This Game Is Too Real

"...that's basically what happened, anyway there's no need to worry about that missile cruiser for now."

Wasteland OL official website.

Night Ten spent a whole hour updating the forum about what happened to the Burning Corps after they encountered the neutron torpedo.

Including Jiang Xuezhou activating the warp engine, including the clone of "Luo Yi" trying to prevent the first reported neutron torpedo, including his unconscious encounter with the Orion crew in a "superposition state" from 215 years ago when entering the hyperspace passage, and their "Dawn" plan agreed upon, etc...

To be honest.

When typing these thousand words, he felt somewhat unbelievable himself.

Whether looking at the computer's calendar or the current hot discussions on the forum, it seemed only a few hours had passed from Fang Chang and Old White disconnecting to when he logged off to report the situation.

However, for him, half a month had already gone by!

Although it sounds like he's dreaming, he can be sure that what happened during that time was definitely not an illusion.

He truly lived onboard the Orion from 215 years ago for half a month, even though there's not a single trace of his existence on the starship.

Even if this experience can be explained as a quest instance, the discrepancy in time flow still amazes him.

It seems Wasteland OL's technology is even more impressive than he imagined...

But then again, is it really just a game?

Thinking of the sensation left on his lips, he felt his cheeks heat up involuntarily.

Gosh!

A grown man like me blushing like a bubble teapot!

Seeing how he's been typing for ages without a single reply, Night Ten vented his chaotic emotions on the keyboard.

"Damn! Give me some reaction here, will you?"

Whenever I'm a clickbaiter to lure replies, you all hang out here, piling up dozens of layers. Now when I'm not clickbaiting, you're free-riding.

Is that appropriate!

Just when he snatched the sofa and pressed F5, rows of replies finally popped out, instantly bursting into hundreds of floors.

"Totally engrossed..."

"Stunned."

"A bit confused, let me think."

"Giao! You've solved it already?!"

"Ah Wei's Star Wars plan bankrupt on the spot. (humorous)"

"I've started crying."

"..."

Seeing hundreds of sudden comments, Night Ten sitting in front of the computer was startled.

My goodness!

So many lurkers?!

At this point, several familiar IDs appeared before his eyes.

Clearly, during the time he was still online, his good buddies hadn't stopped caring about him.

Fang Chang: "Not bad, brother, I was worried about you not coping well earlier, but now you shine. (sly smile)"

Night Ten: "Hehe, not really... I actually did just a tiny bit of work."

Old White: "No need to be modest, well done! Haha, this time we merely laid back. (grin)"

Quit smoking: "Turn the tides! It feels so damn good to win effortlessly haha! (grin)"

Edge Shoveling: "Old White saying it is fine, but when do you not laze around? (rolling eyes)"

Quit smoking: "Gosh! I did contribute okay! (angry)"

Debt Giant Eye: "Like trying hard to play dead? (smirk)"

Quit smoking: "@#%$!"

The post was filled with joyful laughter.

Seeing his friends' replies, Night Ten couldn't help but smile, yet felt something was missing.

As if answering his expectation, someone finally noticed the subtle details he revealed in the post.

Wild Wind: "Just finished reading the post... so, you're at South Gate Two now?"

Night Ten: "Hehe, sort of."

Although the guy's words contained a bit of bragging, the other players in the post were already too focused to care.

A reality five light-years away really exists!

The Human Alliance Era's extra-solar colony!

Upon seeing this reply, practically everyone was shocked by the news!

Tail: "!!! Are there three suns over there? (excited)"

Night Ten: "Uh, probably, but I'm still in the cabin and haven't seen what's outside."

Grandpa Ao: "Laughing."

Gnome King Riches: "What, your uncle has gone to South Gate Two to be a Soldier King again? (Surprised)"

Quit Smoking: "Hahahahaha."

Elena: "Grandpa Ao: You really have a problem with this joke, don't you. (Funny)"

Wild Wind: "Speaking of which, I'm actually more curious about what exactly the Hyperspace Passage is."

Fang Chang: "In the setting, it's the gravity link between massive celestial bodies. I don't know the more professional explanation. But from a literal standpoint, hyperspace just means multi-dimensional space, right?"

Wild Wind: "That's indeed what it means. I'm just a bit curious about what you can see in the Hyperspace Passage in the world of Wasteland OL."

Night Ten: "I haven't really noticed... When I enter the Hyperspace Passage in the game, I'm in the Sleep Cabin."

Wild Wind: "Well, what about when you're in the dungeon? Didn't you see the outside?"

Night Ten: "Ah, I did see it, but it doesn't seem special, just an ordinary starry sky? But according to Dr. Wu's explanation, we were supposedly stuck in the Hyperspace Passage, meaning time was at a standstill. Usually, a white light would flash, the starry sky would suddenly become very bright, and then the spaceship would directly pass through."

Thunder Law King Professor Yang: "What the hell is directly passing through. (Confused)"

Wild Wind: "Dr. Wu?"

Night Ten: "Wu Xinghuan from the Department of Research and Technology, or the fifth department of the Orion Missile Cruiser... All my mixed-up knowledge comes from him, and frankly, I'm also rather confused, but I somewhat understand."

Wild Wind: "Make sure to explain it to me in detail when you have time!"

Spring Water Commander: "Speaking of which, Brother Gale surprisingly has an interest in these details."

Fang Chang: "Well, after all, he's in this line of work. (Side-eyed smile)"

WC True Mosquito: "!!! Brother Gale researches warp engines?! Shocked!"

Meat mountain big steamed bun: "Giao! Why do your words sound so tail-like!"

Tail: "!!! You guys finished what Tail was saying, what did Tail say?"

Wild Wind: "Ahem, that's impossible... I'm just interested in the principles, it's purely a personal hobby."

Debt Giant Eye: "Actually, I'm more interested in the continuation of the story, haha, honestly, did anything happen after you saved Jiang Xuezhou? (Mischievous smile)"

Crow: "Ugh, how can you make something so pure sound so wretched."

Si Si: "+1, your intentions are too obvious. (Side-eye)"

Construction Site Boy and the Brick: "Big Eyes' reputation is being harmed. (Funny)"

Elena: "What do you mean reputation is being harmed, it's already well-known. (Funny)"

Debt Giant Eye: "Damn! I was just joking, what do you mean by saying I made it wretched? And seriously, who in this server doesn't know this guy doesn't have the tools for the job! (Angry)"

Fang Chang: "Pfft—"

Quit Smoking: "Hahahahahaha damn!"

Old White: "You're really stripping Night Ten, little brother's pants here. (Laugh)"

Sitting at the computer screen, Night Ten almost spat out old blood, furiously pounding on the keyboard.

"You've got your eyes in my pants, haven't you? Who told you I don't have it!"

He just hit enter, but quickly felt a bit shaky, after all, the body in the game really doesn't have it.

Expecting him to admit defeat is impossible, everyone was stubborn as a donkey in their youth.

In a hurry, he added another sentence.

"And who said you need that thing to make something happen."

Although his intent was to change the subject, he didn't expect this sentence to cause the whole post to explode instantly.

Si Si: "???"

Teng Teng: "Wow, is this starting up?"

Tail: "Oh oh oh! I didn't expect you to be this kind of Night Ten!"

Makabazi: "Did a wheel just run over my face?"

Washing Machine Hair: "Wait, what's going to happen to Miss Teng Teng?"

WC True Mosquito: "Damn, two-timing?!"

Teng Teng: "What's it got to do with me?!!!"

Night Ten: "What's it got to do with me?!!!"

The post about five light-years away took a sharp turn into a place five light-years away.

As it turns out, most players aren't truly interested in the world five light-years away; they're more interested in the fun around them.

Gaia, huh.

Honestly, it's still too far away.

There might not even be a living person there, just an old... uh, ball that's been around for who knows how many years?

But hearing that the Gaia planet five light-years away is not just a pie in the sky, even making it into the universe of Wasteland OL, many old players are still quite pleased.

At least it's fulfilling a wish!

The topic on the forum gradually shifted from the Burning Corps' crushing defeat to the awesomeness of the bosses.

Looks like no need to shut down the server.

Medical Miracle is still seeking ways to act dumb and infiltrate the Enlightenment Society.

And the Battlefield Atmosphere Group is still trying to make the former understand these two tasks are mutually exclusive.

As for Fang Chang and Mole, they've once again overturned their previous predictions for the next version, with their analyses gradually shifting from pessimistic to optimistic.

As long as Brother Night Ten continues to "Kerry" on, bringing that nuclear arsenal from "Prosperity Epoch" back to its proper orbit, they could blow the Lagrange Point Space Station to smithereens in no time.

Of course.

In theory, that's how it is.

Assuming it can be brought back, and that the "celestial beings" don't have any more tricks up their sleeves besides a few humanoids.

After what felt like a long silence, Big Eyes, who had been silent for an unknown period of time, suddenly popped up with a sentence.

"Holy crap... Did Night Ten really find someone? (shock)"

He was just messing with the guy, and who would've thought the kid actually figured it out?!

Really—

Why him!

Those things aren't needed!

...

"This bunch of dogs is really freaking boring."

Seeing the post that had completely gone off-topic, Ye Wei shook his head and clicked the top right corner with his mouse.

After browsing the forum for a long time, he felt a little hungry, so he got up and opened the door to the living room.

Just as he suspected, Jiujiu was lounging on the sofa playing games, with takeout boxes placed on the side table.

This kid, once she got into college, just let go, playing games until she forgot to eat.

Who knows what she's thinking.

She's already playing the most awesome fully immersive virtual game in the world, yet she's still interested in those small-screen mobile games.

But then again, this might be one of the reasons why Brother Mole's game is a big hit in Ideal City.

The essence of happiness is the secretion of dopamine.

And triggering the secretion of dopamine doesn't necessarily require something complex.

The threshold for happiness keeps rising, but once it reaches a certain level, simple joys become fresh again.

After all, Jiujiu is still young...

She's only had her own mobile phone for about two years, and it was he who bought it for her.

Thinking about it this way, the Game Helmet and the mobile phone might count as new things that appeared at the same time for her, which is clearly different from his own experience.

As he thought about it more, Ye Wei suddenly realized that he wasn't young anymore and that in a few years he'd be an old thing too.

Hearing a sound from the doorway, Jiujiu, with her finger on the screen, casually responded.

"Big bro? You're awake, huh? I didn't order you takeout though."

Ye Wei rolled his eyes.

"I thank you."

"Heh, you're welcome."

Ye Jiu playfully replied and then quickly focused back on her game with intensity.

Just as Ye Wei was about to use his phone to order takeout, his little sister, who was gaming on the other side of the sofa, suddenly popped up with a comment.

"By the way, I'm surprised, I always thought you were genuinely into Teng Teng Miss, but I didn't expect you'd end up with her."

Ye Wei twitched at the mouth.

"What are you babbling about..."

"Uh-huh, isn't that the case?"

Facing the mischievous smile, Ye Wei couldn't help but recall the events from two hours ago, subconsciously avoiding eye contact.

"...Not exactly."

Seeing her brother blushing, Ye Jiu instantly perked up, tossed aside her phone, sat upright on the sofa, her eyes gleaming as she asked.

"Come on, what happened exactly?"

This fellow suddenly became gossipy.

Ye Wei scratched the back of his head, and eventually told his sister what had happened then.

Not afraid of being laughed at, it was actually his first time dating someone, and he was also curious about how girls think.

Human beings can be double standard like that.

Even though he used to call paper people "paper people," when it was his turn to date, he couldn't just think of Jiang Xuezhou as a simple paper person, and instead, he was worried.

As for Ye Jiu.

This little girl has always treated "Wasteland OL" as living beings, so she didn't laugh at him about this.

After seriously listening to her brother, Ye Jiu nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly a sentence came out of her mouth.

"As expected, big brother, you do like girls who are caring by nature."

"What nonsense are you talking about? When did she become a caring person? I'm the one who's more caring, okay?" Ye Wei mumbled a bit embarrassedly, lacking his usual authority in front of his sister.

Ye Jiu, on the other hand, had the opposite demeanor, giving a mischievous smile as she watched her brother squirm.

"Uh-huh, is that so?"

Ye Wei was silent for a while, but surprisingly didn't argue this time, and instead mumbled.

"...Alright, you win."

He suddenly thought of previous events.

Not only on the Orion Cruiser but also it seemed like it had always been this way before.

When he was in danger, she was more anxious than anyone else, and when she heard he had someone he liked, she would secretly get jealous and mope silently but would help him eventually.

Of course, he also helped her a lot, and they always looked after each other.

From this perspective, Jiu's words are not entirely correct; they're only half-right.

It'd make sense to consider it as a half-win.

Watching her brother suddenly introspect, Ye Jiu felt satisfied, her lips curling up into a smile.

"Not bad, not bad, seems like this stubborn mule has learned how to bow his head and hunt for carrots."

Ye Wei glared at her without much enthusiasm.

"What carrot, you're the carrot! Humph, you're the stubborn mule! How am I stubborn?"

"Oh come on, now you're standing up for others. Bro! I'm your real family, how could you side with outsiders!"

Ye Jiu put on a heartbroken expression, her big eyes watery, looking as though she'd truly been hurt.

Ye Wei wasn't falling for that, using his hand to shoo her away like he was swatting a mosquito.

"Shoo, shoo, don't play this trick on me."

"Hahaha, but your reaction is just so funny... oh, by the way."

Laughing as she looked at her brother, Jiujiu suddenly remembered something, stopping her teasing.

"By the way, it's just you two on that starship, right?"

Ye Wei was slightly taken aback, asking her as he looked over.

"What's up?"

Jiujiu wore a serious expression.

"Although I have no concept of how far five light-years is... is it really okay to leave her alone in such a pitch-black place?"

Ye Wei's expression froze for a moment, but he still blurted out.

"The reactor is back online… it shouldn't be dark."

Ye Jiu sighed, holding her forehead.

"Are you an idiot?"

Actually, when he uttered the previous sentence, Ye Wei already showed a guilty expression.

He suddenly remembered that before logging off, he'd promised it would only take two minutes, but now two hours had passed.

Looking at the wall clock, his face changed completely.

"Damn!"

Without any hesitation, he grabbed the unwrapped takeout on the coffee table like a gust of wind and dashed back to his room like a hurricane.

Just as he shut the door, he heard the wail that came through the crack.

"That was my takeout! Gah!"

"Eat my share!"

In no time, Ye Wei scarfed down the food, quickly using his phone to order Jiujiu her favorite pickled fish before grabbing the helmet on the table and putting it on.

Wasteland OL—

Start!

As Night Ten hurriedly logged back on, Ye Jiu in the living room made a helpless expression.

"Ah, that guy."

Oh well, oh well.

That takeout was ordered for him anyway and it was his favorite pork knuckle rice.

Her mindset was pretty open.

Maybe her parents would care more about passing down the family line, but she didn't really mind whether her sister-in-law was human or cyborg.

Isn't there an online rumor?

Saying that "Wasteland OL" was actually developed by aliens, that the world in the game truly exists.

There's quite a number of believers in these rumors, especially after "Wasteland OL" broke into the wider world, with players even listing a series of "evidence."

Though she thinks those so-called experiments are silly, who knows, maybe it's a real world?

Not many people can truly distinguish the difference between "existence" and "proving existence." They seem like the same issue, but are actually problems from different dimensions.

They aren't lessons you find in textbooks.

But all in all, seeing her brother lively and energetic puts her at ease. What she was most afraid of was him not waking up and ending up unwanted, leaving her the job of caring for him.

In any case, as long as he's fine.