Chapter 490: Verification of the Results of the Challenge Against Higher Levels, [The Bronze Arena Project]

"Faster, faster! Get those machine-gun ammo boxes moved......."

Manager's office on the 12th-floor casino.

One by one, empty machine-gun ammo boxes were sent back to the Hunter Training Camp through the World Porch.

They were returned filled with bullets, then sent back to the Fire Isolation Zone.

At this moment, the Pioneering Group, backed by an entire world and enjoying massive logistical superiority, immediately showed its advantage.

This was not an even fight at all.

With rare-tier weapons, the Firepower Assault Trooper profession template, and the combined boosts of the Elite Recruit and Veteran identity templates,

the firepower squad led by Rock cut through foes like a hot knife through butter.

Even elite-tier Infected couldn't withstand the bullet storm for two seconds.

They would cross a mountain of corpses and have their necks snapped by gunfire, collapsing to the ground.

The entrance to the 12th-floor stairwell was already piled high with Infected corpses.

And because of that,

an extra barrier had formed at the 12th floor, slowing the Infected's advance.

Rock had just finished changing his magazine.

Behind him, Shadow was checking the tablet in his hand, then suddenly spoke up:

"Rock, heads up, a leader-level Infected has appeared."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the corpse pile at the 12th-floor stairwell entrance was shoved aside by a massive silhouette.

It was another Football Charger.

It looked toward the Fire Isolation Zone down the corridor and let out a roar.

As Shadow issued the alert, a command had already been given:

"Execute the focused-fire plan!"

"Roger!"

All the Firepower Assault Troopers lifted their rare-tier machine guns.

They trained their muzzles on the Football Charger that had just burst into the 12th-floor entrance.

Seeing the Football Charger bend both knees again, preparing to charge,

a curve appeared at the corner of Rock's mouth.

"Fire!"

Bullets from six machine guns rained down on the Football Charger like a violent storm.

Rat-a-tat—

The gunfire lit up the entire corridor, strong recoil making the firepower squad's faces twitch.

Rock's eyes lit with excitement.

"Haha, now this is a real fight!"

Bullets struck the Charger’s hard, football-like armor with crisp noises, sparking here and there.

A single bullet did little, but six machine guns fired not dozens but hundreds of rounds.

The hard football armor couldn't hold for even a second before the tidal wave of bullets ripped it apart, exposing skin and muscle beneath.

The Charger, mid-charge, was shredded by the bullet barrage.

In less than ten seconds, it collapsed, riddled with holes.

Its neck—the priority target—was literally severed.

The head, still wearing its football helmet, rolled a few times on the floor before coming to a stop.

"Swap out ammo boxes..." Rock's voice sounded again.

In his mind, killing this leader-level Infected was nothing unexpected; it was perfectly normal.

But Shadow glanced at the Spirit Collector on his wrist and his eyes brightened slightly.

"It's condensed five Spirit Crystals already. This leader-level Infected contributed twenty-one percent spirituality—nice."

Alpha's voice sounded in his earpiece.

"Rock, Firepower Squad change out."

"Roger!"

Soon a fresh firepower squad arrived to relieve Rock's team at the Fire Isolation Zone. Rock stayed to command while the other five ran back.

"This place is great. All five of the firepower squad members have already received the Veteran identity template..." Carmen stood beside Alpha and said with satisfaction.

After studying the Military Command manual and grasping coordination-and-command skills, Carmen had taken over the Hunter Training Camp commander position from Alpha.

He also had permission to view soldier templates and data.

"Yeah! The Bronze-tier combat strength in this world isn't that high, it's perfect for the Pioneering Group to drill and level up..."

Alpha was very pleased with Freedom Tower.

While the two spoke, the battle in the casino hall was also winding down.

The Football Charger had long since been crippled by Blackfire; its limbs shattered, it writhed on the ground.

But its broken bones couldn't support its huge body, so it could only flop and squirm along the floor.

Blackfire stomped on the Charger's head, then brought down his alloy shock blade hard on the neck.

One cut, two cuts, three cuts, four...

Finally... the cervical spine snapped, leaving only a shred of flesh connecting head and body.

Football Charger—dead.

At the same time, Habaar delivered his final axe blow.

"Crack—"

Another neck cracked.

The Muscle Berserker froze mid-movement, then crashed heavily to the ground.

Habaar withdrew his armored faceplate and panted heavily.

Although he had slain this leader-level Infected,

his armor was scarred and damaged.

Their battleground's floor was full of fissures; some parts had collapsed, revealing glimpses of the 11th floor below.

"Damn! That big brute was really tough!"

Alpha's voice came through his earpiece.

"Habaar, good job!"

"Commander, does that mean I get an identity template?" Habaar asked with hopeful anticipation.

Because Thug Prison was the last force in Green Forest City to join the Ten Thousand Nations Pact Civilization,

his identity template had been Training Recruit up until now.

After hearing about the Elite Recruit and Veteran templates, he naturally hoped for an upgrade.

"Yes, you received both the Elite Recruit and Veteran identity templates..."

In the casino manager's office,

Carmen looked to Alpha.

"Habaar's template directly upgraded from Training Recruit to Veteran, and Blackfire also received the Elite Recruit template. Your theory was correct: one-on-one challenges against Bronze-tier combatants have a high probability of granting identity templates..."

"Good. In that case, we can start the second phase of the Bronze Arena Plan!"

"Excellent! The Biological Gene Research Institute from the Aurora Animal Assistance Association supplied fifty vials of diluted Spirituality Inhibitor. That should be plenty."

Two alloy briefcases appeared before them.

Alpha opened one and looked at the neatly arranged syringes inside, nodding slightly.

These fifty syringes were specially made to easily pierce the skin of leader-level Infected.

"This is enough. Our capture targets this time are only leader-level Infected. Their strength hasn't reached Bronze-tier peak; the diluted Spirituality Inhibitor suffices."

"Then let's start as soon as possible! The time until leaders ascend to Bronze Rank isn't far off. We must accelerate the Pioneering Group's power growth."

Alpha immediately began issuing new orders.

"Swift Wind Recon Squad, execute the Bronze Arena Plan. Target: leader-level Infected..."

"Roger! Mission guaranteed!"

Shadow's voice carried no inflection.