Hostile Force! New Intel Unlocked!

Around three in the afternoon.

Chu Guang returned to the Outpost on the surface of Shelter 404 with Night Ten and the prey they had hunted.

The harvest from this exploration trip was quite encouraging. Although the two Mutant Hyenas looked a bit thin, they each weighed forty to fifty kilograms.

As one of the main sources of meat for survivors in the Wasteland, Mutant Hyenas were the most cost-effective prey. The meat they provided was more than ten times that of Mutant Rats, and they often appeared in groups of three to five. Most importantly, the risk of food poisoning was not very high.

However, relatively speaking, without guns, it was difficult for ordinary scavengers to defeat this type of group-hunting Mutant with cold weapons alone.

"Two Mutant Hyenas, and... one piece of good news and one piece of bad news," Chu Guang said, looking at the Players walking towards him as he dropped the prey at the entrance of the Sanatorium.

Old Bai was the first to ask.

"What's the good news?"

Chu Guang replied.

"The good news is, northeast of Wetland Park, following the elevated road out of the city all the way north, there's an unfinished construction site. We found a large amount of engineering limestone there, the kind that seems to have been desulfurized. There are also some discarded wheelbarrows that should be usable after repairs."

A look of joy appeared on Old Bai's face, and he excitedly clenched his fists.

"That's great!"

He was just worrying about not being able to find raw materials for refining Calcium Carbonate Cement, and he didn't expect the problem to be solved so quickly.

And with ready-made materials!

However, Fang Chang, who was standing next to him, felt that things weren't that simple.

"What about the bad news?"

Chu Guang continued.

"East Gate of Wetland Park, continuing along Street 76, is a Mutant camp. Roughly estimated, the number is twenty or more."

The three Players exchanged glances, not understanding the meaning of the sentence.

Seeing their confusion, Night Ten quickly added an explanation from the side.

"Mutants are a hostile force! Their combat power is strong, and most importantly, they eat people. We must be careful!"

Chu Guang nodded.

"That's about the meaning."

After hearing this, the three Players didn't show fear; instead, they looked eager to try, but Chu Guang quickly poured cold water on their excitement.

"Those Mutants are not something we can deal with right now. Their Level is at least 10 or higher. Reckless contact will not only be a waste but also expose our location."

"From now on, everyone is forbidden to approach Street 76, and also forbidden to go out through the East Gate of Wetland Park, until the threat is removed!"

The Players were relatively obedient.

Although they were very curious about what Mutants looked like, since the Manager, who held GM authority, had said so, they didn't dare to disobey the command.

Being locked in a small dark room was a minor issue.

Losing the Affection they had finally gained would be too uncomfortable.

It seemed he didn't need to worry too much about the Players.

After a brief inspection of the morning's labor results, Chu Guang focused on figuring out how to process the prey he had just caught.

Although he had eaten this stuff before, it was always bought from the barbecue stalls on Bett Street. He had never processed it himself.

Chu Guang only knew that freshly caught prey needed to be bled immediately, otherwise the meat would become fishy and smelly. As for how exactly to bleed it, and how to process it after bleeding, he wasn't very clear.

In the previous five months, he mainly relied on scavenging to earn Chips, and he didn't have much experience in hunting.

After all, hunting was too dangerous for a lone traveler.

In short, after killing the prey, he had cut open the main artery of the prey, but he always felt that the blood hadn't been drained completely.

Just as Chu Guang was contemplating, Gale walked towards him.

"Respected Manager."

"What is it?"

"Can I have some of the prey's blood?"

"Blood? What do you want that for?" Chu Guang asked.

Gale explained.

"I need it to verify some hypotheses."

Chu Guang didn't think much of it. He picked up the short knife, chopped off a front leg from the Mutant Hyena in front of him, and threw it into Gale's hand.

"Take it."

"Thank you!"

After thanking him, Gale walked away mysteriously.

Although Chu Guang was curious, he didn't ask any more questions.

Around dusk, all the players returned to the sanatorium. Just by looking at Old Bai's expression, Chu Guang knew they'd had a fruitful day.

Chu Guang was about to ask for details, but before he could open his mouth, Old Bai eagerly spoke up.

"Respected Manager, under your brilliant guidance, the cement kiln at the outpost is basically complete. Once the cement dries tomorrow, we can start test-firing the first batch of cement!"

"Excellent."

Chu Guang nodded approvingly and encouraged them.

"Thanks to you, we are one step closer to the great goal of restoring the Human Federation! I hope you will continue your efforts. The Organization will remember your contributions."

Chu Guang felt he was getting better at painting a rosy picture.

However, the players didn't seem to care if he was painting a picture or not. It looked like they had found new fun in the labor of rebuilding their home.

After all, wasn't that what sandbox games were all about?

Watching their home improve little by little was part of the fun. Being able to experience this groundbreaking immersive virtual reality technology firsthand was a fortunate thing in itself.

Chu Guang was naturally happy that these players could enjoy themselves.

The shelter was simply too poor right now. He really couldn't offer them any substantial rewards, so he could only paint pictures and issue air currency for now.

After logging off.

The Cattle and Horse Club became lively again.

Recently, many night owls had adjusted their schedules to be more "daytime."

Led by "Quit Smoking," people who used to stay up until dawn now went to bed promptly at 10 PM and woke up promptly at 5 AM, just to watch a few "dog managers" "stir things up."

Night Ten: [Mutants! New faction update! The Manager encountered a mutant settlement on Street 76! Confirmed that mutants are a hostile force!]

Night Ten, who logged off first, couldn't wait to pop up and ignite the group members' gossip enthusiasm.

[Mutants?! What do they look like?]

[Why hasn't the official website been updated yet?]

[Awesome! We have hostile forces, the internal beta should be soon!]

[Damn, I really want to play!]

A string of messages exploded.

Night Ten continued typing.

[I don't know what they look like yet, I haven't seen them! But don't panic, the official website will definitely update the information about mutants. I'm also waiting for news here!]

Quit Smoking: [What about the other three? Why were you the only one online today?]

Night Ten: [I don't know! Old Xi seems to have gone to research cement. Gale probably has class in the morning. Fang Chang, I don't know, that guy has always been quite mysterious.]

(Group member Night Ten was muted by the group owner for 1 hour.)

Old Bai: [You dare call me Old Xi again, try it! (Angry)]

Spare Me: [Hahaha, good muting!]

There Really Are Mosquitoes in the WC: [Excited... Just two more days, and I can participate in the test!]

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: [+1 (funny.jpg)]

Quit Smoking: [Damn! Mute these two show-offs too! It's too hateful! I was the first to pre-register! T.T]

Why Should I Be Arrogant: [Ah, hopeless, truly hopeless.]

Even now, this user named "Why Should I Be Arrogant" still didn't believe the nonsense about a "fully immersive virtual reality online game," let alone "100% real."

He and his supporters still firmly believed that this was a trick orchestrated by the dog managers to spread rumors.

"There Will Be Plenty of Time in the Future" didn't appear in the group today. Instead, he was updating his daily trial experience on the official forum—

Or rather, writing a live game report.

[Today is the third day of the closed beta. The charcoal kiln provided us with a large amount of charcoal, and with the successful firing of plant ash cement, we built a larger cement kiln under the leadership of Old Xi. If the test firing is successful tomorrow, we will obtain more reliable building materials to build our home.]

[I have to praise the production team. The experience this game gives me is something I've never gotten from any game released on the market so far. Especially the moment the cement kiln was completed, the sense of accomplishment that came with it is simply addictive and irresistible!]

[There wasn't much content to test today, mainly focusing on testing the game's sandbox system.]

[However, it's worth noting that today the Manager revealed to us that there is a mutant tribe at the end of Street 76, confirmed as a hostile force. All players need to be careful to avoid them, but the Manager did not reveal more information about the mutants. As of now, the official website hasn't updated photos of the mutants, perhaps the plot hasn't reached that point yet.]

[If there is new information, I will update it in the post as soon as possible. I also ask all Wasteland Buddies who are looking forward to the open beta to continue following this post!]

"Wasteland Buddy" was the self-proclaimed title of the pre-registered players.

Although there were only about forty people now, these people were all active—even fanatical—users. In no time, the post had gained dozens of floors.

Chu Guang silently lurked, not participating in the players' discussions.

However, as usual, he took notes of some good suggestions and marked some particularly insightful players in the backend.

If there were plans to recruit new players, these highly loyal users would be given priority, while those who liked to argue and stir up trouble would be put on hold. Compared to letting them in to cause trouble, it was better to let them be atmosphere creators online.

Frankly, if you're here to cause trouble, why should I let you in?

Based on your big face and underdeveloped brain?

Currently, during the closed beta phase, Wasteland Online is more like a private server, and one managed by privileged administrators with a personal connection, so there's no chance for anyone to cause trouble. By gradually increasing the reservation requirements, players who do get access will cherish the opportunity even more.

As for the open beta phase, that's even easier to explain.

The open beta will naturally have its own gameplay.

At that time, he'll just cordon off an area as a新手村 (Newbie Village), and without a certain level or honorific title, they won't even be able to meet him.

Chu Guang realized he was becoming more and more cunning without even noticing.

When did this start?

Forget it.

Thinking about such things is pointless.

Turning off the computer, Chu Guang opened the system and checked the rewards for today's daily tasks.

[Task: Chop ten trees, Reward: 1 Reward Point]
[Task: Kill one Mutant, Reward: 3 Reward Points]

"I completed a bit few tasks today."

Adding them up, it was only 4 points.

Chu Guang had a mental struggle, but in the end, he couldn't resist. He opened the Manager Allowance and threw all 4 Reward Points into the Beginner Blind Box.

The alloy door opened.

The conveyor belt moved.

Looking at the 4 lollipops lying at the end of the conveyor belt, Chu Guang almost couldn't help but let out a friendly national curse.

However, just then, above one of the lollipops with a light gold wrapper, a translucent holographic pop-up suddenly appeared.

Like a label—

[Enhanced Chocolate Lollipop: Strength increase +10%, Duration 10 hours.]

Chu Guang: "?"

What?