Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Night Work

Chapter 26 Night Work

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+35 Free Coins

Too many people wasn’t great. But too few? That was a real problem.

Riley remembered something and pulled up her inventory.

Tucked away in a corner, there it was. A blueprint with a faint blue glow.

“Blueprint: Steel Spear (Fine Grade/Reusable)”

She’d gotten this thing a while back. But with her dual axes, it’d been sitting at the bottom of her inventory collecting dust. Unlike those single–use blueprints that vanished after one craft, this one was infinite.

“Steel Spear

“Requirements: Wood xl, Steel x1

“Description: Simple. Brutal. Gets the job done. Extra reach means extra safety. Perfect for poking monsters from behind a fence.”

The material cost was stupid low. One steel. One wood. That’s it.

And the current market demand?

“This is basically free money.”

She turned and walked toward the workshop at the edge of the courtyard.

Pushed the door open. No power yet, so it was dim inside. Cold too, moonlight filtering through gaps. But those workbenches lined up neat and orderly? They had that industrial vibe. Looked serious.

Riley walked to the metalworking bench. Slapped the blueprint down. Pulled materials from inventory.

“Craft.”

White light flickered across the surface.

Few seconds later, five spears appeared. Black shafts, Gleaming tips. Cold steel.

She picked one up. Tested the weight.

Solid. Felt good in her hands. The tip was actually sharp–not like those crappy stone spears everyone else was using.

For average players hiding behind fences, too scared to fight up close? This thing was perfect. Just poke through the gaps. Safe. Effective.

She didn’t hesitate. Opened the “Trading Market” right away.

“Listed item: Steel Spear x4

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Chapter 26 Night Work

“Trade requirement: Steel x3 & Wood x1

“Note: Will also accept rare materials of equivalent value (blueprints, seeds)”

+35 Free Coins

Each spear cost her one steel and one wood to craft, sold for three steel and one wood, netting her a profit of two steel per spear.

Was that price steep?

At this life–or–death moment? This was practically a public service. Fine–grade weapon. Could save your life. Riley honestly felt like she was doing them a favor.

“Hope this helps, guys.”

She muttered it under her breath and hit “Publish“.

Then she dropped a message in the chat channel that was already on fire.

“SpicyBurger: If you’re desperate for weapons, check the Trading Market. Just listed four Steel Spears. Fine quality. Good reach. Works great for killing through fences. Grab them while they’re up.”

The channel exploded instantly.

“Holy crap?! SpicyBurger? The legend herself!”

“Steel Spears? Dude I’m still using a broken stick!”

“I got one! HAHAHA I got one! This thing is sharp as hell! Thank you SpicyBurger, you literally saved me!”

“I was one second late! Gone already?!”

“Please tell me you have more. Please. I got three Ghouls scratching at my door right now, I’m about to lose it. I’ll pay double. I have copper ingots from a drop earlier!”

“I got some weird seeds. Can we trade?”

Riley watched her DMs jump to “99+” instantly. The four spears on the Trading Market got snatched in seconds. She’d expected demand to be high. But this? Insane.

The trade offers weren’t just steel. People were throwing all kinds of random stuff in, desperate to secure one. And then she saw it. Someone had listed a “Magnet“.

That was a core component for the wind turbine.

Riley’s eyes lit up.

“Alright then.”

She took a breath. Checked her steel reserves. Still plenty.

“Guess I’m working late.”

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20:17 Mon, May 4

Chapter 26 Night Work

She stepped back up to the workbench. Pulled the panel

“Craft. Craft. Craft.”

White light kept flashing inside that workshop.

Spear after spear. Assembly line style. Piling up at her feet.

Ten. Twenty. Thirty.

+35 Free Coins

She hit fifty and her head started spinning. Riley staggered, grabbed the table edge to steady herself.

“Whoa…”

She rubbed her temples. Forehead was slick with cold sweat.

This wasn’t normal tired. Not muscle fatigue. This was something else. Mental drain.

System made crafting convenient, sure. But it wasn’t free. High–volume production like this? Took something out of you. Some kind of energy. Focus. Whatever you wanted to call it.

“Note to self. Don’t do that again.”

She breathed heavy a few times. Pulled out a bottle of “High–Grade Nutrient Solution“. Chugged some. The dizziness backed off.

Looked at the pile on the floor. Fifty spears. Cold steel gleaming in the dim light.

She nodded. Satisfied.

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