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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!] 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.
Eight months of magnesium tablets from Holland and Barrett. My bloods came back fine four times. My consultant put me on the surgical waiting list anyway. He told me the failure rate was forty per cent as I was leaving his office. That's when I started reading. My name is Linda. I'm fifty-nine. I live in Bristol. I retired three years ago after twenty-three years as a hospital receptionist at Southmead. My husband Gary is an electrician with his own small business. We have two grown daughters and three grandchildren aged eight, six and three. The plan for the next ten years was simple. Walk our dog Bertie every morning along the harbour, take the grandchildren to the SS Great Britain on Saturdays, drive up to see our oldest daughter in Manchester once a month, and finally take all three grandchildren to Disneyland Paris at Christmas like we'd been promising them for two years. Three years ago I reached for the kettle on the kitchen worktop. Something shifted in my lower back. By the Friday morning I had electric shocks down my right leg every time I bent forward. GP first. Naproxen and keep mobile. The naproxen burned my stomach within two months. Switched to co-codamol. Added omeprazole. Stomach calmed. Pain didn't. NHS physiotherapy at Southmead. Sixteen week wait. Six sessions. A photocopied A4 sheet of stretches. Pain worse after every one. I went private. Two cortisone injections at the Spire on Redland Hill. Three hundred pounds each. The first lasted four weeks. The second twelve days. Nobody explained why each one worked less. I tried magnesium tablets. Holland and Barrett in Cabot Circus. Forty-two pounds a month for eight months. Every blood test the GP ordered came back saying my levels were optimal. The sciatica was identical every morning. I stopped walking Bertie in the mornings. Gary started doing it. I stopped driving up to Manchester. Our daughter started coming down. I told the grandchildren we'd go to Disneyland next year. Six weeks ago my consultant looked at my latest MRI. He said conservative management had been exhausted. He said the next step was a microdiscectomy. He gave me a leaflet. He put me on the waiting list. Fourteenth of November. Then as I was gathering my coat to leave he said something I was not expecting. He told me about one in two and a half patients still reporting chronic pain twelve months after the operation. Forty per cent. He said Linda, I tell every patient this now. You should know it before you sign anything. I came home and told Gary. He went quiet for a long time. He asked me if I had signed anything. I told him I had not. He said good. That night I sat at the kitchen table at half past three in the morning with the consultant's letter on the table and the magnesium bottle next to it and a mug of tea I hadn't drunk. Forty per cent. Twenty-three years working at Southmead and I'd booked thousands of patients into surgery and I had never once heard a consultant say that number out loud before they signed. I genuinely thought I was losing my mind. Eight months of forty-two pounds a month at Holland and Barrett. Four blood tests that all came back optimal. Two cortisone injections at three hundred pounds each that had each worked less than the one before. And now a fourteenth of November date for an operation with a forty per cent failure rate that the system was about to schedule me for. That night I started searching properly. Not for surgery alternatives. For an explanation of why eight months of magnesium with optimal blood levels had not moved the pain once. That had never made sense and nobody had ever explained it. I found the answer at four in the morning in a paper linked on a UK patient forum. When a disc herniates the muscles surrounding it lock down to protect the area. Those muscles squeeze so hard they crush their own blood vessels. The muscle physically cannot release because there is no oxygen reaching it. It stays locked. Around the nerve. For years. The one thing that tells a locked muscle to release is magnesium. But here is what eight months of Holland and Barrett had never reached. Less than one per cent. Less than one per cent. Oral magnesium goes through your stomach. It distributes evenly across your entire bloodstream. Every cell in your body gets a tiny share. By the time it reaches the locked muscle around your sciatic nerve there is almost nothing left. It also explained why the two cortisone injections had worn off faster every round. The cortisone reduces inflammation around the nerve temporarily. It never touches the locked muscle underneath. The moment the cortisone fades the locked muscle keeps compressing the nerve. First injection four weeks. Second twelve days. The locked muscle was never addressed once across two rounds. And it explained why a microdiscectomy at the fourteenth of November had a forty per cent failure rate. The surgery repositions or removes the disc material. It does not address the locked paraspinal muscle that has been in protective spasm for three years. The disc changes. The muscle around the nerve does not. Magnesium tablets for sciatica are like trying to fix a leaking radiator by repainting the whole house. Most of the work happens everywhere except where the actual problem is. The leak stays. The article explained that there was a UK formula designed for this. Magnesium chloride pulled directly through the skin into the locked muscle. Two to three inches deep. Combined with arnica, tested head to head against ibuprofen in Rheumatology International and matched for inflammation. Combined with menthol to calm the irritated nerve. Combined with MSM to repair the nerve sheath that three years of compression had degraded. The route into the body mattered as much as the ingredient. I ordered a jar that night. I did not cancel the surgical consultation. I told Gary I wanted to try something for eight weeks before signing anything that could not be undone. The first night I rubbed it into my lower back before bed. Ninety seconds. The peppermint smell faded within minutes. I slept five hours straight. First time in over a year. By week three I'd cut the co-codamol in half. The omeprazole went in the bin a week later. By week six I walked Bertie along the harbour for the full route. First time in eighteen months. Gary came into the kitchen one Sunday morning. The consultant's letter and the new jar were both on the kitchen table. He picked the letter up. He looked at it. He put it back down. He filled the kettle without saying anything. By month three I knelt down to help my youngest grandchild with her shoes in our front room. I came back up holding her hand without using the sofa to push myself up. I rang the consultant's secretary the next Monday. I asked to come off the surgical waiting list and review in six months. The consultant rang me back personally that afternoon. He said in his experience, when patients address the muscular component directly during the wait, sometimes the surgery becomes unnecessary entirely. He told me to keep doing what I was doing. I am fifty-nine. I have a herniation at L5-S1. The fourteenth of November is still in my diary in case I need it. But every night I rub it in before bed, every morning I rub it in again, and last week we booked Disneyland Paris for the twenty-third of December. If you have been taking magnesium tablets for your sciatica and your NHS bloods kept coming back fine and your consultant has now put you on the surgical waiting list and mentioned the forty per cent failure rate as you were leaving, please at least read about why the tablets have not worked the way the bottle says they should before you sign anything. You can read the full article at the link below. https://getrevivecare.com/pages/nhs-back-pain Eight months. £504. Bloods perfect. The fourteenth of November.
Eight months of magnesium tablets from Holland and Barrett. My bloods came back fine four times. My consultant put me on the surgical waiting list anyway. He told me the failure rate was forty per cent as I was leaving his office. That's when I started reading. My name is Linda. I'm fifty-nine. I live in Bristol. I retired three years ago after twenty-three years as a hospital receptionist at Southmead. My husband Gary is an electrician with his own small business. We have two grown daughters and three grandchildren aged eight, six and three. The plan for the next ten years was simple. Walk our dog Bertie every morning along the harbour, take the grandchildren to the SS Great Britain on Saturdays, drive up to see our oldest daughter in Manchester once a month, and finally take all three grandchildren to Disneyland Paris at Christmas like we'd been promising them for two years. Three years ago I reached for the kettle on the kitchen worktop. Something shifted in my lower back. By the Friday morning I had electric shocks down my right leg every time I bent forward. GP first. Naproxen and keep mobile. The naproxen burned my stomach within two months. Switched to co-codamol. Added omeprazole. Stomach calmed. Pain didn't. NHS physiotherapy at Southmead. Sixteen week wait. Six sessions. A photocopied A4 sheet of stretches. Pain worse after every one. I went private. Two cortisone injections at the Spire on Redland Hill. Three hundred pounds each. The first lasted four weeks. The second twelve days. Nobody explained why each one worked less. I tried magnesium tablets. Holland and Barrett in Cabot Circus. Forty-two pounds a month for eight months. Every blood test the GP ordered came back saying my levels were optimal. The sciatica was identical every morning. I stopped walking Bertie in the mornings. Gary started doing it. I stopped driving up to Manchester. Our daughter started coming down. I told the grandchildren we'd go to Disneyland next year. Six weeks ago my consultant looked at my latest MRI. He said conservative management had been exhausted. He said the next step was a microdiscectomy. He gave me a leaflet. He put me on the waiting list. Fourteenth of November. Then as I was gathering my coat to leave he said something I was not expecting. He told me about one in two and a half patients still reporting chronic pain twelve months after the operation. Forty per cent. He said Linda, I tell every patient this now. You should know it before you sign anything. I came home and told Gary. He went quiet for a long time. He asked me if I had signed anything. I told him I had not. He said good. That night I sat at the kitchen table at half past three in the morning with the consultant's letter on the table and the magnesium bottle next to it and a mug of tea I hadn't drunk. Forty per cent. Twenty-three years working at Southmead and I'd booked thousands of patients into surgery and I had never once heard a consultant say that number out loud before they signed. I genuinely thought I was losing my mind. Eight months of forty-two pounds a month at Holland and Barrett. Four blood tests that all came back optimal. Two cortisone injections at three hundred pounds each that had each worked less than the one before. And now a fourteenth of November date for an operation with a forty per cent failure rate that the system was about to schedule me for. That night I started searching properly. Not for surgery alternatives. For an explanation of why eight months of magnesium with optimal blood levels had not moved the pain once. That had never made sense and nobody had ever explained it. I found the answer at four in the morning in a paper linked on a UK patient forum. When a disc herniates the muscles surrounding it lock down to protect the area. Those muscles squeeze so hard they crush their own blood vessels. The muscle physically cannot release because there is no oxygen reaching it. It stays locked. Around the nerve. For years. The one thing that tells a locked muscle to release is magnesium. But here is what eight months of Holland and Barrett had never reached. Less than one per cent. Less than one per cent. Oral magnesium goes through your stomach. It distributes evenly across your entire bloodstream. Every cell in your body gets a tiny share. By the time it reaches the locked muscle around your sciatic nerve there is almost nothing left. It also explained why the two cortisone injections had worn off faster every round. The cortisone reduces inflammation around the nerve temporarily. It never touches the locked muscle underneath. The moment the cortisone fades the locked muscle keeps compressing the nerve. First injection four weeks. Second twelve days. The locked muscle was never addressed once across two rounds. And it explained why a microdiscectomy at the fourteenth of November had a forty per cent failure rate. The surgery repositions or removes the disc material. It does not address the locked paraspinal muscle that has been in protective spasm for three years. The disc changes. The muscle around the nerve does not. Magnesium tablets for sciatica are like trying to fix a leaking radiator by repainting the whole house. Most of the work happens everywhere except where the actual problem is. The leak stays. The article explained that there was a UK formula designed for this. Magnesium chloride pulled directly through the skin into the locked muscle. Two to three inches deep. Combined with arnica, tested head to head against ibuprofen in Rheumatology International and matched for inflammation. Combined with menthol to calm the irritated nerve. Combined with MSM to repair the nerve sheath that three years of compression had degraded. The route into the body mattered as much as the ingredient. I ordered a jar that night. I did not cancel the surgical consultation. I told Gary I wanted to try something for eight weeks before signing anything that could not be undone. The first night I rubbed it into my lower back before bed. Ninety seconds. The peppermint smell faded within minutes. I slept five hours straight. First time in over a year. By week three I'd cut the co-codamol in half. The omeprazole went in the bin a week later. By week six I walked Bertie along the harbour for the full route. First time in eighteen months. Gary came into the kitchen one Sunday morning. The consultant's letter and the new jar were both on the kitchen table. He picked the letter up. He looked at it. He put it back down. He filled the kettle without saying anything. By month three I knelt down to help my youngest grandchild with her shoes in our front room. I came back up holding her hand without using the sofa to push myself up. I rang the consultant's secretary the next Monday. I asked to come off the surgical waiting list and review in six months. The consultant rang me back personally that afternoon. He said in his experience, when patients address the muscular component directly during the wait, sometimes the surgery becomes unnecessary entirely. He told me to keep doing what I was doing. I am fifty-nine. I have a herniation at L5-S1. The fourteenth of November is still in my diary in case I need it. But every night I rub it in before bed, every morning I rub it in again, and last week we booked Disneyland Paris for the twenty-third of December. If you have been taking magnesium tablets for your sciatica and your NHS bloods kept coming back fine and your consultant has now put you on the surgical waiting list and mentioned the forty per cent failure rate as you were leaving, please at least read about why the tablets have not worked the way the bottle says they should before you sign anything. You can read the full article at the link below. https://getrevivecare.com/pages/nhs-back-pain Eight months. £504. Bloods perfect. The fourteenth of November.
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.
Eight months of magnesium tablets from Holland and Barrett. My bloods came back fine four times. My consultant put me on the surgical waiting list anyway. He told me the failure rate was forty per cent as I was leaving his office. That's when I started reading. My name is Linda. I'm fifty-nine. I live in Bristol. I retired three years ago after twenty-three years as a hospital receptionist at Southmead. My husband Gary is an electrician with his own small business. We have two grown daughters and three grandchildren aged eight, six and three. The plan for the next ten years was simple. Walk our dog Bertie every morning along the harbour, take the grandchildren to the SS Great Britain on Saturdays, drive up to see our oldest daughter in Manchester once a month, and finally take all three grandchildren to Disneyland Paris at Christmas like we'd been promising them for two years. Three years ago I reached for the kettle on the kitchen worktop. Something shifted in my lower back. By the Friday morning I had electric shocks down my right leg every time I bent forward. GP first. Naproxen and keep mobile. The naproxen burned my stomach within two months. Switched to co-codamol. Added omeprazole. Stomach calmed. Pain didn't. NHS physiotherapy at Southmead. Sixteen week wait. Six sessions. A photocopied A4 sheet of stretches. Pain worse after every one. I went private. Two cortisone injections at the Spire on Redland Hill. Three hundred pounds each. The first lasted four weeks. The second twelve days. Nobody explained why each one worked less. I tried magnesium tablets. Holland and Barrett in Cabot Circus. Forty-two pounds a month for eight months. Every blood test the GP ordered came back saying my levels were optimal. The sciatica was identical every morning. I stopped walking Bertie in the mornings. Gary started doing it. I stopped driving up to Manchester. Our daughter started coming down. I told the grandchildren we'd go to Disneyland next year. Six weeks ago my consultant looked at my latest MRI. He said conservative management had been exhausted. He said the next step was a microdiscectomy. He gave me a leaflet. He put me on the waiting list. Fourteenth of November. Then as I was gathering my coat to leave he said something I was not expecting. He told me about one in two and a half patients still reporting chronic pain twelve months after the operation. Forty per cent. He said Linda, I tell every patient this now. You should know it before you sign anything. I came home and told Gary. He went quiet for a long time. He asked me if I had signed anything. I told him I had not. He said good. That night I sat at the kitchen table at half past three in the morning with the consultant's letter on the table and the magnesium bottle next to it and a mug of tea I hadn't drunk. Forty per cent. Twenty-three years working at Southmead and I'd booked thousands of patients into surgery and I had never once heard a consultant say that number out loud before they signed. I genuinely thought I was losing my mind. Eight months of forty-two pounds a month at Holland and Barrett. Four blood tests that all came back optimal. Two cortisone injections at three hundred pounds each that had each worked less than the one before. And now a fourteenth of November date for an operation with a forty per cent failure rate that the system was about to schedule me for. That night I started searching properly. Not for surgery alternatives. For an explanation of why eight months of magnesium with optimal blood levels had not moved the pain once. That had never made sense and nobody had ever explained it. I found the answer at four in the morning in a paper linked on a UK patient forum. When a disc herniates the muscles surrounding it lock down to protect the area. Those muscles squeeze so hard they crush their own blood vessels. The muscle physically cannot release because there is no oxygen reaching it. It stays locked. Around the nerve. For years. The one thing that tells a locked muscle to release is magnesium. But here is what eight months of Holland and Barrett had never reached. Less than one per cent. Less than one per cent. Oral magnesium goes through your stomach. It distributes evenly across your entire bloodstream. Every cell in your body gets a tiny share. By the time it reaches the locked muscle around your sciatic nerve there is almost nothing left. It also explained why the two cortisone injections had worn off faster every round. The cortisone reduces inflammation around the nerve temporarily. It never touches the locked muscle underneath. The moment the cortisone fades the locked muscle keeps compressing the nerve. First injection four weeks. Second twelve days. The locked muscle was never addressed once across two rounds. And it explained why a microdiscectomy at the fourteenth of November had a forty per cent failure rate. The surgery repositions or removes the disc material. It does not address the locked paraspinal muscle that has been in protective spasm for three years. The disc changes. The muscle around the nerve does not. Magnesium tablets for sciatica are like trying to fix a leaking radiator by repainting the whole house. Most of the work happens everywhere except where the actual problem is. The leak stays. The article explained that there was a UK formula designed for this. Magnesium chloride pulled directly through the skin into the locked muscle. Two to three inches deep. Combined with arnica, tested head to head against ibuprofen in Rheumatology International and matched for inflammation. Combined with menthol to calm the irritated nerve. Combined with MSM to repair the nerve sheath that three years of compression had degraded. The route into the body mattered as much as the ingredient. I ordered a jar that night. I did not cancel the surgical consultation. I told Gary I wanted to try something for eight weeks before signing anything that could not be undone. The first night I rubbed it into my lower back before bed. Ninety seconds. The peppermint smell faded within minutes. I slept five hours straight. First time in over a year. By week three I'd cut the co-codamol in half. The omeprazole went in the bin a week later. By week six I walked Bertie along the harbour for the full route. First time in eighteen months. Gary came into the kitchen one Sunday morning. The consultant's letter and the new jar were both on the kitchen table. He picked the letter up. He looked at it. He put it back down. He filled the kettle without saying anything. By month three I knelt down to help my youngest grandchild with her shoes in our front room. I came back up holding her hand without using the sofa to push myself up. I rang the consultant's secretary the next Monday. I asked to come off the surgical waiting list and review in six months. The consultant rang me back personally that afternoon. He said in his experience, when patients address the muscular component directly during the wait, sometimes the surgery becomes unnecessary entirely. He told me to keep doing what I was doing. I am fifty-nine. I have a herniation at L5-S1. The fourteenth of November is still in my diary in case I need it. But every night I rub it in before bed, every morning I rub it in again, and last week we booked Disneyland Paris for the twenty-third of December. If you have been taking magnesium tablets for your sciatica and your NHS bloods kept coming back fine and your consultant has now put you on the surgical waiting list and mentioned the forty per cent failure rate as you were leaving, please at least read about why the tablets have not worked the way the bottle says they should before you sign anything. You can read the full article at the link below. https://getrevivecare.com/pages/nhs-back-pain Eight months. £504. Bloods perfect. The fourteenth of November.
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.
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.
My doctor is a white man who's never looked me in the eye for longer than he's looked at his screen. He put me on Crestor when my LDL hit 181. He didn't ask. He typed it into his laptop and told me the pharmacy would have it ready. Four months later, I stopped taking it. In secret. He still doesn't know. And the reason I'm writing this — the reason I'm putting my name on this — is that what I found in his own hospital system's medical library contradicts everything he spent forty-five seconds telling me was necessary. I need to be careful how I say this. Not because I'm afraid of being wrong. Because I know exactly how it sounds when a Black woman says her white doctor didn't listen to her. I know the look people give. The slight shift. The "well, maybe you misunderstood" that they don't say out loud but wear on their face. I didn't misunderstand. I understood perfectly. That's the problem. My name is Gloria. I'm 71. Retired school principal. Thirty-two years in education — twenty-two as a teacher, ten as principal of a K-8 school with 640 students and a staff of sixty. I have a master's degree. I raised two children who went to college. I buried my husband four years ago. I run my household, my finances, and my life with the same precision I ran that school. I am not a woman who gets confused easily. I need you to know that before I tell you the rest. --- My doctor is Dr. Kevin Brewer. He's a cardiologist at the medical group my primary care physician referred me to when my cholesterol came back high at my annual physical. White. Mid-fifties. The kind of confident that fills a room before he does. The kind of handshake that's already letting go before you've finished gripping. I'd never met him before the day he prescribed me rosuvastatin. He walked into the exam room twelve minutes late. I know because I was watching the clock. In thirty-two years of running a school, I was never twelve minutes late for anything. When I was, I apologized. He did not apologize. He sat down. Opened his laptop. Pulled up my chart. Scrolled. "Mrs. Henderson. LDL of 181. Total cholesterol 264." He looked at the screen the entire time. "Family history of cardiovascular disease?" "My mother had a stroke at 68. My father had a heart attack at 71. He survived. She didn't." He typed. Didn't look up. "I'm going to start you on rosuvastatin. Crestor. Ten milligrams. Take it in the evening." He turned to his laptop. Started typing the prescription. "Dr. Brewer — could we talk about what the options are? My primary doctor mentioned diet and exercise as a first step, and I've already been—" "With your numbers and your family history, medication is the appropriate first-line intervention. Diet and exercise are supplemental. The statin is the primary treatment." He said it to the screen. Not to me. His fingers didn't stop typing. "I've been walking three miles a day for the last two years. I've cut out most processed food. I cook at home six nights a week. I'd like to—" "That's all good. Keep doing that. But with an LDL of 181 and your family history, lifestyle alone won't get you where you need to be. The medication is necessary." He clicked something. Turned to me for the first time. "The pharmacy will have it ready this afternoon. Any questions?" I had questions. I had many questions. I'd been preparing questions since my primary care doctor first flagged the numbers two weeks earlier. I had them written on a notecard in my purse. Six questions. Specific. Informed. The way I prepared for every parent conference, every school board meeting, every difficult conversation in thirty-two years of public education. But I looked at his face — the polite impatience, the body already angling toward the door, the expression that said "this appointment is over and we both know it" — and I heard my mother's voice. My mother, who had a stroke at 68. Who, for the fifteen years before that stroke, told her doctors she was having headaches. Pressure behind her eyes. Dizziness when she stood up. Who was told it was stress. Who was told to drink more water. Who was told to lose weight. Whose blood pressure was checked at every visit and whose concerns were noted in the chart and whose actual words — "something feels wrong in my head" — were translated into medical language that meant nothing was done. My mother, who collapsed in the produce aisle of the Kroger on a Wednesday afternoon and died in the ambulance. Her doctor was a white man too. That's not an accusation. It's a pattern. And the pattern taught me something every Black woman in this country learns whether she wants to or not: there is a cost to pushing back. In the medical system, the cost of being the difficult patient, the non-compliant patient, the patient who asks too many questions — that cost is measured in attention you don't get. Follow-up calls that don't come. Notes in your chart that say things like "patient resistant to treatment recommendations." A reputation that follows you from doctor to doctor in the same medical group. I know this because I've lived it. Not just with cholesterol. With everything. The sinus infection when I was forty-three that three doctors told me was allergies before the fourth one finally did a CT scan. The knee pain at fifty-one that I was told to manage with ibuprofen for two years before an orthopedist found the torn meniscus. The exhaustion at fifty-seven that was attributed to grief after my husband's death until bloodwork finally revealed a thyroid issue — fourteen months after I first reported the symptoms. Every time, I had to fight to be heard. And every time, the fighting cost me something — time, dignity, the quiet erosion of trust in a system that's supposed to keep you alive. So when Dr. Brewer looked at me with that polite impatience and said "any questions," I put the notecard back in my purse. "No," I said. "No questions." I picked up the prescription that afternoon. The pharmacy tech smiled at me. "Dr. Brewer's office called this in. You should be in good hands." I took the first dose that night. Standing in my kitchen. The same kitchen where I'd cooked dinner for my family for twenty-eight years. Where I'd stood with my husband the night before his first heart surgery and held his hand and promised him everything would be fine. I took the pill because a man who spent forty-five seconds deciding my treatment and zero seconds listening to my questions told me to take it. And because the alternative — fighting for a conversation he'd already decided wasn't necessary — would cost me more than compliance would. That's not weakness. That's math. The math every Black woman does in a white doctor's office, whether she admits it or not. --- The first month was unremarkable. Some stiffness in my shoulders. I walk three miles every morning before sunrise — I assumed I'd pushed too hard on the hills. Month two. The stiffness migrated. Shoulders to hips. Hips to knees. Getting out of bed required a negotiation with my body that hadn't existed eight weeks ago. My hands ached when I gripped the steering wheel. My fingers were stiff when I woke up — I'd flex them over and over under the covers before swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I thought about calling the office. Reporting the symptoms. Then I thought about what would happen. I would call. A receptionist would take a message. A nurse would call back. She would say: "Muscle aches are a common side effect. Usually mild. Usually temporary. Dr. Brewer recommends staying on the medication." I knew this because it's what happened to my friend Cynthia. Cynthia, who was put on atorvastatin two years ago by a doctor in the same medical group. Who called about joint pain at six weeks. Who was told it was normal. Who called again at three months. Who was told to take CoQ10. Who called a third time at five months, frustrated and hurting, and was told — by a nurse reading from a note — that "the benefits of statin therapy significantly outweigh the risk of mild musculoskeletal discomfort." Mild musculoskeletal discomfort. That's what they wrote in the chart. What Cynthia actually said was "my knees hurt so bad I can't get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren." But the chart said mild. So I didn't call. I added it to the list of things I don't say to doctors because saying them doesn't change what happens next. Month three. The fog. It came on gradually. Not a wall — a drift. Like someone slowly turning down a dimmer switch in my brain. I'd be reading my book club selection and realize I'd read the same paragraph three times. I'd be driving to my daughter's house — a route I've driven every Sunday for six years — and miss my turn. I'd be on the phone with my sister and forget the word I was reaching for. Not an unusual word. A common one. "Wednesday." "Refrigerator." "Appointment." I'd pause. Cover it. Keep talking. But inside, something was tightening. Because I know what this looks like. I watched my mother lose words in the last year before her stroke. I watched my father's mind soften in the years after his heart attack. The fog. The reaching. The slow dissolving of the sharpness that made them who they were. And now it was happening to me. At 71. On a medication that was supposed to protect my heart — the same organ that killed my mother and nearly killed my father. I thought about calling Dr. Brewer. Telling him about the fog. The muscle pain. The way my mind felt wrapped in cotton by 3 PM every day. Then I imagined sitting in that exam room again. The twelve-minute wait. The screen. The typing. The polite impatience. "Cognitive symptoms are rarely attributable to statin therapy, Mrs. Henderson. It's more likely stress. Or age." Or age. A 71-year-old Black woman walks into a cardiologist's office and says "I'm losing my sharpness" and what does the chart say? Age-related cognitive changes. Normal for demographic. Normal for demographic. As if my demographic is an explanation for what's happening to my brain instead of a reason to investigate it more carefully. I didn't call. I took the pill. I said nothing. --- My book club meets the first Wednesday of every month. Eight women. All Black. Most of us over fifty-five. We've been meeting for eleven years. We read the book about half the time. We talk about everything all the time. I'd been on Crestor for three and a half months. The fog was at its worst. We were at Cynthia's house. Wine and cheese and the new Tayari Jones novel nobody had finished. The conversation turned to health — it always does. In our group, health isn't small talk. It's survival talk. We've buried parents. We've buried husbands. We've watched the women in our families get sick and get ignored and get sicker. We talk about health the way soldiers talk about terrain. Cynthia was describing her latest visit to the cardiologist. Same medical group as mine. Different doctor, same system. "He didn't even look at me. Pulled up the chart, said the numbers look fine, and started typing the refill. I told him my legs hurt so bad I can barely walk to the mailbox. He said — I'm quoting — 'some discomfort is expected at your age.'" "At your age," repeated Denise. She shook her head. "I said, 'Doctor, I'm 59. I was running 5Ks two years ago.' You know what he said? 'The medication is working. Your LDL is 108. Let's not change what's working.'" Silence around the room. The particular silence of Black women who have heard this story in different versions their entire lives. "And you know what the worst part is?" Cynthia said. "I can't even switch doctors easily. The referral has to go through my primary. My primary is in the same group. And if I push too hard, they write something in the chart. And that follows you." Everyone nodded. Everyone knew. I should have spoken up then. Should have said "it's happening to me too." But I looked around the room — at these women I love, who are already carrying so much, who already know the system doesn't work for us — and I couldn't add my weight to theirs. So I sat in Cynthia's living room with the fog pressing down and said nothing. Drank my wine. Smiled at the right moments. Went home and took the pill. --- The medical library was my rebellion. The university hospital across town has a medical library on the third floor. Open to the public — I looked it up at 1 AM one night, scrolling through my phone in bed, unable to sleep because the statin made my legs ache and my mind race. I found out you don't need a badge. You don't need a referral. You don't need permission from anyone. That last part mattered more than I want to admit. I went on a Tuesday afternoon. Drove twenty minutes. Parked in the visitor lot. Walked through the lobby like I owned the building — because that's how I've walked into every building for thirty-two years. Shoulders back. Head up. Even when I'm terrified. Especially when I'm terrified. The library was quiet. Wood-paneled. Journals on the walls. A handful of computer terminals by the windows. I sat down and typed: "statin therapy cognitive impairment mechanisms" I read for an hour. The results were mixed — some studies showing no link, some showing clear correlation, all of them hedged with the academic caution that means "we're not sure but something's here." Then I typed: "cardiovascular events despite optimal LDL statin therapy" That's when the floor shifted. Study after study documenting what the field calls "residual cardiovascular risk" — the cardiac events that happen in patients whose LDL is perfectly controlled by statins. The heart attacks that shouldn't happen but do. The strokes that hit patients with "excellent numbers." My mother. LDL controlled. Blood pressure medicated. Numbers managed. Stroke at 68. They watched the numbers. They were happy with the numbers. She died anyway. Dr. Brewer's world has an explanation for this. "Multifactorial risk." "Genetic predisposition." "Residual inflammatory burden." But one thread — buried in the search results, not in the mainstream cardiology journals but in the oxidative stress and free radical biology literature — offered a different explanation entirely. Oxidized LDL. "Can I help you find something?" I looked up. A woman about my age, salt-and-pepper hair pulled back, reading glasses on a chain around her neck. Her badge said "Margaret Chen, Medical Librarian." "I'm just doing some research," I said. Carefully. She looked at my screen. Then at me. And something in her expression shifted — from professional courtesy to recognition. "Are you looking into oxidized LDL and residual cardiovascular risk?" I nodded. She pulled a chair next to mine. Sat down. "I've been a medical librarian here for 24 years. I've watched the cardiovascular research evolve — or not evolve — over that entire time. I catalog every new study that comes through. I've read more cardiology research than most of the cardiologists in this building." She spoke quietly. Not conspiratorially — just quietly. The way you speak in a library. "The oxidized LDL literature is some of the most robust and most ignored research in cardiovascular medicine. Here. Let me show you." She typed a search query. Pulled up a series of studies. "Standard LDL — the number your doctor measures — is a transport molecule. Your body needs it. Your brain uses 25% of your body's total cholesterol. LDL carries nutrients, repairs tissue, supports hormone production. It's not inherently dangerous." She opened another study. "The dangerous form is oxidized LDL. When free radicals — specifically hydroxyl radicals — attack LDL particles, they oxidize. The structure changes. The particle becomes sticky, inflammatory, immunogenic. It embeds in arterial walls. Triggers foam cell formation. Builds plaque. Plaque that can rupture at any moment." I thought about my mother. The produce aisle. The ambulance. "Statins lower total LDL production," Margaret continued. "All of it — the regular and the oxidized. The number goes down. The lipid panel looks excellent. But the oxidation process continues unaddressed. The cholesterol you still have is still being attacked by hydroxyl radicals. Still oxidizing. Still becoming the form that causes cardiac events." She turned to me. "That's the residual risk. That's why patients with 'perfect' numbers still have heart attacks and strokes. The number was never the whole problem. The oxidation was." My hands were in my lap. Shaking. I didn't try to hide it. Margaret saw. She didn't look away. "Why doesn't anyone—" I started. "Talk about this?" She smiled. Gently. "Because the statin model works. It works on the metric it was designed to address. LDL goes down. That's measurable. That's publishable. That's what guidelines are built on. Oxidized LDL is harder to measure, harder to standardize, and — frankly — harder to monetize. There's no pharmaceutical blockbuster for oxidative stress the way there is for LDL reduction." She paused. Let that sit. "There is, however, a growing body of clinical evidence around molecular hydrogen." She pulled up another study. A 24-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Gold standard methodology. "Molecular hydrogen — H2. The smallest molecule in existence. It crosses every cell membrane, including the blood-brain barrier. It penetrates mitochondria. And it's a selective antioxidant — it only targets hydroxyl radicals. The most destructive free radicals. The ones oxidizing LDL. It leaves beneficial free radicals intact." "This trial showed total cholesterol reduction of 18.5 mg/dL, cholesterol-to-HDL ratio improvement of 7.2%, and LDL reduction of up to 18.2%. Not through enzyme inhibition. Through direct neutralization of the oxidative process." I stared at the data. Research. Published. Peer-reviewed. Sitting in a library twenty minutes from my apartment. Evidence that had been here for years while I sat in Dr. Brewer's office watching him type into a screen. "There's a second component," Margaret said. "The hydrogen tablets are magnesium-based. Each dose delivers bioavailable magnesium — a mineral that up to 75% of Americans are deficient in. Magnesium is required for over 300 enzymatic processes, including cholesterol metabolism regulation. Without adequate magnesium, the enzymes that manage cholesterol can't function properly." She closed the laptop halfway. Looked at me. "May I ask — are you researching this for personal reasons?" "I'm on rosuvastatin," I said. "My cardiologist prescribed it four months ago. He spent forty-five seconds on the decision. I've been having side effects he didn't ask about because I didn't report them because—" I stopped. Because the next words were too honest for a stranger. But Margaret wasn't looking at me like a stranger. She was looking at me like a woman who has spent 24 years watching a system fail the people who walk through those doors. "Because reporting them wouldn't have changed anything," I finished. "I've heard that before," she said. Quietly. "More than you'd think." She reached into her desk drawer. Wrote something on a notepad. Tore it off and slid it to me. "PrimeCell H2. Amala Health. Magnesium-based effervescent tablet. 12 parts per million molecular hydrogen — that's the clinical concentration. Most hydrogen products deliver 2-4 PPM. This is the dose used in the studies I just showed you. Plus 80mg of bioavailable magnesium per tablet. Third-party tested. Certificate of Analysis published on their website." I folded the paper and put it in my purse. Right next to the notecard of questions I never asked Dr. Brewer. "Thank you, Margaret." "Come back anytime. The library is always here. And it doesn't require a referral." --- I ordered PrimeCell from my phone that night. Sitting in my living room. In my chair. My husband's chair was still next to mine — I've never moved it. Four years and I've never moved it. He would have fought for me. That's the thing. James would have been in that exam room asking every question on that notecard and four more he thought of on the spot. He didn't care about the politics of it. He didn't do the math I do. He just fought. For me. For our kids. For anyone who needed it. I ordered the supplement and thought: this is me fighting for myself. The way James would have. It arrived two days later. I put the bottle in my kitchen cabinet — behind the tea, behind the oatmeal, in the back. Not hiding it from anyone in particular. Just hiding it. Old habit. The habit of keeping your real decisions private in a world that's always auditing your choices. I stopped taking the Crestor that same day. Cold. Didn't taper. I know you're supposed to taper. I didn't care. The next morning — Tuesday — I sat at my kitchen table. One tablet in a glass of water. Watched it fizz. Dissolved completely. Drank it. Sat at the table. Waited. Twenty minutes. The clearing. The same clearing every person in these stories describes because it's real. It's unmistakable. The fog that had been thickening for three and a half months began to thin. Not gone — thinning. Like a window with condensation slowly clearing from the bottom up. By evening, I realized I'd gone the entire day without losing a word. Not one. I'd called my daughter, coordinated plans with my sister, read forty pages of my book club novel, and recalled the name of every person I thought about without reaching. I sat in my chair and cried. Not sad crying. Relief crying. The kind where your body releases something it's been holding so tight you didn't know it was clenched. I bought a home cholesterol monitor. Put it in the same cabinet. Tested every few days. Documented every result in a small notebook I kept in my nightstand drawer. Week one: LDL 175. Down from 181. Small. Week two: LDL 163. Week three: LDL 149. I tested three times. 149. 150. 148. Over thirty points in three weeks. No statin. No prescription. No forty-five-second appointment. Week four: LDL 140. Week six: LDL 126. I was sitting at my kitchen table staring at the number — 126 — when I remembered something. My eight-week follow-up with Dr. Brewer was in two weeks. I closed the notebook. Looked at James's chair. "I'm going back," I said to the empty room. "And this time, he's going to listen." --- The follow-up appointment was on a Thursday at 2:15 PM. I arrived at 2:00. Dr. Brewer walked in at 2:29. Fourteen minutes late. He sat down. Opened his laptop. Pulled up my chart. Scrolled. "Mrs. Henderson. Let's see what the Crestor has been doing." He pulled up the lab results his office had drawn the week before. "LDL is 121. Total cholesterol 193." He scrolled. "HDL went up — 41 to 52. That's very good." He looked at the screen another moment. "These are excellent numbers. Better than I'd expect at this dosage." He turned to me. Brief eye contact. Professional smile. "The medication is doing exactly what we want. Any issues?" This was the moment. Thirty-two years of running a school. Twenty-two years of parent conferences with people who didn't want to hear what I had to say. Ten years of school board meetings where I was the only Black woman at the table. A lifetime of being talked over, typed past, dismissed with a smile, and sent home with a prescription instead of a conversation. This time, I had data. And data doesn't care who's holding it. "Dr. Brewer. I stopped taking the Crestor six weeks ago." His typing stopped. "I was having side effects. Brain fog — significant, persistent cognitive impairment that began in month two and worsened through month four. I couldn't retrieve words. I couldn't hold focus. I also experienced progressive muscle and joint pain that severely impacted my mobility." I used the clinical language on purpose. The language of his world. The language that gets written in charts. The language that doesn't get dismissed as "mild musculoskeletal discomfort." "I did not report these symptoms because, based on my previous experience with this medical group, I did not believe reporting them would result in a meaningful change to my treatment." His jaw tightened. I kept going. "I conducted my own research at the university hospital medical library. I found extensive peer-reviewed literature on oxidized LDL as the primary driver of arterial plaque formation — distinct from total LDL, which is what your office measures. I found a 24-week randomized controlled trial showing that molecular hydrogen selectively neutralizes the hydroxyl radicals responsible for LDL oxidation." I opened my purse. Took out the notebook. Set it on the exam table between us. "I've been taking a molecular hydrogen supplement for six weeks. That LDL of 121 is not the Crestor. I have not taken Crestor in six weeks. These are my home monitoring results, documented daily." He looked at the notebook. Then at me. "A supplement," he said. The voice doctors use when patients bring them internet research. Careful. Measured. A half-degree away from dismissive. "A magnesium-based effervescent tablet delivering 12 parts per million molecular hydrogen — the clinical concentration used in the trial I referenced. Plus 80 milligrams of bioavailable magnesium per dose. The mechanism is direct neutralization of hydroxyl radical oxidation, not enzyme inhibition." I watched his face. The slight recalculation. The professional uncertainty that happens when a patient presents data instead of complaints. "You also never tested my oxidized LDL," I said. "You tested total LDL. The number went down and you called it protection. But the oxidation process was unaddressed the entire time. The cholesterol I still had was still being attacked by hydroxyl radicals. Still oxidizing. Still becoming the form that actually builds plaque." I thought about my mother. About her numbers that looked fine. About the produce aisle and the ambulance and the woman I'll miss for the rest of my life. "My mother had 'excellent' numbers when she died of a stroke at 68. Her doctors were happy with her numbers. They watched the wrong thing. I don't intend to make that mistake." Quiet. The fluorescent hum of the exam room. The distant sound of a phone ringing at the nurses' station. "I'd like you to order an oxidized LDL panel," I said. "And then look at all of it — every number, not just the one you're used to checking — and tell me what you see." He didn't answer immediately. He sat there looking at the notebook on the exam table. Then at his screen. Then at me. Then he turned to his laptop and started typing the order. --- The oxidized LDL result came back three days later. A nurse called with the number. 33 U/L. I called Dr. Brewer's office and asked to speak with him directly. The receptionist put me through after a four-minute hold. "Mrs. Henderson. I have your oxidized LDL result." "33," I said. "I already know." "For someone with your starting LDL of 181 and your family history," he said, and his voice had something in it I'd never heard before — not warmth, not apology, but the careful precision of a man choosing his words for the first time in a conversation with me — "I would expect an oxidized LDL in the 65-80 range. Yours is 33." Silence. "I'm not going to refill the rosuvastatin," he said. He didn't say "you were right." He didn't say "I should have listened." Doctors don't talk like that. White doctors especially don't talk like that to Black women. The system doesn't have language for "I dismissed you and you were right all along." What he said was: "I'd like you to send me the studies you referenced. I'll review them." Six words in that last sentence that I never expected to hear from that man: "I'll review them." That's not a revolution. That's a crack. A hairline fracture in a system that's been telling Black women to sit down and take the pill for longer than I've been alive. But it's something. And it started because one woman — a retired school principal who spent forty-five seconds being prescribed a medication and four months suffering the consequences in silence — walked into a library, found the evidence herself, and brought it back. --- I told Cynthia first. Sat in her living room the following Sunday. Just the two of us. Told her everything — the library, Margaret, the research, the supplement, the numbers. Showed her my notebook. She cried. Not for me. For the two years she'd spent on atorvastatin, hurting, being told to push through, being told the benefits outweigh the risks, being told her pain was mild when it had stolen her ability to get on the floor with her grandchildren. She ordered PrimeCell that night. I told the book club the next Wednesday. All of it. The mechanism. The oxidized LDL research. The forty-five-second appointment. The fog. The silence. The library. Seven women sitting in Cynthia's living room. Every one of them had a story. A doctor who didn't listen. A symptom that was dismissed. A chart that said "mild" when the reality was anything but. I'm not writing this for Dr. Brewer. I'm writing this for those seven women. And for you. --- If you're reading this, I think I know where you are. You're in a system that wasn't designed to hear you. Where the doctor's authority — backed by credentials, by the institution, by the entire weight of a medical system that has historically undertreated and underinvestigated women who look like you — makes it nearly impossible to push back. Where the cost of being the "difficult" patient is measured in care you don't receive. Where your symptoms get translated into chart language that minimizes them. Where "age-related" and "normal for demographic" are used as explanations instead of investigations. And something feels wrong. The statin is doing something to you — the fog, the aches, the heaviness, the slow erasure of the sharpness that makes you who you are — and nobody is listening. Not because you're not speaking. Because the system isn't built to hear you. Here's what I learned in a medical library on a Tuesday afternoon: The problem isn't the amount of cholesterol in your blood. The problem is what's happening TO that cholesterol. When hydroxyl radicals oxidize your LDL, it becomes the sticky, inflammatory form that embeds in artery walls and causes the events statins are supposed to prevent. Statins lower the number. They don't stop the oxidation. And the oxidation is what's actually dangerous. PrimeCell H2 addresses the actual problem. One tablet. One glass of water. Molecular hydrogen that selectively neutralizes hydroxyl radicals. Plus bioavailable magnesium to support the enzymatic regulation of cholesterol. Both fronts. One tablet. 12 PPM clinical concentration. Third-party tested. No side effects. No brain fog. No muscle pain. No prescription required. No forty-five-second appointment required. --- Try PrimeCell H2 for 90 days. Track your cholesterol. Get your blood work done. Ask for oxidized LDL — the test that actually reveals whether your cholesterol is dangerous. And if your doctor doesn't know what it is, or doesn't think it's necessary, or looks at you with that polite impatience — get it yourself. Home monitoring. Private lab. Whatever it takes. Your numbers belong to you. If you're not satisfied — if you don't see improvement — if you don't feel the difference — contact customer service for a full refund. No questions asked. You risk nothing. --- You're standing where I stood five months ago. One path: Keep taking the statin. Keep feeling the fog. Keep watching your mind dim and your body stiffen and telling yourself it's age, it's stress, it's grief, it's anything but the medication. Keep sitting in exam rooms watching doctors type into screens and call it care. Keep quiet. Keep compliant. Keep disappearing into a chart that says "stable" while your body says otherwise. Another path: Do what I did. Find the research. Address the oxidation. Get your numbers down without the drug that's supposed to protect your life while slowly erasing the sharpness that makes your life worth protecting. Track your numbers. Watch them improve. Feel your mind come back. And when the evidence is undeniable — when the data speaks louder than the doctor who never bothered to listen — walk back into that office and make him look at it. Ninety days. Zero financial risk. Full money-back guarantee. I chose the second path. My LDL is 121. My oxidized LDL is 33. My brain is clear. My body is mine again. And Dr. Brewer is reviewing the studies I sent him. I found my answer in a library twenty minutes from my apartment. The evidence was always there. It was just waiting for someone who'd stopped waiting for permission to go look for it. — Gloria Henderson 👉 shop.getamalahealth.com/pch/ch/sp P.S. — I felt the mental clarity within 20 minutes of my first dose. The brain fog that three and a half months of Crestor had built — gone within the first week. My LDL dropped from 181 to 121 in six weeks. My cardiologist — who spent forty-five seconds prescribing the medication and zero seconds asking about my side effects — chose not to refill my statin prescription after seeing my results. He didn't endorse PrimeCell. He just stopped writing the prescription. And he asked me for the studies. That request spoke louder than any endorsement. P.P.S. — Margaret, the medical librarian, has been cataloging oxidized LDL research for eight years. She told me she's watched the evidence accumulate, study by study, while the clinical guidelines haven't changed. "The research is ahead of the practice," she said. "It usually is. Sometimes by decades." If you have access to a medical library — at a university, a hospital, even through your local library system — search for "oxidized LDL cardiovascular risk." Read what's there. The evidence isn't hidden. It's just unread. P.P.P.S. — You'll feel it within 20 minutes. The clarity. The lift. The fog clearing. That's molecular hydrogen crossing your blood-brain barrier — the barrier your statin never crosses. If you've been on a statin and blamed the fog on aging, on stress, on grief, on "normal for your demographic" — pay attention to those first 20 minutes off the statin and on PrimeCell. Your brain will tell you what your doctor wouldn't. P.P.P.P.S. — PrimeCell is a small company. They sell out regularly. I keep two bottles now — one in the kitchen cabinet where the Crestor used to be, and one in my travel bag. I will never go back to a statin. Not because I don't trust medicine. Because I trust my own research more than I trust a forty-five-second decision made by a man who never looked up from his screen. And the data is in my bloodwork, in my clarity, and in the fact that when I walked back into that exam room with my notebook and my numbers, Dr. Brewer finally stopped typing and listened. 👉 shop.getamalahealth.com/pch/ch/sp
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.
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
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.
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
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.
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
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.
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
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🔥😠When the world turned into a never-ending highway, everyone went for power. Tanya Saunders lived through three years of the "Highway Survival" apocalypse. She saw the factions rise, the global warzones erupt, and the solo players fall. When she finally met her end in a seven-star dungeon, she thought it was over. Instead, she woke up at the starting line. With her memories intact and a mysterious artifact called the Heart of Emerald, Tanya has a second chance to do the impossible. But this time, she’s not picking the gas-guzzling SUV that bankrupted her before. She’s picking the "Stubborn Mule"—an electric agricultural trike. The beginner protection period is ticking down. The monsters are waiting for the sun to set. And Tanya? She’s just getting warmed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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. "Congratulations! You have obtained a new game title: Executioner. You really don't discriminate when you kill, do you? Slaying your fellow humans makes you so fierce. I am shaking in my boots! "Equipping this badge grants +3 Overall Combat Rating when facing human players." The stat boost was pretty useless for now. It was much lower than the buff provided by her Carefree Kid title, so she chose not to equip it. 'This has to be an achievement for getting First Blood on a human player,' she guessed. After checking the parallel highway to ensure no other cars were approaching, Tanya walked over to the silver van and opened the door. A massive smile spread across her face. 'The idiot hadn't been using an inventory backpack, which meant all his supplies were stashed right here in the vehicle.' She had just hit the jackpot. -------------------------------------------------- There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)