Ethan kept 230 water for himself and put the remaining 500 up for sale.
[100 Water: 1 Wood or 1 Stone, Remaining 5]
Anyway, the purifier would soon provide him with a steady supply of drinking water.
Ethan wasn't worried about running out.
By the time he finished all this, it was already 7:30.
He glanced at a blueprint he'd received yesterday.
[Fine Bracer Blueprint: Learnable!]
[Learning successful.]
[Fine Bracer: Can increase protection for your vulnerable arms, overall defense +1. Remember to craft two at a time, you're not a greek god after all. Animal Hide 1/2, Linen Thread 0/1, Metal-type Beast Core 0/1]
'More damned beast cores!'
"And what the heck is linen thread?"
Ethan only had one Wind-type Beast Core, and he hadn't seen anyone selling these materials in the trading channel.
Probably nobody had hunted anything yet, and even if someone had, they wouldn't sell their cores easily.
"Looks like the fine bracer would have to wait for now."
After finishing two crispy grilled saury and the leftover trade berries, Ethan was fully energized and ready to go out.
[Time 08:00. Only 04:00 left until the mist spreads. Note: There will be showers today; mist may appear at any time. Please pay attention to weather changes.]
Ethan glanced at the magic book's time.
He decided to carry that little device with him. After all, it could give weather forecasts anytime. That was a rare life-saving gadget.
Just as he stepped out the door, he saw that the prompts for the four directions in front of him had changed.
[East: On the outskirts of the Mist Forest, there's a Silver Chest.]
[South: You don't want to go there, there's a famished Lightning Leopard waiting for you to walk into its jaws.]
[West: A patch of low shrubs with a beehive. Honey is sweet, but beware of bee attacks.]
[North: The prairie hides many small animals; you can set up traps here, might yield a good haul.]
The Lightning Leopard from yesterday had returned.
But Ethan didn't yet feel confident enough to challenge it.
However—
A Silver Chest.
Last time he opened a Bronze Chest, he got a whole box of flint, which netted him a lot of benefits.
This time, a Silver Chest had appeared.
Ethan couldn't miss this.
But to get the Silver Chest, he would have to venture deep into the Mist Forest, quite dangerous.
Luckily he hadn't received a danger prompt, so after some thought he decided to give it a try.
After all, fortune favors the bold.
Before going for the chest, he decided to head to the northern grassland to set a trap first.
He'd collect the trap after returning from the Mist Forest.
Entering the northern grassland.
Ethan immediately received a prompt.
[Dried Grass: Not much, pickable.]
Since sleeping on the soft grass bed, Ethan had come to appreciate dried grass's value.
Consumable resources like this, the more the better.
Who knew what would be needed later.
Even if he couldn't use it himself, he could sell it.
Ethan picked it up without hesitation; his carry weight increased a bit, but it was fine.
[Dried Grass +1]
He went deeper into the grassland.
He collected five portions of dried grass before reaching the system-indicated best trap spot.
Whenever he prepared to set a trap, the system automatically gave prompts.
For example:
[This location is remote, not suitable for setting traps.]
[Not the best hiding spot, walk further and try again!]
[...]
After changing spots a few times, Ethan finally arrived at the Best Trap Location and set down his trap.
Looking back, he realized he'd already penetrated deep into the endless grassland. With the surrounding mist, if not for the prompts, he'd likely be lost.
And for others, even if they'd marked the spot, they might not safely leave the misty grassland.
Returning to find the trap later? Good luck!
How could anyone find a single trap in an unchanging stretch of scenery?
This was a tough challenge even for Ethan.
"Ordinary people wouldn't even dare try, no wonder trading has become so fierce."
After placing the trap, Ethan headed east toward the Silver Chest.
As for that sweet honey, he'd check it out later.
East was the forest.
His wooden house was right on the tree line. What had once been a tattered grass hut was now a small red-roofed cabin, and it looked pretty from a distance.
He wondered what the next upgrade would make the house look like.
[Stone House: Can resist severe natural disasters. Thick stone walls sealed tight with mud increase cold resistance. You can also build a fireplace to survive the extreme cold six days later. After upgrading, you can build a Medicine Table, Alchemy Furnace, and Fireplace.(Stone House Upgrade Requirements: Stone 17/200, Mud 0/100, Wood 41/50, Vines 13/20, Glass 0/4, Earth-type Beast Core 0/4)
When Ethan thought about this, the system popped a prompt.
But the prompt was despair-inducing.
"Upgrading to a Stone House requires so many materials?"
'Stone and mud are okay, common materials, and many people sell them on the trading channel.'
"But glass, what the hell is that?"
"Where in this world can one get glass?"
"From chests?"
That would be pure luck, who knew when you'd find any.
And the line about resisting the extreme cold six days later was repeated in the description, making Ethan feel even more urgency.
Temperatures might drop further in coming days; if he didn't upgrade the house soon, don't talk about comfort; he could die.
But now wasn't the time to think about that.
The mist-free window was too short.
He had to make use of every minute.
He walked into the forest to the east.
Visibility outside the forest was about three meters, but once he stepped into the Mist Forest, visibility dropped quickly.
And the deeper he went, the worse it got, which made Ethan nervous.
Fortunately, he still hadn't received any danger prompts, which meant it was temporarily safe.
Occasionally, when he glanced around, other prompts appeared.
[South: Some pine trees ahead, small amounts of nuts on the branches; can be chopped.]
[North: Ahead is a termite mound. Digging it up yields bait useful for hunting.]
But none of it looked particularly great.
Ethan didn't stop; he kept moving forward.