Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Snow Mountain Town 7 — The Scent of Food Drifting in the Wind

Ashe had a dream. In it, she was engulfed by icy river water that relentlessly drained her warmth, making her shiver uncontrollably. As her stiffened body sank deeper, her consciousness floated weightlessly away.

Suddenly, a violent sensation of falling yanked her back into her body.

Her eyes snapped open. The room was dim, lit only by the fading glow of the setting sun filtering through the window.

Why am I here? Ashe propped herself up, trying to remember. Wasn’t I fighting a monster?

That was right. She’d been ambushed by a Shadow Ghost and severely wounded. Though she’d thrown an item at it in a desperate last stand, she wasn’t sure if she’d even killed it. But she definitely hadn’t been fighting in a room like this.

Confused, she checked her System messages.

[ Player [Bai Qi] has used the skill [Blessing Therapy] on you. HP +18 ]

Ashe stared blankly. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

Her total HP was 20, and the skill had completely restored her. However, because her wounds were still bleeding slightly, she’d already lost 5 points, leaving her at 15.

“Bai Qi…” she murmured, repeating the name.

Meanwhile, back in her Safehouse, Jiang Qibai’s first priority was to claim her daily quest rewards.

[ Daily Quest Complete. Claim rewards? ]

“Claim.”

[ You have received: Safehouse Ceiling Light ×1 Safehouse Blackout Curtains ×1 Indoor Thermometer ×1 Self-Heating Rice ×3 Protein Energy Bar ×5 Bottled Water ×3 Medicated Oil ×1 ]

The Safehouse’s light flickered on, casting a bright glow. Jiang Qibai sprang into action, immediately drawing the blackout curtains the System had just installed.

Tonight would be her first night without the Novice Protection Period. She had no desire to attract a swarm of Shadow Ghosts. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

The Medicated Oil had come at the perfect time. During her fight with the Mutated Shadow Ghost earlier, she’d swung her baseball bat with such force that she hadn’t felt a thing at the time. But now that she was back, her muscles ached terribly. She wasn’t sure if she’d pulled something. Her hand shook so much she couldn’t even hold chopsticks to eat; in the end, she had to use a spoon and eat her self-heating bento with her left hand.

After dinner, Jiang Qibai massaged her arm for a while before heading to bed early.

Because she had cleared out the monsters near her Safehouse during the day, the entire night passed without incident. The unknown creature—the one that had appeared near her Safehouse on the very first night, emitting those crisp click-clack sounds—never showed up.

Jiang Qibai seriously doubted whether she could take that monster. After all, when it had appeared, all the nearby Shadow Ghosts—even the Mutated ones—had trembled in fear, not daring to make a single sound.

This unease drove her to open the System Mall and browse the Anti-Intrusion System product page once again.

As a Level 1 Mall user, the Anti-Intrusion System only offered Jiang Qibai three items: Wall-Mounted Electric Grid (100 Points), Wall-Mounted Bomb (50 Points), and Trigger Gate (100 Points).

The Wall-Mounted Electric Grid needed to be connected to the Safehouse’s power supply and would consume electricity when triggered. The details page reminded players to top up their electricity in advance to prevent the grid from failing. The Wall-Mounted Bomb was tiny, as inconspicuous as a small pebble, but it would explode upon impact, dealing damage to the attacker. As for the Trigger Gate, it was a mechanism installed near doors and windows; if they were breached, the gate would automatically drop, serving as a second line of defense.

After paying off her mortgage, Jiang Qibai now had only 31 Points—not even enough to buy the cheapest Wall-Mounted Bomb. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

She could only console herself to take things one step at a time.

A new day’s routine quest had refreshed: Slay 5 Shadow Ghosts.

This was a breeze for Jiang Qibai. She decided on a whim to head to the Central Square in town today to sell off the expired and near-expired drinks she had on hand.

Luan Qi Ba Jiao had gone to the Central Square yesterday and sent her a message brimming with excitement. He must have successfully completed his interview mission.

To thank Jiang Qibai for pointing him in the right direction, he’d sent her information on some player merchants who were permanently stationed near the square. According to Luan Qi Ba Jiao, the place was crawling with unscrupulous traders who would ruthlessly fleece any clueless newbies.

By the time Jiang Qibai reached the outskirts of the Central Square, she caught the scent of food wafting through the air before she even saw the crowd.

As expected of the biggest player hub, she thought. Someone’s actually running a street-side stir-fry stall.

[ Niu Dali’s Egg Fried Rice ] Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

Beside the cardboard sign, another line of text read: [25 Points/Bowl. Effect: Strength +1 (12 Hours)]

As Jiang Qibai passed the stall, she saw several players waiting in line. The vendor, Niu Dali, was vigorously wielding a spatula, scooping fried rice into disposable takeout boxes.

His face was glistening with sweat from the sun, his dark skin shining.

Even at high noon, no one in the Central Square had pitched tents or found other ways to shade themselves. The sunlight was their best protection.

“This egg fried rice…” A customer took an impatient bite, his eyes widening. “It tastes awful! Did you even use two eggs for this whole pot? You could raise a hen and still have a better chance of finding an egg than this.”

He stirred the rice in his takeout box vigorously, finally finding a tiny piece of egg and picking it up to prove his point.

Niu Dali impatiently tapped his spatula against the side of the wok twice, urging, “It’s the apocalypse! Be glad you found eggs at all! Still complaining? Next! Next!”

The customer behind him stepped forward. Even though he’d heard the previous customer’s scathing review loud and clear, he still quietly bought two bowls. As for the rice tasting bad—they hadn’t come for the flavor in the first place. Even if it tasted terrible, they had to eat. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

Jiang Qibai continued walking.

Along the way, some Players had simply spread cloths on the ground and sat down to set up shop. They were selling all sorts of things, from food, clothes, and weapons to medicines and props—a bizarre and eclectic assortment.

Jiang Qibai spotted a half-used tube of toothpaste and a comb with missing teeth. She wondered who would ever buy such things.

These were mostly makeshift stalls. Players came here to sell their surplus supplies and would vanish as soon as they were done. There was no telling when they’d return.

Jiang Qibai hurried past the stalls, weaving through the cacophony of competing shouts. These players often had no idea what the market price was, asking for wildly unrealistic sums. While you could occasionally find a real bargain, it was like panning for gold in a pile of shit.

As she reached the heart of the square, she saw players forming parties.

“Looking for a team to hit the warehouse supermarket on the east side of town! Must have a vehicle or a space-related Talent!”

“Looking for a party for the Convalescent Home. Need a Healer or a melee fighter with Strength 10 or higher!” Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

A burly man selling his labor also shouted in Jiang Qibai’s ear: “20 HP, 8 Strength laborer for hire! No loot share, just three days’ worth of food!”

When Jiang Qibai turned to look, the man’s face instantly lit up with a sycophantic grin. “Boss, you looking to hire?”

“I’m looking for Sister Huang. Do you know where she is?”

The man’s enthusiasm vanished instantly. He raised a hand and pointed in a direction. “Over there.”

Sister Huang was a major trader recommended to Jiang Qibai by Luan Qi Ba Jiao. She specialized in reselling supplies, and among the merchants in the Central Square, her prices were fair and her stock was comprehensive. Everyone preferred doing business with her.

Following the burly man’s directions, Jiang Qibai spotted Sister Huang.

[ Player: Huang Lvdeng | Status: Good ]

Sister Huang sported a trendy woolly perm, with a pair of oversized sunglasses covering half her face, making her age impossible to guess. To Jiang Qibai’s surprise, her area was completely empty—no goods on display. Behind her, three players who looked like bodyguards stood or sat, eyeing Jiang Qibai warily as she approached. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

“Sister Huang, do you take expired or near-expired drinks?” Jiang Qibai asked.

Sister Huang’s voice carried a slight accent. “Depends on how long they’ve been expired.”

“Just past the date.” Jiang Qibai produced a bottle of beer and a mostly full bottle of vodka. “I have dozens of beers, a few bottles of opened hard liquor, and some juice.”

Sister Huang’s interest was piqued. She checked the production dates and made a decision. “I’ll take whatever you’ve got. Near-expired items will be priced normally, but expired ones are half off. What are you looking to trade for? Supplies or Points?”

“Coal and firewood, or medicine,” Jiang Qibai replied.

“Fuel is in high demand, and I’m out of stock,” Sister Huang shook her head. “Medicine isn’t cheap. Are you sure you want to trade for it?”

Jiang Qibai had already mentally prepared for the possibility of not finding fuel here. She had only been in Snow Mountain Town for a few days, but she could already feel the temperature dropping significantly. She still had over twenty days to stay here, so stocking up on winter fuel in advance was by no means an overreaction.

Other players she could think of would have the same idea. Any fuel Sister Huang managed to get her hands on would be sold off immediately—it wouldn’t stay in her inventory for long. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

Or perhaps Sister Huang knew that fuel would only get more expensive as the temperature dropped, so she might be hoarding it to sell at a higher price later.

“I’ll take the medicine.”

The medicine was indeed frighteningly expensive. Although Jiang Qibai was offering alcohol near its expiration date, alcohol was still considered a high-value resource in the apocalypse. Even so, it paled in comparison to the cost of medicine.

She had visited a nearby community clinic, but there wasn’t a single pill left. Even the discarded packaging had been crushed flat by earlier players, ensuring that not a single scrap was left behind.

Jiang Qibai traded for three boxes of anti-inflammatory medication, a bottle of 100 vitamin tablets, a box of fever reducers, and a bottle of povidone-iodine. Seeing her take the vitamins, Sister Huang even threw in a small bunch of green vegetables.

“I’ve got plenty of stuff. Want to trade for more?” Sister Huang asked, noticing Jiang Qibai still had a stash of goods. It’s normal not to bring out everything at once on the first trade, she thought.

Sister Huang had dealt with enough players to know that some who looked unassuming were actually hiding a fortune, deliberately keeping a low profile.

The alcohol Jiang Qibai had traded today did indeed only make up a small fraction of her stock—and only the lower-quality bottles. She hadn’t planned on trading it all anyway, so she agreed to find Sister Huang again the next time she had something good. Original translation by Lhaozi, read at lhaozitranslation.com

A few steps away, she saw another player approach Sister Huang to talk business. This one seemed to be a regular; after just a few words, they laid out their goods. Before Jiang Qibai could even get a good look at the sprawling spread, Sister Huang had already stowed it all away. Recalling how her own wine bottles had been taken in the same manner, Jiang Qibai couldn’t help but wonder just how big Sister Huang’s spatial storage was. It seemed like a bottomless pit.

If I hadn’t earned a massive amount of Points to upgrade my Spatial Bracelet with items from the Mall, I’d swear that was her Talent.

Jiang Qibai had been planning to leave the Central Square, but just before she did, she remembered the other merchant Luan Qi Ba Jiao had mentioned.

Mr. Tree.