Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 995: Spatial Passage

Chapter 995: Chapter 995: Spatial Passage

Xu Huo paused in his steps and handed her Five Hundred White Bills, "Trouble you to buy me a pack of cigarettes."

"Aquatic Drug?" The woman dealt with players from outside the district often, and she confirmed that the "cigarettes" he mentioned were akin to stimulant potions found in other districts; there was no tobacco cultivation in District 002, and people usually smoked synthetic potions.

Watching the woman walk towards a nearby shop, Xu Huo boarded the next vehicle to the city center.

Twenty minutes later, he stood in the bustling central square of Xiaoyang City, the largest and liveliest in town. As soon as he got off the vehicle, many locals approached him to peddle local special projects or regional products with the eagerness of those in economically depressed sales buildings, each hastily extolling the virtues of their own products.

Circumventing the crowd in the square, he proceeded into the commercial building in the city center.

The first thing he saw upon entering was a live broadcast screen, tracking the real-time voting in the Capital City of Snow City, as well as scenes of city residents celebrating spontaneously with parades.

"Sir, would you like to experience some sunlight?" a staff member approached Xu Huo with a smile, seeing him with a Sun Pavilion flyer in hand, "We have tailored experience packages of thirty seconds, three minutes, and eight minutes specifically for players from outside districts. If sir plans to stay long-term in District 002, you can apply for a Universal Sunshine Tax registration, which is valid across the district. That way, you can enjoy the same service in any major city, getting your daily dose of sunlight at a fixed schedule to avoid discomfort from prolonged periods in darkness."

"Is it real sunlight?" Xu Huo asked.

"Of course, it’s the real sun." The staff member’s smile remained unchanged, "This is a special service in District 002. Our devices connect to other districts. Through advanced technological means, we project sunlight to a fixed location. Don’t you think seeing sunlight amidst an eternal night is an extraordinary experience?"

Xu Huo glanced at the package prices, which were exorbitantly higher than the regular fees the locals paid every month.

The staff member explained, "The cost of operating the device each time is not cheap, so the rates for the single-user experience packages are a bit more expensive."

Xu Huo spent Fifty Thousand White Bills for a thirty-second package.

The staff member led him into a pure white room featuring only a reclining chair. Once he lay down, the circular device above the chair began to rotate.

"The Sunlight Channel will now open. Please, experiencer, protect your eyes. The countdown will commence."

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

As the countdown concluded, the metal plate in the center of the device opened like petals, and golden sunlight poured down instantly, resembling a well leading to the sky, allowing a clear view of the sun hanging high above.

It was indeed the genuine sun.

The machine’s activation caused Xu Huo to feel a strong spatial fluctuation. It wasn’t like a mineral or something else that could emit solar energy, but a channel opened directly from District 002 to other districts, allowing sunlight to be projected through this spatial channel.

This gave a senselessly absurd impression — Xiaoyang City could employ advanced technological devices to create a space channel, yet within the same district, District 002 was so backward that electronic products couldn’t be used at will.

When the thirty seconds were up, the machine promptly shut down, and the staff member opened the door to let Xu Huo out.

"Can people go through?" Xu Huo asked.

The staff member laughed out loud, "Half a year ago, a player from an external district probably wanted to know if he could go through too, but he didn’t ask, just dived right in. By the time we got there, only a few drops of blood were splattered on the chair, and not a single fingernail of that player remained."

"After all, it’s just a channel for sunbathing; there’s no need for it to accommodate the passing of objects."

"Welcome to come again."

After exiting, Xu Huo bought a Communicator and connected to District 002’s public platform to learn about the Sunshine Tax.

The Sunshine Tax began to be levied thirty years ago, which means that the channel connecting District 002 and other spaces was at least thirty years old. It is unlikely there would have been no technological improvement over these thirty years. Therefore, this "Sunshine Tax" might be an additional charge for other projects, or at least initially, the space channel was not created for sunbathing.

The districts he’d been to, including the relatively developed Zone 011, had no mature space channel technology. Companies in Zone 011 still had to smuggle weapons by sending out ships, and the Guile Sound Knights couldn’t deliver weapons directly to Zone 011, let alone conveniently express large weaponry.

Zone 011 has the Game Base Government, so it’s not merely that the technology isn’t up to scratch, but rather that the Game System has restricted free movement between districts.

A Return Ticket allows players to go directly back to their place of origin from another district, which is, in fact, a traversal through a space channel. If District 002 has special offerings like sunbathing, it means either the Game Government has granted it permission, or District 002 is different from other districts, being a region closely connected to the Game Government.

"...When does Brother Xuan plan on returning to Snow City?" A few young people chatting as they exited a shopping mall, one girl with braids all over her head asked the boy beside her, "There’s nothing fun in Xiaoyang City, it can’t be better than Snow City. I really want to check out Snow City too."

"What’s there to see? It’s the same all year round, less interesting than the small places." The boy known as Brother Xuan showed a hint of pride unconsciously in his attitude, "I heard the market in Xiaoyang City has some novel stuff, you guys take me to see."

The girl with braids exchanged glances with her companions, and all three simultaneously advised, "Those places are unclean, my parents never let me go."

"If you’re talking about novelty, Snow City is better, even if you want to buy a servant, the quality isn’t as good over there."

"My mom says that the traders there all have contagious diseases, and us who have never been sick since childhood are the most susceptible to infection."

Brother Xuan abruptly stopped and looked at them, "You aren’t just scared, are you?"

The Buzz Cut youth who mentioned the lower quality immediately responded, "What’s there to be scared of? If Brother Xuan wants to go, of course, I’ll accompany you!"

The girl with the braids also added, "Afraid of infectious diseases? We’ll just wear protective suits and carry Antitoxin with us."

The one left, who wore glasses, had no choice but to follow the majority, "Still, we should tell our parents."

As he was about to take out his Communicator, the Buzz Cut youth and the girl with braids each held onto his arm and stopped him, "What’s the fun in telling them, Brother Xuan is here on vacation to find some excitement. It’s better not to be locked up at home, better than staying in Snow City, right, Brother Xuan?"

Brother Xuan nodded and then lowered his voice a bit, "I’ve brought a Prop with me, there won’t be any problems."

Seeing him so confident, the other three excitedly pulled and dragged him forward, only to bump head-on into a woman holding a child. After mumbling apologies, they fetched their vehicle and left.