Decapitation Strike!

Xizhou City, Sixin District. Deep within the low, waterlogged ruins sat an artillery shelter reinforced with concrete. Rock Fang read the crumpled slip of paper from start to finish, then looked up at the confidant standing before him. "The New Alliance handed this letter to you? Are you sure it wasn't the guerrillas?" "I swear on my life, Boss!" Standing before Rock Fang, the confidant continued solemnly, "The director of the Alliance's liaison office in Hope Town handed this letter to me in person... Before I left, he even recited its contents to me twice. He said it was the decree of the Alliance Administrator, and if you couldn't read, I was to be sure to read it to you." "...You did well." His hanging heart finally settled. Rock Fang folded the note carefully and tucked it into an inner pocket close to his chest. After pondering for a long moment, he looked back at his confidant. "Go summon every centurion under my command. No matter what mission they're on, tell them to report to me immediately!" The confidant nodded at once. "Understood!" As the confidant turned and left, Rock Fang sat back down in his chair and waited quietly. Before long, scattered footsteps echoed from the doorway. One after another, burly men clad in beast-skin coats and bulging with knotted muscles strode into the room. Strings of teeth symbolizing their rank hung from their chests. Their faces were as hideous as demons, and a foul stench radiated from their bodies. Halting before Rock Fang, they cupped their fists in salute. "Boss." "You called for us?" Rock Fang looked around at his most loyal subordinates and spoke slowly. "Do you trust me?" The men exchanged glances, unsure what angle their chief was playing today. Still, since he had asked, nobody could very well say they didn't. They chimed in to profess their loyalty: "Of course!" "You're our boss! Who else would we trust?" "Damn right! I might not understand fancy reasoning, but the Great Horned Elk God can bear witness to my loyalty!" Watching the men swear their solemn oaths, Rock Fang continued, "Then what if I asked you to go die?" Knowing they weren't actually about to be sent to their deaths, the men answered without hesitation: "Boss, what kind of talk is that? My life has always been yours!" "Yeah! Never mind dying—even if you told me to jump into a vat of boiling oil, I wouldn't bat an eye!" "Hell yeah! Forget a vat of oil, even if I had to throw my body onto the blue voles' gun ports, I wouldn't flinch!" *Very good.* *All brave and loyal men, truly worthy of being picked by my own hands.* Watching the men scramble to pledge their lives, Rock Fang nodded with satisfaction. "Knowing you feel this way is enough for me. Since you acknowledge me as your boss, I naturally won't let you down. You won't die. I'm going to lead you all through this alive." With that, he looked toward his confidant. "Go close the door and stand guard outside. No one is to approach. Kill anyone who disobeys." The confidant nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes, sir!" The men in the room looked at one another. Instinct told them today was different from usual. Their boss suddenly making them swear their loyalty was definitely not just playing around for fun. The door slammed heavily shut. Rock Fang rose from his chair, swept his gaze across everyone, and his expression grew solemn. "The New Alliance's troops have advanced right under our noses, while our chieftain is flogging and slaughtering his most loyal subordinates." "He has gone completely mad. If we don't do something, every last one of us will die!" With the words laid out so plainly, the men finally understood what their boss wanted to discuss with them. *Holy hell.* *He's trying to drag us into an open rebellion!* Looking around at the varying expressions of the centurions, Rock Fang continued, "I'm not afraid of death. Dying is nothing more than returning to the embrace of the Earth Mother. But since you treat me as an older brother, I naturally can't watch you throw your lives away for a foolish lunatic." "Of course, if anyone is unwilling to follow me, I won't force you. Just walk out that door. Pretend I said nothing today, and that you heard nothing." *Pretend we heard nothing? Right.* *If anyone dares utter a single 'no,' they'd have to be a ghost to make it past that door!* The centurions rushed to voice their support: "Boss, just say what's on your mind." "Whatever you plan to do, we're with you!" "Yeah! Worst-case scenario, we pull up stakes and make a run for it. We'll start fresh somewhere else, take over a mountain, and live like kings!" Rock Fang nodded. "Then I'll lay it out." Pausing for a beat, Rock Fang went on, "I plan to lead you in surrendering to the New Alliance!" The moment the words fell, the room plunged into dead silence—so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Shock was written across every face. *Surrender to the New Alliance?!* Had Golden Fang gone mad, or had their boss lost his mind?! With the war reaching this stage, both sides had suffered massive casualties. Take the paratroopers in the city: over the past month, five to six hundred paratroopers had fallen by their hands at the very least. Though the New Alliance sounded benevolent on the radio, promising lenient treatment to captives who voluntarily surrendered, who could guarantee they wouldn't turn on them once the war was over? When that time came, no one was going to step forward to seek justice on their behalf. Hearing that they were executed, the survivors would only clap and cheer in excitement. "Boss, I trust you... but, but why surrender to the New Alliance?" "Yeah, will they spare us?" "Why don't we just flee instead... head north, and follow the Tianshui River east or west. We can always find somewhere to go." Having anticipated his subordinates would say this, Rock Fang smiled faintly. "Flee? Over a thousand men—what are we going to eat on the road? Flee with all those slaves? Or should we borrow some supplies from our great chieftain before we hit the road?" The men fell silent. Rock Fang didn't stop, keeping his gaze locked on them as he continued, "Unless you intend to abandon more than a thousand brothers here, leaving them to fend for themselves." Though they didn't care about the lives of the lower grunts, if they abandoned all their men, wouldn't they become generals without an army? When that happened, forget about finding a mountain to live lavishly—running into a couple of mutant beasts on the road might cost them their lives. Their expressions wavered. Fleeing truly wasn't a good idea, at least not for leaders like them who had something to lose. Yet surrendering... Would the outcome be any better than running away? One centurion asked cautiously, "But Boss, even if we surrender to the New Alliance... the best we can hope for is becoming their slaves. That's worse than running away." Rock Fang looked at him and said, "The New Alliance needs manpower to oversee the prisoners. As long as we're willing to cooperate with them and end this war whose outcome is already decided, they'll hand that job to those of us who know which way the wind blows." "When that time comes, even if we can't live as freely as we do now, we'll still be running hundreds, maybe thousands of men. That beats plunging into deep mountain forests where there's not a single village or inn in sight." Hearing this, those who still harbored misgivings finally laid them to rest. At the very least, they were of use to the New Alliance. That was far more reassuring than any hollow promise. "Boss, just tell us what to do." "We'll follow your lead!" Rock Fang nodded. "Speak of today's conversation to no one. Go back and make preparations according to my instructions." "We make our move at midnight three days from now! At that time, the New Alliance's aircraft will coordinate with their ground forces to launch a feint against the southern sector. Meanwhile, we holding the west will open a breach in our sector and let the New Alliance's forces in." A ruthless glint flashed through Rock Fang's eyes as he said coldly, "Once we link up with the New Alliance's men, we march straight for Golden Fang's stronghold!" "We'll capture that fat pig alive!" *** Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The relentless artillery bombardment and leaflet campaign plunged the morale of the entire Fang Clan to rock bottom. Deserters continuously abandoned their positions to flee north, or grabbed leaflets and headed east to surrender to the guerrillas. No matter how furiously Golden Fang ordered thorough searches for anyone hiding surrender passes, he could not stop the desertions. This was especially true for the marauders who had joined out of admiration. As fringe outsiders who weren't even considered branch members, they were inherently distrusted. Ever since traitors appeared, their officers searched their persons twice a day and inspected their quarters three times a day. Anyone caught concealing a surrender pass—whether on their body or hidden in their room—was mercilessly strung up from a window and hanged. This string of near-insane high-pressure measures drove more and more deserters away. In the most extreme case, an entire hundred-man unit went out and never returned... Facing this hopeless situation, even the most loyal and resolute warriors of the tribe couldn't help harboring feelings of despair. Perhaps... They truly had reached the end of the road. Inside the dim concrete fortification, Golden Fang stared at the map, his face dark as a stormy sea. This was the Fang Clan's temporary command post. At the moment, only two men stood inside. One was Golden Fang himself, and the other was one of his right-hand men—Fox Fang. As an inner-circle member of the Fang Clan, this slightly slight-built man was not exceptional in martial prowess, but he had a sharp mind. Ever since Dillon's defeat, Golden Fang had ceased trusting the staff officers. Thousand-man commander Fox Fang, standing to the side, whispered, "Why don't we ask the other clans for reinforcements... Even if they just send some weapons, that would help. The men can't even find materials to repair their guns anymore." Listening to his subordinate's suggestion, Golden Fang said nothing. Ask for help? Who could he ask? The Snake Clan, pushing eastward, was mired deep in the quagmire of Red River Town and couldn't spare a single man to assist him. The Bear Clan, pushing westward, had already fought into Sunset Province, hundreds of kilometers away from here, separated by countless mountains and rivers. Golden Fang knew full well that although his clan stood at the head of the tribe and he was the tribe's king, the relationship between clans was not one of superior and subordinate. He had no authority to command clans that were not directly dependent on him. "How much ammunition do we have left?" Fox Fang lowered his voice. "At our current rate of consumption... I'm afraid it will only last two months." Golden Fang fell into a prolonged silence. Just as he was about to say something, a dense roar of artillery echoed from outside. Over the past several days, he had grown accustomed to the New Alliance's shelling, so he wasn't particularly alarmed. However, unlike before, when the New Alliance lobbed shells at them with gaps between each round, this time over a dozen artillery pieces fired simultaneously. The volume of fire was noticeably on a completely different level. "Judging by the direction and distance of the sound, they're probably bombing the southern sector..." Fox Fang's expression shifted slightly as he whispered, "The New Alliance is most likely planning to storm the city under cover of darkness!" Golden Fang pressed his fist onto the map, a cruel smirk curling at the corners of his mouth. "They finally couldn't hold back!" Street fighting! His men were best at street fighting! Turning to Fox Fang, Golden Fang immediately ordered, "Take your men to the south of the city at once! You must hold the New Alliance there!" Fox Fang took the order. "Yes, sir!" After leaving the command post, Fox Fang quickly rounded up his men. Over a thousand fully armed elites marched grandly through the streets submerged in backflowing lake water, heading toward the southern sector where earthshaking artillery thundered, reinforcing the thousand-man unit stationed there. Yet at this very moment, neither of them knew that while the New Alliance was furiously bombing the southern part of the city, raft after raft was gliding across the marshes on the eastern shore of Lake Xizhou, drifting toward the submerged western side of Sixin District... Crouching on a raft and staring out into the silent darkness ahead, Ye Shi turned his head and whispered, "Do you think those marauders can be trusted?" "No idea," Fang Chang said, shaking his head. "What if they suddenly change their minds?" Ye Shi couldn't help pressing. "What else can we do? Wait another three days, then," Lao Bai clapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "Keep your eyes peeled later. We're counting on your killing-intent perception!" Ye Shi: "Damn, we really are gambling with our lives." Fang Chang: "Stop worrying. The odds of them turning on us are slim. At this point, anyone can see there's no suspense left in this war. For them, it's just a matter of losing sooner or losing later. Even if they keep fighting, they can hold out for another week or two at most." "Correct," Kuang Feng nodded, saying calmly. "From the moment they halted their advance, they had already lost." While they spoke, a lantern flared to life among the reed beds ahead. Lao Bai waved, signaling the players paddling the rafts to speed up. The line of rafts drifted toward the light. Twenty rafts in total carried 140 players from the Burning Corps, roughly the strength of a reinforced company. These players were all veterans who had entered during the Alpha phase. At the very least, they had survived the Battle of the Tide. Every single one of them was an Awakened, truly the backbone of the New Alliance! Meanwhile, the swamp before them was infested with venomous insects and beasts, including extremely dangerous mutants like split-claw crabs and battleship shrimps. Hidden among the ruins scattered across the water were 7mm machine guns. A frontal breakthrough here would have meant braving crossfire from all directions while battling swarms of disturbed mutant creatures. Yet now... This easily defended western gate stood completely unfortified, wide open to the New Alliance. The one meeting the Burning Corps was a centurion. He brought a dozen or so confidants, every one of them sporting a white cloth tied around their arm. "I'm here to guide you in... I hope you keep your promise and give us a way to live when everything is over." As he spoke, the centurion kept his eyes fixed on the guns in the players' hands. Even as an Awakened, he had to admit that the people before him were exceptionally strong! So strong that picking anyone at random would yield someone capable of fighting him on even terms. As for the man leading them, his power seemed unfathomable! Lao Bai didn't speak, looking instead to Fang Chang, whose Human Alliance language was the best among them. Catching on immediately, Fang Chang stepped forward to trigger the dialogue. "We always keep our word." Hearing this promise, the centurion nodded and wasted no time, waving his hand to signal his men to steer their rafts and lead the way. The entire Sixin District was submerged in water, waist-deep at the shallowest points. Rafts were the most reliable means of transport. Most mutant creatures weren't interested in pieces of wood floating on the surface. As long as one didn't actively provoke them, there was at least no need to worry about wading through the water only to suddenly find both legs bitten off. Staring at a split-claw crab floating on the water's surface, Ye Shi whispered, "...The split-claw crabs here seem different from the ones back home. They're a bit smaller, and their shells are pointier." Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes snapped several photos with great interest. "I heard there are a lot of mutated lobsters around here too. Once the new map unlocks, I'll have to look into that." Jieyan muttered excitedly under his breath, "Looks like our stomachs are in for a treat!" The marauders leading the way naturally had no idea what the players were whispering about. If they could understand Chinese, they would have been flabbergasted. *A treat?* *Who's the treat for whom?!* They were lucky enough not to be dragged into the water and gnawed to pieces by split-claw crabs and battleship shrimps; who in their right mind would actively provoke those things? The meat of a split-claw crab was indeed tender and juicy, and the crab roe was top-tier delicious, but you had to be alive to enjoy it. Ordinary rifle rounds couldn't pierce a crab's shell at all and would only enrage the monster. As for using rocket launchers to blast crabs, that was strictly forbidden in the tribe at all times... Having finished taking pictures, Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes had already begun discussing quietly with Jieyan whether it would taste better steamed or braised. In such a grave situation, having the mood to debate steaming versus braising—one could only say, typical players... The group pressed on. Rafts joined them steadily along the way. Before long, their numbers swelled to over forty rafts and nearly four hundred men. Rock Fang's subordinates would also join the fighting to help the Burning Corps disarm Golden Fang's personal guard. This was partly to prove his loyalty to the New Alliance, and partly to ensure the rebellion succeeded without a hitch. After all, if they failed, the New Alliance would merely lose a hundred-man force, but his own fate would be catastrophic. Without a doubt, given Golden Fang's brutal methods, he would torture Rock Fang and his followers in the most gruesome ways imaginable. The Fang Clan's command post was located dead center in Sixin District, hidden inside a concrete-reinforced ruin. The route from the western defensive line to the center was practically unimpeded. Needless to say, Rock Fang's own defensive sector had already been prepared in advance. The sentries on rotation that day were all trusted confidants, and everyone tacitly let them pass. Once they reached the inner defensive perimeter, the low-level grunts saw that it was a centurion under Rock Fang's command and didn't bother to question them, let alone count how many men were on the rafts or how many guns were hidden beneath. In truth, inspecting them was impossible anyway. Due to the threat of New Alliance aircraft, the outposts dared not light a single lamp. The entirety of Sixin District was pitch-black. Looking down from the roof of a three-story building, aside from murky water, one could only make out rafts. As for what lay on those rafts, one would have to walk down and step onto them to see. "Damn, this is thrilling..." Watching gun barrels glint mere feet away, Scavenger, cloaked in his shroud, felt his palms grow slightly clammy. Not out of fear. Out of excitement. He felt the bloodlust and primal beastly instinct surging through his veins, his amber pupils burning with exhilaration. His DNA was tingling! With only the final two hundred meters left to the command post, the building marked on their VM maps came into view. The concrete fortification, reinforced layer upon layer, stood rock-solid even in the face of repeated bombardments by heavy artillery and aerial bombs. The surrounding ruins had been converted into pillboxes that could both serve as anti-aircraft positions and provide mutual fire support. And right now, only a wooden palisade gate separated the Burning Corps from the command post. "A frontal assault really would've been brutal. The layout looks crude, but every street has at least three firing points covering it. Without several armored vehicles, pushing through would be a nightmare... Whoever set up the defenses here is an expert," Lao Bai remarked, secretly impressed as he surveyed the surroundings. This game company really was full of talent. Never mind large-scale campaigns; even a minor level had this level of detail. The development team had to include some real pros! Halting before the palisade gate, the centurion stepped to the front of the raft and shouted toward the guard post atop the ruins on the right: "Open the gate!" Beside the machine gun mounted on the guard post, a head poked out. "Who are you!" The centurion shouted back, "We are Lord Rock Fang's men, ordered by the chieftain to rotate the guard!" Suspicion crept into the sentry's eyes. "Rotate the guard? I haven't heard anything about that." The men on duty here were Golden Fang's personal guard. Unlike the grunts encountered earlier, these soldiers weren't so easily fooled. Sensing something off about the rafts on the water, the marauder sentry's expression grew menacing, and the 7mm machine gun in his hands began swinging toward the water. "Stay where you are and don't move. I'll go request instructions from Lord Golden Fang first!" The air turned taut as a drawn bow. The centurion standing at the bow shifted slightly, on the verge of losing his composure. Sensing the encroaching wave of murderous intent, Ye Shi snapped to attention and threw Fang Chang a look. *Make a move!* Through long-standing tacit teamwork, Fang Chang caught Ye Shi's glance instantly, knowing the enemy had likely smelled a rat. A corner of the black cloak lifted slightly. A cold gleam hidden in the shadows locked onto the machine gunner in the pillbox. The bowstring twanged. With a sharp whoosh of parting air, an arrow lodged directly into the head of the sentry beside the machine gun, sending him tumbling backward. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, both Rock Fang's confidants and the marauder sentries atop the buildings on both sides froze in their tracks... Except for the players on the rafts. Seeing Fang Chang take action, Lao Bai discarded all pretense. He whipped away the black cloth draped over the raft, grabbed the LD-47 concealed beneath, and fired a burst straight at the upper floor. "Open fire!" Gunfire erupted across the water. Players standing on the rafts grabbed their weapons, and a portion leaped directly into the water, shoving the rafts forward toward the palisade gate. "RPG—!" Jieyan shouted excitedly with a rocket launcher perched on his shoulder, pulling the trigger at the wooden gate ahead. With a whoosh of white smoke, the palisade blocking the street was blown to splinters. Gunfire roared through the street. Forty rafts accelerated forward, clearing the wooden wreckage floating on the water, rushing at full speed toward the Fang Clan's command post. "Follow me, boys! The boss is right ahead!" Bullets zipped erratically all around. Lao Bai shoved the raft forward, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Whether we take MVP depends on this team fight!" "Roaaar!" Long unable to hold back, Scavenger threw off his cloak, baring the claws concealed in darkness, and unleashed an exhilarating roar toward the sky. Seeing the Deathclaw charging toward them like a cannonball, the marauders guarding the pillbox showed identical looks of terror. *A Deathclaw!* *How could the New Alliance have a psionic interference device?!* "Aim for the collar on its neck!" a marauder decurion cowering behind cover screamed in terror. The marauder holding the machine gun beside him wailed with a trembling voice, "Boss, that lizard... doesn't have a collar on its neck at all..." The decurion's eyes bulged. "What?!" Not only did it have no collar, but a heavy steel plate was strapped to the lizard's chest, and steel claws were bound to its hands. Ramping and rampaging through the ruins like a wall-climbing tank, he tore through the marauders before him like paper bloodbags, utterly unstoppable. In less than half a minute, a pillbox fell. Never mind gunfire and muzzle flashes—even screams and wails ceased to be heard. Ye Shi clicked his tongue. "Holy crap... Does playing that character really not cause psychological trauma?" "Does he look traumatized to you?" Lao Bai clapped him on the shoulder. "Stop wasting time. Remember your assignment, move up!" Ye Shi nodded, stopped dawdling, and trotted toward the pillbox with his sniper rifle slung over his back. Then Lao Bai turned to the players behind him. "All squads, attention!" "Execute the plan!" Eyes shining with excitement, the squad leaders replied in unison over the comm channel, "Yes, sir!" Two Strength-type players, covered by eight squad members, shoved a raft packed with a full two hundred kilograms of explosives, ramming it toward the outer wall of the command post. Meanwhile, the remaining 130 players split into ten-man squads, grouped in threes and fours, advancing from multiple directions to clear the marauders stationed around the command post and encircle the entire building. Rock Fang's men charged in alongside the players, swiftly taking control of the pillboxes around the command post to prevent thousand-man units from other defensive sectors from reinforcing the area. At the same time, an H-1 aerial gunship retrofitted with twin 37mm cannons arrived above Sixin District and entered a circling pattern. Guided by the red smoke grenades thrown by the Burning Corps and their reported coordinates, the two gun barrels suspended in the sky immediately poured ferocious cannon fire down upon the marauders hiding within the ruins. Flames danced inside the command post, and explosions erupted continuously like firecrackers on New Year's Eve. Listening to the gunshots and artillery drawing closer outside, the crouching Golden Fang finally showed a trace of panic on his face. Just then, the door swung open. He reached out and grabbed the guard captain who rushed in, shouting at the top of his lungs, "What's the situation outside?" Facing that face turned black with rage, the guard captain was paralyzed with fear, stammering incoherently, "The—the New Alliance... They broke in!" *Broke in?!* Golden Fang burned with anxiety and fury. "How is that possible! I just sent Fox Fang to reinforce the front line, how could they be this fast—" "No, not from the south! They came in through the West Gate! Judging by the gunfire, there must be a thousand of them!" The guard captain, collar clutched tightly, cried in panic, "Chieftain, this isn't the time to talk about that! It's no longer safe here, you have to pull back now!" *The west?* If he remembered correctly, that was Rock Fang's sector. Golden Fang froze for a second, then his facial muscles violently contorted in rage. Nearly a thousand men couldn't possibly have crept here undetected unless someone had betrayed him! Yet he never imagined that the one who betrayed him would be his own inner-circle kin, the very Rock Fang he had stationed on the western line. "That goddamned bastard! Spineless cur!" Teeth grinding audibly, Golden Fang ground out half a sentence through his teeth and shoved the guard captain's collar away. "Fall back! Take me to the north!" The guard captain nodded frantically, calling out to the nearby guards to escort Golden Fang out of the command post. The enemy had fought right to his doorstep. If he didn't run now, he would be done for. Signal flares had already risen into the sky; other thousand-man commanders were leading reinforcements toward this position. As long as he survived tonight, hope remained... Golden Fang swore a vicious oath in his heart: once he caught Rock Fang, he would peel the traitor's scalp off and use it as an insole. The group hurried through the corridor, retreating toward the rear exit of the command post. Just then, a deafening blast tore through the side of the corridor, sending flying rubble and billowing smoke surging in from outside. Caught completely off guard, four guards stumbled before they could regain their footing and were riddled with bullets incoming from the breach. Watching the soldiers pouring through the smoke and dust, the guard captain froze in sheer terror, forgetting to fire his weapon. They had blown open the outer wall of the command post! "Surrender!" "You're surrounded!" Staring into the dark gun barrels, a flicker of panic flashed through Golden Fang's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by vicious madness. "Never! Don't even think about taking me alive!" "That's not up to you!" Fang Chang gave a mocking curl of his lip, drawing his bowstring and aiming at Golden Fang's leg. Yet before the bowstring could be fully drawn, a sudden eruption of gunfire came from the other end of the corridor. Taken unawares, three players dropped to the ground instantly. Taking a round to the shoulder, Fang Chang executed a quick roll, ducking back behind the half-collapsed wall. Looking at the three corpses on the floor, Uren, clad in an exoskeleton, curled his lips into a cold sneer. Upon seeing Uren, Golden Fang's twisted face instantly lit up with joy. "Apostle... Lord Apostle, save me!" *Lord Apostle?* Uren had never seen this man wear such a devout expression. "What absolute trash... We gave you so much help, yet you bungled an unlosable war into this pathetic mess." Uren glared at him coldly, made a hand signal to the three subordinates beside him, and grated through clenched teeth, "Bring him over." Even with ten thousand grudges, even with ten thousand disgusts, the man before him was still an ally of the Church. He was merely an apostle, not qualified to question the Holy Son's decisions. Right now, the Fang Clan could still barely maintain a front line. Once Golden Fang was dead or captured, not only would the marauders in the city collapse into scattered sand, but the various clans of the Bone Chewer tribe would splinter apart. When that happened, not only would the mission to recover the black box fail, but even the Church's plans in River Valley Province would go down with it! No matter what, he had to get this idiot out! Fierce gunfire erupted inside the command post. With the help of their exoskeleton gear and tactical helmets equipped with auto-targeting and night vision, the Church of the Torch apostles actually drove back the players who had breached the building. Because this was an infiltration mission, the players hadn't brought expensive gear like Light or Heavy Cavalry exoskeletons. In just two minutes, they had left over a dozen corpses behind. "Damn it... Are these guys hacking?!" With two holes punched through his leg, Corner Camper crouched in the corner, swapping magazines while cursing. "Where's the RPG?! Hit them with the RPG!" Lost Rookie shouted from the side. Free Sniper was shocked. "Holy shit, aren't we supposed to take him alive?!" "He's about to slip away, who gives a damn about taking him alive! Just hand in the corpse! It barely makes a difference in points anyway!" Prop Master unslung the RPG from his back, set it onto his shoulder, and was about to lean out to fire when a hand grenade was tossed behind their cover. *Holy shit?!* The four rookie players froze. Before they could even let out a curse, they were engulfed in shrapnel and roaring fire. In the blink of an eye, four more were down. At that moment, Lao Bai's voice came through the comm channel. "Fang Chang, what's your situation over there?" "Fuck..." Glancing at his bleeding shoulder, Fang Chang applied a hemostatic bandage and cursed, "There are experts on the other side! I think I saw exoskeletons... It might be the same bunch we ran into in Qingquan City's eastern sector!" Why bother? The entire command post was surrounded, and an aerial gunship equipped with twin 37mm cannons was circling above. No matter how hard they resisted, it was nothing more than a death struggle. Yet upon hearing about exoskeletons, Lao Bai's expression changed abruptly, instantly recalling the skirmish back in Qingquan City's eastern sector. If it was that bunch... Fighting like this might really make wrapping this up difficult! Daring not be careless, Lao Bai switched to the gunship's frequency without hesitation to request air support. "...Burning Corps here. We've run into a bit of trouble. Requesting one Switchblade for crowd clearing." After a brief pause, a concise reply came through the channel. "...H-1 aerial gunship copies. Switchblade en route, watch your heads." "Copy that!" Ending the transmission, Lao Bai signaled Kuang Feng, pointing toward the nearby entrance. Catching on immediately, Kuang Feng pulled a headphone-shaped neural connection device from his backpack and slipped it over his head. At the same time, the H-1 aerial gunship circling overhead dropped a barely perceptible black speck from its bay. Under cover of darkness, the black speck plummeted toward the ground. Right as it approached the target area, six rotor blades snapped open like a switchblade. The roar of propellers whirred to life as the high-speed gliding drone darted like an arrow released from a bow, slipping straight through the breach blown into the concrete wall. At this moment, Uren was fiercely exchanging fire with the Burning Corps pushing into the building, leading three squad members as they covered Golden Fang's retreat toward the rear exit, completely unaware of the approaching danger. "How much longer until your reinforcements arrive?! Do you expect me and three men to hold off a whole division for you?!" Grabbing Golden Fang's collar, Uren shouted furiously. "Th-they're already hurrying this way, any minute now!" Golden Fang was equally anxious, too shaken to care about the man's insolence as he replied in a panic. Uren released his collar and continued firing down the corridor behind them. After taking a dozen or so casualties, the New Alliance's offensive suddenly slowed, relieving much of the pressure. *Looks like they don't have that many men either...* Thinking this, Uren breathed a slight sigh of relief. Yet just then, a buzzing whine like a swarm of hornets emerged from the darkness, and a sudden premonition of doom enveloped Uren's heart. Experienced as he was, he reacted instantly and shouted in panic: "A drone!" "Shoot it down!" Four rifles opened fire together, weaving an orange web across the pitch-black corridor. Three of the six rotors were shredded instantly, yet the drone, skimming the ground at high speed, crashed right in front of their cover propelled by sheer momentum. Uren's face twisted in horror as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Get down—" Within the cramped corridor, flames abruptly erupted. Fifteen kilograms of high explosives didn't just blow away the concrete walls—the blistering shockwave even melted steel. The scorching heat baked the floor red-hot. Shoulder wounded, Fang Chang led Jieyan and a crowd of players through the ruined wall. "Holy crap... That blast was insane." Poking a helmet fragment on the ground with his muzzle, Jieyan couldn't help clicking his tongue. "Pity we didn't take him alive." Digging out half a mangled corpse from the rubble, Fang Chang searched for quite a while before finally uncovering a head still attached to a shoulder beneath the concrete debris. Turning back to the centurion who had followed them in, Fang Chang asked in broken Human Alliance language, "Is this him?" Looking at Golden Fang, blown beyond recognition, the centurion held his breath unconsciously and nodded stiffly. "Yes... it's him." Never mind that a shoulder and head remained; even if he were burned to ash, the centurion would recognize him. Yet he could never have imagined that the once-unrivaled marauder king, chieftain of the Bone Chewer tribe, would end up in such a wretched state. Looking at the expressionless man before him, the centurion's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes filled with bone-deep terror. These people... They were absolute demons! Thank heavens this war was over, and he wouldn't have to face them on the battlefield... Paying no heed to the NPC's shifting expressions, Jieyan stepped forward holding his submachine gun and studied the half-corpse for a moment. "Tsk, if we want to hang this guy up, we'll have to make him a body first." "That's not our problem to worry about." Taking a burlap sack from a teammate, Fang Chang dumped all the recoverable pieces inside. If this were reality, he probably would have wet himself on the spot holding such things. However, *Wasteland OL* was a virtual reality technology based on dream principles. The brain's defense mechanisms and the sensory filters built into the game's code largely blocked excessive psychological trauma. It was like seeing a zombie in a dream—you wouldn't wake up terrified right away unless the zombie caught up and took a bite out of you. Some bolder individuals might even need to be chewed on for a bit before waking. Having collected the mission items, Fang Chang dusted off his hands and tapped his VM twice. "Golden Fang has been eliminated... Requesting next orders." After a brief wait, the familiar voice came through the comm channel. "You did well." With a tone tinged with relief and pride, the Administrator continued, "Your bravery and loyalty are impressive. This moment shall be recorded in the annals of the Alliance." At the same time, a cascade of announcements popped up across their VM screens. [Server Announcement: Expansion pack boss 'Golden Fang the Skull Crusher' has been slain by 'Burning Corps'!] [Server Announcement: Expansion pack 'Blades Out' will enter the reward settlement phase within 24 hours. At that time, points earned can be used to redeem expansion-exclusive rewards, titles, and lottery draws. Players with unfinished quests, please make use of the remaining time...] [Server Announcement: As the commander of 'Burning Corps' has chosen to make the achievement public, this achievement will be recorded in the Hall of Fame!]