Chapter Sixteen: Asking for a Battery

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[Player Liang Yi, proceed with caution!]

Unfortunately, the game assistant’s warning came too late; Liang Yi’s hand had already touched the flower.

The petals of the flower swiftly closed in, enclosing her fingers inside.

Immediately, a sharp, burning pain followed.

“Ah!”

Liang Yi gasped sharply and hurriedly recoiled.

The flower’s bite was so fierce that she could feel its “teeth” deeply embedded in her skin, causing a sting.

Frowning, Liang Yi tugged hard and uprooted the entire plant.

As the stem left the soil, the once-vibrant green leaves and bright petals quickly withered and shriveled.

The tightly wrapped flower bud, seemingly losing its support, loosened instantly and fell away—something that had been difficult to pull off moments before.

On Liang Yi’s hand, a clear ring of bite marks remained, unmistakably proving she had just been bitten by a flower.

Staring at the marks, the first thought that flashed through her mind was the legendary man-eating plant.

Many films and novels describe such plants.

The man-eating plant is a mysterious tropical forest species said to prey on small animals and even humans.

Although Liang Yi had always been skeptical of such tales, the bite marks on her fingers forced her to reconsider the legend.

Yet, in her memory, man-eating plants were trumpet-shaped and enormous—entirely unlike the small flower before her.

What on earth was going on? Confusion and doubt filled her heart.

[Player Liang Yi, your guess wasn’t far off!]

[This isn’t a man-eating plant but one of the most inconspicuous flowers in the game, with little harm.]

“Just little harm!”

Liang Yi twitched at the corner of her mouth, looking at her fingers. The flower not only had teeth but probably secreted something corrosive like sulfuric acid. Her fingers had already blackened.

If she encountered a flower that wasn’t “just little harm,” she might lose not only her fingers but perhaps even more.

Over the past day, Liang Yi hadn’t crafted any disinfectants like alcohol, so her wound was exposed to the air.

Afterward, she drove away from the dangerous area.

The vehicle’s remaining mileage was only ten kilometers.

As for the time, it was just past noon.

Liang Yi couldn’t help but frown; this electric tricycle was utterly useless.

[Game assistant, do you have anything to upgrade the vehicle or to replace it?]

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If the tricycle didn’t improve, it would only become a burden.

[Yes, we do!]

[From level two treasure chests onward, you can acquire vehicle repair cards of various grades.]

[Level one repair cards restore the vehicle’s damage to 90%.]

[Level two repair cards restore damage to 95%.]

[Level three repair cards not only fully repair the vehicle to 100% but can also add new functions.]

[Additionally, the game offers vehicle upgrade cards to enhance various features, allowing for larger and taller vehicles.]

…

The game assistant rambled on at length.

[Once you choose a vehicle at the start, there’s no chance to swap it except by stealing from other players.]

…

While the assistant spoke, Liang Yi continued driving.

Suddenly, she spotted a green box by the roadside.

Screech—

Liang Yi gripped the brakes tightly; the force caused the vehicle to skid sharply on the ground, emitting a piercing screech.

She hurriedly jumped off, too rushed to even remove the key, and dashed toward the treasure chest.

Reaching the box, she slowly crouched, heart pounding with anticipation.

She cautiously pressed the button on the chest, hoping for a surprise inside.

But reality was cruel.

The chest creaked open, revealing no useful supplies, only a thick, ominous black mist.

An ill omen surged in Liang Yi’s heart. She immediately realized this level three chest might be one of the 40% empty boxes.

Worse yet, the chest concealed a dangerous creature.

Her body trembled violently, and without hesitation, she tried to back away to keep a safe distance.

However, just as she took a half-step back, a buzzing sound suddenly filled her ears.

Liang Yi stumbled over a stone and fell heavily to the ground.

From the open chest, a swarm of bees flew out, their wings buzzing loudly.

They hovered in the air, circling as they searched for a target.

Fortunately, the bees seemed unaware of Liang Yi. After a few rounds, they flew off in another direction.

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At the moment of their emergence, Liang Yi had covered her face, already imagining the aftermath of being stung.

Two minutes passed, and finding no pain on her body, she cautiously lifted her head and glanced around. After confirming the bees were gone, she exhaled deeply.

“Looks like the monsters in these chests aren’t as dangerous as other players claimed.”

Liang Yi dusted herself off and stood up, offering this assessment.

[That’s because you were lucky enough to avoid the bee attack in time.]

[Some players don’t dodge when they see the black mist inside the chest and get attacked by the creature.]

[Besides, bees are the least lethal creatures to emerge from these chests.]

The game assistant wasn’t pleased with Liang Yi’s dismissive attitude toward the game’s design.

It also wondered if Liang Yi’s luck was too good—she hadn’t faced many dangers so far.

But then, considering she had opened only a few chests, it felt her luck was actually poor.

Indeed, every gain comes with loss.

Liang Yi knew well what could appear inside the treasure chests.

Her comment was just for face—being scared so easily by a few bees was embarrassing.

Looking around at the empty surroundings and the tricycle’s battery level, Liang Yi decided to rest here until the battery recharged sufficiently.

After checking the area for dangerous creatures, she leaned on the tricycle, opened the game interface, and clicked the [Trade] tab, then the [Order Information] in the upper right corner.

She checked her trade orders for the tricycle battery; very few players had contacted her.

And those who did were also seeking batteries.

Liang Yi returned to the main screen and posted several new trade orders in quick succession.

[Player 2010 initiates trade: Anyone has battery blueprints? Price negotiable.]

[Player 2010 initiates trade: Anyone has electrolyte? Price negotiable.]

Soon after, many players began leaving comments below.

[Player 123: Who has batteries? I want one too.]

[Player 3568: Hehe, luckily I was smart and abandoned electric devices early on, anticipating power risks. I chose my current tools (just tiring on the legs, no other issues).]

[Player 26952: I want gasoline. Has anyone found any? I’m willing to trade.]