Apocalypse Tech

"Net three damage dealers for the Purification mission. Apply to join directly, and we'll set out."

"Any strong teams heading to the Purification mission? I've unlocked my second Astral Vein. Stone Gargoyle plus Taunt is a powerful combination, and I guarantee the safety of the rest of the team."

"Looking for players for the Purification mission. Don't apply if your monster level is below eight. Strong players only."

After the group mission was announced, the regional voice channel was flooded with recruitment messages.

Players set off for the Gloomy Cave in droves.

By now, a long queue had formed outside the Gloomy Cave.

Although the underground had five levels of space, enough to accommodate a huge number of players, the entrance was only wide enough for two people to pass side by side.

The influx of players caused a bottleneck at the entrance, so they could only enter one after another by waiting in line.

Inside the cave, players continued exploring deeper levels and fighting Iron Shell Bugs. Every now and then, someone died and returned to Emperor's Tomb Village.

The whole process was utterly chaotic.

Those waiting outside could only pass the time on the forum or in the chat channels.

Just then, a forum post attracted a crowd of onlookers.

[Did I enter the wrong game? These guys' fighting style is ridiculous. They must be using hacks, right?]

Poster: Dark Land is so fun.

Content: (Attached: recorded video)

In the video, a group of players wearing the default black cloth outfits were fighting hordes of Iron Shell Bugs on the Gloomy Cave's second underground level.

Unlike the players nearby, who switched into monster forms to fight, they reached into their spatial packs and pulled out weapons that looked like guns. After loading them with spirit stones to charge them, they opened fire on the Iron Shell Bugs ahead.

Energy bullets rained down in a dense barrage. Sparks burst on impact, leaving bullet holes in the bugs' hard shells as blood sprayed everywhere.

This fighting style consumed no stamina, and reloading was very simple: they just needed to buy an Energy Crystal from the shop and replace the old one. Their combat strength wasn't affected by stamina, and they didn't need to expend or replenish their spirit energy.

The nearby players were stunned by the sight, and those watching the video on the forum gaped in disbelief.

A large number of players replied to the post, enthusiastically discussing the video.

Black Night Long: Wait, did I enter the wrong game? Where did they get guns? I checked the shop, and there aren't any for sale.

Reject Internal Strife: They're cheating! I'm reporting them! How do they have guns to use? And guns powered by Energy Stones, no less. This can't be the same game we're playing.

Is This Okay: Huh? Aren't those spirit energy firearms from the real world? I studied spirit energy mechanics, so I know a fair bit about this. I can't believe they managed to make them in the game. I'm so shocked my jaw dropped.

Word, My Duck: Players' imaginations really are limitless. Since this game perfectly simulates reality, in theory, real-world technology can be applied in the game. These guys are insane—they actually went and did it.

The "cheating players" being hotly discussed on the forum were members of the Weapons Research Department of the Dome, who had entered the game some time ago.

With their funds running low, they had taken Qin Ye's advice and spent two days mining in the mine.

After Duan Xing appeared, they followed him back and forth between the Ancient Battlefield and the Crimson Plains, collecting quite a few Evil Crystals. At last, they had scraped together enough starting capital.

Without the equipment to build advanced weapons, they first bought engraving knives from the shop and used spirit stones to make a batch of spirit energy firearms.

Though simple to make, the spirit energy firearms were quite powerful. Their principle was to engrave a pathway for energy to flow inside a spirit stone. Once the trigger was pulled, the pathway activated and rapidly drew energy from the Energy Crystal embedded in the gun. The energy flowed along the pathway and was compressed into a bullet, which was then propelled down the barrel by spiritual energy at the end of the pathway.

The group mission appeared just as they finished making the guns.

Led by Yang Tianxuan, the members of the Apocalypse Tech guild had brought their self-developed weapons into battle for the first time, creating the astonishing display of overwhelming firepower.

But the members of the Apocalypse Tech guild were in agony over the cost.

The spirit energy firearms roared as they unleashed a dense barrage. It was a spectacular sight, but the cost was terrifying.

Players using monster forms fought by consuming stamina, while they consumed Sacrificial Power. Each bullet had to be bought with Sacrificial Power.

Fortunately, the Iron Shell Bugs were numerous, and one round of firing brought in a decent amount of Sacrificial Power.

As for whether they were turning a profit, the members of the Apocalypse Tech guild hadn't even considered it. This was their first real-world test, and they wanted to show the other players what their guild could do.

After playing the game for several days, they were thoroughly satisfied with it.

If they wanted to build a vast technological force in the game and test all kinds of dangerous weapons, they would need substantial funding.

They couldn't manage that alone. They would need to recruit more players.

Even if new guild members had no technical expertise, their financial support could ease the group's shortage of resources.

Yang Tianxuan, director of the Weapons Research Department, had a simple plan.

Build a powerful guild, then use it to earn a vast amount of Sacrificial Power to fund the development and testing of dangerous weapons.

Just as Yang Tianxuan had expected, the Apocalypse Tech guild's first appearance soon sparked heated discussion on the forum.

The killing continued. Every so often, the Apocalypse Tech guild members heard prompts announcing they had leveled up, and smiles appeared on their faces.

Although they had chosen the weapons-development path, levels were just as important to Yang Tianxuan and the others.

Before this, they had thought the game's monster-level system had nothing to do with their chosen weapons-development path, and that monster levels were of little importance. After all, they had never planned to fight monsters hand to hand.

But after one guild member entered the Test Tower, their views changed.

When the member finished the test, he brought back some exciting news.

Many monster abilities in the Test Tower could help them develop weapons.

For example: Brain Overclocking, Spirit Spring.

The Brain Overclocking monster trait enhanced the efficiency of brain function. It could greatly improve memory and concentration, as well as strengthen the ability to process information.

Spirit Spring increased the rate at which spirit energy recovered and reduced feedback from mental fatigue.

To other players, these two abilities were practically useless.

Brain Overclocking in particular had even been voted one of the ten weakest Origin Source abilities on the forum. But to Yang Tianxuan and the others, these two skills were incredible—hundreds of times better than combat-oriented monster traits.

This included Wailing, the ability of the Eagle Head Demon form they had always ignored. During this test, they discovered that, as its level increased, activating Perception could even reveal the microscopic world, which could also help with weapon development.

After hearing about this, Yang Tianxuan and the others went into the Test Tower themselves to try it out. That gave them the idea of building a "Sage" path centered on Brain Overclocking.

The concept behind this path was to abandon all combat Monster Souls and equip only utility-focused Monster Souls.

That made monster levels extremely important. Certain monster traits could greatly improve their efficiency in developing weapons.