Chapter 1070: Hiding Merit and Fame

Chapter 1070: Hidden Merit and Fame

On the official website of "Wasteland OL," posts flooded the forum at a rate of ten pages per second, bombarding the entire discussion board!

Aside from a small handful of "geniuses" who had stumbled upon the truth by accident, almost everyone was stunned by this astonishing revelation.

The wasteland world was actually real?!

This game was too real... No, to be precise, it had never been a game from the start, had it?!

A considerable number of people had their brains short-circuit on the spot.

And those whose brains hadn't short-circuited finally understood why the NPCs in "Wasteland OL" only had one life, and why the Player Handbook contained so many harsh, even bizarre rules...

Quit Smoking: "Holy crap! Holy crap holy crap holy crap!"

Night Ten: "Ahhh—???"

Gale: "So that's how it is... It was always a real world. That means the calculation error in Planck's constant probably came from the 'size of fundamental particles.' Quite an eye-opener. (Wry smile)"

Mole on the Run in the Canyon: "Can you speak human language? (Sweating)"

Gale: "In human terms... this game is just too real."

Edge Paddling: "Pfft—"

Tail: "Giao! So Tail really saved the world?! (Shocked)"

Fang Chang: "Strictly speaking, all of us saved the world."

Night Ten: "Wait... so my girlfriend isn't actually a 2D character?! (Guilty)"

Old Bai: "Isn't that a good thing? (Grinning)"

Fang Chang: "You're only realizing this now? (Side-eye)"

Night Ten: "Damn!!! I've been agonizing over this for so long for nothing!"

Fang Chang: "Not necessarily a bad thing; at least you grew in the process."

Gale: "By the way, when did you find out?"

Fang Chang: "A while ago... I once thought she was an AI, but it turned out she wasn't."

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "...Mixed feelings, can't express them."

I'm the Darkest: "Come off it, this idiot's lips are already curled up to the sky, and he says 'mixed feelings.' (Rolling eyes)"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Piss off, what do you know!"

Debt-Ridden Big Eyes: "Wait, so the people killed in the game are actually... (Guilty)"

Fang Chang: "Obviously real, but probably because of the 'cognitive filter,' mental stimulation beyond the tolerance limit gets blocked. Except for some players with overly rich inner worlds or excessive sensitivity, the fear and repulsion toward death aren't very pronounced."

Although most players had grown accustomed to death in the game, not everyone could achieve complete fearlessness or indifference.

In fact, among every batch of newcomers, there were both lawless daredevils and exceptionally timid individuals.

This had everything to do with their real-life personalities, character, and life experiences.

The cognitive filter could only dull the senses; it couldn't turn a coward into a brave person.

However, even though the cognitive filter couldn't do that, many players still grew through their adventures, shedding the debuffs of darkness, cowardice, and mediocrity to become braver, more confident, loving, and resilient versions of themselves.

Midnight Chicken Slayer: "Emmm... so I've got at least three-digit kills on my hands?"

Spring Water Commander: "Regret it? (Smirking)"

Midnight Chicken Slayer: "Not really, since most were raiders and mutants. (Simple smile)"

Edge Paddling: "Speaking of which, I guess I'm the same."

Sisi: "Hmm... considering those killed were either irredeemable scumbags or on the battlefield, there's really nothing to be sentimental about."

WC There Really Are Mosquitoes: "Thank the Player Handbook! Thank Brother Guang! Otherwise, I'd definitely be too scared to sleep right now. (Hands clasped)"

Night Ten: "I don't believe you!"

Meat Mountain Big Steamed Bun: "Eek! If not for the ID, I almost believed it!"

Garbage Picking Level 99: "Brother Guang: Stop licking, it's meaningless."

Maka Bazi: "Brother Guang: Mosquitoes are boring; you need to switch to Crow."

Less Bullshitting: "Agility builds can't take it, but perception builds can, right? (?￣?д￣??)"

Crow: "Wait, what are you guys talking about???"

Debt-Ridden Big Eyes: "You're persecuting Crow again. (Hilarious)"

Teng Teng: "I don't understand, but seeing Big Eyes' ID, it can't be wrong. (*?ω?)?╰ひ╯"

Debt-Ridden Big Eyes: "Damn, what did I do?!"

Irena: "(Shivering.jpg)"

WC There Really Are Mosquitoes: "By the way, the public beta server is opening. Are you guys planning to play? (Wicked grin)"

Fang Chang: "We'll see. I might not play often, but maybe I'll go for nostalgia."

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "I'll pass. Let the newcomers pioneer the public beta server. The closed beta server is way more exciting! (Grinning)"

WC There Really Are Mosquitoes: "Not necessarily; the public beta server has its own fun. (Hilarious)"

Tail: "Dolly!!! Guhehehehe... (///ω///)"

Fang Chang: "...?"

Sisi: "???"

Night Ten: "Wait, that kind of thing is not okay! (Terrified)"

WC There Really Are Mosquitoes: "Gagagaga!!! I'm going to blow up all your 2D girlfriends! (Wicked grin)"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "@#%$!"

"..."

...

The Wandering Swamp, a biting cold wind blew.

Even though the Northern Hemisphere was in summer, the hot monsoon had nothing to do with this frozen land.

Staring at the official announcement on the VM screen, Ye Ao Nai Wo He, with one foot on the corpse of a mutated wolf, froze for a few seconds, then burst into furious curses.

"What the hell! The public beta server and the closed beta server aren't the same?! Then I have to level up all over again? Lousy dog of a planner, come out and taste my spit—Wah!"

Before she could finish, Professor Yang beside her flinched and quickly reached out to cover her mouth.

"Shut the hell up! Don't actually get the dog—cough! Get the planner boss to hear you—Ahhh!!! Are you a dog?! Let go!"

His hand bitten, Professor Yang let out a pig-like scream.

Even through the leather gloves, the serious bite from that strength-build mad dog couldn't be stopped.

But come to think of it, wasn't there pain suppression in this game?

Was this guy's pain tolerance really that low?

【Pig Is Reading Backwards】scratched the back of his head, watching the two live wires tumbling and wrestling in the snow.

"The point you're complaining about is also weird. Shouldn't you be glad to get a closed beta helmet before the open beta?"

Half a year had passed since Ye Ao Jie and Professor Yang received the "Pass the Torch" mission from him.

By now, he was a Level 27 Agility-type powerhouse, while his two apprentices had respectively advanced to Level 12 Pack Mule and Level 11 Wheelchair, barely scraping through the newbie phase.

Over the past six months, he had been keeping an eye on news about the open beta and the subsequent arrangements for the closed beta server.

According to what he'd learned, the reservation channel had already closed as soon as the open beta announcement was made.

If anyone wanted to enter the closed beta server after that, it really came down to luck.

But honestly.

He used to think the game was just a bit too realistic—take away the filter and it looked like real life—but he never imagined it wasn't a game at all, but reality with a filter added.

Ye Yao Nai Wo He paused, letting go of the right hand that had pressed Professor Yang into the snowdrift, and stared at him blankly.

"Huh? Why? What's there to be glad about?"

Before Pig could speak, Professor Yang coughed out the snow in his mouth, straightened his shivering body, and cursed with a look of utter frustration.

"Idiot, you can earn silver coins in the closed beta! In the open beta, you only earn Y-coins, got it?!"

How did this dimwit even get a helmet?

Thinking that someone as brilliant as himself had entered the game in the same batch as her, Professor Yang's fists clenched involuntarily.

Waste!

Such a waste!

【Pig Is Reading Backwards】gave him a subtle look.

"Emm... though your point of relief is a bit odd, that is indeed one of the advantages of the closed beta server."

Ye Yao Nai Wo He's gaze shifted between the two of them, and she scratched her head randomly.

"I don't get it. What are Y-coins? What's the difference?"

She knew about silver coins—some fool was collecting them at the auction—but what the hell were Y-coins?

To put it bluntly.

She hadn't paid any attention to the open beta at all.

Pig shrugged and said,

"The difference is that no one collects Y-coins in real life..."

That wasn't entirely accurate either—some people did collect them.

After all, this was the only fully immersive virtual MMORPG on the market right now; other potential competitors didn't even have the relevant development tools.

There would always be big shots and whales looking for shortcuts to save time grinding monsters for gold.

But Y-coins were purely in-game currency, unusable at auctions, only for entertainment.

"Exactly, cough... so now do you understand the value of the closed beta qualification?"

Seeing the smug look on Professor Yang's face, Ye Yao Nai Wo He clicked her teeth in disgust and turned her gaze to Pig.

"Oh... so you mean the NPCs in the closed beta are actually real people, right?"

"Exactly!" Pig gave a thumbs-up and said with a grin, "So don't go around killing people casually, okay?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? How could I possibly go around killing people?" Ye Yao Nai Wo He rolled her eyes. "But speaking of which, your mental fortitude as a newbie is pretty impressive—you weren't scared? I was seriously shocked."

"Haha, really? My mental fortitude is actually average," Pig said with an embarrassed smile. "But I guess I'm the type who might be scared alone, but if there's someone even more scared beside me, I puff out my chest... How to describe it? Like a dad taking care of a kid? I don't know if you can get what I mean."

"I see, I see—that kind of dad... Pfft! Hey! What do you mean by that? I'll kill you!" Ye Yao Nai Wo He, who had been nodding, suddenly realized she'd been taken advantage of, and bared her teeth in renewed fury.

Watching this snarling brat, Professor Yang, sitting in the snowdrift, curled his lip.

"Getting worked up over something like that... Are you a child?"

Ye Yao whipped her head around to glare at her defeated opponent on the ground, baring her fangs.

"Say that again?!"

"..."

Professor Yang clearly wasn't convinced, but as an Intelligence-type, he was no good at hand-to-hand combat.

At least not until he underwent cybernetic modification.

"Alright, alright, both of you, save it. If you keep arguing, it'll be dark soon."

Pig didn't mind the noisy squabbling; he first soothed Ye Yao with a smile, then reached out and pulled Professor Yang to his feet.

"We need to haul the prey back to the nearby settlement... Anyway, time to hit the road."

The clamor melted into the wind and snow over the Swamp of Hesitation, and from the railway not far off came a rumbling sound.

It was the train heading from the northernmost Sector 4 to the southernmost Death Coast.

Car after heavy car was loaded with bundled heavy equipment and machinery.

As the Academy prepared to leave the Old World, the things left behind on this planet would also embark on new missions one after another...

The story of "Wasteland OL" didn't end with the arrival of the New Era—neither the players' stories nor the NPCs' stories.

...

Days passed one after another, and in the blink of an eye, another half year went by.

In the past six months, quite a few things had happened in both the solar system of α universe and that of β universe.

First, the α universe—that is, the Wasteland side.

After a full year of decline, with the help of the Alliance and other survivor factions, Bragg City finally emerged from the shadow of civil war, joining the New Era family with a brand-new face and as a defender of the new order.

On the other side, President Li Minghui of the South Sea Alliance finally managed to end the state of war as he wished, dumping the troubles of the presidential office onto his successor and settling into a laid-back life of fishing when busy and drinking when idle.

At the same time, Chu Guang also stepped off the historical stage.

But rather than saying he withdrew from history, it was more accurate to say he returned to where he was supposed to be.

As he had said more than once—

"...Vault 404 is just a disaster relief organization. Now that the Wasteland Era has ended, we have fulfilled our duties and obligations as a disaster relief organization."

"From now on, the Alliance will lawfully select a truly professional 'Archon' to fulfill the obligations of the Alliance's leading body in the New Era within a limited time..."

It was a complex and rigorous selection process, even stricter than that of the Vellant Alliance. As for the detailed procedure, it won't be elaborated here.

In short, recognized by the majority of Alliance residents, the one who succeeded him on the historical stage was a young man named Gu Ning from the Death Coast.

He was a vibrant young man.

His eyes shone brightly, like many young people living in this era.

And it wasn't just brightness.

He had a wealth of work experience accumulated from the local level all the way to Dawn City, the tact of a mature politician, and the ability to hear the voices of ordinary Alliance citizens while balancing the Alliance's obligations.

Though he hadn't fought life-and-death battles for the Alliance on the battlefield, nor earned illustrious military merits, nor possessed a distinguished lineage or background... precisely because of that, he had not the slightest chance to usurp the fruits of victory belonging to the Alliance's citizens.

Of course.

What truly guarantees this is not so much his humble origins, but the people who uphold the sanctity of the law.

The Alliance's Praetorian Guard and its various group armies will keep a watchful eye on his every move for the Alliance's citizens.

Not just the Praetorian Guard and the group armies—Chu Guang and the players of Shelter 404 will do the same.

He has merely stepped back from meddling in the Alliance's governance, handing the Alliance Tower over to the people who built it; he hasn't vanished from this universe.

With his personal prestige and the influence he holds in the hearts of ordinary Alliance citizens, even without holding any specific office in the Alliance or directly commanding any army, he can still exert influence over every link of the Alliance.

Much like the relationship between the Conclusion Doctor and the Academy.

That is the power of the human heart.

Its might not only surpasses all weapons known to humanity, but also possesses the energy to move mountains and drain seas.

However, unless absolutely necessary, Chu Guang does not intend to wield this power lightly.

After all, barring any accidents, his lifespan will likely outlast that old man from the Great Rift.

Two hundred years...

Who knows what people will be thinking by then, or what they'll look like.

He can't very well drag someone out and beat them up just because his great-great-great-grandson doesn't resemble him.

It would be downright bizarre if they still looked the same after so many generations!

He won't smash everything to pieces with the hammer slung behind his back over some trivial, boring matter.

Unless one scenario arises—

One day in the future, those who take up the scepter from his hands fail to shoulder responsibilities equal to their power, instead swelling into a clawing, snarling monster through willfulness and reckless abandon, using the scepter he granted to all Alliance citizens to weave a cage of enslavement.

"If one day in the future, the citizens of the Alliance all call out my name, just as the Willantians called out for Julius... I will return like lightning and smash everything here to pieces."

On the day of handing over governance duties, in the office of the Administrator of the Alliance Tower.

Looking at Gu Ning, the Alliance's first elected Executive, standing respectfully before him, Chu Guang smiled and patted him on the shoulder, speaking these words in a tone that was anything but joking.

Gu Ning nodded slightly, his guiltless face showing no fear, only replying with meticulous precision.

"I will keep your teachings in mind... If that day truly comes, I will join them in calling out your name."

"Ha ha ha!" Chu Guang laughed heartily, withdrawing his hand from Gu Ning's shoulder. "You'd better pray that day never comes, because my hammer will probably land on your head first."

Gu Ning smiled faintly.

"If I were truly so incompetent as to reach that point, dying by your hand would be an honor."

Though he said this with a smile, Chu Guang could tell he was serious.

With nothing more to advise, Chu Guang dropped his playful expression and left one final word of encouragement.

"Work hard. Don't just talk. And remember to pass these words on to your successor, and have him keep passing them down."

Gu Ning nodded earnestly, committing the words to memory.

"I will relay them verbatim. Also... may I make an impertinent request?"

"Go ahead."

Gu Ning paused for a moment, looking at Chu Guang with sincerity.

"Although the Alliance government will no longer establish the position of Administrator, I would like to keep this 'Administrator's Office' for you, as part of the history of this tower... and as a reminder to myself, and an encouragement to others. As for me, I will work elsewhere—there are plenty of empty rooms here anyway."

This was not only his idea, but the thought of many others.

For instance, the commander of the Praetorian Guard.

Whether it was his imagination or not, ever since he learned he might have to sit in this office, he always felt that young man's gaze carried a hint of murderous intent.

Actually, it wasn't just Lü Bei—he himself felt that the chair in this office was too hot to sit on.

Better to leave it as a historical artifact.

Chu Guang didn't overthink it. Hearing this amusing proposal, he simply smiled.

"You should ask the others for their opinion, not me. But whether you keep this office for me or not, I won't be coming back... My work is done."

"From now on, it's up to you."

Watching the figure wave a hand and stride casually toward the door, Gu Ning nodded slightly and murmured to himself.

"Yes, but as a survivor who once received your help... we want to remember you always."

At least in his heart, he would forever be the Alliance's Administrator.

And only that gentleman could truly deserve that title...

...

In the final month of the first year of the New Era, with the position of Administrator formally removed from the Alliance Tower's roster, an era came to an end.

Meanwhile, in the β universe where the players' bodies resided, the year also reached the end of 2026.

As if finally completing its last task, the mysterious spaceship hovering in Mars orbit suddenly vanished before everyone's eyes, presumably traveling through a hyperspace channel to Proxima Centauri, five light-years away.

Discussions about what exactly lay hidden at Proxima Centauri sparked a frenzy across the internet.

At the same time, after half a year of preparation and promotion, the public test server of *Wasteland OL* officially launched!

Thirty million VR helmets were snapped up in an instant, and the offline experience stores operated by various distributors were packed to bursting.

On launch day, nearly thirty million players worldwide flooded the servers all at once.

Confronted with visuals as immersive as reality itself, and tactile sensations almost indistinguishable from the real world... everyone was utterly stunned.

This game—

Was absolutely mind-blowing!