I’m An Interdimensional Login Interface - Chapter 60

When they heard conch sounds from the walls, the survivors at the campsite moved. They evacuated toward the underground hiding place in the deepest depths of the campsite.

To most of the survivors, this was a routine they were familiar with. This attack was like when the saw-toothed tigers had barged inside the campsite, and many other similar incidents had happened before then.

When faced with extraordinarily strong monsters while also lacking the power to fight back or drive them away, the only thing that could be done was to choose to hide away temporarily. They would only come out onto the surface and continue the struggle of survival after the monsters left.

When the conch was blown, the little boy Rian immediately ran toward the campsite’s underground basement. The conch sounds were signals telling him to hide, taught to him by Aunty Freya and the others. He had them committed to his memory, but he still felt nervous at the same time.

Rian took a few steps toward the basement, but then he stopped in his tracks. He turned back and shouted at a little girl, “Angie, run, quick! A big monster is coming!”

Inside the campsite by the walls, Angie heard Rian’s anxious calls, but she did not choose to leave. She raised her head timidly and waved at an old man standing on top of the walls.

“Old man, come down quickly. A monster is coming, a monster is coming!”

Growl!

It was immediately after Angie spoke when they heard a vociferous growl from outside the campsite. The ground seemed to shake from it.

“This is a dinosaur? Holy hell, it’s as destructive as an excavator.”

From afar, Sun Dashou looked forward at the prehistoric beast by the campsite that was attacking left and right, stirring up clouds of dust. The massive motions shook his body. His surprise was clearly shown on his wizened, wrinkled face. Instinctually, he compared this beast to an excavator.

He was not unfamiliar with creatures like the dinosaur. He had had the opportunity to tour a dinosaur museum when the factory organized a field trip. He had a clear memory of those bone fossils and pictures of dinosaurs. After that, he had watched some dinosaur movies together with Sun Shuai, so he knew about those creatures somewhat.

“Old man, come down! We’re going to the basement. The big monster is scary!” He heard Angie calling anxiously for him again.

Hearing her cries, the old man clambered down from the top of the walls. Seeing the girl, who was almost in tears, he reached out to touch her soft head of hair. He said gently, “Little girl, you’re really a good sort. Don’t worry, with Grandpa Sun here, that creature’s only a big lizard.”

“But the monster will eat people!” The girl bit her nails. She seemed to be calmed by the old man’s own composedness, but fear was still evident on her face.

After another earth-shaking, rumbling roar sounded, the girl was shocked to tears.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Grandpa’s here.”

The old man comforted the girl softly at her expression of terror. He could feel her nervousness and fear. Her uneasiness could be seen in her eyes. She was like a fawn faced with danger, skittish and afraid.

This world was mysterious. Sun Shuai had told him that this was a virtual reality game, but the old man did not understand him. He did not know what a virtual reality game was. He felt like this… This was a real world. The people were real, and the objects really existed.

Just like the little girl in front of him. Her kindheartedness and her innocence were both something he could feel. The many survivors busying around in this world were the same. During the time he spent walking around at the campsite, he felt strange watching them chatting with one another or working together.

There were wooden houses where dried meat was hung outside, stoves that made the houses feel lived-in, drains where water flowed when someone washed their clothes… This was how life was like.

Life was struggling to live in a life of despair under huge adversity, like how weeds tried their utmost to survive in a boulder’s narrow cracks.

This was also why the old man did not have predisposed thoughts about how everything was merely a game. He treated everything more like a trip to an unfamiliar place, observing and experiencing everything like he was a tourist.

Actually, there were some players who had also realized this. Li Yuncheng, for example. Some other players too. They felt curious and everything intrigued them, but they had a stream of consciousness reminding them that this was a game, so their revelations were not as deep as the old man’s.

Also, most people shifted their focus into exploring the map, killing monsters, completing missions, and leveling up. They did not have as deep an impression of the survivors inside the campsite. Their response to some things they felt was strange was to exclaim about the power of artificial intelligence.

To an old man who had experienced his fair share of life and gone through its highs and lows, this was a completely different world.

“Grandpa, Grandpa, are you okay?”

Just at this moment, Sun Shuai ran back quickly from the campsite’s entrance after having made the choice to come back instead of staying with the other players.

“I’m fine. What will happen to me?” The old man waved his hand with a smile when he noted Sun Shuai’s face that was filled with worry.

Sun Shuai exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw the old man standing there safe and sound. He said, “Grandpa, a monster’s attacking this campsite. It might be a little… A little too visceral. Do you want to exit the game first?”

He had intended to let the old man experience the wonders of a virtual reality world when he first pulled his grandpa into the game, but then a monster more than ten meters long was going to attack the campsite. He was somewhat afraid that the old man could not handle intense scenes such as this one.

The old man was, well, old. He was worried that overly intense scenes would cause unwanted trouble. That would be completely against the initial intentions he had when he persuaded the old man to play the game.

“Exit? What exit?” The old man frowned as if he did not understand what Sun Shuai was trying to say.

Sun Shuai pointed toward the direction where the sounds were coming from. He said, “Grandpa, there’s a monster attacking the campsite. It’s a mess. We can reenter the game later.”

“It’s a dinosaur, right? Nothing to fear!”

The old man waved. He first looked down at the girl clutching the hem of his shirt nervously, and then suddenly he noticed the little boy Rian standing nearby. The boy looked as if he wanted to leave but was also worried about the little girl and the old man.

The old man waved at the little boy. He said softly, “Kid, find me some tools. Axes, saws, knives, whatever.”

Rian looked at Angie first, and then he turned his gaze toward the old man. He said, sounding unsure, “But… But the monster… The monster’s just outside there!”

“There are people fighting it outside. It won’t be able to come inside for now.” The old man put on a gentle face, but his tone was oddly convincing.

“Mm.” The boy was slightly hesitant, but then he nodded. He jogged away to look for the tools the old man wanted.

The old man looked on as the boy left. He then lowered his head to look at the girl who was still afraid. He caressed her hair again. “You can follow me. Don’t be afraid!”

“Grandpa, this is just an NPC…” Sun Shuai pursed his lips slightly, noticing the odd gentleness the old man had for the little girl.

The old man gave Sun Shuai a cutting glare. He scanned the entire campsite and suddenly pointed toward one direction. “Xiao Shuai, you go push that trolley here.”

“Trolley? What?”

Sun Shuai was bemused for a while. He then turned his gaze following the old man’s finger and saw a semi-finished trolley with wheels attached to it. It was on a clearing beside the campsite.

“There really are people who build this stuff?”

Sun Shuai walked to stand in front of the trolley and looked it over roughly. The wheels were made of wood. They were quite old. They were probably ejected from a carriage or something. An outer shell was stacked on the wheels recently. The trolley was obviously completed.

He had some guesses as to the trolley’s origin. It was probably made by the players during the second beta testing when they had to transport magic crystals from the cellar. Some people were yelling that hauling them on their backs and shoulders was tiring and that they should make a trolley for that purpose. Unexpectedly, someone had really done it. If they succeeded in doing that, their reputation would grow exponentially as long as they shied away from the sharp beetles.

Sun Shuai thought about the hordes of sharp beetles and immediately reached the conclusion that he would not go there again. The courage he had when he was against the giant scorpions was already one that was fanned by the other players. Now, at the thought of the insects, his neck felt clammy and cold.