Chapter 132

Chapter 132

After a night of wind and rain, countless petals fell.

The sharp drop in the number of surviving students stung everyone's eyes; they had no idea what had happened. However, some more perceptive students recalled the commentary when the fire pits appeared: "Some things fear fire at night."

At the same time, their rooms had transformed from being unsuitable for living into 'barely habitable spaces for the night.'

Did this mean that something was out there at night, and the fire pits were meant to protect them?

This discovery felt like a knife hanging over their heads, forcing them to continuously upgrade their rooms while ensuring their survival.

The students could no longer lie down.

"There's not even a hint of a mission."

"Nearly one-third died on the first night. Based on the daytime situation, I thought this would be a beginner-friendly scenario, but who knew it would turn deadly at midnight."

Unlike before, eliminations were silent, with no hints, leaving students to figure everything out on their own. The Hungry Academy seemed to have increased the difficulty of the exam once again.

"Actually, if you actively search for resources to upgrade your room, you will inevitably find fire pits. The four doors each student opens must include one that leads to food and another to resources for upgrading the room. These are the minimum guarantees provided to the students.

"Those who were eliminated either lacked the ability to find resources or were too lazy and timid, only wanting to survive. Unfortunately, this time, there is no option for mere survival."

"The luck of Ji Xinghai next door can only be described as average, but he quickly figured out how to integrate resources from two spaces to make a profit and acted on it. That's why he's ahead of others."

"High combat strength is also an advantage. Thinking about having three such people, oh my god, why can't there be one more?"

"I wonder what kind of four doors he'll open today."

Ji Xinghai was leaning against the warm fireplace, sipping the leftover seafood porridge from yesterday. There was still a full jar of porridge, but he had only consumed a third of it.

Food was still scarce. Yesterday, he mostly obtained daily necessities, and the only food available was the dried items on the balcony. Although there were still some live seafood in the bathtub, like octopuses, they wouldn't last long.

Whenever he engaged in physical labor, his hunger level would drop, requiring him to replenish his food supply.

The game's hunger level mechanism seemed designed to choke people like him, as physical labor didn't affect him much, but the hunger level constantly reminded him: "Dear, you've done intense physical work, please replenish your food."

At this rate, his current stock might not last a week. He needed to prepare more, or rather, a lot more.

He also had a hunch that heavy physical labor caused a rapid drop in hunger levels. So, was there any food that could rapidly restore hunger levels?

From yesterday's experience, seafood restored hunger better than dates, which in turn were better than white porridge and fruits. Therefore, there seemed to be a pattern: meat > high sugar > starch > fruits and vegetables.

What he needed was food high in fat, sugar, and protein.

After eating and resting for fifteen minutes to digest, Ji Xinghai opened the first door of the day. The smell of rust and machine oil greeted him.

"..."

This seemed to be a junkyard, but one where the garbage had been roughly sorted by category, specifically metal.

Thus, the place was filled with various metal objects, with scattered metal parts being the most common. These parts contained electronic components or rubber pieces.

These metal parts needed further sorting, and the large metal sheets might need cutting, as he already saw a metal cutter.

"One hour of labor for ten pounds of recyclables, with no other conditions.

"I'm a straightforward person, so I hope you are too."

Indeed, it was a straightforward space, but an hour for only ten pounds wasn't worth it.

Calculating that the recyclables wouldn't even cover one meal, Ji Xinghai regretfully closed the door and opened the second one. Before he could see what lay outside, the bustling sounds and mixed smells reached him first.

He slowly adjusted to the strong light outside and then saw what?

A bustling market, except the vendors and customers weren't humans but dwarves barely a meter tall. They all had wrinkled skin like they had been soaked in amniotic fluid, sparse hair, large round eyes, and pointed mouths.

They were probably considered ugly even among dwarves.

However, they sold a wide variety of ingredients, including chicken, duck, fish, beef, mutton, fruits, and vegetables.

"This is the dwarves' market, where you can find many things you need, as long as you have money.

"You can choose to trade with the dwarves, but beware, greedy merchants always buy low and sell high.

"Please follow the market rules.

"Lastly, wish you a pleasant life."

This was a very meticulous space, wishing them a pleasant life.

However, he couldn't tell what the dwarves needed, and without knowing, he couldn't bargain effectively. So, he decided to open the third door.

What did he see? An endless desert and a small abandoned ancient city, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by sand.

This was an abandoned ancient city with remnants of high walls and bricks. Beside a dried-up spring, a small patch of greenery remained. He saw three caravans parked at a tiny oasis, camels grazing on grass, and merchants checking the goods on their camels and drinking water.

They drank cautiously, not wasting a single drop.

Seeing them merely wet their lips with water, Ji Xinghai felt his throat dry up.

"Welcome to the Pearl of the Desert, Half Moon Bay Oasis.

"Every day, passing caravans stop here, carrying exquisite and precious goods, ready to cross the desert to find those who need them most.

"Perhaps you can exchange something with them.

"The oasis is a ceasefire zone; no fighting or illegal activities are allowed, or you will be cursed and expelled by the desert."

It was another trading area. Clearly, the merchants needed water supplies, but so did these students. Even though Ji Xinghai had a water purifier and had stored plenty of purified seawater, he couldn't afford to trade freely.

And what did these merchants have?

Gold and silver? Jewelry? Spices? Silk?

Forgive him for not knowing much about ancient trading history; these were the only impractical items that came to mind.

So without much hesitation, he closed the door again. Now there was only one door left.

Ji Xinghai opened the door, and the outside world was pitch black, with occasional dripping sounds. After a while, he finally adapted to the environment and could make out where he was.

It seemed to be a dug-out mine shaft, with rudimentary wooden tracks on the ground. The floor was wet and damp.

"This is the mining area of the great merchant Daukins. It is a noble dwarf, but despicable miners stole its treasure and took its wealth.

"Brave warriors, please help the great merchant Daukins by eliminating the damned miners.

"For every miner you eliminate, you will randomly receive some ore and supplies."

Wow, this is a hero's space. Ji Xinghai could already see the miners in the darkness—they were almost as dark as the night, barely distinguishable, but Ji Xinghai had always had excellent eyesight.

And his movements were swift and agile. Before stepping out of the door, he had already caught a slender, pointy-eared miner.

It struggled desperately.

"Where is the great merchant Daukins' treasure?"

The struggling miner froze, looking at him foolishly. In the darkness, a pair of slightly visible whites of the eyes could be seen.

"Didn't it say you stole its treasure?"

The miner seemed insulted. "We didn't steal its treasure. That dirty, ugly, greasy, stingy, and deceitful liar made us work but didn't give us the promised rewards and even wanted to kill us!"

Ji Xinghai nodded. "I know you didn't. So where is the treasure?"

He decided to fulfill the great merchant's wish and let its treasure be truly stolen once.

Honestly, these poor miners wouldn't yield much even if killed. Why not go after the big fish instead? Maybe they'd get a good meal.

The miners were too honest and hadn't even thought of real theft.

"Go into this mine shaft, then there will be many small mines. Always choose the rightmost path. When you reach a dead end, that's where Daukins hides its treasure. But it's surrounded by thick metal plates, and the metal door has three layers. The three keys are kept close to Daukins' body, so you can't open it."

Metal plates?

Ji Xinghai blinked, thinking of something. He turned to look at the clueless miner. "How about I offer you a job with meals and accommodation included, regular hours? What do you think?"

"Please don't joke."

"Just say yes or no?"

"If there is such a job, I would of course..."

Before the miner could finish saying "yes," Ji Xinghai struck, lifting the unconscious miner with one hand, closing the door, and opening another.

"Hey, boss, need any strong laborers? Just provide three meals a day and accommodation, eight-hour shifts, and it'll work for you. Look, all muscle, honest and obedient, better than those rebellious students, right?"

Garbage space: ...

"Sure."

"Great, settle the introduction fee. Lend me a metal cutter and a cart for an hour, and throw in a metal wire. Oh, and this guy as collateral. If I don't come back, he's your slave."

Garbage space: ...

Today, it was speechless.

After some negotiation, the garbage space

eventually lent Ji Xinghai the metal cutter and the cart. Pushing the cart, wearing the safety helmet and gas mask he had traded for yesterday, and holding a flashlight, he set off towards the treasure.

The miners were sizable, and the tunnels they dug were large, allowing him to push the cart without any obstacles.

Along the way, he encountered battling students and miners, politely greeting both sides: "Good morning, carry on."

Both combatants were stunned by his politeness.

It was early, and there weren't many students in the mine. The miners were timid and hid upon seeing light, so he had a clear path to the deepest part.

The path ended, looking like an abandoned mine shaft halfway through excavation, but upon closer inspection, he noticed something odd.

Sure enough, the seemingly seamless wall could be pushed aside with a gentle nudge, revealing a metal door over a meter wide with a complex-looking keyhole.

Ji Xinghai didn't rush to use the metal cutter, fearing the noise might attract others.

He started with the metal wire.

In the silence, Ji Xinghai somehow produced a stethoscope, pressing one end near the keyhole and plugging his ear with the other. Then he inserted the wire into the keyhole, probing carefully, occasionally adjusting its shape.

Soon, a click was heard, and the lock opened, the metal door automatically opening a crack.

The first door opened, revealing another metal door. This time, the key was even more complex—a four-digit combination lock. But as a skilled locksmith, Ji Xinghai was undaunted.

He found a bit of fine dust on the wall, blew it gently onto the combination lock, and then used a flashlight to carefully examine the finger marks.

The rest was simple. Imagining the position of the fingers on the lock, the combination became clear. Thus, the second door was opened in just five minutes.

The last thing to appear was a key that required a card.

"..." Alright, although it wasn't impossible to open, it would take too much time, so he decided to go for a more forceful approach.

He pressed the button on the metal cutter, and in the silent mine, an ear-grating sound of friction and cutting filled the air.

Ten minutes later, the key was discarded, the metal door opened, and what appeared before Ji Xinghai?

Gold!

Gold!

A lot of gold!

Oh, and there was also a roar from Dao Jinx: "Who? Who opened my treasury?! I'll catch them, this damn thief, and cut off their head to drink from!"

Tsk, impotent roaring.

Ji Xinghai wasn't scared at all. He wheeled an entire cart full of gold back to his room, then rushed back again, not even bothering to greet the slave miners he passed along the way.

After three trips, he had moved all the gold from the small treasury, not forgetting even the tiny nuggets in the corners.

After such intense labor, his hunger had reached its limit. He ate all the remaining seafood porridge and two slightly yellowing bananas to recover.

"It's almost been half an hour."

He climbed out of the pile of gold, pushed the cart, and carried the metal cutter to find the owner of the junkyard.

"My dear brother, have you heard about the theft of the great merchant Dao Jin's treasure vault? Truly regrettable, surely due to the many enemies he made in his daily life." Ji Xinghai performed with exaggerated translation tones, full of emotion.

Junkyard space: ...

Today, it didn't want to speak; it was tired, mentally and physically exhausted.

It didn't want to speak, but Ji Xinghai had a lot to say.

"As fellow examiners, do you know each other? Oh my God, thank goodness I didn't leave these things at the scene; they still bear the mark of this junkyard."

He waved the metal cutter that had done such great service, revealing an extremely hypocritical smile, "I'm such a meticulous person, aren't I, partner?"

"I am not." The junkyard couldn't hold back any longer.

Ji Xinghai raised an eyebrow. He placed a piece of gold in the cart, thought for a moment, and took it back, leaving behind a single gold nugget: "Now you are."

The junkyard space, forced into partnership without any benefit, remained silent for a long time: "What do you want?"

"Ten tons of steel plates, and this matter will be none of your concern."

"Maximum one ton."

"Two tons. Deal or no deal? No deal, I'll leave." He pretended to retreat inside with the metal cutter.

"...Deal."