Thomas noticed a pattern in the trade offers. Survivors were offering building materials, electronic components, food, and water. But none of the resources he desperately needed – stone, wood, cotton – were being offered. He frowned. Did these resources not spawn in the city?
Then he remembered the training manual. Each zone had its own unique resources. Stone was found in mountainous or desert regions. Wood in forests. Cotton in grasslands. Cities provided manufactured goods, food, and water, making basic survival easier than in other zones. But the trade-off was the constant threat of refugees and rebels.
He opened the World Chat, which was much less active than the Zone Chat. He typed out a message:
City - Thomas: [Image of knives] x4. Essential for self-defense and hunting. Trading for cotton, stone, wood, wool. Limited quantities. DM me your offers!
The message sparked a flurry of activity. Around 100,000 survivors had entered the game. Even with casualties, there were still over 90,000 left. The World Chat exploded, even more frantically than the Zone Chat earlier.
Mountains - Lewis Thornton: Thank god! A wolf's been stalking my hideout. Trade request sent!
Grasslands - Marcus Kingston: Damn, four knives! You're a legend!
Forest -Wendy Zhang: Can I borrow a knife? I'll give it back, promise!
West Coast - Jin Zark: Will you trade for seafood?
His private messages blew up, quickly reaching 999+. He applied keyword filters, deleting messages without offers and sorting the rest by resource type. He prioritized cotton, stone, and wood.
With the blizzard approaching, cotton and wood were more valuable than stone, so offers for those were scarce. But Thomas was patient. He was holding the valuable cards. The survivors were the desperate ones.
As expected, the later offers were significantly better. He traded the four knives for 30 units of cotton, 80 units of wood, 150 units of stone, and 20 units of wool. Since he was still at the cabaret and his backpack was full, he left the resources in the in-game mail system, to be retrieved later.
He traded the two Level 2 vests for the best offers he received. His business at the cabaret was concluded. Time to head back to the hideout.
He double-checked his gear and loot, then headed for the subway station. The return trip was uneventful, but his overloaded backpack slowed him down. The journey took an hour.
Back at the hideout, he sorted his loot:
[Apocalypse Coins: 110,000
Valuables: Guitar picks x2, Dolls x2, Gold necklace x1, Golden Rooster statue x1, Golden Egg x1, Commemorative Coin x1
Medical Supplies: Ibuprofen x1, Sterile gauze x1, Vitamin pills x1
Tools: Pliers x1, Screwdriver x1, Needle-nose pliers x1
Electronics: Energy-saving lightbulb x1, Damaged phones x2, Walkie-talkie x1
Food and Drink: Canned mackerel x1, Condensed milk x1, Milk x1, Whole wheat bread x2, Vodka x1, Apple juice x1]
From the eliminated refugees and the cultist:
[PP-9 submachine guns x2 (4 magazines)
MP-443 pistols x2 (2 magazines)
9x19mm submachine gun ammo x120
9x19mm pistol ammo x56
M67 grenades x4
Level 2 body armor x3
8-slot chest rigs x3
16-slot chest rig x1
8-slot military pouch x1
Commemorative Coin x1]
This didn't include the rare boots, the AS VAL, the Level 4 armor, the two blueprints, and the camouflage coating he'd equipped.
He stared at the mountain of loot, then opened the hideout construction menu. Time to build a storage room.
[Storage Room (Level 1)
Effect: Adds a 5x8 (40-slot) storage room to the hideout.
Requirements: 10,000 Apocalypse Coins, Backpack (6+ slots)
Construction Time: 30 minutes]
He selected a spot near the entrance and used the 8-slot military pouch to initiate construction. The pouch vanished, and 10,000 coins were deducted. Construction began.
He took the camouflage coating sticker and applied it to the outside of his hideout door. The sticker disappeared, and the door shimmered, its surface becoming smooth and reflective. Then, it began to blend seamlessly with the surrounding wall. The door vanished, replaced by a blank wall.
Thomas's jaw dropped. He examined the wall from every angle, finding no trace of the door. This is incredible! Black tech or something?
He reached for the door handle, guided by his mental map. With a click, the door reappeared, revealing the hideout interior. He shook his head in amazement. When he closed the door, it vanished again.
Thirty minutes later, the storage room was complete. He transferred most of his loot inside, but kept some items aside for trading. He still had a surplus of gear:
[Submachine guns x3
AK rifle x1
8-slot chest rigs x4
16-slot chest rig x1
Level 2 body armor x3
Pistols x4]
He couldn't use all of this himself. He decided to keep one submachine gun, the 16-slot rig, and the AK, trading the rest. This would allow him to acquire more valuable resources and blueprints, while also empowering other survivors to venture into more dangerous areas, increasing the flow of goods in the long run.
Since he'd used his World Chat message for the day, he posted in Zone Chat:
Thomas: [Image of submachine gun] x1 with magazine and 30 rounds. Get rich quick! Trading for rare materials, blueprints, or equipment. DM me your offers. No time wasters.
Thomas: [Image of Level 2 vest] x3. Stay safe! Trading for bolts, nuts, alloy steel, DVD drives, toilet paper, waterproof sealant, soap, basins, etc. DM me your offers.
Thomas: [Image of pistols] x2. Perfect for self-defense. Comes with a full magazine (16 rounds). DM me your offers.
Thomas: [Image of 8-slot rig] x2. Extra inventory space! DM me your offers.
He'd save the remaining weapons for the World Chat tomorrow. He'd already saturated the local market.
Two hours after his last trade spree, the Zone Chat reacted with less surprise this time.
See? I told you he raided an armory! Back in business!
Only Thomas would be selling this much gear.
Those weapons are insane! Sent you an offer for the pistol, Pro!
This guy's loaded, and I'm getting my ass kicked by refugees!
Thomas, munching on beef sausage and sipping apple juice, reviewed the offers. The local market was drying up. Mostly common items. But he was patient. He held the leverage.
Then, a message stopped him in his tracks. A trade offer for a pistol. But the offered items…
[Graphics Card
Description: Like fans, GPUs, and integrated circuits, graphics cards are a good source of electronic components.]
A graphics card! He remembered the intel he'd received. Graphics cards would be extremely valuable after the first event, crucial for obtaining Calamity Coins. What a stroke of luck!
And there was more. The offer also included heat-resistant coating and an exhaust fan – the exact materials he needed for the ventilation blueprint! This isn't a trade offer, it's a gift from the gods!
He instantly accepted the trade. The items materialized in his hands. The joy of a good bargain! The other survivor clearly didn't know the true value of these items, treating them as common components. They were ecstatic to trade them for a pistol, having narrowly escaped death at the hands of refugees the previous day. They immediately became Thomas's biggest fan, singing his praises in Zone Chat, much to the envy of the others. This, in turn, prompted more trade offers. Everyone wanted to be the next lucky one.
Thomas continued reviewing the offers, but no other high-value items appeared. He couldn't complain. It was only day two. He'd already amassed a fortune. He accepted the best offers for the remaining gear, receiving grateful messages in return.
Thomas: All items except the submachine gun are sold. Still looking for rare blueprints, items, or equipment.
The chat filled with groans of disappointment. Thomas, now stocked with hideout upgrade materials, began a construction spree.