Chapter 3: The First Day

After speaking, Su Liu gently rubbed the big fluffy tail of the little ball and then exited the space.

[Remaining distance today: 5 kilometers]

[Current time: 9:54]

These two pieces of information appeared in the upper left corner of Su Liu’s vision, something she had grown accustomed to.

Before her stretched a narrow, seemingly endless path, its end nowhere in sight. On both sides lay faintly visible grasslands emitting a dense black mist.

Players were forbidden to enter the black mist area, lest they be swallowed and suffer game failure and death.

Su Liu jogged along the path. Firstly, it was a way to train her body. After all, she was currently just a fragile college student in physical condition. Without proper exercise, once the newbie protection period ended, encountering monsters could be fatal with just a touch.

Secondly, jogging allowed her to cover more kilometers. The monthly leaderboard ranked players based on total distance, personal assets, and dungeon scores. Taking advantage of the newbie protection period, with no natural disasters or monsters attacking proactively, was the sensible approach.

Su Liu adjusted her breathing and kept jogging forward.

After a while, a box appeared ahead. Though it was just a rough wooden crate, Su Liu was delighted since supplies were crucial early on.

[Congratulations, player obtained Drinking Water x600ml, Sun Umbrella x1]

“Wonderful!” Su Liu thought, already imagining how to endure the scorching sun in the grasslands at noon. She had even planned to use tent fabric overhead for shade, and now she had a sun umbrella.

“Seems like my luck isn’t too bad,” she mused.

Jogging on, nearing midday, Su Liu completed the day’s mileage task. She also opened a bronze treasure chest, gaining a Space-type Evolution Stone Fragment (1/3) x1, Self-heating Hotpot x1, Change of Underwear x3, Batteries x3, and Glass x1.

At lunchtime, Su Liu sat by the roadside, holding the sun umbrella with one hand and pulling out a meat bun from her virtual backpack with the other. Nearby, a small electric pot boiled water.

Relentless competition was futile; balancing work and rest was the true path. After all, if her body broke down, everything would be lost.

While eating, she browsed messages in the chat hall on the screen.

“Help! My kid got assigned to the desert area and is dying of thirst.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. This lousy game put me in the mountains! Do you know how exhausting climbing is?”

“Ah, I’m lucky to be in the forest. The tall trees block the sun, it’s so cool, and occasional light rain keeps the water fresh. Plenty to drink!”

“Reply to the one above: Go climb! Always trying to undermine others’ morale!”

“What kind of people are these!”

Scrolling through the chat, Su Liu noticed most players were still in a relatively relaxed mood, mostly engaging in meaningless chatter.

Suddenly, Su Liu spotted a desperate message.

“Help! My kid is starving. They have a Space-type Spirit Beast Evolution Stone Fragment. Will trade for food and water!”

Su Liu privately messaged the player named “Ruomeng Jihe,” asking how to exchange the fragment.

Ruomeng Jihe quickly replied, “Great Hero, this came from a bronze chest. I opened three bronze chests this morning and didn’t get any food. My spirit beast isn’t Space-type. I hope to trade for a meal and a bottle of water.”

Su Liu asked, “What fraction of the fragment is it?”

“One-third. Please, hero, if not a full meal, even half a meal and a bottle of water will do.”

Su Liu could tell that Ruomeng Jihe was truly desperate, both hungry and thirsty. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have lowered her price before negotiating.

Still, the one-third fragment was not bad. Ruomeng Jihe’s luck was strange—bad in that she opened three highest-level bronze chests during the newbie protection period and got no food; good in that she got the fragment at all.

“Do you have anything else special? I can add some more supplies for trade.”

“Ah, yes, I have an automatic decoration magic wand, but I only want food, nothing else.”

“Alright then, I’ll trade a pack of instant noodles, a meat bun, and two bottles of water for it. But we must use the game’s trading hall.”

“Deal.”

Su Liu emphasized using the trading hall because she had been scammed before by players who bypassed it, exchanging gifts privately and then disappearing with the items. She had learned to be cautious.

After the successful trade, Ruomeng Jihe messaged, “Thank you, Great Hero! I have no way to repay you but will cheer for you in spirit!”

Su Liu smiled but didn’t pay it much mind.

After finishing her meal, Su Liu, carrying the newly acquired supplies, entered her space.

The sleepy little ball immediately hopped down from the Silver Secret Box and rubbed against Su Liu affectionately.

She scooped up the little ball and checked the materials needed for its upgrade.

Experience bar full, Space-type Evolution Stone x1.

This condition was neither simple nor difficult.

The newbie protection period only allowed bronze chests to yield one-third fragments of evolution stones, and not necessarily of one’s own attribute.

Additionally, the next level’s experience bar required 100 points. There were only two ways to accumulate experience: fighting monsters or feeding energy food.

Not everyone could open energy foods suitable for their spirit beast early on, and provoking monsters in a weak, resource-poor early stage was tantamount to a death wish.

Perhaps it was the effect of the [Lucky Star] title, but by sheer luck, Su Liu opened a rabbit meat family bucket—energy food perfect for the fox—and was only one fragment away from completing the Space-type evolution stone.

Looking at the little ball’s 35 experience points, Su Liu eagerly fed it a rabbit heart and added a bottle of mineral water.

[Little ball favorability +5, current favorability 40]

Then, Su Liu glanced at her mineral water reserves and realized consumption was quite high.

Such drinking water could only be acquired from supply boxes or, once she had a workbench, by crafting a water dispenser or condenser with a filter.

After this, Su Liu took out the automatic decoration magic wand and carefully read the instructions—

[Automatic Decoration Magic Wand]: To decorate, point at the space to be decorated and sing the song “Good Luck Comes.” The decoration will be automatically generated.

What on earth was this?

Well... only she and the little ball would know... no shame, no shame.

With a puzzled face, Su Liu convinced herself and pointed at her space, singing a verse of “Good Luck Comes.”

In an instant, the small space transformed from a plain stone style to a floor meticulously covered with warm white tiles, the walls and ceiling painted a light pink free of any formaldehyde smell, and a bright lamp hung from the ceiling.

The Silver Secret Box stood quietly in the corner, and the little ball looked utterly bewildered.

Though the process was somewhat embarrassing, Su Liu was pleased with the result. The entire space was now bright and inviting, making one feel comfortable.

But for now, it was time to press onward!

Su Liu hugged the little ball and stepped out to continue jogging.

Along the way, she encountered two rough wooden crates and a rusty iron box, gaining Drinking Water x600ml, Mineral Water x1, Sleeping Bag x1, Nails x10, Condenser Blueprint Fragment (1/5) x1, and Whole Wheat Bread x1.

Just as Su Liu prepared to switch to walking and rest, a patch of black mist by the roadside suddenly dispersed, forming a long, oval-shaped deep purple archway.

“Oh heavens! Could it be? I’m getting a dungeon on my very first day!”

Su Liu hurried over to check the dungeon details.

[One-Star Dungeon]

[Time Maze (Solo)]