I Can Program My Body?
Chapter 133: Eastdam State Status (2)

Chapter 133: Eastdam State Status (2)

Lining up at the supply station, Julius presented his ID and received a bag of supplies.

While waiting for the others to collect their shares, he opened the bag to inspect what was inside.

A lunch pack, nutrient solution, a fresh change of clothes, a gallon of water, and a few basic medicines.

"It’s quite generous..." Julius smiled, counting the supplies in the bag.

The lunch box alone was worth hundreds of arls.

With Earth’s low agricultural output, most people relied on nutrient solutions to survive, especially refugees like them.

With their limited means, they could only afford rotten or expired nutrient solutions to get by each day.

Fortunately, though the taste was extremely unpalatable, it didn’t cause short-term issues like diarrhea or stomach aches.

"There’s so much! I didn’t expect Eastdam State to give us all this for free!"

"Tsk, even the nutrient potion was high quality one!"

"So generous, this is practically throwing us money!"

"Julius, what did you get?"

"We should all have the same supplies. Come on, don’t just stand there—let’s eat," Julius said, eagerly opening the lunch box.

It had been months since he had eaten real food.

Smelling the unique aroma, he couldn’t help but gulp.

Taking out the disposable spoon, he slowly savored a bite, relishing the taste.

Seeing this, the other students didn’t dawdle and quickly dug into their meals.

Unlike Julius’s restraint, they ate like hungry ghosts who hadn’t tasted food in centuries.

Choking on the food, they began to suffocate.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Fortunately, as they gulped the water down their throats, the air began to clear away.

"Damn, that nearly killed me!"

"Slow down, no need to rush. Security’s all around us—no one’s stealing our food," Julius said with a smile, watching their excited expressions.

In the past, even an expired nutrient solution could spark a fight.

Traumatized by that past, they were like mad dogs, desperate to finish the food on their plates.

"That’s right! Like Brother Julius said, enjoy the food, no one’s going to steal it."

"Haha, it’s just too delicious!"

"That’s right, this must be the best food I had in years."

Savoring their meal, they began to look forward to their future in Eastdam State.

---

A few moments later, after eating their fill, they boarded the bus assigned to them.

Confident in their skills, all of them had secured tickets to the assessment site.

As the bus moved forward, complex emotions flickered in their eyes.

Saying goodbye to the past, they boarded the carriage to their future.

Looking at the countless refugees lining up to escape their hopeless situations, Julius could only marvel at the generosity of the leader of Eastdam State.

As the bus rolled onto the main road through a town, Julius got a clearer view of the place.

Desolate, utterly desolate. The road was empty, devoid of cars or any vehicles.

The shops and malls, which should have been bustling, were dim and shuttered, clearly closed with no people around.

Perhaps the only redeeming factor was the construction sites, alive with activity.

With hundreds to thousands of people working, Julius didn’t encounter the same despair he had seen elsewhere.

Their faces were filled with smiles, radiating hope that things would eventually get better.

Unlike zombies merely walking to survive, they had something to look forward to in their desolate lives.

"Interesting..."

On the way to Eastdam State, Julius had heard that the middle class, wealthy, and various organizations had been forced to relocate due to sanctions from the Earth Horizon Alliance.

He thought the place would be a dying tree, clinging to a few leaves, but instead, it was brimming with pure fire and vitality.

Feeling his heart beat with excitement, Julius wanted to be part of the people pushing this new revolution!

----

"We’re here! Follow the officers, they’ll take you to your accommodations!" the driver said, urging them to disembark.

Scraping by with the few large vehicles the city owned, they were severely short on transportation.

Though the Chancellor had brought in thousands of new transportation vehicles, it wasn’t enough to solve the problem.

Stepping off the bus, Julius and his fellow students were greeted by officers.

"When will the assessment be held?" Julius asked curiously.

"It’s a bit late now. You’ll take the assessment tomorrow," one officer answered.

"I see..." Julius nodded in understanding.

It was already afternoon when they arrived at the assessment site, so the delay made sense.

Leading the way, the officer introduced them to the various facilities around the place, from temporary shelters, canteens, a bathhouse, a supply station, and even a few shops where they could spend money.

After the tour, the officer left them to attend to other newcomers.

With nothing else to do, Julius led his fellow students to the bathhouse.

"Great! We can finally take a bath!"

"My body had been stinking for ages. I can finally wash off."

"Haha, time to clear all the dirt in this unlucky body."

Diving into the bathhouse, they scrubbed their bodies clean and washed their hair dry.

With the assessment coming tomorrow, they wanted to look their best to avoid embarrassing the Athens Academy.

---

After bathing, they changed into their new clothes.

"Haha, brothers, we finally look human again!"

"Huh, I hope I haven’t become ugly after living in hell for so long."

"Sister, you’re still as beautiful as ever!"

"Tsk, tsk, is this me? I look like a skeleton!"

As they celebrated, others who had just finished bathing couldn’t help but smile.

"First time here?"

"Yes, and you are?"

"I’m Andres. I just passed the engineering assessment earlier!" Andres introduced himself proudly.

"Awesome! Is the test hard?"

"Not really. If you have a solid foundation, you’ll pass. Experience makes it even easier!"

"I heard those who pass with top scores even get a house and an official position!" Andres sighed.

Like the rest, he was just an ordinary man working at a construction site.

Initially, he had a bright future, but a war swept through, shattering those prospects.

Though it lasted only a few weeks, the war’s damage was devastating.

Gunfire, destroyed buildings, the sky seemed to turn red from the massacre.

Worse still, as Arleanians died one after another, the fragile security of the region collapsed.

It wasn’t the Earth Horizon Alliance or even the Arleanians who caused the greatest devastation, but their own people.

Looting, killing, bullying, suppression—the evil nature of humanity erupted in the chaos.