Chapter 16: The Hearse Pulling the Coffin
Instead of using the side door, Lin Huai walked around to the back of the vehicle.
The familiar double doors met her eyes—yes, this was it!
It was the ultimate vehicle for collecting bodies, holding funerals, and offering a complete one-stop service: a genuine hearse!
The most eye-catching addition was a sturdy gun barrel mounted on the roof.
Once a vehicle reached level three, it gained a built-in weapon system. To activate it, the player had to select an existing weapon and place it among the upgrade materials.
In her past life, Lin Huai had not found any impressive weapons before her level-three upgrade. Ignorant of what the mount was truly meant for, she had slotted in a small peach wood sword. As a result, her mounted weapon had been almost useless in combat.
This time, armed with experience, she had chosen her strongest offensive weapon without hesitation: the Golden Qi Pulse Gun.
The weapon fixed to the roof was clearly an expanded, vehicle-mounted model of that very gun.
Lin Huai climbed into the driver’s seat and checked the dashboard. Right beside the air-conditioning dial, a bright red firing button had been installed.
She decided to test it. Turning the dial to adjust the gun’s angle, she aimed toward a newly emerged Safety Ambassador and pressed the button. A golden laser beam shot out instantly, piercing the monster’s skull with pinpoint accuracy. The creature vanished into thin air, leaving behind only faint vapor!
The golden beam swept across a few nearby walking corpses, wiping them out just as quickly. The mounted weapon was noticeably more devastating than the handheld version she had fired only moments earlier.
“What incredible power!”
Lin Huai smiled with satisfaction. This was an absolute crowd-clearing beast!
However, operating such a weapon consumed precious Yang energy crystals. Since it devoured resources like a hungry beast, she knew she had to use it carefully.
She brought up the light screen to examine the hearse’s updated statistics:
Vehicle Name: Spirit Hearse with Coffin (Level 3)
Max Speed: 200 km/h
Color: Brilliant Ruby Red
Attack Value: 25
Defense Value: 45
Immunity Value: 20
Shield Range: 10 meters
Status: Fully Intact
Power Source: Dual Hybrid (Electric / Yin Energy)
Navigation: Yellow Springs Road Guide (Basic)
Mounted Weapon: Golden Qi Pulse Gun
Reaching level three had updated the vehicle’s engine. Along with regular battery power, it could now run on Yin energy. Just as before, it was a dual-fuel hybrid.
Running on Yin energy required large quantities of Yin energy crystals. Lin Huai clicked her tongue and shook her head. This vehicle was truly an expensive guzzler.
Both Yang and Yin energy crystals were vital materials for higher-level progression. Upgrading vehicles, enhancing the coffin, improving weapons, and developing special relics all demanded substantial amounts of both stones.
Moreover, monster NPCs loved Yin energy crystals. If a player wanted their help, these crystals were the only currency that carried real weight.
Because of their value, even when Lin Huai had reached level four in her previous life, she had never wasted Yin crystals just to power her car.
Opening the rear door, she looked into the spacious compartment. The dark wood coffin had transformed alongside the hearse, resting quietly in the center. Its surface had turned a sleek, polished black, glowing with a deep, mystical crimson luster.
She gently ran her fingers along the familiar lid and climbed inside. The interior felt roomier and far more comfortable than before.
The materials she had added—cinnabar, black dog blood, and dual-energy crystals—had completely altered the inner walls. The plain surface was now sealed with the same deep red finish as the exterior, covered with glowing crimson runes that pulsed softly like living veins, humming with quiet power.
Level 3 Gloomy Wood Coffin: Recovery rate increased by 5%, defense efficiency increased by 10%, and all basic properties enhanced.
Its ability to purify and transform energy had also grown significantly. Previously, forming a single Yin energy crystal required three full days; now, it took only a day and a half. If a body was kept inside, the refining process would accelerate even more.
On top of that, the coffin had unlocked a brand-new ability—one Lin Huai had been anticipating for a long time.
Yin Energy Conversion: Passively absorbs Yin energy. For every 12 hours of absorption, the user can trigger Yin Energy Conversion once, becoming invisible to monsters for 1 hour.
This meant the coffin could channel its gathered Yin energy into Lin Huai’s body, masking her living presence so monsters would overlook her completely. With this trait, she could travel outside safely for an extra hour during the dangerous night hours.
Her chances of finding high-tier supply boxes were much higher at night, and scavaging in the dark was one of her favorite ways to gain an edge.
However, this feature shared the same energy pool as crystal refinement. Using Yin Energy Conversion meant fewer resources were left to form Yin crystals, slowing down her production rate.
In short, she could not have both at once.
Before her death in her previous life, Lin Huai had only managed to upgrade her vehicle to a level-four camper van, and her coffin had just reached level three before it was stolen.
In other words, the vehicle standing before her was the highest form she had ever known. What lay beyond this stage was completely uncharted territory.
Lin Huai returned to the driver’s seat. Now that she had four wheels and a powerful engine, she could finally pick up speed and rack up mileage.
Just as she reached for the ignition, the light screen forced its way open, filling her vision with digital fireworks.
[Server-Wide Announcement: Congratulations to player “Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice” for being the first to upgrade a vehicle to Level 3! Reward: Green Ghost Box x1.]
Old Hei’s voice echoed in the ears of every player on the highway. Today, the system assistant sounded remarkably calm, though his electronic tone remained as biting as ever.
“Listen up, you worthless bunch. If you want to stay alive, pick up the pace. If you can’t handle it, hurry up and die. I don’t have all day.”
“Five days of the Newbie Protection Period have already passed. Clearly, things have been far too easy for you. Seeing you all take it so casually makes me sick. Starting tomorrow, your daily quota is raised to 200 kilometers, and wild monsters will spawn along the roadside to attack you. Anyone still stuck with a level-one vehicle can go ahead and die early.”
The public chat exploded immediately.
[Hungry Spirit Blue Knight]: ??? I haven’t even started moving my level-one ride yet, and someone is already at level three?? Are we even playing the same game?!
[Snowy Mochi]: …Did you use some private trick to get your hands on level-three upgrade materials?
[Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice]: [Smiling Face Emoji] Take a guess~
Old Wang from Building Materials: Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wasn’t somebody calling herself the Goddess of Luck just a moment ago? Now she’s eating her own words and begging for advice. How embarrassing!
[Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere]: She definitely cheated! I’m reporting this! @Old Hei!
[Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar]: The boss is incredible! So strong!
[Dragon Emerging from the Sea]: [Thumbs Up Emoji]
[Old Hei]: Report rejected. Invalid.
Lin Huai chuckled softly. It was amusing to hear Old Hei give such a formal system rejection.
With the difficulty ramping up tomorrow, she worried that Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar might struggle to survive. Reaching out through private chat, she was relieved to discover that the girl had also found an altar and successfully pushed her ambulance to level two.
After sharing a few tips on fighting roadside monsters and surviving random encounters, Lin Huai closed the light screen.
She pressed down on the gas pedal, and the crimson hearse sped forward into the endless highway.
