Chapter 15

Amidst a vast wilderness, a clearly modified pickup truck emitted a somewhat strained sound as it moved forward on the bumpy ground. The springs under the truck bed groaned with each jolt, making one worry if they would snap and cause a fatal accident.

"Tell me, are the people in the safety base really that crazy? This broken pickup costs 500 points. In those low-level war ruins, I fought those disgusting zombies for 8 hours straight. My hands were numb from killing zombies, and I only managed to get less than 400 points."

There were four people in the pickup truck, all men. Despite the truck's shaking, they appeared carefree and laid-back. However, all four exuded a certain aura, that of soldiers, and more specifically, elite soldiers. The one speaking was sitting in the back of the pickup, the most delicate-looking young man among the four.

This person gave off a completely harmless vibe. Seeing him, you might think of a friendly neighbor, a shy college student, or a young artist focused on painting, naive to the ways of the world. In short, you wouldn't think he was a soldier. But he was, and he was the leader of this team known as the "Violent Squad," with the game name "Gambler" and the profession of a mentalist.

"Who isn't? If it weren't for Amino modifying the chassis and engine, this car would barely run on a flat road, let alone on this terrain. But isn't Amino a bit too greedy? He charged us 100 points for the modifications, even though we're acquaintances. Does he think our points grow on trees?" The driver, a tall and muscular man about 1.8 meters tall, grumbled.

This man was the mech warrior of the Violent Squad, named Bandit. Mentioning Amino, Bandit's face darkened because he had to pay the 100 points for the modifications. Thinking about how he had to kill zombies for hours to accumulate those points, while Amino took just half an hour to modify the truck, made him extremely frustrated.

"In the future, when we get good items from monsters, we should sell the rare ones to Amino at a higher price. Let that guy, who's obsessed with mechanical parts, know that points aren't easy to earn," said a young man sitting in the passenger seat. He had slightly dark skin and very small pupils, less than a tenth the size of a normal person's. He was a member of the Violent Squad, with the game name "Thief." He was a player who specialized in becoming a mutant and was the best at hand-to-hand combat in the team. Once, in a performance, he had single-handedly taken down ten fully equipped elite soldiers.

"I agree. Otherwise, that parts-obsessed guy won't understand the importance of points in this game," chimed in a man sitting next to Gambler in the back, who was constantly cleaning his gun. He was the sniper and a gunsmith of the team. The sniper rifle he was cleaning was visibly different from Wang Fusheng's, but the Bandit still caressed it as if it were a lover.

"Do you think we're being too hasty by going straight for the werewolf?" The journey was a bit boring, and driving on this terrain was frustrating. Bandit brought up a topic.

"It should be fine. After our class change, each of us has become stronger. Especially Thief, who is practically a human monster. His attributes have increased by a full 10%, and he has gained the mutant ability 'Giant Strength,' making him several times stronger. Killing the werewolf shouldn't be too difficult."

Due to nuclear radiation, not only did infected people turn into zombies, but many animals also became monsters. For example, the target of the Violent Squad was a werewolf mutated by nuclear radiation. Ordinary wolves, when exposed to nuclear radiation, didn't change much in appearance but became two to three times more powerful.

The werewolves, however, were even more formidable. Not only were they physically strong, but they also had intelligence comparable to humans. According to the system's classification, werewolves were F1-level bosses. The best weapons players had were around G-level, while F-level weapons were considered divine.

Players were currently just at the level of first-class privates, and even killing G-level monsters was challenging. Killing an F-level boss with a star rating was indeed a tall order.

"It shouldn't be a big problem. My sniper rifle has an attack power of 280, and with my own attack, it's 358. As long as I can get within 200 meters of the werewolf, I should be able to take it down. I'm just worried that my attack might not be enough to kill it in one shot. 200 meters seems far, but for the werewolf, it's just a few breaths away. During the time it takes to run over, I can only fire three shots, and I'm not sure how much damage I can do," the sniper explained.

"Killing the werewolf in one shot is unlikely. Your sniper rifle, while called a sniper rifle, isn't as powerful as a regular rifle. It can take down a strong zombie, but zombies are G1-level ordinary monsters. The werewolf is an F1-level boss. Even if you use all 10 bullets in your sniper rifle, you probably won't kill it," Thief analyzed.

"Thief is right. If the attack isn't enough, even a headshot might not break through its defense. When we reach the destination, Bandit and Thief will clear the ordinary wolves, and we'll push forward. Then Bandit will come back to drive, and Thief and I will provide cover. Bandit will set up a mobile sniper point on the truck. We'll engage the werewolf in a mobile battle, and your target will be its eyes. Blinding it will make it easier for Thief and me to kill it.

"After blinding the werewolf, the other wolves will go crazy. At that time, Bandit will snipe and hunt, and Bandit will help Thief and me kill the werewolf. Then we'll quickly leave with the werewolf's body and the loot. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to finish the battle within an hour. How does this plan sound?" Gambler's fingers tapped rhythmically on the dashboard, unaffected by the truck's constant shaking.

"There shouldn't be any major issues. But what if someone comes to steal the monster? This isn't a real-life mission where we have exclusive rights. In the game, other players can also take on the task of killing the werewolf. What do we do if someone tries to steal it?" Thief asked.

"That is a concern. In the game, death means starting over in the low-level war ruins, but even without killing zombies, you can leave after 10 hours. Compared to that, the value of killing the werewolf is much greater," Gambler frowned, realizing this was a game, not a real mission.

"Kill anyone who tries to steal the monster. We're free to act as we please, not bound by military regulations. And this is a game, where player battles are common. Whoever steals the monster, we'll take them down," Bandit shrugged, his eyes gleaming with violence.

"Agreed. Player battles in the game are normal. If someone tries to steal our monster, we can kill them. We're free to act because we're not like others who are stationed in the safety base. I think everyone understands why. So, for more missions, we don't need to worry about minor rule violations. However, this is just a possibility. Players have only recently left the low-level war ruins and are unlikely to come to this high-level monster area," Gambler nodded after a moment's thought.

Half an hour later, Gambler and the others began to encounter stray wolves. This was an open area, mostly dry grasslands, with several damaged concrete roads leading to the ruins of a town about two kilometers away. The area was filled with wolves mutated by nuclear radiation, and the werewolf was in the ruins of the distant town.

"The landmarks match. This should be the place. The werewolf is in the ruins about two kilometers away. Thief and I will push forward, and Bandit will protect Bandit and follow behind. Bandit, bring the truck. Although it's a big target, after killing the werewolf, the other wolves will be enraged. The truck will be our lifeline for escape, so it can't be left too far behind."

Jumping off the pickup, Gambler checked the map on his electronic device and compared it to the surrounding terrain. Thief rushed towards the nearby wolves. Mutated wolves were two to three times stronger than ordinary wolves, with enhanced speed, strength, and defense.

But Thief quickly dispatched the nearby wolves, each one dying from a powerful blow to the throat from his fist, blade, or knee.

Rumbling! As Thief killed the wolves, Bandit jumped out of the driver's seat, and a five-meter-tall mech, resembling a robot, appeared beside him. The mech's chest hatch opened, and a ladder slid down. Bandit grabbed the ladder and leaped into the control room. The control room was small, about half the size of the front seat of a car. There was a seat like a driver's, but instead of a steering wheel, there were two control sticks. Below the sticks were pedals similar to a car's brake, clutch, and accelerator, which were the mech's controls. By stepping on different pedals and operating the control sticks, the mech could perform various actions like running, attacking, and defending.

This was an old-style mech, long obsolete in the real world, with a steel structure. It was controlled by the feet and hands, far behind the most advanced mechs that could be controlled by brain waves or touch screens.

Sitting in the control seat, Bandit retracted the ladder, and the mech's chest hatch slowly closed. He fastened his seatbelt to avoid being thrown out during maneuvers. Then, he grabbed the control sticks with both hands and stepped on the pedals. Slowly pushing the right stick forward and pressing the right pedal, the heavy mech lifted its right leg and took a step forward.