Wooden House
The last three nails was not difficult to get. Overnight, the water purifier collected a liter of pure water. The automatic fishing pulled four more material boxes.
Liu Xue debated between trading the water for nails or opening the material boxes first and eventually went with the latter; water was a more important resource and could be traded for more.
He set Xiao Bai down on the beach. Though the little fox grimaced when its feet touched the sand, it did not complain. Instead, its eyes sparkled with wonder watching the four black material boxes appear in front of itself.
"Give it a little blessing, Xiao Bai. Maybe there'll be some meat for you," Liu Xue urged. He felt the little fox was the harbinger of luck: it was his first SSS-grade sign-in he received from the system, after all.
Xiao Bai jumped onto the second box of four in the row and stamped one of its front legs. As if giving a confirmation of her choice, it gave a little cheep. Under its urging, Liu Xue stepped forwards, bent down, and opened the material box.
[Received: Black Pepper Shaker x1, A5 Wagyu Beef Striploin (Grade B) x2]
He did not have time to finish reading the prompt when Xiao Bai gave two sudden excited barks. Before he realized what that was all about, Xiao Bai dove into the box and began viciously devouring the steak.
Though the slab of meat was almost as long as its body, the little fox did not care. Its claws scored deep inside as her teeth tore, shred, and yanked bits and pieces. Bright red blood splattered all over its once fluffy white fur; the unsightly, bloodthirsty appearance was such a contrast from its previous cuddly and irresistible self that Liu Xue remained stupefied.
A whole minute passed before Liu Xue snapped back into his senses. The little box had began its relentless and barbaric consumption of the second steak.
"You really choose the box with meat… wait, hey! Xiao Bai! Leave some for me! That's premium wagyu beef, they go for several hundred dollars!"
The little fox paid him no attention.
Liu Xue was light-headed hearing her endless sounds of chewing and slurping and almost fainted when it burped. Xiao Bai looked upwards at him with streaks of blood running down its face and the satisfied look in its eyes.
Although he knew this was the first time he thought that Xiao Bai was not so cute, he had a inkling this would not be the last.
"Don't look at me with those eyes again. Do you know what you've done?" Liu Xue asked in a low voice, a blank expression on his face as he stared down at the fox.
Xiao Bai blinked its eyes twice. They were completely filled with innocence when it nodded and opened her mouth, pointing to a piece of meat stuck between its canines and incisors. Then it closed it and began chewing. Seeing its drool dripping and cheeks rolling around with nothing but imagination, he could not stay too angry.
He drew in a deep breath and picked up the little fox by its scruff. Xiao Bai seemed to have finally realized something was wrong. It failed its paws and tail around and cried out for mercy, but it was all too late.
Liu Xue set it down on the sand, took out the cylinder container of water, and poured the whole thing onto it.
"First my B-grade meat and then my liter of water, you sly, spoiled little thing. Clean and dry yourself first. Don't come over asking for pats when you're not back to your usual appearance," Liu Xue warned. "If you weren't so cute and I didn't know about your gluttony beforehand, I would've skinned you and turned you into skewers instead."
Xiao Bai made a wronged expression and tried again with the puppy's eyes, but Liu Xue held onto his expressionless facade. The little fox could only start to groom itself obediently.
"That's right, good fox. No swiping food from your master next time. If you swipe food, you become food," Liu Xue declared, satisfaction written all over his face.
He hunkered away with heavy steps—though he dealt with the grievances in his heart and gave the fox a well-deserved lesson, he was still regretful for the wagyu beef. He could only hope that the rest of the material boxes would gift him something better.
Liu Xue tore the tape off the last three boxes with nothing but a silent prayer.
[Received: Pear-flavored Juice Box x2, Pears (Grade C) x6, Pear Seeds x2]
[Received: Island Foundation Stone x1, Soil 100g (Grade A) x1]
[Received: Common Wooden Rocking Chair Blueprint x1, Binoculars (Grade C) x2]
Liu Xue's eyes sparkled as he stared down at all the open material boxes and the glittering items inside.
"Not a bad haul! There is soil for the seeds and some food for now. There's even a rocking chair blueprint. The universe really wants me to relax, huh."
After sending everything else to the storage, Liu Xue grabbed a pear and took a big crunch of it. As expected of the graded fruits, they were exceptionally crispy and sweet. He felt the cold juice of the pear course all the way to his stomach and turn into a warmth that ran all throughout his body. It rejuvenated him of his sour mood and morning fatigue. He casually put pear up for trade and instantly, it sold, prompting him with the three nails he needed.
"Finally, a house, a shelter! I don't have to sleep on the rocks or in the cold night winds."
Liu Xue entered [Construction]. The option to build the house was the first on the list and brightly lit.
[Common Wooden House (Constructable)]
[Materials Consumed: Stone x4, Wooden Board x28, Nails x30, Metal Sheet x10, Common Wooden House Blueprint x1]
[Construct? (Yes/No)]
The blue hologram of the house appeared in front of Liu Xue. He walked around the area, gauging its surroundings, seeing if the location was a good fit and eventually decided to place the house dead centre between the sea and jungle.