C10 Troublesome

Yan Cheng rolled his eyes and persisted, "How much energy is required for Materialization?"

"For firearms: 5 energy points for a pistol, 10 for a shotgun or submachine gun, 15 for a rifle, and 20 for a sniper rifle."

"For melee weapons: 5 points for a crossbow, 1 point for a machete, and 5 points for defensive gear."

"Grenades are 1 point each."

"Ammo comes in sets of 30 rounds for 10 energy points. A medical kit is 4 points, a first aid kit is 3 points, painkillers are 2 points, drinks are 1 point, and a set of bandages (5) is 1 point."

"That covers the main items for exchange. You'll be informed about the energy points required for other items as you encounter them, including any new items that are introduced later on."

"Got it, now let me get to the game!" Yan Cheng mused to himself.

"Wow, you're really laid back!" Lang Zhe appeared out of nowhere and remarked, "With everything going on, you're still thinking about gaming?"

"Need to unwind a bit; can't be on edge all the time!" Yan Cheng responded.

"You're beyond help," Lang Zhe commented. "But you're right, it's been too tense lately. I need to chill out too." He casually reached for his phone. "Oops, my phone's dead. Let me play on yours for a bit."

Without waiting for Yan Cheng's consent, he snatched the phone.

"You've already started it, let me help you out!" Lang Zhe offered.

Yan Cheng, feeling somewhat resigned, simply said, "Sure, go ahead and play."

Lang Zhe dove into the game, while Yan Cheng silently wondered, "Can I Materialize anything he's playing?"

"Absolutely not!" the system responded.

"I figured as much," Yan Cheng replied with a hint of resignation.

Twenty minutes later, Lang Zhe announced, "Victory!"

"That was quick!" Yan Cheng expressed his astonishment.

"Your account level is too low; it's like playing against bots!" Lang Zhe observed. "Just wondering when the servers and internet for this chicken game will go down. Anyway, I'm off to sleep!" With that, Lang Zhe lay back down, his enthusiasm fading.

"Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to get this world back on track!" Yan Cheng silently vowed, confident in his resolve.

After Lang Zhe had drifted off to sleep, Yan Cheng eagerly started his gaming session.

"System, my account level is pretty low, so the fights should be easier, right?" Yan Cheng inquired, still holding onto a sliver of hope.

"You're mistaken. Anything you earn in the game can be materialized. It won't be that easy," the system responded, dashing Yan Cheng's faint hopes.

The game commenced.

Yan Cheng's character spawned on a deserted island, and he immediately took control.

Before long, the plane carried them high into the sky. Yan Cheng consulted the large map and saw that the flight path was a top-to-bottom trajectory across the center.

"The key is to survive and scavenge for supplies," Yan Cheng reminded himself. He then boldly chose a landing spot with sparse buildings to gather resources.

As Yan Cheng made his jump, he noticed two others had also leapt into the void beside him.

"They're probably aiming for that large city to the left!" Yan Cheng surmised, directing his character to glide rightward.

To his surprise, the two figures also veered right.

"What's with these two? Why are they following me?" Yan Cheng grumbled, now fully grasping the system's earlier statement.

At that moment, Yan Cheng felt a wave of relief: "Thank goodness materialization doesn't require a victory, or I'd never be able to bring anything from the game into reality!"

In his moment of relief, Yan Cheng had his character linger in the air a bit longer to see where the other two would land before deciding his next move.

Sure enough, the pair touched down in the only two houses in the vicinity. Yan Cheng quickly changed course and headed further back.

"I'm not going to compete with you two. Is that satisfactory?" Yan Cheng thought smugly.

His phone screen suddenly displayed a message: he had been killed!

"I hadn't even touched the ground yet!"

"This is outright targeting me!" Yan Cheng thought, bewildered, "No way, I refuse to believe I can't even get my hands on a weapon!"

For the next half-hour, Yan Cheng's games ended every two to three minutes. He was starting to feel nauseous.

He had played this type of game for a while and was familiar with the uncomfortable sensation known as 3D dizziness. He struggled with 3D games, which often left him feeling dizzy.