The four of them, fully armed, walked out of the armory.

  The officer outside the armory had been waiting for a long time, a smile on his face. "Now *that's* what I call soldiers. Follow me, we're heading to the battlefield now!"

  The four followed the officer through the fortress, taking the time to feel the equipment on their bodies.

  The exoskeletons were the most impressive.

  They extended from the legs all the way up the back and arms.

  Each joint had an electric motor installed inside.

  A chip inside the exoskeleton constantly monitored the user's muscle and nerve activity to predict their next move.

  The motors at the joints would then activate and output power based on the information from the chip.

  The four quickly experienced the magic of the exoskeletons.

  The weapons and equipment they were carrying weighed at least a hundred pounds, but they felt nothing, as if they were carrying an empty bag and holding a stick.

  They were incredibly fast, matching Usain Bolt's sprinting speed.

  Matt was constantly observing the operation of the exoskeleton.

  He could clearly see every exposed part moving.

  Each part made a different sound as it moved, creating a war march.

  "It's so realistic!" Matt was awestruck.

  The four felt a bit disoriented.

  It was as if they were soldiers from a super-advanced civilization on the other side of the galaxy, not ordinary people from Earth.

  It felt like the Butterfly Dream of Zhuang Zhou: Did Zhuang Zhou dream he was a butterfly, or did a butterfly dream it was Zhuang Zhou?

  Led by the officer, the four boarded an elevator. After several minutes, the elevator finally reached its destination.

  "Soldiers, the enemy is outside. Remember the oath you took when you enlisted!"

  The officer made a fist with his right hand and placed it over his heart, saluting the four.

  This was the Empire's military salute.

  The four instantly recalled the relevant information.

  "Fight for the Supreme Leader!"

  "Fight for the Empire!"

  "Fight for the people!"

  The four also made a fist with their right hands and placed it over their hearts, shouting words that suddenly appeared in the depths of their minds.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  At that moment, their eyes glazed over, and scenes flashed through their minds like a movie.

  They saw the parents who had raised them with love and care.

  They saw countless comrades who had died in battle, for honor.

  They saw their peaceful homeworld.

  A surge of fighting spirit arose in their hearts.

  They had to bear the honor, fight the enemy to the end, and protect their parents and the other people on their homeworld.

  "This game is terrifying!"

  "It not only simulates reality physically, but also affects the player mentally!"

  Matt was secretly shocked.

  He knew it was a game, but after those moments, he felt as if he had been brainwashed and completely immersed.

  If someone with a weak will experienced all of this, they might truly believe that everything here was their real life.

  And that fighting for the Empire and defending their homeworld was their only purpose.

  "For the Empire!"

  "Charge!"

  "I'll never coexist with evil!"

  Matt looked to the side.

  The other three were burning with chuunibyou spirit (a Japanese term for "teen spirit" or delusions of grandeur), clearly brainwashed by the game and completely immersed.

  "Boom!"

  At that moment, there was a loud explosion in the distance.

  The ground shook.

  A strong wind blew, carrying a storm of sand toward them.

  It was like the thick fog that blankets everything in winter.

  But unlike winter fog, which is made of water vapor, this was made of sand.

  "The enemy is coming!" Matt shouted.

  Dark figures could be seen in the sandstorm.

  Soon, a dark figure rushed out of the sandstorm and into view.

  These dark figures looked like giant ants, each one big enough to fill a classroom.

  Their armor looked like it was made of steel, thick, hard, and dull in color.

  Two huge fangs extended from their mouths, like the claws of a crab. As they opened and closed, they crushed the large rocks in their path into pieces.

  The four were stunned.

  The simulation was 99% realistic, and everything they saw was identical to reality.

  When the monsters from movies step into reality and appear in front of you, the shock and fear can only be described with a "What the hell!".

  "Soldiers, are you so scared that you wet your pants?"

  The officer's voice came through their earpieces, instantly snapping them out of it.

  "Start fighting!" someone shouted.

  The four began to clumsily use the equipment they had taken from the armory.

  Matt held a laser weapon, gently pulled the trigger, and the muzzle instantly became bright. The next second, a laser beam shot out.

  "Boom!"

  The laser beam hit a spot and instantly blew a small crater.

  The laser beam also brought with it a high temperature, melting the surrounding rocks into molten lava.

  Matt's mouth was wide open, and his limbs began to tremble uncontrollably from excitement.

  "This... this is what a game should be!"

  Matt was moved to tears.

  The feel! The impact! The feedback! This is insane!

  Matt then acted like a kid who just got a new toy, holding the laser weapon and constantly pulling the trigger.

  Laser beams hit the battlefield, blowing holes everywhere.

  The other three were not much better, playing with their toys.

  One of them held a lightsaber, and the blade would melt anything it touched into two halves with its high heat.

  There was also a button on the hilt.

  With a gentle press, a sword beam would fly out from the blade.

  Just like the sword energy of the peerless swordsmen in Xianxia novels.

  "Haha, this game is so damn fun!"

  "Woooo, let's go!"

  The excited voices of the four rose and fell on the battlefield.

  The four goofing off ended abruptly as the giant ants drew near.

  "Brothers, let me give them an appetizer first!"

  Matt shouted loudly, bent his legs slightly, and then exerted force. The exoskeleton was activated, enhancing his leg strength.

  Using the powerful reaction force, Matt jumped into the air, flying toward a giant ant, and instantly locked onto it with his laser weapon.

  "Die!"

  Matt gently pulled the trigger.

  "Buzz!"

  The laser weapon muzzle lit up, and then instantly dimmed.

  "Huh?"

  Matt froze for a moment, then noticed that the energy bar on the side of the gun was bottoming out.

  All of his energy was exhausted.

  "Sh*t!"

  A pair of strong fangs instantly tore Matt into pieces.

  The three on the ground stared blankly at the scene.

  They all had the same thought.

  "Better to fight a god than team up with a pig!"