Chapter 72 Highway Survival: Only Those Who Reach the Finish Line Survive

Undercurrents were stirring in the camp as messages were being sent out.

They have left the 5S service center.

The car drove away.

I saw them refueling at the gas station.

It seems they're leaving...

[Really?]

How dare they?

[They're so brave. It's almost dark. Leaving the camp now is practically suicide.]

【Chase after them!】

At a command, the roar of engines filled the campground, and vehicles sped out of the campground one after another, with a constant flow of traffic on the road, a rare sight of congestion.

"Damn, they've caught up!"

Brother Cai's voice came from the radio.

To facilitate communication, they temporarily formed a team, which could communicate in real time through the team channel on the car radio.

Sizzle.

"Boss, what do we do now?"

Fang Zhiyi looked at the rearview mirror.

It was nearing dusk, the clouds were heavy and the sky was overcast. A night wind blew, carrying sand and dust that stung my face.

Among the vehicles behind, the fastest was a red supercar, leaving a trail of afterimages on the road like a leaping flame, constantly closing the distance between the two vehicles. You could even see the arrogant smile of the big gold chain on the supercar.

"Run, why aren't you running anymore?" The man with the big gold chain grinned, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.

Fang Zhiyi gripped the steering wheel, pressed down hard with his right foot, the engine roared, the car suddenly accelerated, the wheels screeched against the ground, the car lurched, and a surge of acceleration hit him.

After upgrading to level 3, their speed was able to reach 110 kilometers per hour.

The highway is wide and flat, cutting across the entire wilderness.

Fang Zhiyi's RV took the lead, followed closely by Cai Ge and Da Chan Ya Tou's vehicles, while a bunch of other vehicles were left behind.

Open the car window.

Fang Zhiyi made a provocative gesture towards the back.

How can they run so fast?

I can't catch up!

Even when I was going full speed ahead, all I could see were their exhaust fumes.

[Isn't this supposed to be a Tier 1 vehicle? Why does his Tier 1 vehicle seem different from mine?]

[Maybe they used some kind of speed-up item. Don't panic, items always run out eventually, and they'll slow down once they're used up!]

[Keep following!]

The man with the big gold chain hadn't expected them to run so fast.

"Even if it goes fast, can it outrun our supercars?"

The sports car's rear wing deployed, reducing wind resistance and increasing its speed to its maximum. In my line of sight, the car in front kept getting closer—500 meters, 300 meters… but I was always still some distance away from catching up.

The tattooed man said, "We can't go any faster, the engine can't handle it."

Before he could finish speaking, the man with the big gold chain gritted his teeth and revved the engine to maximum. Under the rapid rotation, the engine temperature soared, the hood vibrated incessantly, and wisps of smoke billowed from it.

An exclamation mark appeared on the windshield warning that the engine was overheating and about to be damaged.

The man with the big gold chain was blinded by rage; he was determined to catch up with the car in front. Pushing the engine to its limits, he finally made out the license plate of the car ahead.

[Cai Ge & Da Chan Ya Tou's Level 2 Motorhome]

The tattooed man in the passenger seat paused for a moment, then asked, "Why is it a Level 2 motorhome?"

On second thought, they must have been spending so much time at the Highway 3 campsite upgrading their vehicles. After all that time, it's normal for them to have reached level 2.

The man with the big gold chain didn't care at all: "It's just a Tier 2 motorhome, and we're a Tier 2 supercar, what's there to be afraid of?"

The tattooed man nodded: "Level 2 only..." The car shook violently, interrupting him, "Why are you still accelerating?"

The man with the big gold chain stared intently at the car further ahead: "They're only worth 2,000 parts. They're not my target."

As the red supercar drew closer, Brother Cai prepared to react, but to his surprise, the other car accelerated, didn't even glance at them, and drove right past them, continuing its pursuit.

"Damn it," Brother Cai realized, "they look down on us! Girl, let's teach them a lesson!"

The gluttonous girl rolled her eyes, picked up her gun, and fired. Bullets rained down on the road, leaving behind a dense array of bullet holes.

Whether it was because the car was going too fast or because their aim was off, they didn't hit the target with a single shot and watched helplessly as the supercar swerved and left them behind.

Brother Ca warned, "Boss, watch out, they're catching up!"

Fang Zhiyi said, "Okay, I understand."

Sports cars are too fast, sacrificing some defense and capacity, which is something motorhomes simply cannot match.

Finally, the distance between the two cars was reduced.

The moment he saw the license plate, the man with the big gold chain froze on his face, his eyes widening in shock.

The tattooed man couldn't find his voice, choked for a long time, and finally squeezed out incredulously, "This...how is this possible!"

【fzy & Chu Zhao's Level 3 Motorhome】

"How could they possibly have reached level 3?"

The man with the big gold chain gritted his teeth: "It's fake, it must be fake!"

Having reached this point, there was no turning back. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and swerved forward.

The highway is wide, allowing two vehicles to travel side by side.

The red supercar kept getting closer and squeezing the RV, the two cars rubbing against each other violently, sending sparks flying.

The car lurched and swayed.

[Attacked]

[Health -1]

[Health -1]

[...]

RVs have high defense and health, but relatively few offensive means, leaving them vulnerable to attack when vehicles meet.

Fang Zhiyi gripped the steering wheel tightly, stabilizing the car: "Fire!"

A cold, black gun appeared in Chu Zhao's hand, its dark muzzle resting against the window, aimed at the window of the red supercar.

Bang!

The bullet flew out at high speed, hitting the glass and making a crisp sound.

As the smoke cleared, bullets fell to the ground and were run over by tires, but the car windows remained undamaged.

The sports car also had upgraded windows with bulletproof glass, so bullets were useless against them.

Chu Zhao remained calm and composed, turning the car around and aiming it at the rapidly spinning tire.

Another shot.

The bullet got stuck in the wheel hub and didn't move at all, without affecting the car's forward speed.

It still didn't work.

Once the car is upgraded to level 2, both the tires and windows are improved, making it impervious to damage from ordinary weapons.

On the highway, there are only collisions between vehicles.

Fang Zhiyi understood, turned the steering wheel, and rammed back forcefully.

Motorhomes are large, have high defense, and also have high health, which are their advantages.

So what if we crash? What's there to be afraid of?

Just as they were about to collide, the red supercar suddenly swerved to the left, dodging the attack. Sports cars are fast and small; as long as you react quickly enough, you can avoid a collision.

After dodging, the sports car drifted away again, its two rear wings spreading horizontally as it forcefully slammed into the RV. The rear wings were incredibly sharp, gleaming like a pair of long knives, piercing deep into the RV's exterior and carving a long, narrow gash as it accelerated.

[Health -8]

The RV's health dropped significantly immediately.

[Health 19/30]

"They won't last much longer!" the man with the gold chain laughed heartily. "Level 3 is nothing special!"

The tattooed man was equally smug: "The 10,000 parts are ours now!"

The man with the big gold chain pressed on, determined to lower the bloodline of the RV even further.

There's no science involved in highway survival. Regardless of whether your vehicle is severely damaged, if your health drops to zero, it will self-destruct and you'll be eliminated.

Similarly, there is no mechanism that would cause both vehicles to be damaged in a collision. Since the forces do not interact, even if the sports car has low defense, it can attack the RV without fear of being damaged.

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

The vehicle shook violently.

Fang Zhiyi used all his strength to control the car without uttering a sound.

The sports car was going so fast, it was like an annoying fly, constantly buzzing around you but you couldn't get rid of it.

Even if they are level 3 motorhomes, without sufficient means of attack, it will be difficult for them to fight back; they can only hold out for a little longer.

The arrogant voice of the man with the thick gold chain drifted on the wind: "Run, why aren't you running anymore?"

A fleeting glance.

The sports car, emboldened by its speed, continued to crash into us from time to time.

"Can you catch me? Haha!"

"Just surrender now, and you'll suffer less!"

"I can give you a quick death—"

Fang Zhiyi remained unmoved, his eyes flickering slightly.

Their speed is indeed an advantage, but sometimes that advantage can become a fatal flaw.

Fang Zhiyi asked, "Are there any more grenades in the bag?"

Chu Zhao: "There are two more."

The grenades were obtained while playing Bear Market; they weren't sold at the weapon shop in the highway camp, so I only had two.

Fang Zhiyi said, "Throw it out."

Others might hesitate, but grenades have a large blast radius and high damage; throwing one on the road would definitely result in being caught in the blast wave.

But now, Chu Zhao is sitting in the passenger seat. They have escaped death too many times, each time dancing on the edge of a knife, each time gambling with their lives.

And they always win the bet.

Chu Zhao rolled down the car window and threw a grenade out with all his might.

The black, round grenade landed on the ground. The moment it touched the ground, it exploded with a deafening roar, sending a wave of heat through the air, and its chassis was ripped off.

Fortunately, the RV is large and heavy, so it stabilized after only a slight bump.

On the contrary, the sports car sacrificed some weight for speed and was almost flipped over.

The highway was filled with the strong smell of gunpowder.

The man with the big gold chain was furious: "Are you all crazy—"

With the two vehicles so close together, and a grenade explosion being different from a vehicle collision, both sides would suffer damage. Not to mention that the RV was even closer to the blast point and would suffer even more damage. This was a tactic that would hurt the enemy 800 while also injuring yourself 1000.

Fang Zhiyi heard their shouts but remained unmoved: "Continue."

So what if you eat a lot of harmful foods?

The RV has high health and defense, so it's okay to take a lot of damage.

Another wave of explosions rang out.

The guy with the big gold chain was genuinely scared now, afraid to get too close for fear of being blown up again. The sports car had low health and simply couldn't take any more damage.

But they were unwilling to give up so easily. The 10,000 parts were within reach. If they could get their hands on them, they could upgrade and modify the car, putting them far ahead of other players.

Besides, we've already chased them all this way, are we going to let others benefit from this?

The man with the big gold chain made up his mind: "Let's see how many grenades you can throw!"

The sports car maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far, occasionally accelerating to test whether anything else would be thrown out of the RV.

Bang!

Another round, black object fell to the ground.

The man with the big gold chain almost had a stress reaction and quickly moved aside. After waiting for a while, the expected explosion did not occur. Instead, a wisp of smoke hissed out.

Smoke billowed out, instantly filling the road and obscuring the view.

The man with the big gold chain slammed on the brakes, paused for a moment, then realized: "They're out of grenades! This is a smoke grenade, they're trying to escape!"

The wind blew, and the mist dissipated.

You can vaguely see the RV ahead accelerating, trying to escape from here.

The man with the big gold chain concluded, "They're out of grenades! They were just trying to scare us!"

Without a second thought, the man with the big gold chain sped out of the smoke.

The fog was thick and wouldn't dissipate anytime soon. The man with the big gold chain was completely blinded by the 10,000 parts; all he could see was the black RV, and he couldn't see anything else.

The accelerator was pressed down, and the tires spun wildly, reaching maximum speed at that moment, burning like flames on the road.

boom--

The tires left a white mark on the ground, their speed reaching the heavens.

A violent surge of acceleration hit him, and the tattooed man gripped the seatbelt tightly, yelling, "Is our car that fast?"

That's too fast.

It was so fast it was almost out of control.

The tattooed man leaned forward. Sometime during the day, a thin layer of ice had formed on the road. On the ice, the reduced friction caused his speed to increase dramatically.

"Stop! Brake!"

The man with the big gold chain slammed on the brakes: "It's no use!"

The road surface was icy and slippery, and we were driving at high speed, so the brake pads were completely ineffective. When we pressed the brake pedal, all we could hear was a clattering sound, and the speed did not decrease at all.

The man with the big gold chain, his face flushed, declared desperately, "Let's fight them to the death!"

The only way now is to crash into the RV in front of you to slow it down.

The man with the big gold chain released the brake, and the scenery on both sides rushed past. Just as he was about to crash into the RV, the car in front suddenly turned and drove into the right-hand curve.

Why is there a corner here?

The man with the big gold chain jerked the steering wheel, trying to follow the car into the curve, but the car was going too fast. As soon as he turned the steering wheel, the chassis lifted to one side and slid a distance on the smooth ice before losing control and overturning into the ditch.

Clang! Bang!

The sports car flipped twice, its chassis landing upside down on the desolate ground, the tires still spinning. Then the car exploded with a loud bang, various parts bursting apart and wisps of smoke rising from the ground.

You destroyed a sports car; you have been eliminated.

[Obtained 1267 parts, 18 screws, 8 rubber pieces, 2 gears, 1 wrench, and 1 sports car wingsuit]

The red sports car was no longer visible in the rearview mirror.

Fang Zhiyi slowly exhaled a breath of cold air, blinked, and the icy vertical pupils disappeared.

Dragon Slayer

Frost Storm has been used; cooldown time: 24 hours.

He first forced the sports car to swerve with grenades, then used smoke grenades to confuse the road. During this time, he used the active skill called "Dragon Slayer" to freeze a thin layer of ice on the road.

The sports car was fast, and the ice made it even faster.

However, excessive speed can cause a sports car to lose control, which can be fatal.

Having temporarily shaken off his pursuers, Fang Zhiyi relaxed, slowed down the car, and looked at the windshield.

This pursuit was dangerous, but the rewards were equally plentiful.

Lots of parts, a lot of basic materials, and a special item.

[Sports car wingsuit]

[Modify the rear of the car to increase its speed]

[You need to go to a 5S auto repair shop. Do not make any illegal modifications.]

Fang Zhiyi then checked the condition of the car.

[RV]

[Level 3]

[Defense: 1 (Modification bonus +10%)]

Speed: 5 (Engine bonus +10%)

[Health Points: 8]

...

Tire condition: Slight wear

Engine condition: Minor wear

...

The vehicle's condition is not good; it needs to be repaired at a roadside campsite as soon as possible.

Just then, another car caught up from behind.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Brother Ca and Big Greedy Girl.

As soon as Brother Cai peeked out, he said, "Damn, boss, you guys are way too fast. We can't even smell the exhaust fumes."

Both Brother Cai and Big Gluttonous Girl were in motorhomes, but they were only level 2, so they were slower and could only watch helplessly as the motorhome and sports car chased each other, unable to help.

Brother Cai, with his loud voice, kept muttering, "Boss, that last wave was so cool! It was almost like what they do in the movies! When can we be that cool?"

The greedy girl rolled her eyes and got down to business: "We've discovered that the guns are no longer useful."

Fang Zhiyi hummed in agreement: "Weapons are useless on the road. We still need to modify the vehicle to increase its defensive and offensive capabilities."

"I think RVs are just for getting beaten up. Damn, I should have chosen a sports car!"

Fang Zhiyi: "There should be other items that can upgrade the car's performance. Like this—"

He shared the "sports car wingsuit" video.

After some investigation, Brother Cai asked, "Does this kind of item only drop when another player's car is destroyed?"

Fang Zhiyi paused, unsure: "...Probably, but let's not talk about that now, let's continue on our way."

After a chase, the last rays of the setting sun faded, replaced by deep darkness.

There were no streetlights on the highway, the wilderness was swallowed by darkness, and a chilling wind could be heard.

With the high beams on, shadowy figures could be seen on both sides of the road, with dark shapes flashing by from time to time.

There's no village or shop in sight here. According to the map on the road camp pass, the next road camp is 300 kilometers away, and it would take 3 hours to get there even if we went at full speed.

Two motorhomes drove one after the other on the road, so quiet that you could hear the tires rolling.

Just then, an electronic voice suddenly rang out.

[Warning! The number of vehicles on this section of highway has exceeded the critical limit.]

Excessive traffic volume, dangerous!

[If necessary, drastic measures will be taken.]

Normally, there shouldn't be so many cars on the highway at night. Everyone knows it's dangerous at night, so they would prefer to stay at a roadside campsite to spend the night.

But now many players are venturing out of the camp for the 10,000 parts bounty and can't turn back, so they're all crowding the highway, and you can see car lights flashing every now and then.

【drop】

[The measures have taken effect]

The highway battle royale has officially begun.

[Sprint, keep going! Only those who reach the finish line will survive!]

As soon as he finished speaking, a cloud of mist appeared at the end of the road.

The fog surged, constantly expanding and contracting, instantly engulfing a section of the road, and continued to extend forward.

[Fog is closing in from behind!]

Run!

Damn it, I shouldn't have come.

Before there was time for wails and regret, the fog swept in, engulfing half of the slower cars. Trying to accelerate and shake it off, they saw the fog transform into a giant hand, firmly holding the car down and dragging it inside. Soon, the sounds of parts being dismantled and chewed up filled the air, a chilling din.