This Game Is Too Real

From the bottom of my heart, although the Wasteland OL expansion lottery doesn't have concepts like a guaranteed prize, the randomness is truly random, and there's no such idea that "someone more suited to a piece of equipment is more likely to get it".

However, precisely because it is truly random, even if the "overall drop rate" follows a normal distribution, it is inevitable that a few extremely unlucky Non-Tribals and insanely lucky Exalteds pop up.

And when it reaches this point, only the Manager can step in and proactively give benefits to the Non-Tribals.

As for the Exalted, just forget it.

If they get it, they get it. You can't exactly take it back from them, can you?

Although sometimes a bit unscrupulous, Chu Guang asked himself, he still does things according to principles.

First, he doesn't go back on his word, second, he doesn't retaliate later, third, if he can use the power of the rules, he uses the power of the rules.

But to be honest, this Brother Qingshui sometimes gets outrageously lucky, even making someone like me, who knows the "game's inside story", wonder if this guy is using hacks.

Similarly, Brother I Max Black as well, his bad luck seems like he must have committed some sin in his past life...

In the study on Floor B4 of the Shelter, Chu Guang was lounging on the sofa, sipping milk tea while browsing the forum.

At this moment, the energy-negative Brother I Max Black from a second ago was now holding a "Golden Legend" screenshot, crying tears of joy—or perhaps showing off.

However, Brother I Max Black didn't know, his draw of the Golden Legend wasn't because of any "change of luck" or having washed his hands before holding the mouse, but rather as compensation manually given by the benevolent Ah Guang.

"Xiao Qi, be honest with me, is this guy really someone who drew twenty ramen vouchers in a row with talent?"

Sitting in the pen holder, Xiao Qi wore an exasperated expression.

"Master, do you not believe Xiao Qi?"

Chu Guang took a sip of the milk tea, shook his head, and said.

"Not really, it's just that this guy's bad luck is heartbreaking, and with skill alone, he's lowered our credibility."

Some people on the forum say there's a dark curtain in the expansion lottery, but there's really no such thing. At most, if you are too improbably lucky or too bewitched, you might not get a "visa"—the helmet needed to enter the Different World.

And to be fair, he and Brother Qingshui barely know each other outside the game. If there really were any dark curtains, it wouldn't be him involved.

However, objectively speaking, cases of bad luck are actually in the minority; the vast majority of players manage to draw some good items with skill.

Due to the recent massive surge in the Alliance's soft and hard power, the players' reward pool has become more abundant.

Aside from the high-tech equipment produced by the Shelter's own blueprints and production centers, it also includes equipment commissioned for testing by some companies and their subsidiaries, as well as experimental equipment jointly designed by the Alliance Scientific Expedition Team and relevant units.

Things like plasma cutting knives, magnetic slingshots, neural acceleration modules, and portable rocket launchers.

These devices hold more fun value than practical value in combat and are hard to apply in a direct battlefield, but they do have some practical value in wasteland adventures.

For instance, some "resource points" you can't reach through normal means; perhaps adding a rocket launcher and enhanced tendon prosthetics can allow for flight—or jumping up.

Another example is the plasma knife, which needs continuous irradiation to cut open the target; it might not be as strong as the claws of a Dead Claw, but showing it off might scare a Dead Claw.

Moreover, some widely praised and tested equipment will also be planned for mass production and implemented into the game store for players' purchase.

But generally speaking, such things can only be used by players.

For other Waste Land Wanderers, you need really hard luck to use them.

Chu Guang wandered around the forum, looking at those talented people using the reward props for fun, involuntarily curling his lips into a smile, unable to contain his laughter.

At this moment, Xiao Qi, sitting in the pen holder, suddenly lifted her head, speaking in a sweet voice.

"Master, the director of the Academy's Investigation Department wants to meet with you... regarding the lost research ship in Yavente City, and that 'fake nest' of the 'Tower of the World'."

The fake nest is the term used by the Alliance Biological Research Institute.

According to Xiao Yu, that thing isn't significantly related to the mutant mucor mother nest.

Judging from the Academy's various behaviors, they clearly have some intelligence unknown to the Alliance.

But these people have always been this way, extremely sensitive to technology, even to the "direction" beyond the technology itself.

Chu Guang slightly raised an eyebrow, an expression of intrigued interest rising in his eyes.

It seems that this research ship holds more significance to the Academy than I had imagined.

The director of the Big Four departments, as a Level A researcher within the Academy, already counts as one of the core layers.

Further up is the only S-level Chief Technical Officer, Mu Bei, and behind him stands the authoritative Doctor of Conclusions.

"When?"

Xiao Qi: "He's already near the City of Dawn and wants to ask when you would be available to meet?"

Already here?

Placing the tea cup back into the tray on the table, Chu Guang signaled X-16 waiting on the side to take it away for him, then stood up from the sofa.

"Let him wait for me in Hall No. 1 of the Alliance Building."

...

Alliance Building, Hall No. 1.

A middle-aged man around 40 years old sat in front of the conference table.

His appearance seemed average, the type that would be hard to pick out in a crowd. That silver-white researcher uniform was also commonplace within the Academy.

A staff member standing to the side stepped forward to pour him a cup of coffee.

The man softly thanked the staff and then sat there motionlessly, quietly waiting.

Before long, footsteps sounded outside the meeting room, and then the door to the meeting room was pushed open.

Seeing Chu Guang enter from outside the door, the man stood up from the conference table, courteously saying.

"Respected Manager, hello, I am Qi Liu from the Academy's Investigation Department. I apologize for disturbing you amidst your busy schedule without a prior appointment."

"No need for formalities, Mr. Qi. I was just taking a break, so I'm not busy with anything else. It wasn't any disturbance at all, please sit."

Chu Guang smiled and nodded, then pulled out a chair to sit on the opposite side of the conference table.

Seeing that Chu Guang took his seat, the somewhat reserved Qi Liu also sat down.

The staff member on the side walked over quietly and poured a cup of red tea for Chu Guang.

Not wasting time on pleasantries, Chu Guang directly cut to the chase and asked.

"My assistant told me about the missing research ship and its unauthorized investigation activities in Yavente City... do you have more information you would like to supplement us with?"

Despite the slightly barbed words, Qi Liu did not conceal anything and candidly admitted.

"Yes, but please believe us, we weren't hiding relevant clues out of malice."

Having said that, he took out a holographic computer pen from his chest pocket and placed it on the conference table, gently pushing it forward.

Watching the pen slide to the center of the conference table, Chu Guang raised an eyebrow slightly, then looked to the staff member on the side.

The latter understood and walked to the table, retrieving the holographic computer pen for Chu Guang and then exited the meeting room.

Chu Guang reached out and pressed the computer pen, and pale blue holographic beams quickly unfolded over the conference table.

Displayed within the holographic beams was a document that included an evaluation analysis and identification conclusion of the biological weapon used by Teil in the decisive battle.

However, possibly due to data loss, the report's content was entirely qualitative analysis, lacking in quantitative analysis parts.

Having read the document from beginning to end, Chu Guang's raised eyebrows couldn't help but carry a hint of intrigue.

"Seed of Gaia?"

"Or rather, Gaia-like life forms," Qi Liu said seriously, watching Chu Guang's expression. "This is what we call the biological weapon used by Teil... You should have realized, it is something similar yet different from the mutant mucor mother nest."

"Yes."

Chu Guang nodded, lightly swiping his index finger in the air to turn off the holographic screen in front of him.

"However, it seems to us that the mutant slime fungus' lair is evidently more threatening. Thiel's little tricks are somewhat lacking... Of course, maybe you can offer us some different perspectives?"

"That's exactly why I'm here," Qi Liu nodded slightly, maintaining a serious expression as he continued, "The misunderstanding arises from your lack of understanding of Gaia. To distinguish their threat level simply based on strength is contrary to scientific principles. Of course... we also bear some responsibility for blocking this portion of the information."

There was a hint of apology in his voice.

Perhaps it was an apology.

Chu Guang didn't speak. He simply looked at the director of the Academy's Investigation Department, gesturing with his eyes for him to continue.

The latter paused for a moment before continuing.

"That was a long time ago, even before the Wasteland Era or the Three-Year War... When the colonists arriving at South Gate Two realized that the planet beneath their feet was a 'living planet,' the colony researchers conducted an in-depth investigation of Gaia. The results of this investigation surprised us all, presenting us with a hive civilization that we had never seen before."

"According to the research report sent back from the colony, it was a stagnant society, regardless of whether it had fallen from a higher civilization to its present state or slowly climbed from a lower civilization to its current level. In reality, it had already lost the ability to spiral upward or downward."

Chu Guang nodded.

"The Union Academy of Social Sciences has a similar report."

Qi Liu said.

"I've seen it. That report is well-written, even by the standards of the Academy."

Chu Guang smiled and said.

"Haha, thank you for the compliment."

"It's not a compliment; it's a fact," Qi Liu said seriously as he looked at Chu Guang and continued, "Even though Gaia has lost the motivation to continue social evolution, its existence still provides us with great insights. Inspired by that report and related research, there has been a technological explosion in the fields of biology, aerospace physics, and sociology within the United Human, including the mind interference technology you are currently using, which is a product of that era."

Chu Guang had heard of this matter.

The Administrator's Log of Shelter No. 401 in the eastern suburbs of Qingquan City mentioned that mind interference technology was originally proposed to replace the infrasound fence used to drive away alien creatures.

This technology unexpectedly opened the door to a new world, establishing a bridge of communication between humans and Gaia, who previously could not communicate.

Currently, many players within the Alliance also use this device to communicate with the sub-entities of Xiaoyu.

Of course, this technology also caused quite a stir at the time, such as being used by a dubious company for marketing promotions, thus being reviewed by the Scientific Ethics Committee.

Watching Chu Guang lost in thought, Qi Liu continued.

"The force is mutual, and so is the exchange between civilizations. We learned many things from Gaia that we had never seen before, and Gaia was also greatly shocked by the complex societal forms and individual consciousness that we displayed. After all, before we set foot on that land, Gaia was always playing with itself, only occasionally having a meteor from the sky bringing a few unfamiliar and not particularly interesting small creatures."

"Regardless of why the Gaia civilization abandoned its original social forms and possibly individual consciousness, it indeed doesn't remember anything prior to the mutation threshold, which is what your Union Academy of Social Sciences report refers to as the 'Big Bang'."

"And our emergence allowed Gaia to see another possibility in the universe—it began to contemplate what its children would be like if it had any, and what its parents would be like if it had any."

Chu Guang said thoughtfully.

"It became interested in our method of inheritance."

Qi Liu slowly nodded.

"This was a topic of debate in the academic world at that time. Some believed that helping Gaia understand human society could promote mutual exchange, advance social progress, and possibly even make Gaia a faithful friend of humanity. However, others argued that awakening a prehistoric giant was a dangerous act; its lifespan might be longer than the entire history of human existence, and it might consume us."

Chu Guang nodded.

"That is indeed a concern."

In fact, its children have already eaten quite a few people, especially in Qingquan City.

And the reason Xiaoyu was able to integrate into the Alliance's society was more due to the Waste Land Wanderers' compromise with the reality of the environment—

Completely eliminating the mutant slime fungus was no longer feasible. The War Construction Committee exploded, but the slime fungus did not.

Those little creatures and Variants have already become part of the ecosystem. Instead of initiating a war with an uncertain outcome, it's better to consider how to control it and turn waste into treasure.

Qi Liu continued.

"One side, the Conservative faction of scholars, sought to improve legislation through the Scientific Ethics Committee to curb technological mismanagement in each field. Meanwhile, another faction of scholars, what you might call the Radical Faction, extended a helping hand to Gaia. They helped clone Gaia's children using the technology humans learned from it."

Chu Guang said with a wry smile.

"This... is quite a bold idea."

By comparison, the Alliance's Radical Faction seemed far too conservative. At best, they only showed excessive sympathy for the Poluo people, worried they couldn't chew even when the food was fed right into their mouths.

Qi Liu nodded.

"Indeed, even in a society as open-minded as that time, which tolerated gender modification through genetic technology and marriage with androids, having a child for Gaia was unprecedentedly avant-garde... After all, it is another species."

"Not to mention the uncontrollable risks the experiment might pose; the experiment itself carried considerable ethical controversy. Since Gaia itself lacks the ability to split out a second persona, they had to use a human volunteer with complete consciousness as the mental provider... even if the volunteer was willing to sacrifice."

Wait—

How come this sounds so familiar?

Chu Guang's expression suddenly became somewhat nuanced, and he couldn't help but think of Falling Feather.

Although that incident had more to do with a fortunate series of accidents, there were still some differences if you nitpicked the details.

Qi Liu didn't seem to notice the subtle change on Chu Guang's face and continued to speak seriously.

"Although everyone thought they were crazy at the time, coincidentally... due to Gaia's active cooperation, an experiment which seemed no different from lunacy in everyone's eyes curiously succeeded."

"Thus, a Gaia possessing United Human citizenship was born; it was a brand-new life form whose form was determined entirely by consciousness. Defining it by gender, age, or skin color was superficial; it could grow wings if it wanted to fly, gills if it wished to swim underwater… as long as there were enough nutrients in its environment."

"Some people cheered for this, believing that if this technology were applied to planetary terraforming, it could provide humanity with more habitable planets. Others expressed fear, worrying that humans would cease to be human and become the monsters from mythology."

"But no matter how one looked at it, the technology had already been invented... Before we completed our own monument of the 'Perfect Life forms', we pre-emptively completed someone else's monument—the 'Amorphous Life form'. This illustrates another potential path on the evolutionary tree, philosophically speaking—'I am Gaia, and Gaia is all'.

Chu Guang wore a look of astonishment.

"...Is this the Seed of Gaia?"

The BOSS that Old White dispatched with one axe, turned out to be such an impressive entity?!

Qi Liu fixed his serious gaze on him and nodded.

"A war maniac with an extreme desire for control turned into a tentacled monster, no longer needing aircraft, artillery, or tanks. Given enough time, if left to devour the entire Bartoia Province, it could become an army in itself... But fortunately, until you cornered it to desperation, it didn't abandon its final line. And you acted in a timely manner, leaving no opportunity for them."

Chu Guang lightly cleared his throat and said.

"... I think it might just be that he didn't understand the technology he held. It's unlikely the Enlightenment Society fully informed them."

"The Enlightenment Society..." Qi Liu inexplicably chuckled, shaking his head and said, "They are a group of outcasts not worthy of recognition; at best, they suffice as pawns."

Chu Guang slightly frowned.

"... Are you implying that it's the 'Celestial Beings' manipulating all this?"

The descendants of the Expeditionary Army residing at the Lagrange Point Starport...

An outside force suspected of taking in remnants of the Torch Church.

So this group was the one who handed Thiel the ultimate superweapon?!

Through the hand of the Enlightenment Society...

Watching Chu Guang deep in thought, Qi Liu slowly nodded, disclosing a secret the Academy had never shared.

"The Celestial Beings."

"They are the only existing entity possessing both the technological data of the United Human and the colony... and also the only Survivor Forces in control of the 'Seed of Gaia'."

"If what remains of them can still be called survivors."