Alarm

Dusk completely extinguished the last glimmer of light in the Snowfield Forest, and the snow continued to fall incessantly. The thick snow piled on the branches was swept away by the evening wind, falling off in a soft rustling sound. Only the howling of the wind and snow echoed through the forest, and the chill seeped into every inch of the air.

Lu Heng trudged through the snow, quickly emerging from the shadows of the dense forest. Only when he saw the sturdy stone Shelter halfway up the mountain did his heart, which had been hanging in suspense all afternoon, finally settle down a little.

Today's exploration of the Inner Region was truly extremely dangerous.

The harvest was truly bountiful, with Frozen Plum and two treasure chests as a huge surprise. However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. The sudden encirclement and stalemate by Tusked Wild Boar brought several near-falls, and every step was a struggle for survival. If it weren't for the dense forest and his steady movements, allowing him to patiently maneuver and escape, he would probably be seriously injured and lying on the ground by now.

Pushing open the heavy stone door, the dull sound of it opening and closing shut out the wind, snow, and bitter cold from the outside. Warm, dry air rushed in, keeping the chill and snow out of reach of everyone.

He locked the door behind him, completely sealing off this small, secure Fortress.

Having just experienced the predicament of being surrounded by ferocious beasts, Lu Heng dared not be careless about security again. He raised his hand to touch the survival Wristband on his wrist and took out a long-dormant, unused Silk-Peeping Bug from the tattoo Storage Space.

This thing had been lying idle ever since it was found in the treasure chest. In the past, the Shelter was safe and secure, and there was never any need for surveillance. But today, the threat of a wild boar following him completely dispelled any lingering hope. In the post-apocalyptic world, the greatest fears are ambushes from the shadows and ferocious beasts that follow you; you can't afford to be careless for even a moment.

Lu Heng walked to the entrance of the Shelter and fixed the tiny Silk-Peeping Bug to the side wall of the stone door. The Wristband instantly lit up with a pale blue light, automatically connecting to the Shelter's built-in energy and completing the binding and activation in an instant.

He raised his hand and pushed the stone door hard. The upgraded stone Shelter door was heavy and sturdy, and it didn't budge. The locks were tightly shut. After confirming that there were no security flaws in the doors and windows, the fatigue from the past few days finally surged into his limbs. Lu Heng turned around and walked into the house.

The monitoring screen automatically pops up on the Wristband interface, Silk-Peeping Bug, showing the snow and forest edges in real time. The only drawback is the lack of video recording and playback functions, allowing only real-time observation. However, for Lu Heng at this moment, it is already useful enough to avoid most of the risks of nighttime attacks.

The embers of the fire inside still lingered, dispelling all the chill. Lu Heng reached out and took off his outer coat, which was completely soaked with snow. The fabric, saturated with snow water, was icy and heavy, clinging to his skin with an unbearable shiver. He spread the wet coat out and hung it on a wooden rack beside the fire. The flickering flames quickly licked the damp fabric, and wisps of steam rose slowly.

He knelt by the fire, rubbing his hands together to warm them.

The firelight fell on my palm, leaving a faint reddish mark.

Looking at these hands, Lu Heng felt a deep sense of emotion.

Having spent years in an electronics factory, sitting at a desk all day, never doing heavy or rough work, her skin was delicate and easily chafed and swollen from the slightest friction. When she first came to this Survival World, even simple tasks like chopping wood and climbing would leave her palms blistered and covered in abrasions.

However, after being strengthened by the Leopard Core, its physique has already undergone a complete transformation.

Just now, at the top of the tree several meters high, I clung tightly to the trunk to withstand the wild boar's repeated charges, all my strength concentrated in my palms and fingertips, enduring intense pulling and strain throughout. In my original world, my hands would have been a bloody mess, but now they were only slightly red, without a single broken skin or injury, just a slight soreness.

The transformation of physical condition is real and intuitive.

The warmth of the fire gradually dispelled the chill, and the fatigue in his body and mind slowly eased. Lu Heng reached out and took out a few fresh Frozen Plum. The cool and sweet flesh melted in his mouth, relieving the tension and exhaustion from days of fighting and maneuvering.

After a short rest, he finally calmed down and prepared to take stock of all the day's discoveries.

The first thing to be opened was a regular Wooden Treasure Chest.

What he saw were still the most basic supplies for Survival World: purified water and compressed bread, a reliable safety net. But as his gaze swept across the bottom of the box, a thick Iron Pot lay quietly, instantly warming Lu Heng's eyes.

He had originally planned to roast animal meat to fill his stomach as usual, but the moment he saw the Iron Pot, his mind changed immediately.

On a cold, snowy night, nothing beats a pot of hot soup for warming the stomach and nourishing the body, even if it's just a simple barbecue. Tonight, I'll make a pot of hot soup to help me rest and recover.

Suppressing his joy, Lu Heng immediately took out the more valuable Black Iron Chest, opened it completely at once, and took out all the supplies.

The first item is the Arrow Crafting Blueprint.

The blue icon clearly indicates the crafting materials: the main materials are Black Iron and wood. It also supports alternative recipes, allowing the use of animal bones and teeth to craft arrowheads. He had accumulated a considerable amount of Black Iron in the past, and the Leopard Fang he had obtained from hunting wild animals today were plentiful, fully meeting the requirements for mass production. Finally, he had a chance to make up for the shortcoming in long-range ammunition.

The second item is a Mud-Clearing Anti-Inflammatory Pill.

This is a highly practical and precious healing pill. There was only one left before, but now, with the addition of the remaining stock, two pills are enough to deal with the risk of external injuries during the next few explorations, and can be life-saving in critical moments.

The third item is Fine Iron Pickaxe.

Specialized tools for mining ore and stone are twice as efficient as manual digging. They are indispensable for both subsequent infrastructure upgrades and resource stockpiling.

The fourth item is the Survival World exclusive Fast-Maturing Pumpkin Seeds.

The description is clearly marked: this is a unique improved variety with a growth cycle of only five days. After maturity, it can save its own seeds for repeated planting, which can produce vegetarian food in a long-term and stable manner, completely making up for the dietary deficiencies of a single meat-based diet.

The fifth item is Rough Black Iron Leg Guards.

Made from thick, tanned animal hide, it is specifically designed to protect the legs from bumps, scratches, and impacts. It perfectly fills the gap in his current protective gear; previously, he only had leather armor on his upper body, and the risks to his legs from traversing dense forests and being charged by ferocious beasts are now protected.

Each of the five supplies has its own unique use, precisely addressing the three major shortcomings in combat power, infrastructure, and food.

After taking inventory, Lu Heng didn't keep anything and directly activated the disassembly function on his Wristband. The idle Black Iron Chest slowly melted away in the dim light, transforming into pure Black Iron base material, which was automatically stored in his Storage Space, without wasting a single resource.

He got up and walked to the workbench inside the room, loaded the arrow blueprints into the workbench, and then took out the stockpiled Leopard Fang and dried wood, filling them into the workbench.

The processing table shimmered with a soft glow, and the gentle hum of machinery echoed throughout the room. In just a few dozen seconds, fifteen brand-new arrows were neatly arranged on the table. The arrowheads, polished to the size of Leopard Fang, were large and sharp, with a faint glint of cold light. Their texture and lethality far surpassed that of ordinary bone arrows.

Lu Heng picked up a crossbow and examined it closely, feeling a sense of relief. The long-range Hand Crossbow was no longer just an empty shell; facing the ferocious beast in the distance, he finally had the means to restrain and counterattack.

This Hand Crossbow is a single-shot model, capable of loading only one arrow at a time. Lu Heng took only one arrow and inserted it into the crossbow slot, while the remaining fourteen arrows were carefully stored in the quiver on his waist for easy reloading during subsequent battles.

After carefully storing his leg guards, pickaxe, pills, and seeds, Lu Heng set up the newly acquired Iron Pot, added clean water, and prepared to process the beast meat and simmer a pot of hot soup to dispel the night chill.

The fire crackled and burned, its warm light filling the entire Shelter. Outside, the wind and snow were still, but inside, it was cozy and warm.

Just as Lu Heng was waiting for the soup to heat up, his nerves, which had been tense for many days, completely relaxed, and he was ready to enjoy a peaceful dinner.

The Wristband on my wrist suddenly emitted a sharp red alarm sound!

The pale blue monitoring screen flashed crimson instantly. In the live feed of the Silk-Peeping Bug, a huge black shadow, braving the falling snow, slowly approached the Shelter's gate, step by step, following the trail in the originally empty and quiet snow-covered forest.