Chapter 25

A shimmering, transparent panel appeared in front of Su Han, displaying,
Name: Su Han (real-name verified)
Level: 2 (EXP 15/30)
Class: Nutritionist (Mid-level innate skill, EXP 15/30)
Satiety: 220/220
Cleanliness: 220/220
Stamina: 220/220
Then, the mechanical voice added, “System processing, please stand by.”
After about half a minute, the voice continued, “You have received 20 (survival days) * 5 = 100 points.”
“You have obtained an extra reward. Choose any two items from the options below.”
“A. EXP +5.”
“B. Receive a deluxe gift pack: mineral water x10, meat floss cream bun x10, soap x10, bandages x5.”
“C. Max satiety, cleanliness, and stamina +20 each.”
Su Han lacked for nothing in supplies. After this last round, she was clearer than ever, stat boosts were the real key. She didn’t hesitate: A and C, done.
Instantly, the contents on the translucent panel changed to,
Name: Su Han (real-name verified)
Level: 2 (EXP 20/30)
Class: Nutritionist (Mid-level innate skill, EXP 20/30)
Satiety: 240/240
Cleanliness: 240/240
Stamina: 240/240
Points: 100
Selection complete, the mechanical voice declared, “You have successfully advanced. Please report for the third round at 8 AM sharp tomorrow.”
With that, she was logged out of the game, and her VR capsule gradually slid open.
Su Han climbed out of the pod and instinctively pulled up the game forum, eager to see what had happened to everyone else.
The whole place was awash in wails and complaints.
“This game sucks! Signed up for volunteer work, then got run over by a damn car and died from not having medical supplies… Nobody would ever believe someone could be this unlucky!”
“Got swept up by a tornado because I didn’t eat enough. I’m too dead inside to complain.”
“I stockpiled food and water, but forgot warm clothes. On day 13, hypothermia forced me to bail, can anyone top my misery?”
“LOL! Was at my limit when I suddenly leveled up, all stats back to full, miracle save!”
“After the tornado, if your clearing progress is under 35%, you trigger a mid-tier debuff: island ecosystem collapse, everyone on the island loses 40 stamina per day. Guess we’re laughing through the pain now (I’m not crying, I’m NOT, oh no, here we go, WAH). If that debuff wasn’t so overpowered, I’d have had a shot at clearing this instance!”
“Burned through my last reserves to clear the round, and my extra reward was a personal inventory! I’m crying, guys. I finally have my portable storage, true player status unlocked!”
“Can’t tell the difference between NPCs and players, so I got fooled over and over again like an idiot.”
“Managed to hang on till day 19, thought I was safe, full stats restored. Wake up on day 20: mid-tier debuff minus 40 stamina, disease debuff minus 60, instantly KO’d. I literally had meds in my inventory! Laziness cost me my life, instant elimination, no chance to react… Hahahahahahaha. This person has officially lost it, please ignore.”
Su Han scrolled through the posts, every unlucky player had their own brand of disaster. When it came to bizarre deaths, reality always found a way.
Reaching the last thread, Su Han tensed. A quiet mental note: “Stamina must always stay above 75%. God knows what’ll happen next.” Any surprise could steal her away before she even realized it.
The one bright side? After last time, the helpful “saints” who loved public sharing had gone totally silent. Everyone who survived chose, without discussion, to keep their secrets locked up tight.
She kept refreshing, new posts flooded in.
“Fifty-two million players entered round two. Only 15.7 million advanced. That’s nearly a seventy percent elimination rate! This game just keeps getting harder.”
“According to the stats, 824 players actually cleared the instance. Are these people even human? Did they all go through some elite survival bootcamp?”
“Desperate to see the big shots’ clear videos. I’m literally on my knees waiting for uploads.”
“If your environment was dirty, cleanliness would plummet. And if you did anything heavy-duty, your satiety dropped like a rock.”
“No personal inventory, no human rights, how are we supposed to survive this game??”
Someone else claimed, “Guys, I’ve found a bombshell bug in the system! I swear, this will let me breeze through the third round and become a certified big shot. Wait for me to bring you good news tomorrow!”
The replies came in a tidal wave, some supportive, some full of shade, and plenty of jokes.
“It’s over. Thread starter has officially lost his mind. Bro, don’t forget your meds!”
“So you’re coming back with good news tomorrow, which means tonight you’ll be dreaming you’re a big shot? Good luck, OP, we believe in you.”
“OP, you’ve got my curiosity. I’m locking in for tomorrow’s big reveal.”
“Just a reminder: cheaters get banned… OP, be careful out there. If you get any deliveries, food, or door-to-door visits, don’t open up for anyone right now.”
The threads were packed full of playful banter and friendly mockery, it was chaos, but the vibe was cheerful and warm.
“Some bombshell secret, huh…” Su Han murmured the words, half laughing. But curiosity burned inside her, what was it? Not that she’d be dumb enough to post her own tricks, and she doubted anyone else would either. Even if the original poster showed up again, it’d probably be just a vague “made it” or “didn’t make it”, never the real details.
After scrolling through a few more threads, and watching the mood spiral into full-blown whining and venting, Su Han closed the "Infinite Survival Game" forum and hopped over to the survivalist forum instead.
Wherever hardcore preppers gathered, the vibe was something else entirely: sharp, bright, almost refreshing compared to the other place.
Someone posted smugly, “Even during peacetime, I hoard supplies like crazy. A little fog? Please, nothing’s going to shake my urge to stock up!”
Someone else chimed in, “Cash never made anybody feel as safe as a mountain of canned goods! I pay my rent, and every cent left goes straight to my stash.”
Another user gleefully announced, “This is the first time in my life I’ve seen super dense fog and massive tornadoes, how wild is that?! I do regret not stockpiling winter gear, had to exit the dungeon early. Would’ve loved to try that floating-on-water challenge myself.”
And of course, one guy boasted, “Fog, tornadoes, blizzards, hail, storms, floods, I’ve survived all of that in the real world. This game? Piece of cake. I’ll clear the round without breaking a sweat.”
Su Han glanced from the survivalist forum to the Infinite Survival Game forum and, sincerely, it felt like these people lived in two different universes.
On the third day, Su Han got up early, finished her errands, and settled into her game pod a whole ten minutes ahead of schedule.
At exactly 8:00 AM, players logged in right on time.
The world spun, and Su Han found herself shrouded in thick fog.
Next second, the robotic voice intoned, “Welcome to the ‘Infinite Survival Game.’ You currently have 100 points. Would you like to shop in the game store?”
Without hesitation, Su Han chose “Yes.”
The shop menu popped up and, by now, she could navigate it with her eyes closed.
Honestly, Su Han had bought plenty of supplies back in Round Two and nabbed some of Cai Sheng’s leftover stash as well, so her portable inventory was stacked. She barely needed to resupply.
So after dropping some points on medicine, she blew the rest on weapons. By the time she was done, her haul included a Tang sword, a one-meter wooden staff, a Desert Eagle and twenty bullets, she even lucked out nabbing the gun before it sold out. Su Han figured, “Okay, maybe I can’t aim for squat, but just stick the gun right in someone’s face! There’s no way I’d miss at that range.”
Current stash: 100 bars of soap, 100 bottles of mineral water, 100 meat floss cream buns, 69 bags of steel ball bearings, one folded boat-blanket combo, a food crate (ramen, candy, chocolate, cookies, black bread, milk, mineral water, you name it), a toiletries crate (soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, all jumbled together), a medical box (10 rolls of bandages, 10 packs of antibiotics, 10 tubes of ointment, 10 tins of medicated balm), a tool box (1 backpack, 2 slingshots, 1 fishing rod, loose steel balls, 4 candles, 5 lighters, a magnesium rod, a flint, a Tang sword, a wooden staff, a Desert Eagle, 20 bullets, a dagger, some miscellaneous jewelry), and a winter supplies crate (comforters, snow boots, thermal pants, down jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, alpaca blankets).
Su Han wasn’t about to waste a single second. As soon as she finished shopping, she exited the menu.
The system prompted, “Preparations complete. Enter the game now?”
Su Han hit “Yes” without a hint of hesitation.
A flash of white, and Su Han was officially in Round Three.
Upon entering the instance, the system began its spiel: “This round takes place on the open sea, a shipwreck survival scenario. Struggle with everything you’ve got to stay alive.”
“Note 1: Survive for ten days to fulfill the clear conditions. You may exit the instance at any time after the tenth day.”
“Note 2: If your stamina hits zero and your character dies, you are out of the tournament.”
“Note 3: The longer you survive, the better your rewards.”
“Note 4: Complete the Extreme Challenge, lasting fifteen days in this instance, and you’ll earn bonus prizes. Once the fifteenth day ends, all survivors are automatically teleported out.”
“Note 5: The C23 Cruise Ship (your current server) contains 800 players and 200 NPC residents.”
“Note 6: Shipboard disaster will officially commence today at 9:00 AM.”
“Note 7: You reside in cabin 201 and have your own key.”
Su Han: “…”
She was rich, insanely rich, in fact. This was the wealthiest she’d ever been in-game! Yet just listening to the intro, she already had a sinking feeling: money probably wasn’t going to do her any good this round.
Su Han took in her surroundings and realized she was on a luxury cruise ship, the over-the-top kind with free entertainment and a 24-hour buffet. With nothing better to do, she decided to explore.
There was a library, a chess room, a casino, a whole menu of amusements, but after wandering around for ages, Su Han couldn’t seem to find a single store to actually spend money at. In the end, she settled for gorging herself at the buffet first.
Dishes streamed steadily onto her table.
Su Han picked up a little square of tiramisu cake for a taste and found it surprisingly good. Then she grabbed two sticks of lamb kebabs, three skewers of grilled wings, and three of grilled tofu, and cozied up in a corner for a proper feast.
As time went by, the restaurant filled up. Some people’s faces barely hid their panic, while others were completely chill, enjoying the food like this was just another luxury vacation.
Su Han surveyed the crowd with concealed interest, zeroing in on every anxious face in the place.