Chapter Forty-Three: The Crimson Wasteland

Around noon, Wu Hua and the new reporter were idly chatting in the lobby of Monica’s factory. After rambling through a slew of random topics, Wu Hua began his tour of the factory’s firearms production.

He soon realized that the factory produced not only all kinds of firearms and weapons but also a variety of auxiliary equipment for marksmen.

Iced Coffee, who was accompanying them, explained, “You should understand that for a marksman, a gun alone isn’t enough. A marksman is a unit capable of both offense and defense. The gun represents only attacking power. A true marksman should master attack, defense, adaptation, stealth, camouflage, assault, and cover—skills needed to complete any mission.”

Wu Hua couldn’t help but agree with Iced Coffee’s philosophy. He noticed that the glass display cases in the lobby featured auxiliary gear, some of which he recognized, others he’d never seen before.

“This gas mask has a rather odd design,” Wu Hua remarked, pointing at the display.

“That’s specifically for scouts and assault troopers, but it’s not on the market yet,” replied Iced Coffee.

“And what about this grenade?” Wu Hua was more interested in whether he could buy it.

“That’s the G4 model. It’s made with energy elements and contains very little explosive. On detonation, it creates a shockwave, designed to disorient rather than destroy,” Iced Coffee explained. “But it’s still just a prototype, under research and development. If you want to buy one, you’ll need to wait for Miss Monica to return and discuss it with her in person.”

“When will Master Monica be back?” Wu Hua asked eagerly.

“In half a month,” Iced Coffee replied coolly.

Wu Hua was left speechless.

Three hours passed swiftly. An NPC assistant approached. “Mr. Madman, please come to the armory to collect your custom ammunition.”

In a paper box, still fragrant with ink, rows of pointed, gleaming bullets lay quietly, glowing with a violet sheen, exuding a deadly aura even from a distance.

“These hard-core rounds are infused with a binary alloy, giving them sharp penetration. I recommend always using scope mode for the most accurate effect,” Iced Coffee advised. “One more thing: the AUG you’re using is built with plastic modular structure, no stock, and most components are plastic. After firing one hundred fifty of these rounds, you must change the barrel to avoid overheating. Otherwise, you’ll damage the gun’s performance. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—maintenance costs for green-grade gear might hurt your wallet.”

“Understood, Miss Coffee.” Wu Hua and the new reporter jumped into the car.

“Next time, I hope you’ll call me by my full name, Iced Coffee,” she said, stamping her foot as she watched them drive off. “Running off without so much as a goodbye—see if I talk to you for three days!”

The car rolled slowly into the city. Wu Hua carefully loaded the new rounds into his magazine, one by one. As he did, the AUG’s attributes began to change:

Muzzle energy: 2100 joules (base) + 500 joules (penetration effect), standard barrel.

Its power rose by another 350 joules, bringing the total to 2600 joules of damage capability.

Wu Hua stroked the smooth barrel gently, as if caressing a lover’s skin. He felt as though he was touching a soul—deep, clear, with a soft resonance in his heart.

He knew this weapon would be his faithful companion in the Star Wars universe for a long time to come—his most loyal partner.

“Bro, where to now? Want to visit our TV station?” the new reporter asked.

Before Wu Hua could reply, his receiver vibrated. He checked it—a friend had sent a message.

Tu Tiao: “Damn, are you online? Where are you?”

Wu Hua quickly replied, “In the city.”

Tu Tiao: “Get your ass over to Bloody Wasteland, coordinates 2001, 3810; tons of people have died here, hurry up.”

Wu Hua was momentarily stunned. Those coordinates pointed to an unexplored area of the Bloody Wasteland. Did they run into a boss? “What happened?” he asked.

Tu Tiao: “Just get here, fast. If you don’t, both Ri Wan and I are dead meat.”

Wu Hua sent another message, but there was no further reply.

“Bro, drop me at the city gate service port, urgent business,” Wu Hua said.

“Got it!” The new reporter spun the car with a flourish and floored the accelerator toward the port.

The Bloody Wasteland was a vast marshy forest, nestled within a canyon. It earned its ominous name from the dangers within; pioneering teams of players had been wiped out more than once, their blood staining the forest red.

The term “pioneering” wasn’t an official system term but rather something players called it. Unknown dark zones didn’t appear on the receiver’s map, meaning you had no idea what monsters lurked there, and could easily run into a boss.

Bosses in Star Wars came in several classes: small, medium, and large. The Blue Ice Guardian that Wu Hua had encountered on Icy Creek Path was a small boss, while the demon wolf slain by the Seven Fairies of Blue Ocean Company on St. Roland Heights was a large boss. Above large bosses were special-class bosses, essentially area guardians—if a player killed one, the whole area’s features and information would be revealed.

At the very top was the ultimate boss, still just a legend. No one knew its true form or power; it was the stuff of myth.

Wu Hua arrived alone at the entrance to Bloody Wasteland Canyon. Along the way, potion crystals littered the ground, and bloodstains streaked the trees—clear evidence of recent casualties. Not a single stray monster was in sight.

Following the narrow path deeper in, Wu Hua saw that the canyon seemed to have just been cleared—neither people nor monsters could be seen, likely swept clean by a large group.

Soon, the canyon’s end came into view. A sheer cliff, several hundred meters high, loomed above. At its base was a cave mouth, reinforced with yellow bricks and stone slabs, carved with ancient, mysterious symbols—more like the entrance to a medieval tomb than anything else.

From a distance, Wu Hua spotted Tu Tiao, Ri Wan, and five or six others sitting beneath a large pine tree by the cave. To his surprise, Su20 was among them.

“Hey!” Wu Hua called out.

Tu Tiao looked up, his worried face lighting up with joy. “Damn, you’re finally here!”

“What happened? Were you guys fighting a boss?” Wu Hua asked.

“We were. It was a medium boss, already dead now,” Ri Wan said, walking over.

Wu Hua rolled his eyes. “Already dead? Then why’d you call me here?”

Tu Tiao threw an arm around Wu Hua’s shoulders. “Brother, we’ve been waiting for you.”

Wu Hua couldn’t help but ask, “So what actually happened?”

After Tu Tiao’s explanation, Wu Hua finally understood.

Tu Tiao’s group had come here to level up for a simple reason: both he and Ri Wan had lost a level during the survival quest. Today, though, the Bloody Wasteland was crowded with players. The canyon path had been cleared by a ragtag mob, and when they discovered the tomb entrance, they went inside and immediately encountered a medium boss—a giant venom-spitting lizard, level 35.

For Tu Tiao’s team of warriors and medics, taking down a level 35 boss was a near-impossible feat. Luckily, another group arrived, and the two teams joined forces to defeat the boss. That’s where the trouble started: once the boss was dead and loot dropped everywhere, the other team immediately booted Tu Tiao’s group out of the party, clearly intending to keep all the equipment for themselves.

Wu Hua didn’t need to ask what happened next—knowing Tu Tiao and Ri Wan, a fight was inevitable. The result: they were kicked out of the tomb, and Wu Hua had been summoned as reinforcements.