Chapter 14: Power
To speed up his own advancement, Logan switched from cooking the F-rank Frost Serpent Meat to roasting E-rank Dragon Armor Beast Meat. He hoped that a higher-tier meal would help him break through faster.
The flavor was rich, but he had little time to savor it—massive waves of energy surged through his body, setting his stomach twisting in pain. That ache radiated outward, into his muscles, bones, and blood.
Even in the cool night air, Logan sweated rivers. He clenched his teeth so hard he tasted blood. His status screen looked like a pot of boiling water, the numbers jumping steadily:
Basic Attributes: Strength 72, Agility 61
[Strength 81, Agility 75]
[Strength 97, Agility 89]
[Strength 99, Agility 92]
[Strength 99, Agility 99]
[Strength 99, Agility 99]
[Strength 99, Agility 99]
…
He hit a plateau at that 99/99 mark. Grimacing, he forced down more Dragon Armor Beast Meat, ignoring the taste or texture. After about half an hour, the numbers moved again—but this time a new display replaced his old stats:
Base Attributes: Divine Power 10, OverSpeed 10 (Note: each point of Divine Power = 10 Strength; each point of OverSpeed = 10 Agility.)
Constitution: F-rank (entry level)
New Ability: Charged Spinning Explosion
(Note: Condenses Divine Power into a single point, forming a drill-like burst. Extremely destructive but causes severe recoil injuries. Use sparingly.)
Logan panted, skin glistening with sweat. Though his body felt like it had been hammered from the inside out, he couldn't deny the thrill of his breakthrough. He gazed at the readout in awe, realizing he had finally stepped beyond ordinary human limits. The question now was what lay ahead—and whether his new power would be enough to face the trials waiting once the protection period lifted.
Logan Lane felt an incredible surge of power course through his body. His new strength, more than ten times that of an average human, made him feel reborn.
In a fit of curiosity, he grabbed a random piece of gravel, clenched his fist, and smashed it into dust with a single punch. Sharp edges that would have cut through his flesh before now left only a faint white scratch on his skin.
He paused to consider why he stopped growing stronger after devouring more E-rank Dragon Armor Beast Meat. Maybe his daily advancement had some upper limit. "I'll see if there's any progress tomorrow," he muttered, deciding to save the remaining meat for later.
He then pulled out several item blueprints and resources from the treasure boxes he'd gathered:
[Crafting Table Drawing x1]
[Four-Piece Clay Paper Set for Down Bed x1]
[Mai Drawing x1]
[Cabin Architectural Drawing x3]
He glanced at the materials required for each:
Normal Crafting Table: [Stone x10, Refined Iron x3, Wood x5]
Four-Piece Bed Set: [Silk x5, Fine Thread x1]
Mai Set: [Cotton-Linen x2, Buttons x3]
Cabin: [Wood x376, Refined Iron x15, Stone x20]
Logan gave a rueful sigh. Although these requirements seemed straightforward, he lacked many of the components. And it was only the second day. Did anyone really crack open a chest with silk, thread, or cotton-linen so soon?
A quick check of the Regional Survivors trading interface revealed tens of thousands of new messages, most of which were frantic pleas for food or water. Some posts, however, bordered on absurd:
One user wrote: "Floating Stone x1 for Facial Cleanser x1 or Soap x1." Another listed: "Grade D Soil x1 for 550ml Purified Water x10, or 2000g Bread/Cooked Meat. (Note: I'm starving and can't hold on. If nobody trades in 3 hours, I'll throw this stuff into the sea and die. Don't bother me!)"
Logan shook his head at the drama. Dozens of users nagged him to lower his prices. Ignoring them, he noticed that swapping a bit of non-rank food for a rank-grade item was a great deal.
Seizing the opportunity, he exchanged 10 bottles of water and 19 loaves of bread for that user's piece of [Grade D Soil]. Now he had two portions of high-grade soil in total.
His every move caused a stir; by now, the entire district recognized "DemonSlayer." A single trade could spark heated debates, especially at night when so many idle survivors scrolled the chats.
"Boss DemonSlayer just swept up that expensive soil," someone wrote.
"Why won't he feed us? More than thirty people are missing from the district today—probably dead."
"Boss DemonSlayer, please help me. If I survive and return home, I'll pay you 100 million! I swear…"
"You must be that big CEO on the Rich List!"
…
Logan let the chatter flow without comment. His next move was to share some basic knowledge. While he couldn't afford to feed everyone for free, maybe he could help them become more self-sufficient—and in turn produce more resources to trade with him.
DemonSlayer: "Everyone, quiet. I can't hand out free food or water. I don't have that much left. But I'll give you a crucial tip. Each of you started with at least one tree on your island. If you're lucky, it might be a fruit tree. Otherwise, cut it down.
You'll get wood. Also, any tree cut at around 5:00 each day regrows—like a game mechanic. Some folks already discovered this, but many have no clue. Use it to stay alive."
The Regional Survivors chat exploded. Dozens admitted they had kept their single tree for climbing or hiding. Some never cut it because they lacked an axe. Others just feared they'd lose shade or potential fruit.