Chapter Four: The First Day in the Wasteland Comes to an End

Chapter 4: The First Day in the Wasteland Comes to an End

After trading for the iron block, Su Mo no longer held back.

Summoning the crafting page, he crafted an iron axe with one unit of iron, significantly improving his efficiency in chopping trees."The apocalypse survival system evaluates the daily survival points I can earn based on my living environment.""Therefore, I need to make the shelter as comfortable and suitable for living as possible, or rather… safer.""This way, a positive cycle can be formed…"

While chopping trees with the iron axe, Su Mo silently pondered in his heart.

Currently, the environment of the shelter was absolutely terrible.

Aside from the door, there were basically no ventilation openings, and it was dark inside. The bare floor had nothing on it, and aside from the well, which barely added some points, everything else looked like a grave.

After chopping until the sun had completely set, feeling the hunger in his stomach, Su Mo followed the path back to the shelter.

At this point, his inventory had restored to 20 units of wood and 8 units of plant fibers.

The stacking limit for the same type of item was currently unknown, but 20 units in the inventory was definitely sufficient for now.

Looking at the pitch-black shelter where he could hardly see the steps, Su Mo had no choice but to summon the crafting page.[Torch (Normal)]: Wood 0/1, Plant Fiber 0/2[Record]: Wood -1, Plant Fiber -2[Record]: Torch +1

Torch (Normal): A brand new torch that can burn continuously for 12 hours when lit.

Fortunately, the survival game fully considered that fire is the most important thing for humanity, and did not set any difficulty for this, granting a certain level of leniency.

Following the steps, Su Mo explored until he reached the main floor of the shelter, where he took out the lighter from the cabinet and lit it.Puff!

The torch burned efficiently, instantly brightening the dark shelter.

Attempting to craft another water well again, unfortunately, this time the system did not respond, so Su Mo simply stuck the wooden stick next to the water well and connected the torch and the stick with hemp rope to create a simple lighting device.

Returning to the door, he securely closed the main door with a sturdy bolt, and a long-lost sense of safety washed over him.

On the first day of the apocalypse, he had a subterranean shelter.

With a continuous water source, enough food for two meals, and light.

This was undoubtedly the best comfort for Su Mo, who had been on the run all day.

Sitting on the last step, Su Mo summoned the crafting panel again. Based on the materials in his inventory, he luxuriously crafted a small bed made of wood and thatched grass.

A rough wooden chair, a small wooden cup, and a small round table that could accommodate three people.

After completing these items, his wood count dropped to 8, and he used up all the plant fibers.

However, at this moment, Su Mo felt no disappointment but rather a surge of excitement.

He placed the bed near the cave's interior, setting the table and chairs closer to the entrance.

Once again, he poured the 150ml of water collected from the well into the storage bucket, took out the small wooden cup, filled it with water, and placed it on the table, then took out the bread and beef jerky to set down."What a hearty dinner!"

Breaking the bread and adding some beef jerky, he took a delicious bite, then picked up the cup and drank a big gulp of water.

The fresh food rushing into his hungry stomach felt like discovering an oasis in the desert, bringing a sense of happiness that surpassed any indescribable feelings.

"I wonder how my family is doing right now. I must create a shelter that can accommodate my whole family before they arrive!" As he ate the meat sandwich, Su Mo's thoughts raced.

The survival game did not specify when his family would be dropped; this threat loomed over him like the sword of Damocles, making him uneasy.

After finishing his meal and taking some time to digest, Su Mo opened the chat panel.

After briefly browsing the world panel, he found that everyone was still seeking food and water.

Nearly 8 hours had passed since everyone suddenly arrived in this world.

Su Mo's underground shelter had begun to resemble a livable space, while most others had only an empty shell, forced to sleep on the floor hungry and with dry throats at night.

Some were injured, while many were fortunate enough to find treasure chests that yielded good items.

However, some had already lost their lives in this short half-day.

In the regional channel's small group, there had initially been 1000 people.

By the time Su Mo checked in again, the number in the lower right corner had suddenly dropped to 988.

In just half a day, 12 people had already died, which undoubtedly added immense pressure on the survivors.

Cautious exploration and acting within one's limits were essential; otherwise, people could really die!

Some had become complacent upon finding treasure chests, ignoring the mutated creatures lurking nearby and were ambushed to death.

Others recklessly challenged unknown mutated creatures and were instantly killed.

The deaths of these individuals on the first day all shared one trait: they were reckless."Challenging mutated creatures is a gamble; the risks and rewards are balanced. Most of these dead people treated this world like a game world, which is incredibly foolish.""My progress has been relatively fast, but starting tomorrow, I need to practice; otherwise, if I encounter mutated creatures, I'll be helpless.""As for acid rain… I need proper ventilation and drainage methods, preferably storing more than three days' worth of food before the disaster strikes!"

Su Mo pondered. Living in this world, he would eventually have to face mutated creatures.

At the beginning of the novice stage, it was still manageable; these mutated creatures probably wouldn't be too strong.

At least, in the survival game's assessment, an adult with a weapon could definitely handle them…

If he chose to escape from this bloody reality now, he would likely have no time to build courage and resilience after the novice stage passed.

Exiting the chat channel, he entered the trading platform.

As in the afternoon, most people were still trading supplies for water and food.

After all, survival supplies were the most scarce and important in the early days."There's someone trading special items!"

Flipping through the pages, Su Mo saw a trading post marked with special item information.[Seller: Chen Pingan][Trading Item: Beginner Monster Encyclopedia (disappears upon use)][Required Item: 1L Water][Remark: Just water, just water! Those who come to trade with other items, your mother will definitely be hung on tree number two tonight!]

"Oh, a hot-tempered guy!"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued as he looked at the comments below.

Clicking into the personal trading item, the page resembled a second-hand trading platform, and countless people were furiously cursing."A monster encyclopedia for water? Are you out of your mind? Ask yourself if you're worthy!""It's well-known that an encyclopedia is something you'll eventually get; if you don't have water, you'll die tomorrow. How about I trade you 200ml of urine instead? Not a bad deal, right?""Little brother, I have 500ml of wolf blood; do you want it? It'll be enough to last you tonight!"…

More and more comments flooded the trading area like locusts, and it was unclear whether the seller, Chen Pingan, was stimulated or what.

Not long after, he posted another item on his personal homepage.[Seller: Chen Pingan][Trading Item: Water Pear *10][Required Item: 100ml Water per piece][Remark: Those looking to pick up a bargain, don't come here. Your grandfather won't die if he doesn't drink water tonight; if you're looking to score a deal, get lost!]

This display of wealth immediately provoked even more people, and the curses only increased.

Su Mo, who had initially wanted to contact the seller to negotiate, had to give up on that thought.

He needed the monster encyclopedia, and 1L of water wasn't much, but at this moment, his water storage wasn't enough, so he could only wait until tomorrow to see.

After stretching a bit, he spent two units of wood to craft a wooden spear, placing it beside the bed. With the thatched bed, Su Mo extinguished the torch.

Currently, the shelter didn't have sufficient ventilation, and the burning torch could easily deplete the oxygen in the underground base.

Gradually, sleepiness overcame him.

Holding the wooden spear in his arms, Su Mo fell into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, he envisioned his family arriving in this world, and he had already built a fully automated, luxurious shelter.

No meteor strikes, no absolute zero; the shelter remained unscathed.

His sister smiled happily, and his parents looked at him with approving eyes…

However, as Su Mo fell into slumber, he was completely unaware that nearly ten million humans had died on this day, silently and without a sound.

Abundant food and water provided Su Mo with enough energy to resist the nighttime dampness and cold.

But others were not so fortunate.

Thirst, hunger, and the lurking threat of mutated creatures constantly challenged their nerves.

At this moment, the advantages of choosing an underground shelter were evident; at least in the early stages, survivors did not have to worry about nighttime attacks from beasts.