While Everyone Panicked, I Upgraded My Raft

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The 2nd Extreme Cold Creature — Snowstrider Bear

Amidst a world of ice and snow, the players’ daily lives revolved around nothing but their rafts. So they stayed on their rafts, eating and drinking, while casually making honeycomb coal briquettes, charcoal, and other supplies. Because of this, compared to the scattered listings on the first day of the extreme cold, items were frequently listed in the Sea Survival Shop on this second day. However, in the face of such a massive market, these goods were still far from enough to go around.

Therefore, in districts with permanent players, everyone worked with increasing vigor. Rowan Rhodes simply watched as her account balance climbed higher and higher, along with her transaction count and credit score, of course. She even had the feeling that even if she didn’t list anything herself, she could still dominate the Sea Survival Shop relying solely on those two hundred permanent players. After all, their combined quantity of goods was vastly greater than hers.

However, seeing everyone in District 122 busy making coal briquettes and charcoal, Rowan wondered if they would still be in the mood for it later. This was only the second day of the extreme cold! People shouldn’t assume that the only threat was the low temperature and that hiding on their rafts would be enough.

Why had she been selling the Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow since day one? Of course, it was because the marine creatures that emerged during the extreme cold disaster were incredibly difficult to deal with. The Frost Phosphorus Shrimp were a nightmare due to their sheer numbers. As for the second type of marine creature, it relied on its pure, hardcore strength.

The Snowstrider Bear. It was an amphibious beast with a massive frame—an adult could reach up to four meters in size. Resembling a bear, it lived on drift ice year-round. Its attack methods included high-speed rams and close-quarters lunges. With a lock-on range of a kilometer, it could swallow a human whole. Its only weakness was its aversion to heat, because the outer layer of its skin was encased in ice. This layer of ice acted like a form of invisible protection, and excessive heat would easily cause this icy armor to melt. Without this protection, the Snowstrider Bear would be much easier to deal with.

And the Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow, enhanced with Hot Stones, could shatter the solid ice on the Snowstrider Bear’s body. Otherwise, trying to first melt the solid ice off a Snowstrider Bear in this freezing environment would be as difficult as scaling the heavens!

Judging by the distance, she had already entered the territory of the Snowstrider Bears, meaning they could attack at any moment. Snowstrider Bears were pack animals. As the raft passed through their territory, it would by Nature attract their attention, drawing them out to confront the enemy. If the raft remained stationary, the pack would only dispatch one or two bears to investigate. It could be said that this was yet another mechanic targeting the leading players. But regardless of the scenario, the Snowstrider Bears were more than enough to give the players a hard time.

Based on the current situation, she would likely be the first to encounter a Snowstrider Bear. Next would probably be Zelda Parrish. Given Zelda Parrish’s current habit of showing up in District 122, she would likely issue a warning on the District 122 world channel. When that time came, Rowan just needed to continue listing the Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow.

With these thoughts in mind, Rowan stepped to the very front of the raft, gazing through the glass at the vast, snowy expanse outside. Occasionally, she encountered raised blocks of snow, which were simply swept aside by the Sled. Everything was a blinding white. Beneath the heavy snowfall, it was completely impossible to make out the scenery outside. Moreover, staring at it for too long made her vision blur, and she knew some players would definitely suffer from snow blindness. Rowan watched for a moment before retracting her gaze.

If a Snowstrider Bear truly attacked, the raft would be the first thing hit. The bears also seemed to have a hobby: hurling massive snowballs at rafts, and they never missed.

Just as Rowan was thinking about this, she suddenly felt the raft shudder. She turned her head just in time to see a massive snowball smash directly against the outside of the window. Snow splattered across the pane, and the glass even cracked slightly. The Snowstrider Bears were here!

Realizing this, Rowan immediately grabbed her Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow and stepped outside. The moment she stood in the space she had specially reserved, she felt a biting, frigid aura wash over her face. This chill instantly thickened the layer of snow on the Wood Wall. Of course, thanks to the protection of her thermal Equipment, her body still maintained a steady warmth, which was enough for her to draw her Bow and Arrow. However, even with her bow drawn, there was no sign of the Snowstrider Bears anywhere. What arrived before the beasts were snowballs of varying sizes. This meant they weren’t in range yet.

Under these circumstances, Rowan had no choice but to retreat indoors first. She took hold of the Steering Wheel and began dodging the rolling barrage of snowballs. Repairing her raft cost a significant amount of resources. By Nature, she had to dodge whatever she could. Speaking of which, her experience with the extreme cold disaster this time was vastly different from the last. The scale of the attacks was much larger, and dealing with them was far more thrilling.

Rowan knew very well that due to her reincarnation, the Speed of her raft’s upgrades was several times faster. So, even though the disasters she encountered were the same, their formats were completely different. This difference also brought her a brand-new experience. Getting a second chance at life was never about strictly following the old routine; it was about forging a completely different path.

Her raft moved across the snow like a swimming dragon, agile and nimble. She managed to dodge the vast majority of the snowballs. The very few that did hit caused no major damage to the raft. After dodging for a distance, Rowan finally spotted the Snowstrider Bears charging wildly toward her. Without stopping the raft, she seriously nocked an Arrow, aiming her bow right at a beast. When the Arrow flew toward the Snowstrider Bear, trailing sparks, its Speed was so fast that the creature didn’t even have time to react. It pierced straight into its body.

The very next moment after the first Arrow was fired, the second and third Arrows followed in quick succession. The Snowstrider Bear completely ignored the sudden barrage. In its eyes, these flimsy projectiles couldn’t possibly hurt it. But what was the result? When the first Arrow embedded into its body, the leading Snowstrider Bear was instantly dumbfounded. It stared at the Arrow protruding from its flesh, its eyes filled with utter disbelief.

”ROAR!”

The next moment, the roars of the Snowstrider Bears echoed one after another across the sea of snow. Clearly, the injured beast was warning the others that Rowan’s Arrows could actually hurt them.

The gazes these Snowstrider Bears directed at Rowan grew visibly more vicious. As they continued their pursuit, they had already learned to dodge when faced with her Arrows. Occasionally, an Arrow would still strike a target. Those that were hit would see their health bars drop by a corresponding amount. Only when the Snowstrider Bears got closer did they realize that Rowan’s raft was made entirely of metal.

But it was too late to evade. Just like that, the two sides slammed head-on into each other. At the moment of impact, it was obvious that Rowan’s raft packed more of a punch, forcefully shoving the Snowstrider Bears back a considerable distance. Before the beasts could scramble to their feet, the raft continued to plow forward. Seizing this opportunity, Rowan kept her Flaming Fire Bow and Arrow raised, continuing to fire. Under her concentrated barrage, several Snowstrider Bears failed to get back up. They collapsed completely, transforming into piles of resources.