The global chat exploded with activity as survivors reacted to Victor Cross's sudden flood of supplies.
[User: StarvingSurvivor]: "Holy shit! Who's this god-tier player flooding the market with water and sausages?!"
[User: UnluckyNewbie]: "Probably spawned in a damn supermarket while I'm stuck in a fucking bathroom stall! This world ain't fair!"
[User: DesperateGirl]: "@VictorCross, I'll be your slave! Just two sausages, please!"
Lucas watched the desperate messages scroll by with cold detachment. The post-apocalyptic world had become a brutal meritocracy where the strong thrived and the weak begged. He opened the Trading Post interface, greeted by a pathetic bazaar of useless junk - used bras, stuffed animals, empty bottles - all listed by survivors clutching at straws.
Victor Cross's listings stood out starkly among the trash:
[VictorCross's Trades]
1x Purified Water (500ml) → 1 Energy Core
1x Preserved Sausage → 1 Energy Core
Lucas's fingers tightened around his holotablet. Energy Cores were the real currency of power in this new world. If Victor kept stockpiling them at this rate, he could transform from a nobody into a superhuman threat within weeks. The implications were clear - this was a potential rival who needed monitoring.
The chat continued to reflect the growing desperation:
[User: Skeptic]: "1 Core for one sausage? Highway robbery!"
[User: LuckyOne]: "Killed 2 weak zombies for 1 Core. Not worth!"
[User: Weaponless]: "NEED WEAPONS! Knives? Hammers? A damn sharp rock?!"
Lucas smirked as he saw the survivors gradually understanding the new rules of survival: Weapons led to kills, kills yielded Cores, and Cores meant power. He had prepared for this moment, having scavenged five chef knives and four utility blades from nearby apartments.
With precise taps, Lucas listed his own trades:
[Lucas's Listings]
1x Chef Knife → 1x Canned Meat + 500ml Water
1x Utility Blade → 1x Canned Meat + 500ml Water
The logic was flawless. He targeted two types of survivors: those strong enough to turn blades into multiple kills, and those strategic enough to understand weapons meant long-term survival. The system notifications began flooding in almost immediately.
[System]: Trade completed! 1x Chef Knife → +1 Canned Meat + 500ml Water
[System]: Trade completed! 1x Utility Blade → +1 Canned Meat + 500ml Water
Within minutes, his inventory swelled with nine canned meats and nine bottles of water. Meanwhile, the rest of the market had devolved into absurdity:
[User: DumbHope]: "Trading 1x Office Chair (slightly broken) for water!"
[User: PipeDream]: "1x Rusty Pipe (barely bent)! Best offer!"
Lucas leaned back, cracking open one of his newly acquired water bottles. The gamble had paid off beyond expectations. Not only had he secured enough supplies for over a week, but he'd also positioned himself as the new market leader in weapons trading. The game was changing, and for once, Lucas held all the best cards.