wasteland 3
Chapter 51: Death Accompanies, Dangerous Secret Realm!
"Do we go in and search?"
Liu Fei, holding a machete, urged impatiently.
He stood at the forefront, waiting for Qian Yu's command, while also looking at Ryze.
"Boss, it's your call." Ryze had his hand on the bowstring, occasionally sniffing the faint scent of alcohol in the air, licking his lips.
The man with glasses shook his head, not putting down the steel crossbow but continuing to keep a lookout around.
Although their five-person group was more efficient than others, their fatigue was apparent.
Having abandoned their own shelter to raid others for survival, the five of them joined forces under Korun's leadership, arriving here from an Ancient Secret Realm Gate.
They hadn't had a decent drink for days, or rather, not even in the past eight days.
Guzzling drinks was only something that could be done in dreams.
However, at the moment, the scent of alcohol was driving their desire and madness, saliva dripping.
But after living in the Otherworld for eight days, and numerous times in and out of the Secret Realm, they were fully aware of the dangers of the realm and their own frailty.
They also knew that even a minor injury might cost them their lives.
Hence, when encountering a lone survivor, they would always adopt the most prudent tactics.
This was their second time in the Secret Realm; they'd already raided elsewhere for some things, but upon arriving here, they saw a piece of yarn.
At the end of the yarn was this hotel.
They did not know where the owner of the yarn was, nor how many people there were, but if there were only one or two, their siege posed no threat.
"I can't take it anymore, boss, there's been no movement inside for ages, how about..."
"Liu Fei, shut your mouth!" Korun continued to listen intently to all the sounds, knowing these two partners couldn't hold back any longer, the scent of alcohol from the hotel was tempting him too.
But there were no signs of animals or bugs in this Secret Realm, raising suspicion.
Should we go in, Korun was hesitating too.
If there's more than one person inside...
"Korun, how about I go first? If it's just one person, they can't do anything to me, but if it's a group, they shouldn't use violence against me, right?" Ryze said, flipping his hair and winking at Korun.
Korun pondered for a while, nodded slightly, and glanced backward, wondering why Rick and Sun Yu took so long.
Ryze slung the longbow over his back, felt the knife at his waist, then cautiously stepped through the broken glass opening of the hotel, disappearing from sight.
But not long after, an excited shout erupted from the hotel!
"Korun! Liu Fei, get in here, there's no one inside, come! It's all alcohol, haha!"
Liu Fei and Korun exchanged glances, then rushed into the hotel with ecstatic expressions!
Outside, silence fell.
Yet in the tall grass, Lin Yue didn't take this opportunity to leave.
At the moment, he was covering himself and Bai with dense grass, trying to remain completely silent.
The reason was simple.
Through the gaps in the grass, Lin Yue looked upwards.
On the hotel's rooftop, there were the silhouettes of two monstrous birds with giant wings, perched overlooking the hotel below!
Lin Yue could clearly see the constantly wriggling tentacles behind their heads.
They were those creatures resembling Winged Dragons!
Unexpectedly, this Secret Realm, resembling Western architecture, housed them as well as under Tokyo Tower.
As soon as those people went in, these two monsters flew over; if not for a shadow passing overhead, prompting him to look up and Bai's reminder, he'd never have noticed their presence!
For now, Lin Yue couldn't leave, not even move.
Face them head-on? Without an auto-aiming Gatling in hand or the ability to transform into a Kamen Rider, a contest against these over two-meter-tall creatures with metallic sharp claws and bizarre tentacles...
Would be an early end.
He could only wait for changes now, if...
At this moment, Bai suddenly gave a soft call, eyes pointed toward the hotel!
Hmm? Why? More enemies?
Lin Yue was surprised when a scream suddenly came from the hotel!
"Bugs! We can't handle them, run!"
What?
Lin Yue saw through the tall grass's gaps: Korun, clutching his bleeding right arm, squeezed out of the window frame, limping from injured legs, followed by Liu Fei, staggeringly bloody, with a bizarre, creepy bug on his back!
"Help me! Help me! Boss, save..." Ryze's scream echoed from the hotel, abruptly stopping as if cut off.
"Boss! Wait, wait for me!" Liu Fei's face turned extremely pale; he suddenly lost strength near the exit, collapsing, and his body seemed to melt, ceasing movement entirely.
The sinister black bug on his back turned bright red!
Lin Yue saw more than ten rushing out from the hotel!
"Damn it, how could, how could it turn out like this, how could..."
Korun struggled out the door, shooting crossbow arrows back at them, instantly blasting the red bug off Liu Fei's corpse, then shooting the remaining bugs, watching the last two return to the hotel before collapsing, gasping for breath.
And at this point, a gust whipped up, Korun despairingly saw two red figures over two meters tall standing in front of him!
He felt the monster easily pierce his abdomen, consciousness sinking into darkness.
The two monsters competed, gobbling him up!
At this time, a long spear, shining like a silver dragon, suddenly plummeted down, clanging onto the ground.
The two monsters instantly retreated, letting out indescribable shrieks!
Yet they found that other than the strange object on the ground, there were also chunks of meat emitting a peculiar fragrance.
The two monsters went back to tearing at the meat chunks, still vying, and after finishing those, they turned to munch on bug and human corpses.
They wolfed down the last chunk, spread their wide wings, and leaped into the sky!
However, in an instant, the two gigantic monsters plunged back down from high above!
After crashing into the hotel's wall, they landed on the stone slab by the entrance, twitching for a while before finally ceasing movement.
"Bai, is it over?"
"Purr, purr."
Lin Yue cautiously moved through the tall grass, looked up at the rooftop, then into the dark hotel interior.
A while later, he finally stepped out, hurriedly running to where Korun had fallen and picking up the steel crossbow.
Glancing at the bodies of the two monstrous birds, he vaguely saw the tentacles behind their heads still writhing!
He looked back at the red and white tower, amazed to find black silhouettes circling above!
"Bai, let's go quickly!"
Lin Yue briskly followed the yarn, with Bai remaining vigilant; the pair used all their speed to reach the toilet area, rested briefly, then cut the yarn beneath their feet.
Korun and the others had mentioned two people who'd already traced the yarn to the shelter, so he had to leave this dangerous place quickly!
Then chase those two out of his shelter!
Yet as he hurriedly damaged the yarn and made his way back, smelling the familiar Heather Tree fragrance, Bai suddenly let out a "Purr".
Lin Yue saw two almost unrecognizable corpses hanging from the Heather Tree at the door!
Chapter 52: Shelter Expansion, Planning Layout!
On the Heather Tree, two corpses with huge holes in their chests were hanging there, the blood already dried.
They seemed to be...
Lin Yue resisted the urge to vomit and nausea, directly opened the Ancient Secret Realm Gate, cautiously observed for a while, and only after confirming that there was nothing unusual outside, did he finally step out.
Bai closely followed Lin Yue out, both were in an extremely tense state, sitting by the door for quite a while, only then did Lin Yue stand up again.
Those two corpses, one with black hair and the other with blonde hair, are probably Sun Yu and Rick who went to find this Ancient Gate among the five people.
Judging by their wounds, they should have been killed by those Monster Winged Dragons, just not completely eaten.
I wonder if this gate of the Secret Realm is sturdy, will those monsters be able to crash and break it?
Lin Yue walked towards the direction of the Shelter, and Bai closely followed.
At that time, he had no better options.
He absolutely couldn't fight and defeat those two Monster Winged Dragons using normal methods. Even though he now had harder wooden armor and shield, and a sharp Fine Iron Spear, Bai had also evolved a bit.
But to confront two Monster Winged Dragons head-on and ensure he wouldn't get injured, he couldn't guarantee that at all.
He was fully aware that now in this world, a simple stomach upset could easily take down a strong man, let alone infection from scratches, or tetanus from rusted wounds, and not to mention losing an arm or leg.
There were simply no hospitals, and even medicinal herbs and various relevant items could only be obtained through defeating monsters and opening treasure chests, and the probability was extremely low.
Until now, all Lin Yue had obtained was simply a small emergency medical kit.
Considering all aspects, he used a regular iron spear to pierce the poisoned meat of the Tiger-striped Shadow Deer, and threw it when the two monsters were fighting for food.
He really had no other route to choose.
Who knows if these two monsters will just stay here after eating?
Although this move is indeed risky, it was confirmed that the poison in the Tiger-striped Shadow Deer's meat seemed quite potent.
"Puchi!"
Bai returned to the Shelter, gently calling out.
Lin Yue patted its little head, silently.
Although this harvest was quite good, obtaining so much toilet paper and wet wipes, along with a large quantity of wine, he couldn't go into this Secret Realm for the time being.
Unless he wanted to be eaten by the vast number of Monster Winged Dragons there.
He had only dealt with two, but there were dozens more circling the Tokyo Tower.
Moreover, even the strange bugs that were probably nesting somewhere upstairs in the hotel made him unable to continue exploring.
"Bai, with our current ability, it seems we're still quite lacking."
"Puchi!" Bai gently exhaled cold air, Lin Yue wasn't sure if it could understand what he was saying.
Stretching his body, Lin Yue took a deep breath, looking at the materials and various items almost covering the entire Shelter, he decided to fill his stomach first.
Lighting a fire, setting up a pot to cook noodles.
Sharing with Bai, after finishing eating, Lin Yue began to rearrange the layout of the entire Shelter again.
Speaking of adjustments, it was actually about reorganizing all items, trying to put those heavy ones temporarily unused onto the shelves in the basement.
Of course, he handled water and food in the same way, toilet paper and wet wipes were also stored there.
The shelves quickly got filled, and the basement became crowded.
Looking at the large amount of wine still occupying considerable space in the Storage Space, Lin Yue knew he had to expand the Shelter a bit.
He opened the iron Shelter Design Map from the items list and immediately clicked use.
As long as the Shelter is expanded, the design map would disappear after use, and it would not reappear in the crafting menu.
This design map was something he obtained from Belger, if that guy could make another, then he might get another one later.
[You lost Iron Block X45]
[You lost Stone X10]
Setting the iron Shelter next to the stone Shelter and laying the foundation, the system kindly connected the two 40-square-meter rooms with a door.
Lin Yue wouldn't build this iron Shelter above ground like Belger.
He didn't want to suddenly get struck by lightning one day and get electrocuted with the Shelter.
All charred, just thinking about it is thrilling.
Entering the iron Shelter, Lin Yue didn't continue building shelves, but instead carefully placed the wine bottles from the Storage Space tightly against the flat floor.
Glass bottles aren't easy to store, and Lin Yue indeed didn't take too many.
After arranging 300 bottles, he used some iron and stone blocks to stabilize them and covered them with a layer of wolf skin.
Next, he placed four oak barrels along with their wooden racks tightly in the corner.
The capacity marked on the oak barrels was 225 liters.
Also because of these four, his Storage Space was almost completely filled.
After tidying all this up, Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, it's almost done.
These wines, as a hard currency, may sell even better than water.
Especially now that everyone basically has three days of water and food, the appearance of these might lead to a frenzy of buying.
But the downside is, this was pretty much all he had, there wasn't much more.
It seems, when selling wine, he might need to get others to pay a bit more.
Stepping out of the Shelter, Lin Yue found Bai seemed a bit weary and had fallen asleep on the bed.
Indeed, Bai had really exerted itself quite a lot today, let it have a good rest.
He lightened his footsteps, walked out of the Shelter, and looked at the piles of stone outside, and the Soilless Cultivation Kit enclosed by the stone wall.
The group of five encountered in the Secret Realm was the roaming Survivors he had heard about but never seen, who specialized in attacking others.
They lived by eliminating solitary Survivors and taking over their supplies.
If those two hadn't been killed by the Monster Winged Dragons, then perhaps he should have already engaged in battle with them.
There is even a possibility that those two might use his sturdy Shelter to counterattack him, putting him in a predicament.
After all, he currently didn't have any locks or anything, the Shelter basically lacked any defense.
So, the way to "protect" the Shelter from being easily approached by people...
He looked at the stone walls enclosing the Soilless Cultivation Kit.
It seems like this is the only way.
Holding the Fine Iron Spear, he cut through several crawling insects, and as the system notification sounded, Lin Yue also started planning for the Shelter!
...
Apologies for the late post today, been busy with a bunch of things during the day...
Also, what's this about being someone from a studio? I'm an old street writer who's been through over ten books, okay?
Chapter 53: Shortage of Materials? Dishonest Merchants Step In
In this world, no one has yet produced items like "pen" and "paper."
At least, according to the chat records and trading mall, as well as the Survival Points Mall, it can be basically confirmed.
Without pen and paper, Lin Yue could only find a piece of ground to use a stick as a pen to write and draw on the ground.
"There cannot be a lack of defensive facilities around the Shelter, like ancient city walls that can resist certain attacks..."
Lin Yue drew a dot in the center of the ground to represent the Shelter, and then drew an open circle around it.
"Well, when building city walls, a certain land area must be ensured. The gate seems to only be a stone gate, but that would only defend against ordinary mutated creatures..."
Walls can't keep out people.
The most ordinary Survivor could use a ladder to climb over the wall.
Lin Yue looked at the city walls he could currently build, only about three meters high, which would be no challenge for someone with a ladder.
"Then, how about adding another layer of insurance?"
He drew small ×s inside and outside the circle.
The tightly connected small x's represented traps.
Currently, Lin Yue can make two kinds of traps, the first is ordinary, the second is improved.
The difference is only in the amount of damage; from the appearance, they're hardly different from the ordinary Desert.
If not, he wouldn't have had so many harvests.
The traps inside and outside the wall, even if they're ordinary, could inflict some harm on those so-called "wandering Survivors" who wish to attack, even discourage them.
After thinking about it, it seems this is all that can be done for now.
Indeed, learning to put broken glass on the wall to increase damage, making it hard to climb, could be done.
He does have glass, but it's thickened acrylic glass that he just brought back from a hotel.
Breaking such a good thing doesn't seem like a good idea; using it for a better purpose would be wiser.
However, this can only be considered after the next Secret Realm refresh; currently, it's too dangerous.
"Next, the idea needs to be put into action." Lin Yue stood up, stretched his arms, estimated the distance, and decided to make the city wall's range within a fifty-meter radius centered on the Shelter.
A fifty-meter radius would allow him to expand the Shelter later or place things like hydroponics or simple plastic greenhouses he obtained at that time, or buildings. Too large would consume more materials, and too small wouldn't fit everything, so fifty meters seems most fitting.
He tied yarn to the chimney on top of the Shelter and tried to stretch it to fifty meters—this aspect is quite easy for Lin Yue, since by using the method he measured before, it can be done simply.
Even if it's not exactly accurate, it doesn't matter; roughly a circle is fine.
Holding the yarn in one hand and the Iron Spear in the other, he quickly drew a fifty-meter radius circle on the ground.
After completing this, he walked towards the stone materials piled beside the Shelter and started putting them piece by piece into Storage Space.
Next comes the tedious process of simply making "stone walls."
Six stone materials can make a stone wall about three meters wide and high, and Lin Yue found he could also bend the walls a bit.
The walls are not thick, only thirty or forty centimeters, but they're quite sturdy.
According to the formula for the circumference of a circle, circumference L=2πr, the circumference is roughly 314 meters.
Then about 110 pieces of the wall need to be made, consuming about 660 stone materials.
Goodness, after calculating, the demand is really a lot.
Plus, the traps inside and outside the walls require making too...
Wood and Iron Blocks will also consume a lot.
After looking at his raw material reserves, they are indeed lacking, especially stone materials, only over a hundred.
"The task is daunting and the road long."
Lin Yue made dozens of walls with the existing stone materials, placed them in the previously planned locations, and returned to the Shelter.
Bai is still asleep; how can this little fellow sleep so much?
He pushed Bai from the mat inward, "pulling" it to lie on the comfortable bed.
After the snow disaster passed, although there was no more heat from the fireplace, the temperature returned to about thirty degrees, still making Lin Yue feel sweltering.
He opened the game panel, which hadn't been opened for a long time, and as usual, he first browsed through the group.
"Damn, you all can call me the Emperor of Europe. I just used my last 5 survival points to draw 20L of water! Can you believe it?"
"Great one, awesome!"
"You must be the system's pet."
"I mean, I threw over a hundred points and got nothing, not even a splash of water!"
"Seeking trade; you can't drink 20 liters of water by yourself. How about letting me help you solve it?"
"Still want water? Haven't you noticed that there are more bugs now, even with low chances, you can get some water?"
"Indeed, after my parents came, the system automatically provided 3 liters of water per person. Conserving these 6 liters can sustain us for a while."
"Spread the word, water shopkeeper Lin Yue cried and fainted at the Shelter."
"Spread the word, black-hearted shopkeeper Lin Yue shed tears drinking water until he burst."
"What are you doing? Back when Lin Yue was selling water to sustain your lives, you kept calling him great. Now with some water, you're like this?"
"That's right, though not much, Lin Yue wasn't stingy back then, compared to then selling 15, 20 milliliters for a pile of wood and stone, it's much more conscientious now."
"Haha, no one leaves here; if I were Lin Yue, I'd blacklist all of you!"
"Oh wow, does Lin have fans now? Do you think that the shopkeeper will look at you more this way? Laughter."
"Lin? Oh, I just blew up hundreds of bugs and got eight wooden chests. Who would go seeking him?"
...
Lin Yue silently observed.
Originally seeing someone discussing lotteries, he had the interest to check, but then these people started talking about him, with someone trying to lead public opinion making his reputation worse.
Reputation is crucial at least when selling things.
Though, he hadn't expected that now, because the system placed more mutated creatures, even ordinary people can handle those mutated bugs, so as long as enough are blown up, the chance of getting chests increases, making it easier to obtain water.
But this is only temporary.
Each person is another mouth.
Drinking water, eating meals, a person can always manage, but two or three people, especially if there's someone around who can't move well and doesn't help in survival?
When time passes, water would still be lacking, since demand becomes larger. Once accustomed to drinking generously, the real hardship would come when resources become scarcer and tight.
Maybe only those like him living alone won't worry momentarily.
He glanced at the upper right corner; the group's count of ten thousand people dropped again, now the number is 9811.
Lin Yue silently blacklisted a few people and looked towards the mall.
He's no saint; he wouldn't offer his other cheek to someone who gives him a slap.
Getting benefits while pretending to be innocent, so when the blacklist for trades comes, don't cry when you have no water.
When you come begging, you'd have to pay a higher price before I agree!
For example...
Now?
[Seller: Lin Yue]
[Auction: 100ml of luxury wine X500]
[Requirement: Timber, Iron Blocks, Stone Material.]
[Seller Note: 500 portions, bids can be multiple, highest bidder wins.]
...Chapter 54: I Have Wine, Do You Have Supplies?
"Wine? Lin Yue made wine? Damn, what kind of extreme maneuver is that? We just managed to get water, and he's already got wine?凸(⊙▂⊙)"
"Wow, are you saying he's moved straight from survival to enjoying life? @Lin Yue"
"And it's high-end wine, 100 milliliters at a time! 500 times... Damn, 50 liters of wine? That's absolutely insane!
"Well, I didn't think of the wine path for real, who said Lin Yue was just a water peddler?"
"Can I buy more? I've got tons of wood and stone! Already made an offer!"
"What I said earlier about being a profiteer was a joke, it's actually a term of endearment, our special affectionate term, how about a trade, big shot Lin Yue? @Lin Yue"
"Didn't any of you notice? Lin Yue is only asking for the most basic materials like wood, stone, and iron blocks. What exactly is he planning?"
"Haha, you want my stone? Sorry, you can't afford it, Lin!"
"You think you're the only one with stones? Ha."
...
Goodness gracious.
Lin Yue had just put the wine up on the trade panel for about ten minutes, and when he glanced at the group, he found it was like a huge rock was thrown into a pond, creating massive waves.
His name seemed to be the one most discussed and widely known in this group that had combined a lot of people.
Turning back to the trade panel, Lin Yue was surprised to find that bids had reached over three hundred in such a short amount of time!
Looks like this is undoubtedly another hard currency.
As for why he started off with 500 portions, each 100 ml, totaling 50 liters of wine, this was also a result of Lin Yue's careful consideration.
Firstly, he wanted to acquire a wide range of materials to build that wall.
The second point was to lay the foundation for long-term goals.
Honestly, Lin Yue didn't want to mess too much with wine.
Because it has a certain dependence and addiction.
Much like cigarettes, you might not drink it, but once you get used to drinking it, you'll want it a second and third time, even endlessly.
Of course, this varies from person to person.
Lin Yue made a quick calculation.
There were four oak barrels, each containing 225 liters, a total of 900 liters, with 300 bottled in the shelter and 100 bottles in his storage space, each bottle containing 750 milliliters, totaling 300 liters.
Out of 1200 liters of wine, even after accounting for loss over time, there were still 1100 liters.
Taking out 50 liters for trade isn't a loss.
There's still a reserve of 1000 liters to provide for those who want to continue drinking.
However, at that time, it won't be 100 milliliters so much anymore.
Of course, he'd also use smaller amounts to trade for more.
As for why not use toilet paper and wet wipes, Lin Yue thought those two items weren't enough to trade for larger quantities of stones and other materials.
Moreover, their quantities compared to wine were also insufficient.
But there is a frustrating point about trading.
It consumes a significant amount of survival points.
After listing the wine, his survival points immediately dropped by 200, and combined with building stone walls previously, as well as prior expenses, he now only had 320 survival points left.
"This can't do, I've spent too much, how can I earn some points back?"
Although he could rely on the daily distribution after midnight, he couldn't just live off of that.
Re-donning his wooden armor and shield, and picking up the Fine Iron Spear, Lin Yue was about to head out when his eyes fell on the steel crossbow by the door.
This item was left behind by Korun from the Secret Realm.
Lin Yue saw Korun use this steel crossbow to kill multiple mutant bugs in quick succession, and he could even blast them apart, showing immense power!
He picked up the heavily-weighted steel crossbow and examined it closely.
Made from pure steel alloy, the bowstring was extremely sturdy. Although it bore some signs of age, it was quite similar to the modern crossbows he had seen online, except it had several arrow slots, making it a steel repeating crossbow!
Korun likely obtained this not from a treasure chest, but within the Secret Realm.
It seems this is truly a rare item.
What a good guy, Korun gave him a piece of gear.
Exchanging it with a regular Iron Spear actually wasn't too bad.
After fiddling with it a bit, Lin Yue put it back down.
The crossbow was great, but its drawback was the lack of crossbow arrows.
Searching the trade panel, there were no blueprints listed, nor was anyone discussing crossbows.
Looks like he'll have to make them himself.
Or open treasure chests to get them.
As for opening treasure chests...
Lin Yue suddenly spotted two Silver Treasure Chests in the corner of the room.
These were from before he entered the Secret Realm when he took out two Tiger-striped Shadow Deer.
He opened them.
[You obtained: Fine Climbing Rope X1 bundle, Mutated Creature Atlas X1]
[You obtained: High-Power Sighting Scope (Fine), 2 cubic meter Storage Space Expansion Book]
Emma, this wave...
This wave was a massive win!
The Fine Climbing Rope wasn't needed for now, so he set it aside. Lin Yue immediately used the "2 cubic meter Storage Space Expansion Book"!
A faint glow quickly swept over, and although there wasn't a more special feeling, he knew he now had 6 cubic meters of Storage Space!
This meant he could carry even more items now.
The remaining items were a Mutated Creature Atlas and a High-Power Sighting Scope.
He looked at the scope, carefully picking up the substantial object, noticing it had "Aortex Razer HD" written on one side.
[High-Power Sighting Scope]
[Description: Features 4-20x variable magnification, zero-lock adjustment and reticle illumination as standard, equipped with anti-tilt leveler. Parallax adjustment is side-focusing, with a parallax adjustment lower limit of 25 yards. Filled with argon to prevent fogging, fully waterproof, and has gas gun-level shock resistance.]
[Review: Don't think this is just for peeping at the dorm next door.]
Lin Yue's whole body shivered.
This thing is awesome!
Wait, where's my gun?
Without a gun, this seems to just function as a small telescope, right?
Just as Lin Yue thought it might not be useful, he saw the steel crossbow beside it.
Wait a minute.
Can these two things be combined?
Combining the steel crossbow with the High-Power Sighting Scope, success!
He went outside to test it, climbed onto the roof, and aimed around.
Clear, precise, even a Mutant Sheep wandering in the distance; Lin Yue could see the hair on its head!
He had practically discovered a new world!
Lin Yue was filled with excitement, but he quickly calmed down.
What good is it if he has no crossbow arrows? Isn't it still just a telescope?
He temporarily put the crossbow and scope into the Storage Space, then turned his attention to the last item.
[You used the Mutated Creature Atlas]
[The atlas has been embedded into the system panel and can be accessed anytime for information on encountered mutated creatures]
Lin Yue opened the system panel, then the atlas.
From 1 to 9999, a long list of "???"
What's the deal with these numbers, are they serial numbers?
However, it didn't take him long to find names like "Tiger-striped Shadow Deer," "Mutant Sheep," and other mutated creatures.
It also classified them into herbivores, carnivores, and scavengers, with some introduction to various habits.
After browsing through it, Lin Yue closed it again.
[This atlas can open automatically according to the user's mind]
Got it, got it.
"Baa~"
Bai suddenly called out, jumping off the bed, wobbly as if still sleepy.
"Bai, how about going out to fight and clear your head?" Lin Yue suggested as he looked at the outline of a Mutant Sheep a few dozen meters away.
Bai suddenly perked up, excitedly baaing as it saw the Mutant Sheep at the door.
Good, well-rested isn't it?
Then, for the treasure chest, let's start the battle!
Chapter 55: Treasure Chest Addiction
"Sixty-fifth!"
A giant beetle suddenly flew at Lin Yue from the ground, but after being engulfed by a chilling white mist, it instantly crashed to the ground, and Lin Yue's iron spear turned it into fragments!
[You have obtained a Wooden Treasure Chest]
The familiar sound echoed, and Lin Yue placed the Wooden Treasure Chest into the Storage Space, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Looking up, the sun was setting, it was dusk again.
Wooden Treasure Chests, 5 Copper Treasure Chests.
The harvest was fairly good.
I have to say, after the system increased the mutated creatures, it's become easier for him to obtain treasure chests than before.
But compared to others who kill hundreds of small bugs and small lizards in scenarios akin to mini "bug tides," his numbers here probably only match others at the beginning.
This Desert Zone is really too barren, it's been like this from the start until now.
He thinks, maybe even a desert is better than here.
If his Shelter were in some forest, perhaps he couldn't even hold water in the current house.
"Squeak~"
Bai lay motionless on the ground, its call imbued with fatigue.
This little fellow once enthusiastically challenged Mutant Sheep, ultimately proving through an almost suppressive battle that it has indeed grown stronger and can stand on its own.
Skillfully using its speed, it has become increasingly adept at employing its Ice Mist Attack, and the Ice Hunting Claw ability is gradually used with ease.
Lin Yue even saw Bai suddenly erupt in power, delivering the final blow to the Mutant Sheep.
This is likely the effect of its Lifebound Talent "Gluttony Release."
The combat power is sufficient.
If there's a flaw to point out, it's that Bai's probability of bursting open treasure chests is simply too low.
"Little guy, you should learn from me, bursting open more treasure chests, wouldn't that be delightful?"
Lin Yue took out a grilled mutton skewer from the Storage Space and handed it to Bai.
"Squeak?" Bai didn't understand Lin Yue's words but devoured the skewer with customary swiftness.
Looking up toward the distant horizon.
The sky has darkened further, unknown mutant creatures howling afar.
This world is filled with uncertainty and danger, but Lin Yue now feels much more secure than when he first arrived here.
Obtaining a large number of Wooden Treasure Chests has further ensured the reserve of water and food.
Lin Yue holds the iron spear, feeling the ache in his muscles.
While hunting mutated creatures daily for treasure chests seems like today's routine, it inevitably takes a toll on him physically.
Beyond fatigue, what if he gets injured?
In these nine days, luck has been on his side, and at worst, Lin Yue only suffered scrapes, never encountering a bleeding situation.
But he can't guarantee that every time will be so fortunate.
Also, continuously relying merely on his physical prowess for these tasks will eventually wear him down.
The change lies likely in more handy and labor-saving tools.
Such as the simple Exoskeleton, or for instance, the Steel Repeating Crossbow.
These two things need to be obtained sooner.
Lin Yue returned with a well-fed Bai to the Shelter, beginning to tally the harvest this time.
Killed five Mutant Sheep, obtained 50kg of meat, 5 skins, and 10 tusks, the rest are Wooden Treasure Chests.
Ordinary little bugs don't yield much upon decomposition, so Lin Yue didn't bother to try.
If desired, he could simply search the market for them,
after tidying up inside, Lin Yue put 4L of water in Bai's wooden bucket and then turned his gaze to the treasure chests.
He is always quite excited when opening treasure chests.
Especially now in a situation where he has many chests!
Opened 60 Wooden Treasure Chests one by one.
[You have obtained: Jinggan Spring Water, 600ml per bottle]
[You have obtained: Hundred Elephant Old Pickled Cabbage Instant Noodles, one pack]
[You have obtained...]
Totaled 39 bottles of water, 10 packs of instant noodles, 8 pieces of 500g bread, and 3 packs of noodles.
Noodles are a new thing, haven't opened them before.
Can try them later.
Looking now at the five Copper Treasure Chests.
[You have obtained: Drinking Water, 4L, Strawberry Seeds, one bag]
[You have obtained: Electric Kettle, X1, Iron Hoe Blueprint, X1]
[You have obtained: Humus Nutrient Soil, 30L]
[You have obtained: Multifunctional Swiss Army Knife, X1, Keba Cola, 2L bottle, one]
[You have obtained: Sunglasses, X1, Apples, X5]
My goodness, such variety.
But after categorizing them, Lin Yue fell into contemplation.
Is the system encouraging drinking hot water and then properly farming?
Speaking of farming...
Indeed, that's something that ought to be done.
Previously due to snow disasters and Shelter size issues, he never got around to dealing with the Soilless Cultivation Kit.
But now, thinking back, it seems like it's been a long time since he last ate vegetables.
Always bread, instant noodles, grilled mutton skewers...
Have not eaten vegetables, at best only the dried vegetables in the instant noodle vegetable packets.
Things can't continue this way.
Sure having food is good, but without vegetables, nutrition is lacking, leading to potential health issues later.
Moreover, many people choose to avoid meat.
Then...
Seems like another hard currency has been found?
Indeed, he has quite a few seeds, might as well plant them to see how they do.
Though first, a fence must be built before starting.
Looking again at the Trade Market.
Lin Yue found that his wine already had over a thousand bids.
Looks like it's highly popular indeed.
He called Bai and together they went to the open space outside.
The howls of mutant creatures rose incessantly, apparently more numerous than during the day.
But no matter, his approach is swift and decisive.
[You lost 50L of wine]
[You gained Wood, X1005, Stone, X1787, Iron Blocks, X1065]
Hmm, seems this material is quite sufficient.
As water isn't the main hard currency anymore, wine has taken the lead.
Despite not reaching an extreme quantity, it's adequate.
Like little mountains, the materials piled up quickly on the ground.
But it scared Bai quite a bit.
"Squeak?" Bai kept staring at the suddenly appearing cubes of wood, stone, and iron blocks, finally hiding behind Lin Yue.
"It's nothing, Bai, learn to adapt."
Bai glanced at Lin Yue: "Squeak..."
Lin Yue took a sip of the newly acquired cola and let out a long burp.
Bai immediately sprawled on Lin Yue, reaching for the fizzy liquid, emitting a scent from the red and blue packaged bottle.
"Good gracious, can even drink this?"
With Bai, Lin Yue returned to the Shelter and placed the glasses properly.
Dark brown cola bubbled profusely, Bai's eyes went wide.
"Drink up, don't be shy, but... hey! Why are you already burping?"
Bai lifted its head out of the half-drunk glass: "Squeak, burp~?"
...