Chapter 2: The Park Floor
Speaking of water, Kai Ren realized something vital—he had none.
His only food source now was the pack of instant ramen he found earlier in the office floor. Not ideal, but edible in a pinch.
> "Hopefully, the next chamber has water."
Kai checked the trading system. Several people had already begun bartering—mostly food and water.
Oddly enough, the wood Kai gathered earlier had become a hot commodity. It was required for crypt upgrades, after all.
Still, he didn't trade. Not yet. He didn't have enough for the upgrade and couldn't guarantee he'd find more wood soon.
> "Glad I ate a huge breakfast."
He patted his stomach, satisfied. Three trays of dumplings and a bowl of soy pudding. He was nearly late to class because of it, but now, it felt like the smartest decision of the day.
> "Enough food in the belly for a day should be enough."
The crypt's system clock showed 2:00 PM. To conserve energy, Kai laid down on a makeshift bed fashioned from office chairs.
> "This is so boring."
He rolled up his coat to use as a pillow—his only personal belonging to follow him into this world. His phone, keys, and wallet were all missing.
> "Must be the same for everyone."
Once rested, Kai returned to organizing the wood. Space inside the crypt was tight; arranging it properly made a noticeable difference.
> "System?"
"Ding! Host, please speak."
> "You only predict floor content?"
"Ding! This system also includes mission rewards. First mission: Upgrade the crypt to Level 2. Reward: Fine steel crossbow and 20 bolts."
> "That's what I'm talking about."
Kai nodded. The system had value.
He dragged a chair over to the screen and checked the chat room.
Then instantly regretted it.
[Guys, I'm starving. Didn't eat last night. Anyone willing to trade food? I'll trade my underwear. Anything!]
[ME! ME! I'll trade right now! Let me steep some tea!]
[??? Bro, you're built different.]
[Food is gold right now. Who would trade for that?]
Kai, half-laughing, clicked the user's avatar. Sure enough, a listing was posted: "Underwear for any food."
To his shock, the listing disappeared a few seconds later.
> "Unreal."
Meanwhile, someone else posted:
[Got food, but no water. Anyone wanna trade?]
[I'll trade. Posting it now.]
[Bro. I'm mad!]
[???]
[Wait, how are you cooking food?]
[You do realize there's no ventilation? You'll choke with a fire in here.]
[I found two turtles. Haven't eaten in a day. I used wood and some paper to make a fire by rubbing sticks. I'm coughing but whatever—roasting now!]
> "What a savage. Hope he eats well."
Kai chuckled.
The crypt clock now read 7:00 PM. Time to rest before midnight exploration.
He leaned back, closed his eyes, and fell into light sleep.
———
"Ding! Incoming chamber: Park floor. Contents: one wooden treasure chest in center. Contains: 1 bottle of clean water, 1L tin can, 1 gold coin, and five ancient park trees. Use chainsaw for efficient harvesting. Warning: poisonous snake inside the chest. Lethal in 3 seconds if bitten. A weapon can neutralize the threat."
Kai jolted awake.
A poisonous snake? Dangerous, but predictable. He knew where it was.
[Ding Dong! Chamber opening. Hold steady.]
The crypt rumbled. Another slow, weightless descent.
Once it stopped, Kai pressed the door release and stepped out, machete in hand.
The park chamber stretched wide, green and serene, dotted with benches and stone pathways. He moved straight to the wooden treasure chest.
One hand reached for the lid. The other gripped the blade.
The moment the snake lunged, Kai slashed downward. A quick arc of steel—and it was severed in half.
Its twitching body writhed on the ground. Kai stepped in and cleaved its head clean off.
> "Stay dead."
He collected the clean water, tin can, gold coin, and noted the towering old trees spaced around the chamber.
> "With just a machete? It'll take forever."
Then he heard it.
> "Water?"
Following the sound, Kai found a stream along the park's edge. Clear, fast-flowing, but fishless.
He filled the tin can and returned.
The wooden chest? Solid wood with iron hinges.
> "Perfect for the upgrade."
He dragged it back to the crypt.
After unloading, Kai eyed the bisected snake.
> "Someone might want this."
He smirked and posted a listing:
Kai: [Just killed a venomous snake. Raw. Needs prep. Looking for iron. Trade is up.]
He priced it at 5 kg of iron, knowing it wasn't large.
Responses came fast:
[Snake? Raw? I don't have fire. I'm starving. Will it poison me?]
[If you prep it right, it's fine. But raw = parasite risk.]
[Didn't some guy make fire with sticks? Jealous. We should trade for fire. Cook in chambers instead of choking in here.]
[Can we buy fire? Big bro, sell your flame!]
Then a new message dropped:
[I just ran into a zombie in a building chamber. It grabbed me. I... I can't breathe well. I think I'm done. I put out the fire. No more flame left.]
Shock followed.
[Zombies? Are those on the rotation now?!]
[Bro, if you're dying, sell your stuff cheap. Final act of kindness.]
[Yeah. No point hoarding if you're out. Help us survivors.]
Everyone piled on, ignoring his condition and fixating on his gear.
> "Brutal."
Kai sat down, watching the trade board.
> "Another day in Crypt Survival."