Duplicate names are really common

At 5:30 PM.

[Ding~ Congratulations to those who can see this message; it means you're still alive]

[Apocalypse Trade begins]

[Before entering the trade, please create your Nickname. Remember, nicknames can only be created once. If names are repeated, they will be displayed with a number]

[If you don't want to become a numbered person, think carefully]

"A nickname?"

"What should my nickname be?"

He thought about how he named his pet Da Vinci and realized he was terrible at naming things. He even used a historical figure for his pet's name. So, why not call ming? No one knew him anyway, and it was both effortless and mindless.

[Confirm creation of the Nickname: ming?]

"Confirmed."

Ming was sure; he didn't want to waste time on naming. After all, there was still a spider-woman just beyond the door who wanted to kill him. He needed to quickly check what he could buy from the trade to deal with her.

[ Nickname created, officially entering the Apocalypse Trade]

[The trade is divided into two parts. The first part is the Apocalypse Store with food supplies, medical supplies, weapons, equipment, and initial skills]

[The second part is the Free Trade, where all surviving apocalypse players worldwide can auction their surplus supplies, settled with apocalypse coins]

[Temporarily opening the Apocalypse Trade chat function]

[Please make your purchase decisions quickly; the Apocalypse Trade will close in 30 minutes]

Suddenly, a 32-inch screen-sized light panel appeared in front of Ming. The upper left side of the screen was the Apocalypse Store, and the upper right side was the Free Trade. The store was further divided into smaller categories: weapons, equipment, daily supplies, and medical supplies. The Free Trade on the right had similar types.

At the bottom of the screen was a chat window. Many people were already sending messages, but most were not trade requests. Instead, the chat was filled with fear, complaints, and excitement.

1837: "Damn! So many people with the same name!"

15132: "My dream came true! I finally killed that deadbeat who never paid me back. I chopped his head off with an ax! Hahaha!"

444322: "Damn! Why are there so many people named **? Are they all terrible at naming too?"

213: "Why has the world become like this? I'm a scared girl. Can any kind brother save me? My home is in J City…."

7852: "I have bad news for everyone. The military has completely collapsed. There used to be a permanent battlefield brigade near my home, but it's all gone now. We can only rely on ourselves."

212: "Is there anyone from H City? Want to team up? I'm already at Level 2."

Matricide: "Hahaha~ I killed my mom~ Waaaah~ Damn it!!!"

222: "Everyone, I'm a student from D City. I've been bitten. If you see someone in white clothes with a red helmet in D City, that's me. Please let me be a zombie and travel the world alone. Don't worry; I've locked my helmet and neck so I won't bite you."

0987: "This is F City. We've formed a squad. If you want to join, private message me. Also, we're buying various weapons and equipment at reasonable prices. No matter how many you have, list them in the trade!"

8653: "Anyone in R City, look here! We've formed a team. If you want to join us and survive, private message me."

"..."

Seeing this, Ming couldn't help but laugh. The rate of people having the same Nickname was too high! No wonder names like ** were popular.

With that thought, he sent a message to check his naming duplication rate.

Ming: 123456.

As expected, his Nickname wasn't duplicated.

98634: 123456.

"Damn~"

He was celebrating, and then he got a drama slap in the face the next second.

"Whatever, it's the apocalypse. What does having the same name even matter?"

Ming skimmed through the useful messages and decided not to waste time on them. He then clicked on the Apocalypse Free Trade, which seemed full of random items.

There were even sell sanitary pads, selling at 10 apocalypse coins per pack. That's practically robbery, so outrageous.

But on second thought, it made sense. The apocalypse game suddenly descended upon everyone, and no one was prepared. People probably needed more supplies for themselves and to trade. Valuable items would be kept for personal use, especially since the first chapter was about to begin.

Ming skipped past the food and drinks in the apocalypse store. Now, he could search for those items, so there was no need to waste money. He clicked on the medicines and found a virus-blocking injection.

[Virus-Blocking Injection]

[If used within 12 hours of being infected by a mutant organism, it can block the spread of the virus and restore health]

[Price: 10,000 Apocalypse Coins]

"Damn!"

Ten thousand apocalypse coins per injection; who could afford that right now?

Besides that, there were only common medicines like cold remedies, diarrhea pills, and painkillers. Those were only some of the important things right now, so he moved on to the weapons and equipment in the store.

Due to the apocalypse setting, modern technology, including firearms, couldn't be used. All the weapons here were melee weapons, and they were all essential. However, they were cheap, priced at around 10 apocalypse coins, but they were better than what he currently had.

Finally, he clicked on the skills and talents page, listing several simple starting skills, all priced at 50 apocalypse coins.

[Leap Slash: Usable with one-handed or two-handed weapons. Leap forward and strike, causing (30+1*Strength) area damage to targets within a 2-meter range upon landing. It also causes a 0.5-second stun effect on targets within the field. Cooldown: 3 minutes. Requires both Strength and Constitution to be at least 10]

"This skill is just for combat man."

Ming quickly dismissed the Leap Slash skill. Simply put, he didn't like it very much. Mainly because, when it came to killing zombies, all you needed to do was smash their heads.

Wait, what's the damage value mean?

[sword Strike: Usable with one-handed sword-type weapons. Release upon unsheathing, attacking within a one-meter radius, causing (50+1*Strength) area damage in a fan shape. Cooldown: 3 minutes. Requires Agility of 12 to use]

[Charge: Body technique, instantly dash forward a short distance. Cooldown: 1 minute. It needs both Constitution and Agility to be at least 10 to use]

[Shadow Stab: Usable with dagger-type weapons. When attacking, the dagger will produce three afterimages to confuse the target. Cooldown: 1 minute. Requires Agility of 12 to use]

"Quite unhelpful."

He continued scrolling down. These skills were alright and could be helpful in the right situations, but they weren't necessary for him right now.

Mainly because each skill cost 50 coins, and if he bought one, he would also have to buy a specific weapon for the talent. He didn't have that many apocalypse coins, so if he bought a skill, he wouldn't be able to buy a weapon. The best approach now would be to find a ranged bow or crossbow skill since he already had a green-tier Powerful Crossbow that he could use as a set.

[Charged Arrow: Usable with bow and crossbow-type weapons. Upon hitting the target, it causes a brief immobilizing effect and ignores defense. Cooldown: 3 minutes. Requires both Agility and Strength to be at least 15 to use]

"This one looks good."

Ming silently noted this skill in his mind. It was a bow and crossbow skill and even had an immobilizing effect. He also happened to meet the requirements to use this skill. For now, he decided to keep it in mind and see if any better options were available.