Chapter 34: We are a legitimate business

Post Content:

"I admit it! I did indeed act recklessly! But what can I do? Blame it on my 'Poison Intuition' talent. Whenever there's something poisonous, my eyes emit green light. It's like triggering my OCD!"

What the heck?

Light Chu was initially stunned, but then he became utterly surprised.

She can visually identify them directly? That's so cool.

But what exactly is the criterion for determining what is 'poisonous'? Is there a dosage limit? And what triggers this talent?

He couldn't understand...

Light Chu decided to temporarily set aside the things he couldn't figure out and continued reading.

The post continued.

"...according to the tasks assigned by the governor, I started by picking mushrooms and raspberries in the forest. Thanks to my talent, I can identify most of the poisonous berries and mushrooms, so the efficiency is quite high. I quickly gathered several plastic buckets full of them."

"I thought I had picked everything near the sanatorium, so I wanted to go a bit farther. As I walked, I arrived at a place that looked like a parking lot. There were many mushrooms there, and I picked quite a few. When I was about to leave, I suddenly saw a tall and large concrete pipeline that looked like a sewer entrance, emitting a bright green light from inside!"

"I didn't think too much at that moment and thought since there were so many mushrooms inside, why not take a look? After all, I can identify the poisonous ones, so as long as I don't touch them, it should be fine."

"Besides, I didn't see any dangerous monsters nearby, so I walked over and peeked inside... I swear, I really just took a glance!"

"And then something horrifying happened!"

"A lump of flesh... I don't know what kind of flesh, but it just smashed into my face. At that moment, I couldn't breathe or even open my eyes. Soon, I couldn't even move, feeling like something swallowed me?"

"Anyway, although I didn't feel any pain, the sensation was truly terrible! Just when I was about to lose consciousness, I suddenly woke up from reality, and everything that happened just felt like a nightmare."

"At first, I thought I got disconnected and quickly put on the helmet to reconnect. Then I saw the four words 'Connection Interrupted' in the helmet, which later turned into 'Login Restricted.' No matter how I tried, I couldn't log in anymore, sob sob sob."

Impressive!

That's truly a feed...

After finishing reading the post, Light Chu was dumbfounded.

That gamer is genuinely courageous, dashing into bushes with her face like that. He would never dare to do such a thing.

The netizens below the post were also quite unfriendly.

Some people already had access to the closed beta and were just spectating, but there were more netizens who couldn't secure a reservation, condemning this shameful act of wasting time.

You should know that the resurrection cooldown is at least three days!

By giving up like this, it's equivalent to wasting three days of game time!

Why not do something productive with that time?

[Nighten]: "It's fine if you lost your head, Headless Magic Girl Asami? (Funny)"

[Quit_smoking]: "What the hell is this? Is that it? If you can't play properly, donate your game access to someone who needs it! Damn! T.T"

[Popeyes_in_debt]: "It's indeed being too reckless. This is truly a white giveaway! Why not let me have it instead?"

[Ilaina]: "Keep updating! Tell us in detail what it feels like to be eaten? (Funny)"

[Great_names_all_taken_by_dogs]: "With that comment, my mind went astray to the horny land, brother, let's talk privately. (Funny)"

The thread started to derail from here.

What started as a sincere request for help ended up with no one caring whether her problem was resolved or not.

In the end, perhaps because the officials ignored her, and the netizens' words were too harsh, the thread slowly turned into a battle between the original poster and the other netizens, with her frustratedly arguing against them.

This young gamer's words were quite venomous, clearly an experienced critic.

Light Chu couldn't bear to watch and locked her post, then sent her a private message.

"Hello, I'm the game planner of the Wasteland OL game. We have received your feedback. According to the game's death penalty, it takes 72 hours to resurrect. Please patiently wait for the resurrection cooldown to end and you will be able to log back into the game."

[Raven_raven]: "Ah? I have to wait for three days... Can't it be reduced to one day? I can pay for it, just tell me how much."

[Light]: "It's not about the money."

[Raven_raven]: "Can't we make an exception? Please, I really didn't mean it. Please help me. By the way, what's your QQ number? Can I add you? It's inconvenient to type here; let's chat on QQ. (Pleading)"

[Light]: "Rules are rules, and I can't help you with that."

[Raven_raven]: "Can't we make an exception? (Pleading)"

Light Chu remained unmoved and continued typing.

"I haven't finished speaking yet. Besides the resurrection cooldown, the game also deducts 500 Contribution Points from gamers for their first death."

[Raven_raven]: "They also deduct Contribution Points?! But... but I don't have that many..."

[Light]: "The troublesome part is here. Currently, you only have 30 Contribution Points, obtained from gathering tasks, and these points are insufficient to cover the death penalty."

[Raven_raven]: "What will happen if I don't have enough? (Nervous)"

[Light]: "Currently, it's set to affect NPC evaluation of the gamer, in other words, it will decrease their favorability."

[Raven_raven]: "Decrease favorability?! No! QAQ"

Now you're scared?

Should have realized it earlier.

"Obviously, you don't even realize the severity of the problem. Imagine, the character you're playing carries the mission of saving civilization. However, as a human elite sent to support surface construction, not only have you failed to create any value, but you have also caused such a big trouble for everyone. Don't you feel any guilt at all?"

Not only did you not earn 500 freebie coins, but you also wasted a whole jar of active substance.

Aren't you ashamed of that?

[Raven_raven]: "B-But this is just a game..."

Light Chu replied firmly, "That's right, it's a game, but it's not just your game. You must have played Murder Mystery before."

[Raven_raven]: "Y-Yes, I have..."

[Light]: "Think of it as a 30-player scenario, where 29 players are playing seriously, but there's one person who's playing blindly, holding an important role card. You should understand how terrible such behavior is for others."

In reality, it wasn't that exaggerated. She was just a newbie, and dying in the game was nothing serious. But Light Chu felt that if he didn't react strongly, these gamers wouldn't learn their lesson.

They needed some education!

However, perhaps he had been too harsh with his words. This young gamer seemed very sensitive, maybe because she had been deceived while playing Murder Mystery in real life.

[Raven_raven], sitting in front of the computer, was on the verge of tears, typing furiously to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong! It's my fault! QAQ"

A series of messages flooded the chat window, and Light Chu started feeling a bit embarrassed while he was about to continue typing.

Why does it feel like I'm using pickup artist tactics?

Never mind...

It's not important.

[Light]: "No need to apologize to me. I'm just explaining the game's punishment mechanism and why such settings were made. Later, you can go back to your post and inform other gamers about it. I will unlock the post."

[Light]: "Furthermore, I want to emphasize again that Wasteland OL is positioned as a hardcore game. At least in the early stages, there won't be many casual elements. This decision was made when we designed the entire game framework. If you can't accept these settings, I suggest you switch to another game or wait for the official beta version to launch with more content."

[Raven_raven]: "No, I want to play! I'll die without a helmet! QAQ"

[Raven_raven]: "Um, Mr. Planner, I don't have any objections to the death penalty. How can I restore the lost favorability? Will apologizing after resurrection be effective? QAQ"

[Light]: "Perhaps it will help, but it won't make a significant difference. The AI character's personality and behavioral logic are designed to be neutral and lawful. Their evaluation is mainly based on whether a gamer's actions align with the overall interests of the sanctuary. So if you want to make amends, let them see your effort and avoid doing mindless things."

[Raven_raven]: "I understand. Um... can I suggest something?"

[Light]: "Go ahead."

[Raven_raven]: "In the future, can you release some gacha items or something that can increase favorability? I've seen it in other games, like the Big-Nosed Mole Mansion... I can pay for them!"

Light Chu was speechless and typed with a black line on his forehead.

"Friend, you shouldn't always think that money can solve everything. We are a legitimate business!"

What use is money when there's no one left?

Can it be burned to this dimension?

[Raven_raven], sitting in front of the computer, paused with her hand on the keyboard. Her mind couldn't process it for a moment.

A legitimate company...

Isn't that just about making money?

Wouldn't those who don't ask for money be illegitimate...

He closed the webpage, temporarily putting aside the matter of this young gamer. Then, he logged into his own QQ account.

Interestingly, the discussion in the Shachuko Club happened to be about the post on the official website.

It seemed that everyone was quite concerned about the death penalty in the game.

[Mercy_my_life]: "I've played it, and I have to admit, this game is really amazing. I take back what I said earlier, I'm convinced!"

[Who_dares_challenging_me]: "What the fuck, even you have been bought by the dog manager???"

([Who_dares_challenging_me] has been muted by the administrator for one hour.)

[Nighten]: "Barking one more time?"

[White]: "Enough with the nonsense. Have you guys seen the post on the official website about the person who died today?"

[Nighten]: "I saw it. The ID was [Raven_raven], the gurl with a height of 180 and long legs! Our group administrator should find a way to invite her to the group. (Amusing)"

[White]: "Get lost, go invite her yourself."

[Tomorrow]: "I finished reading the post. I have three points to summarize: 1. Losing consciousness or dying in the game will result in a forced disconnection. 2. The excessive pain has indeed been removed, just like my previous tests. I have to say the game developers are very shrewd! It doesn't feel unrealistic at all, too painful to the point of quitting, but now it's just right! But still, I wish we could adjust it ourselves. (Grinning)]

[Nighten]: "And the third point?"

[Hurricane]: "Let me add it. If you don't do stupid things, you won't die."

[Tomorrow]: "Correct."

[Quit_smoking]: "This is ridiculous, I can't even reserve a spot. I really want to play! T.T"

[White]: "Uh, if you can't, why don't you ask Light Bro for help?"

[Quit_smoking]: "I did, but he asked me to wait. T.T"

[Nighten]: "My condolences."

[White]: "Huh? That's strange. Did you secretly offend him? This brother does hold grudges a bit, according to the information, he's a Scorpio."

[Quit_smoking]: "No way, how could I dare offend him! I'm Light Bro's most loyal fanboy!!! T.T"

[White]: "Well, that's weird. I'll ask him for you another day."

[Tomorrow]: "By the way, where is Trash-kun? Is he online?"

[Nighten]: "I don't know, should I mention him?"

[White]: "@Level_99_trashpicker."

[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Ahem, what's up? I'm in the group."

There's more fun in peeking at the screen rather than talking.

Moreover, it was hard for him, a newcomer who had just joined the group a few days ago, to have a chance to join the conversation.

[Tomorrow]: "I see that your avatar is a lizardman. How does it feel when you take off the helmet and return to reality? Are there any dissonances?"

Light Chu, who was also peeking at the screen, became interested.

He was quite curious about what it felt like for a gamer who chose to be a lizardman in the game.

Especially with the absence of a small tail and the addition of a large one, he wondered if it was comfortable or not.

[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Um... It doesn't seem like it? It feels pretty good actually. In the game, my athletic abilities are extremely strong, and my reactions are quick. After quitting the game, there's nothing strange. But there is one thing I'm not quite used to. In the game, I always crave raw meat, and when I see blood, my whole body gets heated up. But once I take off the helmet, it's all good, very magical."

[Tomorrow]: "Damn it! Why can you even choose non-human characters? Why it's not allowed to create a female avatar!"

[Hurricane]: "Calm down, cultured brother."

[White]: "You're scaring me a little with that."

[Tomorrow]: "Get lost! I just wanted to try it out and satisfy my curiosity, you guys understand, right?"

[Nighten]: "No, no, no, we don't understand."

[Hurricane]: "Speaking of which, when you and Trash-kun went hunting with the governor today, did you encounter Raiders?"

[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Yes! There were two Raiders and a tamed mutant hyena. At that time, they were executing a scavenger, but by the time we found them, the person had already been killed by the plot! Then we killed those two Raiders and took their equipment."

[Tomorrow]: "Taming? So, it's possible to tame mutant creatures. I wonder if gamers will be able to have pets in the future... I guess this should be a foreshadowing from the developers. (Rubbing chin)"

[Hurricane]: "Did you kill an NPC?"

[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Uh, we were ordered to attack by the governor.. It shouldn't violate the rules in the Resident Manual, right? I checked it later, and it only prohibits attacking neutral or friendly NPCs."

[Nighten]: "Um, I think those were probably randomly generated monsters, not NPCs. But the bleeding effect was... quite realistic. I almost thought someone really died."

When Light Chu read this part, he fell into contemplation.

He had previously speculated whether the world seen by the gamers was filtered, and now it seemed that there was a possibility.

However, this filter might not necessarily be the kind of filter used in beauty camera apps; it could be a type of conceptual blur processing.

Just like how the device handled pain perception.

Excessive pain was blocked by the gamer's brain, and sensory impacts beyond the tolerance range were likely subjected to corresponding "emotional numbing" processing.

Otherwise, if the brain triggered a "fuse mechanism," the gamer would wake up from the "nightmare," and wouldn't the connection be interrupted?

Clearly, these details had already been considered by the designers of this device.

Analyzing up to this point, Light Chu suddenly felt a sense of envy.

When he first arrived in the wasteland, it took him a long time to overcome these psychological barriers.

[Hurricane]: "Do they speak Mandarin?"

[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Their language is strange, sounds a bit like Mandarin but not quite. I don't understand it anyway; it's probably randomly generated by the program."

When depicting alien planets or otherworldly settings, many films, TV shows, or games have similar setups where a normal sentence structure is disrupted to create a "foreign language," sometimes even made up.

Like the mumbling in The Sims.

From Trash-kun's perspective, Wasteland OL probably used a similar design.

Just based on this aspect, the game seemed to be quite authentic.

[Tomorrow]: "Well, the arrangement of this plot is actually quite interesting. I feel it's meant to remind us of the hidden crises in this wasteland. Just like the humanoid mutant tribe we explored before, the purpose should be to create a sense of crisis."

[Nighten]: "Um, but isn't it randomly generated plots?"

[Tomorrow]: "Anything you see has been designed by the program, so there is no true randomness in the real sense."

[White]: "I think Tomorrow has a point. It's a bit too coincidental that something like this happened on the day new gamers came online."

[Tomorrow]: "It's just a speculation! I think we can interpret this plot as the expansion of the outpost, the overall improvement of gamer levels, and the increasing conflicts between gamers and other forces and mutants in the wasteland. Perhaps the next stage of the game will revolve around competing for survival resources and space."

[Tomorrow]: "We can actually start preparing for war now! If things go fast, the Winter is Coming expansion will end, and the next expansion will be about stronghold conflicts."

[Hurricane]: "Impressive..."

[Level_99_trashpicker]: "6666, your analysis is spot on."

[Nighten]: "Amazing, Tomorrow acts like he is the leaker!"

[Quit_smoking]: "Damn! I really want to play! T.T"

Following that, the group members began discussing techniques for smelting steel and making gunpowder, while Light Chu in front of the screen looked on in astonishment.

Wow, even the areas I, as a game designer, didn't consider, this guy has thought through them thoroughly.

What talent!

Light Chu sighed inwardly and copied and pasted the analysis from this skilled gamerinto a document for future reference.

You're all right.

You know this game better than me.

If someone asks, Light Chu decided he would simply explain it like this.