Road Survival, I Have a Hint System!

[Level 2 Water Collector Upgrade Blueprint: Level 2 item, produces 10-20 liters of water every 24 hours, with output varying based on the local environment.]

[Materials Required: One Level 1 Water Collector, 8 units of metal ingots, 4 units of metal parts, and 4 units of glass.]

It's definitely worth it.

After reviewing the data on the Level 2 Water Collector and considering Su Mu's circumstances, Zhang Tuohai felt that this trade was quite worthwhile.

He had no shortage of the materials needed, with the 4 units of glass being the most valuable, but he had already acquired quite a bit in the past few days, so that wasn’t an issue.

He could also provide the chili sauce; with all the food he had, chili sauce was not a necessity.

Even though he agreed to supply daily water for the other party's needs after the trade, he calculated that it was still profitable.

A normal person’s daily water intake is around 1 liter.

Even if he supplied 2 liters of water daily for the two sisters, and the collector produced 10 liters of water per day, he would still be earning an extra 8 liters of water daily.

Currently, on the regional channel, 200 milliliters of water can be exchanged for 3-10 units of Level 1 resources.

Level 2 resources could be exchanged for 1 to 2 units.

A jar of Lao Gan Ma (a popular Chinese chili sauce) could be exchanged for around 500-1000 milliliters of water.

So, his daily output was enough to cover these expenses and still have surplus.

This was a huge profit.

After calculating the figures in his mind, Zhang Tuohai immediately agreed to the trade and got his hands on the water collector upgrade blueprint.

He then upgraded the collector directly to Level 2.

If the Level 1 collector was about the size of an ordinary water cup, the Level 2 collector was like a beer keg.

A solid metal bucket with a faucet on the side, and a water pressure gauge indicating how much water was inside.

“Pretty convenient,” Zhang Tuohai muttered as he fiddled with the Level 2 water collector, feeling quite satisfied.

He now had another source of income—selling water resources.

In this desolate place, one might survive a few days without food, but without water, dehydration could lead to death within a day.

At least until everyone figured out a stable way to obtain water, this business could continue.

After setting up the water collector, Zhang Tuohai sat in his chair to rest, quietly waiting for the next Brave Challenge.

After several days of brutal selection, there were now few players willing to participate in the Brave Challenge.

The remaining participants were either highly confident in their abilities or had no other options.

Anyone with another way wouldn’t participate in such a high-risk challenge.

Each challenge resulted in nearly 50-60% casualties—who could handle that?

While the Brave Challenge was a death sentence for others, for Zhang Tuohai, it was a rare opportunity.

He relied on this challenge daily to increase his earnings.

As the clock struck noon, the game system announced: Today's Brave Challenge officially begins.

Zhang Tuohai equipped his crossbow, put on his anti-stab vest, tucked a skinning knife and a flashlight in his belt, and grabbed his hunting spear as he stepped out of his vehicle.

The scorching sun beat down on him, and in no time, his clothes were soaked with sweat.

“This damn weather. When will I ever get out of this desert?” Zhang Tuohai muttered, frowning. “System, which way should I go?”

[Turn 60 degrees to the left and proceed 2000 meters; the resources are richest in that direction.]

“It looks like just yellow sand over there, nothing else,” Zhang Tuohai glanced in the direction indicated by the system. It was a flat stretch of yellow sand with nothing in sight.

However, trusting the system, Zhang Tuohai decided to explore the direction suggested.

Although he had entered the desert multiple times, Zhang Tuohai still wasn’t used to walking in it.

After just a few steps, his shoes filled with sand, making him uncomfortable.

Using his hunting spear as a walking stick, Zhang Tuohai slowly trudged through the desert.

With no clear landmarks in the desert, Zhang Tuohai managed to keep from getting lost thanks to the system's guidance.

As Zhang Tuohai began to feel tired and was about to take a break, a sudden screech echoed from the sky.

He looked up to see a giant eagle circling overhead, seemingly targeting him.

This giant eagle had a wingspan of at least four meters, looking incredibly majestic. Even from such a height, Zhang Tuohai could tell it would be tough to deal with.

“Damn bird, screeching like that. I’ll shoot you down and make soup out of you sooner or later!”

Zhang Tuohai muttered angrily.

The giant eagle, perhaps sensing Zhang Tuohai’s displeasure, suddenly dived from high up, heading straight for him.

The eagle moved incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, it swooped down from several hundred meters high to right in front of Zhang Tuohai.

The eagle extended its claws, aiming to grab Zhang Tuohai.

Its claws were extremely sharp, about seven or eight centimeters long, thicker than Zhang Tuohai's thumb, with razor-sharp tips glinting coldly.

Zhang Tuohai guessed that if the eagle caught him, it would tear off a chunk of his flesh at the very least.

The eagle's speed was too fast, leaving Zhang Tuohai no chance to use his crossbow or spear to counterattack.

“What should I do?” For the first time, Zhang Tuohai felt truly panicked in this life-threatening moment.

[Hold the spear in front of your chest and do not make any extra movements.]

The system promptly provided a suggestion.

With no time to think, Zhang Tuohai instinctively followed the system's instructions and held the spear horizontally in front of his chest.

Crack!

The sturdy spear shaft snapped as soon as it made contact with the eagle's claws, and the claws continued their course toward Zhang Tuohai.

Using the immense force from the impact, Zhang Tuohai fell backward, landing in the desert.

As the eagle's talons came closer and closer, Zhang Tuohai felt a chill run through him.

“Am I really going to die here?”

But before Zhang Tuohai could dwell on the thought, the ground beneath him gave way once more.

His body dropped again.

Thud! Zhang Tuohai landed in a soft spot. It hurt, but he wasn’t seriously injured.

Zhang Tuohai looked around. It was a dark place with no light.

Just as he was about to pull out his flashlight to inspect the area, he heard another noise.

A massive object fell from above, landing right in front of Zhang Tuohai.

“What is that?”

Zhang Tuohai curiously turned on his flashlight.

“So, it’s you!”

Seeing the identity of the fallen object, Zhang Tuohai burst into laughter.

The object that had fallen was none other than the giant eagle that had been chasing him.

The eagle was sprawled on the ground, its neck twisted at an odd angle, its legs twitching feebly—it was clearly in bad shape.