Equipment Box

The moment Cheng Shuili's fingers touched the box, the entire cabin suddenly went dark, and the iridescent light on the surface of the container began to flow like a living thing.

【Verifying player eligibility...】

【Identity confirmed: Cheng Shuili】

【Hell-tier first clear reward unlocked. Special equipment box is opening.】

The moment the lid opened automatically, a pillar of seven-colored light shot upward, piercing through the vehicle's roof and into the night sky.

Cheng Shuili instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. When the light finally dissipated, she lowered her hand and saw a pitch-black ring lying quietly at the bottom of the box.

Quite the grand entrance.

Cheng Shuili had expected some kind of god-tier weapon that only whales in games could afford, but instead, there was only a single, pitch-black ring.

【Abyss Ring (Unique)】

【Description: A gift from Hell. The wearer gains the 'Insight' ability, which can be used three times a day to see through a monster's weaknesses. It comes with a one-cubic-meter dimensional storage space, allowing the user to store and retrieve supplies at will!】

Cheng Shuili tucked away her disappointment and carefully pinched the ring, sliding it onto her finger.

Being able to see through a monster's weaknesses—even if only three times a day—was an advantage that needed no explanation!

Greatness requires no words!

As for the space, Cheng Shuili paused.

Didn't that make this a spatial ring...?

As soon as those words flashed through her mind, the smile on Cheng Shuili's face became impossible to contain.

It was hard not to laugh. This was the kind of thing written to death in novels, TV shows, and movies, and today, she, Cheng Shuili, was seeing it with her own eyes!

The word 【Unique】 was even written in large letters after the item name.

Look at that! One of a kind!

I've really hit the jackpot today!

She was still smiling when she suddenly noticed lights flashing through the vehicle's rear window.

Cheng Shuili squinted, looking through the cross-taped windows, and could barely make out a large truck.

Cheng Shuili: "???"

I didn't mean a literal 'hit'!

Her mind went blank for a second.

Cheng Shuili instantly realized that the Highway Merge had occurred. The novice protection period had ended, so now...

Highway Merges could happen at night too?

Cheng Shuili's expression darkened. She remembered the rules the system announced at the start: do not leave a six-meter radius of the vehicle at night.

The truck wasn't that far away, but it was definitely beyond the six-meter range.

Cheng Shuili tucked the Skeleton Key and the keycard into the Abyss Ring's space, followed by her medicine. Then, she leaned against the window to observe the interior of the other vehicle carefully.

The truck seemed to have just noticed her as well, its headlights flashing as if to say hello.

The night was no different than before; layers upon layers of monsters surrounded both their vehicles. Cheng Shuili watched cautiously, confirming that the nighttime Highway Merge didn't pose an immediate threat.

The real threat would come after dawn.

Cheng Shuili lay back down on the sofa. It was already very late; it was best to get some rest early.

Before sleeping, she opened the Regional Channel again and happened to see a useful message.

【Glory Shines on Blue Star】: I have some news. The Extreme Cold might start after midnight. I'm not 100% sure, but it's 11:00 PM now. Those who aren't asleep should try to wait. Once the temperature drops at midnight, turn on your Heating Stove immediately, or you might get sick if you're frozen awake in the middle of the night.

【(˵¯͒¯͒˵)】: Big boss is such a greaaaaat person!

【Luoluo】: Thanks!

【Twenty-Four Bridges】: I have a question. Could someone please answer? Um... I forgot to participate in the monster challenge, so I didn't get a Heating Stove. I just want to ask... can I still survive?

The topic was too heavy. The Regional Channel, which had been cheering moments ago, fell silent for a beat.

【Meow】: Buddy, or sister, how long you live depends entirely on tomorrow's temperature. If it suddenly drops to minus seventy or eighty, it's game over. Not just for you—those of us without enough wood definitely won't survive either.

【One Centimeter】: Don't be so pessimistic. At least we're still alive right now.

【Deep Blue】: I always feel like the system is playing with us. It wants us dead, but it's also afraid we'll all die. Plus, tomorrow is the end of the novice protection period. Different things will definitely appear in the supply crates. There might be a slim chance of survival.

【Master Li】: Even without a Heating Stove, it didn't say you couldn't start a fire inside the vehicle, right? If there's wood in the supply crates tomorrow, you can give it a try.

【So Clear-headed】: Speaking of which, @Xu Lingqi, weren't you begging Boss Crow for a tent earlier? You must have chosen the bicycle, right? It's going to be freezing tomorrow. Do you even have a place to sleep?

【Xu Lingqi】: ...

【Xu Lingqi】: My Heating Stove says there's no place to put it. @Eternal, @Angry Crow Takes Flight, @Glory Shines on Blue Star, do you three bosses have any advice?

【Boss Hong】: Hey, buddy, why don't you sell the Heating Stove to me? I'll trade you a tent for it. It's just sitting there anyway, right? Better to sell it to me and let it be useful.

【Xu Lingqi】: Get lost! If I sell it to you, am I supposed to just wait for death?

【Little Red Flower】: Brother Xu, if you really have no other choice, could you give all your supplies to me? I will remember you forever and ever~!

This was a voice message that the system had automatically transcribed into text.

Cheng Shuili paused before clicking to listen. It was a very sweet and delicate female voice. Had she just exposed her gender like that?

And her words were incredibly spiteful.

【Xu Lingqi】: I'll * your , you stinking **, you fcking dare curse me? I really want to ** you, you ****, you big **!

【Strolling】: Hey now, the little sister didn't really say anything wrong, did she? With those few supplies of yours, what are you going to do with them after you're dead? What's wrong with leaving some hope for the living? Why so petty?

【Blade Blade Blade】: Everyone f*cking shut up! @Little Red Flower, sister, send me a photo and I'll give you supplies!

【Soy Milk】: The guy above is way too creepy.

【Banban】: Speaking of which, it looks like Boss Eternal is gone. I just saw his avatar turn dark.

【Curry】: Holy crap, he really is gone!

【Waterfall】: I'm a friend of Eternal. He told me this afternoon he was going to challenge the Hell difficulty. He must have failed.

【Reeds】: So even the big bosses can die.

It was as if everyone had suddenly woken up from a dream; the atmosphere froze right there.

Cheng Shuili didn't have many thoughts on the matter; after all, many people had already died. During the last dungeon, the count for this sub-region was 8,213 people. Now, only 6,580 remained.

The numbers were dropping fast.

There was no difference between a boss and an ordinary person; even a boss needed self-awareness.

Cheng Shuili asked herself: if she hadn't encountered the BUG, she probably would have only chosen the Elite-tier monsters.

Being steady was what mattered most. She might have regrets, but she had to be alive to feel them.

Cheng Shuili looked back at the current time. Midnight had arrived.

She originally wanted to open the door to test the outside temperature, but as soon as she reached the entrance, she noticed that frost had already condensed on the windows.

Without further delay, Cheng Shuili tossed the entire seven-day supply of wood into the Heating Stove.