Chapter 8

Chapter 8

In the live stream, the audience fell into a pensive silence, wary of posting comments lest they be proven wrong again.

They had just dismissed the idea of Ying Yuanxing finding anything by rummaging through trash cans, yet he not only found food but also other items—drinks and coal aside, that yellow crystal alone looked far from cheap.

If dumpster diving could yield such treasures, even if only once every few days, could other players emulate his success?

After all, while most players in the Weird Game didn't struggle for food and clothing, affording Weird Artifacts was an entirely different matter.

Food and daily necessities could be brought from reality using the small spatial pouches provided by the Salvation Game, but earning currency in the Weird Game was notoriously difficult.

The comment section was getting a bit chaotic, so many viewers opted to watch the stream while simultaneously heading to the Weird Game forums to discuss the unfolding events.

The forums weren't bustling during the day—even in the apocalypse, people still had jobs—but many were "fishing" during work breaks. Soon, a new thread caught their attention:

"Exploring the Possibility of Scavenging for Profit in the Weird Game?"

No one had ever considered such a path. Upon entering the Weird Game, most contestants adopted aggressive, even lawless, strategies in their quest to save Earth and defeat the Weirds. When money was tight, robbery was the go-to method; after all, while Great Weirds were untouchable, smaller ones were fair game.

Intrigued by the title, Lu Ning clicked on the thread and found a heated debate already underway.

Many believed the method had considerable potential. While individual scavenging might not yield much, these small gains could accumulate into something significant.

Some contestants possessed the prowess to navigate the Weird Game, but many more lacked such abilities. Forcing themselves to push harder would only lead to death. Scavenging, on the other hand, could be seen as a form of employment within the Weird Game. The surplus money they earned could even be exchanged with the government, which could then use it to purchase Weird Artifacts for research, potentially leading to new discoveries.

Reading these discussions, Lu Ning chuckled, then quickly grew somber. To him, these were all desperate attempts by humanity to survive. Even if the method seemed absurd, they were willing to try.

If it truly worked… Lu Ning recalled the early days of the Salvation Game, when many chosen individuals, despite their limitations, bravely ventured into the Weird Game for humanity's future. Much of the knowledge in the Weird textbooks was forged by these individuals, who risked their lives to test its limits.

Now that they had grasped the fundamental information about the Weird World, perhaps new contestants entering the game wouldn't have to be so reckless. They could play it safe, accumulate wealth through less dangerous means, and purchase Weird Artifacts to enhance their strength.

As Lu Ning pondered, his phone vibrated. A new message in the work group. He quickly scanned it, his face tightening, and he slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

"Damn it! How can everything be a Weird? Even trash cans? Is there anything safe in this Weird World?"

The news of the Weird Trash Can spread like wildfire—not just to Lu Ning, but across streaming platforms, the Weird Game forums, and various other channels. For those who hadn't watched Ying Yuanxing's stream or seen the forum post, the revelation was both surprising and unsurprising. They already knew the dangers of the Weird World; this was just another layer of peril.

However, for those who had followed the stream and the discussions, it was a rollercoaster of rising hope followed by renewed despair. Even if they had anticipated potential oversights when proposing the method, they couldn't fully control their negative emotions.

At the Dawn Bureau, staff were frantically disseminating information about the Weird Trash Can.

"Team Leader, the information recorded from Ying Yuanxing's side…"

"Put it in a separate document. His abilities are likely extraordinary. What he can do, others may not. Next time, be careful to guide the discussions in the comment section to avoid a repeat of this situation." The team leader instructed, genuinely breaking out in a cold sweat.

Ying Yuanxing's live stream had showcased another potential money-making method. While the team leader doubted its ease, it might still be a viable path. Fortunately, a contestant returning from the Weird Game brought news of the Weird Trash Can. Otherwise, if some players had actually attempted scavenging for profit, the potential casualties would have been unimaginable.

After all, powerful contestants wouldn't bother with such meager earnings; only the weaker ones and newcomers would. And if they truly fell into the maw of a Weird Trash Can, escape would be virtually impossible.

Thankfully, they learned about the existence of the Weird Trash Can before the idea spread too widely.

---

On the way back to the farm, the initial excitement of his haul faded, replaced by a gnawing hunger. But considering the untouched farmland, his still-green stamina bar, and the meager stamina boost a single loaf of bread might provide, Ying Yuanxing resisted the urge to take a bite.

He could eat anything, but he couldn't afford to waste. An impulsive bite now would leave him with no stamina later, leading to bitter regret.

The sweet, wheaty aroma of the bread tempted him, but Ying Yuanxing held out until he reached the farm.

Upon entering the farm, Ying Yuanxing glanced at his nearly full inventory. He quickly emptied everything out, then, axe in left hand and pickaxe in right, charged directly into the overgrown patch outside the wooden cabin.

Time to clear some land!

Despite having only an axe and a pickaxe, Ying Yuanxing's efficiency rivaled a small excavator. He quickly cleared a small plot of land, incidentally gathering some wood and stone.

After a glance at his significantly depleted stamina bar, Ying Yuanxing finally ate the bread.

Though not physically tired from the exertion, his hunger had intensified. As the sweet, wheaty aroma wafted up, Ying Yuanxing was about to take a bite when two options popped into his mind: one was to swallow it whole for an immediate stamina boost, the other was to eat it normally, gaining stamina gradually based on the amount consumed.

While swallowing it whole was more convenient, Ying Yuanxing hesitated, then chose the latter. After all, he hadn't eaten all day. Eating the bread now wasn't just about satisfying hunger and regaining stamina; he also wanted to savor the food.

Ying Yuanxing took a bite of the bread, then froze.

The texture… Was this bread, or wood? It was incredibly hard.

He bit down hard, feeling as if his teeth had turned into saw blades, grinding through wood. The wood groaned under his teeth—and, of course, his teeth, not being actual saw blades, were also groaning.

Ying Yuanxing released his bite and looked down. Two rows of teeth marks marred the bread, clearly just superficial damage. But his teeth were aching.

Again!

Ying Yuanxing took another bite, this time swallowing the entire loaf whole. A few chews, and the bread slid down easily, his hunger vanishing instantly.

The audience, who had just been disheartened by the apparent failure of the scavenging plan, watched this scene with wide eyes, their disappointment momentarily forgotten.

"Wait, did I just see that correctly?"

"I think I'm seeing things too."

"Isn't the streamer's ability strength? Since when does that include eating so fast?"

"No, did those in front not see the new message from the Dawn Bureau? Trash cans are Weirds, man-eating ones. The streamer being able to snatch things from a Weird Trash Can probably isn't just about brute strength, right?"

"But, have you forgotten? When the streamer picked up the bread, he was clearly tugging at something. After winning the tug-of-war, he overexerted himself and flung the bread away. Isn't that relying on brute strength?"

"Am I the only one who thinks the way the streamer ate the bread resembles how Weirds devour things?"

"Yes, just you. You haven't watched enough streams. The abilities activated by the Salvation Game are diverse, and some can look terrifying when used. There's no need to say such things about a new streamer."

"If you're ignorant, watch more streams. Don't embarrass yourself by speaking out."

Unbeknownst to Ying Yuanxing, his eating habits had once again stirred up the live stream, which had just settled down for a brief moment.

With the bread eaten and stamina replenished, Ying Yuanxing quickly tilled a plot of land by the cabin door. However, he didn't dare clear too much land, as he wasn't sure how many seeds he'd get from harvesting weeds, and tilling land also consumed stamina. If he didn't have enough seeds to plant, and the tilled land reverted the next day, it would be a pure waste of stamina.

At this stage, every bit of stamina had to be used carefully, with no room for waste.

Ying Yuanxing grabbed his sickle and plunged into the dense weeds, clearing the surrounding area completely.

However, the seed drop rate was disheartening. Clearing an entire patch of weeds yielded only five seeds. Ying Yuanxing had no choice but to continue working, aiming to collect at least ten seeds.

Ying Yuanxing kept his head down, not realizing how far he had wandered, until he bumped into a somewhat soft wall.

A soft wall?

Ying Yuanxing looked up, only to find a thick fog ahead, obscuring everything. Yet, when he turned back to the farm, there was no fog at all.

So…

Ying Yuanxing reached out and felt in front of him, discovering an invisible barrier blocking his path.

When in doubt, check the panel first. Ying Yuanxing noticed a new task had appeared in his taskbar. Ignoring the topmost task of getting to know all the villagers, Ying Yuanxing clicked on the new task and found it was a payment-required task.

By paying 10,000 yuan, he could unlock the farmland territory beyond the invisible barrier.

Ying Yuanxing glanced back at the farm, recalling how, when he followed the village chief here last night, he had seen it from afar and thought it was enormous, feeling overjoyed. Now, it seemed like nothing but a pipe dream.

He ran his hand along the invisible barrier, then walked a full circle around it, estimating the farm's actual size, and took a deep breath.

He had finally realized the biggest difference between reality and the game. In the game, he was directly given a plot of land, but in its real-world manifestation, he needed to earn money to buy the rest of the farm.