[Obtained Coins x20, Parts x50, Universal Bullets x2000]
[Obtained "Sniper Rifle" x1]
[Obtained "Firearm Modification: Ballistic Correction" x1]
[Obtained "Armor Core" x1] (Rare)
Holy crap that's awesome!
Just got rich in one go!!!
Dean was grinning from ear to ear. He never imagined that triggering intel for the first time would give him such a huge surprise.
No time to waste—he immediately took out all these resources and equipment.
=====
[Sniper Rifle] TRG-22
Magazine: 5/30 (auto-refill)
Durability: 100%
Modification Attachments: None
Rating: Big killer with effective range over 2000 meters. Scope up and death comes knocking!
=====
[Modification Attachment: Ballistic Correction] (Firearms)
Rating: Can be used to modify all firearms. Standardizes all ballistic trajectories, making them unaffected by wind resistance, greatly enhancing firearm accuracy. (Note: After modification, permanently binds to weapon and cannot be removed)
=====
[Armor Core] (Rare)
Rating: Core material for upgrading to level 2 vehicles. The most precious and rare thing in early game. Ahem, anyone who sells this is an idiot.
=====
Reading these descriptions, Dean couldn't help feeling his heart surge with excitement.
The value of these items was immeasurable.
Forget about the sniper rifle, modification attachment, and armor core.
Just those 20 coins, 50 parts, and 2000 bullets were stuff other players wouldn't dare dream of.
Exactly...
Risk and opportunity were proportional.
Who else would dare venture into this python-infested swamp area right from the start, then feel around in muddy water for treasure chests?
...
After this big haul, Dean was ready to leave satisfied.
But just as he turned around, he suddenly froze.
"Hissssss~~"
That python from earlier—the one over fifteen meters long and thick as a water barrel—had somehow appeared behind him without him noticing.
The python's front half slowly rose upright, its blood-red forked tongue constantly flicking in and out.
A pair of cold vertical pupils stared directly at Dean.
The distance between them was less than two meters.
Dean felt like all the blood in his body had frozen.
At the same time, detailed information about this giant python appeared before his eyes.
[Adult Swamp Blood Python]
Rating: Large swamp creature that can grow over 100 meters. Relatively docile when well-fed, but if you disturb it on its territory, it will gently crush every inch of your bones before swallowing you whole.
"Hissss~"
The blood python moved closer and closer, its tongue almost slapping Dean's face.
He saw a hint of hostility in its pupils.
Dean had no doubt this python would open its massive jaws to bite his head the instant he turned to run, then begin death coils and swallowing him alive.
Running... was definitely a dead end!
Damn it!
Time for a straight fight!
Dean made his decision decisively.
Whoosh—!
The crisp sound of the AK47 chambering rang out.
This sudden sound startled the blood python, making it recoil briefly. Then it let out a terrifying hiss, preparing to attack. But Dean on the other side had already raised the dark gun barrel first, aiming at its head.
Then he pulled the trigger!
Squeezed it to death!
"Bang bang bang bang—!"
Gunfire erupted like popping beans.
The rifle's terrifying firepower became a continuous stream of muzzle flashes, all pouring onto the blood python's massive skull!
"Hissss!!!!"
The python's head was instantly shot to bloody pieces. Its body instinctively retreated dramatically, writhing like a giant stressed worm, frantically rolling and thrashing in the mud.
Dean showed no mercy, gritting his teeth as he emptied the entire magazine!
Auto-refill took 5 seconds. He used this gap to whip out his pistol and gave it another American-style mag dump!
Two rounds of suppressing fire turned the blood python's head and body into a bloody, tattered sack. It lost all signs of life, with only muscle reflexes still twitching.
Click click click—!
Dean pulled the pistol trigger until it was empty, finally stopping to lean on his knees and gasp heavily.
It was truly a life-or-death moment that brought out all his potential.
[Successfully killed one Adult Swamp Blood Python! Coins +0.5! Python Skin +1!]
A kill notification appeared.
Dean glanced at it, slightly surprised.
0.5 coins—five times more than regular zombies, plus it dropped python skin. Really was a decent hunting target.
But these things were only suitable for long-range sniping. Close combat was way too demanding on physical strength.
He'd been lucky this time. Otherwise, with that thing's weight class, just a casual tail swipe could probably break his bones.
Rustling sounds started coming from nearby.
Dean didn't dare linger and immediately headed back toward the van.
The gunfire had obviously alerted all the blood pythons in the area.
Sure enough, one python after another emerged from the muddy grass, moving to surround Dean.
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
The AK's ammo had refilled. Dean played it safe, retreating while taking aimed shots at incoming pythons. His accuracy wasn't great, but the rifle had enough firepower that hitting these bowl-thick pythons could break their bodies in half, let alone headshots.
[Successfully killed one Juvenile Swamp Blood Python! Coins +0.1!]
[Successfully killed one Juvenile Swamp Blood Python! Coins +0.1!]
[Successfully killed one Juvenile Swamp Blood Python! Coins +0.1! Python Skin +1!]
...
This battle was absolutely exhilarating.
Over a hundred meters, Dean used 3 magazines to kill eighteen blood pythons total. Adding the adult python from before, he got 2.3 coins plus 7 python skins.
The moment he got in the van, Dean was completely soaked in sweat.
His feet and body were covered in mud, plus he reeked of gunpowder and blood—looking pretty rough.
But dirty or not, the satisfaction he felt now was incomparable.
Dean drove the van away from the swamp outskirts while opening his backpack.
=====
[Coins]: 24.4
[Weapons]: Pistol x1, Rifle x1, Sniper Rifle x1, Short Dagger x1, Universal Bullets x2200, [Firearm Modification: Ballistic Correction] x1
[Tools]: None
[Materials]: Parts x53, Python Skin x12, Leather x2, [Armor Core (Rare)] x1
[Food]: Fresh Fruit x42
=====
Less than an hour until nightfall now.
Dean decided not to explore anymore—time to upgrade!
He drove the van to some lower terrain surrounded by bushes that could hide the vehicle well.
Parked and turned off the engine.
The first thing Dean wanted to do was upgrade the windows!
The two window upgrade paths were [Tempered Glass] with only defensive properties, and [Shooting Port] with defense plus counterattack.
He had three firearms plus 2000+ bullets, so [Shooting Port] was definitely the way to go.
But compared to [Tempered Glass] at 3 coins + 1 part, [Shooting Port] cost almost double—5 coins + 2 parts + 5 steel sheets.
Dean opened the Trading Post.
Lots of people had learned to trade by now. Various items, resources, weapons, and materials were listed, mostly fixed prices with some one-on-one haggling.
From what Dean could see, weapons and bullets were most expensive, followed by various materials.
Food and drinking water were surprisingly cheap, probably because nobody was really hungry on the first day.
Plus the biggest survival threat wasn't hunger but zombies everywhere.
Dean searched "Steel Sheets" and tons of materials popped up.
He thought these would be expensive, but they were surprisingly cheap.
Either production was high or nobody was buying—many were listed at the minimum 0.1 coins.
Dean instantly bought 5 steel sheets, and with the 5 coins and 2 parts in his backpack, clicked upgrade [Shooting Port]!