Chapter 297: Escape the Desert 1

Perry Yates was true to her word. Once Anna Kane had familiarized herself with life in this world, Perry simply let her be.

And as expected, the Survival Game Administration came to poach her—no, to recruit her.

They approached Perry Yates first, since Anna Kane was her card.

However, after Perry made it clear that she wouldn’t restrict Anna Kane’s freedom, they didn’t bother her again.

It was mainly because Perry obviously looked like she didn’t want to get involved. They figured it would be useless even if they did ask her.

So, they turned to Anna Kane instead.

To their surprise, Anna Kane was very approachable.

Although she had always longed for an ordinary life, for someone who had lived in survival games for decades, this kind of existence, besides offering peace, was gradually becoming a bit boring.

There were no dangers, no need to be wary of others—everything was wonderful. It just lacked a bit of... excitement.

So, when the people from the Survival Game Administration found her and asked for her help in developing game instances, Anna Kane agreed without a second thought.

She learned from them that the owner of these instances was the proprietor of The Card Tavern—Perry Yates, her master.

’Since it’s technically my own family’s business,’ she thought, ’there shouldn’t be a problem with me working there.’

When Perry learned that Anna Kane was going to develop the instances, she didn’t stop her. Instead, she let Anna take care of the work that was supposed to be hers.

As a five-star Character Card, with permission from her master, Perry, she could use the Skill Cards Perry had integrated.

Of course, all of this was contingent on Perry’s approval.

The butler was the one who had told her this.

The butler, however, always stayed in The Card Tavern and had never made such a request. But Perry had always left her permissions open to the butler, except when she was inside a game.

After a few more days like this, the System’s voice echoed in her ear.

[Dear player Perry Yates, the game "Escape the Desert" is about to begin. Please prepare.]

[In this round, you may only bring five item cards. All other cards will be locked. Additionally, your Space Backpack cannot exceed two stars.]

[The System Backpack is completely locked.]

[A one-minute countdown is now beginning. Please choose carefully.]

Hearing that she could only bring five item cards, Perry was thrown into a bit of a panic. She had so many cards that trying to pick just five on the spot was difficult; she didn’t know which ones would be best.

The backpack’s level couldn’t exceed two stars, which meant one hundred cubic meters. It sounded big, but it really wasn’t—just a ten-by-ten-by-one-meter space.

Besides, knowing the System’s typical bullshit, the backpack probably couldn’t be used to carry in other supplies.

Her System Backpack was locked, too. This meant that if she didn’t want to be weighed down, the Space Backpack would have to take up one of her item card slots.

’Or maybe not.’

Perry glanced at her Safe House item card. ’Who says a Safe House can’t hold things? It’s much bigger than a Space Backpack.’

After selecting the Safe House, she had four card slots left.

With less than a minute remaining, she had to move fast.

The System had said the next game was "Escape the Desert."

’Since it’s a desert, food and water will be the most important things.’

Perry could photosynthesize, so she didn’t need much food. As for water, she hesitated between the Water Collector and a "Miraculous Kettle," ultimately choosing the kettle.

It could generate twenty liters of clean water each day, with the exact amount fluctuating based on the ambient air humidity.

The item had to be carried on her person, but it was completely weightless.

The third item was the Identification Beauty Lenses. She definitely had to bring one of her identification items.

The fourth was the Protection Suit, which would offer her all-around protection.

For the final item, after hesitating between the Spiritual Ability Gun and the Silver Cross, Perry chose the Silver Cross.

This item would save her from a lot of trouble.

Just as she finished her selection, time was up.

A flash of white light enveloped her. When Perry opened her eyes again, she found her surroundings had completely changed.

The world had become a barren wasteland. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but ochre sand, with the occasional dried-up weed.

Sand was everywhere. In the distance, she could just make out a plant that looked like a cactus.

The clothes on Perry’s body had changed. She was now bundled up in a set of khaki-colored garments, and a sun hat had appeared on her head.

It was impossible not to feel hot dressed like this in the desert.

It had only been a moment, but dense beads of sweat were already forming on Perry’s forehead.

But changing into cooler clothes was out of the question. For one, the UV rays here would cause a nasty sunburn on exposed skin. On top of that, while this desert might look like a lifeless forbidden zone on the surface, a venomous bug or something could pop out of nowhere and bite you.

So, changing was not an option. Perry activated her Cold Moon Guardian to cool herself down.

With the activation of Cold Moon Guardian, the surrounding temperature instantly dropped quite a bit.

Looking up at the glaring sun, Perry scanned her surroundings but found no landmarks to get her bearings.

’In truth, even if there were landmarks, I wouldn’t know how to read them,’ she mused. ’So I’ll just pick a random direction.’

Perry reached out, sensing the air around her.

’Since this game is called "Escape the Desert," what counts as escaping? Do I have to leave the desert entirely, or do I just need to find an Oasis?’

After a moment of thought, Perry decided to look for an Oasis first.

After sensing for a moment, Perry finally set off.

She trudged through the sand, her feet sinking with each step. It was only now that she started to feel a bit of regret. ’I should have brought Claudia Vance.’

’Compared to walking in the desert, flying through the sky would have been a breeze.’

However, just as that thought crossed Perry’s mind, a dark shadow suddenly fell from the sky.

Sensing it, Perry dodged out of the way with swift movements.

As the dark shape hit the ground, Perry finally got a clear look at it. It was a bird, and it was currently giving off the fragrant aroma of roast meat.

’Ah, this is...’

’A gift from the heavens. Well, don’t mind if I do.’

Perry picked up the bird from the ground and stuffed it into the backpack on her back.

The backpack contained some simple survival tools like knives and ropes.

’I only brought them along to see if I could get them in,’ she thought. ’I didn’t expect it to actually work.’

After stowing the bird, Perry continued on her way. Her target was a massive cactus about a kilometer ahead, where she planned to spend the night.