This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 516: That is the curse of my hometown, misfortune will entangle their oars

Chapter 516: Chapter 516: That is the curse of my hometown, misfortune will entangle their oars

"Goodbye, brothers, don’t miss me... Your Pangolin uncle needs to solo for a while."

The Iron Heart pulled up its anchor chain and, under the noon sunlight, gradually moved away toward the east.

Thousands of thoughts were carried away by the giant whale floating in the clouds, as the Old Soldier waved goodbye to his triumphant brothers.

Soon, he would triumph too.

Only, his destination was not the City of Dawn, but Triumph City.

Although he did not know by what means Salen, the Legion Leader of the Eastern Legion, had used, they had returned to Triumph City as victors in any case.

Honestly, even now, the Old Soldier was confused.

The Legion had fought a war that made no sense and then returned home just as nonsensically, startling both corporations and academies, but it was unclear exactly what these big-nosed folks had won.

Consider it a win, then.

He did not care for these trifling matters; what truly saddened him was something else.

Initially, it was just a moment’s inspiration, almost like a joke, but he ended up crossing the entire desert for it, even heading to the distant west...

Triumph City.

Well, might as well treat it as a preview of the new version.

Beta test, beta test...

Isn’t that what a beta tester does?

"What are you talking about?"

A pleasant voice came from behind.

Guessing who it was, the Old Soldier smoothly switched to Human Alliance language, speaking seriously,

"That’s a curse from my homeland; misfortune will entangle their paddles."

Penny was taken aback, then chuckled.

"...You’re really humorous."

Seeing the silent Pangolin, Penny thought he was still brooding over the incident with Shelter No. 0 and so softened her voice to comfort him.

"Governor Cohen didn’t blame you for Wallace’s matter... It wasn’t your fault, you faithfully performed your duty, retrieving the original documents of the Torch Plan, ensuring we weren’t fooled by the greedy, cunning people of the East Coast and the dark, villainous Swamp People."

The Old Soldier suppressed a smile as he spoke solemnly,

"That’s what I was supposed to do."

Penny looked at him with an expressive gaze.

"Could you do me a small favor?"

"It would be an honor to serve you."

Watching the sometimes dull, sometimes gentlemanly Pangolin, Penny couldn’t help but curl her lips in a smile, but her expression soon took on a rare touch of shyness.

"My... uh, father wants to meet you."

"Your father?" Looking at Penny, who averted her gaze, the Old Soldier was baffled, "What does he want with me?"

"You might not know..." Lightly flipping her fringe, Penny said in an ordinary tone, "The Triumph Report has published quite a bit about your deeds; most of the materials sent to the Royal City were written by me, so, please, would you help me?"

Something about that casually ordinary tone felt unnatural, but the Old Soldier did not comment and just nodded.

He was not one to refuse requests easily, both in reality and in the game.

Might as well treat it as triggering a side quest.

Seeing the wooden man nod, a pleasant smile appeared on Penny’s face as her gaze drifted towards the thin clouds in the sky.

"By the way... are we going to stay here for an entire winter?"

"Yes," the Old Soldier nodded, "Without airships, traveling by land is too dangerous... if we don’t follow the big troop, accidents can easily happen."

The Northern Industrial District was once the logistical hub during the Human Alliance Era, housing the densest network of transportation, but that was during the Prosperity Epoch.

Now, those high-speed networks and underground passages are completely severed, creating a three-dimensional maze with the intricate office buildings and warehouses.

Though its desertification isn’t as severe as the Eastern Industrial Zone, the dangers there are no less than here. To bypass it, one must traverse the Wandering Swamp, which serves as the protective moat for the Academy, equally not a pleasant place.

Just reading the description on the "Wasteland OL" official website, the Old Soldier wasn’t confident he could solo the Great Desert or the Wandering Swamp, perhaps it’ll be a bit easier after reaching level 50 or 60.

By the way, he had just passed level 30, reaching the fourth phase of Gene Sequence, which, in common terms used in the Wasteland, meant completing the third Awakening.

The game was somewhat easier to level up until level 10; he couldn’t help suspecting that Ah Guang was deliberately suppressing their levels as beta testers.

At this rate, almost no one could level up to the legendary level 100.

Penny sighed softly.

"I really want to go home..."

That casual remark unintentionally stirred a sense of "homesickness" in someone nearby.

It was said that Old Hooke had bought the warehouse behind the highway motel, demolished it, and rebuilt it into an apartment building, encircling a large courtyard in the middle. The trade station was originally on the very edge of the City of Dawn, but as more houses were built, it had now become enclosed in the near-center.

The most significant change was the train station, where the platform used to be an open space, but now it was surrounded by rows of concrete buildings.

The square where they had previously held the Triumph Ceremony was now planted with many green plants, turning it into a bustling spot for residents of Dawn City to stroll, socialize, and relax. The newly established municipal garden department at the Dawn City Town Hall was specifically responsible for the planning of public buildings, keeping everything well-organized... reportedly, this was all thanks to the efforts of a player specializing in urban planning.

In specific NPC settlement areas, obtaining a reputation score above 1000 would allow investment in factories, above 10,000 could participate in municipal grassroots work, and above 100,000 could even serve as the mayor in subjective municipal politics. Old Soldier only recently heard that players tirelessly grind regional reputation just to experience being a mayor in the game.

Wouldn’t it be better to just open a session of "City Skyline"?

Since the beginning of the year, Crow had been updating aerial photos of Dawn City on the official website intermittently, a post that Old Soldier had also seen.

However, from what he saw in the photos, he always felt something was lacking, as if something was missing.

He now realized what was missing—it was the people.

Those NPCs with their own logic of behavior were like living people, forming a whole society together with many players from "another world," giving real meaning to the latter’s actions.

He knew what he truly missed.

Damn it...

He too really wanted to go home!

...

On the way back aboard the Steel Heart, the official website of "Wasteland OL" updated new content.

Although there was still no news of Beta0.5 and no new closed beta qualifications, the content was by no means less substantial than Beta0.4.

[New Survivor Settlement—Pioneer City: Standing on the ruins of the Human Alliance Eastern Industrial District, Pioneer City is not a hospitable place. However, it boasts a richer heritage of pre-war civilization than Dawn City. Brave adventurers once visited, and the courageous will continue to follow in their footsteps.]

[New NPC Legion—Bister First, Second, Third, and Fourth Construction Corps: The war prisoners of Falcon Kingdom refuse to return and continue serving the noble lords as cattle and horses. They would rather face the scorching sun and the sandy winds. Building a city in the desert is no easy task, but at least their sweat dries for their own sake. They will prove that even without those haughty lords, they can live just fine!]

[New NPC Legion—Thorns Corps: Among them are tailors, herders, carpenters, teachers, and even scholars. The chaotic poison destroyed their past lives, but it did not defeat them. To spread the light of order and save those yet to be saved, they resolutely chose to stay, declaring war on all chaos and barbarism, and avenging the Enlightenment Society that stripped them of their past...]

[New Map—Eastern Industrial District: The processing center during the Human Alliance Era, even though it has completely turned into ruins, unexpected treasures can still be dug out from below the crumbling concrete and iron-rich sand. If they find a dormant Blue Jacket, please bring them to Pioneer City before the Enlightenment Society. Recommended map level: Lv15 and above. (Note: Due to being far from resurrection points, players exploring this map should be cautious about dying.)]

Tail: "Oh! Sisters of Thorns! Cunning spellcasters! Si Si! Let’s sign up!

Debt Giant Eye: "Sisters of Thorns are okay, but wouldn’t the Eleventh Interstellar Corps be more suitable! Bad review!"

Si Si: "Ah Wei, wake up, it was already hard enough reaching the Southern Islands, it’d be thousands of kilometers to go back."

Tail: "Damn, the ship is too slow... If only we could get an airship.

Meat mountain big steamed bun: "That would probably cost hundreds of billions of silver coins."

Night Ten: "Be confident, remove ’probably.’ (funny)"

Sesame Paste: "Ahahaha...too many."

Edge Shoveling: "Speaking of which, can we entrust local survivors with defense responsibilities?"

Fang Chang: "From Falcon Kingdom to Honey Badger Kingdom, there are too many places that need troops. The Alliance’s standing corps is already insufficient, but there are plenty of exoskeletons, bullet-proof armors, and guns left. If the local survivors are willing to defend themselves, I think it’s worth encouraging."

Canyon Fleeing Mole: "+1. Economically, it’s better to recruit troops locally than to send them from the Alliance. After all, it’s unlikely any large-scale military conflict will occur there recently. As for smaller conflicts...hasn’t someone stayed there already?"

Elena: "We can coax the newcomers to go over and help. (playful)"

Spring Water Commander: "But then again... even from a probability standpoint, there must be way more good stuff there than in Qingquan City."

I Max Black: "Damn! Now you’ve made me regret not sticking around to keep that bastard Old Soldier company!"

Debt Giant Eye: "Hahahaha!"

Compared to the newly established NPC corps, most players were evidently more interested in the ruins of the ’Human Federation’s Eastern Industrial Zone.’

No one knew what was buried underneath those concrete ruins.

If one were to dig up a set of functional power armor from there, wouldn’t they instantly become T0?

The only problem was the distance.

The Great Desert was just too far away from Dawn City.

If one were to depart from Dawn City without renting a corporate transport plane, they’d need to take a train through Falling Leaves City to reach Lion Kingdom, then switch to a truck and head northwest toward Honey Badger Kingdom, continue to Bister Town, bypass the entire South of Oasis No. 2, and then enter the Great Desert.

A trip there would take at least half a month.

Things might get a bit faster once the Alliance railway reaches Honey Badger Kingdom, or we’d have to wait until the Alliance develops longer-range, faster modes of transportation.

While players on the forum were busily exchanging information about the new map, Chu Guang stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the airship’s bridge, gazing in the direction of the horizon.

Sitting on Chu Guang’s shoulder, Xiao Qi swung her legs and began exclaiming excitedly at the distant mountains and forests.

"Master, we are approaching River Valley Province!"

Finally heading home!

Communication in the desert had been intermittent, and she spent most of the day offline; once back in River Valley Province, those troubles would be gone.

Gazing at the horizon and squinting, a smile inadvertently appeared on Chu Guang’s face.

"Hmm."

It had been a long time since he’d been back. He missed the people there quite a bit, and he believed the residents of Dawn City must miss him too.

Since they had ditched some armor and left some supplies at Pioneer City, the return trip on the Iron Heart was much faster than the outbound journey, with an average cruising speed of eighty kilometers per hour!

Although this speed couldn’t catch up to a plane, it could still cover nearly two thousand kilometers in a day. From the Great Desert to River Valley Province, it would take less than two days.

It must be said that over the variant-infested Wasteland, airships indeed served as an excellent long-distance mode of transportation, even without considering rare anti-gravity devices.

The only downside was that hydrogen was too dangerous, and helium was not easy to come by.

"Ahead is our Falling Leaves City." Standing next to Chu Guang, the acting captain stared intently at the settlement located next to Rui Valley City.

Rows of houses encircled the train station like stars surrounding the moon, with warehouses next to the station piled high with agricultural products transported from Luo Xia Province and industrial goods about to be sent into the desert.

Originally, the Alliance built this settlement merely to shelter those Wasteland Wanderers gathered by the Army, and after the Alliance Expeditionary Army officially set out for Luo Xia Province, this place also served as a front-line transit station for supplies, attracting a large number of merchants from places like Camel Hump Kingdom and Giant Stone City, as well as refugees fleeing the war.

Now the war had ended, yet the prosperity here had not dispersed; instead it had risen another level due to the increased traffic of merchants.

In the future, this Survivor Settlement would serve as a trade hub connecting Luo Xia Province and River Valley Province, continuing to exist.

Chu Guang held great expectations for the future of this settlement.

Compared to City of Dawn and Dawn City, Falling Leaves City boasted broader plains that could be utilized, and without the enormous ruins of Qingquan City to impede, traveling to Brocade River Province from Falling Leaves City would also be easier.

It would be good to incorporate Brocade River Province into the Alliance’s trade map as well.

Even though the Alliance no longer needed the grain from Luo Xia Province, the land development value of this "granary" was still quite high.

Furthermore, according to the intelligence gathered by the White Bear Knights at sea and clues leaked by corporations, the Human Alliance Era’s oceanic development efforts were every bit as vigorous as those on land. Numerous relics from the Prosperity Epoch and even shelters remained from sea level to ocean floor!

To utilize those resources on a large scale, first, a sea outlet belonging to the Alliance was needed. Creating a southward corridor from Falling Leaves City seemed a plausible choice based on the map.

"...I hadn’t expected such great changes in just a few months." Looking at the night scene of Falling Leaves City, Chu Guang couldn’t help feeling a touch of anticipation.

He wondered what the night view of City of Dawn would feel like from a high altitude.

It seemed it had been a while since the last celebration.

Observing Chu Guang’s expressions closely, the standing acting captain respectfully said,

"...Sir, would you like to stop here for a while?"

"No need, continue onward. Rather than admiring this beautiful night scene, I’d prefer to bring the news of our triumph back sooner."

After pausing, Chu Guang smiled and said,

"By the way, hang up our flag! Let everyone see it! Don’t let those compatriots who are eagerly awaiting our return get impatient, and at the same time show those who curse us."

"We’re not only back, but we’ve returned laden with victory and glory!"

Gazing intently at the Manager, the acting captain excitedly straightened up and saluted with his right fist against his chest.

"Yes!"

...

As the Iron Heart displayed the Alliance’s flag boldly on its return journey, Giant Stone City was bustling with activity.

Those profiting from war treasures weren’t limited to the Alliance; major commerce firms and factory owners who had invested early in the Alliance also made a fortune.

The doorway of the Night Queen’s Bar was constantly bustling with visitors, causing the temperature of the entire street to rise by several degrees. Whether they were nobles from the Inner City or factory owners, having made a fortune, it was only natural to find a place to spend— otherwise, what was the point of earning money?

The bustle wasn’t limited to bars and commercial streets but extended to the city hall a few blocks away.

Thanks to a wise decision made months ago, Mr. Melvin, the bank manager of Giant Stone City Bank, had become quite the celebrity.

Had it not been for him and Duron lobbying hard to pass the resolution to lend money to the Alliance, Giant Stone City’s current prosperity would not have existed!

Now that everyone was raking in profits, he deserved the most credit!

Just after finishing a meeting and returning home, Melvin wanted to have a small drink to relax, but his adorable daughter entangled him, saying she wanted to tell him a bedtime story.

Melvin was initially delighted, but his mood soured at the sight of the "Survivor’s Daily" on the table.

He could guess that his little girl had picked up some phrases from those Wasteland Wanderers and wanted to discuss some grand principles that she barely understood herself.

Though impatient, he couldn’t get angry with his most beloved daughter. Since he was in a good mood, he patiently sat down on the couch.

Alyssa cleared her throat, picked up the picture book in her hands, and read in a young voice.

"...In the remote history of the Human Alliance, there was a very small kingdom, even smaller than the Honey Badger Kingdom."

"To pioneer the future of the kingdom, merchants sailed the seas with the king’s support. However, once these merchants had amassed vast wealth, they bought off the kingdom’s citizens, pushed the aging king onto the gallows, and became the uncrowned kings of the kingdom."

"Though the kingdom was without a king, the lives of the citizens didn’t improve. Previously, they toiled in the fields for the feudal lords from sunrise to sunset; now, they were driven into coal mines and factories, where everyone, old and young, worked endlessly."

"It wasn’t until later that the suffering citizens united and overturned the kingdom ruled by merchants and nobles, hanging those who had stolen their property on the street lamps... just as the merchants had once hung the king."

After listening to her daughter’s story, Melvin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"You’re suggesting our current situation is dangerous."

Alyssa stared intently at her father, her young face displaying a sharpness and shrewdness beyond her years.

"I heard from our servants that a loaf of bread outside already costs two chips, and even the price of nutrition paste has tripled... This is strange. You say our factories have increased, job positions have expanded, everything is getting better, but the lives of Giant Stone City’s residents haven’t improved much. Isn’t this abnormal? I think this is not a good sign."

Not a good sign...

Then, what would be considered good?

Listening to that young voice, Melvin smiled and shook his head.

Is there a better omen than "everyone’s wallets brimming with chips"?

"My child, there is a fundamental difference between us and the kingdom in that fairy tale book you hold in your hands. Have you forgotten the origin of the outer city? Originally, there was only one building, one inner city... If we hadn’t sheltered those wasteland wanderers now residing in the outer city, they would have long since perished in the wilderness, becoming leftovers in the mouths of the Eaters and Hyenas! They would have ended up as something terrible for the Looters and the Mutants..."

As he spoke, he unconsciously brought the vigor from the meeting room back home.

Elena frowned, displeased with her father’s tone, and corrected him seriously,

"...this is not a fairy tale book; it’s our history."

"Of course, my child... this indeed might have happened on this planet once."

Melvin immediately realized his tone was off and softened his words.

Looking at his adorable little daughter, he continued patiently,

"...but the difference is, Giant Stone City has never been ruled by merchants. Do you really think it’s the banks that make it impossible for them to afford bread? On the contrary, your dad might not be a good man, but if it weren’t for the loans I made to those factories, those poor people wouldn’t even have a single chip in their pockets, so what good would cheap bread do?"

A hint of confusion flickered in Elena’s eyes.

Though she learned a bit from newspapers and books, it was only the bit that others talked about... the things her father mentioned went beyond her knowledge.

Melvin gently patted his daughter’s head, speaking tenderly,

"Don’t apply the templates rigidly when pondering issues; our situation is different from your book right from the start. Be it Vijia Commerce or our Giant Stone City Bank, our shareholders were the nobles of the Inner City from the beginning, and they were the ones who loaned us the first chip."

"I should have told you; your mother’s family... her ancestors were among the first survivors of the Stone Building. I hope you can learn more from her about noble etiquette and the ways of the world, otherwise, I might have to send you to study in Ideal City."

He adored his clever and quick-witted little daughter, but sometimes he wished she were not so bright... or rather, a bit simpler would be nice.

Being smart isn’t a bad thing.

But when combined with naivety, it can lead to serious problems.

She wasn’t so young anymore; in another couple of years, it would be time for her to marry, and perhaps he should be a bit stricter with her, not continuing to coddle her like a child.

Elena blinked her eyes,

"Are you talking about my second brother’s place?"

Melvin nodded,

"Exactly."

This was a backup plan.

He, of course, knew about the underlying risks in Giant Stone City, but it was not something he could solve.

The city lord wouldn’t support him, nor would the leader of the Militia Group, neither the chairman of Huge Rock Military Industry, nor the nobles of the Inner City.

Animals know to seek benefits and avoid harms, let alone a banker with a keen sense like him. Since the problem couldn’t be solved, might as well make some more money before it arises.

Especially since he recently discovered a good channel— the emerging alliance in the "North Suburb".

Those wasteland wanderers and the ’Blue Jacket’ folks always seemed to do things he couldn’t understand, but the outcomes surprisingly turned out well.

They not only held off the Army’s attacks but even gained the friendship of the ancient Survivor Forces.

He heard from his youngest son in Ideal City, in one of his letters, that the merchants in the alliance even managed to sell fried chicken wings and cola in Ideal City!

It was incredible!

Heaven knows how those guys managed the transportation!

But that wasn’t the key point. The key was that silver coins could be "massively" converted to Cr, something not even chips could manage.

Normally, to obtain Cr, one had to exchange at the Giant Stone City Exchange just like trading goods, where the transaction volume was pitifully low.

Don’t be fooled by how one chip can now be exchanged for several Cr; that’s because the merchant caravans from the Province of Yúnjiānxíng seldom come, and most people have no use for Cr.

Should the exchange volume rise, at the exchange of Giant Stone City, ten million chips might not even fetch a million Cr.

Thinking of this, Melvin’s gaze unconsciously fell on the "Survivor Daily" on the coffee table as he thoughtfully stroked his chin,

"By the way, the Manager has returned."

Elena nodded vigorously, looking expectantly at her father,

"Yes! I heard there will be a grand, grand triumph celebration... Can we go see it?"

Patting his daughter’s head, Melvin smiled warmly and said,

"Of course, we can... but you’ll have to listen to dad, as outside the walls it’s the wasteland and not as safe as home."

"Really?! That’s great!"

A rare excitement appeared on her calm face as Elena looked up at her kind-smiling father and solemnly promised,

"I assure you, I will behave!"

Watching his daughter’s face full of anticipation, Melvin smiled warmly, but his mind was on other matters.

Giant Stone City had previously borrowed a substantial sum from the Alliance for war, and the time to pay interest was soon approaching; he believed the person ought to bring back some good stuff.

Yet what preoccupied him wasn’t the treasures from the Falcon Kingdom King’s treasury or those shiny yet useless gold pieces, but something else.

Maybe...

Their collaboration could go even deeper.