Chapter 1: The Endgame Survival

Chapter 1: The Endgame Survival

She must have been sleepwalking and lost the memory of what happened in between.

Otherwise, how could she explain suddenly finding herself on a square from being at home?

It was like a scene transition in a video, erasing the process in between.

But it was precisely because there was no process that it seemed particularly terrifying.

However, the fresh minty taste of toothpaste in her mouth was still very clear, and the water stains on the corners of her mouth from rinsing hadn't dried yet.

This was enough to show how short the time had been from her being at home to appearing on the square.

How could this be explained?

Ren Yu wiped her mouth with her hand, tightened her little bear pajamas, and looked around with a puzzled expression, noticing more faces equally bewildered.

This seemed to be a large-scale paranormal event!

Looking around:

Some people had toothbrushes in their mouths, others held cooking spatulas in their hands, and some were still chewing food subconsciously, looking around in confusion, meeting other equally confused faces, all full of question marks.

Not far away, a young man in only his shorts, half-asleep, scratched his head and burst out laughing, cursing, "Damn, this dream is so damn clear!"

After saying that, he fell backward with a thud, and the square immediately echoed with pig-like screams.

At the same time, a switch seemed to be pressed, and the square began to boil over.

"What's going on? How did I suddenly end up here?"

"I was eating breakfast, how did I get here?"

"Where is this, why is this happening?"

"Am I not fully awake yet? Otherwise, why would I suddenly appear here?"

"This, this... Am I sleepwalking?"

"I was just dressing my child, how did I end up at Yida Square? Is my child also here? Doudou, Doudou—"

"Are my parents also here? Dad, Mom—"

Some people started running around, anxiously searching for their children and family members.

Ren Yu was an orphan, with no family to contact. She hugged herself tightly, cautiously observing her surroundings, and forced her brain to work, analyzing the situation.

Besides the square, the nearby streets, and the open spaces in front of shops across the road were also filled with panicked crowds.

The door of a porridge shop was being pounded loudly, accompanied by the shouts of a middle-aged man: "Why can't I enter my shop?"

As he pounded, a string of words 'No Entry' appeared above his head, much like text bubbles in a game.

A man, in his panic, touched a shared bike by the roadside, and immediately a prompt appeared above the handlebars: 'Cannot Ride.'

Ren Yu's eyes widened, and a bizarre hypothesis spread wildly in her mind.

Before she could continue observing, the world before her eyes suddenly began to change—the buildings and the flowers and trees on the street slightly altered their hues, and a red and blue bar appeared above everyone's heads!

At the same moment, countless light orbs fell from the sky, rushing toward the crowd like meteors.

Chaos erupted instantly, with many people screaming and running around, dodging in all directions.

Bang!

A light orb exploded in front of Ren Yu, revealing a translucent panel with several lines of text.

"The Endgame Survival has begun. Please choose your class and skill set."

"Skill slots are universal; currently, five are available. Choose carefully."

"Endgame Survival?"

Her earlier hypothesis had come true!

Reality had become a game.

—Who hasn't read a few novels? With their wild and imaginative settings, it was natural to think of this when she noticed the changes, especially combined with the 'scene transitions.'

She just never thought such a mysterious thing would actually happen in the real world.

Ren Yu remained outwardly calm, but her heart was pounding with panic. She tried to suppress her anxiety and focused on the virtual display.

"Main Classes: Blade Master, Sword Master, Mage, Poisoner, Archer, Fighter, Stealth, Healer, Summoner, Gunner (Sharpshooter/Artillery)"

"Class Skills:

Blade Master: Slash, Wind Slash, Armor Break, Blade Frenzy, Dual Blades Dance, Sweep...

Sword Master: Flash Slash, Air Strike, Sword Mastery, Armor Break Combo, Heavy Sword Slash...

Mage: Fire/Ice: Fireball, Fire Wall, Fire Ring, Light Shield, Flame Burst, Fire Rain...

Ice Ball, Ice Bind, Frost Arrow, Ice Wall, Ice Shield, Ice Spike...

Poisoner: Poison Kiss, Poison Fog, Lethal Corrosion, Weaken, Poison Mastery, Bone-Cleaving Curse...

Archer: Shoot, Penetrate, Critical Strike, Double Shot, Triple Shot, Rain of Arrows..."

Fighter: Iron Fist, Phantom Kick, Charge Punch, Desperate Strike, Slide Tackle...

Stealth: Stealth, Assassination, Thrust, Dual Strike, Double Blade Combo...

Healer: Healing, Purification, Heart of the Madonna, Shield of the Madonna, Gentle Push...

Summoner: Zombie Summoning, Soul Split, Divine Beast Summoning, Essence Shield, Flash Step...

Gunner (Sharpshooter / Artillery), Sharpshooter: Death Pursuit, Tap Fire, Long-range Heavy Strike, Rapid Fire, Dual Gun Combo, Laser Beam...

Artillery: Heavy Strike, Airborne Strike, Heavy Cannon Mastery, Laser Burst, Weighted March...

"Life Skills: Basic Gathering, Basic Fishing, Basic Tailoring, Basic Cooking, Basic Herbalism, Basic Carpentry, Basic Smithing"

Ren Yu had always been particularly fond of life skills when playing games, so her eyes were drawn to the 'Life Skills' section first among the extensive list of professional skills.

With a series of quick clicks, she added Basic Gathering, Basic Fishing, Basic Tailoring, and Basic Cooking to her skill set!

"Basic Gathering: Allows you to gather crops, but with a 20% to 60% failure rate depending on the item's level."

"Basic Fishing: Ordinary fishing technique with only a 20% success rate, but also grants basic swimming skills."

"Basic Tailoring: Knows some basic weaving and simple clothing making, but has a high chance of producing shoddy equipment."

"Basic Cooking: The designated successor of a culinary god, but currently only knows some basic cooking techniques and has a chance to produce ordinary items. Note: Ordinary items have no attributes but can satisfy your hunger, so don't waste them."

She still had one slot left in her skill bar, meaning she could only equip one attack skill after choosing her profession!

"Was I a bit too hasty?" Ren Yu's fingers traced over the life skills she had already chosen, reluctant to remove any of them.

"The universal skill slots are really not user-friendly; the game needs improvement!"

Ren Yu seriously raised this issue, though she didn't make any changes, sticking to her chosen path and reinforcing her stubborn persona.

Her gaze shifted upward to the profession options.

Should she be a fierce and imposing swordsman or a graceful and free-spirited swordsman?

Ren Yu considered for only 0.5 seconds before giving up on melee professions!

That narrowed down her choices significantly.

Mage, Archer, Gunner, Poisoner...

Ren Yu's eyes landed on the Gunner.

The Gunner class was divided into Sharpshooter and Artillery, similar to how Mages were divided into Fire and Ice specialties—both Mages, but with different development paths.

She leaned more towards the Sharpshooter.

The weapons were light and easy to handle.

Ren Yu decisively clicked, selecting her profession, then scanned through all the skills, choosing the first one, 'Death Pursuit.'

Given her current level, it seemed like the only option.

"Skill: Death Pursuit, Level 1, compatible with all gun and cannon weapons, deals 10 points of damage per hit, effect 'Pursuit,' with a 95% accuracy rate."

Although the Artillery's specialized skills did not include this option, being compatible with all gun and cannon weapons meant she could switch between Sharpshooter and Artillery, the difference being only the type of weapon used.

She could try switching roles if the opportunity arose, though 'Death Pursuit' wasn't an Artillery's primary skill, so its power was uncertain!

As the fifth skill slot filled, Ren Yu subtly felt a slight change in her body, as if she had grasped something.

What had she grasped?

Before she could ponder further, the interface refreshed, displaying her character information.

"Player: Ren Yu, Female, Sharpshooter, Level 1 (0/100)"

"Health: 108/108"

"Mana: 126/126"

"Stamina: 108/108"

"Constitution (HP): 6"

"Intelligence (MP): 7"

"Strength (Physical Attack): 4"

"Agility (Speed): 5"

"Equipment: None"

"Skills: Basic Gathering, Basic Fishing, Basic Tailoring, Basic Cooking, Death Pursuit"

"Ultimate Skill: None"

What a joke, this game is like a blind box!

She had chosen the Sharpshooter, a physical attack class where strength determined physical attack, defense, and carrying capacity, yet her starting strength was so low.

The interface automatically minimized to the top-left corner of the screen, and new messages continued to pop up, filling the semi-transparent panel densely.

"Please set your game nickname ______, you may skip this step."

"System Backpack Unlocked"

"Map Unlocked, Map Updating..."

"Shop Unlocking..."

"Chat Channel Unlocking..."

"Please claim your starter package: 100 copper coins, corresponding profession weapon, 10 compressed biscuits, 10 bottles of regular mineral water."

"You are the first player to choose 'Apprentice Tailor,' reward: 1 piece of cotton cloth, 1 silver needle (fine item, increases the chance of crafting high-quality items by 15%), 10 character experience points, 10 copper coins."

"You are the first player to choose 'Apprentice Fisher,' reward: 1 fishing basket, 1 fine fishing rod (fine item, increases the chance of catching fish by 15%), 10 character experience points, 10 copper coins."

"You are the first player to choose 'Apprentice Gatherer,' reward: 1 small hoe, 1 fine iron pickaxe (fine item for gathering herbs, reduces the chance of producing waste by 5%), 10 character experience points, 10 copper coins."

"You are the first player to choose 'Apprentice Chef,' reward: 1 recipe for braised beef, 1 fine iron pot (fine item, increases the chance of crafting high-quality items by 15%), 10 character experience points, 10 copper coins."

"I didn't expect there would be rewards for the initial choices!"

The rewards flashed, some automatically entering her backpack, others sorting into the corresponding skill item slots.

Ren Yu raised her hand and tapped in the air, inputting her game nickname: Yuyu.

She then opened the backpack icon below to check her acquired items.

25 inventory slots, with identical items stacking up to a maximum of 999.

In one of the slots, Ren Yu saw her weapon: 'SC01 Pistol.'

With a light tap, the relevant attribute information popped up.

"SC01 Pistol (Common): Level 1 usable, effective range 30 meters. Profession: Sharpshooter (primary weapon) / Artilleryman (secondary choice), Strength +3, Physical Attack +9, Agility +1, Durability 50, each attack deals 15 damage, has a 5% chance to land a critical hit, magazine contains 8 bullets, automatically reloads one bullet per minute!"

Attributes automatically stacked upon equipping.

Tapping the 'Equip' button next to the weapon, a gun appeared in her hand.

Ren Yu continued to examine the other items in her backpack.

Cotton cloth and the recipe.

She tried using the recipe, but it failed, requiring a higher chef level.

The cotton cloth could be used to craft cloth armor, but Ren Yu didn't delve into it further as she noticed a short shrub plant spontaneously growing under the sycamore tree, emitting the special glow that indicated it was collectible in the game.

Game items were starting to respawn!

Ren Yu's 'Apprentice Gatherer' skill tingled, and she stepped toward the shrub.

Tap, tap...

Ren Yu paused, looking down. The footsteps sounded peculiar, very clear, almost like the sound effects in the game.

At the same time, the surrounding sounds gradually amplified. The chaotic running sounds became clearer, turning into the game's sound effects, and they couldn't be controlled.

Even though she was wearing silent slippers, she couldn't escape the game's settings.

Tap, tap, tap...

Ren Yu approached the low shrub. As she neared, a prompt appeared: "Player Yuyu, you have discovered a berry plant, Raspberry, which can be gathered."

Gathering in the game required skills and the appropriate tools, not just bare hands.

Her skill activated, and the pistol vanished, replaced by a hoe.

Swing after swing, the health bar above the shrub visibly decreased.

The operation wasn't difficult; a few swings depleted the health bar. However, it was somewhat embarrassing—she involuntarily made 'huff, huff' sound effects.

Damn, do I really have to make these sounds just to pick some berries?

So embarrassing!

As the last bit of the health bar disappeared, the shrub vanished, and a handful of bright red berries floated in the air, accompanied by the word 'Pick Up.' This also granted 2 character experience points, 2 skill experience points, and consumed 1 fatigue point.

Life skills could be leveled up, while main profession skills couldn't, but they seemed to be able to be enhanced... Ren Yu glanced over this briefly, noting that some kind of item was needed, though she didn't look closely.

Just as the berries were collected into her backpack, another prompt appeared in the air.