Chapter 7: The Lion’s Bold Demand

[Successfully crafted Iron Arrow (Green) *6.]

[Iron Arrow (Green), Quality - Fine, Attack Power 5~7, Special Effect - Armor Piercing.]

[Armor Piercing: When attacking enemies with high defense, there is a certain chance to trigger this effect, ignoring a portion of the opponent's defense to deal damage.]

Good heavens! Ignoring defense entirely—this armor-piercing effect is truly formidable!

Fine-quality iron arrows offer an attack bonus of over 5 points, almost catching up to the additional attack power of the wooden longbow he currently holds. One must realize that the wooden longbow is his primary weapon, yet it is nearly being surpassed by a single arrow. Coupled with the additional armor-piercing effect, one can imagine the massive amount of damage this thing would inflict upon hitting an enemy!

After finishing the iron arrows, Han Xing continued to browse the trading channel. His goal was to find a hunter’s weapon or a blueprint to replace the plain-grade longbow in his hands; doing so would elevate his attack power by several tiers.

After a quick look around, he didn't find any suitable candidates. Although there were hunter weapons listed, most were plain-grade equipment similar to what he already had. He even saw some survivors selling the very weapons the system had gifted them upon arrival.

Just as Han Xing was about to exit the trading channel, he suddenly spotted a hunter’s weapon blueprint.

[Sandalwood Longbow Blueprint (White)]

Although it was a plain-grade item, if he crafted it himself, boosted by his "God-tier Craftsman" talent, it would be a significant upgrade compared to his current wooden longbow.

Han Xing clicked on the private chat; the other party’s name was Lei Wei. This guy hadn't even chosen to chat anonymously, opting to use his real name instead.

"How much for the longbow blueprint?" Han Xing asked, getting straight to the point.

Lei Wei: "20 units of food, or 10 units of water."

Look at that—what a blatant rip-off!

Han Xing frowned. "Your price is too high. Lower it."

If this were someone genuinely interested in trading, they would have made some concessions at this point. However, this person was using his real name and was clearly no pushover.

Lei Wei sneered: "That’s the price. Take it or leave it, I'm not budging."

"Goodbye," Han Xing replied, unwilling to indulge him, and moved to close the chat window.

Lei Wei suddenly sent another message: "Wait!"

"Your name is Xinghe? The one selling the special-effect wooden arrows?"

Han Xing wasn't sure what this guy was plotting, but he replied: "It's me."

Upon hearing Han Xing’s confirmation, Lei Wei’s attitude shifted instantly.

"To be able to create such items so quickly this early on, you've got some skills, kid. Interested in joining our Lei Group?"

"Lei Group? The one from Xinyang City?" Han Xing asked.

Lei Wei: "Seems you've heard of us. Oh, right, I almost forgot—most people in this channel are from Xinyang City, so it’s no surprise you know our Lei Group."

It had been nearly ten hours since they arrived in this world, and everyone had figured out the regional grouping rules. People from the same area were assigned to the same channel in groups of ten thousand, meaning many in Channel 107 were from the same place.

Lei Wei continued: "Our Lei Group has some influence in Xinyang City, and many of our core members are in this channel. We’ve already set up a discussion group and established an elite team to help each other and share survival experiences."

"How about it? Want to join us?" Lei Wei revealed his true intent.

Han Xing flatly refused: "No need."

Lei Wei was silent for a moment, seemingly surprised that someone would reject his invitation at a time like this. He knew that humans were social animals, and especially in this strange world where lives were uncertain, most people craved the comfort of companions.

Lei Wei continued: "You should realize that this world is completely different from the one we knew before. Here, human life is as fragile as paper. I formed this team to unite everyone so we can survive better."

Lei Wei spoke with high-sounding rhetoric. If one ignored other factors, joining them at this moment would indeed be a decent choice. But Han Xing knew that Lei Wei was one of the major shareholders of the Lei Group; at his core, this guy was a merchant.

Merchants are driven by profit. Years of working in society after graduation had allowed Han Xing to see through the nature of these people. So-called organizations and teams were merely tools to control the narrative and secure more benefits for themselves. Moreover, the arrogant, condescending attitude Lei Wei had shown from the start made Han Xing feel quite repulsed.

He refused again.

With the second refusal, Lei Wei instantly became agitated: "You short-sighted fool! Do you have any idea how many other organizations are forming teams throughout Area 107 right now?"

"It is an inevitable trend for survivors to unite. If you don't join us, a dead end is all that awaits you!"

"Join our Lei Group and contribute the method for the special-effect wooden arrows, and I might even sell you the blueprint at a discount!"

Lei Wei began using both threats and inducements, but the conditions he offered made Han Xing feel like the man was an idiot. He thought he could buy him off with a plain-grade weapon? What was he thinking?

Perhaps he was just so used to throwing his weight around in Xinyang City that he subconsciously viewed everyone else as a fool.

Han Xing sneered: "I said it before—I don't want to join your organization. Don't try that routine on me. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

"You wretched brat! If you don't join the Lei Group, forget about getting this weapon blueprint. Before long, there won't be a place for you in all of Channel 107!"

Han Xing laughed with disdain: "Keep the blueprint for yourself. It's just a plain-grade weapon, something only you would treat like a treasure. Idiot."

Lei Wei wanted to say more, but Han Xing had already closed the private chat window.

Just then, in the discussion group, Shen Yun asked: "Brother Xing, Jianyong, have you received invitations from any organizations asking us to join?"

Cheng Jianyong replied: "Yeah, the boss of some company just invited me. I turned him down."

Han Xing: "Yeah, I refused too."

Shen Yun didn't reply for a moment, seemingly in thought. After a while, he asked: "Brother Xing, what's your take on joining these organizations?"

Han Xing said: "It's unnecessary. The rules of this world were made very clear upon entry. We just need to explore other floating islands and expand our own territories."

The two thought about it and expressed their agreement.

Just then, Cheng Jianyong suddenly said: "There seems to be some drama on the local network. That Lei Group seems to be giving a guy named 'Xinghe' a hard time."

Xinghe? Wasn't that his own handle? And the Lei Group—could it be that Lei Wei?

Han Xing hadn't told them his virtual handle; Cheng Jianyong and Shen Yun had added him as a friend using his real name.

He opened the chat channel, and sure enough, he saw Lei Wei tagging him on the local network.

Lei Wei: "@Xinghe, you brat, you actually dared to curse me! You ungrateful thing, let me tell you: from today on, don't even think about trading resources with anyone from our Lei Group!"

Zhuyoushu: "Support the boss. We, the Lei Group consortium, collectively blacklist you."

Huanxingyunluo: "I support it!"

Lao Liu: "@Xinghe, kid, come out and talk!"