"A gun?!"
The sudden gunfire startled Qi Lin. He immediately dove behind a boulder by the roadside for cover.
"Someone already got firearms? The server only just opened! Could it be part of the newbie starter pack?"
Before Qi Lin could recover from his shock, something even more unbelievable happened,
accompanied by the roar of an engine, a heavily armored off-road vehicle barreled straight into the gas station, dragging a huge cloud of dust. It spun into a perfect drift and screeched to a halt beside a toppled gas pump.
The doors flew open, and four young people—two men and two women, leapt out. All of them wore finely crafted leather light armor. Both men carried firearms: one wielded an AK-47, the other a Mauser 98k fitted with a scope.
"Damn, those are good!"
Qi Lin's eyes burned with envy. Even though such weapons were antiques before the war, their accuracy and power were undeniable.
Inside the Shelter, the universal currency was a virtual one called Resource Points, tracked in every citizen's smart brain account. Even a shoddy handgun from the illegal workshops in the civilian district cost a hundred points. But genuine antiques like these? Qi Lin had never even seen them outside of stories.
One hundred points could cover an adult's living expenses for two entire months!
The four players glanced casually at the corpses of the ghouls on the ground, then strode into the gas station.
Qi Lin immediately concluded: they were all players, and from the Wealthy District.
The underground Shelters weren't isolated. They were linked by tunnels, forming a vast subterranean network. Within this network, a few Shelters, or certain areas within the largest ones, were reserved for the elite, known as the Wealthy Districts.
Those who lived there were either pre-apocalypse political and business tycoons, or investors who had poured immense resources into the Shelter's construction. Either way, the Wealthy District was nothing less than paradise underground.
Unlike people like Qi Lin, who had to count every Resource Point, Wealthy District residents tossed around hundreds with ease. The water they poured into their swimming pools was cleaner than the rationed drinking water Qi Lin usually had access to.
As the privileged class, spending points to acquire weapons and vehicles through their smart brains was perfectly within reason.
Qi Lin sighed and prepared to leave the gas station. Right now, he had no ability to compete with players from the Wealthy District. If they were in a good mood, fine. But if someone decided to shoot him for sport, he'd be finished.
The smart brain had already warned everyone: in the wasteland, there is no law.
"Aaaahhhh!!"
Just as Qi Lin was about to turn away, a girl's shrill scream erupted from the gas station. It was followed by the wild rattle of an AK-47 and the crash of breaking glass.
"What the hell?!"
Qi Lin turned his head. Three of the group, two women and one man, came sprinting out of the gas station, panic-stricken. The man with the AK-47 fired blindly into the convenience store as he ran.
Fortunately, the station had been abandoned for years. Otherwise, a stray bullet could have caused an explosion big enough to level the area.
But… what were they shooting at? And where was the fourth man?
Qi Lin's question was answered almost immediately.
A towering figure burst through the convenience store's shattered glass wall, a giant ghoul over three meters tall. Its skin was sloughed off, leaving raw, overdeveloped muscles exposed to the air. Fresh blood dripped from the claws it swung menacingly.
Corpse King – A powerful mutant among ghouls. Cause unknown. Possesses tremendous strength (Strength 20+). Thick hide and massive vitality. Extremely difficult to kill.
The data flashed across Qi Lin's smart brain interface. But since his level was only one, the description was limited to a single brief line.
In Wasteland Code Survival, players also had levels, but leveling didn't increase stats, attack, defense, or HP. Instead, it raised information access.
The higher the level, the more functions the smart brain unlocked. For a level-one player like Qi Lin, encountering a boss-tier monster like the Corpse King only yielded the most basic intel.
"Good thing I wasn't the one who went in there…"
The AK-47 barrage only enraged the Corpse King further. It moved faster, closing in on the fleeing trio.
Suddenly, the girl with long black hair tripped on a rock and fell. Her scream was cut short as the Corpse King stomped her into a mangled paste. Blood and viscera sprayed across her companions' backs.
"Damn monster! Die!" the male player shouted, fumbling to reload his rifle.
Meanwhile, Qi Lin slipped unseen into the convenience store, circling around behind the Corpse King. He had decided to take a gamble.
Acquired item: Mauser 98k Rifle – 4x Scope (Blue Quality).
A German bolt-action sniper rifle from WWII, renowned for precision, reliability, and power. Uses 7.92mm rounds. Attachment: 4x optical scope.
Acquired item: 7.92mm Copper-Core Rounds ×4 (White Quality).
Behind a shattered counter lay a bloodied corpse, what remained of the young man who had wielded the 98k. His face was unrecognizable.
Quickly, Qi Lin loaded the four rounds into the rifle. A system prompt chimed in his ears:
Correctly loaded 98k rounds. Talent Skill unlocked: Firearms Mastery. Proficiency: 1%.
A hidden talent tree? Qi Lin froze for a moment, then smiled confidently.
Though barely in his twenties, he had not been a carefree student or an office worker before the apocalypse. He had been a mercenary, operating in the world's most dangerous regions, specialized as a sniper.
When wars escalated into brutal attrition, infantry like him had become cannon fodder under advanced weaponry. That was when he finally left the battlefield and returned home.
Now, after three long years, his heart raced as he held a finely crafted firearm once more.
Bolt pulled. Chamber loaded. Scope adjusted. Qi Lin braced the rifle against the counter and aimed at the Corpse King's head.
Bang!
Critical Hit! 1139 damage dealt! Firearms Mastery proficiency +19%.
The notification stunned Qi Lin for a moment, reminding him he was still inside a game.
But that one shot alone had shredded a third of the Corpse King's HP bar!
"Raaaghh!"
The monster roared in fury, abandoning the two fleeing players and turning toward Qi Lin.
Bang!
A bullet punched through its eye, spraying blackened blood and pus.
Critical Hit! 1274 damage dealt! Firearms Mastery proficiency +21%.
The Corpse King's health plummeted to its last sliver, under 500 by Qi Lin's estimate.
Bang!
The monster lunged forward, but before it could breach the store, Qi Lin pulled the trigger once more.
Critical Hit! 1185 damage dealt. Effective damage: 413. Firearms Mastery proficiency +20%.
You killed F-rank Boss: Corpse King.
Gained 1500 EXP!
Level Up! You are now Level 2!
Smart Brain unlocked new function: [World Broadcast Channel].
[World] System: Congratulations Player 9527 for slaying F-rank Boss: Corpse King!
(End of Chapter)
Read more on "brightnovels.com"
Thanks for reading! Your feedback keeps the spirit of survival alive.