Name: Charcoal Making Scroll (Good)
Materials: Wood
Effect: Produces refined charcoal, suitable for stoves, fireplaces, etc. Burns for a long time with less smoke.
Introduction: High-quality charcoal with a natural fruity scent!
This is a very practical scroll, especially useful for withstanding the upcoming cold wave. Moreover, it's not too expensive, costing only 23 stones. Initially, James wondered why someone would trade such a practical scroll. But then he realized that, as nice as charcoal seems, it's not the best choice for those struggling to meet basic needs.
First, making charcoal also consumes wood!
The charcoal produced might not be better than burning wood directly. It might burn a bit shorter and produce more smoke, but these drawbacks are acceptable.
James, eager to improve his living standards, finds spending 23 stones for it a great deal.
However, he doesn't realize that charcoal, enhanced by the crafting scroll, is much more effective than regular wood.
The other scroll, however, seems useless.
Name: Telephone Pole Crafting Scroll (Excellent)
Materials: Stone
Effect: A decorative item, improves the aesthetics of the shelter!
Introduction: Although it can't generate electricity, it sure can beautify your place!
James twitches at the description of the "Telephone Pole Crafting Scroll." This is an excellent-grade item, likely from a bronze resource box. He imagines a kid finding a bronze resource box, excitedly opening it, only to find a crafting scroll for a telephone pole that doesn't even conduct electricity! Plus, who uses telephone poles as decorations? James empathizes with the despair of the person who found this.
In the trading market, there are many such quirky items, like "Electric Toothbrush without Electricity," "Singing Duck Toy," "Road Roller Crafting Scroll," etc. Most are somewhat useful, but not significantly so.
James is interested in the "Telephone Pole Crafting Scroll" mainly for its grade. Even if it's not practical, it's still an excellent-grade item. It might be the most useless excellent-grade item he's seen. The scroll requires 28 stones, but after some easy bargaining, James gets it for 22.
Then, a message from Peter, who has potatoes, pops up.
Peter: A fist-sized potato for 30 grams of compressed biscuits!
James knows potatoes are not easy to come by. Peter, knowing about compressed biscuits, must have upgraded his shelter to level 2, so he likely doesn't need stones.
James: What compressed biscuits? Are they from a resource box?
In a corner of the world of fog, in a level 2 shelter, a young man with messy hair, wrapped in a cotton coat, lies beside a stove, typing frantically into a book.
The constant notification sounds would have amazed James, who doesn't realize that someone could have materials to build other facilities after upgrading their shelter.
Peter leans towards the stove, disappointedly saying, "People are hard to fool these days!"
"If I hadn't seen you trade my Telephone Pole Crafting Scroll and Charcoal Scroll, I would have been tricked!"
"But to have so many stones for trading after upgrading the shelter... you're not just anyone!"
"Could it be you're just a few stones short of completing a task..."
James, who marvels at others' fast development, would be scolded if they saw his inventory!
Peter: "What can you offer for a trade?"
James thinks and replies: "I only have a day's worth of food, I can trade stones with you!"
James is puzzled, wondering if Peter asks everyone about compressed biscuits or if it's just a coincidence. Did he know James upgraded his shelter just because he spent a few stones?
Frowning, without waiting for Peter's reply, James sends another message.
James: "Have we traded before? The Telephone Pole Crafting Scroll?"
Peter's mouth twitches, surprised at being discovered so easily.
James: "Are both scrolls yours?"
He's not sure, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
James realizes that after buying two scrolls for 45 stones and still having stones left for trading, it's likely he's already upgraded his shelter.
Peter probably guessed this and tried his luck.
Peter: "Buddy, it's me! Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to buy a telephone pole!"
James: ???? Am I being taken for a fool??
James: "Since we're regular customers, then how many potatoes for five stones?"
James doesn't care about the quantity of potatoes; they're not for eating, but for planting.
Peter, eager to make a friend, replies courteously: "Let's make friends, one stone for one potato."
The trade request comes in:
[Trade Request: Peter trades 5 units of potatoes (ordinary) for 5 units of stones. Confirm?]
Confirmed!
The price of stones actually doesn't match that of potatoes. It's just that due to today's situation, the demand for stones is high, so their price is particularly inflated.
Getting five potatoes is satisfactory.
The potatoes are small and oddly shaped, looking quite different from those bought in supermarkets, probably picked up by the riverside.
After the trade, Peter sends a friend request.
James casually accepts, happy to have another friend.
Now he has two friends in his list: Mary and Peter.
After getting to know each other, Peter, a 28-year-old self-employed master's student, turns out to be intelligent, emotionally intelligent, and capable.
They agree to trade special resources and help each other out in the future.
...
James uses up all his materials and closes the "Survival Handbook in the Fog."
The last thing to do is the most enjoyable: opening the box!
To prepare for the possible secret realm tomorrow, James decides to open the box today.
Though not certain he'll find the secret realm, he wants to be fully prepared.
The chat records between Henry and Mary seem genuine. In the world of fog, there's no way to fake such records. Moreover, the Sanctuary Light Shield is a high-quality item, ensuring Henry's survival in the early stages.
The chat channel has many other high-quality items, leading James to suspect that not only Henry but also others have entered the secret realm.
Without further ado, James brings the bronze resource box next to him.
He rubs his hands and focuses.
A blue light appears!
The box contains four items: three orbs and a scroll.
Name: 10ml Wooden Liquor Cup Crafting Scroll (Good)
Materials: Wood
Effect: A small container for holding fine spirits, retains some aroma.
Introduction: Good drinks should be savored in moderation!
James is initially excited by the words "cup" and "container," but his excitement fades after reading the description. 10ml? A liquor cup? In the world of fog, where even water is scarce, who has the luxury to drink spirits? A larger cup would have been useful. Reluctantly, he sets the scroll aside, hoping the remaining items are more practical.
Name: World Megaphone (Special)
Effect: Speak in the world channel, pinned for a day.
Introduction: Ensure everyone sees your message!
James recognizes this item from the chat channel and is quite satisfied with it.
Name: Fence (Excellent)
Effect: Encloses a 10 square meter area, not included in the original shelter area.
Introduction: Expand my home!
James is thrilled with this architectural facility item of excellent grade. It's the first time he's gotten such an item, but he understands its importance. It expands his shelter by 10 square meters, included in the shelter's protective range. It's perfect for planting, raising animals, or building a shed. The only downside is the fence's low defense compared to the wooden house walls. But this is negligible. He happily opens the last orb.
Name: Bread × 5 (Good)
Effect: Edible refined bread with high satiety.
Introduction: Premium food!
Not overly exciting, but very practical. In the world of fog, food is always in demand.
Satisfied, James eats the bread and lights a fire with the oil lamp. Now with a stone floor, there's no risk of setting the house on fire. He hadn't had the chance to examine his new house closely. Now, he notices the significant changes. The wooden walls are neat, the wind sound is much weaker, and the warmth is incomparable.
He lays out his straw mat by the fire, puts on his cotton coat, covers himself with a blanket, and lies down contentedly. There are still several hours until daylight, but there's nothing else to do. The chat channel is still busy with boasting, trading, and alliance seeking, but nothing important.
Considering an early start tomorrow for the secret realm, James decides to sleep early, preferring to wake up a few hours early rather than oversleep.