This Game Is Too Realistic-Chapter 507.2: Return to Ruin

"That's right, especially the kind with a mind as pure as a blank sheet of paper," the man nodded in approval. "Thanks to those Wislanders, I now have at least 1,000 fast-grown clones on hand. As long as I pick one with a similar height, all I need is some plastic surgery and a chip implant."

"As for the memory problem, that's even easier to solve. While this guy’s brain is still warm, we'll lock his consciousness into a virtual space and interrogate him slowly. Through fabricated dreamscapes and subconscious probing, there’s always a way to extract information we don’t know."

He deliberately paused at this point and slowed his speech. "But speaking of that, I must compliment you, your shelter really left a deep impression on this guy. Out of 1,700 dreams, at least 320 of them featured your place. Who knows, maybe his last dying wish was to see your shelter one last time, haha."

Unprovoked by the taunt, Chu Guang took a deep breath and continued asking, "So all the crew members of the Pioneer are dead?"

The man smiled and replied, "Of course not. If I hadn’t deliberately let one of them go, would you have traveled all this way?"

"From the moment the Pioneer stepped into this domain, all of you have been within the scope of my plans."

"Seems like you’re very satisfied with your plan," Chu Guang said, lifting his chin slightly, looking down at the twisted soul below him.

It was as if he was looking down on a maggot.

But the man didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed delighted by the look in Chu Guang's eyes and nodded cheerfully. "Naturally. Originally, I only expected the Enterprise and the Army to come. Now the Academy has shown up too... It’s absolutely perfect!"

Something suddenly occurred to him, and he stopped talking for a second. "Ah, maybe it’s four factions now. But unfortunately, I’m not really interested in yours. A three-digit shelter? Around here, two-digit shelter administrators are everywhere."

Chu Guang fixed his gaze on him. "The Enlightenment Society?"

"That’s right," the man said straightforwardly. "Everyone chosen to live in a shelter is without exception an elite of the Federation, or at least a descendant of one. This world should be ruled by us... But sadly, this cake is now crawling with cockroaches. So before we slice it, we plan to clean them off first."

At this point, he suddenly changed tone, eyes flicking toward Chu Guang. "But that said, although I’m not interested in your shelter, I am interested in you personally. Normally, as the administrator of a three-digit shelter, you'd have to start as a disciple. But I can make an exception and grant you the status of an elder."

Chu Guang let out a chuckle. "Interesting hierarchy you've got. Ranking people based on shelter numbers?"

The man replied matter-of-factly, "Of course. Shelter numbers represent budget priority. The lower the number, the higher the social status before the war."

The first half of what he said was factual, but the latter part was clearly his own interpretation, one that differed from what Chu Guang had gathered.

"So what’s your number?"

"Me?" The man paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Naturally, I’m Number 0."

"Right, I haven't told you my name yet... but never mind. Names are just labels. They don’t matter."

After a brief pause, he looked at Chu Guang with pleasure.

"You may address me like the others do."

"Call me Return to Ruin."

The smile on his face was truly demonic.

He lay there watching the people from the Enterprise, Army, and Academy scurry around the maze he had designed with his own hands. And his real body was likely not far either.

The only thing Chu Guang could be certain of was that the technology Return to Ruin used wasn’t the same morphogenetic field used by Shelter 404. It was based on resonance theory from the year 2111, which meant that the transmission of information could be disrupted.

Otherwise, he would have known everything happening underground by now.

"But I heard Shelter 0 was never completed."

"That just proves you’re as ignorant of the Torch Project as those cuties aboard the Pioneer." Return to Ruin continued lazily, "But that’s to be expected. Shelter 0 was always an off-sequence entity. It’s not a physical shelter but a megastructure composed of multiple components, each meticulously engineered for a final purpose, to wipe out all organic life outside the shelters and reboot civilization before the inheritance runs dry."

He smiled as he said that. "The underground shelter is just one of many facilities. Originally, we came here for a particular item, but couldn’t find the key to access it, until those cute little creatures from the Pioneer helped us out."

"You know, I actually thought they knew what they were looking for. Turns out they never even heard of the Torch Project. They came all this way just chasing a legend about ending the Wasteland Era. Hahaha. Poor things." Shaking his head with a chuckle, he went on. "I originally planned to recruit them. Descendants of Shelter 6 weren’t off-limits. I even sweet-talked them like I’m doing with you now."

"But after hearing me out, that guy Lu Yang not only foolishly refused me, he even turned around and betrayed me. He threw the sample of a Mother Body hidden aboard the Pioneer into the shelter, locking a bunch of my men inside."

He glanced at the wall clock, a grin spreading further across his face.

"Thanks for chatting. The thunderstorm should’ve arrived by now. It must be chaos outside. From now on, no signals will get out of here. But don’t worry, the crew of the Pioneer, the Wislanders, the Academy folks... They’ll all get home safe... and we’ll send your families their regards."

At this moment, the one calling himself Return to Ruin finally laid bare his plan.

He didn’t just want some hidden object in the underground shelter, he planned to replace everyone, just like he stole Yi Hai’s identity.

By controlling everyone here and extracting their memories, they could use clones, cosmetic surgery, and psychic manipulation to impersonate the dead. Meanwhile, disciples of the Enlightenment Society would live alongside them as servants or aides, allowing them to infiltrate the Army, the Enterprise, and the Academy.

Chu Guang had to admit, that guy and his Enlightenment Society were truly ballsey.

Waging war on three fallen empires... and a newly risen New Alliance?

Normally, that kind of behavior was called a death wish.

"No wonder you’re not afraid to spill everything," Chu Guang remarked, looking at the man lying in the bed.

Return to Ruin smiled faintly. "Yes. Your only chance at survival is to join us. Honestly, without the administrator’s cooperation, taking over the permissions is more trouble than it’s worth. Besides, we’re not interested in stealing authority from our own disciples. If you cooperate, you and your residents will be granted the right to survive in the new world."

"So I’ve already been downgraded from Elder to Disciple? Too bad. I have zero interest in your so-called new world," Chu Guang chuckled as he spoke. At the same time, he sealed his helmet. "If you want to kill me, feel free to try."

As if expecting this answer, the man lying on the bed simply yawned. "Then try I shall."

The thunderstorm had formed.

Under such extreme weather, aircraft couldn’t take off, and signal transmission was severely impaired.

To avoid wasting energy of their shields, the two airships hovering overhead began descending.

The next second, a blaring alarm pierced the sky.

Chu Guang frowned and immediately drew his Nitrogen-Powered Hammer. A violent burst of air erupted, blowing off the entire ceiling of the barracks and scattering debris in all directions.

"Trying to kill me? I don’t mind. Though it’s a shame I’ve been kicked from the VIP box, I’ll be watching you from elsewhere." Return to Ruin chuckled as he stared at the battle-ready Chu Guang. "But before that, you might want to check above you."

He didn’t need the reminder. Chu Guang was already looking upward.

Two airships were plummeting uncontrollably above the camp. Their side rotors spun furiously, but lacked the thrust to support their heavy hulls.

It wasn’t just Heart of Steel falling.

The Adjudicator nearby was going down too.

Chu Guang squinted.

A Phase Energy Rectifier!

That was the only thing that could simultaneously disable the directional shields and anti-gravity systems of an airship.

Just then, Yi Chuan burst into the tent in a panic.

"The airships are falling?! What the hell is happening, "

He suddenly stopped talking.

Seeing Chu Guang with his warhammer, the missing ceiling, and his brother lying on the bed, Yi Chuan’s face filled with shock and confusion.

The smile on the man in the bed seemed unfamiliar now, like something had crawled beneath his brother’s skin. More than that, the apathy in that smile chilled him to the bone.

Without sparing a glance at Yi Chuan, Return to Ruin looked at Chu Guang and said casually, "Under orders of the Enterprise, the New Alliance opens fire on the Adjudicator. Captain Adelia calls for reinforcements from Triumphant City... How’s that for the script?"

Chu Guang sneered, "It’s trash."

"Fair. I forgot about the Academy," the man mumbled thoughtfully. "Let me think again."

"Brother..." Yi Chuan muttered, stepping forward, only to be halted by a massive steel-covered hand on his shoulder.

"That’s not your brother lying there."

Stopping Yi Chuan in his tracks, Chu Guang didn’t even glance at the falling airships. His eyes were locked sharply on the distance beyond the camp.

That bastard had at least 1,000 clones...

Maybe even more.

Remote-controlled via mental link by disciples of the Enlightenment Society... It was all too familiar.

"Aren’t you going to run?" the man asked curiously, still watching Chu Guang stand unmoving. He offered a friendly reminder. "If you don’t run now, it’ll be too late."

"Run?" Chu Guang raised an eyebrow and suddenly grinned. "Why would I run?"

Thinking a single phase cannon could deal with him?

What a joke.