[Quest: Operation Broken Sword (Completed!)]
[Quest Settlement:
Base Score: 100
Trophy Score: 82
Individual Score: ...
]
Once the battle concluded, the reward settlement interface and the full battle report were dispatched to every player's VM.
Although the detailed combat report had no direct bearing on the players' payouts, Chu Guang had Xiao Qi send it out anyway, adding titles like "Match MVP Squad," "Highest K/D Squad," and "Highest Individual Kills" for the players to show off.
Of course, in Chu Guang's words, this wasn't called showing off; it was called sharing the joy of victory.
Among them, Group A, which had served as the feint unit, achieved the highest average score at 300 points, translating into a reward of 300 silver coins and 300 contribution points.
Group B, tasked with the assault, averaged only 280 points, but their ceiling had been remarkably high.
The squad led by Commander Spring had not only spearheaded the charge to seize eight capture points, but had also been the first to breach Building No. 3, racking up an astonishing total of 455 points!
His squad member Battlefield Atmosphere Group, having completed a side quest, pocketed a 50-silver-coin bonus on top of that, claiming the highest individual payout of the entire match at 505 silver coins.
Of course, while Group B's ceiling had no limit, neither did its floor.
Take Midnight Chicken Slaughter's squad, for instance. The entire unit had gotten so caught up in brawling that they broke into scattered fragments. Toward the end, several squad members charged forward only to realize they were following the wrong team, at which point they simply rolled with it. In the end, though they had wiped out two entire enemy squads, they had only secured two capture points, leaving them with a total score of just 242 points.
After this battle, these now-"veteran" players would surely have a clearer grasp of the new version's mechanics and their own strengths.
The next time a similar situation arose, they would undoubtedly know better how to play to their advantages and position themselves where they excelled.
Meanwhile, the scores of the support unit were far more hit-or-miss.
Fang Chang's recon squad, for example: because Group B had pushed so fast, Ye Shi had only fired two shots the entire time before spectating from the back. Only their subsequent reconnaissance mission and harassment of the marauder reinforcements had given them a shred of presence.
Over on Mosquito's side, the score wasn't particularly outstanding either.
Even though the bombardment circle Chu Guang had designated was quite generous, only twelve of the twenty rockets had landed within the target zone.
Of those, only two met the standard for a "precise impact," earning ten points apiece. The other ten had barely scraped a passing grade, earning five points each.
Factoring in base points and trophy points, his total stood at 252.
Still, Mosquito himself was thoroughly pleased with the outcome.
A few points here or there didn't matter; he wasn't a combat-oriented player to begin with.
Before the battle had even started, this dedicated lifestyle player had already pocketed a profit of twenty silver coins on every single rocket produced.
Now that the outpost's stockpile was completely exhausted and the Administrator was immensely pleased with the Tempest 1.0's battlefield performance, the armory's storage cap for rockets had been raised from twenty to one hundred.
With so many orders on the books, he would be busy for quite a while!
***
Official website forum.
The delayed post-battle logout rush arrived.
As the frontline players brought firsthand combat reports back to the site, the forum—which a moment earlier had been debating philosophy and art—instantly erupted into lively chatter.
Tail: "Curse it all, my butt hurts so bad from the fall! Next time I'm strapping a cushion to Rou Rou's back! (`－д－；)ゞ"
Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "Stay away from me! Don't you come over here! QAQ"
Sisi: "Oh, Rou Rou did great this time. Keep up the good work next time."
Edge Slacker: "All done! Holy crap, that was way too thrilling!"
Mole on the Run from the Canyon: "+1, damn it, how did that dog Commander Spring run so fast?!"
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Him? Total nonsense. I was the one charging at the front, okay? He was the most useless guy on our team, dawdling in the back wearing an exoskeleton. Might as well give it to me."
Commander Spring: "Fuck! I'm an Intelligence-type, and I'm the squad leader! Is commanding a crime? And another thing, mine is an exoskeleton! An exoskeleton! Not power armor! It can't tank hits! (Enraged)"
I'm the Darkest: "Too weak, way too weak. How are you ever gonna hit T0 like that? Hand it over to me instead."
Commander Spring: "Piss off! (｀Д′)"
Though his teammates roasted him mercilessly, fairness demanded credit where it was due: Commander Spring's tactical leadership in the field was genuinely impressive.
Without radios, he had managed to keep his squad tight-knit around him, concentrated their forces to punch through behind enemy lines, and, while other squads were still bogged down around points three and four, leaped ahead to attack point six, breaking the stalemate for the rest of the team. That level of organizational ability was easily a solid B, if not an A.
Even Brother Battlefield, the fastest rusher of the bunch, acknowledged as much.
The swift conclusion of the battle owed a great deal to their squad's standout performance. The only regret was failing to intercept the marauders before they retreated into Building No. 3's underground ecological garden, which had allowed a hostage to swoop in and capture the opposing commander instead.
A large-scale clash involving over a hundred players didn't just thrill those who fought; even the players left behind in the rear found it exhilarating to hear about.
In particular, the greenhorns still hauling bricks, grinding contribution, leveling up, and farming skill proficiency in the starter area turned green with envy.
Kakarot: "Three hundred silver coins?! Holy shit!"
Magical Girl Bald Qiang: "The newbies are in tears! Do the devs even know how long I had to grind just for ten measly silver coins? Is such a massive payout even fair?!"
Elven King Fugui: "Sigh, jealous? We paid for it with our lives. (Stares at the sky)"
Elaina: "I can vouch for that. Brother Fugui had it rough. When I went to collect his corpse, I searched for his VM forever, only to find it had rolled down the mountain along with his arm. (Funny face)"
Elven King Fugui: "I suspect you're slandering me, but I have no proof."
How Many Floors Must a Bag of Rice Carry: "Hold on, why did Forcing Someone Beyond Their Ability get to go too?! Isn't that rat a newbie as well?"
I'm the Darkest: "!! Concrete proof of insider favoritism!"
The soldier class differed from other vocations, having an entry threshold even higher than that of the hunter.
The latter merely required sufficient skill proficiency or passing an exam, whereas the former imposed explicit prerequisites on character level and contribution points.
Specifically, a player had to attain citizen status and acquire a VM, becoming a fully qualified blue coat.
On top of that, the character had to reach LV3.
Based on Chu Guang's observations, most players at LV3 allocated one attribute point outside their primary stat. For instance, Strength-types typically put a point into Constitution, and Agility-types usually added one to Strength, boosting their battlefield survivability by a significant notch.
Anyone failing to meet these criteria could only join the guard team as a recruit, restricted to routine patrol and check-in duties. Barring maximum-level mobilizations, they virtually never had a chance to be sent to the front.
Seeing people clamoring to nerf a newcomer like him, Forcing Someone Beyond Their Ability couldn't take it anymore and typed out an indignant protest.
"I didn't even go to the damn front line, okay?! I just helped Brother Mosquito light the fuses! Fuck! Seeing their mission rewards makes me so jealous. Starting tomorrow, I'm grinding contribution like mad!"
WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Don't do that, bro! Isn't helping me test weapons fun? (Funny face)"
Forcing Someone Beyond Their Ability: "You only gave me two silver coins! Do you think that's reasonable?! (Enraged)"
Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "Don't know why, but hearing that number doesn't surprise me at all. (Side-eye)"
Elaina: "+1. It's Brother Mosquito, after all. (Funny face)"
If the newcomers were merely weeping with envy, the cloud gamers who had registered reservations without getting selected were reduced to petrified silence.
Many of them had been queued up since the PV for the "Land Voyager" expansion first dropped, checking in on the forums every day. Yet even now, they hadn't gotten an invite, left only to cheer "666, masters!" on the boards or vent a little sour grapes about how they could have done better.
"Fuck! Don't the operators want to make money? The closed beta's been running for over two months! Please fast-forward to open beta already!"
"Two hundred against one hundred and fifty? Doesn't that mean over three hundred players total? Can the server even handle that?"
"We strongly demand fresh servers for the open beta! All the first kills are being hoarded by these closed-beta players!"
While the official website bustled with activity, a new post signed "Guang" suddenly appeared on the forum.
"Hello everyone, this is your dearest planner, Ah Guang. I've been working overtime lately, but I'm finally done.
"Although we aren't rolling out a brand-new version today, I can share an update on our planning team's progress!
"Many of you may have noticed that with the continuous influx of players and the ongoing turbulence of the wasteland, the scale and difficulty of battles have been ramping up. Initially, a single trench and a fearless charge were enough to secure easy victories. Now, however, our opponents have evolved from an unruly rabble into a disciplined rabble. Winning battles no longer depends solely on individual skill; it demands close coordination with your teammates.
"There is a piece of common knowledge in Wasteland OL: people die when they are killed. Even Awakened individuals and mutants cannot completely disregard a hail of gunfire. Attribute bonuses may keep you one step ahead, but they won't let you rip off the coffin lids of both Darwin and Newton at once.
"Our adversaries will only grow stronger, and that strength will manifest across multiple dimensions. Adapting the rules to match the game's evolving content presents quite a formidable challenge for our design team.
"Therefore, in this Alpha 0.9 update, drawing inspiration from FPS titles featuring open-world design and RPG elements, we have further refined the in-game combat system. While enriching the quest framework, we have also expanded tactical options for players. How you and your teammates secure victory hinges entirely on the choices you make on the battlefield.
"In the current version, we have begun testing squad leader roles, allowing players to direct localized engagements under commander orders—whether vying for a building or securing an alleyway.
"In future versions, we will experiment with letting players act as battle commanders themselves, directing hundreds of combatants.
"At the same time, guild and mercenary systems are in our upcoming development pipeline. For further details, please stay tuned for the epic 1.0 release!"
***
By the time Chu Guang returned from the front lines last night, it was already past one in the morning.
On the way back, he had carved out a moment to dangle a few promises before the players. Upon arriving, he hadn't immediately met with Brown from the neighboring farm or the representatives of the northern suburban settlements, instead letting them rest for the night in the second-floor guest rooms of the sanatorium.
Relocating was no trivial matter.
They needed time to consider the points he had instructed Old Luka to raise with them.
Chu Guang understood their present dilemma.
It felt much like choosing the lesser of two very bad options.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one for many...
Carrying the fuel rods salvaged from the ecological garden, Chu Guang headed down to Vault 117's power room.
Unlocking the heavy door using the former Administrator's VM, he followed the manual's prompts and slotted the forearm-thick fuel rod into the circular interface.
Stepping out of the power room, Chu Guang hit the ignition switch.
There was no earth-shattering reaction. As the temperature and plasma density crossed their thresholds, the reactor hummed into smooth, stable operation.
It was as natural as breathing.
[Remaining Energy: 36%. Estimated Duration: 115 years.]
"Thirty-six percent can last this long?"
Reading the text on the console, Chu Guang looked mildly astonished.
Of course, such longevity was likely due to Vault 117's currently negligible power consumption.
Were more residents living here, the story would surely be different.
Vault 117's agricultural section housed fifty soilless cultivation units, matching Shelter 404's theoretical planting area of fifty mu. Those facilities could be put to immediate use.
In addition, Vault 117 could serve as a subterranean checkpoint for players exploring the underground world.
Chu Guang intended to deploy ten clone hibernation pods here first, scaling up as needed later.
Once the players cleared the subway line linking Shelter 404's Floor B3 to this facility, and unlocked new incubation pods or the black boxes that manufactured them on other levels, some of those units could be transferred here as well.
"...Using this place as a starting zone for combat-oriented players seems like a solid idea too. Step out the door, and you're in the subway tunnels—just a few paces away from a fight.
"Still, I'll need to prepare starter weapons for them."
He would also have to assign several guards and veteran players to serve as novice guides!
The subway was considerably more perilous than the surface. Even in squads, rookies would face immense danger.
Running into a Crawler, in particular, could easily result in a total wipeout.
Even for seasoned players, bringing down a Crawler without protective gear and tight team coordination was no simple feat.
The reactor ran quietly a while longer.
Soon, a pale blue quest completion window hovered in Chu Guang's vision.
[Congratulations on completing the quest!]
[Acquired Vault 117 Administrator Permissions.]
"Just like that, I have the permissions to Vault 117?"
Chu Guang examined his right hand, glanced around, and felt as though nothing had visibly shifted.
Not until he experimentally uttered, "Lights off," plunging the entire corridor into pitch darkness, followed by, "Lights on," restoring bright illumination to the space, did he gain an intuitive grasp of the authority he now wielded.
Just like in Shelter 404.
Here, with absolute mastery over every facility, he was an omnipotent god!
"Come to think of it, though, Shelter 404's system can actually issue quests to take over Vault 117."
Moreover, with the Administrator permissions being this absolute, how on earth had the previous Administrator of Vault 117 been overthrown by a handful of ordinary vault residents?
Chu Guang mused that had he been in charge back then, no such idiocy would ever have occurred.
He had no soft spot for mercy.
The instant the faintest spark flared up, he would snip it clean off.
Three-legged toads were hard to find, but two-legged humans were everywhere.
Rebel against me?
Plotting to run off with the supplies?
If you make it past that blast door, consider it my loss—I'd yank your oxygen lines before you took two steps!
What a shame, truly. Had I transmigrated two hundred years earlier, you all would have chosen me as your Administrator.
Of course, Chu Guang was merely indulging in some internal fantasy, not genuinely looking down on anyone. He knew full well that human struggles were rarely comparable; the situation back then had likely been far less straightforward than he imagined, perhaps vastly more convoluted than the fragmented account he had heard from Heya.
He remembered Luo Hua once mentioning that no two shelters in the world were identical. By that logic, variations in administrator privileges between facilities were perfectly understandable.
When it came to events from twenty years ago, only the dead truly knew the whole story.
The living could spin whatever tale suited them.
After fiddling with the air conditioning controls for a moment, Chu Guang paused in thought and spoke.
"Xiao Qi."
A brisk, energetic voice piped up from a speaker along the corridor wall.
"Here, Master!"
Chu Guang continued, "If I share my permissions with you, can you take over managing this shelter?"
Hearing that her master intended to entrust the new shelter to her care, Xiao Qi beamed with childlike delight.
"Of course, Master! Leave it to Xiao Qi without worry! Hehe, Xiao Qi will take wonderful care of your new home!"
Those words were pure music to his ears.
Chu Guang nodded with satisfaction. "Good. I'll leave it in your hands, then."
Having an assistant was wonderfully convenient; troublesome chores could simply be passed along.
Via his VM, Chu Guang posted an errand quest directing players on Floor B3 to fetch the cotton seeds he had stored in the agricultural area.
Beyond food, clothing was equally vital.
With eight hundred players currently on the server, their wardrobes consisted of little more than blue coats and hide tunics; only a select few could afford silk garments or decent attire. Even some veteran players wandered around on hunts dressed like primitives.
This couldn't go on.
Civilized people needed to look the part, lest they venture farther afield only to be mistaken for marauders.
The quest was drafted and published to the public board, and within a single second, someone claimed it.
[Quest accepted.]
[Claimant: Makka Pakka]
Seeing that ID, Chu Guang blinked in mild surprise.
Good grief.
Does this guy sit staring at his VM twenty-four hours a day just waiting for jobs?
An errand paying a measly five silver coins and ten contribution points...
The hustle on this server was getting out of hand!
***
It was between two and three in the morning by the time he returned from Vault 117.
Yawning as he walked into his quarters, Chu Guang collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep, staying out cold until eight the next morning.
He had an odd dream during the night: an SSSR card wielding a massive blood-drawing syringe had chased him relentlessly, crying out, "Lend me a little!"
Chu Guang hadn't even intended to run, but mid-chase, the figure inexplicably morphed into a mutant, jolting him wide awake in fright.
Otherwise, he might have slept a while longer.
Prying open his heavy eyelids, Chu Guang hadn't even climbed out of bed before noticing the damp moisture in the surrounding air, alongside the familiar blend of deep aches and refreshing ease settling beneath his skin.
No need to guess—another level up!
[
ID: Chu Guang
Gene Sequence: Administrator (Stage 2)
Level: LV.12 → LV.14
—Basic Attributes—
Strength: 17
Agility: 11
Constitution: 14 → 15
Perception: 12
Intelligence: 13 → 14
]
"Two whole levels in one go?"
Inside the Administrator's office in the resident hall, Chu Guang reviewed the physical examination chart on his monitor after using the medical diagnostics, his face etched with astonishment.
With fifteen points in Constitution, his recuperative capacity was roughly comparable to half a mutant's.
Aside from Agility and Perception lagging slightly behind, he was practically a well-rounded combat powerhouse.
His sole vulnerability was the inability to respawn; no matter how strong he became, caution remained essential when circumstances demanded it.
"Looks like I've accumulated enough reward points for another draw."
After reviewing his attribute panel, Chu Guang pulled up the Administrator system and navigated to the Administrator Allowance subpage.
The reward points column showed an accumulated balance of 132.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Guang dumped all 132 reward points into one advanced blind box, three intermediate blind boxes, and two basic blind boxes.
"System..."
"Considering how hard I've worked..."
"Giving me a suit of power armor wouldn't be asking too much, right?"
Chapter 202