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Is This Really A Game? - Chapter 172

Published at 19th of May 2023 05:54:10 AM


Chapter 172

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The person sent by the academy to hunt him down is here, and Tom knew that there was no point in concealing it, so he confessed everything happily.

Half a year ago, the college received information that there were clues about Shelter 0 in an abandoned pre-war research facility.

Without any hesitation, the academy immediately sent a scientific expedition team to investigate.

Originally, this was just a very ordinary "Archaeological" mission. Similar attendance missions are almost every day in the academy, but this mission has something to do with the clues of Shelter 0.

However, no one expected that such an extremely ordinary task would have an accident.

A mother nest not mentioned in the information was hidden on the basement floor of the research facility. Almost as soon as they passed through the gate of the ventilation room, they were besieged by a large number of slime mold species such as nibblers, crawlers, and even tyrants. After a hard fight, they finally withdrew, but only the head of the scientific expedition team and the engineer accompanying the team survived.

"Then you became the one who took the blame?"

Lucius looked at the young man and said with a strange expression.

"But it doesn't make sense, this kind of decision-making mistakes, no matter how hard it is for you, an engineer, to take the blame."

Tom's expression was a little subtle.

At this time, Eugene, who was tied up, smiled and interjected.

"My lord, don't be misled by his ambiguous statement. The commission given to us by the academy is to hunt down the defected D-level prospector. Engineer? Hehe, it is obvious that he is the team leader."

"...?"

Lucius was stunned for a moment, and stared at the young man for a long time, but he couldn't see how this guy looked like a regiment leader.

After reading the fleeting surprise, Eugene smiled wickedly and continued.

"The size of the scientific expedition team is generally around ten people. It is more common for D-level and C-level prospectors or researchers to lead the team. After all, field work is not a good job... Tsk tsk, although I am not from the academy, But I have a lot of dealings with people in the academy."

Unexpectedly, he was exposed by a mercenary, Tom argued angrily.

"I didn't say that I'm not that regiment leader! Yes, I'm him, well, what's the matter? It's obvious that the information was wrong, but they put all the losses on me, What can I do?"

Eugene glanced at his mouth disdainfully.

"I'm just explaining why there is a bounty of 5,000 CR on your head. As for your internal affairs, it's none of my business. Besides, who knows the truth of the matter? The mouth grows on you, and you can arrange it as you like. Anyway, those people also won't come alive."

Tom stared at him steadfastly, clenched his fists tightly, his angry eyes seemed to spew out fire. But obviously, this guy is not very good at quarreling. I don't know if everyone in the academy is like this, or he is the only one.

I didn't expect this guy to be the head of a scientific expedition team.

Value at risk +1.

Lucius had a headache. After thinking for a while, he looked at Tom and continued.

"Then what are you going to do?"

A bitter expression appeared on Tom's face, and he said after pondering for a while.

"I originally planned to go to Boulder City, where there is a way to go to the east coast. Whether it is by airship or by land with a caravan, as long as I am on the company's site, even if the academy knows I am there, there is no way."

Lucius glanced at his right hand and said thoughtfully.

"There is a place where you can escape the pursuit of the academy."

Tom seemed to have guessed it.

"Did you mean your refuge?"

Lucius smiled lightly.

"It sounds like you're reluctant."

A refuge with full protection capabilities is the crystallization of civil air defense technology in the prosperous era, and it is almost impossible to be breached from the outside in theory.

At the same time, you don't have to worry about being found if you stay inside. Unless the administrator there wants it to do so, no floating-point information can flow out of it.

In terms of security, there is no match for it.

Tom spoke cautiously.

"No, my lord, it's just... can I trust you completely?"

Lucius said in an indifferent tone.

"Do you have any other options?"

Tom was silent for a while.

Finally, he slacked his shoulders in resignation.

"You are right, I have no choice."

Seeing that Lucius had reached a consensus with his entrusted target, Eugene, who felt a sense of crisis in his heart, said hastily.

"My lord, you want to take in fugitives from the academy? That's not a good idea—"

"This is the River Valley Province, not the academy's territory."

Lucius interrupted him nonchalantly, looked past Eugene at Tom, and continued.

"I'm very interested in your abilities. It seems that you know more than surgery? Tell me what you know."

"Surgical operations related to nerve connections, or some simple surgical operations, I can do." Tom paused, and continued, "To be precise, I am not a doctor. The main job of a prospector in the academy is to carry out archaeology on the relics of civilization, recover valuable data and materials, bring them back to the academy and hand them over to researchers for analysis and restoration. My business scope mainly involves neural connections, so I may understand a little bit.”

"Can you make bionic prosthetics?" Lucius asked with great interest.

Tom explained.

"Bionic prosthetics are divided into many types. The simplest prosthetics driven by muscle cells are not difficult to make. But if they are driven by neural currents, neuron-like materials are needed. Whether that kind of thing is It's not easy to get anywhere... I can't conjure something that doesn't exist out of thin air."

It's not a doctor, but it's a more powerful existence than a doctor. Not only can he do surgery, but he also knows something about bionic prosthetics.

The most important thing is that he seems to know how to pick up garbage with high quality and recover useful technical materials from the remains of pre-war civilization.

Lucius became more and more interested in him.

"I want to talk to you about the academy. I'm planning to go back to the refuge, so let's go together. By the way, do you want to pack your luggage first?"

Tom shook his head and said.

"I don't have much luggage to pack."

Lucius smiled and said kindly.

"Alright, congratulations on starting a new life."

Tom also smiled, although the smile was somewhat forced.

To be honest, he didn't expect too much from this so-called new life, but as the Manager said, he didn't have a choice.

After saying this, Lucius suddenly thought that there was someone else in the room, so after thinking for a while, he looked at Wrench.

"Send this mercenary to the brick kiln and hand it over to the foreman there."

It is impossible to let people go, and this mercenary Lucius is still useful.

In short, send him to labor reform first, just to be with that commander named Vanus.

Eugene's face was pale.

Hearing the words brick kiln and foreman, he probably already guessed his own fate, either he would work in the dark brick kiln until his death, or he would be sold to a slave trader and continue to work until his death...

However, Wrench would not sympathize with him, and said in a meticulous manner.

"Yes, my lord."

...

Eugene was arranged to work as a coolie in a brick factory.

As for Tom, Lucius planned to arrange him on the B2 floor of the shelter.

There are still a hundred empty rooms in the B area of ​​the B2 floor. Lucius originally planned to use those rooms to accommodate some technical talents excavated from the waste soil, but he did not expect that they would come in handy so soon.

As for whether it is appropriate for him to be so close to the players?

To be honest, Lucius was not worried at all.

Worrying about this kind of problem is as boring as worrying about whether it will rain tomorrow. The cloning technology may be a little sensitive to the world before he traveled, but to people in this world, it is as common as cigarette butts on the ground.

Boss Sumeria believes until now that there is some kind of technology in this wasteland that can produce a cloned human in just one day, and one person in three days is nothing at all. But when Lucius asked where she heard it from, she scratched her head and couldn't answer.

The wasteland is so big, it's normal for outrageous rumors to spread.

Didn't the survivors in Spring City also credit themselves for defeating the Enterprise Expeditionary Army? This is still the case where corporate caravans often pass by in Spring City.

No matter what Tom could see, Lucius didn't care at all. After entering the refuge, he had no intention of letting him out for a short time.

If he does something stupid, he'll get a taste of being famous in the game pretty quickly.

That will be very exciting.

A certain tuatara, stuck in its refuge, would surely be interested in this hard-won opportunity to perform.

Before evening, the return truck arrived at the north gate of Wetland Park.

The elevator entrance of the nursing home.

When Lucius pressed the down button, he glanced at Tom next to him and reminded him.

"Have you thought about it? There is still a chance to regret it now. After you go in, I'm afraid you won't be sent out for a while."

Tom sighed lightly.

"Even if I figure it out, at least I have to wait for the people in the academy to forget about me."

"How long does it take to forget a D-class personnel."

Tom thought for a while to answer.

"Maybe three years, maybe five years... it depends on how much they want me dead, although I don't think I'm that important."

If clues to Shelter 0 were found, the Academy would probably go to great lengths to catch him back, but unfortunately, they didn't find anything like that.

...

Around six o'clock in the evening.

A group of happy little players dragged a three-meter-high split-claw crab on a wooden cart and returned from the direction of Starwood Farm.

There was an exaggeratedly large hole in the back of the split claw crab, which should have been blasted out by the Iron Fist rocket launcher.

Regardless of whether it was worth 50 silver coins for a split claw crab, they did kill one anyway.

When they saw the monster being carried to the market at the north gate, the Autumn Grass and Akiba sisters opened their mouths wide in surprise, with expressions of disbelief written all over their faces.

"Sister, is that a split claw crab?"

Grass nodded in a daze.

"Yes……"

With sparkling eyes, Akiba looked at the residents of the refuge with admiration, and couldn't help saying with emotion.

"Amazing!"

"Yes……"

In the Wastes, split claws are even more dangerous than crawlers. They don't move around, and they don't make exaggerated roars when they have nothing to do. They may hide in a deeper puddle, or rest in a damp cave, camouflaged by algae or mossy rocks.

In their tribe, those who can defeat the split claw crab are without exception the most powerful warriors, and such warriors usually only appear in old people's stories.

Because she was so surprised, she even forgot to hold her sister not to look around.

Although it is not yet possible to hold a triumphal ceremony for a split claw crab, the outpost is still lively like a festival.

"The crab legs are roasted, everyone hurry up to eat, the overnight crabs won't taste good!"

The sound of dinner was heard.

A group of people immediately surrounded it.

"Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

"Is it delicious? I don't think so." Shuri frowned and took a bite, looking confused.

It's far worse than mashed potatoes.

"It's just so-so! By the way, I have to bring some for Yuki!" Yaya grabbed half of the crab leg and ran away.

"One thing to say, the food system of this game is really awesome! The soft crab meat is as tender as jelly before it is cooked, and after roasting, the soft crab meat has a hint of earthy fragrance, which is simply delicious. It's like a work of art..." Tomorrow, who sat on a stone pier and took a bite, held half of a grilled crab leg in his hand, suddenly looked at the sky and felt emotional.

Walker, who was covered in moth hair, patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Okay, brother, don't be awkward. If I were Brother Light, I would dig out a villa with my toes."

Tomorrow's face turned red, and he glared at the guy.

"Get out! What is licking? It's called licking when beta testers post their game experiences?"

Gale and Bunny were exchanging eighteen ways to eat crab legs, so they had no time to participate in their conversation.

Irena, who was sitting in front of a stall beside her, was eating her mouth full of crab meat. This was already the ninth crab leg he had eaten.

Suddenly, he frowned, as if he had realized something.

"Wait, I feel a warm current flowing in my body, could this crab meat also add BUFF?!"

He opened the VM at the speed of light and took a look.

Alas.

No.

"It's still BUFF," Richest Elf King who was braver than him in cooking while holding the crab legs in both hands, interjected with a playful smile, "You've got your tire gas."

Irena: "Get lost you, pervert!"

Red Face Boxer: "Hahahaha!"

Later, it turned out that the crab meat of hunting claw crabs does not add buffs, but it is true that eating too much will cause diarrhea.

In the end, the warm current didn't hold back.

The three who lost half of the crab leg rushed to the toilet in a panic, almost fighting at the door for the only hole left.

I don't know how it was solved in the end.

In short, when returning to the refuge, the legs of the three were weak...

That night.

After many players went offline, an announcement was made on the official website of "Wasteland OL".

[ Two NPCs were added to the outpost, Tom, a D-level prospector from the academy, and Eugene, a bounty hunter who hunted down Tom. ]

[ Reminder from Yuki: Tom's clinic is on the B2 floor. If you need to install a prosthetic body, you can find him, but only if you have one. ]

[ Old Luka: Eugene is undergoing labor transformation, and I will turn him into a useful person. ]

Tail: "What's going on? What happened when Tail was gone!? ∑(?Д?ノ)ノ"

Quit Smoking: "!! Is this going to open up the career system? The master planner is awesome! ≧◠ᴥ◠≦"

Shuri: "If you don't understand, just ask, is this a pair of CPs who love and kill each other? (*/ω\*)"

Walker: "?? When I typed these two question marks, it's not that I have a problem, but I think you have a problem. (≖_≖ )"

Irena: "+1 (ˆ▿ˆc)"

Shuri: "What's the problem! (;'O')o"

Tomorrow Seeker: "Newly added surgeon, Brother Gale no longer has to worry about losing his right hand and not being able to put it back on. The son of the version is really you. (>‿◠)"

Mole In The Hole: "Hey, you lucky basterds. (╥﹏╥)"

8th Level Gale: "('ω')?"

...

In the shelter.

After publishing the announcement, Lucius didn't peek at the screen on the forum, but stared at the text document on the screen and fell into deep thought.

About ten minutes ago, he learned about the academy from Tom, and there were many things worthy of his attention.

"The college is located in the center of the wandering swamp. Before the era of prosperity, there used to be a desert. After the era of prosperity, it was transformed into a man-made ecological protection area. In the battle of doomsday, due to the bombing of strategic weapons, the landform there was permanently destroyed. It has been transformed into a swamp with an area equivalent to 1.5 times the size of the valley province."

"The origin of the academy is ominous. Most of its technology comes from 'Archaeology'. The grassroots is composed of researchers and prospectors. Among them, the E-level prospectors are probably similar to the E-level employees of the enterprise, and the ten commanders of the legion? And the D-level personnel, then It is equivalent to a middle-level cadre, a centurion or a thousand commander who is suspected of competing with the legion."

"In addition, the college seems to have embarked on a different path from the legion and the enterprise. The implanted prosthetics and information technology there are quite developed, and the equipment is mainly energy weapons and shield technology, and the industrial capacity seems to be weak... Maybe it's because home is in the swamp?"

However, after two centuries of ancient times, they didn't let them finish the exam. How exaggerated is the legacy left by the pre-war civilization?

In analogy to the development trajectory on the earth before time travel, Lucius couldn't imagine what happened in the years after the era of prosperity.

Holding the mouse, Lucius thought for a moment, intercepted a paragraph from the sorted out information, copied and pasted it on the background of the official website.

Hit the enter button.

"In short, let's update it in the official website database as a game background first."

Perhaps the brains of the players can discover something.





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