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Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Hayley Reid was reborn two weeks before the apocalypse began. In her last life, she survived ten years of hell—only to die at the hands of the people she trusted most. But this time, she returned with every memory intact… and awakened the Super Base System. While the world fell into chaos, Hayley sipped wine and held her beloved puppy inside the world’s strongest steel fortress. - Chapter 1 "Flu cases are on the rise. Please take precautions, avoid crowded areas, don't gather unnecessarily, and keep warm…" "Hayley, are you even listening to me?!" Hayley Reid jolted, staring at everything in front of her in disbelief. In the middle of the old, 300-square-foot living room with worn-out renovations was a couch, packed with middle-aged men and women. In the center was a plump, 70-ish woman with graying hair. She was Eleanor Reid, Hayley's grandmother. Eleanor glared at Hayley, her jowls bouncing with every movement. Hayley froze. This was the exact scene from two weeks before the apocalypse, when her "beloved" grandmother, father, and stepmother forced her to give up her house for her brother and his soon-to-be wife. The last thing she remembered was being stuck in a zombie siege at the eastern base a moment ago. "Ever since your mom passed, Lucy treated you like her own. Everyone says she's wonderful! Now, Philip is getting married and wants to borrow your house. Why won't you let him? You're so ungrateful!" Eleanor hissed. "Mom, Hayley's not ungrateful. I'm sure she'll come to her senses," said a plump woman next to Eleanor, pretending to mediate. This was Lucy Reid, Hayley's stepmother. "Hmph!" Eleanor snorted. "Clear out the house immediately. Philip said the place has been rented for too long, and the furniture is too worn. He needs new furniture before he gets married. You'll pay for it. After all, he's your brother. You should help out a little!" Hayley, standing in the middle, suddenly laughed out loud. They wanted her house and expected her to buy new furniture on top of that? Ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the fact that she actually went along with it last time! Hayley's mother, Cynthia, died in a car accident when she was 14. Soon after, Lucy moved in with her son, Philip. On the surface, Lucy seemed perfect—she was attentive and caring. Hayley, going through her rebellious phase, was prickly with everyone but secretly craved warmth and family. Lucy's gentle, understanding ways fooled her. She supported Hayley in everything, no matter what, and Hayley almost genuinely saw her as a mother. She gave them everything, even the only house Cynthia had left her. She hesitated for only a moment before agreeing. The apocalypse soon hit, and Hayley was abandoned repeatedly. When it came time to escape on a rescue vehicle, they shoved her aside to save their skins. That was when Hayley truly understood how fake their love was. True family didn't exist for her. She had been nothing but a tool in their eyes, and they had squeezed her dry. Once she was useless, they kicked her aside. Not a single person there had ever seen her as family. She wanted to slap her past, foolish self so hard. Bang! Hayley tossed a few bags of cheap fruit from the old coffee table straight into the trash, then plopped herself down in front of them. A young man, who had been glued to his phone on the armchair, immediately dropped it and yelled righteously, "Hayley, what the hell are you doing? These are imported apples Mom got especially for you! She said they're your favorite. How could you just throw them away?" Hayley sneered. Her favorite? Since when? She gave Philip a cold glance. "You think you have the right to talk to me about my house?" Facing her icy gaze, Philip felt a shiver run through him and didn't dare to look at her. Hayley's eyes carried a murderous energy—the kind she had honed over ten years of surviving the apocalypse alone after they abandoned her. Philip instantly backed down. Lucy quickly tried to smooth things over. "What's wrong, Hayley? Are you not feeling well? If that's the case, we can come back another day. I know you're not happy with this request, but Philip is your brother. Sue's family wants a house in the city center, and you know how impossible that is now. Even with money, you might not get one. They're even doing lotteries for them. So, I'm begging you… Help your brother out. Later, when you get married, we'll try to make it up to you—" "Why should we make it up to her?" Bernard Reid, who had been quiet, finally spoke. He glared at Hayley. "You really think this house is yours? You should step aside and let Philip have it! When you get married, your husband can buy you one. Stop fighting Philip for it!" Hayley didn't even bother getting angry this time. In her past life, she had wondered why Bernard treated her, his biological daughter, so badly, while spoiling his stepson. As it turned out, Philip was his real son—his own flesh and blood! Before he married Cynthia, he had already married Lucy in his hometown and had a son. To him, Hayley was nothing. And after the apocalypse, he treated her even worse. Hayley held up four fingers. "Four hundred thousand." Everyone froze. "What are you talking about?" "This house was Mom's premarital property. She legally gave it to me later, so I own this house. You want it? Pay up. Four hundred thousand is already a bargain." "You're selling the house to us? You must be joking! We don't have that kind of money!" Hayley lifted her smartwatch. "I'm giving you five seconds to decide. If you don't agree, I'll sell it to someone else. Five…" "We're your elders! How could you talk money with us?!" Eleanor snapped. "Four." "You ungrateful little…! I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" Hayley ignored Eleanor, speeding up. "Three…two…" "Don't you dare!" Bernard jumped to hit her. Hayley kicked his chair out from under him. He landed hard, looking like an idiot. She looked down coldly at him and went on, "One." "You've lost it! How dare you hit your father!" Hayley didn't care about their rage. She grabbed her phone and dialed a number. "Mr. Cruz, I'm selling the house. Put it up for 400 thousand…" The house had been rented out through an agent until Hayley turned 18, which was why it hadn't been sold earlier. "You want it, huh?" Hayley smiled, glancing their way. "Sure. I'll—" "Don't say another word! We agree!" Lucy jumped in, panic in her voice. "Sell it to us!" Lucy knew that the house was actually worth 600 thousand, so getting it for 400 grand was already a steal. Plus, city-center houses were limited now, with all the residency and lottery rules. Hayley's house was hot property. Even if things didn't go exactly as they expected, the most important thing was getting it for themselves instead of letting an outsider have it. Even if they had to pay 400 thousand to get it, they would make a quick 200 grand reselling it. Hayley watched Lucy's reaction and smirked before hanging up. She had decided to sell the house to them. She was losing a bit, but that was the quickest option. Time was money, and she needed both. Most importantly, once the house was sold, they wouldn't have extra cash. She knew they only had 400 grand on hand. In her past life, the government had warned them to stockpile supplies three days before the apocalypse. Hayley was curious to see what they would be able to afford by then. - Ding! [You have received 400 thousand in your account.] Half an hour later at the bank, Hayley saw the money hit her account. Lucy and the others weren't thrilled but paid up. The real estate agent kept calling Hayley's phone; afraid she'd sell the house to him, the family didn't dare complain. "The property office is closed for a few days. I'll handle the transfer when they open," Hayley told them. "No worries. We trust you!" Lucy said, squinting and smiling sweetly. "The transfer can wait. We'll arrange a time later." Lucy acted generous, but Hayley knew better. The woman was just guarding against her future daughter-in-law, scared that her name would be on the house's deed. Right now, the deed still carried Hayley's name, which gave her room to stall. Hayley grinned. This was great! Philip suddenly said to her, "Since we've bought the house, pack your stuff and get out! And toss out all of your junk. I'll get new furniture with Sue." Right after paying, their attitude changed. "Give Hayley a few more days. She's a responsible girl; she'll probably pay you a bit for storage and even replace some furniture. You should be more understanding of your sister," Lucy said. "Mom, why do you still care about her? This little money-grubber doesn't deserve your kindness! I want her out! And Hayley, get your stupid dog out of the house! If I see it again, I'll chop it to pieces!" Hayley froze when she heard Philip mention the "stupid dog". Summer was still alive! She didn't waste another second with them and ran home. As soon as she opened her bedroom door, the quiet German Shepherd that was pacing nervously jumped into her arms. "Woof, woof!" "Summer!" Hayley almost cried, hugging it. Summer was a retired military dog, a gift from Hayley's mother on Hayley's tenth birthday. After Cynthia died, Summer had been her comfort through the hardest times. Lucy's family hated the intuitive dog and had tried several times to get rid of it, but Summer always came back. They wanted to give Summer away, but Hayley had insisted on keeping it, even getting into fights with them over it. To stay the "kind stepmother", Lucy let Hayley keep Summer but insisted that it be kept locked up in Hayley's room. After Hayley moved into Cynthia's old house, Summer finally had room to roam, though Lucy's family still locked it up when they came over. During the apocalypse in Hayley's past life, Lucy's family ate the old dog while Hayley was out scavenging. She had blamed herself for not protecting it. "Summer," Hayley whispered. "Woof, woof!" Summer licked her hand. "This time, I swear, I'll never let you get hurt again!" "Woof, woof!" Summer barked happily. Once Summer was settled, Hayley began packing. The house, rented out for years, had become old and worn. However, the furniture Cynthia had bought back then was expensive. Hayley had been living with her when she was still alive. The furniture was practically useless now, but it still carried a lot of memories. Being back, Hayley felt a little nostalgic. Then, a voice rang in her head. Ding! [Super Lord System activated! Within one hour, for every 200-dollars' worth of item you carry, gain 35 cubic feet of inventory!] Hayley froze. Here came the perks! [Countdown: 59 minutes and 59 seconds!] Skeptical, Hayley picked up her phone from the table to test it. Ding! [Phone detected, worth 1,000 dollars. Reward: 175 cubic feet!] With that, a 175-cubic-feet space appeared in her mind. Her phone vanished from her hand and reappeared there. She now had an inventory! Chapter 2 She had read plenty of novels before—this was a so-called system. Hayley quickly accepted the perk and started sucking in everything she could. She soon figured out the pricing rules. The system valued items at their original purchase price, even if they were used or disassembled. She jumped straight into moving, dismantling, and collecting everything. Ding! [Gold jewelry detected, worth 11,600 dollars. Reward: 2,030 cubic feet!] Ding! [Cup detected, worth 7.80 dollars.] Ding! [Calendar detected, worth 2 dollars.] The notifications kept coming. Ding! [Small desk detected, worth 73.80 dollars. Reward: 35 cubic feet!] Ding! [Rosewood table and chair set detected, worth 5,000 dollars. Reward: 875 cubic feet!] Ding! [Trash can detected, worth 3 dollars.] In about ten minutes, Hayley grabbed everything from shoes, hats, and clothes to pots, pans, pens, cups, trash bins, storage boxes, photo albums, nail clippers, and even larger stuff like tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets. Even the rotten apples Lucy had brought today got tossed into the pile. Ding! [Five pounds of rotten apples detected, worth 0.50 dollars.] Hayley spat. What disgusting liars! They wanted her to give them a 600-thousand-dollar house while offering her cheap, rotten apples they claimed to be imported. What a family! But she didn't mind. Every little bit counted, so she collected them all. Soon, the house was emptied of everything movable. Her sights turned to the big stuff she couldn't normally carry. Ding! [Toilet detected, worth 400 dollars.] Hayley yanked the toilet down with force. She had always been strong, but compared to her old self, who had survived ten years of the apocalypse, this body still felt a little weaker. She would need to train soon. After she stored the toilet, more notifications came in. Ding! [Sink detected, worth 139 dollars.] Ding! [Range hood detected, worth 519.80 dollars.] Ding! [Stove detected, worth 97.80 dollars.] Ding! [Security door detected, worth 317.80 dollars.] She was taking everything she could, not leaving even a single screw for them. Ding! [Windows detected, worth 80 dollars.] Ding! [Flooring detected, worth 30 dollars.] Within an hour, Hayley had stripped the house clean. Anything movable was gone. The floors were lifted, the windows and doors removed, and even unmovable tiles were smashed and taken. Ding! [Three seconds remaining!] Hayley thought fast—she dashed to the front door, stepped on the railing, and snagged a tiny hallway bulb. Ding! [Ten-watt bulb detected, worth 1 dollar. [Time's up! Total space gained: 3,110 cubic feet.] Hayley finally relaxed and said to Summer, "Summer! Let's go!" Not long after, Philip's family brought the pregnant Sue Norman to the new house. "Babe, here's our new place! It's in the city center and a school district, with over 1,000 square feet. It has two units per floor. We don't have a neighbor yet, so the hallway is all ours. The lighting's great, and it has the best layout in the complex. Plus, it's just 100 yards from your work. If you want, you can move in now. Furniture and appliances are ready!" The group marched up to the east-side unit—and froze. The house wasn't just empty; it didn't even have doors or windows. Even a hallway light bulb was gone. Sue turned on her heel. "Hmph! You expect me to renovate this dump? Well, I'm not getting married until you fix this house. And my name has to go on the deed!" Eleanor was fuming. She wanted to call Hayley to demand what that girl had done. But the bad news was, they couldn't reach Hayley. Meanwhile, Hayley was at a tunnel-style fallout shelter on the outskirts of Andersville. It was originally meant for a mountain road, but construction stopped due to insufficient funding and government rerouting. It had been abandoned and repurposed as a fallout shelter. "What are you renting a fallout shelter for?" the agent asked routinely. "Starting a business. I'm gonna grow mushrooms," Hayley said casually. From her previous life, she knew there were three types of shelters. The first were city-center shelters, built under malls, residential buildings, or hospitals. They were convenient, well-equipped, and fast to evacuate—but useless in a zombie apocalypse. Holding a high population meant it was the fastest to fall. The other two types were tunnel-style shelters and professional defense installations. Professional ones were critical in the late apocalypse and formed the backbone of stable bases, but Hayley couldn't rent one. So, tunnel shelters like these were perfect for her: they were secluded, far from people, and big, with a solid ventilation system and a heavy iron gate—exactly what she needed. Plus, they were cheap. Hayley's new shelter cost 400 a year to rent, for a minimum of 20 years. She paid three years upfront—1,200 dollars for a space the size of five basketball courts. The agent grinned, thinking she was an easy mark. Sure, the rent was cheap, but the location was extremely inconvenient and transportation was a headache. He figured that nine and a half out of ten entrepreneurs were idiots, but he wouldn't warn her. After collecting the money, signing the contract, and taking the 100-dollar service fee, he left. Hayley watched him leave without a word. She wouldn't reveal her true purpose. After ten years surviving the apocalypse, she learned one thing: never explain disaster plans to fools, because idiots like them were disasters themselves. After sending the agent off, Hayley entered the shelter with Summer. She checked everything. The ventilation system was intact, and she found a well left by a previous tenant, plus an electrical wire. The well's water tasted like mountain spring—totally separate from city water. Later, when treatment plants were contaminated, tap water would be useless. With this well, Hayley now had a safe water source. The wire wasn't connected, but that meant power could be set up. If she got a generator, the shelter could have electricity. Chapter 3 If she repaired the fence and added electricity, her fallout shelter's defenses would get a huge boost. She decided to get started. Just then, the voice from the system popped into her head. Ding! [Super Lord System activated! Please reinforce the original base. Rewards will be given based on the level of reinforcement. Countdown: 15 days!] Hayley's eyes lit up. She was just starting to process the new mission when another notification came. Ding! [Base war dog detected. Reward: War dog's combat power increased 100x! Physical stats increased 100x!] Hayley watched in amazement as Summer's body started to change. Its muscles doubled in size, its claws grew longer and sharper, and all signs of aging disappeared. In its place was the fierce, commanding presence of a powerful beast. "Woof, woof!" Hayley was amazed. "Wow!" - Hayley had Cynthia's old car, so she could get around easily. It was now time to start reinforcing her base. Not long after, she returned to her base. She placed the generator in the innermost storage room of the fallout shelter. Ding! [One thousand-kW generator detected. Reward: Indestructible, lowest-energy-consumption generator!] Hayley's jaw dropped. She stared at the generator, now looking like it was coated in silver. Its strength and durability were immediately way beyond what they had been. And the best part? It was indestructible! Normally, generators needed maintenance to last long, and Hayley had only been hoping to make it last. However, the system had upgraded it automatically. Amazing! She moved on and installed the surveillance cameras on the wire fences she had set up yesterday. Her tunnel hideout was in a perfect spot. Trees circled it, the main road was about a mile away, and a side road wound into the forest after about 500 yards. No one would ever notice a tunnel covered in wire here. It wasn't noticeable at all. The cameras covered every corner inside. Once she connected them to the generator, she could monitor any intruder—human or otherwise. Immediately, the cameras and electrified fences powered up. Her computer screen filled with tiny surveillance feeds, one for every angle. Then, the system chimed. Ding! [Monitoring and electrical grid system detected. Reward: Monitoring system upgraded! Coverage of the surveillance cameras increased 10x and can automatically detect all living and non-living entities! Electrical grid system upgraded. Maximum shock output: 10 thousand volts!] Hayley stared at her screen, astonished. She zoomed in on one camera. The pixel clarity was ten times better than before. Her 300-foot range camera now stretched a full mile, letting her see the road through gaps in the trees. A bird tried to land on the fence. It hovered and chose a spot—and with a loud zap, dropped straight down. Hayley's eyes glinted. Perfect! This defense was lethal. Anyone trying to break in? Instant death. "Summer, stay away from the fences, okay?" she warned. "Woof!" Upgraded Summer had grown bigger and smarter, more intuitive than before. Hayley ruffled its head, then pulled out the stuff from her old fridge from her inventory. They ate together. After the meal, she got back to organizing her base. Even cleaning the fallout shelter earned rewards. She cleared the water well and trimmed overgrown weeds. Ding! [Water well upgraded. Reward: Independent mountain-range clean water source!] Ding! [Weed coverage reduced. Reward: High-quality soil! Crop yield increased 100x! Growth speed increased 10x!] Hayley grinned. She now had clean water and rich soil. Her base was getting stronger and better every day. Soon, she could grow her own fresh fruits and vegetables and be self-sufficient. She made a mental note to buy seeds next. Ten days passed. The apocalypse was less than three days away. Every inch she cleaned and every fence she reinforced improved the defenses of her base, making it stronger and stronger. Meanwhile, her deliveries kept coming. During the day, she worked in the shelter. At night, she went to the warehouse to pick up packages. She had installed massive cameras at the warehouse entrance, and Summer helped guard the place. It was peaceful now, so people wouldn't dare steal with a huge dog watching. The delivery guys always unloaded truck after truck, then left as soon as they were done. At night, Hayley would go over everything and pull them into her inventory, then carry them back to her base. Ding! [Warehouse full.] All 100 tons of pasta, 1,000 boxes of instant noodles, 200 boxes of sausage, 100 boxes of pickled vegetables, and over 20 thousand meal packs were neatly stored in the innermost warehouse. Ding! [Reward: Super warehouse! Food remains permanently fresh!] The massive metal doors now looked like something from a bank vault. Not even professional explosives could open them—only Hayley's iris could. Inside, all items were sorted and stored. And the best part? Permanent freshness and no spoilage! Chapter 4 In just ten days, Hayley's fallout shelter looked completely transformed, inside and out. Now, it was only three days before the apocalypse. After planting the last tree, Hayley thought about what else she needed. For a self-sufficient, hidden life, she needed some chickens, ducks, and fish. Even with all the meal packs she had, nothing beat fresh food. Hayley kept walking through the market, but many stalls were closing. In a corner, she spotted someone selling live baby goats. She bought the last two for 300 bucks. The seller told her that these goats had been specifically bred for producing goat's milk, but business had been so bad that he started selling them off. The big ones were already gone, and only a few kids were left. By chance, Hayley managed to snag the last two today. "You should go home after buying these! With the flu outbreak, don't stay out too long," the vendor warned. Hayley nodded. She always wore a professional medical-grade mask, anyway. The truth was, the flu had never been the source of the zombie virus. It simply spread so widely and so quickly, lowering people's immunity. When the real virus hit, those with the lowest resistance turned into zombies right away. That was why everyone blamed the flu, thinking it was the true cause. It took Hayley ten years of surviving in the apocalypse to figure that much out. Yet, she still had no idea regarding the real origin of the zombie virus. Some people used to say it was nothing more than a game for the gods, like the Hunger Games. After all, the virus didn't just create zombies. It also changed people in other, stranger ways. Once Hayley had the vendor deliver her goods to the warehouse, she left the farmer's market without hanging around. Finding a hidden spot with no cameras, she placed the two goats into her inventory and drove off with Summer. On the way, she stopped at a farm supply store and bought a full set of tools, plus 20 shovels. Most people didn't realize shovels were serious weapons in survival situations. During conflicts, farmers used them as deadly tools. Even modern military spades evolved from shovels. In an apocalypse, a melee weapon like this could be more reliable than firearms. After stocking up on enough shovels, Hayley realized she needed to get baseball bats—another surprisingly effective weapon. Chapter 5 With that in mind, Hayley walked into a sports equipment store. After picking up a few of the best, sturdiest baseball bats, she grabbed a bunch of adventure gear—flashlights, helmets, armor, pads, tents, protective suits, tactical jackets…all of it. Everything she needed for the outdoors. This alone cost her over 4,000. The store also carried emergency kit accessories—tweezers, pliers, bandages, thermometers, and stuff like that. It reminded Hayley that she still needed to stop by the pharmacy. She left the outdoor store and went to stock up on common medicines—cold medicine, bandages, fever reducers, vitamins, alcohol, iodine, and other essentials. By the time she left the pharmacy, it was almost evening. The city lights sparkled, neon glowing all around. Hayley had pretty much gathered everything she could—food, drink, shelter, tools—all the basics covered. Now, she could focus on upgrading daily necessities and a few extra comforts. She figured it was time to go on a shopping spree. Before the apocalypse hit, she was going to enjoy the world one last time. First stop: a Michelin-star hotel she had never treated herself to before. She ordered a full-on feast—mushroom soup, barbecued ribs, pan-seared cod, roasted chicken, and garlic butter prawns—everything she had never been able to afford before. She even had the kitchen prepare ten extra orders of her favorite garlic butter prawns and filet mignon to take home for Summer. After that, she booked a suite and headed down to the mall. The mall was packed with goods, from general stores to tempting food stands. Hayley, used to hard times, hit the food section first—sausages, mini corn dogs, sponge cakes, meat pies, fried skewers, fried chicken, pork cutlets, stew, ice cream, milkshakes, assorted pastries…everything. She wanted it all, but there wasn't enough time or money to buy everything. Most of it was just luxury for a peaceful world—things that wouldn't matter after the apocalypse. But right now, she could buy and eat without worry. Hayley went store by store, quietly and extravagantly telling each clerk, "I want all your snacks." She paid and had everything delivered to her hotel room upstairs. At the first bakery, everything went into bags—fresh bread, cheesecake, cream puffs, petit fours, marshmallows, Swiss rolls, custard slices, custard tarts, waffles, palmiers—all packed and sent up. At a fried chicken shop, she bought every flavor—sweet chili, barbecue, garlic, honey mustard—and every type of chicken: boneless, drumsticks, wings, whole chickens. She then hit up the smoothie bars and ordered every flavor she could—berry blends, tropical fruit mixes, creamy yogurt smoothies, protein shakes, even frozen slushies—everything on the list! She basically just paid and gave them a delivery address before leaving, not wanting to attract too much attention. Just buying these snacks cost over 40 thousand. Each shop's stock usually totaled about 3,000 dollars. Hayley only spent around a few hundred dollars on smaller stalls, like the sausage stall and corn dog stand, ordering one of each flavor. Still, she basically cleared the snack stores in one sweep. Next, she went to the basement supermarket. Now, supermarkets were essential. She pushed two huge carts through the warehouse-style store. At checkout, her carts were filled with single units of all kinds—one bag of each flavored chips, one pack of every cookie or candy, one bottle of each drink, and every cooked food item she could get—roast turkey slices, rotisserie chicken, baked salmon, deli wraps, stuffed pita pockets, and microwavable pasta meals. Even partially prepared foods—marinated chicken, pork chops, fish fillets, and steak—were included. Household necessities like toiletries, face cream, sanitary pads, disposable towels, wipes—everything she could need. And now that she had money, she even bought appliances—a washing machine, a robot vacuum, and a fridge. She wouldn't have considered this before, but now she could. After checking out her two carts, she spoke to the store manager. She wanted the store's entire stock of everything in her carts, except for appliances. However, she had underestimated the cost and inventory. By the time she had selected just a third of what she wanted, her account was empty—220 thousand, gone in a flash! She found herself in an awkward position. Basic staples had been cheap, but processed goods were several times more expensive. Looking at her account balance hitting zero, Hayley decided this was enough. Chapter 6 As Hayley kept walking through the mall, she suddenly caught sight of two familiar figures. A young man was walking with a heavily pregnant woman just ahead of her. Philip and his wife—the same couple Hayley had just "pranked" a little while back. "Babe, calm down. Whatever you want today, just buy it. Forgive me, okay? Don't get mad… You don't want to stress the baby!" "No! You've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you? Your family doesn't even own that apartment! You tricked me on purpose!" "It's really ours." "Then what was all that earlier? Debt collectors at your door claiming the apartment was theirs, sending your grandma to the hospital!" "I don't know what happened. I swear, my mom paid 400 thousand to buy it from Hayley. We just have to find her and transfer the deed!" "Wait, didn't your mom say the apartment was a gift from Hayley, so I couldn't be on the deed? How is it suddenly bought by your family and transferable?" "Uh… A-Anyway! Just know that the apartment's ours now. I'm my family's only son, so I'm bound to get everything. And whatever's mine is yours! Just trust me!" Sue wouldn't buy it. "How am I supposed to trust you? First, you said it was move-in ready with renovations done, now it's a shell. You said it was your property, and now debt collectors show up. I've finally seen the truth—you guys are messing with me! I won't keep this baby! I'm gonna get rid of it now!" "Babe! Babe!" Hayley leaned against a corner, listening to their argument, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Wow. Just ten days, and things were already a mess at the Reids'. Eleanor even ended up in the hospital. Still, it could get even more entertaining. Hayley watched Philip, hands on the escalator railing, chasing after Sue. Mischievously, she whistled at him. Philip, already flustered, turned and spotted her leaning on the glass railing, casually watching them. "Hayley?" He froze, wanting to chase her, but Sue had already gotten to the floor below. "Babe! Babe!" One was his wife, about to get an abortion, and the other was Hayley. He wished he could split himself in two. After weighing his options, he decided to chase Hayley. He figured he would just grab her and make her explain everything to Sue—simple. He ran up the escalator that was heading down, trying to reach her. Meanwhile, Hayley walked at a calm, steady pace. By the time Philip caught up, she had already circled to the opposite escalator, making him chase her through the entire mall. They ended up in the underground parking lot. "Damn it! You little wench! Where do you think you're going?" Philip, panting, cornered Hayley. "How dare you mess with me behind my back! I swear I'll—" "Perfect," Hayley said cheerfully, shutting the car trunk with a click. "I was thinking the same thing." She swung a baseball bat in her hands. Philip's eyes went wide, alarm bells ringing. "What the… You're gonna hit me?" Before he could react, Hayley swung. She immediately overpowered him, dislocating his jaw so he couldn't talk, and dragged him to the corner of the parking lot, beating him mercilessly. Ten years surviving the apocalypse meant she had learned every kind of fighting technique. She could take down a grown man in seconds. But she was merciful with Philip. For half an hour, she smashed him in the arms and legs, striking only the most painful spots that wouldn't kill him. After 30 minutes, Philip lay on the ground, barely conscious. Hayley leaned against the car and kicked him lightly before bending down to grab his phone. She dialed 911 while pressing his head against the floor with her foot. "See? I'm nice. I even called 911 for you. You're welcome." Philip nearly passed out from anger. If her foot weren't on his face, he would've admitted she was "nice". "Damn you…" She took care of the scene and wiped his ID from the phone, not wanting the hospital to identify him that quickly. Then she transferred all the money in his digital bank to hers, using his fingerprint to authorize the payments. Afterward, she moved him to a bar street outside the parking lot, the same place she had called 911 from. Soon, EMTs arrived. Hayley watched them take Philip away, blending in like any bystander. Calmly, she sent messages to Bernard and Lucy with his phone, telling them he had been hurt and to check the hospital. After all that, she sold his phone to a small roadside store. Even if Lucy reported it, they wouldn't trace it back to Hayley in three days. By then, any investigation into Philip would be useless because it would be the apocalypse. Knocking Philip out added 6,000 dollars to her account. She used the money to stock up again, emptying several convenience store shelves into her car. As she prepared to leave, her car door slammed—someone had collapsed on it. Hayley's eyes darkened. Several stylishly dressed men and women helped lift the man. One tattooed guy waved. "Sorry, miss. My friend's drunk!" They laughed and carried him away. "Damn, he went down after two drinks! I remember him saying he could drink anyone under the table." "Yeah, he used to hold his liquor a lot better." "Maybe getting married weakened him!" "Hahaha!" Hayley leaned on her car, watching them leave. Her gaze fell on the young man in the middle—head down, stiff, pale hands hanging awkwardly. Soon, he came to. "What happened to me?" "You drank too much, that's what!" "You're useless! You didn't even drink that much!" "Work stress, I guess. I'm heading back." "Heading back? No way! Keep drinking! Let's get wasted tonight!" The group laughed as they walked off. Hayley's eyes darkened as she watched the scene. She checked her phone and noted that today was the 9th. In her last life, the zombie outbreak started on the 11th. The apocalypse…might have started early. As Hayley grabbed her car keys, a piercing scream cut through the air. "Ahhh!" That familiar sound. The zombie virus had broken out early!
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!] Chapter 8 A New Guy Player 1212 was still whining in the chat: [It is an Obsidian Space Stone! It actually expands inventory space. [Is it really too much to ask for a few extra supplies in return? My demands are totally reasonable. I'm barely surviving out here, and it's not like he's short on food!] Rainbows and Sunshine chimed in next: [Everyone's having a hard time, so let's just drop it. I'll play the peacemaker here. [Alpha Whirlwind, just toss him a few extra items so he feels better. Crossing paths out here means something, anyway.] Seeing someone take his side, Player 1212 leaned into the victim role. [Exactly! I just wanted a fair deal, and he straight up blocked me.] Tanya was eager to get back to her workout and had zero patience for this drama. She decided to cut to the chase. [So according to your logic,] she typed, [anyone who makes a trade can change their mind whenever they want and force the other party to cough up more items. Is that right?] That immediately struck a nerve with the crowd. Regular players flooded the chat. [That'd be a total disaster. We'd be arguing all day long.] [Seriously. Just pay attention when making a trade. You can't back out after the deal is done. Who does that?] Tanya couldn't be bothered to read the rest of the replies. She closed the holographic screen and started her routine. Even though she pushed herself hard every day, she didn't feel much improvement in her overall fitness. The only noticeable difference was the weight loss. Before the game, she weighed around 140 pounds. She didn't have a scale on hand, but she felt at least five pounds lighter. The stubborn fat around her stomach had definitely shrunk. Before entering this survival game, she was a web novelist who spent all day glued to her computer screen. To save money, she never even ordered takeout and cooked all her meals instead. As a result, she got absolutely zero exercise. Combine that with an erratic sleep schedule and constant all-nighters, and her weight had been steadily creeping up. Dripping with sweat, Tanya grabbed a damp towel and washed her face. She did some quick stretches before calling it quits. 'I need to take it slow,' she reminded herself. She spent some time sharpening her knife before bed. Only then did she drift into a deep and restful sleep. On the fourth day, the daily driving requirement changed. It jumped up by another 12 miles. This didn't really affect Tanya. She had started mid-morning on her first day and ran short on time. However, she had easily maxed out her mileage at 120 miles for the past two days. If it hadn't been for the intense hunger, she wouldn't have even stopped to eat. She was taking a gamble. She hoped her basic three-wheeler would eventually upgrade into a motorcycle or an enclosed microcar. At the very least, she wanted a roof over her head. Shortly after hitting the road, Tanya noticed a parallel highway emerging alongside hers. This meant she was highly likely to run into other players soon. She immediately went on high alert. It was still the early stage of the game, so there weren't too many genuinely malicious people out there yet. The environment wasn't overly dangerous, and the weather was mild. Anyone with enough food could survive. However, bad actors always existed. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the two highways merged into one. A silver van appeared in the distance. Tanya maintained her top speed without changing course. Suddenly, the silver van slowed down and deliberately cut her off. Tanya double-checked her interface to make sure her personal information was still hidden. Once confirmed, she reduced her speed and planned to casually overtake the van from the side. But the silver van aggressively swerved to block her again. The window rolled down, accompanied by a few sleazy chuckles. Through the van's side mirror, Tanya caught sight of the driver. He was a guy with a buzz cut, steering with one hand while leaning halfway out the window. He wasn't even looking at the road. Instead, he was completely focused on whistling at her reflection in the mirror. Tanya discreetly rolled her wrists and ankles, then brought her three-wheeler to a complete stop. She pretended she was too scared to challenge him on the road. I can't exactly play the role of a cold-blooded killer while riding a bright pink princess three-wheeler,' she thought. She had to play weak and lure him out of the vehicle first. Her little three-wheeler was too fragile to survive a collision anyway. Just as she expected, the silver van hit the brakes as soon as she stopped. "Hey sweetheart, that's a real cute ride you got there," the man called out. "Since you aren't in a rush, why don't we have a little chat before you go?" Tanya subtly scanned his profile using her holographic screen. He was surprisingly bold. He hid his personal stats but left his username completely visible. His username was Ultra Badass. Tanya rarely paid attention to the public chat, so she didn't know his reputation. Still, the name vaguely rang a bell. She stayed completely silent and refused to get off her three-wheeler. Ultra Badass grabbed a baseball bat and strolled over with a cocky swagger. "If you don't get off that thing, I'm gonna smash it to pieces. "I've been starving all day. Hand over whatever food you have." Tanya finally dismounted, moving with exaggerated hesitation and acting terrified. "Please don't smash my bike. I have some instant soup I can give you." "Well look at that, you got the good stuff! Hurry up and brew them for me. Grab me a bottle of water while you're at it." Tanya bit her lip slightly and nodded. "Then what are you going to trade me for it?" Ultra Badass smiled, looking unbelievably creepy. "How about I reward you with a sweet kiss?" The moment he said that, it finally clicked for Tanya. 'Oh, this is the idiot I blocked in the chat who wanted to trade a kiss for supplies,' she realized. Pushing down her disgust, Tanya shook her head vigorously and took a small step back. "I'll get your soup!" She began rummaging around in the cargo bed of her three-wheeler, dragging it out as long as possible. Ultra Badass was losing his patience. "Did you find it yet? Stop dragging your feet! I'm warning you, don't try to pull a fast one on me." As soon as he stepped within striking distance, Tanya spun around smoothly and swung her knife. She didn't hesitate at all. The blade plunged directly into his chest. Before the screaming man could even process what had just happened, she yanked the blade free and drove it straight into his neck. Being forced into this survival game meant she couldn't be afraid to kill if she wanted to live. She had struggled with that mental hurdle for a long time and suffered several major setbacks before finally overcoming it. Right now, looking at the idiot bleeding out in front of her, she felt absolutely nothing. 'He's no different from the monsters,' she told herself. Once she was absolutely certain he was dead, Tanya searched his pockets. To her surprise, she found half a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. These items could fetch an incredibly high price if traded to the right person. Finding nothing else of value on his body, she dragged his corpse over to the edge of the road and tossed it into the dense black fog. The moment she turned around, a system notification chimed.
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!]
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!] Chapter 8 A New Guy Player 1212 was still whining in the chat: [It is an Obsidian Space Stone! It actually expands inventory space. [Is it really too much to ask for a few extra supplies in return? My demands are totally reasonable. I'm barely surviving out here, and it's not like he's short on food!] Rainbows and Sunshine chimed in next: [Everyone's having a hard time, so let's just drop it. I'll play the peacemaker here. [Alpha Whirlwind, just toss him a few extra items so he feels better. Crossing paths out here means something, anyway.] Seeing someone take his side, Player 1212 leaned into the victim role. [Exactly! I just wanted a fair deal, and he straight up blocked me.] Tanya was eager to get back to her workout and had zero patience for this drama. She decided to cut to the chase. [So according to your logic,] she typed, [anyone who makes a trade can change their mind whenever they want and force the other party to cough up more items. Is that right?] That immediately struck a nerve with the crowd. Regular players flooded the chat. [That'd be a total disaster. We'd be arguing all day long.] [Seriously. Just pay attention when making a trade. You can't back out after the deal is done. Who does that?] Tanya couldn't be bothered to read the rest of the replies. She closed the holographic screen and started her routine. Even though she pushed herself hard every day, she didn't feel much improvement in her overall fitness. The only noticeable difference was the weight loss. Before the game, she weighed around 140 pounds. She didn't have a scale on hand, but she felt at least five pounds lighter. The stubborn fat around her stomach had definitely shrunk. Before entering this survival game, she was a web novelist who spent all day glued to her computer screen. To save money, she never even ordered takeout and cooked all her meals instead. As a result, she got absolutely zero exercise. Combine that with an erratic sleep schedule and constant all-nighters, and her weight had been steadily creeping up. Dripping with sweat, Tanya grabbed a damp towel and washed her face. She did some quick stretches before calling it quits. 'I need to take it slow,' she reminded herself. She spent some time sharpening her knife before bed. Only then did she drift into a deep and restful sleep. On the fourth day, the daily driving requirement changed. It jumped up by another 12 miles. This didn't really affect Tanya. She had started mid-morning on her first day and ran short on time. However, she had easily maxed out her mileage at 120 miles for the past two days. If it hadn't been for the intense hunger, she wouldn't have even stopped to eat. She was taking a gamble. She hoped her basic three-wheeler would eventually upgrade into a motorcycle or an enclosed microcar. At the very least, she wanted a roof over her head. Shortly after hitting the road, Tanya noticed a parallel highway emerging alongside hers. This meant she was highly likely to run into other players soon. She immediately went on high alert. It was still the early stage of the game, so there weren't too many genuinely malicious people out there yet. The environment wasn't overly dangerous, and the weather was mild. Anyone with enough food could survive. However, bad actors always existed. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the two highways merged into one. A silver van appeared in the distance. Tanya maintained her top speed without changing course. Suddenly, the silver van slowed down and deliberately cut her off. Tanya double-checked her interface to make sure her personal information was still hidden. Once confirmed, she reduced her speed and planned to casually overtake the van from the side. But the silver van aggressively swerved to block her again. The window rolled down, accompanied by a few sleazy chuckles. Through the van's side mirror, Tanya caught sight of the driver. He was a guy with a buzz cut, steering with one hand while leaning halfway out the window. He wasn't even looking at the road. Instead, he was completely focused on whistling at her reflection in the mirror. Tanya discreetly rolled her wrists and ankles, then brought her three-wheeler to a complete stop. She pretended she was too scared to challenge him on the road. I can't exactly play the role of a cold-blooded killer while riding a bright pink princess three-wheeler,' she thought. She had to play weak and lure him out of the vehicle first. Her little three-wheeler was too fragile to survive a collision anyway. Just as she expected, the silver van hit the brakes as soon as she stopped. "Hey sweetheart, that's a real cute ride you got there," the man called out. "Since you aren't in a rush, why don't we have a little chat before you go?" Tanya subtly scanned his profile using her holographic screen. He was surprisingly bold. He hid his personal stats but left his username completely visible. His username was Ultra Badass. Tanya rarely paid attention to the public chat, so she didn't know his reputation. Still, the name vaguely rang a bell. She stayed completely silent and refused to get off her three-wheeler. Ultra Badass grabbed a baseball bat and strolled over with a cocky swagger. "If you don't get off that thing, I'm gonna smash it to pieces. "I've been starving all day. Hand over whatever food you have." Tanya finally dismounted, moving with exaggerated hesitation and acting terrified. "Please don't smash my bike. I have some instant soup I can give you." "Well look at that, you got the good stuff! Hurry up and brew them for me. Grab me a bottle of water while you're at it." Tanya bit her lip slightly and nodded. "Then what are you going to trade me for it?" Ultra Badass smiled, looking unbelievably creepy. "How about I reward you with a sweet kiss?" The moment he said that, it finally clicked for Tanya. 'Oh, this is the idiot I blocked in the chat who wanted to trade a kiss for supplies,' she realized. Pushing down her disgust, Tanya shook her head vigorously and took a small step back. "I'll get your soup!" She began rummaging around in the cargo bed of her three-wheeler, dragging it out as long as possible. Ultra Badass was losing his patience. "Did you find it yet? Stop dragging your feet! I'm warning you, don't try to pull a fast one on me." As soon as he stepped within striking distance, Tanya spun around smoothly and swung her knife. She didn't hesitate at all. The blade plunged directly into his chest. Before the screaming man could even process what had just happened, she yanked the blade free and drove it straight into his neck. Being forced into this survival game meant she couldn't be afraid to kill if she wanted to live. She had struggled with that mental hurdle for a long time and suffered several major setbacks before finally overcoming it. Right now, looking at the idiot bleeding out in front of her, she felt absolutely nothing. 'He's no different from the monsters,' she told herself. Once she was absolutely certain he was dead, Tanya searched his pockets. To her surprise, she found half a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. These items could fetch an incredibly high price if traded to the right person. Finding nothing else of value on his body, she dragged his corpse over to the edge of the road and tossed it into the dense black fog. The moment she turned around, a system notification chimed.
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!] Chapter 8 A New Guy Player 1212 was still whining in the chat: [It is an Obsidian Space Stone! It actually expands inventory space. [Is it really too much to ask for a few extra supplies in return? My demands are totally reasonable. I'm barely surviving out here, and it's not like he's short on food!] Rainbows and Sunshine chimed in next: [Everyone's having a hard time, so let's just drop it. I'll play the peacemaker here. [Alpha Whirlwind, just toss him a few extra items so he feels better. Crossing paths out here means something, anyway.] Seeing someone take his side, Player 1212 leaned into the victim role. [Exactly! I just wanted a fair deal, and he straight up blocked me.] Tanya was eager to get back to her workout and had zero patience for this drama. She decided to cut to the chase. [So according to your logic,] she typed, [anyone who makes a trade can change their mind whenever they want and force the other party to cough up more items. Is that right?] That immediately struck a nerve with the crowd. Regular players flooded the chat. [That'd be a total disaster. We'd be arguing all day long.] [Seriously. Just pay attention when making a trade. You can't back out after the deal is done. Who does that?] Tanya couldn't be bothered to read the rest of the replies. She closed the holographic screen and started her routine. Even though she pushed herself hard every day, she didn't feel much improvement in her overall fitness. The only noticeable difference was the weight loss. Before the game, she weighed around 140 pounds. She didn't have a scale on hand, but she felt at least five pounds lighter. The stubborn fat around her stomach had definitely shrunk. Before entering this survival game, she was a web novelist who spent all day glued to her computer screen. To save money, she never even ordered takeout and cooked all her meals instead. As a result, she got absolutely zero exercise. Combine that with an erratic sleep schedule and constant all-nighters, and her weight had been steadily creeping up. Dripping with sweat, Tanya grabbed a damp towel and washed her face. She did some quick stretches before calling it quits. 'I need to take it slow,' she reminded herself. She spent some time sharpening her knife before bed. Only then did she drift into a deep and restful sleep. On the fourth day, the daily driving requirement changed. It jumped up by another 12 miles. This didn't really affect Tanya. She had started mid-morning on her first day and ran short on time. However, she had easily maxed out her mileage at 120 miles for the past two days. If it hadn't been for the intense hunger, she wouldn't have even stopped to eat. She was taking a gamble. She hoped her basic three-wheeler would eventually upgrade into a motorcycle or an enclosed microcar. At the very least, she wanted a roof over her head. Shortly after hitting the road, Tanya noticed a parallel highway emerging alongside hers. This meant she was highly likely to run into other players soon. She immediately went on high alert. It was still the early stage of the game, so there weren't too many genuinely malicious people out there yet. The environment wasn't overly dangerous, and the weather was mild. Anyone with enough food could survive. However, bad actors always existed. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the two highways merged into one. A silver van appeared in the distance. Tanya maintained her top speed without changing course. Suddenly, the silver van slowed down and deliberately cut her off. Tanya double-checked her interface to make sure her personal information was still hidden. Once confirmed, she reduced her speed and planned to casually overtake the van from the side. But the silver van aggressively swerved to block her again. The window rolled down, accompanied by a few sleazy chuckles. Through the van's side mirror, Tanya caught sight of the driver. He was a guy with a buzz cut, steering with one hand while leaning halfway out the window. He wasn't even looking at the road. Instead, he was completely focused on whistling at her reflection in the mirror. Tanya discreetly rolled her wrists and ankles, then brought her three-wheeler to a complete stop. She pretended she was too scared to challenge him on the road. I can't exactly play the role of a cold-blooded killer while riding a bright pink princess three-wheeler,' she thought. She had to play weak and lure him out of the vehicle first. Her little three-wheeler was too fragile to survive a collision anyway. Just as she expected, the silver van hit the brakes as soon as she stopped. "Hey sweetheart, that's a real cute ride you got there," the man called out. "Since you aren't in a rush, why don't we have a little chat before you go?" Tanya subtly scanned his profile using her holographic screen. He was surprisingly bold. He hid his personal stats but left his username completely visible. His username was Ultra Badass. Tanya rarely paid attention to the public chat, so she didn't know his reputation. Still, the name vaguely rang a bell. She stayed completely silent and refused to get off her three-wheeler. Ultra Badass grabbed a baseball bat and strolled over with a cocky swagger. "If you don't get off that thing, I'm gonna smash it to pieces. "I've been starving all day. Hand over whatever food you have." Tanya finally dismounted, moving with exaggerated hesitation and acting terrified. "Please don't smash my bike. I have some instant soup I can give you." "Well look at that, you got the good stuff! Hurry up and brew them for me. Grab me a bottle of water while you're at it." Tanya bit her lip slightly and nodded. "Then what are you going to trade me for it?" Ultra Badass smiled, looking unbelievably creepy. "How about I reward you with a sweet kiss?" The moment he said that, it finally clicked for Tanya. 'Oh, this is the idiot I blocked in the chat who wanted to trade a kiss for supplies,' she realized. Pushing down her disgust, Tanya shook her head vigorously and took a small step back. "I'll get your soup!" She began rummaging around in the cargo bed of her three-wheeler, dragging it out as long as possible. Ultra Badass was losing his patience. "Did you find it yet? Stop dragging your feet! I'm warning you, don't try to pull a fast one on me." As soon as he stepped within striking distance, Tanya spun around smoothly and swung her knife. She didn't hesitate at all. The blade plunged directly into his chest. Before the screaming man could even process what had just happened, she yanked the blade free and drove it straight into his neck. Being forced into this survival game meant she couldn't be afraid to kill if she wanted to live. She had struggled with that mental hurdle for a long time and suffered several major setbacks before finally overcoming it. Right now, looking at the idiot bleeding out in front of her, she felt absolutely nothing. 'He's no different from the monsters,' she told herself. Once she was absolutely certain he was dead, Tanya searched his pockets. To her surprise, she found half a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. These items could fetch an incredibly high price if traded to the right person. Finding nothing else of value on his body, she dragged his corpse over to the edge of the road and tossed it into the dense black fog. The moment she turned around, a system notification chimed.
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!] Chapter 8 A New Guy Player 1212 was still whining in the chat: [It is an Obsidian Space Stone! It actually expands inventory space. [Is it really too much to ask for a few extra supplies in return? My demands are totally reasonable. I'm barely surviving out here, and it's not like he's short on food!] Rainbows and Sunshine chimed in next: [Everyone's having a hard time, so let's just drop it. I'll play the peacemaker here. [Alpha Whirlwind, just toss him a few extra items so he feels better. Crossing paths out here means something, anyway.] Seeing someone take his side, Player 1212 leaned into the victim role. [Exactly! I just wanted a fair deal, and he straight up blocked me.] Tanya was eager to get back to her workout and had zero patience for this drama. She decided to cut to the chase. [So according to your logic,] she typed, [anyone who makes a trade can change their mind whenever they want and force the other party to cough up more items. Is that right?] That immediately struck a nerve with the crowd. Regular players flooded the chat. [That'd be a total disaster. We'd be arguing all day long.] [Seriously. Just pay attention when making a trade. You can't back out after the deal is done. Who does that?] Tanya couldn't be bothered to read the rest of the replies. She closed the holographic screen and started her routine. Even though she pushed herself hard every day, she didn't feel much improvement in her overall fitness. The only noticeable difference was the weight loss. Before the game, she weighed around 140 pounds. She didn't have a scale on hand, but she felt at least five pounds lighter. The stubborn fat around her stomach had definitely shrunk. Before entering this survival game, she was a web novelist who spent all day glued to her computer screen. To save money, she never even ordered takeout and cooked all her meals instead. As a result, she got absolutely zero exercise. Combine that with an erratic sleep schedule and constant all-nighters, and her weight had been steadily creeping up. Dripping with sweat, Tanya grabbed a damp towel and washed her face. She did some quick stretches before calling it quits. 'I need to take it slow,' she reminded herself. She spent some time sharpening her knife before bed. Only then did she drift into a deep and restful sleep. On the fourth day, the daily driving requirement changed. It jumped up by another 12 miles. This didn't really affect Tanya. She had started mid-morning on her first day and ran short on time. However, she had easily maxed out her mileage at 120 miles for the past two days. If it hadn't been for the intense hunger, she wouldn't have even stopped to eat. She was taking a gamble. She hoped her basic three-wheeler would eventually upgrade into a motorcycle or an enclosed microcar. At the very least, she wanted a roof over her head. Shortly after hitting the road, Tanya noticed a parallel highway emerging alongside hers. This meant she was highly likely to run into other players soon. She immediately went on high alert. It was still the early stage of the game, so there weren't too many genuinely malicious people out there yet. The environment wasn't overly dangerous, and the weather was mild. Anyone with enough food could survive. However, bad actors always existed. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the two highways merged into one. A silver van appeared in the distance. Tanya maintained her top speed without changing course. Suddenly, the silver van slowed down and deliberately cut her off. Tanya double-checked her interface to make sure her personal information was still hidden. Once confirmed, she reduced her speed and planned to casually overtake the van from the side. But the silver van aggressively swerved to block her again. The window rolled down, accompanied by a few sleazy chuckles. Through the van's side mirror, Tanya caught sight of the driver. He was a guy with a buzz cut, steering with one hand while leaning halfway out the window. He wasn't even looking at the road. Instead, he was completely focused on whistling at her reflection in the mirror. Tanya discreetly rolled her wrists and ankles, then brought her three-wheeler to a complete stop. She pretended she was too scared to challenge him on the road. I can't exactly play the role of a cold-blooded killer while riding a bright pink princess three-wheeler,' she thought. She had to play weak and lure him out of the vehicle first. Her little three-wheeler was too fragile to survive a collision anyway. Just as she expected, the silver van hit the brakes as soon as she stopped. "Hey sweetheart, that's a real cute ride you got there," the man called out. "Since you aren't in a rush, why don't we have a little chat before you go?" Tanya subtly scanned his profile using her holographic screen. He was surprisingly bold. He hid his personal stats but left his username completely visible. His username was Ultra Badass. Tanya rarely paid attention to the public chat, so she didn't know his reputation. Still, the name vaguely rang a bell. She stayed completely silent and refused to get off her three-wheeler. Ultra Badass grabbed a baseball bat and strolled over with a cocky swagger. "If you don't get off that thing, I'm gonna smash it to pieces. "I've been starving all day. Hand over whatever food you have." Tanya finally dismounted, moving with exaggerated hesitation and acting terrified. "Please don't smash my bike. I have some instant soup I can give you." "Well look at that, you got the good stuff! Hurry up and brew them for me. Grab me a bottle of water while you're at it." Tanya bit her lip slightly and nodded. "Then what are you going to trade me for it?" Ultra Badass smiled, looking unbelievably creepy. "How about I reward you with a sweet kiss?" The moment he said that, it finally clicked for Tanya. 'Oh, this is the idiot I blocked in the chat who wanted to trade a kiss for supplies,' she realized. Pushing down her disgust, Tanya shook her head vigorously and took a small step back. "I'll get your soup!" She began rummaging around in the cargo bed of her three-wheeler, dragging it out as long as possible. Ultra Badass was losing his patience. "Did you find it yet? Stop dragging your feet! I'm warning you, don't try to pull a fast one on me." As soon as he stepped within striking distance, Tanya spun around smoothly and swung her knife. She didn't hesitate at all. The blade plunged directly into his chest. Before the screaming man could even process what had just happened, she yanked the blade free and drove it straight into his neck. Being forced into this survival game meant she couldn't be afraid to kill if she wanted to live. She had struggled with that mental hurdle for a long time and suffered several major setbacks before finally overcoming it. Right now, looking at the idiot bleeding out in front of her, she felt absolutely nothing. 'He's no different from the monsters,' she told herself. Once she was absolutely certain he was dead, Tanya searched his pockets. To her surprise, she found half a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. These items could fetch an incredibly high price if traded to the right person. Finding nothing else of value on his body, she dragged his corpse over to the edge of the road and tossed it into the dense black fog. The moment she turned around, a system notification chimed.
Chapter 1 Highway Survival [Highway Survival loading. Current progress: 82%. Please wait.] Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited. You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. 'I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,' she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms. 'Thank God I managed to bring this along.' Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. 'Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?' she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. 'Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,' she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama. Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. 'There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,' she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. "Please make your selection!" the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly. She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. 'I am definitely making a different choice this time,' she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler. Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! "As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!" A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. 'Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,' she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face. The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: "Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title 'Daredevil'. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?" "Announce it," Tanya replied without hesitation. "But hold on a second. I need to change my username first." System: "Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel." She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. 'My starter stats are an absolute joke,' she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system's sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. 'Honestly, I kind of missed it,' she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. "Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?" "The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!" "Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!" "This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair. At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!" "Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me." "Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!" Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. 'Please do not let me down,' she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. 'Now this is a God-tier start,' she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash. She also hauled the empty silver crate onto the back of her three-wheeler. It would serve as a decent storage box for now. Later on, she could break it down for raw materials once she found a crafting bench to unlock the dismantle feature. In high spirits, Tanya hopped onto her sweet ride and hit the gas. As the vehicle hummed to life, a small notification popped up in the top right corner of her vision. [Today's remaining distance: 30 miles] The daily travel quota during the seven-day rookie protection period was relatively low. Hitting the milestone was a breeze as long as her vehicle was running and she were not critically injured. The highway was massively wide. It made her electric three-wheeler look incredibly dinky by comparison, but the vehicle handled well. Tanya felt totally relaxed. There were no natural disasters and fewer monsters spawning in the crates during the protection phase. She began multitasking. She steered with one hand, scanned the shoulder for more crates, and pulled up the chat interface to check for good gear. Most players were still in decent shape since everyone had just dropped into the game. The chat was mostly useless gossip. Hardly anyone was trying to trade actual supplies, though there was no shortage of beggars and freeloaders looking for handouts. Tanya tapped the filter icon and set the chat to only show trade requests. It did not take long for a message to catch her eye. Retired Magical Boy: [Who has gas? I am willing to trade five batteries for it. Seriously, I need a lifeline here guys!] Tanya opened a private message with him. [I have gas. I will take the batteries.] A loot crate caught her eye on the side of the road before he could reply. She instantly swerved over and parked. It was a wooden crate. That was the lowest tier available, which meant the danger level was practically zero. Tanya pried it open. A tiny field mouse popped out. It squeaked when it realized she was not scared and scrambled away into the brush. She did not even bother chasing it. The thing had zero attack power, but it was fast as hell. Catching it was impossible anyway with her current agility stats. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Iron Ore x3, Purified Water (16oz).] A wooden crate obviously could not compare to a silver one, but she was not complaining. At least everything inside was useful. She noticed several unread private messages when she climbed back onto the three-wheeler. Retired Magical Boy: [Hey Alpha boss, I have five batteries. Will you trade three units of gas for them?] Retired Magical Boy: [Wait, my bad, that was greedy. Two units of gas is totally fine!] Retired Magical Boy: [Boss? Are you there? Is two units too much? Please just say something! Look, I will give you four batteries for just one unit of gas. Deal?] Tanya read through the log. She was completely speechless. 'I did not even have to negotiate, and this guy haggled himself straight to the bottom.' She quickly typed back: [I got tied up and was not looking at the screen. I will give you two units of gas for all five batteries.] She shot over the trade request. The guy accepted it in a fraction of a second. Retired Magical Boy: [Awesome! I am definitely coming to you for trades in the future. Add me as a friend?] Tanya was about to close the chat box, but she hesitated. 'People who are this clueless usually have insane beginner's luck,' she reasoned to herself. He might stumble across some really rare drops. She ended up tapping accept. [Sure,] she replied. [Hit me up if you need to trade.] Retired Magical Boy: [Omg, you are so chill for a top player! Hey, take a look at this. Would you buy this thing off me?] Chapter 3 From Grimy to Glamorous Retired Magical Boy sent a picture of a pastel pink magic wand. The tag explicitly marked it for electric vehicles only. The item description read: [From grimy to glamorous, pimp your ride!] Tanya immediately dropped two units of gas into the trade window. [Hit accept if you want to swap.] The gadget was actually incredibly practical. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, it packed a hidden perk that would stay useful even after she leveled up her vehicle. Retired Magical Boy accepted the offer instantly. It was a no-brainer. The item was strictly for EVs, which he did not own. Plus, they were in the middle of a hardcore survival game. Looking pretty meant nothing. Running out of gas meant death. After receiving the wand, Tanya read the incantation and inexplicably blushed. Making sure she was completely alone, she cleared her throat, traced a circle in the air, and yelled, "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Her little blue electric three-wheeler instantly morphed into a striking mix of bubblegum pink and rose red. Delicate lace trim wrapped around the edges. The center of the handlebars was bedazzled with rhinestones, while the grips and seat cushion turned into plush pink fuzz. 'It definitely looks cute, but isn't it way too flashy?' Tanya thought, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. A system notification chimed: [Congratulations on discovering a hidden vehicle perk. Your ride is not only gorgeous now, but it will also automatically deep clean itself every time you recite the spell. [You sure are a lucky duck!] That automatic cleaning feature was exactly what Tanya wanted all along. Hopping back onto her ride, she set off down the road. She felt like she was radiating pure pastel energy. The fuzzy handlebars and seat were surprisingly high-tech, automatically adjusting to her optimal body temperature. Trading two units of gas for this was an absolute steal. Players were still figuring out the game mechanics. Otherwise, nobody would have sold such a premium item so cheaply. Adding Retired Magical Boy to her friends list was definitely the right move. The highway was smooth and flat. Her electric three-wheeler could hit thirty miles per hour, making excellent time. Tanya opened the Global Chat interface again, hoping to stumble across another clueless but lovable player just like him. Player 1206: [Does anyone have food? I swear I am never dieting again. I was intermittent fasting when I got dragged into this mess, and I am starving!] Lost Puppy: [I am so thirsty. Could some kind soul please spare a sip of water?] Player 1030: [Why are there internet beggars literally everywhere?] Blessed: [Just popping in to say I am doing great. I do not want to brag too hard, but you guys get the idea. Instant noodles are delicious, but man, they are so bad for you.] Galaxy's Most Handsome: [The guy above me is disgusting. Are you just here to troll? Get lost!] Amidst the flood of messages, Tanya spotted a very important name. WarWolf 009: [Warning to all players. Do not step into the black zones on either side of the road. It is instant death. [Also, be extremely cautious when opening supply crates. Monsters can jump out, so always have a weapon ready.] Judging by the username, AlphaWolf 009 was obviously military or government personnel. In her previous life, he was the top-ranked player in Sector 88, Zone 666. He was a solid guy. They had traded a few times and even teamed up for dungeons back then. While she didn't plan on playing entirely solo this time, she had absolutely no intention of joining any official factions. Those people were too bound by duty. Tanya knew deep down she was a selfish person. By noon, Tanya had knocked out her daily driving task of thirty miles. She still had five spare batteries, and her current charge had only dropped to seventy-four percent. She saw no reason to stop and kept driving. Once the seven-day beginner protection period ended, the system would release the first leaderboard. This ranking was calculated using a combination of total distance traveled and resources gathered. The top ten rewards were supposedly insane. Tanya had never reached that tier in her old life, but she had seen players bragging about the top-tier loot in the chat logs. She had only found a single wooden crate all morning. 'My resource score is going to be abysmal, so my only shot is to max out my mileage,' she reasoned, keeping her hand on the throttle. It couldn't be helped. Supply crates were notoriously scarce during the beginner phase. She managed to find two more wooden crates that afternoon, yielding a bottle of water, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and ten iron nails. Tanya didn't even pull over for dinner. She kept driving while gnawing on the bread and washing it down with water. She pushed relentlessly until nine o'clock that night before finally pulling over to rest. Her three-wheeler's battery died right on cue. She swapped in a fresh one and tossed the dead battery into her inventory. If she found a universal charger later on, she could recycle and reuse all her drained batteries. Checking her system panel, Tanya saw she had covered just over a hundred miles today. She obviously couldn't compete with players driving actual cars or high-end EVs. But not everyone was that lucky. Some poor souls spawned with shopping carts, baby strollers, or bicycles. Compared to them, Tanya knew she was incredibly blessed. She stood up and stretched hard, working the stiffness out of her limbs. Her butt was completely numb. Her Health stat had dropped by five points to sixty-four, and her Fatigue gauge had spiked to seventy-six. It was a dangerous state to be in. After dark, the guttural roars of monsters echoed from the deep shadows lining the road. Some creatures would even crawl onto the asphalt and circle parked vehicles, trying to bait players outside. It sounded terrifying, but Tanya was used to it. Honestly, their howling sounded a bit pathetic to her now. During her first time through this game, Tanya had been terrified and locked herself inside her vehicle. Now, she couldn't care less. Her physical stats were currently garbage. System items could artificially boost her attributes, but actual physical conditioning was just as vital. She decided to get her blood pumping. She started with an intense cardio routine, planning to transition into strength training right after. As long as she stayed within the twenty-five-foot radius of her vehicle, she was perfectly safe. Mid-jumping jack, Tanya felt the prickle of eyes on her. She whipped around to find a massive, black-faced wolfhound glaring at her. Its tail was held high, yellow fangs bared. As they locked eyes, the beast unleashed a vicious snarl. Tanya didn't even miss a beat of her workout. "Hey buddy, want to join in? Follow my rhythm!" The demonic hound looked utterly bewildered. It snarled again. Thick saliva dripped onto the pavement, carrying a rancid, coppery stench. Tanya wasn't scared, just disgusted. "Shoo, get lost. If you aren't doing cardio, get out of my face." Chapter 4 Come on The demonic hound circled Tanya's vehicle a few times. Realizing she was completely unfazed and had zero intention of stepping outside, it let out an annoyed growl and trotted away. Post workout hunger gnawing at her, Tanya checked her inventory and grabbed a beef jerky. 'This tastes pretty mediocre cold,' she noted to herself, 'but at least it has protein and carbs.' Her backpack lacked a stasis feature. The weather wasn't scorching yet, but fresh meat spoiled quickly and would only last until tomorrow at best. Munching on her food, she scrolled through the Chat. The trade channel was buzzing significantly more than it had during the day. [I need food and water! I will trade hot selfies!] [Trading a Rolex for a meal! I paid 10 million for this beauty! Serious buyers only!" Player 1212: [I am literally starving to death. My luck is garbage. I only found one chest all day, and it just had some useless black rock inside!] Tanya opened a private message with Player 1212. [Send me a pic of that black stone.] Player 1212: [Oh my god, Alpha Whirlwind! You are the legend who triggered the first server announcement. Here, look!] Player 1212 instantly linked the black stone in the trade window. 'I didn't expect someone to pull an item like this on day one,' Tanya thought, blinking in surprise. Player 1212: [So? Do you know what it is, boss? Do you want it?] Tanya intentionally waited a few minutes. She only replied when he frantically messaged her again. [I have no idea what it is. What is your price?] Player 1212: [I pulled it from a Bronze Crate, so it is not from some basic wooden crate. I want a bottle of clean drinking water and something to eat.] 'That is dirt cheap,' Tanya realized immediately. 'This is a steal no matter how you look at it.' She agreed to the terms. [One bottle of water and a beef jerky.] Player 1212: [Sold!] After the trade, Tanya pulled the black stone out. There were no immediate system prompts, but the moment it cleared her inventory, it reacted. "Hey there, lucky genius! You have discovered the true purpose of the Basic Black Space Stone. Would you like to expand your backpack? This upgrade will add 10 storage slots." "Yes," she replied. Her inventory instantly expanded to twenty slots. 'Space stones like this always skyrocket in price once people figure out what they actually do,' she thought with a smirk. 'Trading a bottle of water and a single beef jerky for it is a massive profit.' Tanya went back to the trade channel to hunt for a weapon. Dropped into a strange and dangerous new world, weapons were just as precious as food. Sellers were incredibly rare. After filtering through the junk for a good while, she spotted a post from Alpha Wolf 009: [Trading weapons for food.] She slid right into his direct messages. Alpha Whirlwind: [What weapons do you have? What kind of food do you want?] WarWolf 009 took a moment to reply. [I have a dagger and a machete. I do not care about the food as long as it fills me up.] Alpha Whirlwind: [Four beef jerkies and a bottle of water for the machete?] WarWolf 009: [Deal.] Tanya had pulled eight beef jerkies from her Silver Crate earlier. She had just traded five away and already devoured the remaining three herself. Letting out a satisfied burp, she grabbed the machete and got to work. Having a weapon meant nothing if she did not know how to swing it. She grabbed the empty Silver Crate from her vehicle and flipped it upside down to use as a practice dummy. She practiced prying things open with the blade, followed by endless hacking and slashing. 'I need to be ready to take down a monster the second it spawns,' she told herself firmly. The early dungeon monsters were not particularly overpowered. They were mostly designed to test a player's courage. Tanya kept swinging until her arms screamed in protest. Stopping to massage her sore muscles, she did a thorough stretching routine. After a quick wash, she crawled into the cargo bed of her three-wheeler to sleep. At five foot five, the bed was not quite long enough for her. With her upper body inside, her legs dangled over the edge. Her only other option was to sleep curled up into a ball. Knowing the vehicle was an absolute safe zone, she felt completely secure. She slept like a log and was out cold until five in the morning. System: [Congratulations, you ridiculously carefree player! You have achieved the highest sleep quality on the first night of the game. [Reward: New Title "Carefree Kid".] Tanya deadpanned. 'In my last run, I fought tooth and nail for over three years and only earned a single title. 'I have been back for less than twenty four hours and I already have three.' Players could only equip one title at a time right now. However, once she got her hands on a Title Badge, she could engrave them for trading or stack their effects. 'The more titles, the better,' she reasoned confidently. She tapped on the Carefree Kid details and immediately broke into a grin. [Ignorance is bliss, and the good die late! This game desperately needs big hearted airheads like you. Equipping this title grants +3 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina.] Tanya instantly swapped out her "Stubborn Mule" title for "Carefree Kid". Then, she pulled up her character sheet to check her current stats. [Player: Tanya Saunders, Female, 24 [Title: Carefree Kid [ID：8866620010608 [Username: Alpha Whirlwind [Vehicle: Brand New Pink Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 99%) [Health: 68 (Overstressed neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel in hands. Your body is basically a walking warning sign.) [Fatigue: 15 (Literally the only decent stat you have.) [Strength: 21 (+3) (Adding three still leaves you weak as a kitten.) [Stamina: 26 (+3) (Have you ever worked out a day in your life?) [Agility: 25 (+3) (Slow as molasses. You couldn't outrun a turtle.) [Overall Combat Rating: 41 (All form, no substance. How are you even pulling this off? Are you hacking?) [Inventory: Spaghetti x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water 550ml x13, Salt, Mini Camping Stove x1, Backpack 20 Slots, 4 Sets of Seasonal Clothing, Sterile Underwear x2, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Metal Scrap x5, Iron Ingot x5, Gasoline x1, Nails x10, Machete x1.] Tanya noticed that the three point bump to her core stats had raised her Overall Combat Rating by six points. 'My combat experience from my old life is still there,' she mused quietly. 'My base stats are just garbage right now, but luckily I have time to adapt.' Pulling out her mini camping stove, she hooked it up to the three-wheeler's battery and boiled two eggs. She washed them down with some bottled water for breakfast. Time for a morning workout. She started with a light jog around her trike to warm up. Since it was not even six o'clock yet, the game still considered it the "Night" phase. Random monsters would occasionally charge at her from the shadows. But they could not actually reach her. They hit an invisible barrier about twenty five feet from the three-wheeler and stopped dead in their tracks to snarl at her. It was purely a jump scare tactic. Tanya wasn't buying it. In fact, she actively mocked them. "Hey! Friends on the left! Friends on the right!" she cheered, jogging in place. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Chapter 5 The ID badge Tanya knew exactly how to keep herself entertained. 'If I don't find ways to amuse myself after years of total isolation, life will be unbearable,' she reminded herself. She worked out steadily until six o'clock. The second the game clock signaled daybreak, she fired up her little three-wheeler and hit the road. She had barely gone fifty yards when she spotted a crate. Sure, it was just wood, but any loot was good loot. "Off to a good start," Tanya muttered. She grabbed her machete, hopped off the three-wheeler, and marched over to the box. With a practiced flourish, she pried the lid open. She followed up with a wild flurry of hacks, slashes, and stabs. After a moment of aggressive shadowboxing, she paused. Nothing jumped out at her. Tanya cleared her throat and calmly sheathed her blade. She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. 'I am bound to trigger a trap eventually, so it is better to be safe than sorry,' she reasoned internally. The crate held exactly one item. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained a Vehicle Upgrade Card fragment(1/6).] A complete Vehicle Upgrade Card could be bound to a vehicle, allowing the player to upgrade it using specific materials. Naturally, the material cost would skyrocket at higher levels. Tanya tossed the fragment into her backpack. Just like yesterday, she pushed the three-wheeler to its top speed while scrolling through her holographic interface. Days two and three passed without a hitch. Tanya turned into a relentless driving machine, totally focused on eating up the miles. Most of the monsters popping out of the crates were just there for jump scares. As long as players played it smart and waited for them to scurry off into the black fog lining the highway, they were perfectly safe. Yet, even with things being this easy, three people out of the ten thousand in Zone 666 had somehow managed to die.Tanya Saunders 'I really want to know how they pulled that off,' Tanya thought with genuine curiosity. Over the past two days, she ate spaghetti whenever she got hungry. When she grew sick of that, she switched to chili or self-heating MREs, always making sure to keep up with her morning and evening workouts. As for supplies, her haul consisted of a towel, a bowl, three survival ration bars, and a half-gallon of purified water. The real highlight was trading one unit of gasoline and a hot plate of spaghetti for two more Vehicle Upgrade Fragments. She did the deal with the player named Retired Magical Boy again. 'He is totally the poor sucker stuck with a massive semi truck,' she guessed silently. He clearly had zero interest in upgrading that gas guzzler and probably just wanted to shrink the rig down. That perfectly explained why he was so eager to offload his upgrade fragments. She currently only needed three more fragments to craft a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card. While checking her remaining supplies, a traffic light suddenly loomed ahead. She perked up instantly. A traffic light always meant a pit stop was coming up. The stop type was entirely randomized. Most were lucky encounters, but deadly traps were always a possibility. She would have to play it by ear based on the situation. The light stayed red for a solid five minutes. A horde of monsters lined up to cross the street, taking every opportunity to taunt Tanya as they passed. She kept a perfect poker face before finally shooting them a look of pure disgust. It worked like a charm. The creatures grew so angry they started cursing at her. The instant the light turned green, Tanya cranked the throttle and gunned it. If the light changed before she cleared the intersection, she would be completely surrounded by the mob. Right in the middle of the crossing, she spotted a row of scattered nails on the asphalt. She quickly tapped her holographic screen to scoop them up. System: [Congratulations. You have obtained Iron Nails x 30.] She hit the gas again, reaching the other side of the road with plenty of time to spare. Just past the intersection, a sign popped up on her right: [Service Area A Quarter-Mile Ahead.] Tanya did not hesitate and pulled right in when she drove past. Before she even got close, a god awful stench hit her. It smelled like pure death, and a faint green smog hovered in the air. Tanya instantly knew what this place was. A salvage dump. It smelled horrendous, but in the early stages of the game when resources were incredibly scarce, this was an absolute goldmine for players. Tanya parked her three-wheeler and broke into a sprint. Time was ticking, and she could not afford to waste a single second. A massive black bear was guarding the entrance to the dump. "Entry requires payment," the bear grunted. Tanya did not miss a beat. "Free entry during the newbie protection period!" "Password accepted. You may enter," the giant bear replied in a dopey voice. 'This is the fun of traveling back in time,' she mused internally. During the first seven days of the newbie protection phase, entry to all pit stops was completely free. The catch was that the monster staff would never volunteer that information. A player had to explicitly say those exact words to trigger the free entry condition. Some player had discovered this secret but deliberately waited until the protection period was over to share it out loud. The trolling was so obnoxious that it sparked a massive flame war with another player, which eventually escalated into a full blown manhunt. The moment Tanya stepped into the dump, the system announcer chimed in again. "Congratulations! You have unlocked the new title 'The Freeloader'. Wow, you really know how to game the system, don't you?" Tanya tapped open the details. 'This is incredible,' she thought, fighting the urge to shout "Awesome!" out loud. System: "The Freeloader: You just hit the jackpot! When this title is equipped, you can claim one item for free from any red-haired monster merchant. "You can purchase one item at a 90% discount from green-haired merchants, and get 50% off the entire inventory of purple-haired merchants!" Tanya did not even have time to celebrate before she reached the base of the massive trash mountain. She found a long stick and started digging through the piles, constantly scanning everything with her holographic screen. It did not take long to gather a decent pile of junk. After doing a full sweep, Tanya was still not satisfied. She had not found anything truly valuable. Biting the bullet, she started climbing straight up the mountain of garbage. She looked completely miserable. Her face and hands were covered in grime, but the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a massive grin. After spending nearly an hour rummaging through the muck, Tanya finally forced herself to leave. Her backpack was completely maxed out. She found a large plastic tub to carry the rest of her loot and marched out of the dump with her head held high. The giant black bear's dark face twitched as she walked past. 'Wow, this is just a classic greedy human,' the bear seemed to think. Just as she stepped past the boundary of the dump, another notification rang out. "Congratulations. You have triggered a key condition and obtained the 'Scrap Collector' ID badge. Please keep it safe." Tanya blinked in surprise. 'In the three years of my old life, I never heard of anyone getting one of these.' She opened the item details and studied it carefully. It had two perks. First, she got permanent free entry to any salvage dump. Second, she could sell scrap materials directly through the system. The entry fee for these dumps was never high, but free was free. The ability to sell scrap directly, however, got Tanya's gears turning. Now she just had to wait for some blind fool to cross her path so she could test it out. Tanya felt utterly disgusting. Her hands were caked in unspeakable filth. In a rare moment of luxury, she pulled out all her purified water and scrubbed herself down. When she ran out, she sacrificed a bottle of drinking water just to finish the job. Once she was completely clean, she changed into a brand new outfit from head to toe. She did not have enough water left to wash her dirty clothes, but she could not bring herself to throw them away. Chapter 6 Junkyard Jackpot Tanya really wanted to pull over and sort through this massive haul right now, but she just couldn't justify wasting the daylight. She hesitated briefly before deciding to keep driving and save the sorting for nightfall. Once this seven-day trial ended, the players with the longest distance and most supplies were guaranteed some serious rewards. Her little electric three-wheeler might be slow, but it could run for hours. With a vehicle upgrade, this rusted bucket of bolts could turn into a real beast. Everyone still had a fighting chance. Plus, she highly doubted anyone else had managed to hoard this much gasoline so early on. Most people would definitely stockpile it for emergencies. Tanya did not cut the engine until nine o'clock that night. Stretching her stiff limbs, she rubbed her hands together in excitement and hurried to the cargo bed. First, she sifted out all the edibles and uploaded them straight to the Trade Channel. [Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x10: If you have an iron stomach, you will be fine. If you already have stomach issues, proceed at your own risk.] [Two-Day Expired Yogurt x3: If you think you will be fine, you will be fine.] [Half a Hotdog x1: Do not ask me where the other half went. It is edible, okay?] [Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x2: Obviously someone took one bite and tossed it.] [Messy Chocolate Pastry x1: Do you think it was already this messy to begin with?] [Cloudy Water x1: I do not recommend drinking this. But if you boil and filter it, it might work. Glad it is not me drinking it, though Since Tanya still had a decent stash of her own provisions, she was not desperate enough to consume junkyard scraps. Eating this stuff would definitely cause a drop in Health Points. It would probably just be a point or two since she had purposely left behind anything severely rotten. But for anyone starving, these items were literal lifesavers. Aside from an unopened pack of crackers and two sealed cups of instant soup she decided to keep for herself, she planned to liquidate the rest at a bargain price. After posting the listings, Tanya hopped into the chat channel to drop an announcement. Alpha Whirlwind: [Just dropped a bunch of food and drinks in the Trade Hub. Send a request if you want something. [I will accept or decline when I get a second. Super busy right now. No DMs or haggling.] Messages flooded the channel instantly. [Wait, what? Someone is selling a ton of food? Am I hallucinating?] [Holy crap, I need that! Nobody outbid me, I'm literally starving to death here!] [I just checked the hub. Isn't this stuff all near expiration or literally expired? Are we going to get sick?] Alpha Whirlwind: [The item descriptions are crystal clear. Buy it if you need it. Keep scrolling if you do not.] Trade requests began rolling in almost immediately. [Glass x2 for Messy Chocolate Pastry x1] [Rubber x1 for Half a Hotdog x1] [Toilet Paper x2 for Super Sweet Strawberry Cake x1] [Wood x5 for Slightly Stale Whole Wheat Bread x3] As long as the offers with basic materials were not totally insulting, Tanya accepted them all. One request popped up highlighted in red from a friend. Retired Magical Boy: [Battery x3 for Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt.] Tanya sent him five pieces of bread and two yogurts. Within seconds, her inbox pinged with his frantic gratitude. Retired Magical Boy: [Bro, this much?! I seriously thought I was a goner! Oh my god, thank you so much, you absolute legend!] Tanya made sure to remind him of their deal. [Just remember to hit me up if you find any vehicle upgrade fragments or rare loot you do not need. I will give you a fair price.] Retired Magical Boy: [Say less! I got you. No problem at all.] Of course, there were plenty of bizarre offers that Tanya flat out ignored. She instantly blocked the truly gross ones. Offers like [Spicy pics in fishnets for Whole Wheat Bread] or [One virtual kiss for the sweetest Strawberry Cake] made her roll her eyes. Tanya let out an annoyed sigh. 'Total freeloaders,' she thought, not even bothering to reply. Even after clearing out all the food and drinks, her three-wheeler's cargo bed was still packed to the brim. The bulk came from a few massive items. She unloaded everything onto the ground first before sorting them one by one. [Scrap Crafting Bench: A retired relic. It gets the job done if you baby it, but it could fall apart on you at any second.] [Nylon Rope: Heavy duty and incredibly durable.] Tanya grabbed both items, using the thick rope to strap the crafting table securely to the rear of her electric three-wheeler. It hung off the back, but after wrapping the rope around it several times, she climbed up and jumped on it. It was rock solid without a single wobble. She nodded in satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When my legs cramp up from curling into a ball at night, I can just rest them on top of this. Beats letting them dangle.' Sure, the rusted table looked ridiculous clamped onto her pastel pink three-wheeler. Aesthetics were the least of her concerns right now, though. She was completely satisfied. [Damaged Portable Solar Generator: Can power various appliances, but it is currently broken! Requires a Crafting Bench for repairs.] Tanya grinned broadly. 'Talk about perfect timing.' Her eyes had widened in absolute awe when she spotted this beauty in the trash heaps. With a solar generator, she could charge her three-wheeler and spare batteries every single night. She would never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery again. It saved her a massive headache. She placed the damaged generator onto her newly installed crafting table. The repair menu popped up. [Repair Requirements: Iron Wire x8, Electrical Wirex1, Rubber x2.] She already had the wire and rubber in her inventory. She just needed that cable. Pulling up her interface, she hopped back into the chat. The channel was still flooded with gratitude from the people who had bought her food. Cursed Buff: [Thank God for Alpha Whirlwind. I literally would not have survived the night. Everyone else is pricing food way too high for me to afford. I ate one piece of bread and finally feel alive again.] Player 1122: [My luck is absolute garbage. It has been three days and I have only found four crates! The only food I got was a crusty protein bar. [So glad the legend did not reject my lowball offer and traded me a strawberry cake. It tasted heavenly!] Sugar Donuts: [Crying right now. I tried to grab something but it all sold out. Got anything left?] Tanya scrolled up slightly, dropping two salute emojis in the chat to acknowledge them before typing her request. Alpha Whirlwind: [Who has electrical wires? DM me.] Sugar Donuts: [Boss, can you tell us what cables are even used for? I have one but I am too scared to trade it away.] Player 1019: [What the hell, are you already in the industrial age or something? I am still out here rubbing two sticks together!] Tanya ignored the public questions. Her private messages were already pinging nonstop, and she began clicking through them one by one. Chapter 7 Buyer's Remorse Player 1212 posted in the chat: [I have wire. I need enough food for a full meal and two bottles of water.] 'I'm not a sucker,' Tanya thought, ignoring the message completely. Another user named MinusMinusWin chimed in: [I need glass, anyone got some? I'll trade my wire for five pieces of glass.] Then, a player named Cheerful Tank Girl popped up: [I have wire! I'll just send it to you, no need to pay me. I already felt bad trading you five pieces of wood for three whole wheat loaves earlier.] Tanya picked Tank Girl since the other offers were total rip-offs. Still, she didn't want to take advantage of the girl's kindness. Her spaghetti was just done cooking. [Do you have a bowl or a cup?] Tanya asked. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Just two disposable cups. Take them if you need them.] System: [Player Cheerful Tank Girl has sent you a gift. Please accept!] Tanya accepted the cups and the wire. She scooped some hot spaghetti into one of the cups and sent it right back. Cheerful Tank Girl: [Omg! Hot pasta! It smells amazing. You're going to go broke doing business like this! I want to eat it so bad, but I feel guilty!] Alpha Whirlwind: [It's fine, eat it before it gets cold. Let me know if you find any leads on a Vehicle Upgrade Card.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [Copy that. I'll ask around right after I eat. You're too famous, Alpha Whirlwind. [People will price-gouge you if you ask for things directly. Just send me your wishlist! A broke nobody like me can buy them for you at rock-bottom prices!] Tanya agreed immediately. [Deal. If the trade works, I'll pay you a commission.] [No need, this pasta is plenty. I think I finally have the motivation to keep living!] [Hang in there,] Tanya replied. 'I need to learn how to work with people,' Tanya mused. 'I don't have to trust anyone completely, but helping others usually helps me in the long run.' Now that she had the parts, Tanya placed the broken portable solar generator on the crafting station. Failing the repair would only waste a few basic materials, so she tapped "Repair" without hesitation. The workbench whirred to life with a loud rumble, shaking the entire three-wheeler. Tanya winced, worrying the machine might just explode. She almost wanted to stand there and cheer it on. Thankfully, the grinding stopped, signaling a successful repair. She breathed a sigh of relief. The fixed solar generator was fully functional again, though it needed sunlight tomorrow to charge. She placed it deep inside the three-wheeler, tucked against the side next to her silver supply crate. The current crafting bench couldn't dismantle items yet. That feature probably unlocked with a Level 2 vehicle. Upgrading the three-wheeler was clearly her top priority. She had also scavenged a yoga mat. Tanya grabbed her dirty clothes from earlier and used them to dry-wipe the mat. Then, she turned her pants inside out, poured some water over them, and washed them clean. Sleeping on the hard three-wheeler bed these past few nights had absolutely killed her back. Folding the yoga mat in half to use as a mattress pad would definitely make things more comfortable. She also had two bowls and a plate salvaged from the dump. They were still in their original packaging and perfectly clean. The rest of her loot was just basic materials like rubber, iron scraps, and rusty screws. Her overall inventory list had grown significantly. She moved all the categorized items into her backpack and pushed them to the sides of the three-wheeler. She needed to clear the center space to sleep tonight. She could organize everything back onto the vehicle tomorrow. The three-wheeler had been a cute, vibrant pink just this morning, but now it looked like a garbage cart. The pink paint was covered in gray grime, and the lace trim was snagged and torn. Tanya cleared her throat and chanted loudly. "Shimmer and shine, sparkle divine, transform!" Instantly, the three-wheeler returned to its flawless, pastel pink state. To Tanya's absolute surprise, the rusty, broken-down crafting bench was also completely refurbished. The machinery was entirely pink now too, but at least it didn't look like it would fall apart. Tanya was absolutely thrilled. She scanned it with her holographic interface and noticed the item description had actually changed. [A Pretty Girl's Gorgeous Crafting Bench: So cute! So pretty! I'm the prettiest of them all!] The warning label about it breaking down at any moment was gone. This meant the crafting bench was basically brand new. Tanya was buzzing with excitement. Trading two barrels of oil for this beauty was a massive steal. Suddenly, Tanya noticed a persistent pinging sound. Someone kept tagging her. She opened the World Chat. Player 1212: [Alpha Whirlwind, why are you ignoring my DMs? You call yourself a pro? Is this how you screw over regular players?] Tanya frowned in confusion. She wasn't angry. 'Trolls are everywhere,' she figured. 'If it isn't Player 1212, it'll be someone else.' She initially thought someone had gotten a stomachache from her traded food. Scrolling up through the chat log cleared things up immediately. A player named Rainbows and Sunshine had just shared some major news. Rainbows and Sunshine: [Listen up, everyone! I found a great item. It's a black rock called a Basic Space Stone. It doesn't do anything on its own, but applying it to your backpack expands your inventory by ten slots!] Tanya remembered this guy perfectly. He was a massive bleeding heart. He shared every single piece of intel he found, hiding absolutely nothing. His favorite pastime was taking the moral high ground to lecture and guilt-trip others. Later on, when Tracking Stones appeared in the game, he was the very first player to get targeted and killed. Tanya checked her private messages with Player 1212. He had indeed sent a bunch of texts. Player 1212: [Can I get my Basic Space Stone back?] Player 1212: [Or at least compensate me with more supplies? You took it for just a beef jerky and a bottle of water. I got totally ripped off.] Player 1212: [I'm not greedy. Just give me five more bottles of water and five more meals, and we're good. Backpack expansion is a super important tool!] Player 1212: [Are you going to reply? You're a pro, do you really need to be this petty with us normal folks? I'm not even asking for much.] Tanya couldn't even be bothered to reply. She just blocked him. This made Player 1212 even angrier. [Alpha Whirlwind, why did you block me? Feeling guilty? You took my Space Stone for a single sandwich and some water! Do you even have a conscience?] Retired Magical Boy: [I stayed quiet because I didn't get what was happening. Now I see it. You're just a clown trying to back out of a trade.] Cheerful Tank Girl: [If you didn't want to trade, you shouldn't have hit accept in the first place. Crying about it afterward is just pathetic.] Blessed: [Seriously, grow a spine.] Player 1212: [You guys didn't get scammed, so of course you don't care! Shut the hell up, it's easy for you to act all high and mighty!] Chapter 8 A New Guy Player 1212 was still whining in the chat: [It is an Obsidian Space Stone! It actually expands inventory space. [Is it really too much to ask for a few extra supplies in return? My demands are totally reasonable. I'm barely surviving out here, and it's not like he's short on food!] Rainbows and Sunshine chimed in next: [Everyone's having a hard time, so let's just drop it. I'll play the peacemaker here. [Alpha Whirlwind, just toss him a few extra items so he feels better. Crossing paths out here means something, anyway.] Seeing someone take his side, Player 1212 leaned into the victim role. [Exactly! I just wanted a fair deal, and he straight up blocked me.] Tanya was eager to get back to her workout and had zero patience for this drama. She decided to cut to the chase. [So according to your logic,] she typed, [anyone who makes a trade can change their mind whenever they want and force the other party to cough up more items. Is that right?] That immediately struck a nerve with the crowd. Regular players flooded the chat. [That'd be a total disaster. We'd be arguing all day long.] [Seriously. Just pay attention when making a trade. You can't back out after the deal is done. Who does that?] Tanya couldn't be bothered to read the rest of the replies. She closed the holographic screen and started her routine. Even though she pushed herself hard every day, she didn't feel much improvement in her overall fitness. The only noticeable difference was the weight loss. Before the game, she weighed around 140 pounds. She didn't have a scale on hand, but she felt at least five pounds lighter. The stubborn fat around her stomach had definitely shrunk. Before entering this survival game, she was a web novelist who spent all day glued to her computer screen. To save money, she never even ordered takeout and cooked all her meals instead. As a result, she got absolutely zero exercise. Combine that with an erratic sleep schedule and constant all-nighters, and her weight had been steadily creeping up. Dripping with sweat, Tanya grabbed a damp towel and washed her face. She did some quick stretches before calling it quits. 'I need to take it slow,' she reminded herself. She spent some time sharpening her knife before bed. Only then did she drift into a deep and restful sleep. On the fourth day, the daily driving requirement changed. It jumped up by another 12 miles. This didn't really affect Tanya. She had started mid-morning on her first day and ran short on time. However, she had easily maxed out her mileage at 120 miles for the past two days. If it hadn't been for the intense hunger, she wouldn't have even stopped to eat. She was taking a gamble. She hoped her basic three-wheeler would eventually upgrade into a motorcycle or an enclosed microcar. At the very least, she wanted a roof over her head. Shortly after hitting the road, Tanya noticed a parallel highway emerging alongside hers. This meant she was highly likely to run into other players soon. She immediately went on high alert. It was still the early stage of the game, so there weren't too many genuinely malicious people out there yet. The environment wasn't overly dangerous, and the weather was mild. Anyone with enough food could survive. However, bad actors always existed. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the two highways merged into one. A silver van appeared in the distance. Tanya maintained her top speed without changing course. Suddenly, the silver van slowed down and deliberately cut her off. Tanya double-checked her interface to make sure her personal information was still hidden. Once confirmed, she reduced her speed and planned to casually overtake the van from the side. But the silver van aggressively swerved to block her again. The window rolled down, accompanied by a few sleazy chuckles. Through the van's side mirror, Tanya caught sight of the driver. He was a guy with a buzz cut, steering with one hand while leaning halfway out the window. He wasn't even looking at the road. Instead, he was completely focused on whistling at her reflection in the mirror. Tanya discreetly rolled her wrists and ankles, then brought her three-wheeler to a complete stop. She pretended she was too scared to challenge him on the road. I can't exactly play the role of a cold-blooded killer while riding a bright pink princess three-wheeler,' she thought. She had to play weak and lure him out of the vehicle first. Her little three-wheeler was too fragile to survive a collision anyway. Just as she expected, the silver van hit the brakes as soon as she stopped. "Hey sweetheart, that's a real cute ride you got there," the man called out. "Since you aren't in a rush, why don't we have a little chat before you go?" Tanya subtly scanned his profile using her holographic screen. He was surprisingly bold. He hid his personal stats but left his username completely visible. His username was Ultra Badass. Tanya rarely paid attention to the public chat, so she didn't know his reputation. Still, the name vaguely rang a bell. She stayed completely silent and refused to get off her three-wheeler. Ultra Badass grabbed a baseball bat and strolled over with a cocky swagger. "If you don't get off that thing, I'm gonna smash it to pieces. "I've been starving all day. Hand over whatever food you have." Tanya finally dismounted, moving with exaggerated hesitation and acting terrified. "Please don't smash my bike. I have some instant soup I can give you." "Well look at that, you got the good stuff! Hurry up and brew them for me. Grab me a bottle of water while you're at it." Tanya bit her lip slightly and nodded. "Then what are you going to trade me for it?" Ultra Badass smiled, looking unbelievably creepy. "How about I reward you with a sweet kiss?" The moment he said that, it finally clicked for Tanya. 'Oh, this is the idiot I blocked in the chat who wanted to trade a kiss for supplies,' she realized. Pushing down her disgust, Tanya shook her head vigorously and took a small step back. "I'll get your soup!" She began rummaging around in the cargo bed of her three-wheeler, dragging it out as long as possible. Ultra Badass was losing his patience. "Did you find it yet? Stop dragging your feet! I'm warning you, don't try to pull a fast one on me." As soon as he stepped within striking distance, Tanya spun around smoothly and swung her knife. She didn't hesitate at all. The blade plunged directly into his chest. Before the screaming man could even process what had just happened, she yanked the blade free and drove it straight into his neck. Being forced into this survival game meant she couldn't be afraid to kill if she wanted to live. She had struggled with that mental hurdle for a long time and suffered several major setbacks before finally overcoming it. Right now, looking at the idiot bleeding out in front of her, she felt absolutely nothing. 'He's no different from the monsters,' she told herself. Once she was absolutely certain he was dead, Tanya searched his pockets. To her surprise, she found half a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. These items could fetch an incredibly high price if traded to the right person. Finding nothing else of value on his body, she dragged his corpse over to the edge of the road and tossed it into the dense black fog. The moment she turned around, a system notification chimed.