Another Upgrade – Run-Flat Tires

It seems that if one dies in this world, they automatically exit the game?

But whether that means returning to reality or actual death, Su Chen didn't have the courage to test it himself.

Life here was much better than he had expected.

There was no need to worry about food or clothing, and he had his loyal dog, Er Bao, and his horse for company.

Not long ago, he was just a student who attended classes on time every day, living in a dormitory with others.

He never imagined he'd one day be adventuring alone. Though there were many things he still had to get used to, it all felt worth it.

Er Bao lay quietly in Su Chen's arms, neither crying nor making a fuss.

Blood from its head injury had soaked into Su Chen's cotton coat, and he kept wiping at it with tissues.

After carefully examining the wound, he saw that the scrape on Er Bao's forehead was about 1 cm by 0.5 cm in size.

"Fortunately, the wound isn't too big. It shouldn't be too serious."

What worried Su Chen most was the risk of infection, especially since he had no medical supplies on hand.

With no other options, he could only wait for Er Bao's wound to stop bleeding naturally.

"Master, don't worry too much. I'm really fine, it's just a little scratch."

Even though Er Bao was the one injured, it ended up comforting Su Chen instead.

The more understanding Er Bao was, the more guilty Su Chen felt.

He wasn't heartless—seeing Er Bao bleeding continuously while being powerless to help made him deeply uneasy.

"Don't worry, Er Bao."

"I promise I'll take care of your wound. You'll be all better soon."

Su Chen wasn't entirely confident in his words, but he had to reassure Er Bao somehow.

After all, it had been flung two or three meters away by that fat man. Given the distance, the impact must have hurt a lot.

"Yay~ Master is the best!"

Er Bao sure loved to act spoiled, almost like a little girl.

But when it mattered most, it really was a tough little warrior!

"Er Bao, this is the first time you've ever seemed so brave! You used to cry over the smallest things, but now, even after losing so much blood, you haven't shed a single tear!"

Su Chen teased.

Er Bao turned its head away dramatically, pouting.

"Hmph! I don't want to talk to you!"

Even when it was upset, it still looked like it was acting cute.

Su Chen opened a bottle of mineral water, poured some into a pot, and heated it up, mixing it with cold water to make it lukewarm.

Right now, mineral water was plentiful—he didn't even mind using it for baths.

In this freezing weather, washing with cold water would be asking for a cold.

And with Er Bao's head still bleeding, warm water was definitely the better choice.

After giving Er Bao a quick wipe-down to clean off the blood, Su Chen suddenly realized something—he had never given Er Bao a proper bath since coming here.

He leaned in and sniffed.

There was a faint scent of blood, but surprisingly, no bad odor.

Perhaps because of the cold weather and Er Bao's natural cleanliness, it actually smelled quite nice.

After turning on the heater, Su Chen placed Er Bao on the bed to rest.

Only then did he remember—those two men's van might still have some useful supplies.

The vehicle was an old, black minivan. As soon as he opened the door, a large, black object rolled out.

"What the hell?"

Su Chen was momentarily stunned.

Looking closer, he realized it was a tire—a well-crafted one at that.

There weren't many valuable items in the van. After searching around, he only found some dry bread and half-empty bottles of mineral water.

He had plenty of those already, so they weren't very tempting.

Just as he was about to give up, something caught his eye.

Was that… band-aids in the glove compartment?

Band-aids were far too small to properly cover Er Bao's wound, but having them was better than nothing.

---

These two men had likely been robbing people for a while. They must have been experienced criminals.

Under the pretense of forming alliances, they would instead plunder others' supplies.

Honestly, they were a perfect match for each other.

Aside from food, the most conspicuous item in the van was a skirt draped over the front passenger seat.

Su Chen's thoughts immediately ran wild.

A woman's skirt? Why would that be here?

Could one of them be… a crossdresser?

That pockmarked guy did seem like he had the right "qualifications" for it.

If he put on a dress, he might actually pull off the whole "soft girl" look.

But if they had been kidnapping women, then they were truly scumbags.

Killing them would've been justice.

There was nothing else of real value in the van.

A tire and some band-aids—that's all those two had to their name.

No wonder they resorted to robbing people. They were probably starving.

No valuables at all…

Enhancement Activated.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! Enhancement successful! High-quality tire upgraded to Top-Tier Run-Flat Tire.]

Top-Tier Run-Flat Tire: The most durable tire in the world, offering unparalleled traction even in freezing conditions. Completely resistant to bullet damage.

This was a huge upgrade.

The weakest part of his RV had always been the tires.

A single mistake, and they could be blown out by monsters—or worse, human attackers.

If someone had a gun, all they'd need to do was shoot out his tires, and he'd be stuck.

Driving with damaged tires would be incredibly dangerous.

But with these run-flat tires, his RV's overall defense had significantly improved.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! Enhancement successful! Band-aid upgraded to Hemostatic Gauze.]

Hemostatic Gauze: Infused with clotting agents that accelerate blood coagulation and wound healing.

Su Chen's eyes lit up.

Now this was exactly what he needed!

Rushing back to the RV, he found Er Bao already curled up, fast asleep on the bed.

Only then did he realize—those two men had wasted so much of his time that he hadn't even eaten yet.

Carefully, he wrapped the gauze around Er Bao's head, making sure not to wake it.

No wonder he had been feeling weak all day—he hadn't eaten!

He needed to eat some meat to replenish his protein intake, or he'd continue feeling drained no matter how much he rested.

Lately, his sleep schedule had been strange.

Even with only five to six hours of sleep, he felt full of energy.

Yet before, when he had slept for eight to nine hours, he still felt sluggish all day.

Maybe this was the difference between deep sleep and ineffective sleep.

With the RV's upgraded insulation, the soundproofing had also improved, ensuring better rest every night.

Su Chen's cooking skills had also noticeably improved—he could now prepare a three-course meal plus soup in under an hour.

"Grrr~"

Su Chen rubbed his stomach.

Having a good meal every day really was a simple kind of happiness.

He checked the time—4 hours and 26 minutes until nightfall.

Those two men had delayed him quite a bit.

He needed to hurry.

There were no rivers nearby.

Su Chen wanted to find a place with a water source and fresh greenery to stay for a few days—after all, water is the essence of life.

Before setting off, he noticed a tire replacement button on the RV's control panel.

One-click tire change!

Within seconds, all the new run-flat tires were installed.

Now, he could hit the road without worries.