Chapter 31 · Volume 1

Dog System

Wiping the grease off the crystal's surface with a few tissues, Cheng Shuili was finally able to see the item's information.
【Grease Monster Core】
【Description: Cautious survivor, you have discovered the hardest drop to find in the game. This is a pitch-black hard crystal, but it seems to be useless? Keeping it just takes up space. Why not just throw it away?】
Cheng Shuili narrowed her eyes. This damn system didn't have a single word of truth in its mouth; the more it told her to throw something away, the more she wanted to keep it.
Cheng Shuili inspected it meticulously again, even finding a tiny speck of grime she had missed. After patiently wiping it clean, she slammed the car door and returned to her shopping cart.
Next, she methodically sealed all the gaps in the doors and windows. Worried the water might freeze, she took two bottles of mineral water and stuffed them into her sleeping bag, planning to sleep while holding them tonight.
As soon as eight o'clock arrived, the system appeared to summarize the monster challenge.
【Monster Challenge Summary Meeting!】
The moment Cheng Shuili heard those words, she felt a sense of foreboding. It was like a flashback to her previous life, sitting in an auditorium listening to reports! The chairs were hard and uncomfortable, even noise-canceling headphones couldn't block out the microphone's screech, and the sessions lasted three or four hours, making her backside ache every time.
She didn't want to experience the horror of being dominated by a 'meeting' ever again!
【Item one of the meeting! Announcing the top three!】
Cheng Shuili: "..."
Very good. This damn system didn't learn anything good, only the bad habits.
【Courage is the anthem of humanity!】
【When fear shrouds the earth and death is close at hand, there are still those who dare to face the abyss and swing their blades at the most powerful enemies!】
【They are not ignorant, reckless fools, but brave souls who have soberly weighed life and death and still chose to challenge the limit!】
【Now—let us reveal the three brightest stars of this trial of life and death!】
The system's audio suddenly became rousing, even accompanied by the sound of virtual fireworks exploding.
Cheng Shuili: "..."
Fine, it's not like I can stop listening, right?
【Third Place: Today's Menu. Challenge Level: Epic! Battle Duration: 37 minutes!】
【Second Place: Blade of Ares. Challenge Level: Epic! Battle Duration: 34 minutes!】
The system suddenly made a deliberate pause, and the background audio shifted to solemn drumbeats.
【And standing at the pinnacle—】
The background drums stopped abruptly, and even the constantly refreshing Regional Channel suddenly froze.
【Is the madman who trampled through Hell with a mortal body!】
【Angry Crow Takes Flight! Challenge Level: Hell! Time Taken: Five minutes and thirty-six seconds!】
Actually, that was a little bit hype.
Cheng Shuili unconsciously curled her lips into a smile.
The freeze on the Regional Channel ended instantly, and every single message that flooded the screen was a question mark.
【94】: ?
【Sashimi】: ????????????????
【Wan Yi】: ???
With a smile on her face, Cheng Shuili followed suit and sent three question marks.
【Angry Crow Takes Flight】: ???
【Multiplied by Zero】: No, brother, what are you asking for? We knew you were a freak, but we didn't know you were this much of a freak!
【Snap】: Can someone please do something about them? Holy crap, Hell difficulty! And the time was actually shorter than the two at Epic level? System! Is there any justice in this world?
【Puff】: I used to think Boss Crow was some 189cm iron-blooded man, but now, I'm starting to doubt Boss Crow's species.
【Xiao Chi Fu Yue】: There was never any justice in this world, only geography.
...
Cheng Shuili lay on the sofa, staring expectantly at the system panel.
Why the lag? Hurry up and announce the rewards!
This dog system couldn't be intentionally teasing people's curiosity, could it?
If the system knew what she was thinking, it would probably cry out that it was being framed. It was clearly giving these three humans time to show off.
It had checked human records before, which said humans loved doing this, even giving it a professional term: 'flexing.'
Seeing that the top three had quieted down, the system immediately continued the announcement!
【Item two of the meeting! Announcing the distribution of rewards for this monster challenge!】
【All players who completed the Casual difficulty challenge will receive: Wood Supply Crate x1. Ranked by shortest battle time, the top ten will receive an additional reward: Normal Heating Stove x1!】
A heating stove?
Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed this was the key to surviving the Extreme Cold.
【All players who completed the Normal difficulty challenge will receive: Bronze Chest x1. This Bronze Chest is guaranteed to contain: Normal Heating Stove x1. Ranked by shortest battle time, the top ten will receive an additional reward: One day's worth of wood for the stove!】
【All players who completed the Elite difficulty challenge will receive: silver chest x1. This silver chest is guaranteed to contain: Intermediate Heating Stove x1 and one day's worth of wood. Ranked by shortest battle time, the top ten will receive an additional reward: Three days' worth of wood for the stove!】
A silver chest!
Elite difficulty gave a silver chest, so Epic difficulty should actually give a Gold Chest, right?
Cheng Shuili took a deep breath, suddenly starting to look forward to the Hell-level rewards. If Epic gave Gold, could there be a chest above Gold?
【All players who completed the Epic difficulty challenge will receive: silver chest x2. This silver chest is guaranteed to contain: Advanced Heating Stove x1 and three days' worth of wood. Ranked by shortest battle time, the top ten will receive an additional reward: Seven days' worth of wood for the stove!】
Cheng Shuili: "..."
That's a bit stingy, isn't it?
Despite her thoughts, she couldn't help but look forward to the Hell-level rewards.
Everyone pricked up their ears and held their breath, listening for the Hell-level rewards.
That was Hell difficulty!
What kind of things would it give?
【In this challenge, Angry Crow Takes Flight was the only one to complete the Hell difficulty!】
【On top of the original rewards, this system has added a new gift for this creator of incredible miracles.】
【The rewards for successful Hell difficulty completion, plus the reward for the Hell difficulty first clear, plus the reward for the Hell difficulty monster first kill, plus the hidden achievement reward for a speed-clear under ten minutes, plus a gift from this system...】
The more Cheng Shuili heard, the more excited she became. Who wouldn't be? So many rewards! Even if they were given to a penniless pauper, they could become the richest person in highway survival!
The other listeners were equally excited. Although the items weren't theirs, just thinking about being in the same sub-region as Boss Crow and getting to see what the first-place rewards actually were felt exhilarating!
People are naturally curious, and now that their curiosity had been piqued by the system, they all craned their necks, waiting for the system's announcement.
【Due to time constraints, the rewards for player Angry Crow Takes Flight will no longer be announced publicly.】
【Item three of the meeting! Closing remarks!】
Cheng Shuili: "???"
The other survivors waiting to feast their eyes and gain some knowledge: "???"
Who wants to hear this damn system read closing remarks!
Everyone cursed in unison: "Dog system!"

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