The newly sown seeds absorbed the remaining nutrients and soon sprouted green shoots.
However, after growing to a height of about 5 inches, they ceased growing further. It seemed that the energy of the catalyst had been completely used up.
Although another batch wasn't expedited, the successful sprouting of the second batch was a pleasant surprise.
The harvested winter wheat was entirely collected by James.
There were 13 plants in total, each yielding more than a pound of wheat, an unbelievably high yield. In the end, a total of 15 pounds of winter wheat was harvested. Truly worthy of being high-grade crops!
The abundant harvest of the winter wheat made James look forward to the maturation of the crystal rice even more. If high-grade crops yielded this much, what about the superior ones? Besides, each grain of crystal rice was larger, so their yield per plant would definitely surpass that of the winter wheat.
The freshly harvested winter wheat couldn't be eaten directly; it had to be processed into flour. After threshing to remove the husk, the wheat needed to be ground into flour to become true wheat flour.
Without specialized grinding tools, James had to use the blunt side of an axe to crush the wheat and then grind it into powder.
This enormous task took over five hours, leaving James drenched in sweat. But it was a painful yet joyous process - what farmer could resist the joy of harvest?
All the wheat was successfully turned into flour and stored in a resource box, weighing in at 14.5 pounds.
Seeing the remarkable effect of the catalyst on the winter wheat, James was even more excited about the remaining half-bottle.
The growth of the protective thorns had always been steady but unremarkable. He had once hoped it would spawn offspring when feeding the wisteria roots, but there had been no sign of it until now.
"I hope this half bottle of catalyst can fully grow the protective thorns," James thought as he poured the remaining catalyst on them.
The protective thorns, like the winter wheat, started rapidly absorbing nutrients. However, the rate of absorption was much faster than that of the wheat.
In just a few seconds, the protective thorns grew wildly, reminiscent of a cat crazily growing upon smelling fish.
The largest protective thorn quickly grew to over two meters, nearly reaching the shelter's roof, before stopping.
The whole plant underwent significant changes, becoming as thick as an arm with densely packed, nail-sized sharp spikes, looking formidable and aggressive.
Meanwhile, the protective thorns became noticeably more active, swaying their robust vines as if a child joyously receiving candy.
Its behavior was quite different from ordinary plants, resembling more a sentient being. Beside the main plant, several green tendrils began to grow, only as thick as chopsticks but also covered in sharp spikes, resembling smaller versions of the main protective thorn plant.
"It's reproducing!" James exclaimed in surprise.
Since his first day in the foggy world, he had acquired the protective thorns and pinned great hopes on them, hoping they would protect the shelter. Although only of good quality, he always believed the protective thorns were not just any ordinary plant. Thus, he invested considerable resources in them, never giving up even when there was no response. Until today - the protective thorns finally began to reproduce.
Surrounding the right side wall of the shelter, several small protective thorn plants grew robustly, encircling the wall perfectly.
They stopped growing when they reached about one meter in height. The cluster of protective thorns, surrounding the main plant, looked particularly impressive.
James had no doubt about their good quality now. If a good-quality beast approached the shelter, it could be defended by the protective thorns.
"What luck! To think I could find something this great in a wooden resource box!" James marveled at the sight of the protective thorns, filled with emotions.
Even among good-quality items, there was a difference in grade. And the plant catalyst was undoubtedly top-tier. Just then, James remembered that he had acquired two more resource boxes that day.
He solemnly took out the two wooden resource boxes back at the shelter, hoping to share in Nancy's good fortune. With two light clicks, the boxes opened.
[Sweater (Ordinary)]
[Cotton Pants (Ordinary)]
[Instant Noodles x5 (Ordinary)]
The first box, found along the way, contained practical and conventional items: warm clothing and food.
[Beast Skin Coat (Ordinary)]
[Soap x1 (Ordinary)]
[Scratch Card (Ordinary)]
As expected, the second box, obtained from hunting traps, contained ordinary-level items, though one was particularly unique – a scratch card!
James frowned: Had he found another odd item?
But upon inspection, he realized he had misjudged the system. It was a scratch card exclusive to the foggy world!
[Name: Scratch Card (Ordinary)
Function: Can win a reward of 0-10 Spirit Coins.
Description: Obtain a small amount of universal currency from the foggy world!]
Universal currency of the foggy world – Spirit Coins!
James paused at the word. Survivors had mostly been bartering, with wood and stone as the most common goods.
But the fluctuating market made exchange rates unstable. The system had never regulated the market or established a uniform currency. But here, on an ordinary scratch card, was the term "Spirit Coins," referred to as universal currency of the foggy world.
Could this indicate the system might introduce a universal currency soon? Quite possibly!
Although uncertain, the trend seemed right.
James kept this in mind and scratched the card, luckily winning 8 Spirit Coins.
The coins, white and antique with a jade-like texture, appeared more like art pieces. With no detailed information available, he decided to store them for future use.
After dealing with everything, just as James was about to sleep, he received a message from Nancy.
Nancy: "James, look, it's snowing!"
Snowing? James was surprised but not shocked.
Given the extreme cold, snow was inevitable, just a matter of time.
Opening the "Survival Handbook in the Fog," the chat channel was in an uproar, with messages moving too fast to read clearly. But glimpses of words like snow, cold, and food revealed the survivors' concerns.
The sudden yet unavoidable snowstorm affected every survivor's mood. The snow heralded the approaching cold wave. This was the collective sentiment of all survivors.
With only five or six hours left to prepare, even James felt an inexplicable panic and unease.
Just then, a message from Luke popped up.