C5 I Obtained the First Job.

When Zhao Dong declined the offer of water, the other person became visibly flustered.

"Ah, I'm out of wood. Brother Zhao, would you be interested in coconuts? I've also got crabs and lobsters."

Hearing the other's desperate tone, Zhao Dong considered that for him, a torch was an inexhaustible resource.

So, he agreed to the trade.

After all, if he didn't trade now, fire would lose its value as more people acquired it.

Zhao Dong said, "Alright, let's make a trade."

"Great, great. I'll get the items ready."

Once they struck a deal,

Zhao Dong grabbed a branch from his boat.

With a mere thought, flames danced on his palm, and he used them to ignite the end of the branch until it glowed red, crafting a makeshift torch.

He then deposited the items into the system space.

This was a special system space for the trading area, where items could be exchanged directly.

There was no risk of one party reneging on the deal.

Once confirmed, Zhao Dong received the goods:

Three Australian lobsters, three hefty crabs, and three sizable coconuts.

It looked like the guy lived on some remote island.

As time ticked by, Zhao Dong decided to post a message:

"Looking for wood over five meters long and as thick as a thigh. DM for trade."

No sooner had he posted the message,

A girl named Shen Jianing messaged him: "I've got a willow tree here. I just knocked one over."

Knocked over?

Zhao Dong was taken aback, "You can knock over a willow tree?"

Shen Jianing explained, "My awakened power is the Cutting Technique. I can slice through the air with a swipe of my palm."

She was incredibly fortunate.

Having a combat talent from the start often meant getting ahead early on.

Zhao Dong inquired, "So, what would you like to trade?"

Shen Jianing responded, "Fire, and maybe some food? There are a lot of wild animals around here, and they scare me."

Zhao Dong chuckled, feeling generous, and offered some reassurance:

"With your ability, if you can control the direction of the cuts, you'll find dealing with wild beasts pretty straightforward."

Shen Jianing was grateful, "Really? Thanks for the tip."

Zhao Dong proposed, "How about ten fish and some fire in exchange?"

Food was no longer a concern for Zhao Dong.

Shen Jianing expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much."

They completed the trade with remarkable speed.

Before long, a six-meter-long, thigh-thick tree trunk was his.

Zhao Dong's excitement was palpable as he laid the trunk across his small fishing boat, knowing he'd soon be able to fashion an oar.

"If memory serves, the first time you craft something from wood, you might awaken a carpentry skill."

But there was no rush for that.

Carpentry skills would come into play later on.

For now, he wanted to capitalize on the high value of fire, selling it off while it was still a hot commodity, just like Zhou Fann did in the novel.

Zhou Fann had made a fortune early on with his fire ability, but by the later stages, it had become practically worthless.

"Deity, I've hunted a wolf. Can I trade two wolf legs for some fire?"

Zhao Dong agreed, "Sure."

"Thank you!"

...

"Deity, are you in need of clothes? I can trade some for fire."

Zhao Dong replied, "Sure thing."

He didn't bother to ask whether they were women's or men's clothes.

To him, the more, the merrier.

After all, it wouldn't be long before tinder lost its value.

Very soon.

Over ten new articles of clothing appeared, and to his surprise, several were women's garments.

Though unnecessary, Zhao Dong decided to stash them away. They might come in handy during the quiet of the night.

No, that's not right. He corrected himself; clothes would become extremely valuable later on. Eventually, someone would surely want to buy them.

When that time came, he could make a trade.

After amassing a hefty amount of supplies, Zhao Dong chose to call it quits.

He had no choice; igniting the fire had nearly depleted his mental energy.

Besides, others had started trading torches outside, and the value of tinder was plummeting.

He was already wealthy beyond measure, his boat brimming with resources. He didn't need these petty gains.

Logging off, Zhao Dong eyed the timber on his boat and resolved to craft an oar.

Ultimately, in this survival game, raw strength was the key.

He had to leave this area posthaste to hunt vicious beasts and boost his power.

That was the real quest!

...

At that very moment.

In a forest clearing in the distance, Zhou Fann was busy drilling wood to make fire.

He gathered some dry grass, piled it up, and found a sheltered spot to start friction-heating two sticks.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

Zhou Fann's hands moved swiftly, a testament to years of practice. In under a minute, the wood darkened, the temperature soared, and white smoke began to curl up.

Finally, at the two-minute mark, billowing smoke gave way to rising flames.

"Hahaha, I've mastered fire-starting! The reward is mine!" Zhou Fann boasted, his laughter brimming with pride. So focused was he that he missed the earlier announcement and remained oblivious to Zhao Dong's success.

"The system should've alerted me, right?"

Upon checking the system, Zhou Fann was blindsided by the notice of Zhao Dong's successful fire-starting in the chat channel.

He was dumbfounded.

"How can this be?"

Zhou Fann's eyes bulged with incredulity.

"Zhao Dong again? What makes him so special that he can start a fire?"

Zhou Fann was at a loss, gazing at his own fire, realizing he was a mere twenty minutes behind.

Reviewing the chat logs, he saw the crowd offering Zhao Dong a wealth of goods for torches, his face flushing with jealousy.

He had a nagging feeling that this was meant to be his moment, but it had slipped through his fingers.

"So close, just a bit more..."

Then, another announcement scrolled by.

Congratulations to Survivor Zhao Dong for the first successful creation of a wooden item, an oar.

The system was in an uproar.

All three groundbreaking announcements had come from Zhao Dong alone.

"Unbelievable, Almighty Zhao, you're my hero."

"He's leveled up for the third time, Almighty Zhao is unstoppable."

"Almighty Zhao, where are you? Don't you need a lady's company? Let me send you a photo."

The chat channel's photo feature was quickly utilized, and soon, a photo of an adorable girl popped up.

"Wow, she's gorgeous. If I were Almighty Zhao, I'd definitely win her over."

"Envious of Almighty Zhao."

"Damn, that's tempting."

"Almighty Zhao is just too powerful; it's like comparing mortals to a deity," someone lamented.

Zhao Dong merely shook his head slightly, unfazed by such comments. He turned his attention to the rewards awaiting him.

Reward: Level up by 1 (All attributes increase by 30, plus an additional 30 free attribute points to allocate).

Reward: First profession acquired, Master Carpenter. (You share a natural affinity with wood, allowing you to discern the quality of any wooden material at a glance. Your efficiency in crafting wooden items is boosted by 80%, ensuring that the items you create are of superior quality.)

Reward: Skill, Wood Control. (You gain the ability to manipulate wooden objects within a certain vicinity.)

Reward: One opportunity to spin the lucky draw.

Reward: A bounty of 3000 gold coins.