Chen Le sat on his scooter, still stunned. The gloomy restaurant behind him had already shut its doors, the crocodile-headed waiter nowhere to be seen.
He started the engine. Brummm— The sound was the same as always, raspy like an old scooter forced into endless overtime. But one thing instantly shocked him:
The fuel gauge needle pointed at Full. Before the accident, it had been down to a quarter. Stranger still, below the fuel icon appeared a glowing teardrop symbol with faint letters: Mana Fuel.
"The hell… mana?" Chen Le muttered, wide-eyed.
Before he could understand, the speedometer glass flickered. A glowing neon-blue arrow appeared, pointing straight ahead. His scooter had just turned into a living GPS.
[ Destination: Darkfang Swamp Outpost ]
[ Distance: 1000 meters ]
A flat voice echoed in his head:
"Delivery started. Remaining distance: One thousand meters."
Chen Le almost toppled off the saddle. "Damn—like Gulugulu Maps, but horror edition!"
He twisted the throttle gently. The scooter rolled down a dark dirt path. Every time he passed a glowing arrow on the ground, the voice chimed again:
"Remaining distance: 700 meters."
"Remaining distance: 500 meters."
Chen Le clicked his tongue. "Unreal. Just like the delivery app… except here, when the customer sucks, I can't slap them with one star back."
The further he went, the stranger the scenery. Trees twisted, moonlight dimmed, and alien insects screamed from the shadows. Yet each glowing arrow on the road steadied his scooter, keeping it balanced.
Chen Le sighed. "Alright then… back to work. Hopefully this customer won't whine about 'stale boba'."
"Remaining distance: 300 meters."
He hunched low, hugging the scooter. The forest's chill seeped through his jacket. The road was dark, branches swayed, eerie noises rustled from the bushes. His hair stood on end.
He inhaled, twisted the throttle.
BRAAAP!
The scooter shot forward. The front tire slammed against hard dirt, the headlight wobbled. Chen Le leaned forward, slicing sharp corners like he was in a street race.
The glowing arrows spawned one by one, each curve devoured without hesitation, his body tilting left and right.
"Remaining distance: 150 meters."
"Remaining distance: 100 meters."
His breathing grew ragged, sweat dripping under his helmet. But his grip stayed firm. The old scooter roared, steady as if fueled by his determination, racing down the broken path without faltering.
Finally, Chen Le slowed. The last glowing arrow faded at the edge of a vast swamp. Mist hung heavy, and on the path ahead stood a colossal figure.
A humanoid crocodile—muscular, dark-green scales glistening, and on its head sat a battered golden crown. Arms crossed, red eyes burning.
Chen Le braked hard, the front tire skidding across wet ground. He froze, tongue-tied.
The crowned crocodile stepped forward, voice heavy. "My food."
Chen Le quickly dismounted, dropped the kickstand, and opened his cargo. The wooden crate slid out automatically, thudding onto the ground. He pushed it forward. "Here…"
The crowned beast lifted it with one hand, inspected it briefly, then nodded with satisfaction. From his belt, he pulled out a glowing red stone and tossed it to Chen Le. "Your payment."
Chen Le caught it—the stone pulsed faint heat in his palm. Before he could speak, the crocodile grinned, sharp fangs flashing. "And… a tip."
From his other pouch, he pulled out a dripping eyeball. It twitched, its pupil darting around to stare directly at Chen Le.
Chen Le stiffened, throat dry. "…Seriously?!"
The crocodile smirked. "Relax, I've got plenty more where that came from." With a heavy leap, the crowned beast vanished into the swamp.
Left alone, Chen Le shuddered.
Suddenly, the cold system voice rang in his head:
[ Order Complete ]
[ Reward Received: Mana Core (Red) ]
[ Bonus Item Acquired: Living Eye ]
The ground beside his scooter cracked. Blue light swirled, a portal ripping open, sucking him inside.
A moment later, his feet landed on solid concrete. Neon-white lamps stretched above, yellow lines painted across the floor.
Chen Le blinked. "A… parking lot?"
He stood frozen in the vast empty space, holding the Mana Core and the strange eyeball still squirming in his hand.
His scooter rested neatly in its slot, dashboard dead, though engine heat lingered faintly.
The system spoke again, calm but cold:
[ Delivery No. 1: Complete ]
[ Reward Secured ]
[ Temporary Rest Granted ]
The place was silent. Rows of white lamps stretched overhead, yellow lines cutting the floor. Not heaven, not hell—just… a parking lot. Too normal, yet too eerie.
Finally, Chen Le removed his helmet. His breath was heavy, cold sweat trickling down his temple. "So… a soul parking lot? This is where I end up after every run?"
The system's voice sharpened, echoing directly inside his head:
[ Congratulations on your first delivery! ]
[ Reward: 50 EXP, 10 Karma Points, 100 Upgrade Points ]
Chen Le swallowed hard. The glowing words floated midair like a hologram.
Before he could react, another panel popped open:
[ Item: Mana Core (Red) detected ]
[ Exchange now? ]
Two options hovered: [ Yes ] / [ No ].
Chen Le sighed. "Better use it now than let it rot." He tapped Yes.
[ Mana Core (Red) exchanged. ]
[ Bonus +100 Upgrade Points. ]
His status window flickered rapidly, numbers climbing.
Chen Le stared at the glowing panel. "EXP, Karma, Upgrade Points… feels just like a game."
He glanced down at the eyeball still wriggling in his other hand, shivered, then stuffed it into his delivery jacket pocket. "Gross… whatever. I'll deal with it later."
He refocused on the panel.
"So… what can Upgrade Points even do?"
The system answered flatly, emotionless:
[ Upgrade Points may be used for two categories: ]
– Rider Upgrade → enhance body, reflexes, stamina, endurance, and Rider-specific abilities.
– Scooter Upgrade → improve engine, suspension, cargo capacity, durability, and unlock new features.
[ Points may be distributed at Rider's discretion. ]
Chen Le's jaw dropped. "Wait… so I can buff myself and the scooter?!"