Unknowingly, Chen Shu had already scoured the entire area within a kilometer of the treehouse, spending over an hour in the process.
He made several trips back and forth between the treehouse, just to unload the items from his backpack into the treehouse.
Sitting at the entrance, Chen Shu ate bread and drank mineral water, gazing into the distance while checking what the "silly netizens" were chatting about.
The bread was from the Starter Pack, which he had been reluctant to eat before. But now, with plenty of food available, he no longer had to worry about going hungry, so there was no need to be frugal.
"Buddy, I hit the jackpot. There's a lake here, so I'll never run out of water."
"No way, you haven't bound your Shelter yet? There's free water in the treehouse."
"What??????"
"Hahaha... This guy clearly hasn't bound it. Probably hasn't checked the World Channel much either."
"Guess he got excited for nothing. Water is probably the most abundant resource in this world."
"......"
Seeing this, Chen Shu couldn't help but laugh.
He closed the World Channel, and before him was still an endless forest, all green with nothing else in sight.
Now, if he wanted to continue gathering resources, he had to venture further out.
He needed to make good use of this day and his "Resource Perceiver" identity.
He knew that after today, it might not be so easy to obtain resources.
Finishing the bread in his hand, Chen Shu set out again with the stone axe.
This time, he chose to head west, as the small stream he had seen earlier came from that direction. He only brought a stone axe, so he could carry more resources.
During this hour of exploration, he figured out a few things.
First, if he held items in his hands, they wouldn't take up backpack space. If the backpack slots were sufficient, he could store items inside; if not, he could carry them by hand.
For instance, he only took a stone axe with him now, which he could put in the backpack to save some weight.
Secondly, he found the Map Function on the Data Panel extremely useful.
It automatically recorded and mapped out the places he actually walked, like a footprint recorder.
It was just like the games he had played before, where unexplored areas on the map were black, and they lit up after being visited.
What delighted him most was the Marking Function on the map, allowing him to mark resource locations with red dots.
For example, the bushes he had previously harvested still had some unripe Purple Scale Fruits. He could use the Marking Function to place a red dot on the map, making it easier to find next time. You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.
The longer Chen Shu stayed in this world, the more it felt like a game world, with many functions resembling those in games he had played before.
Following the stream westward, Chen Shu saw many red dots in his vision, though most were in the river, including some fish and shrimp.
[Crucian Carp], [Freshwater Shrimp], [Stream Grouper], [Stream Crab]...
Chen Shu could see fish swimming around without going in. The stream wasn't very deep, only reaching his calves, but the fish and shrimp were too alert, fleeing at the slightest disturbance.
He tried taking off his shoes to catch them by hand, but before he could get close, the fish and shrimp vanished without a trace.
It seemed eating river delicacies was impossible for now; he would have to wait to see if he could find suitable tools later.
Chen Shu put his shoes back on and continued, spotting many marked red dots along the way.
"More Purple Scale Fruits, there's really a lot of these. What if I can't sell them later?"
"What's that? Wood Ear! There's even such a good thing?"
"Oh wow, there's even Sichuan Pepper here!"
Seeing the items before him, Chen Shu was overjoyed.
[Wild Sichuan Pepper: A common wild spice with a rich numbing aroma, used in cooking to enhance flavor. It also has medicinal value, helping to dispel cold and dampness, and relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.]
This was a great find, definitely worth noting.
For someone who loves spicy food, Sichuan Pepper is a "soulmate."
This was the first seasoning he had discovered so far, and he began to look forward to the days ahead. If there was Wild Sichuan Pepper, there might also be Wild Chili Pepper, Wild Ginger, Wild Garlic, and the like.
Thinking of this, Chen Shu started fantasizing about eating hot pot in the future, involuntarily swallowing his saliva.
There were quite a few Sichuan Pepper trees in this area, but he didn't rush to pick them. There was no way to cook them now, and he couldn't eat them raw.
He marked the location on the map, planning to harvest them later.
With this discovery, Chen Shu was full of motivation.
After walking just a few steps, another red dot appeared in his vision, catching his eye.
[Flint: Commonly known as firestone, a type of siliceous rock used for making tools or starting fires.]
Got it, got it!
This was an essential survival resource in the wild. With it, he wouldn't need to start a fire by rubbing sticks together.
This forest was truly a treasure trove, with everything one could need.
Chen Shu felt like he wasn't here to survive but to treasure hunt, discovering new surprises every few steps.
But he also knew that his ability to easily find flint relied entirely on his "Resource Perceiver" identity.
The general Item Identification Function only provided information upon hand contact, whereas he could directly perceive resources within a certain range and see clear markers and information.
This ability made him extremely efficient in finding resources, far surpassing ordinary people.
Chen Shu collected all the flint on the ground, not much, just fourteen pieces.
He could keep a few for himself and sell the rest at the Exchange later.
They had just been transported here not long ago, and many people probably hadn't started a fire yet. More accurately, they hadn't even thought about starting a fire. Once they calmed down or the temperature dropped at night, they would realize the importance of fire.
By then, these flints would surely fetch a good price.
Chen Shu calculated in his mind, already thinking about what he should trade for.
Twenty minutes later, he changed direction, preparing to head back.
There was no choice; he had too many things and couldn't carry them all.
To pack these items, he even used his jacket to wrap them and carry them on his back.
Although he was heading back, he didn't retrace his steps.
Initially, he had reached the stream and then followed it westward. Now he could head directly towards the treehouse, forming a triangle with the paths he had taken.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so there was no need to take a detour.
Moreover, taking a different route allowed him to check for other resources. Even if he couldn't carry them now, he could mark them for next time.
By the time he returned to the treehouse, it was already noon, and the temperature had noticeably risen.
Although the canopy of the Dragonspine Tree blocked most of the sunlight, quite a bit still filtered through the gaps, making it feel somewhat stuffy.
Chen Shu wiped the sweat from his forehead, washed his face, and then organized the morning's resources.
Inside the treehouse, aside from a Workbench, a Wooden Washstand, and a Control Screen, there was hardly anything else. It could be seen as a large warehouse, where he could place things anywhere, but he still needed to categorize them.