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 weaponâs level increases, the weaponâs damage is increased by an additional 10%. Additionally, the weaponâs damage will scale proportionally with the characterâs 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 Glass Bracers.
[Materials Needed for Glass 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 bracersâ quality couldnât match the crossbowâs.
Reflecting on his current resources, Su Mu realized that energy stones were undoubtedly the most critical commodity 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 solace in the World Forum.
âŠ
[User: We survived another day! Letâs share our thoughts about this world.]
[User 1: Everything here feels like itâs been burned to ash. Thereâs so much desolation.]
[User 2: I agree. I even found the remnants of broken city wallsâthis place seems to have endured a devastating war.]
[User 3: Itâs definitely an apocalyptic world. We need to be cautious to survive.]
[User 4: Ugh, the compressed biscuits from the newbie pack are awfulâlike eating sand bricks.]
[User 5: At least theyâre edible. Weâre all just trying to make do.]
As the discussions grew more lively, someone brought up Su Mu.
[User 6: Even Su Mu, whoâs loaded with resources, must be in the same situation as us, right? Eating bones or compressed 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.
[Product: Scarlet Wild Boar Meat]
[Quantity Uploaded: 15 Pieces]
[Uploader: Su Mu]
[Trade Price: 2 Energy Stones]
The forum erupted.
[User 1: Whatâs a Scarlet Boar? Iâve only seen skeletal dogs and undead creatures outside.]
[User 2: I know what it is! I saw one beforeâit knocked over a skeletal dog like it was nothing.]
[User 3: Wait, are you saying Su Mu defeated one?]
[User 4: While weâre scraping by on bones and biscuits, Su Mu is feasting on wild boar?]
The revelation 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 was comforting, but now it tastes bitterâŠ]
[User 3: The trade price is 2 Energy Stones? Thatâs outrageous! Canât it be cheaper?]
[User 1: Su Mu, I canât eat these awful compressed 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 wasnât I born a pretty girl?]
[User 4: Pretty or not, it doesnât matter. None of the boar meat was taken, so Su Mu clearly didnât accept the trade.]
[User 5: Maybe it just wasnât to Su Muâs 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 speculation.
[User 7: I wouldnât have believed it, but I can almost smell the aroma of that meat wafting through the screenâŠ]
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.