"Time's up. The game shop is now officially closed. The objective of this final stage is — to escape alive as the snowy icefield melts and, under the condition of being sincerely accepted, board the natives' ship."
After hearing the game judge's announcement, Zheng Haoyun felt a ripple of anxiety. This challenge was no joke — the first part made sense, but the part about being "genuinely accepted by the natives" was a real headache.
Oh well, she thought. The bridge will straighten when the boat reaches it. Thinking too much at this point was just a waste of time.
"Dear survivors, gentle reminder — this final challenge lasts one month. Those who complete the objective successfully will no longer participate in future survival games.You'll be able to stay here in peace and wait for your loved ones on Blue Star to be transported to join you."
For Zheng Haoyun, this didn't mean much. This body of hers was an orphan; the only person who had ever truly cared for her — the grandmotherly director of the orphanage — had passed away years ago.
So, she had no family to wait for, and she liked it that way — one person, one full stomach, no burdens.
After the game judge finished the explanation, Zheng Haoyun acted immediately. She used a mobility card on her ice house, stored it directly into her spatial inventory, and even swept up the fence around it.
Her backpack was large, yes, but definitely couldn't fit a whole house. Thankfully, her space was usable again — otherwise, she'd have had to abandon the home she'd worked so hard to build, and that would've really stung.
Her space truly was her saving grace.
She placed her small boat — one of the spoils of war — into an empty backpack slot for quick access. As for the inflatable electric raft from her gold treasure chest, she decided to keep it hidden for now. No need to expose a secret weapon too early.
Once everything was ready, she suddenly felt the ice underfoot start to crack — and fast, at a rate that defied reason.
Within just one minute, the once-solid ice plain had completely melted into an ocean.
Now sitting in her small boat, paddle in hand, Zheng Haoyun was still a bit dazed by the abrupt transformation. She hadn't expected it to happen so fast.
Then again, in a game world like this, nothing needed to make scientific sense.
Those survivors without boats or flotation devices were immediately plunged into the water. And in these conditions, no amount of swimming skill could save you.
Fortunately, those cases were the minority. Most survivors had either opened or purchased boats from the game shop — just like Zheng Haoyun.
As for which direction would lead her to the "natives," she had no clue. For now, she could only float on the sea and leave it to fate.
Meanwhile, the research team on Planet Toska didn't bother with a livestream this time. Their original objective had failed, and they no longer had the will to continue creating elaborate game content. Now, they just wanted to wrap up the Blue Star project and cut their losses.
Zheng Haoyun drifted on the ocean for four days before she finally spotted a ship in the distance. But her reaction was cautious — not excited.
Judging by the ship's construction, it was clearly produced by the game, which meant the other person was also a survivor.
When they finally got close enough to see each other, Zheng Haoyun caught a flash of greed in the man's eyes. Obvious: enemy.
Even before that moment, Zheng Haoyun had already drawn the high-quality katana from her pack.
"Hey there, miss. We're both survivors, right? Why don't we team up and get out of this place together?You know boats can be fused, right?"
"Oh? You know boats can be fused? Sounds like you've tried it before."
The man's expression shifted instantly — he realized he'd let something slip. Still, he didn't panic.
By now, Zheng Haoyun had paddled her boat right next to his. Under the man's confused gaze, she jumped aboard his ship, collecting her own boat as she did.
The man inwardly rejoiced: What kind of dumb woman just delivers herself to my doorstep?
His inflated confidence — driven by a string of lucky breaks — had made him forget the harsh reality of this game: anyone who had survived this long was not someone to be trifled with.
Zheng Haoyun didn't waste words. As soon as she was aboard, she raised her blade and attacked.
The man blocked with his weapon, and the two clashed fiercely on the deck, sparks flying.
Fortunately for the fight, his boat was larger than hers, giving them space to battle without being cramped.
As they exchanged blows, the man gradually realized that this seemingly delicate woman was a total badass. But by then, it was too late — he had no choice but to fight on.
Eventually, when his movements began to falter, Zheng Haoyun seized the opening and thrust her blade.
As he tried to counter in a desperate final move, she kicked his sword away and drove the blade in deeper.
One minute later, the man lay motionless on the floor, his face still frozen in disbelief.
Zheng Haoyun dragged the body over and shoved it into the ocean without a second thought.
The ship itself had taken damage during their fight — cracked and battered.
She sighed with relief: Good thing I took the initiative. Otherwise, it'd be my boat in pieces.
Right on cue, the game prompt appeared:
"Would you like to fuse the 'King of Survival's' boat with your current boat?"
Of course she accepted.
With a flash of white light, Zheng Haoyun's ship doubled in size. Best of all, a bathroom was now included.
She nearly cried tears of joy — finally, a private space to handle hygiene. The past few days had been… let's not even talk about it.
Another week of drifting passed, until at last, Zheng Haoyun saw a grand, imposing merchant ship approaching from afar.