Chapter 978 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 978: Capture Although Ye Shi spoke with a joking tone, his actions were anything but playful. Sparks of blue electricity danced from his fingertips made of synthetic material, flickering eerily like ghostly apparitions, accompanied by the crackling sound reminiscent of snapping dry wood. Flynn couldn't utter a word. After being electrocuted, he couldn't even beg for mercy, his entire body convulsing as if in the throes of epilepsy. In reality, if it had been Old Bai, even if his power armor components were paralyzed, it likely wouldn’t have made much difference. However, this guy was merely well-equipped; his physical body might only possess the strength of a typical awakened individual, possibly oriented towards enhanced reflexes. That being said, the ability to discharge electricity was undeniably formidable! Not only could he fire electromagnetic projectiles with his bare hands, but he could also release electromagnetic pulses and overload circuits at close range, all the while administering a shock therapy treatment to his opponent. With enough energy supplied by a portable reactor, he could theoretically keep up the discharge for an entire day if he so desired. "Hey buddy, why aren't you saying anything?" Ye Shi teased with a cheeky grin, placing his hand on the exoskeleton armor’s shoulder. The person beneath it merely rolled their eyes, convulsing within the armor. Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from afar. Finally catching up, Jiang Xuezhou clutched her knees, panting heavily, and called out. "Ye Shi! Don't electrocute him into a coma! We need to interrogate him… capture him alive!" Ye Shi, who had been thoroughly enjoying himself, jolted with realization and hurriedly withdrew his crackling hand. As the electrodes detached, the convulsing man's shoulder stilled, though he himself remained motionless, standing upright. "Whoa, is he really out cold?!" Ye Shi felt a pang of dread, mainly fearing the prospect of having to perform CPR himself at the end. Coughing weakly while being suspended by the neck, Feng Qing murmured wearily. "...Could you… put me down first?" Because her feet hadn’t touched the ground, she hadn’t taken as much of the electric shock, but she was nearing her limit. She felt that if she remained suspended any longer, she might just end up facing the administrator back at Dawn City. "Ah! Hang in there! I'll get you down right away!" Seeing Feng Qing about to pass out, Ye Shi quickly switched to the arc welder attached to his bionic arm and began to slice through the "iron grip" holding her neck. As electricity flew, sparks sputtering outward, a faint voice called out from the corner not far away. "Medic! I need a medic! Cough... I'm gonna die!" Although Jiang Xuezhou didn't understand what the man was shouting, upon seeing an injured person lying by the wall, she frantically rushed over. "I'm coming to help!" … Half of her body embedded in the twisted metal conduit, Guigui felt disassembled, as if she couldn’t command any part of her body to move. That kick at least had the strength of a Level 50 bull or horse tether, right? No—perhaps even Level 60, given the way her chest plate had caved inwards into a "<" shape. Fortunately, the exoskeleton had shielded her, resulting only in a few broken ribs and some bruises. With the help of a researcher from the academy, she'd finally managed to extricate herself from the half-wrecked exoskeleton. A dose of nano-treatment injection into her leg filled her with warmth, coursing through her body, and she felt revitalized, her sluggish limbs regaining speed. "Phew… saved! Thank you so much… How much was the treatment shot? I'll transfer it to you." Hearing the sincere gratitude, Jiang Xuezhou’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment. Waving her hand, she said, “No need… we exchange our supplies with grand points, not money." At this moment, Feng Qing, with Ye Shi’s help, finally set her feet on the ground and escaped the confines of the exoskeleton. Although both her arms were fractured, the bones weren’t broken, just dislocated. With Ye Shi’s assistance, she realigned her arms, stabilized them with bandages, and managed her injuries temporarily. Complete recovery and swelling reduction would have to wait for the cryogenic pod's treatment. Although she’d need to spend a day or two in the pod, it beat having to restart at Dawn City from scratch. She hadn’t yet fully explored the new map, and she and Guigui were planning a visit to Triumph City afterward. Seeing the scattered wreckage and mechanical parts strewn across the ground, Ye Shi felt a twinge of pain inside. Noticing the expression on his face, Feng Qing nodded slightly in apology. "Thank you… and sorry about damaging your spoils." "No worries, as long as everyone’s okay," Ye Shi replied graciously, waving his hand with a smile. "I'll take it back to Boulder City for Ebers to have a look. Maybe it can be repaired and put to use… Speaking of which, what brought you to the sewers?" Earlier, Ye Shi and Jiang Xuezhou had spent quite a while searching through a small alley without stumbling upon any Enlightenment members, just a couple of small-time hoodlums. Perhaps thinking the two were easy targets, those thugs tried to mug them, only to be soundly beaten by Ye Shi and tossed into a trash bin by the roadside. With Avante City bustling with hiring needs, a surge of various survivor backgrounds had entered, leaving room for a few unsavory elements. While they didn't capture any agents, teaching those thugs a lesson still contributed a bit to the city’s policing efforts. Not too long after wrapping up with those guys, Ye Shi heard gunshots from beneath a manhole cover not too far away, prompting him to drag Jiang Xuezhou along with him. His instincts, it turned out, were right. Not long after descending, Guigui, having been taken offline by a kick, posted online. Following the sound of explosions, Ye Shi quickly found his way there, ending the confrontation with a decisive blow. Compared to the disciple he encountered back at Vault 0, this individual’s combat prowess was lackluster, still boasting obliviously as Ye Shi approached stealthily. After steadying her breath, Feng Qing briefly explained their situation. "We took on a task from Mosquito to clear out mutant nests, not expecting anything other than mutants in the sewers." After a pause and surveying the surroundings, Feng Qing expressed with some concern. "This guy probably belongs to the Enlightenment group. He might not be the only one… we should stay vigilant." "Don't worry," said Jiang Xuezhou, supporting the injured Guigui and spoke with confidence, an assured smile on her face, "I’ll never be caught off-guard by someone in optical camouflage again." Optical camouflage could create a visual stealth effect, but it couldn't hide changes in electromagnetic fields. After escaping the peril back in Vault 0, she’d equipped herself with a magnetosensitive device capable of continuously monitoring any working electronic components and electromagnetic sources within a twenty-meter radius. There’s no way in the world to simultaneously execute both electronic cloaking and optical invisibility. Coupled with Ye Shi’s peculiarly keen sensory abilities, she was 100% confident in preventing future ambushes. However, hearing her comment, Ye Shi, once confident of never being caught by surprise, suddenly felt less sure, clearing his throat nervously. "Don’t jinx it, I thought so too at first… but when you set it up like a flag, it makes me uneasy." Jiang Xuezhou’s eyebrows twitched, glaring at him for undermining her. "You're rambling about something strange again, what's this ‘flag’ nonsense? I’m discussing serious matters!" "Yes, yes…" Ye Shi placated, shrugging at Feng Qing. "Anyway, the academy has some tech that can detect optical camouflage. It’s hit-or-miss, but paired with my sensory talent, it sort of works." Sharing a knowing glance, Feng Qing and Guigui couldn’t help but marvel. "High-tech…" "So cool." Unable to understand the exchange between Ye Shi and other shelter residents, Jiang Xuezhou furrowed her brows suspiciously. "Are you badmouthing me behind my back?" "Why would I? Am I such a person?" protested Ye Shi with a helpless chuckle, although Jiang Xuezhou’s expression clearly showed her skepticism. "Really? Then translate what you just said!" "I claimed our academy’s science and tech is world-class!" Ye Shi brazenly declared without missing a beat. "Hmph, you'd better mean it…" With her heart feeling as sweet as chocolate, Jiang Xuezhou proudly smirked. However, her delight lasted not even a second before noticing something amiss on Guigui’s face, instantly dropping her smile and uplifted brows. "Wait, you're lying! You said the same last time! But the pronunciation was totally different!" She utterly despises deceit. Jiang Xuezhou, realizing she had been duped, flushed with anger and attempted to kick Ye Shi’s shin with her toe, but her attempt was thwarted as he deftly sidestepped her attack. “Hahaha! Sorry! I was just joking! I didn’t think you’d actually believe it!” Although he felt guilty for laughing, he couldn’t help it. Jiang Xuezhou’s exasperated expression was just too endearing, and Ye Shi couldn’t suppress his loud, snorting laughter. Seeing his boastful demeanor, the initially mildly upset Jiang Xuezhou grew more incensed, releasing Guigui’s arm and chasing after him. “You rascal… stay still! I’m going to knock your head off!” “Ha! You’ll have to catch me first!” Watching the two of them chasing each other through the sewer, Feng Qing pressed her temples with a complicated expression. Even though she thought she had dove into gaming pretty deeply, she realized she still paled in comparison to these hardcore players. After all, this was a sewer. Couldn’t they flirt somewhere more romantic? Guigui hobbled to her side, instinctively pinching her nose with her finger, showing her discomfort. “Damn… I’d just gotten used to the sewage stink and now it smells even worse.” They’d already been fed a serving of lovey-dovey antics above ground in the morning, and as soon as they descended, there was another serving. Feng Qing sighed, giving her friend a resigned look. “Well, they did save you, so just bear with it.” Choked by this point, Guigui pulled a face of frustration as if feeling defeated and eventually pressed her right hand against her flat chest. “Ugh… just kill me.” Feng Qing tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding the joke Guigui was referencing. But that wasn’t the main concern. Glancing at the Enlightenment disciple who stood dumbly like a statue, Feng Qing turned her attention to Ye Shi, who was now pinned to the ground by Jiang Xuezhou, and pointed towards the disciples’ direction. “Even though I hate to interrupt your game… what should we do with him?” Jiang Xuezhou, face flushed, halted her actions. Finally catching his breath, Ye Shi turned his head laboriously and replied with a cough. “Let’s take him up first… most likely, he’s the only one stationed at nearby bases. It’d be easier to let him lead us there directly than search slowly.” He’d already checked when helping Feng Qing escape the exoskeleton; the captive still had a heartbeat and might have regained consciousness by now. However, he had already removed the exoskeleton’s battery and injected something to immobilize him. Even if the guy did wake up, he’d be unable to move—only helplessly watch them in silence. “Good idea,” Feng Qing said, giving a thumbs up, “Then Guigui and I will go up? You two… carry on?” The last part was in a common inter-residential language, which meant Jiang Xuezhou could understand. Noticing the tiny hint of teasing in her tone, Jiang Xuezhou glared at Ye Shi one last time before finally masking her embarrassment, standing up from the ground with her face still warmly flushed. “Carry, carry on, nothing to carry on, I’m going up!” Seeing her face almost steaming, Feng Qing couldn’t help but smile like a teasing aunt. Is everyone from the academy this innocent? Unwittingly, she thought of Boss Xia, who spent entire afternoons arguing with players. Speaking of which, the weapon shop in Ling Lake Wetland Park had changed NPCs multiple times, but she still missed the original red-haired lady the most. “Let’s head up together, though. I’m a bit worried Guigui and I won’t be able to handle him alone.” Just as Feng Qing was about to leave, Guigui remembered something and looked up. “What about the mutant nest mission? Aren’t we going to do anything about the little mouse we released?” Feng Qing paused, clearly just remembering the task, and after a moment of thought, replied. “We’ll come back down later anyway.” “Then we’ll see what that little guy found.” ... At the tavern by the job market entrance, Fang Chang was enjoying his coffee when Elder Bai called. “The person has been captured?” Surprised, he opened his eyes wide and stood up, pushing his chair away. “Alright… I’ll be there right away.” Dolly, who had been busy writing, paused and cast a curious look his way. “They’ve found them already? That was quick.” She had just considered leveraging the newspaper’s influence but didn’t expect the person to be caught already. “In the sewers under Street 17. It’s likely one of their fixed bases, similar to the one below Port Evernight. There, we might find the clues we’re after… although, first, we need to loosen that disciple’s tongue.” Saying this, Fang Chang reached for the coat draped over his chair, swung it over his shoulders and fastened the buttons, addressing Dolly. “I’ll head over there; I should be back by evening. If you’re hungry, feel free to order some food.” Waving a hand cheerfully, Dolly smiled at him. “Go on, go on, stay safe… Oh, and if you get any explosive news, keep me in the loop!” Seeing her playful demeanor, Fang Chang chuckled warmly. “I will… and remember to stay close to the barracks. The city’s security lately has been lacking, not only because of Enlightenment but also due to wastelanders from elsewhere.” Dolly raised an eyebrow and replied in a lighthearted tone. “I doubt it can get worse than Boulder City before. Don’t worry, I’m not an easy target.” Fang Chang tangled his fingers through her fluffy, mint-green hair with a grin. “I trust you. I’ll see you soon.” – (Special thanks to "Puppy Celery" for the alliance master reward!!!) To be continued.