Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 27

Chapter 27 The Leaderboard

Chapter 27 The Leaderboard

She listed them all.

+35 Free Coins

Same prices as before, but this time she added a note in the description. “Priority trade for magnets, electrical wire, salt, seeds“.

Less than five minutes.

All fifty spears. Gone.

Quite a few familiar usernames popped up in the transaction log. People who’d bought from her before.

Then Riley spotted one she absolutely couldn’t stand.

“InvincibleWarrior”

“Nope.”

She clicked on that transaction immediately. Canceled it. Turns out trades could be reversed within a short window after completion.

A few minutes later, InvincibleWarrior started crying in the channel.

“Watch out for those spears SpicyBurger is selling. It’s a scam. I paid and the item just disappeared after I got it.”

“What are you talking about? I got mine and it’s fine. Been using it.”

“Yeah same. Already stabbed a few Ghouls with mine.”

“@SpicyBurger, I missed the drop last time. You got more?”

Then InvincibleWarrior finally saw the notification. Trade canceled. By Riley.

“@SpicyBurger what’s your problem? Canceling my order. I actually need a weapon right now.”

“I don’t want to sell to you. Need a reason?” Riley fired back.

The channel erupted.

“She replied! She replied! Boss I need weapons!”

“LMAO get wrecked. That’s what you get for running your mouth about her before.”

“The boss is not playing around.”

Riley’s reply made InvincibleWarrior look stupid. He kept spamming, trying to flip the chat.

“I was gonna pay the materials. Just because I asked some questions, you gotta target me?

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20:17 Mon, May 40

Chapter 27 The Leaderboard

+35 Free Coins

“You guys okay with this? Someone who just does whatever they want, doesn’t care if people live or die?” Some people actually agreed with him. A small minority, but they were there.

The more he lost it, though, the better Riley felt. She didn’t even bother replying. Just posted another message.

“Seems like you all want more. One last batch. 30 spears going up. Camp the market if you want them. Last ones for tonight.”

“YES!”

“Thank you boss!”

“Oh, and just so we’re clear. InvincibleWarrior? Anyone associated with InvincibleWarrior? I’m not trading with you.”

The people who’d backed him up earlier? Suddenly changed their tune real fast.

“When are they going up? I’ll be waiting!”

“Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong.”

The Exchange notifications kept hitting. Steel. Wood. Motor components. All flowing into her inventory.

InvincibleWarrior kept raging. Nobody cared.

“Pleasure doing business.”

Riley looked at her suddenly packed inventory and smiled. Closed the chat channel still blowing up with people calling her a legend.

Tiring? Yeah. But this “win–win” situation? Felt great.

She kept one spear for herself. Didn’t sell it.

Grabbed the cold weapon and walked back out to the fence.

Snow and wind picked up. Worse than before.

One Ghoul–zero survival instincts–had its face pressed right against a gap in the fence. Eyes glowed faint blue, locked on Riley. Low growl rumbling from deep in its throat.

“Annoying.”

She stared at it cold.

The axes were great. But short range. To use them, she’d have to get right up to the fence. Risk getting

scratched.

Spear was different.

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20:17 Mon, May 4

Chapter 27 The Leaderboard

+35 Free Coins

She gripped it with both hands. Strength from the “Pioneer’s Wrist Guards“, plus the all–around boost from “Unlucky Fool“, made that heavy spear feel like a toothpick.

“Thwump.”

Steel tip slid through the gap like it was nothing. Pierced straight through Ghoul skull.

Black blood sprayed across the snow.

Didn’t even get to scream. Just slumped.

Then its body faded into the wind.

“Low–Tier Ghoul killed. +1 EXP

“Obtained: Rotten Cloth Scrap xl”

“Trash drop.”

Riley snorted.

She kept moving. Walked the fence line.

“Thwump. Thwump. Thwump.”

A dozen Ghouls near the camp. One by one. All through the fence. The perimeter went from noisy and terrifying to… quiet.

“Better. Now I can actually sleep.”

She pulled the bloody spear back. Walked to the water barrel in the yard.

Snowmelt water. Meant for vegetables. Freezing cold. Didn’t matter. She washed her hands three times. Scrubbed until no blood smell remained. Just faint soap.

Even in the apocalypse? Gotta keep some dignity.

Done. She shook the water off and turned back toward the warm main house.

Looked up. Footsteps slowed.

Door was cracked open. Didn’t remember leaving it like that.

There, peeking around the edge of the frame, was a small head.

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