At this moment, the survival game has been going on for half a day.
Outside, the sun is blazing, and the temperature is extremely high.
Many people with dry throats are lying in the broken straw huts to rest.
However, the moment Lin Yue posted the water for sale message, it immediately excited these people!
"Someone is selling water! And only wants wood in exchange?"
"Damn, someone is actually willing to sell water? And for two hundred milliliters?"
"Did it drop from a loot box?"
"Is there a water source next to the shelter? I've dug two meters deep and still haven't found water!"
"Got it, let's chop down some trees, wait for me, boss!"
"Lin Yue, darling, please give me the water, I'm so thirsty, I promise to go on a date with you once we get out."
"Send over your card number, I'll take the water for twenty thousand bucks!"
...
When Lin Yue looked at the private messages for trade, it had escalated to over 100 messages in an instant!
There were seductive ones, threatening ones, those offering large sums outside, and those begging desperately.
He directly chose to ignore them, as none seemed reliable. Besides, returning to the original world?
It probably won't even be possible.
He looked at the bid history.
Surprisingly, within this short period, someone had actually offered a figure that exceeded his expectations.
Lin Yue didn't want to waste too much time, so he directly chose that person's offer.
[You lost 200 milliliters of water]
[You gained Wood x20]
After the transaction was completed, Lin Yue noticed that the water in his bottle had remarkably decreased.
At the same time, he gained 20 units of wood!
Gentle breezes blew through countless gaps in the dry straw, into the hut.
Water, which was almost worthless in the original world, has become hard currency in this survival game.
Perhaps the 200 milliliters of water could have been exchanged for more, but Lin Yue wasn't that greedy, and his time was invaluable.
"Open the crafting panel, and then something related to the shelter..."
The interface before him changed once again, Lin Yue looked at the crafting interface.
[Wooden Wall: Wood x15]
Now with 20 units of wood, Lin Yue didn't have to settle for crafting just a wooden door; he could reinforce the entire shelter's walls with solid wood, which was much better.
Select, confirm crafting!
A flash of white light passed.
[Wood -15]
[Your shelter has been upgraded to wooden walls]
Soon, after the light faded, Lin Yue was pleased to find the walls had transformed from flimsy, drafty straw to slightly thicker wooden planks.
Although still uneven and bumpy, the sturdiness was much better than before.
Next up was the door.
[Wooden Door: Wood x2]
Select, confirm crafting!
A flash of white light passed.
[Wood -2]
[Your shelter has been upgraded to a wooden door]
Lin Yue looked up to see a brand new wooden door now fitted in the door frame.
With this, it should be able to fend off mutated creatures.
As he walked over, he found a latch on the door.
After securing the latch,
he instantly felt a sense of security enveloping him.
With this, it should be able to fend off mutated creatures.
With drinking water and food secured, and the shelter much more solid,
the pressure on his head was greatly reduced.
He let out a sigh of relief and lay down on the straw, looking at the leftover materials in his inventory.
What aspect should be modified next?
He looked up; the roof still leaked air.
The straw under him was also somewhat uncomfortable.
It seems the quality of life could still be improved.
However, before that, he had some plans.
What Lin Yue can confirm now is that opening loot boxes ensures the acquisition of water and food, while wood and stone can improve the shelter's sturdiness, making him safer.
But in the location he is in, there is only sparse grassland, and yellow soil everywhere, with only a few trees, and no stones or other minerals have been seen.
Resources are not just scarce, they're downright lacking.
If not for this 100% loot box system, this would be a dire start.
Moreover, the crisis has not fully been lifted.
How many mutated creatures around here are as easy to deal with as mutated insects? What if stronger ones appear?
Lin Yue thought of those insects and lizards he had stomped into pulp, and removed his shoes to rub with dry straw.
He found that the soles of his shoes had numerous pits as if they had been burned!
This is...
Those insect-lizards seem not as weak as he thought.
Luckily, he had used his foot to step on them and not his hand to smash them, or the consequences would have been dire.
Lin Yue finally understood what it means to be a "mutated creature."
He thought of those in the group who had died; perhaps their deaths were due to underestimating these mutated creatures.
It seems, compared to improving the environment, crafting some weapons first is more urgent.
Opening the crafting panel, he then selected [Survival Related].
The things that could be crafted were quite numerous, and Lin Yue looked directly at the weapon section.
[Wooden Shovel: Wood x2]
[Stone Spear: Wood x3, Stone x2]
[Wooden Bow: Wood x3, Fiber x3]
[Slingshot: Wood x1, Leather x2]
[Iron Spear: Wood x2, Iron Block x3]
[Torch: Wood x1, Dry Grass x3]
[Wooden Bed: Wood x4]
...
Lin Yue took a bite of bread while looking at the various options in the crafting menu.
There was a wide variety, including tools, weapons, and even furniture.
But after a brief review, Lin Yue ruled out most options.
Wooden and stone weapons, though some he could craft immediately, each had their disadvantages.
Axes and hammers, as weapons, had limited attack range; even if they could be thrown, Lin Yue hadn't practiced, and accuracy was an issue.
Wooden bows had a wide range but still posed accuracy issues and needed arrows.
Agricultural tools weren't considered due to limited damage.
Lin Yue finally focused on spears and guns.
He noticed the stone spear required two wood and two stones, while the gun required three wood and two stones.
With seemingly similar weapons, the difference in resource costs was a concern for Lin Yue.
Lin Yue chose the long spear, but in terms of material, iron was evidently sharper than stone.
It's better to take it a step further.
But he didn't have iron blocks.
Though, someone else does.
Walking outside, the sky seemed to have darkened a little.
After a sip of water, he opened the group chat and found it still bustling.
"I found a water source, but the water is green. Can I drink it? I'm so thirsty!"
"List it in the marketplace, I'll try it for you."
"Auction it, highest bid wins!"
"Where did that water-selling boss go this morning? Now they're selling 15 milliliters, 20 milliliters, a bottle cap-full of water to trade for things? What the heck can it do?"
"Report, the seventeenth little lizard finally dropped a wooden loot box, inside was a steamed bun!"
"Large amount of materials for water, PM if interested!"
...
The chat messages kept Lin Yue occupied for over ten minutes.
Though he did get quite a lot of useful information.
Someone got treats from a box, or obtained food or water.
Revisiting the trade market, Lin Yue indeed saw people selling water at high prices; even the "green liquid" he just saw was quickly snapped up.
Furthermore, after browsing, most listings were seeking water in exchange for plenty of resources.
Indeed, water was a necessity over wood and stone, especially in the first few days.
How many people who crossed over to the Otherworld could withstand the human limit of not drinking water? Probably not many.
Without water and food, people tend to fall into negative emotions like anxiety and pessimism and would go to great lengths to find hope in this trading market.
Meanwhile, some blindly seek to fight mutated creatures, hoping for a loot box.
However, the low drop rate and the unique nature of mutated creatures only intensify the risk of such actions, resulting in...
Lin Yue looked again at the upper right corner showing the total number of people.
9811.
In a group of ten thousand, nearly two hundred people have disappeared within just a few hours.
How they died, Lin Yue was unclear, but undoubtedly many were entangled with the word "water."
Wondering how many globally have been wiped out?
This survival game is truly terrifying.