This Game Is Too Realistic-Chapter 550.1: Rats Hiding In The Shadows...

At the entrance of Boulder Town’s industrial zone, a bulletin board stood tall with names and numbers listed on it.

In front of the notice board stood a dense crowd of people.

From time to time, excited cheers erupted, those who found their names wore expressions of sheer joy, as if they had won the lottery. The surrounding people looked on with envy, regretting that they had responded to the mobilization too late or hadn't worked hard enough.

Setting aside the scavengers outside the city, Boulder Town had almost no primary sector, relying solely on secondary and tertiary industries. Even after strict enforcement of labor laws and sending all child workers to full-time schools that provided food and shelter, there were still over 100,000 registered workers.

1,800 free apartments were like a splash of water into a desert, but they still gave many people hope for a better life.

Lorette had said that once all the homes in the settlement had been built and the financial situation improved, they would consider building better-quality housing that everyone could afford.

Though he wasn’t too hopeful, Kent still couldn’t help but wander near the bulletin board. He only meant to take a glance, but that glance made his eyes widen in shock.

"... My name’s on it?" Thinking he had seen wrong, Kent rubbed his face hard with a dusty sleeve.

After confirming again that both the name and number matched, he had no time for joy. Fearing someone else might claim it, he immediately pushed his way to the front of the crowd and completed the registration at the desk.

Holding the residence permit in his hands, Kent was overwhelmed with emotion, he never imagined he would live in a real building one day.

However, he still felt uneasy. Unable to hold back, he asked the staff nearby, "How were these houses allocated?"

That was a frequently asked question, so the worker behind the wooden desk didn’t mind. He responded fluently with the four criteria. "Priority goes to those whose homes were demolished, workers who took part in the construction, those whose families are within the demolition area, and households with five or more members."

Kent silently did the math in his head. Being single, he clearly didn’t meet the last criterion. Nor the first. But he did qualify for the second and third.

He had not only actively participated in construction, but also worked hard without slacking off. Because of his diligence, he had even received praise.

His leaky shack was clearly within the area set for renovation. The new authorities seemed to have a strange aversion to drafty houses, even though he had patched the walls with mud. That was why it was marked to be demolished next.

He had been upset about that for several days, mumbling that at least the noble lords of the past wouldn’t have robbed him of his shack. But now, he could no longer complain.

As it turned out, the new masters didn’t just demolish and leave things be.

Still, it was hard for him to believe that such good fortune would fall from the sky. He kept thinking someone would take it away.

Finally, he couldn’t resist asking, "This house... Is it really free? Is there no charge?"

The staff smiled. "Of course! As long as you don’t own other property within the New Alliance, you can stay here permanently until it becomes unsafe. Then we’ll give you a new one. Oh right, eventually all homes will have water and electricity. For now, utilities are on a quota system and free. You get a monthly allotment, and unused quotas roll over. Once winter’s over, it’ll be returned to the city, and if you use it all, you’ll have to pay a bit."

Was it really possible for water and electricity to be connected to his home?

Kent looked confused. He couldn’t quite grasp the concept. But hearing that some money might be charged after winter actually made him feel a bit better.

He wasn’t wrong after all, the lords still existed. They just weren’t called Fang Ming anymore. Now, it was a carpenter named Lorette.

And since Lorette was appointed by the administrator, that meant Boulder Town’s real lord was the administrator.

But actually... That wasn’t bad at all.

Realizing he hadn’t been wrong, Kent wasn’t angry, in fact, he felt happy. It truly wasn’t a bad thing.

Legally speaking, those who entered the shelter back then had to be nobles of the Federation, Their rightful heir was the shelter.

Further back, Boulder Town had been a settlement planned by the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, as such, its legitimate authority had always been in the North.

North? North Suburbs...

Kent’s eyes lit up, though he felt a little embarrassed.

Damn that House, going around calling everyone from the North Suburbs a country bumpkin or a blue mole! He almost ruined everything!

That great administrator and his warriors were humanity’s saviors!

He had been blind! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Long live the administrator!"

Having finally reconciled it all, Kent couldn’t contain his excitement. He yelled out loud in the street, but didn’t dare yell too loudly. His voice was drowned in the crowd and no one responded...

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he blushed and shouted ‘Long live the New Alliance’ to show his loyalty. This time people heard him and laughed, congratulating him on getting a new home.

Kent grinned ear to ear, nodding and thanking everyone, Holding back happy tears, he was glad to be part of the new collective as he hurried off.

...

Back on Wasteland Online’s official website.

[Server Announcement]

[Wasteland Online Second Annual New Year Festival!]

[Description: Juicy, hearty, and long-lasting Crackleclaw Crab Cakes helped us through the harsh winter of the 212st year of Wasteland Era. Without those big claw-waving cuties, there would be no prosperous New Alliance! Over the past year, we ate the Crackleclaw Crabs of Linghu Lake into near extinction. What magical mutant will we devour into extinction next year?]

[The answer will be revealed tonight! As last year, the administrator has prepared a mystery gift for each resident who joins the event. The winners will unlock the exclusive achievement ‘Wasteland Gourmet’ and have their recipe permanently entered into the Hall of Fame on the official site!]

[The administrator reminds everyone, "Despite this year being a bountiful one, many still go hungry, please don’t waste food! Also, don’t put just anything into your mouth. Watch your stomachs!"]

[Event Duration: Dec 28, Year 212, to Jan 1, Year 213]

[Location: All settlements within New Alliance territory (including Bist Town)]

[Requirement: Use local ingredients to develop recipes and make food that even an average person with five constitution points can eat!]

[Judging Criteria: Each settlement selects two winners, one chosen by players, one by local wastelanders. As the fifth New Alliance settlement, Boulder Town will have an additional special prize selected by the administrator. There will be no ingredient restrictions and dishes will be judged on quantity, price, flavor, and nutrition!]

[Designated Taste Tester for Boulder Town: Yaya]

New Year events were standard fare in most MMORPGs, and Wasteland Online was no exception, but the lazy developers were once again exposed.

This year’s event was almost identical to the last, and it was still about food. It seemed one of the developer was hell-bent on testing the server’s ecological balance.

Since Crackleclaw Crab Cakes were designated a Dawn City specialty, the crabs on the north shore of Linghu Lake had been hunted to extinction.

Now, to hunt Crackleclaw Crabs, one had to search the city’s flooded sinkholes or travel all the way north to West Continent Lake.

Well, either that or they have to head South.

Interestingly, some wastelanders even started farming, experimenting with breeding less aggressive, more fertile, and tastier edible Crackleclaw Crabs near the lake.

That was something Chu Guang hadn’t expected.

Well, going back to the event.

Unlike the year before, after opening the market in Sunset Province, food was no longer in short supply. The event’s goal shifted from survival to enriching the lives of New Alliance residents.

Boulder Town sat on the edge of the third ring, surrounded by high-rise ruins and crisscrossed with underground tunnels. Mutant creatures active in this area weren’t just Mutant Slime Mold, there was a wide variety. For experienced hunters, finding hibernating prey wasn’t too difficult.

Chu Guang planned to continue this tradition, holding a similar event at the end of each year, making mutant hunting a core part of New Alliance culture.

Compared to celebrating the birthday of the Great Stag God, festivals created by people themselves clearly had more meaning.

Once the announcement went live, it immediately sparked buzz among players and cloud gamers alike. But surprisingly, their focus wasn’t on the event itself.