Chapter 145: Early to Bed, Early to Rise, Healthy Body (Revision)

After excluding "misfire" targets like Yang Yixie, officials finally concentrated the players confirmed to be drawn into the anomalous game "Wasteland Era" and housed them in a more hidden location.

Although it was called a concentration, only a dozen or so people were placed here.

It looked like a multipurpose conference center, but the windows were covered with special material, the entrances were guarded by plainclothes personnel, and the atmosphere was heavy.

The players were asked to cooperate in turn for detailed bodily data collection, including blood samples, energy scans, and so on.

Although they had at some point wondered whether the authorities might use them for human experiments or something, now any regret would be too late.

After a moment of hesitation, they still chose to trust the authorities.

If they didn't trust the authorities, they wouldn't have voluntarily identified themselves under the authorities' suggestion from the start.

Although the entire testing process was organized orderly by the authorities and the staff tried to be as gentle as possible, that intangible oppression still lingered in the air.

All the data collection took about half an hour, and after the players were done, they were led to a spacious conference room.

At the front of the conference room stood several of the outpost's leaders, including the commander of the armed squad that had previously appeared at the police station, as well as a few men and women who looked like scholars.

The commander scanned the players below, whose expressions varied but were generally uneasy and wary, cleared his throat, and got straight to the point.

"Everyone, I know you have many questions. First, on behalf of the authorities I assure you that we are mobilizing all available resources and are investigating the anomalous events affecting each of you."

"Our primary goal is to ensure your safety. You may contact your relatives and friends here, but please conceal the detailed circumstances of the game to avoid unnecessary panic."

His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a convincing authority.

"Given the special and urgent nature of the situation, our team has been racing against time for the past dozen-plus hours, and based on all the information we could gather, we have compiled a dossier."

He signaled the staff to begin handing out the freshly printed, ink‑scented document packets, each containing the results of several hours of overtime work by the higher‑ups.

"Inside, you'll find our basic understanding of that game world: a summary of its historical background, social structure, faction distribution, everyday knowledge, and so on."

"And most importantly, basic knowledge about Aberrant Species, Mutation, and Special Ability Practitioners."

A bespectacled, very competent female researcher stepped forward, took over the speaking, and her tone was even gentler.

"We understand that forcing yourselves to memorize these unfamiliar things right now is extremely difficult, but please take them seriously."

"In that unknown game world, information may be as valuable as life; the more you know, the higher your chance of survival."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone, her tone growing heavier.

"I know some of you may be facing danger in that world; if you encounter unsolvable predicaments or suffer severe psychological trauma because of it, please be sure to tell us."

"We will try every possible method, using the information you provide to devise rescue strategies. Trust us; we will never abandon anyone lightly."

At this moment, the commander spoke again, his voice a bit lower, and after calming several people's emotions, he had to inform them of a spine‑chilling fact.

"We must also be frank with you: the authorities' current capabilities are quite limited."

"According to existing intelligence analysis, that game world contains 'Aberrant Arts' or technology capable of reading, influencing, and even altering human memory and consciousness."

"That means everything we've prepared here, and all the information we know about that world, could become unreliable because of this power, possibly turning into traps that mislead you."

"Therefore, based on your situations, we have preliminarily separated you into batches for management."

The conference room fell into dead silence, broken only by nervous breathing and the rustle of pages.

This is a fact they cannot change, but looking at the thick stack of documents in their hands, they realize the authorities have indeed made their utmost effort.

"The most helpless thing for us, and also the most critical point, is…"

The commander's gaze slowly swept over each pale face.

"We cannot predict whether you will re‑enter that game world in an hour, a day, a week… or even whether there will be a next time at all?"

That sentence struck like a final hammer, pounding on everyone's hearts.

They were like lone boats tossed into a stormy sea, unaware when the next wave would strike, able only to clutch the lifeline—provided by the authorities—though unsure of its sturdiness.

—the hefty stack of Survival Guide materials.

"So please use your time wisely and familiarize yourselves with these materials as much as possible."

The female researcher concluded, her voice tinged with resignation and encouragement.

"With the next game possibly starting at any moment, knowledge is the only weapon you can actively hold in your hands, and we will be here, offering all the assistance we can."

The players silently bowed their heads, frantically leafing through the documents as if to engrave every word into their minds; only the sound of pages turning remained in the conference room.

Several leaders quietly stepped back, leaving the space to them.

That's all the authorities can do for now.

The rest largely depends on these "players"' own luck and temperament, and how they choose to act within that peril‑filled game world.

——————————————

Meanwhile, as the authorities carried out these tasks anxiously and methodically and the players weighed the Survival Guide with heavy hearts, a scene unfolded in another part of the city, in Yang Yixie's apartment.

He had long since brushed the police station's "bungle" out of his mind, took a comfortable hot shower, and changed into clean pajamas.

Setting an alarm to go to the market tomorrow morning, he happily slipped into his nest.

"It's rare to be able to lie down this early..."

He sighed contentedly, feeling the soft mattress's enveloping comfort.

His mind was filled with game matters: where to camp on Chen Mo Zhi tomorrow, and how to "sweet‑talk" Luo Jinyou, the seemingly useful tool‑friend roommate, to keep gaming together, now also having to sweet‑talk him into being his bodyguard.

No choice; an ADC really needs a support teammate with strong protection abilities.

As for "mind‑transcendence," "game‑world survival," or "official strategy data," he knew nothing at all.

In his understanding, it was just a fun pixel game that occasionally forced a logout for maintenance.

Outside, the city lights remained; to Yang Yixie, the world was still quiet and peaceful.

He adjusted to the most comfortable lying position, and almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, his breathing became even and long, and he quickly slipped into a carefree dreamland.

The gears of fate turned silently, guiding different people toward intertwined paths.