Chapter 19: Doing Business Makes Money Faster Than Gathering Resources Yourself

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Doing Business Makes Money Faster Than Gathering Resources Yourself

Therefore, when Rowan Rhodes returned to her raft after dealing with the Abyssal Poison Conches at the bottom of the sea for the second time, she opened the World Channel only to find it filled with wailing.

[District 122: (99420/100000)]

"These Abyssal Poison Conches are terrifying!"

"The problem is that they are under the raft. They’re too hard to deal with."

"What about going into the water to deal with them?"

"It’s too easy to get poisoned. If you pass out in the ocean, you can kiss your life goodbye."

"Many players before us died exactly like that. Their names have already grayed out."

"These Abyssal Poison Conches are just too destructive."

"Boohoo, can someone trade some Wooden Boards with us? We’re completely out."

"It’s not that we don’t want to trade Wooden Boards with you! It’s just that danger is everywhere. Who knows if we’ll desperately need them later?"

"This damn game! On top of the extreme heat, now we have Abyssal Poison Conches. Don’t tell me there will be other sea creatures later?"

"Bite your tongue! Don’t jinx us, the guy above."

Seeing this, Rowan paused. It really wasn’t a jinx. The Abyssal Poison Conches were sea creatures awakened by the recent high temperatures. As the weather grew hotter, even more formidable marine creatures would awaken. Coupled with the ever-rising temperatures, when that time arrived, they would truly be completely helpless, with no one to answer their desperate pleas.

After getting a grasp of the current situation, Rowan turned her attention to the Trading Hall.

[mineral water x1, Trade: Shark Skin x1]

[Waterproof Armor Set x1, Trade: Shark Skin x6, broken cloth x6, Stone/sand/soil/clay x6]

Rowan directly posted these two trade listings.

In reality, up to this point, apart from Rowan, the other players had only encountered a total of four sharks, meaning they could obtain just four Shark Skins at most. To purchase this Basic Waterproof Armor Set, they would have to buy extra Shark Skins from others. Through this back-and-forth, trading across the entire game zone would liven up. It would encourage lower-tier players to take out resources they couldn’t use in exchange for survival supplies, indirectly boosting the overall survival rate. If people were still reluctant to part with useless resources at the juncture of life and death, she could only respect their chosen fate.

As expected, the moment Rowan listed these two trades, they immediately became a hot topic on the World Channel.

"A Waterproof Armor Set? What is that? I’ve never heard of it."

"Is it for going into the water? To deal with the Abyssal Poison Conches?"

"How do you craft a Waterproof Armor Set? It uses Shark Skins, right!"

"Once we get this set, will we be able to handle the Abyssal Poison Conches?"

"Speaking of which, there’s also the shark head! I never knew what it was used for, but with it, we can definitely get up close to the Abyssal Poison Conches."

"Harold Thompson: I have a Level 4 Raft, and I don’t have the Equipment to craft a Waterproof Armor Set. This person definitely has a Level 5 Raft. Could it be Rowan Rhodes?"

"Simon Quinn: Is she trying to make a fortune off this crisis?"

"Celia Lynch: What are you scheming again! There are quite a few Level 5 Rafts on the leaderboard right now. What makes you so sure Rowan Rhodes is in our district? Could you stop constantly staring at others?"

"Whether it’s Rowan or not, this trade listing is clearly here to help! Money on the table, goods in hand."

"I’m buying Shark Skins and paying with Wooden Boards. If you need Wooden Boards, give me your Shark Skins so I can get the waterproof set."

"Me too."

"Thanks, trading right now."

"I can’t afford the Waterproof Armor Set anyway. Swapping my skins for Wooden Boards right now will save my life."

The remarks from Harold Thompson and Simon Quinn failed to stir up any waves on the World Channel. It only served as a chance for Celia Lynch to sarcastically mock them. After all, for many players, someone offering to trade Wooden Boards at a time like this was a literal lifesaver. As long as they could preserve their rafts, they could continue to salvage resources and trade later. In a flash, the Trading Hall unconsciously buzzed with activity.

Single-handedly, Rowan had directly mobilized the players of District 122. Some players who had given up and were waiting for death immediately scrambled up and hurriedly listed their Shark Skins. The price of Shark Skins shot up instantly.

Despite Harold complaining about someone looting a burning house, the moment he saw a listing offering twenty Wooden Boards for a Shark Skin, he immediately snapped it up. Earlier, he had been unconscious for a long time due to the toxins from the Abyssal Poison Conches. Fortunately, he had upgraded his raft right before passing out. Even though it had been partially destroyed by the conches, the main body was still largely intact. What he needed to do now was stockpile more Wooden Boards.

Who would have thought that upgrading the raft would also cause the number of Abyssal Poison Conches to increase? It had caught him completely off guard. He no longer cared about fighting for the top spot. Ensuring his survival came first! Especially now, with the temperature climbing higher and higher, survival was becoming increasingly difficult. The official game was truly different from the novice period. Of course, on the World Channel, Harold still maintained his facade as a top-tier big shot.

Simon was also using his Shark Skins to trade for Wooden Boards and iron nails. He wasn’t going to do anything as dangerous as diving into the sea, so Shark Skins were practically useless to him. He was far more willing to use the Shark Skins in his possession to exchange for desperately needed supplies. Just thinking about it made him furious. This garbage sea zone left him lacking even basic resources, making it much harder for him to upgrade compared to others. One step behind meant falling behind at every step. If he got the chance, he definitely had to change sea zones.

Watching the now-bustling Trading Hall, Celia’s mood subconsciously lifted. Call her a hypocrite if they must, but she much preferred seeing all the players helping one another rather than tearing each other down or even murdering for resources.

"I don’t know who this Level 5 Raft big shot is, but they’re really nice!"

"Yeah, with just a single armor set, they brought the players of District 122 right back to life."

"Even though it’s a fair trade of money and goods, if she hadn’t posted it in the Trading Hall, we definitely wouldn’t have known what Shark Skins were used for."

"So having a big shot in our zone is actually pretty great."

Reading the praises from the others in the chat, Celia nodded in agreement. She had a feeling that the big shot who had specifically asked for mineral water in the Trading Hall earlier was this exact same person. Although they kept their identity hidden, they were genuinely a good person! Promptly, after using Wooden Boards and other resources to trade for two Shark Skins from the Trading Hall, Celia hurriedly waited to exchange them for the Waterproof Armor Set. She had plenty of resources. She absolutely had to buy a set like this. Following in the footsteps of a big shot was a surefire path to success.

Zelda Parrish had also noticed the lively atmosphere in the World Channel and the Trading Hall. Yet, what surfaced in her mind was the figure she had seen that day. She was certain it had to be her! Based on the current speculations in the World Channel, one had to reach Level 5 to craft the Waterproof Armor Set. This was another business opportunity she could capitalize on. After some thought, Zelda prepared to upgrade as well.

She had crafted the F-level Sun Hat. She had crafted the Equipment to deal with the Abyssal Poison Conches. Just these two alone would definitely allow her to make a killing. Once she upgraded, she would be able to make this Waterproof Armor Set too, and perhaps even other cloth-based Equipment.

The next moment, Zelda consumed Wooden Boards and iron nails, directly upgrading her raft to a Level 5 Raft. Upon completing the upgrade, the first thing Zelda noticed was the Crafting Table. After tossing in a Shark Skin, she learned the necessary raw materials. After acquiring three Shark Skins in the Trading Hall and crafting the Waterproof Armor Set, Zelda listed the set in the Trading Hall as well. It was listed at the exact same price as Rowan’s. At the same time, she also listed her homemade long shovel. As for the sun hats, listing them after this crisis blew over would earn her even more!

At the same time, Rowan was also working in full swing, using her Crafting Table to produce the Waterproof Armor Sets. As soon as one was finished, she would toss it straight into the Trading Hall, where it would be snatched up in seconds. The resources in her hands skyrocketed rapidly. At this very moment, Rowan realized one thing. Doing business was much faster than salvaging resources by herself!