[Ding!]
[Shooting Compartment upgrade successful!]
A flash of white light swept across the minivan. The cracked, blood-smeared windows transformed instantly into reinforced steel panels. Sliding gates of varying sizes now lined the sides, able to accommodate anything from small-caliber firearms to heavy 300mm weapons.
From this moment, the once battered van had become a mobile bunker—capable of counterattacks on the left, right, and rear. Guna ran his fingers along the cold, metallic surface. Five steel-gated ports glinted faintly in the twilight, filling him with a raw sense of security. His broken-down relic of a vehicle now carried the rugged look of a cyberpunk wasteland war machine.
To his surprise, the front windshield had also been upgraded to tempered glass, eliminating the weakest point. It was a gift he hadn't expected.
The interface highlighted other possible upgrades: the engine, tires, doors, and armor. He could even add roof-mounted machine guns. Comfort functions were available too—air conditioning, an entertainment console, heated massage seats, a refrigerator, and even a generator. Each modification counted toward a cumulative level, and only when the van's upgrades reached ten or more would full advancement become possible.
Guna scrolled through the requirements. Every upgrade demanded three things: gold coins, parts, and steel sheets. Secondary materials varied depending on the feature. He immediately reopened the trading post to check prices.
It was chaos. Day one was the Wild West of the marketplace—prices fluctuated wildly, and shrewd players could find incredible bargains. Most players were dumping materials to chase after weapons and ammo.
A simple handgun fetched three gold or more, with bullets sold separately. Rifles and machine guns were priceless, their value negotiated privately. Ammo, though, was the most outrageous—100 universal bullets went for two or even three gold coins.
Guna grimaced. That's insane. At that rate, you'd need to kill three zombies just to break even.
He opened the regional chat to gauge the mood. The starting population of 100,000 had already dropped to 97,000. Three thousand lives erased in just hours. Messages scrolled by in rapid-fire bursts:
> "Dump your gold into weapons and ammo! I'm a nuclear-powered tiger right now! Hahaha!"
> "It's almost dark! Team up quick! Coordinates sent—two people here with a handgun and combat talent. Need heavy weapons and a fully enclosed vehicle!"
> "Please, someone carry me! I only have a kitchen knife! I don't want to die alone..."
> "Cold weapons are worthless, bro. Forget it."
> "Treasure chests are the real jackpot! My first gave me a long knife, the second gave me 200 bullets! Sold for six gold! I'm rich!"
> "What the hell, second chest already? Some people have all the luck."
> "Damn it! I haven't even found my first! Just fruit! And zombies are chasing me!"
> "Buying bullets, any amount! DM me!"
Guna leaned back, eyes narrowing as he pieced things together. Everyone was obsessed with firepower. Few were thinking about defense. That made materials cheap—dirt cheap. Too cheap.
His mind sharpened. Parts and steel sheets are at rock-bottom right now. By tomorrow, or even tonight, the value will skyrocket.
Decision made, he opened his inventory and dragged out 1500 of his 2000 universal bullets. He split them into 15 lots of 100 rounds and listed each for three gold coins.
He kept 500 bullets for himself.
The results were immediate. Within minutes, every lot was sold. His balance soared to 45 gold. Adding it to his reserves, he now held 64.4 gold coins. A true fortune.
He didn't hesitate. He dove into the listings and began scooping up parts. To most, they were worthless scrap—sold in bulk at 0.1 or 0.2 gold each. Even at those absurdly low prices, few bothered to buy. But Guna knew better. These so-called junk materials would be the backbone of survival.
[Successfully purchased "Parts" x2, Gold -0.2]
[Successfully purchased "Parts" x3, Gold -0.3]
...
He clicked with feverish speed, buying up everything in sight. Soon, others caught on. A handful of sharp players were also stockpiling parts. Competition flared.
Guna's eyes gleamed. So I'm not the only one with foresight... but I'll be faster.
By the time the sun dipped low, he had accumulated over 500 parts. Prices had already doubled to 0.2 gold each. He pivoted, grabbing 30 steel sheets and rounding out his stock with food and beverages.
At last, he leaned back in his seat, exhaling deeply.
---
Inventory
Gold: 7.3
Weapons: Sniper Rifle x1, Rifle x1, Handgun x1, Short Dagger x1, Universal Bullets x450, Firearm Modification: Ballistic Correction x1
Tools: None
Materials: Parts x583, Steel Sheets x30, Python Skin x12, Leather x2, Armor Core (Rare) x1
Food: Fresh Fruit x42, Bread x10, Cola x3, Mineral Water x5
---
A smile tugged at his lips. He had transformed from a desperate scavenger into one of the richest players in just a few hours. The time for reckless looting was over. Now came survival.
Outside, the last rays of sunlight bled into the horizon. The plain darkened, shadows stretching like claws across the land. Pressure weighed on his chest. His instincts screamed—night was coming.
He checked his arsenal. The dagger and handgun were tucked into his waist. The AK47 rested in his hands. The sniper rifle was mounted at the rear port, ready to fire. He loaded fifty bullets into the handgun, two hundred into the AK, and kept the rest for later.
Finally, he applied the Ballistic Correction Modification to the sniper rifle. With this, even an amateur could shoot with deadly accuracy across thousands of meters. It turned his rifle into a god-slayer's weapon.
He had glanced at the market earlier—other mods were unimaginably expensive. No Recoil, Infinite Durability, Super Cooling, Enhanced Silencer—all selling for 20 gold or more. The legendary Infinite Bullets wasn't even listed. Too rare, too priceless. Even if someone found it, they'd never sell.
Guna adjusted his grip on the AK and glanced out at the deepening darkness. The game's first night was about to begin.