Chapter 306: Eden: Virtual Realm and the Sortie

Half an hour later.

Inside the frontline base that hasn't been completed yet…

"Tap tap! Tap!"

"Ri~ whoosh!"

One can clearly hear in the channel the sounds of lasers, gauss‑gun systems and large‑caliber fixed cannons, interspersed with the detonations of EMP (electromagnetic pulse) grenades.

"Bang! Bang!"

Of course, there are also faint bursts of explosive arrow fire.

This shows that the rescue mission previously carried out by Valen informed the machines about Umbrella.

However, what the machines cannot fathom is how Umbrella appeared out of nowhere, which is why they keep sending sentinels to constantly scout and harass.

Yet the construction crews, busy with building, show no panic despite the fierce battle and continue to progress methodically.

It indicates that the engineers seated in the cockpit, operating SCVs while holding a cigarette roll and wearing a sideways baseball cap, never worried about the possibility of the position being overrun.

At the same time, more "soldiers" arrive at this side via the lift, moving in combat squads or companies to the various positions within the channel.

Especially the "T"-shaped position on the north side.

A close look at these soldiers shows they are well‑equipped, some even wearing two‑meter‑tall CMC powered armor that carries small missiles and grenade launch bays, making them heavy infantry.

Their main paint is white, shoulder plates gray‑blue, revealing their identity as the Clearance Corps auxiliary troops.

Through the lift to this side also come a thousand regular members of the Clearance Corps.

As the corps' main force, the Astate troops, accustomed to fighting in squads, are not as "plain" as the reserves; they are all equipped with the standard‑issue Thunder Hammer Mark V.

A few squad leaders and company commanders wield the Thunder Hammer Mark VI.

With auxiliary troops, the rare Clearance Corps, and light and medium armored units brought here, the frontline base can be said to be as solid as a fortress.

Near the Space Gate stands a large facility, the earliest built, with four stories.

On its third floor, inside a large conference room…

"These… these are really delicious… Captain!" Mark exclaims loudly, echoing.

But the exclamation sounds oddly muffled, as if the mouth is full of food not yet chewed.

The burly captain, Mark, and twelve other locals sit on both sides of the U‑shaped conference table, enjoying the staff meals provided by Umbrella.

At this moment they have changed into brand‑new, well‑fitting white uniforms.

It seems they have undergone the technicians' "bath" and "cleaning" procedures, leaving the locals' faces, skin, and hair much fresher and no longer grimy.

As for the simple staff meal, what excites Mark immensely is that it includes soda, fresh fruit, and various meats.

A close look at the back of Mark's head shows no slot device like the burly captain's; many others without such slots are just as excited as Mark.

After all, they have never seen sunlight since birth, subsisting on a "porridge" rich in protein, vitamins D and B12, with even bread considered a delicacy.

Even for those from the main universe, who take such ordinary food for granted, it is a long‑cherished dream for Mark and his companions.

The burly captain with a Russian accent, however, furrows his brow, looks solemn, and his sideburns appear slightly "flared".

Then the burly man pushes the food‑laden tray aside and replies to Mark's exclamation: "If it's tasty, eat more."

"Yes…!"

Mark gives the burly man a standard military salute.

"Hahaha~!"

The comedic act instantly draws laughter from the companions.

As the only under‑age crew member, the burly captain and the others take good care of Mark; having survived the disaster and now enjoying a hearty meal, the atmosphere gradually relaxes and becomes light.

He pauses.

"Captain, you know the most…" a bald crew member turns his head toward the burly man seated opposite at the U‑shaped table, asking curiously:

"You said those guys outside, are they resistance forces other than Eden?"

"Impossible; only Eden remains on Earth," a short‑haired woman shakes her head to deny.

"Putting aside where they come from…" the burly man continues, stating his view:

"At present, they also see the machines as enemies. Indeed, logically, there should be no other resistance on Earth besides Eden.

But I know one thing: 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' More importantly, you have all seen the impending massive machine offensive, far beyond expectations, so we need…

No, we should be seeking powerful allies to prevent Eden's downfall."

"Captain is right," Mark, having finished a double portion, nods and agrees: "If it weren't for those giants, we would have died long ago."

"Swoosh-!" the automatic doors of the conference room slide open, abruptly ending the discussion.

Everyone's gaze turns toward the entrance.

!!!

At a glance, it leaves everyone stunned.

Even the burly captain, who had remained calm about life and death throughout, shows an extremely shocked expression.

Then appears Angelong, dressed in a black uniform, a white‑and‑gray‑blue braided sash on his right shoulder, red‑white button accents on the collar and cuffs, slightly bowing his head as he passes through a doorway low for an OriginalBody, and steps into the conference room.

With a friendly smile he says, "Delighted to host you all; does the food still suit your palate?"

"Fit… fit…" the blank‑minded Mark involuntarily replies.

The visual shock previously felt from Valen and the reserves has not faded, and now seeing a giant over four meters tall puts Mark and the others into a sort of "crash" state.

"That's good," Angelong, who can sense emotions, smiles again, then walks to the front of the U‑shaped table and continues:

"I am Angelong, the supreme commander of Umbrella's Eighth Legion, the Clearance Corps, Angelong. From now on I will, representing Umbrella and also my father, discuss certain matters with you all."

Legion?

Father?

Umbrella?

The people who had just recovered were even more bewildered.

While Angelong was speaking, several civil soldiers belonging to the Clearance Corps also entered the meeting room, helping to tidy up the empty plates and cups, and brought a suitably sized chair, placing it at the front of the conference table.

The purpose of bringing the chair was so that Angelong did not want these locals to keep looking up, to avoid height differences as much as possible.

Having said that.

The OriginalBody sat down, glanced left and right, and asked: 'I don't know who among those present is the highest commander?'

"I." The burly man, having put away his shock and regained composure, said: "Wéikèduō·Wéikènuówéiqī·Bōlìyēfù, major, captain of the already destroyed Abraham, and before we begin discussion, I have a few questions I hope to have answered."

"Of course, Major, please speak," Angelong readily accepted.

"Well, then forgive my bluntness, you, and the soldiers over 2.5 meters tall, are you human… or some other existence? And what is your purpose for coming here?"

The burly captain named Wéikèduō then spoke consecutively.

Before Angelong appeared, when the crew were discussing among themselves, or when they were cooperating with technicians to conduct inspections, Victor had already begun to consider the possibility that Umbrella did not belong to this world.

Indeed, having experienced captivity, despair, and struggle, it has made a battle-hardened captain able to easily conceive, even accept the truth of 'another world.'

Therefore, he did not ask Angelong 'Where are you from?' but rather 'What is your purpose for coming?'

Upon hearing the question,

"Human."

"We are human, only we differ somewhat from ordinary people, but more information is classified, so likewise forgive my frankness, you have no right to know."

"And the purpose of coming here?"

There are many factors, but the most crucial is that we know the machines are slaughtering and imprisoning our fellow humans; just that alone is enough for us to intervene.

"Humans…"

Regarding Angelong's self-identification, the crew of the Abraham could barely accept it, treating Angelong and Astate as just a bit higher than ordinary people; it shouldn't be a big deal.

"Just…"

"Where exactly does Umbrella come from?"

"And who exactly is the father capable of fathering giant offspring? Could he be a six-meter-tall giant?"

Even if Victor doesn't care, Mark and the other crew members are even more curious.

Sensing this emotion, Angelong did not bother to explain anything; immediately, he looked at Victor, smiling and asked:

"Then Major Bōlìyēfù, can we begin the main topic?"

"..." Victor, whose brows remained furrowed, nodded in response.

"Good."

Angelong's elbow rested on the table, hands crossed, habitually adopting one of his father's usual sitting postures, he still said with a smile:

"To speed up and increase efficiency in eliminating the machines, I need intelligence regarding the surface, underground, and that Eden's related information..."

"Next."

Angelong obtained a general overview of this Earth, humanity, and the machines through Victor.

"Now" should be the 24th century, but the exact year, month, or day, this major cannot give a precise answer.

After all, humanity in this universe has suffered a civilizational break; fundamentally no one knows how long it has been since the machines took over Earth.

Moreover, tragically, humanity in this universe cannot obtain knowledge of history.

"Eden"…

It is the shelter established by the first batch of humans who broke free from the 'Virtual Realm' bonds, using the old world's urban underground system.

As more humans escaped the 'Virtual Realm', plus the increasing number of naturally born humans, the shelter's scale gradually expanded, eventually forming a shelter located underground about a kilometer, capable of accommodating tens of millions of residents, called 'Eden'.

Therefore, Victor and his group use the 'Eden Calendar' to calculate time.

According to the Eden Calendar, 'today' is December 24, year 149, indicating that from the moment Eden was established, in seven days it will have been a full 150 years.

And the 'Virtual Realm' is precisely the virtual world constructed by the machines to facilitate the captivity of humans.

Those with a slot device at the back of the head, like Victor, are humans who escaped from the Virtual Realm and had previously been captive.

Like Mark, and many crew members excited over the staff meal, are naturally born humans of the real world.

The Eden side believes that the machines went to great trouble to build egg sacs, towers, and the Virtual Realm, seemingly wanting to continue learning and observing from their 'Creator', so as to become more like true living beings, or to create their…

humans.

As for Victor and others piloting electromagnetic warships, roaming between the surface and abandoned channels, besides conducting reconnaissance, their main task is to facilitate 'salvage'.

Victor and his group will use the ship's equipment, anytime and anywhere, to revisit the Virtual Realm, attempting to guide people to awaken their thoughts and voluntarily break free.

Once they actively leave the Virtual Realm and wake up in the egg sacs, they will be regarded by the managing machines, namely those spider-type machines, as pollutants and thrown into the abandoned channels.

And the electromagnetic warships that have long been waiting, lurking in the shadows, will 'salvage' the people ashore.

The purpose of doing this is to additionally increase Eden's population.

Of course, the Eden high command dispatching soldiers like Victor to venture back into the Virtual Realm is not merely to increase population, but to seek the possibility of completely defeating the machines.

In the real world, the Eden military knows that competing with the machines in hardware and numbers is purely self-inflicted suffering; they can only defend.

But humans are forever the species most adept at thinking and resisting.

Since they are at an absolute disadvantage in numbers and technology, they must seek another path, attempting to implant a virus in the Virtual Realm capable of paralyzing all machines.

But progress is slow.

Because the Virtual Realm is not an open door; one cannot freely enter and exit, the machines have set up specialized systems to handle vulnerabilities, firewalls and antivirus programs against viruses.

Moreover, what the Eden military fears most is that if the virus successfully paralyzes the machines, the consciousness of humans still in the Virtual Realm will collectively perish.

Unless all humans awaken their thoughts…

However, the means currently held by the Eden military fundamentally cannot achieve both liberating humans and instantaneously paralyzing machines.

"At this moment."

Having briefly presented various intelligence and information to Angelong, Victor, with a solemn expression, said: 'The machines have gathered an unprecedentedly large army on the surface about a hundred kilometers east of our position, and are conducting excavation operations.'

And beneath the surface lies Eden.

We had intended to warn the Eden side to stay vigilant, but the machinery interfered with communications, and we were also pursued by numerous sentinels, causing the Abraham to crash, so…

Please help us deliver this message to Eden; of course we won't let you work for nothing—the resistance will provide adequate compensation as best as they can.

"No compensation needed." Angelong lightly waved his hand and said:

"Actually, thank you for the intelligence help from the lieutenant colonel, which has cleared up Umbrella's confusion; in that case, I should be the one offering thanks to you all. I don't know if the lieutenant colonel could mark the exact location of the machine army on the map?"

"No problem… wait, are you actually wanting to take the offensive?"

Facing Weike Duo's surprise, Angelong, who had kept a faint smile, did not deny, saying: "My father once taught me that in certain situations, offense is the best defense; according to my judgment, the current situation…"

Just right. »

(End of chapter)