One Cannot, or at Least Shouldn't

That night. Chu Guang had a very, very long dream. Though he couldn't recall the dream's exact details, the lingering faint sense of déjà vu told him it was likely another bizarre nightmare. Honestly. Chu Guang sometimes felt that the fact he was usually so cautious was at least halfway due to those dreams. When dreams felt real enough, it was as if they had truly happened... "How did I die this time?" Muttering under his breath, Chu Guang sat up from his bed. Most likely, the days of hard toil and training had finally paid off. Hard work had paid its dividends. He had leveled up again. [ID: Chu Guang] [Gene Sequence: Administrator (Stage 2)] [Level: LV16 → LV17] [—Basic Attributes—] [Strength: 17] [Agility: 11 → 12] [Constitution: 16] [Perception: 12 → 13] [Intelligence: 15] In the Medical Lab. Lying on the scanning bed, Chu Guang looked at the attribute panel displayed before him, a hint of pleasant surprise surfacing on his face. Well, well. Two points this time! He recalled a similar occurrence before, but that was a long time ago. 1 point in Perception, 1 point in Agility—reinforcing his crisis intuition and reaction capabilities. As for talents, they remained unchanged: still the duo of "Feral Instinct" and "Spiritual Deterrence." The former's all-attribute boost, paired with power armor and the Nitrogen Power Hammer, could dish out tons of damage in a short burst. The latter was exceptionally handy during interrogations. Aside from that, as far as Chu Guang could recall, it only seemed to see use during the cutscene when new players first entered the game. Looking at the 17% progress bar, Chu Guang couldn't help feeling a flicker of anticipation. Only three levels away from the second awakening. He wondered what kind of talent the third stage of his gene sequence would unlock. "Your DNA is very unstable." Standing by the terminal, Heya poured cold water over Chu Guang's excitement. Her index finger and thumb pinched her chin, her fair face brimming with confusion. If not for her incessant muttering that made her look a bit neurotic, her silver-haired, youthful appearance would have made her quite the beauty. What a pity. Add a kuudere trait to her, and this SSSR-tier card would be absolute perfection. "Logically, this shouldn't happen." "Gene expression should be a stable process. Even with artificial intervention, it's very difficult to make multiple successive adjustments to phenotypic traits in such a short time." "And what's most unbelievable is that these 'adjustments' are actually occurring in completely different directions!" Cutting off her rambling, Chu Guang got straight to the point. "Just tell me straight: is it good or bad?" Heya pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "It's hard to define as good or bad—" Understood. It was good. Chu Guang nodded. "Alright, got it. You don't need to say more." Seeing that Chu Guang had no interest in her assessment, a helpless look appeared on Heya's face, and she shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy." ... Outside the west gate of the outpost. This was the shooting range of the guard team, the holding cells for prisoners awaiting trial, and also the place where the Administrator kept the captive Deathclaw. Hearing footsteps outside the shed, the Deathclaw curled up in the haystack cracked its wrinkled eyelids slightly. The scent of humans? No... There was also a familiar smell. Its amber pupils shifted slightly, scanning the crowd at the entrance before finally landing on a peculiar figure. It was a lizard. The creature was wrapped in odd pieces of cloth, dressed just like a human. On top of that, it carried a large pot radiating heat on its back. Was something cooking inside? It had never seen such a bizarre fellow. However... Too weak. Standing up, it was barely over two meters tall, not even as long as its own tail. How had such a runt survived until now? Its fist-sized nostrils snorted with a puff of air—a greeting laced with mockery that blew away several blades of hay. Shifting its thick, long tail into a coil in the other direction, the Deathclaw closed its eyes with utter disinterest and went back to dozing. The players standing at the entrance exchanged glances. This reaction... It wasn't quite what they had planned. They had initially thought Scavenger and this creature might find some common ground. Ye Shi: "That expression just now..." Fang Chang: "I think I understood it." Kuang Feng: "I feel for you, Brother Scavenger." "Damn it! What the hell are you feeling for me for?!" Scavenger Lv99 said between laughter and tears. "I told you it wouldn't work, didn't I? But you wouldn't believe me!" This thing wasn't a bear! It was a Deathclaw, bro! Leaving aside outliers like broodmothers, this beast was at least one of the top mutants on the wasteland's food chain. Objectively speaking, it had to be at least Level 80! And he was barely Level 8... Mosquito, who had tagged along to join the commotion, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes filled with puzzlement. "Something's not right. This beast didn't act like this when it saw the Administrator." Lao Bai nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I saw it once... The beast was way more obedient." More than just obedient. The way it had trembled while cowering on the ground, it had practically been scared out of its wits! Of course, it might have been because of the power armor. Facing an iron lump with nowhere to sink its teeth into—one that would break its teeth if bitten—any beast with a shred of intelligence would panic. Not to mention when it was heavily injured. Mosquito turned to Scavenger, continuing with a suspicious expression: "Could it be that you're too weak?" Hearing that, Scavenger Lv99 nearly blew his top in anger, cursing: "You're the damn weak one! You little camper, your level isn't even higher than mine!" WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Piss off! I'm already LV7, okay?" Scavenger Lv99: "Heh, noob!" WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "%¥#@!" The two started bickering. The crowd in the Ox and Horse squad was already well-accustomed to this, so nobody took it seriously. Stroking his chin and pondering for a moment, Fang Chang attempted to analyze: "There are two possibilities right now. First, mutant players have defective reproductive systems, leading to indistinct secondary sexual characteristics. The other possibility is what Ye Shi said—your level is too low right now. To this Deathclaw, you look too weak, just like a cub from its species." Kuang Feng: "...So using Scavenger to seduce the Deathclaw won't work?" Ye Shi suddenly had a brainwave and let his imagination run wild: "Could it be because he doesn't have one?" "How about we try strapping a fake one on him?" A subtle silence hung in the air. Everyone froze on the spot. Lao Bai: "Holy crap?" Kuang Feng: "One cannot... or at least shouldn't..." Fang Chang: "*Hiss*, you little genius." Scavenger Lv99: "Get the fuck out of here!!!" While the players of the Ox and Horse squad were experimenting with Scavenger, Chu Guang was watching from afar on the third floor of the sanatorium. From a genetic standpoint, Scavenger's DNA indeed shared many similarities with the Deathclaw. One could even say that apart from a brain structure resembling a human's, the rest of his body had been designed with the Deathclaw as a blueprint. Or at least they originated from the same source. Regrettably, however... The female Deathclaw didn't seem interested in Scavenger at all, not even bothering to spare him another glance. "A pity." "Looks like Scavenger's charm isn't enough to win over that Deathclaw." Was it because he was too small? Chu Guang stroked his chin, falling into deep thought. Speaking of which, didn't his shelter have a rat? Compared to other mutated rats on the wasteland, that large rat was noticeably bigger. If he could tame a few or even several nests of rats... Chu Guang's eyes instantly lit up. "Holy crap!" "Could it be that this sequence, which looks weak on paper, is actually overpowered?!" Thinking of this, Chu Guang couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately opened his VM, drafted a quest, and sent it to brother Qiangren Suonan. [Quest: King of All Rats] [Description: Perhaps we can try uniting with creatures different from ourselves.] The quest name sounded grand enough, perfectly suited to coaxing a little newbie. As for the rewards. Aside from silver coins and contribution points, awarding a special achievement wouldn't be over the top. As for the achievement's name, Chu Guang hadn't thought of one yet. No rush, anyway. Whether the quest could even be completed was still an open question. There would be plenty of time to figure it out once that little player finished it. ... Yuanxi Town, situated on the edge of the forest, was as tranquil as ever today. Standing beside a barricade of stacked logs, a marauder with a "Blade" assault rifle slung across his chest yawned. The guard shift from late night to morning was the hardest to endure. Not only was he sleepy, but he was also hungry. Would anyone really launch an attack at a time like this? At this hour, aside from sentries like them who were exhausted, everyone else would be brimming with energy. "Just when is this snow going to melt?" asked the marauder holding a leash, looking thoroughly bored. "Who knows? Up north, you have to wait until early February." "Down south, there might be less of it. Maybe next week? Or the week after?" "I can't wait." "Hahaha, what a coincidence—neither can I!" The two exchanged a glance, breaking into smiles that any marauder would understand. And not just the humans. Even the hyena crouching beside them bared its teeth and let out excited pants. Around yesterday, they had heard that Black Snake's men had departed from the southern outskirts of TS City, marching south toward the northern outskirts of Qingquan City. That guy was a ruthless bastard. Campaigning from north to south, he had racked up victory after victory. The survivor settlements he had burned to the ground couldn't be counted on one hand, and the plundered wealth he had amassed piled up like small mountains. Otherwise, the chieftain wouldn't have rewarded him with a tank. They only worried about one thing right now. Namely, that the survivors in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City would be too frail to put up a fight. It would be truly awful if, by the time they reached the northern suburbs, not even a drop of meat broth was left for them! While the two chatted idly, a dense mass of dark silhouettes suddenly emerged from the edge of the forest to the east. The two marauders grew alert instantly, hurriedly chambering their weapons, flicking off the safeties, and aiming at the group approaching in the distance. "Halt! Freeze right there!" "Who are you?" The group stopped in their tracks. The man leading the party shouted at the top of his lungs: "We're Black Snake's men... I'm Centurion Gangya under his command." Black Snake's men? A centurion? Hearing this, the two marauders froze. Wasn't Black Snake down south? Why were his men showing up here? Could it be... The battle was already over? Realizing something might be wrong, neither dared delay. One of them immediately sprinted toward the camp. Before long, the marauder who went to deliver the report jogged back. "Which of you is Gangya?" "Lord Shiya says he wants to see you!" The man who had shouted earlier stepped forward and said: "That's me. Take me to him." The marauder nodded hastily. "Please follow me!" Following the sentry through the heavily guarded camp, Gangya arrived at Shiya's tent. A brazier was placed inside the room, and a bear skin carpeted the floor. Seated in a wooden chair, Shiya stared fixedly at the man walking in through the entrance. "...You are Gangya?" The Ya Clan was large. There were at least ten men named Gangya. He had never seen this kinsman before, only feeling that his tattered attire looked far too much like a scavenger's—completely unfitting for a direct lineage clan of the Bone Chewer Tribe. "I am, my lord." Gangya dropped to one knee, lowering his head slightly. Looking down at him with a thoughtful expression, Shiya said in a low voice: "Since you serve under Black Snake, why aren't you campaigning with him in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City, but instead came running to me?" A bitter expression crossed Gangya's face. "Lord Black Snake was ambushed by the northern suburb survivors at the interprovincial highway junction. We fought with all our might, but our enemies were vastly numerous... Gunfire came from all directions, and at least a hundred artillery shells rained down upon our positions." "We were forced to shift westward, fighting as we retreated into the forest. After a fierce engagement, both sides left behind over a hundred bodies..." "Lord Black Snake's whereabouts are unknown. The four centuries around him were practically wiped out, and the other five centuries scattered nearby could not be reached. We had no choice but to risk our lives trekking through the forest to rendezvous with you." Everyone in the tent held their breath in unison, disbelief and shock written across their faces. Except for one person. "A hundred shells?! Are you sure?!" Bernie's eyes bored into the kneeling Gangya as he pressed aggressively: "And just how many people ambushed you?" To unleash over a hundred artillery shells in a short time required at least ten cannons. He wouldn't believe for a second that a ragged survivor settlement in the northern suburbs could build ten artillery pieces! Besides, what use were those crude shells against the Legion's No. 10 Tank? If they were high-explosive rounds, they wouldn't even scratch its paint! "It is absolutely true, my lord. If there is a single lie in my words, you may take my head," Gangya replied meekly with his head lowered. "As for their numbers... I am not certain, but brothers fleeing the front line said there were at least four thousand-man cohorts!" The faces of both Shiya and Bernie changed simultaneously. Four thousand-man cohorts! How could there be so many people? Shiya fumed: "Are you joking? Are there even four thousand people in the entire northern suburbs combined?" Even counting the elderly, women, and children, they couldn't possibly scrape together that many! There were no affluent survivor settlements in the northern suburbs—only small villages of around a hundred people. Slightly larger settlements required heading further south, deep into the perilous urban ruins until reaching the edge of the Third Ring Road. They had gathered this intelligence long before coming here! "...If what he says is true, I'm afraid people from Boulder City intervened." Bernie spoke with a grim expression: "I didn't expect their combat effectiveness to be this formidable—it far exceeds our expectations." Shiya swallowed hard, a rare look of helplessness surfacing on his face as he turned to his advisor: "What should we do?" A bitter smile appeared on Bernie's face. "What should we do? I don't know." "If Black Snake had joined forces with us and combined our two thousand-man cohorts, we might have had a slim chance of victory. But now, we have to shoulder all the risks alone." Shiya lapsed into silence, his fingers gripping the armrests of his chair tightly. A thousand-man cohort! They had armored pickups, a tank... even heavy artillery and support from Torch. Whether in terms of equipment or combat experience, the forces under Black Snake were true elites. Yet an elite force like that had been completely annihilated in less than a day. Without a doubt. Conquering the northern suburbs of Qingquan City had exceeded the scope of his capabilities. Standing nearby, Bernie glanced at the silent Shiya and lowered his voice: "Once the snow melts, they might even take the initiative to attack. My recommendation is... a strategic relocation to Xizhou City." "You mean retreat?" Shiya demanded angrily. "We prepared here for an entire winter! Leaving without fighting a single battle—how do you expect the rest of the clan to look at us?! They'll mock us and think we're cowards!" Marauders who worshiped slaughter and war respected only the strong. This was even truer for the Bone Chewer Tribe. The weak were unworthy of enjoying the spoils of war. This was not merely about his reputation within the clan, but about his prestige in the eyes of his subordinates. Anticipating that Shiya would say this, Bernie sighed inwardly before continuing: "It's not as though we haven't fought at all, nor can this be counted as a retreat. I prefer to call it a strategic relocation... preserving our strength and biding our time for future victory." "You heard him yourself: they have four thousand-man cohorts and over ten pieces of artillery. With our current forces, we simply cannot crack this tough nut." "We need more manpower and equipment, or else we'll only repeat Black Snake's mistake." "If anyone considers us cowards, let them come and take our place. We can trade positions with them." Shiya fell silent. Deep down, he had already known what choice to make. He was simply unwilling to accept it. "Retreat..." Speaking that single word felt as though all the strength in Shiya's body had been drained away. He had wasted two, even three months here, and had even lost a century of men. And the result of it all was such a humiliating conclusion. He swore. When his iron hooves set foot here once more, he would wipe out every last soul! Standing by his side, Bernie breathed a sigh of relief. Although his previous words leaned toward alarmism, it was evident that if even Black Snake had suffered defeat, he couldn't see any reason they would prevail. Nodding slightly, he said in a low voice: "A wise choice."