Chapter 916: A Gamble... To Overthrow This Decaying Old World!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 916: A Gamble... To Overthrow This Decaying Old World!
As the garbage trucks surged toward them, the imminent deluge of refuse threatened to bury everything in its path!
These trucks were massive. In a city of such staggering population, the daily waste produced was unfathomable, and its recycling had become an arduous task. With such "ultimate weapons" clearing the way, the rioting crowds pushed forward relentlessly. As the tear gas began to dissipate along the streets, it seemed nothing could stop their advance.
The chaos spread rapidly to every corner of the city center, placing immense pressure on the Order Maintainers.
In this game-centric world, there was no concept of a traditional military. Their world was unified; consequently, the concept of nations did not exist either. The Infinite Group’s Terminal of Myriad Worlds was the largest organization maintaining order.
The Terminal of Myriad Worlds, integrated into games across the globe, was the Group’s primary means of ensuring global stability. This social order, built around gaming, sustained the world’s continuous cycle of expansion, annexation, colonization, and development. They had established a technological system centered on the Terminal of Myriad Worlds, plundering and harvesting the Soul Essence of other worlds to fuel their growth. This was supplemented by the Void Rift Infinite Energy Perpetual Motion Machine and pixel-game mechanics to maintain the world's perpetual advancement.
Adaptation is the most terrifying ability of any lifeform. It can even manipulate one's self-perception.
The people of this world were born into this system and believed the world was simply meant to be this way. Much like a slave born into bondage, they viewed the world through the lens of their own oppression, believing it to be their natural state.
However, as the games evolved and new worlds were developed, the beauty and novelty of these new realms acted as a constant stimulus, opening doors to entirely different perspectives. The birth of organizations like the Real Protection Association was actually linked to the initial stages of world invasion.
A new world was not merely a target for invasion; it would also project its own societal values back onto the invaders. Those who "woke up" were the ones who had the seeds of different ideologies planted in their minds during those moments—seeds that had been sown and spread until the present day.
But they could no longer continue their development unchecked.
The 12-member Supreme Council at the Infinite Group’s Terminal of Myriad Worlds headquarters had taken notice. This was why games were later divided into "Closed Beta" and "Open Beta" phases.
The Vanguard Players of the Closed Beta were all individuals within the Infinite Group who knew the truth yet were still willing to work for them. The so-called end of the Closed Beta occurred once these Vanguard Players had scouted the world’s situation and thoroughly dismantled any ideological exports that world might offer. Only then would the game be launched to the public.
This was why the vast majority of free-exploration, high-freedom open-world games were tagged with labels like war, wasteland, apocalypse, ruins, or sin city. This cut off the nutrients for ideological awakening, causing the sprouts of rebellion to wither.
Yet, life always finds a way to survive. Thus, organizations like the Real Protection Association persisted. As for whether such organizations would eventually become corrupt, that had become irrelevant.
"The truth is being hidden, but they cannot suppress our voices! Forward!"
"They are afraid! They are retreating! But that cannot hide the shameless faces they showed while oppressing us! If Truth is the only thing that allows for an equal dialogue with them, then we shall take up Truth and fight them to the end!"
Incendiary rhetoric echoed through the crowd, the ignited fury synchronizing the thoughts of every individual. Even those swept up in the momentum began to wonder if they were merely ignorant lambs waiting to be squeezed dry.
The Order Maintainers' suppression was effectively useless. Faced with such a massive populace, the weapons in their hands seemed pale and weak. They couldn't even use large-scale weaponry for indiscriminate slaughter; their directives did not grant them such authority.
This wasn't one of those uncontrollable chaotic regions, nor was it a Ground Fissure Settlement Zone. These were citizens living on the surface, within the city. If these ordinary people were to be ranked, they were the backbone of the upper echelons of society. Yet, even so, they were still "commoners" in the mouths of those in power.
They were merely high-quality social labor—a group that would be considered a "waste" to simply kill off.
The ones inciting and planning this riot were, on the surface, members of the Real Protection Association. It was foreseeable that if this riot, seizure of power, and declaration of independence succeeded, this place would rapidly become the main base for the Association, followed by an influx of members from other branches. It would also incite more regions to follow suit.
This was the scenario the Infinite Group dreaded most. They could not allow this situation to continue.
The world had long since become unstable. First, the Land of Chaos had unified and declared independence; then, the Ground Fissure Settlement Zones had slipped from their control. It felt as if too many invisible hands were pushing the world toward fragmentation.
Now... if another surface city announced its independence, the impact would be absolutely unacceptable!
At this moment, the local branch of the Infinite Group’s Terminal of Myriad Worlds was already frantically calling for reinforcements.
While this world lacked a traditional military, it possessed World Vanguard teams. They were not only the sharpest blades used to invade other worlds but also the highest-tier enforcement agency within their own world. They were the final resort when Order Maintainers could no longer handle urban riots.
However, this resort was rarely used, as their primary function was deterrence. But now... the time had come where they had no choice but to deploy.
Still, their arrival suffered from a natural lag.
Guided by those with hidden agendas, the rioting crowds gradually overthrew the city's order. The chaotic masses provided the perfect cover for the members of the Real Protection Association, who blended into the crowd, preparing for the final assault on the city's power center.
What they needed to do was shut down the central system that controlled the entire city's operations and seize control of the Terminal of Myriad Worlds and the city's infrastructure. At least, that was the plan on the surface.
But once they truly took action, the level of chaos far exceeded their expectations. Everyone released the most primal evils of human nature—smashing, looting, burning...
Ultimately, they were not a disciplined, organized resistance group; they were a city riot guided by the Real Protection Association.
Just as everything was nearing completion—just as the tallest building in the city was about to fall in the hearts of the people and the old order was on the verge of collapse—the Vanguard Players arrived from afar on standardized single-person flight vehicles. The warning sirens, etched into their very instincts, echoed across the sky, jarring everyone's nerves.
Like a thief suddenly hearing a police siren, a primal sense of suppression washed over them, making them suddenly realize what they were doing.
The Order Maintainers might care about their status as citizens, but to suppress them... the Vanguards only needed fire superiority!
Very quickly, the Vanguard teams began a "reverse massacre warning" against the massive crowd!
They didn't care about casualties. Even though they knew this was their own world, their long history of invading other worlds meant they felt zero pressure when committing slaughter. Some bloodthirsty members even felt the firepower wasn't enough.
Weapons far beyond their imagination had long existed in reality. In their understanding, in-game weapons were modeled after reality, but the truth was... the weapons in the game and reality appeared simultaneously. At most, their public release dates differed.
"These idiots are actually easier to slaughter than the natives!"
"Cease fire! Stop the killing! The crowd is starting to disperse. We only need to capture the ringleaders! If you kill too many, are you going to stay here and move bricks for us?" the Vanguard captain barked harshly, restraining the team members who had seen red.
The "moving bricks" he referred to was a slang term for players completing basic tasks for them within the game. While slaughtering the entire city wouldn't necessarily ruin their industries, as Vanguards serving the Great Lords, wanton slaughter would result in pay cuts.
"Tch~"
The men stopped their hands reluctantly, clearly unsatisfied. But under the captain's pressure, they quickly forced themselves back to a rational state.
During this time, they encountered high-level personnel from the local branch of the Terminal of Myriad Worlds. Truthfully, they didn't want to bother with them. However, they eventually shifted their focus to prioritize the protection of these individuals.
Even though this was just a branch, many people inside were related to Great Lords or had connections to their own superiors. They had to follow orders. Of course, this was also related to the "Emergency Mission" that had popped up on their Vision task panels. The authority required to issue a direct mission to them was something they absolutely could not afford to offend!
"Heh... so you're the mastermind behind this riot, right?" The captain picked up a figure from the ground who looked like a dead dog and tossed him back down in frustration.
Immediately, information from the Terminal of Myriad Worlds' character database appeared in his Vision—the identity of the man before him.
"Oho~ Vice President of the local Real Protection Association branch? A piece of cannon fodder in a position where one death just leads to another replacement. What exactly are you fighting for?"
"Heh... ptui! You're all going to die..." The man spat a mouthful of blood onto the captain's pant leg, his expression twisted. His voice was muffled, but his killing intent was palpable.
"Dammit! I'm gonna kill—" The man splashed with blood started to lash out in rage but was instantly restrained.
"Stop!" the captain ordered. "A tough nut. I like the stubborn ones. The Real Protection Association wouldn't do something this reckless. Tell me, what were you really up to?"
"Heh... you think... I'll tell... you?"
Just as the captain's patience was reaching its limit, a new Emergency Mission popped up in their Vision! After reading the mission, the entire squad frowned.
Another core area of the city was under attack. It was the city's energy hub!
That place was the central energy artery of the entire city, interfaced directly with the Void Rift Infinite Energy Perpetual Motion Machine at the Terminal of Myriad Worlds headquarters!
"Damn it, they're increasing our workload at the last minute!"
"Watch your mouth!" the captain snapped.
After all, every word and action was recorded while they were on a mission. If they left a bad impression on the Great Lords, any future missions they received would be the dirty, exhausting, low-paying kind! People with power truly could do whatever they wanted.
And they had no way to resist. Even their power was granted to them by the Game Architects.
"Leave a few behind to protect the mission targets. The rest of you, follow me. we're going to settle this directly!"
"Haha, great! This time I'll finally get to kill to my heart's content!"
"You'd better restrain yourself. Save that energy for the game."
Just as they were about to leave after a quick briefing, they were suddenly ambushed! A literal wall of gunfire forced them to deploy their shields and take cover.
"Damn it, those Association bastards actually deployed Banned Accounts!"
"Banned Account" was the official term for private accounts that the Association had seized through exploits. Furthermore, these characters weren't created in other worlds but right here in this world, making them extremely dangerous. Because they would be banned as soon as they were locked onto, they were called Banned Accounts.
These accounts couldn't be detected or prevented in advance; they could only be targeted for banning once they actively exposed themselves. These Banned Accounts had become the final trump card of the resistance forces.
However, the opposition also had ways to counter the Terminal's locking mechanism. Factoring in reaction and processing time, it took nearly ten minutes at the fastest to complete a ban on a Banned Account. Before the ban took effect, there was no way to fundamentally cut off the character's fire superiority.
For the Association, these accounts were "use one, lose one." One could only imagine how precious they were. To create new ones, they had to take immense risks against the Terminal's self-check system; a single mistake meant being locked out and having to start over. More importantly, these Banned Accounts could not be mass-produced!
This was why the Vanguards were so shocked. What was the Association doing? What could possibly be worth such a sacrifice?
Regardless, they could no longer leave to execute the Emergency Mission. If they did, the well-connected idiots they were supposed to protect would be dead meat.
Seeing that fire support had arrived, the dying Vice President closed his eyes, entering his eternal rest. At least his mission... was accomplished.
The Vanguard team quickly reported the situation, requesting the banning process and transferring the Emergency Mission to another squad.
Theoretically, a Banned Account only had a ten-minute lifespan, but that was only in theory. Due to manual retrieval issues, operational delays, and the lack of preparation for such a sudden situation, it could easily drag on for over half an hour. Moreover, they had to protect their mission targets, so they couldn't fight at full strength. Even without restrictions, they had to actively suppress their own firepower; otherwise, if the building damage exceeded the reimbursement limit, it would lower their mission rating and result in their rewards being docked!
Meanwhile, at the "Energy Midpoint" on the other side of the city, another long-planned operation was unfolding.
They had seized the facility with lightning speed. Although there was a permanent Vanguard presence here, those in such "cushy" positions were no match for the resistance members who had been fighting on the front lines for years.
After taking the facility, they reached the energy core. Here, they needed to draw a Summoning Ritual Rune. Only this location possessed enough energy to drive such a ritual.
They were ordinary people. The only energy they could access, and the only large-scale facility capable of utilizing it, was right here. This was their ultimate gamble!
A gamble that they could... overthrow this decaying old world!