“System, close the three-dimensional hostility detection module.”
Aldric took a slow breath.
He had spent a small amount of Reputation moments ago to activate a detection module.
The module gave a rough read of nearby life signatures across a full three-dimensional range.
The entire underground world was dense array of biological activity.
Moreover, his psionic senses picked up something else beneath that.
Irregular, chaotic psionic disturbances running through the rock below.
The rock-borers that had hit the camp weren’t a isolated incident.
If rock-borers were psionically sensitive creatures, the camp might already be surrounded.
His guess turned out to be correct.
“Antor, how are the standard rounds performing in testing?”
Work in the engineering section had started to find its rhythm.
“The standard round casings are using low-grade metals recovered from the greenskins.
The stopping power comes out to roughly half that of a military-spec round, but they can just barely punch through rock-borer carapace.”
“The propellant the soldiers brought in fully meets military-spec requirements.
Some of the higher-grade metals are usable for proper military rounds.”
The propellant was a byproduct of the bio-power plant, a high-energy composite biofuel.
The raw material is still the Green Skin.
Under Federation-grade processing technology, every living thing is a treasure trove.
“The workers and I pulled an all-nighter.
Together we produced ten thousand standard rounds and one thousand military-spec rounds.”
“We also modified a number of excavation picks to improve digging speed.”
Antor’s engineering aptitude was proving itself quickly.
In a short time he had established a full tiered classification and a working production line.
Aldric listened to the full report and nodded.
“You did well.”
Four words.
Antor felt them go through him like a current.
The Commander had acknowledged him.
Aldric noticed the reaction.
He was used to it by now.
Too many humans pulled out of desperate situations responded exactly the same way.
“You’ve worked hard.
Speaking of which, everyone on the crew gets an extra meal tonight.
Come by my command room later and take some soda.
One for each worker.”
Antor’s voice went a little unsteady.
“Commander, that’s far too generous.
This is just what we’re supposed to do.”
Aldric’s gaze settled on him, and he spoke with a measured, instructive tone.
“In the Federation, effort is rewarded.
You all deserve to enjoy what you’ve produced.”
“One more thing.”
“Don’t catch a cold.”
Antor brought his fist to his chest over his heart and held Aldric’s gaze without wavering.
It was the first time Aldric had seen Antor use a different salute.
Not the twin-wings salute of the Imperium of Man.
“Time to welcome the players back.”
After Aldric left, Antor distributed the supplies to the workers in the engineering section.
The engineering section, the place where basic materials were produced, was now full of people.
At the center stood a statue.
the Federation’s God-Emperor…
the Commander’s…
gift to you all for your efforts…”
“Before we eat, let us face…
and offer our most sincere…
prayers…”
(T/n: ah yes, this is soo ironic, i love it.)
…
Aldric made his way to the troop transport wreckage.
With his consciousness written into the system, the second round of closed beta testing officially began!
Aldric was also ready for the next round of acting.
He needed to play the role of an NPC well.
“Welcome back, my soldiers.”
“Finally.
I’ve been waiting so long I nearly wilted.” Drool made his signature sound.
All thirty stasis pods were open, with a clone complement of sixty soldiers allocated.
Aldric kept ten unactivated clones in reserve.
If a player died, there was a replacement ready.
But the reserve cap was ten.
Which meant it was time to apply some pressure.
“Is this a cutscene?”
Aldric spoke slowly and clearly.
“We have been buried underground by a natural disaster.
Our only stronghold is barely holding together.
Supplies are low.
Energy is short.
We need to explore the underground for usable resources, find a path back to the surface, and keep the camp running in the meantime.”
“Rock-borers.
Dangerous organisms that nest in the lower levels of the mine.
Their mandibles can crush stone.
They are a threat, and they are also one of our best chances for keeping this camp alive.”
“The local miners will guide your squads.”
“Most of the miners are working on base repairs, but I have ensured that each of your teams will have at least one miner with them.”
“Be aware.
We are in a critical situation.
There are no second chances here.”
System announcement: Current mode is Extreme Survival Mode.
Ammunition tier system added.
Current ammunition types: standard rounds and military-spec rounds.
Laser weapons now have access to energy cell recharging.
Trading system updated.
Available items include greenskin rations, standard rounds, military-spec rounds, work uniforms, and more.
If total player deaths reach ten, Elimination Mode activates.
All eliminated players forfeit their current beta access.
Failure to complete the game will result in the permanent shutdown of this DLC.
Beta completion will unlock the third beta round with additional slots.
Every current player will receive one bonus beta slot, which may be gifted.
The red text of the system announcement stood out sharply in the interface.
“This is brutal.”
“Wait, ten total deaths and people start getting eliminated from the beta?”
Ten casualties and it goes into an elimination bracket?
“So as long as you’re not the one eliminated, you still have a shot at coming back if the others clear it?”
“Streamer, you absolutely cannot die.
If you all fail, the servers shut down.
What are the rest of us supposed to play?”
“This has to be fake.
Drool, are you running another scam?
How many points did you take from me back then?”
“It’s not a scam if it’s free.
And I already changed, okay.”
When viewers saw the same announcement appearing across multiple streamers’ feeds, the reality of the situation landed.
“That’s actually an official game announcement?”
“Seriously?
Failure means permanent shutdown?”
“Drool, if you die, don’t blame us for the backlash.
Even if you’re eliminated, you better make sure the others can still clear it.”
Drool stared at the information in front of him with genuine disbelief.
“Hold on.
The pressure is actually this intense?”
“What does it mean that the beta slot can be gifted?”
Then something clicked.
“Wait.”
It wasn’t just the pressure inside the game.
People in the real world had already started reaching out.
Ring ring.
Sure enough, Drool’s phone was going off.
“Brother!”
“Boss Drool…”
“We’re close, right?…”
Drool looked at his phone.
Five minutes.
Three calls.
Back to back without a gap.
“Even the game itself has people applying real-world pressure on me now?”
Underground extreme survival was genuinely brutal by any measure.
Breaking through to the surface in a short timeframe was not going to happen.
Aldric already knew, through the system and his own psionic senses, that the underground was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
The players needed to be pushed hard.
“The camp is already in a precarious state.
The energy shield requires a constant supply to keep running.
Every player must contribute five Reputation points per day.”
“Of course, the underground will also contain large numbers of rock-borers that have been displaced by the disaster.
Each rock-borer provides one energy unit.”
“For locating rock-borers, you have the option of recruiting miners to work with you.
Miners are reportedly quite familiar with these creatures.”
“Take care of your soldiers and your miners.
They will determine whether you can clear this or not.”
…
Aldric laid out a great deal of information.
All of it was logged as system announcements in each player’s records so nothing would be forgotten.