Chapter 58: The wild beasts have finally appeared! Beware of danger! ...
This ID looks familiar.
[Damn, isn't this the big shot from the last world?]
Do you know him?
[Damn, we're more than just acquaintances; in the last world, he finished the mission ahead of time and even eliminated the ice and snow disaster, allowing many of us to get ahead and finish the game together.]
According to what you said, a big shot like that wouldn't steal other people's parts, right?
That's so low-class.
[This is a matter of life and death, I have no reason to lie to you. I posted this not for any other reason than to warn you to be careful and not get eliminated like my friend.]
Hm...that seems to make some sense.
Who knows how these pros cleared the game? Maybe they just plundered resources from us regular players to become pros.
[The mystique surrounding the big shot has been dispelled]
[Exactly, upgrading a level 1 vehicle requires so many materials; I wonder how many players they stole them from.]
They're on their way to the Highway 2 campsite right now. I want revenge for my friend. Anyone want to help?
I'm at the Highway 2 campsite.
[You've upgraded to level 1 sedans, you should have a lot of materials... I really avenged you, how should we distribute the materials?]
Materials divided equally
It's not that I want the materials, I just want to join in the fun... Count me in!
They were chatting enthusiastically in the channel.
Fang Zhiyi looked out the window. The patter of rain was gradually stopping. The two-hour parking period was about to end. Just as he was about to wake Chu Zhao, he turned his head and saw that the other person had already opened his eyes. His silver-gray pupils were calm and composed, as clean as if they had been washed.
Chu Zhao asked, "Shall I drive from here on out?"
Fang Zhiyi shifted his shoulders, his wrists cracking as he twisted them: "We'll change drivers when we get to the next car park."
Chu Zhao nodded.
When I started the car, the warning triangle that was placed at the back disappeared into thin air when I looked in the rearview mirror.
It was time to stop and rest; thankfully, we had avoided the heaviest part of the rain.
Fang Zhiyi stepped on the gas, and the car drove out of the muddy road.
The car radio emitted a buzzing sound, indicating that it had received a radio signal.
Welcome to Highway Radio 401!
[Weather forecast for the next 4 hours]
【sunny】
【The weather is nice, drive carefully】
The thick, dark clouds overhead dispersed, and the dazzling sunlight shone down.
The washer fluid sprayed onto the windshield, and the wipers swished away the water droplets and slicked back the glass, revealing a wide and straight road ahead.
The next four hours will be sunny.
I opened the window, and a moist breeze rushed in, carrying away all the moisture and dampness from the car. It was comfortable at first, but after driving for a while, the temperature slowly rose, to 20°C, 25°C… The sky was cloudless, the sun was shining directly, and the car, being a semi-sealed metal box, could reach temperatures as high as 50°C. The steering wheel was scorching hot, and every breath I took was warm.
Fang Zhiyi blinked, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead. The sunlight was blinding, the heat was rising, and the oil-filled road seemed to be melting.
【high temperature】
There was no air conditioning in the car, so we had to open all four windows for ventilation, but the air coming in was hot and didn't help much.
Fang Zhiyi gritted his teeth: "When we get to the next car campsite, I'm definitely going to install air conditioning in the car."
Before the air conditioner was installed, we still had to tough it out.
The engine sounded noticeably sluggish and dull due to the constant high temperature, and the hood rattled loudly. To avoid burning out the engine, I had to stop and let it cool down after driving for a while.
With this constant stopping and starting, the temperature inside the vehicle rose higher and higher. The heatwave was intense, causing significant water loss and the onset of heatstroke, with energy levels steadily declining.
Fang Zhiyi wiped away his sweat.
I still have 3 pickups left at the supermarket today. I was planning to save them for a rainy day, but it seems I'll have to use them now.
Should I get a popsicle, ice cream, or an iced drink?
The thought of icy, fizzy carbonated drinks made him swallow hard.
Fang Zhiyi was torn. She wanted them all, but there were only three pickups in total. It would be too wasteful to use them all at once. She turned to Chu Zhao and asked, "What do you want to eat? It's too hot. I'll get something cold."
Chu Zhao shook his head: "I'm not hot."
Fang Zhiyi glanced at the temperature.
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 42℃
How could this temperature not be hot?
Fang thought Chu Zhao was just being polite, but upon closer inspection, he realized that Chu Zhao wasn't sweating at all and didn't seem hot at all.
Chu Zhao said, "You forgot, my last survival world was a high-temperature apocalypse."
He revealed his title.
Sunflower
[High temperature resistance; sunbathing helps restore energy]
Fang Zhiyi: "..."
envious.
Why doesn't he have the skill to adapt to the weather?
But it doesn't matter if he doesn't have any, he has supplies in the supermarket to cope with the unpredictable and harsh weather of the apocalypse.
The supermarket had freezers filled with drinks of all sizes. I glanced at them and spotted the Coke at the very bottom.
Carbonated drinks are high in sugar, which not only cools you down but also helps replenish your energy.
Fang Zhiyi had a sudden thought and took out a 2L bottle of cola. It was still ice-cold and was emitting cold air when she took it out. The alternation of hot and cold caused large water droplets to quickly appear on the surface of the bottle. Just holding it in her hand made her feel all the heat disappear.
Twisting open the lid, a hissing sound as gas escaped, and the icy-cold sweet water slid down my throat, followed by a surge of carbonic acid bubbles, prompting an involuntary sigh.
After drinking a few sips, the negative effects of heatstroke disappeared.
Fang Zhiyi hugged the Coke bottle, feeling the cool temperature, but still looked a bit wilted from the sun.
Chu Zhao acted as if nothing had happened: "I'll drive."
Fang Zhiyi nodded.
The two switched places, with Chu Zhao sitting in the driver's seat and starting the car.
The car is currently traveling at 60 km/h, and we should be able to reach Camp 2 in about an hour.
I glanced at the time; I'd been caught in a downpour on the way, and it was already afternoon.
The sun wasn't so strong, but after the rain, the water vapor evaporated, making the road even more humid and stuffy, and even the air felt distorted.
Fang Zhiyi wasn't entirely uninvolved in the passenger seat either; he had to keep an eye on the information on the roadside signs and inform Chu Zhao promptly.
Suddenly, a triangular sign appeared in my field of vision. It had a black border and contained the head of a beast, with an exclamation mark in the middle.
[Wild animals ahead! Beware!]
The car passed the sign and drove into the vast wilderness.
The wind and sand made the highway unusually quiet.
Fang Zhiyi became extremely vigilant, observing his surroundings. The earthen slopes on both sides of the road were undulating, overgrown with weeds, and the barbed wire had several large holes that rattled in the wind.
After driving for about 10 minutes, we didn't see any wild animals, but we did find a treasure chest.
Chu Zhao asked, "Shall we open it?"
A warning was issued when we entered this section of the highway: wild animals roam here, it is extremely dangerous, and it is best to speed up and not stop.
Fang Zhiyi didn't even hesitate for a moment: "Open!"
They are currently short of basic materials, and they have finally found a treasure chest, so how could they not open it?
If you miss this treasure chest, there will be nothing left, and it will be too late to regret it.
Fang Zhiyi immediately unbuckled his seatbelt, but he did not rush over. Instead, he first changed into the title of "Snow Hunter".
Insight!
His amber eyes suddenly sharpened, magnifying the scene before him so that he didn't miss a single detail.
Swaying weeds, scattered pebbles, wild animal footprints... and a figure lying near the treasure chest.
Steppenwolf
【Stamina 30/30】
The Steppenwolf may appear to be resting, but in reality, its ears are perked up, its eyes are alertly scanning its surroundings, and its back muscles are taut. Once prey appears in its line of sight, it can immediately launch a surprise attack.
Fang Zhiyi remembered that the first time he encountered a Steppenwolf on the highway, its stamina was only 15, and its size was also smaller than the one he was encountering now. Could it be that... as the mileage increases, the wild beasts encountered become more and more powerful?
If that's the case, the difficulty of obtaining treasure chests later on will increase significantly, and you can't miss any opportunity to acquire materials along the way.
Fang Zhiyi got out of the car without hesitation.
Dust billowed up on the highway.
The wolf seemed to notice something and let out an uneasy whimper.
Fang Zhiyi used the active skill of [Snow Hunter] - Stealth!
His body instantly became light, his footsteps were almost silent, he concealed his figure, circled around to the back, and quickly approached the steppe wolf.
The Steppenwolf keenly sensed the approaching danger, raised its head and looked around, but found nothing. Its ears twitched, and it climbed back down.
Just then, Fang Zhiyi picked up a stone from the ground, weighed it in his hand, and rushed forward, smashing it cleanly into the wolf's waist.
Fang Zhiyi had dealt with wolves countless times and knew their weaknesses, so he acted swiftly and decisively.
Caught off guard by the sneak attack, the Steppenwolf felt a sharp pain in its abdomen, rolled over and fell to the ground, howling in agony.
Steppenwolf
【Stamina 10/30】
[Severe injury] [Internal injury]
Take advantage of its illness to kill it.
Fang Zhiyi showed no mercy and continued to pick up stones and smash them down.
Bang!
The Steppenwolf collapsed completely, motionless, and after a moment it turned into a white light, exploding into a pile of materials.
You killed the Steppenwolf.
[Received 1 pelt, 5 bones, and 3 meat]
I wonder if there are any good deals on Highway 2 campgrounds that will be offered high prices for their services.
Fang Zhiyi picked up the things that had fallen on the ground and went to open the treasure chest.
The treasure chests here are of bronze level.
Its surface is dull and unremarkable.
Fang Zhiyi opened the box, and the parts inside fell out with a clatter.
[Received 1 wrench, 1 water, and 88 parts]
【wrench】
A great helper for car repairs, and can also be used as a weapon when necessary.
Fang Zhiyi grasped the wrench; it was made of iron, with a silver coating, and felt heavy in his hand.
Aside from the wrench, the box contained only a bottle of water and a few spare parts.
That's incredibly stingy.
Fang Zhiyi muttered something to himself, packed his things, and prepared to return to the car. Just as he turned around, a dark shadow flashed past in his peripheral vision, followed by a sharp pain in his leg.
You are injured.
[Stamina-20]
[The wound continues to bleed]
[Stamina -5/minute]
He didn't even know what attacked him, yet he lost 25 points of stamina.
"Meow!" A piercing scream rang out, and a small feline perched on the treasure chest, its fur bristling and teeth bared. Its front paws were outstretched, their sharp claws stained with scarlet blood.
【Wilderness Cat】
【Stamina 15/15】
It has half the stamina of a Steppenwolf, making it fragile but very fast.
Fang Zhiyi stared at it, then cautiously took a step back.
The moment it made a move, the wasteland cat's eyes widened, and it purred menacingly.
Fang Zhiyi's heel landed, pulling at the wound on her calf. A sharp pain shot through her, and she couldn't help but gasp. Glancing at it, she saw the skin and flesh of the wound on her leg were torn open, and the blood flowing out was dark black.
With his leg injured, his speed was definitely no match for the Wasteland Cat. The thought flashed through his mind, and Fang Zhiyi opened his mouth and breathed on the Wasteland Cat.
"ha--"
Without even looking in a mirror, one could tell how ridiculous he looked, but the wasteland cat was taken aback and hesitated before backing away.
Fang Zhiyi seized the opportunity and ran away.
The wasteland cat reacted, shrieking as it leaped up and pounced from behind, its sharp claws flashing past, reflecting a cold light.
Fang Zhiyi pretended to run away, but actually kept a close eye on the Wilderness Cat's movements. When it pounced in front of him, he not only did not dodge, but instead pounced on it head-on.
The wasteland cat tried to dodge, but its speed, which it was so proud of, now became a burden. It was too fast to turn and was directly pinned to the ground by Fang Zhiyi.
"Meow!!!"
The desert cat struggled frantically in a state of stress, scratching wildly with its claws.
【Injuried】
[Stamina-20]
[Stamina-20]
Fang Zhiyi grabbed the Wilderness Cat by the scruff of its neck and wouldn't let go no matter how hard he tried.
The wasteland cat is fast, has low stamina, strong explosive power, but lacks endurance. After struggling for a while, it gave up and lay on the ground panting heavily.
A venomous glint flashed in its vertical pupils as it stared intently at Fang Zhiyi. If it were to seize an opportunity, it would not hesitate to bite off his throat.
Fang Zhiyi certainly wouldn't give it that chance.
You killed the Wasteland Cat.
[Received 1 pelt, 2 bones, and 1 glass bead]
Different props appeared.
Glass beads
[Sparkling and round, it's very popular with children; giving it to someone might win them favor.]
Fang Zhiyi straightened up, dusted himself off, and limped into the car.
As soon as I leaned back in my seat, the wound on my leg started to hurt so badly I grimaced.
I glanced at it.
[Stamina: 85]
Hunger level: 76
[Injured] [Bleeding]
The desert cat seems to have some kind of bacteria on its paws, preventing the wound from healing. It's still bleeding, and its strength is also declining.
Fang Zhiyi turned on the water she had just gotten, rinsed the wound, and then tore off a strip of cloth to bandage it simply.
He moved slightly, and faint traces of blood seeped from under the cloth strip, but it quickly stopped.
However, without medication, the wound still hurts.
Fang Zhiyi muttered to himself, "What a loss."
Despite suffering such severe injuries, nothing of value was found in the box.
Chu Zhao: "It's too dangerous. Don't open the next box."
Fang Zhiyi's eyes widened: "That won't do."
That being said, not opening the box is not his style at all.
Chu Zhao preferred to play it safe: "You're injured, don't push yourself."
Fang said, "I wasn't being stubborn, I don't feel any pain at all—" He even moved his leg to show that he was alright.
The result was that the wound was aggravated, and another wave of pain hit.
Chu Zhao: "..."
Chu Zhao took a step back: "If we really find a treasure chest, I'll open it."
Fang said, "That works too."
Keep going.
The task panel on the windshield has been updated.
[Mission - Highway Cleanup Association]
Obstacles cleared (5/5)
[Spare tire available for exchange]
Fang Zhiyi chose to exchange.
Spare tire
[Emergency backup, no fear of tire blowout. Disposable product; even if all four tires are damaged simultaneously, it allows you to continue driving for another 20 kilometers.]
The item is good, but I don't need it now.
Fang Zhiyi put away the spare tire and continued to look at the road ahead, trying to find the next treasure chest.
Treasure chests actually appeared.
This path is teeming with wild beasts and is extremely dangerous, but danger and opportunity often go hand in hand, and treasure chests appear more frequently than before.
Fang Zhiyi's eyes lit up, and after hesitating for a moment, she said, "How about I go instead?"
Chu Zhao unbuckled his seatbelt: "No need."
Fang Zhiyi tried to persuade him: "You still have to drive, and if we encounter danger, there won't be time to escape..."
Chu Zhao: "I'm not getting off the bus."
Fang Zhiyi was taken aback: "How can you open the treasure chest if you don't get out of the car?"
Chu Zhao responded with action, stepping on the gas and speeding towards the treasure chest. He then sharply turned the steering wheel to the side, drifting past the chest. At the same time, his coat wrapped around his left hand, forming a makeshift net. He opened the car door, leaned half his body out through it, and with a powerful flick, actually managed to scoop the treasure chest up from the ground.
Bang!
He closed the car door, the treasure chest already in his arms, and accelerated, leaving the beast far behind.
The beast was bewildered and clearly had no idea what had happened. It turned its head and saw that the place where it had placed the treasure chest was empty. By the time it realized what had happened and ran after it, all it could smell was car exhaust.
Fang Zhiyi exclaimed in surprise, "Wow!" He said sincerely, "I never thought it could be like this!"
Chu Zhao simply tossed the treasure chest over: "Here you go."
Fang Zhiyi caught it with both hands.
[Silver Treasure Chest]
He stroked the patterns on it, opened the box, and the contents fell out. The treasure chest then vanished in a flash of white light.
[Received 6 screws, 4 rubbers, 2 gears, 1 car air conditioner, and 288 parts]
Finally, we have air conditioning!
Fang Zhiyi couldn't wait to install the car air conditioner, turn it on, set the temperature to 24℃, and gusts of cool air came from the vents, which felt very comfortable on her body.
But comfort comes at a price. With the air conditioning on, gasoline is used up faster. One bar of gas used to last for 50 kilometers, but now it only lasts for 40 kilometers.
Fang Zhiyi enjoyed the air conditioning while feeling a pang of heartache. After a struggle within herself, she decided to turn it off.
Chu Zhao said, "No need to turn it off."
Fang Zhiyi paused in his movements.
Chu Zhao: "We have enough fuel to get to the Highway 2 campsite, so we can turn on the air conditioning."
Before setting off, I added four bars of fuel just to be on the safe side, and this fuel consumption is perfectly acceptable.
Fang Zhiyi scratched his head: "That's too wasteful."
The main reason is that Chu Zhao is not afraid of the heat.
I feel it's a bit unnecessary to turn on the air conditioner just for him; he can drink cola to cool down anyway.
I touched the Coke that was placed to the side and found that it had become warm after being exposed to the sun all the way.
Fang Zhiyi: "...!"
The sky has fallen.
Chu Zhao seemed to see through his thoughts: "I'm just not afraid of the heat; I'll still feel uncomfortable if it gets hot."
Hearing this, Fang Zhiyi turned on the air conditioner with a clear conscience and even placed the cola bottle at the air vent to lower the temperature.
What's the difference between hot cola and traditional Chinese medicine?
I want it iced!
Enjoying the air conditioning and an iced cola, the car smoothly drove out of the danger zone. No more treasure chests appeared on the road after that, and after driving for a while, another sign appeared ahead.
Fang Zhiyi stared wide-eyed.
The triangular sign depicts a stone falling from the sky and also marks a danger.
[Ahead is a meteorite impact zone, be careful!]
Why are there still meteorites?
Fang Zhiyi thought he had misread it and turned to look ahead. He rushed down a small hill, and the road ahead was full of potholes and many stones blocked the way.
As soon as the car drove up, a clattering sound could be heard.
Fang Zhiyi felt the car vibrating noticeably and quickly grabbed the door handle to avoid being thrown out of the seat.
The road was slow; it was full of potholes, and the car wobbled along, constantly bumping and lurching, causing the tires to wear out very quickly.
The two used tires on the car were the first to be declared unusable, and the other two also showed signs of damage.
Fang Zhiyi took out the spare tire and chose to use it.
The prop flashed white light and disappeared into the car, restoring the previously bumpy vehicle to normal. Despite the tires showing damage, it was still able to drive normally.
Using the spare tire to push against the potholes and gravel on the ground, we drove all the way through.
This stretch of road is about 15 kilometers long. Once you get off, you'll find a fork in the road ahead. A sign points to the right and clearly displays the words "Highway 2 Campground".
Chu Zhao pressed the turn signal, entered the right fork in the road, drove to the end, and the car park came into view.
"We're finally here." Fang Zhiyi couldn't wait to unbuckle his seatbelt, open the window and look out. "This road is so difficult to drive on."
at the same time.
At the Highway 2 campsite, someone put down their binoculars and said meaningfully:
"They've finally arrived."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com