Noisy electric current sound—
"Hello everyone, this is the Voice of Boulder City. Before we broadcast our segnt on the planting techniques for Cam Trees and tips for Scavengers to get rich, allow a mont to break in with so popular news."
"Right to our north, near the Garden Street tro Station on the edge of Qingquan City’s fifth ring, our Captain Pruitt of the Black Snake rcenary Group has finally drawn down the butcher’s blade on those country bumpkins from the North Suburb."
"Tsk tsk tsk, it was grueso. Just as those country bumpkins lit the powder keg to send the Eaters flying, our despicable and shaless Captain Pruitt fired his gun without a warning. Those people fell like frosted young wheat. Those poor souls, who had busily worked for a week for the treasure hidden beneath the subway, not only lost the treasure to soone else’s marriage but even paid with their lives!"
"This again shows how important it is to choose reliable bodyguards to ensure your safety! Unfortunately, there are no reliable military contractors to recomnd today, as no one has paid for this service! However, although there’s no military contractor to recomnd, our channel has launched a prize guessing competition!"
"1. What exactly is hidden underneath the Garden Street tro Station?"
"2. How many did Captain Pruitt kill in total?"
"3. What were the casualties for the Black Snake rcenary Group?"
"Central Casino of Boulder City underwrites this betting round; you need only one chip to participate in all the bets! If you answer all three questions correctly, you’ll win a grand prize worth a hundred thousand chips, as well as three nights in the VIP suite of the Central Casino Hotel. Those wishing to make a fortune, hurry up and take action! Opportunities knock but once!"
The old radio on the bar counter repeatedly played that slick, noisy voice.
The sll of inferior tobacco mixed with pungent alcohol filled the air, nearly choking the newcors here. The pole in the dance floor had been vacant for years, as even the cheapest dancers couldn’t stand the filthy air here; only drunk patrons occasionally perford spontaneous acts.
This is the Twin Tail Rat Tavern, one of over a hundred bars in Boulder City and also the most inconspicuous one hidden deep in the alleyways.
The custors who frequented this place were rcenaries and scavengers living in nearby basents or cheap motels. The watered-down beer sold here was very popular; just 1 chip allowed you to sit at the bar and forget all your sorrows for the entire night, and no one could kick you out as long as you had thick skin.
Of course, if the watered-down beer tasted too bland, there was also equally cheap industrial alcohol. Drinking a small amount wouldn’t harm you, but you had to be careful not to end up carried away by other burly n.
It’s not ruled out that so do it on purpose, but unless you have a special preference or are ready for so dirty tricks, you definitely shouldn’t do it. There are no security guards here, the bartender only has to serve drinks, wash glasses, and clean the floor. As long as no one gets killed, the guards outside generally won’t intervene.
Listening to the radio, a group of rcenaries shouted loudly, their words filled with undisguised envy.
"Captain Pruitt? Hahaha, that despicable and shaless guy actually stooped to ambush a bunch of scavengers!"
"Shh, don’t let his old acquaintances hear you. You’re not the host of the Voice of Boulder City, protected by a big boss."
"Garden Street tro Station? Never heard of it."
"Regardless of what it is, what good stuff could possibly be in the North Suburb? The scavengers there are so desperate they would even lick the moss off the walls!"
"I’m betting 10 chips on no casualties for the Black Snake rcenary Group!"
"The odds are too high, hard to trust that they won’t fix the ga... I bet they lose one."
The reputation of the Black Snake rcenary Group in Boulder City might not be the greatest, and their Captain Pruitt isn’t exactly a top battler. But that depends on who you compare them with.
Against a bunch of scavengers from the North Suburb scavenging in trash and unable to string a few pipe rifles, not to ntion a fully ard Black Snake rcenary Group, everyone sitting here was confident enough to teach them a lesson.
Almost everyone doubted that Pruitt and his brothers could possibly lose.
The only suspense was whether, by so exceptional chance, there would be casualties or not, as well as what exactly was hidden under the Garden Street tro Station.
Not only the idlers in Boulder City wondered, but Pruitt’s mind was also full of curiosity.
However, the employer hadn’t told him much about the details of the mission, only asking him to watch out for the power armor inside Shelter No.117 and a black briefcase.
Pruitt was indeed curious. Since the employer knew the situation inside as though he had seen it with his own eyes, why hadn’t he taken them away himself?
Yet, as a hired gun, he didn’t have the right to question his employer and had never even seen the employer’s face.
So far, he had only received two things from the employer—a down paynt made by an arms broker on their behalf and a magnetic card for opening doors.
Maybe after this mission ended perfectly, the employer would invite him for a drink.
That would be soone who could afford plane tickets.
It would be great to et him.
"A and B squads, follow and push forward. C squad, deploy along the street and clear all survivors approaching this area."
"Karl is watching from upstairs. If he spots a target worth shooting, he can open fire without revealing his position."
"Our position is just four kiloters from their stronghold—power armor and more than a dozen lives are enough to drive them crazy."
"Quick battle, quick end. Everyone, move! Fast!"
Fifteen mangled corpses lay twisted on the street, together with those slain Eaters.
As he reloaded his rifle, Pruitt crisply signaled to move forward, leading the other three mbers of squad A towards the subway station below.
Knowing beforehand that there was an intuitive Awakener among those survivors, Pruitt deployed his three squads 500 ters away while the survivors were arranging their defenses.
As the powder keg exploded and the survivors charged with cold weapons, he imdiately ordered all three groups to open fire from three directions, unloading their barrels’ fury.
Eight tactical flashlights lit up at the sa ti, transforming the subway station into broad daylight.
Cracked concrete walls crawled with sli fungus, and the cold air was filled with floating dust and a putrid sll.
Where Eaters road, traces of "Mutated sli fungus" could be seen.
On the Wasteland, the complex ecological environnt provided them with abundant nutrition; the bodies and even the excrent of all creatures might beco a breeding ground for them.
Teams A and B consisted of eight people in total.
Under the leadership of Captain Prite, they cautiously moved toward the entrance of Shelter No.117, their gun barrels periodically spitting tongues of fire, harvesting the scattered Eaters blocking their path.
Thanks to several days of relentless efforts by the survivors, they advanced from the security checkpoint to the platform’s edge without much exertion.
The train carriages were twisted and squeezed together, nearly blocking the tunnel, a clear indication of a severe traffic accident in the past.
However, events from over two hundred years ago were irrelevant to Prite and his group.
The entrance to Shelter No.117 was in the middle of the tunnel.
They were only three hundred ters away from their destination.
Victory was in sight!
At the sa ti, in an abandoned train carriage anchored next to the platform,
three lucky surviving novice players, listening to the footsteps growing closer, instinctively held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
The beam of the flashlight shone into the carriage from the platform, almost brushing their scalps but thankfully not discovering them. After searching for a while, the flashlight moved toward the front of the carriage.
Suddenly, the sound of gunfire tensed the nerves of the three novice players.
However, the bullets weren’t aid at them, but at an Eater lingering in the front part of the carriage.
With the sounds of shell casings falling and Eaters collapsing, hurried footsteps and light entered the adjacent carriage before moving through the broken shell and into the tunnel.
Listening to the footsteps fading away, the three finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead and leaning on the carriage, the Mole couldn’t help but ask quietly.
"Mosquito, what’s your Sequence again?"
"Agility!"
"Damn, why are you also in the Agile system?"
"I heard the Agile system could run fast..."
"MMP, great, now we have three Agility types here, squatting in the tro like blind n," Zhang Hai muttered, clutching his bloodied right hand on his butt, "Who has a bandage for to use?"
Mosquito and Mole looked at each other, then at the extrely unfortunate newbie.
"How about you just charge out and be done with it?"
"Do you have anything valuable on you right now? I can help you take it back."
Zhang Hai switched hands and said sarcastically.
"Fuck off, I haven’t saved my progress. Dying here would waste today’s efforts, wouldn’t it?"
Ignoring the jokester, Mosquito turned to Mole.
"What do we do now?"
Mole bit his lip, lost in thought.
"It’s tough... These people are too well-equipped, and we didn’t bring good gear. Rushing out would definitely an death."
Unable to help himself, Mosquito said.
"Are we just going to watch them hijack our mission?"
While pressing on his butt to stop the bleeding, Zhang Hai suddenly interjected.
"That might not be the case."
The two turned to him and asked in unison.
"What do you an?"
Zhang Hai chuckled slyly and said.
"I know this route well; there’s a Crawler hidden inside. I thought it might be troubleso, so I left it alone. If they keep going, they’re bound to run into it. We just have to stealthily follow them, and maybe we can pick up on their leftovers."
Mosquito’s eyes sparkled, and even Mole couldn’t help but praise.
"That’s a good idea."
However, before they could finish, a piercing scream followed by a loud explosion ca from ahead in the tunnel.
The three were startled, crouching down and peering ahead with half their heads sticking out.
Ahead in the tunnel, flas blazed intensely.
A rcenary crouched in the middle of the tunnel, a rocket launcher hoisted on his shoulder, and not far in front of him was a Crawler!
The three of them changed expressions at the sa ti.
"Damn..."
"Damn, they even have a rocket launcher?!"
Zhang Hai, clutching his rear, was dumbfounded and muttering.
"We’re screwed. We’re absolutely screwed."
If even the Crawler couldn’t stop them—
Just then, Mosquito and Mole’s VMs vibrated simultaneously.
The two hurriedly opened their screens, and almost the mont they looked at them, expressions of surprise and disbelief simultaneously appeared on their faces.
Zhang Hai, without a VM, curiously leaned over.
"What’s going on? Let have a look... Holy shit?!"
On the screen, there was a task popup.
[Bounty Task: Red Na Bounty]
[Description: A group of shaless attackers viciously killed our companions. Their location is marked on the map, and image information is updated in the task bar. Take them down, dead or alive!]
[Reward: 200 silver coins, 200 contribution points per target]
Seeing this reward, Zhang Hai nearly poked his eyes into the screen.
silver coins!?
Is this what the world of the strong looks like?!
Garden Street tro Station entrance.
Lambert, manning a light machine gun, glanced at the pile of bodies on the ground and then at the deserted street in the distance, taking a slow, deep breath.
At that ti, a voice ca through the communication channel.
"Damn... it’s too quiet here."
"Well, it’s winter after all, and it just snowed a bit."
"Do you think they’ll co?"
"They might, and they might not. I hope they’re smart enough not to co here to die. Everything is getting more expensive in this damned weather, including bullets."
Lambert didn’t respond.
Though he agreed with the sentint, a conflict seed inevitable.
More than a dozen lives.
For Boulder City, it was nothing notable, but for the bumpkins of the North Suburb, losing so many young adults could drive them mad.
When it was ti to retreat, there would likely be a bloody battle.
Just then, Karl’s voice ca through the channel.
"...Team C, be aware, suspected hostile targets are approaching your position."
"Which direction?"
"Due north... no, wait... not just north, there’s another group from the west." Karl’s voice carried a hint of surprise as he continued, "They seem to have split into groups of three to four. You’d better be careful, these people are well-organized and, while their equipnt isn’t top-notch, it’s much stronger than the rookies we just cleared out."
"Can you confirm the number?"
"About thirty."
Hearing it was only thirty, the four mbers of Team C left on the surface simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
The team leader spoke into the channel.
"Keep a close eye on them, and take out any high-threat targets for us."
Karl replied.
"No problem, I’m watching. Be careful."
Only thirty.
Although it was more than expected, it wasn’t beyond their capacity.
What surprised Lambert was the response speed of these people, which was faster than he had anticipated.
From Linghu Wetland Park to here was at least four kiloters.
Given the complex traffic conditions in the Wasteland, unless they started rushing this way the mont they heard the gunfire, it was impossible for them to enter Karl’s vision so quickly.
In such a short ti, mobilizing so many people.
How on earth did they do it?
...
Lambert could never figure it out.
When a dozen players logged off in quick succession, Chu Guang sensed sothing was wrong the mont the attack occurred, and imdiately sent over the Hummingbird drones stationed at Outpost Base.
Seeing the twisted bodies on the ground, Chu Guang, who was planning the relocation of the No. 81 Steel Factory, beca furious.
What the hell!
Dare to touch my ruins?
Without hesitation, Chu Guang threw a mission marker on the map and set red bounties for all the targets tracked by the drone!
At the sa mont, nearly every player near Outpost Base who had a VM received the pop-up for the bounty task.
And almost everyone’s eyes widened in response.
Two hundred silver coins and 200 contribution points per head!
Did the Manager really not hit an extra zero when issuing the task?
Shelter No.117, B2 floor, Central Square.
Tail, who had just revived, enthusiastically shook his VM in his hand and said to Si Si,
"Si Si! Quick, look at the VM! This mission is aweso, and the na is even in red! Let’s go do it!"
Si Si, who was being rocked back and forth, looked sowhat listless.
"Ah Wei, are you sure? We’ve only been alive for a few minutes."
"What’s the big deal? Tail feels amazing! Si Si, pep up, you’ve been asleep for three whole days!"
Three days of sleep indeed.
Without her helt, she had no idea how she got through those three days, unable to sleep at night with her eyes wide open, feeling as if she was floating in the air during the day.
Looking at the energetic Tail, Si Si sighed and said,
"You know... aren’t you getting confused about which side is the real world?"
Tail was nonchalant. "It doesn’t matter! The real world sucks!"
Si Si: "..."
Greenhouse Ruins.
Night Ten, who was eating dry rations, suddenly jumped up as if he had discovered a new continent.
"Holy shit, Fang Chang! Look at the VM!"
"I see it," said Fang Chang, seated on the ground and rubbing his chin as he stared at the VM screen, deep in thought. "But it’s odd, why would an NPC also have a red na?"
"Does it matter? Two hundred silver per head." Wild Wind’s gaze was intense, and his right hand was already itching in anticipation.
"Indeed, we can’t ignore this reward... By the way," Fang Chang turned to Night Ten, "I rember you said in the group yesterday that when you went to watch the mole, you noticed soone was watching them?"
Night Ten scratched the back of his head.
"Um, I’m not sure, actually, but I just had this sudden feeling that sothing was watching us."
Fang Chang fell silent for a mont, then suddenly nodded.
"Right, if my analysis isn’t wrong, we might have missed a hidden sub-plot."
The three were stunned.
Especially Night Ten.
"What, what does that an?"
Fang Chang speculated, "It’s nothing, I just think that the person who was watching you yesterday might be in league with those who attacked the mole today."
Night Ten was shocked. "Damn, is this ga that realistic?"
"It’s just a guess, but specifics are probably only known by Brother Guang. In any case, we should pay more attention to such clues in the future, there might be a big reward."
With that, Fang Chang got up from the ground, reached for the chanical compound bow leaning against the wall, and lightly plucked the bowstring as if warming up.
"Let’s go."
"The hunt is about to begin."
While they were chatting, a hundred people had already accepted the task, half of whom were level 5, and the numbers were still rising.
It was a good thing half the server had gone to the new map.
Otherwise, with these twelve targets.
If they were late, they’d probably not even get a sip of the soup!
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