Chapter 111

Lin Tu: What a grand adventure starting from zero!

She held her finger in mid-air, flipping through the light screen from a distance to check the upgrade details—

"Ding~ Detected that you have Wood×10, Cloth×10, Plastic×10. Your cart can be upgraded to a Windproof Cart!"

"Ding~ Detected that you have Metal×20, Wood×20, Cloth×20, Plastic×20. Your Windproof Cart can be upgraded to a Canopied Tricycle!"

"Ding~ Detected that you have Electronic Components×100, Glass×100, Metal×100, Wood×100, Cloth×100, Plastic×50, Rubber×50, Fuel Engine×1. Your Canopied Tricycle can be upgraded to a Small SUV!"

"..."

Scattered among these were various small-item upgrade notifications—

"Ding~ Detected that you have Cloth×10, Rope×1. You can craft a Small Backpack×1, which holds 4 slots, each stacking up to 100 of the same item!"

"Ding~ Detected that you have Seeds×10, Flowerpot×1. You can plant Wheat/Watermelon/Strawberry/Carrot... (approximately 104 items, expandable)×1!"

"Ding~ ..."

Lin Tu: "..." Why don't you just say I can build an aircraft carrier and fly to the finish line?

She gave up and flipped to the last item, which read—

"Ding~ Detected that you have Metal×10,000, Electronic Components×10,000, Glass×5,000... Collect an additional Metal×5,000, Electronic Components×5,000, Glass×1,000, Aircraft Fragments×10, Aircraft Engine×1, and your Advanced RV (capable of brief flight) can be upgraded to a Small Aircraft!"

Lin Tu: "..." Fine, fine! A "brief-flight capable" Advanced RV, huh!

She nudged the Butler. Forget the aircraft—she needed to clarify one thing first: "How can this 'Fight Your Way Out' detect all my resources? Is my stuff even safe?"

She didn't even have this much stuff in her Single-Use Backpack. If "Fight Your Way Out" could detect resources on this scale, it could only mean her [Anju] and [Anomaly Space] had been completely scanned! That was deeply unsettling!

The Butler hurriedly said, "Relax! We deliberately let it detect us. This way, you can live more comfortably and gather resources and complete tasks faster!"

Lin Tu finally felt relieved.

"However, I suggest not upgrading straight to the Advanced RV. Just upgrade to the smallest SUV—then [Anju] can be placed inside. It might look shabby on the outside, but it's far more functional than that so-called Advanced RV!" the Butler said proudly.

Lin Tu nodded. She hadn't planned on upgrading all the way to the highest RV and flying part of the way to rush to the end anyway.

Earlier, Dong Huadan had looked up information on "Fight Your Way Out." This game had appeared before. The format was always the same: a single road, a starting cart, with only the environment differing.

One particularly detailed recollection described pushing a cart through endless ice fields and snowy plains. The first stretch of road was like a tutorial level—only the simplest tasks, with temperatures around minus two or three degrees. Entering the next stretch made tasks harder and temperatures colder, until finally, tasks became extremely difficult and survival became precarious.

Notably, staying put did nothing for survival. Even without entering the next road, the temperature would steadily drop, and there was no resupply.

That player survived because she'd been fortunate enough to obtain a skill card—what exactly it was wasn't detailed, since the skill had been carried out of "Fight Your Way Out" and was still in use during her next calamity.

That was also why Lin Tu decided to follow the game's logic and enter each road segment in turn. Fleecing the system, right? She was a "Fight Your Way Out" player too—why shouldn't she get quest rewards?

"Then our [Anju]..." Lin Tu thought of something and asked, "Can it also benefit from 'Fight Your Way Out'?"

The Butler sounded a bit sheepish. "It should be able to. That's why I had you place [Anju] on the cart. When 'Fight Your Way Out' adds attributes to your cart, it's actually using energy to add attributes to [Anju] indirectly. But how much it adds—we'll only know at the settlement."

Lin Tu nearly clapped. Excellent! Whole family fleecing together! Not only could she reap rewards, but her house could tag along too!

"Upgrade!" Lin Tu decisively clicked.

She piled all the materials onto the cart as required, hit confirm, and with a faint flash of white light, a windproof cart appeared—just a few wooden poles and some cloth draped over it. She repeated the process, and a fully enclosed tricycle with a canopy, about one and a half meters long, materialized. Finally, a small SUV—three doors, four seats, three meters long and two meters wide—stood before her.

At the same time, the light screen in front of her flashed again—

"Ding~ Congratulations to A2 Zone player Lin Tu for successfully upgrading to the Windproof Cart, becoming the first player in the game to upgrade! Reward: 1-Star Supply Box×1!"

"Ding~ Congratulations to A2 Zone player Lin Tu for successfully upgrading to the Canopied Tricycle, becoming the player with the highest cart level in the game! Reward: 2-Star Supply Box×1!"

"Ding~ Congratulations to A2 Zone player Lin Tu for successfully upgrading to the Small SUV, once again becoming the player with the highest cart level in the game! Reward: 3-Star Supply Box×1!"

Three consecutive global announcements left Lin Tu stunned. And not just her—even the veterans of "Fight Your Way Out" were baffled.

"What's going on? How did they jump straight to an SUV?"

"Who is this?! First time I've seen someone cheat like this!"

"Wow! Then what was the point of me sprinting to the resource point at the start, trying to grab an early advantage?"

"Counts as you running fast!"

The global chat channel, which had been quiet as a mouse, suddenly exploded like falling snowflakes—tens of thousands of messages per second, so fast you could barely read them.

The regional channel was lighter, though only by comparison—a few thousand messages per second instead of tens of thousands.

"The big shot is from our zone?"

"How are the zones divided? I'm from Big Kimchi Country. Is A for Asia?"

"No way, I'm from Big Kangaroo Country!"

"Then how can you understand what I'm saying?"

"You idiot! Don't you think it's weird that you can understand everyone?"

"You're all idiots, still arguing about where this Lin Tu is from. Once you're in 'Fight Your Way Out,' no matter what country you're from, you'll all meet on the road eventually. Why not discuss who she is? Does anyone know her? Where did she get all that stuff? Better find her on the road and latch onto her!"

"Heh, you want to latch on? I think you want to find her and kill her, then take her resources."

"Like you're not thinking the same thing?"

"Idiot!"

"Heh," Guan Suixing cursed under her breath. When she saw someone below continuing the insult chain, she swiped the screen away, then felt a pang of regret. Wait, why was she sticking up for Lin Tu so much anyway?

"Did Xingxing say that?" On her phone, in the group chat Lin Tu had set up for her temporary members—Guan Suixing, Dong Huadan, and the others—Yi Ying helpfully posted a screenshot of Guan Suixing's insult and asked with a grin.

"As if!" Guan Suixing snorted. "If I were to say anything, I'd ask about the car. Where the hell did all that stuff come from, upgrading so fast? Anyone would be curious."

The others ignored her snark. Except for Dong Huadan, who'd just met her, everyone was used to that mouth of hers. They all chimed in: "Yeah, what about the car? Send a photo!"

A moment later, Lin Tu posted a picture to the group.

A silver-gray body with a rugged, off-road feel—high ground clearance, thick tires, a proper hardcore SUV. Behind it stretched endless yellow sand; above, the scorching sun blazed, its light striking from behind and giving the vehicle a towering, imposing presence. It was both a safe haven for a traveler and a fierce tiger charging into battle.

"Wow!" They all marveled.

Then they looked back at their own... a flatbed cart. No, a handcart they had to push with their own two hands.

What was this, the gap between heaven and earth?!

"Upgrading to the SUV doesn't take much. Push forward, gather supplies, and get out of this first stretch. I've got a head start, so I can collect more in advance. I'll send you what I gather through the trading post to help you upgrade," Lin Tu messaged in the group. "Guan Suixing gets priority."

The others immediately understood this was part of the deal between Lin Tu and Guan Suiyue, and they all replied, "OK!"

They'd joined this little team, but they'd never expected to rely entirely on Lin Tu to clear the game. Lin Tu had said from the start that they'd help each other through. As for Guan Suixing... well, who told her she had such a good sister?

"Why do I get priority!" Guan Suixing complained. "I don't want it!"

No one paid her any mind. Anyone who did was just asking for a mouthful of vinegar.

Over on her end, Lin Tu placed [Anju] onto the SUV and climbed into the driver's seat. This "Fight Your Way Out" was clearly a bit dim-witted—it couldn't fully integrate with [Anju]. So the front two seats remained normal, but between them was a small door that you had to squeeze through to get to the back, where you'd return to her home. Alternatively, you could enter through the trunk. In effect, [Anju] was stowed in the SUV's trunk.

Lin Tu turned on the house's air conditioning, then opened the small door between the seats so the cool air could drift up front.

Next, she connected the Butler to the vehicle and let it do the driving while she sat in the driver's seat and unpacked the supply boxes.

The 1-Star Supply Box contained "Cloth×5, Whole Wheat Bread×1, 500ml Water×1"; the 2-Star Box held "Metal×10, Ham Sausage×10, 500ml Water×3, Glucose Drink×1"; and the 3-Star Box contained "Wood×50, Plastic×50, Beef 500g, Rope Crafting Blueprint×1, Sandproof Shoe Covers×1."

When she opened the box, it vanished, leaving a pile of items on the passenger seat.

The first thing Lin Tu's eyes landed on was that card glowing with faint white light—

"Sandproof shoe covers?" She picked up the card, puzzled. Following the light screen's prompt, she gently placed the covers over her pink [Pair of Light Shoes]. A soft glow flashed, and the card disappeared. The shoe collars became slightly taller, but nothing else changed.

"They're sandproof now?" Lin Tu guessed.

So this was the point of fleecing the system? Using "Fight Your Way Out's" freebies to strengthen her own gear, her [Anju], and maybe even acquire powerful skills?

Well, Lin Tu was genuinely looking forward to it now.

Just then, the Butler announced cheerfully, "Master! There's a small wooden box on the roadside up ahead. Should I stop?"

"Stop!"

The SUV came to a gentle halt at the roadside. Lin Tu hopped out, holding her straw hat against her head as she jogged over to the wooden box. She picked it up and gave a kick at the sand beside her—

Hiss, the sand was hot on her feet, but sure enough, not a single grain got into her shoes. So the "sandproof shoe covers" actually worked.

In that brief moment, Lin Tu's back was already burning from the sun. She hurriedly tucked the box under her arm and jogged back to the car. Opening this 1-Star Supply Box, she got "Wood×10, Apple×1."

In just that short time, she'd nearly gathered the materials for another upgrade.

Cool air drifted lazily from behind her head. Lin Tu felt like she could take on the world again. She reclined in her seat, munched on the apple, and directed the Butler to keep driving forward.

She picked up another 1-Star Supply Box, then arrived at the small, protruding structure she'd seen at the start.

It was an extremely small brick-built grave, with a white flag planted on top.

Beside the grave, at the roadside, stood a highway signpost. The top of the sign was blank, not indicating which stretch of road Lin Tu was currently on. But below that was written "A1JRT24 Highway, 500m." Below that was a chilling exclamation mark—

"Be warned! A gold prospector wandering the desert once died on this road. In his final desperation, he buried his entire fortune in his own grave. If you see a grave with a white flag, you may pull the flag and claim his inheritance—but he may also return from hell, unwilling to let it go!"

Lin Tu: Is there even a question?

This was clearly her golden opportunity to fleece the system! Lin Tu grabbed her long blade, vaulted out of the car as fast as she could, and yanked the white flag out of the ground.

Instantly, a 2-Star Supply Box dropped onto the ground. The grave cracked open with a crunch down the middle, and a withered hand—dried out as if all moisture had been sucked from it—thrust forward with startling speed.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Tu swung her blade down, cutting through it like a dry twig. A furious, unwilling roar sounded from below, and another withered hand clawed upward. Lin Tu brought her blade down again.

With a crack, the poor gold prospector tumbled back into hell, the grave crumbling into a heap of rubble.

Lin Tu had no time to mourn him. The heat urged her to snatch up the 2-Star Supply Box and scramble back into the car.

"How hot is it out there?" she asked while opening the box.

"Probably around forty-plus degrees Celsius," the Butler replied, noting it couldn't feel the heat itself. "Didn't the game screen give you a warning? If not, it's really unprofessional—unlike our Anju."

Lin Tu: "..." You have to compare even this?

"Too bad I didn't buy a dedicated thermometer. Maybe one will drop from a chest," Lin Tu said, brushing it off as she continued opening the 2-Star Box, which yielded "Cloth×20, Lighter×1, 30ml Moisturizing Cream×1."

Rope, at this stage, seemed to be mainly used for crafting backpacks. But as an Infinite Calamity player who already started with a Single-Use Backpack, Lin Tu didn't need to waste resources making one.

She simply stuffed everything into the backpack and kept driving.

Next, she encountered another 1-Star Supply Box. After pulling out five pieces of metal and some odds and ends, she noticed the road she was on merging into a main road—a proper two-lane highway.

A signpost at the upper right matched the one she'd seen by the grave.

The top read "A1JRT24 Highway," marking her current stretch. This time, the lower section listed two roads: "A1JRS24 Highway, 2000m" and "A1JRT23 Highway, 2000m." Below that, as usual, was a chilling exclamation mark—

"Be warned! From here on, all roads are forbidden for night driving. There's a legend in the desert that when yin energy runs strongest at night, lost and homeless spirits wandering the wasteland will gather by the roadside, begging for a ride. Night drivers will see a figure waving at them. At that point, whether you stop or not, there's no escape. Those who drive at night either die in accidents, crashing into the dunes, or vanish without a trace, never to be seen again."

Lin Tu snapped a photo and sent it to the group, then directed the Butler to keep moving forward.

She'd already pulled out an ice cream bar and was licking it while reading the group messages.

"This is my current road segment. Anyone near me? If not, I'm planning to head toward A1JRS24."

"I've got all the materials for the Windproof Cart upgrade ready. Guan Suixing, just prep anything on your end—I'll trade it to you."

The group quickly buzzed to life—

Yi Ying: "Me! Sister Lin, I'm on A1JQS24! Just one letter off!"

Lin Tu: "Good. If I see an exit with Q ahead, I'll head that way first."

Lin Tu: "Everyone, report your road segments. Let's try to converge. This road isn't just about opening chests to survive—each segment also has unique quests."

Dong Huadan: "I ran into a quest called [Pharaoh's Treasure]. That should be the unique quest for my segment. I haven't done it yet—I just saw the next road is A1JQT24. But I saw people in the world channel saying you can skip it and still move on to the next segment?"

Lin Tu opened the "Fight Your Way Out" game screen. Sure enough, both the world and regional channels were full of people debating whether to do the quest. Since the regional channel was for people she might actually meet, Lin Tu prioritized that one.

"Skip it! Only an idiot would do it! A big warning sign like that, so dangerous—that's just asking for trouble!"

"But it says doing the quest gives extra rewards!"

"You need to live to claim the rewards. You're alone in the desert. If you get hurt and can't walk, and can't reach the next chest, aren't you just done for?"

"As a veteran player, my advice is: you absolutely must do the first beginner quest! It's simple—as long as you don't chicken out, it's basically a free 2-Star Box. But the second quest—the no-night-driving one—absolutely do NOT do it!! If you do, you're finished!!"

"Oh ho, playing the nice guy up there? What, you gonna teach this veteran player a lesson?"

"There are veterans here? Thanks! I'd like to know—what happens if I accept this quest but don't do it?"

"It triggers a monster. It will follow you for the rest of your journey!"

Lin Tu's gaze lingered on "the second quest—absolutely do NOT do it!!". She looked at the ID of this so-called veteran player: "Lu Zhu." What had she been through? How was she so certain the second quest was a no-go?

Lin Tu filed the ID away in her memory, then looked back at her phone—

"Let's do the first quest first! The reward is a 2-Star Box, not bad. As for the second segment's quest, I'll test the waters first. Don't rush."

The car stopped again. Lin Tu hopped out to grab a 1-Star Supply Box, then came back and continued—

"Guan Suixing, are you ready? I'm trading the Windproof Cart materials to you."

She didn't message Guan Suixing privately. The six of them in the group trusted each other, and they'd settle trades in the group anyway. And since she'd promised to look out for Guan Suixing, future trades would naturally prioritize her.

"No need. I already had the materials for the cart. Upgraded successfully."

Oh, nice... Lin Tu casually opened the 1-Star Supply Box she'd just picked up and got five pieces of metal.

Lin Tu: "..." She rummaged through her material pile: Metal×20, Wood×20, Cloth...

She resumed typing in the group: "I've got all the materials for the Canopied Tricycle upgrade. Guan Suixing, prep something and trade with me."

There was a moment of silence, and it was clear Guan Suixing was speechless too.

"Fine. Request the trade," she said.

Lin Tu opened the trading post, found Guan Suixing's ID, and sent a trade request. A moment later, she received a pale white card in return—

"Defense+1: Vehicle Exclusive"

This girl didn't take a single ounce of advantage she didn't return. Lin Tu smiled. She didn't refuse, and simply slapped the card onto the car.

After the game ended, the card would presumably add its bonus to [Anju]. Who knew how many attributes her little shabby house would gain.

After trading with Guan Suixing, Lin Tu looked back at the trading post and noticed quite a few people had listed items.

Each item had a price range set by the system, within which players could set their own price. Some traded materials for food, others food for materials. There were plenty of daily necessities too, but food-for-materials trades dominated.

Players could only list items within their region—unless an item sat unsold for three days, in which case it would automatically go global. During that time, players couldn't withdraw their items.

Each player could list up to ten types of items, with up to one hundred units per type.

Lin Tu organized the chest loot she'd collected, checked the value of everything, and found that only the Rope Crafting Blueprint and the Lighter matched the value of that pale white card. After asking around the group and confirming everyone had sufficient materials and didn't need to trade, she listed those two items on the trading post with the note—

"Trade only for pale white items."

Private messages flooded in like a tide. This was the first time a blueprint had ever appeared on the trading post! After all, blueprints were a prized drop from 3-Star Boxes only!