Taking stock
Back in the Stone Cave Shelter, isolated from the howling winds and the stench of blood in the snow, the cave was quiet and warm.
Lu Heng shed the chill and sat steadily on the edge of the stone bed. His tense muscles completely relaxed, and the soreness from the fight spread throughout his body.
He didn't procrastinate at all, nor did he make any unnecessary mental preparations.
This Bronze Treasure Chest was the result of a bloody battle he fought with his life on the line, risking a near-death counterattack.
Whatever comes out of it, he deserves it, good or bad, he accepts it all.
With a thought, Lu Heng directly retrieved the ancient Bronze Treasure Chest from his Wristband Space.
The box floated in front of me, its Bronze patterns dark and heavy, carrying the unique weighty texture of wilderness loot.
Without hesitation, he chose to turn it on.
With a soft hum, the lid of the box popped open automatically, and five faint lights lit up one after another, revealing five items neatly arranged before Lu Heng's eyes, along with detailed system annotations.
[Bronze Recipe: Tiger Bone Healing Wine]
Description: This is an exclusive medicinal wine recipe made primarily from top-grade tiger bone, combined with Bone-Warming Herbs from the mountains and blood-activating auxiliary materials.
It has a strong repairing effect on sprains, bruises, bone strain, and old pain. It is the most reliable medicine formula for repairing bones and nourishing tendons at present.
[Bronze Armor: Tiger Concealment Mask]
Description: Made from the finest skin pressed and sewn from the entire face of Forest Rock Tiger, it exudes the imposing aura of a domineering beast.
It can naturally repel most low-level beasts in the Frost Forest, while perfectly concealing human scent, body shape, and survivor's personal information. When exploring, stealthily tracking, or lying in wait in the forest, it can greatly reduce the probability of being detected by wild animals.
[Special Bronze Material: Spirit-Suppressing Rock]
Description: Naturally formed dark-patterned bluestone, condensed from the immense malevolent aura of a predatory beast before its death.
It possesses extremely strong Evil-Suppressing and destructive effects, capable of restraining, dispelling, and deterring low-level supernatural and eerie entities, and has a rare defensive and restraining ability against unknown and eerie intrusions in the apocalypse.
[Bronze Armor: Tiger Hide Knee Guards]
Description: Made from the densest and most resilient skin of a tiger's belly, reinforced with thin pieces of tiger bone.
Wear-resistant and impact-resistant, with cushioning and shock absorption, it is suitable for long-distance trekking in snow, mountain climbing, and close combat. It can effectively protect the knees and relieve muscle and bone strain caused by long-term weight-bearing, running, and exertion.
[Bronze Potion: Rage Extract]
Description: A concentrated potion made by extracting the ferocious essence and violent nature of the entire body of Forest Rock Tiger.
After taking it, it greatly enhances the body's explosive power and nerve reaction speed in a short period of time, eliminates fear and fatigue, and maximizes the activation of the physical state. It is an exclusive combat drug for turning the tide in desperate situations.
All five items have been displayed.
Lu Heng glanced at all the entries, and a look of deep satisfaction instantly lit up his eyes.
A huge profit.
It was a huge profit.
There isn't a single useless item, nor is there any junk. Each of the five items has its own specialty, covering healing, exploration, self-defense, anti-trickery, and desperate combat, perfectly making up for all his current shortcomings.
Tiger Bone Healing Wine is perfect for repairing the muscle and bone strain and hidden injuries he has accumulated from years of staying up late and fighting. Finally, there is a dedicated way to repair his sprains and bruises.
The Tiger Concealment Mask is a godsend; when scavenging supplies in the forest, there's no longer a need to constantly dodge wild animals, significantly improving concealment and safety.
What surprised him most was the Spirit-Suppressing Rock.
In the post-apocalyptic world, unknown and bizarre phenomena emerge one after another. This special material that can suppress supernatural phenomena is extremely scarce. Obtaining it in advance is like having an extra trump card to save your life.
The Tiger Hide Knee Guards addressed his immediate physical fatigue.
After days of trekking through the snow and intense combat, my knees were already covered in wear and tear. With this protective gear, I can be much less burdened by long-distance exploration and wilderness survival.
Finally, this bottle of Rage Extract made Lu Heng even happier.
This stuff is basically a survival version of adrenaline.
It's equivalent to the Qi and Blood Burst Pill in novels.
Normally, they remain calm and collected in order to survive. But when faced with a powerful enemy or in dire straits, a single bite can instantly unleash the full potential of their body, maximizing their explosive power and reaction speed. This is specifically designed to turn the tide in desperate situations and survive against all odds.
A bloody battle fought with lives at stake yielded five truly hardcore treasures.
Lu Heng let out a long breath, all the fatigue and frustration from the previous struggle completely dissipating.
This is a sure thing, no loss.
After reviewing all the attributes of the five loot items, Lu Heng didn't dwell on them. With a thought, he neatly stored the Tiger Bone Healing Wine Recipe, the Tiger Concealment Mask, the Spirit Suppressing Spirit-Suppressing Rock, the Tiger Hide Knee Guards, and the Rage Extract into separate compartments of his Wristband Space.
With all the cards in hand secured, I felt much more at ease.
After days of tension, his nerves finally relaxed completely. The Shelter was quiet and warm, isolating him from the outside world's wind, snow, and bloodshed. Lu Heng got up and quickly washed himself in the Shelter, rinsing away all the blood and sweat.
Washing away the ferocity and fatigue of battle, I felt instantly refreshed and clear-headed.
He casually tossed his blood-stained, scratched old clothes into a corner and changed into clean ones.
Only when he was completely relaxed, in bright and stable light, did he look down and see clearly the old leather armor and leg guards he was wearing.
In the dim light, cracks were densely packed on the nail surface, with many areas of the cortex torn and split, and the edges and corners severely worn. The originally sturdy protective structure had long since deformed and loosened from repeated struggles.
Lu Heng stared at the damaged armor, frowning slightly, a headache rising in his heart.
He had only been wearing this armor for a short time; it was arguably the most practical close-fitting protective gear he had recently acquired.
Who would have thought that just a few days of intense, relentless fighting would turn a perfectly good set of leather armor into a defective product?
But he had nothing to complain about.
Today's fight with the Forest Rock Tiger was extremely dangerous. If it weren't for the layers of leather armor that cushioned and blocked the force of the claws' strikes, cuts, and impacts, he would have suffered far more than just a few scratches and bruises; he would most likely have had fractured bones and serious injuries that pierced through flesh.
It has exceeded its mission.
Lu Heng sighed helplessly, no longer dwelling on the losses, and lay down on the soft bedding, putting his hands behind his head and quietly staring at the rough rock wall at the top.
With my body fully rested and my mind finally at ease, I began to silently review this Seven-Day Trial.
He has completed five days of the seven-day trial and successfully achieved the objectives of four of them.
On the first day, the Giant-Horned Deer, a herbivorous beast, posed the least threat and was hunted with almost no effort, setting a smooth start for the entire trial.
Starting from the second day, the difficulty level increased sharply.
On the second day, they encountered pack beasts and barely managed to pass through by using traps, maneuvering, and attrition tactics. On the third day, they faced real wild beasts, engaging in close combat and risking their lives, with blood and gore constantly at their throats. On the fifth day, they even encountered supernatural targets they had never encountered before.
Recalling the supernatural trial on the fifth day, Lu Heng still felt a lingering fear.
Although it was quite simple for him to solve, those kinds of things are intangible and intangible, and are not afraid of physical brute force. If it were an ordinary Black Iron Tier weapon, there would be no way to deal with it.
The main reason he was able to resolve the situation smoothly was that the Bronze Hunting Blade in his hand had a special effect of suppressing the supernatural, making it extremely lethal to eerie beings.
Without this backup equipment, the outcome would have been uncertain.
After carefully reviewing the entire process, Lu Heng had an extremely clear understanding of his own abilities.
He estimated that his survival and successful completion of these trials were 60% due to his equipment and 40% due to his caution and daring.
He knew his own limitations perfectly well; he wasn't exceptionally Talent at all, but his upper limit was simply raised by the advantage of his equipment.
Tomorrow will be the sixth day of the trial.
Lu Heng stared at the dim rock wall above, a strong premonition rising in his heart.
The difficulty of this trial is almost pushing him to his current limit.
Given this increasingly terrifying increase in difficulty each day, the items that refresh on the sixth day will definitely not be simple.
I'll go take a look tomorrow.
He muttered to himself.
The road ahead is unknown, but the dangers are already obvious.