A short while later, Rangga's boat finally arrived at the Swamp Island. The moment the boat came to a stop, however, Rangga frowned.
"Huh... Where am I supposed to get off?"
Unlike the previous islands, there was no stretch of sandy beach waiting for him.
No shoreline. No dry land. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but muddy marshland, with shallow pools of water weaving between clusters of trees.
Rangga looked around, searching for somewhere solid enough to stand.
"...Well, whatever."
Carrying his stone axe, stone pickaxe, stone knife, Alloy Composite Bow, and quiver of arrows, he carefully climbed out of the boat.
The instant both feet touched the mud...
Blup.
His legs immediately sank almost to his calves.
"Damn... This mud's ridiculously sticky."
Every step felt like a struggle as the swamp tried to pull his feet back down.
After a considerable effort, Rangga finally reached a small patch of firm ground surrounding a large tree.
He caught his breath before turning toward it. A familiar golden screen appeared.
Mangrove
Description:
A tree native to swamp environments, supported by sturdy aerial roots that allow it to thrive in muddy soil. Its wood is highly resistant to water, making it valuable for construction and various building projects.
Weakness:
Can be felled using an axe. Its dense supporting roots make it difficult to topple unless the trunk is cut all the way through.
Rangga stared at the golden screen for a few moments. Then he smiled faintly.
"...Good thing I've got you."
Without the Analysis System, he'd probably have no idea which plants were actually useful. He reread the description once before shaking his head.
"I'm not here for wood."
His gaze shifted deeper into the island. Every tree stood atop a small mound of earth, each separated by muddy water.
There were no trails. No wide stretches of dry land. To go farther, he'd have to leap from one mound to the next or simply wade through the swamp.
Rangga let out a long breath.
"I've gotta find clay."
Without wasting another second, he started moving from tree to tree, cautiously making his way deeper into the marsh.
Rangga continued through the swamp with careful steps, hopping between patches of dry ground.
Several times his feet sank back into the mud, forcing him to curse under his breath as he struggled to pull out boots that nearly got left behind.
Before long, his eyes caught a cluster of round-leafed plants growing beside a shallow pool.
The golden screen appeared once again.
Gotu Kola
Description:
A medicinal herb that grows in wetlands and marshes. Its leaves contain natural compounds which, after proper processing, can be used to create simple medicines that help speed up wound recovery.
Weakness:
Can easily be pulled out by hand. Naturally regrows over time.
Rangga stopped.
"...Medicine?"
A grin spread across his face.
"Now this is worth bringing."
Without hesitation, he crouched down and pulled the plant from the ground.
As the Gotu Kola was stored inside the boat's inventory, a small number appeared.
1/150
Rangga blinked.
"Huh? It uses inventory slots?"
He immediately opened the boat's storage screen. The capacity, which had originally been one hundred slots, had increased to one hundred fifty.
"Nice... So it went up because my boat reached Level Two."
His smile widened.
"That means I can bring back a lot more."
Filled with renewed enthusiasm, Rangga began examining every corner of the swamp.
Whenever he spotted another Gotu Kola plant, he pulled it out and stored it immediately.
Several minutes later, while bending down to collect another one. Something moved beneath the mud.
Rangga narrowed his eyes.
Not far ahead, a small mechanical creature was busily digging through the swamp with its front claws.
The golden screen appeared.
Mechanical Morganucodon
Description:
A small prehistoric mechanical mammal that inhabits swamp environments. It enjoys digging through mud and sniffing the ground for roots and plants that can be converted into energy. Naturally timid and non-aggressive, it usually flees upon detecting danger.
Weakness:
The neck directly beneath the jaw is protected by the thinnest armor. A strike to that area can instantly disable the unit.
Drops:
Synthetic Fiber
Synthetic Hide
Rangga observed it for a moment.
The creature paid him no attention, completely absorbed in digging through the mud.
"...Might as well kill it. That Synthetic Hide could be useful later."
He slowly raised his Alloy Composite Bow. An arrow slid into place. He aimed precisely at the weak point highlighted by the Analysis System.
Taking a steady breath, he released the string.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot forward.
Thunk!
It pierced the Morganucodon's neck.
The mechanical creature collapsed instantly, never even getting the chance to flee.
Its body dissolved into light, leaving two materials behind on the muddy ground.
Rangga hurried over. He stored the Synthetic Fiber first.
Boat Inventory: 18/150
Then the Synthetic Hide followed.
Boat Inventory: 19/150
Satisfied, Rangga retrieved his arrow before continuing deeper into the swamp, still searching for the clay that had brought him here.
Soon, a steady rhythm began to form. Whenever he found Gotu Kola, he harvested it. Whenever he spotted a lone Mechanical Morganucodon, he quietly raised his bow.
Whoosh!
Thunk!
The alloy arrow struck the exposed neck every time. The machine collapsed into light.
Rangga recovered his arrow, picked up the Synthetic Fiber and Synthetic Hide, then continued onward.
The process repeated over and over.
Until...
One Morganucodon dissolved into light unlike the others.
This time...
A rolled-up sheet of paper popped out alongside the two materials.
Rangga's eyes widened.
"A blueprint!"
He sprinted toward it. Moving too fast, his foot slipped in the mud.
Splush!
"Whoa!"
He landed flat on his backside, his clothes instantly covered in mud.
Rangga didn't care in the slightest. He hurriedly grabbed the scroll before it could somehow disappear.
The moment it touched his hand, a blue screen appeared.
Leather Armor Blueprint
Collect all blueprint fragments to unlock the crafting recipe at the Production Table.
At the same time, the golden screen displayed another message.
Analysis
This blueprint (1/3) is one of three fragments required to craft Leather Armor.
A huge grin spread across Rangga's face.
"Yes! Finally got one!"
Without wasting any time, he stored the blueprint along with the other two materials.
Boat Inventory: 26/150
Boat Inventory: 27/150
Boat Inventory: 28/150
Rangga stood up and brushed the mud from his clothes.
"Hope I find the other two soon."
He continued deeper into the swamp, his eyes constantly searching for another Morganucodon.
Then before he noticed anything himself the golden screen appeared once again.
Clay Deposit
Description:
A natural clay deposit formed beneath the swamp. Once fired, it becomes highly heat-resistant, making it the primary material for furnaces, pottery, and various production buildings.
Weakness:
Can be collected directly by hand or with a shovel. The more clay removed, the deeper the resulting pit becomes.
Rangga's grin grew even wider.
"Today's my lucky day."
Without hesitation, he hurried over and crouched beside the deposit. Both hands immediately began scooping up the neatly cube-shaped lumps of clay produced by the System.
One after another disappeared into the boat's inventory.
As he continued collecting, the surface gradually sank into a shallow pit.
Rangga worked without stopping. Only after the depression had become noticeably deeper did he finally pause and open his inventory.
Clay ×30
Rangga nodded with satisfaction.
"Nice... Now I can finally build that Kiln."