In the backyard of Wang Daniu's house, the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying wood.
Zhang Fan leaned on the rusty chopping knife, gasping for breath.
In front of him was a log thicker than his thigh, covered with crisscrossing chop marks, none deep enough.
"Clang!"
Another piercing clash of metal against wood rang out as the chopping knife was violently deflected by the hard wood, the massive recoil surging up the handle and into his arm, causing a searing pain in his palm, almost making him drop the knife.
[HP: 45/50]
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[Satiety: 19% (Extremely Hungry)]
On the attribute panel, the red numbers and warnings flashed incessantly, as if counting down his life.
Hunger and exhaustion were like two venomous snakes, gnawing at his sanity and stamina, his vision darkening, the world seeming to spin.
This was the ninth failure.
His pathetic 3 points of strength were a joke against these sturdy logs.
"Fuck, forget about earning a single wen, I feel like I'm about to become the first player to starve to death in this game, and in the Novice Village no less!"
Zhang Fan, drained of strength, collapsed to the ground, the chopping knife clattering beside him.
Give up...
A voice echoed in his mind.
"So hungry... and so tired... even a dog wouldn't play this game."
Perhaps Wang Yun was right; this wasn't an opportunity, but a curse of death.
Just as his vision blurred, ready to resign himself to a pitiful end, a bloody scene exploded in his mind—Wang Yun lying in a pool of blood, a crazed yet satisfied smile on his face, the hoarse curse echoing once more in his ears:
"...You all must die! All must die!!"
No! Something felt off.
Zhang Fan never admitted defeat, and this feeling blurred the lines between reality and the game, stirring a sense of unwillingness and danger.
He hadn't even lost his virginity; was he really going to die like this?
Why should he starve to death like a stray dog, unnoticed in this damned Novice Village?
"I can't die!"
Zhang Fan mustered the last of his strength, forcing a beast-like roar from his throat.
"I absolutely refuse to starve to death like a stray dog here!"
His eyes bloodshot, he struggled to his feet, gripping the cold chopping knife once more, the veins on his arm bulging from exertion.
Zhang Fan's roar and relentless effort seemed to trigger some unseen rule of this world.
A cold system notification, like a heavenly voice, sounded in his mind.
[System Detection: Player Mortal Dust has failed the repeated action "Woodcutting" over ten times, criteria met, Unique Talent [Heaven Rewards Diligence] activated!]
"Buzz—"
A refreshing stream of energy appeared out of nowhere, instantly flooding his mind, dispelling all fatigue and dizziness.
Zhang Fan blinked rapidly, looking once more at the log before him.
The world was different.
The thick log was no longer a dead object.
In his vision, the surface of the wood revealed countless fine, web-like patterns and veins.
These patterns varied in depth and thickness, resembling a three-dimensional structural map of the wood.
Among them, a particularly clear and bright white line meandered from the top of the wood straight down to the bottom.
It was like a giant arrow, a standard answer written into the world, silently guiding him.
[Ding! Under the influence of the [Heaven Rewards Diligence] talent, you have automatically comprehended the Life Skill: Woodcutting!]
Zhang Fan instinctively opened the skill panel.
[Name: Woodcutting]
[Level: Level 1 (0/100)]
[Learning Requirement: None]
[Attribute: When using axe/knife tools to chop wood, success rate +10%, stamina consumption -10%.]
[Remarks: You have finally grasped the knack of woodcutting, rather than just using brute force.]
Before he could recover from the immense joy, another golden notification box popped up.
[Ding! Congratulations to player Mortal Dust for automatically comprehending a skill for the first time, triggering a special reward: Hidden Attribute Comprehension +1!]
Comprehension +1!
At the moment the attribute increased, Zhang Fan felt the entire world change!
What were once mere lines in the wood's texture now became incredibly clear and three-dimensional; he could even "see" the direction and structure of each wood fiber. The path of the wind through the leaves, the subtle differences in distant insect chirps, even the movement of dust in the air, all presented themselves to his senses with unprecedented clarity.
"This is terrifying! Is this what it's like to see the world through the eyes of a genius? Everything looks like a standard answer!"
Zhang Fan truly saw hope, unable to suppress a cry of amazement, his hunger temporarily overshadowed by excitement.
Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Fan took a deep breath.
In his mind, the most standard and efficient woodcutting posture naturally emerged.
Mimicking the posture, Zhang Fan spread his legs slightly, using his waist to drive his entire body, raising the rusty chopping knife high.
His eyes locked onto the clearest "weak line."
Swing!
There was no anticipated deafening "clang," nor any massive recoil.
Just a crisp "crack!"
The sound was as clear as snapping a dry twig.
The rusty chopping knife sliced through the wood like tofu, precisely following the line, instantly splitting the thick log in two!
The cut was clean.
Success!
[Ding! You successfully used the Woodcutting skill, Skill EXP +1!]
With the skill and comprehension bonuses, the subsequent work became astonishingly simple.
Every swing of Zhang Fan's knife was like a precise surgical operation.
His eyes could easily find the weakest point in the wood, and his body naturally used the least effort to achieve the greatest effect.
"Crack!" "Crack!"
The crisp sounds rhythmically echoed in the backyard.
In less than half an hour, a neat stack of ten evenly sized logs stood beside the once mountainous pile of wood.
[Ding! You have successfully completed the Temporary Quest: Woodcutting! Please submit to Wang Daniu!]
[Current Woodcutting Level: Level 1 (10/100)]
He handed the firewood to the one-armed Wang Daniu.
The old man, who had been sitting indifferently by the side all along, had a flash of undisguised surprise in his cloudy eyes for the first time.
He picked up a piece of firewood, felt the smooth cut, and looked at the composed Zhang Fan, remaining silent for a while before fishing out a few copper coins from his pocket.
"Here, three wen."
Zhang Fan successfully earned his first income in this world.
He clutched the coins, still warm from the old man's body, his hands trembling slightly with excitement.
It wasn't easy!
This wasn't just three wen; it was his lifeline! It was his hope to survive in this brutal game!
"Young man, you're quite handy." Wang Daniu looked at him, uncharacteristically saying a few more words, "I have this job every day. If you want to do it, you can come often."
"Definitely! Thank you, uncle!" Zhang Fan nodded gratefully, his heart filled with emotion.
He finally understood why the first nine players couldn't survive a month.
This game was too realistic and too difficult.
Without talent, without cheats, just the first hurdle—survival—was enough to eliminate the vast majority.
If not for [Heaven Rewards Diligence], he might have truly become the tenth starved ghost, infamous for eternity.
With the hard-earned three wen in his pocket, Zhang Fan shook off all previous despair and hopelessness, feeling himself stand a little taller.
With a spring in his step, he proudly marched towards the Steamed Bun Shop.
He was going to treat himself well, and then, survive!