Hank Fowler turned his attention to the bra, his eyes filled with a contemplative glint.

He had no use for the thing. Keeping it would be a waste.

If only he could trade it for some supplies.

There were plenty of female survivors out here. Someone was bound to need it, right?

Whatever, he'd list it on the trading forum later. He'd take anything for it.

He just needed to get rid of the damn thing. It was giving him the creeps just looking at it.

"Human, why are you staring at me like that? Do you have designs on me?" the bra suddenly spoke.

"How could I have any designs on you? Don't flatter yourself!"

Hank shot it a glare, then snatched the bra and tossed it into the thatched hut.

Out of sight, out of mind.

With the treasure chest opened, it was time to think about dinner.

The sky was already dimming, and nightfall would be upon them soon.

It was his first day here, and he had no idea what dangers lurked in the darkness.

Better to eat early and hole up in the hut for safety.

Hank set to work.

First, he gathered some thatch and branches, then cleaned the eight clams and tossed them into the frying pan.

The freshest ingredients often required the simplest cooking methods.

He planned to just boil them.

That way, he could have both the meat and the broth.

When the eight clams were placed in the frying pan, they seemed to sense the danger and panicked completely.

"Human, what are you doing?"

"Are you planning to boil us?"

"That's so cruel! Do you have any humanity left?"

"Waaa... I just became an adult. I haven't even had a girlfriend yet, and you're going to eat me! Your conscience will condemn you!"

"Human, even as a ghost, I won't let you get away with this!"

"Eat me, and you'll get diarrhea!"

"You'll die a horrible death!"

...

Listening to the clams' curses, Hank's forehead throbbed with annoyance. He snorted coldly, "Shut the hell up, all of you! You're clams. You were born to be eaten. That's your destiny! What's that saying? Fate is like being raped, if you can't fight it, you might as well enjoy it!"

The eight clams: "..."

They were about to be boiled alive. Were they supposed to enjoy the pleasure of waiting for death?

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Hank cut them off, about to start a fire when he suddenly remembered he didn't have a lighter.

How could he start a fire without a source?

Frying Pan: "Hey buddy, get that fire going! I'm looking forward to a hot bath."

"Light your ass!" Hank snapped.

The frying pan was a little confused. "Weren't you going to boil the clams?"

Hank said, exasperated, "I don't have a fire source."

"Haha! Guys, this dude doesn't have a fire source!"

"Yes! We're not going to be boiled."

"The heavens are looking out for us!"

The eight clams were ecstatic.

Hank's face darkened, and he grinned savagely. "You eight have already been sentenced to death. Today, no matter what, you're going to die! Even without fire, I'll swallow you whole!"

"Holy crap!"

The eight clams were scared witless, trembling uncontrollably.

"Boss, don't waste time on them. Just eat them already!" the entrenching tool chimed in.

Hank shot the entrenching tool a look. "If you don't say anything, no one will think you're mute!"

He was just trying to scare the clams.

How could he eat them raw?

What if he got sick?

The entrenching tool muttered quietly, "What did I say wrong this time?"

Ignoring it, Hank opened the game panel, scanning through the five sections before finally landing on the trading forum.

He was going to try his luck there. Maybe someone was selling a lighter or matches.

[Player Scarlett O'Hara: Selling a pair of black stockings, looking for a bottle of mineral water and a loaf of bread.]

[Player Bridget Bardot: Selling a photo album (very racy), looking for any kind of food.]

[Player Penny Lovell: Selling a piece of intimate apparel, looking for a bottle of mineral water or a loaf of bread.]

...

Hank's face darkened as he scrolled through the listings.

What the hell were these?

Could they be a little more normal?

They were in the early stages of survival. Food and water were incredibly precious!

Who in their right mind would trade food and water for black stockings?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a transaction was completed on the forum.

[Player Reggie Blaster traded a bottle of mineral water for Player Scarlett O'Hara's black stockings.]

Hank: "..."

There really were some weirdos out there!

What was he going to do with a pair of black stockings?

Cuddle with them while he slept?

He was speechless.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Hank continued scrolling.

[Player Nigel Filch: Selling a pubic hair, looking for a bottle of mineral water.]

"What the actual f*ck!"

Hank couldn't help but curse.

Where did this weirdo, Nigel Filch, crawl out of?

That was just disgusting!

Hank spat and kept scrolling.

The subsequent listings were slightly more normal.

However, no one was selling lighters or matches.

"Sigh!"

Hank sighed in disappointment, about to close the trading forum when a new listing appeared.

[Player Stanley Stern: Selling a magnifying glass, looking for two bottles of mineral water.]

Hank's eyes lit up.

A magnifying glass wasn't a fire source, but it could create fire.

And it had no usage limit.

In principle, as long as there was sunlight, it could make fire.

Without hesitation, Hank grabbed the two empty mineral water bottles, filled them with purified water, and placed them in the trading window.

Suddenly, a message popped up on the forum.

[Player Stanley Stern is requesting two bottles of mineral water. This does not meet the trading requirements. The transaction cannot be completed.]

Hank frowned slightly after reading the message.

If purified water wouldn't work, maybe an energy drink would?

However, the energy drink was worth far more than mineral water.

Trading two bottles of energy drink for a magnifying glass felt like a bit of a rip-off.

After a moment of thought, Hank contacted Stanley Stern: "Hey man, will you trade your magnifying glass for two bottles of purified water?"

Stanley Stern: "Is your water drinkable?"

Hank: "Not only is it drinkable, but it's also packed with minerals. Way better than mineral water."

Stanley Stern: "Deal."

Hank reminded him: "Change the listing."

Once Stanley Stern modified the listing, the trade was completed smoothly.

Hank took the magnifying glass and found an angle, aiming it at a pile of flammable thatch.

Soon, a bright spot of light appeared on the thatch.

The sunlight wasn't very strong at the moment. He wasn't sure if it would be enough to ignite the thatch.

Entrenching Tool asked curiously, "Boss, what are you doing?"

Hank replied casually, "Starting a fire."

Entrenching Tool: "That thing can start a fire?"

Hank: "Your IQ is too low to understand the principles behind it. Just watch quietly."

"Uh..."

The entrenching tool fell silent.

After waiting for a while and seeing no smoke rising from the thatch, Hank started to get anxious. He shouted at the magnifying glass, "Come on, little guy, put some effort into it! Help me light this thatch!"