

As the thunderous echo rumbled through the fog, the shipboard radar also resumed normal operation, and those previously indistinct red dots were exposed on the radar screen once again.

The Captain decisively ordered.

"Scan their outlines!"

He needed to determine exactly what those flying objects were!

After some maneuvering, the employee immediately reported the radar team’s observation.

"The cluster’s individual sizes range from 2 to 5 meters, their speed is extremely uneven, and their shapes are continuously changing... They are too close to the ground! Reflection backscatter is severely disrupted by ground obstacles, making it difficult to collect precise flight data."

The executive officer looked towards the Captain.

"If I may say so, this doesn’t sound like aircraft... But if it’s an interference decoy, the interference from the urban area seems too deliberate."

He believed there must be something there.

The Captain’s thoughts aligned, nodding solemnly.

"And your judgment is?"

After a moment’s thought, the executive officer spoke.

"It may not be aircraft... Could it be some type of Variants affected by a Mind Interference Field?"

The Captain looked at him, counterquestioning.

"Can the range of the Mind Interference Device from Jinhe City cover up to here?"

The executive officer’s eyes flickered slightly, tapping on the radar screen.

"What if the Mind Interference Device is also included in here?"

Hearing this, the Captain’s expression slightly changed, immediately ordering.

"Prepare the anti-aircraft cannon!"

"Fire at the radar-marked zone!"

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