Qi Yuan placed the "Flower Bed" and "Healing Potion Crafting Scroll" back into the Wooden Cabin, along with the Resource Chest.
Since he had just found a Bronze Resource Chest not far from the Wooden Cabin, he decided to bring it back directly.
Qi Yuan once again picked up the Stone Axe and the newly acquired Iron Pickaxe, intending to explore the north.
After all, he had just struck it lucky by finding a Bronze Resource Chest as soon as he stepped out.
This made Qi Yuan feel that choosing the north would surely bring more good fortune!
...
The north was also filled with endless wild grass, growing particularly lush.
Qi Yuan couldn't help but frown, thinking: The resources nearby seem rather scarce.
Apart from wild grass, there were only a few trees, and no other resources could be found.
He wondered if everyone was in the same situation, or if he was just unlucky to be born in such a barren place.
"If there's a chance in the future, I must move to a resource-rich area," Qi Yuan thought as he walked.
He just didn't know if he could relocate the Wooden Cabin in the future.
Before long, Qi Yuan reached the 300-meter boundary.
Thin wisps of mist drifted in the air, adding a touch of mystery.
This was Qi Yuan's first time entering the Light Mist Zone.
Previously, the place where he chopped wood was only near the 300-meter Light Mist Zone.
Standing at the edge of the Light Mist Zone, Qi Yuan fell into contemplation.
To enter or not?
The Light Mist Zone wasn't absolutely safe, and it likely harbored dangers, though not as severe as the Dense Mist Zone.
After a moment of thought, Qi Yuan decided to enter.
A 300-meter range was simply too small to meet the needs of life.
Moreover, with the surrounding area so barren, there was even less to harvest.
Therefore, entering the Light Mist Zone was inevitable.
Taking on the risk also meant greater rewards.
He just needed to be more cautious!
After only a few steps, Qi Yuan made his first discovery.
Stones!
At about 100 meters into the Light Mist Zone, there were scattered stones of various sizes, and quite a few of them.
Stones, as a basic resource, were of undeniable importance.
They were also essential for upgrading the Wooden Cabin.
This discovery put Qi Yuan's mind at ease; with this stone resource, upgrading the Wooden Cabin was only a matter of time.
After noting the location of the stone area, Qi Yuan continued on his way.
In the Light Mist Zone, Qi Yuan was particularly cautious, which significantly slowed his progress.
The surrounding mist was thick, and the air was very humid.
Before long, his hoodie and pants were soaked with dew, making them uncomfortable to wear.
Suppressing the discomfort in his body, Qi Yuan carefully advanced through the mist.
Although he hadn't encountered any danger along the way, he remained vigilant.
After walking nearly 1,000 meters, he hadn't found any special resources, just more wild grass and trees.
Seeing the endless white mist ahead and behind him, Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment but ultimately stopped moving forward.
Although he hadn't encountered danger in the Light Mist Zone, the visibility was too low, making it easy to lose his way.
If he couldn't find his way back and strayed too far from the Shelter Wooden Cabin, he would be left to die in the mist.
There was also the issue of time!
Two hours had already passed, leaving only four hours of daylight.
Even if he couldn't find food and water, he needed to make the most of his time, chopping as much wood and stone as possible.
Once back at the Wooden Cabin, he could trade for other survival resources on the platform.
Wandering aimlessly like this was a huge waste of time.
...
Ending his exploration plan, Qi Yuan returned to the stone mining area.
He took out the Fine-grade Iron Pickaxe and began his tedious mining life.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
The Fine-grade Iron Pickaxe was highly efficient, much easier than chopping wood, yielding one unit of stone every few minutes.
However, mining stones required more effort, and before long, Qi Yuan's hands were sore.
Stones and wood were quite different.
The recoil from stones was significant, often requiring a break after mining a dozen units.
After spending three and a half hours, Qi Yuan had mined a total of 163 stones.
And this was using a Fine-grade Pickaxe; one could only imagine the efficiency of others.
Moreover, at present, others didn't even have a pickaxe.
They could only laboriously chop trees with a beginner's Stone Axe.
After swinging the Iron Pickaxe for over three hours, Qi Yuan's hands were trembling from exhaustion, and he felt aches all over his body.
Hunger and thirst were also setting in, overwhelming his already fatigued body and spirit.
"I need to exercise more, or my body won't handle it! The sedentary lifestyle has ruined me!" Qi Yuan lamented, clutching his waist.
With half an hour left until nightfall, the sky was already growing dim.
Even the surrounding mist was becoming denser.
The vast sky was shrouded by thick clouds, casting an oppressive atmosphere over the entire Mist World.
The misty air, with increasing humidity, caused the temperature to drop rapidly, reaching 0°C.
Today's temperature had noticeably dropped compared to yesterday.
A Cold Wave was approaching!
Knowing it was no longer suitable to stay outside for long, Qi Yuan forced his weary body to carry the stones back to the Wooden Cabin.
The current atmosphere made Qi Yuan feel a tinge of fear and worry.
Returning to the Wooden Cabin as soon as possible was more reassuring.
Qi Yuan used the previously acquired Bronze Resource Chest to transport the stones, making it more convenient and efficient.
He placed the stones in the Resource Chest and dragged them back.
It took four trips to transport all the stones back to the Wooden Cabin.
The stone mine was 400 meters from the Wooden Cabin, neither too far nor too close.
Qi Yuan hurried as fast as he could, barely managing to transport all the stones back within half an hour, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
Carrying the last box of stones, Qi Yuan rushed toward the Wooden Cabin.
The dimming sky was like a curtain descending, enveloping the entire Mist World.
Only the light from the Wooden Cabin offered a sense of security.
Just then, a "bang" sounded!
Qi Yuan tripped over something.
"What happened? I remember there shouldn't be anything here. Did I take the wrong path?" Qi Yuan thought, rubbing his waist, breaking out in a cold sweat.
But seeing the light not far away, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Curiously, Qi Yuan looked down to see what had tripped him.
"Damn! A Resource Chest?!!"
Qi Yuan rubbed his eyes, seemingly in disbelief.
A wooden chest lay on the ground, having been kicked over.
"Hahaha! Who would've thought that just walking along, a Resource Chest would deliver itself to me!" Qi Yuan laughed excitedly.
With the sky darkening and the daylight nearly gone, Qi Yuan picked up the Wooden Resource Chest and stones, jogging back to the Wooden Cabin.
He finally made it back to the Wooden Cabin before the sky completely darkened.
The oil lamp inside the Wooden Cabin was still lit, casting a warm, orange glow.
This oil lamp was quite magical; even without adding kerosene, it continued to burn, having burned since last night.
The small flame was like a beacon of hope in the dark night, weak but never extinguished... just like those struggling to survive in the Mist World!
"Whoo..."
Exhausted, Qi Yuan lay on the floor without any regard for his image, gasping for breath.
Yet his face was full of joy.
"Earlier, I was lamenting not finding any food, worried I'd have to go to bed hungry tonight, but then I stumbled upon another Resource Chest!" Qi Yuan said with emotion.
Although the items in the Bronze Resource Chest were quite good, they ultimately didn't include food.
Qi Yuan didn't believe this Resource Chest would be the same.
If it didn't... well, it didn't.
He could always trade on the platform.
Qi Yuan didn't believe everyone had the luck to find two chests just by stepping out.
Looking at the wooden chest in his hand, Qi Yuan opened it without hesitation.
It was like unwrapping a package; who wouldn't open it once it was in their hands?
Unlike the Bronze Resource Chest's blue glow, the Wooden Resource Chest had no "special effects" and opened directly.
"Indeed, it's the lowest-grade Resource Chest; the presentation is certainly lacking!"
Without further thought, Qi Yuan's gaze was immediately drawn to the items inside the Resource Chest.
There were three items.
A bottle of water and two light spheres.
Qi Yuan picked up the Mineral Water and gulped down half the bottle in one go.
It had been nearly 20 hours since he last drank water, from last night until now.
After six hours of physical labor during the day, he was extremely thirsty, already severely dehydrated.
With half a bottle of Mineral Water down, he finally felt alive again.
Shaking the remaining half bottle of Mineral Water, Qi Yuan reluctantly stashed it away.
With no source of Freshwater, conserving water was essential.
After all, Qi Yuan didn't know when he would get another bottle of Mineral Water.
Betting on finding another Resource Chest tomorrow?
And that it would conveniently contain another bottle of water?
That was too unrealistic.
Tonight, for most people, would be a night of hunger and starvation.
Only a few had managed to gather some food to stave off hunger.
Some were fortunate enough to have their Wooden Cabin near a water source.
But the lucky ones were always the minority.
Without hesitation, Qi Yuan opened the remaining two light spheres.
They contained a blanket and twenty pieces of wood.
The blanket didn't look thick, but it was quite warm.
Qi Yuan immediately draped the blanket over himself, feeling much warmer.
When he arrived, he was only wearing a T-shirt and jacket, suitable for early autumn.
It was fine during the day, but at night it was very cold; this blanket was a godsend.
The twenty pieces of wood weren't anything special and were added to the pile of wood collected during the day.
After a day's effort, the Wooden Cabin now had quite a few items.
First, in the corner near the window, on the right side of the Wooden Cabin, were 163 stones and 38 pieces of wood.
Next to them was a Flower Bed, one meter long, 0.5 meters wide, and 0.5 meters high.
However, the Flower Bed was still empty.
Next to the Flower Bed were two chests.
One was a Bronze Resource Chest, and the other was a Wooden Resource Chest.
After opening the two Resource Chests, Qi Yuan used them as Storage Chests.
In fact, Resource Chests could be recycled; the Bronze Resource Chest could be recycled into 5 units of bronze, and the Wooden Resource Chest into 5 units of wood.
But for now, the chests were more useful.
Recycling them later wouldn't be too late.
At this moment, the Bronze Chest was used to store tools, containing the Stone Axe and Iron Pickaxe.
The Wooden Chest was used by Qi Yuan as a pillow, propped up behind him.
Lying on the straw mat, covered with a Cashmere Blanket, the simple living conditions suddenly felt much more comfortable.
"Grumble, grumble..."
His stomach growled in protest.
Qi Yuan rubbed his stomach helplessly: "I didn't expect the surroundings to be so barren, not finding a single piece of food... I wonder if there's any food available for trade on the platform..."