Chu Guang had no interest in playing feudal lord. The eras had cycled several times already; turning back the clock now would only force future generations to go through the trouble of changing it back.
Far too troublesome.
When that time came, blood would likely be spilled all over again.
If he crowned himself emperor, the players might think it looked cool, and the natives wouldn't object in the slightest, but he would very likely lose the support of conservative vault dwellers like Heya.
Eighty percent of the People's Federation's legacy was inherited by the blue coats, and the origins of many major factions—including the Enterprise—traced back to the lower-numbered shelters.
Losing their favor was equivalent to slapping himself with a "-80% Tech Progression" debuff. For Chu Guang, who went for a science victory every single time he played Civilization and couldn't bear playing Stellaris without Materialist ethics, that was utterly unacceptable.
Nor did he intend to blindly retrace the old path of the People's Federation.
Omnidirectional decentralization required vastly abundant computing power and a robust productive foundation. Methods from the Golden Era might not work well in the Wasteland Era. The worst way to copy homework was mindlessly pasting it without adapting.
Chu Guang knew very clearly what he needed.
He required centralized power to ensure that every one of his plans could be carried out smoothly, but at the same time, he needed to handle relations with the Federation's inheritors delicately.
This wasn't actually difficult.
He could establish an alliance, and in the name of that alliance, promulgate a special "Revival Act" granting himself the "necessary" powers for a specified term.
Once Phase B closed beta began, Shelter 404 and Shelter 117 would form a new alliance under the banner of "Reviving the People's Federation, Rebuilding Order."
The northern suburbs of Qingquan City would be designated as the "Restoration Zone," and the survivors living in the northern suburbs would automatically receive resident status.
Meanwhile, the vast swath of land spanning the outpost, industrial zone, Changjiu Farm, all the way to Yumu District would be rechristened as a new settlement named after his codename.
This would become the capital of the Restoration Zone.
As for Chu Guang himself, he would neither become an imperial emperor nor the prime representative elected by Federation delegates. But if necessary, he could appoint either at any time.
Backed by the Revival Act, the Administrator would oversee everything within the Restoration Zone.
And he was that Administrator.
...
The day before the festival.
The entire outpost was festooned with lanterns and streamers.
Considering the importance of this celebration, Chu Guang established a Festival Committee, appointing Tengteng as director, Yaya as deputy director, and Xiao Yu as mascot plus budget supervisor, allocating the committee a budget of several tens of thousands of silver coins.
To motivate the players, Chu Guang specifically promised that after the festival, if satisfaction in the survey reached over 80%, an "Exclusive Title" would unlock; if it reached 90%, it would be recorded in the Hall of Fame as a special achievement.
The moment the appointed players heard there was an exclusive title, they grew instantly thrilled.
Looking through the lens of the Hummingbird drone, gazing down at the outpost steeped in festive cheer and the players bustling about, Chu Guang wore a smile akin to a homeroom teacher.
It felt just like handing the blackboard bulletin entirely over to the students while he sat in his office sipping tea.
As mature little players, they had learned to relieve the burden of a developer too lazy to plan game events by planning them themselves.
How wonderful...
Glancing at the time at the bottom of the computer screen, Chu Guang saw it was nearly time. He shut down the computer, got up, and left the Administrator's office.
Meanwhile, in front of the elevator on Floor B1.
Three players were lurking suspiciously outside the door, seemingly waiting for something.
Battlefield Guy and I'm the Darkest, having just come up from Floor B2, bumped right into them the moment the elevator doors opened, startled by the three faces suddenly looming on the other side.
I'm the Darkest had the biggest reaction.
"Holy crap! Are you guys playing ghosts here?"
Silver Sword gave a mischievous chuckle and waved his hand. "Shoo, shoo, we're busy. Don't get in our way."
Beside him, Silver Hand chimed in excitedly, "That's right! We're doing something big!"
His curiosity piqued by the three clowns' solemn expressions, I'm the Darkest asked inquisitively, "What big thing?"
Silver Daddy offered a calm, confident smile. "Isn't tomorrow Phase B closed beta and the festival?"
I'm the Darkest blinked, then nodded. "Yeah."
Technically speaking, Phase B closed beta would launch after the festival ended.
Silver Daddy continued, "Following custom, the vault will unlock a new floor, right?"
I'm the Darkest exchanged glances with Battlefield Guy, the latter nodding with an odd expression. "Seems... there is that rumor."
Battlefield Guy recalled it was a post from Brother Mole. That guy serialized the Mole Daily on the forum, coming up with new stunts every few days. When he was completely out of material, he padded it with minute details about NPCs. Even if active players didn't care much, the backseat cloud gamers loved it.
Before entering the game, Silver Daddy had been one of Brother Mole's top fans, not only devouring every issue of the Mole Daily but reading all the discussion threads beneath them as well.
"...According to the game's lore, not just the Administrator NPC, but every resident of Shelter 404, including us, came from the vault's deepest depths. And whenever a new testing phase begins, the vault unlocks a new area."
I'm the Darkest raised a hand. "I object. Alpha 1.1 didn't unlock a floor. All four hundred newcomers came out of Shelter 117."
"Good observation, but you missed a detail," Silver Daddy nodded approvingly with the air of an enlightened hermit. "The incubation pods in Shelter 117 were hauled over from Shelter 404, and those pods were moved up via the freight elevator on Floor B1. So at the end of the day, the players in Shelter 117 are people of 404 too."
He knew this best because their group had handled the legwork.
I'm the Darkest sighed helplessly. "Okay, so what if they are?"
Who the hell paid attention to that in a video game?
Silver Daddy smiled faintly and said, "There's no room left on Floor B3, and Shelter 117 has no spare rooms either. Therefore, I dare assert that this version update will definitely unlock a new room!"
I'm the Darkest wanted to press further, but Battlefield Guy, standing beside him, saw right through their scheme and cut straight to the point: "I see what you're getting at. You plan to exploit a bug to sneak down?"
Silver Daddy said nothing, while Silver Hand beside him chuckled. "Smart!"
I'm the Darkest: "Holy crap?! You can do that?"
Battlefield Guy rolled his eyes, glanced at Old Hei, and yawned. "Let's go, let's go. Don't waste time with these rookies."
I'm the Darkest looked at him in surprise: "Wait, aren't you curious?"
Silver Sword and Silver Hand chimed in indignantly:
"Damn it! Are you looking down on the Silver family?"
"My level might be lower than yours, but I'm a man who faced down a Tyrant head-on!"
"Exactly! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west... Don't underestimate a rookie!"
Battlefield Guy gave a short laugh. "Whoa, I never said that. I'm just advising you not to act smart. The NPCs in this game are smarter than you think... Whatever, talking to you is pointless. Feel it with your own bodies."
Leaving behind that cryptic remark, Battlefield Guy cradled the back of his head and strolled off. Driven by curiosity, I'm the Darkest temporarily left the party, intending to stick around for the show.
Just then, the Administrator came walking over from the direction of the main entrance, carrying a wastebasket-like robot, and stopped before one of the elevators.
The three immediately sidled up behind him.
With 19 points in Perception, Chu Guang had noticed the trio long ago; he simply hadn't sensed any hostility, so he ignored them.
Seeing them crowding in, Chu Guang gave them a puzzled look. "Is there something you need?"
Silver Hand: "Respected Administrator, we're just waiting for the elevator."
Silver Sword: "That's right!"
The third hadn't spoken, but was evidently with them.
Chu Guang nodded without saying anything. As a gentle, easygoing man, he naturally wouldn't squabble with players over an elevator. There was more than one elevator here, and he was in no rush for this trip.
Ceding the elevator to the three, Chu Guang walked over to queue before another one. Yet to his surprise, the moment he pressed the button, the three crowded over again.
Even the most patient person would get annoyed. Chu Guang looked back at them. "Do you need something?"
Silver Hand bowed respectfully. "Respected Administrator, we wish to take the elevator downstairs."
Silver Sword nodded enthusiastically, "That's right!"
Chu Guang: "...?"
Huh? These guys learned fast.
Using repetitive dialogue to terminate a conversation was a common trick Chu Guang taught the "NPCs" to brush off pesky players. Who knew players would turn the barbarians' own tactics against them?
Chu Guang found it amusing in his head while holding Xiao Qi, but kept his face expressionless, uttering a calm "Oh" and saying nothing more.
The three players beamed with delight.
This time the NPC didn't switch elevators—the exploit must have worked!
Yet the instant the thought crossed their minds, their vision went black. Still wearing silly grins, they slumped limp onto the floor, their consciousness departing this world.
Watching from the side, I'm the Darkest was dumbfounded.
Holy crap.
A direct disconnect?
How badass was that?
Chu Guang looked over at I'm the Darkest standing nearby.
The latter trembled, hastily raising three fingers in an oath. "I swear in the name of the People's Federation, I'm not with them! I-I-I never dreamed of exploiting a bug!"
Heh.
Holding the wastebasket, Chu Guang chuckled inwardly, but gave no outward reaction, completely ignoring the boy's plea as if what happened to the trio had nothing to do with him.
"They might have suffered heatstroke. Could you please carry them to the plaza on Floor B3 for me?"
The signal light on Xiao Qi in Chu Guang's arms blinked.
A mission prompt immediately popped up on I'm the Darkest's VM.
I'm the Darkest tapped accept without hesitation, nodding like a chick pecking rice. "Leave it to me!"
With that, he promptly dragged the three unconscious geniuses over to queue in front of the other elevator.
Having casually knocked out the little players attempting to exploit a bug and follow him down, Chu Guang stepped back onto the elevator, took a relaxing deep breath, and touched the elevator's screen with his index finger.
Administrator privileges had taken control of this elevator; no one else would disturb him.
A pale blue glow emerged.
As the countdown reached zero right on the second, the button for Floor B4 finally surfaced before him.
Joy surged in Chu Guang's heart. Silently invoking the gods of luck, he pressed it without hesitation.
The elevator descended slowly.
After a brief wait, it came to a steady halt.
As the silver-white alloy doors parted, crisp, dry air washed over him.
"Still that familiar scent."
Before coming down, Chu Guang had deliberately taken a deep breath just to compare it with Floor B4.
Chu Guang glanced around. Just like when Floor B3 first unlocked, it was spotless, cleaner than a cleanroom in an electronics plant.
However, unlike the other floors...
There was no familiar plaza or four functional zones labeled A, B, C, and D—only a corridor stretching straight ahead.
Chu Guang looked up and saw a side-sliding door at the end of the corridor.
Correlating with the floor plan on the wall, the corridor before him should correspond to the horizontal crossbar in the letter "G."
"Xiao Qi, scout ahead."
"You got it, Master."
Xiao Qi obediently rolled forward on its wheels, long accustomed to its master's caution.
Watching Xiao Qi roll toward the end of the corridor, Chu Guang stepped out of the elevator. Just then, his eyes caught a slip of paper lying near the elevator doors.
It was probably the only piece of garbage here.
Chu Guang reached down, picked it up, and read the familiar handwriting.
[To the Administrator of Shelter 404, my successor:]
[...In this world, what creature could possibly be better suited to being harvested like leeks than players? Remember what I told you at the very beginning? By now, you must have appreciated my sheer genius!
Hahahaha, packaging the entire world as a game—I'm an absolute genius!
Please, do not worship me!]
Chu Guang: "..."
Who the hell even are you!
If you're so great, leave a damn name!
Fair's fair—inventing this "morphogenetic field" system was indeed impressive, undeniably a Singularity-grade technology. At the very least, even the Academy's archaeology experts couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Yet this first-generation manager clearly knew nothing about game design. From the UI to core gameplay, down to the fleshed-out economic system, contribution system, and the current in-game screenshot feature, everything had been designed by Chu Guang through trial and error.
Chu Guang conceded the guy had some chops, but they were pretty rough around the edges.
Admiration was out of the question.
Half-convinced, maybe.
[...Ahem, enough with the jokes. I'm glad you passed my first test. Someone whose head is full of complaints, crying "this is impossible" and "that's impossible" all day long, could never have made it here. And since you're standing here, down in the underworld I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and officially entrust you with one of my very, very, very most precious treasures.]
[Give yourself a round of applause; you deserve this honor! The treasure chest belonging to the brave lies at the end of this labyrinth, not even hidden. Go on, don't stand like an idiot by the elevator doors. Sending that little thing ahead to scout really looks dumb. Would a dead man in the ground try to harm you? Don't keep them waiting.]
[By the way, seeing as I've helped you so much, could you tell me what year it is now?]
[No need to write it on paper and burn it for me; I don't believe in that nonsense, not to mention this paper won't catch fire anyway. You can whisper it to me—let's keep it as a secret between the two of us.]
The note ended there.
No signature.
"It's the year 2341, the 212th year of the Wasteland Era..."
Having blurted this out reflexively, Chu Guang suddenly felt foolish. Flustered and exasperated, he crumpled the note into a ball, stuffed it into his pocket, and strode toward the end of the corridor.
What a waste of time!
Passing through the open alloy door, the area ahead opened up.
Sofas were arranged in a semicircular room.
This place looked like a reading room, but the shelves lining the walls didn't hold a single book, nor anything else.
The coffee machine resting beside the corridor was an unexpected pleasant surprise; its "retro" design allowed Chu Guang to understand its function at a glance.
Yin Fang had constantly griped that Shelter 404 was so impoverished it didn't even have a coffee machine. Now that fellow could finally shut up.
Regrettably, however, there were no coffee beans inside. It seemed that until they achieved self-sufficiency in coffee beans, the machine could only serve as a water dispenser.
"This should be a lounge or reading room of some sort."
The space was quite large, roughly half the size of a sports field. While there weren't many sofas, people could sit on the floor; accommodating four to five hundred wouldn't feel crowded.
Yet aside from afternoon naps, after looking around, Chu Guang truly couldn't fathom what other purpose this room served.
Xiao Qi asked with equal confusion, "But... why can't we see a single book here?"
"Maybe people in the Golden Era had other ways of recording information..." Chu Guang replied offhandedly, looking toward the door at the end of the curved corridor. "Let's keep moving forward."
Behind the lounge was a gym. Strange, bizarre exercise equipment was laid out in the spacious room, along with several devices resembling massage chairs.
"This is much easier to understand. Must be an exercise area."
Shelter 117 had similar facilities; good lifestyle habits helped maintain physical and mental well-being.
Chu Guang recalled seeing a discussion on the forum where Strength-type players had researched that sustained anaerobic exercise could accumulate gene sequence progression and stimulate specific DNA expression.
However, that required immense perseverance, and the process was even more boring than chopping trees. Unless someone was in a bind like Scavenger during winter, almost no one stuck with it.
Chu Guang didn't study the equipment's functions in detail, opting instead to press onward and explore the treasure left behind by the first-generation manager.
Past the gym lay a tightly shut door. According to the notice on the wall, it required Administrator privileges to unlock. Unauthorized entry would trigger an alarm.
Having already obtained full permissions for Floor B4, Chu Guang passed through unimpeded.
Rows of metal lockers were lined up inside the room. Holding his breath, Chu Guang walked forward and opened one at random. When he saw what lay inside, astonishment instantly covered his face.
"Light Cavalry exoskeleton?!"
His heart jumped. He immediately swung open the adjacent locker.
Sure enough, another set was stored inside!
"Holy crap!"
"I'm rich!"
Though it was police-issue, it was pre-war equipment nonetheless. Even if the polymer ballistic plates lacked high durability, their defensive capability was unquestionable; ordinary small arms fire couldn't pierce them at all, and damaged plates could simply be swapped for steel.
Ecstasy plastered Chu Guang's face. He could hardly wait to throw open every locker in the prep room and take inventory.
A total of two hundred Type 5 "Light Cavalry" exoskeletons!
And twenty Type 6 Heavy Cavalry exoskeletons!
In addition, there were over three hundred palm-sized, flexible-rotor, programmable short-range drones. They could automatically follow within a 40-meter radius, tracking either the user or an opponent. While syncing real-time footage to the helmet's visor, they could also serve as body cameras!
When not in use, they docked on the exoskeleton's right shoulder to recharge, leaving only the camera lens exposed.
Incredibly useful!
Chu Guang inspected them closely.
The gear stored in these lockers was far more versatile and fully featured than the Type 5 and Type 6 exoskeletons he had pulled from the blind boxes!
With these exoskeletons and drones, he could effortlessly assemble a semi-mechanized light infantry company.
Pair that with a few trucks converted into anti-aircraft and recoilless gun carriers, and he'd have everything a mechanized unit needed!
Xiao Qi rolled up to Chu Guang's shins, the camera on its head swiveling inquisitively left and right.
"To think that after more than two hundred years, they're still like new."
"Maybe air only flooded this floor when we entered, or maybe it's some special technology... Who knows." Chu Guang reluctantly put the exoskeleton he had taken out back into the locker.
Damn it!
Why couldn't he have given me these goodies earlier!
Besides the exoskeletons and companion drones, there were over three hundred batons and riot shields, as well as fifty "Silver Snake" revolvers—the exact same model he had scavenged on Floor B2.
Perhaps anticipating that the shelter might encounter absurdly large monsters after opening, these revolvers were of substantial caliber.
Chu Guang was slightly surprised, however, to find no sign of rifles or submachine guns here.
"Speaking of which... there's still one thing I can't figure out."
Staring at the door leading back to the gym and lounge, Chu Guang mused, "Why would the prep room storing equipment be placed behind the lounge and gym?"
Such a layout was bizarre.
Each floor was supposed to have a unified purpose. No matter how Chu Guang thought about it, he couldn't see any connection between this room and the preceding two.
Xiao Qi piped up, "Um... maybe this gear was moved here from somewhere else? Like the prep rooms on Floor B1 and Floor B3?"
Xiao Qi's suggestion jogged Chu Guang's memory. The vault's two exits also had similar prep rooms, situated between the airlocks and the gear-shaped metal blast doors.
The lockers there were slightly larger than these, currently rented out to players as storage lockers.
Thinking about it carefully...
These supplies might very well have been transferred from those two locations.
"Makes sense."
Chu Guang looked toward the door at the far end of the prep room.
That was the final unexplored area.
Chu Guang had good reason to believe that whatever the first-generation manager deemed a "treasure" couldn't possibly be a mere two-hundred-odd exoskeletons.
Unlocking the final door with his clearance, Chu Guang led Xiao Qi inside.
It was a circular room, dimly lit inside. Yet the moment he set foot within, soft lights gradually illuminated the entire space.
Four familiar machines stood silently arranged in the room, making Chu Guang hold his breath involuntarily.
Black boxes!
The all-purpose wishing machines in the eyes of countless wastelanders, the crystallized pinnacle of pre-war civilization's advanced productivity and technology!
And there were actually four of them here!
Yet what surprised him most wasn't the four black boxes resting in the corners, but the pitch-black cylinder standing in the exact center of the room—a cylindrical terminal thick as a thousand-year-old tree.
Intuition told him:
The "treasure" spoken of by the first-generation manager was this very thing!
"Xiao Qi..."
Following beside Chu Guang's shins, the wastebasket sensibly tilted its camera upward.
"I'm here, Master. Do you need me to go up and take a look?"
"...No need. Wait for me here."
Filled with nervous excitement, Chu Guang walked up to the black cylinder. Its diameter of over ten meters made him look as tiny as a fallen leaf.
How do you use this thing?
Wondering this, Chu Guang instinctively pressed his palm against it. A chilling sensation transmitted from the metallic shell, and immediately afterward, concentric ripples of pale blue light spread across the pitch-black exterior.
A holographic projection?
Before Chu Guang could process what was happening, countless pale blue motes of light cascaded down from the "canopy" like a sky full of stars, hovering steadily all around him.
His Adam's apple bobbed. Chu Guang gazed at everything around him, eyes filled with astonishment and bewilderment.
"...This is."
Before he could finish the sentence, lines of familiar IDs shone through the particles of light, reflecting in his pupils.
Not only that, but corresponding serial numbers as well.
Chu Guang immediately understood what the device before him was.
"...Is this the 'morphogenetic field'?"
Or rather, the visible tip of an iceberg.
From the flickering ripples across each light mote, Chu Guang discovered he could faintly sense those fluctuating emotions.
Invisible threads reached across the dimensional barrier, connecting to each of those flickering mirrored conscious entities.
Chu Guang didn't understand the underlying principles, but he could sense their existence.
"So the incubation pods are merely signal repeaters... This terminal is the actual port connecting to the 'other world.'"
"Which means... destroying an incubation pod won't cause a player's account to be deleted?"
In other words, spawn points could be deployed outside the safe zone!
Chu Guang operated the screen thoughtfully with his index finger, and a pale blue window surfaced before him.
[Currently Connected Conscious Entities: 1,500]
[Activated Sequences: 1,500]
[Currently Available: 3,000]
Chapter 283