This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 518 Li Is One Step Closer to No Longer Being Human

Chapter 518: Chapter 518 Li Is One Step Closer to No Longer Being Human

Beside the wheat field fence, Miss Afni gazed from afar at the figure standing next to the pod connected to the iron airship, a soft smile unconsciously spreading across her face.

Legend had it that in the distant River Valley Province, there was a great hero who, with a group of survivors as brave as himself, had defeated wild beasts many times their number.

Honestly, he did not look as towering and fierce as he did in the paintings—his face was not heavily bearded either, but he felt much more dependable than the gorilla depicted there. Especially with the warm smile that often adorned his handsome, resolute face, which could make even the early winter of November feel like a breath of spring.

Just like now...

At first, she didn’t quite understand what sort of feelings these were, not until this moment, when she suddenly realized something—

What she admired wasn’t his bravery, nor the wisdom she revered, and it even had nothing to do with her kingdom that had been saved... It was just that smile, which inevitably warmed one’s heart.

Even in a scarred wasteland strewn with chaos, through those dark eyes, she could still see prosperity reflected.

It might sound strange, but she suddenly felt envious of the doll perched on his shoulder... It could see a landscape that she could not.

It must be beautiful there...

Thinking this, Miss Afni, who had initially intended only to glance from a distance, found herself unconsciously walking towards him, stopping not far from his side and politely curtseying.

"Respected Manager Sir, congratulations on your victorious return from the front. During my time here in Dawn City, I have heard daily of the praises and expectations the people have for you."

Hearing the congratulations from beside him, Chu Guang, ignoring Xiao Qi’s protests, took it off his shoulder and stuffed it into his pocket, smiling as he looked at the foreign girl.

"Thank you for your congratulations, Miss Afni. Speaking of which, Sommer told me he was going back for his father’s funeral when we said goodbye; I thought you and your brother might have gone back together."

She was dressed in a light green long dress, the fluttering hem like tender grass hiding her ankles. Beneath her slightly curled brown hair was a somewhat youthful face, now touched by a light golden hue from the morning light.

Staring intently at him, Miss Afni blinked.

"My brother went back first. He asked me to stay here on behalf of the Honey Badger Royal Family to attend the Alliance’s Triumph celebration, and he also asked me to bid you farewell on his behalf, and to thank you again for looking after us during this time... The Honey Badger Kingdom will always be a friend of the Alliance, and he personally considers you as his mentor."

Chu Guang laughed and shook his head.

"That guy... I don’t even know when I became his mentor."

Sommer must have been in a rush to go back, probably worried about the throne, given that he was only acting as king, while Yard held the military power.

As for Sommer considering him as a mentor, that was likely said for his own benefit, hoping to gain his support.

But he had no intention of meddling in the internal affairs of the Honey Badger Kingdom, whether Sommer or Yard left a decent impression on him.

The Alliance would focus on being just an alliance, adhering to seeking common ground while preserving differences, without forcing other orderly neutral or above survivor settlements to adopt the same approaches. Just as one’s chosen major should suit one best, people should decide their own futures.

Choosing which path to take was not the main conflict in the wasteland; chaos was. Before all mutants and looters were wiped out, even the Army could be considered to be within the bounds of orderly evil.

As long as the Honey Badger Kingdom’s situation didn’t deteriorate to a civil war, he wouldn’t interfere in the locals’ affairs, at most asking the local rulers to make progressive reforms in line with the Alliance’s views.

Miss Afni’s eyes were full of affection as she looked at him.

"Really? But I believe you’ve greatly influenced him in many ways... I often see him jotting down your words and pondering over them. He used to say that the future of the kingdom lies in uniting those indecisive nobles since most of the army funding for the restoration comes from them, but now he also occasionally speaks of the need to unite the silent majority, who may not have money but own things more valuable than money."

Chu Guang spoke offhandedly.

"It shows he has matured, perhaps inspired by what he’s learned here, but I still prefer to think it’s his own realization."

He wouldn’t teach others that way.

In the Alliance, people are just people.

Miss Afni sighed softly.

"Perhaps, but I still believe, his growth couldn’t have happened without your help. If possible, I truly wish I could grow like him. May I... help you with something? Beyond just sorting books, like Princess Teresa."

Almost as if driven by divine forces, Miss Afni couldn’t help but blurt out the second half of her sentence, even surprising herself with her own words.

However, she did not take back what she had said.

A voice within her mind told her that perhaps deep down, that was exactly what she thought...

Chu Guang glanced curiously at the young girl and paused before speaking.

"You don’t need to help me with anything. Just go back and use what you’ve learned to help your country."

"Why? Because I’m a princess of the Honey Badger Kingdom? I could give up my title like Teresa did and become an ordinary resident of the Alliance—"

Chu Guang looked at her seriously and responded.

"You need to understand something. Teresa didn’t become the mayor of Pioneer City because she gave up her princess title. It was because her abilities proved she was capable of the job."

Pioneer City, referred to as the fourth city of the Alliance, had fewer survivors than Bet Street in Dawn City and much harsher conditions than River Valley province. Being a mayor there was not an enviable job; even the clerks at the Dawn City trade station had it more comfortable.

In the Alliance, the title of mayor is merely a salaried position; it doesn’t imply any sort of rank. If Bet Street were to gain a unique strategic position, requiring its own development as a settlement, its village head could just as well be called a mayor.

"I apologize; that was presumptuous of me. I don’t underestimate her abilities. It’s just that if she can... perhaps I could also do something for you."

Afni’s face bore a slight hint of jealousy, though she wasn’t aware of it herself, as she really had no reason to feel that way.

Chu Guang, however, could understand her eagerness to showcase her talents, but he couldn’t just assign her important tasks simply because she had read a lot of books.

Theory is important,

but practice is more so.

The lesson from Shelter No. 401 was the best example. Those in Blue Jackets were just as learned, but ended up shackled by barbarians wielding iron rods.

It wasn’t that the theories of the Prosperity Epoch weren’t advanced enough. Rather, they were too advanced, finding no suitable foundation to thrive in the Wasteland.

Nonetheless, having the will to do something was always good.

As Chu Guang was pondering what to say next, a voice suddenly called out his name from not far away.

"Chu Guang!"

Hearing that voice, both turned their heads in that direction.

Seeing the fiery red hair, confusion appeared on Afni’s face while Chu Guang showed a look of surprise.

"Xia Yan? You’re back?"

Xia Yan curled her lips up slightly, a hint of pride in her voice.

"I’ve completed my credits for the year. My mentor said I have great talent in the mechanical field, though it would be better if my math were stronger."

Evidently, she had indeed learned something to earn recognition from Shelter No. 101.

Chu Guang smiled and asked.

"Little Fish? Didn’t she come back with you?"

"She’s busy with Pai doing something, said they’d return tomorrow. Speaking of which... who is she?" Xia Yan suddenly looked warily towards Afni standing to the side.

Her face seemed harmless and quite cute, yet it somehow gave her an uneasy feeling.

"She’s from the Honey Badger—"

"I’m Mr. Manager’s student," Afni curtsied slightly, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Xia Yan and spoke in a pleasing tone, "You must be Ms. Xia, I’ve heard Chu Guang mention you before."

Xia Yan looked at Chu Guang with surprise and scrutinized him doubtfully.

"You’re a teacher now?"

"It’s a misunderstanding," Chu Guang coughed lightly, "I just lent her some books—"

"Those books were incredibly beneficial to me, and your example has also left a profound impression," Afni nodded slightly, "To me, you are my mentor."

Hearing this, Xia Yan was momentarily dumbfounded.

"Mentor? What do you mean?"

"It means to teach conscientiously," Afni’s eyes twinkled as she fixed her innocent gaze on Xia Yan and feigned realization, "Ah, please don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean that."

How could anyone not misunderstand that expression!

Staring at this cunning little girl, Xia Yan suddenly felt his blood pressure rising.

Watching the two suddenly become spirited, Chu Guang coughed.

"I just said what I should from my position, there’s no need to feel overly fond of me because of it. Alright, stop focusing on me... don’t you have your own business to attend to?"

Speaking of which, the health check with Heya was almost due.

Chu Guang, with a headache, ended the conversation and walked towards the truck that had been waiting for him for a long time.

Speaking of which, direct flights between Ideal City and City of Dawn had recently been initiated; maybe it was time to upgrade the transportation?

Always riding in this cargo truck felt a bit inappropriate, and the vehicles from various private transport companies were inconsistent.

He’d have the city hall issue a tender for some coaches...

"Wait, wait a minute!" As Chu Guang was about to leave, Xia Yan quickly shifted his gaze from Afni and called out to him.

"Is there something else?"

Xia Yan’s eyes darted around without speaking, then sneakily handed over a palm-sized box.

"Here."

Staring at the unremarkable box, Chu Guang asked curiously,

"What’s this?"

"Never mind, just take a look... It’s my school year project."

As Chu Guang took the box and opened it, two pairs of soft wings gently sprung out, and a silver-white metallic sphere lay on the cotton lining.

A look of surprise instantly appeared on Chu Guang’s face.

A Hummingbird drone?!

No...

This one was obviously bigger.

Xiao Qi, stuffed in his pocket, grumbled,

"So-so... I’ll just barely accept it."

Ignoring the overly sentimental little fellow, Chu Guang held the drone in his hands, excitedly inspecting it.

"Not bad! Really not bad!"

It couldn’t compare to the "Hummingbird" he got from a blind box, but as a DIY product from Wasteland parts, it was already quite impressive!

Who knew that the NPC he initially deceived into returning with cartridge cases had such potential, Chu Guang felt a surge of emotion.

Slightly bigger than the Hummingbird.

Let’s call it—

"Sparrow" sounds good!

Seeing Chu Guang so delighted, Xia Yan couldn’t help but curl his lips joyfully, but quickly realized his expression was too proud and coughed lightly.

"Cough cough, not bad, right? It’s a pity I was rushed, or I could have made something even more impressive."

Chu Guang, smiling, stuffed the drone into the pocket hanging on his power armor and handed it to Xiao Qi to tinker with, saying appreciatively,

"Not bad at all, I’d really appreciate it if you could make me a complete set of power armor."

Xia Yan nervously said,

"Uh, I... I’ll try my best."

Afni thoughtfully placed her index finger on her chin then suddenly lowered her head in embarrassment.

"A gift... I’m sorry, that was an oversight of mine. Please give me a few days to prepare, I will present it to you before the celebration."

Watching the overly serious Afni, Chu Guang coughed gently.

"There’s no need to be so formal."

Whether or not there’s a gift doesn’t matter.

He had already obtained what he wanted from the war.

Afni shook her head, saying earnestly,

"How could it not matter? You saved us from a group of bandits, and it’s only right and proper that I express my gratitude... Please accept this small token from us."

Seeing the stubborn Afni, Chu Guang eventually gave up on persuading her.

Back at the refuge, there was a mountain of matters to deal with; he really had no energy to fret over such trivial matters.

Not to mention, just before disembarking from the aircraft, Heya had already booked a health check for him.

In reality, even if Heya hadn’t mentioned it, he would have asked her to check on his condition.

The night before, he had had another dream.

Without any surprises, he had taken another step toward no longer being human...

...

As Chu Guang was returning to Shelter No. 404, at the civil airport north of Dawn City, outside the fence, it was packed to the brim with people.

Some were wasteland wanderers here to watch the excitement; others were players who had come to join in the fun.

Today marked the commencement of the flight service from Ideal City to Dawn City; there was supposed to be a very large airplane coming from the east

The news had been posted on the official website for several days.

And the company did not disappoint the crowd of onlookers; the large aircraft that landed vertically from the sky resembled a real whale. After stabilizing the flow of air from the engine nozzles, it settled down securely on the wide apron, comparable to a soccer field.

Watching that massive entity, Kill God remarked with emotion,

"This airplane is freaking amazing..."

If only we could actually make one in reality!

Discourage nodded in deep agreement.

"Indeed... just a little unscientific."

He actually worked at a drone factory in reality.

Leaving aside the unscientific plasma thruster, he couldn’t even identify the materials used in the plane.

How strong would the structure have to be to support such a fanciful design?

He couldn’t imagine it at all!

"All this talk of science in a game, are you kidding me? Have you read yourself silly? Have a little imagination, will you?" Mosquito slapped the guy’s head, "Let’s go."

Discourage stood there, touching his head, looking bewildered.

"Go where?"

Mosquito said excitedly,

"We’re going to build our own big plane! Remember the wreckage of the Tiger Whale Transport Aircraft we got last time? We’ll tinker and try to make something that can emit a plasma stream too!"

Although he couldn’t figure out exactly how it worked, the engineers at Camp 101 could.

He just needed to handle the overall design and figure out how to fit this thing onto an aircraft; that was enough!

Kill God and Discourage exchanged bewildered glances.

A whole plane with a plasma engine?

This guy must be crazy...

Just as Mosquito Brother’s followers were wondering if their boss had damaged his brain, passengers were gradually passing through the open cabin door and disembarking.

At that moment, a petite figure stood in a corner of the crowd, tiptoeing to look towards the door, her face alternating between anticipation and anxiety.

Did she not manage to buy a ticket?

She didn’t see the face she was looking for until the end; a hint of disappointment crossed Dolly’s face just as she was about to turn away quietly, a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder.

Caught completely off-guard, she shivered, nearly reflexively lifting her left arm, her steel elbow slicing through the air with force.

"Wait, it’s me!" The sharp edge of steel hung an inch from his nose, and Fang Chang’s cold sweat poured down.

That was close!

He hadn’t saved his progress in almost half a year; a hit would have been a huge loss.

He almost forgot that this was the Wasteland.

Even though Dolly was just an ordinary girl, her combat prowess was far beyond that of girls in reality.

"Fang Chang?!"

At the sight of her beloved, her murderous gaze softened in an instant, transforming into excitement and joy.

She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Responding to her enthusiastic embrace, Fang Chang jokingly spoke in a light tone,

"I saw you from the sky, actually. I thought I’d surprise you when I landed, but I almost got carried away by you instead."

He had taken a slight detour, circling the plane from the side.

"Who asked you... to sneak up on me."

Blushing and averting her gaze, Dolly murmured sweetly and shyly,

"Did I... stand out that much?"

Her bright green hair was indeed quite conspicuous in the crowd.

But...

It wasn’t necessary to explain that in intricate detail.

Gently touching her head, Fang Chang said warmly with a smile,

"Of course, I spotted you right away."

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he continued,

"Sorry, this business trip took a bit longer... I made you wait."

The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears as she shyly buried her face in his chest.

Fang Chang noticed the khaki scarf clutched in her hand.

"Is this a gift for me?"

With her face red, Dolly hid it behind her back and said quietly,

"I knitted it myself... is it okay?"

Fang Chang smiled,

"Not just okay, it’s fantastic. But you know... the last one was also a scarf. Too bad I only have one neck."

"It’s different," Dolly sneaked a glance at the scarf wrapped around his neck and smiled happily, then shook her head vigorously and seriously said, "The last one was for wind and sand protection, this time... it’s for warmth since winter is coming."

Watching Dolly earnestly explain, Fang Chang felt a warmth in his heart.

"Speaking of which, I’ve also prepared a gift for you."

"What gift?" Dolly’s face immediately showed a curious expression, her eyes darting around, yet she saw nothing.

Fang Chang said with a mysterious smile,

"Follow me."

Meanwhile, at the airport exit.

Kishu was craning his neck around, muttering under his breath.

"Where is he?"

He was just beside him a moment ago.

He rarely met someone who understood him better than his own father, and he had planned to invite this person for a meal to talk more, but as soon as the plane landed, the man had disappeared.

How strange!

Beside him, a group of tourists looked around curiously. Everything here was novel to them, even the air smelled different.

"It’s incredible... although I’ve seen virtual models on Endpoint Cloud, it feels completely different standing here."

"Is that ruin in the distance the legendary Qingquan City?"

"I guess it’s the same as Cloud-On-City and Cloud-Below-City... but the cities in the Central Urban Group should be a bit larger."

"No wonder their lair is so huge!"

"Ah... I really want to meet their Manager. If I could get a photo with him, I’d be content!"

"There will be a chance! He’s sure to appear at the celebration."

Looking at the rich young lady who had been swooning over him even before disembarking the plane, Kishu snorted disdainfully.

"Tch... What’s so great about that guy."

It’s just power armor, and an old police model at that. There are way cooler power armors in Giant Stone City!

Moreover, as a leader of a Survivor Settlement, always showing one’s face like that, what kind of dignity or prestige is that?

In contrast, their city lord had much more prestige. Even he, a prince of Giant Stone City, had only seen that great man on the screen.

At that moment, Kishu suddenly thought of his own plan, filled with a surging excitement.

If all went well, he might become a figure even more formidable than his father.

By then, perhaps the city lord himself would meet with him.

...

Shelter No. 404.

Chu Guang, who had sat up from the scanning bed, saw the results of his physical examination through the holographic screen.

[

ID: Chu Guang

Gene Sequence: Manager (Fifth Stage)

Level: LV.30→LV.40

——Basic Attributes——

Strength: 33→45 (+12)

Agility: 25→35 (+10)

Constitution: 27→40 (+13)

Perception: 26→39 (+14)

Intelligence: 29→40 (+11)

]

[-

Talent: 1. Wild Instinct: In extreme situations, wild instincts can be awakened, increasing all attributes by 10–15% and speeding up the accumulation of fatigue by 20–30%.

2. Mind Intimidation: Can exert mental pressure on weaker fully sentient life forms, weakening their will to resist.

3. Swarm Intelligence: Can share 3–15% of intelligence attribute with weaker fully sentient life forms, granting them enlightenment and speedier thought processes. This effect is influenced by distance, number of people, receptivity, and other factors, with a maximum range of 10m.

4. Call For Victory: Injects courage into cries, inspiring those resonating to have an unbeatable determination.

]

After reviewing the attribute panel, Chu Guang remained silent for a while before looking up at Heya, who was sitting in a chair.

"No new talents unlocked?"

"Don’t ask me about that; the talent section is data stored in the refuge’s database. Some algorithm left on the server seems to be performing a specific analysis on the gene sequences of all the refuge’s residents... I can only assure you that the attributes section is accurate; if you want to see more detailed physiological parameters, you can open the details in the bottom-right corner."

As Heya said this, she couldn’t help but complain, looking at the calm Chu Guang.

"You’re focusing on that talent section... Haven’t you noticed you’re becoming more and more like a monster?"

Four awakenings...

Gene Sequence Fifth Stage!

She wasn’t sure if it was because she lacked experience or if all humans on the Wasteland were like this.

Chu Guang shrugged nonchalantly.

"Maybe I’m just used to it... after all, I’m just lying down doing nothing, yet the gene sequence development still automatically progresses."

Actually, he came to understand now.

In reality, there’s a system called reCAPTCHA that allows computers to seek help from humans.

Specifically, it sends OCR-unreadable scanned text to major websites, replacing the original captchas. Once users correctly identify that text, their answers are sent back to CMU, reportedly achieving an accuracy of 99%.

Stored gene sequences in the refuge are like tasks assigned to players; each player’s game actions are essentially "solving problems," and the results of these tasks are collectively attributed to himself in some way and recorded and analyzed by the refuge.

Therefore, his "evolution" direction is the most balanced.

Perhaps this was the best solution derived from numerous "controlled variable experiments" by Shelter No. 404.

Chu Guang wasn’t sure about the principles involved; he could only roughly guess that this collective result might not be replicable simply through clone cultivation.

Therefore, he couldn’t "revive."

As for the purpose of this experiment, it might involve the biggest secret of Shelter No. 404.

Chu Guang didn’t know why.

He was not the type to blindly trust someone, especially not someone he had never met.

But he subconsciously believed two things.

One, that the First Generation Manager was already dead.

And the other, that that person would definitely not harm him...

"This is the most absurd part, ’awakening’ in your case has become like cancer cells. You might as well have offspring soon," Heya, leaning back in her chair, sighed and shifted her arms, "By the way, while we’re on it, there’s something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Do you remember Xiaoyu?"

Watching her sharp gaze, Chu Guang blinked and frowned.

"I remember... What about it?"

Heya stared at him earnestly.

"It’s about to evolve!"

---

(Thanks to "Yore" for the alliance reward!!!)