Super Mechanic: God of Superpowers!

Chapter 172 Players Return

The ninth star sector of the Garden Galaxy, Aquamarine.

In the height of summer, the heatwave in the South Continent surges, and the scorching sun bakes the air into ripples.

With the official launch of version 2.0, the long-silent plaza inside the Terminator Shelter suddenly awakens.

The once deserted venue was suddenly sprung up as if on fast-forward, with countless figures appearing one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands—in the blink of an eye, the empty metal dome was filled with a dense, dark crowd.

Even before this version update, due to the plot analysis in the Star Sea Times.

Most players on Aquamarine Star have logged off in Terminator Shelter and Han Xiao's Third Shelter.

At this moment, with the launch of the new version, hundreds of thousands of eyes are looking around in amazement.

"So it's already up to version 2.0?"

"The interface doesn't look much different."

"Hey, look closely! The experience bar is still going up!"

"The developers are definitely being lazy; they haven't even added a single new feature."

"Where's the promised immersive ecological simulation? We can't even take our pants off! Thumbs down!"

"No way, the pants-dropping gang is here again!"

The players chattered and swiped through the interface.

Just then, a piercing alarm suddenly blared throughout the hall, and guards rushed in from all directions, brandishing pulse guns.

The relaxed crowd instantly tensed up—these "superhumans" who had disappeared for a year suddenly came back to life, startling Wang Yuan, the commander of the Terminator Vault, so much so that he almost activated the emergency plan.

Fortunately, they were stopped by "Fire King," the hidden manager of the Terminator Vault.

At this moment, all players simultaneously receive a timed mission: Remain on standby.

Looking at the blue glowing gun barrels around them, no one dared to risk their resurrection cooldown.

When Wang Yuan arrived at the scene, panting heavily, he saw a spectacular sight: hundreds of thousands of people raising their hands in unison.

"Gentlemen!" The old commander's hand holding the megaphone trembled slightly.

"Our planet is experiencing an unprecedented crisis." Through the throng of heads, he vaguely saw Ye Xiu's prediction come true.

These eccentric individuals, with their bizarre and eccentric behavior, may truly be the last hope for saving the world.

He quickly grasped the current situation, and everyone realized that more than a year had passed since the last version update.

Just over forty days ago, a bizarre phenomenon erupted from somewhere on Aquamarine, and within a few weeks it escalated into a global catastrophe.

Thirty days have passed since the full outbreak of this crisis known as "abnormal mutation," plunging the entire planet into dramatic change.

The six previously stable regimes collapsed one after another, and the normal social order was completely destroyed.

To this day, no one has figured out the source of the disaster; all that is known is that some kind of unobservable virus is at work.

It not only infects humans, but also animals and plants.

What's even more frightening is that no one can confirm whether they are carrying the virus, and even the most basic transmission routes cannot be verified.

When not experiencing symptoms, infected individuals show no abnormalities, but once symptoms appear, various extreme desires can arise out of nowhere:

Murderous intent, destructive urges, madness, lust, and even self-harm tendencies.

A normally mild-mannered neighbor may suddenly become an executioner, a respectable gentleman may suddenly be crawling on the ground eating pebbles, and a dignified lady may instantly transform into a debauched person.

What's most chilling is that the infected remain fully conscious throughout the process, genuinely identifying with these insane thoughts, as if a second personality has been forcibly implanted in them.

The survivors' testimonies added to the horror—every decision they made during the illness was driven by their own instincts, and they were completely unaware of their sudden change in temperament.

When Wang Yuan listed examples, the previously bewildered players suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

In Red Maple Kingdom, the first hardest-hit area, a sudden change occurred within the military.

Soldiers carrying the virus suddenly turned their guns on their comrades, tank shells exploded in the barracks, and armed helicopters strafed the area.

With just one outbreak of the disease, half of the country's military force collapsed.

Even more absurdly, the president actually came up with the idea of ​​growing mushrooms all over the world. If it weren't for the complicated launch process, mushroom clouds would probably have already covered the globe.

Although the president was taken into custody after the incident, the resulting panic could not be quelled.

When madness becomes the norm, the whole society falls into a crisis of trust.

No one can be sure if their friends and family are normal; every passerby on the street could be a ticking time bomb.

The once bustling cities gradually turned into ghost towns, and the survivors either hid in cellars to survive or formed a caravan of wanderers to migrate around.

In a pessimistic climate, more and more people are blaming the disaster on past world wars, believing that nuclear radiation gave rise to the demonic virus.

Many players felt a chill run down their spines as they listened to the story.

They imagined what it would be like to live in such a world, and all the previous speculations about the new version of "Disaster" seemed too conservative.

Some couldn't help but mutter, "Isn't there just no cure for this virus?"

What's even more mind-blowing is the time difference—a version update that seems like only a few days to players can bring about a complete upheaval in the game.

Someone stared blankly at the words "Version 2.0 is online" on the panel, then suddenly burst out laughing: "This is exciting right from the start?"

Wang Yuan shook his head helplessly. "Currently, we have two ways to combat the mutated virus."

"First of all, superhumans have stronger resistance to viruses, which has been confirmed by data."

"Secondly, the inhibitor we developed together at Terminator Vault and Vault 3 can provide short-term immunity to infection, however..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Due to the limited speed of raw material cultivation, the production capacity gap is simply too large."

As he finished speaking, a system panel glowing blue suddenly popped up in front of countless players.

In the collective quest interface triggered by hundreds of thousands of players simultaneously, most people's goal was to complete the purification progress bar of 30 million on Aquamarine Star.

Only Ye Xiu's mission map flashed with countless planetary coordinates—his mission panel was clearly several times more complete than everyone else's.

"Launching right after the update and already clashing with the main storyline? That's incredibly fast!"

"No preamble, straight to the point—that's exactly what we hot-tempered folks like!"

Seeing the instantly excited player group, Wang Yuan quickly instructed the guards to distribute the task list.

From transporting supplies to building city defenses, all kinds of tasks with progress rewards were snapped up as soon as they were posted.

Large guilds, with their numerical advantage, took on 70% of the tasks, leaving solo players stamping their feet in frustration as they stared at their task panels that were instantly wiped clean.

"Can we go out and explore without accepting a quest?" a player who couldn't get into the quest circle suddenly shouted.

Wang Yuan smiled wryly and pointed to the hundred-meter-high metal city wall: "I suggest you go to the watchtower and take a look outside."

As the first group of players scaled the city wall, a chorus of gasps erupted.

The originally reddish-brown earth was completely covered by clusters of gray-white tents, with countless simple tents stretching along the horizon to the horizon.

Amidst the sounds of arguing and fighting, tents would occasionally collapse, whether from infected individuals going berserk or starving people fighting for resources.

"Tens of thousands of people are flocking here every day." Wang Yuan, who had appeared on the city wall at some unknown time, gripped the railing tightly.

"The daily production of the blocking agent is only enough for two thousand people. Letting people into the city will cause riots, but if we don't let them in, we can only watch them suffer."

He stared at the burning pile of corpses at the edge of the camp, and his voice suddenly choked.

Inside and outside the metal city walls, hope and despair are locked in a fierce struggle on this wasteland.

After the cataclysmic event, the entire world was plunged into a chaotic vortex.

People scattered like a flock of startled birds, completely disoriented.

Now, thanks to the butterfly effect triggered by Ye Xiu, the survivors around the world finally have a clear goal—the Terminator Vault and the Black Ghost Vault III.

That place became, in everyone's eyes, the final Noah's Ark.

However, the inhibitor developed by Yi Ye Qing can only temporarily suppress the virus and cannot completely eliminate the infection.

Faced with this global catastrophe, even a leader like Wang Yuan was helpless.

He suddenly remembered what Ye Xiu had said when he went to interstellar space: the solution could only be found by leaving Aquamarine Star.

Is this planet's fate already sealed, beyond saving?

"All the shelters have fallen," Wang Yuan muttered to himself, staring at the monitor screen. "Only this place and the third shelter remain."

His bloodshot eyes reflected the fleeing crowds stretching for kilometers outside the shelter.

This disaster has completely shattered the veil of civilized society.

The once orderly six kingdoms are now crumbling, and government institutions are incapacitated like puppets with broken strings.

When the alienation virus infects everyone regardless of social status, from rank-and-file employees to high-ranking officials, anyone can turn into a monster in the next second, rendering any management system a castle in the air.

The invisible chains that hold society together are breaking.

The elements that make people consciously abide by the rules are law enforcement deterrence, economic systems, and moral values.

They become incredibly vulnerable in the face of the mutated virus. Those infected don't care about the consequences of breaking the law; their nerve centers, destroyed by the virus, are left only with destructive instincts.

The once rock-solid order of civilization is now like a glass vessel shattered on a concrete floor.

If I had to describe the current situation in one word, it would definitely be "out of control".

Now the only things that can be trusted are lifeless steel machines.

The leaders of the six major powers are currently holding an emergency meeting via encrypted channel, a meeting that should have brought about a turning point twenty days ago.

Their joint distress signal to the planet Godora has yet to be heard.

"This virus is like a safe with a self-destruct mechanism!" A leader slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

"Our scientists can't even open the outer shell!"

In fact, they should have realized long ago that a virus that could stump the world's top research teams could not possibly be a local product.

But these politicians were unaware that the same disaster was unfolding across the entire Garden Galaxy at that very moment.

The latest novel is first published here!

The overwhelmed Godora rescue team had no time to spare for Aquamarine, which wasn't a high priority.

After all, Ye Xiu and Han Xiao had not yet revealed the information about Dark Star.

"What's even more troublesome now are those returning superhumans!" Representative Ruilan suddenly pulled up surveillance footage. "They disappeared for over a year, and of all times, it's happening now..."

"Maybe they brought the virus!" someone exclaimed excitedly, standing up immediately.

This argument is not new; leaders of various countries have always remained wary of these supernatural beings.

A hoarse sigh came from the corner: "Who cares where he comes from, as long as this nightmare ends. I haven't dared to go home to see my wife for three months."

Tears welled in the speaker's bloodshot eyes.

The topic quickly shifted to a more practical dilemma.

"Wang Yuan claims there's insufficient production capacity, but the inhibitor production at Terminator Shelter is clearly abnormal!"

The accusation fell into a deathly silence in the meeting room.

Everyone knows that whoever controls the miracle drug will be able to restore order—but should they try to snatch it from the savior?

Someone stared at the real-time updated refugee data on the screen: "If we're going to take action, we need to do it sooner rather than later."

This statement, like a stone thrown into stagnant water, stirred ripples in everyone's heart.

The age-old question of the continuation of political power and the preservation of civilization is once again before everyone.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Hundreds of thousands of players are stationed in Terminator Shelter, exploring the new gameplay and busy completing various main story events.

Despite the huge crowds, the quest chain here seems endless.

The most sought-after tasks are naturally the daily limited-time tasks issued by Wang Yuan, while the miscellaneous tasks issued by other NPCs are so numerous that they can't be completed.

Strangely enough, the players were doing these menial errands with great enthusiasm, each one as diligent as a model citizen, leaving even the shelter guards scratching their heads in disbelief.

The main purpose of completing tasks is to accumulate progress in the "Alienation Disaster" quest. In the past two days, all players on the server have been grinding hard, and the total progress has reached 73.

However, this virus seems to have a life-giving effect; if we don't work every day, the progress will drop, forcing everyone to keep pushing forward.

Although they didn't understand how the virus worked, the players were too lazy to delve into it; they just followed the mission prompts and charged in.

Everyone knows that version 2.0 will introduce an interstellar map, and the current cataclysmic storyline is just the opening act.

I heard that things are even more ridiculous on Frostwinter Star. The territory of the mighty Extinction Legion was attacked by a punitive expedition, which made the local players furious.

In comparison, our Aquamarine Star is progressing the fastest, but it has already strayed far from the original storyline.

The game forums are now as lively as a vegetable market, with all sorts of new version strategy posts flooding the screen.

Wang Yuan leaned against the city wall railing and looked down. The busy figures of hundreds of thousands of supernatural beings made his brows relax a little.

"Thank goodness for these extraordinary individuals who came to our rescue."

He touched his chin with a sigh.

"Bang--!"

"Help—!"

Without warning, the refugee camp suddenly erupted into chaos.

Large groups of people went berserk and started fighting each other, the scene was like a zombie outbreak—the most sinister thing about the mutated virus is this unpredictable rampage pattern.

The camp, which had been barely maintaining order, instantly turned into a gladiatorial arena, where millions of red-eyed patients were punching, biting, and rolling around in a heap, their screams and fighting sounds deafening.

The refugees who hadn't yet fallen ill were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, leaving the guards on the city wall completely dumbfounded.

With a "snap," Wang Yuan crushed five finger marks into the concrete wall.

"With so many people crowding together and falling ill, the consequences are unimaginable! By the time they calm down, the corpses will be piled up like mountains!"

The players all stopped what they were doing. They had seen war before, but they had never seen a scene of millions of people fighting hand-to-hand.

These refugees fight more fiercely than wild beasts, each punch landing with tremendous force. Some quick-handed ones have already started recording and are preparing to post it on the forum.

"Everyone move out! Knock out all the crazy ones!" Wang Yuan shouted until his voice was hoarse.

Although there is still hope for those infected, he simply cannot bear to watch millions of people kill each other.

hum-

Suddenly, a muffled thunderous sound came from afar, and a massive army of tanks, billowing with dust, charged toward them.

Snapped!

Wang Yuan smashed the battlement with his fist, shouting angrily, "Damn Hai Xia and Rui Lan, they're asking for it!"

"Hurry and save them! Otherwise, all the refugees will perish here!"

The task panel in front of all players suddenly refreshed, and the total progress of the "Alienation Disaster" plummeted like a kite with a broken string, losing 1 points in the blink of an eye.

A bright red emergency mission popped up on everyone's forehead—rescue people outside the city! Guaranteed 5 progress points, the more you rescue, the bigger the reward, up to 20!

As the progress bar plummeted, the players were frantic with worry.

At this rate, most of the results I've worked on in two days will probably have to be thrown away.

"Let's team up! Anyone is welcome!"

"Get out of the city quickly!"

The hundreds of thousands of players in the shelter were in an uproar, rushing out in droves.

Those who carried people carried them, those who beat people with clubs beat them with clubs, and those who caught a mad refugee dragged them back.

Wang Yuan also dispatched a group of people specifically to intercept the Haixia army—more than 300,000 head of livestock, which could not be killed in one fell swoop, so they could delay them for as long as possible.

Fire King had already stormed into the tank army.

Flames were being flung around like they were free, and three tanks were instantly destroyed.

Rumbling--

The entire refugee camp was in such a chaotic state that it was terrifying.

One moment the Haixia army was firing in all directions, the next the players were rescuing people, and both sides were crowding towards the middle.

The most absurd thing is that the refugees who fell ill were still fighting each other, completely unaware of the situation!

Wang Yuan's palms were sweating; the mess in front of him made even him dizzy.

"Holy crap, the enemy tank's attack speed is insane! Did they take Viagra?"

"Damn it! I've been turned into a QR code by a car wheel!"

"The gap can't be filled! It's going to collapse!"

The players who were trying to stop the tank army were about to collapse.

Although you can be resurrected after dying, it takes time to run back to your corpse!

Seeing the overall progress plummet like a waterfall, everyone was so anxious they were pulling their hair out.

call out--!

Suddenly, a piercing shriek exploded in the sky, and everyone in the midst of the battle looked up in unison.

Good heavens! Hundreds of red-hot iron coffins ripped through the sky, leaving trails of flame as they crashed into the entrance of the shelter!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The metal cabin slammed into the ground, making it tremble. Before the dust had even settled, the hatch sprang open with a "whoosh."

The guys that crawled out were all fully armed and dressed in strange clothes, so they didn't look like locals—they were actually space delivery pods!

Before anyone could react, the leader, the one wearing a black mask, waved his hand.

Without saying a word, hundreds of interstellar mercenaries roared and charged towards the tank army!

(End of this chapter)