Chapter 17: Countdown 42 Hours
With every passing month, the highway’s terrain shifted, bringing new natural disasters with it. Only during the Newbie Protection Period did the road remain straight and the sky stay sunny. This was truly the gentlest, easiest time in the entire survival game.
Every day ahead would be far harder than the last.
Having been reborn into this life, Lin Huai appreciated the rare warmth of the sun, yet she never dared to slow down or rest for even a moment. Even though she now had enough supplies and strength to sit back and make herself a leisurely hotpot or stir-fry, she still lived on instant meals every day, saving every possible minute to push forward along the road.
Her enemies would likely cross her path soon after the one-month protection period came to an end, so she could not afford to waste a single second.
It was now Day 27 of the Newbie Protection Period.
The countdown stood at forty-two hours.
Her back and hips ached from long hours of driving. She set up a beanbag chair by the side of the road and sat down to rest.
Before stepping out, she had activated the Yin Energy Conversion ability, which allowed her to be completely ignored by roaming monsters for a full hour.
She had already gathered all the materials required to upgrade her vehicle to level four. While she waited out the hour-long process, she had no choice but to step outside and wait on the roadside.
Since it was noon, Lin Huai allowed herself an unusual moment of relaxation. She laid out a pile of snacks on the small table beside her chair and began chewing on a crisp apple, paying no mind to the monsters wandering back and forth nearby.
In her previous life back in the real world, she would never have given apples a second glance; anything she had went straight to altars as offerings for the dead. But since entering this survival game, apples had become her favorite treat. Nothing else compared.
She glanced at the member count at the top of the chat lobby. It was down to 6,389.
Lin Huai raised an eyebrow. That sounded about right. She calculated that once the new month began and the terrain shifted—bringing real natural disasters with it—the number would easily drop below 5,000 within three days.
Once that happened, towns would appear.
The thought filled Lin Huai with quiet excitement. Would the very first town merge connect her with Sector 888 of District 88?
Since she wasn’t placed in that sector this time around, Chen Feng had probably already partnered up with Su Wan, hadn’t he?
With the protection period drawing to a close, the chat lobby buzzed with activity, the tension growing more obvious with every message. Many of the names Lin Huai recognized were still around. Of course, players who lacked real strength neither had the courage to speak up nor the free time to chat.
[Sad Little Potato]: What should I do? I’m so scared! My car is only level two. Once hard mode starts in three days, am I going to die on the very first day?
[Snowy Mochi]: My Porsche is level two as well, but even at level two, it’s remarkably strong. As the Goddess of Luck, surviving shouldn’t be an issue for me at all.
[Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere]: My ride is already at level three. If I remember right, Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice was only level three, wasn’t she? Looks like the top rank is about to change hands! @Snowy Mochi, don’t worry. I can protect you.
[Snowy Mochi]: Mwah! Love you, @Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere!
[Pillar Holding Up the Sky]: Brother Fa is amazing! He’s already preparing to push to level four. When that happens, Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice and Dragon Emerging from the Sea won’t even be close to his level.
[My Charm is Unrivaled]: Exactly! Brother Fa, lead us all to victory! With Brother Fa in Zone 444, our squad is guaranteed to be top tier!
[Gold Medal Salesman]: Leave the supplies to me, Brother Fa. Don’t worry, we’ll have everything gathered for your level-four upgrade in no time.
[Cute and Sparkling]: Way too scary for me, way too scary. This is a clash of giants. I just hope they don’t step on tiny little shrimp like me.
[Fastest Hand at SF Express]: Aren’t you people going way too far? Forcing unfair trades and robbing others of their hard-earned supplies just to feed your own upgrades—do you have any shame at all? At least Boss Bone Ash earned her upgrades through her own strength. She has far more honor than any of you.
[Hungry Spirit Blue Knight]: That’s right! Boss Bone Ash even gave everyone helpful advice! All you guys do is take from other people.
[Flash Delivery Yellow Knight]: Shaking with fear, barely dare to talk… but if they hadn’t robbed me blind, I would have reached level two by now, too. Sob…
[Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar]: Seriously, you guys are crossing the line!
[Jiangzhehu Inheritor]: @Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere @Gold Medal Salesman, don’t assume everyone is blind. Everyone knows Fever only hit level three because Gold Medal Salesman wrecked the market with forced trades to hoard materials. Stacking up resources just to prop up a useless level-three car—what’s so great about that? You’re all cut from the same dirty cloth, not a single decent one among you!
[Pillar Holding Up the Sky]: Tsk, tsk. @Jiangzhehu Inheritor, watch your mouth, little girl. Do you even realize where you are? Murder isn’t against the law here. The only reason you’re still breathing is that you handed over a beginner workbench to Brother Fa, and you seem to have decent luck finding loot. Otherwise, we would have finished you off long ago.
[Jiangzhehu Inheritor]: Give me back my workbench! If you have the guts, come over here and try to kill me! I’m never letting this go, you scumbags!
[Cute and Sparkling]: @Jiangzhehu Inheritor, shhh, be quiet! Don’t provoke them!
[Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere]: Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, why have you gone so quiet lately? Did seeing me reach level three ruin your mood? Hahaha!
[Snowy Mochi]: I want to reach level three so badly! Will my Porsche turn into an armored vehicle? Hehe, just thinking about it makes me excited!
[Old Wang from Building Materials]: Tsk, tsk. Sitting in second place has really gone to your head. You managed to upgrade without even earning a system announcement. If you hadn’t been bragging about it in the chat for days, nobody would even know.
[Dragon Emerging from the Sea]: Reaching level three isn’t anything special. I’m nearly there myself.
[Cute and Sparkling]: I feel like I’m watching history unfold… the clash of the giants in Zone 444…
[Pillar Holding Up the Sky]: @Dragon Emerging from the Sea @Old Wang from Building Materials, you two really want to cross Brother Fa? If you have the guts, meet us at the crossroads!
Reading through the messages, Lin Huai frowned. Team mechanics had not even been officially unlocked yet, and private group chat features were still unavailable. How had this Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere already gathered a crew of thugs around him?
Between Jiangzhehu Inheritor’s accusations and the silent anger from the delivery riders, Lin Huai had a clear picture of this gang. They were thoroughly rotten.
To Lin Huai, Zone 444 was her safe haven, and she had no intention of letting these thugs tear it apart.
[Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice]: @Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere, I haven’t shown up for a couple of days and you miss me this much? Fine, I see that your vehicle hit level three. Now step down if you have nothing useful left to say.
[Old Wang from Building Materials]: Haha! Boss Bone Ash is here to put you in your place!
[Dragon Emerging from the Sea]: @Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere, I’m fine with meeting at the crossroads. But leave your dogs behind. Men don’t negotiate with beasts.
[Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar]: Yay, yay! Boss Bone Ash is here! We’re saved!
[Jiangzhehu Inheritor]: @Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, Big Boss, they stole my workbench! If you can help me get it back from them, I’ll give it straight to you!
[My Charm is Unrivaled]: @Dragon Emerging from the Sea, who do you think you are? Just because you’re driving an armored Sabertooth, you think you’re untouchable? My level-two vehicle can take you on any day!
