This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 283: Floor B4 Unlocked!

Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Floor B4 Unlocked!

Chu Guang had no interest in becoming a feudal lord. The era had changed multiple cycles, and reverting to old ways would just trouble future generations to change it back again.

That was too much trouble.

In the end, it would probably result in heads broken and blood spilled.

If he crowned himself emperor, though players might think it cool, and the indigenous people would have no objections, he’d likely lose the support of conservative residents of refuges like Heya.

80% of United Human’s heritage had been inherited by those in Blue Jackets, including many powerful origins of enterprises, all stemmed from the Shelters with early Sequences.

Losing their favor was tantamount to slapping a -80% debuff on tech development for Chu Guang, who played Civilization for tech victories every time and felt uncomfortable in Stars without materialist ideologies.

He didn’t plan to tread exactly the same path as United Human either.

Decentralization across all fields required immensely rich computing power resources and a production base. The methods of the Prosperity Epoch might not all work in the Wasteland Era; mimicking without considering context was the last thing to do.

Chu Guang was very clear about what he needed.

He needed centralized power to ensure the smooth execution of every plan, but he also had to carefully manage his relations with the inheritors.

Actually, this wasn’t hard.

He could establish an Alliance and then issue a special "Rebuilding Act" in its name, granting himself "necessary" powers for a certain period.

After the launch of the B-round testing, Shelter No. 404 would join Shelter No. 117 in founding a new Alliance under the banner of "reviving United Human and rebuilding order."

The northern suburbs of Qingquan City would be demarcated as the "Restoration Zone," and survivors there would automatically gain resident status.

The Outpost Base, industrial areas, Changjiu Farm, and a large tract of land up to Elm District would also be renamed as new settlements under his code.

This would become the capital of the "Restoration Zone."

As for Chu Guang himself.

He would neither become the emperor of the Empire nor the chief elected by representatives of United Human; however, if necessary, he could appoint either at any time.

Under the support of the Rebuilding Act, the Manager would govern everything within the "Restoration Zone."

And he would be the Manager governing it all.

...

The day before the celebration.

The whole Outpost Base was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

Considering the importance of this celebration, Chu Guang had set up a Festival Committee, appointing Teng Teng as the chairperson, Crow as the vice-chairperson, Little Fish as the mascot + budget supervisor, and allocated them a budget of tens of thousands of silver coins.

To encourage players’ enthusiasm, Chu Guang also promised that after the celebration, if the satisfaction rating reached 80% or more, a "limited title" would be unlocked; if it reached 90%, it would be recorded as a special achievement in the Hall of Fame.

The news of a limited title instantly stirred excitement among the appointed young players.

Overlooking the festive atmosphere of the base and the bustling young players through the lens of the Hummingbird drone, Chu Guang’s face revealed a smile akin to that of a homeroom teacher.

It felt as if he had completely handed over the bulletin board to the students, while he sat in the office drinking tea.

As a group of mature young players, they had learned to worry about the planning of game events on behalf of planners too lazy to arrange them themselves.

How nice...

He glanced at the time below his computer screen, and seeing that it was about time, Chu Guang shut down the computer and stood up to leave the Manager’s Office.

Meanwhile, by the elevator on Level B1.

Three young players were skulking around the entrance, seemingly waiting for something.

Coming up from Floor B2, Old Soldier and I Max Black were startled by the sudden appearance of three faces as the elevator doors opened.

I Max Black reacted the most dramatically.

"Holy shit! What are you guys doing playing ghosts here?"

The Silver Sword chuckled and waved them away with his hand.

"Move along, move along, we’re busy here, don’t obstruct us."

Beside him, Silver Hand also excitedly chimed in.

"Exactly! We’re up to something big!"

Piqued by their overly serious expressions, I Max Black asked curiously,

"What big thing?"

Silver Daddy responded with a composed smile, confidently saying,

"Isn’t tomorrow the start of the B-round testing and the celebration?"

I Max Black paused before nodding.

"Yeah."

To be precise, the B-round testing would start after the celebration ended.

Silver Daddy continued,

"According to tradition, the shelter unlocks new floors, right?"

I Max Black and Old Soldier exchanged glances, with the latter having a strange expression as he nodded.

"Seems... that’s the case."

Old Soldier remembered it was Mole Old Brother’s post; the guy serialized "Mole Daily" on the forum, concocting new stuff every few days.

Occasionally without other things to do, he’d make do with NPC details. Though not of much interest to players, cloud gamers loved it.

Before entering the Game, Silver Daddy was also one of Mole Old Brother’s top fans, having followed every issue of "Mole Daily," including all comments underneath.

"...According to the Game’s background settings, not just Manager NPCs, but all of us residents of Shelter No. 404 come from the deepest part of the Shelter. And whenever a new round of testing starts, the Shelter unlocks a new area."

I Max Black raised his hand.

"I have an objection; the Alpha 1.1 version didn’t unlock anything, and 400 new players all came from Shelter No. 117."

"That’s a good observation, but you’re missing a point," praised Silver Daddy with a nod and the expression of a reclusive expert, "The cultivation chambers of Shelter No. 117 were dragged over from Shelter No. 404, and these chambers were transported up from Level B1 through that freight elevator. So, essentially, Shelter No. 117’s players are also people from Shelter No. 404."

He knew this best.

Because they were the ones carrying out the errand missions.

I Max Black resignedly said,

"Okay, so what if it is?"

Who the hell pays attention to this playing a game?

With a slight smile, Silver Daddy said, "There’s no space left on Floor B3 and Shelter No. 117 doesn’t have any spare rooms. So I can assure you, this version update will definitely unlock new rooms!"

I Max Black wanted to delve further, but Old Soldier, standing beside them, saw through their intent and cut to the chase,

"I get what you mean, you’re planning to exploit a bug, right?"

Silver Daddy didn’t speak; Silver Hand next to him chuckled and said,

"Smart!"

I Max Black exclaimed, "Holy shit?! You can do that?"

Old Soldier rolled his eyes and, while yawning, looked at Old Black and said,

"Let’s get going, no need to waste time with these noobs."

I Max Black looked at him in surprise, "Wait, aren’t you curious?"

Silver Sword and Silver Hand also started to clamor,

"Damn! Are you looking down on us, the Silver Family?"

"Although my level isn’t as high as yours, I’ve faced the Tyrant head on!"

"That’s right, fortune shifts like the flow of the river... Don’t look down on us newbies because we’re broke!"

Old Soldier chuckled.

"No, no! I didn’t mean that at all. I’m just advising you guys that it’s best not to get too smart for your own good. The NPCs in this game are smarter than you think... Anyway, it’s no use telling you. Better to learn through experience."

With this ambiguous statement, Old Soldier walked away, hands cradling the back of his head, leaving I Max Black out of curiosity temporarily separated from his team, planning to stay and watch the excitement unfold.

At that moment, the Manager, cradling a robot that looked like a waste bin, walked over from the direction of the main entrance and stood in front of one of the elevators.

The three immediately followed.

Chu Guang, with his 19-point Perception, had already noticed these three but didn’t bother with them since he didn’t sense any hostility.

Seeing them press in close, Chu Guang gave them a perplexed look,

"What’s up?"

Silver Hand replied, "Respected Manager, we are just waiting for the elevator."

Silver Sword chimed in, "Right!"

There was another who didn’t speak, but he was presumably tagging along.

Chu Guang nodded, not saying much.

As a refined and amiable man, he obviously wouldn’t squabble with players over an elevator. There were more than one elevator here, and he wasn’t in a rush to catch this one.

He gave the elevator to these three and went to another to get in line. However, much to his surprise, as soon as he pressed the button, those three squeezed in again.

Even the most patient person would be annoyed. Chu Guang turned to look at them,

"Do you guys need something?"

Silver Hand bowed respectfully,

"Respected Manager, we wish to use the elevator to go down a level."

Silver Sword nodded excitedly, "Exactly!"

Chu Guang: "...?"

Huh?

These guys are quick learners.

Using repeated phrases to end a conversation was a tactic Chu Guang had taught the "NPCs" to get rid of nagging players. He didn’t expect players to have picked it up so quickly and use it back on them.

Holding Xiao Qi, Chu Guang couldn’t help but laugh internally; however, his face remained expressionless as he hummed noncommittally and said no more.

The three players showed a hint of pleasure on their faces.

This time the NPC didn’t change elevators, so they figured the bug must have worked!

But just as they entertained that thought, their vision suddenly went black. With silly smiles still plastered on their faces, they collapsed to the ground, their consciousness leaving this world.

I Max Black, who had been sneaking peeks, was stunned.

Damn.

Disconnected just like that?

Is it really that awesome?

Chu Guang looked towards I Max Black standing nearby.

The latter, trembling, hastily swore with three fingers raised,

"I swear on the name of United Human; I’m not with them. I never thought about exploiting any bugs!"

Heh.

Chu Guang, still cradling the robot, chuckled inwardly but showed no reaction on his face, completely ignoring his words.

As if what happened to these three had nothing to do with him.

"They probably got heatstroke. Could you do me a favor and carry them to the B3-floor plaza?"

The signal light on Xiao Qi flickered in Chu Guang’s arms.

A task notification instantly popped up, immediately updated on I Max Black’s VM.

I Max Black didn’t hesitate for a moment and accepted, nodding like a pecking chicken.

"Leave it to me!"

After saying this, he immediately dragged the three unconscious geniuses to another elevator to get in line.

Chu Guang, who had effortlessly knocked out a few players trying to follow him down in hopes of exploiting a bug and reentered the same elevator, took a deep relaxing breath and extended his index finger to touch the elevator’s touch screen.

The Manager’s authority had already taken control of this elevator, ensuring no further disturbances.

A pale blue light appeared.

As the countdown reached zero precisely on cue, the button for Floor B4 finally appeared.

A smile flashed through Chu Guang’s heart, and without hesitation embodying the spirit of the Exalted, he pressed it.

The elevator began its descent.

After a brief wait, it halted steadily.

With the silver-white alloy doors opening, dry, refreshing air rushed to greet him.

"Still that familiar scent."

Before coming down, Chu Guang had taken a deep breath specifically to compare it with the atmosphere on B4.

He glanced around. This place, like B3 when it had just opened, was immaculately clean, even dustier than a cleanroom in an electronic factory.

However, the difference was...

There were no familiar squares or the four functional divisions of ABCD here, just a straight corridor stretching forward.

Chu Guang looked up and saw a door at the end of the hallway that opened to the side.

Considering the floor plan on the wall, this corridor he was facing should correspond to the horizontal line in the middle of the letter "G".

"Xiao Qi, go scout ahead."

"Okay, Master."

Xiao Qi conscientiously rolled forward on its wheels, long accustomed to its master’s caution.

Watching Xiao Qi move towards the end of the corridor, Chu Guang also took a step outside the elevator. However, just then, he suddenly noticed a note lying next to the elevator door.

This was probably the only trash here.

Chu Guang picked it up and read the familiar handwriting.

[To the Manager of Shelter No. 404, my successor:]

[...What creature in this world is more suitable to be the leeks than the players? Do you remember the first thing I told you? You must have experienced the brilliance of my genius by now!

Hahahaha, I, who packaged the whole world into a game, am simply a genius!

Don’t worship me!

]

Chu Guang: "..."

Who the hell are you?

Have the guts to leave a name!

To be fair, the invention of this "Morphogenesis Field" device was indeed impressive, a "singularity"-level technology at the very least.

Even the archaeology experts at the Academy couldn’t understand it.

Yet this First Generation Manager obviously didn’t know how to create a game. From the player interface to the core mechanics, and those rich ancillary economic and contribution systems, even to the current game screenshot feature, he had to figure out and design everything bit by bit.

Chu Guang admitted the guy had some skills, but the brush might not have bristles.

Admiration was out of the question.

Let’s say half-dressed at best.

[...Cough cough, enough with the jokes, I am delighted you passed my first test. A person full of grievances, who believes everything is impossible, would never have made it here. And now that you stand here, I, under the nine springs, can finally breathe a sigh of relief and entrust one of my most most most precious treasures to you.]

[Applause for yourself, you deserve this honor! The treasure chest for the brave lies at the end of this maze, not even hidden. Go on, don’t stand dumbly in the elevator entrance, you sending the little thing ahead to scout looks really silly. Do you think I, a nearly buried man, would still harm you? They’re getting impatient waiting for you.]

[Oh, and seeing as I’ve helped you so much, could you tell me what year it is now?]

[You don’t have to write it on paper and burn it for me, I don’t believe in that stuff, let alone this paper won’t burn. You can tell me quietly, just keep it between us two.]

The note ended there.

Without a signature.

"It is the year 2341, the 212th year of the Wasteland Era..."

Subconsciously blurting out this sentence, Chu Guang suddenly felt silly and, irritated, crumpled the note into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket, heading toward the end of the corridor.

What a waste of time!

He passed through the open alloy door.

Ahead, the area opened up suddenly.

Sofas were arranged in a semi-circular room.

This seemed to be a reading room, but the shelves against the wall held not a single book or anything else.

The coffee machine at the edge of the hallway was an unexpected surprise; its "retro" look made Chu Guang realize its purpose at a glance.

Yin Fang had always complained to him that Shelter No. 404 was so poor it didn’t even have a coffee machine; now the guy could finally shut up.

Regrettably, there were no coffee beans inside, so it seemed this device could only be used as a water dispenser until they could become self-sufficient in coffee beans.

"This must be an area for resting or reading."

The space here was quite large, about half a playground in size. Although there weren’t many sofas, the floor could accommodate people; even four or five hundred wouldn’t feel crowded.

However, apart from the purpose of napping, after circling around, Chu Guang really couldn’t figure out any other reason for this room to exist.

Xiao Qi also expressed confusion.

"But... why can’t we see a single book around here?"

"Maybe the people from the Prosperity Epoch had other means of recording information..." Chu Guang casually replied, looking toward the door at the end of the curved hallway, "Let’s keep moving forward."

Behind the rest area was the fitness area, where the spacious room showcased some odd-looking fitness equipment and a few massage-chair-like devices.

"This is easier to understand, it should be a place for exercising."

Shelter No. 117 also had similar facilities. Good habits could maintain both physical and mental health.

Chu Guang remembered seeing on the Forum that players of the Strength Type had specifically researched that continuous anaerobic exercise could accumulate the development of Gene Sequences and stimulate the expression of certain DNA specificities.

However, this required great willpower, and the process was more tedious than chopping wood.

Unless it was like I Max Black, who really had no choice in winter, few people kept it up.

Chu Guang didn’t study these devices in detail but chose to keep moving back to explore the treasure that the First Generation Manager had left for him.

The fitness area was followed by a large door tightly closed. According to the signs written on the wall, Manager’s authorization was needed to unlock it.

Unauthorized entry would trigger alarms.

Chu Guang had already obtained all permissions for Floor B4, so of course he faced no obstructions.

Rows of metal cabinets were displayed in the room, Chu Guang held his breath as he approached, opening a cabinet at random; when he saw what was inside, his face instantly showed amazement.

"Light Cavalry Exoskeleton?!"

A thought flickered in Chu Guang’s mind, and he immediately opened the cabinet next to him.

As expected, there was another set!

"Holy shit!"

"We’ve struck it rich!"

Even though it was a police exoskeleton, it was pre-war equipment after all. The polymer bulletproof plates might not be very durable, but the defense was beyond any doubt. The bullets from regular firearms couldn’t penetrate it; if they got damaged, the panels could be replaced.

With a look of ecstasy on his face, Chu Guang couldn’t wait to open and check every cabinet in the equipment room.

A total of two hundred sets of Type 5 Light Cavalry Exoskeletons!

And twenty sets of Type 6 Heavy Cavalry!

Apart from that, there were over three hundred palm-sized, flexible rotor, programmable short-range drones that would automatically follow within a 40-meter range, either tailing their owner or an opponent. While they synchronized the camera feed in real-time with the helmet’s visor, they could also double as an enforcement recorder!

When not in use, they could be stored for charging on the right shoulder of the exoskeleton, leaving only a section of the camera exposed.

Extremely handy!

Chu Guang studied them closely.

These pieces of equipment stored in the cabinets were far more comprehensive than the Type 5 and Type 6 exoskeletons he had gotten from the Blind Boxes!

With these exoskeletons and drones, he could easily put together a semi-mechanized light infantry company.

Combine that with a few trucks converted into anti-aircraft and recoilless gun vehicles, and one would have all the trappings of a mechanized force!

Xiao Qi moved closer to Chu Guang’s leg, curiously swiveling its camera head around.

"I can’t believe it’s been over two hundred years, and they’re still like new."

"Maybe it’s because we let in the air when we came in, or maybe it’s some special technology... who knows." Chu Guang, clearly smitten, temporarily placed the exoskeleton he had taken out back into the cabinet.

Damn!

Why the hell didn’t these treasures come to me earlier!

In addition to the exoskeletons and their matching drones, there were over three hundred batons and explosion-proof shields, as well as fifty "Silver Snake" revolvers, the same model he had found on Floor B2.

Expecting that they might face some ludicrously large monsters after the refuge was opened, all these pistols had large calibers.

However, Chu Guang was slightly surprised that he saw no trace of rifles or submachine guns here.

"Speaking of which... there’s something I can’t figure out."

Chu Guang stared at the door leading to the gym and rest area, pondering, "Why would the equipment room for storage be located behind the rest and fitness area?"

This layout was odd.

Each floor should theoretically have corresponding functions, Chu Guang couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out the connection between this room and the previous two.

Xiao Qi: "Hmm... Maybe these equipments were transferred from somewhere else? Like the equipment rooms on Levels B1 and B3?"

Xiao Qi’s suggestion did make Chu Guang think, remembering that there were similar equipment rooms at the two exits of the shelter, located between the buffer room and the gear-shaped metal giant doors.

The cabinets there were slightly larger than here and were currently being rented by players as storage lockers.

Thinking about it...

It was quite possible that these pieces of equipment had been transferred from those two places.

"That makes sense."

Chu Guang looked towards the door at the end of the equipment room.

It was the last unexplored area.

Chu Guang had reason to believe that the item referred to as "treasure" by the First Generation Manager couldn’t possibly be the mere two hundred plus exoskeletons.

Using his authority, he unlocked the last door.

Chu Guang, accompanied by Xiao Qi, walked in.

It was a round room, dimly lit inside, but the moment he stepped into the room, a soft light gradually illuminated the entire space.

Four familiar devices were quietly lined up in the room, causing Chu Guang to involuntarily hold his breath.

Black Boxes!

Every Waste Land Wanderer’s dream vending machine, a crystallization of pre-war civilization’s advanced productive forces and technology!

And there were four of them here!

However, what surprised him most were not the four Black Boxes in the corner of the room but the black cylindrical tower in the center of the room, as thick as a millennium-old tree—or rather, a terminal shaped like a cylinder.

His intuition told him.

The "treasure" mentioned by the First Generation Manager was this thing!

"Xiao Qi..."

The trash can that followed alongside Chu Guang’s calf considerately lifted its camera.

"Here, master, do you need me to go up and check it?"

"...No need, wait here for me."

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Chu Guang approached the black column, its ten-meter diameter making him look as small as a leaf.

How to use this thing?

Thinking so, Chu Guang instinctively placed his palm on it—the cold sensation transmitted from the metal-feel outer shell, followed closely by the black shell radiating circles of pale blue ripples.

A holographic image?

Before Chu Guang could comprehend what happened, countless pale blue light particles, like a sky full of stars, sprinkled down from the "canopy" around him, hovering steadily.

His Adam’s apple moved, Chu Guang looked around in surprise and confusion.

"...What is this?"

Halfway through his sentence.

Familiar IDs started to appear through the light particles, reflected in his pupils.

What’s more, there were corresponding Sequence numbers.

Chu Guang immediately understood what this thing before him was.

"...Is this the ’Morphogenesis Field’?"

Or rather, the tip of the iceberg that was visible.

From the ripple of each light particle, Chu Guang found he could faintly perceive those emotions.

Countless invisible threads crossed the walls of dimensions, linking those flickering mirror Consciousness Entities.

Chu Guang did not understand the Principle behind this.

But he could feel their existence.

"So the Cultivation chamber is just a signal relay... This terminal is the actual port connecting to the ’Different World.’"

"In other words...if the Cultivation chamber is damaged, it won’t lead to players being deleted?"

In other words, a respawn point can be set up outside of the safe zone!

Chu Guang thoughtfully operated the screen with his index finger, and a line of pale blue window emerged in front of him.

[Current connected Consciousness Entities: 1500]

[Activated Sequences: 1500]

[Currently available: 3000]