Lily lounged on her silk sheets, a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile on her lips. The promise of $300 million from Emily had lifted her spirits. She fired up "Doom Dawn".
"Jack's such an idiot, blowing his fortune on this game," she sneered, eyeing the VIP 11 badge atop his avatar. "Damn it, another two years, and all that cash would've been mine!"
Anger flared in her chest. While Jack was handsome, Lily had a soft spot for money. Her dream was to trade her youth for wealth and live a life of luxury. Who she shared it with didn't matter. Money was her true love.
Just then, a message popped up on the chat window. "The Suit - Clad Thug"?
Lily sat bolt upright, her mind racing. What does Jack want? Does he still love me? No, his act earlier was too convincing.
Confused, she opened the chat.
[The Suit - Clad Thug: Are you there? Sorry about before.]
Boom! Lily's mind went blank. What's going on? We broke up! Why is he apologizing?
A wild thought hit her, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Jack was acting! He still loves me, but had to pretend to hate me in front of Emily. Jack's faking a breakup to chase the heiress? Now he's apologizing to explain! If so, I could still be with Jack! It'll be an underground relationship, but I can still milk him for cash. Emily supports Jack, and Jack supports me!
Lily leaped up, giddy with excitement. The Thompson heiress, worth billions! Jack's little fortune was nothing compared to this. She was going to be rich!
Her hands trembled as she typed back.
[Gentle Breeze: No need to explain, I understand your good intentions. Go for it, love you!]
In the villa, Jack burst out laughing. He knew Lily too well. One apology, and she'd spin wild fantasies to get back in his good graces. She couldn't let go of her cash cow.
"I'll give you a glimmer of hope, then crush you," he murmured, typing back.
[The Suit - Clad Thug: You're the only one who gets me. Your allowance doubles from now on!]
[Gentle Breeze: Thanks, hubby. Love you, muah!]
As Lily typed her reply, she didn't notice the figure looming behind her avatar. In a desolate corner of "Doom Dawn", a female avatar named "Gentle Breeze" stood still.
Jack, controlling "The Suit - Clad Thug", grinned. "Not bad, she's loaded." Thanks to Jack, Lily had spent a fortune on the game. Her gear alone was worth over $100,000.
Jack remembered how, in the last life, Lily had hoarded food and had millions in her inventory. But she always relied on him. This time, Jack would take it all back and let her face the zombies hungry.
"The Suit - Clad Thug" drew his serrated knife and struck "Gentle Breeze" from behind.
[Damage - 9999]
[Defense armor broken. Warning!]
Lily's phone screen flashed red. She quickly exited the chat, but it was too late. The screen went dark.
[You've been killed. All your items have been looted. Teleporting to Dawn Tower.]
"Damn it, he ambushed me!" Lily raged.
When her avatar respawned, "Gentle Breeze" was stripped bare. Not even a loaf of bread remained.
"Argh, damn it!" Lily pounded her thighs.
She opened the chat and found "The Suit - Clad Thug".
[Gentle Breeze: It's all your fault. I was so busy chatting with you, I forgot I was in the wild. I got killed, and all my stuff is gone.]
In the villa, Jack stifled a laugh. Fool, I'm the one who attacked you! Taking her in - game items wasn't enough. Most players didn't carry much in the wild. Their real treasures were stored at the respawn point - Dawn Tower.
This was a high - end human settlement in the game, a gated community for the wealthy. Only those who could afford the hefty rent could live there.
Dawn Tower had a perk: players had a private respawn room where they could store their items. Even if they died, their stuff was safe. Unlike regular players who had to build shacks in the wild, constantly on guard against zombies and thieves.
Jack replied, feigning anger.
[The Suit - Clad Thug: What? Who dared to kill you? I'll avenge you!]
Lily rolled her eyes.
[Gentle Breeze: Forget it. I don't know who it was, and I didn't see their ID. How can I find them?]
[It's a shame I lost all my stuff.]
[You've spent so much on the game. Won't you compensate me?]
Bingo! Jack grinned.
[The Suit - Clad Thug: What's the password to your room in Dawn Tower? I'll bring you some supplies. It'll be a big surprise!]
Lily didn't think much of it. It was just a game. She sent the password and logged off, heading out for a shopping spree.
Jack sneered. Everything was going according to plan.
Once he confirmed Lily had logged off, "The Suit - Clad Thug" made his way to Dawn Tower. He easily found "Gentle Breeze"'s room and entered the password. The door swung open.
Jack wasted no time, stuffing everything into his inventory. He was shocked at how much Lily had hoarded. There were high - end outfits, powerful weapons, and a small fortune in gold coins. And the food! So much for her being stingy with his supplies in the last life.
She'd kept all the good stuff for herself while he struggled to survive. Jack was furious. He left her with nothing, not even the cheapest axe.
After the game merged with reality, Dawn Tower would appear in the fifth stage of the apocalypse. Initially, it didn't exist, but at the moment the game descended, the private rooms in Dawn Tower would be linked to players' profiles.
Players could access their stored supplies directly through their profiles to survive the apocalypse. This was the privilege of VIP players.
Jack wondered how Lily would react when she entered her empty room at the start of the apocalypse. Just thinking about it made him excited!