In less than three seconds after the announcement went live, the official forum erupted with activity!
Compared to the event announcement, people didn't feel much about the birth of the first Level 10 player.
After all, Strength-types leveled up faster than the other classes anyway, and Lao Bai was a veteran who had been in the server since the Alpha 0.1 version, so it wasn't particularly surprising that he had leveled up a bit quicker.
How brutal this game had been in its early days was something everyone spectating on the forum had witnessed firsthand.
Compared to players who grew stronger through sheer effort and skill, lucksacks naturally drew far more hate.
The only thing everyone found strange was why reaching Level 10 needed a special mention at all.
In the vast majority of MMORPGs, wasn't Level 10 just stepping out of the starting village?
What was so special about it to warrant a dedicated callout?
Or did Level 10 in Wasteland OL come with some new twist?
Makka Pakka: "LV10?! Holy crap! Lao Bai is way too fast!"
Midnight Chicken Slaughterer: "+1. Also a Strength-type, and I'm only LV8. (￣ー￣)"
Cut the Crap: "By the way, hitting LV10 means you can buy that Miner Type I exoskeleton, right?"
Mole on the Run from the Canyon: "The prerequisite is Citizen + LV10. But generally, if you can make it to LV10, your contribution points are basically enough for Citizen rank anyway."
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Two thousand silver coins, though... Even if someone meets the requirements, I doubt anyone can afford it. (Looking up at the sky)"
Elaina: "Not necessarily. Boss Ya might be able to. I see her selling mushrooms all the time without buying any gear. She might be filthy rich. (Funny face)"
Ye Shi: "+1. Let's rob Boss Ya. (Funny face)"
Yaya: "That's enough, you guys! I'm already unemployed. You should go rob Tengteng instead. o(╥﹏╥)o"
Tengteng: "!!?"
The vast majority of players on the server only had three-digit savings; those who reached four digits were already top dogs among the player base.
Even without that prerequisite threshold, hardly anyone could actually afford it.
At this point, someone brought up the lucksack of the previous expansion—Commander Spring, who had drawn an exoskeleton—and the thread instantly filled with cries of envy, jealousy, and pure spite.
It was infuriating!
Just because of sheer dumb luck, he had gotten the best god-tier gear of the version!
Did that make any sense?
Was that fair?
Was it right not to hit it with the nerf bat?
Not nerfing it was fine too—provided you gave me a set as well!
Having caught strays out of nowhere, Commander Spring didn't dare show his face on the forum at all, only grumbling and complaining in a small private chat group.
"Fuck! Lao Bai hits LV10, so why am I the one catching bullets?! Aren't the first batch of closed-beta players lucky enough already?! Go flame him!"
I'm the Darkest: "Chill. It's definitely because you're not strong enough yet, so everyone feels giving you such good gear is a total waste."
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "+1. How about you let me use the exoskeleton? I happen to be an Agility-type, with fast reflexes, so I don't die easily."
I'm the Darkest: "Better give it to me instead. I'm a newbie with high potential, plus I'm a Perception-type. Danger is always one step behind me. I guarantee not a speck of paint will be scratched."
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "How about the two of us take turns using it? Either way, it's definitely more useful than giving it to an Intelligence-type."
I'm the Darkest: "Couldn't agree more."
Commander Spring: "Agree your ass! (#`Д′)"
……
The next morning.
The industrious little players assembled in the outpost square, lining up to receive the quest to explore Vault 117.
The NPC initiating the quest was the vice captain of the Guard—Liu Ding, the fellow with a horse-like face.
Logging on this time, the players were surprised to find that this guy had actually equipped an exoskeleton.
"Holy crap? The Guard captain's exoskeleton was handed down by the Administrator... Where did this guy get his exoskeleton?"
"Looted from Vault 117?"
"According to the lore on the official website, the correct explanation should be: due to the outstanding performance of our esteemed Administrator, the organization deep underground decided to support him with a new set of gear."
"In other words, as long as we work hard enough, our Administrator can soon get another brand-new set of power armor?"
"Damn! The way you put it, why do I feel like a leek being harvested?"
"Stop chattering! The event party is about to head out! Anyone else hasn't gotten the quest yet? Let's go together."
"Me, me, me! Big bro, take me with you!"
To prevent players from swarming into Vault 117 all at once—causing traffic jams and making too much noise that might attract mutants from other parts of the subway tunnels—only fifty slots were released per hour.
After accepting the quest, an event quest option updated in the player's VM quest log. Opening it displayed the following interface:
[Event Quest: Our Neighbors]
[Objective: Visit Vault 117 carrying your VM, and check in at all designated areas.]
[Notes:
1. Carrying weapons inside is strictly prohibited. A checkpoint is set up at the vault entrance where equipment can be stored temporarily.
2. Arbitrarily taking or destroying items inside Vault 117 is forbidden. If picking up an item for inspection is necessary, return it to its original place afterward.
3. Make good use of the marking feature on the VM 3D area map. Hidden Easter eggs are located within the vault; finding and marking them will trigger hidden rewards after the event concludes. (Each player has only one chance.)]
[Side Quests:
1. Investigate the cause of Vault 117's abandonment: Vault 117 remains in the state it was left in before its abandonment, with personal belongings of former residents scattered across the rooms. We need to figure out what happened there.
2. Unknown Clues: Awaiting discovery by players.]
[Individual Exploration Progress: 0%]
[Server Exploration Progress: 0%]
To be honest, Chu Guang himself had no idea what the "Easter eggs" mentioned in the notes were. He had only brought them up to stimulate the players' desire to explore.
Whether there were any or not, let them look.
What if his little players uncovered some clues he had missed?
Wouldn't that count as an Easter egg?
Besides, it wouldn't matter if they didn't find anything.
When the time came, he could just browse the forum, pick a few popular posts that looked plausible, and declare them as the intended discoveries. Done and dusted.
The players would never suspect that he had copied their homework; instead, they would be ecstatic that they had found the hidden Easter eggs left by the developer.
Standing in the sanatorium corridor, watching the bustling crowd of eager players in the square, a bright, sunny smile appeared on Chu Guang's face.
"I'm simply a genius."
Sitting behind the bank counter, Xiaoyu looked up and blinked curiously.
Was that something that needed special emphasis?
She had always thought Big Brother Chu was quite smart.
On the other side of the square, watching the veteran players gathered around Liu Ding and ready to set out after receiving the quest, the Alpha 0.7 and 0.8 newbies all wore expressions of envy.
Purchasing a VM required Citizen rank, and advancing to Citizen required 2,000 contribution points. At a fast pace, it took at least a week; at a slower pace, it could take half a month.
Players from the Alpha 0.7 version were fine for the most part; aside from those stuck with the respawn bug, basically everyone had saved up enough contribution points. But the unlucky players hit by stray bullets in the faction war, along with those who had joined in version 0.8, mostly had contribution points barely reaching four digits.
This was the first time they had ever seen a game where even the system interface had to be bought with in-game currency.
This was just too damn ridiculous!
Envious as they were, that was the lore and mechanic, and complaining wouldn't help. If they wanted to experience the full content of the game, they could only use their grinding to prove their loyalty to the esteemed Administrator.
With yearning for a better life, the newbies lingered in the square for a brief while before heading to the warehouse keeper to accept quests and grind their daily activities.
Of course, there were those who wanted to take shortcuts.
For instance, right now in the middle of the square, a player was standing there shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Can any bro lend me a VM? I, Zhang Hai, will definitely reward you handsomely!"
WC Really Has Mosquitoes happened to be passing by. Seeing the familiar face and recognizing him as the newbie who had crouched in the train car with him last time, he walked over to tease him.
"Bro, you can't even afford a VM. What kind of handsome reward could you possibly offer?"
Zhang Hai gave a chuckle.
"I'll cook you a bowl of noodles."
Mosquito: "Get lost!"
After shouting for a long time, not a single other person paid attention to him.
Looking at the sparse crowd in the square, Zhang Hai sighed, shook his head, and lamented.
"Public morals are degenerating with each passing day, and people aren't as kind as they used to be... Motherfucker, can't even borrow a VM. This game is way too realistic."
The nearly new brother Jieyan happened to be returning to turn in a quest. Seeing this newcomer still shouting in the square, he couldn't help chiming in.
"Give it up, bro. The VM is bound one-to-one to your account ID. Don't ask me how I know. Every trick you've thought of, I've already tried. In this game, big bugs are practically impossible to exploit, and small bugs practically don't exist... You're better off not trying to exploit bugs. It's pointless."
Hearing this, Zhang Hai was stunned.
"Damn! Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Rendered speechless by his utterly rookie reaction, Jieyan couldn't help retorting:
"...Bro, do you never check the official website?"
Zhang Hai had a realization, then shook his head.
"Oh, you mean the forum? I never go there. There are way too many posts. Refresh once and dozens of new ones pop up—makes my eyes hurt just looking at it."
Jieyan: "..."
This guy...
Is he really only thirty years old?
……
Edge of the Fifth Ring Road, Qingquan City.
In front of the main entrance of an abandoned commercial complex.
Wearing light hunting gear, Lao Bai set down the javelin quiver slung across his back. He weighed the javelin in his hand, his gaze locked onto the gnawer closest to the main entrance.
A distance of ten meters.
For the battle-hardened Lao Bai, missing at this distance was practically out of the question.
Taking a deep breath of the freezing air,
Lao Bai stilled his mind, pouring his entire focus into every inch of muscle and joint throughout his body, then hurled the javelin forward with explosive force.
Limit—
Break!
It all happened in an instant.
Electrical and chemical signals coursing through his neurons surged dramatically, and his muscles swelled violently in an instant.
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air!
The javelin traced a near-invisible afterimage through the air, slamming through the doorway like an artillery shell and pinning the gnawer to a wall three meters away.
Its chest impaled, the gnawer didn't die immediately, still struggling with its dying breaths.
The gnawers wandering nearby raised their heads blankly, their frozen necks sluggishly swiveling left and right as if searching for their attacker, but found nothing.
Staring at his right hand in astonishment, Lao Bai's face was flushed with excitement.
Before he could speak, Ye Shi, who was watching from the side, couldn't help exclaiming:
"Holy shit! That skill is badass!"
Earlier, when they had just logged on, it wasn't time for the event to start yet, but the event NPC was already surrounded by a sea of people, so packed no one could squeeze in.
Considering the event had no time limit and there was no rush to do it right that second, the Ox and Horse Squad followed Fang Chang's suggestion and came to the edge of the Fifth Ring Road in Qingquan City to find a suitable grinding spot and test the combat capability of a Level 10 Strength-type.
As it turned out, the gap between LV9 and LV10 was anything but ordinary.
Reaching LV10, Lao Bai was like someone who had broken through a bottleneck; both his stat panel and practical combat capability had undergone a qualitative leap.
"More than just badass... this power is practically bug-tier." Standing to the side, Kuang Feng wore an expression full of envy.
Although he could also throw a javelin with the force of an artillery shell, that was with the assistance of cybernetic prosthetics.
Unlike Lao Bai, who had no gear bonuses whatsoever and achieved a level rivaling cybernetics purely through muscle power.
If Strength-types were this overpowered, why bother with cybernetic ascension?
Machines broke and needed repairs, required maintenance over time, and were prone to shutting down completely against an EMP; quest earnings would all go toward repairing gear, and getting a full cybernetic set would leave one's pockets cleaner than one's face.
Flesh-and-blood enhancement was completely different. Even if you accidentally died, there was no heartbreak—wait three days, and you'd be a tough guy again. The cost-performance ratio was simply unbeatable.
A few days ago, Kuang Feng had excitedly thought that spring was coming for Intelligence-types.
Now it seemed he had celebrated far too early!
Lao Bai chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.
"Bug-tier is an exaggeration. I think it's pretty reasonable. After all, it's an early-game class. If the early-game advantage isn't obvious, won't we just be staring blankly in the late game?"
Ye Shi couldn't help snorting, "Your early game might be a bit too long!"
Lao Bai let out a hearty laugh.
"Doesn't matter!"
"Objectively speaking, the power of that strike just now feels like it's enough to take on crawlers," Fang Chang said, his arms crossed over his chest, wearing a similarly envious expression. "With my dynamic visual acuity, I could barely even track the javelin's trajectory!"
Agility didn't just affect reaction speed; it also enhanced visual perception. For it to be so fast that even he could barely see it spoke volumes about how terrifying the power behind that strike was!
He wondered what talent an Agility-type would unlock at LV10.
Having just hit LV9, he was looking forward to the world beyond LV10 more and more!
Hearing Fang Chang's assessment, Lao Bai thought for a moment, then shook his head and shared his own impression.
"Using a javelin is still tricky. Crawlers move too fast, and the windup animation for throwing a javelin is too long. At a distance, it's hard to hit; up close, there's no time to charge up and aim. But to be fair, this talent is probably even better in close-quarters melee than with thrown weapons. Paired with an exoskeleton and a polearm, it can dish out tons of damage in a short burst! Even if I run into a mutant, I'm confident I can knock it flat!"
His battleaxe was custom-made by No. 81 Steel Mill, with wide blades on both sides and a spike at the top—capable of chopping, thrusting, and hooking, making it exceptionally effective against both humans and mutants.
Fang Chang asked further, "Besides the Limit Break talent, do you feel any other changes?"
Lao Bai pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Other changes... it's hard to describe. Specifically, my muscles and bones feel sturdier than before, and my athletic performance is stronger, though you can't really tell from the outside."
At this point, Lao Bai let out a slight sigh of sentiment.
"Sigh, every time I play this game, I can't help thinking: if only I had such an insane physique in real life!"
Having in-game physical fitness in reality, huh?
Hearing that, Fang Chang had a thoughtful look on his face.
If nothing else, just in archery alone, if his real-life physique were even half as strong as his in-game stats, he could probably show off directly on an Olympic stage!
What did an Agility stat exceeding 10 points even mean?
In terms of eyesight and dynamic vision alone, barely any normal human could hold a candle to him.
Unless they were mutated too.
Picturing that scenario in his head, Ye Shi frowned. "Wait, if that kind of good thing really happened, wouldn't I be getting ripped off? Perception is totally useless in real life."
Kuang Feng said calmly, "Not necessarily. Try going to Macau."
Ye Shi froze for a second, then was blown away: "Holy shit! Why didn't I think of that?!"
Kuang Feng chuckled, smiling without saying a word.
If they were really letting their imaginations run wild like that, his Intelligence-type would definitely be the most sought-after.
Just then, Lao Bai, who was staring down at his VM, suddenly spoke up:
"Looks like I've got a new quest in my quest log."
Hearing about a new quest, Ye Shi immediately crowded over and took a curious peek.
"What quest? Let me see."
"'Explore Mid-Continent Aerospace's ecological experimental base in the northern outskirts of Qingquan City. Quest rewards: 200 silver coins, 200 contribution points'... By the way, what's an ecological experimental base?"
As he spoke, Lao Bai switched to the VM's map page, swiped his index finger across the touchscreen a few times, and dragged it to the quest beacon's location.
It was an unexplored area located north-northeast of the outpost, roughly 15.7 kilometers away in a straight line.
Judging from the pre-war map, there weren't many urban buildings nearby, the terrain was relatively high, and it had most likely turned into a forest after the war.
Kuang Feng, who had also leaned in, stroked his chin and said:
"It's actually a scientific expedition team quest... Honestly, since the official website updated the scientific expedition gameplay, this is the first time I've seen that Dr. Yin Fang post a quest."
"Maybe the unlock condition is Level 10?" Lao Bai wore an intrigued expression, looking eagerly at his bros. "What do you guys say? Up for the challenge?"
They had just cleared Floor B3 of the greenhouse ruins and hadn't turned in the quest yet; Floor B4 hadn't been triggered, so there was no need to rush a raid guide over the next couple of days.
The ruins wouldn't run away anyway, so they might as well see what this new quest was about first.
Just from the research institute's name, it sounded anything but ordinary!
Ye Shi: "I'm in!"
Kuang Feng: "Same here. Good chance to see what this expedition quest is all about."
"+1," Fang Chang said, a smile appearing on his face. "It'd be such a shame to miss out on something this interesting."
Lao Bai laughed heartily.
"Then it's settled! Let's head back to the outpost to switch our gear first, and meet at the north gate of Wetland Park!"
Ye Shi raised his hand.
"Wait, it's so far, how are we getting there?"
Lao Bai grinned.
"No need to worry! The quest mentions that the expedition team will support us with a truck to transport us near the destination!"
Hearing that, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
A distance of 15.7 kilometers!
If they traveled on foot, a round trip would probably eat up most of a day.
Just as the Ox and Horse Squad headed back toward the outpost, the players heading out to explore Vault 117 had also arrived before the massive alloy gate inside the subway tunnel.
Ever since it was opened last time, this massive gate had not been closed again.
A dense crowd jostled before the entrance, pair after pair of curious eyes peering inside.
A guard stationed at the vault entrance stepped forward before the players and announced in a resounding voice:
"Players who have accepted the quest, please check your equipment with me."
"Vault 117 is a weapon-controlled zone. Carrying firearms, bladed weapons, explosives, flammables, or dangerous goods inside is strictly prohibited."
"There is no time limit for exploration, but please try to keep it under one hour!"
"Good luck to you all!"
Chapter 185