Chapter 43 Murder and Treasure Robbery: The Strange Treasure Chest

Time was tight and the task was heavy. Fang Zhiyi slept for less than 4 hours before losing her will to sleep.

It was still dark. I crawled out of the tent and exhaled a breath of cold air into the dim night. The early morning wind was biting, stinging my cheeks, and I couldn't help but shiver.

Fang Zhiyi rubbed her cheeks and glanced at the channel.

Last night's monster frenzy caused heavy losses for the players, and they are still discussing it in the chat.

The thought of another monster siege tonight makes my skin crawl.

The sky was originally dark.

Help! My camp is a complete mess! Where am I going to find enough materials to repair it?

I'm prepared to give up; if I'm eliminated, so be it.

[Such negativity, didn't they give us a survival bonus?]

I'm ranked last in the family, what good is the meager amount I get?

The top-ranked player only gets the most rewards. I wonder what kind of camp setup that top player has to be able to kill so many monsters.

[Hmm, the ID of the first place winner looks familiar.]

[I also think... maybe they were the first to upgrade to a level 3 camp?]

[Yes, yes, @fzy, I'd like to ask the pros about camp setup.]

Save your energy, the experts rarely appear in the channel.

[fzy: Stone walls were built, trenches were dug, and defensive towers were constructed. Animal traps, spikes, and barbed wire were also set up. However, the monsters included rats that could destroy stone walls and fast lightning leopards, so these measures weren't very effective; further reinforcement of the defenses is needed.]

[Ahhh, a pro actually replied to me! Are you still awake?]

I can't sleep either; the thought of the losses breaks my heart.

My goodness, how many materials must this have taken?

Did you buy the basic materials pack from the Survival Shop? Otherwise, how could you build so many things?

[fzy: I didn't stay awake, I woke up. I didn't buy the materials kit.]

[What time is it?]

[This guy is so talented and works so hard, how are we supposed to live? (Huang Dou laughs and cries)]

[fzy: Not enough time]

[Pretend, I don't believe they didn't buy the materials kit.]

[Seriously, if you really don't have enough time, why are you still chatting in the channel?]

[fzy: Okay, let's stop chatting]

After chatting for a few minutes, Fang Zhiyi was fully awake. He left the channel and opened the weapon shop page, searching for weapons that could be used in the monster frenzy.

The rat swarm is numerous and small, making it difficult for city defense cannons and towers to effectively combat it. The Lightning Leopard, acting as the vanguard, can transform into black mist the moment danger arises, making it even more troublesome.

Recalling the monster he encountered last night, Fang Zhiyi scanned the weapons one by one, thinking about how to deal with it.

Iron chains, flamethrowers, crossbows...

After the camp underwent repair and reconstruction, two-thirds of the materials in Fang Zhiyi's backpack were gone. Fang Zhiyi didn't dare to spend them recklessly, so he wrote down the weapons that might be useful and calculated the total amount of materials needed.

Mousetrap

Requires 2 Iron.

Bone spur trap

[Requires 2 hides and 2 bones]

[City Wall Crossbow]

[Requires 5 wood and 5 iron]

...

There are still plenty of stones, but the wood is being consumed too quickly. Even with automatic logging machines, it can't keep up with the rate of consumption.

Fortunately, we're heading to the forest today, so we can collect some wood and tree seeds along the way. Thankfully, no monsters are appearing during the day, so there's no need to rush to replenish the defensive items around the camp.

As dawn broke on the horizon.

Fang Zhiyi packed his backpack, took the necessities, and headed towards the forest as dawn broke.

Not long after he set off, two figures peeked out from near the camp.

They were dressed very warmly, wrapped from head to toe, with only their bright eyes showing. They glanced at each other, both wary of one another.

"Dog head?"

"Upside-down guy?"

The two players exchanged the secret code.

They were both active players in the channel. One frequently used a (dog emoji) in his chat, and the other once boasted that if anyone could level up to level 3 camp so quickly, he would run upside down. Therefore, they were nicknamed "Dog Emoji" and "Upside-Down Guy" by some busybodies.

Their camp was nearby, not far away. The monster horde from the previous night had caused severe damage, leaving the camp in ruins and requiring considerable repair materials. But even if it was repaired, it might not withstand the next monster attack. So, Doghead came up with a crooked idea: instead of painstakingly upgrading his own camp, why not just rob someone else's?

The guy standing upside down happens to have a special item called "Hunter's Marauder Map," which allows him to see the movement patterns of nearby players.

The two hit it off immediately and plotted to raid someone else's camp. They spotted fzy in the chat and tracked him down.

[fzy's Level 3 Camp]

"Hiss—" The upside-down guy looked up at the camp's walls, which were over two meters high, and exclaimed, "How much material did this camp take?"

Doghead spat to the side: "Pah. Why does he get such a good camp?" His eyes flashed with a sinister light. "Let's go and take over his camp."

The man standing upside down was clearly interested, but hesitated for a moment: "Wouldn't it be inappropriate to do this? What if others find out..."

Doghead interrupted him: "It's the apocalypse, who cares about all this nonsense? Survival is the most important thing! Besides, there's not even a bird here. Once we take over the camp, no one else will know."

After a moment's apparent hesitation, the upside-down guy readily accepted the suggestion: "How do we take over the camp? This camp... doesn't look simple."

It's more than just complicated.

The stone walls were sturdy, covered with barbed wire to prevent climbing, and a deep trench surrounded the camp. The central defensive tower slowly rotated, and red dots landed on the snow, continuously patrolling and scouting.

Let alone capturing the camp, even getting in is a problem.

Dog Head: "Idiot. Who said we were going to attack the camp?"

The guy who was doing the handstand was being insulted and looked a little embarrassed: "What do you suggest we do?"

Dog Head: "Didn't you see him go out? Let's follow him, and then..." He made a throat-cutting gesture, "...we'll split it fifty-fifty."

The upside-down guy nodded: "Okay." Without warning, he pulled out the [Hunter's Marauder Map], an old parchment map unfolded, showing several mobs moving on it. He then had a new question, "...Can the two of us manage? I've never killed anyone before."

Doghead said impatiently, "I'll take care of it then."

Upside-down guy: "Can you beat him? He's number one, after all..."

Doghead said fiercely, "A high camp level doesn't mean the person is powerful. They might just be a hoarder who's good at collecting materials. Stop talking nonsense, just watch and see, okay?"

The man standing upside down breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Okay, okay! We're in the forest, let's hurry."

Turning around, Dog Head sneered inwardly.

Who said we'd split it 50/50? Once we kill fzy and then take out this idiot, he can monopolize a level 3 camp.

Each with their own thoughts, the two chased after him against the wind and snow.

The camp returned to silence.

Suddenly, a squeak sounded from the corner, and a furry rat's head popped out of the snow, tilting its head as it watched the figure disappear into the snowstorm.

"Squeak!"

...

The snow in the forest was above knee-deep, and the surrounding snow mist made everything appear hazy.

Fang Zhiyi had no time to appreciate the scenery; he put on his goggles, grabbed his axe, and started hacking away.

Clang clang clang.

Splash!

Wherever they went, not a blade of grass grew, only one wooden stake after another remained.

Looking down from above, there is a clear gap at the edge of the forest.

Fang Zhiyi cut down enemies as he went.

There were no paths in the forest originally, but they were created by cutting down trees.

It took me more than an hour to collect 99 pieces of wood, filling one of my backpack slots to the brim.

Despite cutting down so many trees, we still haven't collected any hardwood.

Fang Zhiyi put down the axe, rubbed his sore and numb wrists, took out a frozen red apple from his backpack, and took a big bite.

After regaining some strength, I looked up into the depths of the forest.

The area ahead was dark and gloomy, with dense foliage that blocked out the sun. A gust of wind blew from within, emitting an eerie shriek.

We had to go deep into the forest after all.

Fang Zhiyi didn't dawdle and walked slowly forward along the winding path.

Creak.

Hidden beneath the snow are withered branches and fallen leaves, which make a crisp sound when stepped on.

Fang Zhiyi cut off the branches blocking his way and cautiously observed his surroundings, fearing that a terrifying beast might suddenly appear.

However, they didn't see any wild animals along the way, but they did see a lot of materials.

Mushrooms growing on dead branches.

Frosty fruits hidden in the snow.

Pine cones in a tree hole...

Fang Zhiyi quickly picked them all up. Luckily, he had left some unused materials at the campsite before leaving, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to collect so much.

So engrossed in picking up trash, they unknowingly found themselves deep in the forest.

Trees rise up from the ground, their canopies like umbrellas overhead. The snow weighs down the branches, and strings of crystal-clear icicles hang down, creating a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

Fang Zhiyi sniffed, picked up an axe, and began chopping down the tree.

cut--

Hmm...? I can't cut it.

The wood was hard; when he chopped it down with an axe, it didn't even scratch the bark. He was so shocked that he took a step back. The branches above swayed, and snow mist drifted down from the sky.

Fang Zhiyi inhaled sharply and sneezed violently. Looking up, she saw a nimble figure leaping among the branches, curiously peering around.

A squirrel stood on his head, its fluffy tail held upright, its large, bright eyes darting around.

"Squeak!"

[Adventure - Stockpiling Food]

The squirrel is preparing for winter, but it can't find its stored food. Kind passersby, could you please help it?

[Acceptance or rejection]

Fang Zhiyi chose to accept.

Collect pine cones (15/5), mushrooms (8/5), and apples (21/5)

Fang scratched his head.

He encountered a lot of materials along the way, and he didn't let any of them go, whether they were useful or not. Now they came in handy, and he no longer needed to turn back and waste time collecting them.

He took the squirrel's request out of his backpack and placed it under the tree.

The squirrel scurried down from the tree, scooped up all the pine cones and mushrooms on the ground, and piled them into its arms. There were so many things that it couldn't even carry them all. It looked at the round apple and started pacing anxiously. Finally, it turned around and used its bushy tail to barely cover the apple.

Fang Zhiyi: "...Pfft."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The squirrel's eyes widened, and it turned its head to look at it.

Fang Zhiyi thought for a moment and took out all the pine cones and mushrooms from his backpack.

Since he had plenty of food and there was no need to use it later, he simply gave it all to the squirrel.

The pine cones and mushrooms were piled up into a small mountain, and topped with bright red apples, leaving the squirrels dumbfounded.

Fang Zhiyi pointed: "It's all yours."

The squirrel was dazed and could hardly believe its eyes. After confirming that it had been given so much food, it made a series of "squeaks" towards the sky.

Soon, an echo came from the tree.

One after another, nimble figures leaped from branch to branch, and in the blink of an eye, a group of squirrels appeared on the snow.

They excitedly circled the pine cone, squeaking and bumping their heads together for a while. The squirrels stuffed pine cones and mushrooms into their cheek pouches, making their cheeks bulge. As for the apples, they couldn't fit them all, so they just bit them and took them away.

Soon, the squirrels scattered with the food, leaving only the one that started.

"squeak--"

The squirrel jumped onto a branch, glanced back at Fang Zhiyi, and wagged its big tail, urging him to hurry up.

Fang Zhiyi didn't understand, but still followed.

The squirrel leaped from branch to branch near the ground, through the dense forest, and suddenly the view opened up before it, a warm, moist breeze blowing towards it.

Deep in the forest, there was a hot spring.

Spring water gushes forth from the ground, wisps of white mist rise, and a sulfurous smell wafts through the air.

The temperature here is higher than outside, the snow has melted, and a hint of green can be seen.

The squirrel brought it here, then jumped directly onto a branch and left.

Fang Zhiyi approached the hot spring and tentatively put her hand into it. The warm spring water enveloped her palm, and she heard the "gurgling" sound of the water flowing in her ears. The chill from the journey was dispelled, and she relaxed completely.

【warmth】

[Maximum Stamina +20]

[Duration: 01:59:59]

"squeak!"

Turning around, the squirrel returned, carrying a blueprint in its mouth, and threw it on the ground.

[Adventure - Stockpiling Food]

[Completed]

Upon picking it up, he discovered that the squirrel's reward to him was a blueprint.

[Hot Spring Design Drawings]

[Requires 1 hot spring source and 10 volcanic rocks]

With the blueprints, we can build a hot spring in the camp!

With the temperature so cold and snowing continuously, it's unimaginable how comfortable it would be to soak in a hot spring in such harsh weather. Not to mention, soaking in a hot spring can also increase your physical strength, combining enjoyment and practicality.

Fang Zhiyi couldn't resist the urge to try it just by imagining the scene. He immediately learned how to design the blueprints, and as for the materials needed for the blueprints, he figured he could collect them nearby.

Fang Zhiyi tried to explore the hot spring for a while.

[Obtain 1 hot spring source]

[Obtain 10 volcanic rocks]

With the spring source gone, the temperature of the hot spring dropped rapidly, and Fang Zhiyi quickly came out.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a slight rustling sound coming from below, with bubbles rising one after another, slowly forming a new spring.

After lingering there for a while, Fang Zhiyi suddenly remembered that the problem of the hardwood had not yet been solved. He looked around, trying to find the way he came, but inadvertently discovered a few messy footprints.

Because the temperature near the hot spring was too high and it wasn't covered by snow, it remains clear even after so long.

Following the trail, we finally stopped in front of a towering tree.

A thick layer of snow had accumulated under the tree, covering the remaining footprints.

Fang Zhiyi pressed down on the snow and found it was a bit loose. He took out his tools and dug the snow away, revealing a large tree hole.

Looking inside, he saw that the tree hollow was pitch black and he couldn't see anything. He held onto the tree trunk and tried to go down to take a look.

The tree hollow was over a meter deep. Fang Zhiyi jumped down and shone his miner's lamp inside. The hollow was surprisingly spacious, with a thick layer of soft fur on the ground that made it almost feel like you were sinking into it. It was very clean, clearly indicating that someone lived there.

Who would live in a tree hole?

Fang Zhiyi didn't think about it carefully and was about to leave the tree hole when she caught a glimpse of a golden light flashing in the corner.

Carefully approaching while holding onto the tree wall, they discovered that the golden light was hidden among a pile of miscellaneous items.

The pile of clutter was a mess, containing dried berries, fallen leaves, and even reindeer antlers. Retrieving these items revealed a dazzling golden treasure chest.

[The Strange Treasure Chest]

Who hid it here? Finding it won't help; you need a key to open it.

Fang Zhiyi's heart stirred.

There happened to be a strange key in the backpack.

He took out the key, which matched perfectly with the keyhole on the treasure chest. He inserted it, turned it gently, and with a "click," the treasure chest slowly opened.

Suddenly, the dim tree hollow was filled with light, so bright that one could not even open their eyes.

...

at the same time.

Dog Head and Upside-Down Guy sneaked into the depths of the forest.

Doghead asked suspiciously, "How can he walk so fast? Where did he go?"

The guy standing up glanced at the hunter's livery map: "It's just ahead."

The dog-headed creature urged, "Hurry up!"

Upside-down guy: "Wait, he's not moving anymore."

Before Dog Head could speak, Upside-Down Guy pulled him: "He's coming this way, quickly hide!"

The dog's head was pulled like that, and it instinctively hid behind a hillside.

The two people peered out cautiously, and soon they saw a figure heading in their direction.

Dog Head and Upside-Down Guy exchanged a glance, neither daring to speak.

The dog gestured with its head.

When he came over, she did this and that, and finally—she gestured fiercely at his neck.

The man standing upside down nodded nervously.

The two men decided on their murder plan, peeked out again, only to find that the person was gone.

Upside-down guy: ...

Dog head: ...? Where is everyone?

The upside-down guy quickly opened the Marauder's Map.

On the map, the red dot representing fzy moved nearby, stopped next to a tree, and then... the dot disappeared into the tree.

Dog Head asked in a low voice, "Where did he go?"

Upside-down guy: "He ran into the tree."

Dog's first reaction was: "Are you kidding me?!"

"No, no," the upside-down guy quickly denied, pointing to the map, "Look."

Doghead looked at the Marauder's Map with some skepticism and sure enough, he saw a red dot overlapping with a tree.

Squinting to look closely, the tree pattern swayed slightly, and a line of small characters slowly appeared.

The Brown Bear's Tree Hole

The guy who stands upside down also saw this line of text: "Sometimes place names will appear on the map..."

His words abruptly stopped. He and Doghead exchanged a glance and said in unison, "There are bears in the forest."

A sudden gust of cold wind blew by, startling the two of them into a cold sweat.

Bears... bears are the largest land carnivores. Without weapons, if you encounter a bear in the forest, you can only pray that you can outrun others.

The man standing upside down rambled incoherently, "Let's go first, what if we encounter a bear?"

Dog Head calmed down a bit: "What are you afraid of? We haven't encountered any bears along the way. It's impossible for us to be that unlucky."

Upside-down guy: "But, but—" He stammered for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence.

Doghead interrupted with a single sentence: "You don't want a level 3 camp anymore?"

The guy who was standing upside down swallowed the words he hadn't finished saying.

Dog leaned his head against the hillside: "The brown bear's den is so far away from us, we won't be in danger hiding here. Besides, even if there really is a bear, fzy will be the first one we encounter, so what's there to be afraid of... Why are you moving?"

The man standing upside down looked bewildered: "I didn't move."

Dog Head: "You still haven't moved? The hillside is shaking—" As he spoke, he turned his head and looked over. Upside-down Guy was sitting to the side, and he really wasn't moving.

Since the guy standing up didn't move, what moved was... the hillside?

The dog realized something and stiffly turned its head. "Hillside" was turning over, and in the process, a layer of snow fell with a "whoosh," revealing the brown fur underneath.

The guy standing upside down trembled like a chicken being choked: "x...x...bear..."

Dog Head squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Shut up, I know."

It turned out that they were leaning against a brown bear that was sleeping, not a hillside.

The brown bear was estimated to be 3 meters tall. Lying on the ground, it looked like a small mountain, and because it was covered in snow, people mistook it for a hillside.

Now, up close, one can clearly see the brown bear's breathing, its fur standing on end like steel spikes, its forepaws sharp, and its body robust.

Upside-down guy: "Wh...what do we do?"

Doghead got a headache just looking at him: "Shut up! Let's go."

The two carefully backed away, afraid of waking the brown bear.

But things didn't go as planned. The guy who was standing upside down must have stepped on something, because he stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out a gasp of surprise.

Dog head: "What are you doing?!"

The man standing upside down quickly explained, "I... my legs are weak."

Doghead wanted to curse, but a noise from nearby interrupted him.

Turning around, I saw that the brown bear had woken up, braced its front paws on the ground, and let out a roar.

The man standing upside down hurriedly said, "Please help me up."

The dog didn't even glance at the upside-down guy before taking off running.

The TV series told him that when facing a bear attack, you don't need to run faster than the bear, you just need to run faster than your companions.

Dog Head charged forward with its head down, and the next moment, the scream of the Upside-Down Guy rang in its ears.

He didn't dare look back even once; only one word filled his mind—run.

I ran out of the forest, ran back to the camp, and then crawled back into my tent, shivering.

He thought he was running fast enough, but a foul gust of wind came from behind him, and a brown bear on all fours bared its white teeth at him.

Dog Head let out a miserable scream, even worse than the Upside-Down Guy's, as the brown bear grabbed him by the heels and lifted him up.

Everything in front of me turned upside down; the brown bear's face loomed large in front of me, its cheeks sunken, its nose round and moist, and its gaping maw wide open.

The dog-headed guy cried out hoarsely, "Don't eat me! Don't eat me! I have meat in my bag! I don't taste good!"

The bear grabbed Dog Head Bro's legs and started shaking him violently up and down, trying to shake the "meat" out of his mouth.

After shaking it vigorously for a while, the bear sniffed around but couldn't smell any meat. It then angrily exhaled.

Doghead Bro was completely disoriented by the shaking, and seeing the brown bear's huge mouth getting closer and closer, he quickly said, "Don't eat me! I...I know someone has broken into your tree hole. I'll take you there and catch him!"