Reborn Into the Survival Game: This Time I Win – Tanya Saunders heard the familiar voice echo in her mind, and her survival instincts kicked in immediately. She lunged into the kitchen and grabbed a large stockpot, frantically stuffing it with dry spaghetti, eggs, and a box of salt. Scooping up a full case of bottled water from the floor, she sprinted toward the bathroom. Her fingers just brushed against a box of tampons when her vision plunged into pitch blackness. When the darkness finally faded, Tanya found herself standing on a desolate highway stretching endlessly toward the horizon. [Welcome to Highway Survival. Location: Huchary Region 88, Zone 666. Please read the game rules carefully.] [1. Each player may select one starter vehicle. Choose wisely, as this decision will dictate your survival. [2. To gather resources, you must keep driving forward. Supply crates are scattered along the highway. [3. Crates contain essential survival items but may also conceal unknown dangers. Use your head when opening them. [4. Driving in reverse or turning back is strictly prohibited.
You must meet a daily mileage quota. Each road typically hosts one player, but parallel roads will occasionally merge, allowing you to encounter others. [Remember that your fellow humans can sometimes be deadlier than monsters. [5. Obey basic traffic laws. Stop at red lights and go on green. You may choose whether to enter any service site you encounter. [6. Daytime hours run from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Drowsy driving is strictly forbidden. If your Health drops below 10 or your Fatigue exceeds 90, you will lose your driving privileges. [7. When resting at night, never step outside an 8-meter radius of your vehicle. You do not want to find out what lurks in the dark. [8. Mentally summon the game panel to view more details and select your vehicle. The first seven days serve as a beginner protection period, meaning monsters will not actively attack you. [9. Death in the game is permanent. Do not push your luck. Every risk comes with a reward. Good luck, and let your journey begin.] Tanya listened to the rules and let out a deep sigh. ‘I cannot believe I actually get a second chance at this,’ she thought to herself. She looked down at the massive pot still clutched in her arms.
‘Thank God I managed to bring this along.’ Even if her luck was terrible during these first few days, she would not completely starve. A moment later, she noticed shattered green fragments resting at the bottom of the pot. She quickly crouched down and scooped them up. ‘Wait, is this the Heart of Emerald?’ she wondered in shock. It was the ultimate reward from a brutal dungeon run in her previous life. That event had been a total bloodbath with a survival rate under ten percent. Tanya had scraped by on sheer luck and clinched first place. She had expected a massive haul of survival supplies, but the system only gave her this seemingly useless Heart of Emerald. She never figured out what it did, and her holo-screen refused to scan it. Now, remembering the blinding green light that engulfed her right before she died, it all made sense. It was a respawn token. Shaking her head, she stared back down at her makeshift supply stash. ‘Whatever, being alive is a win in itself,’ she concluded quietly. During her previous run, Tanya played as a lone wolf. It worked perfectly in the early stages. She consistently ranked in the top one hundred, avoiding traps and human drama.
Around the end of the first year, however, the system introduced factions, and her ranking plummeted. By the end of year three, the global warzone and team combat updates rolled out. Her solo playstyle became completely obsolete. Joining a guild that late in the game meant dealing with massive trust issues. She simply refused to kiss up to anyone just to survive. Facing imminent elimination, she took a desperate gamble on a seven-star dungeon no one had ever cleared. She bet everything on a chance to live, but she failed. Thankfully, the Heart of Emerald triggered and gave her a clean slate. She took a deep breath. ‘There is no way I am doing worse than last time, but changing my entire strategy is going to be brutal,’ she told herself firmly. Tanya pulled up her personal player interface. Three cartoonish vehicle icons popped onto the screen. “Please make your selection!” the system announced. Last time, she picked the off-road SUV on the far right. That was a massive mistake. It was a total junker with a busted AC and terrible gas mileage. Worse, it broke down constantly.
She wasted precious early-game food supplies trading for vehicle repair cards and fuel. Before the apocalypse, she had spent years trying to lose weight without success. The sheer starvation of that first month slimmed her down in record time. ‘I am definitely making a different choice this time,’ she resolved silently. The middle option was a massive semi-truck. That was a hard pass. It looked incredibly tough, but the fuel consumption was enough to make a player quit on the spot. The first wave of players who chose the rig thought they hit the jackpot. They soon realized it was a giant trap. They practically bankrupted themselves trying to buy diesel, and it was never enough. That left only the option on the far left. It was a blue, heavy-duty agricultural electric three-wheeler. It featured an open cab and a rugged frame, looking surprisingly reliable. Batteries were significantly easier to find than gasoline, and their trade value was dirt cheap. Once she upgraded it into a proper electric vehicle, its speed would easily rival a standard car. Her mind made up, Tanya reached out and tapped the electric three-wheeler.
Without warning, a digital Easter egg popped onto the screen and burst with a loud pop. “Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have unlocked the Title: Stubborn Mule! “As the very first player to trigger a Title, you receive a special reward!” A shimmering silver supply crate dropped from the sky and landed right in front of her. Tanya stood completely frozen. As far as she knew, silver supply crates did not even spawn until the beginner protection period ended. She had actually scored one right out of the gate. ‘Okay, so the title is a little insulting, but who cares,’ she cheered internally. Chapter 2 Hitting the Road Tanya dragged the crate to the side of the highway. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her legs to test her current physical limits. Even though this was supposed to be a reward chest, these boxes were notorious for spawning random monsters at the worst times. She had to stay alert. Once she was mentally prepared, Tanya popped the lid. Sure enough, the second the crate opened, a massive bulbous white head popped up. The creature bared its fangs and lunged at her. Her reflexes kicked in instantly. Before the monster could clear the box, she planted a swift kick squarely on its face.
The strike punted it straight into the endless darkness bordering the road. System: “Congratulations, Player Tanya! You have achieved the First Blood achievement and earned the title ‘Daredevil’. Would you like to make a server-wide announcement?” “Announce it,” Tanya replied without hesitation. “But hold on a second. I need to change my username first.” System: “Acknowledged. Please proceed to your personal stat panel.” She was a returning veteran, and she had no intention of playing the victim this time around. Sometimes, projecting absolute power was the best camouflage. She pulled up her interface, her mouth twitching in amusement. ‘My starter stats are an absolute joke,’ she thought to herself. [Player Stats: [Player: Tanya Saunders, 24 [ID: 8866620010608 [Username: Unset [Vehicle: Brand New Agricultural Electric Three-wheeler (Battery: 100%) [Health: 69 (Suffering from poor posture, carpal tunnel, and terrible lifestyle choices.) [Fatigue: 9 (Literally your only redeeming quality.) [Strength: 21 (Total weakling.) [Stamina: 26 (Do you even lift?) [Agility: 25 (Slow as molasses. Good luck escaping anything.) [Overall Combat Rating: 35 (You have technique but zero muscle. Super weird. Are you hacking?) [Inventory:
Dry Pasta x6, Eggs x20, Bottled Water (16oz) x12, Small Camping Stove x1, Silver Supply Crate. Tanya rolled her eyes. The system’s sarcasm was dialed up to eleven. It had been a long time since she had seen this level of snark. ‘Honestly, I kind of missed it,’ she realized with a smile. She tapped her screen and set her alias to Alpha Whirlwind. She made sure to hide her real name. It was the exact handle she used in her old life, and it fit perfectly. It sounded menacing and gave off heavy top-tier player vibes. Masking her identity and gender was basic survival 101 to prevent malicious players from tracking her down. The moment she hit confirm, a bold, flashing banner scrolled across the top of her vision. [Congratulations to Player Alpha Whirlwind for securing First Blood! All players, time is ticking. Get moving!] Tanya glanced at the public chat. The general population was still in a state of utter panic. “Holy shit, what is happening? Is this a prank or real life?” “The game just started! I barely picked my vehicle and someone already got a kill? You have to be kidding me!” “Alpha Whirlwind, show yourself! Give us a hint!” “This game has zero chill! I was literally in the middle of a shower. I still have shampoo in my hair.
At least let me put some pants on before dropping me in!” “Thank God I was at the grocery store. I just loaded up a shopping cart with snacks. God-tier spawn for me.” “Omg, any sugar mamas out there? I have an eight-pack! Carry me!” Tanya could not be bothered to scroll any further. She tapped her two new titles to check their attributes. [Stubborn Mule: You always choose the hardest path! More stubborn than a mule, but your thick skull pays off. Strength +5 when equipped.] [Daredevil: No matter how terrifying the monster, you simply do not care.] Players could only equip one title at a time, so Tanya immediately selected [Stubborn Mule]. She was not afraid of monsters anyway, making the courage buff useless. She equipped it and clenched her fists. A welcome surge of actual power coursed through her veins. Feeling a bit more capable, she turned her attention to the silver crate. ‘Please do not let me down,’ she hoped eagerly. [Congratulations! You have obtained: Backpack x1, All-Season Clothing Set x1, Pack of Sterile Underwear x2, Beef Jerky x8, MREs x4, Canned Chili x4, Scrap Metal x5, Gallons of Gas x5.] Tanya grinned. She was absolutely thrilled. It was a massive haul. ‘Now this is a God-tier start,’ she thought happily. She immediately pulled out the backpack and strapped it on. It only had ten inventory slots, but it was more than enough for her current stash.