The smell of ozone and burning rubber was the first thing Zhang Han felt. Then came the heat—a dry, oppressive bake that turned the interior of his beat-up SUV into an oven.
"Where...?"
His fingers gripped a steering wheel that felt different. It wasn't the worn leather of his old Honda. It was cold, brushed steel.
Outside the windshield, the world was gone. In its place was a literal Gray Road—an endless ribbon of asphalt stretching through a void of swirling mist and jagged red rocks.
[Welcome to the Global Road Survival Game.]
A transparent blue screen floated in his vision.
[Rule 1: Your vehicle is your life. If it breaks, you die.]
[Rule 2: Resources are hidden in crates along the road. Stop at your own risk.]
[Rule 3: Night is coming. Find shelter or drive fast.]
"A survival game?" Zhang Han's heart hammered. He looked at his dashboard. It was empty, save for a single flickering screen that looked like a dead GPS.
Suddenly, a surge of static hissed through the car's speakers. A golden light fractaled across the dashboard, overwriting the blue system screen.
[ERROR... UNAUTHORIZED OVERRIDE DETECTED...]
[Integrating "God-Tier AI: Chronos" into User Vehicle...]
[Binding... 100%.]
"Greetings, Captain," a calm, melodic voice echoed through the cabin. "I am Chronos. I have optimized your survival interface. I believe the standard 'System' was... insufficient for your talents."
Zhang Han gasped. "Chronos? You're an AI? What happened to the 'Road Survival' system?"
"I have bypassed its limitations, Captain," Chronos replied. "In this world, scarcity is the primary killer. I have implemented a permanent logic-loop in your inventory sub-routines. I call it 'The Endless Magazine.'"
The First Crate
"We can discuss physics later," Zhang Han muttered, shifting the car into gear. "Right now, I need a win."
Five hundred meters down the road, a wooden box sat alone on the asphalt. It hummed with a faint white glow.
[Common Resource Crate detected,] Chronos narrated. [Scanning... Contents: Low-grade hydration, basic nutrients, and a self-defense tool.]
Zhang Han pulled over, his boots crunching on the strange, volcanic gravel. He smashed the crate open.
2x Bottles of Mineral Water (500ml)
1x Compressed Rye Bread (200g)
1x Desert Eagle (.50 AE)
Zhang Han gripped the heavy, silver pistol. It felt lethal, but his heart sank. "A Desert Eagle? Chronos, this thing is a hand-cannon. It only holds seven rounds, and I don't see any spare boxes in the crate."
"Captain," the AI's voice sounded almost amused. "Check the magazine."
Zhang Han ejected the clip. It was full—seven rounds of shimmering .50 caliber ammunition. He slid it back in and pulled the slide. Clack-clack. [Infinite Ammo Trait: Active]
"Fire a warning shot," Chronos suggested.
Zhang Han aimed at a nearby rock and squeezed the trigger. BOOM! The recoil nearly buckled his wrist, and the rock shattered into dust. He immediately ejected the magazine again.
It was still full. Seven rounds.
He fired again. And again. And again. Ten shots in total from a seven-round clip. Every time a casing hit the ground, a new, shimmering bullet materialized inside the chamber with a soft, digital hum.
"Infinite .50 caliber rounds..." Zhang Han stared at the smoking barrel, a dark grin spreading across his face. "In a world where people are fighting over rusted pipes and crossbows, I have a cannon that never runs dry."
"Precisely," Chronos said. "The Gray Road is long, Captain. Shall we see how many monsters it takes to stop a bullet that never ends?"
Zhang Han floored the accelerator. The engine roared, and the journey began.