[Congratulations! Ethan's Shelter has joined the leaderboard. Current rank: 10,000th. Reward: 100 survival points. ]
Ethan was just about to explore the Shelter's features when a mechanical voice chimed in his ear.
[Shelter construction detected. Player Ethan has been noticed by destiny. Destiny card unlocked. ]
Destiny card?
He pulled up the virtual screen. Under the [Survival] tab, a new option had appeared beside [Shelter Management] .
[Destiny Card] .
He clicked it.
The screen flickered to a deep, mysterious purple. In the center floated a simple wooden box — long, weathered, ancient-looking.
Long Wooden Box
A subtitle materialized beneath it:
— "All of destiny's gifts come with a price. Hidden. Waiting."
The words dissolved after three seconds, replaced by three options.
[Choose one of the three destiny's boons below as a gift from destiny] :
[Shabby Dining Table]
Function: Obtain a free breakfast every day (includes one glass of milk and one piece of bread). Low chance of spawning additional food items available for purchase with survival points.
[Worn Newspaper Rack]
Function: Obtain a free newspaper every day containing potential intelligence. Low chance of spawning additional information items available for purchase with survival points.
[Shabby Wooden Table]
Function: Obtain a free random item every day (medicine, energy, construction materials, electronics, tools...). Low chance of spawning additional items available for purchase with survival points.
[Warm Tip: After choosing your boon, a destiny card will be drawn — the price you pay. Choose carefully. ]
Ethan's pulse quickened.
All three. I want all three.
But that wasn't how this worked.
The dining table was safe. Food kept you alive. Basic, reliable, boring.
The wooden table was tempting — random items could mean anything. Medicine, tools, maybe even weapons.
But the newspaper rack...
Intelligence.
In a world where everyone was flying blind, information was power. Power meant survival. Maybe more.
His finger hovered over the screen.
Food keeps you alive today. Intelligence keeps you alive tomorrow.
He tapped [Worn Newspaper Rack] .
[The Worn Newspaper Rack has been placed in your Shelter. Please check it in person!]
The long wooden box on screen began to tremble. Three seconds passed. The shaking stopped.
An earthy yellow card materialized — rectangular, covered in strange symbols that seemed to shift when he wasn't looking directly at them.
[Current Destiny Card — Slaughter]
['Rock Grade' Slaughter Card]
Requirement: The player must kill one human within two days. Failure results in player death.
(Warm Tip: "Human" doesn't necessarily mean enemy... right?)
Ethan's blood ran cold.
There it is. The price.
He stared at the card, reading the words again. And again. Hoping they'd change.
They didn't.
Kill one human. Two days. Or I die.
The warm tip flashed mockingly on the screen.
"Doesn't necessarily mean enemy."
So what? Go find some innocent survivor and — what?
He shook his head, forcing the panic down. Panic got you killed. Thinking kept you alive.
Two days. That's... that's enough time. Maybe.
He pushed open the wooden door to his Shelter.
The space was bigger than he'd expected — maybe sixty square meters. Empty, bare, cold. Brick walls curved overhead. Dust covered everything.
Except one thing.
In the corner stood an old-fashioned newspaper rack. Three tiers. Wooden. Worn.
And on the top tier, a folded newspaper waited.
Ethan crossed the room, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. He picked up the paper.
Most of it was blurry — ink smudged, text unreadable. But two sections were clear. Legible.
He read.
Green Forest City Daily
Date: Wasteland Calendar — Day 1
Weather: Sunny turning cloudy. Light acid rain expected at 23:50, lasting approximately 30 minutes.
Temperature: 19°C — 26°C
Publisher: Wasteland Destiny Press
[District News Section]
Quality: Rock Grade
Danger Level: Low
*Today at 14:45, a firefight erupted at No. 48 Wutong Apartment, Firwood Street, East City District 13. The conflict escalated into a city-wide chase, resulting in eight dead and seven injured.*
Investigation reveals that Wutong Apartment served as a monitoring outpost for the Thug Prison faction in East City District 13. The outpost was destroyed in a raid by the Black Shield Police Department. All visible supplies were seized.
However.
*Trip-mine traps were placed at the entrances of Rooms 401 and 402.*
And a small cache of supplies was overlooked in Rooms 408, 503, and 506.
The apartment has been marked by local Vagrants, who plan to enter and scavenge after nightfall.
Ethan's breath caught.
Supplies. Real supplies. Close.
He checked the Shelter's management page.
[Ethan's Shelter] (Rank: 10,000th)
Owner: Ethan
Area: 60㎡
Safety Level: 0
Comfort Level: 0
Energy Level: 0
Defense Level: 0
Hygiene Level: 0
He scrolled to the [Facility Construction] options. Dozens of projects — all grayed out. Unbuildable.
He tapped a few at random.
[Rest Area — Level 1: Floor Bed]
Materials needed: Lighter ×1, Yoga Mat ×1, Old Cloth ×3
[Security — Level 1: Shabby Gate]
Materials needed: Wood ×10 units, Screwdriver ×1, Screws ×15, Hinges ×2
[Bathroom — Level 1]...
Empty. I have nothing. I AM nothing.
The clock on the virtual screen read 4:32 PM.
Two, maybe three hours until dark.
His eyes drifted back to the newspaper. To the words: "Rooms 408, 503, and 506."
"Marked by Vagrants."
"Will enter after nightfall."
He looked at the destiny card still glowing faintly on his screen.
[Slaughter]
Kill one human within two days.
"Human doesn't necessarily mean enemy."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
Vagrants aren't enemies. They're just... scavengers. Like me.
But they'll be at the apartment tonight. Looking for the same supplies I need.
And if they find me first—
He didn't finish the thought.
Two days.
Tonight, I go to Wutong Apartment.
For supplies.
And maybe...
He looked away from the card.
Maybe destiny gets what it's owed.