Chapter 18

Chapter 018: Playing Black Myth in the Trial Ground

Of course, the real fear was running into a team that forced everyone to hand over treasure chest supplies and enforced unified distribution.

If that happened, you either had to run away quickly or just pray the distribution was truly fair.

But for now, that worry might be unnecessary.

After all, at this stage, most people willing to take the lead in forming teams were probably after "Faction Contribution."

In other words, they needed people.

Sure, the treasures that might pop out of supply crates were tempting, but that was just a possibility—a very slim one.

Scaring people off for that would be a loss.

So, their approach probably wouldn't be too ugly.

Many classmates in the group held that view.

Amid the heated discussion in the class group, Yan Cang downed the last sip of his noodle soup.

The warm, filling sensation in his stomach was deeply satisfying.

But after finishing the instant noodles without drinking some water, he felt a salty greasiness lingering in his mouth.

He smacked his lips.

Yan Cang exited the group chat and reopened the Trading House.

Typing a keyword into the search bar at the top, he quickly locked onto his target and placed an order.

[Iced Cola x 330 milliliters]

[Description: Don't complain about the price! A rare find fresh from a supply crate—iced is the real happy drink!]

[Seller: Zhang Xiaoke]

[Price: 50 Fate Points]

[Status: Sold]

"The value's a bit low... but it's damn satisfying to drink."

Downing nearly half the bottle of cola in one gulp, Yan Cang let out a contented sigh.

It was noon, and the sun blazed outside the wooden hut.

The room was stiflingly hot, so taking a swig of that iced cola maxed out his happiness meter.

After eating and drinking his fill, a wave of drowsiness crept over him.

Yan Cang sat down, then lay back on the straw mat he'd spread out last night, stretching comfortably.

His gaze drifted back to the Trading House.

He pulled up the data first and saw that the number of completed orders had already surpassed ten million.

Given the explosive trading volume in such a short time and the surge in the Energy Pool from users frantically topping up, this was clearly a brilliant start.

The launch of the "Trading House" feature was a complete success.

Something to be happy about.

In a good mood, Yan Cang browsed through it, dazzled by the array of items on display.

Soon, he spotted a pack of toilet paper priced at 3 Fate Points.

Cheap!

He snapped it up immediately, tore it open, pulled out a sheet, and wiped his mouth.

Yeah, way better than using leaves.

He couldn't help but let out a burp, then continued hunting for bargains in the Trading House.

After a while, he noticed: compared to the sky-high prices of food, daily necessities were much more affordable, offering great value.

It made sense—food was a survival necessity. By now, plenty of people had gone a day without eating, so it was in high demand, driving prices up.

Daily necessities, though practical, weren't as urgent.

Even those who'd already eaten were reluctant to spend on such things at this point, seeing it as a luxury.

So prices kept dropping.

Perfect for Yan Cang to snag a deal.

With the mindset of "it doesn't take up space anyway," he snapped up over a dozen items in one go: a bucket, cups, toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo... all tossed into his Mental Space for easy access whenever needed.

Beyond that, he also had his eye on a mattress.

[Extremely Comfortable Memory Foam Mattress]

[Description: A Bronze Chest product. Appraisal info shows: Ultimate comfort, significant sleep-inducing effect. One of a kind, big shots come quick!]

[Seller: Anonymous]

[Price: 777 Fate Points]

[Status: For Sale]

Daily supply crates were like a lottery draw, with the vast majority only getting the lowest tier, Black Iron Chests.

A Bronze Chest was already considered decent luck, and the items it yielded were usually not too bad.

This seller's luck was only half-good—if it had been a weapon or food, it would've been a hot commodity, as long as the price wasn't set too absurdly.

But now, a mattress selling for 777 Fate Points?

Even weapons or food from a Bronze Chest couldn't fetch such an exorbitant price!

Yan Cang had no intention of being a sucker.

He checked the records through the backend and found that the mattress was initially priced at 888, and it had already been reduced, but it was still ridiculously expensive.

In the current environment, the mattress's value was really low.

Although Fate Points were just a number to him, with as many as he wanted, they were still anchored to real energy.

The energy corresponding to less than four-digit Fate Points was a drop in the bucket for him now, but "buying overpriced is a loss."

This wasn't like the Iced Cola from earlier, which was a "live in the moment" expense.

And it hadn't actually been overpriced by much; the cola, which provided a good amount of heat, was genuinely worth it.

Not like the mattress, which was completely optional.

He figured the Straw Mat he was lying on now was comfortable enough.

After all, he'd put effort into setting it up last night; he couldn't just swap it out on a whim, or all that work would've been for nothing.

Secondly, the seller of this mattress had started lowering the price within half an hour of listing it, so it would likely keep dropping.

At its current price, even if it were halved and halved again, no one would probably buy it.

So no rush, let it fall.

Yan Cang then moved on to other categories of items.

He quickly noticed that items that could strengthen the body, like "Mysterious Artifacts," "Skill Books," and "Cultivation Methods," were scarce, and using them was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

They were practically useless.

Makes sense—who would be willing to sell good stuff?

The things put up for sale were basically "trash" that others looked down on.

If others didn't want them, Yan Cang naturally had even less interest.

He'd just wait until tomorrow's supply crate refresh and use the [Great Fate Art] to pick the one most suited for him.

So, what to do now?

With the Trading House up and running, Yan Cang's basic needs for clothing, food, shelter, and transportation were mostly taken care of, and he no longer had to struggle for survival.

As for safety, [Fate Protection] had him covered all the way.

After thinking it over carefully, it seemed there really wasn't anything left to do.

Suddenly, there was nothing at all.

This was probably what they called a "happy problem."

After mulling it over, Yan Cang specifically ordered an item for entertainment:

[Strange Game Console]

[Description: Can play every electronic game on Earth, no energy required, never runs out of power. Can you believe I got this from a Silver Chest? I'm losing my mind!]

[Seller: Li Zehong]

[Price: 128 Fate Points]

[Status: Sold]

Getting a Silver Chest was indeed incredibly lucky, but pulling out a game console... that's a bit ridiculous.

Being able to play all single-player games with permanent battery life is indeed impressive, fitting for a Silver Chest item.

Unfortunately, in the current environment, aside from using it as a lighting tool, I really can't think of what else it's good for.

It's not like you can actually play games in the Trial Ground, right?

The seller probably realized this too, so they didn't dare set the price too high.

The current price is indeed very cheap, and even just using it as a permanent flashlight would be worth it.

But everyone is tight on Fate Points right now, prioritizing hard currency like food and medicine, which is why it hasn't sold yet.

For Yan Cang, who genuinely wants to play games, this price is practically a giveaway.

He accepted it without hesitation.

With a flicker of thought, the game console materialized from his Mental Space.

It looked similar to a regular handheld console—an 8-inch screen, complete buttons on both sides, a premium feel, and an expensive look.

After staring at it for a few seconds, a message appeared:

[Game Console (Mysterious Artifact): Contains all electronic games from Earth's human civilization, playable freely, with permanent battery life.]

Hell yeah!

Now there's plenty to do.

Yan Cang eagerly browsed through the library, and soon, a game featuring a monkey protagonist caught his eye.

This famous domestic single-player title—he had long wanted to try it out.

Back in high school, the school was strict, and he never had time to go to an internet café. He never thought he'd get to play it now.

At least this transmigration wasn't a total waste, heh!

Click. Load.

Black Myth, start!