Chapter 79 The Game of the Death Ring: That subtle malice reappeared...
【Revival Coin】
You know what I mean, I'm giving you a chance to start over.
A gleaming gold coin appeared in the palm of the hand, with the number 1 printed on the front and a pattern resembling a crown of thorns engraved on the back.
Fang Zhiyi tried taking a bite.
Pooh.
It's fake; it's not made of gold.
Chu Zhao glanced at it and asked, "What is this?"
Fang Zhiyi shared the item information: "Look, it's a Resurrection Coin."
He then discovered that the "Use" button for the Resurrection Coin was grayed out, meaning it couldn't be used yet.
Chu Zhao tapped the steering wheel lightly with his knuckles: "It can only be used in specific areas or at specific times. It seems the road ahead won't be peaceful."
As the sun shines down, the ice and snow on the car melt, and the temperature gradually rises.
The air conditioner was turned off, the windows were drawn, and a gentle breeze blew in, making it just right to cool down.
Fang Zhiyi rested one hand on the car window, initially enjoying the cool breeze, but after driving a distance, a sudden wave of heat hit her, and the scenery in front of her gradually became distorted.
Boom!
The distant mountains trembled, billowing thick smoke. After a violent earthquake, scorching hot lava erupted and landed on the road, leaving a charred black mark.
Lava flowed and spread, and smoke filled the air.
The ground temperature instantly reached 100°C, and the asphalt melted, emitting a foul odor.
Chu Zhao pressed the switch, and the window slammed shut. The air conditioner roared, purifying the toxic gases produced after the volcanic eruption.
Black smoke covered the windshield. When the headlights were turned on, two beams of high beam shone out, barely making out a blurry outline.
Lava surged in, like ocean waves, threatening to engulf the rear of the car. The rear bumper melted under the intense heat, emitting a sizzling sound.
Without hesitation, Chu Zhao stepped on the gas and sped into the smoke.
Fang Zhiyi leaned over and together they pressed the steering wheel.
[Focus] and [Lucky Star] are both active at the same time.
The vehicle suddenly accelerated, and with a stroke of luck, the RV did not veer off course and successfully escaped the area affected by the volcanic eruption.
Thump—
The car's tires slammed down, causing the RV to shudder violently. Suddenly, the road ahead opened up, wide enough for a dozen cars to drive side by side. Before they could even take a closer look, the tires screeched sharply against the pavement.
With a sudden stop, the RV came to a halt.
Due to inertia, Fang Zhiyi swayed forward slightly. Luckily, he was wearing his seatbelt, otherwise he would have hit the windshield. He reached out and grabbed the door handle to steady himself, asking, "What happened?"
Chu Zhao blurted out, "The car won't move."
Fang Zhiyi didn't understand at all: "What do you mean?"
Chu Zhao frowned and tried to press the accelerator. The engine roared, but the car didn't move an inch, as if something was blocking the way. But when he looked up, there was nothing there.
Fang Zhiyi got out of the car to look. The road ahead was wide open, with starting lines drawn on the ground. The car was parked behind one of the lines.
People can walk through, but the front of the car seems to be stuck in an invisible wall, and no matter how hard you press the accelerator, you can't drive through.
After circling around, Fang Zhiyi saw a sign next to the starting line.
The sign had a line of text written on it.
The Ring of Death
[Racing Mode]
The race will start when all 24 cars are ready. Currently, it's 1/24. Please wait patiently for your opponent to be matched.
Fang Zhiyi tapped the sign, but there was no other reaction. He returned to the RV and looked back. The volcano stood majestically, still erupting continuously, lava exploding like fireworks, and thick smoke obscuring the sky.
Strangely, this highway, despite being very close to the volcano, was completely unaffected by the eruption, as if it were a separate space.
Fang Zhiyi waited for a while, exceeding 5 minutes of parking time, but no warning popped up on the windshield. It seemed they had indeed entered another racing space where even the road rules were invalid.
Fang Zhiyi patted the hood of the RV: "Looks like we'll have to wait until everyone's here."
Chu Zhao hummed in agreement.
Fang Zhiyi opened the back door of the RV, sat on the steps, and watched as wisps of black smoke rose from the crater.
Feeling bored, I opened the channel to see if other players were almost there.
[Area] [Road Survival] [99917/146000]
Haha—I got my ticket!
"Damn, how come you're so lucky? Where did you get that kind of luck?"
[Given for helping NPCs with their quests, hehe]
What are you showing off for? Be careful someone steals your things!
[Nobody in the channel knows who I am, so how can I grab a ticket? I'll just show off [Ticket No. 013], how about that? Come and grab it!]
[Only 13 tickets were given out? Does anyone know how many there were in total?]
There should be at least 100 and at most 999 three-digit codes.
[Damn, there are so many people in the channel, does that mean only 999 people can clear the level? What about the remaining 90,000+ people? Are they just supposed to wait to die?]
You're overthinking it. Just focus on getting through the game first.
[Hey you, I know who you are. You just wait, I'm coming to steal it!]
[Location sent. I can't stand people who show off like this, so I'm joining in!]
I was wrong, please don't target me...
Each vehicle can seat a maximum of 4 people, and with 999 admission tickets, ideally 3996 people should be able to pass through, which is not a small number.
[Would someone with an admission ticket even consider me?]
Looking for a team, looking for someone to carry me through the game. I'll give you all my game parts, all I want is a parking space.
[You're overthinking it. Real big shots wouldn't even look at your little parts.]
[I'm dying of waiting qaq]
Instead of waiting for a big shot to give you handouts, why not grab their ticket and become the big shot yourself?
[Easier said than done. If you could actually snag a ticket from a top influencer, you'd get one yourself!]
Many hands make light work. If I can't do it alone, I can just pull more cars, right? Even the most powerful boss can't beat so many people.
【……Um】
[I dare not say]
You might remember the bounty of 10,000 parts from before.
[More than a dozen Tier 2 vehicles failed to catch fzy, resulting in vehicle wrecks and fatalities. The bounty is still up; do you think anyone will accept it?]
Now that you mention it, I remember... wasn't fzy the one who got the first admission ticket?
How come he gets all the good things?
This is what a master is like.
[...]
Fang Zhiyi was scrolling through the messages in the channel when the topic unknowingly swirled around him, making him feel... kind of embarrassed.
“…Ahem.” He coughed and turned off the channel.
Time flies when you're engrossed in browsing channels. Half an hour had passed in the blink of an eye. I stood up, stretched my shoulders, and turned back to look in the direction I came from, but there were still no cars.
"How long will this take?" Fang Zhiyi muttered.
Chu Zhao leaned against the RV and said slowly, "You need an admission ticket first to enter this road leading to Dawn City, and then you can reach the racing area of the Ring of Death."
Fang Zhiyi paused: "Including us, only 13 players have admission tickets."
The race for the Ring of Death requires 24 cars to start.
This seems like a long way off.
Chu Zhao didn't stop there: "Let me check the car's condition."
The racing mode, as the name suggests, involves a rally race, where you must ensure your vehicle is in perfect condition before starting.
Fang Zhiyi asked in surprise, "You can do this too?"
Chu Zhao said, "I used to race cars, so I know a little about it."
Fang Zhiyi: "A game?"
Chu Zhao: "...A real car."
Fang Zhiyi gave him a thumbs up: "Impressive." He lay on the hood, watching Chu Zhao crawl under the car. His movements were practiced and his expression focused, not like someone who only knew a little. He tilted his head and asked, "Do you need to know how to fix cars to race cars?"
Chu Zhao's voice came from under the car: "I like to do things myself."
Fang Zhiyi squatted down and shone a flashlight on him.
Chu Zhao took a wrench and tightened the screws underneath, then cleared out some sharp stones from underneath before crawling out from under the car, his hands covered in engine oil.
Fang Zhiyi handed over a bottle of water.
Chu Zhao unscrewed the bottle, tilted his head back, and gulped down the water. Water droplets overflowed from the bottle opening, wetting his prominent Adam's apple. After drinking half the bottle, he walked to the roadside, washed his hands, crushed the plastic bottle, and threw it off the road.
Turning around, she saw that Fang Zhiyi had already set up his stall and was taken aback: "What are you doing?"
Fang Zhiyi said naturally, "Since we still have plenty of time, why don't we..." He picked up a bunch of skewers, "and have some barbecue."
Camping and barbecues go perfectly with RVs.
Fang Zhiyi took out a bunch of skewers from the supermarket, including beef, pork, shrimp, and even bread.
The bread, coated with butter, exudes a fluffy aroma as it bakes under the blazing sun. The crust is crispy, the filling is soft, and the melted butter adds a milky fragrance.
Crack.
As soon as the Coke can is opened, the carbon dioxide gas eagerly rushes out and bubbles, making one want to let out a long sigh.
"ah--"
At the same time, a scream came from the car passing through the snow-capped mountain. The car rushed down the icy slope, its tires slipped and it lost control, almost going off the road.
Fortunately, I managed to swerve the steering wheel at the last moment, which helped me regain control and propel the car forward. Looking in the rearview mirror, I could see countless car wrecks hidden under the snow and ice.
Driving forward with trepidation, a new obstacle appeared ahead: a giant snowman roamed the road, its fists pounding down, attacking every passing car.
With one punch, the car in front couldn't dodge in time, and a huge dent appeared on its roof, turning it into a flat metal disc.
The car was surrounded by a white light, and the players inside were eliminated.
"Ugh—is this road even safe for humans to drive on?"
Having finally escaped the snow-capped mountains, they were then greeted by a volcanic eruption. After overcoming countless hardships to reach the "Ring of Death" area, the players in the vehicle climbed onto the chat channel and began to complain.
Is this road even fit for a human to drive on?
What road?
The road to Dawn City!!!
Calm down.
[Detailed Explanation]
Why did you go to Dawn City?
[I was lucky enough to get an admission ticket from a silver treasure chest, so I went straight to Dawn City. Unexpectedly, the road was filled with snow and volcanoes; I almost crashed and died. I barely managed to escape in my beat-up car, only to find myself in a racing zone. Does this car even look like it can move?]
【[picture]】
Although it's unethical, seeing your car really makes me laugh. It's so bumpy and has a dent in the hood.
[Getting hit by a snowman (smiling)]
What kind of snowman is so fierce?
Have you ever seen a 5-meter-tall snowman? (smile)
I've never seen this before.
【Then you're in luck. On the way to Dawn City, you'll see a 5-meter-tall super-powerful snowman that smashes every car it sees, starting its berserk attack with zero frames per second】
[Your car is a total loss, can it still run?]
[Good question]
On the bright side, since everyone's driving this way, the cars should be in similar condition. We're all starting from the same point, so what's there to be afraid of?
I think what you said makes a lot of sense.
[Wrong, I thought what you said made a lot of sense just now, but not anymore.]
Because! I saw! Someone! Having a barbecue here!
[Images] [Images] [Images]
Curious players clicked on the image and were immediately greeted by a magnified picture of grilled skewers, charred and fragrant, sprinkled with bright red chili powder; just looking at the photo made their mouths water. Beside the grill, a campervan sat quietly, its body gleaming, the paint completely undamaged.
The players in the car sat in front of the barbecue grill, looking as relaxed as if they were on a picnic or camping trip.
【？？？】
I have determined that this photo is fake.
Why does it feel like his survival strategies are different from mine?
[It's not just different, it's like living in completely different worlds!]
Haha, I think the skewers on top look so delicious, they smell so good I want to eat them!
Tears streamed down my face.
At first, I thought it was fake, but when I saw the license plate, everything made sense, and I was relieved.
[Let me see the license plate... fzy & Chu Zhao's level 4 motorhome, my god, level 4, they must be cheating, otherwise how could they level up so fast?]
Am I the only one curious about who Chu Zhao is?
I'm not curious who he is, I just hate that he gets to live off a big shot like that. I want to live off a big shot too, it smells so good... Please, let me have a bite.
Why are there only two people on their bus? Are there two empty seats?
Let me get in the car!
[I'll unconditionally support the boss as long as I get on the bus. I'll curse anyone in the channel who dares to talk about the boss. I can even help you clean up the leftover skewers.]
I've told you all the advantages, so what about the disadvantages?
[...]
Before we knew it, the topic on the channel had gone off track again.
Fang Zhiyi watched the commotion for a while, then left the channel, only to find Chu Zhao staring intently at him.
Fang Zhiyi thought there was something dirty on her face, so she touched it and asked, "What's wrong?"
Chu Zhao asked, "Are you going to let someone else get on the bus?"
Fang Zhiyi: "Huh?"
Chu Zhao seemed completely unconcerned and suggested, "If there are suitable players, we can let them join us. Right now, we only have two people, which is indeed too few..." He lowered his eyelids to conceal his true feelings.
Fang Zhiyi countered, "You want other people to get on the bus?"
Chu Zhao remained silent.
Fang Zhiyi was completely unaware: "We don't know if a new person is good or bad, and we'll have to break them in again. It's too much trouble. Besides... I only need you."
Chu Zhao's tense fingers slowly relaxed: "There are always things I don't do well."
Fang Zhiyi disagreed: "You did a great job." He leaned forward and gave Chu Zhao a quick kiss on the cheek. "No matter how many people there are, they can't compare to you."
Chu Zhao's expression softened: "...Mm."
Fang Zhiyi: "So, why did you say to let others get on the bus?"
There have been plenty of empty seats on the bus for quite some time now.
Previously, neither Brother Cai nor Big Glutton Girl had allowed them to get on the bus, let alone anyone else.
Chu Zhao recalled the phrases "living off a woman," "I can do better than him," and "clinging to someone's coattails" that had been circulating on the channel, and smiled slightly: "It's nothing."
Fang Zhiyi scratched his head, feeling that his emotions had come and gone inexplicably. However, he was not one to dwell on troubles, so he put them aside after a moment's thought.
After finishing the barbecue, I got back in the car and took a nap. When I woke up, I found that there were many more cars on the road.
The road is divided into grids by lines, and each car is parked behind the starting line, forming its own space so that it cannot interfere with each other.
When the last car arrived, a white light flashed on the sign, and the black characters on it wriggled and changed, revealing a new line of text.
The Ring of Death
【24/24】
[All vehicles are full, the race is about to begin]
The competition rules are as follows:
[1. All vehicles will depart simultaneously, and rewards will be distributed according to the ranking of points earned.]
[2. Accumulate points: 3 points for destroying a car, 5 points for picking up an item, 10 points for passing through an area... A total score of 100 is considered a pass; otherwise, the game will loop indefinitely.]
【3……】
The notice board shook slightly, the words that appeared froze, and after a long while, it slowly uttered a line of text.
[3. Activate special rules: Randomly select one of the 24 cars, crash into it to pass the level and receive the reward.]
It made a "ding" sound.
A shooting star fell from the sky without hesitation, landing directly on the RV next to Fang Zhiyi.
Bathed in starlight, the Level 4 motorhome gleamed with golden light, making it stand out conspicuously on the road.
Fang Zhiyi: "..."
6. Now they won't even bother acting anymore.
The game's subtle malice has resurfaced.
This is a blatant attempt to make him the enemy of all players, preventing him from reaching the end and clearing the game.
Fang Zhiyi took a step back and waited quietly for what was to come.
He didn't expect that the players around him would only glance at him and then quickly retreat, showing no intention of opposing him.
Fang Zhiyi: "...?"
What does this mean?
[...Is it true that I should ram into fzy's car?]
Do I deserve it?
I'm afraid I'll fall apart before I even hit his car.
[Forget it, there's more than one way to clear the level. You can also collect items to get points, right? Just be honest.]
How can you guys be so spineless? Survival games are supposed to be about life and death!
If you miss, then go ahead and die; I want to live.
【that is】
[If I had the chance, I'd still like to snag a bargain, but... the other side has a Tier 4 RV, what kind of bargain is that! Can't the game have some sense of decency? All twenty-odd vehicles combined are no match for the FZY.]
Fang Zhiyi touched the tip of his nose.
Something feels off.
These players seem a bit too friendly... It's not like typical player behavior.
The Death Ring Speedrun Mode is coming soon!
【three】
【two】
【one】
【go——】
Fang Zhiyi had no time to think. The moment the starting gun fired, the RV sped out from behind the starting line and took the lead, leaving all the other vehicles behind in the blink of an eye.
Looking in the rearview mirror, the nearest car was several hundred meters away.
He belatedly realized that even if other players wanted to cause trouble, they couldn't, since they couldn't even catch up with them.
It seems that as long as you are strong enough, everyone you encounter will become kind.
The thought quickly passed, and I continued to focus on driving.
The sky was clear and cloudless, and countless shooting stars fell from the sky, turning clusters of light into floating props on the highway.
The closest one is a golden star.
Fang Zhiyi changed lanes and crashed directly into it.
The moment the front of the car touched the star, an invisible wave spread out, the wheels accelerated, and it suddenly shot forward a distance.
[Points +5]
In addition to points, a "sprint" effect also appeared, doubling the speed for 5 seconds.
The RV drifted along the highway, trying to catch every star in sight. But the vehicle was going so fast that it missed quite a few stars that it couldn't reach.
[Points +5]
[Points +5]
[...]
The RV rushed down the hill and arrived at a new area.
The sky suddenly darkened, and rustling sounds came from all around. Looking outside, countless vines rose from the ground, their green leaves stretching out and sharp thorns extending.
Bang!
The RV crashed into the vines, making a deafening noise.
Fang Zhiyi looked up, his amber eyes reflecting a touch of emerald green. The green leaves blocked the way, obscuring the sky.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com