Novel Lived
Chapter 8 - Su Mu is Definitely Not the First!
Chapter 8: Su Mu is Definitely Not the First!
“Not bad, there’s an energy stone mine nearby,” Su Mu mused, studying the map. “The monsters guarding it aren’t much stronger than Skeleton Dogs. It’s worth checking out.”
With the map in hand, Su Mu felt like he had gained a beacon of hope in this bleak, desolate world. If the other players on the World Forum knew about the map’s capabilities, they’d likely beg him to share it—even just a glimpse.
Speaking of the World Forum, Su Mu noticed his friend requests had skyrocketed to over 999.
The world announcement of his first kill had catapulted him into the spotlight. With a reward as significant as a treasure chest and a rare map, Su Mu knew he had hit the jackpot.
Meanwhile, the World Channel was still abuzz with debates about who had achieved the first kill.
[User 1: I don’t think it’s Su Mu. Look at him—he doesn’t even reveal his personal info. He’s probably not that strong.]
[User 2: The announcement didn’t specify rankings. He likely just got lucky and ended up first.”]
[User 3: Why are you all so pressed? It’s not like you’re skilled enough to make the top one hundred.]
[User 4: He probably stumbled upon a weak Skeleton Dog and managed to kill it.]
[User 5: Damn! I just found a limping Skeleton Dog and killed it myself. Why do only the top one hundred get rewards?”]
[User 6: I heard the first-kill treasure chest contains energy stones. It must be insanely valuable!]
Opening the forum, Su Mu was met with countless jealous comments. Since the world announcement only revealed the names of the top one hundred players without ranking them, no one could confirm who had achieved the first kill.
Naturally, envious skeptics quickly dismissed the possibility that Su Mu was the one.
Su Mu didn’t care about their opinions. He casually clicked on the names of other players on the first-kill list. Selecting one at random, a player named Turde from a so-called “beautiful country,” he noticed that their personal information was also blank.
“That’s normal,” Su Mu thought. “No one on the World Channel has been sharing details about the monsters they’ve killed. Everyone is keeping their strength a secret—it’s the smart move.”
Back on the chat channel, arguments raged on:
[User 1: The first kill must have been achieved by a warrior from our beautiful country, Turde!]
[User 2: Nonsense! It’s clearly Lord Louis from Frankland who achieved the first kill!]
[User 3: Bearland warriors could crush Skeleton Dogs with their bare hands!]
[User 4: Our Sakura Land’s glory will shine again, thanks to Mr. Darlang!]
[User 5: Dragonland is full of talent! With names like Su Mu, Qin Yan, and Wan Jun Kuang, we dominate the first-kill list!]
[User 6: Shut up! Everyone knows you Dragonlanders cheat!]
[User 7: Kimchi Country seems upset—no names from their side made the list. I won’t say who, though.]
[User 8: A-San Country has numbers on its side! We’ll show our strength!]
The forum’s built-in translation function made it easy for players worldwide to communicate—or start arguments. While such nationalistic debates flared up occasionally, most players understood the real priority: survival. With the protection shield vanishing in three days, words wouldn’t matter if you couldn’t defend yourself.
However, the public list had unnerved many. Declaring allegiance might help players find strong allies. But the truly smart ones focused on taking action, scouting monsters they could handle instead of wasting time in arguments.
Su Mu couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride seeing names from Dragonland dominate the first-kill list. Among the top one hundred, someone from A-San Country had even leaked the standard contents of a first-kill treasure chest: ten energy stones and a piece of armour.
The difference between a standard chest and Su Mu’s special one was staggering—his rewards were over ten times as valuable.
Additionally, the forum revealed details about some players’ weapons. It seemed one careless first-killer had failed to hide their personal information in time.
“It was some fool from Kangaroo Country,” Su Mu noted. “Their weapon’s a chain hammer. It immobilizes beast-sized monsters. Not bad, but nothing groundbreaking.”
The chain hammer’s effect, while decent, was just a secondary attribute tied to a specific weapon. Su Mu, however, had his system’s unique ability to add secondary attributes to anything.
Glancing at the flood of friend requests, Su Mu sighed. “What a headache.”
Without hesitation, he enabled Do Not Disturb mode. The peace was instant.
“It’s only noon. Still a few hours until sunset,” he muttered. “Let’s clear this area before nightfall.”
Su Mu’s immediate goal was to upgrade his shelter to Level 2 within three days. The requirements for the upgrade were steep:
[Shelter Level: 1]
[Upgrade Requirement: 500 energy stones (current: 100)]Nôv(el)B\\jnn