This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 166: It’s only natural that the armor used by the Manager should be a bit more expensive.

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: It’s only natural that the armor used by the Manager should be a bit more expensive.

Changjiu Farm.

The heavy snow had eased off a bit.

The ground inside and outside the enclosing wall was covered in deep snow that could bury a person’s lower legs.

Two guards carrying Mediator’s Rifles were pressing four ragged prisoners of war to build a mound of earth on the open space to the north of the enclosing wall.

They sealed branches, dead leaves, and licorice inside the mound, leaving a small hole at both the top and the bottom, then lit a fire.

Gradually, the fire blazed up, burning from the bottom to the top, and in no time, thick smoke billowed.

"Why are we lighting a fire near the north gate?" asked the younger guard, looking at his superior with a face full of confusion.

Wrench replied with meticulous care,

"It’s an order from the Manager. We just do as we’re told."

Honestly, Wrench himself was harboring doubts.

Wasn’t he concerned that this much smoke would attract nearby Looters?

In fact, Looters weren’t much of a concern, the real fear was that it would draw the refugees.

War was raging in the north, and this winter was exceptionally harsh; even the herds of deer knew to head south, let alone people.

November was fast approaching.

It would be even tougher than now...

But since it was the Manager’s command, he didn’t dare to ask more. He just followed orders.

...

[Worldwide Announcement: Due to the need to adjust the values of new equipment, "Sickle" series weapons will be available in NPC Weapon Shops in three days. Players who are temporarily unable to redeem prizes, please stay calm.]

Thankfully, this wasn’t a bug, and since a clear time for the fix was given, the players weren’t too anxious. Only a few players who had won "Sickles" were clamoring for compensation on the Forum.

However, there weren’t many who paid them any attention.

After all, the odds of winning meant that most people were Non-Tribal, with only a few being Exalted.

Exalted ones looking for compensation?

Take my Non-Tribal spear!

...

The next day, early morning.

A dense crowd of players had gathered in the Outpost Base’s square, a sight not seen in a long time.

As was the custom, many players would stay here for a while after coming up from underground to see if they could join a car convoy or find a boss to lead them.

What a lively scene!

Elven King Riches, carrying a hunting bow, stepped forward and shouted at the top of his lungs,

"Anyone joining the 7 AM ride to Changjiu Farm? Agility system player looking for a group, going to do a hunting mission in Elm District! Interested parties DM me."

Elena: "Eh? Old Wang? Aren’t you going to dungeon crawl with Mole Old Brother anymore?"

Elven King Riches: "Not today. Greenhouse Ruins are too grueling, freaking thousands of moths, man, I just want to quietly be a hunter and slack a bit. Old Monk, wanna join?"

Elena: "I don’t know that person, go find your Old Monk."

Elven King Riches, grinning, grabbed his arm.

"Old Monk, don’t go! Join us!"

"Get lost! I don’t know you!"

The two walked off towards the north gate.

Hearing their conversation, the players nearby whispered to one another.

"I heard that Elm District recently spawned a group of Mutant Snow Wolves?"

"Not just Snow Wolves! Near that nuclear crater, I even saw Crack Claw Crabs!"

"Damn! I better stay far away then."

"By the way, how much is a Snow Wolf Skin worth?"

"One Silver Coin more than a Hyena Skin at the NPC shop, but that’s not important! Vine Cottage is buying in bulk, 4 Silver Coins per skin, and those as white as snow go for double – guys, let’s rush!"

"Me, me, me, take me with you!"

A Hyena Skin was only worth 1 Silver Coin, but a Snow Wolf Skin was going for 4 Silver Coins – this was even more expensive than deer skins before!

Hearing that rich lady Teng Teng was in need, the savvy young players instantly swapped their gear for hunting attire, shouldering hunting bows and guns.

Tail glanced at Si Si.

"That’s right! You know what I mean!" Tail said with a click of her tongue.

Sighing, Si Si said, "Snow Wolves today, huh? Wait for me to go back and change my gear—"

"Snow Wolves? Such weak creatures aren’t worthy of Tail’s intervention!" Tail scoffed, lifting the Iron Fist Rocket Launcher off her back and onto her shoulder, boasting, "Hmph, look at what I pulled yesterday?"

"Wait... don’t tell me you’re going after a Crack Claw Crab," Si Si said.

Tail’s eyes sparkled as she gave a thumbs-up: "Tail gives you a like!"

Si Si: "???"

The team headed to Elm District grew larger and larger; even a giant White Bear joined in, raising its chubby right paw.

Crow decided to join the large group and check out the scene there.

It wasn’t for the hunt, though, but because the mushrooms near Rhombus Lake Wetland Park were almost completely harvested by her.

In this game, mushrooms don’t seem to respawn daily; she would have to try her luck in the new map.

Besides those doing hunting and gathering quests, there were a few small players who were all about exploration quests. Wasteland OL had a variety of quest types, from delivery to moving bricks, from picking up trash to running errands; even without fighting, one could still earn Silver Coins and Contribution Points rewards.

"Explore the outskirts of Tianshui City... looking for a new Survivor Base," Spring Water Commander mused while stroking his chin, enthusiasm in his eyes as he looked at the mission column on his VM, "This quest sounds quite interesting."

Though he belonged to the Intelligence System, with his Exoskeleton, it wasn’t a big problem!

In a bit, he’d find a Perception-type player to take the front, even if it was a newbie, because even if they couldn’t win, he sure could escape.

With that in mind, Spring Water immediately headed towards the Weapon Shop, planning to spend the 200 Silver Coins he had saved up to buy a suitable weapon.

Preferably a semiautomatic rifle.

After all, that six-bullet-capacity pea shooter was far too mismatched for his badass Exoskeleton Armor.

However, what Spring Water didn’t expect was that when he arrived at the entrance of the Weapon Shop, he found a crowd packing the place.

The crowd here was no less than the one in the square.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that an auction was taking place?

And the item being auctioned was the Manager’s Armor!

"...Now up for auction is the KV-1 Modified Exoskeleton Armor that the Manager once used. Although there are some scratches on the surface, they do not affect its performance. On the contrary, they are proof of its reliability. The Manager said he doesn’t need it anymore, but it’s far from retirement. He hopes it can continue to serve the greater cause, helping others who need it, so he asked me to find it a good home," said the auctioneer.

"Starting bid—200 Silver Coins!"

Boss Xia read the script verbatim.

After finishing, she even picked up a small mallet and tapped it on the Table in style.

Recently, Xia Yan had just learned Pinyin, and Chu Guang decided to let her host the auction, reasoning that it would help her practice her spoken language.

Although her pronunciation was uneven and lacked some presence, the players didn’t mind.

Who cared whether Boss Xia held a small Wrench or a small whip in her hand?

They only cared about the Manager’s awesome Armor!

As soon as the mallet hit the table, someone immediately raised their hand and added a hundred Silver Coins, skipping the minor increments and escalating the competition to a fever pitch.

Edge Shoveling: "400!"

Escaping Mole from the Canyon: "I bid 410!"

There’s Really A Mosquito in WC: "I’ll add 50 more!"

Escaping Mole from the Canyon: "Darn it! When have you ever used the equipment you bought!"

Edge Shoveling: "Exactly! You just hoard it all! What good is that?"

Makabazi: "Get this disruptive Mosquito out of here!" (voice cracking)

There’s Really A Mosquito in WC: "That’s nonsense! What do you mean hoarding? I’m going to start leveling up soon too! And why are you, Old Maca, even chiming in? You can’t afford it!"

Makabazi: "You’re the old one!"

Spring Water was dumbfounded watching from the outskirts.

How can these guys be so rich?

Three hundred Silver Coins, just like that!

The auction was in total uproar.

The smaller players who couldn’t afford it anyway gathered around to cheer happily, enjoying the show, and snacking on melon seeds.

Xia Yan yawned, finding their noise bothersome.

This armor, where exactly is it good that it’s worth a month of her basic salary?

Isn’t it just a KV-1 with a few pieces of steel welded on it?

Although she couldn’t afford it, she had seen with her own eyes last night, Chu Guang, brandishing a dagger over it, vigorously claiming that his "players" all liked this model and even said that each scar was a medal?

Only idiots would believe his nonsense.

After the second strike of the gavel, just when Boss Xia was thinking it was about time to wrap things up, suddenly a hand was raised.

"Five hundred!"

Wow!

Surrounding players were astonished, their eyes widening.

Five hundred silver coins!

Who the hell has that kind of money?!

Everyone turned to look, and sure enough, they saw that the hand belonged to Fang Chang of the Buffalo Team.

Just as Mole Old Brother was about to spitefully raise the bid by 1 silver coin to annoy Mosquito, he withdrew his hand halfway up when he saw it was Fang Chang. His nose practically bent with irritation, and he complained with a sad and angry expression.

"Damn it! Didn’t you agree not to compete with me?"

Edge Rowing: "What use is heavy armor to you, an archer?"

Maca: "Take it away! Take it away!"

Fang Chang gave an embarrassed smile and said to Brother Mole.

"Sorry, bro, I didn’t buy this heavy armor for myself. A few of us pooled together the money to buy it for our T. Next time there’s good stuff... I definitely won’t compete with you!"

Ravine Fugitive Mole: "I trust you, my ass!"

Maca couldn’t help but gloat over his misfortune: "Hahahaha! Brother Fang Chang is awesome! Mole has been plucked bald! Hahaha!"

Ravine Fugitive Mole: "%￥#@!"

Old White courteously waved his hand and said, "Sorry about that, brother! We’ll definitely repay this favor next time!"

Mole sighed and shaking his head, he said.

"Well, it’s done. Next time, raise your sign earlier so I don’t waste my expressions."

Seeing Fang Chang raise the sign, Mosquito also backed down.

He could have bid higher, but there was no need.

Why compete with someone from the same Buffalo group?

Besides, he couldn’t outbid...

Watching Old White immediately put on the Manager’s same model of armor, Spring Water, who was OBSERVING from the side, suddenly felt that his orange exoskeleton wasn’t at all appealing.

A "bulk-machine model" that could be bought from a weapon shop couldn’t compare with an "ancient legacy" that had been through the flames of war.

Those scars were like medals of honor...

Spring Water became absent-minded without realizing it and didn’t snap out of it even after everyone had left.

It was at this moment that someone tugged at his arm.

"Brother, did you glitch out?"

He turned his head and saw it was Mosquito.

Spring Water immediately became alert and withdrew his arm.

"What’s up?"

Mosquito hee-heed with a smile.

"Not... not much, just wanted to ask if you’re interested in getting a Manager’s matched armor? I could modify it for you!"

Spring Water swallowed.

"How much?"

"Not expensive at all, just the cost price, 200 silver coins!"

That’s still not expensive?!

But...

After clenching his teeth, Spring Water eventually pulled out his VM, ready to pay.

"200 is it? You sure it’s the same as that one?"

Mosquito affirmed confidently, thumping his chest.

"Of course, I have to! Could I ever deceive you? With that item, I can whip it up in no time—ahem, naturally, I’d still need a bit of time to make it. But rest assured, if you’re not satisfied, Goblin Technology offers a full refund!"

Spring Water: "..."

I always feel like I might have gone to the wrong person.

But it shouldn’t be too big of a deal.

After all, Mosquito Brother did say, if the product doesn’t meet expectations, I can return it. Anyway, I might as well test out the results...

...

Before eight o’clock, the morning mist gradually dispersed.

The little players inside Outpost Base had mostly dispersed as well, all off to attend to their own business.

With the closing of the "Land Boat" expansion, everything seemed to be returning to normalcy.

The angler carried his fishing rod to the lake, while Brother Killing Chicken, the tree-cutting fanatic, happily led a group of newbies off to cut down trees.

Most of the hunters headed to the new hunting grounds further north, while the scavengers carried their woven bags to the "Ninety percent new" Street No.76.

Having just dealt with the Mutant tribe, a large area had been vacated, and those high-rise residences and street shops were like treasure troves to the garbage-picking players!

Given they had been occupied by Mutants for years, it’s likely few Waste Land Wanderers dared to scavenge there, so there should be plenty of valuable finds.

As for the advanced players, they aimed at more challenging targets.

Old White, who had donned Fake power armor, had equipped a long-handled axe with a spearhead and then purchased a steel helmet from Ironworks No.81.

Fully armed, he looked more like a canned Manager than a regular player.

As long as he coordinated well with his teammates, paying attention to positioning, pulling aggro, and smoke deployment, handling a few Devil Moths would be no problem!

After fully preparing, the group marched towards the entrance of Street No.76 with high spirits, ready to continue their relentless clash with the Devil Moths in Greenhouse Ruins’ underground first floor.

Brother Mole originally planned on heading to Greenhouse Ruins too, having just pooled funds with teammates to buy exploration rights to the second floor from the Ox and Horse Squad.

However, right then, he suddenly received a mission personally issued by the Manager— to conquer the subway entrance 1.2 kilometers from Brown Farm!

According to the mission brief, the subway concealed the entrance to Shelter No.117.

As long as they could find it and clear out the Variants from the subway entrance to the shelter’s doors, they would receive a reward of 1200 Silver coins and trigger the next stage of the storyline.

Of course, the mission was anything but easy.

At least four Crawlers were expected to appear, along with over two hundred Eaters. It was recommended that at least 4-6 players of level 6 or above form a team, and it was strongly advised to include a Perception-type player for reconnaissance.

A reward of 1200 Silver coins!

Upon hearing this figure, Brother Mole’s eyes seemed to turn into the shape of silver coins.

Without a second thought, he grabbed his newly-acquired "Black Swan" G9 assault rifle and dragged Mosquito, who was about to start work at the workshop, for a consultation.

Makabazi was also inclined to join the buzz, but at that moment, he too received a mission from the Manager.

Arriving at the sanatorium’s first floor, he met the Manager who was waiting there.

Although he usually appeared to be a fun-loving guy, facing an NPC with a likability setting, Makabazi immediately adopted a "reliable" expression and respectfully said,

"Manager, were you looking for me?"

Chu Guang nodded and picked up a bag of corn seeds beside him.

These seeds, which he had bought from Pioneer, were improved, early-maturing varieties. Although the yield wasn’t astonishing, their short growth cycle and low climate requirements were advantageous. With proper fertilization, harvest could be expected in 70-90 days.

This bag of seeds weighed around five kilograms, enough to sow two to three acres—yielding at least 600 kilograms of corn, and optimistically, up to 900 kilograms.

"The first floor of Greenhouse Ruins has been cleared; we can make use of the cultivation tanks there. I have some seeds here that I need you to plant for me."

"This mission is crucial to the shelter’s food security and key to our future development. I hope you can take it seriously."

"If the germination rate is good, I’ll assign you more important tasks. Consider these seeds a test."

Hearing that he had land to sow and follow-up tasks if he did well, Makabazi’s eyes lit up with eagerness, and he nodded immediately.

"Rest assured; leave it to me, Manager. I’ll treat these seeds as my life!"

Chu Guang smiled inwardly, though his face remained solemn.

"Good, I’m entrusting them to you!"

[Quest: Sow corn seeds and tend to the crops.]

Seeing the quest updated on the VM, Makabazi stood up straight with excitement.

"I will not fail this mission!"

——

(Thanks to "Hu Zhixiang" and "hhhzz6" for their Chief Patron reward~~~ I almost fell asleep just now, that was close. My sleeping schedule’s been chaotic these days; feels like I’m about experience a tribulation. qaq)

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