C8 [knock on the Bamboo!]

Zhao Dong initially thought the offer was more than fair.

A vine was only useful to him for securing his boat, and to anyone else, it was worthless.

Plus, he wasn't even sure if the vine would come in handy for him.

He believed his terms were quite reasonable.

But to his surprise, the other party had the audacity to demand more!

"I want all three items!"

Unbelievable!

Zhao Dong's expression turned stern. Clearly, this person was convinced he was desperate for the vine and was trying to gouge him.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford the items; he simply detested being taken advantage of.

Zhao Dong: Never mind, I don't need it.

He figured he could just haul the boat ashore if necessary.

With his current strength, that would be a breeze.

"Almighty Zhao, these items are trivial to you, aren't they? You've sold a fair number of torches, after all. Tell you what, I can cut you a deal."

The man's tactic was to shoot high with the initial price, then bargain down from there.

Zhao Dong saw right through the ploy. He was about to respond when a message came in.

Shen Jianning: Hey Zhao Dong, I don't have any rope, but I do have an iron chain. Would that work?

Joy surged in Zhao Dong's heart. An iron chain was even more useful than rope.

He had previously traded with Shen Jianning, who seemed to have discovered her cutting talent on some island.

He remembered her favorably. He had even given her a shout-out once, fostering good karma between them.

He quickly replied: "An iron chain works. How long is it?"

Shen Jianning: "Roughly ten meters, about as thick as your thumb."

Zhao Dong: "That'll do. What do you need in return? Let's make a trade."

Shen Jianning: "I'm all set over here, don't need a thing. The chain's no use to me; I'll just give it to you."

She was giving it away!

Zhao Dong's opinion of her rose even higher.

Without any false modesty, he responded: "Alright, thanks a lot. If there's ever anything you need, just let me know."

Before long, the chain arrived.

With only a minute left before the trading zone closed, the earlier man inquired: "Almighty Zhao, how about two wolf legs instead?"

Seeing Zhao Dong hadn't answered, the man grew desperate and lowered his ask.

Zhao Dong: "Get lost!"

With the chain in hand, things were going to be much easier.

He tested its strength with a firm tug. It was solid.

And it was rust-resistant, too. Shen Jianning had really come through for him.

He secured one end of the chain to the boat's bow anchor and tied the other end to a gnarled tree ashore.

No more worries about the boat drifting off.

He then set about gathering wood for a fire.

With a pile of kindling and a flick of his Flame skill, a fire roared to life in no time.

He threaded wolf legs and a few fish onto skewers, fashioning a makeshift grill.

And with that, the barbecue was underway.

"If only I had a pot to boil some soup," he mused.

Scanning the area, Zhao Dong's gaze landed on a large leaf nearby.

A lightbulb went off. The leaf was huge and could serve as a makeshift bowl.

Banana leaf: Sturdy and edible, these broad leaves are perfect for cooking, known for their cooling properties and ability to neutralize odors.

Zhao Dong chuckled to himself; it was a pleasant surprise to discover the banana leaves also served to eliminate any gamey odor.

Barbecue without the right seasoning could be overwhelmingly pungent.

But now, that was one less thing to worry about.

He strolled over and plucked a few banana leaves.

Ripping them into strips, he stuffed them into the meat, a natural remedy for the strong smell.

For the largest leaf, Zhao Dong ingeniously rigged it up with two sticks.

He poured water into the makeshift basin and began to boil it.

Drinking straight from the river was out of the question—another bout of stomachache was the last thing he needed, especially with no medicine available in these parts.

While the barbecue was still a ways off, Li Chun set to work dissecting the recently slain giant rat.

The creature had grown considerably, its thick fur promising a fine coat come winter.

The Hammer of Industry in his grasp morphed before his eyes, the axe liquefying into a slender, sharp dagger.

"Let the dissection begin," he announced, and plunged the blade in.

...

A mere ten minutes later, the giant rat's hide had been skillfully removed with the dagger's keen edge.

He laid it out to dry on the riverbank.

After severing the limbs, Zhao Dong discarded the less appetizing belly meat—there was more than enough to eat without it.

With time to spare before the barbecue was ready, Zhao Dong decided to gather some extra firewood to store on the boat, better safe than sorry.

Feeling refreshed after his rest, with his mental energy replenished, he ventured deeper into the woods.

"Huh, blood?" he muttered, noticing a trail a few hundred steps in.

Deep within the thicket, he stumbled upon a body, not a vicious beast.

A man, dressed in a nightgown, lay dead—teleported here mid-slumber, by the looks of it.

Zhao Dong observed that the body bore no animal bites; instead, a wooden spike protruded from its back—a clear sign of ambush.

He nodded to himself; in a lawless world, backstabbing for personal gain was all too common.

Yet, he hadn't expected to encounter such treachery so soon.

Touching the corpse, he felt residual warmth.

Suddenly, voices carried through the trees—a rustling sound, followed by a man and a woman arguing.

"Huang Li, I did what you asked. I stabbed my boyfriend in the back. Why must I now lure the wolf?" the man's voice quivered.

"Damn it, stop whining. With my protection, what's there to fear?" the woman retorted.

"But I'm hurt, and that wolf... it's terrifying."

"Enough. We're not dealing with the wolf now. We're after the Giant Tusk Rat, got it?"

"The Giant Tusk Rat is terrifying too... I'm so scared..."

"Shut up or I'll kill you. You know what I'm capable of. I'm level 1 now; killing you level 0s is a piece of cake."

Zhao Dong's heart skipped a beat—it seemed he'd stumbled upon a grim tale of love and betrayal.

He shook his head; there was no need to entangle himself in such affairs.

One thing was clear, though: he couldn't linger here. It was time to head back before his boat—or worse, his life—was compromised.

Just as I was about to walk away, a sinister chuckle broke the silence: "Hey, little brother, what a coincidence!"

A figure burst from the underbrush.

The man was portly, with a strong build and a face that screamed trouble.

Trailing him was a young man in his early twenties, a delicate-looking fellow with soft, fair skin.

It was clear that this pretty boy had just delivered a treacherous stab in the back, resulting in the death of the man now lying on the ground.

Without hesitation, I activated the Attribute Display.

The burly man was named Xu Jun.

He was Level 1, with his attributes averaging around 20—a decent strength level for his tier, suggesting his muscular build wasn't just for show.

According to the Attribute Display, his talent was 'Legs of Steel.'

The young man behind him was a mere Level 0, with all attributes under 5.

His awakened talent? Healing. While healing abilities are highly valued later on, they offer little advantage in the perilous early game.

With the opponent at only Level 1, Zhao Dong wasn't intimidated. However, he kept a wary eye on Xu Jun's steel-like legs.