Meng Hao slew every last zombie, successfully claiming the desolate island as his own.
As the blue system prompt glowed before him, he did not hesitate—he chose to devour.
Devouring Uninhabited Island. Cost: 3 Zombie Crystals. Estimated Time: 10 Minutes.
A shimmering blue aura enveloped his base island along with the newly conquered one. The stone bridge connecting the two began to morph, transforming into a strange tether, as if to merge the lands into one unified domain.
The ground beneath his feet quaked. Waves surged against the shores, their roar majestic and commanding.
Meng Hao smiled faintly, satisfaction blooming in his chest.
To have devoured an island so swiftly—he was likely among the game's frontrunners already.
Yet, what surprised him was the cost—three zombie crystals to absorb an island.
With only five zombies roaming the entire landmass, an ordinary player could harvest no more than five crystals.
The implication was clear: zombie crystals were a scarce and precious resource.
He glanced at the remaining 497 crystals nestled in his storage ring, the corners of his mouth lifting in quiet delight.
Slinging his 98K over his shoulder, Meng Hao made his way toward the beach where two of the zombies had fallen earlier.
Typically, where zombies guarded, treasures lay hidden.
Sure enough, upon arriving, he spotted a treasure chest embedded in the sand.
Sandalwood Chest Discovered. Open it?
"Open," Meng Hao replied calmly.
The chest creaked open of its own accord, revealing three items nestled inside:
A dagger, a pair of gloves, and a pair of socks.
Ordinary Dagger: A basic blade suitable for chopping vegetables. Don't expect it to kill zombies—its range is too short.
Ordinary Gloves: Standard gloves, good for hand protection.
Ordinary Socks: Simple socks to shield your feet.
As the blue text faded, Meng Hao pondered.
Though the dagger's reach was limited, if bound to the stick from his starter kit, it could serve as a makeshift spear—far more effective for dispatching the undead.
Wearing the gloves would grant him a firmer grip on the weapon while protecting his palms from blisters.
As for the socks—perhaps they allowed for faster movement?
Gazing into the chest, Meng Hao mused: any player who diligently sought out treasure could gradually strengthen themselves.
Of course, none could compare to what he possessed.
Ding! God-Tier Luck Activated. Receive One Hundredfold Reward.
Choose your reward:
One hundred daggers, one hundred pairs of gloves, one hundred pairs of socks.
One Super Redhawk Revolver, one pair of Power Gauntlets, one pair of Agility Loafers.
As the prompt appeared, a pleased smile slowly curved Meng Hao's lips.
"Option Two."
In an instant, the revolver, gauntlets, and loafers materialized within his storage ring.
Super Redhawk: Silver-tier Weapon. Attack Power: 150. Comes with 200 complimentary rounds. Note: Gunfire will attract zombies within a 500-meter radius. Use with caution.
Bullets can be obtained from chests or crafted at an armory.
Considering the player's physical frailty, recoil has been neutralized.
"A silver-tier weapon again!"
Joy surged through Meng Hao's heart.
Just moments ago, he had lamented his lack of close-combat tools. But with the Redhawk in hand, even a zombie in his face would pose no threat.
Power Gauntlets: Iron-tier Equipment. Speed +3, Strength +3.
Agility Loafers: Iron-tier Equipment. Speed +3, Agility +3.
As he read the descriptions, his smile deepened.
To obtain one silver and two iron-tier items from a single chest—his fortune was indeed exceptional.
He took out the revolver first, admiring its black-and-bronze finish. It radiated authority, its firepower surely rivaling that of his 98K.
One excelled at range; the other, at close quarters.
Tucking the Redhawk away, he tried on the gauntlets. A surge of vitality coursed through him. A casual punch felt swifter, more powerful—truly a marvelous pair.
Next, he examined the loafers.
Crimson-striped with streaks of black, they bore an enigmatic aesthetic, reminiscent of silk. They adjusted perfectly to his feet.
Once donned, Meng Hao felt almost weightless. With a light step, he darted sideways—the increase in speed and agility was unmistakable.
"Excellent gear," he murmured.
He had no intention of removing them. With the gloves and loafers equipped, even a wooden stick in hand was enough to bludgeon island-guarding zombies with ease.
Content, he basked for a moment in his newfound strength before collecting himself.
"With nothing better to do for now, I might as well see how others are faring."
The island devouring process still had five minutes remaining. A perfect opportunity to check the chat interface.
He skipped the global channel entirely—too chaotic, with nearly seven billion players worldwide. Just one message from each would flood the screen.
Instead, he opened the regional channel, which was limited to a thousand nearby players—a more manageable source of intel.
Current Online: 880/1000.
"Hmm?"
The number stopped him cold.
He distinctly remembered it being 1000/1000 only an hour ago. Now, it had dropped to 880.
Where had the 120 gone?
Had they... died?
One hundred and twenty out of a thousand in just an hour. At that rate, how many would perish out of seven billion?
Hiss...
The thought chilled him. A shadow of concern crept into his heart.
What about his parents and younger sister?
His father and mother were the pillars of their household, both in excellent health. Even in this game-world, they should be able to take care of themselves.
His sister, clever and mischievous, was usually a bright spark. But in an environment this harsh, her situation worried him.
She was preparing for her high school entrance exams; he himself for the college entrance exams. And now, they'd both been thrown into this twisted game—what timing.
If only he could contact them. He would send them his gear without hesitation.
He had a hundred buckets of instant noodles, a hundred bottles of mineral water, a hundred boxes of matches.
Was there a way to reach them?
The game mechanics had mentioned that players could trade, or even gift items for free.
But to trade, they had to be on each other's friend lists first.
There was no search feature in the chat interface. The only way to add friends was to find them in the chat channel and click their profile.
With this in mind, Meng Hao decided to scan the chat—perhaps, by some stroke of luck, his family had left a message there.
If so, he might yet find them.