Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the dark underground tunnel, a group of people advanced forward quickly without exchanging a word.
No one would have thought within the Town of Exiles—completely surrounded by the rebel army—there would be an underground tunnel connected directly to an area a few kilometers outside the town, which allowed players to break through the encirclement to execute a “kill mission” that would influence the tide of the war without making a sound.
Special Armor Piercing Bullet (Grade C). Increases attack by 25% and increases effective shooting attack range by 100 m. High probability of breaking the defense of equipment below Grade C (inclusive). (Non-tradeable).
Military Stamina Recovery Potion (Grade C). Increases stamina recovery rate 1.2 times, lasts for five minutes. (Non-tradeable).
This is some good stuff! thought Feng Luo. It’s unfortunate that they are non-tradable; otherwise, I’d be able to earn at least 2,000 credits!
Feng Luo, who was positioned in the last third of the entire team, focused his thoughts on the two rations given by the Guards and put them into his bag. These two items were expendable items that life profession players were currently unable to produce. They could only be obtained through missions. They had excellent attributes, and their price was not something to be trifled with. Unfortunately, the quantities of the two items were low. There was only a magazine of 20 of the special armor-piercing bullet, and there were only five military stamina recovery potions.
The captain had confidently stated that they would provide their full support to the actions of the players, but one might as well have believed that the beautiful women in the game were just as beautiful in real life; the captain’s claims were just about as likely. The game company would never allow the players to have too great an advantage. The supplies worth 2,000 credits could just be the payment for one level lost during this mission on the part of the players.
All 23 players who attended the meeting chose to accept the mission. This was not surprising. Feng Luo was certain that everyone had seen something that had struck their fancy in the system exchange store. After all, there was no way an ordinary player would be able to withstand the seduction of an item at the same level as the Eye of the Thunder.
Apart from the players taking part in the mission, 17 fully geared Guards also joined in the operation. The one leading them was the sergeant who had led them into the meeting room. Assault rifles were in the hands of the soldiers, and the bags on their backs were filled with ammunition. Only the muscular, two-meter-tall Guard held an eye-catching machine gun in his hands. It was a Level-45 Rare-grade weapon that was famous among the players.
Metallic black like the night. Eight high-tech S-series alloy gun barrels. An electrical chip that supported shot calculation. With a firing rate that could reach 9,000 shots per minute, the gun was nicknamed “Crazy Ripper”!
This superior machine gun weighed 45 kilograms while empty yet was easily carried by only the right hand of the muscular guard. His movement did not slow at all, which sufficiently demonstrated that his strength had already reached a level that was hard for players to attain. It also showed that he must have possessed multiple strong pieces of equipment that increased his attributes on his body. (Note: In War, humanoid NPCs could also equip items).
Feng Luo could feel several players sneaking glances at this NPC sergeant, especially the Crazy Ripper in his hands. They were probably wondering—if they could devise a way to kill him—if there was a chance for his machine gun to drop. It was well known that the price of this Rare-grade Crazy Ripper had already been speculated at five million credits on the exchange. Moreover, the situation was such that the gun was practically priceless. It was extremely difficult to attain.
However, the players only thought about it. None of them actually dared to try it.
Although the degree of freedom of War was relatively high, and it definitely would have been possible to ambush and kill this NPC, the consequences were not something one could easily withstand. The killer would certainly face multiple rounds of endless bounties from the system. That would be a real bounty, which was a whole lot more advanced than red-name bounties gained for murdering ten people.
In fact, the players who received this mission were quite lucky. Before they left for the mission, the captain had actively cleared the names of everyone and turned them all into yellow names. This also meant that if they died during the mission, at the very least, their equipment losses would not be too terrible. Plus, they would be revived after death and would not be locked in prison.
Is this an intentional trap devised by the NPCs? wondered Feng Luo. To make players willingly sacrifice their lives for them?
Feng Luo speculated out of boredom. Soon, the 40-man team had reached the exit of the tunnel.
The position of the tunnel exit was inside a secluded cave. The large, digitally controlled door, camouflaged and hidden by heavy boulders, opened slowly after the Guard NPCs entered the password and scanned their retinas.
Awaiting them outside was the dark night, which was accompanied by the constant, faint sounds of bombing coming from behind them.
After two soldiers left to scout ahead, the sergeant lowered his voice and called out, “Safe. Everything is here. Keep up!” He held the Crazy Ripper and walked out, bent low at the waist.
The rest of the soldiers from the Town Guard followed closely behind him. Behind them were the slightly confused players. Their discipline could clearly not be compared to NPC soldiers; while they were in the cave, they created quite a racket. However, the exit was sufficiently hidden, and they were already three kilometers away from the Town of Exiles. The territory of the rebel army did not extend this place, so the effect was minimal.
After that, it was another wave of hasty traveling. It was only after half an hour that the group of people reached their destination: Dark Moon Valley. This was the original location of the Town of Exiles, at coordinates −4345, 0780.
The area was a valley. In the sky, the pale moon was blocked by the clouds. The sandstone road between the two small mountains on either side of the valley was visible only occasionally in the moonlight.
After reaching the stipulated point, the sergeant started to distribute tasks and responsibilities.
“The next task will be executed in groups,” he said. “Every group will hide in the location I designate. Be stealthy! When we start to take action, you will follow and attack. Make sure to kill Harry Luden. We must complete the mission even if it costs us our lives. Apart from that, from now on, all communications are prohibited. Everyone, turn off your communicator!”
“We” naturally meant the NPC soldiers. As for “everyone,” it meant the players. The dozen NPC soldiers all had a solemn expression, tightly gripping the assault rifles in their hands. The players did not feel as tense. Since they were no longer at risk of facing the punishment of dying as red names, they would only lose one level’s worth of experience after death.
Of course, the reward of this mission was exceptional, so the players did not plan to be lazy. After all, they had to kill the target to receive their rewards. And the captain had said that the results depended on their overall performance throughout the mission.
“Hold on, Sergeant,” A Level-44 Light Armor Warrior suddenly spoke up, confidence showing clearly on his face. “There’s no need to turn off the communicator, right? If we turn it off, we can’t communicate, so how can we guarantee we’ll know the exact time to attack and retreat? I suggest everyone keep their communicators on so that we maintain contact, and we can use attack tactics to lure enemies deep into our ranks based on the time gaps. This can better guarantee the mission’s chances of success. Even if a situation arises, it would be easy to retreat!” Based on the Light Armor Warrior’s shiny, luxurious equipment and his smooth, plump face, it was a safe guess that he was likely a genuine second-generation tycoon.
The sergeant glanced at him coldly out of the corner of his eye. “Because we must use disruptors to block the SOS signals of the enemy, so during that time, the communicators will be as useful as a brick. Are you prepared to command everyone at the top of your lungs in this huge valley then? Also, who told you we need to consider retreat? There are only two options for this mission: success or death. There is no retreat. Whoever dares to say this is trying to lower morale and will be executed on the spot. Our squad does not need cowards!”
His words made the Light Armor Warrior flush red. Clearly, he had not considered blocking the enemy’s signals. He had only wanted to say a few words to share his thoughts and feel a sense of superiority. What had not occurred to this bastard was that the NPC in the game paid quite a lot of attention to military discipline. So instead, he was scolded and labeled a “coward” by an NPC!
The Sniper, an associate of Yellow-tooth, had already taken a grayish-black sniper rifle out of his bag. He had completed assembling it and was in the midst of testing it as he smirked and said mockingly, “What an idiot!”
The flushed face of the Light Armor Warrior sank, and he stared straight at the Sniper. “What the f*ck did you say…?”
“Everyone shut the hell up!” the stern-faced sergeant shouted in a low voice.
Over a dozen soldiers behind him instantly loaded the assault rifles in their hands and aimed at the two of them with uniform movements. With over a dozen guns pointed at their heads, neither of the two dared to make another sound.
This mission… It’s probably going to be interesting… Feng Luo thought quietly, standing by himself.