Good Stuff

The evening wind carried the dry forest air against the cave's solid wooden door, making a series of low, muffled thuds.

Lu Heng stepped into the cave and pulled the heavy wooden door inward behind him. The rough wooden hinges creaked dryly. He bent down, picked up the hardwood pole cut to size beside the door, and wedged it diagonally into the slot behind it, bracing the door firmly shut. The wind and faint animal noises outside were instantly shut out, leaving only the soft crackle of burning firewood within the cave, quiet and secure.

The fire burned steadily, its orange light spreading across the cave floor and driving away the forest chill that had soaked through his clothes and into his bones. He propped the iron axe from his shoulder and the wooden spear in his hand against a corner of the stone wall in turn, then brushed the mineral dirt and dry grass fragments from the shoulders and cuffs of his hide clothing. His fingertips swept over the bracelet on his wrist. A pale blue glow lit up steadily, and the entrance to his storage space slowly opened.

He took out everything he had gained throughout the day, piece by piece, and arranged it neatly on the stone workbench in the middle of the cave.

Rough, grayish-white chunks of raw mineral salt were piled in one corner of the workbench, natural salt crystals embedded in their crevices gleaming a muted white in the firelight. The Ink-Patterned Salt Crystal had substantial, angular edges, black markings embedded in the texture of the stone, and felt icy to the touch. The leather-bound Wilderness Mineral Salt Purification Notes lay beside the Salt-Infused Stone Pendant, whose markings followed the grain of the stone. The pendant gradually warmed in the firelight, losing the chill of the mining site from earlier that day.

On the left side of the workbench lay a brand-new Black Iron Wood Short-Handled Crossbow, a weapon obtained from the Black Iron chest that day. Its body was smoothly polished and solid, its grip fitted the curve of his palm, and its bolt groove was neatly formed. Paired with crossbow bolts, it was light and compact overall. Unlike the long wooden spear, it suited close-range ambushes and ranged harassment, making up for his longstanding lack of a ranged weapon.

On the other side of the workbench, an entire Swamp Poison Lizard hide lay spread out. The hide retained its complete pattern of armored scales, with a dull blue-green base color and dense, hard scales. Faint scratches left by the fight marked its edges, and it was extremely tough. Still attached at the corners were flexible animal sinews that had been scraped clean, along with the lizard's flat, hard spine-all crafting materials preserved intact after yesterday's hunt.

At the very center of the workbench lay a Body Enhancement Potion sealed in a glass tube. The thick, pale golden liquid inside remained still. It looked placid, yet Lu Heng gave it a second look.

He rested his fingertips against the glass tube, its coolness seeping through them as his thoughts settled.

Ever since obtaining this potion, he had never considered using it during the day.

The vegetation of the Frost Forest was dense and secluded, and venomous insects filled the swamp. The wilderness always concealed unknown variables. None of the enhancement potions in this survival world had ever been entirely harmless. The bracelet's appraisal entry vaguely noted that the potion would most likely carry unknown side effects. Mild cases could involve aching weakness throughout the body or stinging, disordered senses; severe cases could cause a temporary loss of bodily control and impaired judgment. Even a slight adverse reaction would be a fatal opening out in the wilderness, surrounded by lurking beasts.

During the day, he had to travel, explore, and avoid danger. He needed to remain completely clearheaded and steady in everything he did, without the slightest mistake.

Only now, with the wooden door tightly shut and the cave sealed off, free of outside disturbances and the risk of a sudden beast attack, was it the best time to test the potion. Once he finished his tasks and the night grew quiet, he could safely try its effects. Even if side effects occurred, he could rest and regulate his breathing right there without endangering his life.

Putting his thoughts aside, Lu Heng tapped his bracelet and brought up the [Soft Leather Armor Blueprint] he had just unlocked and recorded from today's Black Iron chest.

The materials obtained from the daytime hunt happened to meet every requirement.

Lu Heng bent over and steadily spread the lizard hide across the workbench's slots with both hands, smoothing out the folds in its scaled surface. He fitted the neatly shaped pieces of animal bone into their corresponding reinforcement grooves one by one, then pressed the stone activation button on the side of the workbench.

The workbench abruptly erupted in a clattering of metal components colliding and locking together. A faint white glow spilled from the seams of the stone bench, instantly illuminating its entire surface. As the light shifted, the materials rapidly melded and took shape. In just a few seconds, the noise stopped and the glow faded,

Unable to wait any longer, Lu Heng quickly put it on.

The leather armor fitted his figure, its scales arranged neatly facing outward. Its edges were finished softly and would not chafe his skin, while the bone edging was tucked in, allowing him to raise his arms, run, and exert force with a weapon without hindrance. It balanced protection with flexibility.

Lu Heng reached out again, took the leather armor in his hands, and hefted it. Its weight was just right, and the dense lizard scales on its surface would be difficult for ordinary beasts' claws and fangs to tear straight through.

A sense of reassurance he had not felt in a long time welled up within him.

Ever since entering this world, he had struggled to survive alone, with nothing but clothing on his body and no protective armor at all. In past encounters with wild beasts, he had relied entirely on dodging, blocking, and maneuvering. If one got close enough to scratch him, even a small wound could easily become inflamed and worsen out in the wilderness, where medicine and medical care were scarce. Every fight meant gambling on his footwork and reactions.

Now that he had crafted the Soft Leather Armor himself, he had effectively added a life-preserving barrier. When traveling through the forest or venturing deep into the swamp in the future, he would no longer need to go to such extremes to avoid bites at close range. His margin for error had increased greatly. Exploring outside alone, he finally had the reassurance of tangible protection.

He folded the leather armor neatly and set it against the stone wall beside his bed, his fingertips stroking the cool, hard scales as his mind settled.

After putting away the armor, Lu Heng summoned the bracelet interface again and opened the Insect-Repellent Ointment Processing Blueprint, which had been unlocked alongside the armor blueprint. He took out all the Cold Mugwort, Bitter Vine Leaf, and Scale-Repelling Grass he had stocked in storage and placed them together in the workbench's material slot.

There was no need to grind or boil them down himself; the workbench would process and shape them uniformly according to the blueprint's specifications. He pressed the compression switch, and the stone bench began to vibrate faintly again. Its internal grinding tools crushed the herbs, mixed them with a trace of mineral salt, and compressed them until they solidified. Before long, the vibration stopped, and two palm-sized, dense blue-green blocks dropped onto the workbench. Their texture was rough and hard, and they looked like bars of soap.

I thought the ointment would be a liquid and was a little worried. Good thing it's solid.

Lu Heng found some leaves and wrapped the two Insect-Repellent Ointment Bricks separately, keeping one to carry when he went exploring and leaving the other in the cave as a spare.

He recalled the damp, putrid ground of the swamp, where venomous ants and crawling insects filled the mud and grass. The slightest carelessness could result in a poisonous bite. Now that he had used the blueprint to process the Insect-Repellent Ointment Bricks, he could wet one and apply it to his wrists, ankles, hems, and trouser cuffs before going out, keeping insects from approaching. Another major deadly hazard had been removed from his future trips into the swamp to gather resources.