ã€ŠShelter for All: People catch ghosts and gain entries in the end timesã€‹ Chapter 1 - Arriving in the Apocalypse, Binding the Attribute System Chapter 1: Arriving in the Apocalypse, Binding the Attribute System Darkness nketed thend. The wildernessy silent, with only a vast ruin breaking the stillness. In the middle of this deste space, a lone bonfire flickered, the only source of light and warmth. Su Mu stood in the ruins, utterly stunned. Just moments ago, he¡¯d been at a banquet, savouring fine wine and chatting with the city¡¯s most beautiful woman¡ªher fair skin, long legs, and striking looks unforgettable. And now, he was here, in this deste ruin? What had happened?N?v(el)B\\jnn Suddenly, an emotionless, mechanical voice echoed from above: ¡°Wee to the Yin Qi Revival World. The Wastnd Apocalypse is about to begin. This is Blue Star¡¯s only chance for survival. Two billion people from Blue Star have arrived at the same time. You must survive here for a long time. ¡°In this world of revived Yin Qi, where ghosts roam freely, protect your shelter and endure this apocalyptic realm. Be the eternal ruler of this dark night!¡± Taking a deep breath, Su Mu looked around. Ruins stretched in all directions, their walls crumbling, with no safe ce in sight. The only rtively intact structure was a wall enclosing a small dungeon-like area. Everything else seemed so fragile it might copse at a touch. Beyond the sheltery an open wastnd, filled with faint sounds¡ªwolves howling and ghostly wails drifting through the air. A sense of helplessness crept over him. Just when he¡¯d achieved afortable life among the upper ss, this sudden twist of fate had snatched it all away. At that moment, the eerie voice from above resumed. ¡°Shelter Owner, you have a three-day novice protection period. During this time, there will be no threats inside your shelter, and all structures within it will be invincible. ¡°Once this period ends, wild beasts and Yin spirits will descend upon you. If your shelter falls to these creatures, you will lose your chance at immortality, facing uncontroble changes.¡± Suddenly, a blinding blue light appeared overhead, growing brighter and spreading until it enveloped the entire shelter. The barrier¡¯s thin glow offered a momentary sense of security but also brought a sense of urgency. Three days of protection¡ªneither long nor short. In this world, stripped of civilization and overrun by spirits, building a proper shelter in such a short time was nearly impossible. Right now, Su Mu¡¯s ¡°shelter¡± consisted of a bonfire, a ring of unstable walls, and a wooden hut that looked ready to copse at any moment. He wondered how the others were managing¡ªtwo billion people scattered across this barrennd, yet not a single one in sight. This world¡¯s size must be beyond imagination. As he mused, Su Mu noticed a faint blue screen glowing not far from the bonfire. Approaching, he saw several items disyed: [Shelter Information], [Friend Information], [World Information], [Trade Space]¡ Curious, he selected his personal information. [Shelter Owner: Su Mu] [Shelter Level: Level 0] [Shelter Buildings: Walls, Campfire, Wooden Hut (Buildings can be constructed or upgraded by consuming resources)] [Personal Strength: 0] [Special Abilities: None] [Equipment: None] [Energy Stones: None] [Food: None] [Wood: None] [Stone: None] ¡ ¡°Strength: zero, special abilities: none?!¡± he muttered. He¡¯d hoped that, as a transmigrator, he might have gained some advantage. But, apparently, he was starting out with nothing. How was he supposed to survive with zero strength and no resources? To gather supplies, he would have to venture outside and face the beasts and ghosts in the wastnd. But without any strength or equipment, he was as vulnerable as anyone. Shaking his head, Su Mu explored the other tabs. The friend information and trade space were both empty, but the world information section was filled with messages from others [World Announcement: To the two billion shelter owners from Blue Star, wee to the Yin Qi Revival World. Here, you will face fair and justpetition. Here, you may achieve power, even immortality.] Messages flooded in: [User 1: What is this ce? Why am I here?!] [User 2: To hell with immortality! They left me with a broken wall, and there are dozens of tigers outside! Won¡¯t they eat me alive in three days?!] [User 3: My fire went out, and the tide¡¯s rising over here on the coast!] [User 4: You think that¡¯s bad? I¡¯ve got over ten vampires outside! I¡¯m scared!] Scanning the messages, Su Mu could see that some were already in trouble. Temporary safety was an illusion; if he didn¡¯t upgrade his shelter soon, he would face disaster in three days. Then one message caught his attention: [User 5: Brothers, don¡¯t go outside. I took a single step out, and skeletons nearly tore me apart!] [User 5: The outside is a death trap! I tried to scout the area, but the moment I stepped out, skeletons began crawling up from the ground!] Su Mu frowned, gazing into the wastnd. If there were skeletons just beyond his shelter, any attempt to gather resources would be a risk. Yet, staying put would also mean certain death when the protection period ended. A heavy despair pressed down on him. Waiting here guaranteed doom, but stepping outside seemed equally deadly. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind: [Ding! Congrattions, host, for binding the attribute system.] Chapter 2 - Refresh, Anti-Evil Crossbow Chapter 2: Refresh, Anti-Evil Crossbown/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Sub-Attribute Refresh System] [The host has the ability to refresh sub-attributes three times a day.] [The host can choose to add sub-attributes to anything.] It¡¯s here! The essential cheat for a transmigrator has arrived. Relief washed over Su Mu as he received the system. Facing skeletons unarmed was out of the question¡ªnot just for him but even for martial artists. One or two skeletons might be manageable, but swarms of them? It would be impossible. The messages he had read earlier confirmed it: skeletons were everywhere. He recalled someone boasting about their martial arts skills and even iming to be the reincarnation of Mount Tai. Yet now? No one could reach that person anymore. He was likely gone. Initially, Su Mu considered venturing outside, but with the system now active, leaving seemed unnecessary. Why take unnecessary risks? It was wiser to stay in the shelter and fully understand the system¡¯s potential first. Studying the system¡¯s description, Su Mu realized that this sub-attribute refresh ability functioned like an unconventional upgrade tool. However, it had a significant drawback¡ªpure randomness. It was all luck-based. The system description also borated: [Every refresh attempt yields three sub-attribute options.] [Sub-attributes are assigned randomly.] [Once an attribute is fixed, it cannot be refreshed.] [The number of avable sub-attribute slots increases as the item¡¯s attributes improve.] Three options per refresh attempt. If luck wasn¡¯t on his side, failing three times wouldn¡¯t make a difference. This reminded Su Mu of those infuriating games from his previous life where yers would draw for rare items, only to be stuck with mediocre ones. It felt like those moments in games when the odds of getting critical or damage-boosting items were high, yet the results were always defensive stats. I need something to test this on, Su Mu thought, ncing around the empty space. Even if he wanted to add sub-attributes, there wasn¡¯t much to work with, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste attempts. He only had three tries per day. Just as Su Mu was deliberating, a new world announcement appeared before him: [A total of two billion Beginner¡¯s Gift Packages have been delivered.] [Each package contains a weapon and some food.] [Use everything at your disposal to survive this apocalypse.] [Strive to be the next Eternal King!] Right after the announcement, a small, red gift package materialized inside the run-down wooden hut. It was barely the size of his palm, concealing its contents. ¡°Time to see what¡¯s inside,¡± Su Mu muttered. Opening the package, a few items spilled out:pressed biscuits and fresh water, enough to stave off hunger for the three-day beginner period. But when Su Mu saw the weapon, his expression soured. A in crossbow and a bag of bolts. He stared at the crossbow, almost tempted to curse. How was he supposed to use a crossbow against skeletons? The bolts would just pierce through them without effect. Even if he managed headshots, it wouldn¡¯t matter. What good would it be to fight a swarm if only headless skeletons remained? Maybe using this metal crossbow as a blunt weapon would be more effective, he thought dryly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s still a weapon. Let¡¯s see if I can improve it with the system,¡± he said, cing his hand on the crossbow to activate its data disy. [Weapon: Crossbow] [Quality: Common] [Level: 1] [Sub-Attributes: Unfilled] [Description: Rmended for meleebat or for the thrill of scraping.] Expressionless, Su Mu activated the system. [Sub-Attribute: Refresh, Activate] A series of glowing lights appeared on the crossbow, disying several lines of text. [Sub-attributes range from Bronze, Silver, Gold, tinum, Diamond, Star, Legendary, to Mythical.] [The higher the quality, the lower the probability of obtaining it.] [Upgrading the system increases the chance of obtaining high-quality sub-attributes.] Su Mu selected the first green light. [Sub-Attribute: Double Shot] [Quality: Bronze] [Effect: For ranged weapons only. Each attack fires an additional arrow] He discarded it without hesitation. Double Shot was powerful for ordinary bows, but against skeletons? Irrelevant. Shooting two arrows at once wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Next, he examined the second light, a white one. [Sub-Attribute: Sharp de] [Quality: Silver] [Effect: Increases melee attack power with each strike.] This sub-attribute was decent. Dealing with skeletons might be easier with direct, blunt-force attacks. Meleebat was a more effective strategy. It seemed that the sub-attribute¡¯s colour represented its quality: green for bronze and white for silver. The third cluster was yellow¡ªgold quality. Su Mu¡¯s heart raced slightly. Obtaining a gold-level sub-attribute was lucky for a system that hadn¡¯t been upgraded yet. Tapping the golden light, a line of text appeared before him: [Sub-Attribute: Level 1 Anti-Evil] [Quality: Gold] [Effect: Increases attack power by 100% and deals real damage to undead.] Chapter 3 - Braising Skeletal Bones? Doesnt Your Conscience Hurt? Chapter 3: Braising Skeletal Bones? Doesn¡¯t Your Conscience Hurt? ¡°Level 1 Anti-Evil! And it¡¯s gold quality.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll choose this one.¡± Seeing this sub-Sub-attribute, Su Mu didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He decided to add it directly. After the addition, the crossbow in front of him transformed. The original grey, iron-like colour began to shimmer with a golden light, adding a touch of nobility. The firing slit now bore a small golden emblem resembling a flickering me, but this me was gold. ¡°This looks much better now.¡± Su Mu touched the improved crossbow. The previously rough texture felt much smoother, and it even looked more aesthetically pleasing. Holding it in his hand, he could sense a calm emanating from it. What made Su Mu even happier were the new attributes of the crossbow. [Name: Anti-Evil Crossbow] [Quality: Excellent] [Level: 1] [Sub-Attribute: Level 1 Anti-Evil] [Description: Feel the Peace (Physically)] After the sub-attribute was added, the crossbow¡¯s attributes werepletely transformed into an item of excellent quality. In this world, it might not even be possible to obtain such an item from a treasure chest. In high spirits, Su Mu opened the system forum. The world channel was filled with people discussing the weapons they had just received from the beginner¡¯s gift package. [User 1: I received a sword. Can this fancy weapon really be effective?] [User 2: Not too bad, I have a war hammer, but being a weak girl, I can¡¯t even lift it.] [User 3: The person above is definitely a strong man, confirmed.] [User 4: You think that¡¯s bad? I have a throwing star!] [User 5: Isn¡¯t this great? You can be a ninja.] [User 4: Great, my foot! Throwing stars are consumable weapons, and the Starter Pack only gave me one!] [User 5: Oh no, rest in peace, brother.] [User6: I have a fire axe, but it feels weird.¡±] [User6: The fire axe has a 10% damage bonus against zombies. Don¡¯t you have that?¡±] ¡ Seeing this, Su Mu stopped reading. The person who received the fire axe was immediately swarmed by others on the World Forum. Not all weapons are equal. Some people are lucky enough to get weapons with certain attribute bonuses. Those are the truly fortunate ones, but out of two billion people, how many are there?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Su Mu thought the number shouldn¡¯t be small, but not many would choose to reveal it. This was a barren apocalypse, and everyone could be a potential enemy. Before bing absolutely powerful, it was better to keep secret any special weapons. As for the lucky ones, Su Mu might have envied them a bit before. But now¡ ¡°The sanctuary has a three-day protection period. And the Anti-Evil Crossbow is a long-range weapon. So I¡¯ll stay here and take a few shots at the skeletons to see the effect.¡±, he muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, Su Mu opened the door to the shelter. The sight outside surprised him. The outside was worse than he had imagined. Although the sun still hung in the sky, the entire expanse seemed to have lost its colour. Outside the wooden hut of the shelter, thend resembled a scorched wastnd. Standing beneath the thin shield, Su Mu took a deep breath and looked around. The aura of life feltpletely out of ce with the golden Anti-Evil Crossbow in his hand. It seemed he had immediately be the focus of the monsters¡¯ attention. ¡°Is that¡ a skeleton dog?¡± Su Mu watched as a creature crawled up from the wastnd. The scene was grotesque, with shattered bones reassembling on the ground, taking the form of a dog. However, this skeletal dog was the size of a sheep. As Su Mu observed, some data appeared in his vision. [Name: Skeleton Dog] [Level: 3] [Characteristics: Bite, Sting] [Description: Rookie Killer] As soon as the skeleton dog spotted Su Mu, it charged at him. Since it was only a skeleton, its speed wasn¡¯t very fast. Moreover, the light of the shelter was still shining, causing the skeleton dog to crash right into the protective barrier. Watching the barrier ripple like water, Su Mu realized this skeleton dog was definitely not easy to deal with. However, during the protection period, he was absolutely safe. He could stand inside the barrier and attack from a distance. ¡°Hunting like this isn¡¯t too difficult.¡± Su Mu aimed at the Skeleton Dog¡¯s spine and pulled the trigger of the crossbow. The golden bolt shot out instantly, hitting the Skeleton Dog with incredible speed. The creature emitted a puff of ck smoke and copsed back into a pile of bones on the wastnd. ¡°Did it just get shot?¡± Su Mu was surprised to see the Skeleton Dog disappear so easily. This creature wasbeled a ¡°novice killer¡± by the system, but in front of the Anti-Evil Crossbow, it was as fragile as paper. ¡°Is that the power of an excellent weapon?¡± Su Mu couldn¡¯t help but admire the Anti-Evil Crossbow in his hand. Not only did it possess great power, but it also allowed him to safely hunt monsters from a secure area. His sense of security skyrocketed! Walking over, Su Mu examined the remains of the Skeleton Dog. The area where the bolt had passed through waspletely pierced, and golden mes flickered on the shattered bones. However, when Su Mu touched those mes, he didn¡¯t feel any heat. Moreover, after the Skeleton Dog was shattered, its bones seemed to be special drops. [Purified Bones] [A probable drop from defeating a Skeleton Dog.] ¡°Probable drop? But why does it feel like it¡¯s a guaranteed drop to me? Could it be because of the purification?¡± Su Mu couldn¡¯t tell if this was rted to the Anti-Evil Crossbow, but the next description of the drop caught his attention. [Absorbing the bone marrow can increase the physical strength of the hideout owner.] All right, it¡¯s decided. Today¡¯s lunch will be bone soup. Chapter 4 - Gain experience by drinking soup? Boil it! Chapter 4: Gain experience by drinking soup? Boil it! [Loot:Purified Bones X10] Su Mu stared at the bone-like object in his hand, lost in thought. ¡°The Anti-Evil Crossbow can really increase the drop rate of these items. Is it because of the purifying effect of the crossbow? ¡°Enemies hit by the crossbow bolts are directly purified. So the loot will drop more often.¡± After stepping out of the shelter, Su Mu encountered three Skeleton Dogs. However, Su Mu didn¡¯t even step out of the protective shield. The three Skeleton Dogs bit the shield without causing any damage. They also became easy targets for Su Mu to shoot and kill one by one. The Skeleton Dogs that the system rated as novice killers were nothing special. Of the three Skeleton Dogs, Su Mu killed two of them with a single arrow. The remaining Skeleton Dog seemed to be injured even before it attacked Su Mu. Not wanting to waste a crossbow bolt, Su Mu picked up a brick and smashed the Skeleton Dog¡¯s skull. Only a piece of Purified Bonefell from the Skeleton Dog. If he had used a crossbow bolt to kill it instantly, it would have dropped four or five pieces. ¡°The purifying effect actually has additional hidden attributes. This is a pleasant surprise.¡± Su Mu happily put the loot into his system backpack. Then he looked at his personal information. [Shelter owner: Su Mu] [Shelter level:1] [Special Buildings: None] [Personal level: 1 (30/1000)] [Equipment: Anti-Evil Crossbow (Level 1)] [Energy Stones: None] Huh? It seems like I¡¯ve leveled up a bit. After opening the system, Su Mu noticed that his level had increased by 0.1. He couldn¡¯t help but scratch his palm. It seemed that killing three monsters had indeed increased his strength slightly. ¡°The leveling speed from killing monsters isn¡¯t very fast. But it¡¯s something.¡± Su Mu looked at thePurified Bones.Using them to make soup could increase his strength. However, what was more important to Su Mu was the Energy Stones. Originally, he thought that these would be dropped by defeated monsters. However, after killing three Skeleton Dogs, the number of Energy Stones was still zero. If energy stones appeared in your personal information, they must be important items. They may be rted to upgrading weapons or the shelter. ¡°Let me check the chat forums. Maybe I can find some information about energy stones.¡± After visiting the world forum, Su Mu realized that he had thought too much. Or rather, he hadn¡¯t fully grasped the danger of the so-called Newbie Killer Skeleton Dogs due to his ease in dealing with them. [User 1: Damn it, are those monsters outside really meant to be fought?¡±]N?v(el)B\\jnn [User 2: I don¡¯t think so. I hit a Skeleton Dog in the head with a hammer. The dog¡¯s head didn¡¯t break, but my arm almost did.] [User 1: That¡¯s nothing. I confidently swung my weapon at a Skeleton Dog, and it bit my leg and broke it! I barely managed to crawl back to the shelter. My leg is broken now. How will I survive?¡±] [User 3: Don¡¯t these Skeleton Dogs have teeth? How did you get bitten?¡±] [User 1: It¡¯s trulyparable to the bite of a crocodile, capable of breaking bones in an instant!¡±] [User 4: That¡¯s why they call them rookie killers!¡±] [User 5: Unless you¡¯re lucky enough to get a special weapon like a fire axe, most people can¡¯t handle Skeleton Dogs.¡±] [User 5: They¡¯re overthinking it. If they could handle it, they¡¯d be bragging about killing Skeleton Dogs by now.¡±] Skeleton dogs are indeed rated as novice killers by the system. New survivors, armed with their first weapons, confidently set out to challenge what they thought were the weakest monsters in the world, only to be brutally defeated. Some were even seriously injured by the Skeleton Dogs and could only cry out for help on the chat forums. Meanwhile, Su Mu was having a much more rxed time. He casually gathered some dry wood nearby and prepared to make a fire to cook soup. ¡°This Anti-Evil Crossbow can even be used as a lighter. How convenient.¡± Using the mes from the purifying crossbow, Su Mu lit the firewood and began to make the soup. Unlike the ugly appearance of the Skeleton Dogs, the bones they dropped made a delicious broth. Delicious. Su Mu took a sip and felt the warmth spread through his body. In this world, the sun was almost grey, providing light but little warmth. Enjoying a bowl of bone soup in this ashen world was quite a treat. Just then, the protective shield of the dwelling was breached again. The smell of bone broth wafted through the window of the shelter. A Skeleton Dog, unable to resist, charged directly at Su Mu. ¡°Awooo! Awooo!¡± Although the Skeleton Dog had no expression, its growl indicated that it was very angry. After all, there was a human in the shelter who was using the bones of hispanions to make soup. The Skeleton Dog even seemed to be considering calling hispanions to join him in attacking the human inside the shelter. This was the first time Su Mu had heard the Skeleton Dog¡¯s howl. It made him curious; he had thought that these Skeleton Dogs were just undead creatures. But from the sound, it seemed like they had some kind of soul? However, Su Mu couldn¡¯t understand the Skeleton Dog¡¯snguage and had no intention ofmunicating with it. ¡°Do you want a taste? Sorry, none for you.¡± With that, Su Mu aimed his Anti-Evil Crossbow. The howling Skeleton Dog quickly transformed into Purified Bones,dropping five pieces. ¡°Why bother me while I¡¯m eating? Now you evene over to give me an extra meal.¡± Su Mu went over and picked up the loot. As he collected the items, he felt his strength increase slightly again. When he opened the system panel, he noticed that his personal information had changed once again. [Shelter Owner:Su Mu] [Personal Level: 1 (40/1000)] ¡°Just drinking a sip of soup can raise my level? What a great deal!¡± Chapter 5 - Skeleton Dogséˆ¥æ“¶heres Our Boss? Chapter 5: Skeleton Dogs¡ªWhere¡¯s Our Boss? Su Mu continued to stew a few morePurified Bones. His current personal level was Level 1 (100/1000). The reason he couldn¡¯t level up any further was simply that he was too full. After all, he couldn¡¯t just drink soup all day for a bnced diet. While sipping his soup, Su Mu scanned the chat channel. Everyone was focused on figuring out how to deal with the rookie Skeleton Dogs. Besides those who wereining about their battles, some were analyzing strategies tobat the Skeleton Dogs.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [User 1: We can¡¯t rush. We have three days to develop.] [User 2: There are injured and weak Skeleton Dogs among them.] [User 3: We can ambush the already injured or weak ones first and take revenge on the Skeleton Dogs when we¡¯re stronger.] [User 1: Only those who are lucky enough to have special weapons can deal with the skeletal dogs directly.] [User 4: The happiness of the fortunate is short-lived. (Jealous Emoji)] After all, there were two billion people who had descended into this world. Helpless cries were nothing but a waste of energy. Some people had already begun to rationally analyze how to deal with the Skeleton Dogs. Just like the injured Skeleton Dog Su Mu encountered earlier, there were always weaker individuals in a group. They could target those weaker ones. As for Su Mu, he didn¡¯t have to worry about such things. There was nothing that a shot from the Anti-Evil Crossbow couldn¡¯t solve. If there was, then two shots would be enough. ¡°It¡¯s just that no one has revealed what their special weapons are yet. Everyone is so secretive.¡±, he muttered. Su Mu noticed that the only person who had revealed his special weapon so far was the one with the Fire Axe. In a world where two billion people had descended, there must be more than one person with a special weapon. But in this world, everyone could be a potential enemy. Choosing to hide one¡¯s strength was the wisest choice. Suddenly, an unsettling howl echoed from outside the hideout. ¡°Awooo¡!¡± Su Mu frowned; he had be quite familiar with that sound. When he drank his bone soup earlier, he had heard several such howls. Since they were basically extra meals for him, he had gratefully epted them. However, this time, the Skeleton Dog was different. The previous Skeleton Dogs were at most the size of sheep. This one was at least the size of a cow. [Skeleton Dog (Captain Level)] [Level:5] [Characteristics: Bite, Attack] [Description: A more agile rookie killer. If you encounter it, find a way to escape.] ¡°Awooo!¡± Although Su Mu could not understand thenguage of these undead creatures, he understood the situation. It seemed that the Skeleton Dogs he had defeated earlier had summoned their leader. The worst part was that thisrge Skeleton Dog was apanied by four or five smaller Skeleton Dogs. Are they here for revenge? If most neers saw this scene, they would probably be terrified. After all, a single Skeleton Dog was enough to be called a novice killer. Here, there was not only onerge Skeleton Dog but several smaller ones as well. Being surrounded by these creatures would surely mean certain death. But Su Mu felt very safe. The shelter wouldn¡¯t be breached in three days. Most importantly, he had a way to deal with these Skeleton Dogs. So he didn¡¯t have to worry about being surrounded by these monsters. For Su Mu, being surrounded meant more experience points. ¡°Since you¡¯re so eager for a bite, why don¡¯t you have a little more?¡± First, Su Mu targeted thergest Skeleton Dog. The principle of capturing the leader first was universal. Therge Skeleton Dog was still attacking the protective barrier,pletely unaware of the Golden Crossbow bolt that Su Mu had shot. Even if it had noticed, it probably wouldn¡¯t have cared. How could a bolt the size of a toothpick hurt it? As the bolt approached, the great Skeleton Dog finally sensed the threat. But it was toote to dodge. The golden bolt went straight through its head. Despite its slightlyrger size, it was no match for the true damage of the Anti-Evil Crossbow. ¡°Even big monsters fall with a single shot. The restraining effect of the Anti-Evil Crossbow is truly powerful.¡± Seeing therge Skeleton Dog fall with a single hit, Su Mu became even more fond of his Anti-Evil Crossbow. The remaining Skeleton Dogs were stunned. Where¡¯s our boss? How did he disappear so quickly? This is crazy! The undead creatures let out howls and prepared to flee. Su Mu quickly reloaded his Anti-Evil Crossbow and killed two skeletal dogs with precise shots. ¡°I¡¯ll let the other two get away. They might bring back more monsters for me. ¡°Killing monsters outside the door is safe and convenient.¡± Letting the two Skeleton Dogs go was part of Su Mu¡¯s n. While everyone else was still struggling with the Skeleton Dogs as novice killers, he was already plotting his fishing strategy. As he was about to collect the loot, something shiny caught his eye. It was an item that looked like a bracer. Chapter 6 - Exposed by the World Announcement! Chapter 6: Exposed by the World Announcement! ¡°Did that big skeleton dog drop this?¡± Su Mu picked it up, and a data screen appeared in front of him. [Name: Bone Spike Armor]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [Quality: Superior] [Level: 1] [Additional Attributes: None] [Description: Seems to have higher defense than ordinary bracers, the only intact drop from the Skeleton Dog.] Seeing the quality of the bracer, Su Mu nodded. In terms of both quality and effect, this item was better than the crossbow without refreshed attributes. Refreshing attributes, however, was always a matter of luck. Considering that he¡¯d managed to get a weapon drop at all, his luck was already quite good. Most people in the world were stillining about their terrible beginner weapons, while he already had both a weapon and armor. Checking the world forum, Su Mu noticed many survivors still discussing how to use their beginner weapons to defeat the Skeleton Dog. Compared to them, his progress was astonishingly fast. With two refresh chances left for the day, Su Mu decisively used them on the Bone Spike Armor. Three light clusters appeared before him: one green and two white. Su Mu sighed. His luck hadn¡¯t exploded this time, but it felt like a fair bnce. Superior-quality attributes weren¡¯t guaranteed, so it was reasonable not to get a golden-tier one this time. Su Mu tapped the green cluster first, and a line of text appeared. [Sub-attribute: Dog Step] [Quality: Bronze] [Effect: Allows you to move quickly for a short distance, about as far as an average person can jump.] The effect wasn¡¯t bad. It could improve the speed of sneak attacks, which was useful for assassins. However, Su Mu preferred long-range one-hit kills with the Anti-Evil Crossbow. Besides, the movement range wasn¡¯t far enough to serve as a good retreat tool. After some consideration, he decided to discard it. He turned to the first white light cluster next. [Sub-attribute: Sharp de] [Quality: Common] [Effect: Enhances melee attacks for increased damage.] This attribute had appeared previously when refreshing the crossbow. While it might feel out of ce on a ranged weapon, it was much more appropriate for the bracer. A single close-range sneak attack could now rival the damage output of the Anti-Evil Crossbow. Su Mu shortlisted it before moving on to the final cluster. [Sub-attribute: Fragile ss] [Quality: Silver] [Effect: Creates an invisible ss shield that blocks one attack. Cooldown time: one day.] Su Mu¡¯s eyes lit up. A shield capable of blocking a fatal blow was invaluable in this dangerous world. Even with the one-day cooldown, it was effectively like having an extra life. ¡°Why is this only a silver-tier attribute? Maybe the cooldown is the limiting factor,¡± Su Mu muttered. Even so, it was clearly the best choice. Since he relied on the Anti-Evil Crossbow for offense, it made sense to give the bracer a life-saving ability. In this treacherous world, survival was the top priority. After selecting the Fragile ss attribute, the light cluster merged into the bracer. Its appearance transformed¡ªwhat was once a rough, unrefined piece of equipment now gleamed like crystal. The feel and look of the bracer improved significantly. [Name: ss Bracer] [Quality: Rare] [Level: 1] [Bonus Attribute: Fragile ss] [Description: A bracer that can resist a fatal blow. The shield ss is said to be made in China.] Su Mu was speechless for a moment at the strange description but was otherwise satisfied with his new bracer. At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed across the world. [World Announcement: It has been half a day since all survivors arrived in this world. I wonder if the survivors have adapted to this world.] The announcement triggered an outburst ofints across the forum. [User 1: Adapting? With these beginner weapons? What a joke!] [User 2: I can¡¯t even beat the Skeleton Dogs blocking my door!] [User 3: I bet it¡¯s going to be worse after nightfall.] Ignoring the protests, the announcement continued: [World Announcement: So far, one hundred survivors havepleted their first monster kill.] [Congrattions to these one hundred survivors for obtaining the First Kill Treasure Chest.] [The first person to achieve this will receive a special First Kill Treasure Chest.] [All survivors should aim for this and keep striving forward.] The sudden announcement shocked everyone. [User 4: What?! A hundred people killed monsters already? How?] [User 5: Didn¡¯t everyone say the Skeleton Dogs were impossible to beat?] [User 5: Look at the list¡ªSu Mu is at the top! He must¡¯ve been the first.] Su Mu was stunned as well. The announcement had exposed the names of the first hundred yers to achieve kills, with his name ced at the very top. Without wasting any time, he quickly enabled privacy settings to hide his personal information on the forums. Just then, another voice echoed in his mind. [Ding! Congrattions, Su Mu, forpleting the world¡¯s first monster kill. You have received a Special First Kill Treasure Chest.] Chapter 7 - Isnt This Cheating? Chapter 7: Isn¡¯t This Cheating? Compared to the heated discussions on the World Channel, Su Mu¡¯s focus was entirely on the treasure chest in front of him. The bright red box had an almost festive appearance, and given that the world announcement had described it as a specialtreasure chest, he was eager to see its contents. Before opening it, Su Mu briefly considered his options. He still had a chance to refresh extra attributes today, and whatever was inside the chest might benefit from it. With that thought, he opened the chest. A short line of text appeared before him: [Energy Stone x100] [Level 1 Corrupted Wastnd Map] [Level 1 Masonry Blueprint] Energy stones! Su Mu¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of them. The system had emphasized their importance for upgrading weapons, shelters, and other critical equipment. Yet, despite defeating a leader-level Skeleton Dog with a single arrow, he hadn¡¯t seen any energy stones drop. But now, the special treasure chest had granted him one hundred of them at once. It truly lived up to its name as the first-killtreasure chest. While the energy stones were a significant reward, Su Mu was even more intrigued by the other two items: the Level 1 Corrupted Wastnd Mapand theLevel 1 Masonry Blueprint. ¡°Am I in the Corrupted Wastnd right now? This area seems vast,¡± Su Mu muttered as a paper map materialized in front of him. The map was fascinating. It resembled a satellite map that could be zoomed in and out. High monster-density areas were marked, revealing the general gathering points of the Skeleton Dogs. It also highlighted various mine locations and even marked Su Mu¡¯s current position and hideout. ¡°This is incredibly convenient,¡± he remarked. With this map, even someone unarmed could avoid monsters and find opportunities. For Su Mu, it was an invaluable tool. But most importantly, the map provided another critical piece of information. [Name: Level 1 Corrupted Wastnd Map] [Quality: Rare] [Additional Attribute: None] ¡°So the system can add extra attributes to anything, even a map,¡± Su Mu realized. This discovery excited him. The map, havinge from a special treasure chest, was already exceptional. What might happen if he added an attribute to it? The third item in the chest, the Level 1 Masonry Blueprint,was equally intriguing. ¡°This will be usefulter,¡± Su Mu mused. ¡°The shelter¡¯s protection period is limited. After three days, survivors will have to face monster attacks directly. But for now, Ick the materials to use the blueprint, so there¡¯s no rush.¡± With the Anti-Evil Crossbow, ss Bracer, and now the map, Su Mu felt ready to venture further. He decided to use his final attribute refresh on the map. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we get.¡± Three light clusters appeared, and to Su Mu¡¯s surprise, two of them were golden. ¡°Luck is on my side today,¡± he said, his excitement growing. Starting with the least valuable green cluster, he tapped it. [Sub-attribute: Reassembly] [Quality: Bronze] [Effect: The card will automatically reassemble when torn, preventing damage.] Since the map could already be stored in his system backpack, this attribute wasn¡¯t particrly useful. Su Mu dismissed it and moved to the first golden cluster. [Sub-attribute: Hardened] [Quality: Gold] [Effect: Makes the card impervious to water and fire, turning it into a material harder than refined steel.] While the effect was impressive, it felt unnecessary for a map. Adding Hardenedto it would be akin to giving theSharp deattribute to the Anti-Evil Crossbow¡ªuseful, but not appropriate. Finally, Su Mu tapped the second golden cluster.N?v(el)B\\jnn [Sub-attribute: Level +2] [Quality: Gold] [Effect: Increases the item¡¯s level by two, regardless of its current level.] Su Mu weighed his options carefully. ¡°The map is currently Level 1. Upgrading it to Level 3 might significantly enhance its effects, even if it¡¯s limited to the Corrupted Wastnd.¡± He chose the Level +2attribute. The map didn¡¯t change much in appearance after the upgrade, but its description was now far more detailed. [Name: Level 3 Corrupted Wastnd Map] [Level: Epic] [Bonus Attribute: Level +2] [Special Effect 1: Automatically alerts the holder to all monsters within 500 meters and marks their exact coordinates on the map.] [Special Effect 2: Enhanced map effects that indicate the corresponding levels of monsters to prevent the holder from engaging in battles beyond their abilities.] [Special Effect 3: Marks the special outputs of all mines and secret areas, including energy stones.] Reading the upgraded description, Su Mu realized the map had be a truly extraordinary tool. ¡°This is almost unfair. With this map, surviving¡ªand thriving¡ªjust became much easier,¡± he murmured, a faint smile ying on his lips. Su Mu knew he had gained a significant advantage, one that might set him apart from other survivors. Chapter 8 - Su Mu is Definitely Not the First! Chapter 8: Su Mu is Definitely Not the First! ¡°Not bad, there¡¯s an energy stone mine nearby,¡± Su Mu mused, studying the map. ¡°The monsters guarding it aren¡¯t much stronger than Skeleton Dogs. It¡¯s worth checking out.¡± With the map in hand, Su Mu felt like he had gained a beacon of hope in this bleak, deste world. If the other yers on the World Forum knew about the map¡¯s capabilities, they¡¯d likely beg him to share it¡ªeven just a glimpse. Speaking of the World Forum, Su Mu noticed his friend requests had skyrocketed to over 999. The world announcement of his first kill had catapulted him into the spotlight. With a reward as significant as a treasure chest and a rare map, Su Mu knew he had hit the jackpot. Meanwhile, the World Channel was still abuzz with debates about who had achieved the first kill. [User 1: I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Su Mu. Look at him¡ªhe doesn¡¯t even reveal his personal info. He¡¯s probably not that strong.] [User 2: The announcement didn¡¯t specify rankings. He likely just got lucky and ended up first.¡±] [User 3: Why are you all so pressed? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re skilled enough to make the top one hundred.] [User 4: He probably stumbled upon a weak Skeleton Dog and managed to kill it.] [User 5: Damn! I just found a limping Skeleton Dog and killed it myself. Why do only the top one hundred get rewards?¡±] [User 6: I heard the first-kill treasure chest contains energy stones. It must be insanely valuable!] Opening the forum, Su Mu was met with countless jealousments. Since the world announcement only revealed the names of the top one hundred yers without ranking them, no one could confirm who had achieved the first kill. Naturally, envious skeptics quickly dismissed the possibility that Su Mu was the one. Su Mu didn¡¯t care about their opinions. He casually clicked on the names of other yers on the first-kill list. Selecting one at random, a yer named Turde from a so-called ¡°beautiful country,¡± he noticed that their personal information was also nk. ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± Su Mu thought. ¡°No one on the World Channel has been sharing details about the monsters they¡¯ve killed. Everyone is keeping their strength a secret¡ªit¡¯s the smart move.¡± Back on the chat channel, arguments raged on: [User 1: The first kill must have been achieved by a warrior from our beautiful country, Turde!] [User 2: Nonsense! It¡¯s clearly Lord Louis from Frannd who achieved the first kill!] [User 3: Beand warriors could crush Skeleton Dogs with their bare hands!] [User 4: Our Sakura Land¡¯s glory will shine again, thanks to Mr. Dang!] [User 5: Dragond is full of talent! With names like Su Mu, Qin Yan, and Wan Jun Kuang, we dominate the first-kill list!] [User 6: Shut up! Everyone knows you Dragonders cheat!] [User 7: Kimchi Country seems upset¡ªno names from their side made the list. I won¡¯t say who, though.] [User 8: A-San Country has numbers on its side! We¡¯ll show our strength!] The forum¡¯s built-in trantion function made it easy for yers worldwide tomunicate¡ªor start arguments. While such nationalistic debates red up asionally, most yers understood the real priority: survival. With the protection shield vanishing in three days, words wouldn¡¯t matter if you couldn¡¯t defend yourself. However, the public list had unnerved many. Dering allegiance might help yers find strong allies. But the truly smart ones focused on taking action, scouting monsters they could handle instead of wasting time in arguments. Su Mu couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of pride seeing names from Dragond dominate the first-kill list. Among the top one hundred, someone from A-San Country had even leaked the standard contents of a first-kill treasure chest: ten energy stones and a piece of armour. The difference between a standard chest and Su Mu¡¯s specialone was staggering¡ªhis rewards were over ten times as valuable. Additionally, the forum revealed details about some yers¡¯ weapons. It seemed one careless first-killer had failed to hide their personal information in time. ¡°It was some fool from Kangaroo Country,¡± Su Mu noted. ¡°Their weapon¡¯s a chain hammer. It immobilizes beast-sized monsters. Not bad, but nothing groundbreaking.¡± The chain hammer¡¯s effect, while decent, was just a secondary attribute tied to a specific weapon. Su Mu, however, had his system¡¯s unique ability to add secondary attributes to anything. ncing at the flood of friend requests, Su Mu sighed. ¡°What a headache.¡± Without hesitation, he enabled Do Not Disturb mode. The peace was instant. ¡°It¡¯s only noon. Still a few hours until sunset,¡± he muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s clear this area before nightfall.¡± Su Mu¡¯s immediate goal was to upgrade his shelter to Level 2 within three days. The requirements for the upgrade were steep: [Shelter Level: 1] [Upgrade Requirement: 500 energy stones (current: 100)]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 9 - Only Children Make Choices; I Want Them All! Chapter 9: Only Children Make Choices; I Want Them All! ¡°Corrupted Wastnd, Energy Stone Mine.¡± ¡°This is the ce.¡± Guided by a level-three map of the Corrupted Wastnd, Su Mu expertly avoided densely packed monster zones. The journey to the Energy Stone Mine wasn¡¯t safe; several clusters of monsters marked on the map were rmended for yers at levels above ten. Without this map, venturing here would have been nearly impossible. Ahead of him, a pair of red-headed wild boars grazed aggressively, their bulky forms standing out in the destendscape. [Scarlet Wild Boar] [Level: 5] [Trait: Extremely strong impact] [Description: Where there are pigs, there is wealth] ¡°Level five, huh? Stronger than the Skeleton Dogs,¡± Su Mu mused. Then his eyes narrowed. ¡°Wait, they¡¯re fighting the Skeleton Dogs?¡± Not far away, a Scarlet Wild Boar shed with three skeletal hounds. Being a living, breathing creature, the boar was a natural enemy of the undead. Suddenly, the boar charged, its massive body mming into one of the Skeleton Dogs with a deafening crunch. From his hiding spot, Su Mu winced at the sound of bones shattering. It was then he noticed why several of the Skeleton Dogs appeared injured. ¡°One hit, and the Skeleton Dog almost falls apart?¡± he muttered, impressed. For creatures renowned for their physical resilience, the Skeleton Dogs were struggling. yers oftenined on forums that beginner weapons couldn¡¯t even scratch them, but the Scarlet Boar¡¯s raw power was overwhelming. The three Skeleton Dogs counterattacked, snapping and wing at the boar, but their efforts were futile. The boar¡¯s thick hide rendered their strikes useless. ¡°Rookie killers,¡± Su Mu said, smirking. ¡°Only dangerous to the clueless.¡± He checked his stats. After defeating thatrge Skeleton Dog earlier, he had gained some experience. [Level 1 (270/1000)] ¡°Not bad, but I can do better,¡± Su Mu said. His eyes flicked between the Scarlet Boar and the Skeleton Dogs. A n formed in his mind. ¡°I want both the Scarlet Boar and the Skeleton Dogs.¡± From his concealed position, Su Mu aimed his Anti-Evil Crossbow at the retreating Skeleton Dogs. One by one, the glowing bolts struck their marks, taking them out with ease. The Scarlet Boar paused, its enemies suddenly vanishing. Confused, it grunted and turned toward the source of the attack¡ªjust in time to see Su Mu reload and fire. ¡°Humph!¡± The boar squealed as a golden bolt pierced its side. Furious, it charged at Su Mu. ¡°Unless it¡¯s a headshot, the Anti-Evil Crossbow can¡¯t kill non-undead creatures in one shot,¡± Su Mu muttered. ¡°But instead of running, you¡¯reing at me? Really?¡± He sighed, steadying his aim. ¡°A pig¡¯s still a pig.¡± As the boar barreled toward him, Su Mu calmly fired another bolt. This one struck its head, and the creature crumpled to the ground. ¡ With the fight over, Su Mu moved to collect the spoils. He nced at his information panel and frowned. No energy stones. These monsters wouldn¡¯t drop any. Then, from the Scarlet Boar¡¯s corpse, a glowing orb appeared. [Scarlet Boar Flesh] [Dropped by: Scarlet Wild Boar]N?v(el)B\\jnn [Description: A piece of wild boar meat filled with a crimson and bloody taste. Not only does it taste good, but it also increases your physical strength.] ¡°Wild boar meat?¡± Su Mu¡¯s eyes lit up. Thepressed biscuits from the starter pack wouldn¡¯tst forever. Fresh meat was a wee discovery. Most yers were still gnawing on dried rations and scavenging for scraps, but Su Mu was already dining in luxury. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the first to kill a Scarlet Boar,¡± Su Mu muttered. The scarcity of these creatures and the need for a special map to find them made it unlikely anyone else had done so. Checking his level, Su Mu smiled. [Level 1 (350/1000)] ¡°One Scarlet Boar is worth five Skeleton Dogs. Not bad at all.¡± He turned his attention to the remains of the Skeleton Dogs. ¡°Can¡¯t leave those drops behind.¡± Gathering the loot, he found fifteen Purified Bones. The Anti-Evil Crossbow¡¯s increased drop rate was proving invaluable. ¡ Approaching the Mine, the entrance to the Energy Stone Mine sloped downward, guarded by three more Scarlet Wild Boars. These hulking creatures stood their ground against a swarm of Skeleton Dogs, scattering the undead with devastating charges. ¡°The undead attack anything alive in this world,¡± Su Mu observed, ¡°but these boars are hogging my experience.¡± Dozens of Skeleton Dogs had already been reduced to loot, their shimmering drops scattered across the ground. Su Mu¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°This mine belongs to me,¡± he said, a cold edge to his voice. The Scarlet Boars had taken what was rightfully his. Now, he intended to make them pay¡ªwith their lives. Chapter 10 - Danger Approaches, Take Cover Immediately! Chapter 10: Danger Approaches, Take Cover Immediately! When the snipe and the m fight, the fisherman benefits. While the Scarlet Wild Boars and a group of Skeleton Dogs fiercely fought, Su Mu kept his distance, shooting arrows with precision. Safe and efficient, the battlefield became his personal hunting ground. In just a few minutes, several Skeleton Dogs and Scarlet Wild Boars had be his prey. Now, Su Mu¡¯s system backpack was nearly overflowing: [Purified Bones x90] [Scarlet Boar Meat x8] To be honest, amassing this amount of loot would have required killing dozens of Skeleton Dogs. The purifying effect of the Anti-Evil Crossbow proved invaluable. Scarlet Wild Boars didn¡¯t benefit from this bonus, but even without it, Su Mu¡¯s haul was staggering. Most survivors could only dream of gathering so much, especially this early in the game. And the rare Scarlet Boars? They were a luxury no one else could afford to hunt yet. Still, Su Mu wasn¡¯t here just for wild boar meat or bones. His true targety deeper in the mine: energy stones. Suddenly, a notification interrupted his thoughts: [Warning: A level 10 monster is within 500 meters. Exact coordinates have been marked on the map.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Su Mu¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied the updated map. A red dot blinked ominously¡ªright inside the mine. ¡°A monster above level 10?¡± Su Mu mused. ¡°It must be the boss of this Energy Stone Mine.¡± The possibility of a mini-boss excited him. Defeating it would likely yield energy stones and other rare rewards. However, he quickly tempered his enthusiasm. With his current level¡ª[Level 1 (590/1000)]¡ªtaking on such a formidable foe seemed reckless. ¡°If it were an undead creature, I might¡¯ve stood a chance with the Anti-Evil Crossbow,¡± Su Mu muttered. ¡°But here? Not yet.¡± Still, this didn¡¯t mean he would leave empty-handed. Focusing on the first level of the mine, Su Mu began gathering energy stones. The process was simple. The gem-like stones, resembling radiant pebbles, jutted from the cracks in the mine walls like clusters of ripe fruit. While collecting the energy stones, Su Mu kept a watchful eye on the mini-boss on the second level of the mine. The map tracked the mini-boss¡¯s movements, so Su Mu didn¡¯t have to worry about being ambushed. However, seeing such a mobile treasure chest wandering around on the map made him a little envious. ¡°If only I could upgrade the Demon-Breaking Crossbow,¡± Su Mu thought. ¡°Maybe I could take it down in one shot.¡± The Anti-Evil Crossbow was indeed upgradeable. Beneath its attribute bar, the upgrade requirements were listed clearly: [Anti-Evil Crossbow: Level 1] [Upgrade Requirements: Energy Stones x50, Fragmented Gold Grass x5] Fifty energy stones was a steep price, but Su Mu could afford it. The real challenge was the Fragmented Gold Grass. The ground was covered with ashes and wastnd, and even with a map, collecting the rare grass would require a long journey. Instead of embarking on that trek, Su Mu decided to check the world forum. The forum channel had a trading function, and many survivors were already setting up stalls to conduct business. However, the prices were high, as if they were run by merchants. One post caught Su Mu¡¯s eye: [Item: Purified Bone] [Trade Price: Five energy stones] In thements, yers were voicing their frustration: [¡°Vendor, are you ripping us off? Trading Skeleton Dog drops for five energy stones?¡±] [¡°Are you overestimating the rookie killers or underestimating people¡¯s intelligence?¡±] [¡°Screw you, everything listed now is trading purified bones for energy stones.¡±] For neers like Su Mu, the only tradeable item was the Purified Bone. Over time, more yers either managed to defeat Skeleton Dogs or were killed by them. These drops quickly became the first currency in trade. And Su Mu had a lot of them. However, with the mini-boss approaching, he had no time to deal with trades. His focus was on the task at hand. In just half an hour, Su Mu had collected enough to make any survivor jealous. [Energy Stones: 160] Sweat dripped down his forehead as he stood back to admire his haul. ¡°While others are fighting tooth and nail in the apocalypse,¡± Su Mu chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m bending over to collect money.¡± It was deeply satisfying, especially knowing how valuable these stones were. Even so, Su Mu knew there were more riches to be found deeper in the mine. ¡°The first level¡¯s almost cleaned out,¡± he noted, ncing around. ¡°The rest must be on the second level.¡± ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve earned more energy stones here than from opening special treasure chests,¡± Su Mu thought, feeling a sense of satisfaction. That made sense to him. After all, the most valuable item in the special treasure chests was the map. Regional maps couldn¡¯t be bought with money, making them incredibly rare and precious. The Blueprint for Basic Wallswas also quite useful, but inparison to the energy stones he was collecting, it didn¡¯t seem quite as rewarding. However, the second level wasn¡¯t without risk. The red dot on the map served as a constant reminder of the mini-boss waiting below. As Su Mu reorganized his loot, the map¡¯s warning shed again: [Warning! A level 10 dangerous monster is now only 300 meters away. Please leave immediately!] Su Mu froze. The mini-boss was on the move. Chapter 11 - Is This Really a Monster Farm? Chapter 11: Is This Really a Monster Farm? After running to the exit, Su Mu noticed a gigantic figure gradually emerging from the entrance of the second level. Although he hadn¡¯t seen what it looked like yet, Su Mu found it quite strange at first nce. This thing is at least as big as a tank. How did it even squeeze through a hole that made me bend down to enter? As the massive figure appeared, Su Mu saw a prompt on the system: [Scarlet Boar King] [Level: 10] [Characteristics: Fat, Heavy, Bristle Spray] [Description: A scarlet wild boar that fell into an energy stone pit as a child. After absorbing the essence of the stones, it mutated into the Boar King. Its thick bristles have long-range attack capabilities, making it extremely dangerous!] Now, Su Mu understood the reason. Who knows how many years that pig has been stuck in the energy stone pit? Over time, the Boar King had grown massive from absorbing energy stone essence. Now it was too fat to escape. The pit must have been justrge enough for it to roam around; otherwise, it might have been trapped there forever. ¡°This pig is huge,¡± Su Mu thought. ¡°If I can kill it, it could feed an entire vige for days.¡± Su Mu realized that if he could kill the Scarlet Boar King, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food for at least a month. ¡°Let¡¯s try it first.¡± Su Mu aimed his Anti-Evil Crossbow at the Scarlet Boar King¡¯s body. In the pit, he couldn¡¯t really aim at a specific spot, so he decided to just shoot. The arrowhead pierced the beast¡¯s thick hide, but it barely inflicted any damage. Given the enormous size of the boar, it wasn¡¯t surprising. ¡°Humph!¡± The Scarlet Boar King bellowed in fury, its rage echoing through the pit. Being trapped here for years was bad enough¡ªnow some insolent human dared to provoke it? Unforgivable! The boar bristled, and suddenly, its needle-like quills shot out toward Su Mu. Realizing the danger, he ducked just in time, watching the deadly projectiles bury themselves into solid rock. ¡°This is going to be tough,¡± Su Mu muttered. ¡°Since this pig can¡¯t get out, I¡¯ll deal with itter.¡± Confident that the Boar King was confined to the pit, Su Mu turned and left the mine. Patience would serve him better¡ªthere had to be an easier way to defeat the creature. ¡ Outside the pit, Su Mu spotted two Skeleton Dogs blocking the mine entrance, their eerie howls filling the air. ¡°Is this energy stone mine actually a monster farm?¡± Su Mu mused. From the system, he understood that the Scarlet Boar King had absorbed the energy stones¡¯ power. Could the mine itself attract monsters? If so, this ce was a natural breeding ground. There was no time for further spection; the Skeleton Dogs demanded his attention. Fortunately, hisAnti-Evil Crossbow made quick work of them. Su Mu spent the next half-hour camping near the mine¡¯s entrance. His suspicions were confirmed¡ªmonsters were indeed drawn to the mine. During that time, he had already killed seven or eight Skeleton Dogs and even encountered another Scarlet Boar, which he quickly dealt with. As long as Su Mu stayed at the entrance, the monsters would keeping to him, making it easy for him to shoot them down. Su Mu increasingly felt like he had found a treasure trove. By hiding in the shadows, monsters woulde to him, and his experience bar and loot would increase rapidly. While waiting for more monsters to appear, Su Mu upied himself by preparing a trade offer. Pulling out a hundredPurified Bones,he marveled at the high drop rate his Anti-Evil Crossbowprovided. He listed the items on the World Channel Market: [Item Listed: Purified Bones X100]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Trade Option 1: Stone x10] [Trade option 2: Wood x3] [Trade Option 3: Fragmented Gold Grass x1] After setting the trade options, Su Mu posted them on the trade forum. The channel of the world forum was still full of activity. As time passed, everyone was trying to defeat the killer skeleton dogs. Even the discussions among the top 100 first killers had died down a bit. [User 1: I really envy the big shots who can trade drops from the Skeleton Dogs.] [User 1: I barely managed to kill one, and the bones it dropped aren¡¯t even enough for me to use.¡±] [User 2: Why even trade? Prices are all in energy stones¡ªonly the top 100 first killers have those right now.¡±] [User 3: Help! I got injured fighting a skeleton dog, and it even stole my food from my newbie pack.] [User 3: Can anyone spare me some food?] [User 4: How dare you carry life-saving food? You¡¯re a real character.] [User 5: Wait a minute, holy crap, check out the trade market!] [User 6: Some god has uploaded a hundred Skeleton Dog Drops.] [User 7: Huh? Could it be a bug in the trade market?] [User 8: That guy named ¡®Turde¡¯ from the Beautiful Country has only uploaded five purified bones so far.] Chapter 12 - Are You Treating Newbie Killers Like ATMs? Chapter 12: Are You Treating Newbie Killers Like ATMs? When someone uploaded a hundred pieces of [Purified Bones] onto the trading market, the entire world forum erupted in disbelief. Until now, only a handful of people had managed to defeat the Skeleton Dogs, which were notorious newbie killers. And yet, someone had casually uploaded a hundred pieces of [Purified Bones] for trade. Even the top-ranked yers from the world announcements couldn¡¯t possibly have umted that much. [User 1: Am I seeing things? A hundred pieces? Really?] [User 2: This is the trading market on the world channel. How could it be a mistake?] [User 3: There¡¯s only one possibility¡ªsomeone actually uploaded one hundred pieces of Purified Bones.] [User 4: Damn it! Killing a Skeleton Dog only drops at most two bones. How did that god manage to get a hundred?] [User 5: Does this person treat newbie killers like ATMs?] The name of the uploader quickly caught people¡¯s attention. [User 1: Wait, have you seen the uploader¡¯s name? It looks so familiar.] [User 2: Of course, it¡¯s familiar! The first name announced in the world notifications was Su Mu!] [User 4: From now on, Su Mu is my big brother. Fight me if you disagree.] [User 5: While I¡¯m still figuring out how to deal with one Skeleton Dog, someone is already farming them like a pro.] ¡ In a distant wastnd, a blond middle-aged man wielding ws that resembled an eagle¡¯s talons fiercely battled Skeleton Dogs. After an intense struggle, he brought down his ninth one. ¡°Ninth Skeleton Dog,¡± he muttered, his breath steady but his tone filled with pride. ¡°Humph, so what if I¡¯m not the world¡¯s first killer? With my White Eagle ws, my efficiency far surpasses that of anyone else¡ªeven the so-called World¡¯s First Killer!¡± After collecting his drops, he nced at the world channel to check thetest updates. Normally, it was filled with praise for him¡ªTurde, the pride of the Beautiful Country. But what greeted him now was the sight of someone posting one hundred pieces of Purified Bones. Turde froze in ce,pletely dumbfounded. .. Meanwhile, on a snowy in, a woman whose beauty seemed otherworldly stood amidst the icy expanse. Her graceful appearance was a striking contrast to the bleak surroundings. She sighed softly. ¡°I thought I could trade some Skeleton Dog drops for energy stones. Looks like I was too optimistic.¡± As she checked the trading market, her eyes widened at the sight of Su Mu¡¯s listing. A hundred pieces of Purified Bones? Three question marks seemed to hover above her head as she stared at the screen in disbelief. ¡ The world forum continued to buzz with heated discussions. [User 4: Su Mu is from our Dragond. Obviously, he¡¯s my big brother now. Fight me if you disagree!¡±] [User 6: Nonsense! With a name like Su Mu, he must¡¯ve immigrated from our Kimchi Land!] [User 7: Stop iming him! Su Mu¡¯s clearly a handsome guy from our Sakura Land!] [User 8: Can you all stop? Let¡¯s agree on one thing: Su Mu is undeniably the world¡¯s first assassin.] [User 9: It¡¯s impossible to kill so many Skeleton Dogs in such a short time without something special. He must¡¯ve found something incredible¡ªlike a treasure chest better than ours.] [User 10: A treasure chest? My reward as one of the top 100 first killers was ten energy stones and a piece of armor. What did Su Mu get?] [User 9: Privilege of the World¡¯s First Assassin, I guess.] [User 11: In the Apocalypse, those of us from the Lighthouse Country believe Su Mu should embrace humanitarian principles and share his spoils with us!] [User 7: Humanitarianism? Hah! Good luck convincing him to give discounts.] [User 5: Smart people are already gathering stones, wood, and Golden Grass to trade with him.] As the discussions evolved, someone on the forum pointed out the most critical detail: Not only had Su Mu uploaded a hundred pieces of [Purified Bones], but his trade prices were surprisingly reasonable. Stones and wood were challenging to collect, but they weren¡¯t impossible to find.N?v(el)B\\jnn [User 1: Hahaha! Su Mu¡¯s arrival has put those profiteering merchants out of business.] [User 2: Trading Skeleton Dog drops for energy stones? Those merchants must¡¯ve thought we were fools.] [User 3: Careful with your words¡ªthose profiteers are still powerful yers who can defeat Skeleton Dogs.] [User 4: Purified Bones are essential for growth. Even if you can¡¯t defeat a Skeleton Dog now, absorbing a bone might give you the edge you need!] [User 5: There¡¯s a pile of rocks near my hideout. I¡¯m heading there right now!] [User 6: Wood is harder to find in this apocalyptic wastnd¡ªit¡¯s all about luck.] [User 7: Golden Grass? A de of grass is worth a bone? What kind of magical nt is this?] [User 8: My leg is broken, but I¡¯ll crawl if I have to. Survivales first!] The forum¡¯s discussions quickly shifted focus. Originally, everyone was strategizing ways to defeat the Skeleton Dogs. But thanks to Su Mu, the main topics now were: [What is Golden Grass?] [Where can we find wood?] [ How can we mine rocks more efficiently?¡¯] With a single trade post, Su Mu had reshaped the entire marketce and discussions on the World Forum. Chapter 13 - Someone Voluntarily Offers More Money Chapter 13: Someone Voluntarily Offers More Money Su Mu was overwhelmed by a flood of friend requests. Even after blocking a batch, the number skyrocketed to over nine hundred and ny-nine in no time. With two billion people reincarnated in this world, the sheer volume was understandable. Some people bypassed the friend requests and directly messaged Su Mu through the trade panel: [User 1: Su Mu, where can I find Fragmented Gold Grass?] [User 2: Su Mu, what is Fragmented Gold Grass used for?] [User 3: Su Mu, if I find Fragmented Gold Grass, I¡¯ll bring it back for you. Can you tell me where to get it first?] Su Mu ignored these inquiries. Holding a map of the Corrupted Wastnd, he knew exactly where to find Fragmented Gold Grass. However, the location was far too distant to reach at this point. Sharing the location wouldn¡¯t help anyone. Those with the ability to obtain it would naturally find a way; those without might as well focus on mining diligently. ¡°Wood and stone are essential materials for construction,¡± Su Mu mused. ¡°But there¡¯s no need for me to waste time gathering them myself.¡± Deciding to rely on others, Su Mu returned to squatting near the energy stone pit. When monsters appeared, Su Mu casually defeated them, gaining experience while checking the requirements for the Level 1 wall blueprint: [Level 1 Shelter Wall] [Construction Requirements: Stone X200, Wooden nks X40, Energy Stones X10] The materials weren¡¯t difficult to collect. As long as others worked quickly enough, Su Mu could build the Level 1 wall by the end of the day. And based on the current trading pace, speed wasn¡¯t a concern. ¡ [Ding, transactionplete.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [Materials Received: Wooden nks X3. Materials have been sent to the system warehouse.] Fortunately, the system¡¯s warehouse had infinite storage, eliminating any worries about material overflow. Compared to those asking endless questions, Su Mu much preferred the straightforward transactions. After a few minutes and another round of clearing monsters, Su Mu noticed that the Purified Boneslisted earlier werepletely sold out. Not a single piece remained. The world chat was abuzz withints: [User 1: Unbelievable! I just finished mining some stones, and they¡¯re already sold out!] [User : Are you people part beast or something?] [User 3: With two billion survivorspeting for Su Mu¡¯s items, what do you expect?] [User 4: Haha, I was lucky. There were intact wooden nks near my shelter. I picked them up and traded right away.] [User 5: Su Mu must¡¯ve made a fortune this time. A hundred bones can be exchanged for so much stone and wood.] [User 6: But I lost out. The materials I prepared are useless now.] [User 7: The survivors posting trades don¡¯t have enough items. I can¡¯t get anything!] [User 8: Su Mu, please prepare another batch. I¡¯ll trade double the amount of stone!] Thisst message caught Su Mu¡¯s attention. A smirk tugged at Su Mu¡¯s lips. ¡°Doubling the trade amount? That¡¯s quite generous.¡± If someone was willing to offer such a deal, Su Mu wouldn¡¯t refuse. With the Anti-Evil Crossbow¡¯sability to take down a Skeleton Dog in a single shot, Su Mu had an abundant stockpile of Purified Bones. It seemed like the surrounding Skeleton Dogs might have beenpletely wiped out. ¡ [Item Listed: Purified Bones X100] [Trade Option 1: Stones X20] [Trade Option 2: Wood X6] [Trade Option 3: Fragmented Gold Grass X1] After submitting the trade, Su Mu resumed crouching near the energy stone pit, efficiently gaining experience. Upon seeing another hundred Purified Boneslisted, the World Forum erupted once more: [User 1: Another hundred bones? Su Mu, are you serious?] [User 2: I¡¯m starting to suspect Su Mu dropped a bomb into the Skeleton Dog nest!] [User 3: What¡¯s a rookie killer to you is a cash cow for the pros.] [User 4: Wait, why did Su Mu double the amount for everything except the Fragmented Gold Grass?] [User 5: It¡¯s because of that idiot who said it didn¡¯t matter if Su Mu doubled the trade amounts!] [User 6: Remember his name! We¡¯ll settle the scoreter!] [User 7: Stop talking nonsense! If you don¡¯t start mining now, you won¡¯t get anything this round!] ¡ After clearing the battlefield once more, Su Mu checked the system storage. The speed at which materials were pouring in was astonishing. ¡°Even doubling the trade amounts didn¡¯t slow them down,¡± Su Mu remarked, opening the system storage to review the current inventory: [Stone Blocks: 1,800] [Wood: 300 pieces] [Purified Bones: 62 in stock] [Scarlet Boar Meat: 24 pieces] There was no Fragmented Gold Grassyet. Considering its scarcity and the confusion surrounding its location, Su Mu decided to make a strategic adjustment. Listing another fifty bones, Su Mu removed the first two trade options, leaving only the Fragmented Gold Grass option. Chapter 14 - Disassembling a Corpse with Bare Hands Chapter 14: Disassembling a Corpse with Bare Hands Would someone eventually take out the Fragmented Gold Grass? Su Mu wasn¡¯t in a hurry. After all, it wasn¡¯t he who desperately needed the bones¡ªit was the people buzzing about on the World Forum. [User 1: Damn it, Su Mu changed the terms of trade again!] [User 2: He can¡¯t do that; I just finished mining some ore!] [User 3: I thought Su Mu had a conscience, but he¡¯s just a profiteer.] [User 4: ssic case of sour grapes. You were just too slow.] [User 5: Haha, I managed to get mine, so I¡¯m not worried.] [User 6: Rx, Lord Turde said he¡¯d put up another batch of bones soon.] [User 7: A batch? Five bones at a time? That¡¯s a joke, right?] [User 8: I need to figure out where to find that Fragmented Gold Grass¡] ¡ In a deste area far from themotion, Turde¡ªone of the survivors¡ªred at the sarcastic remarks directed at him on the World Forum. ¡°Hmph, a bunch of smug fools enjoying their temporary triumph,¡± he muttered, barely suppressing his rage. ¡°You people of the Dragond think your luck willst forever. Just wait. I, Turde, will soon crush you all!¡± ¡ Meanwhile, in other corners of the world, several individuals who had also imed ¡°first kills¡± scowled at Su Mu¡¯s name. ¡°He¡¯s monopolizing the market with those bones!¡± ¡°It¡¯s that sted special chest he found¡ªit gave him too much of an edge.¡± ¡°Never let anyone from Dragond get the first kills again!¡± Despite their resentment, none dared to openly challenge Su Mu¡¯s rising reputation. Producing one hundred units of bones effortlessly? That alone was enough to keep everyone on edge. ¡ Back at the energy stone pit, Su Mu casually stirred a pot of bone soup, letting its enticing aroma waft through the air. The scent worked like a charm, attracting monsters to him faster than before. After dispatching thest Scarlet Boar in the area, a system notification appeared before him.N?v(el)B\\jnn [Character Level: Level 1 (990/1000)] Taking a sip of the broth, Su Mu¡¯s experience bar filled uppletely. [Character Level: Level 2 (0/5000)] [Congrattions, Survivor, on sessfully leveling up!] [Your physical attributes have been significantly enhanced.] [Would you like to learn more about yourbat improvements?] ¡°Finally,¡± Su Mu murmured, stretching his shoulders as a series of satisfying cracks came from his bones. It felt incredibly refreshing. When the system offered a detailed exnation of his improvements, Su Mu didn¡¯t hesitate to confirm. Knowledge was always an advantage, especially in this apocalyptic world. [Upon leveling up, the survivor¡¯s physical strength and resilience areprehensively enhanced.] [As levels increase, survivors will gradually transcend human limits.] [Weapons and tools will scale in effectiveness based on the survivor¡¯s level.] [Note: A survivor¡¯s level is not equivalent to a monster¡¯s level. A monster twice the level of a survivor will haveparable strength, but survivors can surpass them with equipment and tactics.] Su Mu nodded, digesting the information. A shelter master¡¯s level was indeed more valuable than a monster¡¯s. With his enhanced strength and better equipment, hisbat potential had grown exponentially. ¡ Eager to test his newfound power, Su Mu turned his attention to a Skeleton Dog that had wandered into the area. Unlike the Scarlet Boars, which had grown cautious of him, these undead beasts showed no fear. Despite the litter of Skeleton Dog corpses scattered nearby, they still charged at him recklessly. After putting away the Anti-Evil Crossbow, Su Mu put on his ss wrist guards. He hadn¡¯t used today¡¯s protective barrier yet, so if anything went wrong, he could use it to save himself. Without drawing his Anti-Evil Crossbow, he steadied his stance and flexed his fingers, ready to fight barehanded. As the Skeleton Dog lunged, he intercepted it mid-air, effortlessly pinning it down. One hand gripped its jawbone, preventing it from snapping at him. ¡°This is the effect of leveling up?¡± Su Mu mused, marveling at his enhanced strength. The Skeleton Dog thrashed, but Su Mu held it firmly in ce. For many neers, the biting force of such a creature would spell disaster, but for him, it was little more than a mild inconvenience. With a decisive motion, Su Mu crushed its skull with his bare hands. The system promptly confirmed the kill. [Skeleton Dog eliminated. Experience gained.] ¡°Incredible. No need to waste bolts on these weaklings anymore,¡± Su Mu remarked, tossing the corpse aside. As he surveyed the trade market, a notification caught his eye. Someone had finally put up Fragmented Gold Grass for trade. A satisfied smile spread across his face. Chapter 15 - Because You Are Not Qualified Chapter 15: Because You Are Not Qualified The first person to contact Su Mu was a survivor named Tuocun. Judging by the name, he was likely from Sakura Land, not someone prominent on the first kill list¡ªjust an ordinary hideout master with a stroke of luck. [Tuocun: Hello, Mr. Su Mu. I found a ce with flowing water and discovered Golden Fragment Grass.] [Tuocun: I wanted to discuss a trade with you.] Su Mu wasn¡¯t surprised by the location of the Golden Fragment Grass. Despite the wastnd-like conditions of this world, traces of life still persisted. [Su Mu: If you¡¯ve found Golden Fragment Grass, just trade it directly.] [Su Mu: Do you have any other questions?] Tuocun¡¯s response came quickly. [Tuocun: Mr. Su Mu, Golden Fragment Grass is very rare.] [Tuocun: Since you need it so much, you must understand its value.] [Tuocun: I¡¯m a reasonable person. If you are willing to offer two units of bones¡ª] [System Notification: You have been cklisted by the shopkeeper Su Mu. You can no longermunicate with him, and his items will be frozen for you.] ¡°What?!¡± Tuocun eximed aloud, standing beside the murky river where he had discovered the grass. He stared at the notification, dumbfounded. Su Mu needed Golden Fragment Grass for trade, so why had he cklisted Tuocun so decisively, cutting off the conversation mid-message? Tuocun couldn¡¯tprehend it. Meanwhile, Su Mu, unfazed, casually muttered, ¡°Dealing with me? That¡¯s wishful thinking.¡± If he truly needed the grass, he could easily travel to the gathering site marked on his map. The inconvenience was minimal. Trading was merely a time-saver, nothing more. With two billion survivors in this apocalyptic world, there was always someone willing to deal. At that moment, Tuocun¡¯s plight was creating a stir on the World Forum. [Tuocun: Why? Even after I got the Golden Fragment Grass, Su Mu still refused to trade with me!] [Tuocun: I now suspect Su Mu never intended to trade in the first ce!] Tuocun shared his chat log, hoping for sympathy. Instead, he got an overwhelming wave of ridicule. [User 1: You¡¯re not qualified, simple as that.] [User 2: Typical Sakura Land greed¡ªluck finds them, but theyck the brains to capitalize on it.] [User 3: Su Mu controls the trade. You thought you could haggle? Foolish.] [User 3: Thanks, Tuocun. Now we know not to waste Su Mu¡¯s time.¡±] Some were even grateful for Tuocun¡¯s misstep. [User 4: Tuocun¡¯s mistake has saved countless others. Cheers for that.¡±] [User 1: It¡¯s almost entertaining watching someone test Su Mu¡¯s patience.¡±] Tuocun, on the other hand, was in despair. [Tuocun: Stop mocking me! I¡¯ve been cklisted by Su Mu! I can¡¯t trade anymore!] [Tuocun: I can¡¯t even handle a skeleton dog right now. What am I supposed to do?] The responses were ruthless. [User 1: There¡¯s no saving you. Just ept your fate.¡±] [User 5: Maybe try contacting Lord Taro from Sakura Land. He might help one of his own.¡±] [User 6: Haha! Let¡¯s see if Lord Taro can save you from Su Mu¡¯s cklist.¡±] [User 7: I¡¯ll bet a stone that Su Mu the Great will also cklist Taro soon¡±] [User 5: That shouldn¡¯t be necessary. Taro of Sakura Land is quite famous now. Wouldn¡¯t Su Mu be afraid of offending people by cklisting him?¡±] As the forum buzzed withments, Su Mu was oblivious to the drama. Shortly after cklisting Tuocun, he sessfully traded with another survivor from the Dragon Kingdom who had Golden Fragment Grass. This individual made no attempts at haggling and simply expressed hopes for future cooperation.N?v(el)B\\jnn Su Mu, uninterested in pleasantries, examined the newly acquired item. Its appearance was unique¡ªits leaves resembled small golden pebbles strung together. [Item: Golden Fragment Grass] [Description: After absorbing metallic energy, this grass bes sharp enough to cut flesh. It has a peculiar effect on certain equipment.] ¡°Perfect,¡± Su Mu murmured. ¡°Time to upgrade the Anti-Evil Crossbow.¡± The trade reinforced his belief in patience. Collecting five Golden Fragment Grass pieces wouldn¡¯t take long. He then turned his attention to the flood of friend requests piling up in his inbox. Among the names, one stood out: Taro. Without hesitation, Su Mu deleted Taro along with the rest, muttering, ¡°One less headache.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 18 - The Aroma Wafts Through the Screen. Chapter 18: The Aroma Wafts Through the Screen. [Name: Anti-Evil Crossbow] [Quality: Excellent] [Level: 2 (Character level +2)] [Additional Attribute: Level 1 Anti-Evil] [Description: Feel the Serenity (Physical)] [Special Note: Each time the weapon¡¯s level increases, the weapon¡¯s damage is increased by an additional 10%. Additionally, the weapon¡¯s damage will scale proportionally with the character¡¯s level.] Su Mu inspected the newly upgraded Anti-Evil Crossbow with a sense of satisfaction. This upgrade alone had boosted its damage output by forty percent. With it, taking down the Scarlet Boar would no longer pose a significant challenge. However, further upgrading the weapon required steep resources. [Required Materials for the Level 3 Anti-Evil Crossbow: 10 Golden Fragment Grass, 75 Energy Stones] Though Su Mu had 100 energy stones remaining, he decided to hold off on the next upgrade for now. Instead, he turned his attention to the ss Bracers. [Materials Needed for ss Bracers: 3 Iron Shards, 20 Energy Stones] The materials for upgrading the bracers were considerably more affordable than those for the Anti-Evil Crossbow. However, the bracers¡¯ quality couldn¡¯t match the crossbow¡¯s. Reflecting on his current resources, Su Mu realized that energy stones were undoubtedly the most criticalmodity in this apocalyptic world. Their versatility made them indispensable for both upgrades and trades. Night had fallen by this time, and Su Mu had no intention of venturing outside. In this scorched world, even the faint sunlight during the day felt dim and cold. By night, the darkness was suffocating, and danger lurked everywhere. Most survivors had learned to retreat to their shelters before nightfall. Some people used the quiet hours to sleep, while others stayed awake, seeking sce in the World Forum. ¡ [User: We survived another day! Let¡¯s share our thoughts about this world.] [User 1: Everything here feels like it¡¯s been burned to ash. There¡¯s so much destion.] [User 2: I agree. I even found the remnants of broken city walls¡ªthis ce seems to have endured a devastating war.] [User 3: It¡¯s definitely an apocalyptic world. We need to be cautious to survive.] [User 4: Ugh, thepressed biscuits from the newbie pack are awful¡ªlike eating sand bricks.] [User 5: At least they¡¯re edible. We¡¯re all just trying to make do.] As the discussions grew more lively, someone brought up Su Mu. [User 6: Even Su Mu, who¡¯s loaded with resources, must be in the same situation as us, right? Eating bones orpressed biscuits?] [User 1: Whoever thinks Su Mu is gnawing on bones should check the trading market.] Curiosity drew everyone to the market. What they found left them stunned.@@novelbin@@ [Product: Scarlet Wild Boar Meat] [Quantity Uploaded: 15 Pieces] [Uploader: Su Mu] [Trade Price: 2 Energy Stones] The forum erupted. [User 1: What¡¯s a Scarlet Boar? I¡¯ve only seen skeletal dogs and undead creatures outside.] [User 2: I know what it is! I saw one before¡ªit knocked over a skeletal dog like it was nothing.] [User 3: Wait, are you saying Su Mu defeated one?] [User 4: While we¡¯re scraping by on bones and biscuits, Su Mu is feasting on wild boar?] The revtion sent ripples of envy and disbelief through the forum. The mere thought of someone eating wild boar while they drank bone broth or gnawed on biscuits was almost unbearable. [User 5: I thought my bone broth wasforting, but now it tastes bitter¡] [User 3: The trade price is 2 Energy Stones? That¡¯s outrageous! Can¡¯t it be cheaper?] [User 1: Su Mu, I can¡¯t eat these awfulpressed biscuits anymore. How about trading some selfies for meat? (Attached pictures)] [User 2: Whoa, the person above is¡ really tall. Uh, can we see more pictures?] [User 3: Ugh, why wasn¡¯t I born a pretty girl?] [User 4: Pretty or not, it doesn¡¯t matter. None of the boar meat was taken, so Su Mu clearly didn¡¯t ept the trade.] [User 5: Maybe it just wasn¡¯t to Su Mu¡¯s taste. Anyone else want to give it a shot?] [User 6: Wow, you people are something else.] Even more shocking, someone noticed a change in the trade list. [User 6: Wait a second¡ a piece of Scarlet Boar Meat is missing. Did someone actually buy it for 2 Energy Stones?] The chat buzzed with spection. [User 7: I wouldn¡¯t have believed it, but I can almost smell the aroma of that meat wafting through the screen¡] It was as if the entire world channel was filled with the tantalizing scent of roasted boar. Those who had been chatting casually now stared at their sparse meals in silence, imagining what it must be like to savor such a delicacy. Chapter 22 - World Blessing, Bountiful Harvest Chapter 22: World Blessing, Bountiful Harvest [World Announcement: Congrattions to survivor Su Mu for sessfully defeating the first Apocalypse Boss.] [World Announcement: The first person to kill an Apocalypse boss will receive an additional blessing.] [World Announcement: With the defeat of the first world boss, the Refuge has entered a new era.] [World Announcement: All survivors, please strive to be the Eternal King.] The World Forum erupted in shock and disbelief. [User 1: What? Someone already killed a boss?] [User 2: We¡¯ve only been in this world for two days, and someone¡¯s already killed a boss? Is that even reasonable?] [User 3: Wow, Su Mu¡¯s progress is ridiculously fast!] [User 4: I think I saw a mini-boss earlier, and it was around level ten.] [User 5: We can barely handle level three skeleton dogs, and we run as far as we can when we see a level ten boss.] [User 6: Does that mean Su Mu can actually defeat a level ten boss?] [User 7: Cheating! That guy from Dragon Land must be cheating!] [User 8: Come on, use your brain. This is an apocalyptic world; there are no rules here.] [User 7: But there¡¯s no way Su Mu could¡¯ve defeated the boss with his own strength. He just got lucky.] [User 2: Exactly. We¡¯ve only been in this world for two days. How could he have the strength to defeat a boss head-on?] [User 9: Luck is also a part of strength. No matter what, Su Mu is the first to kill an Apocalypse boss!] Some users, driven by jealousy, couldn¡¯t hide their envy. [User 10: Damn, that guy from Dragon Land already had a huge advantage, and now he¡¯s the first to kill a world boss.] [User 11: It¡¯s going to be even harder to beat him now!] [User 12: He must¡¯vended in a good spot and gotten a powerful starter weapon!] [User 13 Don¡¯t worry, the advantages of the novice level will soon be overtaken.] [User 14: These weaklings from Dragon Land can¡¯t possibly advance faster than us superior Beacon people!] Meanwhile, Su Mu was still unaware of the uproar on the forum as he focused on collecting the Scarlet Boar King¡¯s loot. A mechanical voice echoed in his ear. [Ding! Congrattions to the survivor for being the first to kill a world boss.] [You have received the World Blessing effect: Double Rewards.] [For the next thirty minutes, all items obtained by the survivor will be doubled!] [Survivor, please take advantage of this brief opportunity.] [Note: The World Blessing does not apply to certain special items.] Double the rewards for everything? Could there really be such a generous blessing? Su Mu¡¯s heart filled with excitement. The timing couldn¡¯t have been better. He was still inside the Energy Stone Mine, and with this blessing, he could maximize his gains. ¡°Time is of the essence. I must hurry and collect the loot!¡± He began organizing the items dropped by the Scarlet Boar King. [Scarlet Boar King Meat] [Quantity Dropped:100 pieces (World Blessing applied, rewards doubled).] [Description: The meat of the Scarlet Boar King contains abundant energy. Not only is it delicious, but it also significantly increases experience pointspared to regr boar meat.] With one hundred pieces of meat in his inventory, Su Mu wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food for over a month. Even if he couldn¡¯t finish it all, he could trade the surplus on the market. [Scarlet Boar Blood] [Quantity Dropped: 5 liters.] [Description: The blood of the Scarlet Boar King, slightly pungent. Consuming it can enhance your luck to a certain extent]. Luck-enhancing items were rare and valuable. Su Mu hadn¡¯t yet used his three daily refresh chances for sub-stat items, so this blood woulde in handy before attempting those.@@novelbin@@ [Energy Stones x250] Energy stones were also among the drops. ¡°Do only boss-level monsters drop energy stones when defeated?¡± The ominous number of energy stones made Su Mu pause. If these precious materials were exclusively tied to boss kills, their value would be astronomical. ¡°Still, this haul alone is enough to upgrade the dungeon to level two today.¡± Next came two intriguing drops: [Boar Bristle Turret Blueprint x2] [Quality: Superior]. [Description: Constructs a turret capable of firing boar bristle spikes within the shelter¡¯s range.] Su Mu¡¯s eyes lit up. Blueprints for defensive turrets were incredibly useful. With the doubling effect, he now had two of them. Once the two-day protection period for his hideout ended, these turrets would automatically defend it from intruders. ¡°This reward is a game-changer!¡± After storing the blueprints, Su Mu turned his attention to the final item dropped by the Scarlet Boar King. Chapter 23 - Sub-Stat, Experience Repair Chapter 23: Sub-Stat, Experience Repair [Scarlet Spirit Orb]@@novelbin@@ [Note: This item is a special drop and will not be affected by the Blessing of the World effect.] [Effect: cing this orb will attract attacks from undead creatures. It also seems to be rted to some ancient races.] [Warning: Do not eat this orb. Anyone who eats it has an 80% chance of falling into a state of madness.] [Description: It is said that before the Apocalypse, the name Scarlet was the ruler of thisnd and the mortal enemy of the undead race.] Holding the red orb, about the size of half a fist, Su Mu felt a strange urge. He had an almost irresistible desire to swallow it whole. However, considering its size and the risk of madness, he clenched his jaw and resisted the temptation. Better to hide it in the system pack. Out of sight, out of mind. ¡°But it¡¯s surprising that this is a special item, unaffected by the World Blessing,¡± he muttered, frowning slightly. Resolutely, Su Mu ced the orb in his system backpack to avoid any further temptation to swallow it. Through the [Scarlet Spirit Orb], Su Mu gleaned some historical insights: in the Corrupted Wastnd, there was once a civilization¡ªor perhaps a powerful being¡ªcalled Scarlet. Scarlet had opposed the apocalypse or the undead, marking them as mortal enemies. The behavior of the Scarlet Wild Boars outside the Energy Stone Mine entrance confirmed this¡ªthey instinctively attacked Skeleton Dogs rather than him. But judging by the state of this world, the Scarlet faction must have lost. ¡°Attracting attacks from undead creatures isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing,¡± Su Mu said aloud. ¡°The Anti-Evil Crossbow is most effective against undead creatures.¡± The Scarlet Spirit Orbwas indeed strange, but it could prove useful. When I want to farm monsters, I can simply ce the orb on the ground to attract undead creatures faster.However, he noted that the nearby undead creatures were mostly Skeleton Dogs, which were no longer a challenge for him. After securing the [Scarlet Spirit Orb], Su Mu immediately descended to the second level of the energy stone mine. With twenty-seven minutes of the World Blessing effect remaining, he needed to make the most of his time. His goal was clear: to scour the second level for every energy stone it held. Upon entering the second level, Su Mu¡¯s eyes widened. Energy stones glittered everywhere, far surpassing the amount on the first level. However, something else caught his attention¡ªa faint gray glow emanating from a treasure chest at the deepest part of the mine. Let¡¯s open the treasure chest first. Perfect opportunity to test the effect of the Scarlet Boar Blood. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to prioritize the chest. Mining all the energy stones could take longer than the remaining duration of the World Blessing. Opening the chest first would ensure he reaped its rewards. He approached the gray treasure chest and opened it. [Energy Stone Pickaxe] x2 [Level: 1] [Quality: Common] [Sub-attributes: Not Refreshed] [Effect: Increases the speed of energy stone mining, with a 0.1% chance of doubling the energy stones mined.] [Description: An old pickaxe prepared by ancient miners who prayed for luck to fill their pockets with energy stones every day.] Su Mu¡¯s lips curled into a satisfied smile. Perfect¡ªthis solves my immediate problem. I was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to extract all the energy stones in time. ¡°Refreshing the sub-attributes on one pickaxe should be enough. Any more would be a waste,¡± he reasoned. Without hesitation, Su Mu poured some Scarlet Boar Blood into a bowl and drank it. The pungent aroma was strong, but to his surprise, it tasted better than expected. Immediately, he felt a wave of rity in his mind and activated the sub-attribute refresh function on one of the pickaxes. White light shed twice, followed by a yellow glow. Not bad. The Scarlet Boar Blood seems to have some effect. He analyzed the results, focusing on the silver-level sub-attributes first. [Sub-attribute: Experience Repair] [Quality: Silver] [Effect: After killing monsters, the dropped experience points can be used to automatically repair the damaged pickaxe to keep it in optimal working condition.] Su Mu nodded thoughtfully. The pickaxe could not only be used for mining but also for smashing enemies, which could easily cause damage. With the Experience Repairsub-attribute, the pickaxe would always remain in perfect condition. However, he wasn¡¯t sure this was the best choice. He moved to the next silver sub-attribute. [Sub-attribute: Shatter] [Quality: Silver] [Effect: The hit mountains and walls will shatter faster, and when attacking enemies, it will also add an additional armor-piercing effect.] The effect was good, but Su Mu needed the pickaxe to mine energy stones. If he used this sub-attribute, he might end up smashing the energy stones instead of mining them properly. Chapter 26 - The Weakest First Kill Chapter 26: The Weakest First Kill As Su Mu scrolled through his trade notifications, a familiar system message popped up. [System Message: Iron Shard Stone x6 has been received.]. [ck Bone Bird Meat: 2 pieces sold, ck Bone Bird Feather: 4 feathers sold.]. The power of two billion survivors was truly immense. Su Mu had barely listed the items, yet he already had enough Iron Shard Stones to upgrade his ss bracers. Amused by aint on the trade forum, Su Mu typed a quick response: [Su Mu: There is no problem with the flesh of undead creatures.]. [Su Mu: Non-toxic and harmless, just a bit strange in taste.]. [Su Mu: No cheating here, no returns epted.]. His reply sent the forum buzzing: [User 1: Wow, Su Mu left a message on the world channel! Screenshot it, quick!]. [User 2: Such eloquence¡ªthis must be the cultural heritage of Dragond.]. [User 3: Su Mu, I¡¯m starving. Could you spare some good food? (Attaches a blurry picture.)]. [User 4: Hey, move your big white¡ thing! You¡¯re blocking my view of Su Mu.]. The buyer of the ck Bone Bird Meat fell silent. After Su Mu addressed theint directly, they didn¡¯t dare to push further. Trading Iron Shard Stones for food or throwing knives wasn¡¯t a bad deal, and they likely realized they had little leverage to argue. Curiosity drove another user to ask: [User 5: Su Mu, isn¡¯t Iron Shard Stone used for upgrading equipment?]. [User 5: You¡¯re asking for both Fragmented Gold Grass and Iron Shard Stone. Does that mean you already have two pieces of equipment?]. This sparked a flurry of spection: [User 6: Exactly! Su Mu only trades for materials to upgrade equipment. He must have two pieces.]. [User 7: Su Mu is living the dream. Most of us don¡¯t even have decent starter gear.]. [User 8: Other first killers may also have two pieces, but Su Mu¡¯s drops are probably superior.]. [User 9: Jealous! My equipment is garbage; I want something better.]. [User 10: Humph, it¡¯s just two pieces. Other yers are catching up quickly.]. [User 11: Don¡¯t forget, Su Mu¡¯s special chest rewards ensure he¡¯s ahead of the curve.]. Ignoring themotion on the forum, Su Mu focused on strengthening himself. The system prompted him: [Iron Shard Stone x3, Energy Stone x20. Materials are ready. Shall we proceed with the upgrade?]. ¡°Upgrade¡± A soft glow enveloped the ss bracers as the upgradepleted. The bracers now offered increased defense, and their durability felt more reassuring. ¡°I¡¯m definitely safer with these,¡± Su Mu muttered, flexing his wrists. His next priority was to secure a water source. The looming acid rain disaster made it essential to find and store water. Su Mu recalled seeing a shop on the trade market that sold bottles. ¡°If I can¡¯t store water after reaching the source, it¡¯ll be pointless,¡± he reasoned. ¡ Meanwhile, in a small, dim shelter, a round-faced girl stared gloomily at her empty trade board. ¡°No customers as usual,¡± Meng Tianyi sighed. ¡°My stuff must seem useless right now. I wish my items were as popr as Su Mu¡¯s.¡± She flopped onto a pile of grass, muttering, ¡°I¡¯m probably the weakest first killer on the list.¡± Suddenly, her trade board lit up with a notification. ¡°Huh? A customer?¡± She blinked, then froze. ¡°That name looks familiar¡ Su Mu!¡± Panicking, she opened the chat window. [Meng Tianyi: Su Mu, do you want to buy bottles?]. [Su Mu: Make as many as you can with the materials you have.]. Su Mu needed bottles to store water and distribute Scarlet Boar Blood. Bottles were not something he could craft himself yet, so this trade was crucial. As he browsed Meng Tianyi¡¯s shop, he noticed how unique her inventory was. While others traded food, weapons, or survival materials, Meng Tianyi specialized in selling bottles¡ªa rarity in this apocalyptic world. Meng Tianyi typed nervously: [Meng Tianyi: Su Mu, I can¡¯t make bottles right now.]. [Meng Tianyi: The materials require Energy Stones, and I¡¯ve run out.]. She attached an image of her key tool:@@novelbin@@ [Handmade Knife]. [Quality: Excellent]. [Effect: Can drill Energy Stones and process them into tools or weapons.]. Su Mu raised an eyebrow and replied with a single question mark. Su Mu couldn¡¯t help but wonder: How on earth did this seemingly helpless girl manage a first kill with nothing but a handmade knife? Chapter 30 - First Level, World Blessing Chapter 30: First Level, World Blessing [User 1: Who is the first person to reach level 3?]. [User 2: Is it that hidden expert again, or is it Goddess Qin Yan?]. [User 3: I think it¡¯s more likely to be Su Mu.]. [User 4: Stop talking about goddesses and experts. With two billion people, there are a lot of hidden talents.]. [User 5: The rankings will be released soon. Check it out for yourself.]. Meanwhile, Su Mu was calmly collecting loot from the battlefield. The defense tower¡¯s name mightck elegance, but its performance was exceptional. While its attack power didn¡¯t quite rival Su Mu¡¯s Anti-Evil Crossbow, its extended range and rapid-fire capability more thanpensated. Additionally, the tower drew aggro effectively, forcing the Scarlet Wild Dogs to attack it first, which ensured Su Mu¡¯s safety as he dealt with the creatures. Thanks to this setup, Su Mu efficiently cleared a group of Scarlet Wild Dogs, although the loot was fairly standard. [Wild Dog Bone Meat] x30 [Description: Dropped by Scarlet Wild Dogs. Due to their thin bodies, there isn¡¯t much meat, but it¡¯s better than just bones.]. [Consuming it can increase experience points, with a better effect than just bones.]. The item was essentially an upgrade over the basic [Purified Bones],offering slightly enhanced effects. However, Su Mu barely gave it a second thought¡ªhe had Scarlet Boar King meat, which not only provided superior benefits but also tasted far better. After tidying up the battlefield, Su Mu checked his current progress. [Personal Level: 3 (200/10,000)]. [The survivor¡¯s personal strength has been greatly increased.]. [Hint: After the host reaches level 5, additional attributes can be added to the character.]. Su Mu nodded at the system¡¯s reminder. The concept of additional attributes intrigued him, but he had no intention of rushing into it. Without the ability to update the attribute mechanism, adding anything less than the absolute best¡ªpreferably of gold quality or higher¡ªwould be a waste. For now, patience was his strategy. ¡°Huh, a world announcement? A level 3 survivor?¡± Su Mu muttered, catching sight of the broadcast. He smirked. ¡°This announcement is drawing quite a bit of attention,¡± he said, shrugging. Keeping a low profile was usually more satisfying, but the World Blessing offered to top-ranking survivors was too tempting to ignore. He had no qualms about showing his strength under these circumstances. ¡ [Shelter Owner¡¯s Personal Level Ranking]. [1st: Su Mu ¨C Level 3]. [2nd: Qin Yan ¨C Level 2]. [3rd: Turd ¨C Level 2]. [4th: ¡].@@novelbin@@ [All people on the rankings receive special blessings.]. [The higher the rank, the stronger the blessing effects.]. [Survivors, please continue to strive to be one of the names on the list!]. The world forum erupted as the rankings appeared, with Su Mu¡¯s name prominently at the top. [User 6: Su Mu is amazing, truly the first to reach level 3!]. [User 7: I heard that a survivor¡¯s levelpared to a monster¡¯s level is at least double. Does this mean Su Mu can take on a Scarlet Boar barehanded?]. [User 8: I¡¯m so jealous. I still need strategies to deal with a Skeleton Dog, while real experts are fighting monsters I can¡¯t even dream of approaching.]. [User 9: Didn¡¯t someone brag about reaching level 2 earlier? Compared to Su Mu, what are they worth?]. [User 10: I wonder what the special blessing effects are. I¡¯m so jealous!]. Many who had doubted Su Mu now found themselves silenced, astonished at his rapid progress. After all, everyone had started from scratch. What made Su Mu so extraordinary? Far away, Turd, busy hunting in the wastnd, saw the rankings and felt a wave of dizziness. ¡°Su Mu again?!¡± he growled, clenching his fists. ¡°Do the people of Dragond love cheating that much? Just wait! These early advantages won¡¯tst! Sooner orter, the warriors from the Beautiful Land will crush you sick tigers!¡± ¡ In the snowy mountains, a young woman with a fairy-like aura frowned as she studied the rankings. ¡°Second ce, huh? Not bad,¡± she said, her tone calm but tinged with dissatisfaction. ¡°But with Su Mu¡ªa level 3 survivor¡ªaround, second ce hardly matters.¡± Shrugging, she adjusted her gear. ¡°No matter. I¡¯ll focus on my tasks. Looks like there¡¯s an Apocalypse Boss under this well.¡± ¡ Meanwhile, deep in the wilderness, a muscr man casually munched on fried meat while ncing at the rankings. ¡°Su Mu¡¯s still in first ce,¡± he noted with a grin. ¡°That guy¡¯s strong.¡± His grin widened. ¡°But that¡¯s fine. Having someone like him at the top just makes it more exciting to surpass him.¡± While the rankings were meant to highlight multiple survivors, with Su Mu dominating first ce, second hardly seemed to matter. Chapter 32 - Stronger Than the Boss, But Youre Undead Chapter 32: Stronger Than the Boss, But You¡¯re Undead ¡°Human?¡± ¡°No, just an undead creature that looks like a human.¡± Su Mu paused, momentarily stunned. Before him stood a figure cloaked in ck robes. Beneath the tattered fabric, patches of writhing, decayed flesh were visible. Skeletal remains, barely holding together, supported the body of this strange, ck-robed monster. Though it appeared fragile, he sensed a threat emanating from the creature far greater than that of the Scarlet Pig King. Most rmingly, the system ssified it not as a boss but as an elite monster. Yet this so-called elite monster was undeniably more formidable than the Scarlet Pig King. Curious, he checked its attributes. [Spirit Controller: ck de]. [Level: 15 Elite Monster]. [Traits: Sneak Attack de, Undead Resurrection, Self-Restoration, Crimson Suppression]. [Note: Sneak Attack de can strike any enemy within range¡ªproceed with caution.]. [Undead Resurrection allows all undead within its casting range to resurrect once. Follow up with finishing attacks to ensure elimination.]. [Self-Restoration grants the creature an exceptionally thick health bar.]. [Crimson Suppression nullifies crimson-attributed equipment and skills.]. [Description: Once attempted to assassinate the Crimson but was severely injured. Now hides in a water cave, never daring to venture out.]. As Su Mu read through the list of traits, he took a deep breath. ¡°You call this an elite monster?¡± By his estimation, this creature could take down three Scarlet Pig Kings simultaneously. The Scarlet Pig King now seemed less like a boss and more like a training dummy for experience points. Earlier that morning, he had ¡°skipped ss¡± with the Scarlet Pig King. Now, he felt eager to make up for lost time by confronting this far more challenging adversary. The monster¡¯s name and history intrigued him. [Soul Master: ck de].@@novelbin@@ [Once tried to assassinate the Crimson.]. ¡°An undead creature with a story,¡± Su Mu mused. For now, he decided to refer to it simply as ck de. The Soul Master designation suggested an important monster ssification, with ck de as its elite representative. As he observed, ck de shifted beneath its robes, the movement stiff yet deliberate. ¡°Human? Why?¡± the creature rasped, its voice chillingly human. ¡°Why do humans still exist in this world? What happened outside?¡± The sound of ck de speaking startled him. It was the first time he had encountered a monster capable of speech. He recalled how this world seemed to automatically trantenguages, enabling seamlessmunication on the world channel. Yet hearing human words emerge from a monster¡¯s mouth was unsettling. ¡°Forget it¡ªhuman or not,¡± ck de growled, its voice as eerie as the echoes of Yellow Springs Valley. ¡°Whether the n fails or not, the duty must still be fulfilled!¡± With a slow, deliberate motion, ck de drew a long de from beneath its robes. ¡°Perhaps you are strong¡ªstronger than any boss I¡¯ve faced. But you¡¯re undead!¡± Su Mu dered, his voice steady. As an undead creature, it was vulnerable to the Anti-Evil Crossbow. Unlike the Scarlet Pig King, whose thick hide required multiple arrows, ck de¡¯s nature made it susceptible to Su Mu¡¯s weapon. Confident in his advantage, Su Mu fired an arrow. But before it could reach its target, ck de swung its de like a staff, summoning a skeletal dog from the ground to intercept the attack. The Anti-Evil Crossbow¡¯s piercing effect allowed the arrow to prate the skeletal dog and strike ck de. Yet this didn¡¯t seem to faze the creature. With another swing of its de, it summoned a big-headed skeleton fish to block the next attack. ¡°So, the Soul Master profession relies on undead creatures as shields,¡± Su Mu muttered, unfazed by the tactic. He hadn¡¯t expected to defeat ck de with a single arrow. A level 15 elite monster wouldn¡¯t go down that easily. ¡°Dangerous object!¡± it hissed, its voice rising in rm. ¡°If the Scarlet King possessed such a weapon, the n would surely fail. It must be destroyed!¡± Recognizing the threat posed by the Anti-Evil Crossbow, ck de swung its weapon once more. Shattered skeletons reassembled, forming a skeletal lizard between them. Su Mu nced at its level¡ªonly six. Hardly worth worrying about. What intrigued him more was ck de¡¯s apparent awareness. All it had taken was one attack from him, and the creature had spiraled into a state of agitation. ¡°A drawback of intelligence,¡± Su Mu mused, a wry smile forming. The very trait that made ck de formidable also rendered it vulnerable. For him, this ¡°troublesome¡± monster was quickly bing less of a challenge and more of an opportunity. Chapter 36 - Only Left with Gold Chapter 36: Only Left with Gold This time, the items Su Mu and Meng Tianyi made were mostly simple furniture, like tables and chairs. When the girl heard that Su Mu wanted to use gold to craft furniture, she couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the corners of her mouth. [Meng Tianyi: Boss, you even want to use gold to make furniture?]@@novelbin@@ [Meng Tianyi: Boss, aren¡¯t you being just a bit too extravagant?] Su Mu exined that he had no other choice. Currently, no one had realized the true value of gold, and Meng Tianyi¡¯s workshop could only process metals and energy stones. If Su Mu knew of any other practical uses for gold, or had ess to a significant quantity of other metals, he wouldn¡¯t be using gold to make furniture at all. But as things stood, Su Mu admitted, ¡°I¡¯m so broke, all I¡¯ve got left is gold.¡± [Meng Tianyi: Boss, you know the rules.] [Meng Tianyi: Just surviving on bone soup isn¡¯t enough. Boss, look at me¡ªI¡¯ve gotten so skinny I can barely muster the strength to process materials.] As she spoke, Meng Tianyi extended her small, rosy hand, pairing it with an overly adorable expression meant to charm. Normally, Su Mu might have been swayed by such a disy, but at the moment, a much cuter littlepanion¡ªhis ck de, Mu Ran¡ªwas perched on his shoulder. So, attempts to act cute were entirely ineffective on Su Mu. [Su Mu: Meng Tianyi, I noticed that your level has already reached Level 2.] [Su Mu: You¡¯re also ranked 50th on the personal leaderboard.] [Su Mu: How is it possible that you can¡¯t hunt on your own at this point?] [Su Mu: And weren¡¯t you the first in the world to achieve a boss kill? Didn¡¯t you get a piece of equipment from that chest?] [Meng Tianyi: Uh¡ well¡] Hearing Su Mu¡¯s remarks, the girl let out an embarrassed sound. After trading with Su Mu earlier, Meng Tianyi had indeed reached Level 2. The cost, however, was that she¡¯d processed crafting materials until her hands nearly cramped. Not long after, the girl shared the details of a piece of equipment along with its attributes. [Name: Headset] [Quality: Excellent] [Effect: Amplifies sound and enhances singing.] [Description: Speaking loudly in a post-apocalyptic world will attract monsters¡¯ attention.] Upon seeing this piece of equipment, Su Mu almost couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. This girl¡¯s luck was truly unparalleled. The weapon she got from the starter pack was a handmade knife. Then, from the first-kill loot box, her first piece of equipment turned out to be¡ a headset. Su Mu couldn¡¯t even decide if her luck was extraordinarily good or just downright terrible. [Meng Tianyi: Boss! Please have pity on me! I¡¯ll keep processing materials for you, just give me some more good food!] [Meng Tianyi: Or how about this? Turn on voice chat, and I¡¯ll sing for you!] [Meng Tianyi: I have a beautiful voice! Back in university, I was the lead of the choir!] Su Mu agreed but told Meng Tianyi it would have to wait. Daytime was for exploration; there was no time to indulge. The doomsday cmity three days away wouldn¡¯t be as simple as another acid rainstorm. Su Mu needed to prepare for anything and everything. Listening to a girl sing exclusively for him? That could wait until nighttime. [Scarlet Boar Meat] x5 [Gold Pieces] x40 [Su Mu: I¡¯ve sent you the materials. Try to get it done today.] [Meng Tianyi: No problem, boss! Mission will be aplished!] On the other side, Meng Tianyi made an enthusiastic ¡°OK¡± gesture. She truly was an energetic and cheerful girl. Meanwhile, Su Mu nced at the little ck knife, Mu Ran, dozingzily on his shoulder. As a spiritual entity, how could it seemzier than a lively young girl? ¡°Master, is there something you¡¯re dissatisfied with?¡± Mu Ran¡¯s voice chimed in, drowsy yet slightly defensive. The little ck knife, Mu Ran, squinted at Su Mu. Su Mu flicked Mu Ran¡¯s head with a finger. Mu Ran immediately hugged his head with both hands. Although it didn¡¯t hurt, he didn¡¯t understand why the master had done such a thing. ¡°You could be a bit more diligent yourself. Before you died, you said you¡¯d stir up the Scarlet n as the Soul Nurturing ck de.¡± ¡°Now, why have you turned into such azy spirit?¡± Mu Ran didn¡¯t say anything further, and seeing how cute Mu Ran looked, Su Mu didn¡¯t feel the need to reprimand him any longer. Perhaps this was just his personality? ¡°Mu Ran, you can control the ck des to fight enemies, right?¡± ¡°The defense towers over here will soon start attacking monsters.¡± ¡°You can go and deal with those monsters that the defense towers attract.¡± Su Mu had not dismantled the Boar Hair Defense Tower before, and now it still had the capability to attack enemies from afar. Upon hearing Su Mu¡¯smand, Mu Ran nodded and moved his hand lightly. The Spirit-infused ck de swung through the air and instantly split a Scarlet Wild Dog that had ventured too close into two halves. ¡°Fully automated experience farming,¡± Su Mu muttered with approval. ¡°Not bad at all.¡± Su Mu nodded in satisfaction as he watched the ck de and the defense towers working together to eliminate enemies. ording to the world announcement, the leader of a shelter would eventually be able to lead their own guard and conquer this post-apocalyptic world. Su Mu, however, was already enjoying that feeling ahead of time. Seeing that the Spirit-infused ck de and the defense towers were efficiently handling the enemies around him, Su Mu decided to open the trade market. Having acquired some new equipment, Su Mu naturally turned to the trading market to exchange goods. With two billion survivors to trade with, there was no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity. Besides, with the luxury of Scarlet Boar King meat to eat, materials from ordinary monster drops were perfect for trading. [Trading Setting: Crushed Gold Grass, Iron ke Stone, Distilled Stone.] [Trading Items: Purified Skeleton, Scarlet Boar Meat, Wild Dog Bone and Meat.] When Su Mu uploaded such arge batch of goods in one go, the global channel buzzed with chatter and discussion. Chapter 40 - Su Mu Is the Real One Chapter 40: Su Mu Is the Real One In his final moments, Chital managed to escape Turde¡¯s ambush¡ªbut only just. With his heart pierced, survival was impossible. His gaze fell upon thest Level 1 survivor from their nation, sprawled lifeless in a pool of blood. It required no exnation; the betrayal was obvious. ¡°Turde, why?!¡± Chital¡¯s voice trembled, weak but seething with betrayal. ¡°This is the apocalypse, my friend,¡± Turde replied, his tone calm and calcted. ¡°Besides, our objective is clear: surpass that despicable Dragon Nation guy. Consolidating the rewards onto one person makes the most sense, don¡¯t you think?¡± He smiled coldly. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to ensure our victory over him.¡± ¡°You¡!¡± Chital choked on blood, fury and despair burning in his fading eyes. Summoning thest of his strength, he opened the Wastnd Channel and quickly typed a message: [User1: Turde is not trustworthy!]. As his final words appeared, Chital copsed, his vision going dark. But in the massive flow of two billion survivors¡¯ chatter, his message was buried in mere moments. Only a few lucky individuals caught it before it vanished into the stream. Momentster, a Wastnd Announcement broadcast echoed across the apocalyptic world: [Wastnd Announcement: Congrattions to the Shelter Leader, Turde, for ying the Level 10 Apocalypse Boss, bing the second survivor to achieve a boss kill.]. [Wastnd Announcement: Survivors, continue striving toward the position of the Eternal King!]. The announcement ignited a flurry of excitement on the Wastnd Forum. [User2: Hahaha, see? I told you Turde is a legend!]. [User3: He¡¯s incredible! A true boss-ying powerhouse!]. [User4: Just wait, Turde will hit Level 3 soon, and then he¡¯ll crush that Dragon Nation guy, Su Mu!]. But not everyone was convinced. [User5: Heh, don¡¯t get ahead of yourselves. Just because the leaderboard hasn¡¯t updated doesn¡¯t mean Su Mu¡¯s stopped progressing.]. [User6: Oh, really? Then take a look at this: image.JPG.]. The image showed Chital¡¯s final message alongside a screenshot confirming his sudden disappearance from the leaderboard, where he¡¯d ranked 82nd. [User7: It seems your so-called warrior isn¡¯t as trustworthy as you think.]. [User8: Chital¡¯s message? That¡¯s suspicious¡]. [User9: So what? It¡¯s the apocalypse¡ªtrust means nothing here. Strength is everything.].@@novelbin@@ [User10: Keep defending him. Just don¡¯t cry when Turde backstabs you next.]. [User9: If Chital got tricked, it¡¯s his own fault for being careless.]. ¡ Chital¡¯s final message barely caused a ripple in the masses. In the Wastnd, betrayal was par for the course. Most survivors simply chalked it up to hisck of caution. But some began noticing a different issue. [User11: Hold up. The announcement didn¡¯t mention the World Blessing.]. [User12: True. When Su Mu killed the first boss, he got the blessing. Why didn¡¯t Turde?]. [User13: Maybe the blessing only applies to the first kill?]. [User14: That doesn¡¯t sound right. Wastnd rewards usually extend something to subsequent killers.]. [User15: Or maybe Turde has something to hide. No blessing means something¡¯s off.]. ¡ While the forum buzzed with debate, Turde stood in the dark cave, frustrated. The World Blessing hadn¡¯t appeared. Why? ¡°Hmph, it must only apply to the first boss-killer,¡± he muttered, clenching his fists. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Su Mu¡¯s so-called advantage is temporary. I¡¯ll surpass him soon enough.¡± Trying to console himself, Turde began collecting the boss¡¯s loot. But before he could finish, another Wastnd Announcement rang out, shattering his illusion of superiority: [Wastnd Announcement: Congrattions to the Shelter Master Su Mu for defeating the Level 18 Apocalypse Boss, bing the third survivor to achieve a boss kill and receiving the World Blessing effect.]. [We hope all survivors continue striving toward the position of the Eternal King.]. The Wastnd Forum exploded once again. [User16: Someone struggles with a Level 10 boss and thinks they¡¯re hot stuff. Meanwhile, Su Mu solos a Level 18 boss. Bow down.]. [User17: Dragon Nation supremacy confirmed. Su Mu¡¯s already leagues ahead.]. [User18: Impossible! You guys must be cheating!]. [User17: Oh, sure. But when you gang up to kill a Level 10 boss, it¡¯s fair y, right? Hypocrites.]. [User19: Su Mu, please let me tag along! I¡¯ll even take leftovers!]. [User20: Notice how Su Mu got the World Blessing, but Turde didn¡¯t? The truth is obvious.]. Chapter 43 - You Seem to Have Grown a Bit Bigger Chapter 43: You Seem to Have Grown a Bit Bigger [Zombie¡¯s Poisoned Throwing Knives x24]. [Quality: Excellent]. [Feature: Persistent Poison Damage]. [Sub-Attributes: None].@@novelbin@@ [Description: ¡°My knife is coated with poison.¡±]. Another throwing weapon added to Su Mu¡¯s inventory. However, this time, it sparked a humorous thought in his mind. Because the Lost Warrior¡¯s equipment had been damaged by ck de, the loot dropped by small monsters now had higher quality than the gear dropped by the boss itself. Still, these throwing knives were useful. Su Mu was currently in need of weapons with effective crowd-control capabilities against regr monsters, and these seemed to fit the bill perfectly. With these poison-coated throwing knives capable of inflictingsting damage, Su Mu naturally kept them in his inventory. Instead of continuing to hunt nearby enemies, he decided to search for his next boss target now that the World Blessing effect had expired. ¡°Master, next time you deal with enemies like this, can you take them out from a distance instead?¡± ck de floated over, clutching its true form¡ªa Little Knife. Seeing the green, toxic blood still clinging to its de, the spirit¡¯s face was filled with disgust. This expression amused Su Mu, and he couldn¡¯t resist pinching her cheeks. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve worked hard this time. Come here, I¡¯ll upgrade you.¡± Hearing this, Mu Ran¡¯s mood instantly brightened, her face lighting up with excitement. The chibi figure of Little Knife wore a radiant smile, one that could easily captivate anyone. Su Mu couldn¡¯t help but think that once her face fully matured, she might be even more stunning. He started by sshing some water on ck de¡¯s main form, cleaning off the toxic remnants. Then, he opened her attribute panel. ck de¡¯s upgrades were unique¡ªshe required only energy stones, unlike most equipment. Though Su Mu suspected that future upgrades might demand more specialized materials. [Materials sufficient. Proceed with the upgrade?]. [Confirmed. Upgrade in progress.]. As the upgrade began, the physical form of ck de didn¡¯t change much. However, her avatar, the chibi spirit of Little Knife, underwent subtle transformations. Originally standing at just over ten centimeters tall, her figure grew ever so slightly, with her proportions bing a bit more defined. The once purely chibi physique seemed to be inching toward a full-scale model¡¯s proportions¡ªthough for now, it was only a small step forward. It was just a little change, but Su Mu couldn¡¯t help noticing. Compared to being stunning, the ck de spirit was still more adorable than anything else. [Upgrade sessful.]. [Soulbound ck de, Level 2.]. [Next level upgrade requirement: 500 energy stones.]. ¡°That¡¯s so expensive¡¡± Su Mu almost felt like coughing up blood when he saw the amount. The rewards from defeating a single boss were barely enough to upgrade ck de twice, and now it was all gone. While having Little Knife made boss fights significantly easier, maintaining her growth was undeniably costly. ¡°Master, can I grow a little more?¡± After the upgrade, a smile lit up Little Knife¡¯s chibi face. There was a hint of expectation in her eyes, as if she was yearning to recover her adult form someday. Su Mu chuckled and gently flicked her forehead. ¡°Patience, little one. If you keep draining my wallet like this, I¡¯ll need to rob all the bosses in this world to afford you!¡± Mu Ran puffed her cheeks in mock annoyance but didn¡¯t argue, the sparkle of hope still lingering in her gaze. Looking at the little one¡¯s adorable smile, Su Mu could only helplessly shrug his shoulders. ¡°This is just a money-sucking little bug,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°But she¡¯s worth the investment anyway. Not for now, but if you work harder in the future, it¡¯ll be possible.¡± Hearing Su Mu¡¯s words, Little Knife immediately realized he was nning to make her keep working. Without hesitation, she darted under Su Mu¡¯s armor and perched herself back on his shoulder. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she pulled Su Mu¡¯s ck de Cloak over herself, using it as a makeshift nket. ¡°This little one¡¯s personality is really something,¡± Su Mu chuckled, patting her on the head. Then he opened up the trading market. [Listed item: Purified Zombie Meat x150.]. [Trade Option 1: 2 energy stones.]. [Trade Option 2: 1 Shattered Golden Herb or 1 Iron Fragment Stone.]. [Trade Option 3: 20 Stones / 5 Wooden nks.]. [Effect: Slightly increases resistance to abnormal statuses.]. Su Mu nodded to himself, satisfied with the setup. The Purified Zombie meat wasn¡¯t incredibly valuable, but trading it for essentials like energy stones or construction materials made it worthwhile. ¡°Let¡¯s see if anyone bites on this offer.¡± Purified Zombie meat wasn¡¯t of much use to Su Mu. For food, he had the meat of the Scarlet Boar King, which was leagues better in quality and taste. And honestly, zombie meat was unappetizing¡ªnot only because of its unappealing appearance and poor taste but also because¡ well, it was zombie meat. Even with the supposed benefit of boosting resistance to abnormal statuses, Su Mu doubted he could stomach it. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the ¡°increased resistance¡± was more like building a tolerance to disgusting food. Still, putting it on the trading market meant someone would buy it eventually. The pricing in energy stones wasn¡¯t a big deal to him. By the second day of the apocalypse, people would have discovered energy stones either from defeating bosses or exploring mines. Su Mu had seen others talking about it on the world forum. Wooden nks and stones were also in demand. These were the basic materials for construction, and Su Mu had no intention of spending his own time gathering them. Trading Zombie Meat for resources he actually needed seemed like the perfect arrangement. Of course, when people noticed Su Mu had listed so many monster drop items in one go, they couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. [User1: Zombies? Aren¡¯t zombies outside all level 10 and above? Su Mu, the big boss, is already handling those monsters with ease?]. [User2: Level 10 is nothing. Look at Su Mu¡¯s current level¡ªhe¡¯s already level 4. Dealing with zombies like those must be a breeze for him.]. [User3: Zombie meat that boosts antibodies? That actually sounds pretty good. I¡¯m heading to trade some bricks for a few pieces to try.]. [User4: Dude above, you¡¯re seriously going to eat zombie meat? You can stomach that?]. [User5: What¡¯s there to fear? Have you seen Irish recipes? Zombie meat¡¯s texture probably doesn¡¯t evene close to being as tough.]. [User6: Zombie meat is nothing. Our brothers from Blue Country eat just about anything¡ªwe can¡¯tpete with them.]. [User7: That¡¯s true bravery. Respect, respect.]. Chapter 45 - Little Black Knifeéˆ¥æªš Food Chapter 45: Little ck Knife¡¯s Food Standing amidst the wreckage, Su Mu continued gathering the loot from the boss. This boss was called the Ruins Puppet¡ªa massive creature capable of disguising itself as a building. The debris beneath Su Mu¡¯s feet, several meters in size, was its true body. Although the Ruins Puppet attempted to mimic a small ruin to lure in unsuspecting prey beforeunching a surprise attack, Su Mu had already marked its location on his map. The creature had no chance of ambushing him. Instead, with the Little Knife in hand, Su Mu struck first. Charging at the puppet¡¯s disguised body, he delivered a devastating blow, slicing off its left leg in one clean sweep. The most troublesome part was that this monster had absurdly high defense¡ªand it wasn¡¯t undead. Unless the Anti-Evil Crossbow hit a vital spot, it couldn¡¯t deal much damage. Fortunately, after losing one of its legs, the Ruins Puppet could no longer move quickly even if it tried to fight back. After grinding it down for over ten minutes, the three-story-high Ruins Puppet finally copsed. ¡°In this world, even buildings can move now?¡± Su Mu muttered to himself. ¡°This ce is getting weirder by the minute.¡± Using the lingering mes from the wreckage, he roasted a piece of Scarlet Boar King meat to recover some stamina. While the Ruins Puppet wasn¡¯t the strongest boss he had faced, its defense was frustratingly high, and Su Mu hadn¡¯t yet found a reliable countermeasure against it. In fact, after having an advantage against so many enemies, he now found himself slightly restrained by this particr boss. If not for the sharpness of the Spirit Little Knife and his own Level 4 strength, this fight might have been much more dangerous. ¡°Little ck Knife, do you need to eat?¡± Noticing the way the little spirit was staring at the Scarlet Boar King¡¯s meat, Su Mu waved a piece in front of her. Little Knife shook her head. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t need this kind of food,¡± she said. ¡°I just like the blood aura on it.¡± ¡°Blood aura?¡± Su Mu raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you like drinking blood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just blood,¡± Little Knife exined. ¡°Pure life essence, or even energy stones¡ªthose are my food.¡± Even energy stones? Su Mu suddenly felt like Little ck Knife was a money-draining monster. No wonder upgrading her required so many energy stones. Was she actually eating them? Curious, he decided to test it out. He collected some of the Scarlet Boar King¡¯s blood and offered it to her. As soon as she saw it, Little ck Knife eagerly grabbed the edge of the container and started drinking. After only a few sips, she let out a satisfied sigh and copsed onto Su Mu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So spirits really can consume things,¡± Su Mu murmured. The amount of blood in the container hadn¡¯t even decreased much, so he didn¡¯t bothermenting on it. Instead, he set up a simple grill using wooden nks and started roasting more Scarlet Boar King meat. The World¡¯s Blessing effect still had about eight minutes remaining, and there weren¡¯t any small monsters within several hundred meters, so Su Mu took his time. Before the blessing wore off, he focused on collecting the Ruins Puppet¡¯s loot. [Energy Stones] x700 A Level 15 boss dropping 700 energy stones with the World¡¯s Blessing effect wasn¡¯t bad at all. Su Mu¡¯s total energy stone reserves were now close to 2,000. [Barrier Impact Skill Book] x2 [Quality: Rare] [Usage: This skill book can be applied topatible weapons, skill-enabled equipment, or even structures.] [Additionally, the skill book can also be used directly by the owner of the Sanctuary.] [Effect: Launches a shockwave with force equivalent to a wall crashing. The higher the skill level, the stronger the impact.] ¡°A skill book?¡± Su Mu was slightly surprised. This was his first time seeing a skill book drop. Neither of the previous two bosses, nor even the Spirit Little Knife, had dropped one before. That meant skill books must be incredibly rare. But adding a skill? Wouldn¡¯t that conflict with the sub-attribute system? Just as he was thinking about it, the system popped up with an exnation.@@novelbin@@ [Host, skill books and sub-attributes have simr effects but can coexist.] [However, if a skill and a sub-attribute are of the same type, they will merge, leaving only one sub-attribute.] Su Mu nodded after reading the system¡¯s response. As long as skills and sub-attributes could coexist, that was all that mattered. Otherwise, if he kept obtaining skill books but had no space to use them due to filled sub-attribute slots, that would be a huge waste. ¡°With the blessing¡¯s help, I managed to get two skill books. Since I can use them on myself, let¡¯s test one out.¡± Without hesitation, Su Mu applied one of the skill books to himself. A momentter, his personal skill list updated, disying a new entry¡ª[Barrier Impact]. ¡°Let¡¯s test it out.¡± Not wanting to destroy the grill he had just set up, Su Mu stepped away from the wreckage. Activating the skill, he mmed his fist into the ground. Boom! A powerful shockwave erupted, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions. The barren earth caved in, leaving a massive crater several meters wide. Perched on Su Mu¡¯s shoulder, Little ck Knife flinched in shock. Staring at the enormous imprint left on the ground, she turned to Su Mu with wide eyes. ¡°Master¡ since when did you have this much attack power?¡± Chapter 48 - Want to Take a Bath Together? Chapter 48: Want to Take a Bath Together? After the shelter upgrade, the interior had undergone aplete transformation. The straw that once served as bedding had turned into proper beds, and the simple campfire had evolved into a firece that burned continuously. Candles flickered in the corridors and rooms, ensuring that the shelter remained well-lit even in the dead of night. Several empty rooms awaited customization, ready to be furnished as he pleased.@@novelbin@@ As Su Mu stepped inside, the updated shelter information materialized before him. [Level 2 Shelter]. [Durability: 100/100]. [Warning: If durability reaches zero, enemies will be able to attack the Shelter¡¯s me.]. [If the Shelter¡¯s me is extinguished, the survivor will lose ownership of the shelter and be a wandering nomad.]. The Shelter¡¯s me? Su Mu turned his gaze toward the fire burning within the hearth. What had once been a simple campfire had transformed into an ever-burning me within the firece¡ªthe very core of the shelter itself. He couldn¡¯t imagine how difficult life would be for someone in this apocalyptic world if they lost even their shelter. He then shifted his focus to the additional features the shelter now possessed. [Shelter Feature 1: Energy Light Shield]. [A protective barrier that can block certain natural disasters and shield all structures within its range. Can be recharged using Energy Stones.]. [Feature 2: Status Recovery]. [Any abnormal conditions, including severe injuries, will gradually heal within the shelter.]. [Feature 3: Shelter¡¯s Encouragement]. [While fighting near the shelter, the owner and their subordinates will receive a 20% boost to all attributes.]. These were no small advantages. Su Mu leaned against the window, watching the faint, shimmering light of the Energy Shield hovering over the shelter. With this, the defenses against apocalyptic disasters had strengthened even further. The new enhancements would undoubtedly make survival easier. Yet as he looked around the spacious, upgraded interior, a thought surfaced. ¡°Living alone in such a big ce feels¡ a bit empty.¡± He exhaled, but then his gaze fell on the floating Little Mu Ran. ¡°At least with you here, I won¡¯t get bored.¡± Still, he often found himself checking in on the world forum, interacting with others. In a world like this, where istion could easily drive someone to madness, simply having people to talk to¡ªeven through a screen¡ªwas a lifeline. His thoughts drifted to the recent world announcement about the formation of shelter guard units. Once the next disaster had passed, what kind of forces would he be able to recruit? Just as he pondered this, a notification popped up in his friend channel. [Meng Tianyi: Boss, the gold furniture you wanted is ready!]. [Meng Tianyi: Seriously, you¡¯re rich. Everyone else is still struggling with Level 1 shelters, and here you are decking your ce out in solid gold furniture.]. [Meng Tianyi: So jealous! So envious! So unfair!]. She grumbled as she transferred the finished furniture. Su Mu epted the trade, and in an instant, a pile of golden furnishings materialized before him¡ªtables, chairs, even chopsticks and tes. He stacked them onto the dining table, and the dazzling gold light nearly blinded him. Little Mu Ran, who had been floating around, examining the newly furnished home, widened her eyes at the shimmering pile. ¡°Master¡ are all these things really made of gold?¡± She picked up a te and bit into it, only to confirm that it was, in fact, solid gold. Her astonishment deepened. Just how extravagant was her master to be using gold for furniture? But Su Mu had his reasons. With the [Gilded Pickaxe]in his possession, everything he mined naturally turned into gold. He simply had more of it than he knew what to do with. [Meng Tianyi: Boss, do you like my craftsmanship?]. [Meng Tianyi: I even used the leftover gold scraps to make a beautiful pendant! When I showed it to the girls in our group chat, they were so jealous.]. [Meng Tianyi: I made a few extra¡ªwant one?]. Su Mu nced at the golden pendants but shook his head. They were finely crafted, but they were also clearly meant for girls. Not something he needed. Closing the chat, he turned his attention to furnishing the empty rooms. [Vige-Style Toilet Blueprint]. [Lost Warriors¡¯ Street Lamp]. [Little Mu Ran¡¯s Hot Spring]. With ample materials at hand, he started building. A toilet for each floor, a streetmp outside both the front and back doors¡ Then, all that remained was the hot spring. Thanks to the trading market, he had already gathered everything necessary for its construction. The first floor had a spacious, empty room that seemed perfect for it. He selected the spot and confirmed the build. In the next moment, a steaming hot spring manifested before him, taking up the entire space. Warm mist curled into the air, filling the room with a gentle humidity. Su Mu admired his work before ncing at the floating Little Mu Ran beside him. ¡°Little Mu Ran, want to take a bath together?¡±