Chapter 7 Identity: Scavenger

A figure in ragged clothes pedaled into view, riding a vehicle equipped with two training wheels, a faded canopy, and a small, rusted box attached to the back.

This was a makeshift, human-powered rig—a trailer-style cabin with just enough room for a bed. Due to a shortage of materials, however, it was quite primitive; the interior was lined only with dry grass, resembling a coffin made of sheet metal.

"Damn it! Finally here!"

Gao You brought his bicycle to a halt and scanned the surroundings. Only days ago, he had been clean, fully equipped with outdoor gear, and ready for a camping trip; who could have imagined he’d end up in this hellhole?

He had pedaled until his legs felt like they were smoking. Looking at him now, weathered by wind and rain, his long pants were torn open by zombies, exposing his thighs. He had pushed himself to the absolute limit, struggling day and night, just to be the first to reach this service area.

Was he the first one here?

He parked his bike in front, failing to notice a nondescript three-wheeled motorized tricycle tucked away in a corner behind him. The tricycle was obscured by two abandoned vehicles that had been stripped down to rusted iron frames; it looked so dilapidated that one wouldn't even realize it was a player's vehicle without getting up close.

Confident he was the first, Gao You entered a convenience store, only to get thrashed within half a minute. He opened the public chat channel and posted:

"Old-School Roadster: [Hot bath at the service area! 5 crystal coins for a 5-minute hot shower!]"

Replies flooded in immediately.

"Wait, where is the service area? Where is the hot water? I don't see anything."

"We're on the same highway, so why do you have a service area?"

"Old-School Roadster: I don't know! I just kept riding forward, and then I saw it. There’s even a reward for hitting 200 kilometers!"

"Thunder Mage: I couldn't find any energy. I’ve been pushing my wheelchair for a day, just upgraded it to add pedals, and have been pedaling like crazy for another day. And you're telling me the reward only comes at the 200km mark for beginners???"

"Small Town Stories: Does this mean crystal coins can be used at the service area? Damn it! To the person who scammed me out of 100 crystal coins yesterday for a single compressed biscuit and a bottle of water—@Sicily, get your ass out here! I thought every zombie dropped 100 coins, but the first one was the only one that gave that much. Do you have any idea how hard it is to earn 100 coins?!"

"Iron Butt Knight: Save it, that person is a scammer! They act all pathetic, but all their supplies were swindled from me!"

Once this was said, several more victims chimed in. As they compared notes, they realized these poor souls didn't even know if the person they were dealing with was a man or a woman.

"Vegetable Bun: Iron Butt Knight, they’re all laughing at you, but you’re the most hilarious one."

"Player 7699: @TheKingSentMeToPatrolTheMountains, horse manure balls on the road restore 2 HP, but you took my crafting table and two tools for a single medicine that restores 10 HP. That’s way too much!"

"Player 7699: Give me back half my stuff! Or give me two more doses of medicine."

"Wind-Walker 220: Since there’s already a server-wide collection achievement, this little bit probably doesn’t matter to you. This player is actually a good person; they told us about the health-restoring items on the road."

Seeing someone speak up for him, Player 7699 grew bolder.

"TheKingSentMeToPatrolTheMountains, don't play dead! Come out and give me an explanation! Some 'collection master'—you’re just a swindler!"

Yu Jiang merely glanced at the message and blocked the user. She was busy scavenging for supplies.

In an abandoned house with half its walls missing, she found two dusty food containers inside a faded cupboard. She took them. The bathroom was a disappointment; the toiletries in the collapsed cabinet were all ruined, save for an unopened pack of compressed face towels. She took those too.

Behind the house, she found three-gallon plastic pots with trays, a small container of fertilizer, and a rusted gardening trowel. She took them all.

Because Yu Jiang had blocked the person on the public channel, they couldn't send her private messages and instead continued to rant in the public chat, inciting others to condemn her.

"Pure-Heart Cockroach: The horse manure balls on the road have side effects—use too many and you start seeing hallucinations. You didn't mention that, did you? And nobody forced you to trade, so stop whining!"

"It’s not like you weren't crying and begging everywhere for medicine. It was kind of them to sell it to you at all."

"Old-School Roadster: Do you dare mention that the healing medicine also clears the 'Bleeding' debuff? You’re an adult—can't you make your own decisions and bear the consequences?"

"188-cm Freshman: What?! There’s medicine that heals 10 HP *and* clears the bleeding status? Master, look at me! A 188-cm freshman is here begging for medicine!!!"

"Thunder Mage: Master! Sell the medicine to me! Thunder Mage is here begging for medicine!"

"Player 7699: Are you idiots blind? Their prices are extortionate, and you're still begging for medicine!"

"188-cm Freshman: Buddy, just because you got your medicine doesn't mean the rest of us have to die. Do you know how valuable this medicine is in a survival game where you actually die?"

Yu Jiang looked up from the ruins. "I will prioritize selling medicine to you all when I have more."

These few had spoken up for her, after all. For now, Yu Jiang didn't want to reveal that she still had plenty of medicine, but this was a good way to signal her stance.

With her words, not only were the players involved happy, but many lurkers also emerged to ask what other supplies she wanted, promising they could trade for anything as long as it wasn't too outrageous.

"Thunder Mage: That's great! If it's healing medicine, we're saved!"

"Aren't you a psychiatrist? Can't you make medicine?"

Facing the question, Thunder Mage was unabashed.

"You want to guess why I went to a psychiatric hospital instead of a traditional Chinese medicine clinic? Besides, the medicinal plants in this game don't seem right. I licked one, got poisoned, had diarrhea for miles, and my face went numb. What do you want me to say?"

...

Yu Jiang held a wooden stick stained with black blood, hunched over as she crept behind a zombie, and struck with precision.

It wasn't a zombie; it was money! It was crystal coins!

It had to be said, the zombies in the city were wealthy—they actually dropped loot.

A flashlight and 50 crystal coins.

After clearing the monster at the entrance, Yu Jiang used a dose of healing medicine and happily climbed the external stairs to the second floor.

The door was locked, looking rusted and clanking in the wind.

Yu Jiang looked at the darkening sky and decisively picked up a rock to smash it open. It was her first time doing this, and she felt a bit nervous.

The interior was furnished like a typical home.

Yu Jiang worked quickly. She found a large, unopened bag of toilet paper, a brand-new set of fresh-style bed linens in a dust-proof bag, and a folding outdoor chair.

She also found a bag of salt. She didn't know if it was expired, but it didn't matter; unopened salt didn't really have an expiration date.

She didn't open the refrigerator. As she walked by, a stench of rot hit her, mixed with the moldy smell of the room. She could easily imagine the scene inside.

Unfortunately, the solid wood bed and mattress were covered in mold. In the room with the bunk beds, however, she found a vacuum-sealed down comforter. She also found a plastic medicine box—the medicine inside was ruined, but the box was still usable.

It was fortunate that her backpack space had expanded by 10 slots, or she really wouldn't have been able to carry all this. Finally, Yu Jiang even took the broken coffee maker, hairdryer, and breakfast machine.

[With lightning speed, you have mastered the art of door-smashing and scavenging. You are so proficient that you don't look like a beginner at all—you even take the scrap metal. You are a natural-born scavenger!]

[Identity Acquired: Scavenger]

[Ability Unlocked: Basic Dismantling]

[(You can dismantle any damaged small household appliances, furniture, and vehicles to recover some materials, but first, you need a specialized tool.)]

[As you are the first player in this region to earn this achievement, you receive an additional reward: Blueprint for a Level 1 Scavenger’s Claw Hammer with a Wooden Handle.]

An unexpected surprise!