[Shield capacitor energy remaining 0%...]

"Boom——!"

With an earth-shattering roar, Night Ten felt his consciousness like it was blown away by a truck, vaguely as if watching slides through frosted glass.

The research ship seemed to hit something, and then he saw boiling flames and an anxious face.

Then——

The cockpit suddenly went dark.

The darkness was so profound that you couldn't see your fingers, as if a black hole had swallowed all the light.

Along with it, his consciousness also fell into an abyss with no bottom.

It was unclear what happened first, or perhaps both occurred simultaneously.

Not disconnected but rather unconscious within the game, Night Ten, after playing for so long, probably encountered such a strange situation for the first time.

And the feeling of unconsciousness was also odd, his consciousness wasn't cut off, just unable to connect to the five senses.

Could it be that the unconsciousness function wasn't completed?

Night Ten tried to analyze it in his mind, but with what he knew of Ah Guang, this was highly unlikely.

The only possibility then—

He had triggered a narrative event!

Thinking about it, facing the "black hole" sparked not fear but rather a faint sense of anticipation in Night Ten's heart.

However, before long, that hint of anticipation turned into anxiety amidst the long wait.

Even panic.

He thought about the fact that he wasn't the only one on that research ship.

There was also that guy...

A surge of agitation rose in his heart, prompting Night Ten to curse.

"Damn it... what exactly happened?"

Of course, he couldn't produce sound.

Pure consciousness echoed in the void emptier than a vacuum, allowing him only to hear the soundless silence.

After what seemed like ages, finally a weak sound entered his "ears."

"Thump thump..."

It seemed to be his heartbeat.

That faint sound was like rain after a long drought, filling Night Ten's restless heart with a surge of ecstasy.

He exerted all his strength to reach out with his nonexistent hand, grabbing the straw floating on the water's surface, using all his might to chase that elusive sound.

Wake up—

He shouted silently within himself.

Even if he wasn't sure whether doing so had any meaning.

Maybe he was just exerting effort against a wall—

Maybe he was actually dead.

The relentless effort seemed to finally pay off, as the darkness that blocked visibility became less oppressive, replaced by a blurry gray haze.

The lost five senses seemed to be returning, and more sounds were penetrating the invisible fog.

First came hearing.

Then came touch.

Unexpectedly, a bone-chilling cold enveloped him the moment he regained touch, causing him to shiver.

So cold...

This felt like falling into an ice cave.

At this moment, Night Ten's mind held only this thought, but just as he was about to blurt out "I'm freezing here," he heard fragmented sounds passing through the gray haze.

The sound came from somewhere very close.

To hear better, he involuntarily held his breath but could only pick up snippets of words.

"Night Ten..."

"It's really cold here."

"Achoo—"

"I..."

I... what?

Before Night Ten could thoroughly hear what the voice was saying, blinding white light flashed onto his retina.

The bright glare almost blinded him, causing him to instinctively raise his arm to shield himself.

As his arm lifted, fine ice chips scattered, splashing onto his face, eliciting a low groan.

"Ah..."

The cold touch made him shiver once more, and simultaneously, the chaotic noise became intensely clear and flooded his ears.

"He's awake."

"What clothing is this guy wearing..."

"Never seen it."

"How can someone lie in the Sleep Cabin like this... Just ridiculous."

All around were whispering voices.

They spoke in United Human language, though slightly more standard than the Waste Land Wanderer's pronunciation.

Night Ten slowly moved his arm from his face and took a look around.

He found himself lying in a Sleep Cabin with its lid open, surrounded by a spacious hall.

Soft incandescent light sprinkled on silver-gray alloy floor tiles, with the surrounding walls and ceiling seemingly made of alloy too, yet it didn't feel cold or lacking in style.

With no windows providing a direct view outside, Night Ten couldn't confirm where he was.

But actually, there's no need to confirm...

Without a doubt, this is the Orion Missile Cruiser.

However, what confuses him is the group of people standing in front of him.

The crowd at the door blocked the room completely, and there were roughly fifty or sixty people.

Those eyes were fixed intently on him, some showing worry, some curiosity, and others with sympathy or some inexplicable emotions.

At this moment, a man wearing military exoskeleton armor walked through the crowd to stand in front of him, his sharp eyes staring directly into his.

"Who are you?"

Night Ten did not answer; he just silently looked down at his chest.

He was only wearing a blue jacket, the "Xiaguang" power armor was gone.

Then he looked up again at the people in front of him, seeing them wearing silver-gray clothing similar to the Academy's, yet not quite the same, with the United Space Army's armbands on their arms.

For a moment, Night Eleven felt his mind was not enough to process this and stood there dumbfounded.

But soon, the man standing in front of him woke him up, repeating with a stern tone.

"Tell me your name, identity, and purpose."

It seemed like his tone was too harsh, the other crew members beside him criticized that guy in return.

"Hey, don't scare the kid."

"It looks like he doesn't even know why he's here."

At this point, a pretty lady crouched in front of him, looking at him with concern and asked.

"Are you okay?"

Dark hair swayed not far in front of him, beneath the thin bangs was a face with gentle lines yet still vibrant and heroic.

Night Ten was a bit bewildered.

Although he was indeed quite young, he didn't deserve to be called a kid.

His Adam's apple moved as he said,

"I'm... not sure."

This was the truth.

He really couldn't figure out what was going on.

The somewhat older woman was not discouraged, her bright eyes watching his, she patiently said.

"I'm Lin Youyou, an on-duty doctor in the medical and life support department of this starship. We mean no harm. Can you tell me your name?"

"Night Ten..."

Upon hearing this name, a man standing with his arms crossed on the side whistled and teased.

"Sounds like a code name."

Another crew member also laughed and said.

"Hey, I don't think this kid is a civilian. Could he be a spy from the Mycelium Protection Organization?"

"Though it sounds a bit implausible, we can't rule out this possibility."

The man in the exoskeleton armor apparently thought the same, staring intently at Night Ten, his hand not on a gun but close to the weapons.

"Shut up."

Lin Youyou turned back to glare at the two, warning them to shut up before looking back at Night Ten.

"Tell sister, is that your name?"

Night Ten blushed, but stubbornly emphasized again.

"That is my name... Of course, the name my parents gave me is Ye Wei."

There was no need to give out his full nickname, as nobody called him by such a long name in general, which would only cause unnecessary misunderstandings and communication costs.

He had already been considerate enough.

Even revealed his real name in reality.

What surprised Night Ten was that when he revealed he had two names, the people around him actually relaxed a bit.

Only then did he suddenly recall, in the background introduction of "Wasteland OL," it was mentioned in an inconspicuous chapter—

In the Human Alliance Era, it was popular to give oneself a new name after reaching adulthood.

This was somewhat like how people in certain niche cultural circles in real life use usernames for communication and barely use their real names except for mailing packages, leading to a sense of unfamiliarity with their own names.

Seemingly believing what he said, Lin Youyou continued, watching his eyes.

"Are you hurt?"

"Maybe... I'm not sure," Night Ten muttered ambiguously, sitting up straight from the sleep cabin, "my head is a mess... not in great shape... It's so cold here, can I get out first? I don't want to lie down while talking."

"We were just planning to do that, but I need to confirm first that you aren't hurt... Here, let me help you."

Watching Night Ten straightening up, Lin Youyou stood up from the ground and helped him out of the sleep cabin.

"Thank you."

Crawling out from the tiny shards of ice, Night Ten stood on the ground and politely thanked, then directed his gaze to his feet, looking around with increasing bewilderment.

"We... are on Earth?"

Hearing this question, the surrounding crew members exchanged glances, with even Lin Youyou's expression turning a bit odd.

Nonetheless, her gentle voice did not change, she continued to gaze sincerely at Night Ten, asking softly.

"Why do you think we are on Earth?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Night Ten replied without thinking, stomping on the ice chips on his shoes, "there's gravity here... and it's no different from being on the ground, isn't it?"

Lin Youyou was stunned.

The people next to her were also stunned.

As if having heard something amusing, a chuckle was heard from within the crowd.

"I bet this kid's on his first long trip, never heard of artificial gravity before."

Seeing Night Ten look at him, the man with short blonde hair and a long face smiled and greeted him.

"Koala, the engineering department's supervisor... ahem, I mean the Engineering and Maintenance Department."

The hearty smile revealed no malice.

This bunch seems to like joking even more than players; Night Ten suddenly feels like he's the one being overly reserved.

"Koala... Is that the animal?"

The man laughs and says.

"Haha, that's right! That guy is my mascot, it saved my life when I was little."

Night Ten suddenly becomes curious about how this guy was saved by a koala when he was a kid.

But before he could open his mouth to ask, the man wearing the exoskeleton coughs to interrupt their banter.

"This is a military zone, after all. An unknown person with no identity showing up here, it's better we take this seriously."

When speaking, the man stares sternly at Night Ten and continues.

"How did you get in here?"

"How should I know?" Night Ten pats his head and can't help but grumble, "Damn... is there a bug or something."

Did he wander into the map Ah Guang hasn't finished yet?

Or—

Is it just that it bugged on his end?

He forcefully pats his own head again, trying to wake himself from this bizarre dream.

The doctor called Lin Youyou looks at him worriedly, wanting to stop his actions but is pushed away by the latter.

The man wearing the exoskeleton frowns deeply, glaring at this guy pretending to be crazy.

"You don't know? You don't know how you got here?"

Night Ten complains.

"Right! I know nothing; I was on a research ship... the kind that barely fits thirty people, and then when I blinked, I found myself in a sleep cabin, surrounded by you guys staring at me like I'm a koala at the zoo!"

The guy called Koala awkwardly rubs his nose, muttering under his breath "Did I?" Then scratching his head with another "I'm sorry."

The others exchange glances with varied expressions, whispering softly about something.

Only the man in the exoskeleton still locks his sharp gaze on him.

The gaze cuts like a sharp knife, revealing its edge from a restrained scabbard.

"You better tell the truth."

Night Ten isn't easily scared; how could he heed this guy, retorting rudely back.

"I'm telling the truth! The ones not telling the truth are you guys! What's the seven division, four division... I've no clue! Be straightforward, are you celestial beings or people from the Enlightenment Society!"

The guy is still on that research ship.

He was certain; he just heard her voice!

He needs to go back and save her!

The man wearing the exoskeleton is a bit taken aback, retracting some of the sharpness in his gaze.

"Celestial beings? Enlightenment Society? What's that..."

He has never heard these terms.

United Human's mortal enemy is Gaia alone.

And those radical organizations who betrayed humanity, trying to surrender a prosperous world to Gaia.

Night Ten's chest heaves violently, breathing heavily as he glares at the guy in the exoskeleton.

Suddenly, he thinks the person looks familiar, but he can't immediately recall where he has seen him before.

Lin Youyou gazes blankly at the youth who suddenly became agitated, then turns her strict gaze to the man wearing the exoskeleton.

"Enough, he's my patient; I know you have your difficulties, but at least let me treat his illness first—"

"Damn it, I'm not a patient! I'm not sick!"

"...And I'm not crazy either!"

Interrupting her halfway, Night Ten stares intensely at the man in the exoskeleton, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"I'm Night Ten! Alliance's Night Ten! Burning Corps' Night Ten! Stop giving me riddles, I've revealed my identity, now, immediately, tell me! Who exactly are you!"

The air around them fell silent.

Utterly silent.

But this silence did not last long; the murmurs soon spread again.

"...Alliance?"

"Burning Corps?"

"What's that?"

"Does United Human even have such a department?"

"What a joke, how can that be possible."

"Maybe the guy lost his mind playing a game too long."

"Wait, his clothes... they do look like those from the shelter promotional brochures."

"Really?"

"Even if that's true, it's not strange, just a blue variable temperature jacket; I could probably find two in my wardrobe."

Those murmurs leave Night Ten standing stiff, brain struck as though by lightning.

Alliance...

Never heard of it?

A terrifying thought suddenly emerges in his mind.

Could he have... time traveled?!

No—

That sounds too far-fetched.

He'd rather believe he is trapped inside some Matrix-like virtual space, and the purpose is to extract his memories.

If this hypothesis is correct, at least it means Jiang Xuezhou is still alive.

In the crowd, a tall and slender man with non-prescription glasses on his nose is rubbing his chin with an index finger, staring at the youth standing in the center with an expression as if he'd seen a ghost.

His name is Wu Xinghuan, head of the Space Science Squad in the Fifth Department of Orion Missile Cruiser—Science and Technology, also a physics Ph.D.

To cope with the unpredictable and changeable cosmic environment, every United Human starship is equipped with at least one theoretical physicist, responsible for scientifically assessing the risks of certain potentially dangerous strategic deployments and navigational maneuvers.

Simply put, it's similar to the ship pastors of the early Age of Exploration.

After all, if something truly beyond human cognition occurs, there's little a mere theoretical physicist can do, except perhaps comfort everyone.

From the moment this began, he hadn't uttered a word, and at this moment, he began muttering to himself.

"This guy... could he be..."

No—

This is just too unbelievable.

At this moment, the shock to his brain was no less than that experienced by the confused young man in front of him, to the extent that his knowledge, scholarship, and even faith were shaken...

A "time traveler" stood before him, boldly telling him about events that would happen in the future.

It's absurd!

The education and research he had been involved in repeatedly warned him of an iron law, a law which had never been falsified—

The passage of time might be uneven in different spaces, but it is certainly irreversible!

There's no reason for this.

Since time is not an objective entity in the universe, but merely a human-defined scalar to record the order of material movement and change.

If time were reversible, if "events that happen later" occurred before "events that happen earlier," then the very concept of earlier and later would lose its meaning.

In other words, if time were reversible, then time itself would cease to exist...

With a trembling index finger, Wu Xinghuan removed the plain glasses from his nose, pulled out a cloth, and rubbed them hard before putting them back on, hoping to see more clearly.

He was desperate to return to Earth immediately to announce this astonishing discovery to everyone!

At this moment, only Dr. Wu was contemplating the possibility of "time travel."

The vast majority of those present, including that "time traveler" himself, probably didn't realize what was happening.

Looking at the guy pretending to be mad, the man wearing an exoskeleton decided to end this charade and, staring intently into his eyes, spoke.

"This is the Orion Missile Cruiser, my name is Luo Yi, and I'm a sergeant in the Space Combat Squad under the Weapons and Defense Department, rank Sergeant."

"You said I didn't tell you anything; now I'm telling you who we are and where we are. I advise you to honestly disclose your own issues, tell me how you appeared here, and perhaps you might still receive leniency if you confess now."

Luo Yi...

Hearing this name, Night Ten felt as if struck by lightning, the murderous intent surging through his body instantly released.

He just knew he had seen this guy before.

It turned out to be in that memory fragment of the disciple named Flynn from the Enlightenment Society.

The disciple who had hijacked the research ship.

And was also the guy who fired neutron torpedoes on them!

Evidently sensing that murderous intent, Luo Yi looked astonished, and his right hand had already fallen on the stun gun.

Yet, before his hand could touch the stun gun, a whistling fist was already flying towards him.

"Damn it!!!"

The speed was too fast to react, but after all, Luo Yi was an active soldier and a warrior modified through genetic and cybernetic enhancements, wearing military exoskeleton armor, so there was no way he could be knocked down by a single punch.

The fist landed on his exoskeleton, and the incredible impact made him instinctively step back half a step.

A gleam of brilliance flashed in Luo Yi's eyes.

"You're indeed not a civilian—"

"I'm your father!"

Night Ten roared, the flashing arc pierced the air, lashing out like a whip.

Screams echoed around, and everyone hurriedly stepped back.

"No! You two calm down!" Lin Youyou exclaimed, wanting to step forward to separate the two, but was pulled back by a colleague beside her.

Night Ten completely ignored the shouts around him.

He had already evaded bystanders; he only wanted to finish off this guy in front of him!

However, what he didn't expect was that the opponent seemed to have pre-empted his attack and easily raised a hand to block the flashing arc.

The exoskeleton seemed to have an electrostatic absorption function, and Night Ten felt a slight chill in his heart.

Blocking that fierce and fatal blow, Luo Yi, with his arm raised in front of him, unhesitatingly moved forward a knee strike, attacking his chest at lightning speed.

Although he had anticipated the attack, Night Ten had just woken up from unconsciousness, and his body hadn't caught up with his mind's reaction, taking the full brunt of the hit on his chest.

The massive impact sent him flying backward, crashing horizontally into an open sleep cabin, almost knocking him offline.

Yet what also surprised him was this—

He didn't go offline.

Wait.

Could it be...

Realizing something, Night Ten's face dramatically changed, while at this moment a gun muzzle was already pointed at his forehead.

"Cybernetic modification, bionic model, and it even has an offensive plug-in. I admit it's cool to snap your fingers and generate electricity, but you're breaking the law, kid." Luo Yi, holding the pistol, looked down on him, "I initially wanted to have a good chat with you, or do you prefer this way of talking?"

"@#%#!"

Night Ten cursed, hurling a real-world expletive, and then closed his eyes, silently whispering log off.

Actually, there was no need to whisper silently.

After playing "Wasteland OL" for so long, he had long mastered the trick of logging in and out, able to return to the real world with just a thought.

However, the unexpected happened.

And that was exactly what he feared the most.

The heavy sensation didn't manifest on his forehead but surged from the center of his brows, spreading throughout his body.

He was still online, but his body felt as heavy as if it was filled with lead, just like before waking from the sleep cabin.

Having never experienced such a situation, Night Ten was utterly panicked, almost ready to kneel down to the dog plan.

"Damn it! Brother Guang, don't mess with me!"

This joke is not funny at all.

He couldn't log off!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.