This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 610: The Morning After a Long Night

Chapter 610: Chapter 610: The Morning After a Long Night

The first light of dawn crept past the porthole’s eaves, illuminating the side of Little Lamb’s sleeping face.

As if sensing the touch of the light, she fluttered her long eyelashes, stretching out the small hand resting on the cryogenic sleep cabin and unconsciously yawned.

"You’re awake?"

A gentle voice came from beside her.

"Mhm," she responded subconsciously, rubbing her bleary eyes and staring blankly at the porthole.

The sky was a dazzling red, the rising sun hovered above a sea of clouds, sprinkling soft light through the thin atmosphere.

Is it already daylight?

As she was lost in thought, the gentle voice reached her ears once again.

"Mornings in space come a bit earlier than on the ground, it’s more spectacular if you stand on the deck... It’s still pitch-black around, but the sun in the distance has already risen."

Little Lamb looked to the side and saw the elder sister who always checked her health sitting next to her with a smile.

Memories from last night gradually surfaced.

There had been a loud noise outside; then, this sister had brought her into the infirmary, locked the door, shut the curtains and the lights, and told her not to make any noise no matter what happened outside.

She complied obediently, staying by Yinyin’s side, listening to the sound of thunder outside, then waiting and waiting until she fell asleep unknowingly.

Nothing really happened outside, did it?

She looked toward the now brightly lit porthole, blinking lightly. The breathtaking sunrise, no matter how many times seen, never failed to captivate her, making her unable to look away.

This was a scene she had never witnessed at the Pinecone Wood Farm.

Sometimes, she couldn’t help but think, if she had spent her whole life there, she probably would never have seen such a landscape.

At that moment, Little Lamb suddenly noticed that the room wasn’t just occupied by herself and Sister Chen Yutong; another unfamiliar sister with twin ponytails sat in front of the neighboring sleep cabin.

A clear tear streak was visible on her pretty cheek, strikingly evident in the sunlight filtering past the window eaves, suggesting she had cried for a long time.

Little Lamb couldn’t help but fall silent.

Inside that sleep cabin must be someone very important to her...

The sister seemed to notice her gaze and lifted her head.

The moment their eyes met, the shy Little Lamb quickly averted her gaze, staring straight out the window, pretending she had not looked.

However, the sister did not stare at her for too long. She soon turned to Chen Yutong beside her and spoke with a hoarse voice,

"I don’t understand... why did you pretend to be dead?"

Chen Yutong sighed.

She had intended to hide until Jiang Xuezhou left the airship before seeing her, but she didn’t expect that just last night, Jiang had followed a group of people barging into the infirmary.

Faced with this unexpected reunion, Chen Yutong didn’t know how to respond, so she looked at her shocked friend and pointed at the sleeping Little Lamb, placing her finger to her lips and then making a pleading gesture.

It was indeed a flimsy excuse. The hallway was right next door, and they could have talked outside.

But perhaps Jiang Xuezhou didn’t know how to confront this "back from the dead" friend who had kept her in the dark, so she just nodded.

The company people had silently left the infirmary after putting Night Ten into the sleep cabin, leaving the two of them sitting in silence until daybreak.

"...If we didn’t do this, there would have been no escaping that swamp." Knowing that she would eventually have to face her friend’s questioning, Chen Yutong sighed again, avoiding the probing gaze no longer, and looking up toward the ceiling, she said.

Jiang Xuezhou looked at her with a complex expression.

"...Why did you have to leave there?"

"If you ask me why..." Chen Yutong thought for a moment and gave her a helpless smile, "Actually, there isn’t any special reason."

Just as the Academy as a whole longed to escape the barren land underfoot and reach the distant "paradise" to evade all difficulties,

Naturally, a low-profile prospector would pin the hope of breaking free from fate on escaping the Wandering Swamp.

It was only later that she learned she wasn’t the first to flee the Academy; over the past century and a half, people had been leaving there continuously.

Including the Pigeon who went to the southernmost part of the desert, the Jubar Mountains, and wrote "Oasis under Tobal Mountain Range."

They all made their modest contributions to this desolate Wasteland with their extraordinary knowledge; she didn’t think there was anything shameful about it.

But...

Jiang Xuezhou couldn’t accept it.

The person she trusted most had become a traitor, and what was more unacceptable was that she said there was no reason.

"There was no reason..."

Not having the heart to upset her friend who was in mourning, Chen Yutong pondered for a while and responded with relatively gentle words,

"Well, if I had to give a reason, it would be that I couldn’t see any hope."

"...Hope?"

"Humans are creatures that need hope to survive. Without it, pain ensues. You might not understand that feeling; no matter how hard one tries, they’re just a dispensable Level E prospector, inconsequential. Like the least significant piece on a chessboard, only able to follow the set rules forward, toward a place they don’t even know exists."

Jiang Xuezhou pursed her lips.

"I made it to Level D through hard work..."

"I’m not denying your effort; in fact, I admire your persistence because that’s a quality I lack, but I don’t envy it... I just wanted to live my own life, that’s all."

Watching Jiang Xuezhou wanting to argue something, Chen Yutong smiled wryly and turned her gaze to the increasingly dazzling morning sun outside the porthole.

"Do you know? Before leaving that swamp, I didn’t even know that besides the rule-abiding AIs in this world, there exists another completely different kind of beings. They are more like living people than the designed programs because they have their own thoughts... This was actually common two centuries ago, but now we treat it as taboo."

Jiang Xuezhou bit her lip and offered a different opinion.

"I agree with Dr. Jie’s conclusion. Unrestrained AIs could likely cause serious disasters... Tools should only be tools, they should not possess autonomy."

Chen Yutong looked at her with a question.

"Then what about humans?"

Jiang Xuezhou was startled, not understanding why she suddenly said that.

"...Humans?"

"Yes," Chen Yutong nodded, saying in a relaxed tone, "I’ve been wondering for a long time whether people born as tools should have a self. I can’t find the answer, so I plan to look elsewhere..."

"If I had stayed in the swamp, the highest I would probably have reached in my life would be Level D, huh? Haha, don’t think I’m boasting. Researchers are another matter, but as a Prospector, I am confident... After all, apart from needing promotion for researchers, Prospectors can definitely find a way to advance as long as they try hard enough to survive."

"But too bad, I don’t really want to become some Level D, or even just Level D, I don’t want to be labeled at all. Haven’t you realized? In this game of snake, no matter how long you grow your tail, no matter how many servants you can order around, no matter how many resources you have, as long as you’re still on this pyramid, you never control your own destiny."

"I’m not interested in controlling the lives of others, nor do I want to be manipulated. I don’t want to go to some unknown places for some ridiculous reason and die a senseless death. I just want to be an ordinary person, to study things I’m interested in, and if I must die, I hope to die with some meaning, that’s all."

"However, fortunately, I’ve found my paradise. It’s not tens of light-years away, but right beneath my feet. Here, if my research also happens to be of interest to others, I will get enough attention. If not, it doesn’t matter; I can entertain myself. As long as I’m not bothering others, nobody bothers me."

"As for life, well, it really can’t compare to the Academy, but I’m quite satisfied with my current life. There are many things here that weren’t in the swamp, and there are so many interesting people. These are not miracles created by abundant resources, but by human imagination and creativity... If you really can’t understand, just think of it as the Alliance giving more."

Caught off guard, she said a lot of words, and seeing Jiang Xuezhou staring at her dumbfounded, Chen Yutong suddenly laughed and joked.

"Ah, although I say this, you shouldn’t learn from me. I don’t want to corrupt a good kid."

She understood her friend well.

Different from her own lazy "bad girl" image, she was more like the obedient good girl, not only with exceptional talent but also serious and diligent, with a firm passion and determination for advancing in levels.

The Academy’s promotion path was wide open for her. Her future was bright, and she might actually become B-class or even A, and possibly a core member of the Research Department.

After all, her current mentor was from the Research Department, and her future promotion was only natural.

Jiang Xuezhou gazed intensely at Chen Yutong, and after a long silence, she lowered her head and said.

"I will keep your secret... We never met on this airship."

Chen Yutong smiled wryly, saying sincerely,

"Thanks."

Her family might already have received the consolation money from the Science Committee.

If the Academy found out she was still alive, the situation might be a little awkward.

She might not return in this lifetime, but she still hoped that her family in the Wandering swamp could live well without being affected by her.

Jiang Xuezhou turned her head silently, looking at the Sleep Cabin in front of her, her eyes filled with sorrow and complexity.

Suddenly, she felt her hand being held.

She raised her head, a look of surprise in her eyes.

The child who had awoken from a deep sleep was holding her hand, looking at her seriously, and said with a soft voice,

"It will get better... The doctor said, as long as life signals can still be detected when the cabin lid is closed, the light will be green."

Different from Yinyin...

Yinyin’s light was off.

But Little Lamb wouldn’t be disheartened. She would keep waiting for her to wake up, and then tell her everything that happened.

Feeling the warmth from the palm of her hand, Jiang Xuezhou’s mood lifted slightly, and a faint smile crept onto her sad face.

"...Thank you."

Yes.

That guy was still alive, not truly dead, just heavily injured and temporarily unable to wake up...

Even if he could never stand again, it didn’t matter.

Jiang Xuezhou made up her mind ー she would wake him up, even if it meant giving him a new body, even if turning him into "Little Wang."

This time—

It was her turn to save him!

While Jiang Xuezhou clenched her fists, Wild Wind and Fang Chang, standing at the door of the hospital, exchanged a look, their faces filled with strange expressions.

They had waited for ages but the NPC inside the room still hadn’t come out, so they didn’t even get a chance to pull the ICU’s power plug for Night Ten.

But then again...

Was it still necessary to unplug it?

The two exchanged glances.

Wild Wind: ’Seems it’s not a BUG.’

Fang Chang: ’Yeah, it’s a little different from what happened with Falling Feather. This guy just isn’t completely dead, not back from the dead.’

Wild Wind: ’Do we still need to finish it off?’

Fang Chang chuckled.

"Jeesh, even though this kid is acting smug after getting a bargain, I have to let him off because of the affection between father and son... best to spare his life, then."

Wild Wind: "..."

...

The morning sun rose from the horizon, the Steel Heart still stood firm and unshaken, floating in the distance.

At exactly eight o’clock, the guns of the fortress began to fire.

The armies deployed within Brocade River City after a night of rest launched a fierce assault towards the Champion Biomedical Research Institute under the cover of artillery fire.

The light of the explosions continuously clamored over the concrete ruins, and the ground fortifications that the Qi Tribe built up from trash were as fragile as paper-mache.

Greenish heads popped up from the shadows of the rubble, and the faces that emerged were, without exception, filled with panic.

Their wretched expressions looked almost identical to the prey they had once toyed with.

Only now it was their turn to be the prey.

However, the Alliance was after all civilized and merciful.

The great Manager did not intend to toy with these beasts on the chopping block; the Tribunal’s Iron Hammer would grant them a uniform death!

"Advance!!!"

Mole, poking half his body out of the gun turret of a Chimera Armored Car, roared into his headset, issuing the command to attack to the other vehicle crews and accompanying infantry.

"All squads, push towards the institute!"

"Show these cowards, who only know sneak attacks, what a real Iron Fist looks like!"

The players following the chariot’s pace were all shouting with fevered excitement.

"Roar Roar Roar!"

"Kill!!!"

"Crush them!!!"

The 37mm gun barrel roared continuously, the bang-bang-bang of the cannonade was like beating war drums, and every streak of tracer light brought a storm of blood and gore.

Under that ferocious assault, the defenses that the Qi Tribe had built up in the streets were as fragile as paper, and they were quickly punctured full of gaping holes.

Hearing the deafening cannon fire, gunshots, and battle cries in the distance, Gomo, draped in his ceremonial robes, stared blankly into the sky, muttering to himself.

"Why... why is it still there!?"

Last night at dusk, the tribal chief, Jia En, led more than ten thousand Batwing People in a surprise attack on the Steel Heart. That fortress should have been taken by now...

But the dense artillery fire was no different from yesterday morning, landing precisely on their heads.

There could only be one possibility...

Despair gradually spread in Gomo’s eyes.

"No... this can’t be real; something must have gone wrong."

His hands trembled as he clutched his wrinkled face, and his cracked lips quickly muttered the "spell" Luo Gan had given him.

Soon, a faint golden light, visible only to him, cast itself beside him.

However, standing in that beam of light was not Luo Gan but an old man in an exoskeleton.

His name was Alzu.

He was an Apostle sent by The Church to replace Luo Gan and the man who also gave Jia En the Biological Armor and command over ten thousand Batwing People.

Gomo had seen him before, and as soon as he did, he frantically asked, "What exactly happened? Why... why is it different from what was promised?! Why is the Steel Heart still firing at us!"

Alzu stared silently at him, waiting for the elderly Mutant to finish speaking, then shifted his gaze away.

"We did our best, but it’s a shame your kid’s a failure, wasting our countless efforts and years of planning... To be honest, this trump card was intended for the sons of the War Construction Committee, but that idiot played his hand so poorly, I have nothing to say."

It was indeed embarrassing to speak of this.

Although they knew the Alliance was tough to deal with, losing to these wildcards was still a blow to his pride.

He could only blame Luo Gan for that.

If that guy hadn’t suddenly dropped the ball and disappeared, they wouldn’t be in such a sorry state now.

Or, if he had been in command from the start, they wouldn’t have lost so miserably as they did now.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t reclaim the remains of the Biological Armor...

Otherwise, they’d be able to figure out exactly what went wrong.

Gomo was unaware of his thoughts, only feeling that Alzu’s indifferent demeanor seemed like he was getting ready to shift the blame.

Staring blankly at Alzu, he asked in a trembling voice, "Then... what do we do next?!"

"What next?" Alzu chuckled, "Up to you."

"Up to us means..."

Watching Alzu prepare to leave, Gomo vaguely guessed his intention and, in a panic, called out to him.

"Wait... what about the Nago Core? Don’t you want it anymore?!"

Hearing the mention of the Nago Core in the laboratory, Alzu’s brow twitched involuntarily, his complexion turning grim as he spoke.

"We’d like to keep it safe, but the problem is—given the current situation—can you really protect it...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Gomo interrupted him hastily.

"We haven’t lost yet! We still have people, we can still fight! As long as we keep fighting... the mere Alliance won’t be our match!"

Even if it meant shedding the last drop of blood!

As long as one person lived on, the hope for reviving the glory of Singular Point City would not fade!

Gomo had that confidence.

Even if he were the only one left, he was convinced he could spawn a new Tribe!

Alzu looked at the old man with a fierce expression, his imperturbable gaze suddenly filled with a trace of pity.

What a pitiful fellow...

In fact, he was one of the few sane Mutants in this absurd and foolish tribe, but what good is the sanity of one man?

He was like a gambler who had lost all his chips and still refused to face reality. He should’ve realized long ago that this was a high stakes game.

Thinking that this old timer was still an elder of Singular Point City and might be somehow useful, Alzu casually said,

"If you want to live, head south. There, the Bishop will arrange for a new job for you."

Gomo instantly rejected his offer without a second thought.

"No! I won’t leave! I just want your help—"

"Then keep struggling as best you can."

Watching this man who couldn’t grasp the reality, Alzu left these impatient words and then disappeared silently from the deserted street under the watchful gaze of Gomo’s despair...

...

At the southernmost part of Brocade River City.

Three sneaky figures gathered together, like rats whispering to each other in the sewer.

The noise of artillery fire was no longer audible here.

It was said that the Alliance had broken through the main entrance of the Champion Biomedical Research Institute and were engaged in a fierce shootout with the Mutants stationed inside the building.

But none of that mattered anymore.

The outcome of the war had been decided last night.

"Kill... hehe, kill..."

Tang He’s facial muscles twitched as he kept mumbling, a bloodcurdling smile on his face.

He had always been like this. Chimo totally ignored him, focusing solely on the Apostle called Alzu.

"Where’s Luo Gan? We haven’t found that guy yet... Are we going to retreat just like this?"

Standing in front of this Executioner, Alzu spoke calmly.

"We’ve played our last card and have lost the battle, the fall of the Brocade River City church district is just a matter of time... Does it make any difference whether we find Luo Gan or not?"

Chimo’s face remained indifferent as he spoke word by word.

"I won’t let any traitor escape."

"Then go find him. After all, that is your job, while I am only concerned about the ultimate plan," Alzu said emotionlessly as he turned and headed towards a dark shadow nearby.

He knew that the Alliance wouldn’t let it go so easily; once they’d secured their footing in Brocade River Province, they were bound to continue south.

And, according to their previous pattern, they would surely try to drag as many people as possible onto their chariot, possibly even involving corporations and academies.

This was a war of faith.

It was also a war of survival.

Neither side would stop until one was completely destroyed.

He would fight against everything from the old days until the very end if these pathetic insects still refused to embrace the glorious evolution—

Then let them die!

Chimo glared in the direction Alzu had left, clenched his teeth, and turned to walk in another direction with his slightly deranged partner.

He didn’t care about the plans of the God’s servants or any evolution, which wasn’t going to happen overnight anyway.

As the sword of the Tribunal, his lifelong belief was to execute the church’s unfaithful traitors, and he would carry it out to the end of his life.

Seemingly sensing the killing intent emanating from him, Tang He’s eyes flickered with a fanatical glow as he mumbled under his breath.

"Kill..."

He didn’t care about anything.

He just wanted to slaughter everyone in the entire city!

---

(Thank you, "Warm and Gentle Sun," for the chief patron reward!!!)

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