Han Shuang looked at the Starbeam Pomelo and Honey Fruit in front of her. To be honest, she had never seen these things before, but they seemed quite good.
They must be specialties of this world, though she had no idea what they tasted like.
Ah! She should have asked that person earlier, what if they didn't taste good?
But now that the trade was done, asking wouldn't make any difference. Judging by the description, they shouldn't be too bad.
She wondered where that person got them from, why didn't she have such luck?
No matter, she decided to eat first to fill her stomach. After a quick rinse with water, she took a bite.
Just the first bite, and Han Shuang was amazed by the taste of the Honey Fruit.
It was juicy, moderately sweet, with a faint fragrance. The texture was excellent, the kind of taste you wouldn't forget after trying it once.
He must have more, right?
Han Shuang thought to herself. Usually, fruits don't grow just one at a time, maybe she could trade with him again in the future.
Meanwhile, Chen Shu, after exchanging for some decent items, began his afternoon work.
He didn't know about others, but he didn't have time to rest.
The watermelon seeds could be set aside for now, to be used when conditions allowed.
Many things would surely be useful in the future, so it was wise to stock up now. Otherwise, when the time came, the price would definitely not be the same.
For example, watermelon seeds. In a while, when everyone's life settles down, it would be difficult to trade two fruits for them.
Chen Shu took two bottles of water and set out again. Fishing could wait; it required long periods of waiting and focus, which wasn't suitable for today.
This time, his goal was to explore the surroundings as much as possible. Since the map had a marking function, he could always come back to gather resources later.
This way, he could save time and energy and ensure he wouldn't miss any valuable resources.
This time, he headed downstream along the creek, in the opposite direction from the morning.
Before leaving the treehouse, he put some flint up for sale at the Exchange.
There were two ways to sell: the first was a fixed trade like before, [1 loaf of bread for 30 pieces of stone], where buyers could directly exchange by providing the corresponding materials.
The other was like Han Shuang's trade for any item, requiring buyers to provide materials, and the seller would choose and confirm the trade.
Chen Shu listed a total of 10 pieces of flint, opting for the latter method.
He didn't know what he needed at the moment. Others probably didn't have Energy Crystals either, so he would have to see what others offered.
Along the way, he carefully observed the environment, not missing any resource hotspots.
He hadn't walked far before discovering a patch of wild blueberries.
The fruits were a deep blue, looking very tempting.
He tried one; it was a bit sour but acceptable.
He marked the location, planning to return later.
After walking for nearly an hour, he stopped in his tracks at the sight before him.
He saw a massive waterfall, with water cascading down from a height, creating a thunderous roar.
The mist formed a beautiful rainbow under the sunlight, but Chen Shu wasn't in the mood to admire it.
Below the waterfall was a pool, its water crystal clear, with countless fish swimming within. The creek eventually flowed into this pool.
The pool wasn't large, about the size of two football fields.
"Wow—this is quite spectacular!" Chen Shu couldn't help but exclaim.
He never imagined such a beautiful scene hidden deep within this forest.
If this were on Earth, it would definitely be a tourist spot, perfect for an open-air barbecue.
He stood by the pool, enjoying the coolness brought by the mist.
After a brief rest, Chen Shu prepared to move on, but as he stood up, he noticed a red dot in the pool.
The fishery resources here were already abundant, with too many red dots to count, so he hadn't paid much attention initially.
But upon closer inspection, he found this red dot was special—it wasn't fish or shrimp but a treasure chest.
[Level 2 Treasure Chest: Contains basic materials, with a chance to yield rare resources and special items.]
"A treasure chest!?"
Chen Shu's eyes lit up instantly, and his fatigue vanished.
Finally, he had found something worthwhile.
His luck seemed to be turning around.
And it was a Level 2 Treasure Chest, indicating that treasure chests had levels, and there might be even higher-level ones.
Now the question was, how to get this treasure chest?
The chest wasn't very deep, but it was a bit far from the shore. Standing on the bank, he could just make out its blurry outline.
To get the chest, it seemed there was no other way but to dive down.
His swimming skills weren't great, but he could manage. The depth shouldn't be a problem.
Chen Shu pondered for a moment and decided to go down and retrieve it.
He instinctively glanced around, then took off his clothes.
After all, there was no one for miles around, but he maintained his dignity by keeping his underwear on—just in case there was something big in the pool...
With his clothes off, Chen Shu demonstrated what a "cannonball" was.
He soon reached the bottom, startling the surrounding fish into scattering.
Among these fish, he saw some that were several dozen centimeters long, but unfortunately, he couldn't deal with them now.
But he wasn't worried; since he was the only one here, this pool was essentially his private fish pond, free of charge.
"Finally got you." Chen Shu thought happily, reaching out to store the treasure chest in his backpack, then swam back to the shore with all his might.
Back on the shore, he wiped the water from his face and immediately took out the treasure chest, not even bothering to put on his clothes.
[Do you want to open the Level 2 Treasure Chest?]
Did that even need asking? Of course.
Upon confirmation, the lock on the chest clicked open.
[Roast Chicken: A golden, crispy roast chicken, looks very tempting, can be eaten directly. (Best consumed within 12 hours)]
[Iron Axe: Suitable for chopping wood, can also be used as a melee weapon, more durable and sharper than a Stone Axe.]
[Fruit Knife: A small, portable folding fruit knife, very practical.]
[Rattan Chair Blueprint: A chair woven from vines, used to improve living quality. Needs to be added to the Workbench to create.]
[Backpack Upgrade Crystal (Special Item): Used to increase backpack capacity, adding more slots for carrying items.]
Wow... What a divine treasure chest, the items inside are amazing.
The roast chicken alone was a godsend at this time!
Who could refuse a roast chicken while trying to survive?
The roast chicken in front of him was golden and crispy, exuding an enticing aroma that made his mouth water.
Chen Shu swallowed hard but managed to resist.
He wanted to save it for when he returned to the treehouse, to enjoy after a long day's work, paired with some fruit.
Ah—perfect!
After storing the roast chicken, he looked at the other two tools. The uses of the Iron Axe and Fruit Knife were self-evident, versatile tools.
The Rattan Chair Blueprint was also nice, though not immediately useful.
Some items weren't available in the Workbench, so to make them, you had to add the blueprints yourself, like the Rattan Chair.
In Chen Shu's view, anything related to blueprints was likely valuable, indicating rarity, not something everyone could use.
As for the last item, the "Backpack Upgrade Crystal," its purpose was clear from the description.
A rare special item, and he had found it.
The value of the first four items combined didn't match this one's. What he needed now was backpack capacity, to carry more items, reducing physical exertion and time.
This was truly a lifesaver. Of the five items, only the Rattan Chair Blueprint wasn't immediately needed, while the others were exactly what he required.