Tail: "Giao!! Beta 0.6!! ∑(°Д°ノ)ノ"
Sisi: "The last update feels like a lifetime ago! (shocked)"
Drum Hair Washer: "The sun must've risen in the west. When did Brother Guang get this hardworking?"
Jieyan: "Brother Guang is an absolute god!"
In Debt God: "Holy crap! Intelligence-type players just got an epic buff!! (pleasantly surprised)"
Spare the Blade: "Begging on my knees for a Strength-type buff."
Kakarot: "+1. The former darling of the meta is practically being swept into the trash heap of history. T.T"
Commander Spring: "Damn it! Do you know how long we Intelligence types have been bottom of the barrel? Is there anything wrong with getting just a tiny buff? Not a damn thing!"
Kakarot: "You call that a tiny buff?! (enraged)"
Before the beta versions, the Strength-type had won the favor of countless beginners thanks to its overwhelming early-game combat capability and straightforward sequence advancement.
Out of every ten novices, at least five chose Strength-type.
Yet ever since the mass production of KV-series exoskeletons, the early-game advantage of the Strength-type had steadily shrunk, and technological progress continually eroded its late-game edge.
Meanwhile, the Intelligence-type—once the laughingstock of the meta—had received buff after buff across successive updates. In particular, after the Alliance incorporated Boulder Military Industries and mastered the ability to manufacture its own cybernetic prosthetics, the Intelligence-type had firmly cemented its position as the favored class of the current version!
For other classes, the more cybernetic parts they swapped in, the harsher the debuff applied to their experience gain. For the Intelligence-type, however, as long as they didn't install bionic chips, they could cram in as many cybernetic prosthetics as they liked without hurting their exp yield in the slightest. In fact, frequent mental exertion passively boosted their experience gain!
Because of this, players on the forum had been continuously tagging Ah Guang since Beta 0.5, demanding a nerf to the Intelligence-type.
Yet beyond everyone's wildest expectations, this update not only failed to nerf the Intelligence-type, but it even gave these devious schemers another buff!
While the Strength-type and Intelligence-type players were trading vicious barbs, an unlucky fellow joined the chorus of lamentations.
Scavenger: "Crying my eyes out. When is Brother Guang gonna buff mutant players?! T.T"
Ye Shi: "Scavenger glanced at his stat panel and realized he's probably never hitting 10 points of Intelligence in this lifetime. (funny)"
Yaya: "Hahahahaha! So weak! Even I have 10 Intelligence now! o(＊≧▽≦)ツ"
Scavenger: "%￥#@!"
Fang Chang: "It's fine, bro. Innate stats are only one part of the equation. Didn't you see the path Brother Guang laid out for you? You can stick RAM sticks into your skull! (sideways grin)"
Mole: "As long as you have enough silver coins, you can achieve mechanical ascension. (funny)"
Kuang Feng: "The poor rely on mutation while the rich rely on technology? (side-eye)"
Brother Edge: "Sigh, this game is too damn realistic."
WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Hehehehehe, raising fruiting bodies, hehehe."
Luo Yu: "...What are you planning? (sweat)"
Elaina: "Brother Mosquito didn't seem to say anything, yet he seemed to say everything. (funny)"
Elven King Fugui: "My heart goes out to Brother Luo Yu. (funny)"
Tengteng: "Your minds are so filthy. Mosquito does proper, decent things once in a while, right Mosquito? You definitely won't lead Yu astray, right?"
While Tengteng was still trying to touch Mosquito's conscience with pure kindness, someone even more restless jumped into the fray.
Tail: "Tail wants to pinch out lots and lots of tails! (＊/ω\＊)"
Sisi: "Are these tails of yours decent? (flustered)"
Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "Sisi, keep driving south. (shivering.jpg)"
Ao'ao Sesame Paste: "Haha... Exploring the edges of the map is fun and all, but if we go any further south, I feel like we'll need to pack a few winter coats. (￣▽￣)"
Tengteng: "My heart aches... for Brother Luo Yu. (。－ω－)"
Luo Yu: "Wait! Can you guys log in? Why the hell can't I log into the game?!"
Fang Chang: "?"
Lao Bai: "What's going on? (shocked)"
Luo Yu: "I have no clue! I was just trying to log on and take a look, but the second I put on the helmet, a respawn cooldown was staring right at me... The thing is, I didn't even die! QAQ"
Mole: "Man, how many bugs do you run into?"
Ye Shi: "Might not be a bug. Maybe you were flexing too hard and Ah Guang secretly gave you the axe. (funny)"
Luo Yu: "Holy shit, surely not! QAQ"
WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Don't worry, bro, I'll take good care of Yu for you. (evil grin)"
Luo Yu: "Where do you live... I'm sending a package straight to your doorstep."
WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Ahem... Calm down, bro, I was just kidding."
Makabazi: "Hahahahaha! I'm dead!"
Perhaps because it had been so long since the last update, the players' enthusiasm for discussion erupted with immense fervor, even though Beta 0.6 didn't introduce massive changes to the core gameplay.
Particularly on the topic of "how to utilize Yu," it wasn't just players with 10 Intelligence who chimed in; even armchair gamers without closed-beta access joined the fray.
Amid the clamor of ideas, all sorts of wild and preposterous notions emerged one after another. Even Chu Guang couldn't help sighing inwardly: if every person had a gaming helmet, there probably wouldn't be enough lampposts in the Alliance to hang them all.
To be frank, Chu Guang had no concrete implementation plan for the newly established ecological reserve on the eastern outskirts of Qingquan City.
That was why he came up with the idea of letting the players tinker with it, asking Yu to make further improvements based on Thea's DNA database while "preserving the autonomous consciousness of the fruiting bodies."
In truth, the biological cybernetics implanted into the players acted like incubation chambers endowed with the properties of "node organisms."
A player with the modified biological prosthetic was essentially a signal processor capable of relaying orders to the fruiting bodies linked to the node organism on Yu's behalf.
It was just like that mutant chieftain equipped with bio-power armor whom the Alliance had encountered in Jinchuan Province.
Backed by the bio-technology of the Church of the Torch, that single mutant had commanded a swarm of tens of thousands of bat-men!
In theory, even without high-tech black boxes, as long as a player's brain possessed sufficient information-processing capacity, leading a hundred-man or even a thousand-man unit would pose little difficulty.
For now, this remained the lowest-risk approach.
Even if an accident occurred, it could easily be resolved under the guise of "server bug compensation," eliminating any worry of inciting public panic over an unrefined technology.
On the other hand, the players' wild brainstorming could also help Yu evolve in directions beneficial to the Alliance's societal development.
Chu Guang placed considerable hopes on this.
Leaving the task of guiding Yu to his dear players for the moment, Chu Guang had another, more urgent matter to attend to personally.
Early the morning after the Tide ended, Chu Guang opened his eyes before even sitting up in bed, and a pale blue pop-up window immediately entered his vision.
[Hidden Quest Complete!]
[Description: The morphogenetic field device detected that the downtown broodmother has merged into the network. Abnormal clone (Player ID: Luo Yu) confirmed lost. The incubation pod is generating a new clone. "Flag 7" condition triggered.]
[Reward: Floor B7 clearance unlocked, 20,000 gene sequences!]
Floor B7!
Twenty thousand closed-beta slots!
Blessing had struck so abruptly that the instant he saw the pop-up, Chu Guang was so pleasantly surprised he could barely believe his eyes.
Based on past experience, every time a new floor unlocked in Shelter 404, it provided him with an immensely generous hoard of resources.
This not only included cutting-edge equipment desperately needed by the Alliance, but it could very well hold invaluable black boxes!
Although he didn't understand why the shelter system had persistently skipped Floor B5 without unlocking it, he wasn't one to be picky.
Getting anything was already great!
Rolling out of bed in a single bound, Chu Guang immediately instructed Xiao Qi to slip the Floor B7 unlock and the new closed-beta slots into the Beta 0.6 patch notes. Then, pulling on his power armor, he hurried out the door.
A long queue had already formed before the elevator on Floor B1. The small plaza was packed shoulder to shoulder with players.
All of them were waiting to head to Floor B6 for their biological cybernetic modification surgeries, practically itching to experience the new gameplay mechanics of Beta 0.6!
"Bro, figured out what kind of fruiting body you're gonna make?"
"Hehe, obviously a white-haired, red-eyed succubus!"
"Holy crap, are you out of your mind?! That thing is slime mold!"
"A man cannot, or at least should not..."
"Hello? Nine-one-one? We've got a Slaanesh cultist here, come handle this immediately."
Pretending not to hear the players' shameless chatter, Chu Guang parted the crowd and stepped into his private elevator, touching the control panel.
The icon for Floor B7 soon illuminated on the touchscreen.
Suppressing his inner excitement, Chu Guang pressed it without hesitation.
The elevator began its slow descent.
Just as he was anticipating what kind of surprise Floor B7 held in store, the pale blue touchscreen flickered faintly.
The rows of buttons on the screen vanished, replaced by a circular audio playback button with a triangle inside.
The elevator came to a gentle halt, yet the tightly sealed alloy doors showed no sign of opening.
Chu Guang could guess with his toes that this was almost certainly the first Administrator's distasteful urge to flex his presence again. The doors wouldn't open until he listened to the parting message left behind.
Chu Guang happened to have things he was curious to ask him anyway, so he reached out and tapped the button.
A tone tinged with playful banter drifted down from the elevator ceiling, floating lightly into Chu Guang's ears.
"Honored Administrator of Shelter 404. Since you have stepped onto this floor, you have surely earned this glorious title from your supporters, so please allow me to address you as such."
Hearing this, Chu Guang couldn't help but smile.
It seemed the first Administrator didn't quite understand human beings, drastically underestimating mankind's yearning for a savior.
Never mind reaching Floor B7.
As early as a year ago, people had been worshiping him in every conceivable fashion. Some of the more shameless titles had made his cheeks burn just hearing them.
As if giving him a moment to savor the thought, the voice paused, dropped its playful tone, and continued in a steady, measured cadence.
"Yet there is nothing to be proud of. Everything has only just begun, has it not?"
"We have merely dealt with the trouble right at our doorstep, and there are still over a hundred things roughly that size out there—to say nothing of the far greater one glaring covetously from five light-years away! Even if everyone believes It is already dead, I will never be naive enough to assume that an opponent you've never fought can be slain with a weapon you've never tested. While I hope you will not walk down my old path, in this one regard, I hope you remain just like me... Never harbor excessive expectations or illusions about the uncertain."
"I worry for you, my successor. Even though I occasionally reflect that such concern might be redundant—since I chose to trust the wisdom of posterity, I ought to trust it more completely... But our chances are truly few. A single slight misstep could cause this meticulously planned design to fall to pieces, so please understand why my investment in you has been so cautious."
"Yet since you have made it this far and successfully played the card I left on Floor B6, I have ample reason to believe you are the person I've been waiting for... With you taking over my work, you shouldn't mess everything up."
"In short, you are already a mature game designer. You should learn to pay yourself... It is time to hand over this most precious Floor B7 to you!"
"Please put it to good use!"
"I'm counting on you!"
The moment the voice faded, the elevator doors parted, and a vast, open expanse met Chu Guang's eyes.
Like the other levels, the chamber was circular, but its area was as large as two indoor sports stadiums combined!
What was even more astounding than its sheer footprint was the array of machines in various shapes and forms situated across this cavernous floor.
There were cylindrical smelting units, conveyor belts lined with flexible mechanical arms, and a vast assortment of apparatus whose functions Chu Guang couldn't even guess from their appearance alone.
These devices weren't chained together like a conventional assembly line. Instead, they radiated outward from the center in a web-like pattern.
From any single terminus of the production line to any other node, countless permutations and combinations could be drawn.
Repetitive, sprawling manufacturing processes had been compressed like a crushed soda can and packed into this "cramped" underground space, all coordinated by a unified smart terminal!
Even with his limited knowledge of the Era of Prosperity, Chu Guang recognized at a single glance what Floor B7 was used for.
This was a manufacturing plant!
The shock in his eyes gradually gave way to irrepressible ecstasy. Chu Guang unconsciously took a step forward, walking out of the elevator toward the terminal closest to him.
As his index finger extended, a pale blue holographic window promptly manifested before him.
At the same time, a uniquely styled mechanical compound bow materialized inside the pale blue holographic window.
Looking at that mechanical bow, Chu Guang found it increasingly familiar, until he suddenly realized: wasn't this the very "Daybreak" bow that Brother Fang Chang had used from the server's launch until the grip was practically polished smooth?!
Holy hell!
Chu Guang was utterly stunned.
It was exactly as he had suspected. All the prizes he had previously drawn from the gacha boxes had been manufactured right inside this production workshop!
Realizing this, Chu Guang spoke almost reflexively.
"Xiao Qi."
A spirited voice soon drifted into his ears.
"Here, Master!"
Chu Guang paused, then continued, "Can you connect to this floor's database from your end?"
Apart from the main server, every floor of Shelter 404 was equipped with an independent database that could be accessed via Administrator permissions.
Just moments ago, he had shared administrative privileges for this floor with Xiao Qi, which would help him quickly grasp all of the level's functions.
Xiao Qi's performance didn't disappoint, as usual, swiftly completing the data sweep for Floor B7.
"All done, Master! Would you like Xiao Qi to walk you through this floor's functions?"
Hearing that proud little tone, Chu Guang nodded.
"Yes, please."
"You're welcome! Serving you is Xiao Qi's honor!"
A bashful voice drifted into Chu Guang's ears.
After a brief pause, Xiao Qi shifted to a serious tone and began explaining the functions of Floor B7 to Chu Guang in detail.
"...Floor B7 serves as the manufacturing center of Shelter 404. Its primary function is to produce daily necessities, replacement parts, and security gear needed by the shelter based on inputted blueprints and compliant raw materials."
"The industrial programs installed on the manufacturing center's server can automatically compile an industrialized production workflow matching the overall processing system according to inputted blueprints. After that, one need only supply raw materials to yield standardized finished goods."
"You can think of it as an oversized black box with more comprehensive functionality! While it isn't the most economical choice in terms of raw material and energy consumption, it can provide shelter residents with higher-quality industrial goods entirely independent of an external production supply chain!"
"The processing facilities across Floor B7 are divided into three zones: a food processing zone, a medical supplies zone, and the largest zone, dedicated to small-to-medium machinery and microelectronics."
"Each of the three zones features a raw material intake and a finished goods output, connected to freight lifts leading deeper underground as well as lifts leading to Floor B1... Um, control of the latter has already been transferred to you, but the lifts leading further down remain locked."
"Xiao Qi guesses the deeper lifts probably lead to waste disposal facilities or warehouses. Oh, right! There are also finished goods that were manufactured not too long ago still sitting on the production line... Huh? These things look an awful lot like the prizes you pulled from the gacha, Master!"
Xiao Qi's explanation solidified the guess in Chu Guang's mind.
He could even deduce that the inventory in the raw material warehouse on the shelter's lower levels was probably nearly depleted.
After all, this was merely a shelter.
It was neither Doraemon's magic pocket nor an omnipotent wishing machine. Without continuously securing external resources, the items it could provide were inherently limited.
The first Administrator's decision to hand over control of Floor B7 at this precise juncture likely stemmed from this consideration.
Chu Guang pulled up the [Administrator Allowance] subpage in the shelter system and discovered that the credit total had indeed changed from a specific number to ∞.
He and his players had already built a massive settlement above the shelter. The "daily quests" that had once urged them toward the surface had truly become their everyday routine, rendering the so-called allowance meaningless.
With or without an allowance, they would carry on. Even without Shelter 404, they would continue uniting the wasteland's survivors and leading everyone to rebuild the home beneath their feet.
Just as the first Administrator had said in his message: he was already a mature game designer, capable of paying himself.
Truth be told, Chu Guang hadn't fully understood that riddle-loving man who always kept him dangling, and more than once he had wanted to complain about the guy not even leaving behind a single chair.
Yet now, a sudden wave of clarity washed over him.
The things he had once longed for but couldn't have had never truly been obstacles to the Alliance's rise—
Perhaps this had been the best arrangement all along.
Chu Guang's Adam's apple bobbed, and he sighed softly in his heart.
If only he had a chance to meet that guy in person...
Without treating him to a meal, Chu Guang felt he'd be doing a disservice to all the trouble the man had taken.
Collecting his emotions, Chu Guang looked at the terminal before him and continued, "Xiao Qi, help me tally... the remaining inventory of finished goods on the production line, as well as the blueprints stored in the server."
"Right away!"
Almost the moment the words left his mouth, the pale blue holographic screen expanded before Chu Guang once more.
The floating window, segmented into a grid of clean lines like an RPG inventory, displayed rows of items accompanied by text descriptions.
According to Xiao Qi's tally, there were roughly two tons of various pharmaceuticals, about ten tons of small-to-medium machinery such as exoskeletons, drones, and rifles, and the largest category by far was food—especially lollipops, which added up to nearly fifty tons!
If exchanged with credits, these supplies would easily be worth tens of millions of credits!
Not only that.
Far more precious than these finished industrial goods were the design blueprints, industrial process charts, and technical documents preserved within Floor B7's database!
Among them were not only Fang Chang's Daybreak mechanical bow, but also Lao Bai's thermal cutting axe, Ye Shi's Type 15 "Python" Gauss rifle, and more!
Even Chu Guang's own Nitrogen Power Hammer, the Hummingbird drone, and other gear were included.
The Alliance of a year ago couldn't have digested this technical data; even a few more Yin Fangs wouldn't have been enough.
Today, however, the Alliance had its own research institutions, a relatively complete industrial production system, and stable sources of raw materials.
The vast technical archive provided by Floor B7's database was enough to elevate the Alliance's technological prowess to an entirely new tier!
"...We really struck gold this time."
Sliding his index finger across the holographic screen and gazing at the dazzling array of entries on the list, Chu Guang couldn't help letting out a gasp of admiration.
After admiring the bountiful rewards for a moment, Chu Guang issued instructions to Xiao Qi.
"Xiao Qi, inform Yin Fang to drop the junk he's salvaging from downtown for now and come straight to Floor B7. Tell him I have good news for him."
"Also, pull some personnel from Logistics. Send the medical supplies to the Alliance First Hospital, and list the gear in the NPC shop."
Xiao Qi: "Understood! Oh, Master, how should we price the gear listed in the NPC shop?"
Chu Guang was about to say "the same as before," but quickly recalled that many of these items were "limited-edition gear" previously obtainable only through the gacha.
That made things tricky.
Pricing them too high or too low would leave people disgruntled, and setting individual prices for every item was an immense headache.
Chu Guang pondered for a moment, suddenly remembering that Luka had approached him earlier to discuss establishing a statutory holiday and hosting a celebration for the end of the Tide.
With that thought, an idea popped into Chu Guang's head, and a pleasant smile spread across his face.
"Hold off on listing them in the NPC shop for now... Here's what we'll do: pick one of each item, set the reserve price at 150% of the production cost, and put them up for auction during the celebration, limited to one purchase per person."
"We'll run these welfare auctions a few times and let the interested players argue amongst themselves about what's fair. Once transaction volumes reach saturation and they've argued themselves out, we'll take the median closing price, slap on sequence and contribution level requirements, and toss them into the NPC shop. Problem solved."
After hearing Chu Guang's plan, Xiao Qi paused in astonishment for two full seconds before chirping, "Understood!"
As expected of Master...
His method of deflecting conflict was growing more refined by the day.
Chapter 642