Chapter 164: The Reason for the Irritability
Once the spirit carriage and the coffin had finished upgrading, Lin Huai said her goodbyes to Sister Hanba and returned to the open highway.
A floating spirit carriage, glowing with a rich, fiery red light, cruised smoothly forward on autopilot. Its eight large wheels spun steadily against the asphalt.
Tailing closely along the right rear quarter, four towering, brutal-looking evil spirits carried a massive, deep-blue coffin. The starlight pulsing softly from its surface trailed behind the carriage like a faint constellation.
Lin Huai caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror. It looked undeniably imposing, but the raw, monstrous appearance of the four spirits was a bit too terrifying.
After a moment of thought, she dug through her storage, pulled out several matching sets of heavy, pitch-black cloaks, and tossed them to the group.
She even embroidered simple numbers from one to six onto the fabric, naming them Ghost One, Ghost Two, and so on. Once the spirits pulled the dark hoods over their heads, their grotesque faces vanished, replaced by an aura of silent, intimidating mystery.
Satisfied, Lin Huai turned her attention to the mustard-seed space inside the vehicle.
Previously, the cabin had been an open floor plan, separated only by thin wooden screens and makeshift barriers she had built herself.
Now, the spatial distortion had neatly divided the interior into dedicated rooms.
On the first floor, beyond the existing workshop, bathroom, and supply vault, several brand-new rooms sat ready for use.
Lin Huai explored the layout and picked out an especially large, open area. She decided to furnish it as a formal council chamber so the squad could gather for hot meals and tactical briefings.
The remaining rooms were quickly earmarked for practical needs: a quiet study, a training gym, and a recreation lounge.
Upstairs, the panoramic glass room had expanded considerably. Her personal bedroom had doubled in size, and Dong Xiaobao now had her very own nursery.
Even the corner holding the Black Impermanence shrine had separated into an independent, solemn temple hall. The vow energy she had collected in the porcelain vase now drifted freely through the chamber, twinkling like golden fireflies in the dim air.
Lin Huai walked in respectfully, stepped up to the altar, and lit a fresh bundle of incense before the Black Impermanence statue. The golden motes swirled gently around her sleeves as she bowed.
Before stepping out, she topped off the everlasting oil lamps along the walls. Then she returned to the second-floor lounge, leaning back against the cushions to watch the highway ahead.
Right as she took her seat, cheerful celebration music blasted through the console. Virtual fireworks flared across the sky, and Old Hei’s grating voice boomed over the server:
[Server-Wide Announcement: Congratulations to player Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice from Zone 444, District 44, for achieving the server-first Level 7 vehicle upgrade!]
[As for the rest of you useless slackers, what are you waiting for? Waiting to roll over and die?]
Old Hei’s routine mockery sent the public lobby into an instant frenzy.
[Pork Belly]: Wait, what?? Level 7?! Are we even playing the same game?!
[Chaikofu Driver]: Newcomers always panic. Our boss is rank one across the entire global server—this is just routine business!
[Honey Blood Ice Orange]: Boss Bone Ash is invincible! This month’s number-one leaderboard slot is officially locked down.
[Crispy Sausage]: Squad… another zone merger is coming… Time for our boss to give the newcomers a proper reality check.
[Information Office Director]: 5,239 survivors remaining… At this rate, we’ll probably hit a checkpoint town by tomorrow…
[Out-of-Wall Red Apricot]: Wonder if the other side will surrender immediately this time around. Heh, I’m actually looking forward to it.
[I Am a Thug, Who Do I Fear]: Unless they’ve got another Shudao Mountain leading them, most people won’t bend the knee that easily, right?
[Dragon Soul Young Master]: Don’t be so sure. A Level 7 vehicle is the only one in existence. If they take too long to submit, they’re dead meat…
[Bare-Handed Electric Touch]: I’m hoping for an actual fight. It’d be great if the new crowd had some backbone instead of running scared from Zone 444 and Boss Bone Ash.
Lin Huai sipped her hot tea in silence, watching the text stream past without typing a word.
Leaning back, she spoke casually into the empty air: “Old Hei, where did you wander off to? The upgrade finished an hour ago. Why did the broadcast take so long?”
Old Hei’s synthesized voice buzzed with its usual sharp edge.
[What’s the rush? It’s just an automated ping. What difference does an hour make?]
As he spoke, two heavy Profound Stone Chests dropped with a solid thud right onto the carpet at Lin Huai’s feet.
She raised an eyebrow. “Two whole chests for a Level 7 upgrade? Is the system reward pool really this generous, or did you bend the rules behind the scenes?”
Old Hei let out a cold snort. [What do you think?]
[The top dogs in some of those backwater districts haven’t even laid eyes on a single Profound Stone Chest yet.]
“Don’t worry, Old Hei,” Lin Huai smiled warmly. “I’ll make sure you lock in your performance bonus for the month. Stick with me, and your payout is guaranteed.”
[Hmph. I’d be thanking the heavens if certain problem children stopped provoking powerful enemies and dumping paperwork on my desk!]
[I’m leaving. I’m drowning in work. Tomorrow’s zone merger lottery needs sorting, and I have to submit the paperwork for the ten-zone joint trial at the end of the month—which means another round of lottery draws. On top of that, I have to budget the event rewards, file activity proposals in advance… It’s an absolute nightmare!]
[Oh, and I nearly forgot… I still haven’t finished writing the official incident report explaining why you bypassed security and broke into the Blood Pool early during your Ghost Market detour… Dammit all!]
Old Hei’s voice cut out amid frantic grumbling. Watching the phantom connection fade, Lin Huai pictured a completely overwhelmed office worker working endless overtime. She suddenly understood why the handler was always so bad-tempered.
Since the spatial jade bracelet could store treasure containers, Lin Huai promptly swept the two chests inside.
Profound Stone Chests were notoriously dangerous to open. Her past encounter with the Ghost Bride had left a lasting impression; high-tier chest guardians were absolute monsters to fight alone. She needed to coordinate with her team before popping the latches.
Ever since acquiring the spatial bracelet, she no longer kept crates lying around the living quarters. Common wooden and iron caches were tossed directly into the coffin to be harvested, while high-tier chests were held in the bracelet until the squad had time to clear them together.
Without supply crates cluttering the floor, the carriage felt far more open and comfortable.
The coffin’s interior had evolved as well.
The golden gate leading to the dimensional minefield now sat at the end of a dedicated stone corridor, while the chamber surrounding it was partitioned into separate rooms.
Lin Huai had already furnished the new layout.
One room was reserved for herself, featuring a simple tatami mat where she could cultivate, sleep, and mend her injuries.
Another room was tailored for Dong Xiaobao, equipped with a comfortable cot and steady food offerings. Now, even if Lin Huai loaded the main hold with freshly recovered corpses, the lingering death energy wouldn’t disturb the child.
The remaining rooms sat empty, waiting for future use.
Opening the private comms, Lin Huai messaged the squad:
[Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice]: Everyone, the Level 7 milestone rewarded two Profound Stone Chests. When is everyone free? Let’s pick a time to crack them together.
[Shudao Mountain]: Profound Stone Chests? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of that tier. Count me in!
[Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar]: Sister Bone Ash, I’m on my way!
[Cute and Sparkling]: Hahaha, Boss, just wait till you see my new setup! Old Wang installed heavy weapons on my food truck too!
[AAA Building Materials Old Wang]: Boss, I’ve finished the blueprint and parts list for modifying your war scythe. I’ll bring the manifest over.
[AAA Building Materials Old Wang]: By the way, the Young Miss and the Three Knights hopped over to an outside sector. They’re expanding the trade routes.
[Peace and Violence]: Boss, Little Yellow just finished planting our listening bugs in the target sector. I’m currently monitoring their comm feeds, so I can’t break away just yet. Can we push the chest opening back a couple of days?
[Dragon Emerging from the Sea]: I’m clearing a roadside sacrificial altar… give me a bit.
[Sister Cai]: Boss! Boss! Wire me some funds immediately! I just stumbled across another gas station!
