Chapter 69: Other Zones

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Other Zones

District 2888.

[Current Temperature: -38°C]

Jenna Holland looked at the temperature on the weather forecast and hurriedly placed a Wooden Board into the iron basin to burn. Her body was also wrapped in a thermal suit made of Rough Insect Skin. Even so, her hands and feet were freezing. Every time she exhaled, she breathed out plumes of frigid air.

"This is too hard to endure!" Jenna lamented, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the page featuring the Trading Hall and the Sea Survival Shop. She hoped to buy some thermal goods. Only then would she be able to survive.

In reality, at this point, many people had resources on hand. The problem was that even with resources, they couldn’t buy thermal Equipment or warm food. With the temperature continuously dropping, thermal Equipment and warm food were basically a second life. Players who had them didn’t even have enough for themselves—how could they possibly sell them! Even if they did, the items would be snatched up the second they hit the market.

The only glimmer of hope was... the Sea Survival Shop.

Jenna herself was only able to survive because she had managed to snag some temperature control equipment from the Sea Survival Shop yesterday. It was also because of this temperature control equipment that she managed to endure the long night. After all, when she woke up this morning, she saw that over a thousand people in her district had died.

In just one night!

Many players had likely died in their sleep. During the day, they could still burn Wooden Boards to maintain their body heat, but at night, it was simply impossible. If they went too long without sleeping, their Life Value would drop at an accelerated Speed.

Jenna desperately hoped to buy more temperature control equipment today. If she did, she could safely make it through the second day of extreme cold. Once she survived the second night, the third night would bring an end to it all.

Recalling that items were stocked at 7:00 yesterday, Jenna fixed her eyes intently on the countdown.

Finally, at exactly 7:00, she saw the goods in the Sea Survival Shop refresh. With lightning-fast reflexes, Jenna tapped on the temperature control equipment. Once she confirmed the purchase was successful, she let out a long sigh of relief. Her baseline survival was secured.

Seeing that there were other goods available, Jenna continued tapping.

Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow?

It had been in stock for two days in a row.

She thought, "Maybe... I should buy it and give it a try."

The next moment, Jenna aimed for the Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow.

***

District 1002.

At that moment, Levi Vance was tossing the honeycomb coal he had scavenged earlier into a Charcoal Stove. Feeling the surroundings warm up, he raised an eyebrow.

This Effect was indeed much stronger than a Wooden Board! And it was far more durable.

He hadn’t expected the Sea Survival Shop to sell such good stuff like honeycomb coal. He had camped out through several restocks just to buy it. He bought it not just for his own use, but mostly to study it. Once he figured out its Manufacturing process, he could sell this honeycomb coal in his own district.

Yesterday, he had managed to grab a Charcoal Stove, and after studying it, he successfully replicated it, earning him a massive fortune. Even with the temperature steadily dropping, he was still living a comfortable life. Therefore, he planned to replicate things once again.

Finally, seeing new goods popping up in the Sea Survival Shop one after another, Levi moved his hands at blistering Speed to grab whatever he could. He would take whatever he could get.

***

District 6538.

"It’s almost 7:00. A large number of goods should be released soon."

"I hope I can grab something today."

"Sigh! Too many people died last night. Who would have thought that yesterday it dropped 1.5 degrees an hour, and today it’s 2 degrees an hour?"

"The extreme cold disaster is even more severe than the extreme heat!"

"Thank goodness for the Sea Survival Shop. At least it gives us some hope."

"The Sea Survival Shop appeared a bit abruptly, and it doesn’t really seem like part of the Sea Survival Game. The goods that appear are just too scattered. The large batches released at 7:00 are just a drop in the ocean for all the districts combined."

"Yeah! Hundreds of millions of players fighting over a few thousand copies! Those odds are insane."

"Actually, I have a theory. The scattered goods are actually listed by players."

"How is that possible? What player has that kind of capability?"

"Not one player, but a group of players. You can tell from these scattered listings that they are all special Equipment and special food made from existing materials."

"That theory makes some sense."

"Then how does this Sea Survival Shop select players?"

"It should be related to special Skills."

"I have a special Skill too! I haven’t seen any channel to list items."

"..."

Audrey Aldridge looked at the bustling World Channel and pursed her lips. She was the one who had just proposed that theory. But so what if she guessed it right? She also possessed a special Skill, but she didn’t know how to list the goods she Manufactured in the Sea Survival Shop.

Her remarks were meant to bait someone out, to see if anyone would reveal the secret. It was a pity... Based on her observations, her district really didn’t have any such players.

She truly hoped her idea could become reality. If she could list her goods in the Sea Survival Shop, the Equipment she Manufactured would yield far greater returns.

The next moment, Audrey listed the goods she had made earlier that morning in the Trading Hall. After exchanging them for some raw materials, she began Manufacturing new Equipment.

***

District 2345.

"Great! I got it."

"I got it too."

"You guys are way too lucky!"

"The quantities in the Sea Survival Shop are still too low. Why don’t they stock more of this great thermal Equipment!"

"This Sea Survival Shop is just like the Sea Survival Game—it’s doing it on purpose, stringing us along with a tiny amount of Equipment!"

"So we still have to rely on ourselves."

"Rely on ourselves how?"

"Everyone just needs to study hard! Learn to Manufacture the things that appear in the Sea Survival Shop. We might not be able to make the complex ones, but can’t we make the simple ones? Like honeycomb coal, or charcoal."

"True."

"At least it gives us a guiding goal for our actions."

"Anyway, you can’t go wrong by paying close attention to the Sea Survival Shop."

"..."

***

...

***

Players across countless districts had their minds fixed on the Sea Survival Shop. It was because the Sea Survival Shop brought them hope and opportunities.

Of course, there were also those who felt resentful toward the Sea Survival Shop. But even so, they all realized one thing: they could learn from the Sea Survival Shop.

Before anyone realized it, the Sea Survival Shop had become the guiding trendsetter in the hearts of the players.