C21 Trade

Wow, he's so cool!

Truly worthy of being my man!

Hey, hey, hey, keep your hands off my boyfriend!

Is this what they call a pro gamer move? Talk about survival of the fittest!

When his location was revealed, I thought the streamer was a goner for sure, but who knew he could turn the tables like that!

That mantis shrimp was a real menace, nearly got its owner killed. Thankfully, the streamer managed to turn things around at the last second.

You could say it redeemed itself, but if it were me, I'd be dead for sure.

The Stranglethorn Fish, with its long-range attack, is basically a newbie killer. But in the hands of the streamer, it got wiped out completely!

I can't fathom why the Stranglethorn Fish didn't flee in the Dark Domain.

If you could figure that out, you'd be a pro too.

...

The screen was flooded with bullet comments, making Xiao Hao's head spin.

He ignored the semi-transparent messages and focused on the Spirit Bead count.

1560.

That's a hefty haul!

Xiao Hao dimly recalled that every ten levels marked a significant threshold for the monsters.

Could he possibly level up both the Shellfish House and the mantis shrimp to over level 10?

Xiao Hao had a hunch it wouldn't be that straightforward.

If the mantis shrimp reached the same tier as the spirits, it would surely be able to solo them!

But then again, the comments had indicated that the spirit was the big boss of Beginner Village. How could it possibly be taken down solo?

Xiao Hao had his suspicions.

Games often have a common way of imposing limits: capping player levels.

Maybe this survival game had a similar constraint.

He'd find out soon enough.

"With all these Spirit Beads I've farmed, couldn't I just shoot up to over level ten in one go?"

Huh? Can test server players already break past level 10?

You dunce, don't you know, even if the newbies don't?

The level cap for version 1.0 of the test server is 10.

Exactly, each version of the game has its level cap.

By the way, isn't the beta testing phase almost over?

It's wrapping up. The streamer has no idea that the game is about to update, giving him a break to return to the real world for a while.

The seven-day countdown was nearly up; tomorrow would mark the seventh day...

Xiao Hao was utterly shocked.

He had only intended to confirm a suspicion, but instead, he had unearthed a wealth of information!

A testing server?

The existence of a testing server implied there was an official server!

And with the launch of the official server, a flood of new players would be joining the game!

Moreover, the game had multiple versions!

What he hadn't anticipated was that the survival game even included holidays!

Overwhelmed by the deluge of information, Xiao Hao struggled to process it all.

Tomorrow was the seventh day.

After tomorrow, he would be able to return to the real world.

Thankfully, the final phase of his counterattack plan was set for early tomorrow morning, leaving him just enough time.

Having dispatched a horde of minor monsters, Xiao Hao made his preparations and retreated to his room to await the ghost.

Everything hinged on this moment.

Inside the Shellfish House, Xiao Hao was restless.

The wait was excruciating.

He tried to steady his nerves and turned to the chat feed to ease his anxiety.

What was Zhubo up to?

Why wasn't he farming for Spirit Beads?

He had just cleared out a swarm of Stranglethorn Fish; he should have a decent stockpile of Spirit Beads by now.

Maybe he should dance to pass the time.

Hahaha, the streamer can't see your comments anyway.

Xiao Hao had no interest in dancing and chose to ignore the suggestion.

The chat feed lacked any discussion of substance, so Xiao Hao switched to the trading interface.

Regrettably, the truly valuable items—equipment, artifacts, cards—were scarce.

And those that were available were the kind that were too bland to use but too good to discard.

Upon entering the forum, Xiao Hao's avatar lit up, instantly drawing the attention of fellow players.

"Big shot No. 869 has arrived!"

"Boss, do you have any blood agents left?"

"I'm in dire need of soul tonic herb!"

Xiao Hao glanced at his inventory. He had opened several treasure chests over the past few days and, fortuitously, had obtained two cards.

Magic Defense Card: Grants the Shellfish House immunity to energy attacks when under assault. (Duration: 3 hours)

Retribution Card: When the Shellfish House sustains damage from an attack, it reflects double the damage back to the enemy. (Usable: Once)

There were seven blood agents remaining and nine soul tonic herbs left in stock.

"Item No.869: All available. Looking to trade for equipment or cards."

"Big guy, what about the items? Take a look at what I've got listed on the trading platform!"

"Item No.869: Skip the worthless items. I'm interested in those with special effects or anything that can boost immediate combat power."

Such items were exceedingly rare.

The spirit had scoured the area for so long and had only managed to gather a meager collection.

Suddenly, a friend request popped up on the game interface.

Xiao Hao had set his friend requests to block, allowing only those meeting certain criteria to succeed.

This indicated that the requester possessed equipment, items, or cards.

Without a second thought, Xiao Hao accepted the request.

"Do you have any gear or cards that can fend off wild monsters, boss?"

Xiao Hao was puzzled by the request.

He himself was in need, and even the spirit couldn't be driven away. How could he possibly have such items?

Realizing the faux pas, the requester quickly added, "Boss, please take a look at this card. If you have it, I'd be grateful to trade with you. A giant creature is bearing down on my Shellfish House, and it's an emergency!"

Xiao Hao examined the card details sent by the requester and found a card with significant limitations.

To others, this card might be of little value, but for Xiao Hao, it was a rare find!

Cursed Killing Card: Targets enemy units attacking the Shellfish House. If the enemy's HP falls below 30%, it inflicts a curse that eliminates 15% of the enemy's total HP. (Usable once)

Ordinarily, if a wild monster was attacking the Shellfish House and you could defeat it, there'd be no need for the Cursed Killing Card. If you couldn't defeat it, the card would be useless.

But Xiao Hao's situation was unique!

He couldn't overpower the spirit, but he could gradually chip away at its HP with the help of a seahorse.

If the spirit's HP dropped too low and it attempted to flee, Xiao Hao would be powerless to stop it!

With only a Silence Card at his disposal and lacking confidence in his ability to slay the spirit within three seconds, the Cursed Killing Card could play a crucial role at such a juncture!

Xiao Hao was set on acquiring that card!

"Did the giant wild monster just happen to pass by, or was it seeking you out?"

"I've never encountered it before; it must have been just passing through."

Xiao Hao pondered for a moment. A large wild monster passing through would likely just trample everything in its path, inflicting physical damage.

Moreover, the water displaced by its movement could carry a surge of energy.

A Demon Defense Barrier would be useless in this case. Only a Defensive Barrier could offer flawless protection.

If push came to shove, Xiao Hao was prepared to trade the Defensive Barrier with the other party.

Their predicament was dire, and Xiao Hao's own situation wasn't exactly rosy.

While the Defensive Barrier could be recharged with a Spirit Bead, the Cursed Killing Card was irreplaceable.

In strict terms, their values weren't vastly different.

But on the surface, the Defensive Barrier seemed far more valuable than the Cursed Killing Card.

The phrase "invincible defensive barrier" alone gave it an air of exceptional worth.

Xiao Hao sent over the details of the Defensive Barrier: "I believe you can see why the Defensive Barrier is more valuable than the Cursed Killing Card."

"Big shot, I've only got this one card. Here's a screenshot of my space; I'll give you anything you want! The Defensive Barrier could save my life. Please, I'm begging for your help!"

Xiao Hao zoomed in on the other party's screenshot, only to find that the resources were scant both in variety and quantity.

What didn't Xiao Hao have, considering he'd opened treasure chests in bulk?

He had enough blueprints in the Synthesis House to craft each one over again.

After some thought, Xiao Hao responded, "There are no resources I need, but I'm willing to trade the Barrier Card with you, under one condition."

The other party shot back instantly, "Name your condition! I'll agree to anything! I'll do whatever it takes!"

That wouldn't be necessary.

"If there's any remaining usage time on the Barrier Card after you use it, you must return it to me."

"Ah? Oh, right, got it. I'll include that in the trade terms right away!"

Xiao Hao sensed a hint of disappointment in the reply, though he couldn't be sure if it was just his imagination.

No sooner had he received the message than Xiao Hao spotted a new card freshly listed on the trading platform.

Xiao Hao was always prompt in his dealings. He didn't need flattery from others, nor did he leave them hanging; the transaction was straightforward.

Getting what he wanted seemed to liberate the other party.

"Thanks a ton, boss! Are you sure there's nothing else I can do for you?"

Feeling his previous statement wasn't explicit enough, the other party added, "Anything at all!"

"Number 968: No need."

"Okay, it's on its way. If it survives, I'll return it to you as per our deal."

Xiao Hao glanced at the message and started the countdown.

The Barrier Card had only a one-minute lifespan.

If it hadn't departed within that minute, the Barrier Card would likely be lost.

Thirty seconds passed, and both parties were on edge.

The other party feared for his life, while Xiao Hao lamented the Barrier Card's fleeting duration.

At fifty seconds, hope was fading for Xiao Hao; the other party was probably nearing his end.

Just as he was about to exit the game interface, a system alert for resource collection appeared.

It was the Barrier Card.

Xiao Hao hastily checked it to find only three seconds of use remaining.

"Sorry, it's just so massive and moves so slowly that..."

Three seconds is three seconds – better than nothing at all.

"No worries, that's the nature of a trade."

Xiao Hao desperately needed that Cursed Killing Card. Gaining an extra three seconds on the Barrier Card was a minor windfall.

"I can't thank you enough, boss. The ground around my Shellfish House caved in, but the room's still in one piece. The card's mighty strong. I feel like you're getting the short end of the stick. Maybe I could warm your bed as thanks?"

Xiao Hao's mouth twitched involuntarily.

This person was clearly looking to cozy up to him.

To curry favor, they'd thrown all their principles to the wind.

With only a number for identification, there was no telling if the player was attractive or even their gender. But to latch onto his coattails, they were pulling out all the stops.

Xiao Hao didn't respond, which the other party mistook for indecision.

"I'm easy on the eyes, sensible, and full of energy. I can handle all the chores! Boss, give it some thought, won't you?"

Xiao Hao's mouth twitched slightly. "I'm a guy."

I truly couldn't care less about your stamina.

"Perfect timing, I'm the athletic department's belle! Killer body, sweet and sassy!"

Xiao Hao felt an involuntary flutter in his chest.

He touched his chest; if his heart weren't beating, he'd be dead.

With that in mind, there was no cause for concern. His heart racing had nothing to do with the campus beauty.

Xiao Hao ventured, "What if I were a girl?"

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

"Big sis, you're so cool, I absolutely adore you!"

Xiao Hao shut the chat with a scowl.

He should have known better than to test the limits of the conversation.

It was a futile attempt.

Too profound, beyond his grasp.

Xiao Hao glanced at the grid in space. He held ten cards in total: the Slowing Card, Repelling Card, Shield Card, Doubling Card, Maintenance Card, Silence Card, Calming Card, Magic Defense Card, Return Card, and the Cursed Killing Card.

A few were nearing expiration, but the majority were still in prime condition.

Dusk was approaching.

Xiao Hao's heart was in turmoil.

He was aware that the ghost was imminent.