This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 187 What Year Is It Now?

Chapter 187: Chapter 187 What Year Is It Now?

The passage hidden behind the wall was very dark.

It was so dark you could describe it as pitch-black.

The circuitry here didn’t seem to connect to the outside world, although there were strips that looked like they should glow at the corner of the walls, they had no response when approached.

Using the light emitted by the vm, two young players explored the passage with an excited yet apprehensive mood.

With her nose turning red, Teng Teng rubbed her arms and looked around.

"It’s so cold... Why does it feel colder here than outside?"

"It really is a bit... and there’s a creepy feeling too," Crow said, shrinking her neck and anxiously looking ahead, "Do you think something strange might appear?"

"Like what?"

"Ghosts or something..."

What silly talk.

Hearing this nonsensical remark, Teng Teng sighed and said,

"That’s not likely, considering it’s a sci-fi themed Game, if anything were to appear, it’d probably be Eaters, leeches, or giant spiders, right?"

"Yikes! Don’t scare me!"

Crow stopped in her tracks, too scared to move forward.

Teng Teng looked back at her helplessly.

"I was just saying... Besides, aren’t you a Perception user? And your level isn’t low either. If there’s something, shouldn’t your Perception Attributes warn us?"

Hearing this, Crow blushed and shyly said after a moment,

"I... I’m not very good at fighting, I gained my experience from gathering."

Though her level had increased, she had virtually no combat experience... That’s what Teng Teng gathered.

"It’s okay, I’m the same... But I thought since you’ve died once, you’d have some experience in this area."

Crow frowned and said,

"That’s true, but I don’t want to die. Do you know how tough it is to spend a night without a helmet?"

Indeed.

Teng Teng couldn’t imagine how boring a night would be without a helmet.

This Game was downright addictive.

Ever since she had the helmet, her need for social interaction in the real world dropped to zero. After work, she vanished completely; she never got disturbed by messages anymore and ignored any that came.

The world where she didn’t have to manage complicated interpersonal relationships and could do what she wanted without hesitation was simply wonderful!

Placing her hands on Crow’s back, Teng Teng pushed her forward, urging her to move.

"Right, right... let’s hurry up or the easter egg will be gone."

"Hey, stop pushing me."

If there was really something ahead, it would have probably noticed them because of their noise.

But the slight smile on Teng Teng’s lips betrayed her calm state of mind.

If a battle did trigger...

Crow had a lot of meat on her; she would probably last a while, right?

Please go forth with confidence, buxom aliens!

Teng Teng would go out and call for reinforcements to avenge you!

The hallway soon ended.

Quietly passing through a door, the two sneaked into a room approximately twenty to thirty square meters in size.

It resembled a storage room, with twenty sleep cabins lined up.

At the sight of these sleep cabins, Crow’s eyes instantly turned the color of silver coins.

"Sleep Cabins!"

A well-preserved sleep cabin could sell for 50 to 100 Silver coins!

Turning her head towards Teng Teng, Crow’s eyes sparkled.

"Teng Teng! Let’s split them fifty-fifty!"

"What are you talking about, silly? We can’t take any of this with us... But, this must be the easter egg, right?"

All twenty sleep cabins were closed.

Teng Teng walked over and peered into the capsule. But this glance turned her face pale as her lips trembled.

"Dead, dead people..."

Dried-up skeletons wore blue jackets, their organic materials nearly all decayed, leaving only a layer of dried skin and mold spots.

Fear arose spontaneously. She instinctively stepped back, bumping her head into something soft.

"So many corpses, could it be that the sleep cabins lost power?" Crow, standing behind Teng Teng, seemed unbothered as she rubbed her chin with her right hand and stared thoughtfully at the mummies in the sleep cabins.

Seeing her still thinking about it, Teng Teng swallowed nervously and whispered,

"Aren’t you, aren’t you scared?"

Crow cocked her head.

"Um... It’s not that I’m entirely fearless, even with the filter, this model looks pretty real. But this is just a game, right?"

"Even if it’s a game..."

Crow continued matter-of-factly,

"And what’s there to be afraid of with something that’s already dead? It’s not like they’re moving monsters. Anyway, compared to sticky mutated leeches, this is a lot better."

Teng Teng: "..."

Completely incomprehensible!

She didn’t feel at all where it was better.

While they were talking, Crow had already walked to another sleep cabin.

Muttering something, she used the VM’s light on the floor, following some invisible traces.

Suddenly, as if she had found something, she quickly walked over to a sleep cabin, excited.

"Teng Teng! Come here! Over here!"

Teng Teng warned,

"I’m not coming over there, tell me what it is first."

"Don’t worry, it’s not a corpse! The person inside seems to be still alive!"

"?!"

Hearing there was a live person, Teng Teng hurried over.

At that moment, Crow, moving her hands on the sleep cabin, seemed to touch some switch.

There was a hissing sound, and cold gas leaked from the gap between the hatch and the cabin of the sleep cabin. Then, the frost-covered hatch slowly opened.

Teng Teng noticed that in the cabin, lying like inside an ice coffin, was a young woman in a blue jacket.

She appeared young, probably around twenty, with delicate and soft features, and her physique between Teng Teng’s and Crow’s. Particularly striking were her long silver-white hair—and her blue eyes.

As the cabin door opened, the woman also woke up from her deep sleep.

However, perhaps because she was just woken up, her expression was somewhat vacant, and it took a long time before she looked around blankly.

Her gaze landed on Crow, who was closest to her. Lying in the cabin, the woman spoke with a raspy voice,

"What year is it now?"

Teng Teng and Crow looked at each other.

"What did she say?"

"She seems to have said ’now’?" Crow had picked up a few phrases by dealing with nomads at her stall, but her grammar was all over the place.

Teng Teng, struck with an idea, quickly leaned in and gestured three digits with her fingers.

"211?"

The woman looked confused but seemed to understand, relief showing in her eyes.

"The 211th year of the Wasteland Era?"

She had slept for over twenty years...

That was quite a long sleep.

Watching Crow for a while, her eyes suddenly brightened, and she laboriously lifted her weak arm, grabbing Crow’s right hand.

"DNA... could I borrow some? I’d like to do some research."

Crow looked baffled.

Ah...

Is this her way of saying thank you?

"... You’re welcome?"

Realizing her own abruptness from Crow’s baffled expression, the woman reluctantly withdrew her hand and coughed lightly, saying,

"Sorry... occupational hazard."

Teng Teng and Crow exchanged glances, quietly discussing.

"What should we do?"

"It seems like we’ve triggered a hidden quest."

"But there’re no subtitles... do you understand what she’s saying?"

"Not a clue!"

"Then... should we take her to the guards first?"

The two reached a consensus.

"That’s the only thing we can do."

...

On the road leading to Changjiu Farm.

Vanus, sitting in the back of the truck, his shoulders jolting with the vehicle. Glancing out at the road, he struck up a conversation with the young guard seated beside him.

"Have you guys cleared all the obstructions from the road?"

"Yes."

Even though he hesitated to engage with the captive, Lu Bei, remembering the manager’s orders, replied impatiently.

Vanus couldn’t help but praise.

"A wise choice... few survivor settlements will bother to repair those highways, yet they do not realize that this is the greatest wealth left to them by the society before the war."

Whenever the Army occupied a region, the first thing they would do was repair the roads leading there, and if conditions allowed, they would also build a railway.

Even though maintaining a stable transportation route on the Wasteland was extremely difficult, only by ensuring smooth logistics could they guarantee the combat power of the front-line troops.

To ensure the logistics were smooth, they even arranged for young junior officers to patrol along the Army’s road network with Clone light infantry.

Just then, Vanus saw that those cleaning the road were his subordinates, and his expression suddenly became somewhat embarrassed, and he stopped talking.

The only thing that was comforting was that his subordinates seemed to be in good spirits?

At least they were all wearing thick clothes, and it looked like they weren’t subjected to cruel mistreatment, though their expressions seemed a bit dazed and numb.

Lu Bei appreciated Vanus’s expression as he ate, chuckled, and said nothing.

What a joke!

Does the wisdom of the Manager even need your acknowledgment?

Stupid prisoner!

The distance of ten kilometers was not far, and since it was a nearly straight road with few spots where they needed to slow down, the truck quickly reached the station.

Lu Bei nudged his back with the butt of his gun and signaled for him to get off the truck.

Vanus didn’t say anything, with this ghostly weather he had never even thought about running away, and obediently jumped off the truck.

Following behind him from the truck, Lu Bei slung his rifle over his back and walked through the snowy ground to the south gate of Changjiu Farm, saluting the guard on duty.

"By the command of the Manager, I have brought the war criminal."

That slightly older guard looked at him and nodded.

"Well done. The Manager is in the middle room. You should hurry and take him over."

"Yes!"

Lu Bei energetically turned around and waved at Vanus, motioning him to come over.

"Listen, I am taking you to see the Manager now, you’d better mind your words and behavior."

Vanus obediently responded.

"Alright, sir, I will."

It had been a while since their last meeting, and he was also quite eager to see the person who had defeated him on the battlefield.

Even though it was Lu Yang who had defeated him on the battlefield, he didn’t hold much respect in his heart for those who only stood against him through the power of their equipment.

Instead, it was those survivors who fearlessly charged towards the flanks of his position that left a deeper impression on him.

Previously in the POW camp, Vanus had heard from a Centurion subordinate about how brave those survivors were on the battlefield.

They moved like normal people, weaving in and out, yet they were even more fearless in sacrificing themselves than the Clone infantry, treating death as nothing.

What kind of charismatic leader must he be to inspire such high spirits and willingness for sacrifice among his troops?

After this period of labor and interacting with brick factory workers, Vanus had found some answers, yet more confusion arose with them.

His intuition told him that perhaps only that person could resolve the doubts in his heart.

Crossing through the gate, Vanus followed the young guard’s steps and soon arrived in front of a house made of concrete structure.

Through the partially open window, one could see a roaring fire burning.

Lu Bei stepped forward, knocked on the door, and after receiving a response to enter, took Vanus inside.

There were quite a few people sitting inside; there was the steward Luka, the captain of the guards, and two others whom he himself had never met or recognized.

They seemed to be discussing something.

Vanus noticed that when he entered the room, all eyes turned towards him.

In particular, a tall, burly stranger who, after seeing his nose, paused a moment and his pupils clearly filled with anger. Another smaller man, dressed in nomadic attire, seemed to carry some fear in his eyes.

Vanus had a rough idea.

Both individuals were likely refugees, one a displaced survivor and the other probably a migrating herder, most likely from the north or the central area of the River Valley Province.

He had seen many of these people when he was traveling south; essentially, upon seeing his flag they would turn around and flee.

Walking up to the Manager, Lu Bei stood up straight with his right hand placed on his chest, speaking respectfully—and even reverently.

"Sir, the person you wanted, I have brought him for you!"

Observing this guard who was only slightly older than a child, Chu Guang nodded in approval.

"Well done, you can leave him here, go ahead now."

"Yes!"

As he left the room, Lu Bei casually closed the door behind him.

With the wooden door shut, the air in the room suddenly quieted down, leaving only the crackling of the logs in the fireplace.

Vanus’s Adam’s apple moved as he hesitated about whether he should initiate a conversation.

However, at this moment, the Manager sitting at the main seat shifted his gaze away from him and looked towards the nomad whose face was filled with fear.

"Continue speaking."

"Yes, sir..."

Glancing briefly at Vanus standing punished by the door, the nomad swallowed a gulp of saliva and cautiously continued speaking.

"We passed through the northern part of the River Valley Province," Teng Teng said. "The situation there was beyond terrible. Hills had been turned into pits by artillery shells, the hard ground had turned into a quagmire, and the ground was littered with corpses, attracting vultures, hyenas, eaters, and even Death Claws..."

"The people of the Grand Canyon refused to shelter us. We dared not stay there and had to bypass the battlefield on the west side and continue south. But the situation to the south was also bad, with soldiers from the Army in a rout everywhere. We unfortunately encountered two of them, lost five people before we killed one, and captured the other. After questioning, we learned that the people of the Grand Canyon had won, the Army’s Expeditionary Army was defeated, and General Kras had died in the chaos."

The Expeditionary Army was defeated?

Vanus wore a puzzled expression.

However, for some reason, although he had firmly believed until half a month ago that General Kras was invincible, hearing this news left him feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

It was finally over.

Jiu Li, standing inside the room, glanced at him with a slight curl of his lips, his expression slightly mocking, but realizing Vanus wasn’t looking at him, he dejectedly averted his gaze.

Chu Guang stared at the nomad and asked, "Is this news reliable?"

The nomad responded timidly.

"Sir, I’m not sure, but it should be accurate... after all, it’s from the mouth of someone from the Army."

Someone from the Army had said so.

That probably made it quite reliable.

Chu Guang fell into thought.

At that moment, the captain of the guard, Wrench, stepped forward, his expression serious.

"Sir, if the deserter from the Army continues south, it won’t be long before we encounter those locusts. I recommend digging trenches in the north of Changjiu Farm, building defensive fortifications, deploying patrol teams further north, and establishing outposts in both the Elm District and the northern urban area."

Old Luka also advised.

"I think so too."

Building defensive lines and expanding patrol range were basic and necessary measures. This winter might be even busier than he had imagined.

Chu Guang nodded in agreement, then turned to the nomad and continued, "Did you witness anything else along your journey?"

The nomad was slightly taken aback, furrowed his brow deep in thought for a moment, then suddenly as if he remembered something, he hastily said.

"When we passed through Tianshui City, we heard a rumor from the survivors there resting... but I’m not sure if it’s accurate."

Chu Guang looked at him.

"Go on."

The nomad continued cautiously.

"They said that in the central western part of River Valley Province, a huge Looter Tribe is rapidly rising. Some say they have absorbed some of the Army deserters, others say they are the deserters themselves; they murder, plunder, torture, commit all kinds of evil acts."

Chu Guang asked.

"What’s their name?"

The nomad replied in a low voice.

"Chew-bone, sir, I remember it’s called Chew-bone."

"It’s definitely those bastards from the Army!" Jiu Li cursed. "Those bugs, just like a plague, they never bring anything good wherever they are!"

Vanus didn’t dare make a sound, trying his best to blend into the background.

Luka turned to Chu Guang, murmuring.

"Sir, chaos is spreading, and I have a bad feeling about this."

Was a premonition really needed?

Finger tapping gently on the armrest of his chair, Chu Guang stared at the restless expression of the nomad in front of him, lost in thought.

This group of nomads, just like Wu Tieh-axe and his group, had also migrated from the north, but clearly not from the same tribe.

More than fifty people wasn’t many, but those who were young and able-bodied made up less than thirty percent; clearly, they hadn’t faced few battles along the way.

What interested Chu Guang were that, besides the five yaks they had brought, these people also kept a certain number of poultry.

This was definitely an unexpected delight.

He had not tasted a tea egg for a long time. He wondered what an egg boiled with Spirit Leaf would taste like.

After a long pause, Chu Guang spoke.

"Your tribe is permitted to migrate to Linghu Wetland Park and stay with other nomadic tribes that have migrated there."

The man heaved a sigh of relief, gratefully kneeling on the spot, his forehead touching the floor.

"Thank you, sir! My tribe and I pledge to serve you with loyalty to death!"

"The word ’spear’ carries too much aggression and can be confusing. Since you arrived in the winter, you’ll henceforth be called Frost Spear," Chu Guang continued, looking at the man kneeling on the floor. "I will verify your loyalty with my own eyes. Stand up now, we don’t practice kneeling here. Just place your right fist over your left chest when you see me."

"Yes, thank you for the name, sir!"

Frost Spear, newly named, joyfully retreated.

What the name was didn’t matter.

What mattered was who had given the name.

In the culture of most tribes and refugees in Wasteland, being given a name signified acceptance and assimilation. They would pass down part of that name from generation to generation until their lineage perished.

The door opened and shut, blowing a draft of cold air into the room.

Chu Guang then turned to look at Vanus, who stood by the door, and said,

"Now, let’s discuss your issue."

——

(The next Chapter comes out at 11, as usual. I’ll correct some typos first... Also, yesterday I started a thread for minor roles in the book review section, those interested can book a spot. Finding requests for minor roles in the book review section is too difficult, and sometimes you see them and then forget, really annoying.

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