Fantasy Game: Infinite City

"It has continued..." Han Zu repeated the sentence in a low voice, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "In other words, there are still descendants of this rebellious force in the universe?"

“It’s highly likely,” γ4 said. “The decomposition field technology they use is extremely complex and cannot be easily replicated. Without the technological inheritance from the rebel forces, it would be impossible to create such a weapon based solely on the research of other forces. Moreover, judging from the modification marks on this weapon, its technology is still developing, indicating that this force has always been active and is not merely a remnant.”

Han Zu gazed into the distance, his thoughts churning. What exactly was the origin of this rebellious Tigris force, hidden for thousands of years? Why had they vanished without a trace? And how did they become connected to the Griffin Faction and the Ferdinand family? Countless questions surfaced again, but now, a glimmer of hope lingered in his heart. If he could find the descendants of this force, perhaps he could not only uncover the origin of the disintegrating force field ray device, but also unravel the mystery of that strange fluctuation, and might even find clues related to his own past.

Just then, the communication module on the γ4 head suddenly lit up with a red light, accompanied by a rapid mechanical beep. Its optical sensor flickered slightly, immediately establishing communication.

Because the communication was encrypted, Han Zu could not hear the content of the communication, but judging from the increasingly heavy energy fluctuations of γ4 and the changes in the flashing frequency of the optical sensor, it was clear that an emergency had occurred.

A moment later, γ4 hung up the communication and turned to Han Zu, its tone returning to its previous coldness. γ4 seemed to have once again deliberately shut down its emotional module: "I must leave immediately. My territory has been attacked by an unknown force. The opponent is powerful and has already broken through the outer defense line. I need to go back and take charge of the defense."

Han Zu's heart skipped a beat. γ4's territory was heavily fortified, equipped with a large number of advanced mechanized troops and defensive devices. Any force capable of breaching the outer defenses was no ordinary opponent. "Do you need my help?" he asked instinctively. γ4 seemed to be facing a crisis at this moment, and he didn't want to stand idly by—after all, γ4 still held many clues he needed.

γ4 shook its head: “No need. This is an internal matter for the contractors, I can handle it. Besides, you need to stay here and keep an eye on things, especially the Griffin faction and any subsequent anomalies.” It paused, then added, “I will further organize today’s findings when I get back, and I will notify you immediately if there are any new discoveries. In addition, I will mobilize the contractors’ intelligence network to investigate the clues about the Tig rebellion and try to find as much information as possible.”

"Okay." Han Zu nodded. "Go back and take care of the territory matters first. I'll keep an eye on things here."

γ4 said no more, and spatial ripples once more spread around its massive mechanical body. It glanced one last time at the contaminated area, its optical sensors flashed twice as if bidding farewell, before slowly merging into the spatial ripples and disappearing. The spatial fluctuations quickly dissipated, leaving only a faint residual energy warmth as proof of its presence.

Silence returned to the top floor of the office building, broken only by the howling wind and the roars of the mutated creatures on the ground. Han Zu stood alone, his gaze deep, his mind replaying his conversation with γ4.

The Tig rebellion, the mysterious meteorite, the strange energy fluctuations, the disintegrating force field ray device… these clues, like scattered pearls, seem unrelated, yet they subtly weave together a vast net, enveloping the entire event. The appearance of the Ferdinand family further complicates this web.

"The soldiers of the Ferdinand family actually have weapons from the rebel forces..." Han Zu tapped the wall lightly with his fingertips, lost in thought. "Even if they don't know the true power of this weapon, the fact that they were able to obtain it means that they must have been to the place where the descendants of the rebel forces live, or had contact with the descendants of the rebel forces."

Han Zu took out a pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket and lit one.

“If we can find relevant intelligence and locate the descendants of this rebel force…” A calculating glint flashed in Han Zu’s eyes. “If we can make some attempts to become their ally, or at least reach a deal, this force has been hidden for thousands of years and must possess many unknown technologies and secrets. If we can get their help, it will be of great benefit whether we are dealing with the Ferdinand family, the Infinite Corporation, or solving my own mystery.”

Once the idea took root in his mind, it quickly became ingrained. But he also knew very well that this matter couldn't be rushed. Finding a mysterious force that had been hidden for thousands of years was extremely difficult and required a great deal of intelligence support, and he currently had very few leads. Moreover, the matter in Pljevlja was not yet resolved, and he couldn't afford to be distracted.

Just as Han Zu made the decision to temporarily suspend the search for the descendants of the rebel forces, his communicator suddenly rang, and Christina's name appeared on the screen. He immediately answered the call, and Christina's slightly hurried voice came through the communicator, tinged with wariness: "Han Zu? What were you doing just now? I tried to contact you earlier, but the signal was severely jammed, and I couldn't reach you at all."

Han Zu was prepared and said calmly, "The Griffin Faction's camp was attacked by mutants, which interfered with their work to repair the signal equipment. However, they have almost finished dealing with it, and there are no major problems." He deliberately concealed the fact that the meteorite had decomposed, the decomposition force field ray device had been installed, and that Gamma 4 had arrived—although Christina was an ally, there were some secrets he couldn't let her know for the time being. Although her identity as a member of the Ferdinand family had been revealed, the identity of the Infinite Corporation was still somewhat mysterious, and he couldn't fully trust her yet.

Christina clearly had no doubts, and her tone softened slightly, but remained serious: "That's good. However, there's a new situation that you need to know immediately."

"What's going on?" Han Zu's expression instantly turned serious. Something that could make Christina so nervous must be serious.

“The Ferdinand family has dispatched a special squad that has entered the city of Pljevlja.” Christina’s voice was low, as if she was trying to conceal her location. “I have seen this squad before. They are Sebastian’s private army, and they only obey Sebastian’s orders. They have a special status within the Ferdinand family and are extremely powerful.”

"Sebastian's private army?"

As the head of the Ferdinand family, Sebastian's private army must be composed of the elite of the elite, far superior to the Griffin soldiers of the past.

“That’s right,” Christina affirmed. “The members of this team have all undergone special biological modifications, are equipped with the most advanced weaponry, and are skilled in stealth and surprise attacks. They have made significant contributions in the previous internal conflicts within the family. Logically speaking, Pljevlia is now contaminated by energy and has become a wasteland overrun by mutants, so there is no point in continuing the investigation. Why would the Ferdinand family send such an elite team here?”

Han Zu fell silent. He knew very well that the arrival of Sebastian's private army was no accident. Clearly, the previous squad had successfully transmitted intelligence before being engulfed by the energy waves from the meteorite's disintegration. Therefore, the Ferdinand family hadn't given up on Pljevlja, and might even have already discovered the meteorite's secret and the anomalies caused by the disintegrating force field ray device. The purpose of this special squad was likely to search for residual energy traces from the meteorite, uncover the truth behind the mutant outbreak, or even retrieve the fragments of the disintegrating force field ray device.

“It seems the situation is far more complicated than we anticipated,” Han Zu said coldly. “Now that Sebastian’s private army has arrived, they will not leave easily. Their target is very likely related to that meteorite.”

"Meteorite?" Christina's voice was filled with doubt. "What meteorite?"

Han Zu did not explain in detail, but only vaguely said: "A secret item related to Infinite Corporation has been destroyed, but the residual energy triggered a mutation outbreak. The Ferdinand family is obviously after this item."

Just then, Han Zu noticed something amiss; Christina's energy signal had appeared nearby. He paused, then spoke into the communicator, "Where are you now? Didn't I tell you to stay at the base? How come your signal is appearing near Pljevlja?"

“I came here after the first signal jamming. I think you might need accurate perimeter intelligence support. I’m currently in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city, and haven’t been detected yet,” Christina said. “I’ve activated my concealment device to shield my energy fluctuations, so they should have a hard time finding me. However, this team has a strong search capability, and I can’t stay here for long.”

"Stay where you are and don't make any rash moves," Han Zu said in a deep voice. "I'm coming to find you now. Before I arrive, make sure to remain hidden and avoid direct confrontation with them—based on my perception, Sebastian's private armed forces are formidable. Judging from the strength of their energy signals, you should not be a match for them, at least not in terms of numbers."

“I know.” Christina’s tone carried a hint of resentment. She had witnessed the power of this private armed force before and was well aware of the gap in her own strength. After all, strictly speaking, Christina wasn’t a true combatant, even though she was quite strong herself. “I’ll wait for you here. Also, I’ve marked the approximate location of this special team. They’re currently moving towards the city center, which is the underground experimental base where you were before.”

"Okay, I understand." Han Zu hung up the call and immediately turned his gaze towards the city center. Sebastian's private armed forces were moving towards the underground experimental base, clearly having detected the residual energy there and wanting to investigate.

He made a quick decision. He couldn't go to Christina immediately; he needed to get to the vicinity of the underground experimental base first and monitor the movements of this special team. Sebastian's private army was far more dangerous than the previous Griffin soldiers; they were likely to discover more clues about the meteorite, the disintegrating force field ray device, and perhaps even traces of residual Gamma-4 detection. He had to conceal his presence, closely observe their every move, figure out their objectives, and prevent them from acquiring more secrets.

Han Zu took a deep breath, his internal energy quietly circulating. In an instant, his body transformed into a blur, speeding towards the city center. His speed was extremely fast, like a ghost weaving through abandoned buildings, avoiding the mutants on the ground. At the same time, he concealed all his energy fluctuations, becoming like a cold stone, blending into the surrounding environment.

At this moment, the city center had already been completely swallowed up by the black mark. The buildings above the underground experimental base had collapsed, forming a huge crater. Countless mutants roamed around the crater, their roars echoing endlessly. Not far from the crater, in an abandoned building, an elite squad clad in black nano-armor and wearing nanomechanical masks were quietly lying in ambush on each floor. Their weapons were aimed at the crater, and their eyes vigilantly scanned the surrounding environment.

According to the intelligence provided by Christina, this is one of Sebastian's private armed forces—the "Dark Raven Squad." The squad consists of twelve members, each with an exceptionally tall and imposing physique, moving in perfect unison, and possessing almost identical builds, seemingly products of some form of bio-modification, cloning, or synthetic human technology. They exude a chilling killing intent, clearly elites who have experienced countless life-or-death battles. Their nano-combat armor utilizes a special material that effectively shields them from energy detection while possessing extremely strong defensive capabilities. Their weapons are also specially made by the Ferdinand family, modified versions of various Infinite Corporation weapons, far exceeding the power of ordinary Griffin faction equipment.

The leader of the Dark Raven Squad stood on the top floor of the building, his gaze fixed on the deep pit below through the shattered floor-to-ceiling windows, his eyes cold and sharp beneath his mask. The virtual screen inside his mask displayed data on the residual energy fluctuations below the pit, as well as the distribution of the surrounding mutants.

"Captain, we've detected strong residual energy at the bottom of the pit. The type is unknown, it's extremely unstable, and it's highly polluting," a team member reported in a low voice, the voice transmitted to his ears through an encrypted communicator. "There are a large number of mutants gathered around, and some of them have abnormally strong energy fluctuations, suggesting they've been modified by special energy."

The captain nodded slightly, his tone cold and low: "Is the source of the residual energy what we're looking for?"

"We can't confirm it for now," the team member replied. "The residual energy is too chaotic and covered by contaminated energy, so we need to get close to the bottom of the pit for close-range detection. But there are too many mutants around, and getting too close will trigger an attack."

The captain's gaze swept over the mutants below, his eyes showing no emotion. "Send three people to clear out the surrounding mutants, being careful not to cause a large-scale disturbance. The rest of you come with me and infiltrate the bottom of the pit from the side for close-up reconnaissance. Remember, our mission is to find any remaining traces of the energy source, investigate what happened here, and retrieve any weapon fragments that may be present. Don't get too entangled with the mutants."

"Yes!" the twelve team members responded in unison, their voices deep and synchronized, without the slightest unnecessary movement. Three team members immediately rose and slid down the side of the building like ghosts, their energy weapons silently aimed at the surrounding mutants. Their movements were extremely stealthy, their auras concealed to the extreme, as if they had blended into the darkness, slowly moving towards the direction where the mutants were gathering.

Han Zu was currently lurking in another abandoned office building not far away, observing the Dark Raven Squad's every move through the cracks in the window. His breathing was extremely shallow, and the energy within his body was like solidified ice, revealing not a trace of his presence. Watching the Dark Raven Squad's movements, a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes—these people were indeed powerful. Judging from their stealth skills and movements alone, they far surpassed the Griffin Squad soldiers he had encountered before, and were even more formidable than many elite assassins and high-level players from Infinite City that he had faced.

Just then, the faint sound of energy weapon fire came from below. Three members of the Dark Raven Squad had already launched an attack on the mutant. Their shooting was extremely accurate; every energy bullet hit the mutant's vitals, and the sound of the fire was suppressed to a minimum by a special device, preventing a large-scale commotion. The mutant that was hit let out a low growl and instantly collapsed to the ground, black blood flowing out and being swallowed by the black marks on the ground.

The other mutants, sensing their comrade's death, turned and roared towards the three team members, lunging at them. But the three team members were prepared, moving with incredible agility, weaving through the abandoned buildings like cheetahs, constantly dodging the mutants' attacks while simultaneously launching precise counterattacks, each strike killing a mutant. Their teamwork was impeccable, their roles clearly defined: one drew the mutants' attention, while the other two flanked them, quickly clearing out the dozen or so mutants surrounding the pit.

Seeing this, the captain didn't hesitate any longer. He waved to the remaining nine team members and leaped from the top floor of the building first, landing as lightly as a falling leaf without making a sound. The other nine team members followed closely behind, landing one after another and quickly moving towards the side of the pit. They were extremely fast, reaching the edge of the pit in just a few steps, and slowly climbing down the collapsed building rubble towards the bottom.

Han Zu stared intently at their figures, his mind racing as he considered a countermeasure. The Dark Raven Squad had already begun their infiltration to the bottom of the pit. Once they conducted close-up probing, they would inevitably discover remnants of the meteorite's disintegration, and might even find fragments of the disintegration force field ray device. He had to find a way to stop them, or at least disrupt their probe, preventing them from obtaining crucial information.

But he also knew that the Dark Raven Squad was extremely vigilant, and interfering with their reconnaissance without revealing himself would be incredibly difficult. He slowly turned his gaze, scanning the surrounding environment, trying to find something useful. The area around the crater was littered with collapsed building debris, discarded equipment parts, and spreading black marks; the air was filled with an aura of chaotic energy. These environmental factors might become weapons for him to interfere with the Dark Raven Squad.