Chapter 18: Small Stone Hammer

"Later, when they saw me pulling out my crossbow bolts and looking ready to fight to the death, they probably sensed the threat and let me run back."

Liu Lin gave a rough explanation of what had happened.

"I'm marking this down. I'll definitely settle the score next time."

Liao Bufan was extremely annoyed that their supplies had been stolen, but feeling somewhat helpless, he could only vent with a few harsh words.

What could they do?

Were they really supposed to charge over and engage in a firefight?

It would be satisfying, but it would be a pyrrhic victory—inflicting a thousand points of damage on the enemy while losing eight hundred of their own.

It wasn't worth it.

Most players in this situation could only accept their bad luck.

Just remember the grudge for now.

There is plenty of time ahead; there will always be opportunities to settle accounts slowly.

Liu Lin knew in her heart that she could only blame her own carelessness for this mishap and accept her bad luck.

At that moment, Fang Heng looked up and asked in a heavy voice, "How many of them were there? How strong are they?"

"Fang Heng, don't be impulsive."

Sensing that Fang Heng's tone was off, Liu Lin advised, "Now is not the time to go head-to-head with these people. There will be plenty of chances to seek revenge later."

She had misunderstood.

Softening his tone, Fang Heng said, "I know. I just want to know how many there are."

"I saw five of them, but their shelter is a medium-sized one, capable of holding up to twelve people at most."

Hearing this, Fang Heng nodded and fell into silence once again.

Seeing that Fang Heng's expression wasn't great, Liao Bufan advised, "I say, Fang Heng, how about we just let it go this time? At worst, we just don't trade with them in the future."

Liu Lin also pursed her lips. "I was very careful during the trade, doing it in batches, so we only lost a few packs of instant noodles. This loss is acceptable; I'll be twice as careful next time."

Fang Heng said nothing. He had a very bad premonition and kept his head down, lost in thought.

This was the first time Liao Bufan had seen Fang Heng look so serious.

Seeing the heavy atmosphere, he couldn't help but try to persuade him again. "Fang Heng, there's no need to clash with this gang right now. It's just a few packs of noodles, right? We aren't lacking that much food. At worst, I'll just eat less tonight..."

Liao Bufan's voice grew quieter as he spoke, clearly lacking confidence in his argument.

"No, that's not what I'm thinking about. This loss of food is nothing to us."

Fang Heng looked up to explain to the two of them.

"Besides, I am also responsible for this. I shouldn't have been trading high-value food with other players during this period."

"Huh?"

Liao Bufan scratched his head, looking completely lost.

Jimmy took a sip of hot tea and said slowly, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him a criminal."

"Exactly. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were them, and you found out a neighbor had surplus food to trade while you were short on supplies, what would you do?"

"If I were them?" Liao Bufan thought for a moment, then blurted out instinctively, "I'd obviously rob the bastard!"

Fang Heng looked up, a flicker of worry crossing his brow.

"Exactly. That's what I'm worried about—that they will come knocking on our door to steal our supplies."

Liao Bufan realized. "This... no way, right?"

Liu Lin also grew nervous upon hearing this.

"If they come, don't blame me." Liao Bufan rolled up his sleeves, looking fierce. "If they try to steal my food, I'll fight them to the death. It'll be a fight to the finish."

"It's hard to say. In any case, be careful. Our supplies are sufficient for now. Don't go out during the day for the next two days; stay on guard. We'll move once we've relocated to the new shelter in a couple of days."

Jimmy set down his glass and shook his head. "Fang Heng, that's too slow. We might not make it in time."

Everyone turned to Jimmy with puzzled looks.

"After hearing Liu Lin talk about the stolen food, I went to check around the cabin. I found a stranger's footprint in the bushes. I suspect someone has been scouting our cabin."

"What?"

Liu Lin's expression changed slightly, and she said anxiously, "That's impossible. Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? I checked very carefully on my way back; I'm certain no one was following me."

"I didn't missee. I noticed animal tracks alongside the human footprints. I deduce they belong to some kind of large canine," Jimmy explained.

"It's not your fault. I think one of the players has a talent that allows them to summon hounds; they tracked your scent here."

*It's over! Our base is exposed!*

Liao Bufan slapped his forehead.

"Fine, we'll deal with whatever comes. If they want a fight, they'll get one. Old man, help me make more crossbow bolts. While we still have some time, I'll reinforce the cabin further."

Liu Lin said, "I've already prepared ten sets of painkillers and hemostatic bandages. There are only two bottles of Rapid Healing Potion because it requires licorice and cannot be mass-produced..."

Liao Bufan and Liu Lin had already begun discussing how to defend against the enemy.

Fang Heng remained silent, his head bowed in thought.

A purely passive defense felt too stifling, and it was a waste of time that would disrupt his plans for establishing the shelter.

Time was precious in the early stages of the game, and Fang Heng did not want to waste it.

Most importantly, if a real fight broke out, he wouldn't be able to utilize the combat capabilities of his zombie clones in a defensive battle.

The zombie clones were still a bit too rigid.

What about an active offense?

A few minutes later, an evil plan took shape in Fang Heng's mind.

Fang Heng looked up again.

"Liu Lin, where is this group's base located?"

"They are to the northwest of our camp. The fastest trip would take about 90 minutes."

Liu Lin was confused. "Why are you asking that?"

*Clap!*

Liao Bufan suddenly clapped his hands, looking enlightened.

"I see! I get it!"

"A surprise attack to catch them off guard!"

Liao Bufan was, at his core, a complete warmonger. Believing he had grasped Fang Heng's strategic intent, he excitedly patted Fang Heng on the shoulder.

"The best defense is a good offense! Brother Fang Heng, I feel you! Let's go! We'll get there first, ambush one or two of them, and show them what we're made of."

"Then they won't dare to come looking for trouble with us again."

"Damn right, I've had it with those guys for a while now."

*Offense my ass!*

*This brute!!!*

Fang Heng sighed inwardly and silently moved Liao Bufan's hand off his shoulder.

"I didn't say we were going to clash head-on. Anyway, I have a plan. Leave this to me. I'll take the night watch. You all log off and rest; I'll need your help during the day tomorrow."

"Huh? Log off and rest?"

Liao Bufan's eyes widened; he wondered if he had misheard.

He and Liu Lin looked at each other, countless question marks popping up in their minds.

What was this kid trying to do?

Why was he volunteering for the night watch?

His summoned zombies were indeed quite good at gathering supplies, but he couldn't deal with players relying solely on those zombies, could he?

Ignoring the stares of the others, Fang Heng slowly sat down by the campfire and began crafting supplies by hand to prepare for his nighttime plan.

[Prompt: You have completed the crafting of a Small Stone Hammer. You have gained +1 Crafting Experience.]

Item: Small Stone Hammer. Grade: Crude. Damage: 1-2. Description: The most basic survival tool. You can use it for destruction and dismantling (dismantling allows you to recover a tiny portion of basic building materials). Flavor Text: This object carries the reputation of a hammer that can split heaven and earth; as long as the hammer is in hand, nothing is unbreakable.