《Surviving Underground: Super Prompting System》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Interesting little ants, are you ready for this exciting little game?¡± Joseph, who was dizzy, muttered in a low voice, ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s that bastard who¡¯s playing such a damn joke on me.¡± When he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by a completely enclosed earth-like space. Through the weak light, Joseph found that there was not even a rock in the space of only three meters apart from himself and a shovel. It was extremely desolate. Just as Joseph felt a wave of panic, the voice from before sounded again, ¡°Little ants, as a kind person, I¡¯ll give you a small gift. The rules of the game are written on the wall in front of you. Only by familiarizing yourself with the rules will you have a chance to live longer!¡± ¡°Oh, the words on the wall can only exist for one minute!¡± Without much time to think, Joseph quickly searched the wall. Just as the voice said, there were clearly written rules of the game on the wall. Survival game rules: 1. Pick up the shovel next to you and dig hard. There might be a treasure buried under your feet that you cannot believe! 2. Arm yourself with all the resources you can, because there are some cute little things around you! 3. Try to explore this world full of fog. You may find something completely different! 4. Do not be too happy when you meet your own kind. Sometimes, they are more dangerous than the devil! 5. Finally, I have prepared a small gift for each of you. After all, the game should look like a game! Just as the minute passed, the words on the wall slowly disappeared in front of Joseph. The moment they disappeared, they suddenly turned into a puff of smoke and wrapped around his wrist. Damn it! What the hell was This? Where the hell were the priests and exorcists? Hurry up and save poor Joseph from this damn devil. Looking at the smoke that turned into a strange tattoo, Joseph could not help but greet all the female relatives of Satan. In this enclosed, terrifying environment, such a strange thing happened and overturned his worldview. How could he calm down? ¡°Damn it, one day, I¡¯ll rip your head off and stuff it into the toilet!¡± Scratching his hair in frustration, Joseph lowered his head and studied it seriously. The totem on his wrist looked like a wing. When he was sleeping at home, he was sent to such a godforsaken place. However, Joseph had no other choice. Life was like rape. He might as well lie down and enjoy it since he could not refuse. Only by living could he have a chance to take revenge on that damn guy. His finger gently touched the totem, and a virtual screen instantly appeared in front of Joseph. Chat room? Portable base? Trade? The chat room was still understandable, but what was a portable base? Could it be that it could create a base for me out of thin air like the Red Alert? Was this not too ridiculous? He casually clicked on the chat room option, and a series of words instantly appeared in front of Joseph. ¡°Can someone help me call 911? I¡¯m so scared. I want to go home. I don¡¯t want to be alone in this scary place!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a prank reality show? Why do I hear the roar of a wild beast beside me? Someone save me!¡± ¡°Save you? Even if you¡¯re the president, you also can¡¯t save yourself. Just wait for your death. Without food and clean water, we won¡¯t be able to live for more than a few days!¡± ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you guys going to listen to the rules of the game and pick up the shovel to dig?¡± ¡­ The comments kept flashing across the virtual screen in front of him as Joseph was in deep thought. It was obvious that he was not the only unlucky person who had been fooled by Satan. Although this game was repulsive, it was very fair. There was a rusty shovel in the unknown environment, so they undoubtedly placed all the people who participated in the survival game on the same starting line. Although every individual¡¯s physical fitness was different, this did not affect Joseph¡¯s anticipation for the game. He had no choice, so he could only actively participate in it. Perhaps he would really be able to discover a completely different world. Joseph began to think silently with the shovel in his hand. The clues that were provided were extremely little. Other than the rules left behind by the hateful voice, the rest needed to be explored by himself. However, he was sure that if he wanted to live, he could definitely not just sit and wait for death. However, he had to be careful in the process of digging. He never believed that things were that simple. Not only could materials be dug out, but there were also definitely dangers that he was not aware of. Thinking of this, Joseph held the shovel and began to explore the surroundings. It was not until half an hour later that he chose a corner and used the shovel to dig hard. A pile of scorched black soil piled up beside him. There was not even a piece of gravel to be seen. Let alone a damned treasure chest. This discovery immediately made Joseph moody. Not only did this meant that he had wasted his efforts, but this also meant that all the materials except for soil could only be obtained by opening a treasure chest. This undoubtedly made the pressure of survival terrifying. Wiping the sweat off his face, Joseph was a little discouraged and stuck the spade to the side. He did not expect that there would be a muffled sound of a collision. This was completely different from the sound made when digging the soil. Joseph, who was hungry and thirsty, immediately became excited. ¡°Oh my God, you finally remembered to save your poor believer?¡± Joseph praised excitedly while quickly digging. In just a minute, he found an old wooden treasure chest in the pile of soil. There was a very weird and abstract letter carved on the treasure chest. F!!! Joseph, who was about to rush forward to open the treasure chest, suddenly thought of something. He suddenly took a step back and opened the treasure chest with a shovel at a safe distance of one meter. The moment the shovel touched the treasure chest, a flame suddenly ignited around the treasure chest, even though it was only for a short second. However, when he thought of his reckless behavior just now, Joseph immediately broke out in a cold sweat. It would be fine if this was a special case, but if someone else encountered the same situation as him, then it would definitely be an even worse situation. In the absence of medical facilities, even clean water was a scarce resource. A burn could take a person¡¯s life. Thinking of this, Joseph quickly opened the chat room. Sure enough, many people had been burned by the flames and were seeking help in the chat room. After a moment of silence, Joseph quietly stared at the treasure chest in front of him and kept thinking. Were there really materials inside the treasure chest? Could there be an unknown danger? Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Phew!¡± Joseph took a deep breath. He had no other choice. If he did not open the treasure chest, he would not be able to get food and fresh water. Otherwise, he would not be able to survive for more than a few days with the harsh environment around him, It was up to God to decide whether he would live or die. Joseph swung the shovel and suddenly split the treasure chest open. The moment the treasure chest was broken, Joseph¡¯s lips curled into a smile. It was a look full of surprise. [F-Grade Treasure Chest opened: Clean water x 3 obtained.] [Cold beef burger x 2 obtained.] [Broken Magic Skill Book Fragment: Water Ball Skill obtained.] Magic Skill Book? Before Joseph could recover from his shock, a mechanical system voice rang out in his mind. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully opening the first treasure chest. The Super Prompting System has been officially activated!] [System prompt: within three meters of the host, there is an F-Grade Treasure Chest!] [System Automatic Appraisal: the treasure chest contains a sharp, short sword!] [System can automatically prompt the host of hidden treasure chests and dangers!] [Ding! Automatic data assimilation. This world¡¯s treasure chests are divided into F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS!] Joseph felt as if he was blessed by God. Not only did he find the treasure chest, but he also awakened a treasure chest that could allow him to survive in this cruel and terrifying world. ¡°However, all of this is far less important than filling my stomach first. Although it¡¯s a cold hamburger, at least it¡¯s my favorite, not a damn pizza!¡± In this completely enclosed underground world, what was more important than food and clean water? On the other hand, that damn dagger had long been forgotten by Joseph, because he had not encountered any greater danger. He picked up a hamburger and devoured it. Although the taste of the hamburger was very bad, it was indeed the most delicious food Joseph had ever eaten in his life. After eating a hamburger in one go, Joseph resisted the urge to continue eating because he did not know if there were other treasure chests with hidden food around him. This hamburger was his only food. After placing the hamburger and clean water properly, Joseph picked up the goatskin fragment. [Broken Water Ball Skill Book: fragment 1/3.] [Note: If you want to survive in the underground world, Water Ball is your most important skill!] ¡°A Magic Skill Book?¡± Looking at the notes on it, he immediately understood the importance of the Water Ball Skill. However, it was definitely not an easy task to gather three Skill Book Fragments. However, for Joseph, who had the Prompting System, it was not a difficult task. After placing the Water Ball Spell Fragment close to his body, Joseph looked at the chat room again. At this time, the chat room was even more lively. The captions on it kept on rolling in like a train. If it was not for the fact that it could be slowed down, there would be no way to get any information. ¡°Damn it, why did my treasure chest expel a bunch of wooden stones? Where did my food and clean water go?¡± ¡°Brother upstairs, you should be satisfied. I opened the treasure chest and got a Ferrari key. Now I want to die!¡± ¡°I got the latest model of Hermes¡¯ bag!¡± ¡­. Not everyone was so unlucky. Some lucky people even got a fragrant roast turkey from the treasure chest, and it was even steaming. This made Joseph, who had just finished eating a cold hamburger, feel very envious. After finding that there was nothing to extract from the chat room, Joseph began his next step. First, the food problem had been temporarily solved, but this did not mean that he could relax. The most important thing to solve was to dig out a path to communicate with the other survivors as soon as possible and obtain useful information. The second thing was to arm himself up as much as possible to avoid any accidents during conflicts with other people. Finally, he found a suitable place to stay and used it as his temporary base to explore the surroundings. After sorting out all his thoughts, Joseph picked up the shovel again and walked in the direction of the system prompt. Looking at the particularly deep pit in front of him, Joseph immediately fell into deep thought. He was just one shovel away from the treasure chest. If not for the system prompt, he might have been stuck with this treasure chest for the rest of his life. Rubbing his palms, Joseph found the right spot and dug a few shovels down. Sure enough, he found a hard object in the soil and broke through the soil that was covering it. A dilapidated treasure chest with the same F mark as before appeared in front of him. In order to avoid the unexpected situation from the last time, Joseph still cautiously used the shovel to test it out. After confirming that there was no danger, he opened the treasure chest. [F-Grade Treasure Chest: a sharp, short sword obtained!] [Obtained: Basic Short Sword Application Skill Book.] Did the treasure chest drop a skill book? It was not a fragment this time? Shocked, Joseph took the goatskin blueprint in front of him in one hand. There were words written on it that he didn¡¯t recognize at all, which made Joseph feel troubled for a moment. Could it be that he could only watch helplessly with the skill book in his hands? Just as he flipped the goatskin blueprint back and forth, the totem mark on his wrist suddenly became hot. After a few seconds, he discovered that there was an additional option on the virtual screen: skill learning. [Skill Learning: learnable skills, basic short sword application!] [Skill Learning Conditions: one short sword!] [Will you learn it? The skill book will disappear after learning!] Looking at the prompt on the virtual screen, Joseph did not hesitate at all. He immediately confirmed learning. In this dangerous place, only by becoming stronger could he survive. Following Joseph¡¯s confirmation, the goatskin blueprint in his hand instantly turned into a stream of light and entered his mind. For a moment, a lot of knowledge that he had never come into contact with, appeared in his mind. It was as if he had trained hard for many years. Looking at the short sword not far away, it became particularly familiar to him. It was as if it was an indispensable part of him. That feeling was very strange but familiar. Picking up the short sword, Joseph kept slashing at the wall. Each and every move revealed a different feeling. The sword marks on the wall were not messy but had a unique pattern. After around ten minutes, Joseph finally stopped. Everything that he did just now was to vent the unbearable pressure in his heart. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Letting out a few deep breaths, Joseph placed the short sword on his waist. After identifying a direction, he picked up the shovel and strode over. ¡°It¡¯s time to take action!¡± Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation [Hint: there is a sleeping ghoul hiding three meters ahead. It¡¯s dangerous, so do not approach! ] Joseph had just walked to the edge of the wall when the system¡¯s hint gave him a fright. His hand that was gripping on the shovel suddenly loosened. If it was not for the system¡¯s hint, Joseph could not even dare to imagine what would be the consequences like to face a ghoul. Would he be in a panic or have to take a desperate gamble? Joseph did not want to imagine it. Before he was fully prepared, he did not want to face the terrifying monsters of the underground world. After turning around and changing directions, according to the system¡¯s prompt, there was an F-Grade Treasure Chest filled with food five meters ahead. However, this treasure chest was different from the previous one. It was not buried deep underground, but in the middle of the wall in front of him, this undoubtedly increased the difficulty of digging. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. A short distance of five meters took half an hour for Joseph. If he had not eaten food before, it would have been hard for him to imagine whether he would be able to complete this excavation. In order to save energy, he used the skills of the short sword. Just as he felt his arms become sore, a wooden chest hidden in the wall appeared before Joseph¡¯s eyes. [F-Grade Treasure Chest: exquisite canned beef x 3 obtained.] [Obtained: Brandy x 2] [Obtained: mechanical lighter x 1] My God. Although the system had already prompted him, Joseph was still very surprised when he saw such an abundant amount of resources, especially brandy and lighter. If he was given another box of Cuban cigars, then this excavation would be perfect. In this place where resources were extremely scarce, it was impossible to light a fire or cook food. However, with this mechanical lighter, there was no need to worry about this. At the moment, the food and resources were enough to support that day¡¯s consumption. Although there wasn¡¯t much, it was very abundant. Joseph, who was a little tired, laid on the ground casually. He picked up the brandy and drank it alone. He tasted the brandy again and again while he looked at the dark space in a daze. ¡°Haha, under such conditions, I can still eat hamburgers, canned food, and drink brandy. So I should already be very happy, right?¡± Joseph comforted himself with a smile. He left the noisy city. There was no internet, no games, and no hot girls in hot pants. Nonetheless, people should know how to be content, right? At least he was still alive and well. ¡°I¡¯m full now. It¡¯ll be great if I can have a place to stay. My expectations are not high. If I can just have a hard bed, I will thank that old God!¡± Joseph placed the empty bottle on the table and mumbled in a drunken voice. He suddenly remembered that there was a portable base function on the totem that he had not studied as he talked. Perhaps it could satisfy this little wish of his. He casually clicked on the portable base function, and immediately a prompt appeared on the virtual interface: [Do you want to place the portable base? An empty space of 5¡Á5 square meters is needed, so please take note!] ¡°Place!¡± Joseph found a flat ground and directly clicked on ¡®place¡¯. Just as a wave of dust rose, an old wooden house with a height of 5¡Á5 square meters appeared in front of him. There were gaps in all four sides with old doors and windows. Joseph was very worried that if there was a strong wind, it would blow him down. Although he was worried, Joseph gently pushed the door open and walked in. When he stepped into the wooden house, he saw a simple wooden bed and a furnace that looked like a blacksmith¡¯s table opposite to him. When he walked toward the furnace, a virtual interface appeared in front of Joseph. [Blacksmith¡¯s construction table: you can create equipment, tools, and upgrade the base according to the corresponding blueprints and related materials!] [Base upgrade: no corresponding blueprints.] [Equipment creation: no equipment blueprints found.] ¡­ Looking at the information related to the construction stage, Joseph, who was originally drunk, suddenly became wide awake. This was simply a god-tier support. With the construction table, he could create god-tier equipment and build an indestructible castle. It would be even easier to survive in the underground world. Joseph immediately felt full of energy. He picked up the shovel and walked out. [System prompt: there is an E-Grade Building Treasure Chest 15 meters ahead. ] Joseph, who was walking around with the shovel, finally heard the prompt that he wanted. He quickly started digging. While he was digging, Joseph was still browsing through the messages in the chat room. Most people were still complaining and looking for help in the chat room. There were even people who were willing to sell their bodies for a mouthful of food and clean water. Although Joseph did not agree with this choice, he would never despise it. This was because those who had never experienced despair would never understand the meaning of life. ¡°Who can trade me some food and clean water? I¡¯m willing to become his slave. I¡¯m Victoria¡¯s Secret¡¯s supermodel. Really! You should have seen my runway show on TV!¡± ¡°Beauties are precious, but the price of life is even higher. Even if you¡¯re a goddess in the sky, right now, you¡¯re still not as attractive as an unappetizing Rye Bread! Let alone that you¡¯re Victoria¡¯s Secret¡¯s supermodel!¡± ¡­ ¡°Who can help me? The temperature here has suddenly plummeted. I¡¯m only wearing a t-shirt, and I¡¯m about to freeze to death!¡± Seeing the last caption, Joseph raised his eyebrows and immediately reminded, ¡°Among the totem options, there¡¯s a portable base. It¡¯s a simple wooden house, and it might give you some help!¡±! After clearing the soil around him, Joseph sat on the ground to rest. He was very curious, he did not know what kind of surprise this E-Grade Building Treasure Chest would bring him. If possible, he even hoped that it could give him the blueprints and materials needed for a castle. If that was the case, life would be even better. However, Joseph did not know that after he gave the hint, most of the people in the chat room became excited. If they could see Joseph, they would be willing to give him a warm hug. They were all starving, so it was the happiest thing for them to have a place to stay. Moreover, there was such a magical function for blacksmiths to build platforms. However, Joseph was not interested in them at the moment because there was a mahogany treasure chest in front of him. He could even smell the fragrance of the wood on it. The treasure chest was already in front of him, so the question was, should he pray for God to bless him with good luck before opening the chest? Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation [Opening E-Grade Treasure Chest: Exquisite Cabin In The Forest Construction Blueprint x 1 obtained.] [Obtained: wood x 80] [Obtained: cement x 10] [Obtained: metal x 30] [Obtained: Water Ball Skill Book Fragment x 1] Looking at the opened resource bag in front of him, Joseph immediately burst into a happy smile. With the forest house construction drawing and these materials, this leaky wooden house of his should be able to experience a magnificent transformation. Moreover, he had also obtained a Water Ball Skill Book Fragment. This treasure chest was worthy of being an E-grade, and the resources it dropped were so abundant. Just as Joseph put away the materials and returned to the wooden house to rest, the wall not far away suddenly began to tremble. Layers of fine dust, accompanied by a muffled roar, and a sharp beast claw broke through the wall. A bad premonition suddenly flashed through Joseph¡¯s heart. He immediately turned around and ran toward the wooden house. Just as he closed the wooden door, the thick and heavy earth wall had already turned into a cloud of dust. A huge figure slowly walked out from the dust. ¡°Is this¡­ still a wolf?¡± Through the gap of the wooden door, Joseph looked at the figure not far away and revealed an unprecedented look of surprise. Its body was covered in beautiful black fur, sharp claws, and sharp fangs. The most unbelievable thing was its five to six-meter-long body. Even though he was just looking through the wooden door, Joseph¡¯s heart was filled with an unconcealable fear. could he really survive under the hands of this terrifying guy? Looking at the dilapidated wooden door in front of him, Joseph hurriedly took out the blueprint of the small house in the forest and ran to the blacksmith¡¯s construction table. At that moment, he could only pin his hopes on the upgraded wooden house. He hoped that it could resist the terrifying Demon Wolf outside. As for why it was called a Demon Wolf, Joseph did not want to explain it at all. What else could it be? A sled dog? [Do you want to use the exquisite blueprint for the cabin? ] ¡°Yes!¡± Joseph quickly confirmed without any hesitation. [Conditions for the cabin ] [Construction Blueprint 1/1] [Wood 80/70] [Metal 30/10] [Magical Beast¡¯s Blood 0/1] [Conditions not met, upgrade failed.] ¡°Damn it, I actually need the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood. With the current conditions, how can anyone be able to kill a magical beast?¡± Joseph smashed the blacksmith¡¯s construction table with his fist. The failure of the construction of the cabin in the forest was no different from killing his last hope. Now, he could only rely on his own luck and the sharp dagger in his hand to survive in front of this damn Demon Wolf. ¡°Whether I live or die depends on this time. If I really can¡¯t trade for the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood, I can only fight to the death with this beast!¡± Holding the dagger tightly in his hand, he kept his eyes on the Demon Wolf as he waited for its attack. On the other side, Joseph quickly opened the trading platform and hung up the fresh water and the cold beef burger in his hand, hoping to exchange for a portion of the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood At this time, the trading platform had already begun to carry out the original trade of bartering. However, most of the items on the trading platform were common building materials such as wood and stone. There was no sign of food or clean water at all. Let alone the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood that Joseph needed the most right now. Most people probably did not know what the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood was at all. After all, water and food were essential resources for survival. No one would take out such a scarce resource to trade. ¡°No one trading in the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood.¡± Joseph¡¯s expression instantly turned bad. He added another portion of canned beef on the trading platform. He wanted to trade for the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood that he needed. Joseph did not lack food and fresh water as long as he could safely survive this crisis. As long as he could have a few successful excavations, then he would have as much as he wanted. [System prompt: canned beef x 1] [System prompt: clean water x 330ml] [System prompt: cold beef burger x 1] Trading platform. [Trading party: Joseph ] [Trading Item: Magical Beast¡¯s Blood X 1] Joseph had just confirmed the trading order when the people who saw the trading information immediately went crazy. ¡°Oh my god, someone is actually trading food and fresh water?¡± ¡°What the hell is the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood? Can anyone tell me that it can be opened by digging treasure chests?¡± ¡°In this godforsaken place, food and clean water are the best currency. Other things have no effect at all. Big Brother Joseph, can I owe it to you first? Then I¡¯ll repay it to you twofold in the future!¡± ¡°F * ck, how can the guy upstairs be so shameless? A poor person is not worthy to appear in front of Big Brother. Big Brother Joseph, I will repay you threefold in the future. Lend it to me!¡± The chat channel was constantly undermining each other, smearing the other guys who wanted to trade. Through private messages, Joseph was also received a large number of trading messages. ¡°Big Brother Joseph, what is the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood? Is human blood okay?¡± ¡°Joseph, is it? I¡¯m the boss of the Mafia. Give me the materials. After we get out, you¡¯ll be the next godfather of the Melbourne Mafia!¡± ¡°Handsome, I¡¯m thirsty and hungry now. Can you pity me? If you give it to me, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± ¡°Brother, do you want a skill book? This is a legendary item.¡± ¡­ There was no one who understood the meaning of the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood, let alone possessing it. It was obvious that this was a failed transaction. However, among the countless private messages that wanted to trade, there were a large number of people that Joseph was shocked by. This included celebrities from various countries and even internationally renowned terrorists. They all had sent private messages to Joseph about the trade. Whether it was to exchange for other resources, to take advantage of the situation with empty hands, or to threaten and entice him, it was completely useless to Joseph. Surviving in this place was already a big problem. What use could one¡¯s previous identity have in this place? Without the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood that he needed, even if God came, he could forget about taking things from Joseph¡¯s hands for free. Joseph did not take the threats from those guys to heart. If he wanted to return to Earth, who knew when would that be? He might even be in the stomach of that Demon Wolf by then. [System prompt: a hungry Demon Wolf has been found five meters away. Please be careful! ] [Symtem hint: pick up the short sword in your hand. This might be the only chance to kill the Demon Wolf. ] ¡®Has it finally come to this day?¡¯ ¡®Is it really time to face the danger from the underground world head-on?¡¯? Joseph¡¯s hand that was holding the short sword trembled involuntarily. The pressure that the motionless Demon Wolf gave him was too great. It was so great that he did not know if he would have the courage to draw his sword¡­ Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The light around the wooden house became dimmer and dimmer, and this discovery made the Demon Wolf become more restless. Its pupils were pale green, and it kept grinding its sharp claws on the ground. It was waiting for the best opportunity to kill Joseph in one strike. It had not eaten for a long time, so it had used up a lot of energy. The moment it found Joseph, it felt a sense of danger from Joseph. This was also the main reason why it had been waiting at the wooden house. It did not want to give up on this prey that took great difficulty for it to find. Joseph was standing behind the wooden door, staring at the Demon Wolf with alert eyes. Through the system prompt just now, he knew that this was an unavoidable battle because he knew very well how terrifying a hungry beast was. However, without absolute confidence, he did not want to engage in a direct battle with the Demon Wolf. Even if he was lucky enough to kill the Demon Wolf, it would definitely leave him with a body full of scars. This underground world that lacked medicine and medical treatment was just a slow death. ¡°Achoo!¡± The shabby wooden house was ventilated from all sides, and gusts of cold wind continuously pierced through his thin clothes, causing Joseph¡¯s body to gradually stiffen. He hurriedly drank a mouthful of brandy, which caused his stiff body to feel a trace of warmth. If it were not for the fact that he had eaten during the day, even the bone-piercing cold wind would have taken half of his life. Not to mention the extremely dangerous Demon Wolf outside. After drinking half a bottle of brandy, Joseph¡¯s body began to warm up. In order to increase the success rate of the trade, he added half a bottle of brandy to the trading list again. This half bottle of brandy caused a huge sensation in the chat room. ¡°My God, why does that lucky b*tch favor Big Brother Joseph so much? Could it be that the two of them are having an affair?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost freezing to death. This damn wooden house has cold air leaking in. I feel that I might not be able to survive this damn night.¡± ¡°Oh my God, why don¡¯t you bless your devout believers? There¡¯s no hope of survival in this damn Devil¡¯s Game!¡± ¡°Let that old man God meet Satan. I¡¯m sleepy and hungry now, but there¡¯s a damn ghoul outside my wooden house. It¡¯s continuously attacking my wooden house. I¡¯m going to fight it out with it now!¡± ¡­ ¡°It turns out that I¡¯m not the only one in danger. It seems like this is more like a beginner¡¯s quest when you¡¯re out of the beginner village. Use this crisis to eliminate some unsuitable players. Let us truly understand the cruelty of this game!¡± Joseph held his short sword and muttered softly, but it was useless to say this now. He could already feel that the Demon Wolf outside was about to reach its limit. Its slowly approaching body and its sharp claws that were constantly grinding against each other indicated its intention to attack. Just as Joseph held his short sword and was about to fight to his death, the private message in the chat room flashed once again. Emily: ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you. I¡¯m really too cold. I urgently need brandy to add some warmth to my cold body. Although I don¡¯t have the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood that you want, I have a skill book fragment. I wonder if I can make a trade with you?¡± Joseph said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. What I urgently need is Magical Beast¡¯s Blood. As for the skill book fragment, you should know that just one is of no use at all!¡± Emily said, ¡°I have a skill fragment for the water ball spell. If you learn the water ball spell, you won¡¯t have to worry about clean water in this dangerous world.¡± Joseph: ¡°But you only have one, right? If you really want to trade, you can only exchange for that half bottle of brandy. As for the other materials, I¡¯m very sorry. Those are trade items for the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood. I can¡¯t give it to you.¡± Emily, ¡°Alright, you win. You¡¯re simply a stingy Grandet!¡± Joseph, ¡°Thank you for your compliment. Then let¡¯s start the trade!¡± Joseph had just changed the terms of the trade while the half bottle of brandy on the other side of the trading table disappeared. Instead, a familiar goatskin fragment appeared in his hand. Three Water Ball Skill Book Shards had been collected so easily? Joseph could not believe it. He had even forgotten about the Demon Wolf outside of the wooden house. He had obtained one from an F-Grade Treasure Chest and one from an E-Grade Construction Treasure Chest. This time, he had traded for the last shard with the brandy. Did that mean that he could learn the Water Ball Skill? [Do you want to learn the Water Ball Skill? ] [ you need 3/3 of the water ball skill fragment to learn it. ] ¡°Learn!¡± The moment Joseph said that, the three water ball skill fragments turned into streams of light and entered his mind. Strange and profound knowledge appeared in his mind one after another. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± At this moment, the Demon Wolf that had been waiting for an opportunity suddenly launched an attack and directly crashed into the fragile wooden wall of the wooden house. With a few crisp sounds, a few tiny cracks appeared on the wooden wall, and they continued to grow rapidly as the Demon Wolf crashed into it. Joseph, who had just received the profound knowledge in his mind, blurted out, ¡°Water Ball Skill!¡± A ball of flowing water slowly appeared in front of Joseph. He instinctively drove the water to smash the Demon Wolf. Unexpectedly, the soft water ball directly smashed the Demon Wolf¡¯s huge body and sent it flying backward. Looking at the sorry appearance of the Demon Wolf, Joseph did not even have time to smile before his body started feeling tired. He suddenly experienced a feeling of emptiness after such intense actions. He had never thought that just using the Water Ball Skill would cause such a consequence. The Demon Wolf, which had just got up from the ground, shook its head and pounced on him again, full of anger. There was nothing he could do. Even though he was physically exhausted, Joseph did not dare to rest. He picked up the short sword in his hand and kept stabbing through the gaps of the wooden house. Just like that, Joseph and the wolf began to fight through a wooden wall. The wolf, which was triggered by blood, kept hitting the wooden wall, trying to tear apart the little thing that dared to stab it into pieces. Joseph also wanted to stab the wolf to death before the wooden wall was broken, so that he could avoid fighting the wolf head-on. After panting heavily a few times, Joseph adjusted himself. After everything was ready, he held the short sword in his hand tightly. Stab! At this moment, Joseph did not have the slightest bit of fear in his heart. When the dagger pierced through the gap, it directly stabbed the Demon Wolf¡¯s left eye. Blood sprayed out. The Demon Wolf had already turned into a one-eyed Demon Wolf! Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Roar!¡± The Demon Wolf howled in pain. Its only remaining eye was filled with malice. It extended the tip of its barbed tongue and licked the blood on its fur, constantly looking for Joseph¡¯s weakness. At this moment, Joseph was also gasping for air. He did not dare to have the slightest bit of negligence. Although he had just blinded the magic wolf with his sword, the Demon Wolf that had seen blood had already fallen into a state of madness. Joseph and the wolf both stared at the other party, and as if they had discussed it beforehand, they charged forward at the same time. The Demon Wolf revealed its sharp fangs, and Joseph stretched out with the short sword in his hand at the same time. ¡°Crash!¡± A muffled sound of collision rang out. The short sword in Joseph¡¯s hand instantly showed a gap, and the magic wolf¡¯s fangs also broke. This sudden situation caused the solemn atmosphere to instantly freeze. [System prompt: the wolf is bleeding profusely. The successive defeats have made him lose his patience. Please be careful!] Hearing the system prompt, Joseph¡¯s eyes were alert as he stared at the wolf¡¯s every move. Just as the system prompt said, in the next second, the wolf pounced on him. This made Joseph immediately retreat. However, this time, the wolf¡¯s target was not Joseph, but the already towering wooden walls. Under the continuous attacks of the Demon Wolf, the dilapidated wooden walls finally completed their mission, turning into a pile of fragments that scattered around. However, the Demon Wolf¡¯s body was also covered with sharp wooden thorns, making it look extremely weak. At this moment, the Demon Wolf pounced forward once again. The only eye left was filled with a bloodthirsty intent. ¡°Water Ball Skill!¡± Joseph did not retreat. Instead, he used the Water Ball Skill and shot it at the Magic Wolf. ¡°Bang!¡± The water ball knocked the Demon Wolf away. Joseph took the opportunity to stab the magic wolf in its vital parts with his short sword. ¡°Roar!¡± The Magic Wolf let out an unwilling scream. Then, its body twitched a few times before it collapsed to the ground. It was completely dead. ¡°Crash!¡± Joseph collapsed weakly on the ground. His face was filled with the joy of having survived a disaster. He did not expect that he had really finished off this dangerous fellow. Recalling the battle that had just happened, Joseph¡¯s thought that it was madness. He picked up the short sword and began celebrating his victory as he walked toward the Demon Wolf¡¯s corpse. He obtained the spoils of war. The sharp short sword kept cutting the Magic Wolf¡¯s body. When it cut the blood vessels, Joseph hurriedly picked up the alcohol bottle that he had prepared and carefully put the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood into it. Looking at the bright red liquid in the brandy bottle, Joseph suddenly felt that the danger that he had experienced tonight was no longer important. He dragged the Demon Wolf¡¯s corpse into the wooden house. Although he had obtained the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood, the corpse of the Demon Wolf could not be wasted. Other than being able to store food, Joseph believed that since the blood of the magic wolf could be used, then the Demon Wolf definitely had materials that he did not know about. Picking up the bottle filled with the Magical¡¯s Beast Blood, Joseph went to the front of the blacksmith¡¯s shop excitedly and clicked on the option to upgrade the base. This time, because of the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood, all the necessary conditions for upgrading had been prepared. After he clicked ¡®confirm¡¯, the virtual interface displayed: [Please leave the base in one minute, the base is upgrading, so please wait patiently!] ¡°Rumble!¡± A faint white fog slowly enveloped the surroundings of the base, and Joseph was also sent out of the wooden house by an irresistible force. Looking at the base that was shrouded by the white fog, Joseph simply sat down on the ground. After a night of running around, he was already exhausted and wanted to have a good sleep. However, the wooden house was being upgraded, so he could only suppress his sleepiness and open the chat room page. He found that the chat room, which was bustling with activity every day, was exceptionally empty and quiet tonight. ¡°Is anyone there? Why is It so quiet? Did something that I didn¡¯t know about happened?¡± Joseph could not hold back his curiosity and ask in the chatroom. However, after waiting for a long time, Joseph did not see any response. He suddenly had a bad premonition. Could it be that a large-scale disaster had happened? Did everyone except him die? Just as he felt a trace of panic in his heart, his private message suddenly flashed. Emily, ¡°Many people were attacked by monsters tonight. With this shabby wooden house, there¡¯s no way to defend against the crazy monsters, so many people have been sacrificed!¡± Joseph suddenly became silent. He had guessed it, but he did not expect the truth to be so cruel. Those were all living lives. Emily, ¡°But don¡¯t be too sad. I think everyone already thought of this ending when they were sent to this place!¡± Joseph was silent for a while before he typed a reply, ¡°It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t accept it at the moment. It seems that I need to go through more trials and tribulations to truly accept the cruelty of this game!¡± ¡°Rest earlier. No one can predict what will happen tomorrow!¡± After saying that, Joseph did not wait for Emily¡¯s reply and directly closed the chat room¡¯s page. Looking up at the pitch-black soil, he silently prayed for those who had lost their lives. ¡°I hope that God, that old fellow, can bless you so you can reach heaven. There shouldn¡¯t be much pain there!¡± After saying that, Joseph could not help but laugh. If God really existed, then this cruel game would not have appeared at all. After turning around and sorting out his mood, Joseph realized that the upgrade of the wooden house had been completed. Looking at the brand new wooden house in front of him, Joseph¡¯s depressed mood suddenly became cheerful. The people who had passed away had gone to heaven, while the people who were still alive still needed to struggle in hell. The upgraded cabin in the forest became very exquisite. The neat mahogany, the wooden windows with glass, and the slanted roof were all incomparable to the previous shabby wooden house. Opening the door of the cabin, the decorations inside became more exquisite. The wooden bed that was about to be sacrificed previously had now become a solid, neat wooden bed. There was even a simple bedside table at the head of the bed. However, what surprised Joseph the most was that there was a fireplace made of cement behind the blacksmith¡¯s table. There was also an iron barbecue grill in the middle of the fireplace. This was obviously the sign for him to start a barbecue party! Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation [E-grade Demon Wolf Meat. High-quality roasted meat can be obtained from cooking, which will speed up the recovery of stamina. ] Joseph cut a piece of Demon Wolf meat and placed it on the grill. He looked at the information displayed on the grill. He raised his eyebrows. High-quality roasted meat could speed up the recovery of stamina? From the looks of it, this survival game was becoming more and more like a trash video game. If an E-grade Demon Wolf meat had a different effect, then would there be any heaven-defying effects if it was an SSS-Grade? Such as reviving from the dead? Could it make one become an immortal god? I really liked this damn place. Joseph happily held the Demon Wolf Meat and flipped it on the grill. This was the first time he had taken the initiative to cook dinner in the game. This feeling made him feel like he had gone back to his previous life. ¡°Sizzle!¡± The magic wolf meat shinned on the grill. The rich fragrance made Joseph¡¯s mouth water. The Demon Wolf Meat was something that could not exist in the civilized world. Not to mention, it also had extraordinary effects. ¡°Happiness has come too suddenly!¡± Joseph picked up the golden Demon Wolf Meat with a smile on his face. With this barbecue grill, his future life would not be boring, and it would add more fun to the dangerous life. ¡°What a pity. If I had a bottle of brandy, everything would be perfect!¡± Joseph tore off a piece of Demon Wolf Meat and threw it into his mouth, chewing contentedly. He roasted the warm flame and tasted the delicious food. Although it should have been a happy time, Joseph gradually became silent. Looking at the pitch-black night through the wooden window, a strong sense of loneliness gushed out from the depths of his heart. Humans lived in groups, so humans would always feel lonely when they were alone, not to mention after experiencing so many hardships. Joseph had a bellyful of words that he wanted to find someone to talk to. Alone, he looked up at the night sky. The dark underground world around him was like a demon that liked to devour people, waiting for an opportunity to devour everyone who was trying to survive. ¡°Phew, what¡¯s the point of thinking so much? Jeez, I¡¯ll just go with the flow. No one knows whether tomorrow or accidents will come first!¡± Joseph swallowed all the Demon Wolf Meat in one gulp. After wiping the grease off his hands, he patted his bulging belly. ¡°Phew, this is really the best barbecue meat I¡¯ve ever eaten. Michelin and KFC? it¡¯s as hard to swallow as dog food!¡± It was not that Joseph was exaggerating, but the quality of the ingredients could not be compared. No matter how perfect the craftsmanship was, it was impossible to turn a pile of mud into a top-notch delicacy. Although the Demon Wolf Meat had only gone through a simple barbecue, it still retained its delicacy. Not to mention, it was a delicacy that had been cooked through a barbecue. Laying the Demon Wolf Skin on the bed, Joseph felt the long-lost warmth. He then clicked on the virtual screen of the chat room. ¡°It¡¯s too scary. Although I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, the shrill screams kept ringing in my ears. Who can tell me what to do?¡± ¡°So many people have died. I¡¯m really scared. I don¡¯t know if the next person to die will be me!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a single grain of rice or drink any water. I haven¡¯t eaten a single bite of food. Who Can help me? God will definitely bless the merciful believers!¡± ¡­ Looking at the chatroom that was once again bustling with noise, Joseph went through it with great interest. Although the atmosphere was very heavy, it was undoubtedly not good news for Joseph. After all, there were still many people who survived, right? Reaching out his hand to the virtual screen, Joseph said in a low voice, ¡°Water ball Skill!¡± In an instant, a water ball with a warm luster kept flowed in Joseph¡¯s hand. [Trade item: clean water x 500 ml] [Trade requirement: construction resources x 50 (any type)] The moment the trade was posted online, the entire chat room went crazy. ¡°Big Brother Joseph, you¡¯re finally starting to sell clean water!¡± ¡°Big brother, do you still lack any followers? I¡¯m good at washing clothes, cooking, singing, and dancing. Big Brother, please consider me!¡± ¡°Construction resources? Does wood count, boss?¡± ¡°I have cement and iron ore!¡± ¡­ Looking at the guys who kept asking him questions in the chat room, Joseph thought for a while and used the Water Ball Skill again. He put the trade on the trading platform. Then, he typed in the chat room, ¡°Two servings of clean water are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The types of construction resources are up to you!¡± The moment Joseph finished speaking, the two servings of clean water on the trading platform were instantly traded. A pile of different types of construction resources appeared out of thin air in front of Joseph. [Trade successful: wood x 60 obtained.] [Trade successful: cement X 20 obtained.] [Trade successful: iron ore x 20 obtained.] After stacking the traded resources in the corner of the room, Joseph felt a wave of sleepiness sweep over him. He laid on the bed, feeling drowsy. At this moment, Joseph¡¯s private message began to flicker again. Emily, ¡°You¡¯ve learned the Water Ball Skill, right?¡± Joseph, ¡°Why do you ask? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯ve never lacked resources?¡± Emily, ¡°One of the servings of clean water was bought by me through a trade. The clean water that I dug out was packaged, but the clean water that you traded didn¡¯t!¡± Emily, ¡°So other than this guess, I can¡¯t think of any other possibilities!¡± Joseph looked at the private messages that Emily kept sending him. He suddenly felt that this girl was not simple, or rather, very smart. This made Joseph somewhat interested in this smart girl. However, before the skills became common, he still needed to be careful when spreading the news that he had learned the Water Ball Skill. Joseph, ¡°People who are too smart may not be likable, especially in this dangerous world.¡± Emily, ¡°Sweat dreams. I hope that the next time we trade clean water, you can give a discount!¡± Once Emily¡¯s profile picture dimmed, Joseph also left the chat room. Lying on the bed, Joseph began to sort out his next plan. 1. To continue upgrading the portable base. This was the foundation of his life in this world. 2. To search for weapons, equipment, and Skill Books to strengthen himself and increase his survival rate in the underground world. 3. To search for more living materials to ensure his future needs. Other things besides those were not things that could be considered right now. After yawning, Joseph laid on the bed and fell asleep. In an underground cave not far away from him, a charming woman with an arrogant stance could not fall asleep for a long time. ¡°Joseph, what kind of person are you?¡± Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Another beautiful day!¡± Joseph stretched his back and yawned as he pushed open the door of the wooden house. Looking at the dim light outside, he casually took out a piece of Demon Wolf Meat and began to eat it. He already made a plan last night, so Joseph simply carried the shovel and walked straight ahead. Looking at the deep pits of various sizes that he had dug up, a strange sense of pride rose in his heart. These were all lands that I, Joseph The Great, had personally conquered. ¡°Ding! Three meters ahead, behind the wall, there is an underground karst cave. There are fruit trees x 7 hidden inside.¡± At this moment, Joseph suddenly heard the sound of the system prompt. Joseph quickly walked in and hit the ground with his shovel. Sure enough, he heard the echo of the empty cave. Joseph quickly dug with his shovel. In a short while, a beautiful underground karst cave appeared before his eyes. Everyone knew that the underground karst caves were a treasure of the underground world. Whether it was the vegetation or the natural landscape, it was an existence that people yearned for, not to mention in this dark underground world. Vegetation, water, and even stones were natural treasures. It was not something that could be compared to ordinary treasure chests. Joseph knew its value the moment he stepped into the cave. He had already made the decision to move his portable base [Cabin In The Forest ] into the cave. With the help of the resources here, he could upgrade the Cabin In The Forest once again. As for the blueprint, was it a problem for Joseph? With the system prompts, it was just a matter of time. However, there was a big problem in front of Joseph. The entire cave was surrounded by ice-cold water. It would take a lot of strength to swim across. Joseph was not sure if there was any danger in this river. After walking a few steps, Joseph patted his head in frustration. If he did not want to swim across, why did he not just choose to build a simple raft? He did it as he thought about it. Joseph returned to the Cabin In The Forest and took out some wood. He used the Demon Wolf Tendon as a rope and started to build the raft on the shore. The Demon Wolf Tendon was five meters long and was only enough for simple binding, so the raft could not be made too big. He used the short sword to make the wood into a three-meter-long log and tied the five logs together. An extremely simple raft appeared in front of him. Although the raft was simple, it was made from his own effort. He then pushed the raft into the river. Looking at the floating raft, Joseph could not help but feel a headache. Was his decision too hasty? Could this thing really be called a raft? Nonetheless, the raft was already completed. If he did not try, Joseph would not be satisfied. Picking up a rough paddle, Joseph sat on the majestic Emperor Joseph1 and began to sail on the river. The raft slowly sailed to the other side of the cave as the paddle continued to row. During this time, the river water that kept splashing out from the gaps of the raft made Joseph secretly shiver. Fortunately, he did not act on an impulse to rely on himself to swim over. With such cold temperatures, he might really die in this bottomless river. Although the river water was cold, nothing unexpected happened along the way. After fixing the Emperor Joseph, Joseph held a shovel in his hand and carried a short sword on his shoulder as he looked at the cave made of stalactites in front of him. ¡°It really is a good place!¡± Beside him was a pale purple flower with emerald green leaves and gorgeous flowers. All of them were full of vitality. [Ding! There¡¯s a treasure chest with an E-Grade Blueprint hidden in the flowers five meters in ahead. There¡¯s a blueprint for a high-quality raft hidden in it. ] With the treasure chest in front of him, there was no time for hesitation. Joseph picked up the shovel and completely ignored the beautiful flowers. In his eyes, the flowers right now were the biggest obstacle for him to dig the treasure chest. He took a few steps to the location of the system prompt and immediately dug with the shovel. Instantly, the flowers were destroyed beyond recognition. From this day onwards, I, Joseph The Great, am a terrifying man who will destroy flowers mercilessly. Tilting 45 degrees to the left, the soil was dug out in piles with the shover. The soil accumulated as Joseph had already dug a hole that was a meter deep. However, not even a stone could be seen, let alone a treasure chest. ¡°System boss, are you kidding me?¡± Joseph, who was wiping the sweat off his face, complained to the system. However, it was clear that the system had no intention of answering him. Thus, he could only continue digging. One dig, two digs¡­ After countless digging, Joseph finally heard the system¡¯s pleasant prompt. [E-Grade Treasure Chest found: High-Quality Wooden Raft Blueprint obtained] [Crafting requirement: wood x 50, rope x10] Picking up the blueprint, Joseph looked at the drawings of the high-quality wooden raft on it and muttered, ¡°That¡¯s it? It¡¯s not necessarily that much better than my Emperor Joseph!¡± Even though that was what he said, he still placed the blueprint into his chest. However, when he raised his head, he realized that he was already standing in a three-meter deep hole. Did he just dig a hole to bury himself? This was such an embarrassing matter. It was fortunate that no one else saw it, or else he would have jumped into the river to commit suicide. There was no way to solve the trouble that he created by himself. Picking up the shovel, Joseph began to dig on the wall. After half an hour, Joseph climbed out of the deep hole. When he climbed out, he suddenly smelled a tempting fragrance. Following the smell, he saw seven fruit trees filled with tangerines. Wait! Was I really not hallucinating? Why was there a layer of fluorescent light on the surface of the tangerines? [Fluorescent Tangerine: high-quality fruit. Can be used to make Magic Potions and used to immediately replenish some Mana.] Oh My God! If he had the Fluorescent Tangerines, he would not be in an awkward situation where he did not have enough Mana when using the Water Ball Skill. It was simply a great magic potion. I need to pick it! I need to pick it! I need to pick it! Joseph was like a monkey as he picked the tangerines on the tree. Looking at the hundreds of tangerines in front of him, Joseph immediately began his path of gluttony. One by one, the tangerines disappeared in front of him, leaving behind a large pile of tangerine peels, and the Emperor Joseph on the ground. ¡°So many Fluorescent Tangerines. How long will I have to eat them? !¡± Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Burp!¡± Joseph clutched his bulging stomach as he laid on the ground in satisfaction. The taste of the Fluorescent Tangerines was completely different from the tangerines of the civilized world. The taste was even sweeter, and when he swallowed it, he could even feel a refreshing stream of air swirling around his throat. ¡°I wonder how many times I can cast the Water Ball Skill after eating so many Fluorescent Tangerines?¡± Joseph recalled that the Fluorescent Tangerines could replenish Mana, so he suddenly had the idea to test it out. However, before the test, Joseph opened the trading platform in advance and began his performance. ¡°Water Ball Skill!¡± With a low shout from Joseph, a water ball appeared in front of him. Using the previous requirements, it was directly put up on the trading website. One! Two! ¡­ It was not until the ninth Water Ball became a trading resource that Joseph felt a sense of emptiness in his body. This also made him understand that even if he had fluorescent oranges to replenish his Mana, casting nine Water Ball Skills was already his limit. On the trading platform, the clean water resources that had just been put up immediately sold out. Although some lucky fellows had dug up clean water from the treasure chest, lots of people were still desperately digging for clean water. However, it was easier said than done to dig up the treasure chest that they wanted. The clean water resources that Joseph had traded were simply a blessing from God. ¡°Big Brother Joseph, aren¡¯t you too efficient? It¡¯s as if you picked it up for free.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already dying of thirst. Why haven¡¯t I found a single treasure chest yet?¡± ¡°Mr. Joseph, can you give me some clean water? I¡¯m Ferrari¡¯s exclusive car model. My reward won¡¯t let you down!¡± ¡°Boss, don¡¯t pay attention to that bitch. I¡¯m the daughter of the BrownConsortium. Don¡¯t you want to experience it?¡± ¡°My God, what are you talking about? Why can¡¯t I understand your meaning even though I graduated from Oxford University?¡± ¡°F*cking bookworm, shut up. Boss Joseph, are you interested in the bodybuilding champion? I¡¯m good in both offense and defense!¡± The group of people who had gone crazy from thirst immediately made the atmosphere in the chat room weird. The topic of discussion changed from clean water resources to human body art. However, these crazy people were the minorities. Most of them were very calm, because survival was the most important goal in their hearts. Not everyone was as lucky as Joseph. If they wanted to obtain more resources and survive better, they could only continue digging a path. Therefore, if they had time to chat here, they might as well carry a shovel and dig a few more times. They might even be able to dig a treasure chest. Joseph was such a person. He had the help of the system, so he did not need to be anxious. However, after the battle with the Demon Wolf, he knew very well how lucky he was to have won back then. Thus, he did not want to waste any time. At this moment, his private message rang once again. As expected, it was still that interesting woman. Emily, ¡°I have an E-grade Equipment Blueprint in my hands. Are you interested?¡± Joseph looked at the private message sent by Emily, but he was a little surprised. Could it be that this fellow also had a system? Otherwise, how else would she be able to dig up another treasure chest containing a blueprint in such a short time? Not to mention, it was an equipment blueprint. Joseph, ¡°My God, lucky lady, I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to dig up an equipment blueprint. But why didn¡¯t you keep it yourself and instead wanted to trade it with me?¡± Not long after, Emily replied, ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s a Plate Armor Equipment Blueprint. It looks like a chunk of iron. Do you think I¡¯m strong enough to wear a 60 kg chunk of iron and move around freely?¡± When Joseph found out that it was actually a Plate Armor Equipment Blueprint, he did not hesitate at all. He immediately put up a series of materials on the trading platform. [Trade items: clean water x 1000 ml, Roasted Demon Wolf x 2, Fluorescent Tangerine x 3] [Trade requirement: E-Grade Equipment Blueprint!] The trade was succeeded as soon as it was put up. Emily seemed to be afraid that Joseph would go back on his word. Even the profile picture of her private message had dimmed. ¡°This woman!¡± Joseph did not know whether to laugh or cry. He really did not know what kind of brain this interesting woman had. Could it be that after the trade was successful, he could still apply for a refund? It was no wonder that Joseph had said so. The equipment blueprint that had been traded was indeed an E-grade Plate Armor. However, the materials needed for it were enough to give Joseph a headache. [E-Grade Equipment Blueprint: Plate Armor Of The Dead, the most beloved plate armor of a veteran warrior.] [Construction requirements: iron ore x 100, bones x 5, Magical Beast¡¯s Blood x 100ml] Joseph believed that no one other than himself would be able to forge it with such harsh requirements in a short period of time. Nonetheless, other than lacking in iron ore, the Magical Beast¡¯s Blood and bone were all placed in the small Cabin In The Forest. Thus, they could be turned into materials to be forged at any time. ¡°It seems that this woman isn¡¯t telling the truth. Could it be that she just traded it because this damn Plate Armor is too ugly?¡± ¡­ In a cave hundreds of meters away from Joseph, Emily was holding a brandy bottle and drinking the clean water that she had just traded with Joseph. Before coming to this world, Emily was a top-notch personal secretary. Of course, she was different from some b*tches who relied on their beauty. She was the youngest person to have a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University. She was also a genius who was praised and looked up to by countless people. Whether it was cooking, fitness, or even firearms, she was very skilled. Before participating in the survival game, she was a favored child of God. However, the skills that she had learned were completely useless here, at least for now. In the past few days, other than finding a small amount of food and clean water, all the other necessities were obtained through trading with Joseph. She had been defeated by hunger just now, only then did she bear the pain and give the blueprint in her hands to Joseph. Her intellect told her that as long as she replenished her physical strength, she would be able to dig out more resources from this damn place. That equipment blueprint only made her feel a little heartache, but she did not regret it at all. However, at that moment, a muffled roar sounded not far away from her. When Emily turned her head, her pretty face suddenly turned pale. She immediately turned around and ran ahead. At that moment, she heard a rush of footsteps. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Ding, ding, ding!¡± Joseph¡¯s private messages kept flashing. Each of them wanted to exchange for clean water through resources. Some of them had even exceeded the requirements he had requested on the trading platform. ¡°Big Brother Joseph, I¡¯m willing to use 60 units of wood resources to trade for 500 ml of clean water with you!¡± ¡°Dear Mr. Joseph, I have 30 units of iron ore here. I don¡¯t know if I can exchange for some clean water with you. I¡¯m really thirsty now!¡± ¡°Dear, I¡¯m your little sweetie. Have you forgotten about me?¡± ¡­ After blocking a large number of junk messages, Joseph picked a few traders and began trading the clean water. He continuously cast the Water Ball Skill while nibbling on the Fluorescent Tangerines. Soon, various materials piled up around his feet. By the time he closed the trading platform, Joseph was so tired that he laid down on the materials. [Wood x 300] [Iron ore x 120] [Cement x 50] [F-Grade Blueprint: Ordinary Hemp Rope Blueprint x 1] Not only could he forge the Plate Armor Of The Dead with this, but with the hemp rope blueprint, his brand new Emperor Joseph could be released once again. Joseph was very satisfied with the huge profits from the clean water trades. However, he had eaten a huge amount of tangerines and even had the urge to vomit. Even the most delicious food could not be continuously swallowed into his stomach. [System prompt: 50 meters away, there is an E-Grade Food Treasure Chest hidden. ] Upon hearing the system prompt, Joseph¡¯s fatigue instantly disappeared. He picked up the shovel and jogged over. ¡°An E-Grade Food Treasure Chest. Just hearing it is making me drool!¡± While using the shovel, his mind was filled with countless delicacies. Fragrant roasted turkey! Could it be tender, juicy roasted steak? Could it be meatloaf that he loved? Clink! Every time the shovel hit the treasure chest, Joseph felt that it was exceptionally pleasing to the ear. It was like a symphony that he heard in Vienna. That kind of wonderful feeling one could not get tired of listening to it for a long time. ¡°My dear delicacies, your emperor Joseph has come to see you!¡± Joseph threw the shovel in his hand aside and walked over to the treasure chest. When he opened the treasure chest with joy, he found that his vision had turned black. Countless resources had buried him. [Opening E-Grade Food Treasure Chest: Rye Bread x 300 obtained.] Looking at the countless Rye Bread around him, Joseph held back the urge to cry. He said goodbye to his roast turkey, roast steak, and his favorite meatloaf. Joseph really could not understand how so many Rye Bread could be packed in a small treasure chest. It was not that he had not tried it before, but after opening it, the treasure chest would turn into an ordinary wooden chest. It did not have that kind of magical capacity at all. ¡°Rye Bread, damn Rye Bread!¡± Joseph chewed on the Rye Bread while muttering incoherently. Although Joseph looked depressed on the surface, it did not really affect him. Although the Rye Bread tasted terrible, it could fill his stomach, and he had 300 pieces of it, no, 299 pieces of Rye Bread. This could allow him to trade for more resources. [Building materials trade: clean water.] [Blueprints, rare materials trade: food and fresh water.] With these materials, Joseph could easily exchange for more blueprints and corresponding materials on the trading platform. After Joseph made a plan, he put the Rye Bread in his hand on the trading platform. Only then did he look back at the noisy chatroom. More and more people had joined in the ridicule. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ve never seen such a heavy shovel. How long do I have to dig until I can drink water?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hold on much longer. I didn¡¯t expect that I, the top chef, Chris, would die in such a horrible place!¡± ¡°Can someone give me some clean water and a piece of Rye Bread? I¡¯ll give him the blueprints that I just dug before I die!¡± Blueprints? At this moment, Joseph did not lack food and fresh water, but he was very interested in all kinds of blueprints. [F-Grade Blueprint: Magical Beast Food Recipe] [Creation requirements: Magical Beast Meat x 3, clean water x 1300ml, Fluorescent Citrus x 1] Magical Beast Food Blueprint? ¡°Could there be a way to tame magical beasts in the future?¡± Joseph raised his eyebrows and suddenly thought of a possibility that made him excited. The impact of the last Demon Wolf had not completely disappeared until now. If he could tame a Demon Wolf, then his safety factor would increase. ¡°I¡¯ve traded it. Emperor Joseph has nothing else but water and bread!¡± With a wave of his hand, Joseph had traded with Chris. When he got the blueprint, he put it away very solemnly. Chris did not tell him all the details of the blueprint just now. [Magical Beast Food can greatly improve the taming of Magical Beasts. ] Chris, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Joseph. You¡¯re such a generous gentleman!¡± Joseph did not care about Chris¡¯ praise. Exchanging 500 ml of clean water and two pieces of Rye Bread for the blueprint of Magical Beast rations was a profitable business. You had the blueprints while I had the clean water and bread. It was a very fair trade. Such a simple matter would become complicated if it was mixed with other things. After closing the chat room, Joseph looked at the pile of various supplies in front of him and felt a little headache. He did not know how to bring them back. Even if he could move it, he would not be able to cross the river with just the Emperor Joseph. Just as he felt troubled, Emily sent him a private message. ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s a Ghoul outside my cabin. Do you have any way to help me?¡± Ghoul? Joseph frowned. Although he had never faced a ghoul before, he knew very well that ghouls were as terrifying as Demon Wolves. That was because Ghouls were not afraid of pain at all, which was more troublesome than Demon Wolves. Joseph said, ¡°If you want to deal with Ghouls, I suggest you hide in the wooden house obediently You are no match for them unless you can upgrade the wooden house. Then, it will be safer.¡± Emily said, ¡°I have an Upgrade Blueprint in my hands, but I don¡¯t have the necessary materials¡­¡± Joseph¡¯s eyes lit up, and he directly traded all the materials in front of him. ¡°You can use the materials as you please, but the deadline is one day, and the interest rate is 30%. You don¡¯t need to stand on ceremony with me.¡± Looking at the large pile of materials that appeared out of thin air in front of her, Emily screamed excitedly, ¡°Joseph, you really are a cute bastard!¡± Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!¡± The sound of a row of paddles sliding water echoed in the Silent Cave. Joseph sailed the Emperor Joseph and slowly moved toward the opposite side. ¡°All kinds of building resources and survival materials have been stored in abundance. Next, it¡¯s time to move my cabin to a new location!¡± After stopping the Emperor Joseph that was about to fall apart by the shore, Joseph looked at the shovel as he walked back toward the Cabin In The Forest. Looking at the Cabin In The Forest, Joseph suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. He had finally returned. Although the karst cave was rich in resources and had beautiful scenery, it was far from the feeling of home that the Cabin In The Forest could give him. Pushing open the door of the cabin, Joseph laid straight on the bed and opened the private message between him and Emily. Joseph, ¡°Are you still alive?¡± One minute, two minutes. After a long while, Emily finally sent back a message. ¡°Damn bastard, can¡¯t you be a bit more of a gentleman? How can you say such things to a beautiful lady!¡± Joseph chuckled. ¡°Seeing that you can still throw a tantrum, I think you should have successfully overcome the difficulty!¡± Emily, ¡°I still have to thank you. If it weren¡¯t for your resources, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to build my Elven Hut. As for your extra resources, I¡¯ll trade them to you!¡± After all the materials had been traded, Emily continued, ¡°As for the materials I used, I plan to use a secret to trade with you. Trust me, you won¡¯t lose out.¡± Seeing Emily like this, Joseph¡¯s interest was piqued. Secret? Was there any secret that could be used as a trade in this terrible world? Although Joseph did not have much hope in his heart, he still said with interest, ¡°Sure, as long as the secret you mentioned can interest me, then I won¡¯t object to this trade!¡± Sitting in the elven hut, Emily looked at the ghoul that kept wandering around under the big tree but couldn¡¯t find its target, she replied with a faint smile, ¡°Ghoul only have repetitive attacks. Other than biting with their teeth, they aren¡¯t much of a threat. Most importantly, ghouls can only find their target through their eyes. Once you disappear in their vision, they won¡¯t pursue you and will just keep wandering around.¡± ¡°How about it? Are you interested in this secret, stingy Mr. Joseph?¡± Looking at Emily¡¯s teasing words, Joseph did not know whether to laugh or cry. He did not expect this woman to be so vengeful, but he could not deny that she had a smart mind. Joseph, ¡°Alright, the secret you mentioned is indeed very interesting to me, so the deal is done. The resources you owe me will be written off!¡± The two of them casually teased each other in the private message, which made Joseph¡¯s mood suddenly become happy. He felt that even if Emily was just a vase, she was still a vase that could make him feel happy as long as she could bring a lot of fun to his boring life. After eating some food, Joseph picked up the shovel and started working again. [System prompt: there is a weak life form 50 meters ahead on the right. ] [System detection: Magical Beast Egg, weak life force, dying. The host should dig it out as soon as possible.] Magical Beast Egg? He did not expect someone to surprise him just as he was about to sleep. With this Magical Beast Egg, the Magical Beast Food in his hand would be useful. He did as he was told. Joseph picked up the shovel and started digging at the earth wall. ¡°Seriously, if I can get an excavator, this whole world¡¯s treasure chest would be in me, Emperor Joseph¡¯s pocket!¡± Joseph fell into a state of self-delusion as he continued digging. When he thought about how he was operating the excavator and digging all the treasure chest in the entire underground world, his saliva dripped out. Crack! Just as Joseph was digging with all his might, the shovel in his hand suddenly let out a clear sound. He looked down and immediately discovered that there was a clear crack on the handle of the shovel. It had only been a short while before the digging tool had problems. If it was in a civilized world, he would definitely call 911 to report to the police to catch this damned profiteer. However, there was nothing he could do. Joseph could only seize the time to continue digging. This was the only way he could dig out the Magical Beast Egg that was about to die. In an instant, dust flew everywhere. The entire space was accompanied by the sound of the spade continuously cracking, as well as Joseph¡¯s angry cursing. Finally, when Joseph almost dug out the Magic Beast Egg, the shovel had not broken, but it was already not far from being scrapped. ¡°This is the Magical Beast Egg?¡± Joseph looked around the oval-shaped white egg in front of him, feeling confused. What kind of creature could it be? The entire Magic Beast Egg was only the size of a palm. It could not be the ferocious Magical Beast that he had imagined. Could it be a Magical Chicken? Or a Magical Duck? He thought of himself wearing plate armor, holding a short sword, and shouting at the enemy, ¡°Magical Chicken Beast, charge with me!¡± This scene was too beautiful to be looked at directly. Shaking his head, he shook off the unrealistic image in his head and carefully hugged the magic beast egg in front of him. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a Magical Chicken or Magical Duck, it¡¯s still a Magical Beast. At least I can cook a sumptuous supper for myself!¡± Holding the joy of having extra food, Joseph picked up the shovel and jogged all the way back to the Cabin In The Forest. In order to ensure that nothing unexpected would happen to his supper, he still very considerately lit the barbecue grill and put the Magic Beast Egg beside it so the fire could give the egg some warmth. ¡°Roasted chickens and roasted ducks are my favorites!¡± In order to have a sumptuous supper, Joseph directly went to the trading platform to see if he could exchange for some seasonings. [Item: coarse salt ] [Trade Item: clean water x 300 ml] [Item: ghost pepper] [Trade item: Rye Bread x 3] [Item: olive oil ] ¡­ ¡°Everything is for my supper!¡± Looking at the strings of seasonings on the trading platform, Joseph fell into a crazy trading mode. The resources around him were disappearing at a high speed, replaced by seasonings that were emitting all kinds of smells. The seasonings were all prepared, so it was the best time to cook. Let the Royal Chef Joseph perform a feast for the eyes. Just as he organized the seasoning and was about to cook, he saw an item on the open trading platform that made him excited. [Equipment Blueprint: A Soldier¡¯s Crossbow] [Construction requirements: iron ore x 50, wood x 20, Magical Beast Tendons x 1] [Trade items: wood x 100, iron ore x 30, clean water x 500 ml, food x 7] This price¡­ Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°It¡¯s worth it!¡± Joseph did not feel that the price of the trade was expensive. At a time when even close-ranged weapons were scarce, having a crossbow was a godly weapon as support. After checking his inventory of the materials, Joseph immediately traded them for Crossbow Blueprint. However, after the trade, the basic materials he had became scarce. Joseph, who was holding the Crossbow Blueprint once again became the porter of nature. He constantly used the Water Ball Skill to get clean water and put it on the trading platform in exchange for the supplies he needed. After everything was ready, Joseph put the Crossbow Blueprint and the Plate Armor Blueprint on the bed. He immediately rubbed his hands together and walked toward the Magic Beast Egg. Feeling the warmth of the Magic Beast Egg, Joseph smelled a strong fragrance of the egg. ¡°Add some salt, add some chilis, and then add some tangerines and Demon Wolf Meat. It¡¯s simply a delicious meal that¡¯s to die for! Joseph said as he picked up the shovel that was about to break and used it as a tray. He placed the magic beast egg on the shovel and began to heat it up under the flames. However, as time passed, even the shovel had been burned until it was red, but the Magic Beast Egg did not show any signs of being roasted. This made Joseph, who wanted to have supper, a little angry. ¡°What the hell is this? Could it be that I brought back a stone egg?¡± ¡°Otherwise, how could there be no reaction at all?¡± Joseph gritted his teeth and said. He even had the urge to break the Magic Beast Egg. However, just as he was about to take action, the Magic Beast Egg began to tremble. A faint cry continued to be heard from the flames. ¡°Chirp, chirp!¡± The sound of it was extremely similar to the sound of the chickens his grandfather raised on the farm when he was young. This discovery undoubtedly made Joseph even more disappointed. However, after being disappointed for a few seconds, Joseph began to clap his hands and laugh loudly. ¡°Chickens give birth to eggs, eggs give birth to chickens. They will keep repeating the cycle and grow. Doesn¡¯t that mean that I already have countless eggs and chickens?¡± ¡°By that time, will I still be short of supper?¡± Joseph¡¯s current appearance looked very funny, but only the pity in his eyes could represent his true thoughts. A life that was about to be hatched was like a baby that was about to be born. Although Joseph was not a saint, he could not do such a thing for his supper at this time. After all, he did not lack food now. If he was hungry, he might be completely different. ¡°The merciful Emperor Joseph will wait quietly for you to hatch. When that time comes, don¡¯t blame Emperor Joseph for being merciless!¡± Pretending to be cold, he placed the Magic Beast Egg one meter away from the fireworks. Just as he placed the magic beast egg down, there were cries of joy coming from inside the egg. It was as if it was expressing its gratitude to Joseph. ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t think that this emperor will be soft-hearted just because of this. I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s impossible unless you cry a few more times for me to hear!¡± ¡°Chirp, chirp, chirp!¡± ¡°Chirp, chirp, chirp!¡± The little guy inside the egg was crying constantly like a machine. This made Joseph feel amused. He did not expect that the little guy who had not hatched would already cherish life so much. Rather, it could be understood as it being afraid of death! ¡°Well, it¡¯s annoying. Since I let you go, I should prepare my dinner for tonight.¡± Joseph turned around, picked up a piece of Demon Wolf Meat, rubbed it with salt and pepper, and began to barbecue it on the grill. He flipped the meat over and said, ¡°Little guy, tell me, are you a male or a female? If I find out that you¡¯re a rooster after you hatch, then don¡¯t blame me for being rude to you!¡± ¡°Chirp, chirp, chirp!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me, because you have shattered my dream of having an unlimited amount of eggs and chickens. You have made my suppers boring!¡± ¡°Chirp, chirp!¡± ¡°Even if you are a hen, don¡¯t be arrogant with me. I am the Emperor Joseph who destroys flowers. When the time comes, I will burn a pot of boiling hot water and clean you up. Then, I will apply salt and pepper on you. Just the thought of it makes me drool!¡± ¡°Hey, what if I suddenly go back on my word? How about you let me have an extra meal tonight?¡± Joseph said in a teasing tone as he stared at the Magic Beast Egg, wanting to see the little guy¡¯s reaction. ¡°Chirp, chirp, chirp!¡± The little guy was obviously scared by Joseph¡¯s words. A series of continuous chirps came from the egg. ¡°Hahaha, what an interesting little thing!¡± Joseph was amused and laughed loudly. He felt that this little guy was the little pistachio that the old thing, God, had sent to him so that he would not go crazy because he thought he was lonely. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. From now on, you will be called Pistachio. You will be my first subordinate!¡± Gently stroking the Magic Beast Egg, Joseph began his dinner. A piece of Rye Bread, a piece of Demon Wolf Meat, and a piece of Fluorescent Tangerine after the meal. If he could send the picture to the chat room, he would probably make those guys cry in hunger. Joseph could not help but laugh when he thought of those guys who had to eat a piece of Rye Bread for several days. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ll be eating first!¡± When eating his dinner, Joseph teased Pistachio, causing the little guy in the egg to continuously chirp as if he was protesting against Joseph¡¯s merciless destruction. While Joseph was enjoying his happy time, a group of uninvited guests was digging toward Joseph¡¯s location. ¡°Oink, oink!¡± One by one, large Demon Boars were using their sharp and thick tusks to destroy the earth wall in front of them. Their speed was several times faster than Joseph¡¯s digging speed. The danger was imminent! ¡­ ¡°Burp!¡± After eating and drinking his fill, Joseph finally remembered that there was still one important thing he had not done. That was to forge the Plate Armor Of The Dead and the Soldier¡¯s Crossbow. These two pieces of equipment could make Joseph into a terrifying mobile fortress. He did as he was told and placed the blueprints on the blacksmith¡¯s platform. [Do you wish to forge the Plate Armor Of The Dead?] [Forging requirements: iron ore x 100, bones x 5, Magical Beast Meat x 100 ml] [Do you wish to forge the Soldier¡¯s Crossbow?] [Iron ore x 50, wood x 20, Magical Beast Tendons x 1] ¡°Forge!¡± When Joseph pressed the ¡®forge¡¯ button to confirm, all the materials beside him instantly disappeared. The materials required for these two pieces of equipment had turned the originally wealthy ¡®Emperor Joseph¡¯ into the penniless ¡®Joseph The Great Beggar¡¯. However, Joseph did not feel the slightest bit of heartache, because the two pieces of equipment shining with a metallic luster had already appeared in front of him. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation [Forged successfully!] [Obtained E-Grade Equipment: Plate Armor Of The Dead, Soldier¡¯s Crossbow!] Looking at the shiny metal crossbow in front of him and the Plate Armor Of The Dead that looked like bones, Joseph could not wait to experience it. The plate armor looked ferocious and terrifying, but after Joseph put it on, he looked exceptionally valiant. He held a sharp, short sword in his hand, and the Soldier¡¯s Crossbow hung at his waist. He looked like a young general who had been through hundreds of battles. ¡°So handsome, as expected of the future Joseph the Great!¡± Summoning the Water Ball Skill as a mirror, Joseph was very satisfied with his current equipment and appearance. He casually waved his short sword a few times, and Joseph turned the water ball into clean water and placed it on the trading platform. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s the difference between this crossbow and a pistol!¡± In high spirits, Joseph picked up the crossbow and the ten crossbow bolts, then strode out of the wooden house. He looked like a child who had just gotten his favorite toy and went to experiment with the crossbow he had just gotten. After searching for a long time, Joseph finally set his target on an earthen wall not far from the wooden house. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± After drawing a shooting target on the earthen wall, Joseph ran to a location twenty meters away. Picking up the crossbow, Joseph clumsily set up the crossbow. This crossbow did not have a target guide, so Joseph could only rely on his eyesight to aim. He aimed for a long time. In the end, just as Joseph expected, he missed the target! ¡°This is really difficult to control!¡± After setting up the arrow on the crossbow again, Joseph frowned and looked at the large shooting target 20 meters away. He suddenly had a headache. ¡°The crossbow itself is a long-range weapon, but if I can¡¯t even shoot at a distance of 20 meters, then what is the meaning of the crossbow to me?¡± Holding the crossbow, Joseph did not rush to shoot this time. Instead, he kept moving his hands to find the best way to aim. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The crossbow shot out, but this time it hit the edge of the target. Although it did not hit the bullseye, Joseph felt very satisfied. This was undoubtedly a good start. In the following period, Joseph kept shooting, and the accuracy and speed of his shooting increased greatly. Although he still did not hit the bullseye, it was already very good for Joseph. Whether it was the Ghouls or the Demon Wolves, their vital points were very obvious. He would be able to gain a great advantage in the following battles as long as he could shoot in a general direction. ¡°Ten arrows are enough for the time being. I should not encounter a large-scale Magical Beast horde for now. With the arrows and plate armor, even if I encounter the Demon Wolves again, Emperor Joseph is confident that he can kill them head-on!¡± Hanging the crossbow by his waist once again, Joseph picked up a piece of wood and began to craft. The sharp, short sword became a tool, cutting and grinding on the wood. In a short while, an oval-shaped wooden stick appeared in his hand. Picking up the shovel, Joseph very roughly pulled out the already damaged handle of the shovel and inserted the newly made wooden stick into it. Needless to say, the size was very suitable. Looking at the brand new shovel, Joseph was very satisfied with his craftsmanship. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Brother Shovel, I¡¯ll bring you to experience a brand new partner!¡± Picking up the shovel, Joseph once again strolled into the distance, looking for the treasure chest he needed. [System prompt: there¡¯s an F-Grade Food Treasure Chest hidden in the earth wall 70 meters away!] [System prompt: there is an E-Grade Construction Treasure Chest hidden in the earth wall 30 meters away!] ¡­ [System prompt: there is an E-Grade Mysterious Treasure Chest hidden in the earth wall 20 meters away!] Stomp! Once Joseph heard this prompt, he immediately paused his footsteps. Mysterious Treasure Chest? Although he was an expert in digging, he actually never knew that there was such a type of treasure chest. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else. let¡¯s do this!¡± With Joseph¡¯s bad temper, how could he let go of such an opportunity? Without a word, he followed the system¡¯s prompts and brought Brother Shovel, who had just changed the parts to attack. ¡°Clang!¡± It was still a familiar sound, but it was still so pleasing to the ear. This treasure chest was actually hidden less than half a meter underground. It was as if it had been given away for free. Without much effort, Joseph saw the real face of the Mysterious Treasure Chest. ¡°F * ck, are you sure you¡¯re not kidding me?¡± Joseph rubbed his eyes hard and looked at the familiar object in front of him. He looked closer and saw that it was a pure green safe with a white note on it. [Mysterious Treasure Chest] ¡°Isn¡¯t this too plain?¡± Joseph tore off the note and moved the safe to the ground. He looked it up and down carefully. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this thing should need a password, right?¡± Joseph looked at the password lock on the safe and muttered to himself. ¡°The Mysterious Treasure Chest really is mysterious, but it¡¯s not realistic to use this password to stop me!¡± He was a civilized and polite young man, so Joseph simply smashed the password lock into pieces with his shovel. ¡°As expected, the most effective method is usually the most straightforward. With this quality, it¡¯s not even worth 20 dollars!¡± Looking at the cracked safe, Joseph smacked his lips and complained indignantly. ¡°Next, it¡¯s the time to witness a miracle!¡± Blowing away the dust in his hands, Joseph slowly opened the safe¡¯s door. However, there were only two thin blueprints in the half-meter-sized safe. This discovery made Joseph feel a little disappointed. ¡°Who knows that it might bring a surprise?¡± After comforting himself, Joseph took out the two blueprints. Expectedly, the mysterious treasure chest was not that simple. [Mysterious Map: can display the geographical environment within 300 meters from the map!] [Construction Blueprint: Perfect-Grade Barbecue Grill, can greatly increase the taste of food, and there is a chance for random attributes to appear ] ¡°Who else? I, Joseph, am God¡¯s favorite. I love the Mysterious Treasure Chest to death!¡± After Joseph checked the attributes of the blueprints, he immediately hugged the blueprints excitedly and kissed them continuously. With the Mysterious Map, he could completely control the environment he was in. Moreover, the Perfect-Grade Barbecue Grill could allow him to enjoy a top-notch feast. Not to mention, it had the chance to have a random attribute function. He thought about how the Fluorescent Tangerines helped him. These two items could even be called perfect motivation for him! Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Oink, oink!!!¡± Just as Joseph was celebrating over the Mysterious Treasure Chest¡­ A series of deafening pig cries suddenly sounded. ¡°What the hell? Where could the pig cries come from in the underground world? !¡± Joseph could not figure out the situation at that moment. He could only look around, trying to find the source of the sound. However, the underground world was sealed off, so it was filled with echoes. For a moment, it was impossible to identify it. At this moment, Joseph facepalmed in frustration. He felt that he was as stupid as a pig. He had just obtained the Mysterious Map, but he had forgotten about it in the blink of an eye. He quickly took out the Mysterious Map and looked at it. Sure enough, the map that was just a piece of white paper previously had revealed a different picture. ¡°This is the karst cave, this is the Cabin In The Forest, this is¡­¡± ¡°F * ck, what the hell is this?¡± At the edge of the map, Joseph saw a long passage, and at the front of the passage was a group of terrifying creatures with huge tusks. ¡°Are these f * cking pigs?¡± On the map, the Demon Pigs were getting closer and closer to the edge of the earth wall as time passed. In a few minutes, Joseph would be able to see this group of cute big guys. In such a short period of time, Joseph could not rush back to the Cabin In The Forest. Moreover, the Cabin In The Forest would not be able to withstand the huge bodies of these big guys. ¡°With the Plate Armor Of The Dead and the Soldier¡¯s Crossbow, how will I be afraid of you animals?¡± Although he said that, Joseph seized the time to run toward the karst cave. There was a piercing cold river in the karst cave. This was the only terrain that he could think of that would be advantageous to him. However, the moment he stepped into the karst cave, the group of little cuties had already broken through the tunnel and discovered delicious food. Our Emperor Joseph! ¡°They really are cute!¡± Joseph hurriedly jumped onto the Emperor Joseph, and the cuties also quickened their steps, wanting to give Joseph a passionate hug. ¡°Oink, oink!!!¡± Waves of tyrannical pig cries rang out continuously. Only then did Joseph, who had rowed the raft to the center of the river, have the time to look at the Demon Pigs gathered on the shore. One, two¡­ He did not know how many there were, but he kept counting and observing them. There were a total of seven Demon Pigs. If he were to meet them on the ground, other than being treated as dinner, Joseph could not think of any other outcome. ¡°Come here!¡± Joseph stood on the wooden raft and stretched out his finger to lure the Demon Pigs on the other side of the river. Perhaps they had understood Joseph¡¯s gesture or the meaning behind it. The group of Demon Pigs immediately became even more irritated. However, looking at the deep river water, the Demon Pigs could only stand there helplessly in rage. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming over? Since you guys aren¡¯t coming over, then don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± When he saw that the Demon Pigs did not dare to go into the water, Joseph immediately laughed evilly. He picked up the crossbow at his waist and slowly loaded a crossbow arrow. He then aimed at the Demon Pigs on the other side. ¡°This one won¡¯t do. It¡¯s too thin. This one won¡¯t do either. It¡¯s too fat. Forget it, stop jumping. It¡¯s You!¡± Joseph pulled the trigger with his finger. An arrow immediately flew through the air and directly shot into the eyes of a Demon Pig. ¡°Yes! Who should I choose next?¡± At this moment, Joseph finally understood the true joy of using long-range weapons, especially when the Demon Pigs could not get close to him at all. ¡°Whoosh!¡± ¡°Whoosh¡­¡± The Demon Pigs were replaced by furious screams of pain as the crossbow arrows were shot out one after another. By the time all ten crossbow arrows were shot out, there were already three unlucky ones who had their eyes pierced through by the arrows and fell to the ground. The remaining four were also injured and bleeding profusely. ¡°Oh no, there are no more arrows!¡± Joseph was shocked and had no choice but to put away the crossbow in his hands. This action immediately caused the surviving Demon Pigs to become excited. There was even a Demon Pig with an arrow in its butt that rushed down from the shore in excitement. ¡°Bang!¡± A huge wave splashed in the river. Even the aftermath pushed the Emperor Joseph three meters away. Looking at the warrior who disappeared on the surface of the water, Joseph sighed softly. ¡°You¡¯re the bravest pig I¡¯ve ever seen, and also the stupidest one. I¡¯m sorry for your loss. I will send your brothers to accompany you as soon as possible!¡± Shaking his head, as a Close-Ranged Mage, Joseph calmly began the path of bullying the pig. ¡°Water Ball Skill!¡± ¡°Water Ball Skill!!!¡± A series of Water Balls instantly woke up the Demon Pigs who were still immersed in the memory of the warrior. Knowing the power of the Water Ball Skill, Joseph did not hit the vital points of the Demon Pigs with the Water Ball Spell, because he could not cause much damage through fats of the Demon Pigs. He very cleverly hit the Water Ball Skill on the arrows on the demon pigs. With the help of the Water Ball Skill, the crossbow arrows completely penetrated the bodies of the Demon Pigs, causing them to fall to the ground. ¡°Today is another day of extra meals!¡± Looking at the dead Demon Pigs, Joseph rowed the raft and slowly rushed back to the shore. In fear that the demon pigs were not completely dead, he even waited for half an hour before stepping on the shore. ¡°If only I had a refrigerator. It would be such a pity if all the Demon Pig Meat was roasted!¡± Looking at the Demon Pig that weighed 230 kg, Joseph felt that it was a pity. If he did not hurry and turn it into roasted meat, the pork would quickly deteriorate and rot. Just as Joseph was about to cut the Demon Pig¡¯s corpse and bring it back. ¡°Splash!¡± The sound of running water came from behind him. ¡°What sound¡­¡± Before Joseph could finish his words, he was sent flying by a huge force. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Joseph looked at the additional hole on the plate armor and complained helplessly, ¡°F * ck, I can accept a pig swimming, but a pig that can dive is a little shameless, right?¡± The one who had hit Joseph was the warrior from before. He had never thought that a pig could swim underwater for half an hour. If it was not for the plate armor, Joseph would have been able to see that old man God with the collision just now. ¡°Come on, brother, let¡¯s have a fair duel!¡± Joseph got up and stood on the Demon Pig¡¯s corpse, asking for a duel against the Demon Pig warrior. However, the Demon Pig warrior was obviously too naive, or perhaps it had underestimated the shamelessness of Emperor Joseph. Just as it started charing, Joseph once again set up his crossbow with an arrow covered in blood. ¡°Farewell, my warrior brother!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°A family should be all together!¡± Joseph panted heavily and threw the last corpse of the Demon Pig on the empty ground in front of the Cabin In The Forest. A total of nine Demon Pigs were piled together and looked even more spectacular than the Cabin In The Forest. ¡°So much pork! How long do I have to eat it?¡± Joseph did not mind the dirtiness. He sat directly on the corpse of a Demon Pig and kept measuring the body of the Demon Pig with his short sword. A Demon Pig was around 500 pounds, so nine of them would be 4500 pounds. If he relied on himself to eat it, he would not be able to eat this much even if he ate the Demon Pigs rotted. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If it¡¯s processed and cut well, I can just turn it into barbecued meat and trade it as an item. I can also exchange it for a large number of resources, right?¡± Joseph thought of an idea. He stood up and directly transformed into the Bloody Butcher Joseph. ¡°Let¡¯s cut here. Lean meat is most suitable for roasting meat. The fat and lean meat here are most suitable for making sausages!¡± Joseph cut, again and again, completely displaying the bloody butcher¡¯s class to the extreme. Even if a real butcher saw it, he would not be able to look straight at this bloody scene. After the Demon Pigs died one by one, the entire empty space was filled with the pungent smell of blood. Apart from a large amount of Demon Pig Meat, Joseph also found nine shiny, black Crystal Cores in the nine Demon Pig¡¯s head. [Demon Pig Crystal Core: the Energy Crystal for the entire body of the Demon Pig ] [Effect: can transform other magical beasts into large edible Demon Pigs ] ¡°Did it just give me a Magical Beast Egg and a pig farm?¡± Joseph looked at the black Crystal Core in his hand and scratched his head. ¡°Is the Great Emperor Joseph going to change his class from a Close-Ranged Mage to an all-rounder breeder in the future?¡± Joseph felt that the recent rewards were not friendly to him at all. A Perfect-Grade Barbecue Grill and a Crystal Core that could transform Magical Beasts into large edible Demon Pigs made him feel like a chef. However, whether it was the breeder or the chef, they did not match the temperament of Emperor Joseph at all. Had you ever seen a chef wearing plate armor, holding a short sword and a crossbow? Had you ever seen a breeder who could cast the Water Ball Skill? No, right? Today, Emperor Joseph will let you experience it! He put away the portable base [Cabin In The Forest]. The treasure chests nearby had been dug up by him long ago, so there was nothing left for him there. It was time to move his home into the underground karst cave. Not only was the environment beautiful, but there were also a lot of treasure chests and supplies. Moreover, there was a river. Although the water in it could not be used, it undoubtedly added a perfect ¡®moat¡¯ for Joseph¡¯s safety. After all, no one wanted their home to be patronized when they went out to dig. He continued to ride the Emperor Joseph to the karst cave. Looking at the scenery in the karst cave that was completely different from the outside world, Joseph liked to call this place paradise. ¡°From today onwards, this is Paradise Island!¡± Joseph said with a smile. He continued to patrol the karst cave and finally released the Cabin In The Forest on an empty land surrounded by stalactites and used it as his new home. However, at this moment. [System prompt: there is a D-Grade Blueprint Treasure Chest 50 meters ahead. Please excavate as soon as possible!] 50 meters ahead? Joseph looked at the Cabin In The Forest in front of him. The Cabin In The Forest was 50 meters ahead, right? There were countless stalactites behind him? Joseph thought as he walked around the Cabin In The Forest and climbed toward the stalactite. When he stood on the stalactite that was 10 meters tall, he realized that it was a huge earth wall. ¡°It¡¯s starting, my old friend!¡± Joseph picked up the shovel and began to dig from top to bottom. However, as he dug, he found that the soil here was very soft. Even when the shovel was still digging, it had already collapsed by itself. Just like that, Joseph only used dug three times to collapse the entire earth wall. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Joseph covered his mouth to block the dust in front of him. This caused the entire Cabin In The Forest to be covered in dust. It was as if it had just been dug out of the ground. ¡°Really¡­ Cough, cough¡­ What the hell is that?¡± Joseph waited quietly on the stalactite until all the dust had fallen to the ground. Only then did he begin to slowly climb down from the stalactite. Reaching out in his plate armor, Joseph was like a clumsy tin can. If it were not for the many stone steps on the stalactite, he did not know when he would be able to come down. ¡°Bang!¡± Unable to bear the clumsy climbing, Joseph directly jumped down from the one-meter-high stalactite. Dust flew everywhere. At this time, Joseph could clearly see the scene in front of him. It was an empty cave that was nearly a hundred meters wide. There were huge earth walls on all four sides, and the middle of the cave was extremely empty. ¡°The system gave me another pig farm?¡± When Joseph saw this cave, his first reaction was that it was actually a pig farm. This empty cave, together with the messy stalactites in front, was basically a naturally formed pig farm. [System prompt: there is a D-Grade Treasure Chest three meters below the host¡¯s feet. Please excavate it as soon as possible!] Joseph had not even moved when he heard the system¡¯s voice. ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no hurry for the pig farm or anything. It¡¯s more important to excavate the treasure chest first.¡± Putting aside the pig farm¡¯s plan for the time being, Joseph began to excavate. With shovel after shovel, he did not know if practice made perfect, but Joseph¡¯s movements and angles became very relaxed. The three-meter deep hole was excavated in just ten minutes. ¡°Hey, this is a game-changer!¡± The D-Grade Treasure Chest that was excavated was completely different from the E and F-Grade Treasure Chests from before. It was no longer the wooden treasure chest from before. It had changed into a pitch-black iron material, coupled with the large D character carved on it. It gave off a rough and wild sense of beauty. [Opened D-Grade Treasure Chest: Equipment Upgrade Blueprint x 1, Basic Beast Pen obtained! ] [Equipment Upgrade Blueprint: F-Grade Equipment can be upgraded to E-Grade.] [Basic Beast Pen: Wooden Basic Beast Pen, can raise basic magical beasts.] Joseph looked at the blueprint in front of him and the mini model of the Beast Pen. He immediately smiled. What reason would I have to refuse since you had given me so much? From this day onwards, I would become the biggest Magical Beast breeder in the underground world. However, how should I use this Beast Pen? Joseph held the mini Beast Pen and kept observing it. Just as he was confused, the model in his hand accidentally fell to the ground. [Detected suitable environment: do you want to place the Basic Beast Pen?] Joseph, who had finally found a way to use it, had no reason to refuse. [Place!] Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Rumble!¡± With the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, a wooden Beast Pen that occupied nearly a hundred square meters appeared in front of Joseph. A wooden fence surrounded the surroundings, completely enveloping the entire cave. Right in front of Joseph was a wooden door that was hung with chains. He pushed open the wooden door in front of him and strode in. The fence looked very thin, which made Joseph feel that he could break it even with just a little force. However, the reality was not as he had imagined. The original wooden fence felt cold like iron. Even if he used all his strength, he could not break it at all. ¡°This quality is not logical at all!¡± After trying to break the fence with his sword, Joseph realized the quality of the Beast Pen. It could definitely withstand the attack of the Demon Pig. Then, he walked out of the Beast Pen with great satisfaction. ¡°Now I have a Beast Pen. Then, the next part of my journey is to find some magic beasts and carry out my pig breeding business!¡± Joseph thought about the Beast Pen as he walked toward the Cabin In The Woods. ¡°Beep, beep!¡± Joseph had just managed to climb over the stalactites and return to his cabin in the woods without drinking any water. His private messages suddenly started to ring. Emily, ¡°Has anything different happened in your area recently?¡± Hearing this, Joseph was confused. Anything different? Did finding a cave count? Did killing a bunch of Demon Pigs count? Should I tell her that I moved? After thinking for a while, Joseph replied, ¡°No, why?¡± Very quickly, Emily replied, ¡°Recently, a bunch of annoying Demon Rats appeared in my area, constantly eating my Elven Hot!¡± ¡°Moreover, this sort of thing wasn¡¯t just happening to me. It was happening to many people in the chat room.¡± Demon Pig vs Demon Rat? They were not even on the same level as Magical Beasts, right? Why did they discriminate against me? Joseph was instantly flustered and irritated. The Demon Pig had brought him a lot of benefits, but if it was not for the fact that he had the geographical advantage and the advantage of the equipment. Let alone the nine Demon Pigs, even one was enough to crush him many times over. ¡°Are the Demon Rats very troublesome?¡± Joseph did not give up and continued to ask. He did not believe that he, favored son of God, the King Of Luck, would be treated so unfairly. ¡°It¡¯s not very troublesome. As long as there aren¡¯t too many of them, even an ordinary person with a shovel can kill them. It¡¯s basically a gift and food that comes to the door. Many people in the chat room have given up on digging and started to kill the demon rats in large numbers!¡± Seeing Emily¡¯s words, Joseph suddenly felt uncomfortable. Even the freshly roasted Demon Pig meat was not as fragrant as before. ¡°By the way, if there aren¡¯t any Demon Rats in your place, how about I exchange three demon rats for some clean water?¡± ¡°Although the taste of Demon Rat isn¡¯t very delicious, it has a different flavor!¡± With just a few sentences, Emily dragged the matter back to the trade. Every time this woman came to him, she seemed to have nothing else to do except for trading. ¡°I want it alive!¡± He did not know if there were any Demon Rats in his area, so Joseph decided to trade for a living Demon Rat. This way, he could experiment with the effects of the Demon Pig Crystal Core and start a new chapter for his underground pig farm. ¡°Deal!¡± Emily did not hesitate. After three minutes, Joseph received Emily¡¯s trade request. After using the Water Ball Skill once, Joseph finally saw the appearance of the Demon Rat. Its body was 20 centimeters in size and had pitch-black fur. Its emerald green eyes looked very fierce. However, when Joseph got closer, he realized that the magic rat was very timid and cowardly. Joseph was less than a meter away from them and they were already trembling with fear. ¡°As timid as a mouse?¡± Joseph said the idiom from a distant country awkwardly and suddenly felt that the description was very correct. Seeing that there was nothing special about the Demon Rats, Joseph lost interest in observing them. He picked up the three Demon Rats and turned around to walk toward the Beast Pen. ¡°Demon Pig, Demon Rat, can they really be transformed?¡± Looking at the skinny Demon Rat, Joseph could not connect it to the demon pig that he knew. It was a world of difference just by its body. Could it really be that it could transform a species with just a Demon Pig Crystal Core? With deep doubts in his heart, Joseph pushed open the gate of the Beast Pen and threw the Demon Rats on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s test it with a crystal core first. If we succeed, Joseph¡¯s Demon Pig farm can officially open!¡± Joseph said as he stuffed the Crystal Core into one of the Demon Rats¡¯ mouth. However, the Demon Rat did not change at all when he stuffed it in. It even blinked at Joseph in confusion. It was as if he was saying, ¡°That thing just now, could it be tonight¡¯s dinner?¡± The Demon Rat that swallowed the Mana Core still did not change at all as time passed. This made Joseph a little nervous. Joseph did not even blink as he stared at the Demon Rat that ate the Mana Core. Meanwhile, the Demon Rat also stared at Joseph. One minute, two minutes¡­ Just as Joseph was about to give up, he stood up and planned to execute the guy who had wasted his Demon Pig Crystal Core. ¡°Oink, oink!¡± The Demon Rat suddenly expanded as if air was blown into it. It even made an oinking sound. In just a few seconds, the Demon Rat that was less than 20 centimeters turned into a two-meter-long Demon Pig that weighed more than 100 kg. ¡°My God, is it this magical?¡± Joseph carefully examined the Demon Pig [Demon Rat], which had just changed its race and had not completely adapted to it. This change not only surprised Joseph, but even the two Demon Rat brothers began to squeak loudly. [How did you become like this? ] [Such an ugly appearance, how could it be our handsome Demon Rat brother?] However, the only response they received was the sound of an oinking pig, which was already shaking its head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t worry. The merciful Emperor Joseph will fulfill your wish. As brothers, you should share happiness and adversity together!¡± Joseph said with a smile as he took out two Demon Pig Crystal Cores and stuffed them into their mouths. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Three Demon Pigs. Joseph¡¯s pig farm is officially on the right track. The next step is to increase the scale!¡± Joseph stood in front of the three Demon Pigs and made a grand vow. ¡°One day, the great Joseph will monopolize the entire underground world¡¯s pork market.¡± After saying that, he laughed out loud. Taking advantage of the fact that the demon pigs had yet to adapt to their new bodies, he decisively took out his crossbow and aimed it at them. A few arrows were fired, and the Demon Pigs fell to the ground. Joseph began to skillfully process the pork while humming a song. Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I still have six Demon Pig Crystal Cores in my hands, so I can still transform another six Demon Rats into Demon Pigs.¡± After dividing the three demon pigs, Joseph carried the demon pig meat back to the hut in batches. He took out a lighter and lit a fire. Then, he placed the selected Demon Pig Meat on the grill and slowly flipped it. When he was roasting it, the little guy rolled to his side. ¡°Little guy, do you want some?¡± Joseph turned his head, looked at the little guy who was rolling on the ground, and asked with a chuckle. ¡°Boink, boink!¡± Hearing Joseph¡¯s teasing words, the little guy suddenly jumped on the ground angrily. Joseph did not restrain himself at all when he saw the little guy¡¯s angry look. Instead, he laughed even more carefreely. ¡°If you want to eat, jump out. As long as you can hatch from the egg, you can eat as much as you want!¡± Joseph pointed at the pile of Demon Pig Meat in the corner and said very generously. Even flames could not damage the eggshell. He did not believe that the little guy could hatch by himself. Moreover, the little guy was a pocket-sized Demon Beast Egg. Even if it could eat, how much could it eat? Just as Joseph was feeling happy from teasing the little guy, the little guy suddenly jumped into the fire. This made Joseph jump. Could it be that the little guy¡¯s heart was so weak? Just because of his teasing, it could not help but want to jump into the Flames and burn himself? Although he knew that the fire from the barbecue did not cause much harm to the little guy, Joseph still hurriedly tried to pull the little guy out of the fire. However, just as he got up, the fire from the grill dimmed and rushed toward the little guy at a considerable speed. ¡°Crack!¡± The little guy¡¯s eggshell kept making cracking sounds as the fireworks condensed. The cracks quickly appeared on the surface of the eggshell. ¡°It hatched just like that?¡± Joseph looked at the little guy¡¯s abnormal eggshell and subconsciously stopped his footsteps. He felt that this was the little guy¡¯s method of hatching itself. ¡°Puff!¡± The fire that was still burning just a moment ago was suddenly extinguished, leaving behind an eggshell full of cracks under the barbecue grill. ¡°Little guy, are you done?¡± Joseph squatted in front of the eggshell and stretched out his hand to gently pat the eggshell. However, just as he put his hand on it, he felt an astonishing temperature, which made him quickly withdraw his hand. ¡°It seems that I can finally taste the taste of the Magical Beast Egg tonight. I wonder if I should put some chili or salt on it?¡± Joseph was deep in thought as he looked at the eggshell, muttering to himself. ¡°Crack!¡± With a crack, the eggshell broke open and a pure white figure pounced onto Joseph¡¯s head. ¡°Little guy, you¡¯re not obedient at all!¡± Joseph, who was already prepared, reached out his hand and lifted the little guy in the air. He gently shook the little guy that had just hatched and looked at it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s not a Magical Chicken or a Magical Duck, but a greedy little kitten!¡± Joseph looked at the little guy that was baring its fangs and claws at him and said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know if cat meat is good or not. Why don¡¯t I take this opportunity to taste it?¡± ¡°Meow!¡± Seeing that Joseph did not look like he was joking, the little guy suddenly became obedient. His pink little tongue kept licking Joseph¡¯s palm. ¡°Hey, do you dislike me? Jeez!¡± Joseph put the little guy beside him and tore a piece of the roasted Demon Pig Meat and put it in the little guy¡¯s mouth. ¡°This is good stuff!¡± Joseph was not joking because it was roasted on the perfect grill. This time, a random attribute appeared. [High-Quality Roasted Demon Pig Meat: after being cooked on the perfect grill, the effect of Fire Resistance + 1] ¡°Meow!¡± The little guy did not hold back at all when Joseph threw the meat into his mouth. It directly swallowed the warm Demon Pig Meat into its stomach. The little guy¡¯s eyes immediately brightened as it tasted the delicious Demon Pig Meat. It slowly stood up and took the opportunity when Joseph was not paying attention to put the uncooked Demon Pig Meat into the barbecue grill in the fireplace. Before Joseph could speak, the little thing opened its mouth and a ball of fire immediately lit up the barbecue grill again. ¡°Meow, Meow! !¡± The little thing looked at the burning flame and jumped up and down happily. It had no idea how much of a shock its actions had brought to Joseph. ¡°This is a cat that knows magic?¡± Joseph kept looking at the flames and the little guy, trying to find out what was so special about this greedy little guy. Perhaps it felt Joseph¡¯s gaze, the little guy turned its head innocently and looked at the big guy who had been bullying it. ¡°Meow!¡± [This is my roasted meat, it¡¯s not for you!] For some reason, Joseph actually understood what it meant and reached out to carry the little fellow up again. ¡°From today onwards, you are Emperor Joseph¡¯s temporary royal chef. If you want to eat good roasted meat, you have to be obedient. Otherwise, Emperor Joseph won¡¯t mind bullying a gluttonous little fellow like you!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± [Annoying big guy, when I grow up, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay back!] The little guy bared its fangs and its claws at Joseph, constantly threatening him. However, coupled with his silly and cute appearance, not only did it not pose any threat, but it gave Joseph a greater sense of achievement. ¡°Then I will be waiting for you. But now, obediently go and roast meat for me!¡± Placing the little guy in front of the grill, Joseph leaned on the bed with ease, quietly waiting for the imperial kitty chef to cook the barbecue. ¡°With this little guy as a portable lighter, I don¡¯t have to worry about the source of the fire anymore!¡± Joseph looked at the little guy who was constantly flipping the grill, and the corner of his mouth inadvertently revealed a faint smile. Although Joseph was very surprised that the little guy could control the flames, he was actually happy because he would not be alone in the future. With the company of this little guy, he could imagine that the days in the future would be full of fun. ¡°Meow!¡± [Lazy guy, you can only eat a little of this fragrant roasted meat. The rest is mine, do you know that?] ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about it. If you want to eat roasted meat, then rely on your own abilities!¡± Joseph got off the bed and directly grabbed the roasted meat. This provoked the little fellow to pounce on him in exasperation. ¡°Meow!¡± [Bastard!] Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In his sleep, Joseph felt some discomfort on his cheeks and helplessly opened his eyes. The little guy on his head had somehow fallen asleep on his face. Just as Joseph opened his eyes, the little guy changed into a more comfortable position and fell asleep again. His body was covered with pure white fur, which looked especially holy in the dim light. It was as if it was taking revenge for Joseph¡¯s overbearing behavior last night, he kept moving restlessly on his face. ¡°Seriously, how can you find a girlfriend if you hold a grudge like this!¡± After yawning, Joseph was no longer sleepy. He stretched his arms and put the little guy who was still clinging to his face on the bed. Then, he stood on the floor and stretched his muscles. ¡°Hah!¡± After letting out a heavy breath, Joseph walked out of the wooden house to pick some Fluorescent Tangerines. Due to the frequent forging of equipment, Joseph did not have many basic resources left, so it was time for him to start a large-scale trade. Originally, Joseph had planned to carry out the trade last night, but he did not expect the little guy to be so clingy. It pestered him for an entire night until he was so sleepy that he could not open his eyes. Only then did it fall asleep on top of his head. When he arrived in front of the tangerine tree, the scene in front of him surprised Joseph. ¡°Who damaged the roots of the Citrus Tree?¡± Joseph squatted down and looked at the exposed roots of the tangerine tree. In just a short night, but it had become like this. The originally green leaves had now become dull and yellow. Even the Fluorescent Tangerines, which had long ripened, had lost some of their lusters. If Joseph had not been clear about the appearance of the Fluorescent Tangerines, he would not have noticed such a small abnormality. Joseph shook his head. He could not be careless in this matter. The Fluorescent Tangerine had attributes that could recover Mana. It was completely the biggest reliance for him to carry out the clean water trades. He carefully buried the exposed citrus roots deep into the ground again. Only then did Joseph stand up. He wanted to look around and see if he could find the reason. ¡°Meow!¡± The little guy, who was supposed to be sleeping, suddenly followed him. Without saying a word, the little guy pounced into Joseph¡¯s arms. He looked at the Fluorescent Tangerines and kept twitching his little nose. ¡°Little greedy cat, if you want to eat, go pick it yourself. I still have things to deal with. Be good, understand?¡± Joseph thought that the little guy would be hungry again after seeing the Fluorescent Tangerines. However, he did not expect that the little guy¡¯s nose was still twitching. In the end, it kicked hard with its four limbs and directly jumped out of Joseph¡¯s arms. Looking in the direction of the little guy, there was actually a Demon Rat digging a hole in the soil not far away, nibbling on the roots of the Fluorescent Tangerine trees. ¡°Meow!¡± [How dare you to cause trouble in front of me? I think you are tired of living!] The little fellow was indeed a cat that knew magic. With its current body, it was not even one-third of the size of the Demon Rat. However, when the Demon Rat saw the little guy, it immediately trembled in fear, frantically digging toward the ground. it wanted to escape from the little guy¡¯s sight. ¡°Try to keep it alive, little guy!¡± Joseph looked at the little guy¡¯s menacing appearance, afraid that he would accidentally burn the demon rat to death. One had to know that he still had the Demon Pig Crystal Core in his hands that he had yet to use. ¡°Meow!¡± [Big guy, you¡¯re really troublesome!] Although it kept ridiculing him, the little guy was still very obedient and pressed the Demon Rat on the spot, not killing it. ¡°Squeak, squeak!¡± The Demon Rat was filled with fear, but its body did not dare to move. It was afraid that this fiend on its body would end its happy rat life if it got angry. A Demon Pig Crystal core was stuffed into it as usual. Joseph picked up the short sword and waited by the side. However, the little guy saw that Joseph actually fed the Demon Rat but did not feed it. Thus, it immediately cried out unhappily. ¡°Meow!¡± [Big guy, you¡¯ve changed. You actually abandoned the cute Lord Meow for this damn rat!] In response to the little guy¡¯s aggressive questioning, Joseph indicated that he did not want to pay attention to him. This was because the demon rat had already transformed under the effect of the Demon Pig Crystal Core. ¡°Oink, oink!¡± The Demon Rat that had just changed its race did not have time to adapt to its new identity before Joseph, who had been waiting for a long time, ended its life with a sword. ¡°Meow!¡± [Big guy, what¡¯s going on? How did the damn rat suddenly become a delicious Demon Pig?] Carrying the Demon Pig on his shoulder, Joseph really did not know how to explain such a complicated thing to the cute little guy. He simply said, ¡°This is a secret. If you want to eat delicious demon pig meat, go and find out if there are any cute little rats around here!¡± After saying that, Joseph ignored the little guy who did not understand the situation and turned around to leave. ¡°Meow!¡± [Demon rat = Demonic pig = Delicious Demon Pig Meat!] In the little guy¡¯s pure mind, this was the most correct answer that he could think of! Ignoring the little guy who was making an earth-shaking mess around him, Joseph once again piled the divided Demon Pig Meat aside. He still had another more important thing to do. [Upgrade Blueprint: can upgrade E-Grade Equipment and add additional attributes! ] Joseph already had a plan about which equipment to upgrade. He only had the Plate Armor Of The Dead, the Soldier¡¯s Crossbow, and the sharp, short sword in his hands. Compared to plate armor and crossbow, Joseph was more inclined to the short sword. Besides the fact that he had already learned the basic application of the short sword, there were more limitations to both plate armor and crossbow. ¡°The sharp, short sword has been upgraded!¡± ¡°Ring, ring, ring!¡± With the sound of the short sword and blueprint being forged on the Blacksmith¡¯s Table, a brand new short sword appeared in front of Joseph. After the upgrade, the short sword no longer had the luster of iron. It had turned into a pitch-black dagger. Even from a distance of one meter, Joseph could feel that the dagger was filled with danger. [D-grade Equipment: Cursed Dagger! ] [Effect: a dagger with curse and paralysis effects. When attacking an enemy, it will cause paralysis and a random curse! ] ¡°Cursed Dagger?¡± Joseph picked up the pitch-black dagger. Instantly, a cold chill came from his palm. It was like an ominous weapon. If he accidentally scratched himself, then the result would definitely not be what he wanted to see. Thinking of this, Joseph turned around and picked up a piece of thick Demon Pig Skin. He used it as a temporary scabbard to carefully wrap up the Cursed Dagger. ¡°Meow!¡± Suddenly, a cat¡¯s Meow sounded in his ear as if it was saying, ¡°Big guy, look at the delicious Demon Pig Meat!¡± Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Not bad, Pistachio (little guy)!¡± Just as Joseph put the cursed dagger on his waist, Pistachio drove a group of trembling demon rats out of the wooden house. ¡°Meow!¡± Joseph looked at Pistachio¡¯s prideful look and shook his head with a smile. ¡°Go and chase these demon rats to the Beast Pen. Don¡¯t let them run around!¡± Joseph turned around and picked up the Demon Pig Crystal Cores that were placed by the side. Then, he watched as they fled in the direction of the Beast Pen in a hurry. Behind them, Pistachio chased after them casually. It looked very relaxed. When he came to the Beast Pen, Joseph looked at the seven Demon Rats curled up together. Then, he threw the thinnest Demon Rat onto the trading platform. Joseph, who only had six Demon Pig Crystal Cores, naturally had to choose the most suitable Demon Rats to modify. Due to the existence of pistachio, the Demon Rats did not dare to move. Thus, Joseph quickly stuffed the six Demon Pig Crystal Cores into their mouths. ¡°Oink, oink!¡± Soon, under the effect of the Demon Pig Crystal Cores, the six Demon Rats turned into fat and strong Demon Pigs. However, this time, Joseph did not kill them directly. Instead, he locked the gate of the Beast Pen firmly, intending to keep the six demon pigs in the Beast Pen. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio jumped to the top of Joseph¡¯s head and found a comfortable position to rest. ¡°Little lazy cat!¡± Ignoring Pistachio who was playing with his hair, Joseph returned to the wooden house and began to organize the materials in his hands. [Wood: 65] [Iron ore: 30] [Cement: 10] Looking at the scarce basic resources in front of him, Joseph raised his eyebrows. He did not expect that the resources he had exchanged for would be used up so quickly. If he did not have a large amount of Demon Pig Meat and clean water created by the Water Ball Skill, he would have to work hard for a long time before he could accumulate the resources again. ¡°Let me see what rare materials are on the trading platform!¡± He opened the trading platform and looked at a series of trading materials. Joseph slowly flipped through them. [Trade Materials: wood x 200] [Exchange Resources: Food x 20 or clean water x 500ML] [Trading Materials: Rusty Iron Sword ] [Exchange resources: food x 200] [Trading Items: chocolate x 1] [Trading Resources: roasted meat x 1] ¡­ Looking at the variety of trades on the trading platform, Joseph immediately found a lot of resources he needed. Apart from basic resources, Joseph was more interested in chocolate. The mellow and delicious chocolate had always been Joseph¡¯s favorite. After coming to the underground world for so long, he had almost forgotten the taste of chocolate. ¡°Let me see, one chocolate, two bags of instant coffee!¡± Joseph kept trading on the trading platform. The items that others were unwilling to exchange for disappeared in a short while. The basic resources had all broken through the triple digits. Looking at the pile of resources in front of him, Joseph did not feel sorry for the food and fresh water that he had traded. He picked up a piece of chocolate and started to taste it in big mouthfuls while sorting out the resources that he had just traded. In a short while, the originally spacious wooden house only had a path that was less than a meter long from the door to the wooden bed. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s time for the wooden house to be upgraded again!¡± Joseph swallowed the last mouthful of chocolate in his mouth and then drank a mouthful of clean water to clean his mouth. ¡°Although I just exchanged for a lot of resources, if I want to upgrade the wooden house again, I¡¯m still a little lacking. It¡¯s time to go out and stretch my muscles!¡± Just as he spoke, Joseph took the shovel and walked outside. After wandering around for the past few days, the system had not prompted him for a long time. This made Joseph understand that the treasure chests around him should have become scarce after his crazy digging for the past few days. If he wanted to continue excavating the treasure chests, he could only explore the areas that had not been excavated. This was also the most important thing for Joseph to do next. ¡°Meow!¡± Joseph moved forward along the tunnel where the Demon Pigs had appeared the last time. In the dark tunnel, there were only the shadows of Joseph and Pistachio, one cat and one human. ¡°If I had known earlier, I would have brought a piece of wood and made a simple torch!¡± Joseph walked forward slowly, mumbling softly. Without a torch¡¯s illumination, his speed was completely slowed down. Joseph did not know if there would be any danger ahead of him, so he did not dare to take large strides forward. ¡°Hiss, hiss!¡± When Joseph walked nearly a hundred meters forward, he suddenly heard a small hissing sound. ¡°Meow!¡± At that moment, Pistachio suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a ball of hot flames. Through the flames, Joseph finally saw the source of the sound. An earthen yellow poisonous snake shot out from a dark corner toward him. When he saw its pitch-black poisonous fang, it was not difficult for him to guess just how powerful the poisonous snake¡¯s poison was. ¡°Hiss, hiss!¡± The poisonous snake had just shot into the air when it was smashed down by the flames spat out by happy. It struggled in pain in the flames. Even so, Joseph did not dare to be negligent. He took out his crossbow and shot an arrow at the poisonous snake. Only when the poisonous snake turned into charcoal in the flames did Joseph carefully put the arrow back into his quiver. ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s a very dangerous thing to explore.¡± Joseph gently took a breath and continued to walk forward with the crossbow in his hand. He had already reached this point, so there was no reason to give up halfway because he was afraid of danger. ¡°Swoosh, Swoosh!!!¡± In the following exploration, the crossbow in Joseph¡¯s hand kept shooting out arrows, and small Magical Beasts fell in front of him one by one. There were poisonous snakes, lizards, and even a violent turkey! After placing all the different kinds of corpses on the trading platform, Joseph immediately exchanged for a piece of wood to make a simple torch. With the illumination of the flame, the danger hiding in the dark was no longer dangerous. With Joseph¡¯s equipment and Pistachio¡¯s assistance, ordinary wild beasts were no match for Joseph. Joseph did not even have the chance to pull out his Cursed Dagger. ¡°Why is it suddenly so hot?!¡± The deeper Joseph walked into the tunnel, the hotter he felt the temperature around him become. Even his exposed skin had become flushed. ¡°Am I approaching a dangerous area?¡± Joseph stopped subconsciously because he found that not only was the temperature getting higher, even the Magical Beasts he encountered earlier had disappeared without a trace. ¡°The Magical Lizard that I just killed is already two hundred meters behind me!¡± Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Joseph took out a map from his chest and looked at it, just to be safe. ¡°This is where I am, so the end of the tunnel is here!¡± Carefully looking at the terrain around him on the map, Joseph immediately frowned. ¡°Lava flow!¡± Looking at the fiery red river on the map, he finally understood why the temperature around him was rising rapidly. He had not expected that there would be an active magma in this place. No wonder the magical beasts around him became fewer as he moved forward. ¡°Meow!¡± Just as Joseph was thinking whether he should continue moving forward, Pistachio jumped down from above his head and ran into the depths of the tunnel. ¡°Pistachio, it¡¯s dangerous there¡­¡± However, before he could finish speaking, Pistachio¡¯s pure white figure had already disappeared at the end of the tunnel. ¡°I really owe you, but if I run into any danger this time, I¡¯ll definitely teach you a good lesson when I go back!¡± There was nothing he could do. Joseph had already treated Pistachio as his family. He could not leave Pistachio alone. Thus, he could only go through the tunnel in the direction where Pistachio had disappeared. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± The hot air made it difficult for Joseph to breathe. Just as waves of heat blew past his body, Joseph, who was wearing plate armor, was already drenched in sweat. ¡°Pistachio, you annoying little guy, come out now!¡± Joseph called out to Pistachio as he moved forward, wanting to bring the little guy out of this dangerous area. However, he did not receive any response to his call. He had no choice but to brace himself and continue moving forward. ¡°This¡­¡± When he turned a corner, Joseph suddenly felt a strong light in his eyes, causing tears to flow out of the corners of his eyes. When the discomfort in his eyes slowly disappeared, Joseph opened his eyes again with a shocked expression. ¡°How is this lava flow? This is an active volcano that can erupt at any time!¡± In the center of the lava flow, a volcano that was nearly a hundred meters tall stood quietly. The surroundings were completely filled with red and yellow colors. There was red lava and yellow soil. There were no signs of any living creatures. Just as Joseph stood rooted to the spot, he suddenly heard Pistachio¡¯s cry. ¡°Pistachio, where are you?¡± Joseph called out as he looked for the source of the voice. Finally, he found Pistachio, who was digging with his claws at a corner of a wall. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Pistachio. It¡¯s too dangerous here!¡± Joseph was worried that the volcano would erupt at some point, so he quickly took Pistachio away from this dangerous area. However, the moment he stretched out his hand, he saw Pistachio¡¯s red eyes. His hand was suspended in midair, and he could not drop them for a moment. ¡°Get out of the way. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take for you to dig!¡± Even though he did not know what Pistachio wanted to do, Joseph knew that Pistachio had its reasons. He simply did not ask any more questions. Instead, he picked up a shovel and replaced Pistachio¡¯s position. He dug down one shovel after another. Digging at this place was much more difficult than usual. The extremely high temperature was already too much for Joseph to bear. However, there was nothing he could do. This was because Pistachio was looking at him with eager eyes. One shovel, two shovels. They dug a three-meter-deep pit, but they did not find anything. ¡°It¡¯s buried deep!¡± Joseph mumbled as he continued digging. He had no intention of giving up, because he knew that Pistachio would not lie to him. When he finally dug five meters deep, even the ground beneath his feet began to heat up. Only then did he come into contact with a hard object. ¡°Meow!¡± Just as the sound rang out, Pistachio became agitated again. Its thin, small cat claws continued digging into the ground. Soon, a large eggshell appeared in front of Joseph. ¡°Why is this eggshell so familiar?¡± Joseph looked at Pistachio, who was lying on the eggshell and crying nonstop. He felt that it was very familiar. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that the eggshell looked exactly the same as Pistachio¡¯s. Other than the difference in size, even the fine lines on the eggshell were the same. ¡°Crack!¡± Pistachio carefully opened the eggshell. At that moment, the temperature in the surroundings suddenly soared. It was like a large steamer. It was as if Joseph was about to be roasted into a tin can. ¡°Pistachio, if you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll really leave. If you stay any longer, you can collect my corpse!¡± Feeling that his body was about to reach its limit, Joseph quickly spoke to pistachio. ¡°Meow!¡± When Pistachio saw that Joseph was feeling uncomfortable, he jumped into the eggshell and took out something from it, signaling that Joseph could leave. With Pistachio in his arms, Joseph followed the steps he had dug up earlier and quickly climbed up. When they had just reached the ground, Joseph noticed that the entire lava flow had become violent. Streams of hot lava continuously hit the mud walls around them. Even the volcano in the distance was slowly emitting black smoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go. If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯ll really become barbecued meat!¡± With Pistachio in his arms, Joseph ran toward the tunnel in the distance. Even the sudden heat around him could not affect his speed. ¡°Rumble!¡± The volcano violently spewed out streams of lava which looked like brilliant fireworks. It looked dangerous and beautiful. However, Joseph did not have the mood to turn his head back. The lava had already covered the walls and was spreading toward the ground. ¡°Water Ball Skill!¡± Joseph used the Water Ball Skill to wet his plate armor as he ran to prevent it from melting due to the high temperature. However, the speed of the lava spreading far exceeded Joseph¡¯s imagination. When he had just stepped into the tunnel, the lava behind him had already spread until it was less than ten meters away from him. ¡°You¡¯ve really brought trouble to me this time!¡± Joseph complained to the little guy in his arms as he increased his speed. ¡°Gulp!¡± Pistachio let out a clear gulp, and his white fur turned bright red as if it was blood. ¡°What time is it? You still have the mood to eat?¡± ¡°If you manage to escape alive this time, Emperor Joseph will definitely teach you a lesson. Seriously!¡± Joseph threatened with a smile. Even if there was lava chasing after him, what could he do? There was hope as long as he was alive! Chapter 21 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Sizzle!¡± The sounds of magma corroding the ground kept coming from behind him. Joseph did not dare to stop, and he did not even notice the abnormal changes in Pistachio¡¯s body. Joseph, who was wearing plate armor, walked with incredibly heavy footsteps. Even though he wanted to take off his plate armor, the magma behind him would not give him a chance. ¡°Water Ball Skill!¡± Joseph cast the Water Ball Skill over and over again to lower the temperature around him. However, compared to the magma, the Water Ball Skill was like a drop in the bucket. ¡°Pistachio, you little thing. You¡¯ve really brought me trouble this time.¡± Joseph lowered his head and mumbled softly to Pistachio. When he looked at him, he realized that Pistachio had fallen into a deep sleep. ¡°What time is it now? He still has the mood to dye his hair?!¡± Even though Joseph was surprised by the changes in Pistachio¡¯s body, he knew that he did not have time to think about these things. Running away was the most important thing. In order to delay the spread of the magma, Joseph even removed all the clean water that he had placed on the trading platform and poured it on the road under his feet. Although it did was not really useful, this was all he could think of now. The earth walls around the tunnel continued to collapse as the magma continued to spread. Looking at the sand that was constantly crystallizing in the magma, Joseph suddenly had an unrealistic idea. If large parts of the tunnel collapsed together at once, then the spread of the magma would definitely be delayed. He decided to do it right away, but Joseph could not think of a way to do it. At this moment, Joseph suddenly realized that there was a very narrow area not far from him. If he could make this area collapse, then the time he bought should be enough for him to return to the base safely. He sped up and passed through the narrow area in a few steps. ¡°Water Ball Skill¡­¡± Standing less than two meters away, Joseph continuously used the Water Ball Skill to bombard the weak spots of the passage. However, the Water Ball Skill was not a destructive skill after all. Although it had some effects, it was still very difficult to destroy it. Ten meters, eight meters¡­ Three meters! Continuous casting made Joseph feel weak. Looking at the magma that was only a few feet away from him, Joseph could only continue casting it and proceed to race against the magma for his life. ¡°Water Ball Skill¡­ Cough, cough!¡± ¡°Looks like that old man, God, misses me very much. I just had to be out of Mana at this moment!¡± Joseph muttered to himself. The magma was already by his feet, and in the next second, it would burn him into ashes. He did not know if heaven was as beautiful as the legends said. Just as Joseph was waiting for the magma to arrive, Pistachio suddenly opened his eyes in his arms. The bright red fur all over his body exploded, and a fireball that was comparable to lava struck the top of the tunnel. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosion was as powerful as a small grenade, and it caused the entire tunnel to collapse. However, right after Pistachio showed off its might, Pistachio¡¯s fur returned to normal once again. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio cried out weakly before he fell asleep in Joseph¡¯s arms. ¡°You bastard!¡± Joseph cast him a worried glance before he rushed back to the end of the tunnel without any hesitation. He did not know how long the collapsed tunnel could delay the magma, so if he even stayed for a second, he would be in more danger. ¡­ ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Joseph did not know how long he had run for. He finally rushed back as he felt exhausted. ¡°Pistachio, wake up. Don¡¯t sleep anymore. You¡¯re home safely!¡± Joseph carefully placed the unconscious Pistachio on the bed and called out to him softly. However, Pistachio did not react at all. If he could not clearly feel its breathing and heartbeat, Joseph would have suspected that Pistachio had already left him. ¡°This time, it¡¯s all thanks to you. When you wake up, I¡¯ll take you to eat delicious chocolate!¡± Looking at Pistachio¡¯s appearance, Joseph let out a deep breath. He was still not strong enough. If he was strong enough, the situation today would not have happened. He noticed that Pistachio would not be able to wake up for a while. Joseph opened the trading platform and carefully browsed through the items on it. [Wood] [Iron ore] [Chewing gum] ¡­ Unfortunately, the items on the trading platform did not change much. There were only some basic resources, and there were no blueprints or equipment that could help him. He browsed the trading platform over and over again and bought some rare snacks. However, Joseph did not find any chocolate on the trading platform. This reminded him of his promise to happy, so he could only open the chat room and ask. ¡°Who has chocolate in their hands? I¡¯ll pay an extra 30% more than what¡¯s on the trading platform!¡± Joseph had just opened his mouth in the chat room, and the entire chat room was like it was the new year. The chat room was filled with people. ¡°I really look up to Big Brother Joseph, so please trade with me!¡± ¡°Big Brother Joseph hasn¡¯t appeared for a long time. I wonder when I can worship Big Brother!¡± ¡°Found wild big brother alive + 1¡± Looking at the lively guys in the chat room, Joseph felt as if they were like people who chased after celebrities in the civilized world. ¡°I need chocolate now. You can mention the resources you want to exchange. As long as it doesn¡¯t exceed 30% of the trading platform, you can choose any type!¡± There was nothing he could do. If he let them continue chatting like this, he did not know how long he would drag this out. ¡°Boss, can I trade other things?¡± ¡°I have a cream cake here, but it¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s only one piece!¡± ¡°Chocolate huh? I don¡¯t have it, so what can I do? It seems that if I were to trade with Boss Joseph, that would be 30% more resources than the trading platform!¡± Looking at the records that kept scrolling in the chatroom, Joseph frowned. He did not expect that there would not be a single piece of chocolate in the chatroom. ¡°Beep, beep!¡± Just as Joseph was looking for a solution, his private message kept ringing. Emily, ¡°Our boss Joseph actually has a time when he¡¯s worried?¡± Joseph, ¡°I¡¯m not God, so why wouldn¡¯t I have times of worry?¡± Emily, ¡°I happen to have what you want, but what do you want to use to trade with me?¡± Looking at Emily¡¯s question, Joseph did not know whether to laugh or cry. This woman had finally found an opportunity to take revenge on him. Joseph, ¡°A woman who holds grudges isn¡¯t beautiful. But this time, you¡¯ve found an opportunity. If you have any requests, feel free to ask. As long as I can do it, I will definitely not bargain!¡± After waiting for a long time, Emily directly launched a trade and left a message, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about what I want, but you must remember that you owe me a favor for the chocolate!¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Chapter 22 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°This woman!¡± Joseph shook his head in amusement and placed the chocolate in his hand gently by Pistachio¡¯s bedside. Then, he sat down quietly and waited by Pistachio¡¯s side. ¡°Seriously, when you sleep comfortably, I have to be careful even when I sit.¡± Joseph reached out and gently rubbed Pistachio¡¯s pure white fur. When he recalled the scene where it had yet to hatch, he could not help but chuckle. ¡°Perhaps this is fate. I¡¯m really lucky to have a little fellow like you to accompany me in this damned place!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio seemed to have dreamt of something happy while he was sleeping. A smile appeared on his little face. It was unknown how much time had passed, but Joseph slowly opened his eyes. He found that the entire room had become dark. He, who had escaped from the magma with great difficulty, had already used up all his strength. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that I would fall asleep while sitting down!¡± Joseph slowly stood up, but he suddenly realized that there was no sign of Pistachio. This made him quickly start searching. ¡°Pistachio?¡± ¡°Pistachio, where are you?¡± Joseph kept asking questions until he found the little gluttonous cat sitting on the Demon Pig Meat in the corner and was chewing on chocolate. ¡°You bastard!¡± Looking at the obviously weak Pistachio, Joseph picked up a large piece of Demon Pig Meat and lit a fire. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a day off today. From tomorrow onwards, you¡¯ll still be responsible for dinner!¡± Joseph held Pistachio and they sat quietly in front of the fire, enjoying the peace. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°This is too much! Don¡¯t rub against me!¡± Pistachio, whose mouth was full of chocolate, kept acting coquettishly on Joseph¡¯s chest. However, it did not notice that the clean plate armor had turned into a brown abstract painting. This made Joseph dodge continuously. He was a man, so how could he have time to tidy up his appearance? Let alone clean equipment like plate armor. ¡°Hurry up and let go of me, or the Demon Pig Meat will get burnt!¡± He really could not stand Pistachio¡¯s sudden intimacy, so Joseph could only divert his attention by barbecuing the Demon Pig Meat. Expectedly, as a foodie, Pistachio immediately flipped over the barbecued meat nervously. It had no interest in paying any attention to Joseph. ¡°What a gluttonous little fellow!¡± just as he watched Pistachio flip the roast meat around continuously, Joseph took out a tattered blueprint from his bosom. [Comfortable Beast Hide Quilt: Beast hide x 5] He placed the five complete Beast Hides on the blacksmith¡¯s table. As the sounds of forging rang out, a Beast Hide Quilt with patterns soon appeared in front of him. This blueprint was given to him by Emily when she was trading chocolate. This was because the people who could make Beast Hide Quilts now, other than Joseph, who had killed a large number of magic beasts, could not get so many pieces of Beast Hide. He laid the Beast HIde neatly on the wooden bed, and it looked very comfortable. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio, who was roasting meat, seemed to have found an interesting toy. He even put his beloved roasted meat aside and jumped on the Beast Hide Quilt, tossing and turning on it. ¡°It looks pretty good!¡± Joseph nodded his head in satisfaction. He would definitely have a good sleep tonight. There was probably no one else besides Joseph who was in the mood to have a good sleep. Most of the other people were still working hard to dig out treasure chests and putting in the effort to survive. Meanwhile, Joseph had already built a pig farm and started a farming business. This was Joseph¡¯s current life. When he was bored, he would stroke the cat, feed the pigs, and even dig out a few treasure chests when he was free. ¡°It tastes pretty good!¡± Pistachio, the little greedy cat, was very good at roasting meat. Even without adding any seasoning, it was still very delicious. He tore off a piece of the roasted meat and slowly began to taste it. He held the roasted meat in his left hand and continuously stroked Pistachio¡¯s head with his right hand. Following its pure white fur, Joseph felt as if he was stroking some precious fabric. That smooth feeling made Joseph unable to put it down. ¡°Eat slowly. If you get grease stains on your fur, I won¡¯t give you a bath!¡± When Pistachio heard this, it rolled its eyes at him in annoyance. Then, it buried its head in its food. Damn it, I really underestimated Happy¡¯s nature as a glutton. ¡­ Just as Joseph was leisurely eating his dinner, countless survivors were digging with all their might. Behind the mud wall that was less than a hundred meters away from Joseph, there was a fierce-looking, muscular man who was continuously swinging a shovel. ¡°Damn it, the treasure chest is so hard to dig. If I hadn¡¯t robbed that idiot of his daily necessities, I would have starved to death!¡± While he cursed, he took out a bloody hamburger and kept swallowing it. Behind him, there was a man covered in blood. His eyes were filled with disbelief. He could never imagine that this man, who had always called him brother, would kill him for a hamburger. ¡°Hah, poor bastard. Let me continue digging. If I meet another unlucky person, tomorrow¡¯s dinner will be ready.¡± The direction this man was digging towards was where Joseph was. ¡­ At this moment, Joseph did not know that a guy who had abandoned humanity was constantly approaching him. At that time, Joseph was holding a simple cup that he had just made and was brewing coffee. ¡°Do you want a cup?¡± Joseph sniffed the thick coffee and asked Pistachio, who had a curious look on its face. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio looked at the brown liquid in the cup. He carefully took out a paw and dipped it into his mouth. In an instant, Joseph was so amused by Pistachio¡¯s sad expression that he could not stop laughing. Not everyone was used to drinking coffee, but those who liked it could find their own taste in coffee. Just he leisurely drank his coffee, Joseph ignored Pistachio, who was constantly sticking out its tongue. What happened today left a deep impression on Joseph. Even when he killed the Demon Wolf, he did not feel such danger. The power of nature was not something the current Joseph could fight against. As for what would happen in the future, Joseph expressed that he did not know. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t jump around. It¡¯s very dangerous, okay?¡± ¡°Damn you, you little thing. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to get this coffee!¡± Perhaps it was because he had drunk some coffee, but Pistachio was exceptionally energetic and excited. This made Joseph¡¯s desire to sleep soundly all gone! Chapter 23 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy!¡± Joseph skillfully pushed away Pistachio, who was sleeping soundly on his chest. He yawned and climbed out of bed. Sitting in front of the fireplace comfortably, Joseph opened the chat room interface. There were billions of people in the world who had transmigrated here together, so the number of people in the chat room was definitely abnormal. Unless, like in the game, all the survivors were assigned to different chat channels, or they were not in the same area at all. However, Joseph believed that no matter which area they were in, the problems they faced were the same. If they wanted to survive, they could only follow the basic rules of the game of digging out treasure chests. Through his understanding of the chat room during this period of time, the number of people in a chat room was at most a few hundred. It might be even fewer people than he had imagined. [Chat room] ¡°Haha, your Great King Of Luck has been born. Can you believe it? I actually dug into an E-Grade Treasure Chest. There was a sharp spear inside!¡± ¡°Tsk, so what if there is a weapon? Do you have the guts to fight the Magical Beasts?¡± ¡°Big Brother, how about I trade you ten pieces of Rye Bread? I have long disliked those damn Magical Beasts!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? I guess Big Brother Joseph should be fully equipped with god-tier equipment by now. Otherwise, where would he get so many resources and even Demon Pig Meat?!¡± ¡­ Expectedly, even though he had the help of the system, the others were gradually catching up to him. A Sharp Spear huh? Maybe they were a little more outstanding than sharp, short swords, but compared to the Cursed Dagger now, they were still far from enough. When Joseph saw the last message, he immediately chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be someone who worships me so much. Although my equipment is not bad, compared to god-tier equipment, there is still a big gap!¡± Regarding the so-called god-tier equipment, the current Joseph did not dare to hope at all. The strength of the Cursed Dagger had already shocked him for a long time. Moreover, the Curse Dagger was only a piece of D-Grade Equipment. However, even if it was a piece of D-Grade Equipment. Other than Joseph, there should not be anyone else who would have it now. Cough, cough! There was no need to show off his wealth anymore. Joseph closed the chat room and opened the trading platform once again. In fact, there were very few items on the trading platform that could move Joseph¡¯s heart. However, if he really missed out on something good, he would regret it. Joseph understood that in the early stages of the game, only people would hang good items on the trading platform. At this time, survival was the most important thing, and everything else was not a necessity. However, as long as they survived the early stages, it would not be easy to exchange food and fresh water after the survivors had accumulated a certain amount of resources. [Trading platform] [Trade Item: clean water x 500ML] [Successful Trade: wood x 30] [Trade Comment: Big Brother Joseph, where did you get so much clean water? Is there a river in the underground world? ] [Trading Item: clean water x 500 ml] [Successful Trade: cement x 30] [Trade Comment: Big Brother Joseph¡­] ¡­ One by one, records of successful trades flashed across the trading platform, and Joseph set his sights on the items he needed. [Equipment Blueprint: Luxurious Evening Gown ] [Skill Book: Walking Upside Down ] [Gourmet Recipe: Demon Rat Burger] ¡­ These series of items that opened Joseph¡¯s eyes were of no use to Joseph at all. Joseph even saw a series of even more magical items on the trading platform, [IV Imitation Wallet] and [Little Sweetie¡¯s Autographed Photo]. They were all impractical things that were useless for survival. Since they were useless, he could just pretend that he did not see them. After all, he did not lack such blueprints and items. Shaking his head, Joseph just exchanged some basic resources with clean water and Demon Pig Meat. [Trading wood x 300] [Owned: 600] [Trading cement x 100] [Owned: 120] ¡­ After arranging these materials, Joseph¡¯s cabin had become a small warehouse. Of course, these materials were not enough. If he wanted to upgrade his wooden house again, Joseph estimated that he would need at least a thousand basic materials. Moreover, he lacked an upgrade blueprint. This also did not include the necessary facilities and equipment that he needed to upgrade. If he included everything.. Joseph suddenly felt a headache. This was simply not giving him any time to rest. If it were anyone else, they would probably even have the thought of going crazy. The chat room was still as lively as before. ¡°Oh my God, have you all gone crazy? Clean water and Demon Pig Meat were all snatched up in an instant!¡± ¡°You guys are simply a bunch of devils. You usually cry about being poor in the chat room, but how did you all become hidden tycoons when it comes to trading!¡± ¡°What are you paying attention to? Aren¡¯t you curious about how Big Brother Joseph got so many supplies?¡± ¡°Brother upstairs, I¡¯ll give you a thumbs up. Actually, I¡¯ve been curious about this for a long time. According to Big Brother Joseph¡¯s terrifying trading volume, I¡¯m afraid that he has already abandoned us and successfully entered the stage where he doesn¡¯t have to worry about food and water.¡± ¡­ Just as they were discussing and guessing, a caption suddenly appeared on the screen of the chat room. It immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Haha, what Joseph, What Big Brother, do you know what I saw? I actually saw a karst cave and even a flowing river!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°How much fake wine did you drink? You wouldn¡¯t drink so much even if you¡¯re a little insane!¡± ¡°You bunch of idiots. Wait until I swim across the river and live a good life, then I¡¯ll mock you brainless guys!¡± Joseph, who was about to close the chat room, suddenly saw this caption and immediately stood up. ¡°Karst Cave? River? Did someone else discover this place so quickly?¡± Without saying anything, Joseph put on his plate armor, picked up his crossbow, and walked out of the wooden house. Although he had not thought about how to face this guy who might appear, the breeding farm and Fluorescent Tangerine trees in the karst cave were absolutely not allowed to be touched by others. This was his bottom line. ¡°Step, step!¡± His heavy footsteps landed on the ground, causing a splash of sand. When he reached a place not far from the river, he clearly saw a burly figure holding a shovel across from him, continuously testing the depth of the river. ¡°I hope you have some self-awareness, or else don¡¯t you blame me¡­¡± Chapter 24 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Plop!¡± The burly man tied the shovel to his back and jumped into the river. The piercing cold water made him shiver uncontrollably. However, to him, nothing was more important than swimming to the other side of the river. The river was less than 50 meters long. He had used all his strength to swim only half of the distance, but this had already caused his entire body to twitch a little. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t die here. There are definitely resources I want in the karst cave!¡± Just as the man cursed in a deep voice, he gritted his teeth and continued to persevere. However, when he was less than ten meters away from the opposite bank, he finally felt powerless. The ice-cold river water made his body stiffen. He raised his head with difficulty but was pleasantly surprised to see Joseph¡¯s figure standing on the shore. This made him immediately shout out in pleasant surprise, ¡°Brother, help me, I¡¯m dying. As long as you can help me, I¡¯ll trade all my resources with you!¡± The pleasant surprise on his face could not hide the gloominess in his eyes. He did not expect that someone had already arrived at the karst cave before him. ¡°Damn it, I hope you didn¡¯t waste too many resources, or else I definitely won¡¯t let you die so easily!¡± Ike cursed in his heart, Joseph was already dead to him. It was enough for him to be alone in such a large karst cave. There was no need for anyone else to waste resources for survival. Meanwhile, Joseph looked at Ike who was struggling in the center of the river, and his heart started to struggle. Should he save Ike or not? If he did not save Ike, he would save a lot of trouble. He could just pretend that he did not see it and quietly wait for Ike to drown in the river. Ike was a living being after all. If Joseph saved Ike, he might bring a ticking time bomb to himself. The resources that he had accumulated in the karst cave would definitely make people jealous. If there were other people, he would definitely not be able to feel rest assured if he wanted to go out and explore. Just as Joseph was weighing the pros and cons in his heart, Ike, who was in the river, could not hold on any longer. ¡°Brother, please save me. I still have a child who is not even ten years old. If he is left alone in this dangerous world, how can he survive?¡± Just as Ike said this, his eyes suddenly became flushed. He even became so agitated that he cried. ¡°Damn it, I hope what he said is true!¡± Joseph¡¯s determination wavered as he cursed inwardly. He sailed the Emperor Joseph and came to the center of the river to rescue Ike. ¡°Phew, thank you so much, Brother. I, Ike, will never forget your great kindness. As long as there is anything I need help with in the future, I will definitely do it!¡± Ike lay on the raft in a sorry state. He patted his chest at Joseph and kept assuring him with a simple and honest smile. There was no trace of ruthlessness at all. ¡°No need. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll send you back to the other side. The river here can not be crossed by swimming!¡± Joseph nodded calmly and drove the raft to the other side of the karst cave. ¡°This¡­¡± Ike saw that Joseph had no intention of bringing him into the karst cave. He immediately lowered his head and a fierce look flashed in his eyes. ¡®Damn it, I originally wanted to leave you a complete corpse because you saved my life, but now it seems that I was too merciful!¡¯ After cursing in his heart, Ike once again raised his head and returned to his simple, honest appearance. ¡°Brother, do you have anything to eat? I haven¡¯t eaten for more than a day. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have risked my life to swim to the other side!¡± Just as he spoke, Ike was inspecting Joseph¡¯s body. When he saw the plate armor and the crossbow on Joseph¡¯s waist, his gaze suddenly froze, and then he shot a greedy gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t have much food either, but if you¡¯re really hungry, I can give you a piece of Rye Bread!¡± Joseph replied softly. Although Ike¡¯s acting skills were very good, everything was within Joseph¡¯s sight as he had been paying attention to Ike. Nonetheless, unless it was absolutely necessary, he did not want to personally kill one of his own kind, even if he might be a bad person. However, if Ike really did not know what was good for them and had evil intentions towards Joseph, then he would definitely not show mercy. This was the underground world. Who knew how many people died every day? Even a large portion of them died at the hands of their own kind. Resources = Survival = Life! Kindness = Weakness = Death! Such a simple formula was the most realistic situation in the underground world. ¡°Thank you, Brother. I don¡¯t know how to address you, so I can repay you in the future!¡± Ike rested for a while and slowly got up. Just as he approached Joseph, he reached out to grab the shovel behind him. ¡°There¡¯s no need. That¡¯s all I can do. I hope we can meet again in the future!¡± Joseph stopped the raft, turned around, and said to Ike in a deep voice. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s really no need!¡± Looking at Joseph¡¯s defenseless look, Ike revealed a vicious smile. It was the same last time. He had killed that idiot with his own hands. He believed that it would be the same this time. ¡°You may be right!¡± Joseph looked at Ike who had changed his face and sighed. He really did not want this. He had already given him several chances, but he obviously did not cherish them. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The sound of a shovel cutting through the air was heard. The sharp shovel directly hacked at Joseph¡¯s head. ¡°Slash!¡± A pitch-black knife light flashed, and the shovel was instantly split into two. ¡°Plop!¡± The shovel¡¯s head fell into the river, leaving Ike, who was still holding the shovel¡¯s handle in a daze. He stared at Joseph¡¯s figure, dumbfounded. ¡°I think this time, I should tell you my name. My name is Joseph. I hope that when you arrive at Satan¡¯s Place, you will remember this name!¡± Just as Joseph spoke, he put the Cursed Dagger back to his waist and took out the crossbow. The crossbow that had already been set up was shining with a cold luster. This made Ike smell the scent of death clearly. ¡°Joseph?¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually Joseph?¡± Hearing Joseph¡¯s words, Ike¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He did not expect that the person he wanted to kill was actually the big shot that he had once worshipped in the chat room. ¡°Big Brother Joseph, can you please give me a chance to live? I can be a dog for you, a loyal dog. Can you let me go?¡± Ike knelt on the ground and begged Joseph to let him go. However, at this moment. ¡°Go to hell!¡± At this moment, Ike took out a rusty dagger from his waist and stabbed it straight at Joseph. ¡°Bang!¡± The malevolence on Ike¡¯s face froze and was replaced by a look of disbelief. A sharp arrow pierced between his eyebrows, and the huge impact knocked him down on the raft. ¡°I said it before, I hope you can remember my name!¡± Chapter 25 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°The human heart is indeed the most complicated thing!¡± Joseph looked at Ike, who was already dead, and the expression on his face was terrifyingly calm. He had not expected that this day would come so quickly. He had really killed a fellow human. After a simple search of Ike¡¯s body, Joseph did not find any supplies. It seemed that this guy was really a professional recidivist. He dragged the body up with one hand, and just as he was about to throw the body into the river. ¡°Meow!¡± It was not known when Pistachio woke up, but it was standing in front of him and constantly calling out to him. ¡°Pistachio, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± When Joseph saw Pistachio jumping around on the spot, Joseph instantly felt a wave of joy. He did not care about Ike¡¯s body, which was already completely cold. He quickly rowed the raft and rushed to the other side of the shore. ¡°Meow!¡± The moment Joseph landed on the shore, Pistachio jumped into his arms and continued to act coquettishly. ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything to you!¡± After fooling around with Pistachio for a while, Joseph placed his gaze on Ike¡¯s body again. Even if this guy died, he would still give Joseph trouble. There was nothing he could do. Joseph thought about it for a while, but he still decided to bring the corpse back to the hut and find a place to bury it. Death was an important thing! Since Ike had already died in his hands, not leaving his corpse in the wilderness was the best that Joseph could do. When he dragged the corpse along the way, Pistachio was like a curious baby as it kept playing with Ike¡¯s corpse with its claws. The expression on Pistachio¡¯s face looked as if it was asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stand up and play with me? Are you even lazier than a big guy?¡± It was not until Joseph threw the corpse to a corner of the small house that Pistachio calmed down. ¡°Be a good boy and cook lunch at home. I have something to do, so I¡¯m going out for a while. Don¡¯t be lazy!¡± Joseph stroked Pistachio¡¯s head, turned around, and picked up the shovel. He was about to go out and dig a hole to bury someone. However, just as he was about to grab Ike¡¯s corpse, the virtual screen on the blacksmith¡¯s table suddenly lit up. ¡°Player¡¯s corpse discovered. Do you wish to recycle it?¡± ¡°Recycle?¡± Joseph looked at the prompt on the screen and fell into deep thought. What did the system mean? Could the corpse of a survivor be forged as casually as an item? Could it be turned into other resources? Joseph thought for a long time, but he still had no clue. Finally, he looked at Ike¡¯s corpse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, burying you is also a waste of land. Why don¡¯t I just reuse you? Help me test the recycling function!¡± Joseph threw the corpse directly on the blacksmith¡¯s table. Something magical happened with a series of clanking sounds. Ike¡¯s corpse actually disappeared in front of him. Just as Joseph was feeling surprised, a line of words appeared on the virtual screen of the blacksmith¡¯s table. [Successfully retrieved: Basic Swimming Skill Book x 1, Human Vital Parts Distribution Blueprint x 1, Monster Handbook x 1] It really dropped a blueprint? If this news was accidentally leaked, Joseph could imagine the terrifying scene at that time. Countless survivors would fight each other in order to exchange the corpse for resources and blueprints. Joseph believed that many people would pick up the butcher¡¯s knife and aim it at their own kind. Thinking of this, Joseph made up his mind. This information could not be spread out no matter what. After putting away the blueprints, Joseph buried this matter in his heart. Monster Handbook? Just as he put away the blueprint, he discovered that the Monster Handbook had countless drawings of monsters. This piqued Joseph¡¯s interest. ¡°This is a Demon Pig, and this is a Demon Rat. But what are the rest of them?¡± He flipped through the information on the Monster Handbook page by page until he reached the middle list of the guide. Finally, he found pages of detailed monster information. [Species: Demon Pig ] [Danger Level: low ] [Attack Methods: use the advantage of its body to strike and use its fangs to attack.] [Living area: located in the Eastern region of the underground world.] [Species: Demon Wolf ] [Danger Level: low ] [Attack Methods: use sharp claws and fangs to tear enemies apart.] [Living Area: wide living area, mainly active in areas with rich food chains.] [Species: Lava Giant Snake ] ¡­ Flipping through the detailed introduction on the handbook, Joseph was immediately shocked by the rich variety of Magical Beasts in this world. He did not expect that the Demon Wolf and Demon Pig would actually be Low-Level Magical Beasts although they were such difficult opponents. ¡°Phew!¡± Joseph stored the Monster Handbook properly. He did not want to continue reading. If he really saw a Magical Beast at the end of the illustrated handbook that terrified him, he did not know if he still had the confidence to persevere. Joseph stood up and sat next to Pistachio. He was ready to enjoy lunch today. Looking at pistachio flipping over the roasted meat that was even bigger than his body, Joseph instantly laughed. He stood up and took the roasted meat, flipping it skillfully. In front of the barbecue grill, Joseph and Pistachio gathered together and stared at the fragrant roasted meat without blinking. When the roasted meat continued to emit an alluring fragrance, Pistachio suddenly could not hold back any longer. Its small white belly continuously made gurgling sounds. However, before Joseph spoke, it could only continue to swallow its saliva by the side. After extinguishing the fireworks, the freshly roasted meat was finally done. Joseph took a dagger and divided the roasted meat into two portions. One of the portions was placed in Pistachio¡¯s hand. Just as pistachio devoured the meat, Joseph began to enjoy his lunch. ¡°Eat slowly! No one is going to snatch it away from you!¡± The scenery in the afternoon was the most pleasing to the eyes. The two of them laid on the bed after eating and drinking their fill. They kept looking at the scenery in the distance through the wooden window. Joseph did not know what was there in the Monster Handbook about Pistachio. If it was there, what kind of species would it be? Joseph reached out and stroked Pistachio¡¯s fur as he kept guessing in his heart. Halfway through his thoughts, he smiled and gave up. No matter what Pistachio¡¯s origin was, it was important to him, right? As long as he knew that this little guy was the only partner and family he trusted in this world, was that not enough? Pistachio rubbed his small face against Joseph¡¯s chest continuously, making him look like a child who was acting coquettishly towards his parents. ¡°Rest for a while. We still have things to do later, so you can¡¯t slack off!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± The resentment on Pistachio¡¯s face was very obvious. It was as if it was saying, ¡°Big guy, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s always slacking off, okay?¡± Chapter 26 Joseph dragged Pistachio, who still wanted to sleep in, out of the wooden house. He began his journey to search for treasure chests near the karst cave. Once they left, Pistachio immediately changed its mind. Pistachio did not care about his white fur at all and kept rolling on the ground. Joseph continued to explore the opposite side of the volcano. He began to investigate the surrounding environment again. First was the passage where Ike came from. Joseph did not know if there were any survivors there. With Pistachio constantly moving forward, Joseph felt that there was something wrong with the surrounding environment. He seemed to be walking in circles in the same place as if he was walking in a complex maze. He realized this because he had seen several signs he had left behind. Joseph followed the marks and soon he was back where he had been. Sensing the complex terrain of the area, Joseph took out a map and looked at it. Following the hints from the map, Joseph looked at the wall in front of him. In addition to the dry sand, Joseph also saw traces of digging. Moreover, the digging seemed to be done recently, not even more than three days. He touched the light traces. Joseph was sure that there should be other survivors nearby. ¡°If it¡¯s not Ike, then who is this person?¡± He picked up the shovel and started digging along the traces. Not long after, Joseph saw a dark and gloomy tunnel appear in front of him. Sure enough, his guess was correct. Someone had once again blocked the tunnel. Shaking his head, Joseph did not plan on thinking till the bottom of the matter. He directly lit the torch and walked into the tunnel. Through the light of the torch, the tunnel appeared very narrow. There were even places where one had to bend down to pass through. [System prompt: there is an E-Grade Treasure Chest that has been discovered 50 meters ahead.] [System prompt: there is an F-Grade Treasure Chest that has been discovered 30 meters ahead. ] What was I waiting for? Dig! ¡­ Along the way, Joseph had collected a total of five treasure chests. Among them, there were three F-Grade Treasure Chests, one E-Grade Construction Treasure Chest, and one E-Grade Food Treasure Chest. Although he did not find any precious blueprints or equipment, it was not a wasted trip. [Opening E-Grade Construction Treasure Chest: wood x 100 obtained.] [Upening E-Grade Food Treasure Chest: roasted chicken x 1 obtained.] [Opening F-Grade¡­] After opening all the treasure chests, Joseph found that the sky had unknowingly darkened. On the way back, Joseph sorted out the materials he had gotten today. Today¡¯s exploration had yielded wood x 200, cement x 10, iron ore x 10, and Fragrant Roasted Chicken x 1. Carrying Pistachio in his arms, Joseph returned to the direction of the wooden house. With a torch in one hand, he observed his surroundings. The reason why it was difficult to distinguish directions in this area was that the environment of the underground world was quite similar. The scorched yellow soil and neat earth walls made it easy for people to fall into a blind spot. For other survivors, if they wanted to leave this area, there were only two ways. The first way was to have a good sense of direction and make obvious marks along the way The second way was to be like Joseph, who had a detailed map. However, the first way was not an easy thing to do. The second way was even more difficult. After all, equipment like a map was even harder to obtain than weapons and armor. Should he believe in himself or rely on equipment? Every survivor must have an answer in their heart. If there was no other choice, it would be very difficult to survive in the underground world. Thinking of this question, Joseph could not help but think about it. He slowly walked forward, imagining what it would be like if he did not have a full set of equipment. From the moment he joined the survival game until now, Joseph had relied on his equipment to survive many crises. if he did not have his equipment, Joseph might have already become the eliminated person in this survival game. Suddenly, Joseph seemed to understand something. He even stopped walking and said to himself, ¡°I have the help of the Prompting System, so why do I have to make the same choice as others?¡± ¡°I can borrow the power of equipment to make myself stronger, but I don¡¯t need to completely rely on equipment. I can¡¯t believe I have to think about such a simple principle for so long. Seriously!¡± He laughed at himself as he arrived at the riverside. He suddenly realized that the Emperor Joseph, which had been docked at the riverside, had long disappeared. Only broken wood was left floating on the river surface. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s my raft?¡± Joseph checked the riverside for a long time, but he did not find anything wrong. However, if he wanted to return to the wooden house, he had to build a brand new raft. Thinking of this, he took out the blueprint that he hadn¡¯t used the last time. [Equipment Blueprint: High-Quality Wooden Raft Blueprint] [Crafting requirement: wood x 50, rope x10] There was no need to mention the advantages of a craft. In short, it was definitely more reliable than the retired Emperor Joseph. However, to build equipment, he needed to return to the blacksmith¡¯s table in the wooden house to build it. Thus, he simply learned the Basic Swimming Skill Book that he had just obtained. After taking off his plate armor and instructing Pistachio to look after it by the shore, Joseph took a deep breath and dived into the river. The first thing he felt when he jumped into the river was that it was cold! It was abnormally cold! Gritting his teeth, Joseph quickly swam to the other side of the river. If it were not for the fact that he had gone through so much training, Joseph would not have been able to hold on. It was not that he did not know his physical strength, but it was as if he was torturing himself. After reaching the other side with great difficulty, Joseph ran all the way back to the wooden house. [Do you want to build a High-Quality Wooden Raft?] [Crafting requirement: wood x 50, rope x10] ¡°Craft!¡± Joseph clicked ¡®confirm¡¯ while quickly throwing the required materials onto the blacksmith¡¯s table. With a familiar knocking sound, a five-by-five square feet raft appeared in front of him. Looking at the neatly tied raft, Joseph finally understood how simple his ¡®Emperor Joseph¡¯ was. He picked up the raft with satisfaction, but when Joseph walked to the door, he suddenly had a dilemma. There was no way he could get out of such a huge raft! Joseph thought about it for a moment before he picked up the shovel. Not long after, the sound of clanging could be heard from the wooden house. ¡­ ¡°Pistachio, let¡¯s go home!¡± Joseph sailed the brand-new Emperor Joseph, and he returned to the other side to call out to Pistachio. This was indeed the brand-new Emperor Joseph. Joseph felt that he really could not call it out the given name of this raft, so the raft simply inherited the title. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio¡¯s meow came from the river. Joseph turned his head and saw Pistachio poking his little head out of the river and greeting Joseph. Then, he kept gesturing at a square-shaped object toward Joseph. Joseph thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ve found something in the river?¡± Chapter 27 ¡°This damned river¡­ Emperor Joseph doesn¡¯t want to go down anymore!¡± In order to find the thing that Pistachio had mentioned, Joseph braced himself and searched in the river water for more than twenty minutes. However, the piercing cold river water did not allow him to continue diving, so he did not see a single hair except the river water. In order to get rid of the cold, Joseph got out of bed early in the morning, cooked a big pot of meat soup, and sprinkled a bunch of chilies to get rid of the cold. The taste of the completely spicy soup completely exploded in his mouth, making him sweat profusely. Thus, the spice completely drove away the cold in his body. His whole body became comfortable as if he was in a sauna. After recovering, Joseph once again began a new round of exploration with pistachio. From Joseph¡¯s transmigration until now, the excavation work he had carried out was usually carried out under the Prompting System. Sometimes, he even wondered why the treasure chest that the system had prompted was either underground or hidden in the earth wall. Then, was there no treasure chest above his area? So, after making all the preparations, Joseph decided to try digging upward as a short-term exploration goal. The tunnel that he explored yesterday was considered a set of alternatives by Joseph. If the plan to dig upward did not yield any results, then he would explore that tunnel again. Other than himself, he believed that very few people would want to explore the world above their heads. It was a task that might not give any results. However, Joseph wanted to give it a try. Especially with the system¡¯s prompt, he believed that he would not return empty-handed. Joseph chose an area and stood on the ground, sizing up the wall above his head. [System Prompt: a Ghost-Faced Butterfly is sleeping on top of your head. If you have not seen a butterfly that is even bigger than a Demon Pig, then I hope you can be mentally prepared. The Ghost-Faced Butterfly will give you a huge surprise!] Joseph took out the Magical Beast Handbook and flipped to a page that belonged to the Ghost-Faced Butterfly. [Species: Ghost-Faced Butterfly ] [Living Area: in the tunnels above the underground world, often falling into a deep sleep ] [Attack Method: by flapping its wings, it will release poisonous pollen, and the sharp needle hidden in the ghost face will deliver a fatal blow.] [Danger Level: low ] Poisonous pollen? Joseph, who had been hunting close-combat magical beasts, suddenly met a guy who could attack from afar. Thus, he was really not used to it. However, since he had already made a decision, there was no reason to give up. Who knew if there were things that were more troublesome than this Ghost-Faced Butterfly in other places. ¡°Looks like I have to make some small preparations!¡± In order to prevent the poisonous pollen from being absorbed into his body, Joseph bought two N95 medical masks on the trading platform and carefully put them on his face. The other one covered happy¡¯s entire small face, all that was left was a pair of cute little eyes. ¡°Everything is ready. Get ready to start digging!¡± In order to dig upward with less effort, Joseph had dug out a small platform from the mud wall at the side to close the distance between himself and the mud wall above his head. The ground to the top of his head was about ten meters, while Joseph dug out a platform about one meter at the nine-meter point. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± Joseph stood on the platform and kept knocking upward. This was completely different from digging underground, which increased the difficulty and physical strength of digging. Just as piles of sand piled up beside him, it slowly formed a small platform again, allowing Joseph to continue digging deeper along the tunnel he dug. Joseph closed his eyes tightly. He held the shovel handle with both hands, and he repeatedly tapped on it. Pistachio lay in a corner and watched this scene with curiosity. ¡°Bah! Bah!¡± Joseph opened his eyes and shook off the sand on his body. He looked at the tunnel that was already showing some results. He tilted the shovel again and began digging deeper into the side. In order to stand in the tunnel, he had to dig a place that could accommodate himself. Otherwise, he would not be able to dig a tunnel that he was satisfied with. Every time Joseph dug, the sand platform under his feet would be higher. This allowed him to maintain a certain distance from the tunnel above so that he would not be unable to continue digging because of the distance. After digging for about ten minutes, Joseph finally dug out a spot in the tunnel that was less than one meter wide but was enough for him to stay in. He squatted in the tunnel and repeatedly repeated this operation. When he continued digging up about ten meters, the sound of a cave collapsing suddenly rang out. ¡°Bang!¡± A large pile of sand quickly fell to the ground, almost burying alive Pistachio that was waiting below. Looking at the collapsing scene above, Joseph discovered that there was another cave in this place. He had originally thought that the earth wall above him was like the Earth, and there was an endless amount of soil. However, he saw a cave that was exactly the same as the one below. The earth wall was surrounded on all four sides, and at the center of it was a space that was about nine to ten meters tall. It was like a building on Earth. Other than the difference in size, there was not much difference in the size of the houses. ¡°Pistachio, come up!¡± Joseph took out the rope that he had prepared beforehand from his backpack and threw it down. He pulled up Pistachio that was biting on the rope. ¡°Go up first in a while and investigate the situation above. If there is any danger, come down immediately. I¡¯ll follow you later!¡± Just as Joseph spoke to Pistachio, he stretched out his hands to support himself on both sides of the tunnel and slowly climbed up. Pistachio jumped a few times and disappeared into the tunnel. Joseph held the Cursed Dagger in his mouth and continued moving forward with his hands and feet. ¡°As expected!¡± When Joseph climbed out of the tunnel, he looked at his surroundings. It was just as he had guessed. The underground world was not like Earth, where everyone was on the same level. Instead, it was divided into different areas like buildings. There were neat mud walls on all four sides. In the corner, there was a gigantic Ghost-Faced Butterfly hanging upside down on the wall. It was in a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Pistachio stood on the ground and kept observing the Ghost-Faced Butterfly. The Ghost-Faced Butterfly was about three meters long. It was already slightly bigger than two of Joseph even before it spread its wings. Its face was like a ferocious ghost face. It was extremely ferocious and terrifying, completely unworthy of its colorful wings. ¡°Strike first and gain the upper hand. Strike later and you¡¯ll suffer!¡± Joseph took out the Soldier¡¯s Crossbow and gently pulled the switch with his finger. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The Ghost-Faced Butterfly that was sleeping seemed to have foreseen the danger. It immediately opened its emerald green eyes. However, it was too late. Joseph, who had gone through many battles, was no longer as inaccurate as the newbie with the crossbow. ¡°Bang!¡± The arrow pierced through the Ghost-Faced Butterfly¡¯s face, and its huge body fell onto the ground weakly. It did not even have the chance to use its trump card, the poisonous pollen. ¡°Pistachio, look around and see if there are any other Magical Beasts around!¡± Chapter 28 After making sure that there were no other dangers around, the gluttonous Pistachio dragged the Ghost-Faced Butterfly¡¯s corpse to Joseph. ¡°Oh my God, there¡¯s really nothing I can do with you!¡± Looking at the eager Pistachio, Joseph had no choice but to trade for some wood. He lit a simple bonfire and built a simple grill to place the Ghost-Faced Butterfly¡¯s corpse on it. The tempting smell of roasted meat spread in the air as the fire burned, ¡°Can this thing really be eaten?¡± Even though the smell of roasted meat was very tempting, when Joseph thought of the poison powder on its wings, he did not have any thoughts of trying it. To lose his life just to eat it, no matter how he looked at it, was not worth it. ¡°Do you really want to eat it?¡± Joseph asked Pistachio, who was standing beside him. Pistachio did not want to give up. Pistachio hesitated for a moment before it bit the Ghost-Faced Butterfly cautiously. Then, it spat it out in disgust. Pistachio did not even want to look at it anymore. ¡°I can¡¯t let it go to waste like this!¡± Joseph thought about it and decided to place it on the trading platform to trade. The trading platform would naturally judge whether it was poisonous, [Trade Item: Roasted Ghost-Faced Butterfly Meat x 2000g] [Trade Requirement: Item Crafting Blueprint, clothing type can not be traded ] According to Pistachio¡¯s reaction, Joseph already knew that the taste of the Ghost-Faced Butterfly was difficult to describe, but thinking about it, many people would definitely buy food just to fill their stomachs. They probably would not care too much about the taste, right? Joseph felt that the terms he offered were already very low. No matter what, the Ghost-Faced Butterfly was still a Magical Beast. At the very least, he had to show some respect to it. [Successful Deal: Simple Barricade Blueprint obtained.] [Simple Barricade: you can use wood to make a Simple Barricade. It has a certain level of defense and can block certain attacks from Magic Beasts.] [Crafting Requirements: wood x 20] [Remarks: With this blueprint, you can make 10 barricades. You have 9/10 uses.] This was the first time Joseph had seen a blueprint that could be used repeatedly. However, he was not very happy that it had been used. This bastard who traded with me actually used it once and exchanged it for an entire large Ghost-Faced Butterfly. When had I, Emperor Joseph, ever been at a disadvantage? ¡°I curse that he won¡¯t be able to stand the taste of the Ghost-Faced Butterfly!¡± ¡­ Just as Joseph was leading Pistachio to continue exploring, Bruce, who had just traded with Joseph, looked at the large Ghost-Faced Butterfly in front of him and laughed happily. ¡°So this is magical beast meat. Joseph, that idiot, actually traded such a precious item for the blueprint. I, Bruce, have never seen such a stupid fellow. What kind of bullsh*t boss is he? Haha!¡± Bruce mocked as he tore off a piece of roasted meat and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°This is simply¡­¡± Bruce smelt the aroma of the roasted meat. When the roasted meat entered his mouth, an indescribable taste immediately stimulated his taste buds. Canned herring? Icelandic shark meat? Compared to this taste, they were incomparably delicious. Clutching his neck, Bruce used his hands to hold his throat crazily, wanting to spit out the meat that he had just swallowed. However, it had no effect at all. After drinking water, eating chili, and a series of other methods, the already hopeless Bruce lay on the ground, grinding his teeth and swearing. ¡°Damn Joseph, if I meet you, I will definitely stuff the entire Ghost-Faced Butterfly into your stomach, and I will let you slowly taste it. I swear to God, I will definitely do it!¡± ¡­ While Joseph was exploring the unknown area, he was holding a shovel and digging into the ground. After walking less than ten meters, Joseph had already received a system notification. It as expected of an uninhabited area, Although it was an F-Grade Treasure Chest, it was still useful. It was just a matter of a few digs. When the shabby wooden treasure chest appeared in Joseph¡¯s line of sight, Joseph did not even bother to take it out of the pit. He directly opened the treasure chest in the pit. [Opening F-Grade Treasure Chest: canned herring x 1 obtained.] Canned herring? Joseph looked at the exquisite canned food in front of him and immediately shivered. He thought back to those years. He was young and ignorant. After experiencing it in high spirits, he vomited for an entire day. In the end, even seeing it made him feel nauseous. The past was unbearable to look back on. If he continued to talk about it, he would be in tears. Joseph had no intention of tasting this kind of overly stimulating food. Without saying anything, he directly threw it onto the trading platform. The price was even terrifyingly low. [Trade Item: canned herring x 1] [Trade Requirement: anything] [Trade Remarks: I hope you will like it!] However, when Joseph closed the trading platform, he did not realize that it was in the Auction Mode. Due to this, the entire trading platform went crazy. However, Joseph did not know about it. ¡°There¡¯s a passage here!¡± Joseph found a passage on the wall not far away as Joseph continued to explore. He was prepared to explore it. The system prompted him again: [There¡¯s an E-Grade Treasure Chest x 1 and the corpse of a Ghost-Faced Butterfly ten meters ahead of us.] Another ghost-faced butterfly. Joseph really had no energy to complain. Should he put it up on the trading platform again and make others suffer? Joseph lit up his torch and walked into the passage. Sure enough, he did not take too many steps before he saw a huge Ghost-Faced Butterfly lying on the ground. This one was even bigger than the previous one. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how such a disgusting Magical Beast could exist!¡± Joseph said with disdain, ¡°It¡¯s such a waste of food to grow such a big body!¡± ¡°Forget about the barbecue, just throw it directly to the trading platform!¡± Joseph could not be bothered to deal with it at all. He directly threw it to the trading platform at the same price. This time, the one who bought it was actually Bruce. Moreover, he was afraid that other people would snatch it, so he instantly bought it. This made Joseph exclaim, ¡°Oh my God, there¡¯s actually someone who has such weird tastes. I can¡¯t imagine it, I can¡¯t even comment on it!¡± At this moment, Joseph¡¯s private message suddenly rang. He saw that it was actually Bruce who had just bought his two Ghost-Faced Butterflies. Bruce said, ¡°Joseph, you¡¯re simply the worst profiteer I¡¯ve ever seen. I¡¯ll definitely let you have a taste of that terrifying taste. This time, I¡¯ll keep the Ghost-Faced Butterflies I bought from you until the day I meet you!¡± Joseph raised his eyebrows. If he knew that I had just put up another can of herring, would he be so angry that he would explode on the spot? ¡®Besides, I didn¡¯t force you to buy it. Why are you blaming me?¡¯ At this time, Bruce was sitting on the Ghost-Faced Butterfly, participating in the auction of the can of herring. He crazily increased the price, he gritted his teeth and cursed, ¡°Damn Joseph, where did you get so many terrible things? I must make you eat all of them, I must¡­¡± Chapter 29 ¡°Oh my God, what happened to Big Boss Joseph recently?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t stand it anymore. Boss, stop torturing us!¡± ¡°From the Icelandic shark meat, canned herring, and now roasted durian. What do you want us to do, Boss?!¡± ¡°How can a bunch of other worldlings understand Boss¡¯s taste? You bunch of heretics who deserve to be executed!¡± ¡­ At this moment, Joseph did not know that the items he had just put on the trading platform had already caused a sensation in the entire chat room. Actually, Joseph could not be blamed for this. He did not know why he had been able to dig up strange dark cuisines in the past few days. Therefore, Joseph, who did not have such a strange taste, could only put these things on the trading platform in exchange for some basic resources that he needed. ¡°What a bunch of people who don¡¯t mean what they say. The trade was clearly done so quickly, so how can they say that I¡¯m destroying you?¡± Joseph ridiculed while closing the lively chat room. These people were completely unreasonable. [System prompt: there is a Death Hound lying and preparing to ambush fifty meters in front of you at the corner. With its agility, it will give you an unforgettable memory.] ¡°System boss, I noticed that you have been very naughty recently!¡± Joseph pursed his lips. He was not very interested in the system¡¯s prompt. After the past few days of exploration, the cooperation between him and Pistachio had become very good. It was just a Death Hound. It was not like Emperor Joseph had never killed one before. ¡°Pistachio, stop eating. Get ready to finish this job. It¡¯s time for us to go back to the wooden house to rest!¡± Joseph waved his hand and called Pistachio over, who was hugging the roasted meat and refusing to let go. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio hugged the oily roasted meat and chewed on it while listening attentively. ¡°Do you see that corner in front? Your mission is to shoot fireballs to blast out the annoying guy hiding there. The rest will be sent to God by Emperor Joseph himself. Do you understand?¡± Joseph pointed at the spot where the Death Hound was hiding and told Pistachio his battle plan. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio extended his meaty palm and gave Joseph a gentle high five. This was an indispensable ritual before he fought together with Joseph. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. You must listen to my command!¡± Joseph slowly walked around the corner. His fingers continuously bent. When he clenched his fingers into fists, Pistachio suddenly pounced forward and shot blazing flames toward the corner. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Muffled growls came from the smoke. Through the smoke, Joseph could clearly see a charred Death Hound baring its fangs and howling at him. It had hair that looked like the night sky, and its blood-red eyes were filled with killing intent toward Joseph. Its muscular body and bulging muscles were twitching nonstop. It looked at its tail that was swaying nonstop as if it was saying to Joseph, ¡°You¡¯ve completely angered me.¡± ¡°Meow!¡± When Pistachio saw that the thing that had been burnt black by his explosion still had the guts to threaten the big guy, Pistachio instantly became furious. However, Pistachio¡¯s silly, cute voice did not have the slightest deterrent effect. Instead, it made the Death Hound look at him with contempt. ¡°Woof, woof, woof!¡± The Death Hound barked wildly and continuously provoked it. ¡°Pfft!¡± How could Pistachio be scared by a mangy dog? It was a cat that knew magic, Just as the Death Hound was charging forward, a flame struck its body once again. Not only did the flames not stop the Hound of death from charging forward, they even stimulated the ferocity in the depths of its heart. Just as the corners of the Death Hound¡¯s mouth curled up into a ferocious expression, Pistachio jumped up and landed steadily on the head of the Death Hound. ¡°Poof!¡± A tiny flame burned on the tail of the Death Hound and made it roll on the ground continuously. Its originally ferocious gaze became pitiful, and it continuously looked at Joseph with a pleading expression. ¡°Could there be a husky mixed in with the Death Hounds?¡± Joseph, who had already held the crossbow in his hand, looked at the Death Hounds begging for mercy, and a hint of curiosity appeared on his face. Ever since he started hunting Magical Beasts, he had never seen a Magical Beast begging for mercy from him. Even the cowardly Demon Rats would only run away. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio watched from the side for a long time. when it realized that Joseph did not have any intention of making a move, it prepared to send the annoying mangy dogs away with flames. However, at that moment, Joseph suddenly stopped Pistachio and said, ¡°Pistachio, don¡¯t make a move yet.¡± After the Death Hound put out the flame its tail with great difficulty, it glanced at Joseph before it turned its head and walked into the depths of the corner. Looking at the back of the Death Hound, Joseph slowly raised the crossbow in his hand and was about to pull the trigger. However, the Death Hound used its teeth to drag a black iron treasure chest out and came out from the corner once again. ¡°Woof, woof! !¡± Looking at the Death Hound that placed the treasure chest in front of him, Joseph asked hesitantly, ¡°Is this for me?¡± ¡°Woof, woof!¡± The Death Hound nodded continuously. Its burnt tail was still wagging behind it. ¡°You¡¯re really smart!¡± Joseph motioned Pistacio to bring the treasure chest over, but he still held the crossbow tightly and did not relax in the slightest. Even though it looked like the Death Hound had given up on attacking him, it was still a ferocious Magical Beast. Joseph had no reason to completely trust it. When Pistachio placed the treasure chest in front of Joseph, Joseph slowly opened the treasure chest. [Congratulations, host, for opening an E-Grade Treasure Chest: you have obtained a Basic Meditation Skill Book.] [Basic Meditation: you can recover or increase your mana through meditation. It is an indispensable skill for every mage.] Basic Meditation? Looking at the brand new skill book in his hand, Joseph instantly felt that he had made the right decision. When he put away the skill book in his hand, even the charred Death Hound in front of him became pleasing to the eye. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today. If I meet you again next time, remember to pay the ransom!¡± Joseph stretched out his hand, gesturing to the Death Hound to leave his sight, and repeatedly instructed it. Towards such a very sensible Magical Beast, Joseph was still very tolerant. At this time, he even thought that if every Magical Beast was like the Death Hound in front of him, then it would be much easier for him to collect materials. ¡°Woof, woof!¡± The Death Hound understood that its life was saved today, so it did not dare to hesitate. It immediately picked up its tail and ran towards the depths of the corner with a gust of wind. ¡°Really, am I that scary?¡± Chapter 30 ¡°I¡¯m finally back!¡± Joseph threw the plate armor on his body on the ground and laid down lazily on the bed, enjoying the quiet time. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio laid down next to Joseph in the same way. The constant hunting of Magical Beasts over the past few days made both of them feel tired. If it were not for the delicious roasted meat they ate every day, Pistachio would have already given up and sneaked back. ¡°Purr! !¡± ¡°Meow!¡± The man and the cat had just laid down on the bed when they started to snore loudly at the same time. If there were people around them, they would definitely wake up because they thought it was some ferocious beast. This sleep was not a big deal. The sky outside kept changing. The darkness turned into day, and the day turned into dusk once again. It was not until Joseph felt a wave of dizziness that he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Wow, how long have I slept?¡± Looking at Pistachio who was still sleeping, Joseph gently sat up. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy from sleeping. What time is it?¡± Joseph looked at the dark sky outside, shook his head, and took out the Basic Meditation Skill Book from his chest. [Do you want to learn from the Basic Meditation Skill Book?] [Learn!] [Detected the presence of mana in the player¡¯s body. Official opening detailed data template!] [Player: Joseph] [Skills: Basic Short Sword Application, Water Ball Skill, Basic Meditation, and Basic Swimming.] [Overall strength: D+] [Equipment: E-Grade Equipment Plate Armor Of The Dead, a Soldier¡¯s Crossbow, and D-Grade Equipment Cursed Dagger.] [Mana: 100] [Physique: E+] Looking at the detailed data in front of him, Joseph immediately looked at it carefully. Mana: 100? If I can use the Water Ball Skill nine times, then the average consumption of the Water Ball Skill should be around 10 mana points. Thinking of this, Joseph immediately used the Water Ball Skill in mid-air. Before he had the time to turn the Water Ball Spell into water and put it on the trading platform, he immediately checked the information again. The Mana instantly became 88. The Water Ball Skill consumed 12 Mana each time it was cast. After knowing the consumption of the Water Ball Spell, Joseph had a deeper understanding of his own attack methods. ¡°It seems that if I want to better use magic, then learning the Basic Mediation is the most important thing.¡± Sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed according to the Basic Meditation method in his mind, Joseph immediately felt a refreshing air current continuously circulating in his body. That air current had slowly grown as time passed. After experiencing the change in his Man, Joseph put all his attention into meditation. After some time, when he opened his eyes again, Pistachio was sitting in his arms and observing him with great interest. He smiled and patted Pistachio¡¯s cute little head. Joseph looked at the position of his Mana again. [Mana: 110] After meditating, his mana points increased by a tenth. This change made Joseph happy. In order to celebrate the increase in Mana, Joseph planned to go to the trading platform to buy something to celebrate. He opened the trading platform. Joseph¡¯s gaze was immediately attracted by a piece of blueprint. [E-Garde Skill Book: Basic Agility Spell] [Learning Requirement: 100 Mana] [Trade Item: meat 1000g, clean water 2000 ml] [Skill Description: distribute Mana in the body to reduce the weight of the body. If the Mana is sufficient, you can temporarily float in the air.] This skill was simply a godly skill. If he did not have long-range attacks, he could use his crossbow or Water Ball Skill to kill accurately with a short period of flight. Even if he did not enter the floating state, he could still rely on the support of Agility Spell to become an agile assassin in close combat. [Successful Deal!] In order to prevent the Basic Agility Skill Book from being bought by others, Joseph immediately bought the item. [Do you want to learn the Basic Agility Spell?] [Learn!] When the Basic Magic Skill Book turned into a ray of light and entered his mind, he instantly learned the Basic Agility Spell. [Basic Agility Spell: levitating consumes 30 mana per second. Agility acceleration consumes 10 mana points per second.] Looking at the remaining mana points in his status bar, Joseph immediately circulated his mana to try levitating. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio looked at Joseph, who was slowly floating in the air from the bed. He immediately widened his adorable eyes and felt that it was unbelievable. It was as if Pistachio was saying, ¡°why did the big guy suddenly fly without wings??¡± Joseph¡¯s feet were suspended in the air. The Mana in his body completely filled every corner of his body. ¡°Let¡¯s try its flying speed!¡± Joseph urged his Mana, and his body shot out from the air like a crossbow. If not for the fact that his Mana had been used up at the critical moment, he might have become the first man to use magic and crash. His speed was quite good, but the consumption of Mana was simply a hard wound. In just a few seconds, all the Mana in his body had been emptied. If this was a battle, Joseph could not believe that he had directly fallen in front of the enemy. ¡®it seems that flying in the air can only be used as a trump card, and it can not be used frequently in battle.¡¯ Joseph stood on the ground, eating Fluorescent Tangerines to replenish his Mana while constantly searching for the best way to use flying in the air. At that moment, happy ran to his side and kept shouting. Its intention was very clear. It wanted Joseph to fly again for it to see. ¡°That¡¯s all for today!¡± Joseph refused with a smile. He had already used up all his Mana and could not continue flying. Besides, he had not eaten for two days. He felt that he could eat an entire roasted demon pig right now. ¡°Good boy, it¡¯s dinner time. I¡¯ll bring you to play with me tomorrow!¡± After he managed to persuade Pistachio with great difficulty, Joseph opened the trading platform and uploaded the trading items one after another. [Trade Item: Worn-Out Military Knife] [Trade Resources: Any Resource x 100] [Trade Items: 500g of demon rat meat ] [Trade Resources: any resource x 100] ¡­ [Trade Item: Demon Beast Blood x 100ml] [Trade Resources: any Resource x 300] Joseph uploaded almost ten items to the trading platform at once. Most of them were the rewards he obtained during his exploration trip. He put away the items he needed and placed the remaining items on the trading platform, intending to trade them. ¡®These items might not be useful to me, but I think they should be more popular items on the trading platform!¡¯ Joseph stretched his back and began helping Pistachio. Since he had already placed them on the trading platform, the rest of the matter was to wait for the end of the trade and harvest the items. ¡°Pistachio, how many times have I told you? You must put more chili on the barbecue!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± Chapter 31 ¡°Hurry up and catch up!¡± After a day of continuous meditation, Joseph¡¯s Mana had already reached 200. With the speed of his Basic Agility Spell, he no longer needed to cross the river through the wooden raft. However, Pistachio was naturally afraid of heights. Pistachio had no choice but to sit on the wooden raft by itself and slowly paddle toward the other side of the river with a paddle that was taller than him. ¡°Meow!¡± When he heard Joseph¡¯s urging, Pistachio immediately frowned and roared fiercely. For the sake of this exploration, Joseph had deliberately put away the wooden house. He had also picked more than half of the Fluorescent Tangerines on the tree. When he came to the underground world on the previous level, it was already close to noon. He decided to place the wooden house and had a simple rest. When he left the last time, he clearly remembered that the system had prompted him of the location of five treasure chests, but the best one was only an E-Grade Food Treasure Chest. Thus, Joseph did not immediately dig them out but returned to the wooden house. After a period of time, Joseph had long understood that the underground world¡¯s day and night were completely different worlds. When night fell, many Magical Beasts that slept during the day would open their eyes and begin their hunt. Most importantly, when night fell, the human¡¯s eyes would be greatly affected. Even Joseph could not guarantee that he could see clearly in the dark. Even if he could, it was only within a range of not more than ten meters around him. In fact, based on the resources that Joseph had accumulated, he could simply lie in the wooden house and live comfortably for a long time, enjoying the life that others dreamed of. However, sitting idly and just eating was not Joseph¡¯s character. If he wanted to live a better life in the underground world, he only needed to constantly become stronger and explore this unknown world. Especially after he had recently killed many Magical Beasts, he was even firmer in his thoughts. If even the early-stage Magical Beasts had extraordinary strength, then how terrifying would the higher-level Magical Beasts be? Although the survival game was called a game, it was different from online games. High-level monsters would not only stay in their own areas, but they were truly living Magical Beasts. If he really encountered them one day, he would not be able to resist them with his current strength. Joseph did not rest. Instead, he went through the blacksmith¡¯s table to replenish twenty arrows. While he was forging on the blacksmith¡¯s table, he began to practice Basic Meditation. With the Water Ball Skill and Basic Agility Spell, Mana was the ability that he wanted to improve the most. When everything was ready, Joseph opened the chat room to absorb the useful information. The content of the chat room was mostly about the state of the survivors and the situation they had discovered. Many people had already mastered the skill of digging. There were even a small number of people who had dug up several treasure chests in a short period of time. They were not Joseph. Without the help of the system, they would only have a chance to obtain the materials they wanted if they continued to dig. There were even some of them who were quite skilled. They had already started to engage in the most primitive clashes with the Magical Beasts. However, without any equipment, they still lost more than they won, and a large portion of the pioneers died. Therefore, many of the survivors had already begun to dig to meet their own kind as soon as possible. They wanted to form an alliance between two or more people. There were also many survivors who were short in supply and began to hunt their own kind and snatch their supplies. Death and betrayal were showcased in the chat room at this moment. Many survivors would describe the appearance of the murderer before they died, hoping to help others who had not been killed. However, when the survivors first came into contact with each other, most of them had not experienced the cruelty of this world. ¡°Be careful¡­ Andrew!¡± ¡°These damn scumbags, they even dare to kill their own kind!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t they coexist peacefully? One more person will always give more hope!¡± ¡°Damn bandits, don¡¯t let me, Officer Clark, catch you! Or I will definitely make you accept the punishment of the law!¡± Most people with good intentions simply could not understand the actions of these bandits. However, Joseph was very clear that this was no longer a society ruled by law. As long as they lived and died, only death awaited them if they continued to follow their previous mentality. Although many people were denouncing and cursing, there were still some people who did not participate. They had already forced themselves to adapt to the laws of the underground world, just like Joseph. It was not a problem for them to work together to survive when there was sufficient material resources. However, when resources were scarce, the only food they had did not need to be wasted by others. Moreover, there was no price to be paid for killing a person here, and no one would be fixated on this matter. ¡°Cooperation mode huh? I wonder if it will make it more difficult to survive when the time comes?¡± Joseph could not tell if this was a good or bad thing at the moment. Working with many people would make it easier to dig, and it would even greatly increase the survival rate in the face of Magical Beast attacks. However, there were advantages and disadvantages. When food was scarce, there would definitely be some things that no one wanted to see. In the blink of an eye, the sky had already darkened. Joseph did not expect that he would stay in the chat room for so long. Tonight¡¯s dinner was no longer roasted meat, but roasted meat with bread. Thick roasted meat was sandwiched in the middle of the Rye Bread. This was also a change in the recipe for dinner, was it not? In order to raise the standard of the dinner, Joseph even squeezed a cup of fruit juice with his Fluorescent Tangerines hand. After a while, the new dinner was finally freshly cooked. However, Pistachio was obviously not interested in it. He still held a big piece of roasted meat and gulped it down. After dinner, Joseph finally began to prepare for tonight¡¯s hunt. With a simple quiver on his back, a shovel, and a torch in his hand, Joseph and the yawning Pistachio walked out of the wooden house. Looking at the already dark sky, Joseph held the torch in his hand and continued to explore. However, with the torch and his current physique, he could only see thirty meters away. Most of the Magical Beasts that came out at night had good night vision. If it was not for training his night fighting ability and hunting Magical Beasts, Joseph would not have made the decision to hunt at night. However, with the crossbow, thirty meters of vision was enough. As long as it was not a flying Magical Beast or a Magical Beast that was particularly agile, Joseph was confident that he could kill the target with one arrow. When Joseph came to the corner where he encountered the Death Hound. [System Prompt: there is a D-Grade Treasure Chest fifty meters ahead, but there is a Highly Poisonous Lizard that is full of danger. Now is the best time for you to attack before it finds you.] Chapter 32 ¡°Highly Poisonous Lizard, huh?¡± When he heard the system¡¯s prompt, Joseph knew that this was the best time to get rid of it. ¡°Get ready to work!¡± Joseph and Pistachio slowly walked to the corner. In order to avoid alerting the Poisonous Lizard, they even put out their torches. Standing at the edge of the corner, Joseph told Pistachio, who was beside him, that he was very worried. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t let the big guy inside discover us. If I don¡¯t make a move, you must not make a move either. Do you understand?¡± Pistachio rolled his eyes and turned its small head around. The meaning he wanted to express was very obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t talk and walk away. You¡¯re worried about me. You¡¯re a bad guy!¡± Joseph took the lead and stepped into the tunnel behind the corner. Pistachio followed closely behind him. Behind the tunnel was a large underground space. There was a large dark-green lizard lying in a pit. [Species: Highly Poisonous Lizard] [Living Area: dry and warm underground spaces] [Attack Methods: its body is filled with highly toxic poison. The poison will invade your body within three seconds after coming into contact with it, causing a quick death.] [Danger Level: low+] At that moment, he suddenly saw a shiny treasure chest lying quietly under the Highly Poisonous Lizard. It was a D-grade treasure chest! Joseph found his target. He moved forward steadily and turned his head to signal Pistachio. He had to be exceptionally careful with every step he took, in fear of stirring up even just a little dust. Only after he reached the range of the crossbow did Joseph stop moving forward. He could already see the Highly Poisonous Lizard¡¯s appearance clearly. Then, leave your head to me! The surrounding air was filled with a foul smell. All of it came from the thick poison on the Highly Poisonous Lizard¡¯s body. The sleeping Highly Poisonous Lizard was still lying there quietly. It did not notice that an uninvited guest had come to its territory. It was the overlord of the area, so it had never thought that someone would dare to hunt it. Therefore, it did not have its usual vigilance. It was also because of this that Joseph took the risk of it suddenly waking it up and wanted to get close to it to kill it. Joseph took out his crossbow and installed the arrows. ¡®It¡¯s really annoying that it¡¯s sleeping with its eyes closed. I wonder if its head is hard enough!¡¯ Joseph complained in his heart while aiming his crossbow at the Highly Poisonous Lizard¡¯s dark green head. Even if it was a Demon Pig, Joseph was confident that he could shoot an arrow through its head. However, he was not completely confident in the destructive power of the arrow against the Highly Poisonous Lizard. ¡°Thud!¡± The sound of the crossbow arrow entering flesh and blood rang out. Joseph¡¯s face did not show any surprise. Instead, his expression was solemn as he quickly retreated. ¡°Hiss, hiss!¡± The Highly Poisonous Lizard let out a wail that sounded like a Poisonous Snake. The sound continuously reverberated in the surroundings. Due to the protection of the night, the Highly Poisonous Lizard that was in a rage did not discover Joseph at that moment. Therefore, the Highly Poisonous lizard that did not find its target continued to collide violently in the surroundings, as if it was trying to rely on luck to find Joseph. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± Under the continuous collision of the Highly Poisonous Lizard, cracks had already appeared on the surrounding soil walls. Countless sand and dust filled the entire space. There was the protection of the night and the cover from the sand and dust. Both Joseph and the Highly Poisonous lizards lost traces of each other. ¡°I wanted to hone my ability to fight at night, but why did you force me to be a cheater?¡± Joseph shrugged helplessly and took out the map. He first found himself. Then, he saw the Highly Poisonous Lizards hiding in a corner twenty meters away from him on the map. ¡®Seriously, how can you be a Magical Beast when you have so little guts?¡¯ Joseph told Pistachio to stay in the spot quietly, and he continued to approach it slowly. When he entered the range of the arrow, Joseph shot an arrow at the mark on the map. ¡°Hiss, hiss!¡± It did not matter where the arrow landed. It would be fine as long as it hit the target, He retreated, checked the map, and prepared for the next attack. Just like that, the originally terrifying Highly Poisonous Lizard was like a live shooting target. Arrow after arrow, it completely turned into a hedgehog under Joseph¡¯s continuous attack. To be on the safe side, Joseph waited until the dust had dispersed before lighting a torch and slowly approaching the Highly Poisonous Lizard¡¯s corpse. ¡°So ugly!¡± Looking at the Highly Poisonous Lizard that was covered in arrows, Joseph was glad that he did not have agoraphobia. Otherwise, he would definitely feel terrible when he saw this scene. Looking at the Highly Poisonous Lizard¡¯s corpse, Joseph felt a headache. He felt that he had made a loss in business. Its entire body was covered in deadly poison, so he did not have the confidence to move around. Its corpse could not be used, and he had wasted more than ten of his crossbow bolts. No matter how he looked at it, it was a loss! ¡°I hope the treasure chest can give me a surprise. Otherwise, Emperor Joseph will definitely chop you into pieces to make up for my loss!¡± Shaking his head, Joseph walked to the front of the treasure chest. The Highly Poisonous Lizard was previously lying on top of the treasure chest, so there must still be poison left on it. Therefore, Joseph took the torch and opened the treasure chest from a meter away. [Opening D-Grade Treasure Chest: obtained poison Decomposer Equipment Blueprint and Anti-Posion Set Equipment Blueprint.] ¡°Could it be that the treasure chest can be assimilated? Otherwise, why would there be two sets of blueprints related to poison!¡± Joseph took out the blueprint and quickly left the treasure chest area. [Poison Decomposer: D-Grade Equipment Blueprint] [Function: 1. can decompose poisons to make corresponding antidote 2. can refine poison into lethal poison] [Crafting Requirements: Crystal x 10, Poison x 100 ml, metal x 10] [Anti-Poison Set: E-Grade Equipment Blueprint ] [Function: can isolate and prevent basic poisons] [Set Composition: Anti-Poison Mask x 1, Protective Suit x 1, Protective Eyewear x 1] [Crafting Requirements: Complete Highly Poisonous Lizard Hide x 1, crystal x 2, metal x 2] Crystal? Metal? Looking at these two requirements, Joseph had a strange expression. Ever since he started the game, he had never even heard of them, let alone seeing them. How was he supposed to forge it? Could it be that he had really made a loss in business today? However, if he were to give up just like that, how could he be willing? If he had a Poison Decomposer, his arrows could be smeared with poison. If he were to encounter a difficult monster, the poison alone would be enough to take half of its life. However, where would he get the crystals and metals? Joseph only had two choices now. The first was to go to the trading platform to try his luck, and the second was to explore the surroundings and dig for treasure chests according to the system¡¯s prompts. However, these two options required luck. Even if he had the system¡¯s prompts, he might not be able to find the treasure chests that contained these two items. Moreover, Joseph felt that his luck today was not very good. That old fellow God must have been jealous of his handsome appearance and secretly stole his luck. There was no other way, so he decided to proceed with both of the options at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work, Pistachio!¡± Chapter 33 ¡°Another E-Grade Food Treasure Chest!¡± Joseph threw the Rye Bread that came out of the treasure chest onto the trading platform. He stood on the spot with a shovel in his hands and sighed helplessly. In order to create the Poison Decomposer, Joseph had transformed into a crazy digger. He would never let go of the surrounding treasure chests that were prompted by the system. However, he did not even see the shadow of the equipment blueprints, let alone crystals and metals. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio yawned and looked at him in boredom. It had been a long time since it had a delicious barbecue, and it felt that it was about to starve to death. ¡°Alright, just bear with it for a little longer. If we still cant¡¯t find it, then we¡¯ll call it a day and rest!¡± Joseph picked up the shovel and walked forward in large strides. He had changed the torch in his hand many times, and the sky was already getting brighter. However, in order to build the Poison Decomposer as soon as possible, Joseph naturally had to seize time. Placing the pistachio on his shoulder, the man and the beast began to explore again. Heavy footsteps echoed in the surroundings. Joseph stroked Pistachio¡¯s fur and quickened his pace. Although his goal was the crystal and metal, Joseph had no reason to give up on the treasure chest that was prompted by the system along the way. Hehe, why would he let these resources that could be picked up for free benefit benefit others? Joseph did not lack food. It could even be said that he was very rich. However, it did not mean that Joseph could be so arrogant to the point where he could ignore the treasure chest. Small things add up. How could having more resources be a bad thing? Of course, the more the sesources and food, the better. Especially since Joseph was planning to upgrade the Cabin In The Forest and the Poison Decomposer recently. Both of them required a lot of supplies. Although he could accumulate them by digging, he could easily obtain them through trading, so why bother? Thus, as long as it was a treasure chest that was prompted by the system, Joseph would dig one. After all, every time he dug a treasure chest, there would be one less treasure chest, right? Soon, Joseph dug as he moved forward. He arrived at an area that was surrounded by tunnels. Each tunnel was more than a meter tall. He estimated that if he wanted to enter, he would have to bend down and move forward. ¡°Have I come to the dwarf kingdom?¡± Joseph laughed softly. It was not that Joseph was exaggerating, but the height of the tunnels around him was so short that even a 1.5-meter-tall child would not be able to walk through them with a straight back. ¡°Pistachio, it looks like it¡¯s time for you to work hard!¡± Joseph stood in front of a tunnel and patted Pistachio lightly on his body. He pointed at the tunnel in front of him and ordered. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio snorted softly, and with a few jumps, it disappeared in front of Joseph. Not long after, Postachio jumped on his shoulder again and cried out softly. This made Joseph instantly understand that there was no danger in the tunnel. Thus, Joseph stretched his muscles and bent down to walk into the tunnel. The first thing he felt when he entered the tunnel was that it was narrow. Whether it was the height or the width, Joseph found it very difficult to move forward. He walked forward step by step. Just as Joseph was about to give up and return, he suddenly saw a small tribe at the end of the tunnel¡­ A small tribe! Joseph, who was holding Pistachio in his arms, quickly lay down on the ground and observed it for a long time. Only then did Joseph confirm that this was not a place where the survivors gathered. This was because the environment of this tribe was very unique. The houses were buried deep underground, and only a broken wooden door was exposed on the ground. Looking at the height of the wooden door and the height of the tunnel, it was clear that the people of this tribe were a group of short people. Joseph looked at the buildings that looked more like dirt and the strange statue in the center of the tribe that had a pot full of oil. Everything looked just like what those primitive tribes on Earth had. There was no trace of a high-level civilization. [System prompt: a small-scale rat-headed tribe has been discovered.] [A small-scale tribe with ten rat-headed men is a big threat to the host. It is not recommended to have a direct conflict with them.] [Race: Rat-Headed Men] [Living area: remote areas in the underground world where the danger is less.] [Attack Method: use simple weapons and cooperate with the Rat-Headed Men priests to launch a group attack.] [Danger Level: low+] [Remarks: This is a group of fellows who like to live in groups. They have the IQ of a teenager and can make simple tools. Their lifestyle is very primitive. Although their individual strength is lower, when they gather together, even Highly Poisonous Lizards are not willing to easily clash with them. ] Soon, the system gave Joseph the answer. The prompt from the system allowed Joseph to confirm his guess. Joseph had guessed that the strange tribe in front of him was not the place where the survivors gathered, but the Rat-Headed Tribe that had never appeared before. ¡°This is a little troublesome!¡± Joseph frowned and looked at the tribe that was blocking his path of exploration. If he did not pass through the Rat-Headed Tribe, then he would have to find a new direction. All his previous efforts would had been in vain. At that moment, Joseph was in a bad mood. He could not help but curse God again. Sure enough, all his good luck had been stolen. At the same time, Joseph also felt a struggle. He did not know whether he was lucky or unlucky. Fortunately, he did not encounter the Rat-Headed Men in the beginning. Unfortunately, these damn Rat-Headed Men actually built the tribe on the path he had to pass. This was the first time Joseph had encountered a Humanoid Monster in the underground world. Through the weak fire of the Rat-Headed Tribe, he saw a Rat-Headed Man wrapped in animal skin praying devoutly under the statue. Its appearance completely made Joseph give up on the idea of communicating. It was about 1.2 meters tall and covered in black-gray fur. Its entire body was very similar to that of a human, but its head still looked like a rat¡¯s. Its hands had sharp nails, and it did not look easy to provoke. What Rat-Headed Men? They were basically mice that were walking upright! ¡°Should I have a try?¡± Joseph picked up the crossbow and aimed directly at the vital parts of the Rat-Headed Man, but he was deep in thought. Although this was a Rat-Headed Tribe, it was only a small tribe with ten Rat-Headed Men. If Joseph did not have the blueprint for the Poison Decomposer, he might have chosen to turn around and leave. However, Joseph, who was eager to increase the power of his crossbow through the use of Poisonous Potions, did not want to leave just like that. With his equipment and magic, it would not be difficult for him to destroy this Rat-Headed Tribe as long as he had a good plan. With the help of Pistachio, as long as he did not charge forward, there was a high chance that he could kill all ten Rat-Headed Men here. Besides, even if he did not want to continue exploring, Joseph would have to fight them sooner or later. Due to the fact that these rat-headed men were not very far from his base. When they went out to hunt, it was very likely that they would find his base. Instead of having his own turf as the battlefied, he would rather take this opportunity to end them once and for all! Chapter 34 ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡± Having made up his mind to kill this group of damned Rat-Headed Men, Joseph directly simulated the plan in his mind. By killing the Rat-Headed Men, he could reduce their threat in the future and also obtain resources. Thus, Joseph really could not think of any reason to give up. Joseph didn¡¯t hesitate anymore since he had the ability to do it. However, if he wanted to kill these guys, he still needed to make some preparations. Thinking of this, Joseph directly opened the trading platform. In a short while, a red plastic bucket appeared in front of him. Opening the lid of the plastic bucket, a pungent smell immediately rushed into Joseph¡¯s nose. ¡°With this, let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll die!¡± Putting the plastic bucket aside, Joseph took the crossbow, aimed directly at it, and shot an arrow. ¡°Thud!¡± The Rat-Headed Man that was still in front of the statue fell to the ground. However, before it fell to the ground, it let out an ear-piercing scream. This instantly alerted the entire tribe of Rat-Headed Men. Nine Rat-Headed Men that came out of the mouth held weapons made of bones and kept screaming as they surrounded the injured Rat-Headed Man in the middle. This group of Rat-Headed Men was very human-like¡­ It seemed like the person he had just shot had a high status! Bone spike! Bone spear! Joseph even saw a simple bow made from bones and beast tendons! Sure enough, the system was not exaggerating. These guys could already make bows and arrows, so they were not easy to deal with. However, Joseph was not very worried. After the test, his arrow could penetrate their bodies. As long as it hit the vital point, the Rat-Headed Man would not be much different from other magical beasts. Joseph set up the crossbow and aimed. ¡°Thud!¡± This time, the rat-headed man seemed to be alert and actually dodged. The crossbow that was originally aimed at the vital parts of the Rat-Headed Man hit the knee of it. ¡°Squeak, squeak!¡± The injured Rat-Headed Man immediately pointed at the tunnel where Joseph was and screamed. There was no doubt that Joseph had been exposed. When the Rat-Headed Men all discovered the person who dared to attack the tribe, they swarmed towards Joseph. However, at this moment, Joseph shot another arrow and killed another warrior who was in front. Before they could hide, Joseph had already lifted the plastic bucket and used the Basic Agility Spell to levitate in the air. ¡°Squeak!¡± Looking at Joseph in the air, the group of rat-headed men became very impatient, and the only Rat-Headed Archer began to shoot at Joseph. ¡°Whoosh!¡± Looking at the bone arrow that fell a meter away from him, Joseph shook his head. ¡°Your aim is still a little off!¡± At this time, Joseph, who was floating in the air, was like a diligent gardener, holding the plastic bucket and continuously watering the Rat-Headed Men. Dark brown liquid poured on the Rat-Headed Men from the air, causing their fur to become even darker. ¡°How about we start a barbeque party?¡± Joseph warmly greeted the Rat-Headed Men and then threw the lit torch down toward them. ¡°Squeak, squeak!¡± The moment the torch fell, it immediately ignited the oil, and the entire Rat-Headed Tribe turned into a sea of flames. The Rat-Headed Men were wailing in the flames. Their fur had long turned to ashes in the flames. Just as Joseph was about to wait quietly and reap the spoils of war¡­ The rat-headed man that he had shot at the very beginning suddenly stood up again. ¡°Squeak, squeak, squeak! !¡± A rapid and strange sound rang out from its mouth. A bone staff had appeared in its hand out of nowhere. The top of the staff had a crystal embedded to it? Just as Joseph was staring at the skeleton staff in a daze, streams of bright red gas floated out from the staff and headed towards each of the Rat-Headed Men who were struggling in the flames. ¡°Unreasonable! You guys are actually using magic!¡± At this point, Joseph still did not understand. This unlucky guy who had been shot by him was the only priest in the Rat-Headed Tribe. Expectedly, the moment the gas entered the Rat-Headed Men¡¯s body, it was as if they had been injected with stimulants. Their bodies swelled up and turned into giant Rat-Headed Men that were two meters tall. Even the flames burning on their bodies seemed to have been noticed by them. [Rat-Headed Priest: a wise man that is essential to every Rat-Headed Tribe. It can use an Amplification Spell, Bloodthirst Spell! ] [Bloodthirst Spell: burn blood to increase the strength of the caster. If it does not automatically stop, it can last until the blood sacrifice is burned out!] The Rat-Headed Men that walked out of the flames were like devils that had walked out of hell. Other than the burning flames on their bodies, there were also bloody muscles on their bodies. They were extremely terrifying. ¡°Since you guys are using cheats, don¡¯t blame me for being shameless!¡± Joseph looked at the aggressive Rat-Headed Men and raised the crossbow in his hand to directly shoot at the rat-headed man priest. However, this time, the rat-headed man priest was obviously smarter. After casting the Bloodthirst Spell, he hid in a mound. ¡°Even if one of you can hide, I don¡¯t believe that all of you can hide!¡± After Joseph saw that the Rat-Headed Priest was hiding, he held the crossbow and crazily shot at the Rat-Headed Men below. However, after being buffed by the Bloodthirst Spell, the Rat-Headed Men had clearly become more agile. Most of the arrows had landed on an empty space. Even the arrows that hit them barely hit the vital parts of their body. It did not affect the group of men who had already lost their sense of pain from attacking him. ¡°Damn it!¡± Looking at his Mana that was constantly disappearing, Joseph could not help but curse in his heart. He did not expect that the Rat-Headed Priest would have such a disgusting spell. It was completely like a cheat. However, how could Joseph be willing to retreat just like that? In order to kill all these annoying fellows, Joseph had no choice but to enter the trading platform again, wanting to see if there were any items that could destroy the Rat-Headed Men. [Trade Item: Molotov Cocktail ] [Trade Resource: roasted meat x 2] ¡­ Looking at these useless items, Joseph could not help but have a headache. Was he really going to be driven away by a group of hateful rats just like that? Just as he was about to make a strategic retreat, he was pleasantly surprised to find what he was looking for at the bottom of the trading platform. [Trade Item: M26 Grenade] [Trade Resources: roasted meat x 50, clean water X2000ML ] [Trading Remarks: I¡¯m not going to sell it. I just want to show off. Hit me If you don¡¯t like it.] ¡°What an unlucky bastard!''¡± Joseph looked at the arrogant remark, but he did not feel angry. Instead, he sighed for him. The goods traded might be expensive for others, but for Joseph, as long as he killed the group of Rat-Headed Men below, it was a very good deal. [Successful Deal!] After trading for the grenade, Joseph stroked the round little thing in his hand and showed a very friendly expression to the Rat-Headed Men below. ¡°My rat-headed friends from the underground world, do you want to know the power of the M26?¡± Chapter 35 ¡°Boom!¡± Joseph released the grenade in his hand in mid-air. The Rat-Headed Men who were shouting at Joseph immediately welcomed the baptism of Earth¡¯s civilization. The huge explosion of the grenade completely enveloped all the Rat-Headed Men. After a burst of intense light, the entire Rat-Headed Men tribe quieted down once again. The mud-like house was completely destroyed by the explosion, and the strange statue completely collapsed. Although the power of the grenade was not as powerful as a Bazooka, it was still not something that these Rat-Headed Men could withstand. The grenade immediately blew up more than half of the Rat-Headed Tribe onto the flat ground. [System prompt: there is a seriously injured Rat-Headed Priest hidden 15 meters in front of you. It is the best chance for you to kill it when it is on the verge of death.] The Rat-headed priest was still alive? Hearing the system¡¯s prompt, Joseph slowly descended from the sky. Sure enough, thermal weapons were very lethal to low-level Magical Beasts. In front of this group of Rat-Headed Men who had never seen thermal weapons before, the grenade was a godly weapon. ¡°Is it buried underground?¡± Following the system¡¯s prompt, Joseph stood in front of a piece of charred ground and said softly. Under the aftershock of the grenade explosion, the mound where the Rat-Headed Priest was hiding collapsed and buried him alive. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡± Picking up the shovel from behind him, Joseph began to dig roughly at the empty space in front of him. He was not digging for treasure chests, so even if there was any damage to it, Joseph would not care at all, right? ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the crystal on the staff, it would actually be quite good to bury you inside!¡± Joseph mumbled to himself as he dug. He could save time and effort if he did not have to kill this bastard. Why did he have to work so hard to dig? Just as Joseph felt that the shovel was inserted into something soft, a staff stained with blood suddenly came out of the ground and went straight for Joseph¡¯s heart. ¡°F * ck, damn rats!¡± Just as Joseph was about to turn around and retreat, a blazing flame crashed into the staff. ¡°Happy, that¡¯s the crystal that I found with great difficulty!¡± Looking at the burning staff, Joseph¡¯s heart ached so much that it was about to bleed. The only crystal that he had spent so much effort to see had disappeared before his eyes just like that? However, he could not do anything about it. After all, Pistachio was doing this to help him. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio pounced on the pit that he had just dug and pulled out the Rat-Headed Priest that was buried in the ground, Its two snow-white claws continued to tear at the Rat-Headed Priest¡¯s face. Its savage appearance instantly stunned Joseph. ¡®Is this really my Pistachio?¡¯ ¡®Its savage appearance is really frightening!¡¯ As Pistachio continued to attack it, the Rat-Headed Priest, who was already severely injured, completely lost its breath. When Joseph saw that Pistachio¡¯s fur was covered in blood, he could not help but feel a headache coming. Bathing it was too troublesome! Even though he said that, Joseph still felt very warm in his heart. It was completely because the rat-headed man priest wanted to ambush him that made Pistachio so angry. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s already dead. Do you know how troublesome it is to bathe you?¡± Joseph pulled Pistachio onto his shoulder and completely ignored its fierce gaze. At that moment, Pistachio was still as beautiful as ever. It had a different kind of beauty. After all, Pistachio was beautiful, so some of its hair that was dyed red with blood did not affect its beauty. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio roared fiercely at Joseph, who had grabbed him. His little red claws danced continuously at Joseph. ¡°Okay, okay, I got it. I¡¯ll roast the meat five times. What a greedy little cat!¡± Joseph instantly understood what happy wanted to say. He nodded and agreed without hesitation. [System prompt: there is a D-Grade Treasure Chest hidden under the collapsed Rat-Headed Man statue ten meters in front of us. Dig three meters deep.] This treasure chest had completely surprised Joseph. He had not expected that he would obtain a D-Grade Treasure Chest after destroying the entire Rat-Headed Tribe. Holding the shovel, Joseph brought Pistachio on his shoulder and walked to the broken statue. This D-Grade Treasure Chest was important to whether he could forge a Poison Decomposer or not. Joseph really did not care whether he could obtain crystals and metals! Even if he did not have the materials he needed, the D-Grade Treasure Chest would definitely not let him down! With that thought in mind, Joseph started digging without a word. In order to open the D-Grade Treasure Chest faster, Joseph even used his remaining mana to activate the Basic Agility Spell. Joseph¡¯s digging motion was like a gust of wind. A spade of sand flew in the air. Before long, a brand new D-Grade Treasure Chest that was shining with light appeared before Joseph. ¡°Crystal! I must get the Crystal!¡± Joseph stood in front of the treasure chest and repeated the words repeatedly. He only came back to his senses after Pistachio impatiently patted him with his small claws. [Opening D-Grade Treasure Chest: obtained Portable Base Upgrade Blueprint ¨C Small European Villa] [Obtained: stone ore x 300] [Obtained: cement x 30] [Obtained: Strength Attribute Fruit] [Obtained: metal x 30] ¡°God, you damned old thing, where¡¯s my crystal?¡± After opening the treasure chest full of anticipation, Joseph did not find any traces of the crystal that he had been thinking about. He immediately cursed angrily. This was not to say that Joseph was not satisfied with the materials that came out of the treasure chest. However, he had already developed an indescribable obsession with the crystal. Especially after discovering the crystal on the Rat-Headed Priest¡¯s staff. He became even more unsatisfied. If an annoying Rat-Headed Man could have a crystal, why did Emperor Joseph not have one? After venting out his anger, Joseph looked at the materials lying quietly in the treasure chest, and his face suddenly revealed a dark expression of excitement. Joseph knew that he could open up good materials from the D-Grade Treasure Chest. However, Joseph did not expect the treasure chest to be so powerful. He had always wanted the Portable Base Upgrade Blueprint, but he did not expect it to appear in front of him just like that. Joseph only wanted to say that the D-Grade Treasure Chest was awesome! This time, everything was perfect except for not obtaining any crystals. Once Joseph had the Upgrade Blueprint, he could upgrade the base again! Then, the wooden hut would turn into a cement villa. This upgrade was on a whole new level. By obtaining this blueprint alone, the effort Joseph spent to wipe out the Rat-Headed Tribe was definitely not in vain. Although he had just wiped out the Rat-Headed Tribe, he had also used up a portion of his resources. Nonetheless, when he saw these rewards, Joseph felt that the resources he had used were nothing at all. Chapter 36 [Base Upgrade Blueprint: European Two-Story Villa] [Construction Requirements: stone ore x 300, cement x 100, wood x 500, metal x 15] Looking at the materials required on the blueprint, Joseph did not hesitate at all. He immediately opened the trading platform and once again began his crazy trading journey. Since he had the Upgrade blueprint, how could he not immediately upgrade it? After all, Joseph had already accumulated a lot of materials for the upgrade blueprint. As long as he exchanged for some cement and wood, he could live in a comfortable villa. Looking at the records of successful trades on the trading platform, Joseph could not help but sigh. No wonder he could not save up materials. At this rate, he was afraid that his materials would not be able to last long. However, when he thought of the group of survivors who still lived in the shabby wooden house, Joseph felt that the supplies he had used were not at a loss at all. In fact, he even felt that he had made a huge profit. ¡°Meow!¡± Joseph was holding the Upgrade Blueprint and looking at the design of the new home that he would soon have. Then, Pistachio, that was on his shoulder cried out continuously. It made a few sounds at Joseph before jumping onto the ground beside it. Its furry little claws were scratching at something. ¡°Hmm?¡± Joseph saw the strange look on Pistachio and immediately understood that it must have discovered something. Otherwise, how could the lazy little thing jump off its shoulder on its own accord. Anticipation instantly appeared on Joseph¡¯s face. He put away all the supplies and quickly walked over. When he walked to Pistachio¡¯s side, Joseph stared at the ground and was momentarily stunned. There was a shiny object under Joseph¡¯s feet! This was actually¡­ a crystal? There were faint traces of smoke on this crystal, and there were charred bones all around it. Staring at the crystal in front of him, Joseph immediately laughed happily. The crystal was indeed powerful. It could not even be destroyed by the fire that Pistachio spat out. However, after Joseph thought about the diamonds from his previous life, he felt relieved. Although the Pistachio¡¯s flames were powerful, they had not reached a temperature that could burn diamonds. He bent down and squatted in front of the crystal. Joseph picked it up and examined it carefully. He did not know where the Rat-Headed Priest obtained this crystal. Then, it even inlaid it on the skeleton staff. [crystal] [Rare Resource] [Description: a rare material used to forge equipment. It can be inlaid on the staff. It has weak Mana bonuses.] [Remark: It originally belonged to a high-level Magical Beast, but one day, it was stolen by an annoying rat.] The crystal was actually a Rare Resource? Joseph stared at the prompt in front of him and immediately felt a trace of surprise. Originally, Joseph was still wondering if he could find other crystals in the remains of the Rat-Headed Tribe. After all, the Rat-Headed Priest was not very powerful. Other than picking up and digging, there was no other way to obtain crystals. However, what he did not expect was that this crystal was actually stolen by the Rat-Headed Priest from the nest of a high-level Magical Beast. Joseph was both surprised and happy about this! It was not until a few minutes later that Joseph slowly digested the news. However, Joseph put the crystal away with a flip of his hand, turned around, and rushed back to the Portable Base with happy. According to the description of the crystal, a bad feeling appeared in Joseph¡¯s mind. There was a high-level Magical Beast nearby! Otherwise, with the power of the Rat-Headed Priest, it would be impossible to leave the area too far away. Therefore, for the sake of safety, Joseph had to seize the time to upgrade the Portable Base to deal with the possible dangers that might appear. Due to the urgency in his heart, Joseph quickly returned to the Cabin In The Forest. ¡°Upgrade the Portable Base!¡± Standing in front of the blacksmith¡¯s table, Joseph immediately put the blueprints and the necessary resources into it. [Portable Base upgraded!] [Consumption: stone ore x 300, cement x 100, wood x 500, metal x 15] This upgrade immediately caused Joseph¡¯s resources to be greatly reduced, but Joseph did not feel the slightest bit of heartache. No matter how important the resources were, they were not as important as his own safety. [Level-up countdown: ten minutes!] [Requesting the survivors to leave temporarily! ] Looking at the Cabin In The Forest that was once again shrouded in white fog, Joseph immediately carried pistachio and went to the open space outside. He took out the roasted Demonic Pig Meat, and the two of them waited quietly. Ten minutes passed quickly. Joseph did not even finish the roasted meat in his hands. He simply threw it to pistachio and stood up to check out his new home. The entire villa was in the European style. The main body was ten meters tall, and the surroundings were even painted with white paint. There were two floors in total, and there were large French windows that made the view unusually wide. Pushing open the iron door, Joseph was pleasantly surprised as soon as he stepped into the villa. The white marble floor tiles emitted the smell of paint on the stairs and handrails. This was no different from the high-end villas on Earth. The only thing that worried him was which windows. How could the hardness of the glass resist the attack of the Magical Beasts? However, when he walked to the window, the system¡¯s prompt once again gave him a pleasant surprise. [Military Bulletproof Glass: immune to physical attacks from low-level Magical Beasts.] ¡°This is more like the underground world!¡± Putting down the worry in his heart, Joseph began to look around with great interest. He entered a living room that was as large as 100 square meters. It contained a 30-square-meter kitchen and a small bedroom. When he walked up the stairs to the second floor, he found that the entire second floor was actually a large open bedroom. A large bed that was five meters long and three meters wide was placed in front of a large French window. Opposite it was a transparent bathroom that was more than 20 square meters wide. Stepping on the soft wool carpet on the ground, Joseph pushed open the door to the bathroom. A large bathtub that was three meters wide was the first thing he saw. ¡°I can finally take a bath!¡± Looking at the clean and comfortable bathtub, Joseph quickly brought Pistachio to the kitchen. He cast the Water Ball Skill in the iron pot while urging Pistachio to heat it up. They went back and forth for a long time before the bathtub was filled with hot water. ¡°Splash!¡± Once Joseph jumped into the bathtub, he immediately sighed in comfort. ¡°This is what life should be like!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± However, before he could react, Pistachio imitated him and jumped into the bathtub, causing a splash. ¡°Pistachio!!!¡± Pistachio listened to Joseph¡¯s resentful voice while he happily played with the water. Just like that, the cat and man began to play in the bathtub. Joseph, who was tired from playing, laid comfortably in the bathtub. Then, he sent a picture of Pistachio playing with the water in the chat room. It was accompanied by a crazy message! ¡°A bathtub without a water heater has no soul at all!¡± Chapter 37 ¡°Oh my God, is Big Boss Joseph taking a Bath?¡± ¡°I, who lack clean water resources, actually have a craving for Big Boss¡¯ bathwater!¡± ¡°Am I the only one who cares about where Big Boss Joseph got the bathtub from?¡± ¡°What a cute little kitten, it will definitely be delicious if it is roasted!¡± ¡­ Seeing the chat room become lively again because of a photo of him, Joseph exited the chatroom with satisfaction. If he did not provoke these guys, they would not have any motivation to dig. If these people did not dig, where would he go to collect rare resources and blueprints? In order to celebrate his successful move into his new home, Joseph would definitely treat himself well. After bringing Pistachio to the kitchen, Joseph opened the trading platform to purchase the ingredients needed for dinner. [Item: chicken] [Item: Rye Bread x 10, clean water X1000 ml] [Item: frozen tuna] [Item: roasted meat x5] [Item: bread flour x 1000 g] ¡­ Joseph rushed to the trading platform and bought ingredients that could make a table full of dishes. He took out the bread flour and made soft fruit bread first. After lighting the fire, Joseph put the bread in the pot and steamed it. Although it was a European-style villa, Joseph could not cook well without electricity. However, Joseph believed that in this unknown world, there must be a new energy source that could replace electricity. By that time, items on Earth, such as ovens, could be fully functional again. The energy required, Joseph guessed, could be supernatural energy, such as Mana or Magical Crystals. Joseph went to another stove as the bread was being steamed. He took out the butter, salt, and chicken. This day, Joseph was going to make the American chicken pie. Although the ingredients were not complete, Joseph did not care. Even if it was a simple version of the chicken pie in the underground world, it had become bigger. At this moment, Joseph could not help but swallow his saliva as he thought about it. There were billions of survivors in the underground world. How many of them could eat a steaming hot chicken pie? Joseph licked the corner of his dry mouth. He felt that there would not have a second survivor who had such an extravagant life, right? Soon, Joseph put the butter in the pot and put the bread flour in. When it was sticky and mushy, he put the chicken into it. He added some salt and stirred it until it was thick. It should have been covered with a layer of egg and put into the pot to boil. However, Joseph did not find any eggs in the market, so he generously put a layer of fragrant roasted Demon Pig Meat on it. When the bread with the aroma of fruit was out of the oven, Joseph put the chicken pie in and continued to boil. Soon, the aroma of delicious food spread in the kitchen. Not long after, Pistachio, who was lying on the ground, could not help but look at Joseph. Its small, shiny black eyes were constantly emitting a dangerous look, and even the corners of its mouth were wet. Pistachio even stuck out five claws in a domineering manner, as if reminding Joseph, ¡°Big Guy, you still owe me five roasted meat!¡± Yes, to Pistachio, the aroma of the chicken pie and the delicious roasted meat were placed in the same position. Every time, he could find all kinds of delicious food beside Joseph. When it thought of the delicious roasted meat Pistachio¡¯s small stomach immediately started growling. Puff! With the Water Ball Skill, the burning flames were extinguished. Joseph opened the lid of the pot, and the delicious roasted chicken pie was done. He carefully poured it onto the tableware that he had prepared beforehand. Joseph also felt a wave of hunger strike him. When this chicken pie was on Earth, he did not feel that it was very delicious. However, he felt that it was simply a top-notch delicacy at that moment. In the barren underground world around him, it was completely satisfying to be able to eat a delicacy that had the taste of Earth. However, looking at the chicken pie in front of him, it would be perfect if it was accompanied by some black pepper and a cup of wheatgrass juice. It seemed that he would have to collect more fresh vegetables in the future, or he could try to grow some. Maybe it would work. If it did not work, he would just have to dig hard. Anyway, with the system¡¯s prompt, Joseph was not afraid that he would not be able to dig out the treasure chest of vegetables. After placing the bread and chicken pie on the table, Joseph sat down with a glass of Fluorescent Tangerine juice. He cut the chicken pie into four pieces with a knife, then made a simple fruit platter from apples and cherry tomatoes purchased on the trading platform. Joseph looked at the dinner in front of him. The chicken pie, the fruit bread, the fruit platter, and a large piece of Roasted Demon Pig Meat, as well as tangerine juice. There were vegetables, meat, fruit, fruit juice, bread, and chicken pie. Hah! His celebration night was a little extravagant. ¡°I almost forgot about you!¡± Turning his head, Joseph saw the resentful Pistachio staring at him. Joseph shrugged and pulled out the chair on the opposite of him. Ever since the last time Pistachio fainted, its appetite grew larger and larger. If it had been another survivor, they would have been eaten to the point of bankruptcy because of Pistachio! However, it did not matter to Joseph at all. Being able to eat was a good thing, which meant that Pistachio was growing. The bigger Pistachio was, his dream of becoming a cat knight would become closer. Munch! The man and the cat started eating at the dining table. Joseph, who had been busy all day, was starving. Meanwhile, Pistachio was also devouring the food in front of it. Especially the chicken pie. Pistachio was eating it happily. Pistachio swore that it had never thought that there was food in the world that tasted better than the Demon Pig Meat. On the other side, Joseph opened the chat room once again as he ate. He was ready to take a look. After the cruel tests in this period of time, the survivors had gradually adapted to the survival rules of the underground world. Most of the survivors were already able to survive in difficult times. Some of the survivors even started to show off their living standards. Yes, they were showing off! Only then did Joseph realize that after his bathtub incident, many of the survivors had imitated him. It was dinner time, so the chat room was filled with all kinds of food and dinners. Chapter 38 [Beef Burger Photo] Hannibal, ¡°it¡¯s so tough. I didn¡¯t even get to eat the Rye Bread. I can only eat a beef burger for a while!¡± [Buttered Bread Photo] [John, ¡°Of course. Digging has been difficult lately. I can only take out my treasured 82-year-old buttered bread to fill my stomach!¡±] ¡°F * ck, are all the devils sent by Satan upstairs? I suspect you guys are just pretending!¡± ¡°Is today devil¡¯s day? I just ate a piece of roasted meat and drooled!¡± [Roasted Meat Photo] ¡°I think I should try it. Why can I only eat Rye Bread and watch you guys show off? Is there a Big Boss taking in underlings? As long as there¡¯s meat to eat, it¡¯s fine!¡± [Pizza Photo] [Eating Dirt Photo] Not long after, a large number of people appeared in the chat room, trying to survive by looking at the photos. The aura of showing off continued to spread. This made Joseph instantly stunned. Showing off? Bragging? Boasting? It seemed that he had been too low-key! Otherwise, if they were satisfied with their current life, would that not mean that no one would be serious about digging? If they did not dig, how would he be able to trade with them? No, this absolutely could not happen! Joseph thought and immediately took a photo of his dinner, and then quickly uploaded it. [Chicken Pie Photo] [Dinner Photo] ¡°Seriously, I originally thought that my dinner was already very sumptuous, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so far behind compared to all of you. I¡¯m sorry to have embarrassed all of you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also put up some trades to buy a large number of fresh fruits and vegetables to improve the quality of my dinner!¡± [Remark: anything can be traded.] ¡­ The king of showing off was full of energy! The King of Pretenders, Joseph, was officially online! If he did not take the opportunity to agitate them now, these guys might feel like they were about to fly into the sky. At the same time, Joseph did not forget to put up the trades. Just as he wanted to buy vegetables, these guys gave him such a good opportunity. It was not enough to just eat meat and not vegetables. Even in the underground world, one had to pay attention to nutrition. Just as Joseph sent out the photo, the entire chat room suddenly quieted down. However, after a minute, it started to boil. ¡°The top of the chicken pie is actually roasted meat? Isn¡¯t this too extravagant? It¡¯s practically pushing us to the ground and stepping on us repeatedly!¡± ¡°I always thought that the beef burger was already too much. I didn¡¯t expect Boss Joseph to actually show off at this hour!¡± ¡°The chicken pie is still steaming. Even if Boss Joseph flaunts his wealth, he still has to keep his bottom line. How are we supposed to live with this!¡± ¡­ It was unbelievable!!! Most of the survivors were completely crushed by Joseph! Although many people knew that Joseph was rich in resources, the survivors felt that Joseph was flaunting his wealth too much as they saw his luxurious dinner. They were envious, but they still obediently opened the second chapter of the photo. Woah! It was even more terrifying! When everyone opened the second photo, all the survivors took a deep breath. In the second photo, there was more food other than the chicken pie. On the mahogany dining table, there was actually a fruit platter, tangerine juice, and freshly baked pine nut bread. Oh my God! Who could stand this? The food on this dining table was the dinner of their dreams! Almost all the survivors in the entire underground world had never eaten such food. Even if they had, they definitely would not be as extravagant as Joseph. Silence! A terrifying silence! The chatroom that had been boiling suddenly became incomparably quiet. The survivors who had been showing off just now all withdrew their pictures. Joseph¡¯s attack had successfully caused the entire chat room to become deserted. ¡°F * ck, I never thought that one day I would actually envy a cat!¡± ¡°Big Boss Joseph, I don¡¯t understand. Are you really not a local here?¡± Very soon, one of the survivors discovered Pistachio in the picture that was devouring the food. The entire chat room completely exploded this time. Messages kept rolling in the chat room. ¡°There¡¯s even fruit juice! I haven¡¯t had any water for a day. I really want to have a taste. Please give me a chance, Boss Joseph!¡± ¡°Boss Joseph, are you short of servants? I promise I can lick the plates clean!¡± ¡­ More and more survivors came, and everyone was shocked by Joseph¡¯s extravagant dinner. Originally, many survivors thought that they had caught up with Joseph. However, at that moment, not only did they fail to catch up, they were still far from Joseph. The big boss was indeed always the big boss. Every time, he could give them a slap filled with love! The more they thought about it, the scarier it became. The survivors who had previously traded food with Joseph were even more shocked. While they were still satisfied with being able to fill their stomachs, this big shot had already started to pursue a quality dinner. It really could not be compared. The more they compared, the more they felt that they had failed to live! Who could bear this? Especially those survivors who had bragged before. They all shut down their chat rooms one by one! However, other than being envious, there was also a group of robbers who had their eyes set on Joseph as he had sufficient supplies. Due to Joseph¡¯s purchase, the food on the trading platform suddenly became more expensive. In just a few minutes! The value of the Rye Bread, which was originally worth 30 wood, had increased to 50, Joseph, who was eating dinner, did not know that because of his photo, the food in his hands had a chance to soar. [Successful deal: your Rye Bread has been traded. ] [Obtained: wood x 50] [Successful deal: your Demon Pig Meat has been traded.] [Obtained: iron ore x 50] [Successful deal: tour 500 ml of clean water has been traded.] [Obatined: cement x 20] ¡­ Gulp! Joseph, who was drinking fruit juice, suddenly revealed a smile. He did not expect to have such a pleasant surprise. He had not finished his dinner yet, but he had already gained a lot of resources. ¡°Not bad, what a group of cute guys!¡± The resources he had gained this time were already more than half of what he had gained before. With these resources, Joseph could support himself for a long time. Well, he would first build the barricades and put them in front of the villa. If a Magical Beast attacked, he would have an extra defensive barrier. ¡®That¡¯s right, let¡¯s do it this way.¡¯ Taking advantage of the rising price of food, Joseph casually put up another batch. ¡°Yawn, it¡¯s time to rest after eating and drinking!¡± Grabbing Pistachios that had a bloated small stomach, Joseph prepared to go upstairs to rest. After a busy day with Pistachios and eating so much delicious food, Joseph had already felt a wave of sleepiness. Lying on the big bed on the second floor, Joseph went straight into the comfortable bed. He slowly fell asleep! Chapter 39 ¡°Sister Emily, can we really destroy those Rat-Headed Men with just these simple weapons in our hands?¡± ¡°Yes, Emily, with just us, we¡¯ll probably be killed by those Rat-Headed Men before we even get past them, right?¡± ¡°Sister Emily, is our previous plan really effective? Why don¡¯t I have any confidence in it at all?!¡± ¡­ In a narrow passageway, a group of cautious survivors was discussing incessantly. At a glance, there were a total of six to seven survivors, and they were all young women. After the discussion, other than the woman in the lead, the other women¡¯s faces were filled with worry. The woman in front was wearing a tight-fitting leather coat, and she appeared exceptionally noble and cold. It was easy to see that the woman¡¯s figure was curvaceous. She had a perfect figure. If Joseph appeared here, he would definitely be able to easily recognize that this woman was Emily, who had made a deal with Joseph. ¡°If you want to survive in the underground world, you will face all kinds of dangers every day. If you keep hiding, only death awaits you!¡± Emily¡¯s cold voice echoed clearly in everyone¡¯s ears. At this moment, Emily sorted out her emotions and led everyone towards the Rat-Headed Tribe. A few minutes later! A gust of sand blew past, and the burnt smell made everyone cover their mouths and noses. Emily and the others who were standing not far away from the Rat-Headed Tribe were stunned on the spot. Where were the Rat-Headed Men? Why had the Rat-Headed Tribe disappeared?! What appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes was a charred land. The land was charred, the soil surrounding it was in a mess, the statues had collapsed, and the flames were still burning. At this moment, the Rat-Headed Tribe seemed to have experienced a terrifying massacre. After a while, Emily and the others could not help but shiver. ¡°What on Earth happened?¡± ¡°Could it be that there are some terrifying Magical Beasts nearby?¡± ¡°They actually completely destroyed the entire Rat-Headed Tribe. Isn¡¯t this unbelievable? Looking at the Rat-Headed Tribe that was in a mess in front of them, Emily and the others were in an uproar. They could not believe that the Rat-Headed Tribe that they feared had completely disappeared overnight. ¡°Awooo!¡± At this moment, the howls of Demon Wolves came from behind them. ¡°Quick, let¡¯s get out of Here!¡± Emily, who was standing at the front, quickly called the girls to run toward the ruins of the Rat-Headed Tribe. Just as they left the tunnel, a few pairs of emerald eyes appeared in the tunnel. Demon Wolves! A total of seven Demon Wolves! At this moment, they were staring at the backs of Emily and the others as they ran away. Then, the Demon Wolves quickly chased after them. ¡­ [System prompt: six humans have appeared 100 meters ahead, seven Demon Wolves have been discovered. The sound of the system¡¯s mechanical voice instantly woke Joseph up from his sleep, standing up, Joseph looked out of the large French window. In the tunnel not far away, there were six miserable figures running in his direction. The howls of the Demon Wolves got closer and closer. Joseph finally saw their faces clearly as the group of figures got closer and closer. Women? It was a group of women? Joseph was very surprised. It was difficult to survive in the underground world. Let alone women who were not as strong as men. It seemed that this group of female survivors was not simple people. Expectedly, not every survivor could be underestimated. Even a woman was not simple. With this thought, Joseph put on his plate armor and loaded his crossbow with arrows. He planned to go out and take a look. There were seven Demon Wolves behind this group of survivors. The Demon Wolves were like resources that were delivered to his door. At the same time, when Joseph had just discovered this group of survivors. Emily and the others were also stunned. They had thought that Emily¡¯s Elven House was already a very high-class base. However, they had not expected that a high-class European-style villa would appear here. In front of this villa, there was a ring of wooden barricades. A total of nine barricades blocked the road leading to the villa¡¯s main gate. Like a group of loyal soldiers, they blocked all enemies who wanted to advance. Then there was the Iron Gate. The spacious and bright floor-to-ceiling windows gave them a huge visual impact. At this time, the six survivors had already forgotten about the Demon Wolves chasing behind them. They were completely stunned on the spot. It was obvious that they could not accept such an exciting thing. Yes, to them, the entire European-style villa was completely unbelievable. ¡°Sister Emily, am I dreaming?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can actually see familiar buildings in the underground world. I suspect that I¡¯m already hallucinating!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that big shot actually upgrading his Portable Base to such a state!¡± ¡°If we seek help, then we can get rid of the Demon Wolves behind us!¡± ¡­ Just as she finished speaking, the girls remembered that there was still a group of terrifying Demon Wolves chasing after them. They did not dare to stay any longer and ran desperately in the direction of the villa. Especially Emily. She did not know why, but when she first saw the villa, Joseph¡¯s figure appeared in her mind. If there was anyone in the entire underground world who could build such a luxurious building, other than Joseph, she could not think of anyone else. However, just as Emily and the others ran in front of the barricades, the magic wolf behind them was already less than ten meters away from them. ¡°Creak!¡± Just as everyone¡¯s faces were filled with despair, the door of the villa suddenly opened. Not long after, a young man wearing plate armor and holding a crossbow walked out. Although the man looked harmless, the plate armor on his body was full of all kinds of traces of battle. ¡°Joseph!¡± The moment Joseph walked out, Emily recognized him at a glance. ¡°Joseph?¡± ¡°He, is actually Big Boss Joseph from the chat room?¡± ¡°We¡¯re saved. Big Boss Joseph will definitely save us!¡± When they found out Joseph¡¯s identity, everyone felt as if they had seen God. They, who had been immersed in panic just a moment ago, suddenly felt that happiness had come so suddenly. Even at that moment, the legend of Joseph was still circulating in the chat room. Therefore, the name Joseph had long become a name that everyone in the chat room had to remember. However, when they saw Joseph, the most excited was their leader, Emily. After all, Joseph still owed her a big favor. Chapter 40 ¡°Joseph, how about returning the favor to me?¡± At this moment, Emily completely ignored the Demon Wolves that were already within reach, revealing a generous smile as she spoke. ¡°Big Brother Joseph, save us. I don¡¯t want to die yet!¡± ¡°Big Brother Joseph, as long as you save me, I¡¯m willing to do anything you want me to do.¡± ¡°I have an equipment blueprint in my hands. As long as you save me, it¡¯s yours!¡± .. Looking at the people around him who were constantly begging, Joseph shrugged. The crossbow in his hand instantly shot the Demon Wolf closest to him to death. While calmly installing the arrow, he said to Emily, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to return the favor!¡± When they saw their companions die, the remaining six Demon Wolves instantly revealed a crazed look. ¡°Awooo!¡± The Demon Wolves that had fallen into a crazy state immediately pounced on Emily and the others. The stench from their mouths was already coming towards them. ¡°Ahh, help!¡± ¡°Someone save me!¡± Looking at the Demon Wolves that had already pounced on them and were about to tear them into pieces in the next second, the ladies were already in despair and desperation. However, Emily had been smiling as she looked at Joseph. She did not have the slightest intention of dodging. ¡°How boring!¡± When Joseph saw Emily¡¯s reaction, he immediately shrugged his shoulders and shouted to the second floor, ¡°Pistachio it¡¯s time to start work!¡± As soon as Joseph finished speaking, the window on the second floor opened from the inside. A white figure descended from the sky and landed on the barricade at the very front. ¡°Meow!¡± Pistachio, whose sweet dreams had been interrupted, was filled with burning anger. It opened its mouth and spat out a huge ball of fire at the Demon Wolves that were charging at them. ¡°Awooo!¡± The Demon Wolves were thrown away one after another. The black fur on their bodies had become the best incendiary material, and they turned into rolling fireballs on the ground. ¡°A cat that¡­ knows magic?¡± ¡°I¡­ I know it. There¡¯s this cute little kitten in the picture of Big Boss Joseph!¡± ¡°Cute¡­ huh?¡± As the group of women looked at Pistachio, who was showing off its power, they stared at the petite and cute figure in front of them with their eyes wide open. They kept exclaiming in surprise. Pistachio saw that the Demon Wolves that had disturbed its sweet dreams had all fallen to the ground. It then turned around and jumped onto Joseph¡¯s shoulder to rest again. ¡°This favor, is it considered repaid?¡± Joseph gently stroked Pistachio¡¯s head as he said to Emily with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. The one who helped us was clearly this cute little kitten. Even if I need to return the favor, it won¡¯t be returned to you!¡± The corners of Emily¡¯s mouth curled up as she said as if nothing had happened. This immediately made Joseph feel very familiar, because every time they traded, the woman in front of him always did not want to suffer a loss. He did not expect that this would still happen this time. ¡°Alright, then you have to remember that you owe our Pistachio a big favor!¡± Joseph raised his eyebrows, pointed at Pistachio on his shoulder, and said to Emily. What was the difference between owning Pistachio a favor and owning Joseph a favor? Pistachio had to listen to him when the time came, right? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be busy collecting my spoils of war. Since the Demon Wolves are already dead, you should be able to leave without worry, right?¡± Joseph pushed away the barricades in front of him and took out a dagger to walk towards the Demon Wolves¡¯ charred corpses. Although the Demon Wolves¡¯ fur had been damaged, at least the Demon Wolf Meat could still be traded. It was better than nothing! Just as Joseph was cutting them one by one, the female survivors in the surroundings immediately revealed envious gazes. This was the Demon Wolf Meat. It had an expensive price on the trading platform. Even if it was purely used as food, it was still very good. However, even though everyone was looking at it eagerly, no one dared to ask for it. They did not dare to move because Pistachio was on Joseph¡¯s shoulder. let alone the fact that Joseph had just asked them to leave. ¡°Have you noticed that the Magical Beasts in the surroundings have become rarer?¡± Just as they were standing there obediently, Joseph, who had been cutting the Demon Wolf¡¯s corpse, suddenly asked. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Are there fewer Magical Beasts? Why don¡¯t I feel It?¡± ¡°Oh my God, if Magical Beasts didn¡¯t decrease, how scary would it be!¡± Just as everyone was in shock, a 15 to 16-year-old girl who had been hiding in the crowd timidly stood out. ¡°Brother Joseph, I think I know something!¡± Looking at the pretty girl in front of him, Joseph suddenly revealed a very kind smile. ¡°Little girl, if know something about it, then this Demon Wolf is your reward. How about it?¡± Hearing this, the little girl jumped up in joy, she charmingly thanked Joseph, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. My name is Amy. I saw a lot of Magical Beasts rushing towards a large, tall wooden house a few days ago. I was afraid, so I didn¡¯t dare to follow them!¡± ¡°Then do you dare to take me to have a look? Don¡¯t worry, Big Brother will protect Amy¡¯s safety!¡± ¡°Yes, I heard from Sister Emily that Big Brother is a very powerful person. I believe in Big Brother!¡± Amy held Emily¡¯s hand and said excitedly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I didn¡¯t praise him. Hurry up and leave. We have to go back to the base!¡± Emily took little Amy¡¯s hand and walked away quickly with her face blushing. Joseph smiled and shook his head, following her. They did not say a word along the way. When Emily¡¯s pretty face returned to normal, Joseph saw a ruin in front of him. Judging from the buildings that still existed, it should be a two-story wooden house. There were many traps around it. However, it was already in ruins. The ground was covered with all kinds of footprints of Magical Beasts. ¡°What exactly happened here?¡± Emily covered her mouth in shock. This was the first time she had seen a base of survivors destroyed by Magical Beasts. ¡°If you want to know, why don¡¯t you go over and take a look?¡± Joseph narrowed his eyes. After confirming that he had not received any system prompts, he took big strides over with Pistachio. ¡°Joseph, be careful!¡± After hearing Emily¡¯s worried voice, Joseph waved his hand without turning his head back and continued walking forward. This made Emily stomp her feet fiercely. After giving a few reminders, she quickly followed behind Joseph and walked side by side with him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Joseph asked while observing his surroundings. ¡°If you can come, why can¡¯t I? I was afraid that you would take the treasure all by yourself!¡± Emily rolled her eyes at him in annoyance, but in her heart, she kept muttering, ¡®Joseph, you¡¯re really a log who doesn¡¯t know anything!¡¯! At this moment, the two of them walked to the center of the wooden house. The first thing they saw was a corpse covered in blood lying quietly in the ruins not far away, and in his hand was a worn-out sheepskin scroll! An item that he was unwilling to give up even if he died? Joseph instantly revealed a satisfied smile!