Pulled a Hammer?

Night had been falling earlier and earlier lately. Here in the wasteland, it had barely passed six in the evening, yet vast stretches of ruins and forest were already cloaked in shadow. To guard against surprise attacks, the players propped up torches outside the base walls, strung tripwires through the woods, and hung warning bells. Before long, dawn would break in reality, and many of them had to work during the day. In the end, only twenty players remained behind, while the other thirty chose to log off. However, half of the thirty players logging off stated they were free in the afternoon and would return after midday. This would allow them to rotate seamlessly with the players online during the "first half of the night." After carrying Xiao Qi back into the shelter to charge and seeing off the batch of players, Chu Guang sat in a chair in the resident hall, opened his system panel, and checked his points. Counting the hundred points awarded for completing the generator side quest, his reward points had reached 122—just enough to buy one advanced blind box, two intermediate blind boxes, and two lollipops. In addition, just as Chu Guang expected, completing the final side quest triggered a new quest to unlock Level B2 of the shelter: [Quest: Eradicate the Bloodhand Clan entrenched in the abandoned tire factory north of the shelter. Type: Side Quest Reward: Shelter 404 Level B2 clearance] "...So I have to eliminate the external threat before unlocking the shelter's next level?" That made sense. Hopefully, he would find some good things on the next level—at least not completely bare like Level B1, which had nothing besides a hundred incubation pods and a single computer. "System, open Manager's Allowance!" The pale blue holographic screen shifted out of thin air, presenting three options before Chu Guang. Without hesitation, Chu Guang selected one advanced blind box, two intermediate blind boxes, and spent the remaining two reward points on beginner blind boxes. With a slight tremor, the alloy door embedded in the wall slid open. When he saw the big fellow on the conveyor belt, Chu Guang froze. Is this... ...a weapon? A blocky, square-headed polehammer stood steadily upside down on the conveyor belt. The silver pole forged from alloy was roughly as tall as a person, and the hammer head was a curved, bright silver metal surface about the size of a human face. Two recessed metallic grooves wrapped around the hammer body, one in front and one behind, linked by sharp engraved lines, giving it quite a sci-fi look. Yet, even if he tried to empathize and understand the first-generation manager's tastes, Chu Guang found it truly difficult to connect this thing with a weapon. Was he supposed to swing a hammer in melee combat? An axe or a javelin would be one thing, but charging while brandishing such an unwieldy monster? If he didn't get shot full of holes, it would be a miracle! Walking over, Chu Guang gripped the handle with an odd expression. He had expected it to be heavy, but to his surprise, he lifted it easily. "Huh?" While not light, it wasn't nearly as cumbersome as he had imagined, weighing around twenty to thirty kilograms. Chu Guang tapped the striking face with his finger; it didn't feel hollow. Could it be made of aluminum alloy? Or titanium alloy... or some special material beyond his knowledge? Just then, Chu Guang noticed three touch buttons on the handle. Out of curiosity, he reached out with his index finger and tapped one of them. A faint hum sounded. Before Chu Guang could react, high-intensity airflow burst without warning from all four sides of the hammer body, jetting backward. A tremendous thrust propelled the hammer forward. Gripping the hammer with both hands, Chu Guang nearly lost his hold and almost smashed it into the alloy door. Startled, he quickly released the button. "Holy shit?!" Did this damn hammer have nitro boost installed? Now that's something! Just as Chu Guang was marveling in astonishment, a translucent pale blue holographic window popped up in his field of vision, floating beside the hammer. Like an item tag. [Item: Nitrogen Power Hammer] [Description: Manipulates the flow velocity of nitrogen across armored surfaces via a specialized force field to achieve defensive, offensive, and mobility capabilities. Mode A: Generates a swirling nitrogen vortex at the hammer's head, projecting an umbrella-shaped defensive barrier with a maximum radius of 1 m to deflect and bleed the kinetic energy of projectiles, providing solid defense against light firearms. Mode B: Compresses nitrogen at the front of the hammer to form a 2–3 mm nitrogen armor, which detonates upon contact with a target. Mode C: Vents high-pressure nitrogen jets to the rear of the hammer to provide directional acceleration. Recommended for use with assault-type power armor. Mode B exhibits excellent destructive efficacy against lightly armored targets, obstacles, and cover.] [Note: Lacks an internal gas storage unit; inoperable in nitrogen-free environments such as vacuums or underwater.] Following the manual provided by the system, Chu Guang conducted a brief trial and finally grasped how the contraption worked. In short, a built-in mechanism interfered with nearby nitrogen molecules. Mode A was essentially defense mode, putting a shield in front of the hammer. Mode B was like charging up an attack: as the hammer struck a target, the compressed nitrogen on the armored surface released instantly, producing concussive shockwave damage akin to an explosion. Mode C was roughly equivalent to strapping a thruster onto the back of the hammer, useful whether charging forward while holding it or swinging it into enemies. Furthermore, the Nitrogen Power Hammer was powered by a micro cold fusion battery situated at the front end where the handle met the hammer head. According to the luminescent indicator at the pommel, the power was currently full. Barring continuous operation, it should theoretically last until the gear broke down. Of course, leaving it on continuously wasn't possible anyway. Per the manual, sustained usage would cause internal circuit components to overheat, triggering a protective cutoff after the warning light flashed for three seconds. Handling the power hammer for a while, Chu Guang couldn't help but sigh with feeling. Technology sufficiently beyond comprehension really was indistinguishable from magic. Never mind how this thing manipulated nitrogen molecules; just that micro cold fusion battery alone already crossed into the realm of sci-fi films for him. At the very least, Chu Guang couldn't begin to fathom the principles behind it. Dismantle it for research? It wasn't impossible to dismantle, but what would be the point? If its fuel was helium-3, that would require mining on the moon. And if any of its materials utilized unknown manufacturing techniques, reverse engineering would likely be slower than starting research from scratch. Scientific research wasn't about brute-forcing miracles, let alone unboxing blind boxes. If he could recruit some talent from other shelters down the road, there might be hope of restoring some pre-war technology. As for now? If it works, it works. Besides the Nitrogen Power Hammer, the two intermediate blind boxes had yielded a box of antibiotics and a hypo-injector. What surprised Chu Guang the most, however, were the two beginner blind boxes: they had actually produced a bottle of soy sauce and a bag of salt. Good grief. He had been mentally prepared to add two more lollipops to his collection, only for his luck to explode in the strangest place. Chu Guang couldn't even tell whether he had come out ahead or taken a loss... ... Six in the evening in the wasteland corresponded to six in the morning in reality. While many people were still lounging in bed at this hour, it was the exact opposite for the players of Wasteland OL. Playing the game all night hadn't left them tired at all; on the contrary, having slept nearly twelve hours made them feel invigorated. Especially that battle against the marauders—it had been an absolute blast! Almost immediately after logging off, the official website came alive. Not only were posts flooding the forums, but the chatter section was buzzing with real-time conversations. Spare the Life Under the Blade: "Holy crap, fighting this afternoon felt so damn good! Hahaha, I have to inspect the construction site this morning. Wait for me, boys, I'll be back." Quitting Smoking: "Afternoon?!" Spare the Life Under the Blade: "Cough, afternoon in the game! It's so realistic it made me lose track of time. In reality, it should be early morning! Damn, bro, you're camping the website this early?" Quitting Smoking: "T.T" Lao Bai: "I feel for you, Brother Quitting Smoking. I almost want to lend you my account." Quitting Smoking: "Can you?! (Excited)" Ye Shi: "Like hell you can. Anyone else puts on the helmet and sees nothing, then laughs at you for being an idiot. I don't even bother explaining anymore; explain too much and they treat you like a lunatic. Why bother? Those who know, know. When open beta hits, they'll get slapped in the face. (Funny)" Proud Grandpa What Can You Do: "LMAO, slapped in the face! More like slapping your face till it swells into a pig's head!" Ye Shi: "Just you wait. I'm applying for forum moderator right now." Elaina: "Brother Proud is here too? Did you guys buy a house on the website or something? (Funny)" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "I knew you guys would be on the forums! Let me hype it up too. The battlefield atmosphere in this game is so damn realistic! Compared to those trash games where combat looks like light pollution, a real battlefield should be like this: bullets flying everywhere, no idea if you hit anything, can't even see the enemy, but it's just pure fun!" Lao Bai: "Hahahaha, confirmed member of the battlefield hype squad." Ye Shi: "Case closed! Turns out you, the chef, were the one wasting ammo all along. No wonder the manager's face looked so dark at the end. (Funny)" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "What's wrong with being a chef? Don't look down on me—I swung my axe, charged forward, and took one down! Only afterward did I realize I got shot in the leg, and it really didn't hurt at all." Fang Chang: "Scrambled Eggs is Constitution-type, right? How does it feel?" Compared to the others, Ample Time Ahead's attention was always fixed on game intel. Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "Recovery is fast! Didn't notice much else. Sigh, I wish I was Perception-type, or Strength-type if nothing else." Fang Chang: "I see... Got it." Scavenger Lv99: "Be grateful. I got a gun only to realize my finger couldn't fit into the trigger guard. QAQ" Ye Shi: "Hahahahaha!" Fang Chang: "Uh, that is an issue. How about snapping off the trigger guard?" Scavenger Lv99: "Once I actually buy a gun. Damn, I still have to pay Brother Mosquito back first. T.T" WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "No rush, bro. How about trying a crossbow? Once my shop opens, I'll make you one. Super cheap! (Funny)" Scavenger Lv99: "I'll stick to javelins!" Elaina: "(Funny)" The forum was brimming with cheerful merriment. After teasing Scavenger, everyone started another thread, chattering and brainstorming strategies to deal with the marauders. Some spectator players who hadn't gotten game access joined in as well, tossing out wild and wacky ideas that left a certain lurking planner dumbfounded. Fire attacks were one thing. They even suggested water attacks. Was there a reservoir anywhere nearby? Where would they get that much water? Of course, not all of them were unreasonable. For instance, one player was quite clever and actually shared the exact same train of thought as him. His ID was quite domineering—【Fountain Commander】, preregistration queue number 661. Judging from his post history, he had been recruited by forum members from another forum during an argument. "...If you don't have equipment superiority and can't win street fighting, the best approach is to stall. Stall until the world is frozen over and heavy snow blocks the roads. By then, it won't be a contest of gear and tactics; it'll be a battle of supplies, logistics, and morale... assuming Wasteland OL has those mechanics. "Hypothetically, I mean just hypothetically. From what you guys say, these marauders don't produce anything, rely entirely on militaristic aggression, and survive solely on raiding. Where do their food, supplies, clothing, and entertainment come from? If they only conduct occasional raids or shake down passing merchants, that's unreliable and likely insufficient. Spring, summer, and autumn might be fine, but who's traveling through in winter? "That leaves only three possibilities: either they're frugal and know how to tighten their belts to survive, or they have a stable, long-term meal ticket keeping them fed. "The first is unlikely. They're bandits. If they had that kind of discipline and frugality, why would they settle for being carefree mountain brigands? Even without farming, they'd have hoarded enough to become a regional warlord! "If it's the second, then things get simple. Scorched earth outside your front door isn't realistic, so cut their supply lines! Winter is long; the supplies in their stronghold will run out sooner or later. Without support from their meal ticket, how long can a rabble hold out? "The third possibility is system spawns. A lot of games are like that—the AI keeps brainlessly churning out units even after running out of minerals. "If it's that, please pretend I never said anything!"