Chapter 41 Eat Well, an enemy attack on the camp is imminent...
"...So, I came here from a very, very far place on my journey."
The flames crackled and popped as they burned.
The polar bear sat opposite Fang Zhiyi, its paws resting on its lap, its posture adorably docile. However, adult polar bears can weigh up to 400kg, and even the most docile bear would feel immense pressure being so close to them.
If it were any other player, they would probably be trembling with fear, unable to utter a word.
Fang's intentions are alright.
After all, he had dealt with a polar bear once before.
In the previous Raft Survival World, he encountered the polar bear Aji at a holiday cabin on an iceberg. He helped Aji collect ingredients to prepare a seafood feast, and thus became friends with the polar bear.
Practice makes perfect, so the pressure isn't so great anymore.
However, the fact that the polar bear was able to travel from a raft survival world to a winter survival world suggests that... do post-apocalyptic worlds share some commonalities?
Before I could think any further, I heard the polar bear say in a deep voice, "Bears remember people, and people are bears' friends."
The polar bear lowered its head, grinning in a friendly gesture. A tall shadow fell, and it extended its large, fan-like paws, as if to shake hands.
Fang Zhiyi's lips twitched, but she still placed her hand on his.
The man and the bear shook hands.
Suddenly, a strange sound rang out between the man and the bear. At first glance, it sounded like thunder, but upon closer listening, it sounded like gurgling.
Fang Zhiyi: "..."
polar bear:"……"
The polar bear scratched its head sheepishly: "Human, it's the bear's stomach that's growling; the bear is hungry."
[An unexpected encounter - a guest (crossed out) friend from afar]
Please prepare a satisfying and delicious dinner for your friend, Polar Bear Aji.
[Acceptance or rejection]
The polar bear stared intently, its saliva almost dripping from its mouth.
Fang's meaning: ...
They want both satisfaction and abundance; they have so many demands.
He wasn't the only one who encountered a similar task; other players in the chat also shared their experiences.
[I shouldn't have messed with the camp. Now look what happened. After the environment value broke 10, an NPC showed up and asked me to prepare a meal for him.]
【What are you doing? Did I hear that right? Cooking?】
Since it's an NPC's quest, the rewards must be very generous.
I suspect you're showing off.
What did you do for the NPC?
Don't say anything... I made that NPC some apple stew...
[...]
Is this even considered a dish?
[Damn it, what can I do? The only food I have in my backpack is apples. I can't exactly cook him a dish of wood stir-fried with stones, can I?]
What did the NPC say?
The NPC was obviously unhappy. He went on a rampage and destroyed most of my camp, then said he'd come back tomorrow. If I didn't satisfy him, I'd be in big trouble.
[I feel like dying qaq]
[So this means we can't increase the environment value anymore.]
[Oh no, why didn't you tell me sooner? I also have an NPC guest coming, how can I make him happy? I finally built my camp, I don't want it to be destroyed!]
Each NPC has different requirements; the one I have likes to eat meat.
[Haha, I'm eating apples every day until my face turns green, and the NPC still wants meat? They're asking for too much.]
[Seeking to purchase raw meat at high prices]
[Looking to buy +1]
+2
...
Fang Zhiyi glanced at the polar bear.
The polar bear remained sitting obediently, though its stomach was rumbling like thunder.
Other players lack resources and struggle to prepare a lavish dinner that would satisfy the NPCs, but for him, it was no problem at all.
Fang Zhiyi: "Xiong, wait a moment."
After saying that, he bent down and pulled a piece of pork belly out of the snow. It was taken out last night and was still fresh after being frozen. The pork belly was marbled with fat and lean meat, white and lustrous like jade, and red like grapefruit segments. It was covered with a thin layer of frost. Even raw, it looked delicious in color and shape.
In this cold weather, you really can't go on without eating something light and refreshing. Although just eating an apple can restore my energy, it's still not quite there yet. I originally planned to save it for myself tonight, but now I can only use it to entertain this uninvited guest.
Fang Zhiyi sliced off a piece of fat and used it to moisten the pan.
The lard swirls in the pot, leaving a moist trail. The flames blaze, and the translucent lard is forced out, sizzling as it comes into contact with the iron pot due to the high temperature.
The polar bear sniffed: "Humans smell so good."
The polar bear couldn't stop swallowing, and saliva kept dripping from the corners of its mouth. "The bear wants to try it."
Fang Zhiyi felt a chill on the back of her neck and quickly took out a bag of sausages, handing it to the white bear to tide him over.
Otherwise, it always feels like the polar bear is so hungry that it might bite his head and taste it.
The polar bear held the sausage in its hand, looking at it back and forth, before finally taking a big bite, stuffing the packaging into its mouth as well, making a crunching sound.
"The bear thinks it tastes good."
Fang Zhiyi quickly cut the pork belly into chunks and poured them into the pot. The meat sizzled as soon as it touched the bottom of the pot.
Fresh pork belly has no porky smell and doesn't need to be blanched. As long as it's fried properly, even the bloody smell will be gone.
Large chunks of meat simmer in the pot, the skin side browned until golden brown. Rock sugar melts and caramelizes, then a pot of water is poured in, along with chopped potato chunks. The potato chunks, cut into chunks, float and tumble in the broth along with the pork belly.
Simmer over low heat until tender, then reduce the sauce over high heat.
While waiting for the broth to thicken, Fang Zhiyi casually asked, "How did you get here?"
The polar bear, playing with a plastic bag in its mouth, said without thinking, "Walk." It paused, then added, "Walked a very, very long way."
Fang Zhiyi: "..."
Who asked this?
He wanted to know how he got here from the Raft Survival World.
Fang Zhiyi: "Wasn't the last time I saw you at sea?"
Polar Bear: "Oh, I was on vacation last time. The vacation is over."
Fang Zhiyi tried asking a few more questions, but the polar bear seemed completely bewildered and didn't understand anything. It seemed that, in its view, moving from one world to another was as simple and natural as breathing.
"...That's how it came about." The polar bear scratched its head blankly. "Human, is the pot ready?"
Fang Zhiyi looked at the stone pot.
The thick, bubbly broth was perfectly cooked, with the lean and fatty parts tender and flavorful, while the fatty parts were translucent and melted in your mouth with a gentle touch, rich yet not greasy, like jelly. The potatoes were also stewed until soft and flavorful, steaming hot, and the aroma alone was enough to make your mouth water.
"Slurp." The polar bear ate with its mouth full of oil. "Humans are delicious."
The polar bear, Aji, hugged the stone pot, its entire face buried in it, not even a drop of soup remaining. Raising its head, its snow-white fur glistening with oil, it munched and said, "Humans are good. Bears like humans."
Fang Zhiyi smiled and accepted the compliment.
I really want to say that just talking about it isn't enough; you have to show some sincerity.
After all, they gave him a whole box of stuff last time, and this time they've gone all out, so they can't leave him with nothing, right?
Fang Zhiyi looked on expectantly.
The polar bear scratched its head, lifted one side of its rump, and reached behind it with its paw, pulling out a small bear backpack. It rummaged through the backpack, then grabbed a handful of food and handed it over.
"This person was found by the bear; give it to him."
[Defense Tower Design Blueprints]
"And these too." The polar bear shook the little bear backpack, and various props fell to the ground like raindrops. "Give them all to people."
[Advanced Strength Potion x1]
[Weapon Shop Design Blueprints]
【Bear Earmuffs x1】
A jar of honey
[...]
Scattered odds and ends were piled up on the ground, and the polar bear pushed them all over the place, regardless of whether they were useful or not.
[An unexpected encounter - a guest (crossed out) friend from afar]
[Completed]
Please accept the reward.
Fang Zhiyi accepted it without hesitation.
He deserves all of this.
[White Bear Aji's affection for you has increased]
After finishing his dinner, the polar bear reluctantly bid farewell to Fang Zhiyi.
Will we ever meet again?
Fang Zhiyi smiled and said, "Yes."
The polar bear clung to the camp entrance, glanced once more at the stone pot that had been licked clean, and seemed reluctant to leave.
But it seemed that some rule prevented it from staying in the camp for long, and after dawdling for a while, it said: "Humans, there are bears in the forest. I will tell it that humans are friends of bears."
[Gained the approval of Polar Bear Aji]
[The bear family's affinity is increasing]
"I'll treat Xiong to something delicious next time."
The polar bear waved to Fang Zhiyi, slung its bear backpack over its shoulder, turned and stepped into the snowstorm. Before its figure disappeared from sight, Fang Zhiyi decisively closed the door.
There won't be a next time.
This bear has an incredible appetite; it devoured all the potatoes and meat, and it almost ate the pot along with it.
Fang Zhiyi was still hungry. He rummaged through the snow and found only a few tomatoes and a bag of rice.
Fortunately, there are still 2 more pickup opportunities, so there's no need to worry about not having anything to eat.
I wiped the pot with snow, filled it halfway with rice, and poured oil along the edge of the pot, preparing to make a tomato and egg bibimbap.
While waiting for the rice to cook, Fang Zhiyi took a moment to look at the gift the white bear had given him.
Both the defense tower blueprint and the weapon shop blueprint are level 3 buildings. Once you select to use them, two more construction options will appear on the camp page.
"Squeak!"
The little golden hamster emerged from the snow, carrying back a pile of ore. Now the camp had more materials than it could use, perfect for building structures.
[Defense Tower Design Blueprints]
[Level 3 Defensive Building]
[Requires 10 wood, 10 stone, 10 iron, and 10 energy crystals]
[Weapon Shop Design Blueprints]
[Level 3 Defensive Building]
[Requires 1 Gold Longbow, 1 Gold Spear, 1 Gold Axe, 1 Gold Pickaxe, and 10 Energy Crystals]
bite!
Defense tower completed!
A towering white tower appeared in the very center of the camp. The tower had no doors or windows, nor any access point; only a circular disc at its top slowly rotated. As it rotated, a point of red light fell onto the snow, indicating a defensive patrol.
Building a weapons shop is a bit troublesome.
Fang Zhiyi went to the intermediate crafting table and spent some gold, wood and iron to create a batch of gold tools.
Gold is soft and not really suitable for use as a tool. Axes and pickaxes made from it are unusable and only look shiny.
Fortunately, he didn't need to use these gold tools; instead, he used them to build a weapons shop.
A flash of white light.
A series of clanging sounds followed. A simple shed was completed, with a blacksmith's forge standing at the entrance. The weapon crafting page could then be accessed, allowing users to craft weapons.
Longbow, Burning Arrows, Frozen Arrows, Scythes... a dazzling array of weapons.
It's better to use things well than to use them in large quantities. Fang Zhiyi abandoned those fancy weapons and focused solely on using the longbow. He made a batch of incendiary arrows using charcoal, bird feathers, and wood.
Arrows are consumables, so it's always good to have plenty.
However, there weren't many bird feathers in the backpack, only enough to make 5 arrows, which was far from sufficient.
There's a chance that bird feathers will fall from logs, but collecting them is both time-consuming and laborious.
Fang Zhiyi didn't plan to go through all that trouble to collect them. Instead, he opened the list and prepared to trade some materials, exchanging the ones he didn't need for feathers.
[fzy: Raw meat for bird feathers]
It was warmly welcomed as soon as it appeared.
[This guy's confused, what's the use of bird feathers?]
Shut up, the big boss has his reasons.
[Hehe, if it were truly useless, they wouldn't be trading raw meat for it. Raw meat is so expensive these days; bird feathers must have other uses. You should keep them and not be fooled.]
"Hey, you're so knowledgeable! I have some bird feathers here, do you want them? I'll trade you a piece of raw meat for them."
I'm willing to take this loss.
The channel was noisy.
After taking a look, I realized that players were frantically buying raw meat to prepare for receiving NPCs. Because raw meat only drops from wild animals and is relatively scarce, it was quickly hyped up to the point of being priceless.
Fang Zhiyi had hunted down snow wolves and rat kings in succession, and had a considerable amount of raw meat in his possession. He wasn't short of food and hadn't touched the raw meat until now, taking advantage of the current hype, he decided to sell it to exchange for materials.
[fzy: 1 piece of raw meat for 10 bird feathers]
[fzy: Feathers are used to make arrows]
I have bird feathers!
Hey bro, I don't have any feathers, do you want some Frost Fruit? It should be good for making arrows too.
【Me, me, me—】
In an instant, private messages started popping up like crazy.
Fang Zhiyi spent some time trading all the raw meat, exchanging it for 80 bird feathers, as well as some frost fruit and lightning fruit, all of which are materials for making arrows.
First, 50 burning arrows were crafted, and then 10 freezing arrows and 10 paralyzing arrows were made using frost fruit and lightning fruit.
We have plenty of weapons now, and we can set off into the forest to explore when it gets light.
Once you've collected enough hardwood, you can build a shelter.
If everything goes smoothly, once the star fragment is found, the quest will be completed, the final blueprint for a level 3 building will be obtained, and the camp upgrade mission will be finished.
Fang Zhiyi withdrew his gaze.
The rice in the stone pot was cooked through, the side that had been in contact with the pot browned and incredibly fragrant. The frozen tomatoes were more likely to release their juices, and when placed on top of the rice, their sweet and sour juices quickly seeped in.
Crack an egg into the bowl, and the egg white will quickly solidify while the yolk remains runny. Drizzle some soy sauce over it to enhance the flavor, and the aroma will be fully released. Everything will be just right.
Large snowflakes fell.
After a busy day of collecting materials and outwitting the Rat King, and then having to entertain guests, I finally have time to sit down and enjoy a proper meal.
In the unpredictable world of post-apocalyptic survival games, even the smallest, most ordinary moments can bring happiness.
Steam rose from the stone pot. Fang Zhiyi picked up her chopsticks and stirred it. The soft-boiled egg and the distinct grains of rice were mixed together. The rice crust was baked until crispy, and the tomato juice was sweet and sour, making one's mouth water just looking at it.
Before I could even taste a bite of the hot bibimbap, the screen flickered and a message was forcibly displayed in front of me.
[Attention! A wave of enemies is about to attack the camp]
【00:00:59】
Fang's meaning: ...
Can't people just eat in peace?
I'm really angry.
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