The raincoat retrieved from the Basic Workbench’s collection slot was a vibrant green. In her hands, it felt like a pliant plant leaf.
Xia Qiu gave it a tug and found it was much sturdier than she’d expected. The system had even used the long stems of the large leaves as "thread." These thick stems didn’t require a normal sewing needle; the sharp edge of a flint block was perfect for the job. Rope had been carefully woven into the seams where the leaves connected, creating a perfect waterproof seal. This level of craftsmanship was something only a workbench could produce; Xia Qiu could never have made it on her own.
The entire raincoat had a primitive, rustic look. The moment she put it on, the upward-pointing arrow next to her Dampness Value flipped and began pointing down. Although the value decreased slowly, it was well within an acceptable range.
With her raincoat on, Xia Qiu busied herself with packing while glancing toward Dry City. She had observed earlier that the city’s streets and buildings looked as if they had been exposed to the desert for a very long time—arid and devoid of moisture. Even the furniture inside was brittle to the touch, a clear sign that it hadn’t rained there in ages.
Her territory was just down a slope from a river, and the rainy season challenge had begun right after the novice period ended. This proved that the Desolate Continent wasn’t perpetually arid. The current rain caused a person’s Dampness Value to rise continuously. Perhaps, before her house was built, she could take shelter from the rain by exploring the ancient city?
It was just a fleeting thought. Regardless, Xia Qiu had no intention of leaving her territory until the first downpour was over.
Except for the two-handled earthenware pot left in the corner, Xia Qiu carried all her worldly possessions on her person. She had only one portion of Savory Roast Rabbit Meat left. As for drinking water, she had a little over a liter remaining, which was only enough to last a day.
[Only Love Money: Buying all types of waterproof materials. PM for prices.]
[One Star: Is anyone selling anything for rain protection? I can trade food. Please, please, please!]
[Wanderer: The novice period just ended, so this storm won’t last too long. But the system said the first challenge is a ’long rainy season,’ so it’ll probably keep raining after this. Everyone should prepare early.]
[Wilderness Survival Specialist: It’ll stop just because you say so? Do you own the system? Don’t listen to his fear-mongering. It rains a lot in autumn, but not nonstop. A storm every two or three days would be the absolute max.]
[Xue Zihang: Star, I have a rain shelter. We’re just separated by a bay. Why don’t you come over to my place to wait out the rain?]
[Bo Gaoxing: Seriously? How come every time I open the world chat, I see you two flirting? Are you two stuck to me or something?]
Xia Qiu had a vague impression of this Only Love Money. Every time she saw his name, he was either buying materials or on his way to trade for them, always in large quantities. She had no idea where he got so many resources to trade with in the early stages. As for the others, besides seeing Wilderness Survival Specialist for the first time, she had seen the other IDs a few times. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Seeing no other useful information, Xia Qiu was about to close the world channel when a new message popped up.
[Bo Gaoxing: We’re all in the same boat here, so let me give you all a word of advice: this rain isn’t as simple as it looks. Best not to sleep too soundly tonight. Stay alert.]
Before Xia Qiu could ponder the meaning of his words, several more messages flooded the chat. Some accused Bo Gaoxing of trying to scare everyone, while others pressed him for an explanation. But Bo Gaoxing himself said no more on the world channel, likely busy dealing with the rain himself.
Xia Qiu raised a hand and opened her chat with Song Ci’an. After a moment of consideration, she sent a message.
[Xia Qiu: Ci An! Ci An! I successfully made a raincoat! It protects you from the rain and lowers your Dampness Value. One coat requires 5 Rope, 10 Large Leaves, and a shattered Flint block. I have some flint left over. If you need a raincoat, just give me the other materials and I can craft one for you.]
Song Ci’an was the first friend Xia Qiu had made in this world—her first real friend, in a way. She was willing to spend a bit of her Hunger to craft a raincoat for her. However, she couldn’t be so generous as to simply offer up her own materials. Even if Song Ci’an could trade other items for them, Xia Qiu didn’t dare to be so magnanimous.
She only had enough Large Leaves left to make one more raincoat. There was no telling how long this challenge would last or how many storms it would bring. She didn’t even know if she could still find Large Leaves in the dense forest now that the novice period was over. Building a house would be a long-term project; for now, the raincoat was her last resort.
Less than a minute later, a reply from Song Ci’an arrived.