Chapter 20: Advanced Supplies Trading Group

Meanwhile, entirely unaware of the seller’s inner turmoil, Lily Rhodes sent another message after completing the trade.

"Let’s add each other as friends. If you ever have more fish like this to sell in the future, you can contact me in advance. The price is highly negotiable."

Being able to acquire both types of fish on the very first day—and more than just one of each—meant this person either had a related Talent or possessed off-the-charts luck. Either way, they were worth befriending.

Before knowing the exact effects of the Special Fish and the Golden Fish, Lily might not have cared much. But the moment she saw their capabilities, her mindset instantly shifted. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call these two fish strategic resources.

She then examined her newly traded acquisitions. The Special Fish, Ink-Cloud, was a deep, striking black. It looked beautiful and heavily resembled a freshwater fish, even sharing the same growth conditions.

[Ink-Cloud

Type: Special Fish

Introduction: A migratory fish living in the ocean. They live in seawater but cannot grow up in it.

Skill: Once an Ink-Cloud reaches thirty centimeters in length, it will increase the base defense of its resident vehicle. One Ink-Cloud provides a one percent defense boost.]

[Golden Fish

Type: Golden Fish

Introduction: A migratory fish living in the ocean. They spend their entire lives searching for a chance to return to a freshwater river. If you fulfill its wish, it will thank you.

Skill Introduction: Koi Blessing. Brings good luck to the person who helps it return to a freshwater river.]

"The Golden Fish can be kept in that stream. The conditions there are exactly what it requires," Lily muttered to herself. "As for the Ink-Cloud..."

She originally wanted to place the Ink-Cloud in the stream as well. After all, the stream covered a decent area and had flowing water. But on second thought, she worried the water might be a bit too shallow.

She took out her stack of Environment Cards. There were quite a few aquatic environments among them: waterfalls, hot springs, lakes, marshes, deep pools, and rivers. Waterfalls and hot springs were out of the question. A marsh took up too much space, and Shelly wouldn’t be able to support it right now. That left lakes, rivers, and deep pools. She ultimately chose a lake.

She used to complain about Shelly’s massive size, but now she realized just how much of a blessing it was. Between a miniature ocean, a bamboo forest, a stream, and now a lake, an ordinary vehicle would have collapsed under the strain long ago.

After settling the Golden Fish and the Ink-Cloud, Lily continued searching for Treasure Chests while fishing. During the downtime spent waiting for bites and tending to her wounds, she didn’t forget to check the trading zone for anything she might need.

Additionally, she listed some Healing Water in the trading zone, explicitly stating that she only wanted Special Fish and Golden Fish in exchange—no other offers would be entertained.

The moment the trade listing went up, Lily’s private messages skyrocketed. She didn’t bother opening them. There were simply too many, and checking them one by one would be a massive waste of time. Besides, she highly doubted all those messages were legitimate trade offers. Furthermore, she had listed it as a direct trade and had no intention of haggling. There was no need to sift through the spam. Right now, her primary focus was collecting more Treasure Chests.

Right then, a translucent golden panel suddenly popped up in front of her.

[Survivor Mr. Grant used the A Level item, Communication Token, to create an Advanced Material Trading Group. You are now invited to join. Do you agree?]

"Mr. Grant?"

If she remembered correctly, although people could hide their names in this world, they were all real-name verified. She wondered what kind of parents would actually name their child "Mr. Grant," but after a moment of thought, Lily clicked agree. It carried a risk of exposure, but her Vehicle Level currently far exceeded that of other players. Plus, she could upgrade it two more Levels at any time if she really wanted to, so she wasn’t worried.

After she agreed, the translucent golden panel transformed into a golden chat channel. The name displayed above her own avatar was, shockingly, "Mr. Rhodes."

Mr. Rhodes: ...

Mr. Vaughn: "Someone new joined! Welcome, welcome."

Mr. Mercer: "Welcome, a warm welcome."

Lily glanced at the member count at the top. Including herself, there were only eight people. Judging by the chat history she scrolled through, this group had been established for a few days. Aside from trading materials, the members also shared vital survival information with each other.

Mr. Grant: "Weren’t you guys just looking for someone? Now I’ve pulled the person in, and you’ve all gone mute?"

The moment he said that, the remaining six people all bubbled up to the surface. Without exception, every single one of them wanted to trade for Healing Water, while also eagerly asking what Special Fish and Golden Fish were. From their chat history and conversation, Lily guessed they hadn’t encountered either type of fish yet.

It wasn’t surprising, though. Her catch rate was already abysmal using a golden fishing rod; it would be practically impossible for anyone using an ordinary fishing rod.

After a brief thought, Lily posted the abilities of the Special Fish and the Golden Fish to the group. It wasn’t exactly top-secret information anyway. As soon as someone else caught these fish, their effects would be exposed.

The moment the message dropped, the chat filled with screens of sheer shock. Not only were they stunned by the incredible abilities of these two special fish, but they were also appalled by their ridiculously demanding growth environments.

With the topic of the Special Fish and Golden Fish settled, the group turned their hungry gazes back to the Healing Water.

Mr. Vaughn: "I might not have those two special fish, but I have this. I want to trade it for one liter of Healing Water."

With that, the man named Mr. Vaughn directly tossed a card’s stats into the chat.

[Mutated Peach Tree: Once planted, it can grow Mutated Peaches. Consuming the peaches provides a special effect. Requires special soil to grow.]

Mr. Vaughn: "My vehicle can’t plant anything at the moment, and this peach tree is incredibly picky about soil. But I guarantee you it’s a great item. I pulled it out of a Golden Treasure Box! Trading it for a liter of Healing Water is definitely not a loss for you."

Hearing this, Lily looked at the details of the Mutated Peach Tree and couldn’t help but nod. It really wasn’t a loss.

She only claimed that Healing Water was rare to the public. In reality, given the output of the Healing Water Stone, she harvested a massive amount every day and couldn’t possibly use it all herself. Moreover, her vehicle had fused with the Earth Spirit Pearl—an item pulled straight from a Diamond Treasure Chest. No matter how picky the Mutated Peach Tree was, she was confident the Earth Spirit Pearl could satisfy its demands. Even after giving Mother Orca her daily share of Healing Water, Lily still had plenty left over.

Mr. Rhodes: "Sure."

Mr. Vaughn promptly initiated the trade.

Mr. Vaughn: "Love you, Mr. Rhodes ^3^. Let me know when the peaches are ripe, and I’ll buy them at a high price."

Following Mr. Vaughn’s lead, the rest of the group flocked to Lily to trade. Most of the items they offered were exceptionally rare—ranging from blueprints to Skill Books—and they even used Crystal Cores as their trading currency.