Chapter 19 - Did You Really Buy It?

Chapter 19: Did You Really Buy It?

The buyer of the

Scarlet Wild Boar

was from Bearland. His name was Lekuro, one of the first announced killers in the world.

[Lekuro: Sorry, I can’t resist good food.]

[Lekuro: Eating scarlet boar also boosts my power, so the investment in energy stones is worth it.]

[Lekuro: Besides, there’s nothing else to spend energy stones on right now.]

To top it off, Lekuro shared a picture of himself grilling the wild boar. The sight sent waves of jealousy rippling through the World Forum.

[User 1: Lekuro, you’re heartless! Posting your barbecue just to torment us!]

[User 2: I can’t stand it anymore. I bought some too!]

[User 3: We Italians can’t survive on bad food like the Irish can.]

[User 4: Calm down, trading energy stones for wild boar meat is a massive loss.]

[User 5: Damn it, even in an apocalypse, the rich still get to enjoy luxuries!]

[User 6: Look at Su Mu—he’s profiting yet again.]

Meanwhile, Su Mu, enjoying Inkberries for dessert in his hideout, was surprised when he noticed that all fifteen pieces of

Scarlet Wild Boar

had been traded.

“They actually bought it.”

A smirk played on his lips. “Looks like some people just can’t resist their stomachs.”

Su Mu glanced at the thirty energy stones he had received and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Checking the forum, he quickly pieced together what had happened. Lekuro’s photos of his barbecue had proven irresistible, sparking a wave of impulse buys. Even though most people knew trading energy stones for wild boar meat wasn’t logical, the allure of good food won out.

Soon, more of the remaining ninety-nine First Killers followed suit. On the forum, they concocted excuses to justify their purchases. Yet no matter how they rationalized, it was clear: Su Mu had made a hefty profit.

Setting a random price had unexpectedly worked in his favor.

“It’s too bad Scarlet Wild Boar is so rare.”

He glanced at his remaining stock. “Only ten pieces left.”

Scarlet Boars were indeed hard to come by, especially in this apocalyptic world dominated by the undead. Still, Su Mu’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. Tomorrow, he’d face the Scarlet Boar King. Who knew how much meat he’d collect then?

On the other side of the wasteland, Daran grumbled as he stared at the sold-out Scarlet Wild Boar.

He’d considered trading for it but had been blacklisted by Su Mu, rendering him unable to make any deals. Watching the First Killers flaunt their purchases only fueled his frustration.

“Scarlet Wild Boar, huh!”

“If a weakling from Dragonland can kill it, we from Sakura Land can do it too!”

Meanwhile, across the snowy plains, a fairy-like girl sat in her shelter, gazing dejectedly at the wild boar meat in her backpack.

“I was impulsive.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have wasted energy stones on something so unprofitable.”

Her delicate legs swung as she added, “But now so many people are buying wild boar meat with energy stones… I wonder if the snow boar meat I saw earlier is any good?”

..

As the buying frenzy died down, the World Forum shifted focus to discussions about monsters.

[User 1: First things first, we need to understand one thing.]

[User 1: This is an apocalyptic world.]

[User 2: Undead creatures like skeletal dogs are the main threat here.]

[User 3: The flesh-and-blood monsters are definitely more dangerous than the undead.]

[User 4: I even saw undead creatures fighting other monsters today.]

[User 5: The Scarlet Boar is no joke. You see, only Su Mu has listed its meat for trade.]

[User 6: Forget eating meat—I can’t even handle a skeleton dog.]

[User 7: If we don’t focus on getting stronger, we won’t even survive on soup, let alone meat.]

[User 1: In three days, if we don’t find a way to sustain ourselves, starvation will be the least of our worries.]

[User 2: Today was just the adaptation phase. Tomorrow, the real challenge begins.]

Encouragement echoed across the forum as shelter owners resolved to push themselves harder.

Su Mu observed the chatter and nodded thoughtfully. It was clear that many were still in the process of getting familiar with this new world, but their progress would accelerate starting the next day.

He turned to his map, planning his route for the next day. But before he could dive deeper, a pinned message appeared at the top of the forum:

[System: Ding! Congratulations to all shelter owners for surviving the first day]