Chapter 20: Bargain

[Novice Ordinary Fishing Net (3 Days of Use, 3 Days Old)]

[Countdown to Destruction: 7:59:50]

[Status: Unrepairable]

He rubbed his forehead. He had nearly forgotten about this net's expiration. Three days left, and that was final. At least he pulled in three wooden crates, though two of them broke upon contact with the air, dissolving in the salty spray. The lone survivor yielded:

[Mineral Water x2]

[Bread x3]

[Salt x1]

[Floating Stone x3]

[Winter Down Jacket x3]

[Pots and Pans (Kitchenware) x1]

[Pocket Game Console x1]

It wasn't glamorous, but at least it was useful. He loaded the crates onto a makeshift plank platform strapped to the deer, leading it back to his cabins. Once there, he opened the district's trading interface by the stone pillar:

DemonSlayer: "Tiger Meat (500g portions) x50 in exchange for one fully functional fishing net, or a fishing rod capable of hooking supply crates. Also, one Rabbit and three Sparrows in exchange for a diving suit. Private message me if you have a wetsuit or diving gear."

He posted it and didn't linger, turning to grill some fresh meat. Although his stock of common food and water was limited, it was still enough for him alone. The real challenge was that he had nearly run out of rank-grade food—the big breakthroughs had consumed most of his stash.

The previous day's battles and cooking left him with only [E-rank Dragon Armor Beast Meat x20]. After his meal, he checked his stats, noting that Divine Power had crept from 10 to 14 and Overspeed increased by two points. He relished the surge of strength in his limbs, then opened the trading channel to see if anyone had taken his offer.

[Tiger Meat -50 portions successfully traded for Fishing Net x1]

He retrieved the net to inspect its condition. It seemed new, sturdy. Satisfied, he messaged its donor:

DemonSlayer: "Thanks for the trade, O Great Lucky One. Hope we can do business again."

The user responded swiftly:

LuckyOne: "Boss DemonSlayer, it's me who should be grateful! Let's definitely work together again sometime."

Logan smirked. The user seemed polite, so he decided to push his luck:

DemonSlayer: "LuckyOne, I have another request. Know any special enhancements, like robots or beast companions that can fight?"

LuckyOne: "That's a tall order, boss. I've never heard of anything like that so far. However, I do know a secret I'm willing to share if you'll give me a secret of equal value."

Logan thought it over, guessing the user wanted to confirm the rumor about "vassals from other nationalities." He agreed, with a caveat:

DemonSlayer: "I'll swap intel if yours is genuinely valuable."

LuckyOne: "Deal. I won't lie."

Their exchange went quickly. LuckyOne confirmed the whispered rule: if a person of different nationality willingly becomes your vassal, they join your island but lose survivor status, counted instead as personal property. They retain memories, thoughts, and personalities—just must obey absolutely. No betrayal is possible, so the owner can order anything without fear.

Logan considered the option. Vassals might be useful if they could cook, build, or fight. But right now, his resources were thin, and vassals wouldn't directly enhance his strength. He let the idea sit for later.

A "Ding!" sounded from his private chat. It was MorganBlossom again:

MorganBlossom: "Hey, DemonSlayer, I saw your note about diving gear. I have a D-rank wetsuit and a C-rank oxygen tank, but I don't want that rabbit or sparrows you listed. Do you still have any E-rank meat? I need something that'll boost my stats."

Logan's eyes gleamed. He typed quickly:

DemonSlayer: "How much do you want?"

MorganBlossom: "This stuff is rare, so I'll only rent it to you. One hour costs 100 grams of E-rank beast meat."

Logan replied: "I'll need it for six hours. Let's settle on 600 grams of E-rank Dragon Armor Beast Meat, deal?"

He promptly listed the item as [600g E-rank Dragon Armor Beast Meat x1] for MorganBlossom. After all, the purple shell in the deep waters beckoned, and a D-rank wetsuit plus a C-rank oxygen tank might be exactly what he needed to plumb those depths—despite the lurking threats in the ocean's dark domain.