Initiator Base 01 in the Twilight Wasteland

"Roar~~~"

The Spinal Butcher let out a chilling roar, its feet moving like lightning, its six spiny tentacles flailing wildly behind it as it slaughtered the crowd. In just half a minute, two more players were instantly killed!

"Run!"

I protected Ruolin, Fatty, and the others ahead, saying, "Head south, don't hesitate!"

"Good!"

But at that moment, the star map deep within his mind suddenly lit up, and from it came the sound of Gun Like a Dragon:

"Has any player encountered the Orange BOSS, the Spinal Butcher, in the central Twilight Wasteland?"

"Um!"

A level 31 Hammer Specialization superweapon user responded, "Gun Like a Dragon Gunner, can you bring some reinforcements? We just can't outrun the Spinal Butcher. If this keeps up, we're all going to be wiped out, damn it..."

"..."

Gun Like a Dragon hesitated for a moment, then said, "You all escape first. I'll discuss a solution with the Initiator!"

Then, not long after, a ringing sound suddenly rang in my ears, triggering a temporary task.

[You have triggered the battlefield mission "Luring the Enemy" (Rank A). Mission objective: Lure the "Spinal Butcher" (Orange BOSS) into the player base established by the Initiator. Once you get him into the base, you will receive a very generous reward!]

The next moment, all the players nearby were stunned.

"Brothers, have you also received the mission to Luring the Enemy?" someone asked.

"Received!"

"Damn, do you have them all?"

"Yes, we have them."

Suddenly, everyone turned to look at me.

"Run! What are you waiting for?"

I opened the map, and a small blue dot appeared not far to the south, marked with the words "Initiator Base 01". It wasn't far; I estimated I could get there in about five minutes!

"Cover each other in staggered formations, move quickly!"

I ran fast and quickly rushed up a hill ahead. Then I pulled out my purple Wind Whisperer, aimed at the Spinal Butcher's head, and fired more than ten shots in a row. Each shot didn't do much damage, but it was enough to make the Spinal Butcher stagger slightly. This delay allowed many players to escape from danger and save their lives!

"Hurry up!"

Like Cai Cai, she climbed up a hill on the left, clutching Purple Explosive Gun, while the Spinal Butcher below unleashed a precise barrage of fire.

"Roar~~~"

Enraged, the Spinal Butcher suddenly looked up at Cai Cai's location. Instantly, the spines behind him opened up and, with a clang, they landed on the ground like Spider-Man's spiked armor. Then, he charged towards Cai Cai on the hilltop as if walking on flat ground!

"Holy crap!"

Cai Cai was shocked.

"Cai Cai, run!"

I quickly switched to a new magazine and fired five more shots at the Spinal Butcher's head. The slight delay allowed Cai Cai to run away at full speed.

And so, the group began to provide cover in stages, with the players in front firing backwards to buy time for those behind, and the situation was no longer as chaotic as it had been at the beginning.

As expected, this restraint greatly reduced the players' losses. Although the Spinal Butcher was still ferocious, our side suffered almost no casualties.

A few minutes later, a brand-new human-built structure appeared in the woods ahead, surrounded by walls and barbed wire. Heavy Firepower machine guns even stood on the walls, and alarms blared continuously from inside.

"Quick!"

A figure appeared outside the base; it was Gun Like a Dragon. After firing a burst of shots with his sniper rifle, he said, "Ding Han, you're here too! Hurry up, lead everyone into the base and go up the escalator to the second floor!"

"Good!"

Clutching my Explosive Gun, I charged into the base first, followed closely by Cai Cai, Ruolin, and the others. Upon entering, we saw a massive, straight-ahead space surrounded by steel walls at least 20 meters high. The main body of the base was in front of us, where many players were already armed and ready for battle.

Without a doubt, they are all players summoned by the Initiator; this GM has quite a few talented people under his command.

"Ding Han, get to the city wall, quick!"

Not far away, the Milk Tea Life-Extending Immortal shouted.

"Um!"

I immediately put the Explosive Gun into my storage space, and with both hands, I quickly climbed up a vertical steel ladder. Soon I reached the top of the city wall, and behind me, Ruolin, Fatty and the others also came up one by one without any injuries.

"Holy crap, this base..."

Cai Cai stared in astonishment at the scene in the base, utterly shocked.

I also looked into the base. There were not only combat players, but also some players with titles such as Advanced Engineering and Advanced Gunpowder. These were players who focused on secondary professions and were also players summoned by the Initiator. Obviously, this incredibly sturdy base was built by these players.

Sharp!

A chill ran down my spine. From this perspective, the Initiator leading a group of players essentially constitutes a small empire. The players' power is inexhaustible, and the Initiator is the emperor of this empire. I just wonder what his purpose was in building this base—was it merely a sanctuary?

From below came the roar of the Spinal Butcher.

"Everyone up to the second floor, quick!"

With a low shout, the Gun Like a Dragon, and everyone scrambled to climb.

At the same time, a bell rang in our ears, signaling that the quest previously given to us players by the Initiator had been completed.

[Congratulations! You have completed the battlefield mission "Luring the Enemy" (Rank A). Rewards: 600,000 Character Experience, and an additional 10,000 Star Coins!]

It's alright; character experience and Star Coins are both valid rewards!

"Roar~~~"

Below, the Spinal Butcher roared and swung his six spiny tentacles, slapping them against the wall with a series of "smacks." Instantly, the half-meter-thick steel wall was pierced with holes, a truly horrifying sight!

"Lord of the Initiator"

Not far away, Gun Like a Dragon stood beside the Initiator and said respectfully, "Our walls seem completely unable to withstand the Spinal Butcher's attack; its power is simply too great!"

"I know."

The Initiator was cloaked, his face hidden beneath the hood, revealing only a pair of eerie eyes, making him appear extremely mysterious.

"Order to open door number 03."

"Yes!"

The Gun Like a Dragon turning, and with a flick of the wrist, he drew his sword.

Suddenly, an iron gate inside the base slowly rose, and a hissing sound came from inside.

"Um?"

Cai Cai, Ruolin, and I all tensed up and quickly walked to the inside of the city wall to look into the base. The next second, we were stunned. In a sealed room inside the base, there was a large group of Licker. These Licker were different from those outside. Their name was "Yellow".

In Star Abyss, a yellow name signifies a neutral unit; the enemy will not attack you unless you attack it.

"What's going on? These strange creatures?" Ruolin was completely bewildered.

I was just as puzzled.

But the next second, the Spinal Butcher outside suddenly sniffed its huge, bell-like nostrils desperately, as if it had caught a whiff of something extremely repulsive. The next moment, it became furious and roared as it charged into the newly opened room number 03.

Room 03 happens to be the room where those Licker with yellow names are being held!

"Roar~~~"

The next moment, a spine's tail vertebra pierced through a Licker's skull, shredding it instantly. Then, the Spinal Butcher swung its arms, tearing another Licker to shreds. The stench of blood quickly spread throughout the base. It seemed that more than 30 Licker were no match for it, slaughtered like sheep in a tiger's lap!

"Very good."

The Initiator smiled with satisfaction, "Activate the protective device, prepare to extract the spinal cord and blood from the Spinal Butcher!"

"Yes, sir!"

A level 30 production-type player nodded emphatically and pressed the button on the controller in his hand. Instantly, the floor of room 03 collapsed several meters, and a pair of steel shackles rose from the ground to lock the legs of the Spinal Butcher. Then, a mechanical arm reached out and locked the body of the Spinal Butcher with a series of complex gears and chains.

"My Lord, it's the Initiator," Gun Like a Dragon.

"Draw it."

"Yes!"

Above, a giant mechanical arm emerged from the building, its tip rapidly transforming into a steel needle that pierced the spine of the Spinal Butcher with a "whoosh." Immediately afterwards, two more needles pierced the Spinal Butcher's heart, instantly draining a large amount of spinal cord and yellowish-brown blood.

"Roar roar roar~~~"

The Spinal Butcher's roar was deafening; it struggled desperately, causing the restraints to begin to break and shift.

We were all stunned, as were the casual players. That was a powerful Orange BOSS, the first Orange BOSS we encountered in the 2.0 Demon Realm Rift version, yet it was trapped in this base and even had its blood and spinal cord forcibly extracted!

"Damn it..."

Cai Cai said in the Team Channel, "Boss, have you guys noticed anything? This the Initiator doesn't seem simple either... Why is he extracting the blood and spinal cord from the Spinal Butcher?"

"I don't know..."

The fat man said, "Could it be used for alchemy, in the pursuit of immortality?"

"Fart."

Cai Cai said, "Absolutely impossible."

Ruolin stared at me with wide eyes. "Ding Han, you must have guessed something, right?"

"Um."

I nodded, then frowned and said, "Did you see that? There was a group of Licker with neutral names locked in room 03 before. We've never seen any similar alien species before. After all, alien species have an innate hatred for humans, so I deduce that these Licker were actually created by the Initiator."

At this point, I paused, then continued, "The Initiator is now painstakingly building such a fortified base here, and extracting the spinal cord and blood of the Spinal Butcher. The Spinal Butcher is Tier 4 Aberration, the most powerful and highest-ranking mutant we've encountered so far. The only reasonable explanation I can think of for doing this is that the Initiator is researching and creating mutants; he wants to build an army of mutants that belongs only to him!"

"Holy crap..."

Cai Cai and Fatty stared in disbelief, their faces turning ashen.