The thought that the Dune Buggy downstairs might still be drivable if it had no major damage filled Su Mo with energy.
Su Mo hurried to the spot where the Noble Kobold's treasure chest had dropped. First, he opened the second Silver Treasure Chest he had seen since arriving in this world.
The mutated chameleon would have been troublesome for ordinary people, but compared to this kobold, it was nothing more than a minor threat.
Fortunately, there had been something to gain.
A flash of light appeared, followed by two notification sounds.
Record: You obtained Resource Compendium (Basic) ×1. Record: You obtained Sharp Watermelon Knife ×1. "Huh? It's actually a compendium?"
"This thing is really useful."
A single Monster Compendium had already brought him a tremendous sense of security, as well as his first bucket of gold.
Su Mo was overjoyed. He quickly searched the Storage Space with his mind and found, in a corner, a hardcover book resembling the Monster Compendium he had bought earlier.
He crushed and used the Resource Compendium, then opened the newly available resource-scanning function. In an instant, Su Mo understood how to use it.
Like the Monster Compendium, the Resource Compendium also provided three scanning opportunities each day.
Centered on the user, it automatically detected resources within a one-kilometer radius and then reported them on the interface.
The currently available basic resources included common materials such as ordinary stone, wood, iron ore, and copper ore, as well as less common resources like Natural Gas, sulfur, Gold Mine, Silver Mine, Salt Mine, Saltpeter Mine, and oil.
Overall, it would be extremely helpful for developing and expanding resources in the early stages.
Su Mo nodded, closed the interface, and drew the other machete he had obtained to inspect it.
Unfortunately, aside from being somewhat sharp, the machete had no special properties and could only be treated as an ordinary blade.
"Just the Resource Compendium alone makes this worthwhile. After all, I can use it three times a day. What a bargain."
Holding the machete in his right hand, Su Mo cut open the Noble Kobold's chest in just a few strokes and pulled out the Beech Spear tip lodged inside.
Although these kobolds bore the name of humans, apart from walking upright, their internal structure was vastly different from that of humans.
Moreover, during the mutation process, the kobolds seemed to have lost their innate talents, such as their superhuman sense of smell and mobility.
In their place were mysterious magic abilities and a combat boost that let them use tools while standing upright.
"Wait. I only gained this authority after killing these two kobolds. Doesn't that mean they defeated some kind of feline creature before I arrived and obtained the authority?"
"And when they first arrived, they were digging around on the ground looking for something. Could they have taken the missing Laser Probe from the machine tool back to their camp?"
Countless clues linked together, including the feline fur on the ground and the impact marks on the hill outside the shelter.
Every one of them told of a fierce battle that had broken out here earlier.
"Damn it! They fought here before. The kobolds obtained the authority, so the other side must have lost, and people must have died. But there are no corpses now!"
"It must have been their companions who came here. If they discover that this damn Noble Kobold is missing and track him here, I'll be in trouble!"
For a moment, Su Mo had never felt that his mind worked so well.
At the same time, however, a powerful sense of unease surged up inside him.
Security -1000!
"I can't stay here. Even if I have fuel, this Dune Buggy is sitting in water and I can't drive it away. Staying here to guard this so-called 'treasure' would only mean waiting to die!"
Having figured this out, Su Mo immediately abandoned his plan to explore the Dune Buggy's properties below.
The kobold race didn't consider the Dune Buggy a treasure at all, nor did they know how to use it. In their eyes, it was probably nothing more than a slightly larger pile of junk.
Su Mo swiftly took four units of wood from the Storage Space, opened the crafting interface, and reluctantly spent one point. A wooden barrel was then crafted.
He walked to the Noble Kobold, who had been smashed into "a mess," gathered his strength, and threw it into the barrel. Then he turned around, dragged Number One Kobold over, and placed it in the barrel as well.
After storing the entire barrel in the Storage Space, Su Mo looked around at the objects there. Though unwilling, he could only temporarily give up on claiming them for himself.
After finding a few small things he could carry away and taking them with him, Su Mo arrived beneath the hole. Just as he was about to climb up, he saw the bloodstains on the ground and came up with another plan.
"The kobolds' scent-tracking ability has deteriorated, and my improved Pottery Armor conceals my body odor. Maybe I can use this to find their lair and seize the Laser Probe back when the opportunity arises. That would save me several hundred Survival Points!"
Su Mo took out the feline fur he had collected earlier, carefully scattered it across the ground, and stuck several strands into the blood as well.
Looking at the "perfect crime scene" he had arranged, Su Mo nodded. He returned beneath the hole, made a light jump, and grabbed the Straw Rope hanging in the air.
He forcibly pushed his exhausted upper arms to squeeze out a little more strength, then laboriously climbed to the hole outside Shelter Number Two and returned to the hill where he had come from.
"Awooo~ Awooo~"
Oreo, who had been pacing outside the pooled water in the distance, saw Su Mo climb out and excitedly howled again and again.
After putting away the Iron Block and Straw Rope, Su Mo roughly smoothed out the disturbed ground. Then he placed several strands of fur where the kobold's probing footprints were.
"The only flaw now is my footprints. But there's nothing I can do about that. It's impossible to make this completely Heavenly Garment Without Seams."
"If anyone dares to follow me..."
"I've been worried about having no deliveries to my door. On my home turf, I'll butcher every last one of them!"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. Following the route he had taken earlier, Su Mo quickly headed back with practiced ease.
Just over ten minutes later, he returned to the place where he had first put on his raincoat.
"Awooo~ Awooo~ Whimper, whimper, whimper~"
Poor Oreo walked up to Su Mo and cried pitifully.
At a glance, Su Mo burst out laughing.
Oreo had originally been black and white, but now a large patch of fur around its rump and tail had been burned away, leaving its tender pink bottom exposed.
Its once-fluffy tail was now completely bare, and the sight was enough to make anyone's heart ache.
After yelping a couple of times, Oreo trotted a few steps away and pawed repeatedly at a scorched patch, indicating that this was the thing that had turned it into this state.
"You silly dog. You managed to be clever for once. Next time you encounter a monster like that, run immediately."
"But your brave master has already killed those two idiots and avenged you."
Su Mo crouched down, took out the remaining Psionic Water, and fed all of it to Oreo. Seeing Oreo jumping around energetically, he finally relaxed.
In the apocalypse, a man and a dog supported each other. If Oreo had not warned him today, he might have ended up with a fireball in his face.
"I have to upgrade my weapons and equipment quickly. My combat power is too weak. Fighting enemies like that at point-blank range is too risky. I have to guarantee absolute safety."
Under the blazing sun, Shelter Number Two resembled a giant beast crouching in the water.
At the first-floor iron door, Su Mo's gaze seemed to penetrate the metal plate and see the Dune Buggy inside.
"It won't be long before I drive you out. When that happens, where in this world won't I be able to go?"
After saying that, Su Mo's eyes held no trace of reluctance or regret. He turned around and resolutely embarked on the long road back to base.
This time, it was time for electric weapons to make their debut ahead of schedule!
Thanks to Bei An Shao for the 200-coin tip, thanks to Mingyue Zhuxin for the 500-coin tip, thanks to I Love Eating Guoguo for the 1,000-coin tip, and thanks to Yantian Qingfeng for the 500-coin tip. Thank you all~ Please keep voting and bookmarking!
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