While contemplating his future plans, James surveyed his newly upgraded shelter. On his fourth day in this world, he had finally upgraded the shelter to level three. The space had expanded to 120 square meters, with a 40 square meter yard and an 80 square meter house. The previously cramped room now felt spacious.
Compared to the level two shelter, the level three shelter used a higher proportion of stone in its construction. The foundation was raised by 30 inches, making the whole structure look sturdier. The interior wood, made of pale yellow spruce, had a fine and simple grain, emitting a faint woody fragrance. The entire shelter exuded a primitive, refreshing forest-like atmosphere.
Returning to the bedroom, its size remained unchanged, but the walls, now made of spruce, appeared much brighter. It seemed the system used more generous materials, making the walls thicker and greatly improving soundproofing and insulation. The sealed bedroom, warmed by the fireplace, had a temperature above zero degrees, at least preventing shivering from the cold.
James was relieved to have the shelter's built-in fireplace with a chimney that vented smoke outside, avoiding the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
As James's thoughts drifted, a "beep beep beep" sound suddenly came from the "Mist Survival Handbook." It was a message from Luke, showing an item information.
[Name: Animal Trap x3 (Good)
Purpose: Captures wild animals with a certain success rate.
Description: Suitable for small animals, don't even think about hunting large beasts!]
Pleased to see the traps, James knew their system-verified functionality would be beneficial.
James: "Big brother, seems like you had a good haul today, even got such great items!"
Luke quickly replied that he had crafted the traps from a blueprint he got from a resource box but made only a few due to limited materials. James offered to help with materials, though he doubted having any useful ones in his sparse environment.
Luke asked for tough vines, which James didn't have. He promised to keep an eye out and inform Luke if he found any. James traded 50ml of spring water for the traps, understanding that relationships were built on mutual benefit.
After closing the handbook, James opened the resource box he got from chopping trees, hoping for quality items. The anticipation was high, as this was his first box from tree cutting. The box revealed three items, which James eagerly inspected.
[Name: Tomato Seeds (Good)
Purpose: Nourished by the mystic energy of the Mist World, these tomato seeds are more nutritious and can slightly improve physical constitution and provide vitamins.
Description: Organic vegetables.]
[Name: Winter Wheat Seeds (Good)
Purpose: Nourished by the Mist World's energy, these seeds can survive in low temperatures, have high satiety and yield.
Description: A valuable and practical crop.]
[Name: Fertilizer Making Scroll (Good)
Purpose: Produces good-quality fertilizer to slightly increase crop growth rate and yield.
Description: Organic fertilizer works better!]
"Actual wheat!" James was ecstatic. The three items, though simple – tomato and winter wheat seeds and a fertilizer recipe – had immense long-term value, particularly the winter wheat seeds, crucial in the harsh environment of the Mist World.
Winter wheat could germinate in sub-zero temperatures. Although its survival rate and growth were low, its cold resistance was strong. If maintained at around seven or eight degrees, it would grow healthily. This winter wheat, enhanced by the Mist World's energy, could likely grow at zero degrees, providing a steady flour source for noodles.
James carefully stored the items, planning to plant them later, as his current shelter lacked suitable planting space. He needed to find a garden plot for sale.
Filled with excitement, James changed into his pajamas and snuggled under his blanket, browsing the trade market and chat channel. This was a daily ritual for survivors, both to procure necessities and alleviate loneliness.
The chat channel was bustling as usual.
"I found two resource boxes today, haha!"
"Don't get too excited, who knows what you'll get."
"Envy me, haha!"
"It's getting colder. I can't even step outside without warm clothes."
"Advice for everyone, if it's too cold, don't force yourself to chop wood. A friend of mine caught a cold yesterday and is offline today!"
"Offline? Is this really just a game?"
"Maybe 'offline' means... you know."
"Don't joke about death. It's serious. Let's observe a moment of silence."
"Are there any wild animals near your shelters? I have a three-meter tall bear near mine, haven't eaten in days."
"Why aren't you eating? It's bad for your health!"
"If you have no food, why not eat meat?"
"If you're really starving, don't let the bear go hungry either!"
"What do you mean?"
"..."
James turned off the chat, finding it unproductive. The trade market also had no garden plots available. It seemed everyone understood the importance of cultivation, making it harder to find such items for sale.
Human evolution had taught us how to transition from savage to tribal society through agriculture. Relying solely on foraging and hunting was primitive, leaving no time for other developments. With the new challenges, James knew he needed to focus on self-sufficiency to survive the harsh conditions of the Mist World.