Strike it rich！

In a world without order, the dark side of people's hearts will continue to magnify.

Compared to ferocious beasts, the intelligent humans are evidently more threatening.

Noah Hawthorne has made up his mind. From now on, he will never easily trust any human.

Because at any moment, they might stab you in the back.

Shaking his head, Noah Hawthorne stops dwelling on these thoughts.

The rabbit meat in front of him is sizzling over the flames, emitting a faint aroma.

The smell makes Noah Hawthorne involuntarily swallow a few mouthfuls of saliva.

However, at this moment, he suddenly realizes a serious problem.

"No fresh water!"

Noah Hawthorne hasn't had a drink for half a day.

During the daytime, while hunting the ferocious beasts, he was on high alert, focusing all his attention on observing the surroundings.

Now that he's relaxed, Noah Hawthorne notices that his lips have started to crack.

Noah Hawthorne furrows his brow, pondering, "There are no rivers or ponds near my small cabin. Where should I find fresh water?"

[Ding! The trading system has been activated.]

Noah Hawthorne's spirit lifts, and he immediately opens the panel, clicking into the [Trading System] page.

In just a few seconds, many people have already listed their items on the [Trading System].

Noah Hawthorne looks at the trade offers:

"1 unit of wood for one portion of food? You must be crazy to make that trade."

"1 portion of agave for 1 portion of fresh water... What is this agave? Some kind of alcohol?"

"3 units of stones for any food item? This one seems okay..."

Noah Hawthorne looks for a while but decides not to rush into any exchanges.

He decides to go to the [Chat Channel] first to inquire about market prices.

In the [Chat Channel]:

"Is there anyone willing to give me some food? I'm about to starve to death! I can trade 2 units of wood for it!"

"Just 2 units of wood for food? What are you dreaming about?"

"Yeah, you can easily gather wood by chopping trees, but you have to hunt ferocious beasts to get food. There's a huge difference in value!"

"Can any big brother come and save me? I can keep you company~"

"Where's the girl upstairs? I'll come find you tomorrow!"

"Dang, it's already nighttime, and I haven't killed a single ferocious beast. I'm about to starve. Can someone give me some food?"

"Buying food at a high price! 10 units of wood for 1 portion of food, come if you have any!"

Upon seeing this, Noah Hawthorne has an idea.

At this stage, 10 units of wood are quite valuable. Upgrading his exclusive weapon to an H-grade upper level only requires 10 wood and 20 stones.

With these 10 units of wood, Noah Hawthorne can go out again tomorrow to find some stones and upgrade his exclusive weapon once more.

As for food, besides the rabbit meat currently roasting on the fire, Noah Hawthorne's backpack contains 2 portions of [Red-eyed Rabbit Meat], 22 portions of [Rotten Meat], 1 portion of [Goo Goo Bird Meat], and 1 portion of [venomous snake Meat].

This abundance of rotten meat is mainly due to Noah Hawthorne killing a group of zombies.

With rabbit meat available, Noah Hawthorne has no intention of eating the rotten meat.

All this rotten meat can be used for trading, to get some materials and water in return!

Noah Hawthorne knows that if he doesn't eat it, someone else surely will!

With this in mind, Noah Hawthorne quickly opens the [Trading System] and browses through it, finding the savior offering food in exchange for 10 units of wood.

He places 1 portion of [Rotten Meat] and clicks to confirm the trade.

However, the trade is not completed directly as the other party needs to confirm the exchange as well.

In less than two seconds, Noah Hawthorne's [Friend Chat Channel] starts buzzing.

Noah Hawthorne opened the message and saw that it was from someone named 'Benjamin Davis,' the same person who offered food in exchange for 10 units of wood.

Without much hesitation, Noah Hawthorne accepted Benjamin Davis' friend request.

Soon, Benjamin Davis sent a message: "Brother, this rotten meat is too disgusting, I can't eat it. Can I exchange it for 3 units of wood?"

Noah Hawthorne replied, "On the first night, food is much more important than wood. If you don't want it, find someone else to trade with."

Noah Hawthorne knew firsthand how dangerous the ferocious beasts outside were.

For most people, half a day might pass without successfully hunting a single ferocious beast.

Those who couldn't obtain food through trading would have to endure hunger until the next day.

Benjamin Davis acknowledged, "That's true, but this rotten meat is really gross, there are even maggots on it!"

Benjamin Davis continued, "Brother, how about this: I'll offer you 15 units of wood in exchange for 4 portions of rotten meat, what do you think?"

Noah Hawthorne frowned slightly, "Do you really have so much wood? Where did you get it from?"

Benjamin Davis replied, "There are trees all around my small cabin, and I've been chopping them all afternoon."

I see...

After some contemplation, Noah Hawthorne responded, "Alright, I'll throw in an extra portion of rotten meat, but from now on, any wood you obtain must be traded with me first. Of course, I'll pay the regular price for the wood. How does that sound?"

Benjamin Davis quickly agreed, "Brother, deal! It's settled."

Benjamin Davis added, "I don't have much else, but I've got strength. I promise to get you 30 units of wood at least by tomorrow!"

Noah Hawthorne agreed, "Okay, then go ahead with the trade."

Benjamin Davis canceled the original trade and initiated a private trade with Noah Hawthorne.

[Wood] * 15 in exchange for [Rotten Meat] * 5.

Noah Hawthorne placed [Rotten Meat] * 5 and confirmed the trade before clicking to complete the transaction.

The trade was successful, and Noah Hawthorne now had 20 units of wood in his backpack.

"With Benjamin Davis as a source of wood, I can save the time I'd spend on logging and use it to hunt ferocious beasts tomorrow."

"Now that I'm already at level 2 and have the Mauser C96, it shouldn't be too difficult to hunt level 1 and level 2 ferocious beasts. This way, I can level up and obtain more food."

"However, I still need to be cautious."

After completing the trade, Noah Hawthorne continued to browse the [Trading System], as he now needed to acquire some water.

While a person can survive without food for 7 days, they can only survive 3 days without water. This highlights the importance of water.

Unfortunately, there were no sellers offering water resources in the [Trading System] at the moment. Compared to food, it seemed that fresh water was even harder to come by.

In the [Chat Channel], there were numerous saviors attempting to trade various resources for water, but it seemed challenging to find any.

"Water... Where can I find water?"

Noah Hawthorne suddenly remembered that someone had said their little wooden house was on the snowy plains!

"It's William Cooper!"

After completing the "First Kill" achievement, Noah Hawthorne had added William Cooper and Liam Parker, the other two achievers, as friends.

Without hesitation, Noah Hawthorne opened the [Friend Chat Channel] and sent a message to William Cooper: "Brother, are you on the snowy plains?Do you have fresh water?"

Within a few seconds, William Cooper replied, "Yes, I'm trying to figure out a way to melt the snow into water, but I don't have a container to store it."

William Cooper continued, "So many people need fresh water; I could make a fortune!"

No wonder William Cooper wasn't selling fresh water in the [Trading System]—he didn't have a source of fire and a container.

Noah Hawthorne said, "I can provide you with a source of fire, but you'll need to bring water in exchange once you have a container."

William Cooper didn't reply immediately; instead, he asked, "Brother, what's your exclusive weapon?"

Noah Hawthorne furrowed his brow slightly, "Why are you asking about that?"

William Cooper: "I just came up with an idea. I can dig a hole in the ice and make an ice cup to use as a container for water. But my exclusive weapon is a [Wooden Stick Infested by Bugs], and I can't dig a hole with it!"

William Cooper: "I regret it now. I should have chosen a knife or a sword back then."

Seeing this message, Noah Hawthorne sensed William Cooper's willingness to cooperate and quickly replied.

Noah Hawthorne: "Great, my exclusive weapon is a dagger, so making an ice cup is perfect!"

William Cooper: "Awesome, then what are we waiting for?"

William Cooper: "Brother, from now on, we're a team. Let's split tonight's earnings from trading fresh water right down the middle!"

William Cooper: "Of course, I can provide you with ice, but you need to give me fire for free. I don't have any wood to light it."

Half and half?

Noah Hawthorne was surprised; he had only thought of splitting the profit by a small margin.

After all, William Cooper could easily find someone else to create a container, but Noah Hawthorne would have a hard time finding another source of fresh water!

Seemingly sensing Noah Hawthorne's doubt, William Cooper quickly explained, "The snow mountain here is vast, and there might be other saviors who could think of melting the snow to sell as water."

William Cooper: "So, we need to act before them, sell at a higher price, and make a big profit!"

William Cooper: "Brother, time is money!"

Understanding William Cooper's explanation, Noah Hawthorne immediately got it.

Noah Hawthorne: "Alright, no more talking. I'm ready to get to work!"

[The savior William Cooper is initiating a trade with you. Do you agree?]

"Agree!"

Noah Hawthorne clicked "Agree" right away and then immediately pulled out a wooden stick from the campfire, which was burning fiercely.

"Add to the trade column."

"Confirm the trade!"

Soon, a large ice block, about the size of one cubic foot, appeared in Noah Hawthorne's small cabin.

[You have received an ice block from the savior William Cooper!]

William Cooper: "Brother, trade the ice cup to me as soon as it's ready, I'll start melting the snow!"

Noah Hawthorne: OK!

After replying, Noah Hawthorne looked at the huge ice block with a hint of delight.

"This ice block can make at least 50 cups! It's almost a lucrative business with almost no cost!"

Swish, swish, swish!

Noah Hawthorne skillfully used his wooden dagger to cut the ice block into 50 portions.

Then, he took one of them and started carving a hole in the middle.

Perhaps due to his high attack power, the process wasn't as difficult as Noah Hawthorne had imagined.

Soon, he completed the first ice cup.

"It can hold around 200 milliliters of fresh water, not bad."

Noah Hawthorne opened the friend list and immediately traded the ice cup to William Cooper to see if it worked.

William Cooper: "Perfect, brother. You keep making ice cups, and I'll go sell the water!"

Afterward, Noah Hawthorne saw William Cooper advertising in the [Chat Channel].

William Cooper: "Selling fresh water, approximately 200 milliliters each! Any food * 4 or any material * 20 can be exchanged for one portion of fresh water! Don't miss this opportunity!"

Joseph Thomas: "Damn, someone's selling water! But it's too expensive, isn't it?"

Daniel Martinez: "Can't you make it a bit cheaper? It's only been half a day, where do we get so many resources?"

Liam Parker: "Brother, save one portion of fresh water for me. I'll trade with you right now."

It seems that although the fresh water is being sold at a high price, many people can still afford it.

Soon, the first portion of fresh water was sold, and William Cooper immediately sent a trade request to Noah Hawthorne.

As for whether the price was expensive or cheap, Noah Hawthorne couldn't say for sure. It was the first day, and there was no standard market price to compare with.

William Cooper: "Brother, I exchanged the first cup of water for 4 portions of [Red-eyed Rabbit Meat]. As agreed, I'll split two portions with you."

Noah Hawthorne: "Brother, you're really trustworthy!"

William Cooper: "Brother, we're family, why talk about these things?"

William Cooper didn't say much and directly placed 2 portions of [Red-eyed Rabbit Meat] in the trade column.

Noah Hawthorne also took the second ice cup he had made and added it to the trade.

The trade was completed!

For Noah Hawthorne, he had only spent a little time and exchanged it for 2 portions of rabbit meat. It was indeed a great deal!

Thinking about this, Noah Hawthorne immediately started making the third ice cup while savoring the roasted rabbit meat.

"From what I see so far, William Cooper seems to be quite trustworthy and a friend worth dealing with."

However, Noah Hawthorne still maintained a certain level of caution, so he only gave William Cooper one ice cup each time.

In this manner, Noah Hawthorne continued making ice cups, and William Cooper sold fresh water. After selling more than 20 portions, there were no more buyers.

At this point, William Cooper sent another message: "Brother, our pricing is too high now, and most people can't afford it."

Noah Hawthorne: "That's true. There are very few saviors who can gather so many resources on the first day."

William Cooper: "As time goes on, fresh water will become less valuable. I've decided to lower the price and continue selling, to make the most of this opportunity."

Noah Hawthorne: "I have no objections."

William Cooper: "However, if I lower the price now, it might upset the customers who bought water earlier. So, I thought of giving the fresh water to you to sell. We'll still split the profit evenly. What do you think?"

Noah Hawthorne: "OK."

In a profitable business, Noah Hawthorne wouldn't refuse.

William Cooper quickly traded a cup of fresh water over.

With the help of the [Insightful Eyes], Noah Hawthorne saw the description of this cup of water.

[Freshly Melted Snow Water]: This is snowwater melted on the snow mountain. It is potable freshwater that you can safely drink. However, you should be careful of getting diarrhea.

Gulp.

Noah Hawthorne swallowed hard; it had been a long time since he had last drunk water, and after eating the roasted rabbit meat just now, he was now extremely thirsty.

Noah Hawthorne was about to take out his own resources to buy this cup of water when suddenly a terrifying roar came from outside the cabin!

Roar after roar, one after another, continuous and unending!

"What's going on?"

Noah Hawthorne's heart trembled as he opened a gap in the door to look outside.

Vaguely, he saw many ferocious beasts rushing through the forest outside.

Drip, drip, drip!

At this moment, Noah Hawthorne's [Friend Chat Channel] went crazy, and he opened it to see messages from William Cooper.

William Cooper: "Brother, quickly give me a few more cups!"

William Cooper: "There are suddenly so many ferocious beasts around, it's too terrifying. I need to hide back in my small cabin right away!"

Noah Hawthorne guessed William Cooper's intention and didn't hesitate. He traded all eight ice cups he had made to William Cooper.

Soon, William Cooper returned the ice cups to Noah Hawthorne. However, the cups were now filled with [Freshly Melted Snow Water].

William Cooper: "Damn, it was so freaking scary! Luckily, I ran fast; otherwise, I would have died out there."

Noah Hawthorne: "What's happening outside?"

William Cooper: "I don't know, it seems like the ferocious beasts have gone berserk? Anyway, I dare not go outside."

William Cooper: "You figure out how to sell the remaining fresh water. Set the price yourself; I trust you won't rip me off. I finally have fire now and can start cooking."

Noah Hawthorne: "Okay."

Noah Hawthorne observed the situation outside for a while and found that those ferocious beasts were just in a frenzy but not attacking the small cabin. He relaxed a little.

It seemed that the nights in this post-apocalyptic world were not as peaceful as he had imagined.

Then, Noah Hawthorne looked at the water in his hand. Including the cup William Cooper initially traded, he now had a total of nine portions of fresh water.

After William Cooper sold 21 portions of water, splitting the profit in half, Noah Hawthorne had gained 20 portions of various foods and a total of 110 various materials.

At this point, Noah Hawthorne was undeniably wealthy, and he could afford to drink a cup of water.

The reason Noah Hawthorne hesitated earlier was mainly due to his fear of diarrhea.

With the ferocious beasts going wild outside, if he got diarrhea, he would have no choice but to stay in the small cabin. The Creator would not truly reward him.

Fortunately, the snowwater was relatively clean, and Noah Hawthorne did not experience any stomach pain.

After drinking a cup of water, Noah Hawthorne still felt a bit thirsty.

He decided to chew and swallow the entire ice cup to quench his thirst further. He immediately felt refreshed and more energized.

Opening the [Chat Channel], Noah Hawthorne decided to quickly sell all the remaining fresh water.

He would sell as much as he could; otherwise, once the cups melted, he would lose everything.

Moreover, if more saviors found fresh water resources tomorrow, its value would decrease significantly.

[Chat Channel]:

Joseph Thomas: "Oh no, I was planning to go out and chop down a couple of trees to exchange for a cup of water, but I almost died out there."

Daniel Martinez: "The ferocious beasts outside are acting like crazy, it's terrifying."

Elizabeth Turner: "Is there any kind soul who can give me something to eat? I'm so hungry..."

Noah Hawthorne: "Selling fresh water, last 8 cups, highest bidder wins, start the bidding!"

Alexander Turner: "Oh my god! Another big shot selling fresh water!"

Joseph Thomas: "Noah Hawthorne, I offer [Wood]*4, can you sell me one cup?"

Daniel Martinez: "I offer [Stone]*5, sell me one cup, please!"

Joseph Thomas: "Damn, I offer [Wood]*8, sell it to me!"

Noah Hawthorne didn't rush to trade; instead, he decided to wait a bit longer, letting them raise the price themselves.

Instead, he looked back at the blazing campfire.

Stroking his chin, he murmured to himself: "According to William Cooper's description, the snowy area is not small, and those saviors in the snow probably don't have fire yet, right? How about... I make some torches and try to sell them?"