The night was long and cold, but Axel spent the entire night wide awake. He didn't dare to take even a brief nap, afraid that the moment he did, zombies would climb over his barricades and turn him into their late-night snack.
Just as the night sky was slowly brightening, a telltale sign of a new day...
[Congratulations! You've completed the achievement: 1st day Explorer! Rewards are sent to your inventory automatically! You have unlocked the Harem System Shop too, check it when you have the time~!]
As if to break the solemn atmosphere, Navi reappeared before Axel's eyes, clapping his flippers casually.
"...First day?" Axel parroted the words before sighing. "So it's been 24 hours since I came to this world..."
He recalled waking up with the sun already high up, though, and not as early as before the sun rose. "Does that mean I spent the first few hours of my arrival fast asleep?" He pondered.
Although he quickly dropped the thought.
After all, his head thumped with pain after spending the entire night wide awake. He felt lightheaded, as if he'd fall asleep if he let his guard down even a little. His thinking facilities weren't working properly anymore, per se.
[Not only that, but since you completed the tutorial with flying colors, the first batch of residents will arrive here in ten minutes~! I'm sending... five of them!]
"...Huh?"
But Navi's next words made Axel's mind and body fully awake. "You mean, there's still other people alive in this zombie-infested world?!"
Not to mention, five of them at that!
"But wait..."
Of course, Axel didn't shout for joy after hearing this piece of news. Instead, his sleep-deprived mind started spiraling into oblivion, thinking about all the negative things that could come with gaining a few more heads. In particular...
"I don't have enough resources to support more people reliably."
He turned his head down, checking his inventory. He still got a little over 14 gallons of water, and fifteen pieces of half-a-meter-long French bread. But even if he rationed it, a group of six could barely last two days with it.
[Of course, it's not enough!] Navi nodded, as if a teacher humoring his student's point. [But since you unlocked the shop, it's not like there's no solution either!]
"Shop?" Axel tilted his head. "Oh, right? You did mention it earlier..." And murmured as he dragged the wheel menu, switching over displays.
After a few slides, he landed on the shop... which honestly looked like an online supermarket's home page.
Axel scrolled down the list, checking what it had, and...
"They've got all kinds of things for sale!" He couldn't help but gasp in shock.
From a simple food ingredient to actual construction materials like bags of cement, everything was purchasable!
Although he could see they used a currency that he wasn't familiar with.
"Colts? Navi, how many Colts do I have?" he asked, feeling slight anticipation. However, the little penguin sure knows how to disappoint.
[None! What? Did you think you'd get money out of thin air?]
"...Then this shop's fucking useless!" Axel cursed and spat at the ground.
[Are you an idiot? Of course, it's not like there's no way for you to earn Colts. Just trade what you made, and you'll get some~!]
"...So buy and sell?"
Hearing this, Axel's eyes shone for a moment.
After all, he was someone who worked at a somewhat black company. If it's about buying and selling things for profit, he's an expert at it. However...
"For that to happen, I need initial funding." He pondered.
The next moment, he tapped a button on the shop, the one that said "Sell" on it. As he did, a new window appeared, showing the content of his inventory, and an empty array on the right side. Intuitively, Axel knew what this represented.
"Let's see..." He placed a hand over his stubble, brooding as he scanned all his items.
"Logs... 10 Cols. Sticks? 1 Col. Wooden spear... 25 Cols?!"
The prices didn't look like they had any kind of rule behind them, as after checking all items he had, their resell prices seemed completely random. His bread was the most expensive item; he could sell it for 100 Cols each. Water? It was the same with sticks, 1 Col per gallon, container included.
Just as he was skimming through the items he could sell, calculating how much he could gain, and then checking which items he could buy, then create from what he bought, and sell for a fortune...
"U-Uhm...!"
"Hmm?"
A voice caused him to return to reality. Raising his head, Axel turned ahead.
Facing east, a group of five figures stood, with the rising sun to their backs. They were a sorry sight, clad in filthy hooded robes that concealed their faces.
Axel scanned their attire, their expressions, and their health... and noticed that despite being tattered, they were all barely at the "healthy" level.
"Yes?" Axel stood up, walking closer for an easier talk. "Did you call me?"
As a businessman, more than trying to take the lead of the conversation, one should first try to figure out what the other party expects, what they want, and what they could provide. Thus, he put on a business smile and initiated a conversation.
"A-actually..."
But unlike what he expected, the other party didn't seem to know the word "negotiation" at all.
"We're refugees from Malta City... we have been roaming around, running away from zombies for weeks now. We ran out of food and water along the way... Could you please be kind enough to spare some of your supplies?"
"..."
Axel could feel strength behind her words, but he also understood she was just pushing herself, trying to sound powerful. Just a look at them, Axel could tell they should've been thirsty and hungry for over a day already. These people were in dire need of help.
However...
"Why do I have to share my precious food reserves with you? What's in it for me?"
He was no Good Samaritan. He wasn't one to take the short end of the stick of his own volition.