[Transaction Successful]
It arrived!
Chen Shu eagerly took out the nutrient soil.
There wasn't much in the bag, about twenty pounds or so.
If he used all the nutrient soil for cultivation, it wouldn't cover much, but it mentioned that it could be mixed with regular soil, which should yield good results.
For now, there wasn't a place to plant it. He couldn't just randomly pick a spot next to the treehouse.
As for why someone would trade this, it wasn't hard to guess. At this time, who had the mind for planting? Besides, seeds weren't easy to come by.
Even if you got seeds, there was no guarantee you'd live to see the day they bore fruit. Better to trade for something useful.
Chen Shu stored the nutrient soil away and prepared to continue trading.
Looking up, he realized that night had fallen without him noticing.
The temperature was dropping rapidly, and wearing just a short-sleeved shirt, he felt a chill and hugged his shoulders involuntarily.
Since there was no light indoors, he used flint to start a fire.
The first attempt was a bit rough, but he eventually succeeded.
Watching the fire inside, Chen Shu felt a bit more secure.
He stood up and looked outside. It was silent, with no sign of any fierce beasts.
Just as he doubted their presence, a roar echoed in his ears.
"Roar—"
The roar was deep and intimidating, carrying an undeniable dominance.
Chen Shu's heart tightened as he looked cautiously out the window.
The night was as dark as ink, pitch-black, with nothing visible. Only the occasional sound of branches snapping and the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard from afar.
"Are there really fierce beasts!?"
"Why does it sound so much like a tiger?"
The image of a tiger flashed in Chen Shu's mind, sending a shiver down his spine.
It seemed that going out at night was out of the question. But then he remembered that the Novice Protection Period was only seven days. Did that mean they'd face these beasts after seven days?
The thought made him anxious.
He knew he had to quickly improve his survival skills and craft sharp weapons to protect himself.
Returning to the fire, the World Channel was buzzing.
"Damn, guys, there really are fierce beasts. Good thing I ran fast, or I'd have been eaten."
"Really? What did it look like?"
"I didn't dare look, just ran."
"Same here, and there are more than one. Feels like I stirred up a nest."
"No worries, as long as you stay in the treehouse, you're safe."
"This treehouse doesn't even have a light. It's pitch black, can't see or do anything."
"Start a fire, at least it gives some sense of security."
"How do you start a fire? You guys aren't all using the old fire-making technique, are you? Putting those skills to use?"
"Nope, I got a lighter from a treasure chest."
"..."
The Chat Channel was lively. At this time, there wasn't much else to do but seek comfort and brag here.
Chen Shu looked around. It wasn't too dark, with the fire, the Control Console's light, and the glow from the Data Panel, he could at least see inside the treehouse.
As for the fierce beasts, there was no immediate worry. Staying in the treehouse was safe.
Honestly, watching these people chat was entertaining.
The conversation ranged from fierce beasts to survival, then to the future, and finally back to tonight's dinner, with topics so varied it was amusing.
"I'm so hungry, do any of you have food? Share some with me."
"Who has extra food to share at this time?"
"Exactly, this fish is just enough for me. (photo)"
"Wow, how do you still have fish?"
"Caught it, I've been a fishing expert since I was a kid, catching fish is a breeze."
"Your grilling skills are average though, it's all burnt. Eating that will cause cancer, trade it to me, I'll take the pain for you."
"Get lost, having something to eat is good enough, don't be picky. Flatter me a bit, and maybe I'll let you nibble on some fish bones later."
"..."
Talking about dinner reminded Chen Shu of the roast chicken he hadn't eaten yet.
Seeing these people flaunt their dinners, he couldn't resist.
He placed the roast chicken in the center, surrounded it with Purple Scale Fruit and Honey Fruit, and finally added slices of Starbeam Pomelo.
The Starbeam Pomelo was similar to the pomelos he'd had before, but the flesh was star-shaped, crystal clear, and mouthwatering.
After taking a photo, he sent it out.
"Tonight's dinner, simple yet delicious!"
The angle of his photo was perfect, and with the flickering firelight, it looked like a candlelit dinner to those unaware.
"Damn! Roast chicken!"
"Damn! Roast chicken!"
"Damn! Roast chicken!"
"Really roast chicken! And fruit, that's so lavish. Why am I stuck with bread?"
"What fruit is that? Looks delicious."
"Roast chicken? Where? How much for an all-nighter?"
"?"
"?"
"Buddy, this is genuine roast chicken, do you even know what you're saying?"
"Real roast chicken? There's a fake kind?"
"You're hopeless."
"Bro, give me a drumstick, or even the head, if not, the tail will do."
"..."
After posting the photo, Chen Shu didn't say anything else, just quietly watched them.
For the first time, he felt their longing for food. Many messaged him privately, and some wanted to add him as a friend, but he refused them all.
It was hard enough to get a roast chicken, no way he was sharing.
Besides, he rarely ate it before, and today he intended to indulge, though he lacked a main course.
In the Exchange, he saw someone selling rice, clearly from a treasure chest.
But the price was outrageous, treating people like fools.
Chen Shu initially wanted to trade for some, then make bamboo tube rice, but now it seemed rice wasn't essential.
The roast chicken was incredibly fragrant.
While eating, Chen Shu fiddled with the Data Panel.
He'd read the Announcements several times, except for the Tide, which he didn't quite understand, everything else was clear.
The Weather only showed two days: today was clear with a temperature of 32 degrees.
Tomorrow was uncertain, with a 70% chance of being sunny, 20% cloudy, and a 10% chance of showers.
Cloudy seemed best, though the probability was low.
Sunny days were too hot, and constant exploration was exhausting.
Rainy days were the worst, either braving the rain or staying in the treehouse all day, wasting the Novice Protection Period.
Chen Shu could only hope it wouldn't rain.