Of course, he didn’t quite agree with applying it directly in the office field. In his imagination, if such an awesome technology really existed, it would definitely be used in the military first.

How amazing would it be to use it to train special forces!

That guy named “Brian” didn’t say anything else, just tossed over a website link.

William Clark clicked on it casually and found that it was actually an official game website.

The website’s page was pretty shabby, looking as if they couldn’t even afford a designer. The empty page had no content at all, just three bare lines of text.

【100% Real Virtual Reality Game—“Wasteland OL”】

【Current number of reservations: 0】

【Reserve: yes/no】

William Clark laughed.

Good grief, after all that buildup, turns out it’s just an ad.

Who knows if it’s for gambling or online betting.

But the reservation number is at least real—no made-up eight-digit online user count, and no claim that even Zhazhahui is playing.

“Well then, let’s see what kind of nonsense you are.”

He gripped the mouse and clicked yes.

However, to his surprise, the expected registration page didn’t pop up. Other than the reservation number changing from 0 to 1, nothing else happened.

“This crappy game doesn’t even need an account to register???”

This weird move left William Clark baffled. For a moment, he couldn’t even tell if this thing counted as an ad.

Could it be a virus?

Not likely.

Come on, in this day and age, antivirus software is almost obsolete. Are there still viruses that can infect you just by clicking YES or NO on a website?

Let alone in the school’s computer lab.

Even on his own computer, he wasn’t afraid of this thing.

……

【Reservation number: 11】

Wasteland, Vault 404 Residents’ Hall.

Staring at the number in the website’s backend on the computer screen, Brian Carter, sitting in a cramped room, let out a sigh of relief and released his tight grip on the mouse.

“Is that all I need to do?”

The answer came in the form of two lines of text that appeared before his eyes.

【Mission complete.】

【Reward: One set of carbon nano bulletproof vest, reward points +5.】

The wall on one side of the room vibrated faintly. As the curved alloy door slid open, a black vest lay on the platform behind the door.

A conveyor belt delivered the vest.

The alloy door closed again, and the room returned to calm.

Brian Carter immediately got up from the computer, walked over, and picked up the vest.

It was very light, with a texture much like an ice-silk pajama—delicate and soft to the touch. It was hard to imagine this thing could withstand bullets.

【

Name: Carbon Nano Bulletproof Vest

Description: Effectively absorbs the kinetic energy of bullets, disperses impact within its durability range, and resists a certain degree of piercing and cutting damage.

Durability: 100%

】

Rewards obtained from the vault system are registered in the inventory, complete with product introduction and usage instructions.

Brian Carter immediately took off his shirt and put it on.

At first, it felt a bit chilly, but he quickly got used to it.

At this moment, the cylindrical metal object in the corner of the room emitted a flat electronic voice.

“Congratulations, Master. It seems you have completed your first mission.”

“Can you not speak so suddenly?”

“Yes, Master.”

That robot, which looked like a trash can, was named Little Henry.

As the assistant to the manager of Vault 404, strictly speaking, it didn’t really have a name—just a serial number, 777.

But Brian Carter found that troublesome, so he gave it a name.

As for who Brian Carter was, and why he was in Vault 404, that story starts on a dark and windy night…

Chapter Two: Vault 404

Brian Carter, male, nominal age 26. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised by his grandfather.

In his second year of college, his grandfather passed away, leaving him all alone.

Fortunately, he was born in a peaceful era. Working part-time while studying, he managed to finish school, and after graduation, he found a sales job. Thanks to his outstanding performance, he quickly earned his boss’s appreciation and was promoted from a newcomer to supervisor in no time.

He got through the toughest days, and just when Brian Carter optimistically thought he could finally enjoy some peace, fate decided to throw him a curveball.

And this time, fate’s joke was a big one.

About five months ago.

Brian Carter still remembers—he was negotiating a twenty-million contract with a client. The boss was in high spirits and drank a bit too much at the dinner table, and before he knew it, he passed out.

When he came to, he was lying in the middle of nowhere.

And it wasn’t just any ordinary wilderness.

He walked for nearly a mile without seeing a single soul, and almost got mauled by a two-headed dog.

Oddly enough, it was thanks to that two-headed beast.

Brian Carter broke out in a cold sweat from fear, and as soon as he started sweating, the alcohol wore off. He turned and ran for his life.

Maybe because the two heads were too heavy and uncoordinated, the dog chased him for a while but couldn’t catch up, howled twice, and gave up.

With the beast out of sight, Brian Carter didn’t dare go back, nor did he know which way to go.