◎Bequeathing Legacy◎
【Map: Icy Snowfield | Game Day: 4 | Weather: Rain/Snow | Temperature: -5℃ (Winter) | Time: 0:00 AM】
As soon as midnight passed, the game entered Day 4. The temperature plummeted to -5℃, and fierce winds howled outside. Yan Lan was kept awake by the wailing gusts for the first time, she couldn’t fall asleep.
Annoyed, she threw off the blanket covering her head and opened the game panel. To her surprise, quite a few players were still active in the regional channel.
Player 1: “Can’t sleep because of the cold. Anyone want to chat?”
Player 2: “Used up my last piece of charcoal. I’m cold too. What do you want to talk about, buddy?”
Player 1: “There are 9,890 of us left in our zone. Ten more people passed away tonight.”
Seeing the death toll again, Yan Lan no longer felt as sorrowful as she had at the very beginning.
Player 2: “Yeah, when will this damn weather ever end?”
Player 1: “Hang in there! Just 11 more days, and we’ll change maps.”
Player 2: “So what if we change maps? It’ll just be another hell. I’m so sick of this life!”
Player 1: “Look on the bright side. A bad life is still better than death.”
Player 2: “That’s easy to say, but living like this is really meaningless. Sometimes I think I might as well just die.”
Just then, a girl named Luo Wen jumped into the conversation. Her words made Yan Lan’s spirits jolt.
Luo Wen: “I want to die too, but before I die, I can’t bear to part with the supplies I’ve worked so hard to save. Does anyone want to inherit my legacy? One pot, a dozen or so materials, two loaves of bread, and one bottle of water. It’s not much, but it could still help someone.”
Player 2: “Are you serious? Don’t do something rash! A bad life is still better than death!”
Player 1: “Pfft, you were just saying the same thing a moment ago.”
Player 2 snapped: “Go to hell! Can’t you see she’s actually thinking of ending it?”
Player 2: “Miss, tell us what’s wrong. We can all chip in and help you out. Don’t joke around with your life!”
Player 1: “Yeah, life is precious… uh… something-something is most valuable.”
Player 2: “Illiterate. ‘Love is most valuable’, and no, that’s not exactly how you encourage someone to cherish their life!”
Luo Wen: “Everyone, stop trying to talk me out of it. I really want to die. Living is just too painful. I want release! Asking again, does anyone want my legacy?”
Just then, another player, Player 3, jumped in: “I… I want it.”
Player 2: “Get lost, you jerk! If you dare take it, I’ll harass you online every single day!”
Seeing the situation turning bad, Yan Lan immediately found Luo Wen and sent her a friend request.
There’s a popular online question: If someone is about to die, and you can save them so they live, but they might suffer greatly afterward, do you save them or not?
In the past, Yan Lan had felt that you shouldn’t save them. They have the right to choose, why interfere with their decision and make them continue suffering?
But when faced with the real thing, her subconscious still wanted to reach out and pull them back.
She sent the friend request and stared intently at the screen.
One second, two seconds, three seconds. Half a minute later, Luo Wen finally accepted. “Do you want my legacy? But it seems like you’re not lacking anything.”
As a celebrity in Zone H-38, Yan Lan found herself resenting her status for the first time. It was too conspicuous, everything she did was watched.
She sent Luo Wen a visitor invitation along with a message: “I don’t want your legacy, and I’m not here to persuade you. I’m just inviting you to stay for the night. If you still feel the same way tomorrow, I won’t stop you.”
There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, Luo Wen accepted the invitation.
Yan Lan, who had been waiting by the door, immediately ushered Luo Wen inside as soon as she was teleported over.
Luo Wen was soaking wet. She kept her head down and fidgeted with her fingers, at a loss.
The RV had the heater set to a constant 28°C, it was so clean and warm. She was afraid she might dirty the place.
Yan Lan handed her a towel and a new set of pajamas, then guided her to the bathroom door. “Go take a hot shower!”
Then she pointed to the already-made sofa bed. “You can rest here afterward.”
This was the second real person Yan Lan had met since entering the game. Compared to Shi Yuanyuan, Luo Wen was in terrible shape.
Her thin clothes were soaked through, clinging tightly to her body. The fabric was dirty and torn in several places.
The skin on her face was cracked, as if she had been exposed to the cold wind for a long time, yet only four days had passed. Her hands were swollen to twice their normal size, every finger afflicted with frostbite. She had probably scratched them raw from the intense itching.
The sound of running water came from the shower. Yan Lan climbed up into the overhead bunk and drew the curtain.
She had reached out a hand. Whether Luo Wen could change her original fate was now up to her.
The next morning at 6:00, Yan Lan woke up on time. Her first instinct was to pull back the curtain and look at the sofa bed where Luo Wen had been.
She wasn’t there. But the blanket on the bed was folded neatly, clearly, she had already left.
Yan Lan immediately opened her friends list and found an unread message.
It was from Luo Wen, sent at 5:50 AM. It simply said: “Thank you!”
There were two ways for a visitor to leave: either automatically teleported back at the time set by the inviter, or manually returning early.
Yan Lan had set Luo Wen’s departure time for 7:00 AM. She didn’t expect her to leave earlier.
Yan Lan yawned, pulled Xueqiu, who had stuck himself to her face, off and tossed him back into the bed, then got up herself.
Even though her living conditions had improved, she couldn’t stop exercising. She put on her coat and stepped outside.
As usual, she did half an hour of horse stance training followed by half an hour of boxing.
Despite the -5°C weather, she still worked up a sweat. After finishing her workout, she returned to the RV satisfied, ready to wash up. Before doing so, she opened her personal stats panel to take a look.
【Player: Yan Lan
Age: 21 (nominal age)
Balance: 0
Strength: 52 (upgradable)
Agility: 52 (upgradable)】
Intelligence: 90 (upgradable)
Health: 80 (slightly hungry, slightly thirsty)】
After seven consecutive days of hard training, her physical fitness had improved, but only by 2 points. Still far from her ideal physique.
She sighed, then started her check-in. Today’s task was simple. She received a set of toiletries, including toothpaste and toothbrush, shampoo and body wash, as well as laundry detergent.
With a toothbrush at last, she no longer had to brush her teeth with her finger. Yan Lan happily brushed her teeth as she walked to the balcony to check on the fruit trees.
Oh my god!
She nearly spat out the foam in her mouth!
Overnight, the small buds from yesterday had all grown into heavy, ripe fruits. Golden-orange fruits hung from the branches, a beautiful sight.
One, two, three… There were actually eight fruits in total! And every single one was so big!
She almost doubled over with laughter at the sight. The pomelo tree and the apple tree had both grown to about one meter tall. The pomelo tree had produced eight fruits, and the apple tree had even bloomed a few flowers. By tomorrow, she’d have a whole basket full of fruit just from the harvest.
After her excitement subsided, she happily picked the fruits and brought them inside. From now on, she wouldn’t have to worry about her daily vitamins.
After finishing her morning routine, she began eating breakfast. The moment Xueqiu smelled the food, he shot up as if jolted back to life. After the two of them finished eating, they started the day’s work.
Xueqiu went back to driving. Yan Lan sat on the sofa, warming herself by the fire while selling charcoal.
She had fewer than 2,000 pieces of charcoal left. They sold out in less than an hour, and the wood she received in trade was immediately turned into more charcoal and sold.
Those who managed to buy felt lucky; those who didn’t could only sigh in disappointment.
Xiao Ru was one of the lucky ones. She had been extremely worried when she heard yesterday that Yan Lan was down to her last batch of charcoal. Early in the morning, she had camped out at Yan Lan’s trading hub, constantly refreshing. The moment she saw stock available, she fumbled her way in and placed an order.
Yan Lan gave priority to wood trades, but Xiao Ru had no wood. She used metal and glass to trade for two pieces of charcoal instead, one for daytime use, and one to save for the night.
Zhang Wei, however, was one of the unlucky ones. He was just a second too slow, and players with faster reflexes squeezed in ahead of him.
Outside, the temperature was -5°C, and the roads were covered in a thick layer of ice. He didn’t dare to drive, so he simply hid inside his vehicle. With little gasoline left, he didn’t dare turn on the heater either. Fortunately, the car was somewhat windproof, and the temperature inside was just a tiny bit higher than outside.
He piled on every piece of clothing he had, wrapped himself in a blanket, and curled up on the leather seat with his arms and legs tucked in. As long as he stayed still and rested, his health points decreased more slowly, that way, he could survive a few more days.
With charcoal supplies dwindling, the group chat had grown very somber. But one player seemed to be mentally unhinged, constantly spreading anxiety.
“Remaining population: 9880.”
“Remaining population: 9878. Two died in one minute!”
“How amusing! Three more just died!”
“Wow, remaining population: 9872!”
“Damn, this is thrilling! Exciting!”
“I can’t sleep. Someone find me a cute girl to chat with. I’ll pay~”
He was like a psychopath, every death excited him more. The more people died, the more satisfied he became.
Many players were already feeling mentally crushed, and his provocations only amplified their fear.
Finally, a female player couldn’t take it anymore and called him out: “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Not only did he refuse to back down, but he deliberately tried to disgust her: “Little lady, your chest is a bit flat. Let big brother rub them bigger for you~”
“You’re sick!”
“I like that familiar tone. Keep cursing at me, hehe~”
The female player seemed frightened by his deranged attitude and dared not say another word.
His words made everyone’s hair stand on end for no reason, this was definitely not something a sane person would say.
Yan Lan frowned and clicked on the player’s profile.
His name was Sha Renfan (literally “Killing Spree”). The name alone suggested he wasn’t a good person. He was in his forties, with protruding cheekbones and a dark, sallow complexion. His whole demeanor exuded a sleazy, creepy vibe.
Based on what she had learned from several criminal psychology books she had read, she suspected this person was far from ordinary in the real world as well.
She thought for a moment, then sent a message:
“How miserable must your real life be for you to seek attention online like this? Relationship problems? Unhappy at work? Or some childhood trauma? Just because you’re sick doesn’t mean you can act like a mad dog in the group. The rest of us are normal people. We don’t need to watch your psychotic performance.”
Sha Renfan: “Oh ho~ Isn’t this our zone’s celebrity, Yan Lan? What’s the matter, your [1]In internet slang, a “Mother Teresa complex” can sometimes refer to someone who inserts themselves into others’ problems out of a need to feel morally superior, rather than genuine help. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2183814_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2183814_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });Mother Teresa complex acting up? Feeling sad seeing people die? Their deaths don’t matter, it’s their blessing to add a little entertainment for me.”
Yan Lan: “The fundamental difference between humans and animals is that humans have humanity. Even animals feel sadness when they see their companions die. You, on the other hand, are worse than a beast.”
Emboldened by someone backing her up, the female player who had been scared spoke out again: “Well said. You’re worse than a pig or a dog!”
Other players also chimed in: “Exactly. You’re a heartless bastard.”
Seeing that Yan Lan was sharp-tongued and had so many players on her side, Sha Renfan couldn’t win the argument and resorted to profanity.
“Fuck you, Yan Lan!”
“You slutty bitch. If I ever run into you, you—”
【Ding! A player has used a Mute Card. Sha Renfan has been banned from the group chat.】
【Ding! A player has used a Mute Card. Sha Renfan has been banned from the group chat.】
Staring at the messages floating across the group chat interface, Yan Lan was completely dumbfounded.
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