Chapter 61: Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand

Rowan Rhodes pursed her lips. She knew very well that this was the... norm in the Sea Survival Game. Only you could be responsible for your own life. After taking one last look at the dropping numbers, Rowan turned her attention to the online items in the Sea Survival Shop.

The items she had listed had long been snatched up. The goods currently available were uploaded at random times by the 200 permanent players from various zones. Anything reasonably priced had already sold out, but they were still listed on the storefront.

For example, there were several bundles of Abyssal Krill hanging there, and their numbers were steadily decreasing. Obviously, players from other zones had also discovered the benefits of the Abyssal Krill. Aside from keeping a personal stash, they were likely using the Sea Survival Shop’s listing mechanism as an extra "inventory." After all, everyone had limited inventory slots. Storing items by listing them in the shop allowed them to keep the goods without taking up space. If they didn’t want to sell, they just had to set an exorbitantly high price.

Just like now. Rowan noticed that the prices of several Abyssal Krill had skyrocketed to tens of thousands of Trading Coins. Who would spend tens of thousands of Trading Coins on a single Abyssal Krill? In fact, after someone set this precedent, more and more product grids were filled with Abyssal Krill. Clearly, other players had taken the hint.

Rowan didn’t think there was anything wrong with this, as she had done the exact same thing before. On the contrary, she felt that as more permanent players adopted this method, she might be able to gather information about the resources they held in the future. They wouldn’t necessarily put their most precious items in the Sea Survival Shop, but they would definitely list their bulk goods. She could gauge their future development levels based on what players from other zones listed.

This was especially true after the third island. As the number of islands increased, players within the same sea route would have different choices. After all, the system only required players to explore ten islands before entering the Coastal Waters Region. Therefore, after the third island, the resources players obtained would begin to diversify, and functional resources would become more abundant. Correspondingly, the difficulty of the natural disasters they faced would also increase. Coupled with the Positioning Cards, this meant that power reshuffling among players would start happening more frequently. As a result, any early advantages could quickly be leveled out.

If she wanted to maintain her lead, she would have to... fight for it. Only, her way of fighting could be... waiting for her prey to come to her. When that no longer worked, she would take the initiative to strike.

While Rowan was deep in thought, a new item suddenly appeared in the Sea Survival Shop.

[Item: Sled]

[Level: E-level]

[Function: A transport vehicle capable of gliding on ice and snow.]

[Price: 1000 Trading Coins]

After reading the details, Rowan checked the backend to see who had crafted the Sled.

[Zone 2744: Finn York]

She discovered that Finn York, the creator of the Sled, possessed the "E-level Blacksmith" Skill. It seemed that before Manufacturing this Sled, Finn York had already used his Skill to craft quite a few iron tools. This type of Skill was likely different from Zelda Parrish’s Manufacturing. A Blacksmith was likely a true, bona fide blacksmith. In reality, many top-tier support players had emerged later in the Sea Survival Game. After all, the Manufacturing capabilities of these top-tier support players were extraordinary, making them entities that many other players were unwilling to provoke. Among them, quite a few were older players. They relied on skills they had honed for years in the real world.

She had no memory of the name Finn York. This only meant that he had either died in the early stages, or he had kept a low profile. Rowan knew that there were quite a few players who understood how to hide their strength and act cautiously. Because after Positioning Cards appeared in the later stages, the top-ranked players who went to plunder lower-ranked players didn’t always win.

Having finished her calculations, Rowan now had a choice to make: should she craft one herself, or buy this ready-made Sled? Almost without hesitation, she chose to purchase it. After all, she had plenty of Trading Coins on hand. Better to buy it and enjoy it early. Besides, she couldn’t even craft a Sled of such high quality herself! And so, Rowan bought it.

After the transaction, the Sled appeared in her inventory. She moved it onto her raft, only to find that the Sled fit her raft perfectly. What did this mean? It meant that when Finn York was Manufacturing the Sled, he had designed it for a one-hundred-square-meter scale. This implied that many players in Zone 2744 had chosen to prioritize the Expansion of their rafts to the maximum size, even if they hadn’t upgraded yet. That was why Finn York crafted a Sled suited for one hundred square meters. Or perhaps, this Sled was custom-made for a specific player in Zone 2744. She had just beaten them to the punch. Well, who could blame her for having fast hands! The next moment, Rowan began fitting the Sled onto her raft.

At the same time, in Zone 2744.

Ben Shaw, who had painstakingly scraped together enough Trading Coins, was just about to buy the Sled when it vanished in the blink of an eye. The next moment, he was cursing furiously in the world channel.

"Ben Shaw: The Sled got bought. Who? Who exactly was it? How dare you snatch it from me."

"Who would dare snatch it from you! It’s obviously a player from another zone."

"This Sea Survival Shop is for the entire channel, not just Zone 2744."

"Exactly. Don’t go crazy in the chat. It’s your own fault for being too slow!"

"Ben Shaw: If I find out it was one of you who took it, I won’t hold back!"

"Come on, Finn York can just make another Sled later, right? When he makes a new one and we buy it, you can’t blame us for that."

"Ben Shaw: The one Finn York just made was fitted for a one-hundred-square-meter raft. Which of you has a raft that size? Speak up!"

"True, none of us have one right now, but isn’t this to deal with the extreme cold disaster? We’ll have one after it’s over, and what if you blame us then!"

"Ben Shaw: I don’t care.

"Ben Shaw: @Finn York, hurry up and make me another one."

"Finn York: I don’t have enough Metal Ingots and scrap iron."

"Ben Shaw: I have some here. I’ll trade with you. Let’s do it in the trading hall in a bit!"

"Finn York: I want to use the Sea Survival Shop; it gives reputation points."

"Ben Shaw: Then let me know before you list it."

"Finn York: Mhm."

"..."

Looking at Finn York’s messages, Ben Shaw was furious. Given his temper, if Finn York wasn’t someone he was trying to rope in, he definitely wouldn’t have been so accommodating. He would just have to wait for the second one! But if he ever found out who had stolen his item, he would not be merciful.

In the same zone, Finn York looked at Ben Shaw’s earlier outburst, sighing softly as he shook his head. He thought, "A person like this wants to recruit me to work for him? In his dreams!"