Informal Update

On the official website of Wasteland Online: [Informal Update: To solve the problem of everyone reaching the Beta version without decent clothes to wear, Boss Xia, after nearly a year of secluded cultivation, has finally unleashed her ultimate move! She has designed a brand-new, easy-to-produce set of power armor for everyone! This power armor will no longer be limited in quantity or quota. Anyone who reaches the contribution rank of "Apprentice Knight" will be able to purchase it! We are now collecting code names for the armor. Everyone is welcome to cast their votes enthusiastically!] [Attachment 1: Voting Link] [Attachment 2: (Image) (Image) (Image)] Tail: "Giao! Power armor!!" Mole: "A heavy steel shell, streamlined armor curves—it's like an iron colossus! Especially that limb design where strength and agility coexist, it looks more like a ring champion than the 'Champion' itself! *Gasp*—my DNA is stirring!" Jieyan: "Holy crap, badass!" Ye Shi: "You just summarized Brother Mole's entire flattering speech in one sentence. How's he supposed to keep flexing? (Funny face)" Kuang Feng: "(Smirk)" Elaina: "I'm casting one vote for 'Raven.' (Funny face)" Elven King Fugui: "Mk.VI, is it? Fast forward to the Horus Heresy, with the Administrator going on an absolute rampage. (Funny face)" Commander Spring: "Why not just call it 'Storm'? It's a pretty good name. Yep." Brother Edge: "Piss off! Why not call it 'Death'?" Mole: "*Cough*, that damn name of yours is way too unlucky. Let's call it 'Skeleton' instead." Brother Edge: "??? And your damn name is lucky?" Silver Dad: "Quiet down, everyone! Everyone quiet down first! Listen to me! Let's compromise—how about 'Silver'?" Silver Sword: "Piss off! That name is absolute trash." Silver Hand: "+1, not even a dog would pick such garbage." Silver Dad: "Damn it!" Maka Bazi: "Hahahaha!" Wo Xiang Jingjing: "? Did someone just call me?" Sisi: "Mm, on a serious note, how about 'Magma'?" Tail: "!!! Sounds weird. Why not call it Big Bear? (///ω///)" Tengteng: "...?" Sisi: "Eee, as expected of Tail. Before we even realize what's happening, the wheels have already rolled right over our faces. (╯▽╰)" Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "What are you guys talking about? Why can't I understand at all? QAQ" Sesame Paste: "Ah haha... haha..." Jiujiu Loves Pineapples: "Why not just call it Tin Can? It looks an awful lot like a tin can!" Yaya: "Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel like it looks kind of like a mushroom. 0.0" WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Motherfucker! I'm shivering with rage! This thing only has one more nuclear fusion core than what I designed! Why isn't anyone looking at me?! (Angry)" Luo Yu: "Are you sure the thing you designed is only missing a fusion core???" Stop Bullshitting: "I can testify, it's not missing that at all. What it's missing is a Strength-type beast of burden. (Funny face)" Maka Bazi: "Hahahaha!" ... In Xizhou City, a heavily guarded workshop stood on the outskirts of Camp 101. Unlike other nearby facilities steeped in an academic atmosphere, this workshop not only had its perimeter walls draped in coils of barbed wire, but surveillance also covered every single inch of soil leading toward the central building without a blind spot. Yet in sharp contrast to the airtight security outside, the layout inside the workshop was remarkably casual, almost sloppy. Over a dozen discarded shipping containers were scattered haphazardly across an open area roughly half the size of a soccer field. Rusted scaffolding and cable winches hung from the three-story-high ceiling. From time to time, loud bangs rang out alongside dazzling bursts of sparks. This was not because the factory was assembling anything, but because two suits of power armor, armed to the teeth and with shoulder pauldrons painted blue and red respectively, were locked in a fierce firefight. That thick steel shell, the streamlined curves of the plating, and a compact design balancing both a sense of power and speed! It was none other than the brand-new gear from this "Informal Update"— Code name "DLZJ-1"! Fawai Kuangtu: "Oooooh! Die!" I'm in Charge of Dying First: "Da-da-da! Fuck, trying to take me down? You're still too green, punk!" Tracers of concentrated rifle fire whipped back and forth between the covers, carving thumb-thick bullet holes into the shipping containers. Yet when they struck the chest plates of the power armor, they left only fingernail-sized scratches. Even an entire magazine of ordinary 7mm rifle ammunition could hardly penetrate the defenses of power armor. It would require sustained fire from at least 7mm full-power rounds or a 12mm heavy machine gun to accumulate enough metal fatigue. However, the two combatants could only be described as evenly matched. To put it charitably, each had their own method. To put it bluntly, it was two noobs pecking at each other. Both sides had rattled off thousands of rounds against one another, yet the turtle shells were simply too thick for either to gain the upper hand. In a sense, although their performance in battle lacked polish, it demonstrated from another angle the superior protective capabilities of the new equipment. Even soldiers donning this model of power armor for the very first time could rely on the comprehensive protection it offered to take an hour-long bath under a hail of bullets. However, with the experiment dragging on for so long, the ammunition consumed was already running over budget. The person in charge of testing the equipment soon ordered the start of the final phase. A pop-up reading [Supplies Refreshed] flashed across the holographic visors of the red and blue helmets simultaneously. At the same time, several marked waypoints popped up on their tactical maps. Just then, crates labeled with weapon markings detached from the cable hooks and dropped down from the ceiling racks. Without a shred of hesitation, I'm in Charge of Dying First immediately lunged toward the nearest supply crate and smashed open the latch with a single punch. Seeing the large-caliber bolter resting inside the crate, ecstatic joy surfaced on his face, and he reached out to snatch it up. "Hahaha! Little Fa, don't blame your daddy for not holding back! Open wide and taste this!" Spotting the weapon in his hands, Fawai Kuangtu, who was still holding an assault rifle, was stunned. "Holy crap?! Are you for real?!" I'm in Charge of Dying First grinned savagely and pulled the trigger. "Die!" A thick, long tongue of flame erupted from the muzzle. Streaks of flashing tracers slithered like frenzied serpents, scaring Fawai Kuangtu into scrambling wildly to the side. When a 19mm armor-piercing round hit a target, it did not leave just a small hole behind; the erupting sparks boiled and splattered like molten iron on an anvil. I'm in Charge of Dying First clamped his finger down on the trigger and emptied the entire magazine, though unfortunately, only a single shot from that burst found its mark. Struck in the chest, Fawai Kuangtu let out a pained yell, but he quickly realized he was still alive. The metal jet unleashed by the armor-piercing round had pierced through the first layer of armor without suspense, leaving a fractured crater in the breastplate. However, after crossing the gap behind the first layer and surging toward the second, the metal jet had almost all of its energy dissipated. Although bolt rounds operated on the same principle as armor-piercing rounds, they ultimately could not match the caliber of RPGs or recoilless rifle shells. Their metal jets were fine for puncturing the sheet metal of armored vehicles or the chests of mutants, but dealing with power armor depended entirely on which part was hit. And the defenses of the chest plate were indisputably the strongest! Fawai Kuangtu was instantly blown away by both the gear on his body and the bogus black tech cooked up by Wasteland Online. *Damn.* *The chest plate on this individual armor was actually made into spaced armor!* *If this kind of protection existed in reality, it'd practically be a human-shaped Gundam!* Recovering from the shock of the armor-piercing round, Fawai Kuangtu scrambled up from the ground with a string of curses and grabbed the rocket launcher he had scavenged from a supply crate amidst the chaos. A sci-fi holographic sight was mounted on the streamlined tube. Locking onto his target swiftly, he soon heard a beep ring through his headset. "Motherfucker! You actually brought out a bolter, so don't blame your brother for being ruthless!" Seeing that thick, long rocket launcher, I'm in Charge of Dying First, who was in the middle of reloading, froze in shock. "Holy shit! A Pigeon missile?! Wait—" "Wait my ass! Die!" Fawai Kuangtu pulled the trigger with a feral grin. A plume of white exhaust flared out, tracing a meteor-like trail through the narrow workshop. This thing was nothing like the sluggish missiles shown in movies; it arrived in front of I'm in Charge of Dying First in the blink of an eye. If he had been an Agility-type, he might have had a chance to dodge. Unfortunately, he was an Endurance-type player with no specialty other than taking a beating. The blinding flash of the explosion instantly obscured his vision. The searing shockwave blew him off his feet with ease, slamming him violently against a container several meters behind him. Alarms blared in his ears and flashed before his eyes simultaneously. [Warning! Severe armor damage! Power, internal circulation, and health monitoring systems paralyzed. Incapacitated for continued combat.] Seeing that line of red text, I'm in Charge of Dying First, bleeding from the mouth, grew frantic. Cursing, he fumbled for the [Emergency Ejection] switch. "Shut up! I can still fight!" Yet the switch was locked tight. He could not crawl out of the power armor at all. The battlefield analysis program seemed to have finalized its verdict, concluding that he had lost all combat capability. Immediately afterward, another holographic window popped up on his tactical visor. [Match Concluded. Red Team Victorious.] [Winner ID: Fawai Kuangtu] The same text was projected before Fawai Kuangtu's eyes. Even without a single spectator around, he hoisted the rocket launcher in his hands with boundless joy, letting out a victory cheer. "Awoooo!" At the same time, a series of pop-up windows appeared on his VM. [Mission Completed!] [Rewards: 50 silver coins, 50 contribution points.] [Winner's Bonus Reward: 50 silver coins] Looking at the rewards that had already cleared into his account, a satisfied smile spread across Fawai Kuangtu's face, his heart sweet with delight. This mission was so damn awesome! Not only did he get early access to a new piece of gear worth a million silver coins and have a "thrilling" showdown with his good brother on the training grounds, but he also walked away with silver coins and contribution points! Sure enough. Sucking up to the Administrator every now and then to farm favorability really paid off! At the same time, in the observation deck adjacent to the workshop, a flock of engineers and technicians were busy compiling the test data. Several engineers from Boulder Arms stood together, conversing in low voices. "The protective capabilities of this armor are still very impressive... Its overall performance meets the baseline standard for power armor." "Mobility is slightly lacking, though." "That might be due to the lack of a battlefield guidance system... This places higher demands on an individual soldier's capabilities than wartime models like the 'Dragoon' or 'Champion.'" "The user exhibited an emotional reaction during combat... It's suspected that this equipment may induce excessive mental excitement in the wearer." "We can include that in the report, but it still requires further observation... After all, those guys act like that when testing other weapons, too." "Incredible... The Alliance actually has an engineer capable of designing power armor?" "I heard the designer is a resident of Boulder City." "Impossible! I've never heard of such a person! Even Boulder Arms doesn't have a power armor production line! We only have a single maintenance line left!" "Regardless... this truly is astonishing." Strictly speaking, Camp 101 did not actually possess any true specialists in the field of "power armor." What they had was merely a series of technologies ranging from holographic imaging to carbon-based chips, high-sensitivity motors, and composite armor materials. They were like puzzle pieces. Stored individually on hard drives, they were just inert data; assembled together, they formed a brand-new piece of equipment. In reality, Xia Yan, who had designed this armor, had not pioneered any new technology. Drawing mostly from her understanding of weapons and the wasteland's battlefield environment, as well as her absorption of new knowledge, she had pieced these scattered bits of data together like a puzzle. What she utilized included data preserved within Shelter 101 as well as technologies retrieved by the Scientific Expedition from the corpses of evolved organisms recovered by the players. The weapons engineers from Boulder Arms marveled at the superb craftsmanship of the Alliance's engineers, but this was not a miracle achieved by any single individual. Rather, it was the product of a "scavenging system" covering every aspect from technical recovery to technical classification and reuse. In this system with its clear division of labor, only a minimal baseline requirement was placed on individual capability, and any single person's work was modest. Though at the same time, it was indispensable... Looking at Xia Yan, who stood with her arms crossed, looking anxious and unconsciously biting her thumbnail with her right fist resting against her lips, Chu Guang could not help curling his lips into an amused smile, offering her a soft word of encouragement. "Have some confidence. This is the fruit of your hard work." Noticing his gaze from the side, Xia Yan's cheeks flushed involuntarily. "I feel like the blast resistance still needs to be reinforced... It was like this during earlier tests, too. Even though I used spaced armor, the performance against armor-piercing rounds is still far from ideal." Chu Guang chuckled teasingly. "That was a Pigeon missile after all, strong enough to take out a tank. If you could stop it that easily, Boulder Arms might as well go bankrupt on the spot." "I know..." Xia Yan muttered, her eyes glued to the screen as she murmured to herself, "Maybe I'm just being greedy... I just feel a bit unsatisfied." Looking at her stubborn expression, Chu Guang remained silent, though he could not help feeling a bit of tenderness for her. Evidently, she had poured a tremendous amount of effort into this equipment, so much so that Boss Xia, who was usually so carefree and boisterous, was now showing a rare display of anxious hesitation. However, he was not an expert in this field and could offer no professional assistance. Yet at that moment, an idea suddenly struck Chu Guang, reminding him of the "explosive design" Mosquito had recently cooked up for his "Type-II Unpowered Armor." Seizing upon that fleeting spark of inspiration, he blurted out subconsciously, "...How about adding an active defense mechanism? Like reactive armor, for instance." Hearing this, Xia Yan froze. "Reactive armor?" "Yeah!" Spurred by the thought, Chu Guang nodded, gesturing with his index finger as he briefly explained the concept to her. "Simply put, it actively detonates when an enemy warhead approaches. For example... using infrared or electromagnetic sensors to detect an incoming rocket or missile, it triggers a reactive module mounted on the outer shell, releasing directional fragments to destroy it." This defensive approach was very common on modern tanks, second only to low-cost slat armor, yet it was exceedingly rare among the equipment of the Human Alliance Army. The reason was simple: once the Human Alliance entered the Era of Prosperity, virtually all military conflicts on Earth had come to an end, and conflicts beyond Earth had not even shown a spark. During that unprecedented golden age, human civilization focused nearly all its creativity and productivity on exploring new frontiers and lifestyles. Weapons, on the other hand, had to evolve through the back-and-forth contest between offense and defense; they could not appear out of thin air without demand. Naturally, related research ground to a halt. From the power armor that traversed the ground to the starships that sailed the skies, almost everything had been completed in the brief window right before the Three Years' War erupted. As the hypothetical and actual enemy, the colonial rebels relied primarily on biotechnology. Naturally, the Human Alliance had no need to mount redundant "anti-Munroe effect" armor onto its tanks and individual armor. Therefore, whether it was the "Champion" or the "Dragoon," their all-around armor was designed primarily against conventional munitions fired from light weapons, the venom, toxic gas, spines, phalanxes, and fangs of alien species, and nuclear weapons deployed by their own side. The defensive capability of such individual armor was indisputably formidable, but it was not entirely suited to the extremely chaotic wasteland, where even a marauder might pull out a tactical nuclear warhead. The Enterprise probably had the greatest say on this matter. Although the Panzerfaust rocket launchers mass-deployed by the Legion were not exceptionally powerful, they still posed a significant threat to the Enterprise's power armor. Paired with low-cost clone troops, they had nearly caused the heavily equipped defense forces of the Pioneer to capsize. A major reason was that power armor had simply never been designed to counter "outdated weapons" like shaped-charge armor-piercing rounds. To adapt to warfare on the wasteland, the Alliance needed to inject some new military concepts into ancient power armor. Of course, mounting reactive armor on power armor was just a spontaneous brainstorm on Chu Guang's part, mainly intended as a substitute for portable deflector shields that they had no means of manufacturing. Whether it was actually feasible still required rigorous experimental validation. Judging by the contemplative look on Xia Yan's face, however, Chu Guang felt that this line of thought had some practical value. "Hmm... It seems worth a shot, but there's no precedent for this kind of design. I'm not sure how well it'll work." Seeing Xia Yan still hesitating and wavering, Chu Guang smiled faintly and spoke in a patient tone. "Be bold and try it. The problems we are facing right now were never conceived by people two centuries ago; you can't rely entirely on reference books for answers." "We need to recover the wisdom of the old era from the ruins, but it shouldn't be our only option. When you have free time, I suggest looking for inspiration over at 'Goblin Tech.' That guy Mosquito may have wild ideas, but he actually spots the problems and thinks about how to solve them." "Alright, alright, I get it. I'll test it out later..." Dropping her crossed arms, the relieved Xia Yan stretched her back. Having voiced those words, she had regained her spirits. Yet for some reason, just after perking up, she suddenly looked aside and muttered peevishly under her breath, "By the way, could you not do that... always talking to me like an elder? You're not my dad." Although she didn't dislike his gentle encouragement—and even found herself rather liking it—every time he spoke like that, she came away with the lingering feeling that she was being treated like a child. She couldn't explain why. She just didn't care for it. Seeing Xia Yan suddenly turning moody, Chu Guang realized at once that his tone had indeed been a bit too earnest and paternal. Perhaps because his workplace and living quarters overlapped so heavily, he occasionally brought his work persona into his personal life without realizing it. Doing that with someone he was close to was indeed not great. Still, seeing this rare, endearing side of Boss Xia, Chu Guang couldn't resist teasing her. "I didn't realize that's how you saw me." "Wh-What stupid nonsense are you saying?! Who the hell sees you like that!" Her face flushed bright red like a lantern. Xia Yan glared fiercely at him, baring her teeth as if she wanted nothing more than to pounce and take a bite out of him. Chu Guang had not expected a playful comeback to elicit such an intense reaction from Boss Xia, and his expression turned slightly strange. In the group chat, he traded father-son banter with his bros all the time. Back then, everyone mostly laughed and cursed, shouting "I'm your daddy." Nowadays, they straight up called him "Daddy, Daddy" whenever they caught him, and their sheer enthusiasm made him embarrassed to show his face in the chat. Generally speaking, nobody took jokes detached from reality seriously—unless there was a tiny sliver of truth to it. *Could this girl...* *Actually have taken it seriously?* To change the subject, Chu Guang cleared his throat softly. "...Right, have you thought of a name for this power armor yet?" Evidently realizing that her reaction had been somewhat odd, Xia Yan coughed as well, hastily changing the subject. "Doesn't it already have a designation... that DLZJ-1?" Chu Guang chuckled. "That's just a weapon serial number. Power armors from the Human Alliance era all had code names that rolled off the tongue much easier. Why don't you give your own creation one too?" Although he had opened a voting thread on the official website, if the designer had a better idea, the designer's opinion would naturally take priority. Xia Yan scratched the back of her head, troubled. Like Chu Guang, she had zero talent for naming things. After pondering for a long while without result, she said impatiently, "What a pain. Let's just call it Daddy." Chu Guang: "..." "*Cough*, I'm kidding." Pursing her lips in deep thought, Xia Yan pondered seriously for a long time. Suddenly her eyes lit up, and she turned to Chu Guang with a beaming smile. "I've got it!" Seeing her radiant expression, Chu Guang felt a sudden twinge of unease and couldn't help warning her, "Don't tell me you're naming it Mommy, Grandpa, or Grandma. Let's keep it normal... Even if it doesn't scare the enemy, at least don't make them burst out laughing." If they really gave it such harmless names, the enemies might literally die of laughter. "What are you talking about? I was thinking seriously! How could I pick a joke name like that?" Xia Yan rolled her eyes at him in exasperation and cleared her throat vigorously, trying to put on a stern face. Yet the upward curve of her lips still betrayed the delight in her heart. It didn't necessarily have to instill dread and fear in the enemy. Its meaning could also be to bring solid, powerful hope to their fellow people. That was also a path to victory. And it was also the hope she, as its "mother," bestowed upon it. "Let's call it... 'Xiaguang'!"