Chapter 286: Highway Survival 18

Perry Yates sensed the aura of a card. ’She hadn’t expected it to be another player.’

A small Any Door appeared before her. The next second, Grace Chase’s arm shot through it. While it didn’t harm Perry Yates, Grace Chase herself was now completely exposed.

Then, the Any Door snapped shut, severing Grace Chase’s arm.

Seeing this from the passenger seat, and before Perry could even react, Little Tiger raised its paw and swatted fiercely at Grace Chase. The immense force sent her flying, preventing any blood from dripping inside the car.

With the trouble dealt with, Perry Yates continued on her way.

The morning had been sunny, but by afternoon, a gale had begun to blow.

Watching the wind pick up, Perry thought, ’My old car would’ve been blown away by this.’ Fortunately, her current vehicle was much heavier and had already been upgraded.

Even so, Perry Yates took out some barrels of water and stacked them inside to add more weight to the car.

Perry pulled over to the side of the road, took out a portable bathtub, filled it with hot water, and enjoyed a comfortable bath.

Refreshed after her bath, she changed her clothes and began to eat. After all, if tonight was like any other, the shadows would appear again.

Perry Yates took out a calendar. It was a thirty-day calendar. She used a marker to black out the number for day twenty-two.

"Master, why are you coloring the number black?" Little Panda asked in confusion.

"When I’ve colored in all the numbers, we’ll be able to go home," Perry Yates said.

"Go home? Isn’t this our home?"

To the little dolls who had known only this world since their creation, the car was home. Even though it was dangerous, they thought this was just what life was like—full of peril.

But since they had delicious candy to eat every day, they didn’t find this life too difficult.

"This isn’t my home. My home is a very peaceful place. You’ll find out when you come back with me."

Perry Yates didn’t elaborate. The little dolls would understand once they experienced it for themselves.

After opening today’s treasure box, Perry Yates opened the chat channel and saw she had a private message.

Perry Yates assumed the message was from Vera Vance, telling her the doll was ready. But when she opened it, she saw it wasn’t from Vera Vance, but from someone who wasn’t exactly a stranger, but not quite an acquaintance either.

It was the first person she had met in this game. ’What was her name again? I can’t remember.’

’Oh, right. I almost forgot. This person has been lurking in our player group chat all this time. Why is she suddenly messaging me now?’

"Need something?"

On the other end, Anna Kane had been staring at her screen. When Perry Yates’s reply came in, she immediately typed back, "You finally answered. I know your secret."

She got straight to the point.

Perry blinked innocently upon seeing the message. "And?"

"If I’m not mistaken, you’re not a native of this world either."

’We’re all travelers here, so there’s no point in judging.’

"You’re different from us. You’ve only come to this world temporarily and will be able to go back soon."

"And? What are you trying to say?"

"If you just wanted to tell me you know who we are, then you’re done. I’m busy. I don’t have time for this."

The person on the other end went silent for a moment before replying, "Perhaps my attitude gave you the wrong impression. I apologize. I mean no harm. I just wanted to ask... when you leave, can you take me with you? In return, I can tell you a secret."

Seeing the word "secret," Perry’s curiosity was piqued.

’She had met many players on her journey, but this person felt different from all the others. There was a sense of being the only sober one in a world of drunkards.’

"What secret?"

"You have to promise me first."

"Sorry, we didn’t choose to come here either."

The implication being that she couldn’t take anyone with her.

’If she won’t tell me, then forget it.’

This time, the person on the other end was silent for even longer.

"To you, what is this world? And what are we?"

Perry frowned. ’Isn’t she in the group chat? She should already know the answer, so why is she asking?’

Still, she replied, "To us, this world is a survival game. Only the winners get to live. As for you... you’re the NPCs in the game."

It was a cruel thing to say, but it was the honest truth.

"I understand."

After that one last, cryptic message, the other person went silent.

’Wait, you understand? What is it that you understand?!’

Perry stewed on it for a moment before pushing the matter to the back of her mind.

「Meanwhile, on the other side.」

Anna Kane sat in her car, staring at the chat window. She couldn’t seem to snap out of her daze.

"So I’m just an NPC."

She had thought that being reborn would allow her to escape this game.

Then, as if a thought struck her, Anna Kane’s vacant gaze suddenly hardened with determination.

No, she couldn’t give up. She refused to repeat her last life, spending a lifetime on the move only to be cast aside by this world again at the age of sixty, or to complete her ’evolution’ and fuse with it entirely.

Neither of those outcomes was what she wanted.

’It seems there’s only one way left.’

She then looked at her pets, calling them to her side. "In a little bit," she said, "I’m going to send you to someone else. But it’s only temporary. I’ll be reunited with you before long. So, while you’re with that person, you must be on your best behavior. Don’t be willful, and don’t cause any trouble. Do you hear me?"

Anna Kane rarely used such a serious tone, so all of her pets nodded earnestly.

After speaking, Anna Kane looked at her pets. For the first time, she regretted hatching them so early, wondering if that person would even be willing to take care of them.

She had seven pets in total: two turtles, two goldfish, one White Tiger, one Pyralis, and one Sylvaris.

All of them had been her companions who stayed with her until the very end, which was why she had hatched them again immediately after her rebirth.

She just never expected to encounter such a variable in this new life. ’Or maybe it isn’t a variable,’ she mused. ’Perhaps these people came in my past life, too, and I just never noticed.’