Pet System Goes Live!

A Mind Interferometer! Just hearing the name, anyone could tell it was no ordinary piece of gear. And after reading the equipment description, the Intelligence-type players grew instantly thrilled. "Holy crap?!" "Command mutants?!" "Even Deathclaws?!" "I get it now—the meta answer for Intelligence builds is Beast Tamer!" Though the vast majority of players had never seen a Deathclaw's horror firsthand, just reading the post from Big Bro Fang Chang had made it painfully clear. The highest-combat-power squad on the entire server, boasting Awakened members and top-tier gear, had no choice but to flee upon encountering one. Those marauders had deployed dozens of men, even bringing out rocket launchers, just to wound the beast. Now, as long as you had 2,000 silver coins, you could become a Deathclaw's daddy! This was far beyond a mere buff. It was straight-up blasting into the stratosphere! In stark contrast to the sheer euphoria of the Intelligence-type players, those from the other classes wore expressions dripping with envy, jealousy, and sheer indignation. Construction Site Youth and Brick lamented, "Holy crap, it requires an Intelligence stat higher than 10! I'm a goddamn Strength-type—even after Awakening, I only hit 5!" Indebted Big Eye clapped a hand onto his shoulder, grinning cheekily. "From LV0 to LV10, you only get 2 points in secondary stats. A Strength-type's base Intelligence is 3 to 4. Deducing from that, you'll probably need to Awaken two more times. That's just level 30 to 40—you'll definitely be set by then!" Construction Site Youth and Brick: "I'm gonna cry." While the crowd was still crowded around the shelves sizing things up, someone had already struck without hesitation. Kuang Feng called out, "Give me a set!" Boss Xia Yan took a set of gear and set it down on the counter. "That'll be 2,000 silver. The surgery requires a one-day advance appointment. You can schedule it with Heya at the medical lab, or right here with me." One piece was a metal collar, and the other was a headset. Their appearances made their functions obvious at a glance: the collar went on the mutated beast, and the headset went on the human. Having secured his purchase, Kuang Feng didn't linger at the weapons shop entrance. With a quick word of thanks, he hurried away. The crowd blinked in surprise, then snapped to their senses. "Holy shit, is this thing limited in stock too?!" "I just remembered! Wasn't this stuff seized from the marauders?! Weren't there only about thirty-something in total?!" "?!" "Boss Xia! I want one too!" "Me next!" "Grab one for Tail as well!" "Ah-Tail, wake up! Aren't you Agility-type? You definitely don't have 10 Intelligence points." Tail: "!!! ∑(°Д°ノ)ノ" All thirty-seven sets freshly placed on the shelf were snapped up clean in under five minutes. Staring at the bare shelf, Xia Yan looked utterly dumbfounded. Silently, she reached up and took down the wooden sign she had only just hung. Were these people out of their minds? Fortunately, Xia Yan couldn't understand what those players who had bought the gear were chattering about, or it would have only reinforced her verdict. They were actually plotting to capture a Deathclaw?! Had they completely lost the will to live? If you ever ran into one of those monsters, managing to escape with your life was already a miracle! Having swiftly snatched the very last piece off the shelf, Commander Spring was in seventh heaven. Putting the headset on, he clamped a hand onto Battlefield Atmosphere Group's shoulder. "Hahaha, good bro, I was just looking for you! Come on, let's go hunt a Deathclaw!" Battlefield Atmosphere Group was thoroughly spooked. "Holy fuck, bro, have you lost your goddamn mind?! A Deathclaw! That damn thing is tougher than a mutant!" His newly acquired exoskeleton hadn't even had time to warm up yet! He had no desire to lose it so fast! Commander Spring dismissed his worries breezily. "What do you know? Right now is the absolute best time to catch a Deathclaw! Lizards hibernate in winter! If we don't take advantage of this to grab one, are we supposed to wait until spring to go feed ourselves to it?" Battlefield Atmosphere Group couldn't help but sputter, "I fucking think going right now is still just feeding ourselves to it!" Not every lizard was like Scavenger. Take that colossal beast the Administrator kept in the shed by the west gate—it didn't look bothered by the cold in the slightest. At most, it just slept a little longer. Even so, it was his good bro's earnest plea after all. In the end, Battlefield was persuaded. He returned to the shelter to swap his gear, stripping off the newly purchased exoskeleton along the way just in case. When he emerged, he also called over I'm the Darkest, a Perception-type player. Although unlike the two of them who had already Awakened, I'm the Darkest was still a hair shy of LV10, a Perception-type's scouting ability was quite solid even without Awakening. They could treat it as giving him a free carry to level up. Carrying his Scythe assault rifle, I'm the Darkest looked eagerly at his two buddies. "Let's go, let's go! Where are we picking a fight today?" Studying the map, Commander Spring stroked his chin and said coolly, "We're pulling off something big today." I'm the Darkest piped up excitedly, "Awesome! What kind of big play?" Battlefield Atmosphere Group gave a sly chuckle. "A Deathclaw. And we're catching it alive. Big enough for you?" I'm the Darkest: "???" Holy shit! Is it too late to get off the bus? *** What Chu Guang hadn't anticipated was that all thirty-seven "Torch" Mind Interferometers placed on the shelf had sold out in under five minutes. When Boss Xia brought him the news, he stared blankly for a good while before chuckling wryly. "My oversight." "I should have put them up in batches." Xia Yan gave him a puzzled look. "Does it make a difference?" Chu Guang nodded. "Of course it does. After all, what I need isn't the silver coins in their hands, but to ensure resources generate their maximum value." A pet-centric build wasn't suited for every player, nor was the Mind Interferometer omnipotent. A portion of players would inevitably discover that the equipment they had spent a fortune on wasn't nearly as miraculous as they had envisioned. Furthermore, capturing a mutated beast was hardly an easy task. Yet Chu Guang hadn't foreseen that his players would be so trigger-happy with their wallets, paying upfront without a second thought. Had he known, he would have added another restriction—requiring an advance surgery appointment or having already captured a "surgical subject" before buying. Still, it didn't really matter. Looking at it from another angle, it might not be a bad thing. When a game was first released, nobody had guides ready; only after playing for a while would veteran players write them up. The same went for new champions in MOBA games or DLC releases for single-player titles. Having spent a hefty sum on gear, it was only natural they would rack their brains to make it work, right? Once enough people used it, guides would emerge organically. Xia Yan tilted her head, looking slightly bewildered. She hadn't understood what Chu Guang was talking about. Didn't need silver coins? Then why was the shop charging money in the first place? As for resources, value... it all sounded far too convoluted. Couldn't he speak in plainer terms? Still, though he always spoke in riddles, he looked rather handsome when he smiled... *** While the little Intelligence-type players gathered their companions and ventured deep into the wasteland on their quest to find fantastic beasts, Boulder City—more than ten kilometers away—was bustling with activity. The most recent blizzard had fallen a week ago. According to the weather forecast broadcast amid the endless banter on *Voice of Boulder City*, the coming week would be clear. Although that big talker House didn't always get his predictions right, fair, sunny weather had indeed lasted a whole week. On the warmest day, the temperature had even climbed back above zero degrees! Bitter winter was at the end of its tether. Though a full month remained before spring officially arrived, signs of revival were already sprouting across every trade. Factory orders were booked out two months in advance. Sought-after goods like soap, lighters, matches, and antibiotics had even sold out their supplies through April, prompting every factory and workshop to work overtime. As for hard currency like rifles and ammunition, while their immense production volume prevented shortages, their prices had jumped by a sizable margin as well. Based on past experience, the snow on the ground wouldn't fully melt until around February. Restoring traffic, however, was only a matter of days. Inside the Pirate Bay Tavern, the crowd was loud and boisterous. The raucous clamor bubbled like beer foam, completely drowning out the heavy metal riffs played by the bassist. A busty, slender-waisted waitress clad in pirate attire navigated the packed crowd and cheeky whistles, clutching a wooden bucket brimming with flyers. She made her way to the tavern wall and nailed the flyers onto the wooden board. [Chocobo Merchant Guild Hiring Guards: Two-year contract, daily wage 3 chips, double on missions. Board, lodging, and weapons provided. Settled semi-monthly.] [Redwood Forest Lumber Mill Hiring Foresters: A pack of night badgers has moved into our area and needs clearing out. Wages negotiable in person.] [Boulder City Armament Seeking a Courier: Deliver a package to Wandering Marsh. Awakened required. Generous pay. Details discussed in person.] [Help me kill someone. Bounty: 1,000 chips. Interested parties contact White Shark. If you meet my criteria, he will instruct you on the next step.] [...] Though the Pirate Bay Tavern wasn't the largest establishment in Boulder City, it was undeniably the mercenaries' favorite haunt. Prices were reasonable here, and the commissions covered a wide spectrum—from delivering express packages to Cloud Province all the way down to finding lost cats. The variety was endless, and the rates were fair. Having pinned the requests to the wall, the comely waitress swayed her hips and sauntered off. A crowd of burly men swarmed forward, eyeing the postings and dissecting them with keen interest. "The Chocobo Merchant Guild is hiring again? Didn't they just recruit over twenty men last year?" "Heard they blazed a new trade route. Probably need the extra hands." "Three chips a day isn't bad. Double whenever there's work." "What's good about that? That chump change isn't even enough to cover my booze! If you're gonna take a job, go for the big scores." "The caravan heading to Garbage City needs temporary hands. Two months round trip, pays 1,000 chips... but it's way too dangerous. Heard that place is crawling with mutants." "Wealth comes with risk. I plan to try my luck." "Haha, hope I'll still see you here in two months!" With the crowd surging toward the commission board, space at the counter naturally opened up. Wiping a glass behind the bar, the bartender glanced at the man sitting down before him and raised an eyebrow slightly. "What wind blew you in?" "What other wind could blow in this damn weather? Give me a glass of hot honey water." The man placed two white chips on the counter. The bartender pocketed them with practiced ease, turned to take a freshly wiped glass, poured hot water into it from an iron kettle, scooped a spoonful of honey with a long spoon, and set it on the counter. "Your honey water, Mr. Lister." "Your service gets sloppier by the day. Now customers have to stir it themselves, Mr. White?" Stirring the drink with the spoon, Lister smiled. White Shark. The owner of the Pirate Bay Tavern. Playing bartender here was one of his personal pastimes—and one of his few reasonably normal ones. The bartender smiled faintly without offering an excuse, asking in a casual, conversational tone, "Where do you plan to strike it rich this year?" Lister replied, "I'm thinking of heading east, picking up some goods when passing Red River Town." Bartender: "Cloud Province?" Lister shook his head. "Too far." "So you came to post a commission?" "No, just gathering intel," Lister looked at him and continued. "I heard things have been turbulent in River Valley Province lately." The bartender chuckled softly. "A bit late to just be hearing about that." Pausing for a beat, he went on, "The Legion suffered a defeat in the north, and a batch of munitions somehow ended up in the marauders' hands. Those scoundrels didn't dare cause trouble for the Great Rift Valley, so they could only head south. I heard the slave owners in Red River Town made a killing. If you're heading there, you might want to bring along some extra KV-1 exoskeletons." Silently filing away the intel, Lister nodded and pressed further. "I heard the Bone Chewer tribe has recently extended its claws toward Qingquan City?" The bartender answered in a breezy tone, "Yes, and the country bumpkins in the northern suburbs suffered heavy losses. Your client list probably shrank by a few names." Lister let out a curse. "The militia doesn't plan to do anything? Those bandits are right under our noses." The bartender replied nonchalantly, "Why bother? Just a few villages of a hundred people each." Even if the Bone Chewers raided north, south, east, and west across Qingquan City, it wouldn't affect this place in the slightest. Lord Fang had no interest in them; Boulder City had its own affairs—that was the official stance. Of course, if those blind savages dared fire a shot at them, power armor would descend on their heads in short order. The bartender pondered for a moment, then spoke up again. "...Though, I heard the Bone Chewers took a nasty fall in the northern suburbs." Lister raised an eyebrow. "Oh? But I heard they came with overwhelming force." The bartender chuckled. "They certainly looked fierce when they arrived, but that was a month ago. Two thousand-man units suffered back-to-back defeats, getting their noses bloodied. A group of blue coats suddenly sprang up in the northern suburbs and beat them black and blue. Supposedly, hundreds of captives were sent to clear wasteland. Those people really have a knack for managing prisoners." Beaten black and blue by blue coats? Now that was truly a rarity. While every vault had its own quirks, the vast majority of blue coats were pushover do-gooders—a well-known piece of common knowledge on the wasteland. To think the blue coats emerging from the northern suburbs could fight so well. Lister couldn't help recalling the group he had encountered months ago at Ling Lake Wetland Park. Could it be them? Yet he couldn't fathom how a mere few dozen people could claim successive victories while besieged by two thousand-man units. Power armor? Or some pre-war gear? Lister looked at him inquisitively. "How did you find out?" The bartender replied without hesitation, "There are at least twenty marauders sitting in this tavern right now, even if they call themselves mercenaries. How do you think I know?" Heavy snow blocked commercial routes, but for one or two lone travelers, there was always a way to get here. Over the past two months, Boulder City's streets had been somewhat bleak, but that was only the streets. His tavern had never run short of patrons. The intrigue in Lister's expression deepened. Staring into his glass of honey water, he suddenly said, "Once the snow melts, I think I'll head over there for a look." He smelled an opportunity! Bartender: "Go ahead. The northern suburbs have changed quite a bit recently; word is they're developing nicely. Out with the old, in with the new—true for chips, and true for clients. Wouldn't you say?" Lister: "Spot on." The bartender chuckled, continuing to wipe his glass with casual indifference. "Still, I'd advise you to tread carefully. They took things belonging to Torch." "While I don't know what that crate meant to 'Torch,' those superstitious lunatics definitely won't let the matter rest." "What does that have to do with me?" Setting down his empty glass, Lister rose from the counter, straightened his collar, and replied casually, "I don't do business in the south." Torch's sphere of influence lay to the south. Reportedly a place called the Death Coast. Just by the name alone, one could tell it was no place for honest trade, which matched reality. First ruled by pirates and marauders, then by religious fanatics—hardly anyone normal had ever come out of there. By comparison, he much preferred trading with the Enterprise. While they weren't always scrupulous, they at least allowed him to turn a safe profit. The bartender said lightly, "Just a suggestion. Take it or leave it." "Thanks for the advice. Once I make my fortune, I'll come back to hire more men from you." Lister waved a hand, leading several cyborg subordinates toward the tavern doors. *** Dusk. Outside the outpost's north gate, the bustling stalls were decked out in lanterns and colored streamers, as festive as a holiday. Even though a New Year celebration had been held here just two days earlier, that didn't stop the residents from throwing another party to celebrate yesterday's triumphant return. Black Snake was dead. His force of over a thousand had been scattered, killed, or captured to clear snow and reclaim wasteland. His own corpse hung from the gallows at the north gate for all to see. The active matter extractor ran around the clock. Once his subordinates had all been refined into revival materials for the players, he would be the last in line. Assuming he hadn't rotted away by then. Regardless, thanks be to nature's bounty. And thanks to the Bone Chewer tribe for sending a fresh delivery. Today, the ramen finally didn't hike its prices, and the portion of devil jelly was even slightly larger. Yet what surprised everyone most wasn't Boss Ya's sudden sprout of conscience, but the fact that Yaya—who never went to the front lines or ran dungeons—had actually Awakened too?! This was massive news. The moment the mushroom stall opened, a large crowd of gossip-hungry players swarmed around it. "Pardon the ignorance, but can you really Awaken just by picking mushrooms??" "If I recall, Boss Ya is Perception-type, right? Aren't Intelligence-types the only ones who gain experience from non-combat professions?" "This makes zero sense!" "Exactly! Mosquito is only level seven or eight! Shenanigans!" "Spill it! Did you secretly cozy up with the devs?" "A hidden quest! It's definitely a hidden quest! Dammit, stingy crow hogging all the loot!" Seeing how unruly the crowd was, Yaya gritted her teeth in annoyance, glaring at them. "What are you all talking about?! I've been leveling up properly, okay?!" "I... I don't just pick mushrooms!" Damn it all! These people had completely forgotten that Tail and Sisi were apprentices she had personally trained! Evidently, her words lacked persuasion, and nobody believed her. Just then, someone chimed in, "By the way, Boss Ya, what talent did you unlock?" That question stirred up a fresh wave of excitement. Right. What was Boss Ya's talent? Countless pairs of eyes turned toward her with burning curiosity. Under so many gazes, Yaya's face flushed crimson. She cleared her throat softly and averted her eyes with awkward subtlety. "Alright, alright, stop asking! You're getting on my nerves." Everyone traded glances, their curiosity only piqued further. Unfortunately, no matter how much they prodded, Yaya remained stubborn and tight-lipped. Presumably, her luck had been terrible, unlocking some utterly useless talent. Such occurrences weren't uncommon on the forums. Especially for players who had started with an innate talent, having the scales balanced out made sense. After all, had she pulled an SSSR, she would have sprinted to the forums to show off long ago. There wouldn't be any reason to feel embarrassed. *** After logging off. On the official forum. Commander Spring: "Motherfucker! I spent the whole day wandering out there! Didn't catch even a shadow of a Deathclaw!" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Motherfucker, we bagged a brown bear and you didn't even want it! Does it have to be a Deathclaw?" Indebted Big Eye: "??? I want it! How much?" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Too late, we already butchered it." Indebted Big Eye: "Fuck!" Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "QAQ" Elven King Fugui: "Passerby purely curious here: can split-claw crabs use that thing?" Kuang Feng: "Not sure, but do split-claw crabs have necks?" Elven King Fugui: "Holy shit, I didn't even realize until you mentioned it... looks like they really don't!" Escaped Mole in the Canyon: "Look at it from another angle: if we could hide the collar under the split-claw crab's shell, wouldn't that solve the problem of the collar getting destroyed too easily?" Fang Chang: "Holy shit?! That's a point I never thought of! If we can really control a split-claw crab, it feels just as useful as a Deathclaw!" Casual Water Strider: "+1. Against thick shells, even an Iron Fist takes two shots to pierce. Put that thing on the battlefield, and it's literally a mobile bunker!" Kuang Feng: "The key is that the damn thing isn't slow, and its melee power is insane." Ye Shi: "It's a straight-up tank, no doubt about it. (Funny)" Jieyan: "Holy crap, I can already picture it!" Old Bai: "I'm gonna go ask the dev!!!" Scrolling through the forum threads, Chu Guang finally understood why his inbox was flooded with private messages. Good grief. Asking him for a guide? If I had a guide, would I need to lurk on the forum copying homework from you guys? Chu Guang pondered for a moment. With so many people asking, ignoring them wouldn't look good. Replying to only a few would look even worse. So he made a public post and temporarily pinned it for a day. Guang: "The pet system is still under development, so please bear with us. The original intention behind the Mind Interferometer was primarily to improve the gameplay experience for Intelligence-type players. Under the current version, the strength of the Intelligence stat is difficult to reflect directly in DPS. "As for how to play around this equipment and maximize its advantages, we encourage players to explore on their own. "Additionally, the pet system is not exclusive to Intelligence-type players. Even without the aid of a Mind Interferometer, certain mutated beasts across the wasteland can still be tamed. "The most common examples include wolves, followed by mutant hyenas, and even rats. I believe many players have noticed that some marauders and seasoned hunters tame wolves or hyenas, utilizing their keen sense of smell and danger perception to hunt or evade threats. "This mechanic is not an NPC monopoly; players can utilize it as well, though it requires specific skills. For more ways to play Wasteland OL, please continue exploring within the game!" Having posted the message, Chu Guang shut down his computer and headed to bed. Those players could stay awake twenty-four hours a day grinding away with their helmets on, but his mortal body couldn't handle that kind of abuse. What Chu Guang hadn't expected, however, was that almost the exact moment his post went live, the players who had just been debating whether split-claw crabs or Deathclaws were stronger—and advocating for nerfing Intelligence builds—erupted into an absolute frenzy. Tail: "!!! Does that mean Tail can have two big bears?!" Sisi: "Shocked. Ah-Tail wants to straddle two bears." Jieyan: "Awesome! So other classes can raise pets too?!" Elaina: "Imperial Barbarian Cavalry coming online. (Funny)" Escaped Mole in the Canyon: "I suspected this before, but never got confirmation... Since the dev said so, it should definitely work." Qiangren Suonan: "Wait, can mutant players raise mutant beasts too? Or am I stuck raising rats? T.T" Fang Chang: "I suddenly have a bold idea..." Ye Shi: "Pardon the question, is it a decent idea? (Funny)" Fang Chang: "? I have no idea what you're implying, but... it might require Scavenger's cooperation." Scavenger Lv99: "Holy crap, what are you trying to do?" Fang Chang: "Talk when we log in. (Smirk)" Scavenger Lv99: "???"