Chapter 619.1: If It's You, You Can Use This Legacy Well.

The audience at the “PVP Arena” wasn’t just Chu Guang, Xia Yan, and the experts from Boulder Town Arms Industry, it also included plenty of irrelevant spectators.

Beyond the observation zone filled with professional monitoring equipment, there was also an open spectator stand outside the military cordon, where other players and technical students could watch and draw inspiration for new designs.

The broadcast had a half-minute delay. It even cut off sometimes, but most of the time, it was open for viewing.

After all, the exoframes would eventually be sold to players. Keeping them secret made no difference. It was better to show them openly and let experts study them.

If anyone had good ideas, they didn’t need to hold back, they could say whatever came to mind.

Players and cloud players did it every day on the forums, from fishing and casting techniques to corps-level tactical exchanges, covering almost every aspect of New Alliance daily life.

Camp 101 had already become the New Alliance’s largest higher education institution. The experts there commanded technologies far out of reach for Earth’s players.

Naturally, they were expected to debate and exchange ideas about how to improve the New Alliance’s productivity, methods, and strength.

Of course, not all the discussion was serious.

“Damn! I’ll Die really did die first!”

“That scammer Lawless Madman actually won?!”

“A Dove Missile appeared for them to use? That’s busted!”

“Exactly! Using a tactical missile breaks the balance entirely! Replace it with RPGs or bazookas.”

“Ha! What do you know! Real battlefields don’t have balance. Pay your bet and shut up!”

“Fuck your mum! I’m not paying you!”

The newbies who bet wrong swore and cursed, while a few lucky ones counted silver coins and munched popcorn in delight.

Neither Lawless Madman nor I'll Die had any idea they’d been used for casual gambling by bored spectators.

Fortunately the stakes were small, otherwise they would have earned a yellow card from the developers.

In the observation zone corner Elisa’s heart finally settled after watching the battle. She turned nervously to Xiaoyu beside her. “They... are they using real weapons?”

Since Boulder Town’s Crisis Management Office had transitioned to the new government, Elisa had resigned from all positions, including asset liquidation officer, and followed Xiaoyu and Pai to Camp 101 to study economics and management.

In gratitude for her work, Boulder Town’s new authorities covered her tuition and living costs.

She wasn’t the only beneficiary, nor did she want special treatment.

After Pai’s lobbying, Mayor Lorette of the Worker's Union consulted Chu Guang. With New Alliance approval, 2,000,000 silver coins were allocated from the city budget to establish an education fund, sponsoring youngsters of proper age and basic schooling to study advanced knowledge at Camp 101.

Currently about 300 youths from Boulder Town studied there. Apprentices from Boulder Town Arms Industry, prosthetic assistants from black clinics, factory child-workers, and even inner-city children had enrolled.

The Worker's Union had kept its promise. At least when it came to education, everyone was equal. They had not replaced the old nobles with new ones.

As the live test of the DLZJ-1 exoframe fell on that day, the test center provided free tea and coffee, charging only for snacks, cookies, and sweets.

Many engineers and researchers at Camp 101 were curious about the new armor. Since it was Xia Yan’s work, Xiaoyu and Pai pulled Elisa along to watch.

But perhaps because she had grown up sheltered by her father, Elisa was far less calm than the wasteland-raised Xiaoyu. Her fists clenched tight at the firefight.

“Yes!” Xiaoyu nodded firmly, looking strangely at Elisa’s worried face. “Testing with fakes would make no sense.”

That was true.

However, Elisa still felt uneasy. She whispered, “But... What if someone gets hurt?”

Xiaoyu tilted her head. “Shelter 404 residents don’t get hurt.”

“Don’t get hurt...?” Elisa shot her a blank stare in response. “How can that be?”

Xiaoyu wrinkled her nose. “It’s true. Xiaoyu never lies.”

She didn’t know why, but she had seen people in coffins walk around alive days later.

And not just humans. Lizards, bears, cats, and pigs too.

Shelter 404 residents were immortal. In the New Alliance it was an urban legend, but she knew it was true.

Beside her, Pai’s expression grew complicated. “Well... I know a little. Saying they’re immortal isn’t accurate. If killed, they die. But in effect, they really are immortal.”

Elisa stared blankly, not understanding. Yet looking at the two exoframes on the holo-screen, her eyes filled with respect.

To give New Alliance soldiers better gear, to raise others’ survival chances, they risked their lives testing deadly weapons.

What admirable people.

“... If only there were a safer way.”

Seeing her fretting, Xiaoyu thought a moment and said, “There’s no such thing as perfect solutions. I think, instead of blocking their thoughtful choices out of kindness, it’s better to respect them with admiration.”

“Brother Chu said that even with himself included, everyone joined Shelter 404 knowing their rights and duties. If one day they’re tired or regretful, they can return underground to sleep, waiting for the new world to come.”

Elisa stared at the girl her age.

After a pause, she softly asked, “Even the administrator said it himself?”

If tired, he too could rest forever and wake to the new world.

“Yes!” Xiaoyu nodded, puffing her chest proudly. “Xiaoyu remembers everything Brother Chu said!”

Beside them, Pai sighed, squeezing her cheeks with her palms. “I swear... She’s basically his parrot now.”

She could understand Xiaoyu’s reverence. It was like her own respect for Dr. Methods.

People always grew attached to their saviors. That was why Camp 101’s residents called Shelter 404’s people the pioneers.

But she herself never quoted Dr. Methods daily.

Looking away from Xiaoyu’s cheerful face, Elisa cupped her tea, staring at her reflection. Her chest clenched.

She remembered the letters from home.

Lorette’s wife was pregnant again.

The bearded carpenter beamed to everyone.

Captain Joey asked after her, especially her living conditions, whether she was adjusting, whether it was safe in West Continent Municipality.

Though he didn’t state it clearly, she could read that he wanted his own child to study at Camp 101, though still worried about the life beyond the wall.

Wolfur also wrote. Finally no longer harping on family and honor, he shifted his focus to home.

From the old butler’s letter, she learned Wolfur had honestly taken a job as an accountant and begun a new life.

As for her father, Malvern, he was working at Boulder Town’s public library, cataloging two centuries of city history.

Her mother still sometimes whispered Kishur’s name with tears, but she too had mostly moved on.

People in both Dawn City and Boulder Town were living the lives they dreamed of. Even if not perfect, they had found fresh beginnings, fully cutting ties with the old age.

Elisa too.

But that one man... He had never stopped.

...