Chapter Title: The Hero is Climbing Up
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This Telekinesis is insane.
I was amazed by a few facts I'd discovered while experimenting with the Telekinesis I'd just acquired.
To start, Telekinesis could lift about 100kg per hand, with a range of 10 meters from my position.
The range is a bit lacking.
Considering it was still Level 1 since I hadn't consumed any Bloodstones yet, I wasn't disappointed.
Now, let's level it up to 2.
With that thought, I pulled out the 10 Bloodstones I'd received from the Ice Queen.
I was about to swallow them right away when a sudden thought struck me.
But aren't these from zombies?
Come to think of it, the Awakening Stones came from zombies too, so in the end, I popped them into my mouth.
I figured it was too late to worry about that now, so I swallowed the Bloodstones one by one without a second thought.
Something like a metallic taste...
It was a bit fishy, but not to the point of being inedible.
Anyway, after swallowing all 10 Bloodstones, the Gallery window reacted as expected.
β SYSTEM NOTIFICATION β Acquired A-Grade ability 'Telekinesis' has leveled up. Current A-Grade Telekinesis Level: 2
Level 2.
Along with the helpful notifications spelling it out step by step, I immediately tested the Telekinesis.
I'd checked it initially by buying two weighted vests.
-Weighted Vest 20kg: 27 points
Adding my body weight of 62kg, it was relatively easy to verify Level 1 Telekinesis.
Anyway, this time I attached weighted bars and vests one by one, confirming it had exactly doubled.
Weight: 200kg each. Range... 20 meters.
If it increased like this with every level, Level 10 or 20 was something to look forward to.
No, what if I got it to around Level 50...?
5 tons per hand. 10 tons total with both hands.
Honestly, that kind of power should handle most dangers with ease.
The problem is Bloodstones.
Without Bloodstones, I couldn't level up Telekinesis.
After pondering it over, a rough solution came to mind.
Maybe trade with others besides the Ice Queen.
Naturally, sourcing from multiple people was better than relying on one.
But considering the importance of food, shouldn't I at least discuss it with the Ice Queen?
She gave me an Ability Stone worth 200,000 points.
I'm no ungrateful bastard who forgets a favor.
No matter how precious the food from that deal was, it couldn't have been worth 200,000 points.
Plus, food's available on 4-channel too.
Speaking of which, what kind of jelly were they selling on 4-channel?
With my thoughts drifting to the 4-channel jelly, I swiped the Gallery window left to enter 4-channel.
Entering the exchange on the rough-and-tumble 4-channel, the first items that caught my eye were these.
π Exchange Listing [High-Protein Nutrition Jelly] Sale Price: 5 points. Remaining Quantity: 74,721 units. π Exchange Listing [High-Protein Nutrition Jelly] Sale Price: 5 points. Remaining Quantity: 42,391 units. π Exchange Listing [High-Protein Nutrition Jelly] Sale Price: 5 points. Remaining Quantity: 11,583 units.
Insane quantities.
I had no idea how many had sold, but it must've raked in a fortune in points.
Probably the highest earner across all Gallery channels, which made me wonder.
What does this person spend all those points on?
Separately from that, 4-channel had all sorts of bizarre items for sale.
π Exchange Listing [Zeus P-2] Sale Price: 50,000 points.
Guns the size of a person.
π Exchange Listing [Titan Gauntlet] Sale Price: 25,000 points.
Mechanical devices that enveloped an entire arm.
And then batteries like [Power Pack], enhancers like [Steam Pack], and so on.
This world seems way more advanced than the modern one.
I wondered how a place like this could be heading toward doom.
Curious, I searched for "doom," and related posts flooded in.
π¬ 4-Channel Posts β Is this for real? Doomed by mere bug larvae? [999+] [Real deal? Doomed just because of bug offspring?] β This world is doomed. The Gallery is proof. [999+] [This world is doomed. The Gallery is proof.] β I knew it'd end someday, but bugs? Lol [999+] [I figured it'd go under eventually, but bugs? Didn't see that coming lol] β Shutting down due to doom. Everyone GTFO. [999+] [This place is closing due to doom. Please leave.] β Thought it'd be nuclear war. Nope. [999+] [I was betting on nuclear war. Wasn't it.]
...
...
Bugs?
From the looks of it, 4-channel was doomed because of bugs.
I had no idea how bugs could doom a world, though.
Maybe gigantic bugs?
Thinking that, I searched for "bugs," and related posts popped up.
π¬ 4-Channel Posts β Bug larvae. They build resistance to every pesticide. [711] [Bug offspring. Resistance to extermination agents every time.] β Henceforth, bugs shall be named 'Mechanical Infection Worms.' [999+] [From this moment, bugs are officially 'Mechanical Infection Worms.'] β Heard some organization is researching these. [262] [These bugs... some group is researching them, I heard.] β Isn't it wild? Bugs infecting machines. [547] [Wild, right? Bugs infecting machines.] β Where did these bugs even come from? No clue. [338] [Where'd the bugs come from? Can't figure it out.] β I think they're alien lifeforms, not bugs. [490] [Nah, not bugs. Alien lifeforms.]
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...
Hmm.
Click.
β Selected Post β Isn't it wild? Bugs infecting machines. What's the mechanism for infecting machines? I dissected a wrecked robot once, and the core parts were fused with it. Seems like it fuses then hacks and controls the machine. Can bugs even do that? Without countermeasures, no more electronics for us.
So the bugs aren't ordinary bugs.
Apparently, bugs that hack and control machines.
It sounded absurd, but then again, so was me ending up in this world.
My arrival here doesn't make sense to begin with.
I considered digging deeper but shook my head.
Since I'd ended up in 2-channel, I should check there first.
Other channels can wait until I'm secure and have time.
Of course, 4-channel weapons piqued my interest, but they were ridiculously expensive.
I decided to check them properly once I had points stacked up, then returned to 2-channel.
π¬ 2-Channel Posts β Bread after forever. Feels so good. [37] [Finally bread again. Too good.] β Bread and milk keep coming. [23] [Bread and milk restocking.] β Feels good to hunt again. [25] [Hunting feels worthwhile now.]
...
...
Huh?
Obviously, I was still steadily listing bread and milk.
Unlike at first, they didn't sell out in under 10 seconds, but they were selling decently.
So I thought everyone was satisfied.
Unexpectedly, complaints started popping up one by one.
They want something besides bread?
β Selected Post β We're not satisfied with bread! Meat! List some meat!
"..."
It was short, but the message was crystal clear.
Basically, they're tired of bread.
Wasn't this a world on the brink of doom?
I could hardly believe they were being picky eaters.
β House Builder: Poster 100% beastkin. β³ Reply: Lowly Soldier: Don't beastkin eat bread and milk? β³ Carnivore beastkin main on meat. β Log Chopping Master: Only jelly so far. Bread should be fine? β³ Reply: Researching 10 Years: Nah, jelly might even be better. β³γ΄γ΄ Jelly might be better tbh. β Anon: Hate bread? Eat jelly then~. [Don't like bread? Just eat jelly~] β Alehouse Owner: Can Castaway list meat tho? [But can Castaway even list meat?] β Anon: I want meat too. [Want meat...]
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So there are beastkin races too.
And carnivore beastkin apparently thrive on meat.
Of course, for me with Modern Item Purchase, listing meat was a breeze.
But the prices would be steep.
As expected when I checked.
-No. 10 Whole Chicken: 6 points
-Smoked Duck Slices 800g: 10 points
-Pork Belly 500g: 11 points
-Herb-Fed Pork Loin 500g: 12 points
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...
For cost-performance, maybe the smoked duck.
Or there was this.
-Jade Stone Whole Chicken BBQ: 7 points.
Test listing 100? See how it goes.
I bought 100 whole chicken BBQs and listed them at 10 points each.
That meant 3 points profit per sale for me.
Dingβ Dingβ Dingβ
Oh?
10 points seemed hefty to me, but the chickens sold at an astonishing rate.
In less than a minute, all 100 were gone. I checked the Gallery.
π¬ 2-Channel Posts β Whole chicken? Everyone snag one? Lol [8] [Whole chicken? Hope no one missed out lol] β Kyaa! Whole chicken! Bought it! [4] [Kyaa! Whole chicken purchase success!] β Castaway is a god! [11] [Castaway is god!]
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...
The feed was now flooded with whole chicken talk.
Every time I listed food in the exchange, this reaction... it felt kinda weird.
Everyone must have a decent amount of points.
They snapped up 10-point chickens in seconds.
That sparked an idea.
Or maybe hunters buying them?
Either way, my points got a nice little bump.
[Points: 8,665]
Save up to 20-30k, then check 4-channel weapons again. Sounds good.
Even as I thought that, posts kept pouring in nonstop.
π¬ 2-Channel Posts β If this was daily, life'd be worth living. [13] [Daily like this? Livable.] β No clue what power, but it's dangerous af. [15] [Dunno the power, but def dangerous.] β Isn't Castaway in danger? [8] [Castaway in danger?]
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...
Dangerous, huh...
Hearing "dangerous" made me have to check.
β Selected Post β Isn't Castaway in danger? Castaway has an unbelievable amount of food. Who wouldn't covet it? Bet someone'll kill him and steal it all. Personally, hope Castaway stays hidden well. β Alehouse Owner: How much food does Castaway even have? [How much food ya think Castaway's carrying?] β Magic Training: Rumor he got an ancient artifact that produces food. β³ Reply: Anon: No such artifact. β³ No artifact like that. β³ Reply: Anon: Thinks ancient artifacts are omnipotent lol β³ Ancient artifacts ain't omnipotent lol β Labyrinth Wolf: Hero's climbing up, so it'll be fine. [Hero's coming up, should be ok.] β³ Reply: Save Me: Hero's climbing? β³ Hero's climbing up? β³ Reply: Labyrinth Wolf: Yeah, saw 'em on 17th floor heading up. β³ Yup, saw on 17F climbing. β³ Reply: Anon: Hero'll find Castaway soon then. β³ Hero finds Castaway soon.
"...?"
What did it mean, the Hero finding me?
I immediately messaged Ice Queen from my friends list.
π¬ Private Chat
Location check?