Chen Chen stood atop his wooden cabin, gripping the chimney for stability.
He held the [Iron-Reinforced Crossbow] in one hand, using the simple optical sight to scan the horizon.
White. Endless, blinding white.
The jagged rocks to the north, where he had killed the spiders yesterday, looked like black teeth rotting in a white gumline. To the west, the 7-Eleven ruins were buried deeper under drifting snow.
There was no sign of the "Snow Wolves" raiding party yet. But the dead scout's map burned a hole in his pocket.
"They know I'm here," Chen Chen muttered, the wind stealing his words instantly. "And they know I'm warm."
He slid down the roof carefully, landing in the soft snowbank he had piled up as a cushion. He quickly retreated inside the cabin, locking the heavy wooden door behind him.
The warmth of the room hit him a comfortable 22°C. The heater hummed softly, the blue Elemental Core pulsing with a steady rhythm.
But Chen Chen didn't relax. He sat on his wooden bed and opened the System Interface.
He needed to understand the scale of the threat.
[Survivors: 8,842 / 10,000]
Chen Chen's eyes narrowed.
"Another thousand gone," he whispered. "It's barely noon on Day 3."
The death rate was accelerating. The "Novice Period" if there ever was one was over. The weak had frozen. The unlucky had been eaten. The ones left were either lucky, smart, or ruthless.
And humans are social animals. In extreme danger, they pack together.
The "Snow Wolves" were proof of that. A group of survivors banding together not to build, but to take.
Chen Chen looked at his walls.
[Shelter: Sturdy Wooden Cabin (Level 1)]
[Defense: 50/100]
[Fire Resistance: Low]
"Wood is garbage," Chen Chen concluded grimly.
Against the cold, wood was fine. Against a Frost Stalker, it was passable. But against humans? Humans had fire. Humans had axes.
If the Snow Wolves came, they wouldn't just knock. They would try to burn him out. He needed to upgrade. Immediately.
He tapped on the [Shelter Upgrade] tab.
[Upgrade to Level 2: Stone Fortress]
[Requirements: Wood x50, Stone x100, Iron Ingot x10]
[Benefits: Defense +100, Thermal Insulation +20, Fire Resistance: High.]
"Stone," Chen Chen sighed. "It's always stone."
He had plenty of wood (45 units). He had the Iron Ingots (20+ from trades and chests).
But Stone? He had 4 units. He opened the [Trading Mall]. He filtered for "Stone."
The results were pathetic.
[Seller: Miner49er] - Selling Stone x1 - Want: Bread x2
[Seller: ColdHands] - Selling Stone x5 - Want: Medicine
There were thousands of listings for Wood. Almost zero for Stone.
Chen Chen understood why.
In the Glacial Era, the ground is frozen solid. Permafrost is harder than concrete. To get stone, you have to find a quarry or a rocky outcrop and hammer away at ice-covered granite with a primitive pickaxe in -20°C weather.
It burns massive amounts of calories. It destroys tools.
Nobody wanted to mine stone. Everyone wanted to buy stone to upgrade their walls.
"Stone is the new gold," Chen Chen realized. "Water is life, but Stone is security."
He looked at his inventory. He had the [Fried Boar Meat]. He had the [Spider Silk]. He had [Clean Water]. He needed 96 units of Stone. That was a massive amount.
He took a photo of a 1L bottle of Crystal Clear Filtered Water sitting next to a 300g chunk of Cooked Spider Meat (which looked like crab meat).
He posted the auction.
[Seller: Chen Chen]
[Auction Item: "The Fortress Pack"]
[Contents: 1 Liter of Liquid Water + 300g Cooked Meat + 1 Iron Ingot]
[Required: Stone Blocks. Only Stone.]
[Starting Bid: 20 Stone.]
[Seller's Note: I know mining is hard. But starving is harder. Instant buyout price: 100 Stone.]
He posted it. He sat back and watched the Regional Chat. It took about ten seconds for the shockwave to hit.
"One liter?! A whole liter?"
"And meat? Is that crab? Where did he get crab?!"
"It's Chen Chen again. Does this guy own a supermarket?"
"Stone... he wants Stone. Damn it! I walked past a quarry yesterday but didn't mine anything because I was too cold!"
"20 Stone is impossible! It takes me an hour to mine 5 blocks! My pickaxe broke twice!"
"Chen Chen, I have wood! I have 200 wood! Can I trade wood for stone?"
Chen Chen ignored the wood offers. Wood was easy. Any idiot could chop a frozen tree. Stone required grit.
Suddenly, a bold message appeared in the chat.
[SnowWolf_Alpha]: "Chen Chen. We know you're in the Southeast sector, near the ruins. Stop hoarding resources. Join us, hand over the heater, and we'll guarantee your safety. Keep showing off, and we'll come take it."
Chen Chen stared at the name. SnowWolf_Alpha.
So they were watching the chat.
He replied with a screenshot.
He took a picture of his [Iron-Reinforced Crossbow] loaded with a steel bolt, resting on his window sill, pointing out at the snow.
He posted it to the chat with a caption:
[Chen Chen]: "I have cold beer and hot arrows. Guests are welcome. Looters are buried."
The chat erupted.
"HOLY CRAP! IS THAT A CROSSBOW?!"
"It's iron! Look at the mechanism! That's not a toy!"
"Snow Wolves just got told!"
"Big Boss Chen is hardcore!"
While the chat was arguing, a private trade notification pinged.
[Trade Offer from: SilentMiner]
[Offer: Stone x100]
[Request: Instant Buyout of "The Fortress Pack"]
Chen Chen raised an eyebrow. Someone actually had 100 Stone?
He checked the user's profile. SilentMiner. No avatar. No chat history.
"A professional grinder," Chen Chen deduced. "While everyone else was complaining, this guy was just hitting rocks."
He accepted instantly.
[Transaction Complete!]
[You have obtained: Stone x100]
[You have lost: Water x1L, Cooked Meat x300g, Iron Ingot x1]
"Worth it," Chen Chen grinned.
He immediately opened the Shelter menu.
[Upgrade Conditions Met.]
[Consuming: Wood x50, Stone x100, Iron Ingot x10]
[Upgrading Shelter to Level 2...]
A deep, rumbling sound shook the cabin.
Outside, a magical light enveloped the wooden structure. The logs groaned and shifted.
From the base, heavy grey stones began to materialize, climbing up the walls, swallowing the wood. The gaps were filled with magical mortar that hardened instantly. The roof transformed from wooden shingles to slate tiles. The windows shrank slightly but became reinforced with iron bars.
Ten seconds later, the light faded.
[Upgrade Complete!]
[Shelter: Stone Outpost (Level 2)]
[Defense: 200/200]
[Thermal Insulation: High (Internal temp retention +30%)]
[Fire Resistance: High (Immune to basic fire attacks)]
[New Feature Unlocked: Courtyard Construction]
The air inside felt different. Heavier. Safer. The wind noise outside was completely gone, replaced by a tomb-like silence.
Chen Chen walked to the wall and punched it.
Solid rock.
"Let them bring their torches," Chen Chen said, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Let them try to burn stone."
He checked the Courtyard feature.
[Courtyard: Allows the construction of a perimeter wall and traps around the shelter. Requires: Stone, Wood, Trap Blueprints.]
He didn't have enough stone for a wall yet, but he had peace of mind.
He went back to the chat. The SnowWolf_Alpha hadn't replied to the crossbow picture.
But other people were buzzing.
"Did you guys hear that? A huge rumble in the Southeast?"
"An earthquake?"
"No... I'm near there. I saw a light. I think... I think Chen Chen just upgraded his house."
"Upgraded? To what? A castle?"
Chen Chen closed the chat. He was done with the social media drama for the day.
He had a stone house. He had a heater. He had food. He had a crossbow.
But he knew the Snow Wolves wouldn't give up. If anything, the crossbow made him a bigger target. A weapon like that was priceless.
He walked to the window and looked at the setting sun.
"I need to test the crossbow," he murmured. "And I need more meat."
He saw movement in the distance. Not a human. A beast.
A massive, white bear was lumbering near the edge of the forest, sniffing the air.
[Mutated Creature: Frostclaw Bear]
[Level: 4]
[Status: Hungry]
Chen Chen's eyes lit up.
Level 4.
That meant a Silver Chest or maybe even Gold if he was lucky with his 100% talent.
"A housewarming gift," Chen Chen whispered, grabbing a handful of bolts.