Scorching heat rippled across the ashen ground. In the mountains of piled-up garbage, a few gray-scaled lizards darted nimbly through the shadows. Overhead, an engine's deep roar rolled across the sky, and a colossal shadow slowly spread over the wasteland.
A storm of dust billowed into the air.The Titan Transporter-3—a million-ton cargo freighter—descended through the haze.To the scavengers below, it was nothing more than a "garbage truck."
Blue flames dimmed inside its twin thrusters. As the engines rotated downward into hover mode, the monstrous ship came to a steady halt.
Whrrr—
The alloy hatch on its belly creaked open, and an unending torrent of waste began to fall. It poured down for half an hour straight, until an entirely new mountain of trash rose from the barren land.
In the shadow of another heap not far away, the gray lizards lifted their heads. Their narrow eyes glimmered with greed—a new trash mountain meant new food.
Crunch.
A black leather boot came down, crushing one of the lizards underfoot. Green blood oozed out instantly, and the others vanished in a blink.
A figure crouched, his fingers wrapped in white cloth strips. He dipped a fingertip into the green blood and smeared it across his cracked lips.
A weathered cowboy hat shaded half his face. Only when he looked up toward the distant garbage mountain did the light catch a pair of eyes—sharp and predatory, like a vulture circling for carrion.
A purple flame roared skyward as the "garbage truck" lifted off again, vanishing beyond the horizon.
"Master! Master! The garbage ship's gone! Shouldn't we head over now?"A tinny, excited voice broke the silence.
The speaker was a one-eyed robot, less than a meter tall. A single wheel supported its battered, inverted-triangle body; one of its arms was missing entirely.
They stood before a shack cobbled together from scrap metal—a home built into the trash heap, no more than six square meters.
On the roof, a young man lowered a worn monocular. His shirt, though faded and patched, was washed clean to a pale white.
"The Titan-Class Garbage Ship," he murmured. "That's one big cake. The hyenas won't miss this one."
Li Yu jumped lightly down from the roof, tossing the monocular into a nearby pile.In a place like this, the garbage itself was the best safe—as long as you remembered the password.
"But Master…" the robot—nicknamed Noisy—whirred sadly. "I've lost my arm for weeks, and cleanup day is coming soon. You'll need to pay the shelter fee if you want to leave…"
Li Yu sighed. "How exactly does your emotion module learn, anyway?"
Even after nearly ten days in this world, he still hadn't gotten used to how expressive the little machine was.
"Master! You're the one who found my emotion module in the trash!" Noisy spun in circles excitedly. "I was happy for days!"
Li Yu ignored the eccentric bot, his mind already turning.
Cleanup Day's almost here… Once it starts, all the trash will be reclaimed by PhotonTech. If I want to get out before that, I'll have to pay the shelter fee…
Still, that new pile might have something valuable. But the nearby scavengers are no pushovers… If I want a share of the loot, I'll have to rely on my plugin again.
At that thought, a translucent blue screen blinked to life before his eyes—visible only to him.
Host: Li YuAvatar Count: 1 (Deployed)
As a traveler from another world, this was his lifeline:he could deploy avatars across countless worlds. Each one earned rewards based on its survival time and actions—though his consciousness couldn't travel with them.
[World: Transformers]Avatar survival time: 7 daysPath chosen: Approach the protagonist
Day 1:As an undocumented immigrant in New York, you successfully got arrested as a stowaway.
Day 2:Life in detention is… dull.
Day 3:The soap on the floor looks very tempting, but you managed to protect your rear end.Reward: Title — Guardian of the Chrysanthemum.
"...Damn it."Li Yu grimaced. Every time he reread that entry, he felt like flipping a table.
Day 4:Your eloquence seems out of place for a stowaway, catching the eye of a gang member who befriends you.
Day 5:During a chat, you claimed to be working for "Brother Chen," expanding his flour trade.Because of your nonsense, you gained the Common Talent — Random Action.
"Random Action," he muttered. "Others get 'Act with Foresight,' I get 'Act on Impulse'…"
Day 6:Your new friend believed your story and told his boss. The boss, furious that you dared poach his business, bailed you out personally.
Li Yu's heart had sunk when he read that."This avatar didn't inherit any of my humility…"
Day 7:The gang boss tortured you half to death. You confessed there was no Brother Chen. Enraged, he buried you and your 'friend' in concrete.
The log flickered, and a new line appeared earlier than usual.Normally, updates came at midnight.He understood immediately—his avatar had died.
Damn it. Seven days in the Transformers world, and I didn't even see Optimus Prime or Megatron before dying. What a waste.
Avatar Terminated — Retrieving Data…Total Survival: 7 DaysReward Calculating…
Talent: Random Action — Your unpredictable behavior confuses both enemies and allies.
Title: Guardian of the Chrysanthemum — Your rear end remains unbroken, even against soap.
Survival Reward: Newbie Bonus applied.
Item: D-Class Magnetic Ion Sniper Rifle (20 rounds)
Cooldown: 24 hours until next deployment.
"At least the gun's decent," he muttered.
A massive, violet sniper rifle materialized in his hands—taller than he was. Its surface gleamed with crystalline light, cool metal radiating heat against his palms. The long magazine held just twenty rounds—not infinite ammo.
The smart scope could zoom a hundredfold. The stabilizer rails kept recoil at zero, even when the shot could pierce heavy armor a kilometer away.
"Wow! What a cool sniper rifle!" Noisy squealed, its single eye flashing blue.
Li Yu weighed the gun thoughtfully. An idea began to form.
"Noisy, come here."
"Yes, my dear master!" The little robot rolled over, its one arm flailing excitedly.
Li Yu whispered something in its ear.
The robot's single lens flared red. "Understood! Noisy will obey the master's command and unleash total destruction!"