Chapter 141 - 132: Solving One After Another

Chapter 141: Chapter 132: Solving One After Another

Rowan Rhodes had no idea about the discussions taking place in the other districts. After dealing with Oscar Oswald, her gaze shifted to the next player. It was safe to say that her raft boasted a crushing superiority over any other player’s raft, so her subsequent moves were lightning-fast. Using the exact same method, she began to take down the second and third players.

As a result, a steady stream of notifications detailing these players’ defeats flooded the world channel. They weren’t just being eliminated by Rowan; the two Abyssal Sea Serpents were racking up kills as well. The combined body count from both sides piled up, creating a truly spectacular sight.

Under these circumstances, many players began to entertain thoughts of retreating. Compared to losing half their net worth, their lives were obviously more important. However, just as the urge to fall back arose, new notifications popped up on their control panels.

[Server-Wide Announcement: Player Zelda Parrish has successfully attacked player Harrison Sinclair, acquiring all of Harrison Sinclair’s resources. The resources in the surrounding sea area have been upgraded.]

[Server-Wide Announcement: Player Anne Shawcross has successfully attacked player Liam Stone, acquiring all of Liam Stone’s resources. The resources in the surrounding sea area have been upgraded.]

These two notifications undoubtedly extinguished any remaining thoughts of retreating. If they backed out now, they would have to forfeit half their wealth, and countless other players out there would be eyeing them, waiting to swallow them whole while they were weak.

Killers were always destined to be killed. They had always known this. So, rather than being destroyed by opportunists later on, they might as well take a gamble right here and now. In an instant, the intensity of their attacks against Rowan’s raft stiffened. No one held back anymore. They were all acutely aware that if they kept dragging this battle of attrition out, they would only be defeated one by one.

Truth be told, they were starting to lose track of whether the eliminations announced on the world channel were the work of Rowan or the Abyssal Sea Serpents. But regardless of who was responsible, it proved one indisputable fact: Rowan was incredibly tough to deal with.

On Rowan’s end, she could clearly feel the increased damage the other players were inflicting on her raft. Its Durability was dropping at a much faster Speed. Rowan had been constantly repairing it, but she felt that endless patching wasn’t a viable long-term solution. She needed to prepare early, especially since she would still have to face the two fully-grown Abyssal Sea Serpents after dealing with these players. The Metal Wall plan, which she had previously shelved, was immediately brought back to the forefront.

Metal Walls required a massive amount of Metal Ingots and iron nails. She hadn’t built them earlier because she didn’t have enough Metal Ingots on hand. However, with her recent influx of resources, she had more than enough to trade for what she lacked.

Rowan glanced at the data on her panel. She currently possessed just over a thousand Metal Ingots. If she crafted Metal Walls, they would only cover a little over a hundred square meters, and just the first floor of her raft required over a hundred. Her raft now had four floors. Excluding the glass sections, she still needed around three hundred more walls.

Rowan knew they were available in the Sea Survival Shop’s listings, and she had an abundance of Trading Coins. After pondering for a moment, she chose to purchase them directly from the Sea Survival Shop. To a certain extent, this would prevent other players from tracking her movements.

There were many smart people among the player base. Although she occasionally leaked information to them on purpose, she wanted those leaks to remain firmly under her control. If she wanted to tell the other players something, they would be able to guess what she had done. But for the things she didn’t want them to know, she preferred they remain entirely in the dark.

Soon, Rowan purchased a massive amount of Metal Ingots and iron nails from the Sea Survival Shop. Once the transaction was complete, she immediately crafted them into Metal Walls and began replacing her existing Wood Walls one by one. The first floor, the second floor, the third floor—across these three levels, all of Rowan’s Wood Walls, excluding the glass panes, were transformed into Metal Walls.

As for the sunroom on the fourth floor, Rowan didn’t dismantle it. Instead, she added a layer of Metal Walls around its exterior. Since Metal Walls could always be disassembled and reused later, using them to protect her garden right now was a solid choice.

In the blink of an eye, the defensive power of Rowan’s raft skyrocketed. Correspondingly, the resources she consumed shifted from Wooden Boards to Metal Ingots and iron nails. To replenish what she had spent, Rowan began initiating trades in the District 122 trading hall, offering up Antidotes and Eira Grass Seeds. As soon as she made her move, she caught everyone’s attention.

"Boss Rowan has appeared! Is she starting to collect Metal Ingots and iron nails?"

"What is she doing?"

"They should be materials for repairing her raft."

"Shouldn’t the materials for repairing a raft be Wooden Boards?"

"No, a Level 7 Raft unlocks the Metal Wall. And crafting a Metal Gun requires 10 Metal Ingots and 10 iron nails."

"So, Boss Rowan’s raft... Oh, no, it should be called a metal raft now."

"That’s so lavish!"

"If that’s the case, Boss Rowan’s raft will probably be really hard to damage!"

"Those attacking players are going to have to pay a much steeper price."

"We’re still in the primitive age, while she’s already entered the metal age!"

"It’s not just metal, it’s technology too."

"She’s truly formidable!"

"Are you guys going to trade with her?"

"Of course!"

"We pamper the boss of our own district."

"@Zelda Parrish @Owen Caldwell @Faye Sinclair, have you bosses been buying from the Sea Survival Shop?"

"Zelda Parrish: No."

"Aw, so this is a perk Boss Rowan is giving us."

"Besides being a perk, she probably doesn’t want people from other districts to catch wind of this!"

"True. If others found out, they’d probably be scared into retreating."

"So the boss still trusts us a lot."

"..."

The players of District 122 chatted animatedly as they enthusiastically fulfilled her trades. It wasn’t just to support Rowan; trading with her brought them massive tangible benefits as well. They were all well aware that Rowan was winning over their hearts. And it had to be said, their hearts were indeed won over.

Sensing the support from the players of District 122, Rowan hoarded these resources, saving them for the continuous consumption that lay ahead. After harvesting this batch and making her intentions clear to her district, Rowan focused entirely on dealing with her challengers. Before she knew it, she had eliminated them one after another.

Meanwhile, the players currently on the offensive were going insane.

"Why does it feel like our combined attacks are barely doing any significant damage to Rowan’s raft?"

"We’re helplessly watching the rafts around us disappear one by one."

"I feel like I can still hear the agonizing screams of the players next to me."

"Can anyone figure out the pattern to her kills?"

"No. One here, one there—it’s completely unpredictable."

"She’s clearly surrounded by us! She has to steer, and she has to attack our rafts. How is she doing it? Does she have clones?"

"..."

As this group of players discussed their plight in their private chat group, their expressions were filled with absolute despair.