Chapter 10: The Approaching Cold Wave and Trading for a Wooden Bed

[Fog Announcement]

To face the upcoming super cold wave, all creatures are hoarding food for the winter.

From tomorrow, the activity and aggression of wild animals will increase!

To help survivors better withstand the cold wave,

Starting tomorrow, the refresh rate of resource boxes will increase, as will the probability of finding food and clothing in them!

Please take the cold wave seriously! Strive to survive!

...

The [Fog Announcement] was brief, but it filled all the survivors in the world of fog with worry.

Starting tomorrow, even gathering resources during the day won't be absolutely safe.

Moreover, fierce wild animals, in order to survive the cold wave, will start attacking survivors.

However, the good news is that the frequency of resource boxes will increase!

The probability of finding food and winter items will also increase.

Seeing this announcement, James becomes serious.

He had underestimated the cold wave, but now he feels a bit worried!

Such an announcement must mean that most humans are not expected to survive the cold wave.

Hence the warning and preferential treatment to help survivors withstand it.

The next few days will be focused on facing the cold wave!

First is food!

James must quickly gather more food, preparing to stay in the shelter during the winter.

Next is warmth!

Clothes, blankets, fireplaces, and all other heating tools must be prepared as much as possible.

The chat channel starts buzzing with activity!

"Will there be wild animals tomorrow? So scary!"

"I was attacked by a wild animal on the first night. The outside wall of my wooden house is full of claw marks!"

"Wild animals are okay, just don't go out. But what about food?"

"I'm so hungry! Haven't eaten in two days!"

"Haha, I found another resource box today, got 5 pieces of bread!"

"Don't be too arrogant!"

"Brother, trade? I'll exchange stones and wood for it."

"Forget it, who would trade food now!"

"Have you noticed it's getting colder?"

"I'm from the north, and the current weather feels like winter up there!"

"This is just before the cold wave. It's going to get even colder!"

"Sigh, some can't even survive before the cold wave. 10000 in the area chat, and already more than 150 people are gone."

"Same here..."

"Me too..."

Facing death, seeing people die in the world of fog, everyone realizes this is not a game!

It's about real survival!

Surviving is truly a heavy word!

James is tense, thinking about how to gather enough food in just a few days.

But thankfully, more resources for the winter will refresh from tomorrow!

To survive the cold wave, this is the only chance!

The announcement creates a sense of urgency in everyone.

The trading market becomes lively.

In the market, the value of stones remains high, though better than yesterday.

Yesterday's stone-to-wood ratio was 6:1.

Today it's down to 3:1.

James uses 33 stones to trade for 100 wood in the market.

He opens the shelter information page in the [Handbook of Survival in the Fog].

Clicks to build a workshop and living room!

[Confirm the consumption of 50 wood and 10 stones to build a living room?]

[Confirm the consumption of 50 wood to build a workshop?]

Confirmed!

Similar to upgrading the shelter, a white light appears, covering the entire cabin.

But the next moment, a floor plan appears before James.

[Survivor, please choose the construction location!]

James is startled, not expecting such intelligence.

The floor plan shows both the living room and workshop as 8 square meters, tiny.

According to James's idea of using the living room as a bedroom, he places it on the right side of the cabin.

The living room, a 2×4 rectangle, is placed vertically against the wall, leaving a 1-meter corridor.

The workshop is also 2×4 and placed next to the living room.

As the white light fades, the cabin is divided into three parts.

James rolls up the grass mat and enters the living room with the handbook.

A small stove sits in the corner, resembling a fireplace but much smaller.

James rubs his frozen hands, eager to start a fire in the stove.

The stove is more effective than the open fire.

It uses less wood, generates more heat, and is safer, with its base made of stone.

In the small 8 square meter space, the stove significantly increases the temperature.

The bright flames light up the room.

For the first time during a night in the world of fog, James experiences such bright light.

"So much warmer!" James lies comfortably on the grass mat, disdainfully pulling at it.

"If only I had a bed. I wonder if I can buy one in the trading market..."

James opens the trading market and searches for "bed."

Dozens of pages of bed information appear.

[Hawaiian Style Hammock]

[Water Bed Crafting Scroll]

[Lathe Bed Blueprint]

[Simple Style Bedside Table]

[Trampoline Blueprint]

[Bed Sheet]

[...]

Various items appear, dazzling James.

Excluding trampolines, water beds, and the like, leaving only beds for sleeping, there are still over a dozen pages.

After browsing, James finds that most are overpriced.

Beds are not essential right now, so their price is unreasonable.

Among all items, James spots a decent bed.

**[Forest Style Simple Wooden Single Bed]**

Priced at 40 wood or 20 stones, not too outrageous.

No decorations or accessories, just a bed frame and a board.

After bargaining, James trades it for 13 stones.

After buying wood, he has 143 stones left.

After buying the bed, exactly 130 remain.

James then searches for "quilt."

Not really expecting to find any, he's surprised to find several pages.

[Thin Air Conditioning Quilt] for 100 stones

[Thick Lamb Wool Quilt] for 1000 stones or food

[Snowflake Fluff Quilt Crafting Scroll] for 500 stones, food, or other special items

[Dormitory Cotton Mattress Quilt] for 9999 stones or other resources

[Winter Quilt Thick Version] for 200 stones, 600 wood

[...]

James is amazed to find so many quilts, especially of high quality!

Even more surprising is the number of people willing to sell!

A thick cotton quilt could greatly increase survival chances.

However, although many list quilts for trade, they don't intend to sell.

The prices are exorbitant, even impossibly high.

James thinks only a fool would buy!

After reviewing all quilt information, he finds none at a reasonable price.

"Seems I need to think of something else..." James murmurs, "From tomorrow, more resource boxes will appear. I should reduce mining time and explore more, hoping to find more resource boxes!"

James searches for "Flesh Essence" in the market.

Surprisingly, he finds over ten pages!

He contacts several sellers to learn about "Flesh Essence."

It indeed comes from animals.

Common animals don't produce it, only dropping meat.

Then, good-quality animals, upon death, don't drop much meat.

Instead, they condense into a small bottle of "Flesh Essence."

James marvels, not expecting so many to have encountered and successfully killed wild beasts.

With 7 billion people, many are powerful!

James tries to buy "Flesh Essence," thinking it will take forever to gather on his own.

James: Hi, how are you selling the Flesh Essence?

Quincy: Five days of food plus 100 stones.

James: Goodbye

Quincy: It's worth it! I killed a nearly two-meter-long wolf, thinking I'd get lots of meat, but only got two pieces. The rest turned into this bottle of Flesh Essence!

James: Did it drop other materials? Wolf bones? Claws?

Having chatted with several sellers, James knows enough not to be easily fooled.

When he first learned about this, he was shocked!

He even felt sorry for those who killed the beasts.

It's sad to kill a good-quality beast, thinking you'll have food, only to get one or two pieces of meat.

If James faced this, he'd be devastated.

These people don't understand the use of "Flesh Essence."

But that doesn't stop them from knowing its value, so the prices are high.

Then, a trade message catches James's eye.

[Flesh Essence ×2] in exchange for antipyretic or antibacterial disinfectant drugs!

Needs medicine!

James has that!

The water from the Spring Eye has sterilization and health benefits!

Besides the spring water, there's even better "Healing Potion"!

And typically, those seeking medicine are likely injured!

This person, Luke, is probably injured or feverish and urgently needs medication.

In such cases, the price won't be too stiff!

The value of medicine far exceeds the unknown "Flesh Essence"!

James opens a private chat with Luke...

James: Hi, how are you selling the Flesh Essence?

Luke responds slowly, apparently not waiting by the handbook.

It takes nearly 15 minutes to reply.

Luke: Only exchanging for medicine, antipyretic and disinfectant!

James: The value of Flesh Essence can't compare to medicine.

Luke: Do you really have medicine? How will you trade?

James relaxes, seeing Luke indeed needs medicine urgently.

James: Tell me your situation, antipyretic and disinfectant are two different medicines.

Luke: Antipyretic primarily! If it really works, name your price!

Luke: Flesh Essence comes from good-quality animals, you should know! Since you want to buy, you must know its use!

Luke: I'm a retired special forces soldier, I can kill more animals and provide Flesh Essence long-term!

Luke sends several messages, seemingly worried James won't agree.

James: I don't have antipyretic, but how about this?

He sends information about the spring water.

After returning, James takes all 500 ml of spring water from the Spring Eye, the daily output.

He uses the wooden container from Mary for the river water, a perfect fit.