Overall, the novel has a strong hook and fast pace, but it sacrifices depth for speed. The characters are thin, the dialogue is cartoonish at times, and the logic is shaky. But for a guilty pleasure read about revenge and survival? It’s fun. I’m in for the next few chapters.
The grave robber scene was a good shift from the supernatural to the mundane criminal. It shows that not every problem is caused by ghosts. And the mixture of both—ghosts helping to subdue the robbers—was clever. The fact that the ghosts are loyal to her after just one night is a testament to her leadership. She's the alpha now.
The "chunibyou" term being used to describe the roommates made me laugh. It's a very niche descriptor that fits them perfectly. And the fact that they accept the apocalypse and Lin Xiu's powers because of their otaku backgrounds is a meta-commentary on the entire genre. I like that the author isn't pretending this is a wholly original story—they're embracing the tropes. That said, I worry that the story might rely too much on meta-humor and not enough on real tension. A zombie apocalypse should feel threatening, but the main cast is just cracking jokes. Where's the visceral fear? The first kill of a loved one? The hunger? The cold? They have food in the dorm now, but what about later?
The character interactions feel very authentic for an online game. There's the scared noob, the professional veteran who just wants to be good again, the kind healer, and the loud tank. They aren't just soldiers; they’re gamers. The panic when they first saw the monsters, the profiteering in Bio-energy, and the cursing about the expensive shop all felt very real. It’s that “laughing to keep from crying” vibe that happens in hard games.
The system reveal was pretty interesting, but I gotta say, the whole "Gold-Swallowing Supermarket" name is hilarious. It's like the system is admitting upfront that it's going to drain all your money. The way it unlocks areas based on gold weight instead of just letting you buy things with cash is such a pain, but also kinda realistic for an apocalyptic setup. And that lucky roulette giving her "Thank you for your patronage" instead of anything useful? Peak comedy. It's like the system is trolling her from the very beginning. I can't wait to see how she unlocks more areas.