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Equipment & Inventory
Armor: N/A
Shield: N/A
Backpack: (Available space: 45/50 kg)
Essential Items:
Rice (1kg) x 50
Mineral Water (1L) x 50
Car Part (Engine - Insignia) x 50
Potions/Consumables: N/A
Money: N/A
Special/Magic Items: N/A
"Excellent choice, John! Plenty of food and water, and a good start on your car parts!" Loli's voice sounded satisfied. "Remember, you need 10 car parts to upgrade your vehicle. And each upgrade brings its own advantages... and disadvantages!"
Jhon methodically stored the items in the bus's vast cargo hold. The space was enormous, designed to accommodate the luggage of dozens of passengers, and was now quickly filling with the multiplying supplies. He stacked the rice packets and water bottles neatly, while the small, metal car parts were tossed into a corner.
He resumed his seat in the driver's seat. The steering wheel creaked a little when John turned it, and the instrument panel had only the most basic gauges: speedometer, tachometer, and a fuel gauge that had already dropped a small amount since he'd started driving. He knew he'd need to ration his fuel.
Jhon resumed his journey, the bus crawling along the highway at its maximum speed of 40 km/h. The landscape remained the same, the eight-lane highway stretching like a serpent of asphalt under the blue sky. The fifty-centimeter-tall bushes passed in a blur of green, and the sound of the engine was Jhon's only companion. He kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, but his mind worked in the background, analyzing the situation.
This "game" wasn't simple. It involved survival, resource gathering, and, from what Loli had hinted, combat. The mention of "monsters" at night and the varying difficulty of the crates were clear clues. The ability to upgrade items and the vehicle was crucial. With 50 car parts, he already had enough for five upgrades.
Jhon's routine quickly settled in. Driving, watching the radar, stopping to collect the boxes. The wooden boxes continued to appear with some frequency, each containing its own small selection of basic items: cans of tomato sauce, toilet paper, soap, and so on. In each one, Jhon always chose to multiply the items by 50, accumulating a vast quantity of basic supplies and a good number of additional car parts. With each new collection, his inventory grew exponentially.
The sun was already at its zenith, marking noon. The light was intense now, creating a blinding glare on the asphalt. The bus's fuel gauge was already around 75%, a constant reminder of the limitations of his initial journey. Jhon now had a total of 100 car parts. It was the perfect time to test the upgrades.
"Loli, I want to upgrade the bus's engine," Jhon thought.
Loli's voice returned immediately, with unwavering enthusiasm. "Excellent choice, Jhon! You have all 10 parts needed! By upgrading the engine, your bus's top speed will increase to 50 to 60 kilometers per hour, but fuel consumption will also increase. Do you confirm the upgrade?"
"I confirm," Jhon thought.
A golden light enveloped the bus for a few seconds. The engine sound changed, becoming softer and more powerful. A small icon of an engine with an upward arrow appeared in the corner of the radar screen.
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Vehicle: Tourist Bus
Engine Status: Improved (Level 1)
Current Top Speed: 50-60 km/h
Fuel Consumption: +20%
Car Parts: 90
Jhon put the car in gear and stepped on the accelerator. The bus responded with noticeable agility. The speedometer needle climbed faster, stabilizing between 50 and 60 km/h. The landscape began to pass a little faster, and the previously gentle wind now whistled through the windows.
Suddenly, the radar beeped again. This time, however, the dot on the radar was a different color. It wasn't the standard green for wooden crates. It was blue.
Jhon felt a slight flicker of interest, barely perceptible in his neutral expression. A blue box. Loli had mentioned box colors and difficulty levels. This meant he was about to encounter a challenge, or at least a more valuable item. He maintained a steady speed, his eyes fixed on the blue dot on the radar, which grew larger as it approached.
The blue box was about 50 kilometers from its last stop, posted on Route 5, a little further from the roadside than the previous wooden boxes. The light emanating from it was more intense, a vibrant blue glow that stood out against the gray asphalt and the green bushes. It was the same size as the others, fifty centimeters on a side, but the material seemed different: a smooth, sturdy type of metal with more defined edges. There was no rust or visible wear.
Jhon stopped the bus at a safe distance, his mind calculating the risks. He disembarked, his movements silent and fluid. The air was warmer now, and the smell of dry earth was more prominent. He approached the blue box cautiously, his eyes scanning the surrounding area, searching for any sign of danger, any movement in the bushes. The area was quiet, deserted. The smell of earth and cut grass was stronger here, mixed with the faint metallic odor that seemed to emanate from the box.
When Jhon was about ten meters from the box, a low, guttural growl broke the silence. The sound came from the bushes to the right of the box, and it was a sound Jhon recognized: a predator. He stopped, his posture relaxed, but his muscles tense and ready for action. The growl intensified, followed by a rapid, heavy rustling in the foliage.
Then it emerged. It wasn't a monster like you imagined in science fiction films, but a wild animal, enormous and ferocious. It was a gray wolf, but of unusual size, almost the size of a small bear. Its fur was matted and dirty, its yellow eyes gleamed with primal ferocity, and its razor-sharp canines were bared in a menacing snarl. It had scars on its muzzle, indicating it had fought before.
Jhon didn't back down. His eyes narrowed slightly, assessing his opponent. A wolf. Not "the worst nightmare," as Loli had called it, but a predator. He had no weapons, only his hand-to-hand combat skills. The wolf took a step forward, its muscles tensed, ready to attack. The scent of wild animal was strong, mixed with the faint metallic aroma of the box.
"Well, well, John! Looks like you've found the guardian of the blue box!" Loli's voice echoed in his mind, a tone of amusement mixed with excitement. "Be careful, he's not messing around! But remember, if you defeat him, you might drop items!"
The wolf growled again, a final warning, and then pounced. Its speed was astonishing, a gray blur hurtling toward John. But John was faster. His trained mind had already calculated the trajectory and reaction time. The moment the wolf leaped, John moved.
He spun to the left, dodging the wolf's frontal attack by a split second. The animal passed close to his body, its claws scraping the air where Jhon stood. At the same moment, Jhon crouched and delivered a precise blow with his closed fist to the wolf's lower jaw. The impact was sharp and blunt. The wolf howled in pain and staggered back, disoriented.
The wolf shook its head, its eyes still furious, but now with a hint of confusion. It tried to recover, but Jhon didn't give it time. He knew that in a fight with a wild animal, speed and precision were essential. Jhon advanced, a blur of movement, and struck the wolf with a series of quick, powerful blows. A precise kick to the ribs, followed by a punch to the side of the head. The wolf howled again, this time more intensely, and tried to bite, but Jhon deftly dodged.
The fight was brutal and silent, except for the wolf's growls and the sound of Jhon's blows. The wolf was strong and savage, but Jhon was a fighting machine, trained to neutralize threats with lethal efficiency. He delivered one final blow, a punch straight to the wolf's throat, sending it tumbling to the ground. The animal tried to get up, but its movements were slow and uncoordinated. Jhon finished with a kick to the head, and the wolf stopped moving, its heavy body falling to the ground.
Silence reigned again, broken only by Jhon's calm breathing. He stared at the wolf's motionless body. There was no blood, no visible injuries. It was as if the "God" or the system had rules for this. Suddenly, the wolf's body began to glow, and then, in a flash of light, it disintegrated into a cloud of particles that gathered in the air. In their place, five objects appeared, floating about a meter off the ground before gently falling to the grass.