With a deep breath, Yun Xiao Yi gathered all the experience points, and his Level shot up as he tried to observe the pattern of Level increases. It seemed that the amount of experience required to level up would increase correspondingly; however, the difficulty of leveling up was still acceptable! Feeling a bit relieved, Yun Xiao Yi found some comfort in this.
Looking at the mountains of Coal on the ground that were difficult to carry, his heart ached. Then he suddenly realized: How could I be so foolish? I can directly combine Coal into Coal Blocks!
He lightly slapped his forehead, thinking of a simple solution. In this world, many resources could be converted into another form for storage. Just like nine pieces of Coal could be crafted into one Coal Block; similarly, one Coal Block could be broken down into nine pieces of Coal. Compared to the storage efficiency of individual Coal, Coal Blocks were clearly a better choice.
After combining the remaining Coal into Coal Blocks and storing them in his backpack, Yun Xiao Yi now had over ten Coal Blocks on hand—enough to last a lifetime!
Logically, there should be an Iron Ore Zone surrounding the Coal Mine Area. Recalling what he learned in middle school geography class, although his memory was somewhat hazy, Yun Xiao Yi was confident in his judgment. After all, in the game’s setting, iron ore typically appeared in blocks near Coal.
Though this game seemed to simplify the model of reality, it was quite close to reality in terms of detail handling. Therefore, Yun Xiao Yi did not blindly venture into the dark depths of the mine again; instead, he began exploring both sides in search of potential access to other mineral deposits.
At the same time, he used his tools to craft a batch of Shovels to ensure he had sufficient supplies. Holding a sturdy Shovel in each hand, he felt ready for anything!
After encouraging himself loudly, Yun Xiao Yi began rhythmically striking and digging. The quiet depths of the mine echoed with the continuous and regular sounds of footsteps and the clinking of his tools against stone.
After a period of relentless effort, Lady Luck finally smiled upon this diligent individual. Yun Xiao Yi finally found the long-awaited Iron Ore Zone. However, this iron ore was not concentrated in large veins but rather scattered in small clusters around the Coal deposits.
But this was enough to bring joy.
With a sense of satisfaction, Yun Xiao Yi meticulously checked every area that might conceal iron ore, collecting each one carefully. For every piece of Iron Ore discovered, Yun Xiao Yi would unhesitatingly use Shi Hao to extract it.
Interestingly, during this process, Yun Xiao Yi noticed that the efficiency of iron ore drops seemed to be similarly affected by the realities of the world. The quality of the iron here was not ideal; most of it was Pyrite. Each time an Iron Ore was mined, it yielded only a rough, unrefined Iron Block. By melting the raw iron in a furnace, one could obtain Iron Ingots.
There was a dazzling array of items that could be crafted from Iron Ingots. However, at this moment, Yun Xiao Yi chose not to synthesize them immediately but instead decided to store all nine Iron Ingots as a single Iron Brick in her backpack. She set a small goal: to fill the remaining Backpack Capacity with Iron Bricks.
"Brother, come quickly! Look over there, there's a Dwarf Deer!"
In a range of rolling mountains, two hunters of different heights hid among the trees, holding their Knife Bows as they quietly aimed at the Dwarf Deer that was grazing with its head down.
"Shh, I see it."
The elder brother lowered his bow from his back. Drawing the string and nocking an arrow, he pulled back like a full moon, locking onto his target.
Whoosh!
The arrow sliced through the air, piercing through the foliage and leaving a fatal mark on the deer’s body. Perhaps the arrow had not struck a vital spot or perhaps due to the Dwarf Deer’s unusually strong vitality; despite being hit, it still fled in panic deep into the forest.
The elder brother felt a pang of urgency and quickly leaped from his hiding place, sprinting after the Dwarf Deer. Along the way, he continuously drew his bow and nocked arrows, attempting to shoot at the prey once more.
Another shot fired.
The arrow flew true.
This time, the arrow accurately struck the neck of the Dwarf Deer, and bright red blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the ground.
Due to excessive bleeding, the Dwarf Deer became increasingly sluggish, eventually collapsing and lying still. The shorter figure beside him, Qing Ren, marveled at the sight.
"Brother, your archery skills are remarkable!"
The elder brother remained unfazed, his expression calm. "Let's hurry and take care of this deer; we need to be cautious not to attract other wild beasts."
"Yes," came the cheerful reply as he walked towards the fallen Dwarf Deer.
This deer was a treasure trove. Its meat was edible, its blood had uses, and its hide could be fashioned into clothing to withstand the harsh winter. Especially with the recent winters becoming increasingly cold, the price of deer hides had been rising steadily.
As they approached, the elder brother noticed something unusual about their surroundings—scattered throughout the open area were many clean tree stumps. He reached out to touch one of these strange wooden stumps.
The surface was as smooth as a mirror! It didn’t seem like it was cut by human hands.
"What’s going on?" he murmured, frowning in confusion.
"Brother, come quickly! There’s a special torch here!" Qing Ren exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the ground with a look of astonishment on his face.
Upon closer inspection, this torch was unlike any other; it had a flame burning at its tip but emitted no heat whatsoever—only a slight warmth could be felt. The Light Hunter curiously reached out to touch it.
"Are you trying to lose your hand?" The elder brother swiftly stepped forward to stop his action.
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