Chapter Summaries

After a biting cold confirmed that the world’s weather was changing, Lu Heng went looking for medicinal herbs near Frost Forest and nearly sank to his death in a concealed swamp. He escaped using a stored log, then spotted an unusual plant on the rocky slope and scanned it with his bracelet.

• Lu Heng built a firepit, roasted beast meat, and slept in his newly completed Shelter.
• At dawn, Lu Heng felt the severe temperature drop and decided to suspend construction work to search for medicinal herbs.
• Lu Heng explored beyond Frost Forest and discovered a treacherous marsh hidden beneath a layer of grass.
• Lu Heng sank into the mud, spread his body across its surface, and used a stored log to pull himself back to firm ground.
• Lu Heng vowed never to enter the swamp again, then scanned an unusual plant growing on a nearby rocky slope.

Lu Heng found Muscle-Bone Grass in a marsh, but a Swamp Poison Lizard ambushed him before he could leave. He killed it using the rocky slope’s terrain and received the bracelet’s first bestiary entry.

• Lu Heng identified and harvested Muscle-Bone Grass after checking that the marsh appeared safe.
• A Swamp Poison Lizard emerged from the swamp and pursued Lu Heng, who realized he could not escape it.
• Lu Heng baited the lizard beneath a loose boulder and pushed the rock down onto it, then wounded it with his iron axe.
• The lizard broke free and Lu Heng’s wooden spear snapped, so he used the terrain to evade it while its neck wound bled.
• Lu Heng killed the exhausted lizard by hurling his iron axe into its head, and his bracelet recorded its bestiary entry.

After killing a Swamp Poison Lizard, Lu Heng dismantled it for valuable Black Iron resources and used Muscle-Bone Grass to ease his injuries. He returned safely to his Shelter as signs of an intensifying regional cold-wave disaster made preparation urgent.

• Lu Heng used his wristband to dismantle the Swamp Poison Lizard and obtained Black Iron meat, a lethal poison gland, hide, and bones.
• Lu Heng crushed the Black Iron Muscle-Bone Grass and applied it to his sore muscles and joints.
• Lu Heng left the swamp because the fight could attract beasts and the worsening cold made the low ground unsafe.
• Lu Heng observed withering vegetation and intensifying cold, and recognized that a region-wide cold-wave disaster was approaching.
• Lu Heng returned to his level-one Shelter, shut the door, and resolved to stockpile supplies before the disaster arrived.

Lu Heng entered the swamp to search for supplies and medicinal herbs before the approaching cold wave, carefully probing the dangerous terrain. He found a chest with useful equipment and discovered new insect-repelling and hemostatic herbs, but continued deeper without finding Muscle-Bone Grass.

• Lu Heng woke refreshed, decided he needed to gather more supplies before the cold wave, and crafted a new wooden spear.
• Lu Heng entered the swamp cautiously, avoiding gnats and leeches and marking a cluster of unknown berries without touching them.
• Lu Heng investigated a depression that he judged was likely the Swamp Poison Lizard’s nest and opened a Black Iron chest.
• Lu Heng obtained blueprints, a body enhancement potion, a light crossbow with arrows, and a Frost Forest Beast Compendium from the chest.
• Lu Heng identified and collected Hemostatic Grass and Swamp Mosquito-Repelling Grass, then continued deeper into the swamp in search of Muscle-Bone Grass.

Lu Heng gathered medicinal and insect-repelling herbs in the swamp, then avoided a Swamp Python killing a Swamp Poison Lizard rather than risk being detected. On his way back, he found safe wild berries and a treasure chest with supplies and a recipe for Fresh Fruit Vitality Drink, then headed to his Shelter to prepare for the cold wave.

• Lu Heng ground Swamp Mosquito-Repelling Grass into juice to keep most gnats and leeches away, then collected Black Iron Muscle-Bone Grass and Poisonleaf Grass.
• Lu Heng saw a Swamp Python constricting an adult Swamp Poison Lizard and retreated without attacking, wary that the python might track him back to his Shelter.
• Lu Heng appraised and gathered safe Wild Sweet Berries on his way back through the forest.
• Lu Heng discovered a wooden wilderness treasure chest containing a Portable Water Bottle, a Fresh Fruit Vitality Drink Recipe, jam bread, and ready-to-drink vitality juice.
• Lu Heng checked his supplies and returned to the stone-built Shelter to plan for the coming cold wave.

After returning safely from the swamp with supplies, Lu Heng ate some recovered food and prepared his cave for the worsening cold. Realizing his firewood and winter stores were inadequate, he decided to venture into Frost Forest again before snow blocked the way.

• Lu Heng returned to his cave safely, carrying the swamp chest supplies and herbs.
• Lu Heng ate juice and jam bread from the chest, then decided to use his wild berries before they spoiled.
• Lu Heng layered animal hides over his stone bed and lit a fire to keep the cave warm.
• Lu Heng recognized that his soft firewood would not last through winter and that his provisions were insufficient for the coming cold wave.
• Lu Heng checked his wooden spear and Iron Axe, then prepared to head into Frost Forest to gather winter supplies.

Lu Heng followed a flock of Mosswool Sheep to a natural salt deposit, then discovered and opened a Black Iron treasure chest that revealed the minerals’ uses. He collected salt stones and ink-patterned salt crystals before returning to Frost Forest with a vital winter supply.

• Lu Heng spotted seven Mosswool Sheep, including a Black Iron-grade leader, and followed them instead of attacking the flock.
• The sheep led Lu Heng to an exposed stretch of ground where they licked mineral salt from stones and ore.
• After the flock departed, Lu Heng chose to collect the valuable salt deposits rather than pursue the sheep.
• Lu Heng found and opened a Black Iron treasure chest, unlocking a guide to native mineral salt stone and ink-patterned salt crystal.
• Lu Heng collected the minerals and returned to Frost Forest, more confident about surviving winter.

Lu Heng secured his cave and used materials from his recent hunt to craft protective gear and insect repellent, preparing to explore the wilderness more safely. He set aside the Body Enhancement Potion to test later, once the cave was secure.

• Lu Heng brought his day's supplies into the cave and examined the salt, new crossbow, Swamp Poison Lizard hide, and Body Enhancement Potion.
• Lu Heng decided to wait until night in his sealed cave before testing the potion because its possible side effects could leave him vulnerable outdoors.
• Lu Heng used the Swamp Poison Lizard hide and bone to craft Soft Leather Armor, then tried it on and set it beside his bed.
• Lu Heng processed Cold Mugwort, Bitter Vine Leaf, and Scale-Repelling Grass into two Insect-Repellent Ointment Bricks.
• Lu Heng wrapped one ointment brick to carry on future explorations and kept the other as a spare in the cave.

Lu Heng used the Body Enhancement Potion, washed away the impurities it expelled, and processed salt-bearing ore into coarse salt. A Cave-Nest Spider attacked his cave, and he killed it at the entrance.

• Lu Heng injected the Body Enhancement Potion and endured its painful effects as it strengthened his body.
• Lu Heng washed the foul residue from his skin and clothing in the river, then checked his status and found his stamina, constitution, and agility had risen to 8.
• Lu Heng followed the Purification Notes to grind salt-bearing ore, settle the impurities, and boil the brine into coarse salt.
• A Cave-Nest Spider attacked Lu Heng’s cave entrance, and he fought it with his crossbow and Iron Axe until it died.

Lu Heng killed a Black Iron Cave-Nest Spider and collected its materials, then assessed the damage to his shelter and planned to upgrade it. As a sudden cold wave made the Frost Forest more dangerous, he prepared for the day’s exploration and set out cautiously.

• Lu Heng collected the Cave-Nest Spider’s five materials and stored them separately.
• He examined the damaged wooden windbreak door and learned the shelter required 50 units of stone and one Black Iron material to upgrade.
• Lu Heng planned to prioritize gathering stone, keep an eye out for Black Iron materials, and continue collecting salt-bearing rock.
• He roasted meat with his purified coarse salt, cleaned up, secured the cave, and rested through the night.
• When he woke to a sharp temperature drop, Lu Heng wrapped himself in hides and recognized that the approaching winter could make beasts more aggressive.
• Lu Heng resolved to prioritize upgrading the Shelter and set out cautiously toward the Frost Forest.

During a sudden cold snap, Lu Heng escaped an approaching pack by climbing a tree, but the Blue-Backed Jackals spotted him and surrounded it. He remained trapped above them with only a limited supply of crossbow bolts as the standoff began.

• Lu Heng heard several beasts approaching the cave and decided not to retreat into the Shelter.
• He tried and failed to climb a nearby tree, then calmed himself and reached a branch fork.
• Lu Heng used his bracelet to identify the pack as Blue-Backed Jackals led by a Black Iron-grade leader.
• The leader spotted Lu Heng, and the pack surrounded the tree instead of continuing toward the cave.
• Lu Heng loaded his hand crossbow and prepared to wait as the jackals refused to leave.

Lu Heng fought to survive a siege by Blue-Backed Jackals while trapped in a tree, using his hand crossbow to wound their leader and kill one of the adults. The pack’s attack briefly faltered, but he still had no safe way down, and he remembered the poisonous things in his storage bracelet.

• Lu Heng counted his seven remaining bolts and realized that cold, the unstable branches, and the jackals’ attacks could leave him helpless.
• Lu Heng decided to target the Black Iron-grade leader and fired, but the bolt only grazed its shoulder, enraging the pack.
• Lu Heng waited for an opening and struck the leader beneath the ribs, weakening it and disrupting the jackals’ formation.
• Two adult Blue-Backed Jackals renewed the assault, so Lu Heng shot and killed the one closest to the trunk.
• The other jackals recoiled from their dead companion, giving Lu Heng a brief respite, and he remembered the poisonous things in his bracelet’s storage space.

Lu Heng used Cold Stiff poison to paralyze the Blue-Backed Jackal pack that had trapped him in a tree, then dismantled the fallen beasts and received a Bronze Treasure Chest for clearing the Frost Forest outskirts. He headed back to the Stone Cave Shelter as night approached, with supplies to process and repairs to make.

• Lu Heng coated his remaining arrows with Cold Stiff poison and shot the jackals, paralyzing three and driving the young jackal away.
• Lu Heng climbed down after confirming the pack could no longer attack, then dismantled the fallen Blue-Backed Jackals for meat, hides, bones, and sinews.
• Lu Heng received a Bronze Treasure Chest after the bracelet announced that the beast pack occupying the Frost Forest outskirts had been eliminated.
• Lu Heng checked his supplies and set off for the Stone Cave Shelter before the falling temperature and darkness put him at risk.

After surviving a pack of Blue-Backed Jackals, Lu Heng opened a rare bronze treasure chest and gained shelter upgrades, a cultivation method, and new equipment. He established a private bedroom and bound an energy core to the Shelter, but the lighting remained unusable until he found energy materials.

• Lu Heng returned to the Stone Cave Shelter after killing the Blue-Backed Jackals and secured the entrance before recovering by the campfire.
• Lu Heng opened the bronze treasure chest and obtained a Dimensional Bedroom Blueprint, a Basic Breath Cultivation Method, a Bronze Hunting Blade, a Resilient Spirit-Protective Cloth Outfit, and a Basic Energy Storage Unit.
• Lu Heng used the blueprint to create an enclosed bedroom with a bed, bathroom, and storage cabinet, then spread his animal hide over the bedboard.
• Lu Heng learned the Basic Breath Cultivation Method, inspected the bronze blade and protective outfit, and stored the outfit in the bedroom wardrobe.
• Lu Heng bound the Energy Core to the Shelter and bedroom, but the ceiling light stayed dark because the device had no energy materials loaded.

Lu Heng activated his shelter’s electricity with a spider marrow crystal, settled into his new bedroom, and discovered that water use steadily drained its limited energy. He went upstream to search for food, found four edible wild radishes, and planned to cultivate one for seeds while continuing to look for more.

• Lu Heng identified the spider marrow crystal as energy material, connected it to the shelter core, and switched on the bedroom lights.
• Lu Heng tested his bronze hunting blade and Basic Breath Cultivation Method, then slept comfortably on beast skins in the bedroom.
• Lu Heng learned that the water supply consumed 6% of the energy core each day and decided he needed more energy crystals.
• Lu Heng explored an unfamiliar upstream riverbank, appraised a wild plant as an edible Cold-Resistant Wild Radish, and found three more.
• Lu Heng planned to preserve one radish to observe its seed production and stored all four before continuing upstream.

Lu Heng explored farther upstream, found supplies and useful plants, and narrowly survived an attack by a venomous Blue-Spotted Snake. He discovered ripe persimmons but was still checking whether they were safe to eat.

• Lu Heng found a chest containing bread, clean water, and a thermal blanket, then stored the supplies and continued upstream.
• Lu Heng wrapped tough grass around his exposed legs and used his Wooden Spear to fend off and kill an ambushing Blue-Spotted Snake, narrowly avoiding its venomous bite.
• Lu Heng collected the snake's materials and identified two useful wild plants after scanning the riverbank vegetation.
• Lu Heng spotted ripe persimmons on a tree and appraised it before approaching, intending to confirm the fruit was harmless.

Lu Heng gathered a small number of wild persimmons, then stopped harvesting them after considering the health risks of eating them alongside his other supplies. He found edible water celery and medicinal plantain by a waterfall, where he spotted a blue treasure chest underwater.

• Lu Heng appraised the wild persimmons and picked seven or eight, intending to eat some and try making vinegar.
• A flock of Light-vented Bulbuls tried to drive Lu Heng from the tree, but he left the remaining fruit to them after deciding not to risk eating too many persimmons.
• Lu Heng followed the river upstream to a waterfall and appraised patches of wild water celery and plantain.
• Lu Heng harvested the vegetables and herbs, then leaned over the pool to fill his water bottle.
• Lu Heng noticed a blue treasure chest wedged between rocks beneath the clear water.

Lu Heng explored upstream, gathered wild vegetables and herbs, and risked a freezing dive to retrieve a Springwater Treasure Chest. Its rewards improved his Shelter, while the ice cellar module remained unusable until he found ice-attribute ore.

• Lu Heng picked several wild persimmons, then left the rest for the Light-vented Bulbuls after recalling that persimmons could be dangerous to eat with other foods.
• Lu Heng gathered wild water celery and wild plantain beside a cold pool and spotted a blue treasure chest underwater.
• Lu Heng submerged with his Wooden Spear, briefly mistook fish for snakes, and retrieved the chest before returning to the Shelter.
• Lu Heng opened the Springwater Treasure Chest and received a Water Soul Crystal, the Flowing Water Blade Art, a water purification device, and a Clear Spirit Water-Pattern Necklace.
• Lu Heng installed the water purification device but could not build the ice cellar without ice-attribute ore, so he planned to search the pool for the material later.

Lu Heng searched for ice-attribute ore in the first snowfall, then fought and killed a faster-than-normal Cold Stiff. After collecting its materials, he heard multiple creatures approaching and hid in a tree.

• Lu Heng inspected his treasure chest loot, practiced the Flowing Water Saber Technique, and went to sleep in his cave.
• Lu Heng woke to the year's first snowfall and searched the Cold Pool's banks for ore to build an ice cellar, but found none.
• A fast-moving Cold Stiff ambushed Lu Heng on his way back, and he killed it with a thrust from his Bronze Hunting Blade.
• Lu Heng collected a Poison Claw and a Cold Crystal from the Cold Stiff's remains.
• Lu Heng heard snow being disturbed from several directions and climbed an old tree to hide.

Lu Heng fought a group of Cold Stiffs in the Birch Forest, killing their Black Iron leader and retrieving its crystal core. After realizing the area held far more monsters than expected, he hurried toward the Cave Shelter before the noise attracted more.

• Lu Heng shot two ordinary Cold Stiffs from a tree, but his bolts failed to injure the Black Iron Cold Stiff, which shook the tree with its attacks.
• With his ammunition spent, Lu Heng leaped into the snow and fought the Cold Stiffs with his Bronze Hunting Blade, studying the Black Iron Cold Stiff’s attack rhythm.
• Lu Heng exploited the Black Iron Cold Stiff’s slow movements and damaged its joints before driving his blade into its central energy channel, killing it.
• Lu Heng finished off the remaining Cold Stiffs and recovered a gray-black crystal core and scattered bolts.
• Seeing more Cold Stiffs moving through the Birch Forest, Lu Heng left quickly and headed toward the Cave Shelter.