While Everyone Panicked, I Upgraded My Raft

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Extreme Cold Disaster Descends

[District 122: (97902/100000)]

”God! I’m so nervous.”

”How can you not be? Our lives are on the line!”

”Actually, I think if a natural disaster lasts three days, they should give us a three-day break in between to make it fair.”

”You’re crazy if you think this game cares about fairness!”

”Well, if a disaster really is coming, I hope it’s extreme cold.”

”Yeah, at least we’re somewhat prepared for the extreme cold!”

”Almost there! We’ll know the results soon.”

”By the way, have you guys been checking the leaderboard? Rowan Rhodes’s raft has upgraded to Level 7. She’s an absolute monster.”

”Holy shit, that’s fast! I’m only at Level 4!”

”I’m at Level 5 and was planning to upgrade to Level 6. But I found out you have to unlock the Equipment for every stage and upgrade them all to E-level. It takes a massive amount of resources. I still need to save up!”

”Thank god I’ve been unlocking things level by level. Sure, upgrading takes a bit longer, but it saves resources. Perfect.”

”Upgrading through the first five levels is easy. Anyone at Level 6 or above is a boss, and Level 7 is the boss of all bosses.”

”Rowan Rhodes has really been way ahead since the novice period. The gap between us and her is only going to get bigger.”

”If only I had the chance to meet the boss so she could teach me.”

”...”

On the World Channel, everyone had been nervously awaiting the arrival of the seventh day. However, after someone brought up Rowan Rhodes’s upgrade to Level 7, the topic immediately shifted to her. Reading between the lines, they were full of envy. After all, she was a mysterious top player who had been thriving since the novice period. Who wouldn’t want to be like her—upgrading smoothly and living comfortably in this deadly survival game?

According to previous descriptions from Level 5 Raft players, those who had normally upgraded to Level 5 or above were already considered to be doing exceptionally well among the entire player base. So, it was easy to imagine that anyone higher up was living a dream life.

This was especially true after the Sea Survival Shop appeared. Seeing the wide variety of Equipment, food, and medicine with special effects had greatly broadened their horizons. It made them realize that as long as they had enough resources, they could tackle anything—whether it was a natural disaster or an endless stream of marine creatures. Deep down, many players had already developed a desire to grow stronger. No matter the method, they wanted to become stronger, to survive, and even to live better lives.

Rowan had been scrolling through the World Channel to pass the time while she waited, but she hadn’t expected the conversation to pivot to her. Her name was popping up far too frequently. She wondered if it was like this in other districts as well. Realizing this, Rowan immediately felt the need to stockpile more weapons and supplies. Too many people had their eyes on her. If given the chance, even more would try to steal the fruits of her labor.

And it wasn’t just District 122; there were players from over seven thousand other districts. If even one percent of them were tempted, it would amount to a massive number of enemies. Moreover, she figured that those who would be tempted were definitely the top bosses of each district. Ordinary players wouldn’t dare covet the assets of the number one ranked player. Only similarly elite players would think about growing stronger by devouring someone even more powerful. This guaranteed that her opponents would be anything but ordinary.

And the time was approaching quickly.

She remembered that the first batch of Positioning Cards had been found on the third island. The appearance of those first Positioning Cards had marked the beginning of raft-versus-raft combat. Even among players who previously had some level of mutual trust, that trust began to wear thin. Not to mention the players who hardly trusted anyone to begin with.

Later on, Positioning Cards became increasingly common. Not only could they be scavenged on islands, but players could even obtain Positioning Cards by hooking wooden crates. That was when the conflicts and slaughter truly began.

Rowan decided she would upgrade her raft again right around the time she entered the third island. She worried that more than one player had set their sights on her. When Positioning Cards were first used, many players didn’t realize that if multiple cards targeted the same location at the same time, everyone would spawn in the same stretch of ocean simultaneously. This was the precursor to the subsequent... group siege battles.

Therefore, she had to prepare for the worst. That meant her first battle wouldn’t be against a single player, but rather... a whole group of them.

As she analyzed the various scenarios she might encounter, a plan slowly took shape in her mind. She always preferred to be prepared well in advance. While Rowan was calculating her next moves, the clock struck midnight. Almost every player’s eyes turned toward the top left corner of their control panels.

[Sea Survival Calendar: January 7th, 0:00. Weather: Overcast. Today’s Temperature: 10 degrees, with a downward trend. Beware of catching a cold.]

When those familiar words popped up, all the players let out a long breath of relief. The extreme cold disaster had really arrived!

”It’s actually the extreme cold disaster!”

”Thank goodness I prepared early.”

”Even though I’ve prepared, I still feel like it’s not enough. I’m almost too scared to sleep. I need to keep scavenging for resources.”

”Speaking of which, is there really no one selling tree seeds? I want to plant them and chop them down to harvest Wooden Boards. That way, I’d have an endless supply of Wooden Boards!”

”Plant seeds are basically only held by the players who logged in early. Those who joined later can’t collect them at all, and the players who do have tree seeds generally won’t sell them.”

”I actually saw some in the Sea Survival Shop, but they were snatched up instantly.”

”The prices are so high!”

”How could good stuff not be?”

”I really hope the game drops more seeds.”

”Right now, it seems like the only things capable of mass production are Coconuts, Mangos, and Watermelons.”

”I hope the drop rate increases later so we can unlock Farming mode sooner!”

”Agreed. Having to rely solely on scavenging for food makes me feel really insecure.”

”@Owen Caldwell @Skye Schuyler @Zelda Parrish @Faye Sinclair, hurry up and list your cold-resistant Equipment and food!”

”...”

In an instant, intense preparations resumed. After all, no one would ever complain about having too many items to combat a natural disaster. Now that the nature of the disaster was confirmed, their preparations would only become more purposeful.

And Rowan was preparing as well.