https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1077-The-Disintegration-Ray-Flood-Tower/12827635/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1079-The-Construction-of-the-Split-Beam-Tower/12827637/
Chapter 1078: The Capital's Residents
Chapter 1078: The Capital’s Residents
June 4th, the capital of Huaxia.
At 7:30 AM, Chang Rui, a 28-year-old man, stepped out of his room in the rental apartment. Still groggy from sleep, he first glanced at the sky outside.
It looked like it was going to rain today. The sky was gray and the air unusually stifling, which only added to his already gloomy mood.
"At least the Skrull haven’t attacked here yet." The sight of the world outside being the same as usual lifted his spirits a bit.
Chang Rui lived in a 90-square-meter shared apartment. His roommate, Lin Meng, was a colleague from the same workplace.
Three days ago, on June 1st, both Chang Rui and Lin Meng, like most people, were filled with unease and fear.
The two men, along with many others, went to a nearby square to stand together, share their fears, and ease the pressure. It was the hardest day they had ever endured.
Chang Rui only remembered that the square was chaotic on June 1st. Some people couldn’t handle the pressure and were screaming and rolling on the ground.
However, things had improved over the past two days. The first line of defense at Mount Fuji remained unbreached, and the general public was gradually recovering. People were returning to work and resuming their daily routines.
Chang Rui and Lin Meng worked at a large fusion power plant on the eastern outskirts of the capital. They had been tense and scared on June 1st and 2nd, but on June 3rd, they were called back to work at the plant.
Today, June 4th, was their second day back at work. It was 7:30 AM, and they needed to arrive at their workplace by 9:00 AM to continue their mundane lives as corporate drones.
...
"Lin Meng, wake up! If you don’t get up soon, we’ll be late." Chang Rui knocked on his roommate’s door.
But there was no response from inside.
It wasn’t until Chang Rui knocked again, this time with more force, that Lin Meng’s muffled voice came through. "Alright, I’m getting up... Damn, even with the Skrull attacking, we still have to go to work."
Chang Rui chuckled and didn’t reply. He headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
Before leaving, he turned on the living room TV to catch the morning news.
Things were different now. Before the Skrull invasion, Chang Rui and his roommate never watched the news, and they didn’t care about foreign wars.
But now, listening to the morning news had become a habit. Even if there was no valuable information, it was reassuring to hear something familiar.
The familiar voice of the news anchor filled the living room. Of course, there were no entertainment channels left. The TV now only showed news and educational programs, some about Earth and others about Skrull.
The morning news summarized the major events from the previous day and was highly rated. Most citizens of Huaxia watched it.
"Old Chang, anything big happen? The Skrull didn’t attack, did they?" Lin Meng emerged from his room, his voice muffled.
He ran his hand through his disheveled hair, which had been messy from a restless night. Since the war began, he hadn’t slept well.
Chang Rui was in the bathroom, carefully washing his face as he replied, "The morning news said that the Skrulians haven't broken through the first line of defense, just like yesterday. They estimate we can hold this line for a long time."
"The news also mentioned that people's emotions around the world are gradually stabilizing, and various industries are slowly returning to normal."
"That's a relief," Lin Meng nodded, letting out a sigh. "I was terrified the last couple of days, but things have finally started to improve."
He glanced at the gloomy weather outside and joked, "With such a dreary sky, I thought the Skrulians might have invaded! ... Chang, hurry up with your washing. Don't play with water like a cat."
"Face washing requires time to ensure it's done properly; otherwise, you'll feel uncomfortable all morning. You can do something else while I finish," Chang Rui insisted, continuing to wash his face with the same meticulousness.
Chang Rui spent at least ten minutes each morning washing his face, a habit that put him ahead of 99.9% of the citizens of Blue Star. However, he had no intention of changing this unique routine.
"Alright, I'll use the bathroom first," Lin Meng said, smiling as he walked toward the toilet.
Their rental apartment had a separate dry and wet area, with the sink outside the bathroom.
Lin Meng stretched and yawned as he walked to the toilet, "Man, I really don't want to go to work today!"
"You have to go even if you don't want to," Chang Rui responded, methodically rubbing the facial cleanser in his palms. "We work at the Fusion Power Plant. If we don't show up, it will affect the power supply to the rear, and that could be disastrous for the front lines."
"Of course I know that... It's just that we have to work six hours a day and spend twelve hours playing the game. Now that the 12x time acceleration is gone, the day feels so tight," Lin Meng complained, his voice still audible through the closed bathroom door.
On June 1st, the 12x time acceleration in the game "Evolution" ended.
At midnight that day, the in-game time synchronized with real-world time, eliminating the 12x time difference.
Previously, when Blue Star citizens entered the game for 12 hours, it felt like six days in-game.
After June 1st, 12 hours in the game felt like 12 hours in real life.
Although the game's rewards, monster drops, and experience gains were significantly increased, the faster time flow made the game much more intense and far less leisurely.
"Ah, I can't even run businesses in-game anymore. With only 12 hours a day, there's not enough time to level up... Chang, have you reached level 60 yet?" Lin Meng asked from the bathroom.
Level 60 was the true fourth tier.
Chang Rui shook his head, "Not yet. I'm 1.4% short of the required experience. After eating the new batch of 'Sunlight' today, I'll definitely reach level 60."
"Wow, that's great. I still need a few more days to reach the fourth tier... Oh, Chang, when I logged out of the game earlier, I found a temporary dungeon. Should we team up tonight...?"
Ding ding ding—
At that moment, the TV's urgent sound interrupted Lin Meng's words.
The voice from the TV was hurried, as if warning them of a significant event!
(End of Chapter)
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