Chapter Ten: The Absolute Survival Game

Xiao Jie stared in surprise at the black, chubby man before him. He had seen this fat man earlier that morning when he came to check the equipment. The man had been quietly hammering away inside the house, and at the time, Xiao Jie had thought he was just an NPC—there was no way he looked like a player.

The key was that this guy had chosen a very common name, perfectly blending into the local style.

Xiao Jie glanced at the name above the other’s head, then at his own.

Wang Kai (Blacksmith Apprentice), Level 1.

Hidden Moon with the Wind (Woodcutter), Level 1.

“Are you really a player?”

“Yeah, why, did I scare you? Hahahahaha,” the black, chubby man laughed heartily.

“Yeah, a bit startled. But since we’re both players, could you do me a favor? I just started playing and don’t have much money. Look…”

“No way, this is a small business. Repairing gear costs money. If you need cash, how about this: I sell you some in-game currency. I’m a professional gold seller.”

Xiao Jie was a bit astonished—they had run into a fellow player. But wait a minute—people really sold gold in this death game? That genuinely surprised him.

Although he had initially planned to grind and earn money in the game, ever since learning the truth about it, his only thought was to “gain power.” He hadn’t expected anyone to be selling gold in such a game.

Xiao Jie cautiously asked, “What’s the price?”

Wang Kai said, “One to ten. How’s that? Very cheap, right?”

Xiao Jie thought: One to ten? That’s not too bad. A thousand copper coins would only cost a hundred yuan. Although that price would be considered steep in other games, in this game, The Old Earth, it was practically a giveaway.

“Then give me a thousand to start, just to test the waters. One to ten means a hundred yuan, right?”

Wang Kai looked at Xiao Jie speechlessly. “What are you thinking? Copper coins are 1, RMB is 10. If you want a thousand copper coins, that’s ten thousand yuan.”

Even an old hand like Xiao Jie was shocked.

The copper coin was the game’s lowest currency, equivalent to Warcraft’s copper coin.

One thousand copper coins equal one tael of silver; ten taels of silver equal one tael of gold.

Doing the math, one tael of silver costs ten thousand yuan—one tael of gold costs a hundred thousand yuan. This was even pricier than real-world gold, which only costs a bit more than thirty thousand yuan per tael.

Liu Qiang had said the game’s currency was very valuable and grinding was definitely profitable. Now it seemed he was right.

“How about it? Want to buy? Give me a straight answer; I’m busy.”

“Forget it, that price is ridiculous. Here, it’s fifty copper coins. Just fix my knife.”

Xiao Jie still had tens of thousands in his account and could afford a few thousand copper coins if he went all in. But he wasn’t willing to gamble everything. Considering that in the coming period he would devote himself fully to The Old Earth and couldn’t expect any income, this money was his living expenses for the next two years—not something to squander.

Watching Wang Kai swing the hammer to repair the knife, Xiao Jie struck up a conversation to pass the time and gather useful information.

“How long have you been playing this game?”

Clang—clang—clang!

“Three years.”

“Three years?”

Xiao Jie found it hard to believe. If so, that meant he’d been playing since the game launched—he was an old player. But how could he still be level one? The game didn’t allow alternate characters.

“But you’re only level one?”

“Yeah, that’s because I’ve never left this village or fought monsters. Naturally, I can’t level up.”

Clang—clang—clang!

“My game philosophy is simple: as long as I don’t leave the village, I won’t die; as long as I don’t fight monsters, I won’t face danger. So since entering this game, I have never stepped outside the village.”

Clang—clang—clang!

Xiao Jie watched Wang Kai wield the blacksmith’s hammer, unsure how to respond.

“Three years without leaving the village? What have you been doing all this time?”

“Farming, chopping wood, fishing, mining—anything that makes money. But the most profitable is blacksmithing. It’s a processing industry, so there’s product premium. I mined for two years to save enough money to apprentice as a blacksmith. That was definitely worth it.

“Now I spend my days mining and forging weapons, selling the finished goods to the village shops. An iron sword goes for 100 copper coins, a spear 90. After costs, I make at least 10,000 copper coins a month. With the current exchange rate of one to ten, that means over a hundred thousand yuan monthly. That’s way faster money than grinding in real life. A high-paying job, for sure.”

Wang Kai’s tone was quite proud.

Xiao Jie was dumbfounded. Damn, there were really people like this? Playing a game where you could gain supreme power, yet not fighting monsters or leveling up, just grinding for money?

“You know the secret of this game, right?” he ventured.

“You mean the skills you can bring into reality? Of course I know.”

“Then how do you—”

“Because I’m afraid of dying. I’m self-aware. Do you know how many players have come and gone in this village? From what I’ve observed, at least a hundred or two over these three years. But now, including you and me, there are only three to five players left in the whole village. The others, nine out of ten, died somewhere outside. Many never returned after their first time leaving. Well, that’s their choice. No one to blame.”

Xiao Jie knew well: according to Officer Li, the annual death rate was 78%. That meant eight out of ten players didn’t survive a year.

Imagining the wilderness outside the village littered with the remains of dead players sent a chill down his spine.

Wang Kai continued, “Of course not everyone dies. Some do well. I know a few like that. My achievements can’t compare to those who made a name for themselves outside, but at least I’m better off than those dead players. I make money and face zero risk.

“Little brother, take my advice: don’t always chase power, spells, or becoming immortal gods. The prerequisite is to live long enough to enjoy it. Instead of risking your life, grinding in the village is better. Making over a hundred thousand a month beats gambling with your life outside.”

Xiao Jie couldn’t help but admire him. Self-awareness is a virtue. Easy to say, but few can truly achieve it.

To go three years without leaving the village, this black, chubby man’s self-control must be top-tier. To resist the desire for power and steady one’s heart is rare.

Yet Xiao Jie could not help but say, “But with so much money, you could gear up with the best starter equipment, fight the weakest monsters, slowly grow stronger, and then challenge the tougher ones. Isn’t that safer? Plus you’d gain power, just more slowly.”

Wang Kai burst out laughing. “Heh, everyone who died outside probably thought the same. This game isn’t like others—nothing is absolutely safe. You think weak monsters aren’t dangerous? There isn’t a single harmless monster here. Even a few wild dogs can threaten experts.

“One mistake and you’re done.

“Besides, even low-level monsters sometimes spawn special elites. Even experts have their wipeouts.

“If you want safety, the only sure way is not to leave the village. As long as I don’t take risks, I won’t die.

“By the way, how about teaming up with me? I’m short on mining suppliers. You mine for me, and I’ll buy from you at a premium. Guaranteed income of over thirty thousand a month, and after three years, over a hundred thousand monthly.”

Xiao Jie shook his head. Without Han Luo’s death, maybe he could choose this path. But now he had to grow stronger. Only by growing stronger could he take revenge.

Besides, deep down, his thirst for extraordinary power made it impossible to settle for grinding in the village.

“No thanks. I have my own plans.”

“Heh, suit yourself then. Here, your woodcutting knife is fixed.”