Chereads / From car to RV tour / Chapter 2 - First Battle

Chapter 2 - First Battle

Certainly, here's the translation:

"After driving for a dozen kilometers, I found two supply crates. One contained a 550ml bottle of mineral water and two packs of 23g custard cakes, and the other had 10 units of gasoline. Sweet!"

"Oh my gosh, you're so lucky. I just opened a supply crate, and a half-meter-tall rat jumped out."

"Everyone, be careful! Some of these supply crates have small animals in them!"

"You should've warned us earlier! My leg got bitten off by a wolf."

Monsters in the supply crates? Upon seeing this in the regional channel, Wang You felt relieved she hadn't encountered any yet. Lady Luck was on her side.

Her stomach began to growl as she drove a bit further, so she decided to take a short break and eat. During this brief respite, Wang You gathered her thoughts, looking for survival tactics in her current predicament. She chose to continue north along the highway, leaving the resource point behind in hopes of finding new supplies.

Time slipped by quietly as she drove, but the desolate scenery felt frozen in place. Her wrist device kept flashing alerts, and she soon realized these fragmented messages might not always be reliable, and some could even be misleading. In this world of blurred lines between reality and simulation, the system didn't disclose everything; she'd have to trust her instincts to distinguish the truth.

Her fuel was running low, despite the beginner protection period. Just as worry began to creep in, the system's countdown sounded again:

"Countdown: 5 days, 18 hours, 30 minutes."

"I need to upgrade my vehicle soon," Wang You thought, her gaze sharp as she scanned for another supply crate.

After some time on the road, she finally spotted a glimmer of hope along the roadside—a new supply crate sitting quietly. She approached cautiously, stepping out quickly and moving to open it, only to leap back just in case. Sure enough, a half-human-sized creature jumped out. When she finally got a good look, she realized it was a monkey, baring its teeth and lunging toward her.

Wang You dodged sideways just in time, its sharp claws narrowly grazing her nose. Thank goodness her agility was high—if not, she might have ended up with a nasty scratch. Tense, she held up the system-issued wooden stick in front of her, blocking the monkey's next swipe. Using all her strength, she pushed forward, forcing the monkey back a few steps, though she stumbled herself, almost falling.

Struggling to regain her balance, Wang You had no choice but to roll to the side as the monkey pounced again, leaving her half-kneeling on the ground. Raising her weapon—a wooden stick that had so far been largely useless—she jabbed it at the monkey's head. With a satisfying thunk, the monkey collapsed, giving her just enough time to follow up with a frantic flurry of blows until it finally stopped moving. Exhausted, Wang You slumped to the ground as the monkey lay lifeless nearby.

It took her a few moments to gather herself before she got up, dealt the monkey a final blow just to be safe, and carried the supply crate back to her car. She wasn't planning to leave just yet; instead, she took out the tangdao she'd found in the first crate and returned to the monkey's body, blade in hand. To survive in this ruthless world, Wang You had resolved to be ruthless herself. She needed to train while still in the beginner protection period; otherwise, when the larger beasts arrived, it would be too late to do anything but wait for death.

Though she'd dealt with chickens and fish before, monkeys were something else entirely. She knew hesitating would only make it harder, so she gritted her teeth and swung down. Thud!

[Congratulations, player! You've killed a monkey. Would you like to disassemble it?]

"You mean I can't process it myself?" Wang You muttered, though it did make things easier.

"Disassemble." She wiped off the blood that had splattered on her pants with a frown.

[Gained: Monkey meat, 500g x10]

The monkey's body and the blood on the ground disappeared, replaced by ten chunks of fresh meat. The system was really skimping on resources—this monkey must've weighed fifty pounds at least, and she only got ten pounds of meat.

Back in the car, Wang You had a moment to reflect on the fight. First, she'd lacked experience and panicked, losing the advantage. Second, although her physical strength had improved, she wasn't used to it—like a child in an adult's shoes. Finally, she was unfamiliar with her weapon and hadn't used it to its full potential.

The conclusion was simple: she needed more training.

After the analysis, Wang You turned back to the supply crate, lifted the lid, and was taken aback by what she found. The crate held far more than she'd expected—not only water and food but also several useful tools.

First, she spotted a larger water bottle than before. Designed like a military canteen, it had a waterproof, sealed cap and a durable body that could withstand extreme conditions. She let out a sigh of relief—at least she wouldn't need to worry about water for the next few days.

Next, there was a pack of high-energy compressed rations, much more advanced than the previous biscuits. These were specially formulated for survival in extreme environments, providing enough nutrients to sustain a day's activity. She tucked it safely into her backpack, feeling a bit more reassured.

Beside the water and food, she found a mini flashlight and an extra battery. The flashlight was compact yet powerful enough to illuminate her surroundings, and it even had a flashing mode for emergency signaling. Checking the battery, she saw it was almost fully charged, so she could use the flashlight without worry.

Wang You kept searching and found a small toolkit with simple but handy repair tools—a small wrench, a screwdriver, and some extra rope. Her heart skipped a beat; these would greatly enhance her vehicle maintenance ability. If the car broke down on the road, she could now make basic repairs.

Meanwhile, the regional chat on her wrist device continued to scroll with messages. Glancing at it, Wang You saw people seeking help or sharing resources, but she reminded herself that compassion had no place here. Survival would require keeping her guard up.

"Disaster countdown: 5 days."

The notification made her tense. She was no longer the bewildered girl who had first entered the game; the journey so far had taught her the brutal rules of this survival game: rely on yourself, be prepared, and never assume you'll be lucky.

For survival, she'd need a sturdier car. With that thought, she tapped the upgrade button on her wrist device to check the vehicle's requirements. She saw that reinforcing the armor, adding steel plating, and upgrading the tires were all essential. Remembering the regional chat where someone mentioned abandoned cars along the road, she realized those parts might be exactly what she needed.

As night fell, the temperature plummeted. In the desert, the scorching heat of the day contrasted sharply with the biting cold of the night. Wang You shivered in her thin clothing, deciding she'd have to find more supply crates tomorrow. If the disaster hit now, she'd be the first to freeze to death.

Darkness consumed the highway, with sparse starlight casting a faint glow over the desolate desert, adding a chill to the already bleak landscape. Sitting in her car, Wang You leaned back, trying to relax her weary body. Through the car window, she could still feel the cold night air pressing in. The windows shuddered in the wind, as if whispering endless loneliness and danger.

She took out the rations she'd just found, unwrapped them, and began eating in small bites. They were rough and hard, but out here, they were her lifeline. Her mind drifted as she chewed, recalling the day's events with a shiver of fear. The creatures in the crates weren't harmless; they could be deadly threats. She realized there probably wasn't any "safe zone" here. Every moment of carelessness could cost her dearly.

She turned on the flashlight, casting a soft glow over the cramped space. Taking out the toolkit, she inspected each tool carefully. This wasn't just for fixing her car; it was essential for her survival. If she mastered using these tools, they could save her life in a crisis.

The regional chat kept buzzing. One post caught her eye: "Everyone be careful! When the countdown ends, a blizzard will hit the desert area! Without proper protection, you could freeze to death!"

"A blizzard?" Wang You's heart sank. A desert blizzard would be lethal. She touched her thin clothing, realizing she'd need warmer gear before the disaster hit. She checked the system's hints on her wrist device and saw that upgrading her vehicle's heating system would require a lot of metal and electronic components. Finding abandoned cars and salvaging their parts was now her top priority.

By dawn, the temperature had dropped even lower. Wang You huddled in her seat, trying to fend off the cold with the light and her thin layers. But just as she was about to doze off, she heard a faint scratching sound outside. Her heart skipped a beat, and she tensed, gripping her tangdao. The sound grew closer, as if some creature was slowly approaching her car.

Holding her breath, Wang You stayed still, turning her wrist device to silent mode to avoid making any noise. Soon, through the window, she caught a glimpse of a low shadow moving by—a large beast, sniffing at her car.

"Stay calm…" she whispered to herself, steadying her breathing. She knew panicking would only worsen things. The beast prowled around, occasionally pawing the car as if testing.

"Don't panic..." Wangyou muttered to herself, trying to calm her breathing. She knew that rash actions would only lead to greater danger. The beast wandered around the car door for a few times, as if testing whether it was possible to enter. It roared softly, then raised its claws and slapped the car window heavily, making a dull thumping sound. Wangyou's heartbeat accelerated, but she remained motionless. She knew that as long as the car door was not damaged, the beast should not be able to get in.

In the end, the beast seemed to lose interest, slapped the car window a few times and slowly walked away. Wangyou breathed a sigh of relief quietly, but her heart was still nervous. She knew that before the countdown to the natural disaster ended, the danger would increase, and she must not wait unprepared any longer.

The sky was slightly bright, and a glimmer of light began to appear on the distant horizon. Wangyou decided not to waste any more time. She drove to the location of the abandoned vehicle shown on the map and prepared to start dismantling the parts. She held the steering wheel tightly, looking at the road stretching in front of her, and she had already made up her mind that no matter what, she would definitely stick to the end in this survival game.