The void toilet also meant she no longer had to worry about waste disposal.
However, there was no running water—after using the toilet, she still had to fetch water herself to flush it.
But these were minor issues.
Jiang Li noticed that the crimson light outside the ventilation window was gradually being swallowed by darkness. She quickly took out the oil lamp she had exchanged at the trading post and lit it.
The oil was stored in a stone container. Although called a lamp, its shape looked more like a bowl.
The fuel was rendered from the fat of a Moonlight Sheep. It burned very efficiently—such a small bowl could last for three nights.
There’s a faint special fragrance.
She leaned closer and sniffed. The scent was subtle, but she liked it.
She placed the oil lamp on the fireplace.
The area protected from the gray mist was not determined by the range of light. As long as a shelter had a lit oil lamp, the gray mist could not approach it—even areas not directly illuminated, like the rear chamber or right room.
But this only applied to players.
For ordinary people in this world, the lamp’s protection only extended to the area lit by its flame.
Because of this, in villages, poor households could only afford a single lamp. Entire families would huddle together within its limited glow, often still coming into contact with the gray mist.
Jiang Li was glad she had crossed over as a player. Otherwise, she would also have to worry about a single lamp not covering her entire body.
Her gaze shifted from the oil lamp to the wooden door.
After upgrading, the door was no longer crude. It was thicker and sturdier, reinforced at the edges, and the ventilation window had a wider field of view.
The door was also taller—she could enter without bending over, though she still had to lower her head slightly or she would bump it.
Jiang Li couldn’t help but run her hand over it when—
Knock, knock—
A familiar knocking sound rang out. Even though it happened every night, she still startled slightly.
It was the Knocking Ghost.
She rubbed her chest, then stopped looking at the door and moved closer to the fireplace.
She had many things to do tonight.
First, she needed to bring out the Withered Leaping Frog meat she had stripped yesterday and smoke-dry it over the fire to remove moisture. Then she would process the Cockroach Beast.
She had plenty of meat at home, but none of it was edible yet—it only made her mouth water.
She comforted herself: as long as she obtained Purification Mushrooms the day after tomorrow, she would be able to eat meat.
After smoking the frog meat, Jiang Li used her stone knife to process the Cockroach Beast.
Its meat yield was less than the frog’s. The abdomen contained organs and fat, while the chest had firm muscle. She tore the meat apart like crab meat, pulling it into strips.
It reminded her of the dried Cockroach Beast meat from the system bag—it was also strip-shaped, made from chest muscle rich in protein.
As with the frog meat, she placed it over the fireplace to smoke.
The aroma grew stronger and drilled straight into her nose. She swallowed repeatedly, almost unable to resist putting the roasted meat into her mouth.
Too fragrant…
It was several times more delicious than the dry ration meat from the supply bag. The golden surface glistened with thin layers of oil, dripping into the fire with crackling sounds.
And this was without any seasoning.
The smell alone was enough that she had to take out her dried mushrooms.
Previously, she lacked conditions—but now she had them.
She placed dried mushroom slices on the empty space over the fire and roasted dried sweet potato slices until they released their aroma before eating them.
The sweet potato chips became crispy on the outside and soft inside. Although the aroma couldn’t overpower the meat, it was still very satisfying.
She then roasted dried potato and taro slices, sprinkled some salt on them, and ate them together—still extremely delicious.
After finishing all the smoked meat, she placed it beside the fireplace instead of storing it back in the rear room, worried it might get damp.
After that, she stretched, went to the right room, and washed herself with boiled filtered water.
After handling personal hygiene, she laid the cotton quilt from the loot bag onto the wooden bed.
The quilt was thick and long enough to serve as both mattress and blanket.
She didn’t sleep immediately. Instead, she placed the remaining dried mushroom ration beside her and prepared for meditation.
【Meditation Progress: 15%】
Compared to the previous sessions, her body’s tolerance had clearly increased.
But the pain from meditation only grew more intense each time.
This time, it was even worse. Jiang Li felt not only her flesh being torn apart, but even her soul seemed to be burning.
The pain intensified until she clenched her teeth so hard that blood seeped from the corners of her mouth. Her bones felt like they were being hammered, the agony nearly swallowing her whole.
Even though she was prepared, it was still barely bearable.
She didn’t know how long she endured it—only that every passing second felt unbearably long.
When her body finally reached its limit, she slowly awoke from the meditation pain. Her head buzzed violently, and cold sweat drenched her entire body.
Dirty. So dirty.
That was her first thought upon waking.
Her body was covered in filth—thick layers of grime, worse than a beggar’s.
She hurried down from the bed, grabbed a bucket, and stumbled into the right room.
Even though she had bathed before meditation, her body was now even dirtier than before.
With a light scrub, large clumps of filth rolled off her skin.
The amount of dirt was absurd.
It took her an entire hour to wash clean again.
Returning to the front room under the oil lamp, she finally saw her skin had become several shades fairer.
It was no longer the dull yellow of dead wood. Instead, it was smooth and pale. Her arms were no longer soft and weak, but lined with firm, functional muscle.
Not just her arms—her waist, legs, and back were all the same.
However, the muscles were not exaggerated. Instead, her body felt leaner and more refined. The biggest change was her skeleton—she had grown from 1.60 meters to 1.65 meters.
So that’s why it hurt so much—her bones were growing.
While eating, Jiang Li speculated:
The impurities must be from deep within the flesh and blood. Like marrow cleansing in cultivation novels—breaking through limits requires going through something like this.
The results of this “cleansing” were astonishing.
When she checked her stats, her eyelids twitched in disbelief.
【Stamina: 13】
【Spirit: 12】
【Meditation Progress: 35%】
The first meditation increased stamina by 1 point. The second increased it by 2. The third had nearly doubled it—breaking past the human average limit and reaching 13.
Progress growth was also exponential.
But what shocked her most was Spirit.
It hadn’t increased at all in the first two sessions, yet this time it jumped from 9 to 12.
This was the best possible news for her abilities.
Compared to that, the pain during meditation suddenly felt insignificant.
As long as she could become stronger, she was willing to endure anything.
Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she eagerly tested her post-meditation strength.
There was no heavy object in the cave, so she walked to the wall and threw a punch.
Boom.
The wall trembled, leaving a crater perfectly shaped like her fist.
A notification immediately appeared:
【Your shelter is under attack! Please be alert!】