While Everyone Panicked, I Upgraded My Raft

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Fixed Temperature + Abyssal Heat Bacteria Attack

Time ticked by, second by second, and the temperature continued to rise.

This rise in temperature greatly affected the players’ bodies. Many felt as if every drop of moisture inside them was being roasted dry. They could only continuously chug down mineral water to slightly alleviate the sweltering heat and replenish their Thirst Value. Comparatively, only the players who possessed sun umbrellas, sun hats, Heat-resistant Suits, and special Effect foods were able to live a bit more comfortably.

Under these circumstances, messages on the World Channel exploded once again.

”I feel like I’m going to be sun-dried.”

”If our bodies hadn’t been modified by the game, we probably would have been cooked alive by now!”

”I feel the same way.”

”I’m afraid I won’t live to see tomorrow’s sun.”

”WAAAH, my name is Michelle Mercer, and I live at... I feel like I can’t survive this. If any of you ever meet my parents, please tell them I love them.”

”To the person above, I think your parents might not survive this either.”

”Can you not tell such morbid jokes? It doesn’t help cool things down.”

”Sigh, I feel like I’m just waiting to die now.”

”Same here.”

”I don’t even know the point of holding on. If it’s this hard right at the beginning, then later...”

”Celia Lynch: Everyone, just hold on a little longer. The temperature must be reaching its peak soon. Let’s see what happens after midnight.”

”Skye Schuyler: I’m heavily pushing out special Effect foods right now.”

”Zelda Parrish: I’m working hard to craft sun hats.”

”Owen Caldwell: I’m working hard to craft sun umbrellas.”

”Faye Sinclair: Anyone with Rough Insect Skins, keep trading them with me for Insect Skin Short Sleeves!”

”I’ll put up some mineral water here too.”

”Me too.”

”We’ve survived for so many days already; we can’t just give up and admit defeat now!”

”Everyone must have family out there! Don’t you want to reunite with them?”

”...”

Led by Celia Lynch, the top players stepped up one by one to encourage everyone. Of course, there was also substantial, practical help.

The trading volume in the Trading Hall was steadily climbing. The appearance rate of mineral water and various heat-resistant Equipment had noticeably increased. Among these items, many had been hoarded earlier by players with quick reflexes. Initially, they had only saved them for a rainy day. But seeing the miserable state of so many people crying on the World Channel, as long as their own survival was guaranteed, they still tossed some of their Equipment up for trade. It was a way to build up some good karma for themselves.

After all, so many top players had stepped forward. If they also stood out and showed their faces, maybe someone would help them if they ever found themselves in trouble one day?

Naturally, there were still many silent players who had ample resources but chose to prioritize themselves. After all, their own survival was the most important thing. Take Harold Thompson and Simon Quinn, for example. Watching Celia Lynch and the others stick their necks out, both of them secretly cursed the group for being fools. However, they were also quite pleased, taking note of the names of every player who spoke up. To have the resources to help others, they must be rolling in supplies! Every single one of them was a future target.

Regardless of the turbulent thoughts hidden beneath the surface of the World Channel, after Celia Lynch and her peers stepped forward, the number of players crying about wanting to die suddenly plummeted. Perhaps this kind of World Channel truly boosted morale; the rate at which the player count was dropping had also slowed down. Midnight became the anchor holding countless players together.

Finally, the clock struck 0:00. Almost the exact second it happened, every player subconsciously looked toward the top left corner of their vision.

[Marine Survival Calendar: January 5th, 0:00. Current Temperature: 76 degrees. Extreme heat will persist for another 24 hours. Danger! Players, please be careful!]

”Ahhh, it’s finally stopped rising!”

”So it’s going to stay at 76 degrees.”

”This is great!”

”As long as the temperature doesn’t go up anymore, we just need to hold on for one more day and we’ll win.”

”I instantly feel a lot more clear-headed.”

”I was seriously about to die just now. Trading for that mineral water bought me a few more moments, and seeing the temperature cap out suddenly gave me the motivation to keep living. I’m going to keep trading my resources for water.”

”Celia Lynch: Let me teach everyone another trick. If you have enough resources gathered to upgrade your raft, don’t do it immediately. You can wait until its Durability is low before upgrading. It will automatically repair itself during the process, restoring the raft to its perfect state.”

”Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.”

”So, there were marine creatures on the first and second days. Will there be any on the third day?”

When this question popped up, no one could give a definitive answer.

”The boss over at the Trading Hall is trading glass bottles for sand. She even mentioned that a glass bottle filled with Abyssal Heat Bacteria can be exchanged for double the number of empty glass bottles.”

”Abyssal Heat Bacteria? What is that? A new marine creature?”

”Has it already appeared? I don’t see any!”

”I see them. They seem to be on the raft. Their color is almost the same as the wood, so I nearly missed them, but they appear to be clustering together.”

”The raft’s Durability is actually being affected, but it drops very slowly.”

”Celia Lynch: Absolutely do not touch them with your hands! Since they are a type of bacteria, they are definitely harmful to the human body.”

”A glass bottle should be able to contain them.”

”So the boss was collecting sand so early in order to make glass, and then manufacture glass bottles. Did she know about the existence of this heat bacteria in advance? Why would she know beforehand?”

”I’m seriously suspecting whether the boss unlocked a precognition Skill.”

”It’s possible.”

”Stop discussing and hurry up with the trades so we can deal with this Abyssal Heat Bacteria! If the boss is collecting them, they probably have some use. By helping her collect them, we can earn a profit. If we hoard them, they’ll surely come in handy eventually.”

”Right, right, right.”

”...”

Countless players instantly shifted their attention. Rather than worrying about Rowan Rhodes’s Skill, they were much more concerned about the newly spawned Abyssal Heat Bacteria. Compared to the previous Abyssal Poison Conchs and Abyssal Wurms, if this Abyssal Heat Bacteria had gone undiscovered, it might have unknowingly compromised their rafts. However, since it had been found early on, its impact would certainly be minimal.

Especially since this Abyssal Heat Bacteria clearly looked useful, it allowed them to trade for food and water from other well-supplied players once again. The probability of enduring the third day of extreme heat was now exceedingly high.

All at once, countless players lit their campfires, grabbed their glass bottles, and began searching for the Abyssal Heat Bacteria.

Rowan Rhodes had originally been waiting for the Abyssal Heat Bacteria as well, but after a long while, she realized that not a single one had spawned on her raft.

”SQUAWK?”

The Seagull tilted its head, watching Rowan curiously. What was she looking for on the raft with a glass bottle in hand?

Rowan paused. Who would have thought that upgrading the raft to Level 6 and transforming it into a Metal Raft would completely prevent the arrival of the Abyssal Heat Bacteria? Was she to blame for upgrading too fast?

Rowan patted the Seagull’s head. ”Go back and continue manufacturing glass bottles for me.”

Even if she didn’t have any here, there were plenty over on the other players’ rafts. By making glass bottles, the amount of Abyssal Heat Bacteria she could acquire would definitely be far more than what she could collect herself.

”SQUAWK!” The Seagull replied, returning to its post between the Furnace and the Workbench to start working again.

As for Rowan, after listing a pile of glass bottles and mineral water in the trading hall, she went into her room to rest. She would get a good night’s sleep and fight again tomorrow.

Not long after she entered her room, the Seagull finished manufacturing the remaining sand into glass bottles and flew over to sleep by her bed. While they slept soundly through the night, the rest of the players were fully preoccupied with the Abyssal Heat Bacteria.