Chapter Ten: What the Eyes Desire

They say blood blossoms are beautiful when they bloom.

Fang Tang had seen it.

Nine consecutive bursts of blood bloomed atop the crocodile's head.

Fang Tang had aimed for its eyes.

However, the powerful recoil of the **** had left his arms aching and weak, his aim suffering as a result.

Fortunately, at a distance of just over ten meters, it was enough for Fang Tang to lock his shots onto the creature's head even in this condition.

The crocodile was dead.

What a pitiful end!

It hadn’t even gotten close to its enemy before being struck down by sixteen Magnum rounds.

A lamentable demise.

Fang Tang’s arms hung limply at his sides.

His hands trembled, needing some time to recover.

But with cost comes reward.

A crocodile’s corpse could yield many valuable items.

Sharp teeth, nearly intact crocodile skin, and a pale reddish bead.

As for the bead, the explanation supplied by the Eye was vague.

[A product of the rules, only found in certain powerful creatures, and only a breakdown hammer can create such a thing inside them. Keep it safe; it’s very valuable, even more so than that tail hook.]

The Riddler—the Eye—had gone online.

Fang Tang had no interest in pressing further.

Suppressing the weakness in his hands, he opened the bronze chest.

He obtained: one bottle of mineral water, five chocolates, two cans of cola, two packs of wafer biscuits, four wads of cotton, and two iron ingots.

And, from dismantling the bronze chest, three copper ingots.

All in all, a bountiful harvest.

Most importantly, he unlocked four new resources.

A cause for celebration.

He spread out the newspaper and clicked on Xie Ling’s name.

With difficulty, he typed: “What’s your shoe size? I can still make another pair of shock-absorbing insoles.”

Shock-absorbing insoles required 20 fibers per pair. He had bought forty, planning to make the second pair for Xie Ling, as a token of thanks for all the precious blueprints she had shared.

Besides, who wouldn’t want to befriend the lucky one?

Xie Ling: “Huh? Boss, is that blueprint for insoles?”

Fang Tang: “**** puts a huge strain on my hands. I can’t type much now, so let’s keep it short. Shoe size.”

Xie Ling: “Boss, are you okay?”

Xie Ling: “Oh, my size is... 35.”

“Thirty-five?”

Fang Tang paused, surprised.

You can tell a person’s build from their feet; such small feet usually belong to a petite figure.

Hmm... so tiny.

[Oh my, my gorgeous waves! I suggest you find someone else to trade with, maybe that one who wanted to keep you warm at night.]

“Heh...”

Fang Tang ignored the Eye completely.

After spending two minutes making a pair of size 36 insoles, he put them up for trade and sent the link to Xie Ling.

Xie Ling: “Eek... Boss, thank you for your kindness! These insoles are so comfortable!”

Fang Tang: “Enough, my hands hurt.”

Xie Ling: “Alright, Boss, get some rest. I won’t bother you anymore.”

Fang Tang sat on the ground, looking toward his target destination.

“You said there’s something you want in there. What is it?”

[Use your brain for once and think it over. Don’t come running to Daddy with every little question.]

“...”

A vein throbbed on Fang Tang’s forehead.

This Eye was getting more and more unbearable!

After resting for about half an hour, Fang Tang’s hands had regained some strength. Though still sore, at least they could move freely.

Getting used to the pickaxe, Fang Tang charged into Cave 21.

The first thing he saw was two tables, catching him off guard.

“Two... two blueprints?”

And in the corner, an iron chest.

“Whoa, this cave is loaded with resources. Did Xie Ling’s luck rub off on me? Am I finally breaking my streak?”

Clicking his tongue in amazement, Fang Tang walked over to the tables.

He couldn’t understand what was depicted on either blueprint.

After adding them to the newspaper, he licked his dry lips.

Level 2 Dwelling: Level 1 Dwelling ×1, Iron Ore ×15, Fabric ×4.

Fabric: Fiber ×2, Cotton ×2.

Blueprints for upgrading the tent and other essentials.

Was that it?

Was this what the Eye wanted most?

Fang Tang was baffled.

Yet, deep down he was a little happy.

At last, he wouldn’t have to sleep in that ragged tent tonight.

[A level 2 tent is just barely livable. If you had a level 3, you’d sleep even better.]

Fang Tang: “...”

Alright, you win!

You can compromise on anything—except for sleep.

“It’s time to get to work. We must find the materials for fabric so we can sleep in peace.”

He had no intention of trading; resources needed to be stockpiled. Trading precious goods for ordinary items was only for emergencies. Usually, it was better to trade for elemental stones and such.

[Hmm, the cave to the right has a big watermelon, the one to the left has a shovel blueprint, the one ahead is empty, you’ve been to the one above, and the one below has two bronze chests.]

“Two bronze chests?”

Fang Tang was a bit surprised.

It seemed Xie Ling’s luck really had blessed him.

Two double-yolked eggs at once—double the joy!

The Eye, eager to see the tent upgraded, even sketched out an efficient route.

Upon witnessing this, Fang Tang couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

“You had this function all along—why didn’t you use it earlier?”

[That’s a question for you.]

For me?

The game’s only just begun, for goodness’ sake!

Shaking his head, Fang Tang pushed those thoughts aside and started digging toward Cave 22.

There was a big watermelon there.

Luckily, the Eye’s route didn’t include any cave creatures.

Otherwise, with his hands in this state, he’d only end up as an extra course for them.

After collecting the watermelon and a glass cup, Fang Tang headed to Cave 23.

Perhaps his luck had run out with the double yolks, for Caves 23 and 24 were both empty.

Through Cave 24, he returned to Cave 21, then continued to Cave 25.

There was a shovel blueprint there.

Shovel: Iron Ingot ×1, Wood ×1.

Unlike the pickaxe, the shovel was not a rule-based item.

No matter how hard you dug, it couldn’t open up the next cave.

It was just for digging soil.

Cave 26 was below 25. With his shock-absorbing insoles, Fang Tang hopped down with ease.

Twenty-six was empty.

“Looks like all my luck’s in the next cave.”

With a sigh, Fang Tang broke through to Cave 27.

Two bronze chests sat diagonally across from each other.

He opened them one by one, and even he was a little surprised by the contents.

He obtained: three coffees, one toothpaste, one roll of toilet paper, one bar of soap, one lighter, and four wads of cotton.

And that was just from one; the other contained: eight fibers, two iron ingots, two copper ingots, two silver ingots, two chicken legs, and a bag of salt.

Plus, six copper ingots from breaking down the two bronze chests.

As the saying goes: a thunderclap on level ground, sudden wealth, and in no time, a man of means—exactly Fang Tang’s predicament now.

He cried out: I love bronze!

With these necessities in hand, Fang Tang’s grin nearly reached his ears.

Not only that, but he now had all the materials needed for a level 2 tent.

First, he crafted four pieces of fabric, then threw the tent from his back onto the newspaper and began making the level 2 tent.

It would take half an hour to make, but Fang Tang wasn’t in a hurry—he could use the rest.

He looked with interest toward the other four caves.

Golden text flashed before his eyes.

[There’s a crocodile in the cave ahead, a swarm of bats in the cave to the right, something terrifying in the left cave, and a man-eating flower below.

My goodness, is this the price of overdrawing your luck? You’re surrounded by danger—think carefully about your next move!]