Chapter 264 The answer is to sell gas masks?
"The lobby is secure!"
Three squads that stormed into the building swiftly took control of the lobby. Team C established a defensive perimeter outside the elevators, eliminating the Devourers lured by the noise within the lobby.
The rookie tasked with delivering supplies, carrying a backpack filled with ammunition and explosives, ran in from the direction of the main entrance.
"Ammo!"
"Thanks!"
Old Wang from next door picked up a backpack, glanced inside after unzipping it, and casually tossed it to the Combat Atmosphere Team waiting by the elevator entrance.
"Brothers, it's all on you now!"
"OK!"
The combat veteran, clad in heavy gear, handed the backpack to me, the darkest among us, before he approached the elevator shaft entrance, spreading his large hands to grasp the partly closed elevator doors.
The output power of the Miner Type I exoskeleton was maximized.
The rusted door creaked under the strain and was soon pried open just enough for a person to enter.
A nimble player from Team B ducked inside, lifted his rifle to check the entrance above, and then signaled all clear.
"The passage is clear!"
"Roger that—"
The combat veteran held his breath, his arms continuously exerting force, causing the elevator doors to tremble along with the steel plates welded to the exoskeleton.
Seeing the elevator doors not opening after a while, Kakarot quickly activated his strength talent and joined in the effort. Together, they finally managed to tear down the hefty elevator doors.
"MMP! That door was really sturdy!" The leader of the Combat Atmosphere Team exhaled deeply, lifting his arm to wipe his forehead.
Standing nearby, I was still examining the backpack in my hands, zipping and unzipping it repeatedly.
"What's all this stuff inside?"
And it's quite heavy, too!
The combat veteran chuckled.
"17 kilograms of explosives, better be careful with it."
I was stunned for a moment.
"17 kilograms... What does that even mean?"
Kakarot: "Equivalent to two 155s."
I looked puzzled, clearly not understanding what 155 meant.
However, some of the more knowledgeable players got the hint, instinctively moving aside while cursing under their breath.
Wasting no time, the Combat Atmosphere Team patted me on the shoulder, signaling it was time to stop playing around, and then led the team members into the elevator shaft.
The space inside the elevator shaft was rather spacious.
The elevator car seemed to have fallen to a lower floor, but the shaft was not lacking places to anchor one's feet, with spare mag-rails and steel cables present, along with climbing ladders, likely intended for elevator repair personnel.
The combat veteran secured a survival rope made of Devil's Silk around a steel cable, pulled on a ladder embedded in the wall to test its weight-bearing capacity against the exoskeleton, and then confidently shifted all his weight onto the ladder.
"Our mission is simple, just like what Quan Shui LYB said, to go straight to the 43rd floor via the elevator shaft, and then perform vertical blasting downwards!"
I swallowed hard.
"So we're climbing up like this?"
Another team member slapped my shoulder playfully.
"What's there to fear? It won't be tiring! Just a bit of a hassle."
The claim of not being tiring wasn't entirely accurate.
Muscles would still accumulate lactic acid, making players feel heavy, weak, and sluggish. Only the accompanying soreness was blocked.
But compared to fighting all the way up, breaking through vertically from the elevator shaft was much less difficult.
Due to the spore cloud, Devourers from nearby streets and even the nearby subway station were all drawn to the vicinity of the building.
And those stairways and corridors that lead to the 41st floor were exactly where the spore concentration was highest!
Just a while ago, the combat veteran took a quick peek at the safety passage entrance behind the elevator shaft and found the scene there was simply horrendous, best described as a "mountain of corpses and a sea of blood."
It turns out, having a reliable commander really does provide a sense of security!
Climbing up the forty-plus story building took quite some time.
Occasionally, when their strength waned, they had to hang on the survival rope to rest for a while before continuing the climb.
By the time Team A reached the 43rd floor, it was already 4 p.m.
They took a short break at the entrance of the elevator shaft on the 43rd floor.
The Combat Atmosphere Team placed 300g of explosives on the elevator door and continued moving up to the 46th floor with the team, then detonated the blasting cap.
Boom—!
A thunderous explosion sent the elevator door flying outward, and the blast wave swept into the elevator shaft.
The five players from Team A rapidly descended, stormed into the 43rd floor of the building, and as deafening roars echoed, hordes of Devourers surged from both sides of the corridor.
"Fire!!"
Muzzles flared with gunfire!
The corridor erupted in a cacophony of gunshots, bullets sweeping through like a tempest, cutting down Devourers in droves.
In moments, the hallway was strewn with blood and dismembered limbs!
Yet, despite the ferocity of the players' firepower, the onslaught of Devourers continued unabated, flooding towards them like a relentless tide!
Just then, thunderous explosions came from outside the building.
Shell after shell of high-explosive rounds pierced through the shattered windows, detonating in the corridor and instantly felling a swath of densely packed Devourers!
"Move fast! Hustle!"
The Combat Atmosphere Team bellowed loudly, seizing the moment to pull out a grenade and lob it towards the safety passage at the end of the corridor.
With a booming explosion, more Devourers fell!
Without lingering, Team A maintained their barrage while moving to their objective room.
Graphite-colored glass doors were arranged within the room, dividing the space into sections with different functions.
This must have been an office area of sorts!
Raising their rifles, the Combat Atmosphere Team quickly located the target position on the map, then extracted pre-prepared explosives from the backpack passed by me, placing them in a circle on the floor and carefully pulling the pin.
"3 kilograms of explosives! Should be enough to blow a hole in the floor!"
"Everyone take cover and shout when ready!"
The other four players shouted back in high spirits.
"Roger!"
They huddled in the corner, placing a table in front of them as a shield, while the Combat Atmosphere Team pulled out the detonator, gently squeezing it in their palm.
Boom—!
Following a deafening explosion, the shockwave and scorching blast swept through the office area!
The players quickly moved to the center of the explosion.
The concrete and floor tiles had been shattered into debris, with only a few pieces hanging on the bent steel rebar skeleton.
Seeing the extent of the damage, a slight heaviness settled in the heart of the Combat Atmosphere Team.
Though they had successfully blown open a path downward, the blast's effect fell far short of expectations. Three kilograms of explosives...
In reality, that would have been enough to demolish a small house!
"Damn! How sturdy is this building?" I couldn't help but swallow hard.
Master Cai of human silhouette outlining: "Demolishing the entire ceiling might be a bit difficult... Let's have Team B bring up the fuel."
The Combat Atmosphere Team nodded gravely.
"Alright."
After a brief exchange over the comms channel.
Team A returned to the elevator shaft, securing the winch at the entrance and throwing the rope down.
The winch whirred into action!
Soon, fifty liters of biomass fuel were hauled up!
Once the fuel was in place, Team A returned to the blast site, quickly descending through the opened ceiling to the 42nd floor.
The situation on this floor was markedly different from the 43rd!
The spacious office area was covered with brown and dark red slime molds, the air thick with high concentrations of spores, the soles of their shoes sticking to the ground as if stepping on moss.
Their visibility was less than five meters!
And right beneath their feet was the forming brood nest!
"…Why do I feel like I've crawled into the belly of an alien?"
I swallowed hard, raising my rifle to carefully inspect every corner of the room.
From the moment they descended from the ceiling, a deep unease had settled in my heart.
Yet, this sense of crisis came from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint where the real danger lurked.
The Combat Atmosphere Team expertly placed explosives on the ground, pulling the safety pin.
"Your intuition is spot-on. If we don't want to end up as excrement of the brood nest, we better move quickly."
The player squatting on the ground packed away the test tubes.
"Sample collected!"
Another player announced.
"Placing the explosives!"
The team members were well-coordinated, swiftly completing most of their task, with only a few more explosives left to set.
However, at that moment, a hissing growl suddenly emanated from a dark corner.
Hearing the growl, everyone's spine chilled, and they immediately raised their guns towards the sound.
Without time to ponder what it was, the Combat Atmosphere Team immediately ordered.
"Fire!"
Gun muzzles spewed flames!
The gunfire illuminated the darkness and mist, bullets hurtling towards the source of the sound.
And at that moment, to their horror, they realized the figure standing in the dark was a Tyrant!
Its nearly four-meter-tall stature resembled a decaying log, yet its thick keratin armor provided protection rivaling steel.
Bullets hitting the Tyrant were like stones thrown into a swamp, merely causing splashes without any noticeable impact.
"Roar...!"
With a pained roar, the Tyrant resiliently charged forward against the barrage of gunfire, its claws swinging wildly.
Caught off guard, I took a hit squarely in the chest.
The bulletproof vest was torn apart instantly!
A muffled grunt escaped me as I was sent flying, crashing through a long-neglected floor-to-ceiling window and plummeting outside the building.
"Ah—"
The scream faded into the distance, followed by a faint "thud."
Team A was down one member!
The players quickly dispersed, attempting to use crossfire to distract the Tyrant and prevent it from advancing.
Just then, Commander Quan Shui's voice thundered over the comms.
"What's happening on your end!? Why did I just see someone flying out?"
Gripping the trigger tightly, the Combat Atmosphere Team cursed, "We've encountered a Tyrant! What you saw was me, the darkest one! Dammit, can you hit it from where you are?"
Commander Quan Shui: "We can hit it, but we can't see anything from here! The spore concentration is too high!"
The thick spore cloud was like a gel, almost completely obstructing their view.
Firing blindly would only risk hitting a teammate!
In an instant, another player was down.
Within just a minute, Team A had lost two members!
The Combat Atmosphere Team exclaimed, "MMP! 7mm can't penetrate this thing! If we keep this up, we're all going back to our ancestors!"
Commander Quan Shui had an idea.
"Quick! Give me a marker!"
"A marker?"
"Incendiary! Mark it with an incendiary!"
Understanding Quan Shui's intent, the Combat Atmosphere Team immediately grasped the incendiary bottle hanging at their waist.
"Suppress it!" they yelled to their teammates, seizing the opportunity to hurl the incendiary bottle at the Tyrant.
The explosion of firepower momentarily restricted the Tyrant's movement, the incendiary bottle striking it squarely on the head.
Flames burst forth!
The Tyrant let out a furious roar.
Engulfed in flames, it struggled to extinguish the fire on its body. At the same time, four armor-piercing incendiary rounds trailed flames through the broken window, three hitting its shoulder and abdomen.
Flames and smoke billowed out, the three rounds that hit their target embedding themselves in the Tyrant like flaming nails.
Enraged, the Tyrant rampaged through the office area, attempting to put out the flames but to no avail.
Meanwhile, another player responsible for placing explosives had finished setting the last charge.
Additionally, the barrels of slime-cleaning fuel were rolled to the center of the room.
"Time to pull out!"
The player shouted, leading the way to the breached ceiling, using a table to climb back up.
"Roger!"
Seeing this, the other two quickly followed, retreating towards the damaged ceiling.
Back on the 43rd floor, the trio dashed wildly towards the elevator shaft.
Hanging the survival rope on the steel cable, the Combat Atmosphere Team leaped down towards the lower floors.
"Brace yourselves, guys!"
As they finished speaking, they squeezed the detonator in their hand.
Click—a loud blast followed, with explosive flames shooting skyward, the fierce shockwave instantly shattering the concrete between the 42nd and 41st floors!
Flames and a heat wave rampaged like a tsunami, engulfing the two floors and even pouring into the corridors and elevator shaft!
The entire building seemed to tremble!
"Damn!"
"I think the elevator shaft is shaking!"
"Why the hell did you press it so soon?!"
The people in the elevator shaft were shaken up, but thankfully the survival rope was securely tied, preventing them from falling like dumplings.
The Combat Atmosphere Team, wearing the exoskeleton, managed a better stance and awkwardly laughed after stabilizing.
"I was worried the signal wouldn't reach if we went any lower!"
The teammates: "@#%!"
The elevator shaft was filled with the exquisite sounds of Mandarin.
At this moment, on the east side of the building.
Commander Quan Shui, holding binoculars, stood before a shattered window, gazing at the smoky 41st floor.
Dark red flames climbed the walls, black smoke replacing the gray-green fog.
Even from hundreds of meters away, the intense heat was palpable...
"Though it deviated from the plan a bit, they should be dead beyond doubt now," Commander Quan Shui lowered his binoculars.
Eliminating the brood nest before it could form was likely to weaken the tide's intensity.
However...
The spore cloud gathered around this area was unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.
Commander Quan Shui glanced northward, frowning at the endless cloud, as if a storm was brewing.
A player lying near the window couldn't help but roll his eyes at the commander's words.
"Can we not jinx it?"
He said, before pulling the trigger, adding another high-explosive round towards the 41st floor.
Commander Quan Shui hurriedly cautioned him, "Don't use high-explosives, haven't you heard of explosion suppression? Just a couple of incendiaries should do the trick."
Whether they added more or not didn't really matter.
In the face of such overwhelming flames, a 20mm incendiary round was akin to throwing a match into a wildfire, barely making a sound in the inferno.
Back on the ground floor.
Team A regrouped, the Combat Atmosphere Team and the two remaining players emerged from the open elevator door, enveloped in billowing smoke.
They were covered in soot, looking as though they'd just tumbled out of a coal mine.
Kakarot approached the combat veteran, excitedly asking, "So, how did it go? Did you take care of it?"
"We did," the Combat Atmosphere Team, though disheveled, spoke without a hint of dispiritedness, their voice filled with excitement, "The brood nest has been destroyed! Damn, coming down through the elevator shaft was really thrilling!"
The two teammates behind couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Dude! Are you even serious?"
"Right! I almost fell down because of you!"
The Combat Atmosphere Team coughed awkwardly.
"It doesn't matter! We cleared the level, that's what counts!"
Kakarot counted the team members.
"Why are we three short?"
The Combat Atmosphere Team offhandedly remarked, "One fell off, and another stayed above."
"The one who fell... that was the darkest one, right? Truly lived up to his name," Old Wang next door clicked his tongue, "Falling from over forty floors up, that scene was just eye-watering…"
A thought struck the Combat Atmosphere Team.
"Where? I'll go take a look!"
Kakarot gave him a strange look.
"He's dead and gone, what's there to see? His VM is shattered."
The Combat Atmosphere Team scratched the back of their head sheepishly.
"Just curious."
Kakarot: "…"
Old Wang: "…"
The players: "…"
Is that something a human would say?
Meanwhile, outside the building.
Chu Guang, standing on a pedestrian overpass, withdrew his gaze from the smoke-engulfed building, turning to He Ya beside him to ask,
"Does this count as solving the problem?"
He Ya, after observing the building for a moment, slowly nodded.
"It should be resolved... The variant slime mold doesn't withstand high temperatures well. With the incubation room's damage exceeding 90%, it's essentially irreparable."
Venus glanced at the nearly shattered corpse and blood pool on the road surface, couldn't help but mention,
"I thought I saw something fall just now."
He was certain.
What had fallen seemed to be a person.
However, Chu Guang beside him didn't seem concerned, simply replying,
"Minor issue, not important."
Just a bit of active material, awakening at most two points.
Is that even a problem?
Clearly not!
Venus was momentarily stunned.
He felt his worldview and understanding of the blue jackets had been overturned.
And it was the second time today...
---
[Global Announcement: The brood nest in New Era Data Building has been cleared, and the tide's intensity has been weakened! Let's give a round of applause to the 20 players who participated in the battle!]
On the official forum.
The hottest topics on the official website these days weren't the rookie testimonials or discussions about the upcoming tide, but the countdown still showing 10 days on the official site. Yet, most players had already physically sensed the changes in Qingquan City.
The grey-green clouds were spreading from the city center outward, and the rotting walking corpses lingering in streets and alleys had their speed and strength significantly enhanced compared to before.
Crawlers, previously only moving through tunnels and ruins, were increasingly spotted on the streets.
In just two days, 4 hunting teams of 5 had been annihilated, unanimously due to being surrounded by Devourers.
The players engaged in their conversations, sharing thrilling stories, and discussing the challenges they faced, all while navigating the evolving dangers of Qingquan City, reflecting the community's vibrant and resilient spirit in the face of the apocalyptic challenges they encountered.
window couldn't help but roll his eyes at the commander's words.
"Can we not jinx it?"
He said, before pulling the trigger, adding another high-explosive round towards the 41st floor.
Commander Quan Shui hurriedly cautioned him, "Don't use high-explosives, haven't you heard of explosion suppression? Just a couple of incendiaries should do the trick."
Whether they added more or not didn't really matter.
In the face of such overwhelming flames, a 20mm incendiary round was akin to throwing a match into a wildfire, barely making a sound in the inferno.
Back on the ground floor.
Team A regrouped, the Combat Atmosphere Team and the two remaining players emerged from the open elevator door, enveloped in billowing smoke.
They were covered in soot, looking as though they'd just tumbled out of a coal mine.
Kakarot approached the combat veteran, excitedly asking, "So, how did it go? Did you take care of it?"
"We did," the Combat Atmosphere Team, though disheveled, spoke without a hint of dispiritedness, their voice filled with excitement, "The brood nest has been destroyed! Damn, coming down through the elevator shaft was really thrilling!"
The two teammates behind couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Dude! Are you even serious?"
"Right! I almost fell down because of you!"
The Combat Atmosphere Team coughed awkwardly.
"It doesn't matter! We cleared the level, that's what counts!"
Kakarot counted the team members.
"Why are we three short?"
The Combat Atmosphere Team offhandedly remarked, "One fell off, and another stayed above."
"The one who fell... that was the darkest one, right? Truly lived up to his name," Old Wang next door clicked his tongue, "Falling from over forty floors up, that scene was just eye-watering…"
A thought struck the Combat Atmosphere Team.
"Where? I'll go take a look!"
Kakarot gave him a strange look.
"He's dead and gone, what's there to see? His VM is shattered."
The Combat Atmosphere Team scratched the back of their head sheepishly.
"Just curious."
Kakarot: "…"
Old Wang: "…"
The players: "…"
Is that something a human would say?
Meanwhile, outside the building.
Chu Guang, standing on a pedestrian overpass, withdrew his gaze from the smoke-engulfed building, turning to He Ya beside him to ask,
"Does this count as solving the problem?"
He Ya, after observing the building for a moment, slowly nodded.
"It should be resolved... The variant slime mold doesn't withstand high temperatures well. With the incubation room's damage exceeding 90%, it's essentially irreparable."
Venus glanced at the nearly shattered corpse and blood pool on the road surface, couldn't help but mention,
"I thought I saw something fall just now."
He was certain.
What had fallen seemed to be a person.
However, Chu Guang beside him didn't seem concerned, simply replying,
"Minor issue, not important."
Just a bit of active material, awakening at most two points.
Is that even a problem?
Clearly not!
Venus was momentarily stunned.
He felt his worldview and understanding of the blue jackets had been overturned.
And it was the second time today...
[Global Announcement: The brood nest in New Era Data Building has been cleared, and the tide's intensity has been weakened! Let's give a round of applause to the 20 players who participated in the battle!]
On the official forum.
The hottest topics on the official website these days weren't the rookie testimonials or discussions about the upcoming tide, but the countdown still showing 10 days on the official site. Yet, most players had already physically sensed the changes in Qingquan City.
The grey-green clouds were spreading from the city center outward, and the rotting walking corpses lingering in streets and alleys had their speed and strength significantly enhanced compared to before.
Crawlers, previously only moving through tunnels and ruins, were increasingly spotted on the streets.
In just two days, 4 hunting teams of 5 had been annihilated, unanimously due to being surrounded by Devourers.
In just two short days, four hunting teams of five have been entirely wiped out, with no exceptions—all fell prey to the encirclement of Devourers.
Irena: "Hearing you guys talk about it makes it sound so thrilling, I'm tempted to come back. (facetious)"
Night Ten: "Isn't Red River Town thrilling enough? (facetious)"
Irena: "It's okay, but it's just too desolate here, doesn't feel as fun as Qingquan City."
Elf King Fugui: "The main issue here is the lack of food, you know what I mean."
Irena: "Buzz off! (`Д´*)9"
Makaba: "Hahaha!"
The standoff between the mercenary-congregated Red River Town and the Chewbone Tribe's Snake Clan has descended into trench warfare, with both sides digging trenches, constructing fortifications, and bombarding each other, initiating a brutal war of attrition.
It's said that the Snake Clan is waiting for reinforcements from the Tooth Clan, but the combat strength of the Tooth Clan is fully restrained by the resistance organization in Xizhou City, leaving them no capacity to assist.
Moreover, there are rumors that due to the tyrannical rule of the plunderers, a massive number of corpses have led to an outbreak of plague in Xizhou City.
This rumor has been confirmed by the formidable Brother Strongman, whose influence is rapidly expanding, even slightly beyond his control...
These rats are breeding too fast!
Fang Zhang: "Xizhou City hasn't experienced a surge?"
Strongman: "No, compared to Qingquan City, Xizhou can only be considered a somewhat larger small county town. Probably because it's located in the hills, the buildings here aren't very tall, and the density of construction isn't high, but conversely, the vegetation is quite lush. Rats, cockroaches, hyenas are the more common mutants here, then there are burrowers, multi-legged beasts... and some other creatures I've never seen before."
Lao Bai: "Feels like a satellite city next to a super-first-tier city."
Strongman: "That's one way to understand it! (grinning)"
Midnight Chicken Killer: "We don't have the surge here in Far Creek Town either, but we do have plenty of trees. (@ˉωˉ@)"
Tomato and Eggs: "Pfft, what surge do you have there, you don't even have Devourers."
Bored Tiger Puncher: "Hope it doesn't affect the land I've leased, I've just planted a batch of green peppers."
Stop Bullshitting: "And don't affect my fishing! I'm not interested in the surge, I just want to fish!"
Crow Crow: "Ah, speaking of which, the timing of this surge is just too... I was shopping with Teng Teng, hadn't bought anything yet, and was forced to spend 40 tokens on two gas masks... feels like these tokens burn a hole in your pocket faster than silver coins. _:(′□`」∠):_"
Edge Drifter: "What the heck?! Why are those masks so expensive? Needing 40 tokens?!
Teng Teng: "Eh? Did we overpay? (°ー°〃)"
Edge Drifter: "..."
Debt-Ridden Big Eyes: "Edge Bro means to say, he picked up a few plastic bottles from the trash, used a couple of pieces of gauze and some activated carbon to make one, and it works wonders. (grinning)"
Canyon Fugitive Shrew: "Damn!! A mask for twenty tokens? I damn well want to come back and start a business! If I make tens of thousands of gas masks and take them to Giant Rock City, wouldn't I make a killing?!"
Whirlwind: "Let's analyze this rationally, a visit to www.zhaosｈuyｕａn.com might actually turn a profit. But twenty tokens for a mask... you've been outright fleeced, haven't you? (sweat)"
Crow Crow: "!!!"
Teng Teng: "Σ(°△°|||)"
Thinking about it, twenty tokens amount to an ordinary person's weekly income.
So expensive, how could the average person afford it?
A more reasonable market price should be around 5~6 tokens, which is what ordinary people can afford.
The shrew was still lamenting the missed opportunity to get rich.
However, just then, the always silent WC True Mosquito suddenly popped up on the forum.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Bring it on!"