《Lord Game: Awakening The Legendary Multiplier From The Start》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan opened his eyes. He was in a thatched cottage. The surrounding was rather silent. Occasionally, strange roars could be heard. There was also the sound of breathing. ¡®Eh? ¡®Breathing?! ¡®Something is not right!¡¯ Liao Fan¡¯s heart sank. He vaguely noticed two expressionless men standing next to him. The two men were unarmed and skinny. They were about 5¡¯6 and weighed around two hundred twenty pounds. Most importantly, there were small words floating above their heads. [ Villager ] There was a thick fog outside the window. From time to time, huge black shadows would pass by. It was quite terrifying. Liao Fan¡¯s entire body was covered in sweat. He was just walking on the street earlier. Then, the fog set in and his vision was blurred. By the time Liao Fan could see again, he had already ended up at this place. It felt like a nightmare. ¡®What is going on?! ¡®How did I end up here?¡¯ Liao Fan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Panicking would not help! Instead, he should be analyzing the situation more intuitively. If Liao Fan was flustered, he would be more likely to make mistakes! He quickly checked out the entire room. The thatched cottage was about a hundred square feet in size and it was very clean. To the south, there was a transparent square-shaped glass window. One could see the thick fog outside through the glass window. What lies within the thick fog was a mystery. Below the glass window was a simple wooden bed. There was nothing on the wooden bed, not a mattress nor a pillow. On the north side of the thatched cottage, there were three piles of materials. Wood, stone, and coal. There was a shimmering stone on top of the wood. These materials did not look like much. Liao Fan did not know how to make use of these materials. Additionally, there was a wooden table with three items placed on it. A scroll, three pieces of bread, and three bottles of mineral water. Upon looking at the mineral water, Liao Fan suddenly felt abnormally thirsty. At the same time, his stomach was growling. He was hungry. The thirst and hunger made Liao Fan dizzy. He did not know how long he had been unconscious or when was the last time he had drunk and eaten. Liao Fan really wanted to take a large gulp of water, but he did not. This was because he was focused on the scroll. After thinking for a moment, Liao Fan looked at the two men who were standing next to him. He asked, ¡°Are the two of you farmers?¡± Based on Liao Fan¡¯s observation, it did not look like he was kidnapped. Furthermore, they were not in possession of any weapons. Judging from their figures, if they were to end up fighting for the food, Liao Fan believed that he would not lose. Basically, these two men posed a minimal threat. Of course, this was all Liao Fan¡¯s speculation. ¡°My Lord, we are your subjects!¡± said one of the men humbly. Upon hearing that, Liao Fan frowned. He did not really understand what the other party meant. That sentence could mean anything! Liao Fan carefully picked up the scroll. The moment he unraveled it, countless golden fireflies flew out. Then, a hologram of a warrior appeared. [ Welcome to the survival contest! ] [ First of all, congratulations to all the chosen Lords. ] [ You are about to face the challenge of survival! ] [ From today onwards, you will have your own territory and subjects. ] [ This world is filled with danger, so please listen attentively to what I have to say. ] [ 1. No matter how much you expand your territory, the thatched cottage is the only confirmed safe space! ] [ 2. However, do not rely too much on the thatched cottage. There are limits. I advise the Lords to start exploring as soon as possible. The world outside is endless! It may be dangerous but there are also countless surprises! ] [3. Be alert. Foolishness will only cause your own death! ] [4. Your subjects will be a hundred percent loyal to you forever. Please be at ease and use them according to your needs! ] [5. The monsters can only move around in the fog! ] [6. At night, the number of monsters in the fog will increase exponentially! Killing them will yield rewards! ] [ These are all the tips that I have. If fate allows it, we¡¯ll meet again! ] The warrior¡¯s hologram disappeared and the scroll began to dim. Then, five options appeared. [ World Channel ] [ Regional Channel ] [ Inventory ] [ Item Creation ] [ Talent Recruitment ] Without thinking much, Liao Fan chose to access the [ World Channel ]. ¡°What is this place? Why is there a thick fog? There¡¯s no phone reception. Somebody save me!¡± ¡°Sobs. I¡¯ve already finished all the bread and water, but I¡¯m still hungry. Maybe I should exchange my farmers for food!¡± ¡°Sigh, I was so hungry that I ate some coal. Ugh¡­ now I¡¯m having a stomachache. Am I going to die?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you people really are stupid. The villagers are essentially meat. Plus, they won¡¯t resist. I¡¯ve already eaten a villager. That¡¯s how you should use your resources.¡± ¡­. Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan read the conversations. Then, he noticed a small speaker icon in the upper right corner. There was a number next to it. 1. [ World Speaker: Every player can only use the world speaker once a day. Use it to form an alliance, call for help, trade or send messages. Please use it wisely! ] The world channel was filled with spam. Liao Fan quickly lost interest. ¡®Boring.¡¯ He was not going to use his speaker to send spam, nor was he going to ask for help. In this situation, one could only rely on themselves! Liao Fan shifted his attention to more pressing matters. ¡®We¡¯re all stuck here, but it¡¯s only the first day. So, there shouldn¡¯t be too many problems. ¡®I¡¯m still amazed by that guy who committed cannibalism by eating his farmer!¡¯ By analyzing the conversations on the world channel, Liao Fan concluded that everyone was at the same starting point. If a person wanted to reach another area, they would need to get through the fog. However, it seemed that nobody had yet to take the first step. Liao Fan then accessed the regional channel. ¡°Earlier, I was about to go out but a huge black figure suddenly appeared. It¡¯s too terrifying. I think it¡¯s a monster. Now, I dared not step out of the door. The villagers are also useless. They¡¯re so skinny. I wish they were muscular men instead.¡± ¡°Hehe, let me give you guys a piece of advice. Don¡¯t feed the villagers. If they¡¯re really hungry, they can just eat each other¡­¡± ¡°Sob¡­¡± ¡°This is the regional channel, so we should be in the same region. I would like to believe that we¡¯re all good people. If we run into each other in the wild, please don¡¯t attack!¡± ¡­ The conversations were more or less the same as the world channel. Liao Fan was not interested at all. He looked at the food on the table hungrily. In fact, he was so hungry that he could barely stand up. As Liao Fan looked at the food, a couple of options appeared in front of his eyes. [ Coarse Grain Bread *3 ] [ Mineral Water *3 ] [ Do you want to consume? ] [ 1. Coarse Grain Bread (restores a little satiety) ] [ Other food ] [ 1. Oatmeal (restores some satiety) ] [ 2. Premium Bread (fully restores your satiety). It is convenient to carry around and would not rot easily. Can fill up a person for three days! ] 3. Bacon Bread (restores half of your satiety). Temporarily increases your strength and health. ] 4. Vegetable Bread (restores most of your satiety). Recover some health. ] ¡­ [ Note: Once selected, no changes can be made. ] Liao Fan looked at the information in front of him. His heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He did not know what was happening, but it seemed like he was able to enhance the food in front of him to a higher grade! Liao Fan turned around to look at the materials that were provided again. Wood *30, stone *10, and coal *20. As he looked at these materials, a list of options appeared again! Obviously, the options were different in comparison to the food. [ Basic Materials: Wood *30, stone *10, coal *20. ] [ Advanced Material: Fluorescent stone ] [ Do you want to proceed? ] [ Increase: Strength +1 ] [ Upgrade Requirements: Wood, stone, coal, et cetera. ] [ 1. Wooden Axe: Can be used to collect basic materials. Average quality. Easily damaged. ] [ 2. Stone Axe: Can be used to collect basic materials. Average quality. Easily damaged. ] [ 3. Torch: Can dispel the fog for three minutes. ] [ 4. Black Crystal Block: A material to create stone sculptures. ] [ 5. Flint: Can be used to start a fire. ] ¡­ In short, food was used to replenish stats while materials would increase stats. The usage of wood and stone was straightforward, but coal could be a little tricky. As for fluorescent stone, Liao Fan could not find further information about it. Nonetheless, Liao Fan just kept the stone in his pocket. He was very excited because the upgrading system provided a lot of possibilities! Although he could not do much at the moment, he could start experimenting once he obtained more materials! Liao Fan suppressed his excitement and accessed the regional channel again. ¡°These materials are trash. Wood can only be broken into pieces to make firewood. Can¡¯t it be synthesized into something more useful?¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve already finished the food. I sent my villagers out to explore, but I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll bring back.¡± ¡°I also sent my villagers out just now, but they died right as they left the cottage. It¡¯s too dangerous outside!¡± ¡­ As Liao Fan read the messages, he became more and more sure about one thing. He had an amplification ability! How wonderful! Anyway, everyone was in a state of panic. They were unable to calm down and could only hide in their cottages. Strange roars could be heard coming from the outside. Paired with the thick fog, there was a deep sense of unknown fear! If the thatched cottage did not have a protective function, everyone would probably have already been eaten by the monsters! Liao Fan decided to make use of his ability and swiftly accessed the synthesis list. He wanted to make something useful so he would be able to go out and explore! After all, it was important to stay one step ahead! With Liao Fan¡¯s ability, he would be able to obtain something better than everyone else. It was a huge advantage. Liao Fan was positive that if he wanted to survive in this strange world, he could not afford to be reckless. He needed to stay calm at all times and observe everything. Furthermore, he would need to explore the fog and expand his territory! That was the only way he could become stronger! There was no point whining on the world channel! ¡­. Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Everyone was trapped in their thatched cottages. They had two choices. One, they would continue to wait in their thatched cottages. In a few more hours, it would be nighttime. That meant it would be even more difficult to go out and explore. They would endure until the next morning and think of another way. Two, they would send their villagers out to explore. The villagers might be able to find some food and resources. However, there was a high probability that the villagers would die. Both options had their pros and cons. So far, no one had gone out to explore. There was not enough information about the outside world. People were hoping that someone else would become the lab rat first! It was the only way that they could obtain any useful clues. Obviously, no one was willing to be the lab rat. Everyone wanted to survive. They continued to hide in their cottages and refused to step outside! It was an endurance competition. Sooner or later, someone would lose their patience and go out. Then, the rest could judge the danger factor on the world or regional chat channel. Nobody would run into the thick fog for no reason. Liao Fan preferred to take the initiative rather than just sitting and waiting. Of course, he was still very careful. He had just received two important pieces of news! First of all, the monsters could only move in the fog. This information was important because it involved another matter, which was the duration of the torch. The torch could dispel the fog! As long as he synthesized a torch, Liao Fan could dispel the fog for a certain period of time! As long as he had a torch in his hand, he would be safe from the monsters! Furthermore, he had the materials to synthesize the torch. Liao Fan began to rapidly go through the possibilities in his mind. It was crucial to remember how long the torch would last. Three minutes. Liao Fan could enhance the torch, but he was unsure what the +1 meant. ¡®Does it mean that the duration would increase by one minute? ¡®Or would it double the duration?¡¯ If the +1 meant that it would add one minute to the torch¡¯s duration, then Liao Fan could dispel the fog for four minutes. However, if the duration was doubled, then he could dispel the fog for six minutes! The material needed to upgrade the torch would probably be coal since it was not realistic to add stone. Thoughts like these began to fill up Liao Fan¡¯s mind. The synthesis of a stone axe was [ wood + stone ]. As for a wood axe, it was [ wood + wood ]. Meanwhile, for black crystal blocks, it would require [ stone + coal ]. Most of the synthesis easily made sense. At present, Liao Fan just needed to figure out how much his ability would amplify the items. If he could not figure this out, Liao Fan would need to come up with a new plan! In the end, he decided to amplify the torch. [ Wood + coal = torch ]. Liao Fan prepared to synthesize based on the formula. ¡°Access item creation!¡± A huge production table appeared in front of Liao Fan. It was a 1*1 square production table. Liao Fan enhanced the wood and coal. Then, he placed them on the production table. [ Sufficient materials. Begin production! ] The production table immediately flashed a faint light. [ Ding! Congratulations to the Lord Liao Fan for obtaining a torch. ] ¡°Success!¡± Liao Fan looked at the torch that appeared on the production table excitedly. He immediately checked its properties. [ Torch: Can dispel the fog for six minutes. ] ¡°So the effectiveness was doubled!¡± Liao Fan was ecstatic. Suddenly, he had a bold idea. ¡°If I enhance this torch again, will it be able to last even longer?¡± Liao Fan made up his mind and decided to further enhance the torch. [ Torch: Can dispel the fog for twelve minutes! ] Twelve minutes! Liao Fan¡¯s heart was racing! Compared to the most basic torch, his torch was three times more effective. He still had nineteen coal left and could even further enhance the torch. 12*20 = 240 minutes. ¡°I could stay outside for four hours!¡± The other people could not even be compared to him! Liao Fan calmed himself down and continued to enhance the remaining materials. He attempted to make a stone and wooden axe but to his surprise, he failed. The formula he used was [ stone + coal ]. What he created was a pitch-black crystal block. It was the material needed for stone sculptures. Liao Fan knocked his head in an attempt to compose himself. After thinking about it, it made sense. There was no way he could create two items with the same formula. However, it could be used for something else. Liao Fan gave more thought to the coal. It was usually used to start fires. Then, he immediately started searching the house. Fortunately, he found a piece of coal. It was beneath some ashes. Liao Fan placed the coal and stone on the production table again. This time, he was successful and created flint. The flint was exceptionally good thanks to his enhancement ability. There was still a chance to produce sparks even if it was damaged by water. After producing the flint, Liao Fan felt relaxed. Without the flint, the torch would have been useless since it needed a fire source. Liao Fan continued to produce more items. More and more tools appeared in the cottage. Liao Fan¡¯s basic materials were being consumed at a rapid speed. In the end, there were only two stones left. He had obtained nineteen torches, six stone axes, two wooden axes, one flint, and one black crystal block. ¡°Now, what should I do with this black crystal block?¡± The system did remind him that this was one of the important materials for making a statue, but it did not apply to Liao Fan¡¯s current situation. After thinking for a moment, Liao Fan decided to rub the black crystal block against the ground. Sure enough, the black crystal block was not hard. He drew a long black line on the ground. Liao Fan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Perhaps this black crystal block could be used as a path indicator. Besides, the fog outside was very thick. It would be easy for a person to get lost. Using the black crystal block to create a path indicator would definitely be very helpful. ¡­. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After the tools were made, Liao Fan gave each villager two stone axes. It was important because they would need those axes to mine for materials. However, after thinking about it, Liao Fan frowned. Why? It was for a very simple reason. He had too few resources. Currently, he could only make simple tools. Even the torch had a time limit. Thanks to his ability, the usage time was greatly extended but even so, Liao Fan did not want to take any risks. As of now, the danger the fog posed was still unknown. Unless Liao Fan was a hundred percent confident, he refused to enter the fog. The time limit was four hours. It might seem like a lot of time, but unexpected things might happen. Liao Fan still did not know the geographical environment outside. Basically, he had limited time to scavenge for resources! Currently, other than food, the resources in the thatched cottage were almost used up. ¡®If this trip did not yield any results, what would happen to me? ¡®How could I explore again in the future? ¡®There are no more resources to make torches.¡¯ Liao Fan knew it was a gamble, but he had to do it! Staying in the hut would only be waiting for death! Since that was the case, he might as well take any chances of survival. At the very least, there was hope that he could live on! ¡­ At this moment, the fog outside was still very dense. Liao Fan had neatly arranged all his items. He continued to observe the situation. Then, he accessed the world channel. ¡°I have bad news for everyone. Earlier, I ordered a villager to go out and explore. After taking two steps, he suddenly disappeared. Shortly after, a rain of blood fell from the sky along with pieces of flesh. I rushed out thinking that he was still alive but in the end, I could only salvage his bloody arm¡­¡± ¡°And then barbecued it with tears in your eyes?¡± ¡°F*ck, don¡¯t you have any humanity left? The villagers may look dull and weak, but they¡¯re still living beings!¡± ¡°Hmph, who cares about that? I only prioritize my own life! The villagers are nothing but NPC1s. Why should I care about them? I¡¯m starving to death and you¡¯re trying to lecture me about humanity?¡± ¡°Living beings? Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t go out. It does not matter if it¡¯s day or night. We¡¯re in hell!¡± ¡°Wuuuuu¡­ I want to go home¡­¡± Nobody dared to explore the outside world yet. If the fog did not disperse, they would definitely die! Since no one knew what was hidden in the fog, they would not take any chances! Liao Fan was the only exception. With the strengthened version of the torch, he could go out safely. Liao Fan then made a bowl of oatmeal and some premium bread. Then, he enhanced the food one after another. Liao Fan knew that by eating the enhanced food, he would be more resistant to hunger. He picked up the bowl of oatmeal and ate it. It was absolutely delicious. Then, he put the premium bread into his bag. As Liao Fan continued to eat his oatmeal, he accessed the regional channel. ¡°My stomach is growling. I¡¯m so hungry. Are the villagers really edible? I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± ¡°Sigh, just eat them. The villagers won¡¯t resist at all. You need to survive, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ this is disgusting. It¡¯s really hard to swallow¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t eat them, you¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Exactly. There was a really stubborn person earlier who died of hunger.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ I want to go home. I want a proper meal¡­¡± ¡°Get lost! No one wants to hear you whine!¡± ¡­ ¡®Tsk¡­¡¯ After reading the messages, Liao Fan quickly closed the interface. ¡®Those people are so disgusting! ¡®Do they really need to discuss such things? ¡®Sigh¡­ this bowl of oatmeal is the best.¡¯ After finishing his oatmeal, Liao Fan was full. Not only did his hunger disappear, but he also felt stronger than ever. It was as if he could complete a ten miles long run! Bread and water were originally basic resources. They could only be used to satisfy hunger. However, with Liao Fan¡¯s amplification ability, they were greatly enhanced. That was why he felt rejuvenated. There really was a huge difference between enhanced and non-enhanced food! ¡°Gulp¡­¡± The sound came from the other side. Liao Fan raised his head. He looked at the two villagers. They were starving. It was clear that the sound was their stomach growling. Upon seeing this, Liao Fan took out a piece of premium bread and broke it into a couple of small pieces. ¡°Take it.¡± Liao Fan gave them to the villagers. ¡°Thank you, my Lord!¡± The two villagers took the bread and immediately chowed down. Their faces were filled with happiness. They did not have to die from starvation! If the villagers died, Liao Fan¡¯s scavenging speed would be reduced by more than three times! It was a good idea to keep them alive. Otherwise, under such circumstances, Liao Fan would not have shared his precious food. Although Liao Fan would not sink to the level of cannibalism, he was no deity either. ¡®The villagers were precious resources as well! ¡®They must not die! ¡®Besides, where else can I find people who are a hundred percent loyal to me in what seemed like an apocalyptic world?¡¯ Those were Liao Fan¡¯s thoughts. While the other Lords ate their own villagers, Liao Fan shared his extra food. In a way, it made him feel very wealthy. He was lucky that he had the amplification ability. If not, the three pieces of bread and three bottles of mineral water would definitely not be enough! After eating and drinking to his heart¡¯s content, Liao Fan still had more than half of the premium bread, as well as two bottles of water! With his amplification ability, he could enhance items and even deduce certain production methods. This would greatly help Liao Fan to advance in this world! ¡­ Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan stood by the window and looked at the fog outside with a solemn expression. He still couldn¡¯t see anything. There was nothing but fog! The thick fog covered almost everything. As far as the eyes could see, it was a vast expanse of whiteness. Other than the fog, there would be huge black shadows that occasionally passed by. Besides that, there was nothing. ¡®Where am I supposed to scavenge for materials?¡¯ Liao Fan was unable to analyze the current situation. If he went out, everything would depend on luck! While thinking, Liao Fan paced around the room. He had to establish a reasonable route! The amount of time he had was limited. It would definitely be better to rely on his own abilities than luck! After all, what would happen if he was unlucky? He might have ended up being trapped in the thatched cottage. Liao Fan refused to let something like that happen to him. Nineteen torches and after being enhanced, each of them would last twelve minutes! The fog would be dispelled for a total of 228 minutes! In other words, Liao Fan could stay outside for 3.8 hours! The 3.8 hours included him going back and forth, as well as the time to scavenge. It was quite an ample amount of time, as long as there were no accidents! Liao Fan¡¯s eyes gradually narrowed. An unknown place was definitely dangerous. Even with 3.8 hours, Liao Fan had no intentions of slacking off or getting distracted from his main goal. If he was careless, he would definitely die! Liao Fan did not know how long it would take to search and dig for resources. If it took a long time, he would need to look for other alternatives! Liao Fan took a step in front. Then, he went back. He was measuring how much ground each of his footsteps would cover! ¡°Very good. About twenty inches.¡± If he sped up, he would be able to take about twenty steps in ten seconds. Suddenly, Liao Fan stopped in his tracks. His eyes lit up. He quickly selected a route and put the scroll into his pocket! After that, he looked at the two villagers who were holding the stone axes. Both of them were well-fed. This meant that they had enough strength to work for Liao Fan! Now, he could be more detailed in his plannings. The villagers would also encounter danger once they entered the fog. So, Liao Fan gave each of them a torch. They needed to follow him from behind as closely as possible! That way, they could all search for resources! Once they found a spot with resources, one of them would stay behind to collect it while the other would continue to follow him! In order to explore within the dense fog, Liao Fan needed to leave clear marks along the way. Otherwise, they would easily get separated! Furthermore, it would be a death sentence if he could not find his way back! Fortunately, Liao Fan got the black crystal block to draw marks! Additionally, he would leave behind four torches as backup! Putting all his eggs in one basket might be a bad idea. Those torches were his lifeline. It would not be wise to use up all his resources in one go! No matter what, he had to leave an opening for himself! Liao Fan affirmed his plan. He also double-checked the materials and tools that he needed to bring. After that, he walked towards the window and stared outside for another three more minutes. He took a deep breath. ¡®Alright, I need to stay calm!¡¯ Then, Liao Fan headed to the door and slowly opened it. He was greeted by an endless fog! It shrouded him. Liao Fan did not light the torch. Instead, he stood in place and pondered for another five minutes. ¡®There¡¯s a huge fatal problem!¡¯ According to the scroll, the fog was filled with monsters! Even if Liao Fan did not know what kind of monsters they were, the level of danger they posed would be too much for him to handle! Moreover, the scroll never mentioned that there were only monsters in the fog. There might be something else that was even more dangerous! Unknown dangers were the most terrifying and lethal! They were the true terror that led to death! Although the torches would be able to expel the fog and immobilize the monsters, there might be other inexplicable hazards. Liao Fan believed that there was a high chance he would encounter such a situation! All along, Liao Fan was a perfectionist. Before he did anything, he would think of everything thoroughly. He would never jeopardize himself! Liao Fan would not underestimate even the smallest of threats. Basically, not a single detail was left out. In fact, Liao Fan had already come up with a solution! As mentioned by the scroll earlier, the Lords were supposed to explore and expand their territory. If they did not take any action, their cottages would be surrounded by monsters! In that case, sooner or later, those who just hid in their cottages would be trapped and perish! Due to that, Liao Fan had no plans of going too far in this exploration! He needed to ensure that his cottage¡¯s surroundings were safe. It was for his own good as well. He could explore further after he had strengthened himself! ¡®This is a survival game, not a death game! ¡®If the difficulty was so great that nobody could cope with it, then everyone would have been wiped out in less than three days. ¡®I don¡¯t think the game creator would enjoy such an outcome.¡¯ ¡­ Liao Fan looked at the sky. He began planning his exploration time. ¡®I need to return to the cottage before sunset.¡¯ It did not matter how many resources he had managed to collect. As long as time was up, he had to return! Liao Fan vaguely remembered that there was a trading tab in the system¡¯s interface. Through the trading tab, he could freely trade with other people! ¡®That would be my last resort! ¡®If I could not find anything on my exploration, I will trade my premium bread for wood, stone, and coal.¡¯ Of course, this was the worst-case scenario! It was important for Liao Fan to remember his exploration route so he would know what to expect next time. Perhaps this was how the survival game should be played. Just awareness was insufficient! Tolerance and vigilance were equally important! Usually, in the early stages of a game, most players were not aware of the importance of resources. They were crucial to support one¡¯s exploration! At least, that was Liao Fan¡¯s thoughts. It seemed to be accurate for the situation he was currently in. The resources were far more important than food! Liao Fan¡¯s calm and collected personality might have just saved his life. An ordinary person would have instantly eaten all the bread and water on the table due to their immense hunger. They would not know how to plan for the long term. ¡­ Liao Fan looked at the fog again. He held the black crystal block in his hand. Then, he lit a torch and rushed out. ¡°Quick! Make sure you keep up with me!¡± ¡­. Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Hurry!¡± Liao Fan shouted. He took the lead and the two villagers followed from behind. Liao Fan sped up. He did not turn his head back and entered the fog in front of him. All three of them did not hesitate. They were filled with determination. The fire from the torch caused the dense fog around them to disperse and dissipate. A strange roar could be heard and the cold wind whistled! Their hearts palpitated! ¡°Slam!¡± As they left, the thatched cottage¡¯s door suddenly closed by itself. Hearing that made Liao Fan¡¯s heart beat wildly. He finally understood fear¡¯s oppression. It felt like he was heading to his own deathbed. The two villagers did not utter a word. They just followed closely behind. Nonetheless, they gave Liao Fan a sense of security. His feet could feel the texture of the ground. The rocks were craggy! There was no grass or flowers. Everywhere was covered with sand. This place felt more like a desert! It was silent and desolated. No signs of life could be found. The emptiness was truly scary. At this point, if a wild boar suddenly rushed out from the fog, it would actually make Liao Fan feel better. However, there really were really no living beings. Not even an insect could be found. The area where the torch could disperse the fog was limited. It only covered two hundred inches. Further ahead was still nothing but fog! At this moment, Liao Fan was completely surrounded by the fog. Without the thatched cottage, he had lost his only refuge. Once the torch¡¯s flames went out, even Liao Fan did not know what he would face. He gripped the black crystal block in his hand and drew a line on the ground. Liao Fan worked as quickly as possible. He had no intentions of meeting the Grim Reaper! Every second counts. There was nothing more precious than the torch¡¯s time limit! Liao Fan continued to hasten his steps. Both villagers managed to keep up with him. ¡°One step, two steps, three steps¡­ one hundred and twenty-three steps¡­¡± ¡­ About five minutes had passed. ¡°This is?¡± Liao Fan glanced at the black crystal block in his hand. It was half used up. He put it back into his pocket. Then, he squatted down on the ground and carefully examined the footprints. The footprints were huge and about a foot deep! ¡®This must have been left by a monster in the fog. ¡®It probably left because the fog was dispersed.¡¯ Thinking of this, Liao Fan stood up. He felt that there should be something useful around the area because monsters were living here. Liao Fan left a mark using the black crystal block. It was to remind himself that he had been here before and there might be hidden resources. He could not afford to waste any more time. Up until now, even with the torch, Liao Fan could only see an endless desolation. If he kept wandering at the same spot, the torch would be wasted! Then, this exploration would be fruitless! Liao Fan tightened his grip on the torch. He took five steps to the left, but it was still a barren land. Then, he returned to his original spot and took five steps to the right. This time, Liao Fan stopped. He saw some soil that was high in stature. Although it was only a little taller, it was obvious that the soil there had a clear tendency to rise. Liao Fan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Did I miss something?¡¯ He walked towards the right. ¡°One step, two steps, three steps¡­¡± A mound gradually appeared in front of him. This mound was only 1¡å6 foot tall, but it was different from anything that Liao Fan had seen so far. As he looked at the mound, the notification to enhance something appeared again! [ Basic Material: Clay block. ] [ Do you want to enhance it? ] [ Increase: Strength +1 ] [ Upgrade Requirements: Wood, stone, coal, et cetera¡­] [ 1. Stone Slab: Can be used for building. It can replace other stone materials. ] [ 2. Wooden Fence: Can be used to hinder the fog. ] [ 3. Earth Porcelain: A temporary storage. Can be used to store water and food. ] [ ¡­ ] More synthesis formulas appeared in the enhancement column. Liao Fan took a deep breath. Wooden fence! That was what attracted his attention! ¡®It could be used to hinder the fog? ¡®What kind of concept is this?¡¯ Liao Fan took another deep breath. It was really hard to imagine. Regardless, once he could mass-produce wooden fences, he could expand his territory. ¡®Clay blocks are way too important!¡¯ Without any hesitation, Liao Fan took out the black crystal block again and quickly drew a mark. Then, he ran directly towards the mound! Both villagers followed him closely. Liao Fan thought that he would only be obtaining the clay blocks, but there was a bigger surprise waiting for him. A treasure chest! Behind the mound, there was a wooden treasure chest. ¡°Wow!!!¡± Liao Fan was trembling! He was extremely excited! His methods of exploration were definitely much more convenient and efficient than searching aimlessly. Of course, it also required courage! After seeing this treasure chest, Liao Fan felt that everything was worth it. He immediately took and stored the treasure chest in his inventory. Time was limited, he needed to act fast! Liao Fan did not even bother to open the treasure chest. He could do it after the exploration. Now, he just needed to focus on the time! ¡°You stay here to mine the clay. Don¡¯t go anywhere else. Return to the cottage once there are only seven minutes left!¡± After saying that, Liao Fan gave one of the villagers the torch he was holding along with two more torches as a backup. The villager should be safe for an ample amount of time! Then, Liao Fan lit another torch and left. The villager¡¯s task was very simple. He just needed to stay in the same spot and mine for about half an hour. It did not matter how much resources he obtained. Once time was up, he must return to the cottage! It took Liao Fan five minutes to walk from the thatched cottage to the mound. Additionally, he gave the villager two extra minutes. Logically speaking, that should be more than enough time! Furthermore, Liao Fan had left marks on the ground. There was no need to worry about the villager getting lost! The materials will be stored in his shared inventory, so Liao Fan did not have to worry about the villagers taking things for themselves. Of course, the villagers would not do something like that without permission. Mining for resources was the least of Liao Fan¡¯s worries. After all, what was truly dangerous lies up ahead! ¡­. Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The fact that the villagers were a hundred percent loyal to him eased Liao Fan a lot. Soon, he would be able to obtain the clay blocks! Although it was somewhat risky to leave the villager alone, Liao Fan had no choice! It was the most efficient method. If he stayed on the spot to mine himself, then it would just be a waste of time. He would not be able to explore further. Not only did Liao Fan need a large number of materials, but he also needed to cover a huge chunk of distance. In fact, knowing the location of the materials was more important than actually mining them. Every second counts! Besides, this was still a competition. While the other Lords were still trapped in their thatched cottages, Liao Fan had already begun his own exploration. Along the way, Liao Fan continued to draw lines on the ground with the black crystal block. The other villager made sure to follow his master closely. The flames on the torch gradually burned out, and the light began to dim. Upon seeing this, Liao Fan immediately took out a new torch and lit it. If he did not act quickly, he would be swallowed by the fog. Liao Fan had to be vigilant all the time. He could not afford to make any mistakes! ¡­ Five minutes passed. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully mining clay *1 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully mining clay *1 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully mining clay *1 ] ¡­ The system¡¯s notification tone rang continuously. Up until now, the villager Liao Fan left behind had collected about forty clay blocks. Clay blocks were very important as they were needed to craft many useful items, particularly the wooden fences! It was crucial to craft those fences since they could hinder the fog. That was why Liao Fan allocated an ample amount of time for mining! Furthermore, the villager¡¯s mining speed was rather fast. Liao Fan felt a little more relieved. He held the torch in his hand and stepped forward again! Another three minutes passed. Once again, Liao Fan tried to move five steps to the left and right. When Liao Fan took a step to the right, he was shocked! The texture of the ground had changed! Earlier, it felt like he was walking in a desert but now, Liao Fan was stepping on soil! It was simply unbelievable. Liao Fan stayed sharp! He stopped walking and stared at the ground. ¡®This is a grassland!!!¡¯ He was right. There was grass. It was something that Liao Fan had been searching for a long time! From the cottage to the grassland, it took Liao Fan about twenty-five minutes! That was a little more than two torches used! Thinking about how much torches were consumed, Liao Fan¡¯s heart ached a bit. Furthermore, he would need another twenty-five minutes to return. Fortunately, he still had seven torches on him. He should have more than fifty minutes of free time. If he explored any further, the return time would keep increasing. The thought made Liao Fan depressed. ¡®Perhaps in the future, there will be a way for me to go even further?¡¯ Liao Fan dared not think too much unless the fog issue was resolved. He took a deep breath. Then, he heard the system¡¯s notification again. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for exploring 5% of this area. ] [ When you cover more than 60% of an area, the fog will completely disperse. This place will be purified! ] [ This area will also be opened for the rest. ] After hearing that, Liao Fan¡¯s pupils slightly contracted! ¡®The fog will disperse once I cover 60% of this area!¡¯ This piece of information was crucial. At the same time, Liao Fan felt numb. ¡®60% is still no easy task!¡¯ After all, the dense fog covered everything. If there were no torches, one would definitely die! Right now, Liao Fan was confident that there were more than just monsters hidden in the fog. For example, there would probably be something like poison. Additionally, if this place was a dense forest area, there might be deadly swamps with methane gas. There may also be cliffs! A person could have easily fallen to their deaths if they were not careful since the fog would have blurred their vision. These were all problems caused by the fog. The probability of something unfavorable happening was very high! Earlier, Liao Fan actually bypassed an area that was filled with poisonous gas. After inhaling the gas for just a few seconds, he felt suffocated. He really needed to be on high alert at all times! Anyway, Liao Fan had almost exhausted all his basic resources. If he wanted to explore deeper, he would certainly need more torches! Another important fact was that the thatched cottage could not be moved. Liao Fan could only use the thatched cottage as the center point and explore its surroundings. This was very inconvenient for him! The supplies required were like a bottomless pit. Just mining for resources would not be sufficient. Moreover, Liao Fan only had two villagers. It was simply not enough. Even if he was given another villager, there was no guarantee that Liao Fan could afford to feed them all. There was a talent recruitment column in the system¡¯s interface. Liao Fan had already looked through it when he was in the thatched cottage. In order to recruit talents, one must first have a talent recruitment card. However, he did not know how to obtain those talent recruitment cards. For this problem, the first solution that Liao Fan thought of was using the trading function. The resources in this region were limited. If he wanted to explore further, he would need to make good use of the trading function. That was why he needed to use his daily speaker meticulously! Thinking about this, Liao Fan felt somewhat dejected. He only had seven torches with him. It meant he had a mere ninety-five minutes left. Returning to the cottage would take twenty-five minutes. In other words, the moment he lit one of the last three torches, he would need to rush back! Even though the twenty-fifth minute just took up one minute of the third torch, it was better to be safe than sorry. Anything could happen within this fog. In short, Liao Fan only had a total combination of four touches of free time! It seemed like a lot, but time flies when searching and mining for resources. Moreover, he needed multiple types of resources such as wood, stone, coal, and so on. Without these resources, Liao Fan would not be able to make more torches and axes! Then, he would not be able to explore for a second time. Also, he had yet to discover any food and water. The premium bread could only last for a day and a half at most. He had a scarce amount of supplies! ¡®Maybe my luck is bad. ¡®There¡¯s a puddle next to my cottage. ¡®My spawn location might not be ideal!¡¯ ¡­. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan could not help but overthink! He stepped onto the grassland. Suddenly, the scene around him changed. The originally barren areas nearby were now covered in green grass. Liao Fan frowned and looked at the ground. Fortunately, the line he drew using the black crystal block was still there. He let out a sigh of relief. As long as the line was visible, he would be able to find his way back. Anyway, the scene in front of Liao Fan stunned him. The desert before was a desolate place that made people despair. Now, this place was full of resources! For a moment, Liao Fan could not even believe it. There were countless unknown flowers and plants around. Furthermore, there were even trees with unknown fruits on them! The system¡¯s synthesis list appeared in front of Liao Fan¡¯s eyes. [ Basic Ingredients: Cypress berries, poplar branches, wind grass, poisonous berries, water¡­ ] [ Do you want to increase your strength? ] [ Basic Enhancement: Strength +1 ] [ Upgrade Enhancement: Requires water, wind grass, et cetera. ] [ 1. Breeze Syrup: Clears heat and detoxifies poison. Consuming this can protect you from the invasion of Miasma. ] [ 2. Wind Vine: Has excellent tenacity. It can replace ropes. ] [ 3. Highly Toxic Potion: A lethal poison. ] ¡­ There were a bunch of options available. Liao Fan immediately handed two new torches to the second villager. ¡°Stay here and gather the supplies! Prioritize the wood and berries! Don¡¯t go anywhere and wait for me to come back!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liao Fan held a torch in his hand and started sprinting into the forest! Many of the formulas required ¡®water¡¯! This meant that a water source was nearby! Otherwise, the system would not list it. Liao Fan was confident in his own deduction! In this post-apocalyptic world, having a water source was crucial. After all, a human could survive by solely drinking water for seven days. Even if one had a large amount of food, they would die within three days without water! This was why Liao Fan rushed into the forest. If he found the water source, his chances of survival would greatly increase. Moreover, he could also trade the water for basic resources with other people! Once he had enough supplies, he could carry out his second exploration. Since Liao Fan found a forest that was rich with resources, most of his troubles had been resolved. It was a huge haul! Liao Fan planned to bring back as many resources as possible! [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully collecting cypress wood berries *1 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully collecting wood *10 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully collecting wind grass *10 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully collecting detoxifying grass *10 ] ¡®Eh? ¡®Detoxifying grass?¡¯ When Liao Fan saw that notification, he stopped in his tracks. That was a good item. If Liao Fan was poisoned in the wild, he would not have to worry since he had the detoxifying grass. Additionally, the detoxifying grass had healing effects. If he auctioned the detoxifying grass in the world channel, the price would definitely skyrocket! People would be willing to pay a hefty price to guarantee their own safety. However, Liao Fan quickly stopped his thoughts. Right now, he needed to focus. He was still under the mercy of the thick fog. Liao Fan held a torch in his right hand and the black crystal block on the left. As he searched for the water source, he drew lines on the ground. He could not let his guard down. If he did, it would be equivalent to death! One minute passed. The sparse sound of a stream could be heard. After pinpointing the direction of the sound, Liao Fan found the water source in less than ten seconds. It was a clear stream. One could almost see the fishes swimming in it. They could be made into really delicious dishes! *Gulp.* Liao Fan swallowed his saliva. Then, he quickly shook his head. This was not the right time to think about fishing. He did not have much time left to spare. There was only more than an hour left! Liao Fan could save up on torches once he reunited with the second villager on his way back. It would be much more cost-efficient! As for the first villager, he was probably on his way back to the cottage! For now, Liao Fan had a little more than thirty minutes to spare since the second villager just started collecting. After half an hour, he must meet up with the second villager and return to the cottage! At the moment, the most important thing was to obtain the water. Liao Fan was a little anxious. There was a big problem. He had nothing to contain the water. All he had were the three water bottles that were provided at the start! ¡®How am I supposed to carry this water back?¡¯ Liao Fan did not have much time to think. He immediately filled up the three water bottles. Then, he looked at the synthesis list on the system¡¯s interface. There was no way to synthesize bottles since he did not have any plastic! Liao Fan felt helpless. It was then his gaze fell on the wooden treasure chest that he had found in the mound. The treasure chest had yet to be opened. Looking at the structure, Liao Fan felt that it could be used to hold water. Suddenly, a notification appeared. [ Wooden Treasure Chest: An ordinary treasure chest. Open it and you will receive a reward! ] After reading the notification, Liao Fan immediately opened the treasure chest without any hesitation! There were many items inside. [ Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining sturdy rope *1 ] [ Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining iron ingot *3 ] [ Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining raw egg *5 ] [ Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining white beast egg *1 ] The last notification flashed a golden light! Liao Fan¡¯s mind went blank. ¡®White beast egg? ¡®What is it?¡¯ The white beast egg was larger in size than a normal egg. It was milky white in color with a hint of opaque. There was also a layer of luster! However, Liao Fan did not have much time to further investigate the white beast egg. He could do that after he returned to the cottage. Liao Fan put away all the items in his inventory. Now, he just needed to collect the water. After picking up the wooden treasure chest, Liao Fan headed to the stream. He filled the chest with water and even caught a fish. Liao Fan was surprised at how smoothly things were going. The water issue had been solved. ¡®Could it be that God was trying to make up for my bad luck?¡¯ All of a sudden, Liao Fan cursed out loud. ¡°D*mn it! Why can¡¯t I store this water in the system¡¯s inventory?!¡± ¡­. Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan wanted to curse even more! ¡®Why is God making things so difficult?!¡¯ The wooden treasure chest could clearly be stored in the inventory. However, after it was filled with water, it was not possible anymore. This was obviously the system restricting players from using this method to carry water. Only bottles or containers that were synthesized could be used. Liao Fan did not know whether to laugh or cry. It was really an unexpected turn of events. The treasure chest filled with water was rather heavy. If he were to carry the chest all the way back by himself, his movement speed would definitely be slowed down. Although the time had seemed sufficient, Liao Fan felt reluctant. Suddenly, he remembered some synthesis items that required clay blocks. They might be useful. Liao Fan¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately accessed the system¡¯s interface. The production table appeared and Liao Fan quickly threw a piece of clay block on it. Clay and water were needed to make earthenware. So, he added in the water as well. [ Clay: Made by adding water into a clay block and then mixing them together evenly. It can be used to make earthenware. ] ¡®As expected!¡¯ Liao Fan had a pleased expression on his face. He guessed correctly! [ Clay block + water = clay ] Although the synthesis system was not completely accurate, it made some sense. Next, he would need to shape the clay by using high temperature! That meant he required fire. Thinking of this, Liao Fan¡¯s smile disappeared. At the moment, the only source of fire he had was from the torch! ¡®Would it work if I added the torch in?¡¯ Liao Fan looked at the torch he was holding. It had already burned halfway through. He gritted his teeth as he took out a new torch and lit it. Then, he threw the used torch onto the production table! The crafting table lit up and he had successfully obtained ceramics! There was an additional surprise as well! [ Rough Earthen Ceramic: The workmanship is very rough. There may be a possibility of cracking. Handle with care. Each ceramic can store about two liters of water. The ceramic can also be stored in your inventory. ] ¡°Oh my God, the ceramics are made in bulks and I got five of them!¡± Having five ceramics meant that Liao Fan could store up to a total of ten liters of water! Liao Fan was happy, but he decided to further enhance the ceramics! [ Regular Ceramic: The workmanship is ordinary. Has normal quality. Each ceramic can store about three liters of water. The ceramic can also be stored in your inventory. ] ¡°Hahaha, from two liters to three liters. This means that I can hold up to fifteen liters of water!¡± Liao Fan¡¯s heart was racing. This was his goal all along He immediately filled the five pieces of earthenware with water and stored them in the inventory! Nonetheless, Liao Fan did not let happiness cloud his judgment! He did not forget the situation he was in. The time he had left continued to reduce. Getting the water had already taken six minutes! The torch in his had also burned halfway through. He quickly picked up the treasure chest that was filled with water. The fish in the treasure chest felt the movements. It made a splash as if it was trying to mock Liao Fan. Liao Fan paid the fish no attention and directly closed the lid! He did not regret his action at all. Food was scarce. Other Lords even fed on their own villagers. Since the fish was a source of food, he should definitely take advantage of it. One extra meal could extend his life for a couple of days. It was a wise decision. The road back was very difficult. Since the treasure chest was rather big, Liao Fan had to carry it with both of his hands. He clutched the torch by biting it with his mouth. It was a very uncomfortable position. After all, Liao Fan had no choice. Without the torch, he would die! Fortunately, the second villager was not too far away. Liao Fan would definitely not make it back to the cottage by himself! ¡­ ¡°My Lord, you have worked hard!¡± The second villager had just finished collecting. He was sweating profusely. The stone axe he was carrying was also damaged beyond repair. He immediately rushed towards Liao Fan. Then, he took the treasure chest off his master¡¯s hands. ¡°Huff!¡± Liao Fan let out a long sigh of relief. He held the torch in his hands again and said, ¡°Follow me. We¡¯ll be returning to the cottage!¡± As he said that, Liao Fan took one last look at the dense jungle behind him. There were truly a lot of resources. If he expanded his territory to this place, then many of his problems would be solved! This idea was rooted in Liao Fan¡¯s mind. The harvest from this exploration was very bountiful. Not only did Liao Fan manage to find food, but he also obtained a lot of essential resources! Liao Fan could not wait to return to the thatched cottage. He could continue to study his ability and increase his strength. Then, he would be able to advance in this world. Many treasures were yet to be found! Furthermore, the system¡¯s notification earlier had revealed something important. [ When you cover more than 60% of an area, the fog will completely disperse! ] That sentence could bring endless possibilities! ¡­. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan and the second villager rushed back to the thatched cottage. The black crystal block was almost used up. There was no way Liao Fan could continue exploring. With the mark made earlier, their returning journey was certainly much easier. Liao Fan looked back. The second villager was following him from behind, but with some difficulties. He was already relatively thin and weak. With the addition of the heavy treasure chest, it was obvious that he would slow down. Liao Fan would stop from time to time and wait for him to catch up. Seeing how hard he had worked, Liao Fan decided to reward the villager with an egg dish once they returned. When the two of them passed by the mound, Liao Fan was shocked! This mound was where the first villager had been excavating. He had dug out a small part of the mound. However, the strange thing was that the mark made on the ground had been destroyed. There were also a few elongated lines nearby! These lines were also drawn with a black material. The thickness was exactly the same too! Liao Fan bent over. He rubbed his fingers against one of the lines. Then, he took a sniff. ¡°This is¡­ coal!¡± Obviously, he knew what coal smelled like because he was using them himself. There was no mistake! However, there was a slight disparity in the smell. Although they were both coal-based, the products were different. Nonetheless, Liao Fan could still tell the difference. Ever since he arrived in this foggy world, his sense had sharpened and he paid great attention to every detail. Despite that, the thick fog caused some interference. Liao Fan knew that there was something different, but he could not pinpoint it. In short, Liao Fan¡¯s mark had deliberately been messed with. The other party even tried to trick him by using a similar material! It was an imitation of his methods. The other party messed up Liao Fang¡¯s markings so he would not be able to find his way back. Only the lonely mound could be used as a reference! However, it was impossible to distinguish the direction just by looking at the mound. It was really confusing! ¡®This won¡¯t work! ¡®What was going on?¡¯ Liao Fan was greatly shaken! Someone or something was trying to kill him! Losing his sense of direction in the dense fog was a death sentence. Of course, he did not want to die! He tried his best to recall his path. Three lines had been drawn on the mound. Adding with the line he drew before, there were a total of four directions! One of these directions was the right one. If Liao Fan picked the wrong line, then that would be the end of him. Plus, if the torch burned out before he could figure things out, he would die as well! ¡®Did the first villager do this? ¡®Impossible!¡¯ Liao Fan refused to believe it! The villagers were a hundred percent loyal to him. Even if they were not, it would be difficult for them to survive by themselves. There was no way they would plot against him! So, there was only one possibility left. A mysterious person wanted him to die. Perhaps the other party wanted to loot his treasure chest. There were a lot of possibilities even after eliminating the impossibilities! Liao Fan could only feel his scalp go numb. One thing was for sure. This only happened after the first villager had returned to the thatched cottage. ¡®But why would they want to kill me? ¡®How smart was the other part? ¡®Do I still have a chance of survival?¡¯ Bang! Bang! Bang Bang! The sound made Liao Fan jump. His heart was beating rapidly. *Gulp.* He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Liao Fan picked up the torch. The light from the torch showed how pale his face had become. Including the torch in his hand, there were only three more. Basically, he only had more than half an hour left. Originally, Liao Fan had plenty of time to return, but the current situation changed everything! Now, even if he was given double the time, it might not be sufficient. A chill ran down his spine. Liao Fan felt that something was observing him! The other party was just waiting for his torch to extinguish! There might even be more than one of them! Liao Fan was terrified. He suddenly remembered something that he had read on the world channel. ¡°I have bad news for everyone. Earlier, I ordered a villager to go out and explore. After taking two steps, he suddenly disappeared. Shortly after, a rain of blood fell from the sky along with pieces of flesh. I rushed out thinking that he was still alive but in the end, I could only salvage his bloody arm¡­¡± Those words freaked him out even more! There was definitely something hidden in the thick fog. Worst still, it had high intelligence! ¡°My Lord¡­¡± The second villager sensed the tense atmosphere. He kept swallowing his saliva. His teeth were chattering. Fear had taken over his heart. After all, he was just a villager. Although he was an NPC, he still had all the emotions of a normal person, including his own thoughts! ¡­ ¡®Calm down! I have to calm down!¡¯ Liao Fan was aware that he needed to compose himself! In the end, he was careless. He did not prepare a backup plan other than leaving marks on the ground. Such an incident was completely unexpected! Bang! Bang Bang! Bang! Liao Fan was startled again. Then, he slowly closed his eyes. The crackling sound of the torch burning could be heard. There were also the whistles of the wind. Everywhere was still shrouded in fog. Nothing could be seen with the naked eye! ¡°One step, two steps, three steps¡­¡± ¡°One hundred and twenty-three steps¡­ one hundred and sixty-nine steps!¡± Liao Fan remembered the number of steps he had previously taken. In his mind, he had constructed a map. The thatched cottage was the starting point. From there, he counted every step that he took. One hundred and sixty-nine steps. Half a mile! The cottage was only half a mile away. Nonetheless, he still could not afford to take even one wrong step! At this moment, Liao Fan was very calm. Shortly after, he took a step forward. After measuring the distance with this step, he suddenly yelled out, ¡°Yes, this is the way!¡± ¡­. Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan had already made up his mind to be as cautious as possible. It was one of his life principles. He closed his eyes again and imagined a blank space. Once again, the thatched cottage was the starting point. Liao Fan tried to pinpoint the route by remembering the direction, distance, and the number of steps! He managed to recall everything clearly. Earlier, Liao Fan had indeed panicked when he saw that his mark was destroyed. It was a normal reaction because he was not prepared. In a situation where one was caught off guard, anyone would be alarmed. Furthermore, there was a high chance the monsters in the fog would attack. The unknown was scary. Nonetheless, Liao Fan managed to compose himself and control his emotions With that, he was able to regain his rationality. Shortly after, Liao Fan opened his eyes. He looked at one of the lines on the ground. Then, he slowly bent down and meticulously observed the angle of the line. ¡®This is the one. I¡¯m sure of it!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s because there are traces of footsteps on this line.¡¯ Liao Fan could confirm that this line was the one followed by the first villager! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Without any hesitation, Liao Fan took a step forward! There was no reason to doubt his own judgment. Besides, it was important to believe in himself. ¡­ Five minutes passed. Liao Fan could see the thatched hut in front of him. The torch in his hand was about to burn out. ¡®What a relief.¡¯ He let out a sigh. There were still two more torches in his inventory, but Liao Fan did not really want to use them. It was always important to have some sort of backup. Exhausting one¡¯s resources all once was never a good idea. This exploration was sabotaged. Liao Fan was determined to not let it happen again! A thought gradually emerged from Liao Fan¡¯s mind. Although he was not the smartest, his intelligence quotient (IQ) was still higher than average. In fact, he was accepted into the National Academy of Sciences at the age of twenty! Liao Fan relied on his superb memory and learning ability. Coupled with his cautious attitude, he had a high chance of survival. In a way, he was not an ordinary person. He thought about what would happen if a regular person was in his situation. They would most probably die! For instance, even though Liao Fan had already been extremely careful, he was still tricked. If it was not for his superior memory, he would not have been able to return to the thatched cottage. On the other hand, a normal person without his abilities would not be able to do anything. Liao Fan realized the severity of his situation. Those who managed to survive would become more and more ruthless! In the end, this was a survival competition. Those who got through the hurdles were definitely strong. As mentioned by the scroll, it was the survival of the fittest. There was no time to sympathize with others. Liao Fan only needed to take care of himself. ¡­ He pushed open the cottage¡¯s door. Then, Liao Fan sat on the bed and pondered. The expedition had taken a total of two and a half hours. Everything that had happened could be described as thrilling. Fortunately, the harvest was extremely bountiful. Liao Fan made himself comfortable on the wooden bed. It was doable even when no beddings were provided. After all, this was Liao Fan¡¯s only safe haven. He could be at ease whenever he was in the thatched cottage. ¡°Sort out the supplies. I¡¯m going to rest.¡± Liao Fan gave his order to both villagers. Then, he took out everything from his inventory and put them on the ground. In total, there were thirty-seven liters of water. Apart from that, there was a delicious-looking fish. The thought of being able to eat meat was really exciting. ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡± Both villagers answered at the same time. Then, they got to work. Liao Fan accessed the world channel and began to search for valuable information. ¡°I¡¯ll trade a villager for a bottle of water. Let me know if you¡¯re interested!¡± ¡°Hey, let me tell you a secret. A torch can actually dispel the fog.¡± ¡°I gave a torch to a villager and ordered him to go explore, but he has yet to return. It¡¯s been ten minutes. I wonder if something happened.¡± It seemed that people were already making use of the synthesis system. This was to be expected. People would evolve in order to survive. However, they did not go out to explore by themselves. Meanwhile, Liao Fan had already found a water source. This was the difference between him and the rest! Furthermore, he had even covered five percent of the area. Although it may not seem like much, this was still an impressive achievement. After reading the messages, Liao Fan¡¯s face had a helpless expression. Normal torches only last for three minutes. As mentioned by one person, his villager had already been out for ten minutes. Obviously, he had died in the fog. Liao Fan felt sorry for that villager. His body would not even be discovered. Anyway, Liao Fan decided to make his first trade. He obtained a lot of wood during his exploration, but only some stones and coals. Stone was extremely difficult to mine, so Liao Fan did not focus too much on it. Coal mines were even harder to find. Even if they were found, they would be in low quantities. If Liao Fan wanted to collect a large number of stones and coals, he would definitely need to find specific mines. With that being said, Liao Fan figured that the best way to obtain these resources was through trading. He needed more materials! Otherwise, he would not be able to explore for a second time. However, what interested him the most was the white beast egg. ¡­. Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was time to count the spoils of war. Liao Fan got up from his bed. He looked at the ground. The villagers had neatly organized the supplies. For now, the most scarce resources were stones and coals. These two resources needed to be used in large quantities, but they were difficult to obtain. First of all, a lot of labor was needed to mine stones. The outside world was filled with dangers and Liao Fan did not have the time. It was more efficient to trade on the world channel. Secondly, there were the coals. Unless there was a mine, it was basically impossible to harvest them in large quantities. ¡®Everything should be sufficient for now. ¡®I can make wooden fences using the clay blocks. ¡®There are forty stacks of clay blocks and each stack will produce ten fences. ¡®That means I will have a total of four hundred fences. ¡®I¡¯ll have about one hundred and thirty-three fences per month.¡¯ However, the wooden fences have a very small effective range. Even with one hundred and thirty-three fences, it would cover only a small area. Liao Fan checked on his other supplies. [ Cypress berries *30 ] Cypress berries can be eaten raw or used for synthesis. [ Wood *100 ] [ Wind Grass *20 ] [ Detoxifying Grass *20 ] [ Poplar Branches *20 ] [ Dwarf Shrub Leaves *20 ] Dwarf shrub leaves can be used to make paper! Liao Fan could then turn it into a map! It was a crucial item. With it, he might even be able to completely unlock the area! Walking about a mile covered 5% of the area. Liao Fan calculated this by himself. It was rather accurate. After including other details, Liao Fan concluded that he had indeed covered quite some distance. He also calculated the scope of the thatched cottage. ¡­ In the end, he managed to conclude how many torches were needed to explore the entire area. The exploration time would be about forty-three hours. That was about two days. Of course, it was impossible for Liao Fan to explore continuously for forty-three hours. He also needed to add the time that would take to collect materials! The time exploring the area was about one-fifth of the time to collect materials. Adding up, it would take him at least two hundred and fifteen hours to unlock the entire area. Liao Fan divided the two hundred and fifteen hours into five weeks. Roughly speaking, that was more than a month. If he spent an average of six hours exploring the area every day, he would need to consume thirty enhanced torches every day! ¡®How troublesome.¡¯ Liao Fan was in a daze. ¡®Why are so many resources needed? It¡¯s ridiculous.¡¯ Furthermore, his torches were enhanced. If it was a regular torch, then the amount needed would be quadrupled. ¡®That¡¯s one hundred and twenty torches! ¡®How much materials would be required?¡¯ These thoughts made Liao Fan feel dizzy. ¡®How am I supposed to get so many resources?¡¯ He shook his head and looked at the items that he had obtained from the wooden treasure chest. [ Sturdy Rope *1 ] [ Iron Ingot *3 ] [ Raw Egg *5 ] [ White Beast Egg *1 ] As he stared at the items, the requirements to enhance them appeared again. [ Raw Egg: Replenishes a little satiety and strength ] [ White Beast Egg: Full recovery ] [ Materials needed for enhancement: Water, bread, pasta, meat, vegetables, et cetera. ] [ 1. Egg Custard: It¡¯s delicious! ] [ 2. White Beast Egg Health Soup: Why would you make this soup? Hatch the white beast egg instead. ] ¡­ [ Basic Materials: Sturdy rope ] [ Basic Materials: Iron Ingot *3 ] [ Do you want to enhance? ] [ Basic Enhancement: Strength +1 ] [ Materials required: Wood, sturdy rope, iron ingot, et cetera. ] [ 1. Fishing Rod: Can be used for fishing. Don¡¯t forget to bring along some bait. ] [ 2. Iron Axe: Forged from iron ingots. A sturdy and durable axe. Be careful when using it! ] [ 3. Simple Slingshot: Why would you make a slingshot? You should focus on making a bow and arrows first! ] ¡­ There were hints provided by the system. Liao Fan had a clear idea of what he wanted to make. The iron axe was prioritized. After all, the stone axes that were used by the villagers to mine were completely destroyed. Furthermore, since stones were scarce, it would be difficult to make more of them. Next, Liao Fan wanted to craft the fishing rod. For the time being, he would not be making a bow. It would be a very powerful weapon, but Liao Fan did not have the materials to craft a bunch of arrows. Naturally, without arrows, the bow would be useless. Besides, he had found a stream. With the fishing rod, Liao Fan would not lack food. ¡®Fish is delicious.¡¯ Liao Fan then turned his attention to the white beast egg. According to the system, the white beast egg could be used to make soup. It would even fully restore a person¡¯s health! ¡®Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡¯ However, Liao Fan gave it another thought. ¡®Won¡¯t this just be equivalent to two bowls of oatmeal?¡¯ For now, the white beats egg health soup was not of much use to him. Perhaps hatching it was the way to go. Liao Fan did not know what creature would emerge from the egg. It could be dangerous. ¡®Should I just eat it?¡¯ He quickly shook his head and dismissed the idea. ¡®Forget it. ¡®Right now, I have enough food.¡¯ Liao Fan did not plan to hatch the egg either. It was simply too risky. Besides, it was difficult enough to feed himself and the two villagers. Adding another mouth would not be necessary. Maybe in the future when he had an abundance of food, then he would hatch the egg. If the creature that hatched from the egg threatened his life, he would eat it in one bite! ¡­ [ White Beast Egg: A magical egg that can be stored in your inventory. If you hatch it, you¡¯ll gain a loyal white beast. The strength of the beast varies! ] ¡­. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was the next day. Liao Fan looked out of the window. The surrounding was gradually falling into darkness. He accessed the regional chat. There were tons of messages! [ Number Of People Online: 712 ] Originally, this region had one thousand people. Now, there were only seven hundred and twelve left. This meant that at the end of the first day, two hundred and eighty-eight people had died. ¡®Such a high body count!¡¯ In fact, as time passed, the death toll would continue to gradually increase. Hunger, diseases, natural disasters, and more would claim more lives. Those who chatted on the regional channel would have their names and gender displayed. Meng Fei (Male): Everyone, I have returned safely! As long as you have a torch, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. The monsters can only move in the fog. I wandered around with my torch and no danger befell me! Meng Fei (Male): But you must remember that one torch will only last three minutes! Liu Nan (Male): Wow! Boss Meng Fei is really awesome! Fang Lan (Female): Boss Meng Fei, do you have an extra bed? I want to move in with you. Ye Chunya (Female): Boss Meng Fei, would you come over to my place? I¡¯ve made a torch but I¡¯m too scared to go out. Meng Fei (Male): Hahaha, I only took two steps outside. I dared not go too far. It¡¯s rather embarrassing. If I get any other information, I¡¯ll share it with all of you. There was a trading tab in the regional channel as well. However, Liao Fan did not want to trade in the regional channel. For the time being, he wanted to keep a low profile. Although he had brought back a large number of resources, he had no plans of showing them off. Furthermore, this was the regional channel! It meant that these people were in the same region as him! They were probably not too far away. The region was only as big as thirty football fields. If he had a car, he could cover the whole region within half a day. Humans could be very unpredictable and Liao Fan may have a hard time dealing with them! Moreover, the resources were limited! Naturally, Liao Fan had no idea how many people were close to him. It could be one or two. Perhaps even ten! Liao Fan dared not come up with a baseless conclusion! Even if they were not in the same region, he would not take the risk. Under such circumstances, it was better to wait until those who were weak die off. The fewer people left, the better it would be. If Liao Fan traded even a glass of water, the other party might survive and become his enemy in the future! After all, he was not a saint. He would definitely prioritize his own life over others. Besides, they were all strangers. For now, he just needed to observe and monitor the situation. He needed to find out who was in his surroundings. That information was crucial. ¡­ Meng Fei had made a torch on the first day. Without a doubt, other people in other regions would have also done the same. Making a torch was not difficult. One might need a few tries, but they would eventually succeed. The bottom line was if a person had the courage to step out of the cottage. Of course, it was terrifying! Courage and vitality were indispensable. There was no point bragging in the regional or world channel. After thinking for a while, Liao Fan sent a message on the regional chat. Liao Fan (Male): Big Brother Meng Fei, did you discover anything at the entrance of the cottage?¡± Meng Fei (Male): Sorry, all I discovered were some crushed stones. It felt like something in the fog was watching me. I was scared so I rushed back inside. Seriously, this is so embarrassing.¡± Liu Nan (Male): Brother Meng Fei, you¡¯re awesome! You have such sharp senses. I think you¡¯re right. There must be something in that fog. It was what killed my villagers!¡± ¡­ ¡®Crushed stones?!¡¯ Liao Fan¡¯s expression darkened. As expected, Meng Fei and the others were probably not too far away from him! Their vision was probably just disrupted by the fog. These people would become his competitors in the future! In a game, there could only be one winner! One of the reasons wars happened in the past was because of resources. There was no choice but to plunder each other. If a war did break out, Liao Fan had to find a way to guarantee his victory. This was a survival competition, not a philanthropist contest! Violence would occur sooner or later! Liu Fan closed the regional channel. He began to think about how to maximize the usage of his resources. Coal was especially important! Additionally, he felt like he should utilize his daily speaker. Otherwise, it would just be wasted. ¡­. Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan accessed the world channel. It was bustling. There were two reasons for the liveliness. First of all, it was almost nighttime. The outside world would become even more dangerous. Most people choose to hide in their cottages. Since they had nothing to do, they would access the world channel to chat or observe the situation. Secondly, more than seven hours had passed. Everyone was in a troublesome situation. They were hungry and it was difficult to endure. Liao Fan would have been in the same boat if he did not have his special ability. Three pieces of bread and three bottles of water were not enough even for a day¡¯s rations. Those who had eaten their food started to get hungry again. Meanwhile, those who did not were about to go insane. ¡°Ten stones for a liter of water. Would anyone like to trade with me?¡± ¡°The person above is a fool. Just ten stones? If anyone has a liter of water, I am willing to trade all my resources. I¡¯ll even give you my villagers!¡± ¡°Stones are the most useless resources. It can only be used to make pointless stone axes. Wood and coal can at least be used to make torches.¡± ¡°My friend went out to explore just now. He had been gone for more than half an hour now. Everyone, please pray for him!¡± ¡°Sigh, he probably won¡¯t be returning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so hungry and thirsty. My body is getting weaker and weaker. I¡¯ll probably die of thirst¡­¡± ¡­ Liao Fan¡¯s brows furrowed as he read these messages. ¡®What the hell? None of these conversations had any important clues.¡¯ Smart people were definitely the minority. Even if they found something substantial, they would not simply release the information. They would keep the information to themselves and use it for their own benefit. Only fools would whine on the world channel. People like Meng Fei should have already grasped the basics that were needed to go for an exploration. Those who were smart should be watching from the other side. They were also unwilling to use their daily speakers. Liao Fan wanted to confirm something. He accessed the trading panel. There were all kinds of things for trade. [ Seller: Chen Ye (Male) ] [ Trade Item: Coal mine *10 ] [ Requirement: 1 liter of water ] ¡­ [ Seller: Liu Cheng (Male) ] [ Trade Item: Stone axe *3 ] [ Requirement: Bread *2] ¡­ There were many similar trades, but no one seemed to be taking up the offers. After all, food was scarce. However, it was different for Liao Fan. He could go fishing in the stream. By enhancing the raw materials, he could make the dishes more potent and fulfilling. What he needed now was the materials to make torches! Without the torches, there was no way for him to go out. So, Liao Fan divided a liter of water into five portions. Each portion was two hundred milliliters. It was not much, but it was enough for those who were about to die from thirst. In total, Liao Fan had thirty-seven liters of water. An adult would need to drink two liters of water a day. This meant he had enough water to last for fifteen days. Even with the addition of the two villagers, it would be enough for him to live for five days. However, sooner or later, the water in the treasure chest would definitely get contaminated. This was why Liao Fan decided to trade the excess water. [ Seller: Liao Fan (Male) ] [ Trade item: 200 milliliters of water ] [ Requirement: Coal *10 ] He did not include the bottles. After all, they were essential resources. The bottles were needed to store water. ¡®How they are going to carry the water is none of my business.¡¯ Once the trade was posted, chaos happened. ¡°Water! Someone is actually trading water! 200 milliliters of water for ten units of coal! Oh my God!!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. I¡¯ve already used up all my coals. Brother Liao Fan, I¡¯m begging you. Can you please spare some water for me?¡± ¡°Did he really put water on the trading platform?!!! Is he crazy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s crazy! Stop spouting nonsense. I¡¯m going to trade with him!¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He must be a strong and handsome guy. Brother Liao Fan, if you give me some water, I¡¯ll let you do anything to me.¡± ¡°Ugh, get lost!!!¡± ¡­ The world channel was flooded with messages. Meanwhile, Liao Fan was bewildered. He just realized something. Smart people probably figured out that he had explored the outside world. This was because they were only provided with three bottles of water. A person should only have six hundred milliliters of water. Since Liao Fan was trading up to a liter of water, it meant that he had found a water source! He even managed to return to the thatched cottage safely. ¡­. Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The people in the world channel were going crazy. Many of them sent private messages to Liao Fan. As for Liao Fan, he managed to achieve his goal. He managed to save up his daily speaker. Thousands of private messages continue to flood into Liao Fan¡¯s mailbox. Liao Fan tried to filter through the messages and only looked for valuable information. Everyone wanted to live. They were trying their best to survive. ¡°Brother Liao Fan, I¡¯m Zhu Mingzhang. I have 200 units of coal. Can I trade them for two liters of water?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you one hundred million! Just give me a liter of water and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you once I¡¯ve cleared this game!¡± ¡°Brother Liao Fan, did you encounter any danger in the fog? Where can I find a water source? Please let me know. Thank you!¡± ¡°That guy called Meng Fei is a phony. He only dared to explore two steps away from his cottage. He¡¯s nothing compared to you, Brother Liao Fan. Can I be your underling?¡± ¡­ Among all the private messages, Liao Fan was only interested in two. One was to exchange two hundred units of coal for two liters of water. According to his own pricing, he was willing to trade two hundred milliliters of water for ten units of coal. Two hundred units of coal would require six liters of water. This person who had proposed the trade was obviously lacking water. That was why he lowered the price. What surprised Liao Fan was that the other party had two hundred units of coal. After all, coals were very rare. Furthermore, it was almost impossible to obtain two hundred units. Although coal was considered a basic resource, they were still uncommon! ¡®He must have discovered a mining area!¡¯ Liao Fan proceeded to trade two liters of water for two hundred units of coal. Two liters of water was not a lot for him. This trade would definitely fulfill his current needs! As for the second message that caught Liao Fan¡¯s attention, it was rather interesting. ¡°Brother Liao Fan, do you want some wild boar meat? I¡¯ll trade one pound of meat for one liter of water!¡± Liao Fan¡¯s expression darkened! The other party did not lack food at all! Moreover, this message revealed a very crucial piece of information. There were actually wild boars in this world! ¡®Was there a wild boar in the fog? ¡®If the monsters in the fog were only wild boars, then it¡¯s not scary at all.¡¯ A singular person might not be able to deal with a wild boar. However, three men with stone axes would surely be enough. Despite that, Liao Fan quickly dismissed his theory. The wild boars might not be the monsters in the fog, but they were certainly out there! In fact, the most important monster was the one that destroyed his mark! When Liao Fan was in the fog, he could feel a pair of eyes observing him. The feeling of being watched made him anxious. It was definitely not a wild boar! ¡­ The thousands of messages provided Liao Fan with some valuable clues. After a few hours of research, some things had become clear. First of all, this game was called ¡®Lord Survival¡¯. Everyone started with two villagers, so it was very difficult for them to survive. Secondly, the people who were trapped here all came from different regions. Some were even from different countries. However, there were no elderly or children. Thirdly, about a hundred people had gone out and returned safely. Some managed to bring back resources, while others did not. Most of them remembered the routes they had taken. A few of them used the same method as Liao Fan, which was to draw lines on the ground. Despite that, no one had found a water source. Of course, those who had found a water source would not send a private message to Liao Fan. Therefore, it was still possible that someone had already found a water source. Lastly, people had described the monsters in different shapes and sizes. One person even said that they heard a woman crying in the fog. ¡®What¡¯s actually in the fog? ¡®Are there really monsters? ¡®Or is it just an illusion?¡¯ In the end, Liao Fan traded a total of three liters of water for two hundred units of coal and wood. He used the materials to make more torches. It was all in preparation for the next exploration. Liao Fan also synthesized a piece of paper. He did not have a pen, so he used the remaining black crystal stone as a replacement. Then, he began to construct a map. The center part of the map was his thatched cottage. By using his memory, he recalled the routes he had explored and drew them on the paper. Once he was done, Liao Fan folded and put the map in his pocket. He needed to be very cautious. One mistake and his next exploration would be fruitless. Or worse still, it might cost his life. Therefore, he could not let his routes be tampered with again! Without a backup plan, Liao Fan would be in a huge predicament! He needed to stay vigilant! ¡­. Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was already nighttime If the scroll did not emit a faint light, the surroundings would have been completely dark! Indeed, it was terrifying. ¡®Should I light a torch? ¡®No, that¡¯s a bad idea.¡¯ After all, torches were extremely precious resources. Liao Fan could not afford to waste them like this. On the other hand, Liao Fan had turned all five eggs that he had received from the treasure chest into egg soup! It was very delicious. The villagers had to eat their fill as well. Quite a lot of food was consumed. As for the fish, it had yet to be eaten. Liao Fan only planned to eat the fish as a last resort. Then, he synthesized a fishing rod and two iron axes. The remaining materials were made into torches until there were only twenty units of coal leftover. All the torches were also enhanced! In total, Liao Fan had one hundred and eighty torches! It would be enough for him to stay outside for thirty-six hours! That was more than a day. Of course, Liao Fan was aware that the monsters in the fog would try to trap him again. The freedom provided by the torch was limited! Naturally, he was dissatisfied with that! Liao Fan had yet to make the wooden fences. He wanted to further investigate the circumstances first! The surroundings were very quiet. There was nothing but darkness. No one dared to go out under such circumstances, even if they had a torch! It was the same for Liao Fan. Therefore, he spent his time making a detailed plan instead. He and his villagers would take turns to stand guard. Although the thatched cottage was supposed to be secured, Liao Fan did not believe that his safety was guaranteed. He needed to observe the situation by himself. Perhaps something different would happen during nighttime. ¡­ Time flew by. Nothing happened that night. Both villagers managed to get a good rest. They were in high spirits in the morning. Furthermore, the villagers had gained some weight. Liao Fan was not sure if his mind was playing tricks on him, but he felt like the two of them had grown stronger. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a little too fast?¡¯ Regardless, since Liao Fan was their Lord, he could not treat them unfairly. The map was still incomplete. Liao Fan held it in his hand and raised his head. He looked at the fog. It was really strange. His visibility was still disrupted. There was no need to worry about the number of torches for the time being. Liao Fan could even afford to stay at the stream to fish for an entire day. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± As Liao Fan opened the door, he was greeted by cold air! He took a deep breath and looked at the ground. The line that he previously drew on the ground was still there. However, it was no longer as clear as before. It would continue to fade and soon, completely disappear. There was only very little black crystal block left. Liao Fan immediately used ten units of coal and stone to make ten more black crystal blocks. These black crystal blocks could be used as markers. They were extremely important to counter the fog. This time, Liao Fan ordered one of his villagers to draw the lines. It was because he needed to focus on the path when they were exploring. Just drawing lines on the ground would not be enough. For now, this was the only plan Liao Fan could come up with. Additionally, he could draw backup marks on the paper. ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt to be extra careful! ¡®Besides, the length of my steps would not always be the same!¡¯ ¡­ Five minutes passed. Liao Fan¡¯s steps gradually slowed down. There was a scent of blood in the air! Furthermore, the pebbles on the ground were somewhat messed up. Obviously, it was the traces of a person! Liao Fan was particularly disturbed by the smell of blood. ¡°Is someone there?¡± He began to search his surroundings. A very important clue was waiting to be discovered. So far, Liao Fan had taken a total of eight hundred and thirty-two steps. In other words, this place was only 0.3 miles away from his thatched cottage! Someone had actually explored so close to his territory! If they were in the cities, the other party could even be considered as his neighbor. Liao Fan quickly searched for some subtle clues. There were some dried blood drops on the ground. Liao Fan walked a short distance. It was then he discovered a corpse! The corpse was female. There was a terrifying expression on her face! Her eyes were wide open and her body was bitten by wild beasts. Moreover, her internal organs had been emptied. It was a really grim scene! Liao Fan felt very uncomfortable. The other party probably died yesterday. She should not have been dead for more than twelve hours because her body had yet to decay. Liao Fan squatted down and examined the body thoroughly. It was definitely unpleasant, but he could not give up on the possibilities of finding a vital clue. After some time, Liao Fan concluded that the other party did not die from a beast attack. She had a torch in one hand and her eyes were staring straight ahead. ¡®I think she died from fear and excessive shock. ¡®If she had died from a wild beast attack, there would definitely be signs of struggle! ¡®Also, she must have brought her villagers along, but I don¡¯t see their corpses anywhere.¡¯ It was really strange. ¡­. Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡®This is so weird. ¡®A bizarre corpse of a woman and disappearing villagers. ¡®Also, why did she appear so close to my thatched cottage?¡¯ There were many theories in Liao Fan¡¯s mind. ¡®She could have died when her torch burned out before she could return to her cottage. ¡®The monsters in the fog had probably devoured her.¡¯ Liao Fan figured that he could exploit her shortcomings. ¡®However, if she had been attacked by a beast, there would definitely be signs of resistance. ¡®Furthermore, her villagers had disappeared.¡¯ This was really a curious case. Liao Fan could determine one thing though. ¡®This woman¡¯s cottage is probably nearby in the direction her eyes are looking.¡¯ There were no marks on the ground. Liao Fan did not know what she was relying on to find her way back, but she knew the location of her cottage. He took a deep breath and composed himself. Then, he stood up. The woman¡¯s death was very miserable. Her eyes were filled with fear and despair. Liao Fan could not help but sigh when he thought about this. It was truly heartbreaking. He might encounter the same fate if he was not careful. Soon, the corpse would be completely devoured by the monsters. Liao Fan glanced at his villagers. His face was full of regret. ¡°Dig a hole and bury her.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡± The villagers began to dig a hole. Liao Fan had a lot of torches on him, so he was not constricted in terms of time. Once the hole was dug, the villagers buried the corpse in it. Then, they continued their exploration. Liao Fan headed in the direction where the woman¡¯s eyes were looking. He was sure that he would come across another thatched cottage! After walking for three minutes, Liao Fan spotted a thatched cottage. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Liao Fan took out the piece of paper and drew a mark. ¡®Another safe haven. ¡®I could probably take refuge here if needed.¡¯ With this, his exploration range had expanded. Liao Fan stood in front of the cottage¡¯s door. He could feel a cold chill. It felt like something invisible was circling around him. ¡®I buried your body and you¡¯ll give me your cottage. It¡¯s a trade and we don¡¯t owe each other anything¡­¡± Liao Fan silently chanted in his heart. Then, he raised his hand and pushed the door. The moment the door opened, Liao Fan instantly heard a series of system notifications. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for discovering a safe house. ] [ Ding! This safe house is currently unoccupied. Do you want to possess it? ] [ Note: Other people will not be able to enter your safe house. All the items inside will also become yours! ] ¡°Was there even a need to ask?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to take over this safe house!¡± Liao Fan did not feel bad at all. Although this was someone else¡¯s property, she was gone. [ Ding! This safe house is yours. ] Liao Fan entered the thatched cottage and immediately extinguished the torch! Then, he looked around the entire place. The structure of the cottage was exactly the same as his. There was only one window, a simple wooden bed, a table, and a stool. Not a single villager in the house. It was very likely that they had died as well. Liao Fan could not find the woman¡¯s scroll. It was not here nor on her body. ¡®Perhaps if a Lord died, their scroll would also disappear.¡¯ There were some basic resources in the corner of the room. All the wood had been used up. They were probably used to synthesize torches. On the other hand, there were still some stones. It seemed like the woman did not synthesize any stone axe, flint, or black crystal block. Liao Fan also discovered another thing. Everything was placed together in a corner. It looked extremely inconspicuous. As Liao Fan stared at the items, a list of synthesizable items appeared. [ Advanced Material: Cyan stone ] [ Do you want to proceed? ] [ Increase: Strength +1 ] [ Materials Required: Fluorescent stone, light red stone, glass, iron ingot, coal, et cetera. ] [ 1. Cyan stone lamp: Can burn for ten minutes. The coal can be refilled. ] [ 2. Tri-colored light platform: Can permanently emit light and purify a certain area. It can also be used to place stone statues. Has an enhanced faith effect. ] ¡­. Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡®Cyan stone?¡¯ Liao Fan had never seen such a thing before. The cyan stone reminded him of the fluorescent stone that he had obtained at the beginning. Liao Fan began thinking to himself. ¡®First, let me rule out the woman¡¯s resources. ¡®She did not have enough materials to craft torches for a second exploration. ¡®Furthermore, she did not have the amplification ability. ¡®Her torches could only last for three minutes each. ¡®Basically, the cyan stone was one of the original materials provided by the system.¡¯ This was totally possible. ¡®The next question is, why were there no synthesis options when I stare at my fluorescent stone? ¡®Is it possible that the options would only appear if I have the other materials? ¡®This fluorescent stone is definitely needed to produce a particular item.¡¯ Liao Fan also made another conclusion. Allegedly, everyone initially started with different resources. Even the number of villagers was not the same! Liao Fan made a bold guess. ¡®Resources are allocated depending on a person¡¯s situation.¡¯ For weak women, they would be given more resources. They might even get rare materials. As for strong men, it was the opposite. Of course, there might be a few lucky exceptions. In a survival game, luck was considered a form of strength. Liao Fan felt that he was relatively lucky. He also got three pieces of bread and three bottles of water in addition to his resources. Furthermore, if he did not have the enhancement ability, he would have probably not survived. Even if he could suppress his hunger the first day, things would get worse on the second day. Moreover, there were also two villagers that needed to be fed. Three pieces of bread might not even be enough for a toddler, let alone three grown adults. Liao Fan continued to speculate even further. ¡®The guy who traded me two hundred coals for two liters of water probably had a mine as one of his initial resources.¡¯ As for why he had such a huge advantage, the answer was very clear. Either the other party was a disabled person or he had some kind of mental disorder. There was no other explanation. ¡­ Liao Fan held the cyan stone in his hand. It was about the size of his fist and it emitted a faint cyan light. This was an extremely rare item! It was needed to craft the tri-colored light platform and that was the best item Liao Fan had ever laid eyes on! The tri-colored light platform could permanently remove the fog within a certain distance. ¡®Does this mean that if I carried the tri-colored light platform with me, I would never have to worry about the fog?¡¯ Of course, the tri-colored light platform¡¯s size needed to be adequate. If it was too big, Liao Fan would not be able to carry it with him. Liao Fan could guess the materials needed to make the tri-colored light platform. After all, the name itself was very telling. The main materials would most likely be the cyan stone and the light red stone that was displayed by the system earlier. Since it was named as ¡°tri-colored¡±, one more colored stone would be needed. The fluorescent stone fits the bill. As for the other materials, Liao Fan could also figure it out. A platform would probably be made of basic materials such as wood, stone, and coal. Liao Fan could get these materials through trading. In other words, the only material he lacked to synthesize the three-colored light platform was a light red stone! As long as he could get his hands on a red light stone, he would no longer have to worry about crafting torches to dispel the fog. Liao Fan looked around the room again. There was nothing else of value. The only valuable thing was the thatched cottage itself. This could become his second shelter! He would be able to explore more places! Unlocking the entire area would become much easier. Liao Fan then opened the door and lit a torch. He ventured into the fog with his villagers again. Now, his priority was to find other resources. Additionally, he needed to go fishing by the stream. Although Liao Fan still had plenty of water, most of the food had already been consumed. One fish would not be enough to feed three people. Before he went out, Liao Fan had actually crafted a wooden sink in his thatched cottage. He had decided to keep the fish in that sink. ¡­. Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The fog was as dense as ever. If Liao Fan was not careful, he might fall into another trap! Although he had a torch in his hand, there was no sense of security. Liao Fan clearly remembered the woman¡¯s miserable fate. It was terrifying and strange at the same time. Liao Fan slowed down a little. One hundred and eighty enhanced torches were enough to last him the entire day! [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for exploring 15% of this area. ] Upon hearing this, Liao Fan took out the map and continued to update it. This map was very important. It consisted of all the locations, routes, and contents that Liao Fan had come across. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining resin *1 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining resin *1 ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining resin *1 ] ¡­ The sound of notifications continued to ring in his ears. One of the villagers was collecting resin from not too far away! Resin was a very important basic resource. It could be used to make plastics, rubber, and various household items. Just as Liao Fan was about to set off to fish in the stream, he heard a sound. *Crack.* His feet had stepped on a hard object. He looked down. It was a bone. The bone definitely did not belong to a human! *Whoosh.* There was a cold wind. It was bone-chilling. Liao Fan felt very uneasy. After all, anything could happen in the fog. He composed himself and picked up the torch. Then, he looked around. The surroundings were very quiet. There were no movements either. Liao Fan furrowed his brows and reminded his villagers to be careful. Both of the villagers held the iron axe tightly in their hands. They were also very nervous. .. *Crack.* Another crisp sound could be heard. It was obviously another bone! Liao Fan saw that there were dozens of bones lying on the ground. Some of them had not completely decomposed, while others were decapitated. It was a bloody mess. Liao Fan felt like he had just arrived in hell! ¡°Tsk¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡®A terrifying monster must be living here.¡¯ Suddenly, Liao Fan¡¯s eyes widened. One of the corpse¡¯s internal organs was also hollowed out! It was exactly the same as the previous woman! ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± The second villager uttered nervously. He was even sweating. His entire forehead was wet! ¡°Wait!¡± Liao Fan dared not act rashly. Clearly, this place was dangerous. However, he also made a discovery. He proceeded to walk forward cautiously! His vision gradually became clearer. ¡®There must be a treasure chest nearby!¡¯ As he stared at the ground, the system¡¯s synthesis options appeared. [ Advanced Materials: Alloy mineral water, black python tendon ] [ Do you want to proceed? ] [ Increase: Strength +1 ] [ Upgrade Requirements: Alloy mineral water, stone, wood, villagers, black python tendons, gushing spring water, et cetera. ] [ 1. Super Alloy Shield Soldier: A warrior with superior strength and defense. ] [ 2. Crossbow God: A warrior with a powerful ranged attack. ] ¡­ More and more options began to appear. Liao Fan was so excited that he was trembling. He had never seen these formulas before. Since these options appeared in front of his eyes, that meant there must be precious resources nearby. This area was high risk and high reward. Liao Fan could also smell an unpleasant stench. It was rotten and stinky! Such a pungent smell would make anyone feel nauseous! Nonetheless, it did not stop Liao Fan from advancing! He had to find these resources! Otherwise, he would never be able to conquer the fog! Cowering was not a manly trait at all! Liao Fan was a careful person, not a wimp. If he was not courageous, he would not have gone out to explore on the first day itself. Even when his mark was destroyed, Liao Fan did not lose his rationality. This was also a form of bravery! Like now, he knew that he was putting himself in jeopardy, but the rewards outweigh the danger. Besides, as long as he had his torches, the monster in the fog would not be able to harm him. This was why he dared to be so bold. Liao Fan hastened his footsteps. He continued to step on the bones under his feet. It was impossible to tell if they belonged to a human or not. Thirty seconds passed. Liao Fan suddenly stopped. He spotted a silver treasure chest! It was square-shaped. Also, it was not very big. Compared to the treasure chest, it was only about one-tenth of the size. ¡®I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a lot of resources inside.¡¯ [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for discovering a Silver Treasure Chest! ] [ Do you want to open it? ] ¡°Yes!¡± Liao Fan instantly made up his mind! [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining alloy mineral water *1, black python tendon *1 ] There were only two items. The alloy mineral water was stored in a glass bottle the size of a finger. It was a transparent, colorless liquid. Without the system¡¯s notification, Liao Fan would have never guessed what it was. Now, he can evolve one of his villagers into a ¡®Super Alloy Shield Soldier¡¯! Liao Fan glanced at the second villager who was behind him. Then, he placed the alloy mineral water into his inventory. He was not in a hurry to use it. As for the black python tendon, it should be one of the materials needed to evolve his villager into a ¡®Crossbow God¡¯. This trip was really worth it. Anyway, the resin collection was still in progress. Now, Liao Fan only needed to go fishing for some food. Everything was going smoothly! ¡®15% of the area had been explored and two precious items were gained. ¡®I even got an extra thatched cottage and a rare cyan stone.¡¯ All of a sudden, Liao Fan heard a heart-wrenching roar! Then, a pitch-black figure dashed out from the mist! ¡­. Chapter 20 - Enhancement Successfully, Super Alloy Shield Soldier! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Roar!!!¡± A wild boar emerged from the fog! Liao Fan¡¯s eyes widened. He was not frightened by the wild boar. Instead, he was surprised! ¡®So the monsters in the fog are really just wild boars?¡¯ There was no reason for Liao Fan to be afraid. Rather, the wild boar looked more like a food source. However, Liao Fan was doubtful. ¡®The system said that the monsters could only move in the fog. ¡®So why did the wild boar appear? ¡®How did it move outside the fog?¡¯ For context, the torch could only illuminate a very limited area. There was not much distance between the wild boar and Liao Fan. That was how Liao Fan managed to get a clear view of the wild boar. The wild boar¡¯s eyes were actually filled with fear! ¡®Is it scared of me? ¡®But that¡¯s not possible! ¡®It¡¯s way bigger than me. ¡®Even if I was equipped with an iron axe, it would not be intimidated to this degree.¡¯ The answer was obvious. It was afraid of the actual monsters in the fog! The wild boar was just another animal living in this world. Liao Fan still had no idea what monsters were in the fog. However, it was safe to conclude that they were way more terrifying than the wild boar. ¡®What monster could scare such a big boar?¡¯ If Liao Fan ever lost his torch, the fog would immediately envelop him. Then, he would certainly die! Liao Fan quickly composed himself. He compared the wild boar¡¯s size to the villagers¡¯ size. ¡®Sigh, it¡¯s too big. ¡®Even with the iron axe, we won¡¯t be a match for it.¡¯ *Gulp.* ¡°My Lord, please step back. Don¡¯t lose the torch!¡± The second villager stood in front of Liao Fan. He was frightened, but there was a determined expression on his face. Although his legs were trembling, he shielded his master without any hesitation. The villager held the iron axe tightly with both of his hands! Liao Fan suddenly understood why there were no villagers¡¯ bodies around the woman¡¯s corpse. Her villagers had sacrificed themselves to buy time. Nonetheless, she still died. The villager¡¯s action moved Liao Fan¡¯s heart. These villagers barely knew him, but they were willing to die for him. ¡®Those people who had committed cannibalism are disgusting! ¡®How could they do such a thing when the villagers are so loyal?¡¯ Human nature can indeed be ugly and hateful! Liao Fan tried not to get distracted. He needed to focus on what was in front of him. Without wasting any time, he took out the alloy mineral water from his inventory. ¡®I have to use this now.¡¯ After enhancing the alloy mineral water, he threw the bottle to the villager. ¡°Catch!¡± The second villager caught the bottle and held it tightly. Then, Liao Fan immediately accessed the production table. He had the required materials to evolve his villager. Regardless, he could not be careless. As long as his villager could evolve, everything would be worth it! ¡°Stand on it!¡± Liao Fan¡¯s order was simple and easy to follow. The second villager stood on the production table with the alloy mineral water in his hand. Just then, the huge wild boar rushed directly at Liao Fan! It obviously had intelligence and knew who to prioritize. ¡°My Lord!¡± The second villager was so anxious that he almost got off the production table. Although Liao Fan was not physically strong, he had taken self-defense classes for two years. So, he was actually quite fit and had good reflexes. When the wild boar charged at him, Liao Fan swiftly dodged it. He clenched the stone axe in his hand and countered without hesitation. *Clang!* A loud sound echoed in the surroundings. Liao Fan felt that his right hand had become numb. Furthermore, blood was oozing out. The stone axe was also damaged, but there was not a single scratch on the wild boar! ¡®It¡¯s skin is so thick!¡¯ The wild boar adjusted its posture and prepared for another attack. Meanwhile, the villager¡¯s evolution had been successful! ¡°Thank you, my Lord!¡± The villager felt a strong power coursing through his body. He looked at Liao Fan admiringly. His master was truly capable. Then, he jumped down from the production table and stared at the wild boar. The second villager¡¯s body had become hard as a rock and his skin was shimmering. Additionally, a giant stone shield appeared in his left hand. He gripped the iron axe tightly on his right hand. At this moment, the second villager had become a ¡®Super Alloy Shield Soldier¡¯! ¡­. Chapter 21 - Killing the Giant Wild Boar, New Function Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The newly evolved villager stood in front of his master and shielded him. At the same time, the wild boar let out a ferocious howl and rushed towards Liao Fan. Upon seeing this, Liao Fan quickly used his enchantment ability on the second villager. The second villager felt another large boost in his strength. ¡°Come on!¡± Shouted the second villager loudly. His eyes were determined and he stomped his feet on the ground. As he did that, the bones beneath shattered. The ground even trembled. Liao Fan was dumbfounded by the villager¡¯s power. ¡®Bang!¡¯ A loud collision sound could be heard. Liao Fan raised his head and saw that the wild boar had crashed into the villager¡¯s shield. Then, it was sent flying! After falling onto the ground, the wild boar wailed in pain. The sight stunned Liao Fan. He did not expect the wild boar to go down so easily. All it took was a single strike! ¡®He¡¯s become so powerful!¡¯ In fact, the villager was so powerful that Liao Fan could not help but feel a little jealous. ¡®I wish I was the one who stood on the production table.¡¯ The only downside was that the villager¡¯s left hand was merged with the shield. With the iron axe in his right hand, the villager charged towards the wild boar. Then, he hacked it without any hesitation. *Bam!* The wild board roared in pain. Its skull was crushed. After struggling for a few seconds, it stopped moving. The hunt was successful! [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully hunting a huge wild boar! ] [It¡¯s decomposable. ] Liao Fan obtained a huge wild boar corpse. [ Ding! Obtained: Wild boar meat *10 ] [ Ding! Obtained: Damaged wild boar skin *1 ] [ Ding! Obtained: Wild boar tusk *2 ] [ Ding! Obtained: Wild boar blood *500ml ] The wild boar blood needed to be stored in an apparatus. Fortunately, during the journey, Liao Fan had finished drinking a bottle of water. After the fight, Liao Fan felt thirsty again and drank another bottle of water. Then, he used those empty bottles to store the wild boar blood. Liao Fan was satisfied with the spoils of war. The wild boar meat could be made into bacon and the wild boar skin could be processed into clothes for the villagers. Additionally, the wild boar fangs could be made into sharp daggers. Every item was useful, except the wild boar blood. [ Wild Boar Blood: Drink it! It will improve your physique. There might even be bonus effects! ] The system¡¯s notification caught Liao Fan¡¯s interest. However, the wild boar blood smelled absolutely pungent. Liao Fan looked at the scarlet blood in the bottles. The temptation was too much to resist! He picked up one of the bottles and raised his head. *Gulp!* It tasted disgusting. Liao Fan felt nauseous, but he endured it and drank the whole thing. Not a single drop was left. In an instant, his body felt extremely hot. His cheeks became red too. Then, his muscles became firmer and tighter. ¡®I never expect this to be so effective.¡¯ [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for unlocking the personal attributes panel! ] [ You can now freely check your stats! ] At the same time, Liao Fan¡¯s scroll was emitting a faint light. Originally, there were only five options on the first page but now, there were six! [ World Channel ] [ Regional Channel ] [ Inventory ] [ Item Creation ] [ Talent Recruitment ] [ Personal Attributes ] !!! Without wasting any time, Liao Fan accessed the attributes panel. [ Lord: Liao Fan ] [ Number Of Explorations: 2 ] [ Area Covered: 17% ] [ Territory: 0 ] [ Sanctuary Possessed: 2 ] [ Vitality: 13 (normal adult male 10) ] [ Strength: 14 (normal adult male 10) ] [ Agility: 12 (normal adult male 10) ] [ Endurance: 15 (normal adult male 10) ] [ Items Possessed: Black python tendon, cyan stone, fluorescent stone ] ¡­ All of his attributes were slightly higher than that of a normal adult male. Of course, this was thanks to the wild boar blood. Liao Fan picked up the other bottle that contained the wild boar blood. He finished it in one gulp! The same burning sensation could be felt again. After that, he saw all of his attributes increase by three points! ¡®This is great!¡¯ Unfortunately, that was all the wild boar blood Liao Fan had. On the other hand, there were still a lot of bones lying on the ground. The bones could also be used to synthesize into something else. Liao Fan squatted down to pick them up. [ Animal bone +1 ] [ Animal bone +1 ] [ Animal bone +1 ] ¡­ After Liao Fan picked up all the bones, he saw a stone slab buried in the soil. There were many mysterious patterns carved on it. [ The mysterious stone slab will direct you to the Ruins! ] ¡­. Chapter 22 - Mysterious Stone Slab Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡®What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¯ It seemed that the ¡®Ruins¡¯ was a place where treasure chests could be found. Liao Fan reached out his hand and wiped away the soil. There were some unknown characters written on the stone slab. ¡®I don¡¯t get it.¡¯ These were not characters that humans used to communicate. Liao Fan recognized many countries¡¯ languages and written characters, but he had never seen something like this before. He became more and more confused. ¡°Help me pull out this stone slab.¡± Liao Fan had tried to lift it just now, but the stone slab would not budge. Help was needed. ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡± The second villager nodded. He used a lot of force and pulled out the stone slab bit by bit. The villager did not pull it out in one go because he was trying to be as careful as possible. Blue veins could clearly be seen popping out from the villager¡¯s arm. His feet were even sinking into the soil. Regardless, the entire process went smoothly. Soon, the stone slab was pulled out from the ground. The stone slab was square-shaped. There were characters written on all six sides. These characters were of the same size and they were arranged in the same order. Liao Fan took a look for a few minutes, but he could not figure out anything. [ Collectable. ] Suddenly, a golden text appeared in front of Liao Fan. Liao Fan did not hesitate and chose to collect it. Instantly, the stone slab flashed a silver-white light. It also caused a minor earthquake. Then, it began to shrink. The silver-white light flowed in all directions. Liao Fan was in awe. One thing was for sure, there was a lot to this stone slab. Shortly after, the stone slab shrunk into the size of a die. The written characters on the stone slab began to emit a strange black light. Liao Fan held the stone die in his palm and observed it tentatively. *Buzz.* Suddenly, the stone die made a noise. After that, the light gradually disappeared. ¡°Hehe.¡± Liao Fan sneered. He wanted to study this thing further. There were no hints. ¡°I¡¯ll just put this away for now.¡± ¡°We need to focus on surviving.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Liao Fan looked at the second villager, then at the fog. Somehow, he could feel an uneasy gaze. He smiled. Liao Fan was sure that something in the fog was definitely observing him. However, it could not do anything to him. That was because he still had the torches. ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± The second villager had a humble expression on his face. Liao Fan put the stone die into his pocket. Although he did not know what was the use of it, he was sure that it was something important. ¡­ Ten minutes passed. Liao Fan had entered the dense forest. He saw the mark that he had previously made. The river was not far ahead. Then, Liao Fan took out the map to draw the mark again. This backup plan was necessary! ¡°Stay here and gather the resources.¡± Liao Fan ordered his second villager. ¡°Focus on gathering stones, berries, and detoxification grass. Return to the starting location six hours later and wait for me.¡±. Thirty torches would be required for six hours. To be on the safe side, Liao Fan gave the second villager forty torches. The first villager also had forty torches. He would return to the thatched cottage by himself after completing his task. After six hours, it should almost be nighttime. Liao Fan left a triangular mark on the spot. The entrance of the forest was set as the initial position. Liao Fan had to take into account that the thing in the fog would try to mess with him again. ¡®I won¡¯t let it happen again!¡¯ It was very important to collect stones, berries, and detoxification grass. First of all, Liao Fan had figured out that stones were needed to upgrade the thatched cottage. Once the cottage was upgraded, it would have a lot of new functions. That was why stones were prioritized. As for the berries, they could be used as fruit or crushed into drinks. If he could store a large number of berries, then Liao Fan would not have to worry about his food supplies anymore. Lastly, the detoxification grass could be used for trading. It was highly sought after. Liao Fan held the stone axe and fishing rod in his hands. He started to walk towards the river. ¡®I must get food for dinner.¡¯ ¡­. Chapter 23 - The Impending Crisis Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan accessed the world channel. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this world for two days. It¡¯s still raining. There¡¯s barely any food and my villagers are starving as well. We¡¯re just skin and bones now. How long will I be able to survive by drinking rainwater?¡± ¡°Are there any kind-hearted people? I want to trade coal for water. Please, even a little bit will do.¡± ¡°I just heard a woman crying outside. There are also black shadows. It¡¯s so scary. There¡¯s no way I would open the door and go outside.¡± The world channel was no longer as lively as it used to be. One-third of the population had died on the first day. Everyone was filled with despair. Still, about half of the people had grasped the concept of synthesizing. They made torches and went out to explore on the second day. However, not everyone would survive. In fact, most of them ended up like the female corpse. When Liao Fan read the message about a woman crying, he was puzzled. ¡®Why did such a strange sound come from the fog? ¡®If there was really a woman outside, her first reaction should be to knock on the door, not cry. ¡®This is something that I should look into.¡¯ Liao Fan had also gained another piece of information. The weather in the fog would actually change. He closed the system¡¯s interface. Liao Fan sat on a stone and took out his fishing rod. Then, he began making some bait by using small pieces of berries. Apparently, some fishes liked to eat berries. Liao Fan then accessed the regional chat. [ Number Of People Online: 453] Upon seeing the number, Liao Fan became numb. Yesterday, there were still more than seven hundred people. If this kept up, there would only be two or three hundred people left tomorrow. The elimination rate was terrifying! ¡°Brother Meng Fei has not been online for a day. He went out to explore yesterday. Could something have happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Hehe, nothing is impossible in this world. It¡¯s very like that he had died.¡± ¡°Previously, Meng Fei had taught me how to synthesize an advanced torch. The time it can last has increased to six minutes, but that¡¯s still a short time. If you¡¯re going to explore, don¡¯t act rashly. Who knows what would happen in the fog. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore.¡± ¡°Yea, I dare not go out.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s end this topic. Just one last tip. To anyone that¡¯s going outside, I advise you to hone your sense of direction first. The only way to survive is to rely on yourself.¡± ¡­ Some time passed. Liao Fan was fishing. At the same time, he was observing the conversations in the world and regional channels. He had obtained so much information that his brain could barely process everything. Again, the thatched cottage could be upgraded. After it was upgraded, it would have new functions. At level two, the thatched cottage would have a fish pond and a vegetable garden. There would also be more rooms. Currently, Liao Fan and his villagers were crammed together. It was rather uncomfortable. However, a lot of materials were needed to upgrade the cottage. Liao Fan was still trying to come up with a solution. Moreover, the fog was more complex than it seemed. Other people had reported that they heard strange noises coming from the fog. Women¡¯s cries, babies¡¯ cries, and even strange moans. The sound was definitely not made by the players. There was only one conclusion. It was made by the monsters in the fog. Liao Fan had not heard of these sounds. So, nothing was set in stone. Furthermore, Liao Fan had unlocked his personal attributes panel. ¡®Is there no end to how much I can level myself up? ¡®If so, how strong can I get?¡¯ Liao Fan had also never used the talent recruitment panel before. One question appeared after another. Liao Fan began to have a headache. There were no conclusive answers. Shortly after, he stood up and began to count his harvest. [ Herring *12 ] [ Autumn Swordfish *3 ] [ Carp *4 ] Additionally, there was the wild boar meat. This amount of food would be enough for him and his villagers to survive at least ten days. For now, Liao Fan did not have to worry about food and water. The first villager had also collected a lot of resins. Liao Fan used the resins to synthesize twenty bottles. They were to replace the earthenware. This was because he needed to use the clay blocks to build wooden fences instead. After all, it was important to dispel the fog. He also enhanced the bottles so their capacity would increase. However, the outcome was different. The quality of the bottles increased, not the capacity. Liao Fan was instantly taken aback. It seemed that there were different meanings to ¡®strength +1¡¯. After filling up all the bottles, Liao Fan kept them in his inventory. Then, he headed towards the second villager¡¯s location. Just like that, three hours had passed. The second villager should have already returned to the starting location. It was the place where Liao Fan had drawn a triangle mark. ¡­. Chapter 24 - Crisis, Trap! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan followed the marks he had made. The torch in his hand flickered continuously as if it was going to extinguish. Without wasting any time, Liao Fan lit a new torch. After five minutes, he arrived at his destination. Despite that, the second villager was not there. A normal person would have become nervous and waited on the spot. On the contrary, Liao Fan was smiling. This mark was not right. He had also calculated the number of steps taken. At first, it took a total of 1,232 steps to get here, but now, it was 1,254 steps. Perhaps if the difference was less than ten steps, then it could be brushed off. However, twenty steps were too much. Furthermore, Liao Fan noticed that the mark had been tampered with. He was prepared this time. Although the triangle mark was the same size as the one he had drawn, there was supposed to be a small gap in the middle of the line on the left. Of course, this triangle had no such gap! The thing that was trying to kill him had messed up. It could only rely on such tricks because there was no way for it to move outside the fog. The current method used was actually not bad. If it had done this the last time, Liao Fan would have probably been trapped in the fog and died when the torch went out. Unfortunately, it would not work on the current Liao Fan. He still had plenty of time to get out of the fog! For now, he was only worried about his villagers. Liao Fan might need to take a risk to find them. The second villager was in danger because he did not have many torches left! A terrifying thought suddenly appeared in Liao Fan¡¯s head. ¡®Was the thing targeting the second villager instead of me?!¡¯ *Thud!* His heart sank. Liao Fan could not help but feel nervous. ¡®I guess I underestimated its intelligence. ¡®It¡¯s even smarter than regular humans!¡¯ The wild boar attack was probably set up by the other party as well. Fortunately, the assault failed. Not only was the wild boar killed, but the second villager evolved. It probably never expected such a turn of events. Although Liao Fan had very little information, he needed to take on the gamble. Since Liao Fan had gotten stronger, the thing in the fog needed to get rid of his source of strength. ¡°In the end, it just wants me to die, right?¡± Liao Fan quickly composed himself. Then, he stared at the fog. ¡®I¡¯m certain that there was a pair of eyes staring at me from that direction!¡¯ Although Liao Fan¡¯s heart was beating rapidly, he was not afraid at all. He had made up his mind to face the fog! Suddenly, a voice could be heard. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± It came from the fog. The voice sounded cold and confident at the same time This was the first time Liao Fan heard a voice coming from the fog. It was similar to what people in the world channel had experienced. The voice continued to laugh! Liao Fan took out his map. It was kept in his right pocket, while the stone die was in the left pocket. Liao Fan found the location where he was supposed to meet up with the second villager. He had to get there as soon as possible! The second villager had forty torches. That would last him for eight hours. However, six hours had passed, which meant he only had two hours left! That was not a lot of time at all! The sky was turning dark! At nighttime, the danger level would be doubled! Worst still, it would only be an hour at most before nighttime. He had to find the second villager within one hour! If Liao Fan found him after an hour, they might be devoured by the fog! It was highly unlikely that they would survive. Liao Fan may not even have a corpse leftover. There were just too many unknowns hidden within the fog. They needed to quickly escape and return to the thatched cottage. ¡­. Chapter 25 - Fangs in the Fog! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯ll fall for your trap?¡± Liao Fan sneered He took twenty-two steps back. Now, he was at the starting location! ¡®I¡¯m sure of this. ¡®It¡¯s just basic calculations.¡¯ Although the monster in the fog had altered his path, the range would not change. Then, Liao Fan drew a circle on the map. He just needed to record his steps and find where his villager was waiting for him. That was the difficult part. The thick fog would disrupt one¡¯s vision. It was not easy to maneuver around specifically. However, Liao Fan had pinpointed the starting location. This was his advantage. As long as he was careful, he would not get lost. Sooner or later, he would find the second villager! After confirming the route that he was going to take, Liao Fan held the map in his hand and began to walk along the road. He was on high alert! Liao Fan would never underestimate the thing in the fog. Its actions kept surprising him! They were in a battle of wits and courage. One would make things difficult for the other and vice versa. ¡­ ¡®358. ¡®359.¡¯ After taking the three hundred and sixtieth step, Liao Fan stopped. He was not sure if he was walking on the intended path. After all, he did not have a compass. When he looked behind him, the fog was still as thick as ever! Meanwhile, in front of him was the desert! It seemed that Liao Fan had reached the end of the road. If he went any further, he would be returning to his thatched cottage. Liao Fan could not help but frown. There was no time to waste. Even though he had a map, there were no reference objects around. It was hard to fully rely on anything! Liao Fan had tried to draw the map as accurately as possible. There was the desert, dense forest, second thatched hut, water stream, mound, berry tree, and the place with the pile of bones. However, it was not very clear because it was just the generic area. ¡­ Liao Fan had recorded everything he could on the map. He could return to his starting position but linear paths were a different story. After seeing the desert, Liao Fan drew another critical point on the map. This critical point was the second boundary that Liao Fan found. It bordered the dense forest. Suddenly, the system¡¯s notification sound could be heard. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for exploring 20% of this area. ] ¡®20% already? ¡®So I¡¯ve never been to this place before.¡¯ Once he had explored sixty percent of the area, the fog would disperse. This was a huge achievement! Yesterday, Liao Fan only explored five percent of the area. Today, with his large number of torches, he had covered another fifteen percent of the place. At this speed, he would have explored the entire area in less than seven days. Of course, Liao Fan knew that before that could happen, he needed to upgrade his security, find other safe houses, and further evolve his villagers. At the same time, he also wanted to find the Ruins. So, it would be best if he could scavenge and come across a light red stone as soon as possible. That way, he could make the tri-colored light platform. The best-case scenario would be that someone had it and wanted to trade for other things. Liao Fan would not mind trading a bunch of resources, like food, for it. No one could refuse food in such an environment. Furthermore, he needed to quickly craft the wooden fences. There was still so much that Liao Fan needed to do. Thirty-four minutes had passed. Only twenty-six minutes were left. Liao Fan had to hasten himself. The second villager had yet to be found and there was not much time left. They must return to the thatched cottage soon! Liao Fan looked at the sky. It was also covered in thick fog. He could not tell the time. Regardless, it should be almost evening. There would only be dangers at night. Thinking of this, Liao Fan frowned. He tried his best to look for clues on the ground. At the same time, under the light of the torch, he could also see a wisp of white eyes slowly drifting over. The fog had finally bared its fangs. The monsters had lost their patience! ¡­. Chapter 26 - Tear Off the Mask, the Truth! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Hiss¡­¡± It sounded like a snake. The grass and trees nearby rapidly withered. ¡®Poisonous gas!¡¯ Liao Fan quickly turned away. If his body was to be corroded by such a powerful poisonous gas, even the detoxification grass would not be able to save his life! For now, nothing was confirmed. Monsters and wild beasts, everything was just speculation. The only way to unlock the truth would be to fully explore the area. ¡­ Suddenly, an explosion could be heard! Liao Fan quickly walked towards the direction of the sound. He remembered this sound! That was the sound made by the second villager when he slammed his hand into the ground with his shield. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Soon, Liao Fan saw the second villager. He was still waiting for his master. Some blood was at the corner of the second villager¡¯s mouth. There were even signs of him getting bitten! The shield in his left hand was also covered in blood. Furthermore, the iron axe was damaged. Obviously, he had encountered something dangerous! ¡°My Lord, be careful!¡± Upon seeing Liao Fan walk over, the second villager hurriedly raised his shield in an attempt to protect him. Without any warning, a fierce wild boar jumped out from the fog. The wild boar then clung to the shield! Even though it was bleeding heavily, its eyes were still fierce. Liao Fan was shocked to see this scene. This wild beast had gone crazy! It was definitely due to the fog. They were in an extremely dangerous situation! ¡°The animals have gone crazy. I can¡¯t hold them off any longer!¡± said the second villager as he wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth. His voice was trembling slightly. He had waited for Liao Fan at this spot for more than half an hour. Three to four torches were already consumed in this duration. In the beginning, everything was peaceful. Things changed when he heard a burst of cold laughter. Then, a bunch of wild boars appeared in front of him. They were huge and immensely aggressive! The wild boards began to attack the second villager relentlessly. This was how the fight started. With his strength, the second villager could fend off up to five wild boars at once. However, there were too many of them. Not only that, the wild boars did not fear death. Even though they were injured, they continued to assault the second villager. The second villager¡¯s chest was pierced by one of the wild boar¡¯s tusks. Blood was flowing out continuously. His shield also showed signs of cracking. If this continued, he would die sooner or later. Fortunately, the torch was still burning. Otherwise, the second villager would have already fallen victim to the fog! ¡­ Liao Fan had already composed himself. He looked at the wild boars and black shadows in the fog. Countless thoughts filled his mind. ¡®First of all, why didn¡¯t the wild boars attack me when I appeared? ¡®It¡¯s obvious that I¡¯m way weaker than the second villager. ¡®Should we run? ¡®We might still end up in a sorry state. ¡®If the thing in the fog was really smart, it would have targeted me instead of the villager.¡¯ All of a sudden, Liao Fan realized that there was a contradiction. ¡®Could there be another possibility?¡¯ He kept thinking. There were more than one pair of eyes staring at him in the fog. ¡®The wild boars must have a limited range of movement! ¡®Otherwise, they would have already attacked me!¡¯ Liao Fan looked at the injured villager. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Liao Fan quickly assisted the second villager and they fled. This place was not worth exploring anymore. The major areas had almost all been unlocked. He should be focusing on finding a new area instead. They needed to return to the thatched cottage and come up with another plan. Liao Fan needed to process a lot of information. Once he completely understood everything, he could begin his third exploration! During his first exploration, he learned about the terror in the fog. He also found a water source! The second exploration just made things even clearer. As he continued to explore deeper and deeper, things would become more and more complicated. However, the truth would be unraveled sooner or later. One day, he would be able to face the fog head-on instead of running away. This was just a temporary retreat! ¡­. Chapter 27 - Urgent Territory Expansion Mission! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation They managed to return to the thatched cottage. Outside the window, there was a dark shadow. Liao Fan stood in front of the window and stared at the fog. It had been a tough journey. Fortunately, Liao Fan had an amazing memory and could accurately find the correct route. If he had made a mistake, they might not even be alive right now. Furthermore, he had discovered something shocking. The scroll had unlocked another option. [ Territory Upgrade ] Through this tab, Liao Fan could see all the safe houses that were his. [ Number Of Safe House In Possession: 2 ] [ Level 1 Function: Can block the fog completely and provides simple synthesis. Cannot be moved or stored. ] [ Territory can be upgraded into various alternatives. ] [ Underground Fortress ] [ Floating Island ] [ War Chariot ] [ Normal Level 2 Territory ] There were a total of four options. Liao Fan first clicked on the ¡®Underground Fortress¡¯ to check its requirements. All the materials needed were displayed. [ Underground Fortress (Level 1): Iron block 500/0, resin 2000/328, clay block 3000/470, stone 2000/167, wood 1000/475, coal 500/8. ] In front were the materials required and behind were the materials he had. At the moment, he did not have enough materials. A huge quantity was needed. Then, Liao Fan checked the ¡®Floating Island¡¯. [ Floating Island (Level 1): Floating stone 500/0, fluorite 20/0, clay block 500/470, stone 2000/167. ] Floating stone and fluorite were materials that Liao Fan had yet to obtain. Naturally, he could not upgrade to the ¡®Floating Island¡¯ either. ¡®Oh well. Let me check the third option.¡¯ The ¡®War Chariot¡¯ was rather appealing. If Liao Fan upgraded his cottage into a ¡®War Chariot¡¯, he could drive it around! Future explorations would become much easier. However, even though the ¡®War Chariot¡¯ could repel the fog, it would not chase away the wild beasts. This also applied to the ¡®Underground Fortress¡¯ and ¡®Floating Island¡¯. Of course, upgrading to the ¡®War Chariot¡¯ was not simple. [ War Chariot (Level 1): Rubber 20/0, alloy metal 200/0, steel plate 15/0, crawler 2/0 ] [ Fuel is needed for the War Chariot. It can also be loaded with cannons! ] [ It could not be modified. ] Liao Fan already had a clear goal. First, he needed to upgrade his thatched cottage into a ¡®Normal Level 2 Territory¡¯. Besides, he owned another safe house. He could transform that into the ¡®War Chariot¡¯ instead once he had all the materials. For now, there was no point in even considering the ¡®Underground Fortress¡¯ and ¡®Floating Island¡¯! Just an upgrade to the cottage would benefit Liao Fan more. ¡°The ¡®War Chariot¡¯ is a must because the safe house would become mobile,¡± said Liao Fan to himself. He thought that this was the simplest and most convenient plan for his current self. Moreover, once the safe house transformed into a ¡®War Chariot, it would become a powerful weapon. Therefore, in future exploration, he needed to prioritize the materials needed for the ¡®War Chariot¡¯. Lastly, Liao Fan checked the materials needed for the ¡®Normal Level 2 Territory¡¯. [ Normal Level 2 Territory: Stone 1000/167, clay block 500/470, fence 200/0, wood 500/475. ] It seemed that he was still lacking in materials. In fact, he lacked quite a lot. Fortunately, he knew where to obtain these materials. He could even trade for them on the world channel. It was not difficult. Liao Fan was very tempted by the functions of the level two territory. [ Level 2 Territory¡¯s Functions: The size of the cottage will be expanded. Additionally, a garden, fish pond, and fireplace will be provided! ] That¡¯s right, the cottage would double in size! It also came with three additional functions. A garden, fish pond, and fireplace. Needless to say, the garden could be used for planting fruit and vegetables. Liao Fan could also store the fish he had caught in the pond to raise them. He may not need to go out and explore anymore. With a level 2 territory, he could be self-sufficient. This was a qualitative change caused by quantitative changes. As for the fireplace, Liao Fan was not sure what he would do with it yet. Nonetheless, it should come in useful. Liao Fan really wanted to upgrade his cottage immediately. It was a shame that the materials were insufficient. Going out to explore right now would be a bad idea. After all, it was almost nighttime. Liao Fan still had more than seventy torches leftover. Up to this point, he had consumed more than a hundred torches. The consumption rate was rather terrifying. He began thinking about the world channel. ¡®This might be a good time to start trading!¡¯ ¡­. Chapter 28 - Prominent Light Red Stone, Tri-Colored Light Platform! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The world channel was bustling. Many people had ended their second day of exploration. Unlike the first day, almost nobody was asking for help. Everyone understood one thing. In this kind of environment, they could only rely on themselves. It was difficult enough for one to survive, so awaiting others¡¯ charity was laughable. ¡°I¡¯m sharing the recipe to synthesize torches. You¡¯ll need coal *2 and wood *2. Of course, a flint is required to light the torches. Don¡¯t need to thank me. Just pray to the Gods for me to live on. By the way, my name is Lei Feng!¡± ¡°Thank you for sharing. I have a liter of water to trade. Those who need it can send me an offer privately.¡± Water was an extremely rare resource. However, based on the messages on the world channel, it seemed like quite a number of people had discovered a water source. Of course, there might be a few lucky people that spawned near a water source. If the others found out, they would definitely be envious. Liao Fan did not put his water up for trade. The reason was simple. If he already set the price, then there would be no room for negotiation. On the other hand, if other people sent him private messages, the price offered might be way higher. At present, people were not short of materials. What they lacked were food and water. This was where Liao Fan had the advantage. ¡°Everyone, please pay attention! We don¡¯t know the exact time, but the second is coming to an end. It¡¯s best to make use of your daily speaker. Otherwise, it will just be wasted. Remember, it¡¯s better to trade off materials that you do not use. Currently, I possess a steel plate. If you need it, send me an offer!¡± Liao Fan was slightly stunned. ¡®Steel plate?¡¯ That was one of the materials needed to upgrade the cottage into a ¡®War Chariot¡¯. Unfortunately, the person only had one and Liao Fan needed fifteen! After jotting down the name of the person, Liao Fan continued to monitor the world channel. ¡°The monsters in the fog will destroy marks left by the players. Please be careful. It¡¯s better to memorize your routes. I almost didn¡¯t make it back today! Also, try not to go too far. It¡¯s easy to get lost. Several people that I know have already fallen prey to this!¡± ¡°Can we stack our exploration percentages? I¡¯ve already covered 5% of the area.¡± ¡­ One after another, people were sharing their experiences. Everyone seemed to have reached a consensus. To live. If more people survived, then the truth would be unraveled sooner. There was no point in being selfish. Besides, being a lone wolf would be difficult! On the first day, barely anyone shared their experience. They only kept silent and wasted the daily speakers. Due to this, the number of people who were still alive decreased drastically by the second day. Each and everyone had their own tests to conquer. Information about synthesis recipes, exploration tips, and anything regarding the mysterious fog was equally important. Otherwise, one would easily catch diseases, get attacked by monsters, or die from hunger. Being a lone wolf would certainly be disadvantageous. There were not many resources in the wild and because of this, everyone had no choice but to band together. This also applied to Liao Fan. However, he had a trump card, and that was his amplification ability! He could enhance all of his items by 1, making them more efficient and durable. Furthermore, he had access to formulas by just staring at an item. There was no way he could share something like this in the world and regional channels. ¡®I mean, what can I share? ¡®An advanced formula? ¡®No way!¡¯ If the advanced formulas were shared, it would cause a huge power imbalance. As mentioned before, some players might have started out with a huge advantage in terms of resources. If they got their hands on an advanced formula, they would become unstoppable! Moreover, they might not be good people. There was no way to predict what they might do. This was why Liao Fan refused to share any advanced formulas. As for other basic information, everybody already had access to it. Liao Fan also discovered that nobody had access to the personal attributes panel yet. In other words, he was ahead of everyone else. Of course, there was a possibility that someone had already accessed it, but chose not to say a word. Just as Liao Fan was about to turn off the world channel, he saw an interesting message! ¡°Hello, I want to ask a question. What can I do with a light red stone? I found it in the wild and was wondering if I could trade it for a bottle of water.¡± ¡®Light red stone?!¡¯ [ Fluorescent stone + cyan stone + light red stone + iron ingot + indefinite amount of basic resources = tri-colored light platform. It can permanently emit light and purify a certain area. It can also be used to place stone statues. Has an enhanced faith effect.] It can permanently dispel the surrounding fog! ¡­. Chapter 29 - The Creation of the Tri-Colored Light Platform Is Complete Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Having a tri-colored light platform was extremely critical to Liao Fan! The fact that it could emit a light that will dispel the fog really piqued his interest. It could replace the torch. Liao Fan already had the recipe. If he could get his hands on the light red stone, he would have all three main materials. The remaining materials were all relatively easy to collect. Liao Fan had almost given up on searching for the light red stone. He did not expect to find it on the world channel. Once he synthesized the tri-colored light platform, he would not need the torch anymore! With that being said, Liao Fan immediately messaged the person. ¡­ Liao Fan (Male): I¡¯m interested in your light red stone. After a few seconds, the other party responded. Fei Yu (Female): What¡¯s the light red stone¡¯s function? If you want to buy it, you must know its use, right? Upon seeing the reply, the corners of Liao Fan¡¯s mouth gradually curled up. Even though it was only the second day, it was clear that those who survived had sharp senses. This woman was rather sly. She used trading as an excuse to gain more information about the light red stone. Of course, Liao Fan did not fall for her trap. Liao Fan (Male): Hehe, I was just kidding. I¡¯m new to this world as well. How could I possibly know what it¡¯s used for? I just guess that it¡¯s a valuable item based on the name. Anyway, I wanted to buy it in case the price increased in the future.¡± Liao Fan hid his motives. Fei Yu (Female): That¡¯s too bad. I can trade the light red stone with you, but what¡¯s your offer? I don¡¯t need water by the way.¡± In a negotiation, the first person to make an offer would definitely end up forking out more. No matter what he offered, the other party would increase the price. Liao Fan needed to be careful, or this woman would squeeze him dry! He thought for a moment. Liao Fan (Male): Liao Fan (Male): A piece of wild boar meat. The woman may not have a shortage of water, but she probably needed food. After all, if a person was not lacking any necessities, they would not go on the world channel to trade. That was how Liao Fan guessed she desired food. Fei Yu (Female): One piece of wild boar meat is too little. I want at least three pieces. It seemed that she was trying to feed her villagers as well. This was exactly what Liao Fan wanted. He had ten pieces of wild boar meat. Trading three pieces for a rare light red stone was a steal. ¡®Hehe. ¡®What a great deal!¡¯ Liao Fan (Male): Alright. Without any hesitation, Liao Fan agreed. Fei Yu instantly felt that she had been cheated. However, she had already agreed to the transaction. Almost instantly, the trade was completed. Three pieces of wild boar meat disappeared from Liao Fan¡¯s inventory. At the same time, he obtained the light red stone. It looked like an ordinary stone. However, upon closer inspection, the stone was actually emitting a faint red light and it had a very smooth surface. It was indeed, the light red stone. ¡®No wonder she was trying to get rid of the stone as quickly as possible. ¡®Looks can be deceiving.¡¯ If the stone looked just even a little special, the woman would not have traded it. ¡­ Fei Yu (Female): Thank you! Liao Fan (Male): You¡¯re welcome! ¡®She was probably pleased with herself. ¡®Trading a mere stone for three pieces of wild boar meat was extremely worth it.¡¯ Obviously, that was not the case. If the woman knew how valuable the light red stone was, she would definitely regret it. Liao Fan accessed the production table and placed the light red stone on it. [ Fluorescent stone + cyan stone + light red stone + iron ingot + indefinite amount of basic resources = tri-colored light platform. It can permanently emit light and purify a certain area. It can also be used to place stone statues. Has an enhanced faith effect.] ¡®Luckily, I still have one piece of iron ingot left.¡¯ After that, Liao Fan put the rest of the materials needed on the production table. A flash of colorful light appeared. It was bright and beautiful, just like a peacock¡¯s tail. Slowly, the light faded away. The tri-colored light platform was created. It was a successful process! [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully synthesizing the tri-colored light platform (Level 1) ] ¡®A level 1 tri-colored light platform!¡¯ Liao Fan immediately checked its attributes. [ Tri-coloured light platform (Level 1): It can permanently emit light and purify a certain area. It can also be used to place stone statues. Has an enhanced faith effect. ] [ Can be upgraded. ] [ After upgrading, the area of effect will increase. ] [ At level 10, it will dispel the fog in an entire area! ] [ A temple can be attached to a level10 tri-colored light platform. Then, a deity statue can be erected. It can collect faith effects! ] ¡­. Chapter 30 - Inventory Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡®I¡¯ve finally crafted the tri-colored light platform! ¡®It could permanently disperse the fog in a certain area!¡¯ To Liao Fan, this was like an S-rank item. With the tri-colored light platform in his hand, Liao Fan opened the door without any hesitation and stepped into the fog. As expected, part of the fog was really dispelled by the tri-colored light platform. ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t need torches anymore.¡± Liao Fan let out a sigh of relief. Having to constantly lit the torches while exploring was really inconvenient. Moreover, a large number of resources were required to make those torches. Even though they were enhanced, twelve minutes per torch was still very restrictive. Liao Fan was constantly worried that he would not light a new torch on time. If that happened, then a tragedy would befall him. Moreover, he needed to divide the torches among his villagers. Now, with the tri-colored light platform, it would save him a lot of trouble. He could explore as long as he wanted to without feeling scared. ¡®This feels so good!¡¯ The only minor complaint that Liao Fan had was the light emitted by the tri-colored light platform. It was rather gaudy. Still, it did not really matter. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives! Liao Fan was in a good mood. Nonetheless, he still had many things to do. There was no time to waste. The priority was to treat the second villager¡¯s wounds. [ Detoxification grass *1 + water *1 = Hemostatic ointment. ] [ Can be used for treating external wounds. It will stop the bleeding and prevent any bacterial infection. ] Liao Fan applied the hemostatic ointment on the second villager¡¯s wounds. It may take some time but the second villager would make a recovery. ¡°Thank you, my Lord!¡± The second villager was really grateful. He did not expect Liao Fan to tend to him. Strictly speaking, even without the ointment, he would have healed over time. Actually, the most troubling issue was the cracked stone shield. [ Super Alloy Shield Soldier (Level 1): The soldier¡¯s left arm is turned into a stone shield. Able to withstand fatal damage. The stone shield can be repaired and the soldier can be further enhanced. ] Upon seeing the word ¡®enhanced¡¯ Liao Fan immediately checked the required materials. [ Super Alloy Shield Soldier (Level 2): Iron ingot *20, stone *5 ] [ At level 2, the soldier¡¯s left arm will evolve into an iron shield. Strength will also be doubled. ] The requirements were relatively simple. ¡®Double the strength? That¡¯s terrifying!¡¯ The second villager was already really strong. Doubling his strength was unimaginable! Regrettably, at the moment, Liao Fan did not have any iron ingots. Even if he did, he would prioritize upgrading his cottage into a ¡®War Chariot¡¯. Then, Liao Fan checked his cottage¡¯s status. At level one, it was extremely shabby. It did not look like a Lord¡¯s residence at all. If he wanted to upgrade the cottage to level two, he would need to consume a lot of materials. He needed to go out to collect more resources. After that, Laio Fan checked the amount of water he had left. There were still fifty liters. That would be enough for ten. However, the water might get polluted. Liao Fan needed to keep track of which water was clean and safe to drink. Next, there was food. He had fifteen fishes and in total, they weighed about sixty pounds! There were still seven pieces of wild boar meat left, and those add up to fifteen pounds! Naturally, berries were considered food as well. Liao Fan had seventy-five of those. Finally, there was the white beast egg! Liao Fan could hatch the egg or eat it if he was short on food. ¡®Alright, let me check how much materials I have.¡¯ [ Wood *475, resin *328, clay block *470, stone *167, coal *8 ] With the tri-colored light platform, it should help him save up on materials. The remaining items were miscellaneous. [ Wind grass *15, detoxification grass *20, poplar branch *15, dwarf shrub leaf *17 ] ¡­ One resource that Liao Fan really needed was iron ore. It was too bad that there were no iron ores near his territory. Otherwise, he would have been able to make iron blocks, iron ingots, iron sheets, and so on. Liao Fan would probably need to get such materials through trading. The resources he had were also limited. He could not squander them. There were also two very important items in Liao Fan¡¯s possession. First, there was the stone die. This little cube would lead him to the Ruins. Although Liao Fan had no idea what lies in the ruins, he would still like to check it out. Secondly, he had the black python tendon. This was one of the materials needed to evolve his villagers into a ¡®Crossbow God¡¯. Since the second villager had already evolved into a ¡®Super Alloy Shield Soldier¡¯, the one to evolve into the ¡®Crossbow God¡¯ would naturally be the first villager. More materials would probably be needed to evolve the first villager into a ¡®Crossbow God¡¯. Sadly, this was all Liao Fan had. After counting all his resources, Liao Fan began to think to himself. ¡®How should I maximize my profit when it comes to trading?¡¯ [ Level 2 Territory: Stone 1000/167, clay block 500/470, fence 200/0, wood 500/475. ] [ Fence: clay block *3 + wood *1 = Wooden fence. Can be used to dispel the fog. ] Those were the requirements. In order to make two hundred fences, six hundred units of clay blocks and two hundred units of wood were needed. In other words, Liao Fan still had a long way to go. He was still far from leveling his territory to level two! ¡­. Chapter 31 - Chariots Steel Plate! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Fortunately, most of the materials needed were all basic stuff. Otherwise, leveling up the cottage would be a pipe dream. Liao Fan found the person who wanted to trade the steel plate. He sent him a private message. Liao Fan (Male): What¡¯s the use of a steel plate? A few minutes later, the other party replied. Nie Wen (Male): Sorry, I don¡¯t know either. However, it should be valuable. I need clean drinking water. A few people had tried to trade with me but I¡¯ve rejected all of them. In my opinion, one steel plate is worth more than a liter of water.¡± With just a short exchange, Liao Fan was able to grasp some important information. First of all, this guy had no idea how to use the steel plate. Secondly, the steel plate was a rare commodity. No one knew how to use it yet, but they were aware that it was a material that would come in handy. That was why so many people tried to trade with Nie Wen. However, they were not confident, so the highest price was only one liter of water. Nie Wen needed water badly. Otherwise, he would not be in such a hurry to sell the steel plate. He mentioned others¡¯ offers because he wanted to raise the price. Liao Fan replied, ¡°Brother, listen to me.¡± ¡°Steel plates are indeed valuable, but if you use the wrong formula, it would just be a waste. Besides, you only have one steel plate and that won¡¯t help much. I can only offer one liter of water because there¡¯s a chance of failure. If you decided to synthesize it and failed, you basically wasted one liter of water!¡± ¡°Nonetheless, I still want to carry out my experiment. I want to confirm if the steel plate can be used as a tool.¡± ¡°If you have more than ten steel plates, I¡¯m willing to increase my offer.¡± Liao Fan only had one goal, and that was to turn his cottage into a ¡®War Chariot¡¯! To build a ¡®War Chariot¡¯, he needed at least fifteen steel plates. If this person only had one steel plate, then Liao Fan would rather not proceed with the trade. After all, he had the ability to explore himself. Sooner or later, he would find some steel plates. The steel plate was not like the light red stone. It was not a rare material. Nie Wen was silent for a long time. Five minutes later, he finally replied. Nie Wen (Male): Alright, I¡¯ll tell you the truth! When I was out exploring, I found a turned-over jeep. That was where I found the steel plate. In fact, there were fifteen pieces. Other than the steel plates, there were also some rubbers, a steering wheel, and iron blocks. I collected all of them. ¡°However, I could not go any further because my torch was about to go out.¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯m trapped in my thatched cottage with no means of carrying out a second exploration. Not only do I need water, but I also need torches. If you can provide me with these materials, I¡¯m willing to trade the steel plates with you!¡± !!! Liao Fan was stunned. He tried to suppress his excitement and responded, ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll trade ten liters of water and twenty ordinary torches for your fifteen steel plates, rubbers, steering wheel, and iron blocks. I want them all.¡± Ten liters of water was a lot but to Liao Fan, it was not that worth it since he already knew the location of the stream. Naturally, it was almost impossible for him to lack water. It was the same for torches. After crafting the tri-colored light platform, they were no longer of use. Even so, not everyone was in as steady of a position as him. Therefore, the torches were still great resources to trade. If this trade were to go through, Liao Fan would have made a huge profit! Nie Wen even had other precious resources like rubbers and iron blocks. Those materials were also needed for the ¡®War Chariot¡¯. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. [ War Chariot (Level 1): Rubber 20/0, alloy metal 200/0, glass 5/0, steel plate 15/0, crawler 2/0. ] In other words, if he obtained the rubbers and steel plates, then the only materials missing would be alloy metals and crawlers. As for glass, it could be made with resin. Liao Fan was unsure how a crawler was made, but he believed that it would not be too complicated. The other party replied about ten minutes later. Clearly, he was also struggling to make a decision. He knew that the steel plates and iron blocks were valuable materials. However, in his current situation, he had no other choice. No one could top Liao Fan¡¯s offer. Nie Wen (Male): Brother, I know you. You were the one who traded water on the world channel yesterday. ¡°If you ever find the formula to synthesize steel plates, please let me know. I can even sell them to you at a discounted price.¡± ¡°Consider it as an offering to be friends.¡± In short, Nie Wen had accepted Liao Fan¡¯s offer. ¡®Huh? He wants to be my friend?¡¯ Nie Wen was also a smart person with a good memory. He could easily recall Liao Fan¡¯s identity. If this kind of person was a friend, he would be very reliable. On the other hand, if he was an enemy, he would be a handful. ¡­. Chapter 32 - Trading Resources and Marveling at the World Channel’s News! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Naturally, Liao Fan agreed. Liao Fan (Male): Alright, if I ever find the recipe for steel plates, I will let you know! Nie Wen (Male): Thank you very much, brother. Actually, I have another piece of steel plate that I¡¯ll be keeping for myself. I hope you don¡¯t mind. Also, there are a total of four rubbers, five iron blocks, and one steering wheel. We can trade now. Liao Fan directly confirmed the trade. In an instant, the steel plates, iron blocks, steering wheel, and rubbers were all transferred into his inventory. Liao Fan gazed at these materials and a series of synthesis formulas appeared in front of his eyes. [ Basic Materials: Steel plate, iron block, rubber, alloy. ] [ Do you want to proceed? ] [ Increase: Strength +1 ] [ Upgrade Requirements: Steel plate, iron block, rubber, alloy metal block, oil, et cetera. ] [ 1. Glider: Can glide very quickly, but please be watch out for obstacles! ] [ 2. Double-barreled shotgun: Do you have gunpowder? ] [ 3. Condom: OH MY GOD, what are you thinking?! ] ¡­ The list went on. Liao Fan was rather surprised. At the same time, he was determined to find the alloy metals. Currently, that was the important material. If he could get his hands on those, not only would Liao Fan be able to make the ¡®War Chariot¡¯, but he could even synthesize a double-barreled shotgun! However, as mentioned by the system, he would still need gunpowder to make bullets. Otherwise, the gun would be useless Liao Fan checked the materials to see what he still lacked to upgrade his cottage. [ Level 2 Territory: Stone 1000/167, clay block 500/470, fence 200/0, wood 500/475. ] Eight hundred and thirty-three units of stones were still needed. Furthermore, the fences would require six hundred units of clay block and two hundred units of wood. In other words, he still lacked six hundred and thirty units of clay plus two hundred and twenty-five units of wood. Once he collected these materials, he could level up his cottage. The more Liao Fan thought about this, the faster his heart began to beat. He had yet to use today¡¯s daily speaker. All he needed to do was look for these materials in the world channel. Someone would definitely want to trade with him. After all, he had a lot to offer. There was no time to waste. Liao Fan sent a message to the world channel. Liao Fan (Male): I¡¯m looking for *900 stones, *700 clay blocks, and *300 wood. If you have these materials, send me a private message with your price. No bargaining and I can¡¯t afford it if they¡¯re overpriced. Thank you! The world channel exploded into chaos. ¡°Woah! Who is he? Why does he need so many materials?¡± ¡°Yea, are you crazy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Liao Fan! He was the one who offered to trade water yesterday! I knew it, Liao Fan isn¡¯t an ordinary person!¡± ¡°Can I trade with you? I need iron!¡± ¡°I need water but do you have enough?¡± ¡°Meat! Please, I just want to eat some meat!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick. Do you have any medicine?¡± Liao Fan had certainly made a commotion! When they first arrived in this strange world, no one had any survival experience. Everyone was still figuring things out. Even two days felt like years. It was rough. Many people had died. Survival was almost impossible. People were either starving or in constant danger. One mistake could kill them! However, Liao Fan¡¯s appearance presented a glimmer of hope! ¡°Look! There¡¯s someone who is able to live well! We can do it too.¡± In a way, Liao Fan motivated the mass to keep pushing. Of course, some people were also envious of him. Liao Fan¡¯s personal mailbox was bombarded with messages. In just a few minutes, he had received thousands of private messages. Meanwhile, in the regional channel, things were equally as hectic! They had turned their attention to the world channel. ¡°Liao Fan? Didn¡¯t he ask questions in our region yesterday?¡± ¡°No way. It¡¯s just a coincidence¡­ right?¡± ¡°He could be in the same region as us!¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a person with the same name?¡± ¡­. Chapter 33 - Trading and Player’s Remorse Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Private messages continued to flood in Liao Fan¡¯s inbox. He checked them one by one. Liao Fan could go out and scavenge for these materials himself, but the required amount was too big. It would take too much time. Besides, he was unsure if there were enough resources around his place. Moreover, Liao Fan had better things to do. There was no need to waste his time on such a mere matter. He could use his time to fish or collect water. Perhaps he could even start looking for the Ruins. ¡®I can recruit talents once I get the required item. Then, I will become an actual Lord! ¡®What kind of Lord only has two subordinates? ¡®I need at least three.¡¯ There was no need to talk too much. After reading an abundance of messages, Liao Fan finally found a person who had a large number of stones. Liao Fan (Male): So, you want to trade *300 stones for ten liters of water and a piece of meat? The other party promptly replied Wu An (Male): Yup! Brother Liao Fan, if it¡¯s alright, let¡¯s trade right now. Liao Fan (Male): No way! Liao Fan immediately rejected the offer. The other part was simply too greedy. He was asking for too much. If he were to accept trades like that, his resources would be gone in a blink of an eye! It was not hard to obtain water, but there was no guarantee he would return with meat every time. Wu An (Male): What¡¯s your proposal? Wu An did not expect Liao Fan to refuse. He had been thirsty for the entire day. His villagers had not drunk a drop of water either. Trading the stones was his only way out. Liao Fan (Male): I¡¯ll trade ten liters of water but no meat. Take it or leave it! Ten liters of water! Not many people could afford to trade ten liters of water in one shot. In such an environment, even if one found a water source, they would have trouble storing such a large amount. Wu An was tempted but at the same time, he felt like it was his loss. On the first day, the price of Liao Fan¡¯s water was much lower. Wu An (Male): Brother, how could you bully others like this? Please show some kindness. I¡¯m really hungry. Liao Fan (Male): I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s my final offer. Stones are not that valuable. In fact, their value will keep dropping. Almost everyone could easily get them. *300 units is a lot, but they¡¯re still just stones! Wu An (Male): Brother, why do you need so many stones? Liao Fan (Male): That¡¯s none of your business! Wu An fell silent after reading Liao Fan¡¯s reply. If it were him, he would have answered the same way. This was just human nature. Throughout the day, he had tried countless times to trade his stones for drinking water. However, all of his attempts were unsuccessful. To others, stones were one of the most useless resources. It could only be synthesized into stone axes. Barely anyone lacked stone. Even if they did, no one would use drinking water to trade for them. Under such circumstances, trading three hundred units of stones for ten liters of water was worth it. Wu An had to forego the meat. He regretted that he used all of his time to mine for stones. It had also caused a shortage of other basic resources. This was because he did not plan in advance! If he did, he would not be in such a predicament. In the end, he was not even able to trade the stones for anything else. Wu An agreed to trade with Liao Fan, albeit begrudgingly. ¡­ The transaction was completed almost instantly. Ten liters of water for three hundred stones. Liao Fan had made a huge profit! He basically swindled Wu An. After that, Liao Fan continued to read his messages. ¡­ Trades took place one after the other. Liao Fan¡¯s stock of water, fish, and berries was decreasing rapidly. He stopped using his water for trades because there were only five liters left. The same goes for his fish. There were only three left! As for the berries, Liao Fan did not hesitate to trade all of them. Time flew by. It was already late at night. Liao Fan was ecstatic. He finally had all the materials needed to upgrade his cottage to level two! [ Level 2 Territory: Stone 1000/1000, clay 500/1100, fence 200/0, wood 500/700. ] ¡®Alright, I just need to do one more thing! ¡®Combine the wood and clays into fences! ¡®How exciting!¡¯ ¡­. Chapter 34 - Territory Upgrade Successful, Number One on the Three Leaderboards! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan crafted the two hundred fences. His inventory was packed. In fact, it had already reached maximum capacity. Each person¡¯s inventory could only store about two thousand items. After confirming that he had all the materials, Liao Fan held the tri-colored light platform and walked out of the cottage. [ Level 2 Territory: Stone 1000/1000, clay 500/500, fence 200/200, wood 500/500. ] [ Do you want to proceed? ] ¡°Yes!¡± Liao Fan was certain! Finally, one of his goals would be achieved! Once confirmed, his materials immediately vanished. After that, the scroll began to emit rays of light. It was dazzling! Then, the scroll began to quiver. The scroll spread out layer by layer and flipped page by page. Liao Fan¡¯s thatched cottage gradually turned into ashes. Light continued to radiate in every direction. The scene was almost like a fairytale. It was almost unbelievable. Liao Fan could not help but be amazed. The ashes began to turn into solid particles. They stuck to one and another in the air. Then, they began to expand at a rapid speed. Structures began to rise! A stone house appeared. It came with a door, windows, and fences. There was even a pool that was 6¡¯5 deep behind the house, but there was no water in it. A garden, fish pond, and fireplace also appear. The lights did not disappear until about ten minutes later. At last, the upgrade was completed. Meanwhile, Liao Fan was staring with an astonished expression on his face. The scroll gently closed. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for successfully upgrading his territory to level 2! ] [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for unlocking an area + 1! ] ¡­ This notification could be heard by every single player. Obviously, it caused an uproar! Before Liao Fan could utter even a single word, everyone was already chattering on the world channel. ¡°Level 2 territory?! Is he a God?!¡± ¡°Wait, you guys heard the notification too?¡± ¡°Yes! It seems to be a global announcement!¡± ¡°Boss Liao Fan is so awesome! That was why he needed so many materials!¡± ¡°Have you guys memorized the list of materials?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of memorizing them? The materials needed were too much. Brother Liao Fan could do it because he¡¯s different from the rest of us. Do you have a way to obtain the materials? Of course not. Just go to sleep and stop fooling around!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Hey, a second page is appearing on the scroll!¡± All the players checked out their scrolls. A ranking board had appeared! The ranks were divided into three parts. First was the ¡®Construction Rank¡¯. [ No.1: Liao Fan (Male), 5¡¯7, China. ] 5¡¯7 was Liao Fan¡¯s height. [ No.2: Berkel (male), 5¡¯9, Russia ] Liao Fan was way ahead! ¡­ Next, there was the ¡®Resource Rank¡¯. [ No.1: Liao Fan (Male), 5¡¯7, China. ] Lastly, there was the ¡®Exploration Rank¡¯. [ No.1: Liao Fan (Male), 5¡¯7, China. ] Liao Fan had completely dominated the ranking board! ¡­ ¡°F*ck! This guy really is a God!¡± ¡°Does the world channel have a translation function? I thought we were all from the same country!¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you people from the Liyang Kingdom?!¡± ¡°Oh my God, so this survival game is universal!¡± ¡°???¡± Everyone was bewildered! [ Rewards will be distributed based on one¡¯s rankings! ] ¡­. Chapter 35 - Giving Out Rewards! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation [ Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for being the first to upgrade his territory to level 2! ] [ The rewards will be promptly distributed! ] [ I hope that everyone will continue to work hard! ] That was the end of the system¡¯s notifications. Everyone continued their discussion fervently on the world channel. ¡°What rewards were given to you?¡± ¡°Why should he tell you? So you can steal the lead?¡± ¡°I see¡­ there are rewards¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rewards. I just want to know what a level 2 territory can do!¡± ¡°Everyone, we can do this! We won¡¯t fall behind!¡± ¡°Yea! Let¡¯s give it our best shot!¡± While everyone was talking on the world channel, Liao Fan checked his inventory for the rewards. [ Compass: It will show you the way in the fog! You can doubt yourself, but never doubt this compass! ] [ Clock: With this clock, you¡¯ll know exactly what time is it. ] [ Box Of Bread: Eat it before it becomes stale. ] ¡­ The rewards were average. Evidently, the compass was the most valuable. Since the outside world was filled with fog, one could easily get lost. Of course, the players could leave marks on the ground, but it was not a reliable method. The monsters in the fog would tamper with them. With the compass, this problem would be resolved. Liao Fan believed that he would be able to unravel the mysteries in this heinous world soon. As for the clock, it may not seem like much, but it was very useful. If a person lost their sense of time, they would not be able to go out and explore. Nighttime was dangerous. Nobody would want to risk it. Perhaps, there might not even be a sun in this world. These were all Liao Fan¡¯s theories. Moreover, without a sense of time, a person¡¯s living habits would be disrupted. They could easily fall sick because of this. Basically, it was very important to know the time. Finally, there was the box of bread. It was a rectangular box and about the size of a wooden treasure chest. The box was filled with bread and it weighed at least twenty-five pounds! Liao Fan was caught off guard. This was a lot of food! It could be used to trade for many items. Liao Fan tried to think of the best way to store the bread. Letting it go stale would be a waste. [ Grain Bread: A healthy bread. It has a shelf life of 15 days. One piece of bread will be enough to fill your entire stomach! ] After sorting out his rewards, Liao Fan checked out his new level two territory. The house¡¯s outer wall was made of solid stone bricks and the surroundings were well decorated. Liao Fan opened the door and entered the house. The interior decoration was no longer simple and crude. Moreover, the snow-white wall was spotless. The floor was made of pure wood and had a mellow texture. Best of all, it was much more spacious. A cottage was also connected at the side of the house. Clearly, that was meant for the villagers. In the cottage, there were two wooden beds and a small table. There were even two hooks on the wall where one could hang their belongings. Liao Fan would naturally be staying in the master bedroom. The decorations in the master bedroom were even more luxurious. There was a big and soft bed. This time, it came with beddings and pillows. Liao Fan lied on the bed. It was so comfortable that he did not want to get up. Additionally, there was a fireplace beside the bed. The flames were constantly burning, even without coal! It lit up the entire room. Essentially, these were the basics of a level two territory. ¡®Seriously, this stove doesn¡¯t require any coal to generate fire? ¡®That¡¯s not how physics works!¡¯ Liao Fan noticed there was also an empty bedside table. It could be used as a desk where Liao Fan would draw his map or come up with plans. The bedroom was four times bigger than before. Obviously, it was no longer as crowded. The sink was still there. Luckily, what Liao Fan was worried about did not happen. Previously, he had built it using fifty pieces of wood. It did not disappear after he had upgraded his territory. The carp was still there as well. In the middle of the room, there was a round table. One could work or eat their meal there. Next to the round table were three wooden stools. The window was twice as big as before. There were even two potted plants on the guardrails. In conclusion, the level two territory was satisfactory! For now, Liao Fan was the only person with a level two territory. He also discovered that he could further upgrade his territory to level three! ¡­. Chapter 36 - Ruins, Temple Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation [ Normal Level 3 Territory: Alloy metal 200/0, stone 500/0, glass 20/0, metal fence 50/0, flame core 1/0. ] Those were the materials needed to upgrade a level two territory to level three. Liao Fan did not have any of these materials. ¡®This will be my next goal!¡¯ He wanted to upgrade his territory to level three as soon as possible! There would definitely be a lot of benefits. The rewards from level one to level two were not bad. Furthermore, the thatched cottage was incomparable to the stone house! After upgrading to level three territory, Liao Fan would be able to obtain a solid steel fortress. Obviously, the functions of a level three territory would be even more exaggerated. A level three territory would come with its own kitchen and bathroom. It would also have its own militia camp. Even the training grounds would be included! That was what attracted Liao Fan the most. Additionally, a level three territory could be expanded into a temple! A temple could collect belief values. However, Liao Fan did not know what was the use of faith values. Nonetheless, it should be very important. After setting his goals, Liao Fan washed himself up. Then, he cooked some food. [ Carp *2 + water *1 + detoxification grass *3 = Carp soup. It has an extremely high nutritious value and can replenish your stamina. It can also prevent diseases. Enough to feed three people. ] After that, Liao Fan placed the wild boar meat on the stove. He began to slightly roast it. Even without seasonings, the roasted pork tasted alright. It was very chewy though. Liao Fan and his villagers ate and drank their fill. They were now full of energy. In fact, it was almost like they did not need to rest anymore. Despite that, the first villager had been mining for the entire day. The second villager was injured as well. Even though his wounds were gradually healing, he still needed to recuperate. Furthermore, he needed to repair the stone shield on his left hand. So, Liao Fan allowed them to take a break in their residence. Liao Fan then accessed the regional channel. [ Number Of People Online: 346 ] Initially, there were one thousand people. Now, there were less than four hundred left. Almost three days had passed. This elimination rate was brutal. Meng Fei (Male): I¡¯m back. Sorry that I¡¯ve made you worry about me. Liu Nan (Male): No one is worried about you! Fang Lan (Female): Our region has produced a legend. His name is Liao Fan! He ranked first in every category of the leaderboards! I¡¯ve sent him a private message but he has yet to reply. Once we meet¡­ hehehe. I¡¯m blushing! Ye Chunya (Female): Bullsh*t! Do you think that brother Liao Fan will fall for you? Fang Lan (Female): Of course! I¡¯m very pretty! I¡¯ve won ¡®Miss International 2017¡¯! If you don¡¯t believe me, go search it up! Liu Nan (Male): Seriously? Meng Fei (Male): I¡¯m aware that Liao Fan is an amazing person. By the way, did any of you guys go out to explore today? I found the Ruins.¡± Liao Fan¡¯s eyes suddenly widened! The Ruins! The stone die was a tool related to the Ruins! However, he did not know how to use it. This had made Liao Fan very frustrated. Now that Meng Fei had mentioned the Ruins, he was ecstatic! The regional channel was also shaken by Meng Fei¡¯s words! More people joined the chat. ¡°What Ruins? Where is it? What can you find there?¡± ¡°Brother Meng Fei, can you answer my questions?¡± ¡°Today, I saw a damaged God statue. The statue is very big and immovable. Perhaps it¡¯s related to the Ruins!¡± One question appeared after another. Upon seeing this, Liao Fan could only smile bitterly. He did not know the answers either. Meng Fei (Male): I¡¯m sorry everyone. I found the Ruins, but I was unable to enter. ¡°There must be a hidden mechanism that you need to trigger. I wandered around the area for more than half a day but was still unable to find any clues. I wanted to ask¡­¡± Liu Nan (Male): Tsk! You¡¯re deliberately hiding information! Upon reading Meng Fei¡¯s latest message, Liao Fan quickly took out the stone die from his pocket. ¡®Is this the key to accessing the Ruins? ¡®If it is, how do I use it?¡¯ There was no way for Liao Fan to know the location of the Ruins. ¡®Does this mean I have to enquire about it from Meng Fei? ¡®Will he be willing to work with me?¡¯ Liao Fan looked at the second villager who was sleeping soundly. The sight gave him a little confidence. As long as he had the second villager on his side, he would definitely have the advantage. ¡®If there were treasures in the Ruins, then we would have to divide it equally, right?¡¯ Liao would never kill others in order to keep the loot to himself. That was too much! He shook his head. ¡®Still, it would be better if I could find the Ruins without Meng Fei¡¯s help.¡¯ Liao Fan then sent a message to the regional channel. Liao Fan (Male): I can open the Ruins! Chapter 37 - Trade, Mirror Map Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan (Male): I can open the Ruins! Everyone in the regional chat was stunned! If it was anyone else who had uttered this sentence, they would have just ignored it. However, it was said by Liao Fan! Without a doubt, they believed him! However, Liao Fan dared not guarantee anything. ¡°Oh my God! It¡¯s him!¡± ¡°Brother Liao Fan, you¡¯re incredible! You¡¯ve just upgraded your territory to level two and now you have the key to the Ruins? It¡¯s amazing! ¡°Is there something that he can¡¯t do?¡± ¡°Hug my thighs!¡± ¡°Boss, please accept me as your underling! We¡¯re from the same region. I really need help! I¡¯m starving!¡± ¡°I want to give birth to your child!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep you warm for the entire day!¡± Liao Fan ignored these people. He was only waiting for Meng Fei¡¯s reply. After all, he was the only person who knew the location of the Ruins. However, even if he was willing to share, it would be difficult to accurately pinpoint the place. Nonetheless, Liao Fan refused to just give up. Shortly after, Meng Fei replied. Meng Fei (Male): Send me a private message. ¡­ The regional channel was in an uproar. Even so, Liao Fan and Meng Fei were not concerned. Whether these people live or die, it was none of their business. It did not matter if they were envious or jealous. As long as they did not hinder them, then all was good. Anyway, Liao Fan had accomplished his objective. Obviously, Meng Fei was not a fool. He had his own agendas too. ¡°I have marked the location on my map, but it cannot be transmitted. Furthermore, I don¡¯t fully trust you.¡± Meng Fei was very straightforward. ¡°It¡¯s normal. If it were me, I would have thought the same.¡± Liao Fan replied. ¡°Tell me your price. I want to buy the location of the Ruins.¡± The location of the Ruins was all Liao Fan cared about. He wanted to carry out this exploration by himself. Liao Fan did not want to bring Meng Fei along, let alone form an alliance with him. It was simply impossible. Meng Fei might find out about his amplification ability and the unique formulas that were needed to advance in the world. There was no way Liao Fan could let that happen. He had to protect his secrets. This was the only way he could stay ahead and reap the benefits. Forming an alliance would bring more disadvantages than advantages. Furthermore, the human heart was unpredictable. After all, killing was normal in this world. Meng Fei replied quickly. ¡°I only want one thing.¡± ¡°The upgrade requirements for a level two territory. What are the materials needed? As long as you tell me, the location of the Ruins will be yours. In my opinion, you¡¯re the only person who can pull off this exploration.¡± ¡°I also reckon that we will be the ones to unlock this entire region.¡± ¡°This is a good deal.¡± Liao Fan gradually frowned. He could feel a sense of crisis. If Meng Fei had asked for food, water, or any other regular materials, Liao Fan would not feel so troubled. However, the only thing he wanted was the requirements for a level two territory. This meant that Meng Fei did not lack materials! He also had the confidence to compete with him! ¡®He¡¯s so full of himself.¡¯ Liao Fan laughed as he thought about it. The materials needed to upgrade a territory to level two were not a secret. He could have just confirmed it by himself. ¡®Good thing there are strong people in this world. ¡®Otherwise, I will be bored. ¡®Excluding myself, he should have the most resources in this region. ¡®It¡¯s very likely that he had also discovered the water source.¡¯ Liao Fan immediately replied. ¡°You¡¯re rather sly.¡± ¡°If I opened the Ruins and it could not be closed, then you¡¯ll also be able to explore it. This is a win-win situation.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll agree to this transaction. I¡¯ll give you the list of materials needed to upgrade your territory to level two. Try your best to survive. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± After saying this, Liao Fan sent the list of materials to Meng Fei. He had yet to receive the location of the Ruins. Upon receiving the list, Meng Fei instantly replied. ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°I am fond of people like you! We¡¯re definitely going to be friends!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send the map to you now. If you¡¯re unable to understand it, just ask me. By the way, I¡¯ve also marked my own territory. You are more than welcome to be my guest!¡± Liao Fan then received the map. It was the one that Meng Fei had personally drawn. Just like his own map, there were all sorts of marks to distinguish the area. Everything was very clear as well. As he continued to look at the map, Liao Fan became more and more uneasy. ¡®Desert, forest, river,¡­ ¡®This is like a mirror image of my own map!¡¯ ¡­. Chapter 38 - Fully Mirrored Map Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Looking at the map in front of him, Liao Fan fell into deep thought. He had a determined expression on his face. Liao Fan looked out of the window. The fog was really filled with mysteries. If he wanted to discover the truth, he needed to thoroughly explore this world. Liao Fan picked up a pen that was made of a sharpened black crystal block. He sat down and continued to study the map. Meng Fei¡¯s map and his own map were drawn based on the same scale. As for the marks, they were personalized. Liao Fan turned Meng Fei¡¯s map upside down. His eyes widened. ¡®It¡¯s the same! ¡®This map is exactly the same as mine!¡¯ If this map was not fake, then there was only one conclusion. They were in the same area. The Ruins was situated just opposite the river! Without wasting any time, Liao Fan calculated the width of the river. ¡®Seventy-five foot!¡¯ A river of this side was not considered wide. One could even swim across. However, Liao Fan had no plans of doing that. He did not exactly know what was in the river. At the same time, he did not know the length of the river, so it was almost impossible to go around it. If the river was too long, he might encounter an unfavorable situation along the way. The compass might save him from getting lost, but not from an accident. Liao Fan could build a boat instead. However, it required a lot of materials. [ Wood *50 + resin *50 + alloy metal *10 = Boat. You can try to drift in the river if you have the skills. ] It was not worth it. Moreover, he did not have any alloy metals. Meng Fei previously mentioned that he had also marked the location of his territory on the map. His territory was not far from the river and the layout of their environments was almost the same. In other words, they were on both sides of the river. That was why the map provided by Meng Fei was a mirror match. ¡®A Ruins might be on my side as well.¡¯ According to the map, the Ruins should be about two and a half miles away from Meng Fei¡¯s territory. It would take about twenty minutes on foot! The distance was not very far. However, if Liao Fan could not find anything useful in the Ruins, it would become a waste of time. He took a deep breath and thought about this for a long time. In the end, he decided to search for the Ruins in his own area. Even if he could not discover it, at least his exploration area would increase. Two and a half miles should equal about ten percent of the area. This idea was not too bad. Moreover, Liao Fan did not have the materials to make a boat. Regardless, he still needed to make sufficient preparations. This will be his first time entering the Ruins. Who knows what he would find in there. ¡®I hope there are a lot of treasure chests.¡¯. In total, Liao Fan had discovered two treasure chests. One was made of wood and the other was a silver chest. Both treasure chests had given him items of great value. For the sake of treasure chests, the Ruins was a place worth exploring. Liao Fan held the stone die in his hand. All six of its sides were all filled with mysterious characters. There might be a hidden message in these characters but he could not decipher it. The system did not help to translate them either. Liao Fan glanced at the remaining materials in his inventory. [ Water: 5 liters. ] They were stored in five bottles made of rubber. [ A Box Of Bread. ] This bread was enough to feed them for more than ten days. There was no need to worry about stockpiling food. Next, there was combat power. The second villager had become very strong ever since he evolved into a ¡®Super Alloy Shield Soldier¡¯. He could actually face multiple wild boars head-on. If Liao Fan did not have the protection of the second villager when they were retreating, he would probably be long dead. In comparison, the first villager was much weaker. Liao Fan did not plan to bring the first villager with him for his exploration tomorrow. There was a stone mine near his territory. He wanted the first villager to mine for stones, catch some fish, and grow vegetables. There were also a lot of leftover torches. It was enough to keep the first villager safe. As for himself, Liao Fan did not need torches. He had the tri-colored light platform. The fog would not be able to harm him. All these factors gave Liao Fan the courage and confidence to go out and explore. ¡­. Chapter 39 - Ruins Exploration, Preparation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan had to consider a few things. First of all, the Ruins might not be as fruitful as he had hoped. He had to ensure the collection of some resources. If the exploration in the Ruins ended up as a failure, the resources collected by the first villager would be his only harvest. Secondly, the first villager did not have any fighting abilities. It would be pointless to bring him along. In fact, he might be a burden. Therefore, it was better for him to stay back and collect resources. Quantity did not equal strength. Moreover, the tri-colored light platform could only cover a limited area. These were the factors that helped Liao Fan make his decision. Time flew by. Liao Fan had memorized all the marks on the map. He put the map in the left pocket of his shirt. Then, he put the compass and stone die in the right pocket. After that, he accessed the production table. [ Wild boar skin *1 + parsnip *2 + wisteria *2 = Pig skin hemp clothing. It smells but at least it would protect you from the wind and rain. ] Liao Fan made two of them. He gifted them to his villagers. After all, the villagers were his subordinates and he had to treat them well. Suddenly, Liao Fan felt insecure. His right eyelid was twitching. As the saying goes, ¡®When your right eyelid twitches, it means that a disaster was bound to happen.¡¯ Liao Fan was not very superstitious, but it still made him feel a little uneasy. Perhaps he still had not considered all the dangers in the Ruins. For example, there might be poisonous gas, terrifying monsters, harmful swamps, and even deadly cliffs. Liao Fan had tried to think of every possibility. He even came up with several backup plans. However, an unforeseen accident could always happen. Regardless, the second villager could withstand a lot of damage as a ¡®Super Alloy Shield Soldier¡¯. Most sharp objects could not even penetrate his stone shield. Furthermore, Liao Fan had a cautious personality. If he encountered any danger, he would retreat immediately. He had always considered everything thoroughly. This also applied to Meng Fei. With those assumptions, things should be fine. ¡­ Outside, the wind blew. It was extremely cold. Liao Fan stood up and went to close the window. There were many pitch-black silhouettes lurking around. They were the monsters and could only move within the fog. However, Liao Fan did not know if there were any monsters that could move outside of the fog. Based on the information that he had gathered on the world channel, Liao Fan could guess a thing or two. For instance, the cries of a woman that people had reportedly heard and the laughter that Liao Fan had personally experienced were all undoubtedly sounds only humans could make. ¡®Is there a puppet master in the fog?¡¯ Furthermore, there was the female corpse that Liao Fan had encountered. He was almost certain that she had died from excessive shock, not from the attack of a wild beast. This mystery was worth solving. ¡®What caused her so much shock until she died?¡¯ For now, Liao Fan put this question aside. He continued to stare at the shadows in the fog. Under the illumination of the fireplace, these black shadows appeared to be exceptionally clear. They would also emit waves of terrifying sounds such as the roar of a beast. The beastly roars reminded Liao Fan of the white beast egg in his inventory. He took it out and observed it carefully. This white beast egg was the size of a duck egg. According to the system¡¯s description, this beast egg was rich in nutrients. If he wanted, he could also hatch the egg, but it was unknown what would hatch out of it. Previously, Liao Fan was worried that he may lack food. That was why he did not hatch the egg. It was a different case now. He had plenty of food. So, if he wished to, he could hatch the white beast egg. If the thing that hatched out from it was useless and would only take up supplies, Liao Fan could just release or eat it. After thinking for a while, Liao Fan placed the white beast egg beside the fireplace. It should be able to speed up the hatching process. ¡­. Chapter 40 - Treasure-Seeking Mole Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Liao Fan stared at the white beast egg that was by the fireplace. In a way, he felt guilty because he had kept the egg in his inventory for so long. Hopefully, the warmth provided by the fireplace was enough. Shortly after, the egg shook gently. Then, it began to shake even more. Liao Fan felt really nervous. He did not know what would hatch from the egg. [ Ding! White Beast Egg is about to hatch. Would you take it as a pet? ] [ Once you take it as a pet, it will be bound to you. Unless the pet dies, your bond with it will not be undone! ] ¡®Bound?¡¯ Liao Fan hesitated. He did not know if there would be any consequences. ¡®What if the life of the pet was linked to mine? ¡®I don¡¯t want to deal with it if it¡¯s only going to be a burden.¡¯ Liao Fan had to think of all the possible consequences. [ Ding! In order to be bound, the host must drip his blood onto the eggshell before the pet hatches. ] [ If the pet hatched before the contract was formed, it would become a wild beast! ] The notification had piqued Liao Fan¡¯s interest. This sounded like a nurturing mechanic. A pet might be useful. It could help during explorations or even save him when he encountered any danger. Of course, there might be other consequences. There were always several other possibilities. ¡®As long as I take good care of the pet, there should be no problem. ¡®I won¡¯t let it die an unnatural death.¡¯ Liao Fan could barely wait. The eggshell was about to break. Liao Fan quickly picked up the iron axe and aimed it at his arm. Now that he had a large amount of food and water, it would make sense for him to raise a pet. Two villagers were already under his care. Adding a pet would be nothing. Moreover, thanks to the level two territory, he owned a garden and fish pond. More food will be generated in the upcoming future. Most of his worries were dispelled. Liao Fan drew some blood from his arm and trickled them onto the eggshell. In an instant, the white egg turned red. It was like the color of a phoenix. Such a gorgeous sight put a smile onto Liao Fan¡¯s face. The egg began emitting rays of red light. Then, it shook violently. Liao Fan stretched out his hand and placed the egg on his palm. He examined the egg carefully. The little beast was about to break out of its shell. After shaking for ten more seconds, the egg finally hatched. The scattered eggshells turned into powder and disappeared into thin air. ¡®What is it?!¡¯ Liao Fan had yet to get a clear look at the beast. The little beast had already escaped from his palm. ¡®Is it a phoenix? A dragon? Maybe a wolf? It could also be a dog. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s a boar?¡¯ Liao Fan¡¯s guesses did not seem to be right. The beast was very small, but had ridiculous speed! ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ it¡¯s a mouse?! ¡®Is it really a mouse?¡¯ ¡°Hey little guy, why don¡¯t you come out and meet me?¡± Liao Fan began searching the house high and low. The little beast ran away right after it hatched. ¡®Did something go wrong? ¡®Am I not its master? ¡®Where is it hiding?¡¯ Although Liao Fan did not get a clear look, he was sure that the beast was very small in size. It was very likely to be a mouse. The thought disappointed Liao Fan. ¡®What was I expecting?¡¯ Suddenly, the notification sound could be heard. [ Ding! Congratulations to Lord Liao Fan for obtaining a treasure-seeking mole as a pet! ] [ Treasure-Seeking Mole (White): It has a sharp sense of smell and would seek out any hidden treasure. There is a possibility that it will lead you to a pile of feces because that¡¯s what it eats! ] ¡°¡­¡± If he was not mistaken, moles eat earthworms, snails, and other small animals. They might also feed on rotten meat. ¡®Why does the mole in this world eat feces?!¡¯ ¡®Was it exaggerated?¡¯ Nonetheless, Liao Fan did not really care about this. The important point was that his pet was a treasure-seeking mole! Liao Fan felt like he was like a traveler in a desert who had just found a clear spring. His eyes lit up! He was going to explore the Ruins tomorrow, and the treasure-seeking mole would definitely be of help. It could even be said that he had hit the jackpot. This little fellow would make him a fortune! However, he had to find it first. ¡°My little darling, why don¡¯t you come to me?¡± Liao Fan continued his search. It seemed like the mole was deaf. Liao Fan had no other choice. He took out a little bit of bread from his inventory. As he did that, the little mole came out from under the bed. The mole did not make a sound because it had no vocal cords. It was also sensitive to light. That was why it immediately went to hide in a dark spot. All of these factors caused the mole to develop an impeccable sense of smell. Liao Fan picked up the treasure-seeking mole. The little guy did not move much. It was somewhat afraid of him. Liao Fan tried to feed it some bread. The little mole carefully touched the bread and began to nibble on it. Upon seeing this scene, Liao Fan immediately fell in love with the little mole. ¡­.