"Boss, did you think they'd come from here?" The index finger rubbed the tape-wrapped rifle repeatedly, and the strong man with steel spikes on his nose bone said excitedly.

"Definitely..."

In the middle of abandoned buildings covered with moss and vines, men in leather jackets stare intently at the street ahead, binoculars in hand.

His name is Black, he lives in the slums beyond the Great Wall, and is a bounty hunter who fights for his employer.

At the same time, it is also the Awakened.

Although he lived in a slum, it was not because of poverty.

For an Awakened to move into the outer city, it is not a difficult task, and no mercenary group will refuse an Awakened to join the group, as long as it is not particularly wasteful.

However, Blake didn't want to live a life of being controlled. In the eyes of others, the giant wall is the dividing line between barbarism and civilization, but in his eyes, it is a cement cage with no eggs, and only cowards need others to protect it.

And the real strong rely on their own fists.

Last night, he received an assignment from the client of the Pirate Bay Tavern.

The employer, who did not want to be named, paid him a 1,000 chip for the deposit alone, and said that he would give him two more when the matter was completed......

This kind of large-denomination chips are rarely circulated in the market, and are usually used by the nobles of the inner city. You can't find a normal store at all, so you need to go to the bank to change money.

After seeing the deposit, Blake's eyes turned into colorful chips, and he took the task without saying a word.

Although, in general, the more expensive the pay, the more dangerous the task, he is not very worried.

One is that I have absolute confidence in my own strength, and the other is that the content of the commission does not sound very difficult.

The New Alliance's envoys are on their way to Boulder City, and for the sake of Boulder's future, the mysterious employer wants him to intercept the group of emissaries in the middle of the way.

He didn't need to kill everyone, he just needed to launch a surprise attack and teach the hillbillies in the northern suburbs a profound lesson, so that they could learn to be courteous and polite, and take that so-called friendly cooperation agreement with them.

Blake licked the corners of his mouth excitedly, but as time passed, his eyes suddenly became a little unnatural.

“… Something is wrong. ”

Why haven't people reached the ambush circle yet?

Caught early?

It stands to reason that this is not possible.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered a rumor circulating in the Pirate Cove Tavern.

There is a mysterious "intuitionist" awakened person in the northern suburbs, and a group of mercenaries once planted a heel in their hands.

Blake's expression gradually became a little solemn.

If this rumor is true, the other party has already found out about them.

"Everyone is ready to fight."

With a low snort, he gestured to the brethren next to him, then picked up the RPG tube on the ground and inserted a high-explosive grenade into it.

He bought it from a weapons store.

Although the explosive and armor-piercing capabilities are not as good as the bazookas produced by the Boulder Military Industry, they are still superior to the short and concise Iron Fist.

The most important thing is that it's cheap and can be reloaded, and even if the hit rate at mid-range isn't great, not everyone needs it.

It's like not everyone needs to deal with evolutions.

The brothers next to him were also ready, the submachine gun automatic rifle in their hands was loaded, and the heavy machine gunner in the building also clicked on the bolt.

In the silence of the streets, murder is rife.

Although the battle has not yet begun, it seems that he can already smell the smell of blood.

Blake waited quietly, pacing his breathing.

However, at this moment, in a window 200 meters away from him, there was a sudden loud explosion sound.

Boom!

He jerked over the side and saw a figure being thrown out of the window, screaming in a long voice, and falling into flesh on the sloping concrete broken bridge.

That's the direction of the heavy machine-gun position!

He who was previously thrown down,

Exactly his partner! A bloodshot creep crept up in Blake's eyes, and anger and horror were written in his pupils.

"! Ryute!! ”

How was he found?!

But it was too late to think about it, and without saying a word, he lifted the launch tube and pulled the trigger towards the window.

With a whoosh, a white tail flame ran diagonally across the window.

Waves of gas and flames poured out of the dark ruins, scorching the moss on the walls.

At the same time, Blake tore his voice open, his eyes red and roared.

"Tear them up for me!"

On the other side, in the window of the RPG, an agile player got up from the ground shaking his head.

His D is called, and version Alpha 0.5 enters the game. Because the words "killing" and "dagger" are not easy to pronounce, his buddies who are familiar with him call him a killing dagger.

As an agility player at LV15, his ability is to convert half of his reflexes into perception of the environment.

Although the current version of the Perception Department has a faint tendency to inherit the position of the younger brother of the Intelligence Department, for stealth players, this talent is just right!

The hussar exoskeleton's polymeric bulletproof plates blocked most of the fragments, but the shock wave of the explosion still shook his internal organs.

However, since he didn't feel the pain, he felt more sorry for his equipment and the trophies that flew away at the moment.

"Damn it—Lao Tzu's original armor!"

And that heavy machine gun!

Seeing that it could be captured, a shot smashed over and directly raised him.

Absolutely forcing is a plot kill!

I was targeted by a dog plan!

Just as he was scolding, Lao Bai's voice came from the communication channel.

“… How's it going on your end? ”

"I'm fine... The opposing side has heavy firepower. ”

"Need support?"

"No, no," the dagger smiled, "just leave it to us!" ”

There are three people in the reconnaissance team, and in addition to him, there is and.

One of the two is a power system, and the other is a perception system, with levels 15 and 14 respectively, and they are veteran players who entered the game in version 0.5 of Alphat.

Before joining the Burning Corps, the three of them teamed up together to do tasks.

Reaching out and tapping twice next to his helmet, the dagger shifted towards the half-collapsed stairwell while communicating with his teammates.

"Kidneys, dogs, what's going on over there?"

An answer soon followed.

“… The perimeter defenses have been lifted and are being pushed upstairs. What about you? I think I heard something blow up. ”

"Eat a shot, out of the way... I'm on my way to the support station and expect to arrive in a minute. ”

"Roger, stay safe."

"Quick Fix!"

Gunfire and fire flickered in the ruins.

Unleashing a small drone on their shoulders, the two players wearing exoskeletons held rifles in their hands, advancing abruptly all the way, nimbly shuttling through the broken concrete ruins.

The light cavalry exoskeleton can exert unparalleled mobility in urban terrain, especially the complex ruin terrain, where ordinary people can't jump and reach, and can easily climb up with a light exoskeleton.

The screams of his men kept coming from downstairs.

Listening to the gunshots getting closer and closer, Blake's eyes were filled with horror and anger.

Eventually, all his emotions turned into a roar, and the muscles of his body began to swell outward, like a tangled python, and his eyes were bloodshot.

It exudes a oozing red.

"I'm fighting with you!!"

A steel needle was stuck in his thigh, and with a roar of rage, Blake left cover, grabbed a rusty steel plate, and slammed it into the flickering flames of gunfire in the hallway.

Every cell in his body swelled to the limit, and his whole person was like a frantic tank, and the floor tiles of the entire corridor screamed as he strode into the charge of the meteor.

The bullet hit the steel plate and left only pits, and the 7mm authoritative force bullet could not penetrate it!

At such a close distance, it must be too late to use a bazooka, and it is impossible for the reconnaissance team to carry that thing.

"! Is this guy crazy?! ”

The dog looked surprised, but he hadn't seen anything after playing the game for so long.

Before he could even look at him, the Kidney Fighter next to him put down the assault rifle in his hand, and while pulling out the sapper shovel, he let out a low roar from his mouth.

"Madness!"

His whole body strength skyrocketed, and instead of retreating, he launched a charge towards the muscular monster.

A hint of surprise flashed across the fleshy face, but it quickly turned into an arrogant laugh.

"If you want to die—Lao Tzu will fulfill you!!" Blake roared and slammed into the steel plate.

Exoskeleton?

Drone?

Those precious things are not worth mentioning in the face of pure power!

His muscles are the strongest engine!

Boom!!!

Metal-to-metal collides, making a sonorous roar.

However, the person in front of him was not knocked out as he expected.

The steel plate he carried in his hand was like hitting a wall, and it only shook slightly.

A hint of surprise appeared on Blake's face, but it was quickly replaced by anger.

He jerked open the plate, pulled out the mace hidden inside the plate, and beckoned to the head of the exoskeleton.

The sonorous symphony sounded again.

I saw that the man was carrying a shovel in his hand that was very different from the style of the high-tech equipment, and he actually took his blow hard!

Blake was frightened and frightened, especially when a hint of numbness came from his tiger's mouth.

"Haha! It's good to come! ”

The man shouted something he didn't understand, and the sapper shovel in his hand slashed in an arc and slashed at his head.

Blake hurriedly set up the mace in his hand to block, and two clanging explosions broke out, and he actually took two steps back.

The man seemed to be tireless, and the sapper shovel in his hand was like a windmill.

Even though the steel had been smashed and deformed, it kept beckoning to the door in front of him.

Blake was scared, and a hint of fear was written on his face.

No matter how dull he was, he clearly realized at this moment that the person in front of him was an awakened one!

And the strength is not inferior to him at all!

With the blessing of the exoskeleton, the warhead driven by muscles and motors at the same time hit like a raging storm.

Far from getting tired, the man became more and more courageous.

Bodily functions are on the verge of limits.

Blake couldn't parry it anymore, pulled back the distance, threw himself to his knees with a thud, and raised his arms to beg for mercy.

"I surrender!"

The few younger brothers who survived behind him froze on the spot and looked at each other. However, seeing that the bosses had surrendered, they finally put down their weapons.

Staring at the level boss kneeling on the ground, the player called Kidney Fighter was slightly stunned, and the raised sapper shovel stopped in the air.

He's playing well.

Why did you vote?

Get up and keep going!

Black, who was kneeling on the ground, shivered, and cold sweat broke out on his head. The look in the eyes of the man in front of him made him feel instinctively uneasy.

But he couldn't move.

At this time, the sound of their teammates panting heard in the ears of the two players.

"Damn, I've arrived at the support position, what floor are you on? Why did the gunfire stop? Are people alright? ”

“… It's over, the boss cast," the dog thing said with a subtle expression, "You go down." ”

Kill Dagger: "%¥#@!" ”

Not far away, on the roof of the building, a woman covered in alloy stood quietly.

The black mirror and helmet covered her entire head, and her gender could only be judged by her posture.

At first glance, she appears to be wearing an exoskeleton, but upon closer inspection, the helmet and mirror are non-detachable parts that grow directly around her neck.

She had no name, only an X-16 number, written on her left chest and on the processor buried in her chest cavity.

A small and delicate electronic sparrow landed on her shoulder, and a string of dark green strings flashed over her smart black eyes.

X-16 nodded silently, the pitch-black mirror looking straight ahead, speaking in a cold electronic voice.

“… The bait was captured. ”

"Need to start Plan B?"

An answer came from the communication channel.

"No need, come back."

X-16 nodded.

"Yes."

Not long after the words fell, the figure standing on the top of the building had quietly left.

It's like you've never been here......

The other side.

Blake and his five dejected men, watched by three players wearing exoskeletons, walked out of the ruined building with their heads in their hands.

When he saw the seven soldiers standing next to the mission, Blake's face couldn't help but show a hint of despair.

Until a few seconds ago, he naively thought that the three people he had just met were already the strongest combat power of the New Alliance Mission.

However, the seven warriors wearing exoskeletons standing in front of him at this moment did not lose their momentum to those three people in the slightest.

Especially the person standing at the front, his strength is unfathomable!

At this moment, he finally realized how stupid it was to take on this task.

The seized weapons were pooled together.

Looking at the RPG launch tube on the ground, there was a hint of surprise written on Lao Bai's face.

"Bazooka, where did you get it?"

He used the human language for this sentence.

Blake replied cautiously.

“…… The black market in the slums sells this thing. ωw. eight (7) 7zω.còΜ

There is actually a weapon shop in Boulder City, but it doesn't stand on the shelf, only a small launch tube.

Explosives in excess of 50 grams of equivalent are not allowed to be brought into the wall, and payment must be made at a trading post outside the wall.

The survivor colonies in the wasteland seem to be like this.

Lukka walked over, looked down at Blake, who was squatting on the ground with his head in his hands, and said in a deep voice.

"Who sent you?"

Seeing the trigger plot, the surrounding players looked at this side with interest.

"I don't know..."

Blake said tremblingly, suddenly seeing that everyone's eyes were not good, he hurriedly explained, "I really don't know, I, I also collect money to do things, and the last family I connected with is a frequent visitor to the Pirate Bay Tavern, and his name is Bit... You can go and ask the bartender, they all know the man. ”

"Collect money and do things?" Lukka stared at him with a frown, "What did those people tell you to do?" How much did you pay? ”

"My boss only told me to ambush you here with someone, and then gave it to me... 1,000 chips," said Blake, with flattery and flattery on his face, pleading, "I am willing to give you all my possessions, but I beg you to spare a way out." ”

Without listening to the bounty hunter's pleas for mercy, old Lucka's face was solemn.

Although he expected that his trip would not be peaceful, in order to avoid long nights and dreams, he deliberately arranged the signing time very close, and did not prepare things for those with bad intentions.

However, unexpectedly, they were still targeted.

Old White looked like Luca with an inquiring look.

"What to do with these captives?"

Lukka pondered for a moment before speaking.

"I'll leave it to the manager."

After that, he showed the coordinates set on the map, and then looked at Lao Bai.

"The Guards will send someone to retrieve the prisoners, please arrange for two people to wait here for a while."

Lao Bai nodded and looked at the two agility players on the side.

"The NPC who took the captives is on their way here, you guys stay here for a while, and then follow after the handover."

The two nodded in unison.

"Oak!"

"No problem!"

The captives and booty were left in place, and two men were separated to guard them, and the group continued on their way.

If you retreat because of this difficulty, you will undoubtedly fall into the hands of the other party.

Luca Sr. made up his mind that no matter what happened, he would bring that agreement back.

At the same time, the outer city of Boulder City, inside the industrial building.

A man in a formal suit sits in an office, quietly looking at a hologram projected on a desk in his office.

It's an office, but there's nothing simple about it.

The entire room is designed to the standards of the Presidential Suite of the Inner City Hotel.

From the table in front of him to the bed in the next room, every piece of furniture is imported from the ideal.

His name was Ibs, the chairman of the Great Stone Military Industry.

As the underground emperor of the outer city of Boulder City, he is the only one in the entire outer city who has the financial resources to enjoy all this.

He is the only one who deserves such a treat.

The secretary, who was standing next to the man with a slightly old face, whispered.

“…… Their strength is astonishing. ”

Ibs nodded, expressionless.

"Well, I think I have mastered some kind of technology that can induce awakening."

"And the strength of the awakening performance is not weak."

Inducing awakening, while not easy, is not impossible to do.

When the population is in a life-and-death crisis, there will always be one or two strong unreasonable individuals.

Combined with the achievements in the field of genetic engineering in the era of the People's Union, this special situation is infinitely magnified, which leads to the so-called "awakening" - this is the most mainstream view.

Even without the use of any technological means, some survivor colonies are able to give birth to the Awakened under natural circumstances.

And if some technical means are used, it is also possible to induce the active awakening of individuals with potential.

Although this comes with a series of risks, including reproductive isolation.

Ibs had heard of this kind of technique, and even knew of more than a dozen of the technical routes for inducing awakening.

The Great Stone Military Industry has mastered two of them, and it makes little sense to master one more.

They will regularly produce a batch of cloned babies, select a few people with the potential to awaken and cultivate them intensively, and throw those who do not have the potential to be thrown into orphanages in slums or disposed of.

Although the screening is not 100% accurate, as long as the overall yield rate is greater than 80%, it is enough for them.

The Awakened are just a "cost-effective, low-yield" piece of equipment for the Boulder Military Industry, and their military capabilities rely not just on one or two pieces of equipment, but on the entire system.

However...

What scared Ibs was.

There are too many of these cost-effective pieces of equipment that the new alliance has.

The secretary, who was standing next to him, was obviously thinking of him.

“… If their ordinary soldiers and awakened people have such combat effectiveness, I am afraid that they will have to mobilize the militia to deal with them. ”

According to the information they investigated, the new alliance has a group of awakened people with a size of between 1000~3000, and this is also the basis for them to announce the Northern Expedition.

Although they have limited high-tech equipment, sometimes numbers are also a formidable force.

“…… Also, these people always give me a feeling that something is wrong. ”

Ibs asked casually.

"What are you talking about?"

After a pause in various senses, the secretary continued in a clear manner, "They don't look like normal people, but they don't look like clones either, more like special beings in between. ”

"I would suggest that we can increase our communication with them, and it would be better to be able to figure out what is going on with these people."

There are many strange things to do in the wasteland, but this one happened on their doorstep after all.

Ibs thought for a moment and nodded slowly.

"You're right, this really needs to be looked into."

The old secretary said respectfully, "Do you need me to arrange for the director of the town hall to meet with you?" ”

"No, I spoke to him on the phone last night and things are going in the direction we wanted."

The old secretary continued: "That being said, Mr. Duron seems to be in some trouble. ”

Ibs lowered his eyelids.

"What trouble."

"The workers surrounded the town hall, who were not satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations between Duron and the new alliance and demanded a new negotiation."

Ibers was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"Interesting."

…

Once upon a time, Boulder City wasn't a city, not even a survivor's settlement, but just a building.

Like other survivors of the apocalypse, the people who live there struggle with the apocalypse.

However, at this moment, a group of people came here and told the people in the building-

"We will build you walls and give you swords, seeds and torches."

"But unreliable alliances are crumbling, and our lives are in the wind."

"For the sake of the future of all of us, please hold on to the last spark."

"Until the End"

Later, as time went on, more and more people gathered in front of the "flame".

The flame of the crowd was high, and the fire burned more and more, although it was less than a single bit of the prosperous era, but there was still a trace of warmth.

Gradually, the original building and the surrounding neighborhood became the inner city, and the buffer zone between the inner city and the giant wall developed into the outer city.

Until now, even the large outer city was not enough to accommodate all the people, and people who could not enter the huge walls built shacks outside the walls, or spread to the surrounding areas, forming villages like Bate Street.

Of course, if you're unlucky, you can get caught by slave traders and sell to a place like Brown's Farm.

“… Or, simply become a ration for mutants, marauders, xenos. ”

After listening to Xia Yan's "history", Chu Guang said thoughtfully.

"The crowd... Is it called the Post-War Reconstruction Committee? ”

He had seen Dr. Principle's footage repeatedly, and although it did not mention Boulder City, it did mention the mysterious organization of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee many times.

Two centuries ago, there should have been no such big forces as corporations, legions, and academies in the wasteland, and the Torch Church only emerged ten or twenty years ago.

There is only one possibility to build such a majestic wall on the ruins.

"Then I don't know, I've heard that there are other versions, but that's all I know."

Sitting on the sofa in the browsing room, Xia Yan held a cup of hot milk with cocoa in his hand, and blew it gently in small sips.

She didn't know why Chu Guang suddenly became interested in the story of 200 years ago, but she happened to hear a little.

For chocolate's sake, it doesn't hurt to talk to him for a while.

Chu Guang nodded thoughtfully and knocked a few buttons on the keyboard.

Xia Yan looked curiously at Chu Guang, who was staring at the computer meticulously, and the slightly curved bionic prosthetic body casually rested on another well-shaped leg.

"Are you journaling?"

"Diary?" Chu Guang was slightly stunned, and then smiled, "Why do you think so." ”

Xia Yan blinked.

"Because it feels like you're writing every day."

After stopping the movement in his hand and thinking for a moment, Chu Guang spoke.

“… Well, it's not so much a diary as a weaving dream. ”

Xia Yan rolled her eyes helplessly.

"You're saying something hard again."

Chu Guang smiled faintly and did not speak.

Everything he says is the truth, but he rarely finishes a sentence.

In that regard, politics and sales are really alike.

It's just that the things sold are different.

After completing the worldview in the setting set, Chu Guang logged in to the official website forum and took a look.

It's not offline yet, and the players are all in the game, but the excitement on the forums is really not diminished at all.

Two hours ago, the silver coin trading platform was reopened, and the trading price has been a roller coaster for more than a dozen rounds, which made the onlookers who ate melons say that it is simply out of the ordinary.

"! It's over 100! ”

"Awesome!"

"How did it get to single digits?!"

"Guys, give me some strength! Everyone doesn't sell it, and the silver coins are lifted to the sky! ”

"Damn! Who the hell is throwing!! ”

Due to the prohibition of communication on related topics in the gossip section, similar posts have been swept across the trading board.

The leeks paid attention to the price, but Chu Guang was flipping through the information of those big orders in the background.

Even if he doesn't need to use Xiaoqi's computing power, he can roughly judge based on the flow of funds that the major forces in reality are consciously increasing their holdings of the air coins he issued.

Even hired professional traders.

“… It seems that the energy of this battery is not small. ”

A smile appeared on Chu Guang's face.

If they decide to mistake themselves for an extraterrestrial civilization, as some kind of allegory with enlightenment, then let them continue to misunderstand.

That's not a bad thing.

It is a matter of course to pay those who work hard.

Although he can't go to that world himself, he still hopes that his little players can live a little better.

At this moment, Xiao Qi's voice suddenly floated.

"Master."

For the characteristics of this assistant AI to report worries and not good news, Chu Guang looked nervously at the puppet sitting at the corner of the table.

"What's wrong?"

Being looked at so directly, Xiao Qi showed an embarrassed expression and a shy smile.

However, that doesn't turn bad news into good news.

"You only have the last two left in the closed beta."

Chu Guang was stunned.

"Only two? Didn't I say that the issuance will be reduced when the closed beta qualifications are almost out? ”

Xiao Qi said aggrievedly: "I'm doing what you ordered... Last week, the number of qualifications issued per day was reduced to 10, and this week it has decreased a little, but the number is only that much. ”

Although it also wanted to help Chu Guang recruit more players to come in, the "recruitment ceiling" was there, and it had no choice.

Chu Guang didn't speak today, Xiao Qi whispered.

"Do you want to change it to one a day?"

Or send out a gold coin every day and collect 10 to exchange for a discount coupon for a helmet.

Xia Yan tilted his head, not understanding what Chu Guang and the ornaments on the table were saying.

"That's not necessary, the last two will be sent directly."

Glancing at the tasks in the work log, Chu Guang pinched his eyebrows with some headaches.

“… It seems that contact with Vault 101 should be on the agenda as soon as possible. ”

In order to make that Pai happy, he deliberately sent a well-behaved, sensible and cute little fish to act as her "exclusive customer service".

I don't know what the situation is on her side......