More Journeying

Not a word was spoken through the night. They still slept in the room they had hurriedly carved out before, and woke at almost exactly the same time.

The sky had just begun to brighten, which left the two of them—whose sleep schedules had always been irregular—feeling a little out of sorts.

Still, the bed automatically restored their energy, so neither of them felt the need to sleep a little longer. During the day, the bed even seemed to repel them, refusing to let them keep sleeping. It was truly remarkable.

Looking at the toothbrushes and towels in front of him, Fang Bie couldn't help feeling grateful that the two of them had come.

Who knew what it had been like when he'd been alone, barely able to rinse his mouth? Anyway, he never wanted to go back to those days.

He didn't have any clothing-making mods. Before leaving this world, he'd had to wear the same set of clothes he'd arrived in. That level of discomfort was something only people who hadn't bathed in a month could begin to understand.

Fang Bie finished his one-of-a-kind morning wash with deep emotion. Yinsen had already prepared breakfast for them in no time.

They'd bought plenty of food and seasonings on Earth, and even brought along pots and other cookware. It was a shame that electrical appliances didn't work, but the appearance of this frying pan was still a great comfort to him.

The Furnace was so easy to use that all they had to do was place different pots on top to heat the ingredients inside, just as they would when roasting meat. And when they put their hands on the Furnace, they couldn't feel any heat at all. It felt just like Stone.

Being able to drink a steaming bowl of porridge in the morning filled Fang Bie with happiness. "Why are there always tears in my eyes? Don't ask. It's just that I love this land so deeply."

Of course, it wasn't quite that dramatic. After all, Fang Bie had enjoyed nearly a month of luxury in Iron Man's mansion, and he soon recovered. The two of them rinsed the dishes in the sink and began planning out the day.

This was a compulsion Fang Bie had picked up from playing Minecraft. Whenever he played with his friends without a plan, they'd wander all over the place without knowing what to do.

That usually meant he'd end up spending the whole day in a mine. Whenever he spotted ore on the ground, he couldn't help pulling out his pickaxe and digging. Once he started, he'd keep at it all day.

That was why he'd forced himself to make plans like this. It helped him make good use of every day and kept his mining habit in check.

"There's still plenty of wood in the chest, and a few blocks of Glass in the Furnace. I'll build the house first. We can use the room we made before as a storage room!"

Yinsen quickly decided what he'd do that day. Fang Bie had no objections. They'd have to expand the house sooner or later, so they might as well do it now—and build his little house, too.

"Yinsen, could you build the house for me? And keep an eye on the plants in the fields while you're at it. They should be ripe by now," Fang Bie said.

"Sure. I'll keep watch. If they're ripe, I'll let you know when you get back." Yinsen wasn't very familiar with this kind of work yet, but it was clear that he was doing his best to adapt.

"Right, that'll do. Before you start building, you should put up a wooden fence around the area. I'll show you where in a moment. If any monsters come near you, they could be a problem."

This time, Fang Bie remembered to prepare for monsters. "You should also get a few Torches and put them around the house. That'll reduce the chance of monsters spawning in dark places."

Yinsen held a pencil and carefully wrote it all down. Neither fountain pens nor ballpoint pens worked here; only pencils made from pure graphite were still usable.

Maybe it was because of the coal. The pencils still worked perfectly well. Fang Bie thought that if he could make some industrial products in the future, he might be able to craft pencils specifically suited to this world.

"That's basically everything. If there's anything you don't understand, leave it for me to explain when I get back." Fang Bie went over what he'd said, and once he was sure he hadn't missed anything, he picked up his sword and put on his iron armor.

"I'm going to look around and see if there's anything new nearby. I'll also see if I can herd a few chickens back here to raise. We can't rely on farming for all our food. That's just not realistic."

Fang Bie explained what he planned to do. Dividing up the work was the only way to make this life last. It was simply the sensible way to handle things.

Yinsen wasn't much of a talker. He nodded slightly at the explanation and went back to his own work.

Fang Bie had spent enough time with him that he was used to it. He left behind instructions for crafting a wooden fence, then piled a few blocks of dirt in the corner to mark where the wall should go before heading off.

After a few quick strides, he had already jumped down the mountain. Looking back at his home, he saw that, thanks to the three of them expanding it earlier, the once-small mountaintop now seemed to float above the peak like a sky garden.

Only the section near the front of the mountain remained connected to the ground. The rear had been extended far outward, with a small house and all kinds of farmland built on top.

After checking his bearings, Fang Bie headed along the river. He'd barely explored this route before and hoped it would hold some surprises.

He hadn't even fully explored this forest during his earlier outings, so he had no idea what might be waiting for him.

But the iron armor he wore gave him plenty of confidence. At least during the day, he wasn't likely to run into any danger.

Fang Bie moved quickly. After all, he wasn't an ordinary person—he was Steve, who just happened to look like one. Following the river, he soon came across some things he hadn't seen before.

"Pumpkins? Great find. I can go back and make pumpkin rice, or craft pumpkin pie. Both are excellent food!" Fang Bie took out his iron axe and chopped down a few pumpkins.

These plants grew in certain corners of the forest or on grassy hillsides. They weren't especially rare, but they could still be hard to find if you were unlucky.

Finding something as soon as he set out lifted his spirits. Fang Bie hurriedly looked up, hoping to spot some melons.

But melons mostly grew in rainforests and rarely appeared on ordinary ground. Sometimes they could be found near pumpkins, but it seemed he wasn't that lucky.

"In that case, I'll pick some mushrooms to take home. Mushroom stew is great for replenishing food and stamina," Fang Bie muttered to himself, knocking down every mushroom beneath the tree.

Back at home, Yinsen was arranging some souvenirs they'd brought back earlier. Tony had been especially attached to their things.

With some solemnity, he unwrapped the oiled paper. Inside was a display case made of Glass, showing something just like the one on Tony's chest—an Arc Reactor!

"I can't believe this thing wasn't destroyed. It's a real miracle!" Yinsen murmured, then set the case on a nearby shelf.