Thomas, content to stay indoors in this weather, finalized the trade with Howie Wang. He then used the World Chat to acquire some much-needed comfort items:
· Small kettle x1
· Mugs x4
· Black tea x1
· Armchair x1
· Small coffee table x1
· Rug (3x4m) x1
These were surprisingly cheap, especially considering he was trading canned meat. The entire haul cost him only four cans. He placed the rug between the fireplace and the kitchen, positioned the armchair facing the heated floor with a view of the fireplace, and set the coffee table between the armchair and the fireplace. A cozy little living room, just in time for the blizzard.
He filled the kettle with hot water from the new water heater, made himself a cup of tea, and set the kettle back on the heater to keep warm. He then started preparing his breakfast-lunch.
Thirty minutes later, after cleaning up, he received a trade request from Howie Wang. They completed the transaction, twenty cans of meat for 200 units of wood. Amusingly, Howie had specifically requested a can of herring, having never tried it before. Thomas obliged, a smile playing on his lips. He'd love to see Howie's face when he opened that can.
He retrieved the wood from his inbox, still damp from the rain, and stacked it neatly in a corner. His wood supply was now secure. He turned his attention to the loot from Room 903. Time to sort through it.
He started with the Apocalypse Coins. Two million. He stared at the stacks of bills, stunned. I won't have to worry about money for a while. Easy come, easy go, I guess.
He then organized the food and medical supplies, clearing out the storage room and arranging the items neatly. He categorized the food: canned meat, canned vegetables, ready-to-eat meals, high-energy snacks, bottled water, energy drinks, and juices. He had around 150 units of food, 70% of which was canned meat. He then sorted the medical supplies: wound care, first aid kits, pills, and injectables.
He examined the injector case.
[Injector Case]
Type: Container
Size: 1x1
Capacity: 9 slots
Description: A container for syringes, stimulants, and other injectables.
Nine slots in a 1x1 container. Impressive, even if it only held injectables. He looked at the contents:
[Adrenaline Syringe] x5
Type: Injectable
Description: A single-use syringe containing a dose of adrenaline. Prepares the body for intense muscular activity, temporarily increasing strength, endurance, and pain tolerance.
Size: 1x1
Uses: 1/1
Positive Effects:
· Removes: Contusion, Pain (65 seconds)
· Adds: Invigorated (65 seconds)
· +10 Endurance (60 seconds, 1-second delay)
· +10 Strength (60 seconds, 1-second delay)
· +10 Recoil Control (60 seconds, 1-second delay)
· +4 HP regeneration/sec (15 seconds, 1-second delay)
Negative Effects:
· -10 Stress Resistance (60 seconds, 1-second delay)
· -1 Water regeneration/sec (30 seconds, 50-second delay)
· -0.8 Stamina regeneration/sec (30 seconds, 50-second delay)
Note: Cannot be used until after the first Apocalypse Event.
Powerful stuff. Too bad he couldn't use it yet. Clearly not meant for newbies. This was definitely out of his current league. It made him even more curious about the refugee lieutenant.
He now understood the two new status effects:
[Contusion]
Type: Debuff
Effect: -33% Ambient Hearing (60 seconds)
[Invigorated]
Type: Ignores Fracture, Gunshot Wound, and Pain status effects.]
Definitely keeping these, he thought, stashing the syringes away.
He then examined the two tactical vests. One had Level 4 plates, similar to his current vest. The other was even better.
[Tactec Plate Carrier]
Type: Light body armor
Weight: 2.35kg
Size: 4x4
Material: Aramid
Armor Level: 2
Protection Zones: Front plate, back plate
Plate Level: 5
Durability: 100
Movement Speed Penalty: -1%
Capacity: 18 slots
Level 5 plates! Impervious to most standard ammunition, including his own AP 3 rounds. And it had 18 inventory slots, while being lightweight. The magazine pouches were located on the front, providing additional protection. This would be his new go-to armor.
He then turned to the weapons, the items he'd been most eager to examine.
[Colt M4A1 Assault Rifle]
Type: Assault Rifle
Weight: 2.935kg
Size: 5x2
Recoil: Vertical 84, Horizontal 243
Effective Range: 500m
Firing Mode: Single, Full-Auto
Rate of Fire: 800
Accuracy: 1.82
Caliber: 5.56x45mm
Default Magazine: 30-round Colt 5.56x45mm magazine
---
[Mosin-Nagant Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle]
Type: Sniper Rifle
Weight: 4.88kg
Size: 6x1
Recoil: Vertical 176, Horizontal 595
Effective Range: 1000m
Firing Mode: Single
Rate of Fire: 30
Accuracy: 1.31
Caliber: 7.62x54mmR LPS
Default Magazine: 4-round Mosin-Nagant internal magazine
He was intimately familiar with these weapons, thanks to countless hours spent playing shooter games. The M4A1 was a classic, a staple of the genre. The gun case also contained two spare magazines, 90 rounds of standard ammunition, and 60 rounds of AP 3.
The Mosin-Nagant was a WWII relic, known for its reliability and accuracy. While the standard magazine held only four rounds, he knew it could be modified to hold five. He hadn't expected to find such a vintage weapon, especially a sniper variant. He was intrigued.
Along with the Mosin-Nagant, he'd found two tactical attachments: a scope mount and a 4x optical scope. There were also 20 rounds of AP 3 ammunition and 5 rounds of AP 4 for the rifle.
He was ecstatic. He finally had a proper replacement for his AS VAL. The sniper rifle, however, would require some practice. He wasn't a trained marksman. But he had plenty of time to learn.
The last three items were the headgear from the mannequins:
[Bastion Ballistic Helmet]
Type: Heavy helmet
Weight: 0.9kg
Size: 2x2
Material: Composite
Armor Level: 4
Protection Zones: Head, back of neck
Ricochet Chance: High (50%)]
---
[Shooting Glasses]
Type: Eyewear
Size: 2x1
Material: Glass
Protection Zones: Eyes
Armor Level: 1
Ricochet Chance: 25%
Blinding Protection: 10%
Helmet Compatible: Yes
Mask Compatible: No
Face Mask Compatible: No
Description: Durable shooting glasses with anti-glare lenses.]
---
[Digital Headset]
Type: Headset
Size: 2x2
Helmet Compatible: No
Mask Compatible: Yes
Face Mask Compatible: Yes
Performance: +0.25 Distortion, +25 Footstep Detection, +15 Equipment Noise Detection, +10 Hearing Range, -15 Ambient White Noise
Description: Designed to protect your hearing while enhancing tactical awareness.
The headgear offered various benefits, but some items were incompatible with others. It opened up new tactical possibilities.
After all these days, his curiosity about the Apocalypse Game itself had only grown. What kind of entity could create such a realistic and complex world? Perhaps he'd find some answers after the first event.
For now, he had a more immediate opportunity to learn more about his current situation. He retrieved the two items he'd found in the hidden compartment: a worn leather-bound notebook and a small wooden box.
He set the notebook aside and examined the box. It was made of rosewood, plain and unadorned. He opened it. He stared at the contents, stunned, then a thrill of excitement shot through him.
A single, pristine black coin, about the size of a ping-pong ball, lay inside. Both sides were embossed with a stylized "Z" surrounded by a circle of cryptic symbols.
[Calamity Coin]
Type: Rare Currency
Description: The physical equivalent of the digital cryptocurrency, Calamity Coin. An extremely rare and valuable currency in the apocalypse, sought after by all. Its value is enough to make men betray their beliefs. Can be traded for anything, provided you have enough.]
Holy shit… He'd been thinking about Calamity Coins ever since Ben had mentioned them, but he'd never imagined acquiring one like this. It was even more valuable than he'd thought. He was still slightly lightheaded, barely believing his eyes.
So this is it…a Calamity Coin. The physical equivalent of a digital cryptocurrency. Digital cryptocurrency…graphics cards…
It's apocalypse Bitcoin! He finally understood the connection. You needed graphics cards to mine Calamity Coins. The mystique surrounding Calamity Coins suddenly vanished. They were just another form of cryptocurrency. But that didn't diminish their value in this world.
He carefully put the coin away and turned to the notebook, his curiosity about the refugee lieutenant reaching fever pitch. This level of wealth and resources was far beyond what a low-ranking refugee should possess. He opened the notebook, learning the lieutenant's name: Black Dog. The name sounded familiar.
Let's see what secrets you're hiding.
[January 6th: Seriously, why does my uncle insist I work for that fat pig, Mad Dog? Everyone in Sparrow City knows that moron betrayed his own boss to get where he is. He's a snake.]
[February 16th: This flood is insane. Watching those survivors get swept away is oddly satisfying. When will my uncle finally let me leave this place? I'm sick of Meat Dog and his idiocy.]
[April 23rd: Ghostface is getting bolder. If my uncle didn't need him, I'd…never mind. He's too creepy. I can't take him in a fight. Why won't my uncle let me take the transformation potion? I want powers too.]
[April 29th: Ghostface performs a ritual sacrifice every time he creates a new follower. There must be a connection between the potion and the rituals.]
[May 5th: Refugees are such trash. Useless idiots. They can't even find a few survivors. No wonder we never win against the rebels, raiders, or rovers. Morons.]
[May 12th: Ghostface did it again. Another new follower. But his success rate is abysmal. Five attempts for one success. Such a waste of materials.]
[June 18th: Did I just hear my uncle mention the transformation potion and a laboratory? Is the potion lab-made? I've never heard of any labs around here.]
[July 3rd: My uncle is leaving for a while. He wants me to hold onto some items for him. Someone pre-ordered them. Seems important. I swear it's not just because of the Calamity Coin he gave me.]
[July 6th: Haha! Managed to get some supplies from my uncle. He has all those canned goods, but he expects me to eat the same slop as the rest of these idiots? No way. Those two guns are sweet. Too bad he wouldn't give me the MK-18 DMR. I really wanted that one.]
[July 29th: What's with Ghostface? He's been subtly asking about the items my uncle gave me. What's he up to?]
[August 1st: Damn it! Two of my guys didn't come back from the survivor hunt. If I find out who did this, they're dead.]
[August 2nd: Eight more missing! What the hell is going on? And Ghostface's followers are getting killed too? Useless! And he keeps nagging me for more survivors. Get them yourself, you creep.]
[August 3rd: Here we go. Hopefully, I'll catch that killer today.]