[Congratulations, Player. Farm upgraded successfully. 10 Crystals consumed. Reward: Steamed Bun Recipe. +1 bun every 10 minutes.]
[Congratulations, Player. Mine upgraded successfully. 10 Crystals consumed. Reward: Iron Ore Collection Protocol. +1 iron ore every 10 minutes.]
[Congratulations, Player. Armory upgraded successfully. 10 Crystals consumed. Reward: Bow and Arrow Crafting Scheme. +1 bow and +1 arrow every 10 minutes.]
[Congratulations, Player. Barracks upgraded successfully. 10 Crystals consumed. Reward: Dark Ranger Training Protocol (Unique).]
The upgrade notifications brought a profound sense of satisfaction to Meng Hao.
Now, in addition to bread, the farm could produce steamed buns—his food supply was no longer an immediate concern.
Following the mine upgrade, resources now accumulated at a steady pace: +1 wood, +1 stone, +1 iron ore every 10 minutes.
It was clear that as the mining facility continued to evolve, both the quantity and variety of materials would expand exponentially.
The armory now offered both melee and ranged weapons—with the addition of bows and arrows to complement spears.
What intrigued Meng Hao most, however, was the newly unlocked Dark Ranger training scheme.
His Goblin Guardian hadn't even finished training, and yet a more formidable unit had already emerged.
But there was a stark difference.
While Goblin Guardians were produced at a rate of one per hour, the Dark Ranger was a unique entity—one of a kind.
This distinction revealed a clear hierarchy between the two.
It appeared the Dark Ranger was of a superior tier.
However, training one required a rare item—Sea Blue Icy Heart. Whatever that was.
Meng Hao could only hope to acquire it soon and awaken the Dark Ranger.
"Mmm, smells delicious."
The roast meat was ready. He set aside all other concerns and focused solely on indulging himself.
When the ingredients are of high quality, even the simplest preparation suffices.
The roasted serpent was golden and crisp on the outside, tender and juicy within, gleaming with oils and rich with flavor.
As Meng Hao gazed at the succulent, fat-laced snake, tears of joy traced down his cheeks.
He took a delicate bite.
"Ha!"
It was heavenly.
After everything he'd endured, hunger gnawed at him.
Faced with such tantalizing aroma, Meng Hao could no longer restrain himself.
Eat!
Feast!
Mouthful after mouthful, the snake's flesh disappeared. As it settled in his belly, a strange warmth began to stir. Clearly, its special properties had begun to take effect.
A gleam of delight flickered in his eyes. Perhaps he was about to become immune to all poisons.
He devoured the rest eagerly, not stopping until the last bite was gone.
Burp.
Wiping his mouth, he even licked the tip of his spear clean. (A dangerous act. Do not imitate.)
Not a scrap wasted.
He took out the half-finished bottle of mineral water from earlier and drank deeply, savoring each sip.
Bliss.
After wiping the grease from his lips, he looked up into the blazing sun.
It burned mercilessly, oppressive and intense.
"So hot…"
He began to sweat profusely. Especially after consuming the snake meat, it felt as though a fire had ignited within him.
His skin flushed red; his whole body radiated heat.
Since the shark had devoured his clothes, he now wore only his underwear. What was once a breezy fit now clung to him uncomfortably.
"Did I… overdo it?"
Meng Hao eyed his reddening skin, uncertain and a little alarmed.
Ordinarily, this would've been just regular serpent meat.
But with the hundredfold system amplification, what he had eaten was mutated snake flesh.
"What if… there are side effects?"
The thought made him uneasy.
Getting sick in such a remote and perilous environment could be disastrous.
Soon, he felt a scorching sensation in his lower abdomen, as though some volatile energy were surging outward.
Even his only remaining garment began to stretch taut.
Meng Hao: "???"
Something was very wrong with that snake meat.
Wasn't it supposed to make him immune to poison?
Why this bizarre reaction?
He fought the urge to curse aloud.
Alone on this vast, deserted island… it was maddening.
"Is there any way to fix this?"
He furrowed his brow, mind racing for solutions.
Suddenly, inspiration struck.
"I've got it!"
With a thought, he summoned an item into his hand.
A remarkably lifelike inflatable doll.
The texture was disturbingly realistic.
Ahem.
No—get your mind out of the gutter.
Meng Hao simply intended to use it as a flotation device while he took a dip in the sea to cool off.
Cradling the doll like a surfboard, he made his way to the shoreline.
The seawater was brisk and soothing—just what he needed.
Since the island base upgrade, the beach had extended to over fifteen meters in length.
To avoid any run-ins with sharks, he stayed close to shore, letting the waves lap just over his waist.
Using the inflatable as a pillow, he immersed himself in the shallows.
At last—relief.
"I can't stay shirtless forever… I'll check the trading channel. Maybe someone's willing to barter clothes."
Meng Hao opened the trade channel and found that most players were already engaging in exchanges.
The items up for trade were diverse and bizarre:
Someone was offering a short stick—for 100ml of water.
Someone else had instant noodles—for 100ml of water.
Another was trading a dagger—for 200ml of water.
Socks—for 50ml of water.
Gloves—for 50ml of water.
…
As he scanned the listings, a startling realization dawned upon him.
No matter the item—no matter how odd or rare—the asking price was always the same:
Water.
He had predicted this game would eventually spiral into a freshwater crisis.
But he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Modern people, coddled by comfort, were ill-prepared for the harshness of nature.
Given that, perhaps acquiring a set of clothes wouldn't be too difficult.
He glanced at the leftover bottle beside him—roughly 100ml remained.
With swift fingers, he posted a listing of his own.
[Seller: Meng Hao746996585][Item: 100ml bottled mineral water][Seeking: One full set of clothing for a 182cm tall, slim build][Special Requirement: Must allow a fitting before the trade is finalized]
The listing caused an instant frenzy in the channel.
"Oh heavens, Lord Meng has finally arrived!"
"Did you see that? He offered 100ml of water in one go!"
"As expected of Meng Hao—the absolute alpha!"
"Lord Meng, would 175cm clothes fit? That's all I have, please!"
"Meng-gege, do you want a skirt? That's all I've got. I can throw in a bra too—just trade with me, okay?"