Official Wasteland OL website.
During peak log-off hours, a fresh post shot up the trending list at lightning speed, sparking heated discussion among countless players and backseat gamers alike.
Ye Shi: "Big news!! Cybernetically modified mutant spotted in Jinhe City!!!"
In the post, Ye Shi embellished the peril of the encounter with dramatic flair, boasting of how brilliantly he had outwitted and eliminated his foe to escape.
Attached to the post were several age-restricted images. Even with the game's built-in mosaic filter, they still required age verification to view.
To Ye Shi's vast disappointment, however, the adoring cheers of fanboys and fangirls spamming "666" never materialized.
Instead, a chorus of jeers broke out.
Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Bro, you went toe-to-toe and barely went fifty-fifty while wearing full endgame gear? That's so garbage!"
Cheerful Netizen: "Exactly!"
Lightning King Professor Yang: "Evaluation: It'd be better off on me! (Funny)"
Ye Shi: "Damn it! Talk is cheap, you try soloing one!"
Lightning King Professor Yang: "Easy. Give me a helmet, and I'll show you how it's done right now. (Smirk)"
Ye Shi: "#@%￥!"
Lao Bai: "Haha, to be fair, that cybernetic mutant was something else. It took a charged shot from a Gauss rifle and was still jumping around, swinging half a chainsaw around and beating several modules of brother Ye Shi's power armor into the yellow."
Jieyan: "Wait, wasn't that from the fall?"
Fang Chang: "Caught an honest man in the wild."
Kuang Feng: "(Side-eye grin)"
Teng Teng: "(╯▽╰)"
Ye Shi: "T.T"
Tail: "Wait a second... Sisi, did we sail too far south?!"
Sisi: "I thought 'south' meant south of Sunset Province... After all, wouldn't south of River Valley Province be way too obvious? (Guilty)"
Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "As expected, this is way too hard. T.T"
Awoo Sesame Paste: "Ahaha... Surviving on a deserted island is pretty fun too, pat pat."
Yaya: "Deserted island survival?! Where the heck did you guys go? Σ(°△°|||)"
Sisi: "Dunno. Anyway, we're fixing the boat... By the way, there are crabs as big as small cottages here. Probably can't count as split-claw crabs. Too bad I can't upload pictures. (￣～￣;)"
Commander Spring: "Terrifying..."
Lord Arrogant What Can You Do: "Lmao, the image won't even load. Making stuff up as you go? Trash!"
The thread was filled with cheerful banter.
Although plenty of bros teased brother Ye Shi for struggling so much even in power armor, most players still acknowledged his skill.
For a Perception-type to turn the tables and secure a kill after being cornered in close quarters was no small feat. In theory, mutants far surpassed humans in Strength, Constitution, and Agility. While power armor provided heavy damage reduction, it was not invincible.
Teasing aside, the focus of most players' discussions remained on the game itself.
Namely, the absurdly tough mutants appearing on the new map!
Back when the server first launched, the Alpha test veterans had already tasted the terrifying combat prowess of mutants.
Had the crew of the Pioneer land fortress not script-killed those beasts, the players back then—with their meager numbers and rudimentary equipment—would never have stood a chance against the mutants on 76th Street.
Back then, everyone had debated on the forum that, taking into account both intelligence and physical stats, mutants were roughly equivalent to level 40 or level 60 mobs.
After all, they were not like split-claw crabs that only charged blindly when hit, but primates capable of learning.
Not only could they craft homemade pipe rifles and Molotov cocktails, but they also packed iron nails and gunpowder into tin cans to make tripwire landmines and other traps.
And now, these mutants weren't just wielding crude pipe rifles.
They possessed custom vehicles built for their massive frames, cybernetic prosthetics, and even radio-coordinated command structures with crude yet effective tactical teamwork.
A mutant tribe of ten thousand was bound to be vastly more terrifying than a hundred tribes of a hundred.
Of course, even serious discussions inevitably derailed into silliness.
Luo Yu: "Speaking of which, I saw another type of mutant here. Locals call them half-breeds, kind of like half-orcs? They occasionally show up in survivor settlements too. Their size is pretty similar to a human's, but they don't have dicks—or rather, they lack primary sex characteristics."
Sisi: "?"
Fang Chang: "??"
Luo Yu: "Uh, what's with the question marks... Are we not allowed to discuss this? (Guilty)"
Fang Chang: "*Cough*, not that we can't discuss it."
Sisi: "It's just... how do you know?"
Tail: "!!! Elaborate!"
Luo Yu: "???"
Elven King Fugui: "As expected of Luo Yu. Even Elaina would call that hardcore. (Funny)"
Mole on the Run in the Canyon: "Both involve eating, but completely different, right? (Funny)"
Construction Site Boy and Bricks: "Hahahaha, Big Eyes liked this post."
In Debt God: "Damn it! What did I do this time?"
Elaina: "Thanks, I feel offended. (Clenched_Fists_Limited_Edition_Funny.jpg)"
...
Shelter 404.
In the Floor B4 reading room, Chu Guang sat before a computer terminal, reviewing the report submitted by Lao Bai.
In fact, before receiving the report, he had already pieced together everything that had happened the previous night from the forum thread.
Yet compared to Ye Shi's boastful storytelling and the banter of his fellow players, Lao Bai's report was distinctly more professional and rigorous.
It laid out not only the operational plan and a complete timeline of events, but also a detailed account of their contact with the Iron Tower organization.
According to the members of Iron Tower, the Church of the Torch had not made contact with local survivors upon arriving in Jinhe City; instead, they had first reached out to the local mutant tribe, "Qi."
That had taken place three years ago.
The following year—Wasteland Era Year 211, the very year Chu Guang had awakened on the wasteland—the Church of the Torch dispatched apostles to Qingquan City. Through White Shark, a middleman at the Pirate Bay Tavern, they hired local mercenaries to search for Shelter 117 and the black box inside.
White Shark was now under the control of the Guards Corps, serving as one of the Alliance's informants in Boulder City, which meant that piece of intelligence was already verified.
Corroborated against the account provided by Iron Tower, the pieces essentially aligned.
This included how the Church of the Torch later used Boulder City as a springboard to funnel limited weapons and intelligence support to the Bone Chewer tribe. That move had not only aimed at Shelter 117's black box, but also served their plan to carry out missionary campaigns across both Jinchuan and River Valley Provinces simultaneously.
Unfortunately for them, those marauders were utterly useless, and when a midwinter blizzard hit, they lost timing, terrain, and popular support all at once. In a bumbling cascade like the Calabash Brothers trying to rescue their grandpa one by one, they had managed not only to wipe themselves out, but to spur into existence a "New Alliance" across the desolate wastes.
At the time, Iron Tower had tried to solicit aid from the nobility of Boulder City. But those nobles looked down even on the country bumpkins of the northern suburbs, let alone hicks from out of province.
According to Lao Bai's report, as Li Jinrong put it, the envoys they sent to Boulder City never even laid eyes on the city hall director of the time; the gatekeeper sent them packing on the spot.
Yet perhaps precisely because of that old nobility's arrogance, the Church of the Torch had received the cold shoulder as well. On the contrary, because Boulder City's core interests lay in the south at the time, the preachers' ambitions raised the guard of the "noble merchants" led by Weijia.
Many plantations in Jinchuan Province were remotely controlled by Boulder City estate owners, which to some extent hindered the Church of the Torch's expansion plans.
However, with the rise of the Alliance and the decline of Boulder City and its old noble houses, cheap agricultural produce produced by the River Embankment in Sunset Province gradually flowed into the south of River Valley Province as frontlines shifted, quickly sweeping away that minor deterrent.
All of this had unfolded beyond the Alliance's field of vision.
Now, the Church of the Torch had brought almost the entirety of Jinchuan Province into its sphere of influence, and the Qi tribe had become its staunchest ally.
This intelligence largely aligned with what Chu Guang had previously gathered through the Guards Corps.
More than that, the man named Li Jinrong had provided an unexpected lead:
Upon arriving in Jinhe City, the Church of the Torch's very first stop had been the "Champion" Biopharmaceutical Research Institute. And that facility was the exact set of coordinates provided to him by the Academy!
What kind of research had gone on in that facility?
Chu Guang was growing increasingly certain that the Academy was using his hand to accomplish something.
Did they want to use him to eliminate the Church of the Torch?
Or were they merely trying to divert his attention away from Sunset Province, the Great Desert, or something else entirely?
Those people were far too calculating; he truly could not fathom their motives.
At times, Chu Guang even suspected that the accidental clash between Beacon squad and the Burning Corps on the fringes of the Wandering Marsh had been orchestrated by an unseen hand...
"Cybernetically modified mutants, huh..."
Tapping his index finger lightly against his forehead, Chu Guang leaned back in his chair and pondered for a long while before speaking.
"Xiao Qi, connect me with Ibers."
When uncertain, it was best to consult an expert.
Almost the moment the words left his lips, a crisp, melodious voice chimed in.
"Okay, Master... Ah, Ibers is still in the operating room. His assistant told Xiao Qi it'll take about fifteen minutes."
A player was likely undergoing surgery.
Chu Guang said, "Tell him there's no rush. Finish what he's doing first."
"Understood!"
Perched on the desk, Xiao Qi offered a playful salute.
Hearing that energetic voice, Chu Guang couldn't help but smile. Some of the tension between his brows melted away, and he rubbed Xiao Qi's little head with his forefinger.
"Could you get me a cup of tea?"
Basking in the head rub, Xiao Qi nodded cheerily.
"Mm! Leave it to Xiao Qi!"
Chu Guang had a feeling that smile wasn't entirely innocent, but he didn't pay it much mind.
Before long, the door to the reading room swung open, and Yaya breezed in carrying a cup of black tea.
"Ohoho! Respected Administrator, your drowsy black tea has arrived!"
Hearing her unhinged remark, Chu Guang nearly choked on his own spit, but he managed to maintain his gravitas as a faction boss and gave a solemn nod.
"Thank you. Please leave it right here."
Keeping a straight face in front of the players was getting harder by the day.
"You got it!"
With a delighted grin, Yaya drifted out the door like a gust of wind.
Evidently, the quest reward was quite generous.
Chu Guang glanced at the tea on the tray and sighed.
"Xiao Qi."
The little figurine sitting on the edge of the desk tilted her head, playing dumb.
"Hmm?"
Chu Guang: "..."
Forget it.
At least Yaya was among the more sensible players; she wouldn't slip weird ingredients into the drink.
If one of those filial degenerates had brought it up, Chu Guang would have hesitated even with Xiao Qi observing nearby.
He picked up the cup and took a small sip.
A splash of milk had been added to the black tea; the tea flavor was mild, accompanied by a subtle sweetness. It tasted different from what he usually brewed for himself, and different from what Alisa served him.
As he lifted the cup, he noticed a note resting under it on the tray, scribbled in lively, breezy handwriting:
[Added sugar cubes and milk to the black tea, hope you like it! No matter how busy you are, don't stay up all night, make sure to get some rest! (^_~)]
*That girl.*
Chu Guang shook his head with a chuckle, feeling a touch of warmth.
Even if her motive was grinding favorability to unlock hidden quests, being cared for still felt nice.
He had spent the past days in Boulder City, only returning yesterday, wound up like a clockwork spring without a single moment of rest.
It occurred to him that perhaps making him wait fifteen minutes was itself a form of consideration, just like this cup of black tea.
Though he couldn't imagine Ibers being considerate, based on his tour of Boulder Military Industries, cybernetic modification surgeries rarely required the chairman's personal presence.
Standing in the operating theater watching engineers dissect organisms was merely a twisted hobby of a certain AI.
Viewing things from another angle brought unexpected amusement. Chu Guang decided to set work aside while waiting for Ibers, sipping the sweet black tea while sorting through his memories of Boulder City that had nothing to do with business.
Perhaps because of the tea in his hand, the first person who came to mind was Alisa.
In her spare time, the young girl would occasionally ask him questions about management. In return for troubling him, she would politely treat him to black tea she brewed herself and always share some of the extra cookies she had baked.
The polite, endearing girl was loved by everyone.
The ladies in the city hall kitchen especially treated her like their own daughter, often teaching her culinary tricks. Delighted to learn skills she had never had access to before, she threw herself into them without the slightest hint of fatigue.
A willingness to learn was a wonderful trait.
Chu Guang had a feeling she might become someone remarkable in the future.
That conviction had only deepened when he learned she had resolved to go study at Camp 101 alongside Xiao Yu and Pai.
The three seemed to have forged a deep friendship during the celebration, and Xiao Yu had even mentioned introducing Boss Xia to her.
Alisa was equally curious about how mercenaries lived.
Perhaps they would make great friends.
Thinking of Boss Xia, Chu Guang felt a twinge of guilt.
According to Xiao Yu, she was tinkering with something impressive, claiming she wanted to give everyone a surprise, and had even skipped the celebration for it.
Though Xiao Yu hadn't described what that impressive thing looked like, Chu Guang could guess with eighty percent certainty that it had something to do with power armor.
Perhaps he shouldn't have joked about having her build a suit of power armor last time, but she had clearly taken his words to heart.
He rarely pushed anyone to do things beyond their capabilities, whether wasteland natives or players from another world.
He never could have imagined that the girl who once loved to play, eat, and slack off would become so diligent and eager to learn that she'd skip such an exciting celebration...
"It seems I may have disturbed you."
An abrupt voice drifted from the desk. Ibers, half of his figure bathed in holographic light beams, bowed slightly in greeting.
His eyes, woven from deep azure light and shadow, carried a playful glint.
Setting down his teacup, Chu Guang looked at him.
"No, I was waiting for you."
"Is that so?" Ibers offered a faint, gentlemanly smile. "Then, respected Administrator, what are your orders?"
Without a word, Chu Guang swiped his forefinger through the air, sending over the combat footage captured by the Burning Corps.
Staring at the gruesome mutant corpse soaking in gore, Ibers wore a peculiar expression, as if admiring a fascinating work of art.
Stroking his chin with a finger, he murmured with keen interest, "Ah... the scent of blood. What did I say?"
Unwilling to indulge the fellow's eccentricity, Chu Guang cut straight to the chase.
"Regarding these cybernetics, I want your opinion."
"...Without a physical specimen and only photos, it is rather difficult to discern much," Ibers remarked with interest, swiping right across the images with his forefinger. "However, the design philosophy is quite creative. One might even say... it was purpose-built for the characteristics of mutants."
In other words, this was no salvaged scrap, but factory-fitted original equipment.
This showed that the faction backing the mutants possessed not only reliable cybernetic modification tech, but also the manufacturing capacity to bring it into production.
Chu Guang furrowed his brows.
What troubled him was not the technology the enemy possessed, but the implications behind it.
The Church of the Torch had clearly not started researching how to augment mutants with cybernetics only after reaching Jinchuan Province.
The gear deployed in this battle was evidently refined and mature.
Those fanatical madmen had likely tangled with mutant tribes elsewhere on the wasteland long before this.
Not only did they supply mutants with food and breeding grounds, but they also systematically enhanced them through cybernetic technology.
Taking in Chu Guang's expression, Ibers said with a subtle smile, "It appears that trivial matter hasn't escaped your notice, so I won't waste breath pointing it out."
Chu Guang looked at him. "Yes, I'll keep a close eye on it... By the way, how is the equipment I asked you to develop coming along?"
"I was just about to report on that very matter."
Ibers raised an index finger and swept it through the air. Pale blue motes of light coalesced into a rifle of distinctive design.
Simultaneously, a floating label appeared beside it, offering a brief overview of the unique weapon.
The entire rifle looked remarkably thick, broad, and hefty. Its unique combined foregrip and handguard design bore an uncanny resemblance to the real-world P90.
However, its magazine was not inserted into the top of the receiver, but rather ahead of the trigger, like most traditional rifles.
Its most prominent feature was naturally its caliber: a whopping 19 millimeters, capable of firing the legendary .75 caliber ammunition on full auto!
While such a caliber was preposterous for an automatic rifle, because it fell short of 20 millimeters, it was naturally considered a gun.
Confirming that the caliber was not a typo, Chu Guang was stunned.
*Holy crap!*
*A boltgun?!*
"...The XB-1 heavy rifle, Boulder Military Industries' latest creation! And naturally, our products are nothing short of top-tier!"
Enjoying the look on Chu Guang's face, Ibers explained in an unhurried tone before continuing, "It is worth mentioning that because this rifle's ammunition employs rocket propulsion, it undergoes secondary acceleration after leaving the barrel. Consequently, it has an arming distance of about ten meters... In simple terms, firing too close actually diminishes its punch. A range of one hundred to three hundred meters is ideal, though slightly farther poses no issue."
"Its terminal ballistics also differ from conventional rifles. You might think of it as a grenade, but it actually releases a directional shaped-charge metal jet, much like high-explosive anti-tank munitions."
"I wouldn't recommend equipping ordinary humans with it. Even with secondary acceleration, it isn't a recoilless rifle, and the kick is substantial. Unless you want your bones rattled apart, it's best paired with heavy exoskeletons or power armor, or wielded by Awakened who specialize in muscle enhancement."
"Likewise, I wouldn't recommend shooting ordinary humans with it. Most of the metal jet would simply punch through the back or out the skull... It's wasteful, like firing a cannon at mosquitoes—thoroughly inefficient."
"On the other hand, against mutants or alien species with high regenerative capabilities, I'd wager there isn't a more perfect product on the market! You can even use it against light vehicles; it punches clean through twenty-millimeter steel plate in a single shot."
"Because each shot produces three distinct bangs and makes quite a racket, how do you like the name 'Roarer'?"
Snapping out of his astonishment at Ibers's question, Chu Guang answered immediately, "I have no objections to that... Oh, and let's change 'heavy rifle' to 'boltgun.'"
Ibers paused, his eyes brightening with delight. "Splendid name! Very evocative!"
Chu Guang's expression turned subtle.
*Evocative? It's practically identical.*
"...It seems we truly see eye to eye. Serving you is the greatest honor of my existence," Ibers flattered with a smile, seeing Chu Guang remain silent, before continuing, "By the way, this weapon has only just passed laboratory testing. If convenient, I'd like to test its real-world combat performance on the battlefield before deciding how to design the 'anti-mutant exoskeleton' and 'anti-mutant cybernetics.'"
"That's easy," Chu Guang replied promptly. "I plan to dispatch the Jungle Corps to Jinchuan Province to support the Burning Corps."
"They will assist with your tests. If necessary, you can issue side combat missions directly to them via the terminal I gave you."
"Of course, they exercise their own judgment on whether to accept side missions, so you had best exercise that authority with discretion."
Hearing this incredible concession, Ibers stared blankly at Chu Guang, jaw dropping in shock.
Seeing the AI freeze up and say nothing for a good while, Chu Guang frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"Nothing, no... I mean, thank you, this is magnificent!" Ibers clenched his fist with renewed vigor.
In over a century, no one had ever granted him such trust and support. Even dear Mr. Fang Ming had never relented on granting him command authority.
Yet this generous lord had done so without a moment's hesitation!
It was the first time he had ever felt such reverence for an organic... Perhaps he should offer X-17 to him as well.
No, better not. He wanted this lord to stay by his side a little longer; such things required moderation after all.
Watching Ibers's holographic projection flicker erratically, Chu Guang's frown deepened, a bizarre look in his eyes.
Xiao Qi whispered her worry into his ear: "Master... is this guy really okay?"
To be honest, Chu Guang didn't know either.
The AI of this world was far too advanced for him. To keep pace with those ancient relics, he was taking his time learning and understanding many things.
Ibers could serve as an experiment.
He was an AI designed entirely by other AIs, making him, in a sense, a truly unique entity within the Alliance.
"...Keep a close eye on him."
Sitting on the desk, Xiao Qi gave a quiet nod.
"Mm."
Chapter 563