Chen Chen sat cross-legged on the frozen dirt floor, surrounded by the glowing remnants of the supply crates. The adrenaline from his hunting spree was beginning to fade, replaced by the gnawing bite of the sub-zero temperature.
He rubbed his hands together, blowing hot breath into his cupped palms, and looked at his harvest.
He quickly inventoried his haul from the seven crates:
[Pine Wood Log x12]
[Stone Block x4]
[Iron Scrap x2]
[500ml Bottled Water (Liquid) x3]
[Compressed Biscuits x2]
[Chocolate Bar x2]
[Blueprint: Wooden Spear]
[Rusty Lighter]
"Rich," Chen Chen muttered, a puff of white fog escaping his lips. "I'm filthy rich."
In a normal world, twelve logs and some snacks were garbage. Here? They were the difference between seeing tomorrow's sun and becoming an ice sculpture.
He picked up the [Blueprint: Wooden Spear].
[Do you wish to learn the crafting method for [Wooden Spear]?]
"Yes."
The parchment dissolved into particles of light that flowed into his forehead. Instantly, the knowledge of how to strip bark, sharpen wood, and balance a shaft appeared in his mind.
He opened his crafting menu.
[Wooden Spear: Wood x2, Iron Scrap x1]
He had the materials. He selected "Craft."
A progress bar appeared for three seconds. Ding. A sturdy, meter-and-a-half long spear materialized in his hand. The tip was tipped with the jagged piece of scrap iron he had found, crude but lethal.
Weighing the weapon in his hand, Chen Chen felt a surge of security. But that security was short-lived as a gust of wind howled through the gaps in the wooden walls, cutting through his thin suit like a razor.
He shivered violently. The cold was getting worse.
"Priorities," he hissed through chattering teeth. "Heat first. Weapons second."
He turned his attention to the Shelter Core—the black stone fireplace in the center of the shack.
[Shelter Core ( dilapidated )]
[Current Status: Extinguished]
[Fuel: 0/100]
[Note: Without fire, the shelter provides no warmth bonus. Internal temperature will match external temperature.]
Chen Chen grabbed three of his precious [Pine Wood Logs] and tossed them into the fireplace. He clicked the [Rusty Lighter]. A small flame sputtered, then caught the dry bark.
Orange light flooded the small, dark room. The temperature didn't skyrocket, but the biting edge of the frost receded just enough to stop his uncontrollable shaking.
[Shelter Temperature: 2°C]
[Fuel Remaining: 3 hours]
"Two degrees..." Chen Chen huddled closer to the fire. "It's better than freezing, but three logs only last three hours?"
He checked the time on the system interface.
[Day 1 - 17:45]
[Sunset in 15 minutes.]
The night was coming. And the manual had been very clear: The night is dark and full of terrors. The temperature drops drastically after sunset.
If three logs lasted three hours, he would need at least ten more logs to survive until dawn. He had nine left. It was cutting it close. Too close.
He needed to understand the situation better. He opened the System Panel again.
His eyes drifted to the player count in the top right corner of the Regional Channel.
[Survivors: 9,842 / 10,000]
Chen Chen froze.
He blinked, thinking he had misread it. He watched the number for ten seconds.
[Survivors: 9,840...]
[Survivors: 9,837...]
"They're dying," Chen Chen whispered. "Almost two hundred people dead in the first few hours."
He opened the Chat Log. The tone had shifted from confusion to sheer, unadulterated terror.
"My avatar... my friend's avatar just turned grey. He was talking to me privately and then he just... stopped."
"It's the cold! My shelter has no roof! I'm huddled in a corner but I can't feel my feet anymore!"
"Does anyone have wood? Please! I burned my shoes but the fire went out!"
"I went out to find wood and got chased by a white wolf. I made it back inside but I'm bleeding. I think I'm going to pass out..."
"Why is it getting colder? The sun is going down! God, help me!"
Chen Chen read the messages, his expression hardening.
The reality of the Glacial Era was brutal.
He looked at his own shelter stats.
[Shelter: Dilapidated Wooden Shack]
[Level: 0]
[Integrity: 35/100 (Leaking Wind)]
[Upgrade Requirements for Level 1: Wood x20, Stone x10]
"Integrity is 35%," Chen Chen noted, feeling the draft hitting his back. "If a blizzard hits, this thing collapses. If a beast attacks, this thing collapses."
He needed to upgrade. He needed to reach Level 1, which presumably would fix the holes and insulate the walls.
But the cost... 20 Wood and 10 Stone.
He had 9 Wood and 4 Stone left. He was nowhere near enough.
He glanced outside. The sun had dipped below the horizon. The sky was a bruising purple, and the wind was beginning to scream. Going out now to hunt or gather was suicide.
"I can't go out," Chen Chen analyzed calmly. "But I have resources."
He looked at his inventory.
Water. Food. For him, with his 100% drop rate, food was renewable. As long as there were bugs or slimes, he could eat.
For everyone else? Food was scarce. But right now, Heat was the currency of life.
However, a starving person freezes faster. And doing physical labor like chopping trees or mining rocks burns calories rapidly.
He opened the [Trading Mall]. It was a mess of desperate pleas.
[Seller: John Doe]
[Item: Watch (Luxury Brand)]
[Wanted: Wood x1]
[Note: Please, I'm freezing.]
[Seller: Li Hua]
[Item: T-shirt]
[Wanted: Fire Starter]
Most people were trying to trade useless Earth artifacts for survival gear. Nobody wanted a watch when time was measured in how long your fingers still worked.
But Chen Chen noticed something.
Some people did have materials. They had spawned in forests or near quarries. They had wood and stone, but they were starving, or they had no water to drink (eating snow lowers body temp, a fatal mistake without a strong fire).
"Resources are unevenly distributed," Chen Chen mused. "Some have wood but no food. I have food, and I need wood."
He looked at the [Self-Heating Rice Meal (Kung Pao Chicken Flavor)] he had eaten earlier. He had one more.
A hot meal.
In this freezing hell, a hot meal wasn't just nutrition. It was a morale booster. It was internal warmth. It was hope.
He also had the [Compressed Biscuits] and [Chocolate Bars].
He decided to test the market. He wouldn't sell the rice yet—that was his ace. He would start with the water and the chocolate.
Sugar provides quick energy. Energy creates body heat.
He opened the auction tab.
[Seller: Chen Chen]
[Trade Item: 500ml Bottled Water (Liquid, Unfrozen) + 1 Chocolate Bar]
[Required: Wood x10 OR Stone x10]
[Stock: 1 Set]
[Seller's Note: Liquid water. High-calorie chocolate. Save your energy, save your heat. Instant buyout.]
He clicked [Publish].
The Regional Chat, which had been scrolling with screams for help, suddenly hitched.
"Wait... did someone just list chocolate?"
"Water? Liquid water? I've been trying to melt snow in a cup with my body heat and I'm shaking uncontrollably. Who is this Chen Chen?"
"10 Wood? That's robbery! I only chopped 5 logs all day!"
"Robbery? You idiot, that's a life saver! I have wood! I spawned in a forest! But I'm starving!"
Ding!
[System: Transaction Complete.]
[You have lost: 500ml Bottled Water, Chocolate Bar x1]
[You have obtained: Wood x10]
It took three seconds.
Chen Chen stared at the notification. "Sold in three seconds."
He had underestimated the desperation.
He looked at the 10 logs in his inventory. This solved his fuel crisis for the night. He now had 19 logs. Enough to keep the fire roaring until morning.
But he still couldn't upgrade the shelter. He was short on Stone.
He needed 6 more Stones.
He looked at the [Self-Heating Rice Meal].
"This is the big one," he whispered.
He hesitated. This was his dinner. But he still had the compressed biscuits. And tomorrow, with the sun up, he could go out and hunt with his 100% drop rate. He could get more food.
The safety of a Level 1 Shelter was worth more than one good meal.
He gritted his teeth and listed the item.
[Seller: Chen Chen]
[Trade Item: Self-Heating Rice Meal (Kung Pao Chicken)]
[Description: 300g of white rice, 150g of chicken and peanuts in spicy sauce. Comes with a heating pack. Piping hot food in 15 minutes.]
[Required: Stone x10 + Wood x10]
[Seller's Note: A hot meal in the Glacial Era. Think about it.]
If the chocolate bar caused a stir, this listing dropped a nuclear bomb on the chat channel.
"Holy sh*t! Kung Pao Chicken?!"
"Is he crazy? Why is he selling that? Is he a god?"
"I'm eating tree bark... literally chewing on bark... and he's selling chicken?"
"I have stones! I have a pile of stones next to my hut! But I don't have enough wood! Can I pay in all stones?"
"Chen Chen, big brother! Please, I'm a girl, can we meet? I can do anything..."
"Scammer! Where did he get that? Did he rob a convenience store?"
Chen Chen ignored the noise. He watched the trade notification.
The price was steep. 10 Stone and 10 Wood was a lot of labor for one person on the first day.
One minute passed.
Two minutes.
"Too expensive?" Chen Chen frowned. "Maybe I should lower the..."
Ding.
[System: Transaction Complete.]
[You have lost: Self-Heating Rice Meal.]
[You have obtained: Stone x10, Wood x10.]
"Sold."
Chen Chen let out a long breath.
He now had:
Wood: 29
Stone: 14
He had enough.
"System," Chen Chen said, his voice steady despite the howling wind outside. "Upgrade Shelter."
[Conditions Met.]
[Consuming Wood x20, Stone x10.]
[Upgrading Shelter to Level 1...]
A golden light enveloped the shabby shack.
The creaking of the boards stopped. The gaps in the walls seemed to knit themselves together. The roof shifted, becoming steeper and sturdier. The broken door glowed and reformed into a solid, thick oak door with a working latch.
The wind noise outside was muffled instantly.
[Upgrade Complete.]
[Shelter: Sturdy Wooden Cabin (Level 1)]
[Attributes: Wind Resistance +10, Thermal Insulation +5]
[New Feature Unlocked: Workbench]
Chen Chen stood in the center of his new home. It wasn't a palace it was still just a one-room cabin but the drafts were gone. The fire seemed to burn brighter, the heat trapped efficiently within the thicker walls.
He walked over to the new, sturdy door and locked it.
He checked the temperature.
[Shelter Temperature: 12°C (Rising)]
He took a bite of his compressed biscuit, washing it down with cold water. It wasn't Kung Pao Chicken, but it tasted like victory.
He glanced at the chat one last time before closing his eyes for a nap.
"Guys... Chen Chen just sold a hot meal... I think while we are playing 'Survival', this guy is playing 'Vacation'."
Chen Chen smirked.
"Vacation?" he whispered to the empty room. "No. I'm just getting started."
Outside, something large and heavy dragged its claws against the side of the cabin, sniffing the air. But the new walls held firm.