A

A player's death rate is directly proportional to their rate of death.

People arrive in the morning and leave around breakfast time.

Admittedly, Atomic City is much larger than the map in CrossFire, but the problem is that the number of mutated "undead" is also increasing, far exceeding the number that players can deal with.

Moreover, players have gradually discovered that the 'Undead' are even more troublesome than the 'Robot NPCs'.

After all, NPCs only move within a fixed area, and if you can't beat them, you can run away. But these "undesirables" are different. They were players when they were alive, and their "mindset" after death is still that of players. Their various ambushes and underhanded tactics are exactly the same as when they were alive.

What's even more disgusting is that these "undesirable beings" are indestructible; their health points are converted into the durability of the prosthetic equipment. Only by destroying the equipment can you truly kill them.

This is why players exhibit two completely different attitudes online and offline.

Players in Atomic City quickly formed gangs, and friendships blossomed rapidly. Each team resembled a squad from a Resident Evil movie, struggling to survive. Aside from lacking the protagonist's plot armor, they enjoyed similar treatment to the main character.

However, the tone shifted completely in the forums—

"Damn it, I finally got this 'dense bone' implanted, if anyone tears it apart, I'll hunt them down until they delete their account!"

"My Tier 1 Advanced Pistol, whoever found it, please return it to me!"

"Those online are all inhuman; they're even attacking their own people!"

"A bunch of trash! If you're so capable, why don't you do the quest? Destroying our equipment is no skill at all!"

"Damn it, you think I want to fight? I'm being chased by you horde of zombies to the point of jumping off a building!" —The Infernal Walker

"Is it our fault?" Urea

"If you hadn't refused to cooperate, we wouldn't have died so quickly!"

"That grandson who betrayed his teammates!"

"Damn it, you bunch of trash—" This player named "Infernal Walker" was playing the game while simultaneously spewing profanities and engaging in a fierce battle with other players on the forum.

However, less than three minutes later, the style of "The Departed Walker" changed drastically.

"Brothers, I completely agree with you. If you're true brothers, don't take your anger out on other people's gear!"

"Hey buddy, what's wrong with you? Did you take the wrong medication?"

"No, I'm hanging up." (Urea)

While players were battling it out online and offline, a large amount of experimental data was simultaneously uploaded to the orbital spaceship, and the 'metal virus' began to evolve once again.

However, evolution is not always smooth. Soon, the new "virus sample" had a flaw. On professional testing instruments, the "metal virus" showed "mechanical leakage".

"What is mechanical leakage?" the senior engineer asked.

"To put it simply, it did not perfectly integrate into the mechanical body, but rather lay dormant within it, slowly disappearing over time."

"Is it like being neutralized by the antigen?"

"Yes, it's very likely influenced by some metallic factors, but a real virus wouldn't be this weak."

"I understand. To put it simply, it's about enhancing vitality—" Urea

For NPCs, it's unrealistic to come up with a way to enhance the virus in a short period of time, but for senior engineers, it's the opposite.

The more knowledge you have, the more ways you can adapt to changing circumstances.

Open the faction panel and look at this wide variety of system information—

Strengthening vitality, well, [Cellular Regulation], [Biological Code].

Related to mechanical life, let's add another one: [Electronic Information Engineering].

What's missing? Oh right, since it's a virus, let's go for "information mania," which is essential knowledge for the Turing Church when creating religious viruses.

lv10 [Cellular Debugging] + lv10 [Biological Code] + lv10 [Electronic Information Engineering] + lv10 [Information Mania] Urea

[Fusion successful. You have researched the Level 5 Electro-Bio Blueprint [Biochemical Giant Arm]]

Giant arm?

[Integration successful. You have researched the Level 4 mechanical blueprint for the High-Speed Sorter.]

Isn't this part of the logistics process for Dyson spheres? What a coincidence.

[Fusion successful. You have researched a Level 5 biological blueprint: [Biological Code Box]]

[Merger failed]

[Fusion successful, you have researched a Level 5 biological blueprint [Bioactivator]] Urea

[Fusion successful. You have researched a Level 6 biological blueprint for the "Y-type biological virus"]

We're getting closer and closer.

Finally, after gambling on nearly forty blueprints, the senior engineer got what he wanted.

[Fusion successful. You have researched a Level 7 biological blueprint: High-Attachment DNA]

Highly adhesive DNA: A very special type of deoxyribonucleic acid that can integrate into metallic materials. It is known as a bio-building molecule and is widely used in the active building of Level 3 carbon-based civilizations.

The senior engineer glanced at the researchers at Mas's Peak, then suddenly hummed in agreement and said, "Headquarters has sent me back with data, saying that they have developed a countermeasure, which is to create a kind of 'highly dependent DNA.' Here is its specific information."

"..." urea

Miao Miaomiao blankly accepted the memory card from the senior engineer, then handed it to a researcher. Soon, the researcher, who was also 'Boss Ma,' exclaimed with delight:

"It's true! With this large DNA molecule, viruses can mutate into a third generation!"

Miao Miaomiao looked at someone in disbelief. She knew that Dugo Technologies was very strong in biotechnology, but how could he be so strong? How long had it been?

"There's no other way, we're a small business, all we can do is work hard," the senior engineer said modestly.

Miao Miaomiao was silent for a moment, then said, "We will proceed with the DNA modification immediately. Within two days, I need to carry out the third generation diffusion."

She then turned her head and said, "Since you developed it, you can name this generation of virus."

The senior engineer stared at the intermittently appearing transparent particles in the experimental apparatus, thought for a moment, and said, "Based on its properties, let's call it 'ghost.'" (Urea)

"Gentlemen, let's cooperate! Let's cooperate!"

At this moment, Baozi finally caught up with an old acquaintance, and with a fawning smile, he put on a flattering face.

"What's wrong? Your money-powered army isn't working out anymore?" Sister Ji looked the other person up and down and sneered.

"Hey, don't even mention it. Seven out of nine mercenary teams have been wiped out. I don't even know how much money we'll have to pay in compensation. That's all money I earned from performing those surgeries—"

"Five free prosthetic surgeries," Sister Ji interrupted the other person and said directly.

"Damn it! You might as well just rob us!" Baozi's eyes widened.

"Then what do you think I'm doing right now?" Sister Ji asked back.

"No, two times at most!"

"Three times, or forget it."

Baozi puffed out his cheeks in anger, then finally sighed and said, "Fine, three times it is."

He looked at the man carrying a knife but no umbrella in the rainy night and asked, "Umbrella Bro, what have you guys gotten so far?"

"We have obtained four sources of the virus. According to that 'Dr. Xie,' we need to go to the largest biopharmaceutical center in Atomic City to prepare the antidote."

"Antidote!? Is it a medicine that can get rid of those disgusting bio-zombies?" Baozi's spirits lifted. (Urea)

"Theoretically speaking, that's correct."

While the players were completely unaware of being manipulated by a mastermind, a middle-aged man appeared on the street in the outer district of what used to be the city that never sleeps, in the area of Hanging Street.

This middle-aged man possessed a beauty akin to that of an ancient Greek sculpture; every movement he made was perfectly natural. Yet, as he walked down the street, no one could perceive his presence. He stopped outside a former prosthetics shop and began talking to himself.

"Is the owner of this place my friend?"

"If that's the case, then I know what to do."

A gentle breeze blew, and the middle-aged, burly man was scattered like sand.

Perhaps someone has forgotten that back in the Twin Cities, in order to persuade a rebellious mechanical mastermind, he lied and claimed to be someone's friend.

And this person is called A, the android A.

.