The morning sun peeked through the cracks of Phoenix's small shelter, casting warm rays on his face. He stirred awake, his throat dry and parched. Sitting up, he rubbed his temples, feeling the gnawing thirst clawing at him.
"I need water," he muttered, his voice hoarse. Can't survive long without it.
Phoenix activated his communication watch, switching it to the regional channel. A small flurry of messages appeared in front of him, but there weren't many. Most were desperate cries for help.
"Anyone out there? Please, I need food!"
"Monster spotted near the east ruins—stay away!"
"Help! My group is under attack! We need backup!"
Phoenix frowned as he scrolled through the messages. The desperation in the words was palpable. It's chaos out here. People are barely hanging on.
Shaking his head, he switched the communication watch to the global channel. The moment the messages loaded, his screen was flooded with hundreds of them.
"Does anyone have food? I'm starving!"
"Looking for water—will trade weapons or materials!"
"Can someone explain how we're supposed to survive this hell?"
One message caught Phoenix's eye:
"There's a way to get out of this game! Make a safe zone and you can log out. Confirmed!"
His eyes widened. "Get out of the game? A safe zone?" he murmured to himself. It was the first bit of good news he had come across in days. But the concept of a safe zone seemed almost impossible with how dangerous everything had been so far.
He kept scrolling, seeing countless messages of people seeking shelter, food, and resources. The messages painted a bleak picture of the situation. Phoenix sighed deeply, his stomach growling in protest. I need food and water. No matter how hard this is, I have to figure something out.
Switching to the trading hub, a new interface appeared before him. It was filled with items that players had listed for trade—materials, food, water, and even weapons. Phoenix's eyes skimmed through the listings.
"Water for trade—looking for rare materials."
"Offering bread and canned food—will barter for weapons."
"Need weapons urgently—can trade titanium alloy or energy crystals!"
Phoenix's mind began racing. Weapons were in high demand, and he still had some materials stored in his watch. He thought back to his engineering knowledge and his skill, Dismantle and Assemble.
"If I can make a dagger, I could trade it for food and water," he muttered, his eyes lighting up. A weapon is scarce right now—people will pay a fortune for it.
He opened his inventory, pulling out some of the metal shards and wood he had gathered earlier. Phoenix placed the materials in front of him, taking a deep breath.
"Assembly."
The materials glowed faintly, shifting and clicking together. In moments, a sleek, sharp dagger formed in his hands. Its blade was polished and deadly, and the wooden handle was sturdy and comfortable to grip. Phoenix smirked as he examined his creation.
"This'll do," he said, satisfied.
Opening the trading hub, Phoenix posted the dagger for trade:
Item: Dagger
Looking for: Water, food, or rare materials. Open to offers.
He barely had time to relax before his screen flooded with messages from interested traders.
"I'll give you 100ml of water, 1 canned food, and a rare material for the dagger!"
"200ml of water, 2 loaves of bread, and a rare material! Take it or leave it!"
Phoenix skimmed through the offers, his excitement growing. But one particular offer caught his eye:
200ml of water, 1 loaf of bread, and a blueprint card.
His curiosity was piqued. A blueprint card? He quickly messaged the trader.
"Where did you get the blueprint card?" Phoenix typed.
The reply came almost instantly:
"It was a drop from a monster. I've got no use for it, but I'll trade it for that dagger."
Phoenix thought about it for a moment. A blueprint card could be valuable—more valuable than the other offers. He quickly accepted the trade, confirming the exchange. The screen flashed, and the dagger disappeared from his inventory. In its place, he received:
[200ml of Water]
[1 Loaf of Bread]
[Blueprint Card]
Phoenix smiled in relief as he pulled out the water and bread, immediately taking a swig of the water. The cool liquid soothed his throat, and he savored every drop. He then nibbled on the bread, enough to quiet his hunger for now.
After finishing, Phoenix examined the blueprint card he had received. It was a blue card with intricate designs etched into its surface. In the center was a picture of a scroll, glowing faintly.
"What's this?" he murmured, turning the card over in his hands. Finally, he decided to use it.
"Use blueprint card," he said aloud.
The card dissolved into light, and a new holographic panel appeared.
[Blueprint Unlocked: Plasma Pistol]
Phoenix's jaw dropped. "A plasma pistol?" he whispered, his heart racing. This was more than he could've hoped for—a futuristic weapon that could give him a massive advantage.
He eagerly checked the blueprint details.
Plasma Pistol Requirements:
Energy Crystal x1Titanium Alloy x5Wiring x3Gears x4
His excitement quickly faded as he read through the list. He frowned. "Of course it wouldn't be easy…"
Determined to gather the materials, Phoenix ventured into the city ruins to scavenge for supplies. He avoided the monsters roaming the area, focusing instead on dismantling objects. Using his skill, he broke down rusted metal, discarded machinery, and broken furniture, collecting metal shards, gears, and even some wood. By the end of the day, his inventory was filled with materials.
Returning to his camp, Phoenix wasted no time. He began assembling weapons from the materials he had collected: daggers, blades, axes, and even crude maces. The glow of his Assembly skill filled the shelter as he crafted one item after another.
Once the weapons were complete, he posted them on the trade hub. Within minutes, offers flooded in. The demand for weapons was enormous, and Phoenix made a small fortune trading his creations. By the end of the night, he had amassed enough supplies to last him a month—water, food, and rare materials.
Even better, he had acquired some of the components needed for the plasma pistol: energy crystals, titanium alloys, and gears. Only the wiring remained elusive, as it was scarce in the ruins.
Sitting back in his small shelter, Phoenix allowed himself a rare smile. "A plasma pistol… I'm getting closer," he said, staring at the blueprint display on his watch.
He looked at the supplies he had collected and the weapons he had crafted. For the first time since entering this world, he felt like he was starting to gain a foothold. The road ahead was still treacherous, but Phoenix was ready to face whatever challenges came his way.