Chapter 9: Random Event
Swallowing the crystal was not nearly as difficult as she had imagined. The moment it touched her tongue, it melted away, turning into a warm stream of liquid with a faint, sweet-and-fishy taste. It quickly flowed down her throat and spread throughout her entire body. The stamina she had lost seemed to recover by a tiny amount, and her mind felt slightly clearer. The effect was modest, but it was real, and it came with no obvious side effects. It was certainly a handy item for emergencies.
Lin Huai spent the rest of the night drifting in and out of light sleep, staying on high alert. Twice, she added dried vines she had gathered earlier to the fire; they burned at a steady, slow pace without producing much smoke. Strange noises echoed outside the cave now and then, but nothing crept near her temporary camp.
When the first pale glimmer of morning light fought its way through the thick black mist to illuminate the road, Lin Huai knew she had survived her first night safely.
She put out the fire and carefully inspected the area outside the cave to make sure there was no immediate danger. Then, she guided the coffin cart back onto the highway. The morning road remained quiet, but the freezing, bone-deep chill had lifted slightly. The dark fog drifting off the River of Oblivion had drawn back as well, no longer threatening to spill across the asphalt as it had during the night.
After eating some dry compressed biscuits and taking a few sips of water, Lin Huai continued her journey. The jade pendant rested against her chest, sending out a gentle warmth every so often to nudge her in the right direction. She chose to keep following this fork in the road.
Before she had traveled very far, an object appeared by the roadside ahead. It was a silver-gray metal box about the size of a shoebox. Its sleek surface and high-tech feel were reminiscent of the vehicle blind box from before, though it was made with noticeably finer detail. On one side, a small green arrow symbol blinked continuously.
A supply chest? Or something else?
Lin Huai walked over carefully. The container had no lock, but a palm-shaped groove sat right in the center of the lid. Next to it, a small screen displayed scrolling text:
[Random Event Box. Touch to open. You may receive a reward, or you may trigger a challenge. Will you open it?]
A Random Event Box. Lin Huai remembered running into these in her previous life. The rewards could be anything from food and everyday tools to rare, special items. The challenges varied just as widely, including riddles, combat, or timed tasks, with the difficulty usually matching the quality of the prize. During the Newbie Protection Period, challenge difficulty was lowered, making it a great chance to collect resources even if danger still lingered.
She looked at the blinking arrow and the handprint groove, then checked the jade pendant against her chest. It showed no reaction. It seemed the pendant reacted only to specific, predetermined items rather than random game events.
Should she open it?
After a brief pause, Lin Huai made up her mind. The Newbie Protection Period was the most important time to build up an early advantage; being overly cautious would only hold her back. She reached out and pressed her right palm onto the groove.
[Player “Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice” detected. Requirements met. Generating random event…]
[Event Type: Simple Challenge.]
[Challenge Details: Within a one-minute time limit, move this box into the marked target area three meters away without touching the box directly. You may use any available tools, but directly ramming it with a vehicle is prohibited.]
[Success Reward: One random-grade item or resource.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]
[Accept challenge?]
Lin Huai looked to the side. Sure enough, a pale green circle of light about half a meter wide appeared on the ground roughly three meters from the box.
Move it within sixty seconds without touching it directly… She mentally sorted through her gear: the coffin cart, her dagger, leftover nylon rope, a pair of worn pliers, a flashlight, flint, duct tape, bandages, food, and water.
Could she lasso it? The box had no handles or loops. Pry it forward? The ground was flat, solid asphalt, offering no leverage. Shove it with the cart? The prompt banned direct ramming, but it said nothing about using the cart indirectly.
Her gaze shifted to the handle of the cart, then to the roll of duct tape, and a plan formed.
She took the nylon rope, cut off a length with her dagger, and tied the rusted pliers to one end to give it weight and grip, forming a makeshift grappling hook. Next, she fastened the other end securely to the cart handle’s crossbar. Then, using strips of duct tape, she stuck several pieces along the top edges and corners of the metal box to create friction and give the pliers something to catch on.
Twenty seconds had already slipped away.
Taking a deep breath, she guided the cart backward to pull the line straight. Then, she swung the weighted end toward the box, trying to wedge the pliers beneath it or catch the edges of the tape.
Her first attempt missed. On the second try, the tool bounced right off the smooth metal. Forty seconds were gone.
Beads of sweat formed on Lin Huai’s forehead, but her hands stayed steady. On her third try, she adjusted her angle, tossed the pliers just behind the box, and yanked the cart back quickly. The rope snapped taut. The sudden pull bounced the tool upward, and the teeth caught firmly against the taped edge along the top!
“Now!”
Without a second of hesitation, she leaned into the cart and pushed forward with everything she had. The line went tight at once. Gripped by the pliers and the textured tape, the metal box began to scrape across the ground toward the glowing ring!
The box was far heavier than it looked. While the coffin cart carried its own load easily, dragging another heavy object across rough asphalt still demanded real muscle. Gritting her teeth, Lin Huai threw her weight into the cart.
The metal container ground loudly against the rough road surface, shrieking as it slid inch by inch toward the green light.
Fifty-five seconds… fifty-eight seconds…
In the final second, the corner of the metal box crossed the border of the pale green circle!
[Challenge completed! Distributing reward…]
With a flash of emerald light, both the metal container and the circle on the ground vanished. In their place, a square, palm-sized card hovered in the air, glowing with a soft white light.
Lin Huai let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from her brow, and stepped forward to take the card.
[Item: Basic Vehicle Upgrade Card (Single Use)]
[Type: Special Item]
[Effect: Grants one basic functional upgrade to your bound vehicle. The upgrade is chosen at random and may improve travel speed, durability, storage room, or add practical attachments.]
[Usage: Apply directly to your vehicle.]
[Note: Give your ride a pleasant surprise.]
