Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Supplies
An hour later, Long Ming trudged forward step by step. The fall hadn’t looked far, but he still hadn’t found the object. He began to doubt his course.
Even so, he kept going. There was no turning back now.
He climbed the dune in front of him and finally saw a huge impact crater. Lying in the pit was an oval mechanical pod.
He took a deep breath and stepped down into the crater.
The pod’s material and workmanship were far beyond anything in this world. It did not belong here.
He raised his Wristband to scan it. A prompt flickered up: “Notice: Supply Pod found. Open?”
Joy flickered across his face. A Supply Pod was perfect. If there was food and water inside, that would be a lifesaver. He tapped confirm and said, “Yes.”
With a click, the Supply Pod split open to reveal a 1.5-meter-long weapon case and two metal boxes.
He opened the weapon case. Inside lay a brand-new M24 Sniper Rifle with its attachments. The black matte metal gleamed with a cold, high-end look.
He breathed in deeply and lifted the M24 Sniper Rifle.
The Wristband flashed more data:
“M24 Sniper Rifle
Durability: 100/100
Details: caliber 7.62 mm; overall length 1092 mm; empty weight 5.49 kg; magazine capacity 5 rounds; effective range 800 m.”
He read the stats, then set the rifle back into the case. [If I can bring this out, that will be huge.]
Next he opened one of the small boxes. Inside lay a cylindrical injection.
“Perception Serum
Effect: boosts all five senses for half an hour after use.”
He nodded once, then opened the second box. Inside was a finely made invitation card.
Disappointment pricked him. It was basically a “civilization scroll,” not supplies.
He pulled his gaze away and checked the time. Only 1 hour and 7 minutes remained.
The nearest Extraction Point was about 5.2 kilometers from here. On a normal day, no problem. But he was hungry, exhausted, and thirsty. That distance felt brutal now.
He made a hard call and began shedding weight. He threw away his single-shot rifle and the iron chain in his pack. He didn’t like doing it, but right now cutting weight mattered most.
[If I can’t live to extract, even the best loot means nothing.]
He slung the M24 on his back, packed the Perception Serum, the invitation, and the attachments, and turned toward the Extraction Point.
An hour later, he didn’t know how far he had gone. His pace kept slowing. His legs felt like they were filled with lead. Every step took everything he had.
The sun hammered down, greedily drawing out every last drop of moisture from his body.
His whole body no longer felt like his. His thoughts blurred.
Red Tier warnings kept flashing across the Wristband display:
“Warning: You have been online for over 23 hours 53 minutes!”
“Warning: Body at limit.”
His body started to sway. Then he fell hard onto the sand. Panting, he lifted his head.
A mechanical platform sat not far away, but he was done. No matter how strong his will was, he couldn’t stand.
Even so, he refused to quit. He clenched his teeth and crawled toward the platform, inch by inch.
When only five minutes remained before the twenty-four-hour limit, he hit his wall. He lay flat and couldn’t move.
One second, two, three…
When the timer dropped to the last thirty seconds, his hand suddenly slapped against the platform’s edge. He forced his head up.
The indicator light on the platform was green.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Using the last of his strength, he pulled himself onto the mechanical platform and stared up at the blue sky.
The intricate lines on the underside of the platform lit with a soft glow.
A low hum rose.
His Wristband vibrated, and a prompt appeared: “Evacuate?”
Relief rippled through him. He had won his bet.
Hands shaking, he tapped “Evacuate.”
The platform activated with a deeper hum. His body lifted slowly into the air.
A weight he hadn’t even noticed fell away all at once. He drifted upward, relaxed and light, and finally turned into a beam of white light that shot into the sky.
…
In a dim bedroom, Long Ming snapped awake and then burst into a fit of coughing: “Cough, cough!”
He pulled off his helmet.
A heavy wave of exhaustion crashed over him. His spirit felt drained. His vision swam.
It was like barely surviving drowning.
Even so, he forced himself out of bed, staggered to the table, took a pull of cough syrup, then twisted open the immune-pill bottle and swallowed two tablets.
After that he went back to bed, closed his eyes, and fell into deep sleep.
…
He didn’t know how long he slept. Half-awake, he opened his eyes and slowly sat up.
He shook his head. It felt heavy, but at least he was back.
Right then his stomach made a protesting sound: grrrr.
He felt hollowed out, tired and hungry. He glanced at the window. It was still dark outside.
He checked his phone and blinked. It was 20:14. He had slept for many hours and hadn’t eaten or drunk for almost two full days.
He hurried to the kitchen and opened the fridge to find something to eat.
The shelves were bare.
Sighing, he shut the door, pulled on a coat and shoes, and hurried out.
…
At a 24-hour convenience store, the door chime rang: ding-dong.
“Welcome,” said the clerk.
Behind the counter, a middle-aged man in a gray shirt looked up at the sound and glanced at the door. Seeing who it was, he smiled and greeted him: “Long Ming, long time no see.”
“Yeah,” Long Ming answered as he walked toward the snack aisle, “I’ve been busy lately.”
He grabbed five packs of bagged instant noodles and one pack of sausages. He eyed the cup noodles for a second, then looked away. [Too expensive.]
Carrying his items to the checkout, he nodded to the clerk and said, “Ring me up.”
“It comes to 21. But you’re a regular, so make it 20,” said Boss Tang Ke.
“Thanks,” said Long Ming.
Boss Tang Ke hesitated, then added with concern: “I’m not trying to nag you, but your health isn’t great. Don’t eat this stuff all the time.”
“I know,” said Long Ming.
He paid with his phone, picked up the bag, and left quietly.
Watching him go, Tang Ke shook his head with a soft sigh: “Such a good kid. What a pity.”