Chapter 981 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 981: A Turn of Events [Future Children, has the world returned to normal? Although I won’t live to see that day, I hope you can witness it for me. Under the bed in the master bedroom is a safe. The password is my birthday, which you'll find in my diary... I've placed everything of value in there. Now I entrust it to you, hoping you can use it for post-war reconstruction. This is my wish. ——Clester Arley] Perhaps persistence pays off. After turning over an unknown underground complex with no results, Feng Qing and Guigui finally discovered the above message in a shop converted into a private shelter. The sentence was written on a card, like a letter sent to the future. However, when they finally found the legendary safe, went through great efforts to find Clester's birthday in a diary, and opened the box, they were both blinded by a golden radiance. "Holy crap! Gold—damn it! Why is it gold?!" Guigui's initial expression was joy, but realizing they were in a wasteland and not reality, she angrily kicked the folding bed next to her. Feng Qing's expression was also peculiar. "Emmm… although it's emotionally hard to accept, it seems reasonable?" It was said that during the Human Union era, the population reached tens of billions. Coupled with the prosperity of the aerospace and electronics industries and the people's demand for wealth preservation in a high-growth economic environment, gold was probably still quite valuable back then. But now... All industries and the population have shrunk so much. Gold, of course, is still more valuable than silver or copper; otherwise, the Wilantans wouldn't use it as currency. It's just that its scarcity isn't what it used to be. "About eight kilograms... shouldn't be an issue to exchange for ten thousand dinars." Guigui, squatting beside the suitcase, weighed the gold and, with a sigh, packed it into her backpack. Ten thousand dinars could be exchanged for two or three thousand silver coins, which isn't too shabby. It's just that the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. "…Either way, he's already left us what he thought was most valuable." Feng Qing comfortingly patted Guigui's shoulder, smiling as she spoke. "In any case, mission accomplished, no mutated nest found... We can report back." The pair retraced their steps. As they were about to board the escalator, a faint noise suddenly came from the shadows not far away. The sound was akin to a shoe pressing onto a dust-covered floor, a subtle "creak," yet it didn't escape their keen ears. Feng Qing, almost out of reflex, chambered a round in her rifle, raised her muzzle towards the source of the sound. "Who's there?!" The air stood still for a moment. As their hearts pounded, a scruffy old man, hands raised, emerged from beneath a partially collapsed steel framework. His appearance was unkempt. He wore canvas pants with many pockets and a jacket draped over his shoulders. In his hand was a woven bag and a short crossbow, like a scavenger you'd find throughout the wasteland. "Don't shoot..." Perhaps aware he stood no chance, the old man placed both the bag and his weapon on the ground, warily eyeing the two girls by the escalator. Seeing him disarm voluntarily, Feng Qing lowered her rifle and flashlight slightly, and asked in an inquisitive tone. "Who are you?" The old man fixated on her, glancing at her gun and then at her nose, before speaking in a raspy voice. "A survivor from Arbor City. A demon named Julius took our home, so we fled underground here... And you? Children of survivors, or children of demons?" Feng Qing and Guigui were taken aback, exchanging bewildered looks before turning back to the man. "Survivors from Arbor City... which year’s survivors are you referring to?" The old man furrowed his brows. "What year? What do you mean?" Realizing they were now having a cross-era conversation, Feng Qing replied with a complex expression. "It's the Wasteland Era, year 215. The Julius you're talking about... he died more than a century ago?" She hadn't paid careful attention to specifics, considering it a topic for the Wilantans' history. "A century?!" The scruffy man looked dumbfounded, confusedly staring at the young women before him. Suddenly recalling something, he hastily continued to ask. "Are the Wilantans still around?" Guigui nodded. "They are, but we've defeated them. The legion is now only a part of history... Haven’t you noticed the passage of such a long time?" The old man stared blankly at the "enemy of the enemy" before him, at a loss for words. After a long silence, he wryly said. "Most of us hibernate in dormancy pods, roughly twenty thousand of us. Of course, this isn't a proper shelter—only a few backup generators are here, so some had to stay outside." He paused, continuing. "Usually, about a hundred of us remain awake, never dropping below fifty, to maintain facilities and perform necessary maintenance, ensuring the others can wake up again. That, and to guard against the Wilantans finding us... The shifts change roughly every five years." Guigui was astonished. "20,000 people?! Wait, can you really hide 20,000 people here?! What do you eat to stay alive?!" Feng Qing was also stumped, her small mouth agape. The old man smirked indifferently. "In hibernation, food isn’t needed. The awake ones cultivate mushrooms, make some nutrient paste for sustenance. There's someone responsible for food, another for scavenging. As for power, it isn't much of a problem here—commercial-grade nuclear batteries suffice." As he spoke, he gazed toward the nearby underground commercial complex. "This is probably my second awakening. Normally, I scavenge around here... Honestly, I've no clue how long I've slept, nor how much time has passed outside. Management here is chaotic, and life a mess. Awake times are like a prison sentence, and the only hope is counting down five years to hibernate again. But as soon as I close my eyes, it feels like they're open again." "The brother who shook me awake said fifty, maybe forty years passed outside. He wasn’t sure himself, nor how many cycles it’s been. As for me, I’ve absolutely no sense of it. All I could think was 'damn,' the forty or fifty years passed was less than a second from my perspective!" "But I'm actually gratified; at least I outlasted Julius, didn’t I? Thank you, it's the best news I've heard in my life." He chuckled dryly. Perhaps he shouldn’t have confessed such things, potentially violating Arbor City discipline. But truthfully, he felt drained concerning his mission. At his age, how many more cycles could he endure? Or rather, was there even a reason to continue? Eyes shutting and reopening, things remained unchanged, and it’s another five years of hardship. In hibernation or not, there might only be about 50 years left of his life. And just for those 50 years, to perpetuate a pointless journey through time, they sacrificed familial bonds, romantic love, friendships... everything one should have by being human, and ceased to multiply. It was like a collective, chronic suicide. Rather than debating who to awaken next to endure the rodent-like lives, it was better to set everyone free. He'd often thought of cutting the power, becoming a legitimate "keeper of the grave." He even believed anyone who woke more than twice must’ve contemplated this. Thus, he revealed his truth without reservation. Inside, he even harbored a faint hope that these outsiders could accomplish what he couldn’t—end everyone's suffering. Feng Qing was silent for a while, then softly asked the old man. “What’s your name?” The old man shrugged. “Robin? If I’m not mistaken.” Feng Qing nodding gently, continued patiently. “Arbor City now hosts not only the living Wilantans but also children of your former neighbors... The times have changed, many times over.” “Although the world might be doomed, we still intend to live our remaining days well. If you wish to emerge, we’ll find ways to assist. And should you decide to stay here, we won’t impede you either.” The old man stared blankly at Feng Qing for a long time before he finally spoke. “The world... destroyed?” “Potentially,” Feng Qing nodded. “Strategic weapons in synchronous orbit have fallen into the wrong hands… It's complicated, but that’s a simple way to put it.” “Well… that’s truly a disaster,” the old man chuckled weakly, scratching the back of his head. “I’m not an aerospace expert… but maybe some of my compatriots might understand.” He seemed unperturbed by the prospect of another apocalypse. After all, he’d already lived through one. Feng Qing and Guigui exchanged a glance before turning back to the old man. "Do you plan on going out then?" The old man hesitated for a moment. "I'll have to discuss it with the others... But I'm inclined to see the surface again." If what these young girls said was true, and the world might soon end again, hiding here seemed rather pointless. At the very least… He wanted to die somewhere a bit more open. As for his grudges against the Wilantans and Julius, and the restoration of Arbor City... Those could wait. Now, his mind was too cluttered to think of such things. After hanging her rifle beside her backpack, Guigui volunteered, speaking to the old man. “We’ll accompany you.” The old man didn't object and nodded. “Let’s go together.” … [Mission Report: No mutant nest found below 17th Street of Arbor City, but ruins of a pre-war commercial complex have been discovered. Over 20,000 hibernators were found there. According to a survivor's account, they are original residents of Arbor City who fled underground during the Julius period to escape the war. They have decided to return to the surface, with over 20,000 hibernators awakening, including some survivors from the Prosperity Era. Reporters: Feng Qing, Guigui Mission Evaluation: Rewards: 200,000 silver coins, 2,000 contribution points, 50,000 regional reputation!] [Server Announcement: Arbor City population increased by 21,771. New explorable area "Prosperity Era Underground Commercial Complex Ruins" unlocked.] … Despite the world once again teetering on the brink of destruction, the players’ daily activities continued unabated. After all, it wasn't the first time in "Wasteland OL" that the world was on the verge of destruction. In this game, if a boss didn't cause a world-class crisis, it would be embarrassing to call themselves a boss. Even though those ten thousand neutron torpedoes sounded terrifying, it seemed that the Union had quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Moreover, they now knew where the enemy was. There would be a way. Arbor City, Prison 11, Room 101. Looking at Flynn, securely tied to the operating table, Jiang Xuezhou's face was riddled with complexity. Flynn had suffered severe mental trauma and would likely remain in a vegetative state for some time. Even if he woke, he would probably live with a mental disorder for quite a long time. Though it was a case of "an eye for an eye," she felt little satisfaction or relief. As to why, she couldn’t quite articulate it. Perhaps it was because, after seeing his memories, she found him to be a pitiable soul. “What do you plan to do with him?” she asked. Hearing Jiang Xuezhou's voice, Night Ten raised his head and glanced at her strangely. “We?” Not understanding what puzzled him, Jiang Xuezhou frowned, asking, “Is there a problem?” “No…” Night Ten scratched his head. “But didn’t he kill your people? We’d prefer you deal with him.” Jiang Xuezhou was silent for a moment before seemingly recalling something. She then asked, “You’ve caught Enlightenment members before, right? How do you handle them?” Night Ten shrugged. “How else? Sentence them and re-educate through labor. They can participate in wasteland reconstruction, teach in refugee schools, or volunteer... things like that.” Jiang Xuezhou frowned. “Does that work?” “Who knows if it works? We’re not about to crack their skulls open just for this.” Night Ten continued with a laugh. “Some do get rehabilitated and help us a lot. Others are pragmatic enough to temporarily endure us… And some devote believers serve their time then flee into the great wilds again. It’s possible.” Jiang Xuezhou was confused. “You know they might run, and you still do it?” Night Ten shook his head. “That logic’s flawed. How could we know they’d run? More accurately, we’re not concerned with those who fail rehabilitation. We care about the former group.” Jiang Xuezhou mused. “The former…” Night Ten shrugged. “There’ll always be some who rehabilitate, right? We show them another possibility, where bunker dwellers and wastelanders don’t have to kill each other but instead, rebuild together. Someone is bound to agree and join us.” “Those who join become doctors, engineers, researchers, or intelligence agents… Their addition is what matters to us.” “As for the others, if they run, they run. Pray they don’t get caught by us after doing something bad.” Jiang Xuezhou's eyes brightened as she thoughtfully rubbed her chin. A moment later, she made her decision. “I’ve decided.” Night Ten stared at her, dumbfounded. “Decided what?” Jiang Xuezhou spoke seriously. “I want to give him another chance. Hand him over to you, for rehabilitation.” Night Ten was amused. “Uh… While we don’t mind, wouldn’t your side?” Jiang Xuezhou shook her head. “The academy never concerns itself with one person’s fate. He’s useless to us now… My mentor left his fate to my discretion.” Seeing Jiang Xuezhou wasn’t joking, Night Ten sighed and scratched his head. “Though this feels a bit saint-like, have it your way… If ever you can’t stay at the academy, know you’re welcome here.” Now it was Jiang Xuezhou’s turn to be stunned. Snapping back, she furrowed her brows and glared fiercely at Night Ten. “Why wouldn’t I stay? I’m doing fine, almost a C-level researcher! Worry about yourself instead.” “Me?” Night Ten pointed at himself, exasperated, “Are you kidding? I’m the top sensory player in the server. What more should I strive for?” Jiang Xuezhou frowned. “What do you mean by server? Sensory? Top? You’re talking nonsense again.” Realizing his slip, Night Ten abruptly stopped himself. “Forget it. You wouldn’t get it anyway.” Seeing Night Ten attempting to flee, Jiang Xuezhou pursued, persistently insisting. “What do you mean I wouldn’t get it? Don’t just stop halfway!” Outside the room, in the hallway, Old Bai bore a fatherly smile at the distant shouting. “Seems Night Ten is tight-lipped.” Beside him, Fang Chang chuckled lightly. “You don’t get him. Though unserious at times, he’s principled.” Naïve notions of justice and morality? Whatever people thought, that’s how Fang Chang understood it. Long ago, when "Wasteland OL" emerged in their group, Night Ten was the first to consider fraud and urged a discussion of countermeasures for safety. If it were Fang Chang, he wouldn’t have bothered. He had a low tolerance for stupidity. Old Bai glanced at Fang Chang, hesitated, then spoke. “If it truly became the end of the world—” Fang Chang interrupted him before he could finish. “That won’t happen.” With unyielding conviction, Fang Chang placed a hand on Old Bai’s shoulder, speaking seriously. “Never.” … Meanwhile, in Dawn City. On B4 of Vault 404, in the observation room. After hearing Chu Guang’s account, Yin Fang couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. "One hundred thousand neutron torpedoes?! Your Guards Corps... are they serious?" Chu Guang shook his head. "This intelligence didn't come from the Guards Corps; it was provided by your former employer, the Academy." The room fell silent, except for the gentle bubbling of the teapot. Yin Fang pressed his forefinger to his forehead, dwelling in silence for a while as he calmed himself. Eventually, he looked up at the ceiling. "Immediately activate the gravity well and set up an orbital defense system... No, that's not feasible. Doing so would fall right into their trap!" The debris wreaking havoc in synchronous orbit is like an eggshell, forming a natural shield for Earth. If those neutron torpedoes were to explode near the low-Earth orbit, the lethal impact on terrestrial life would be minimal due to geomagnetic fields and other factors. But if the gravity well were to be activated, removing the barrier of orbital debris, the outcome would be uncertain... The core issue now is, how much control do the Celestials have over the Orion Missile Cruiser? Neither the Alliance, the Academy, nor the enterprises have any knowledge about the situation aboard that missile cruiser. Watching the murmuring Yin Fang, Chu Guang nodded while seated on the sofa. "The Academy thinks so too; we can’t activate the gravity well before gathering more intelligence. We must also guard against the Enlightened Ones activating the gravity well." He had already informed the Eastern Empire about the situation, and they took it very seriously, deploying half a million troops to the Great Desert. Similarly, the Alliance had declared a state of emergency, with the Thorn Corps, stationed in the eastern part of the Great Desert, extending their patrols toward its central regions. Moreover, the former southern legion colonies like Eternal Night Harbor and Ravinga Industrial District, have also mobilized, remaining vigilant against potential conflicts in the Great Desert. Yin Fang spoke with a bitter expression, "All this trouble over a lost research ship... who could’ve predicted such dire consequences?" "I don't think it's about the research ship," Chu Guang mused, shaking his head. "Perhaps our adversaries have been planning this for a long time. While we dealt with the Torch Church and got mired in conflicts in the Poro Province and against the Southern Legion, they were preparing for today’s events. Losing that research ship was just the tip of the iceberg for their conspiracy." Yin Fang stared at him. "Do you have any plans?" Chu Guang shook his head. "No." Yin Fang was taken aback. "No, none?" "The incident happened too suddenly. Besides sending someone to check it out, I don’t have a better approach." The Academy’s representative had agreed to lend a research ship to the Alliance. That ship was currently outside the outskirts of Arbor City, and its pilot's name was Jiang Xuezhou. Yin Fang smiled wryly. "I suppose so..." Seeing Yin Fang's anxious demeanor, Chu Guang slowly spoke, "We've made relevant preparations, including restarting the processing base of Vault 100 and devising contingency evacuation plans. But honestly, I can’t grasp the scale of 100,000 neutron torpedoes... If not for the orbital debris, what would happen if 100,000 neutron torpedoes hit Earth in a simultaneous volley?" "It would be similar to what's referenced in the Torch Plan. Perhaps not quite as effective as a neutron annihilation, but close enough in results." Burying his face in his hands, Yin Fang took a deep breath and continued, "Nothing would probably survive on the surface, though it’s uncertain. The Shield System should hold, and the Pioneer Ship in the heart of Ideal City should have means to ward off direct strikes." Chu Guang regarded him, "And the vaults?" Yin Fang nodded, yet his face showed no optimism. "Correct, but besides those, nothing else would remain! Also, I doubt that's the extent of their assault. Even without being a military expert, I can imagine that after a strategic weapons bombardment, the next move would be an invasion." Whether it’s orbital paratroopers descending from the sky or the "Orion" executing a "Pioneer" style full-ship landing, it depends on the Celestials' disposition. Neutron bombs would target soft objectives; surface factories and railways should remain intact. These forces could easily seize the surface’s production facilities and complete self-replication through them. Chu Guang appeared contemplative. Having listened to Yin Fang's assessment, he had a rough idea of the Celestials' intentions. They aimed to use them as fuel. Or rather, to seize the hard-won success of the countless wasteland survivors. He would never let them succeed! At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside the observation room. Upon obtaining permission, Lü Bei entered from outside. "Report!" "We’ve received a radio signal from the direction of the center of the Great Desert at our Pioneer City branch!" "After analyzing the signal, we discovered coordinates and a signature line... The signer appears to be the signal's broadcaster, named Zhuang Lan." Zhuang Lan? Hearing this familiar yet distant name, Chu Guang slightly raised an eyebrow. He had almost forgotten the person, not expecting that the person was still alive, and remembered their wager. Noticing Chu Guang's intriguing expression, Yin Fang cast an inquiring look his way. "An acquaintance?" "Sort of, been acquainted for a while," Chu Guang chuckled lightly. "It seems it's not just our adversaries lurking in the shadows and taking secret actions; there are also our enemies' enemies." Watching the smiling manager, Lü Bei hesitated a moment before softly reminding him, "Honorable Manager... we can't be sure that Zhuang Lan is an ally yet, and the information provided is quite vague. It could potentially be a trap." "Trap or not, we'll know once we check it out." With that, Chu Guang glanced towards the pen holder on a nearby desk and gave an order. "Xiao Qi, check which legion is available nearby." "Strength doesn't matter. I want the kind that isn't afraid to die." To be continued.