[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wasteland-s-only-king":3,"chapter-wasteland-s-only-king-wasteland-s-only-king-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Wasteland's Only King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1594799,2061,"Chapter 17: Chen Gang","wasteland-s-only-king-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>Dawn City street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang stared at everything around him, his eyes wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The street was full of people coming and going, most of them dressed in tattered clothes, faces smeared with grime, exhaustion showing in their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few kids squatted in the corner, fighting over a greasy, pitch-black piece of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their actions and expressions were so vivid that Chen Gang, who had just logged into \"Wasteland,\" was stunned for a long time, unable to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind blowing against his face, the track marks in the rolling gravel on the ground, the real sensation of stepping on the earth...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang lowered his head, glanced at his own hands—dirty, with soil stuck in his fingernails. It felt like he’d been living in this world for ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is way too real!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this really a damn game?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he’d heard Old Cui rave about it in the dorm beforehand, now that he was actually living it, the shock was simply indescribable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Chen Gang even felt a little blurry—was he playing a game, or had he actually traveled to another world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling uneasy, Chen Gang remembered Old Cui’s words and silently muttered in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Do you want to exit \"Wasteland\"?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Prompt——]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Exiting will lock your current coordinates as your next login location!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing these words suddenly pop up before him, Chen Gang finally sighed in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can exit, so it’s a game.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang muttered, then continued observing his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Yin Yao, although Chen Gang also started as a refugee, his spawn point wasn’t out in the wild but directly on the streets of Dawn City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This also meant——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang hadn’t figured out what was even happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, Old Cui was right, this game is insanely open—no quest system, not even a newbie tutorial.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what am I supposed to do next?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang stood there, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He overheard people around him discussing something about the ’new City Lord taking office’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant pillar of Light shooting up from Dawn City’s Inner City earlier—Chen Gang didn’t see it. He’d only logged into the game a few seconds after it happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, tap, tap——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chen Gang stood there, a bit clueless,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden, sparse but powerful and orderly sound of footsteps came from ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang instinctively looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl appeared in front of him, along with a buzz-cut young man standing at her side, just behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl... looked familiar somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang blanked out for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the next second,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl straight up called his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chen Gang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang: \"?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she be a game NPC, here to help trigger quests or something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Chen Gang had this thought, it disappeared, because the girl’s next words were——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m Yin Yao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang sucked in a breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He got it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder her face seemed familiar—he felt like he’d seen her before somewhere!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night he’d dragged Old Cui and Yu Fei to stare at campus forum posts about Yu Jin and Yin Yao for ages—there were tons of Yin Yao’s photos there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y-Y-Senior Sister Yin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang wasn’t sure how she knew his name, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting a familiar person in \"Wasteland\"—it didn’t feel as warm as an old friend in a strange land, it was actually kinda awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was playing this game with the helmet Yin Yao had given to Yu Jin—basically, he got a freebie through her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you just log in to ’Wasteland’ and spawn here in Dawn City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao chuckled, asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y-Yeah, that’s right!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang nodded frantically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re alone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao kept smiling, tone gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Cui and Yu Fei too—we logged in together. But as soon as I opened my eyes I was here, didn’t see either of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang answered truthfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao raised her Liu Mei slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about Yu Jin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason she started talking to Chen Gang was, of course, to probe for news about Yu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After witnessing the New City Lord flex, she urgently wanted to confirm if Yu Jin was really the one-in-a-million lucky bastard who got the ’New City Lord’ identity from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next second,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang’s answer left Senior Sister Yin stunned, frozen on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Yu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Yu didn’t play this game.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He came home for dinner then headed out again, dunno what he’s busy with—probably still not back yet—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of talking, Chen Gang suddenly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, Old Cui, and Yu Fei all thought Yu Jin had gone out late at night to meet Yin Yao for a date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao was right in front of him, meaning she hadn’t gone on a date, but was gaming with the helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Old Yu...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he have gone to meet a side chick?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everything he’d just said...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he just ratted out his bro?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang realized the seriousness of the situation—especially seeing the look of utter shock on Yin Yao’s face across from him—he wished he could slap himself silly for being such a blabbermouth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He didn’t log in to ’Wasteland’?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao snapped out of her daze, double checking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He... probably not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Gang answered cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did he bring the game helmet when he went out?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao stared straight at Chen Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stare made Chen Gang shudder a bit. He hesitated, but answered honestly, \"He didn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he said that,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao was thoroughly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to look toward the Inner City of Dawn City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin hadn’t logged in, so there’s no way he was the New City Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How does Yu Jin become the Dawn City Lord in the future?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao’s thoughts were messy, all sorts of ideas tangled together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even began to doubt——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could all the stuff that was supposed to happen in the future have been completely thrown off track because she got reborn, causing a butterfly effect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right among them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the supposedly invincible Yu Jin, who still hadn’t logged into \"Wasteland\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have to remind Yu Jin to start the beta as soon as possible and set up his account.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the only way he can become the invincible powerhouse from my memory in ’Wasteland.’\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...can have a chance to cling to his thigh and survive in this crisis-ridden wasteland.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao returned to her senses, her face firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s only five days left until \"Wasteland\" invades reality, when countless people globally will be randomly transported to the Wasteland World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Yao was even considering——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should she tell Yu Jin ahead of time about the true nature of the \"Wasteland\" game?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2025, September 4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weather: clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>7+7 Chain Hotel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Simmons bed, Yu Jin woke up early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You used Tier Two Energy Crystal*1, Tier Three Energy Crystal*2. You are one step closer to Tier Four!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system prompt arrived as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not being able to level straight to Tier Four was disappointing for Yu Jin, but honestly, he expected it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I can snag one more Tier Four Energy Crystal, I should be just about there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where can I get a Tier Four Energy Crystal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his past experiences milking the system, Yu Jin had figured out the basic pattern:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppress\u002Fscare off\u002Fcontain a Tier N Mutant Beast or Infected Body, and the system will most likely reward a Tier n-1 Energy Crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the stray cat he first fed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin’s three Tier Three Energy Crystals all came from——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Black Dog \"Tier Four Mutated Beast King—Hellhound\", Leo \"Tier Four Infected Body—AIDS Nig\", Yang Yuan \"Tier Four Infected Body—Fallen Mei Nu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I could grab more Tier Three Crystals, but based on the scavenging rules, you only trigger the same type of reward once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which means feeding more stray cats and dogs won’t get me another Crystal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Suppress a higher-tier Mutant Beast or Infected Body—like a Tier Five Mutant Beast King or something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Tier Five Mutant Beast King—basically, scarier animals than stray cats or dogs...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin’s eyes suddenly lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had an extremely bold idea——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jiangcheng Wildlife Park. Don’t they have lions and tigers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1387,"2026-06-06T09:25:00.699Z",1,"novelbin.me","7d80f81a9034efeaaf6e0289a724271e2350a55dbb182ca00378a9d31000157a","wasteland-s-only-king-chapter-18","wasteland-s-only-king-chapter-16",370,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwasteland-s-only-king-cover.jpg"]