The downcast mood didn’t last long. Jiang Li quickly pulled herself out of it.
In a real doomsday game, the worst thing one could do was be controlled by emotions.
If she was tired, then she would take it slow.
Step by step. Never rush. Never be greedy.
She absolutely could not lose her reason just because the three-day newbie protection period was about to end.
Jiang Li rested for half an hour this time, sitting at the cave entrance while slowly planning her next steps.
The first essential task was building a fireplace. The night temperature was getting lower and lower. She had been lucky not to catch a cold last night, but that didn’t mean she would be safe tonight. So the fireplace had to be built.
Next was a bed. She didn’t want to sleep on the cold ground. Of course, compared to the fireplace, the bed was a lower priority.
With that in mind, Jiang Li got back to work.
To avoid encountering disaster beasts, she searched for stones near her shelter. Stones weren’t rare—it was just difficult to transport them.
By the time she finished hauling wood and stones, the familiar crimson light once again covered the entire land.
Time passes so fast…
Standing in front of her shelter, Jiang Li looked up toward the distant horizon. The blood-like sunset reflected in her eyes as she blinked subconsciously.
The arrival of dusk meant her second day as a newcomer was about to end.
……
Jiang Li spent the entire day doing repetitive, exhausting resource gathering.
This was the early stage of a beginner player: to survive, one had to grind endlessly for basic resources.
But she wasn’t playing a game with unlimited stamina. By sunset, she was already exhausted.
It reminded her of her childhood days farming in the countryside—so tired she couldn’t straighten her back, collapsing into sleep the moment she got home, not even wanting to move a finger.
Now she felt exactly the same.
After a full day of work, her shelter’s stored resources were:
[Storage: 36 units of wood, 28 units of stone, 8 units of mud]
The mud came from collecting water at the ditch. After subtracting what she used for crafting planting basins, this was what remained.
As for wood and stone, every trip required her to rest. She spent more time resting than moving.
There was no helping it—at 5 points of stamina, she would collapse if she didn’t rest. And fainting outside was a death sentence.
Still, she was satisfied with her progress.
Before night fully fell, she took out the blueprint.
[Simple Fireplace Blueprint: 20 units of stone, 5 units of mud]
While building the fireplace, a white holographic outline appeared before her eyes. Wherever she looked, the system projected the fireplace’s placement guide.
This projection helped her choose the correct location.
She did not build it in the back of the cave. The mushrooms were planted there, and they preferred a damp, cold environment. A fireplace there would ruin their growth.
So it had to be placed in the front section.
About one meter from the entrance, she positioned the fireplace.
In an instant, the structure formed like the small door—made of solid stone, embedded directly into the cave wall, with a chimney extending upward to the outside to vent smoke and prevent oxygen depletion.
While she was happy, she suddenly realized a crucial problem.
—Where does the fire come from?
The workbench could craft ignition tools, the simplest being a hand drill. But with her current strength, she probably wouldn’t be able to generate fire even if she made one.
Then she remembered her skill.
Right. She had elemental power.
She took out one unit of wood, placed it into the fireplace, and extended her hand.
A flame burst from her palm, wrapping around the wood. In moments, the fireplace ignited.
One unit of wood could burn for five hours.
She added two units. The orange glow lit up the cave, and the dampness in the walls slowly evaporated.
Warmth spread through her body, restoring numb limbs and calming her mind.
Fire really is the source of life.
In this silent, lonely world, fire was essential.
Darkness devoured human emotion, bringing suppression and despair.
Jiang Li smiled faintly as she looked at the flames.
After warming herself, she filtered the dirty water using the simple purifier. Without a pot, she couldn’t boil it yet, so tomorrow she would need to go to the trading station to exchange for a stove and oil lamp.
But what could she trade for them?
Filtered water?
She quickly rejected the idea.
The village chief, Huang Tao, was not someone who valued human life. If he saw her with a purifier, he would definitely target her.
Clean water was even more valuable than food here. Some people survived by selling filtered water.
She looked at her hands.
If she could fully develop her “Nature Soul” skill, she might be able to dominate this village.
But it consumed too much food.
Besides filtered water, what else could she sell?
She turned to the workbench.
She crafted two stone axes and three stone knives, leaving only one unit of stone.
Everything went into her fiber bag, ready for tomorrow’s trade.
Then she checked the back of the cave.
To her surprise, the mushroom seeds had already sprouted in just a few hours.
Satisfied, she returned to the fireplace, warmed by the flames, and fell into deep sleep.
Knock, knock—
A steady knocking sound echoed at the door.
But Jiang Li did not wake.
She was too exhausted, sinking directly into deep sleep.