Chapter 4: Exploring the Darkness

As soon as 6:00 PM arrived, the sun that had been hanging in the sky instantly vanished, and the area outside the thatched hut plunged into pitch darkness.

Inside the house, there were no lights and no torches; it, too, was swallowed by darkness.

It had been a long time since Ning Yun had experienced the sensation of being unable to see her own hand in front of her face.

The windows of the thatched hut were essentially just for show.

No, perhaps there truly was not a single sliver of light outside, not even the moon.

The moon?

A self-mocking smile appeared on Ning Yun's face. She was no longer on Blue Star; how could there still be a moon?

Even the daytime sun was likely just a virtual sun created by the game system.

However, she had long been accustomed to brilliantly lit nights, and her fear of the dark seemed to be etched into her very DNA.

She was not the only one with similar feelings.

During the day, everyone was busy searching for treasure chests, so very few people spoke in the chat channel.

Now, excluding those intentionally seeking death, everyone was huddled in their houses. Since it was too early to sleep, the chat channel became lively again.

[No, seriously, it's too dark in the house. Is the system this stingy? They won't even install a single lamp?]

[Did you guys not loot a torch?]

[Shut up! Nobody asked you!!!!!!!]

Without a doubt, the one who had looted a torch was that player, 356, again.

"Truly a lucky god," Ning Yun couldn't help but marvel.

Little did she know that no matter how lucky the other person was, they couldn't compare to her Critical Hit talent; one chest for her was equivalent to two for others.

Among all the beta testers, she was the wealthiest.

Many players were also exchanging survival experiences.

[There are many things you can eat in the wild: wild fruits, bamboo shoots, and various mushrooms. I've tried it—poisonous mushrooms will cause health loss, but they won't kill you. If you really have nothing to eat, you can take a gamble.]

[Haha, luckily I usually watch wilderness survival videos. Although I only found two chests, I found taro! I've been digging all day, so I won't have to worry about food later.]

[I also found shepherd's purse, dandelion, knotweed, locust flower, pennywort, and purslane. I thought I was the biggest winner, but can someone tell me where to find a pot, fire, and water?]

On the first day, most players obtained water and food from the chests.

It was very, very rare to be like her and loot weapons as well as life supplies.

She organized her backpack. Currently, her food included toast, brown sugar steamed buns, rice balls, apples, mulberries, and raspberries. For drinks, she only had one 500ml bottle of water and one 250ml bottle.

Her currently usable items were a stone axe, a dagger, goggles, and shoes.

Bandages were medical supplies, which she didn't need yet.

Her harvest on this first day was significant; the items were numerous and varied. By tomorrow, she feared her backpack might not even be able to hold them all.

Someone in the chat channel also asked this question.

[Can't this game have crafting like MC? There's too much stuff; the backpack simply can't hold it all.]

[Me too. This game is so unreasonable; the backpack is too small! I want to top up money to open a few more slots.]

[How many chests have you guys opened? Twenty slots aren't enough?]

[I only opened two chests, but I dug up a lot of wild vegetables. One type takes up an entire slot; it really is unreasonable.]

[I wanted to keep a chest to store things, but it just disappeared. The system is too stingy.]

For a moment, everyone was complaining about their full backpacks being insufficient.

Ning Yun thought for a moment and spoke in the chat channel for the first time.

[Player 666: Extra items can be placed in the house; they won't be refreshed away by the system.]

To make others believe her, she added another sentence.

[Player 666: If you don't believe me, you can try it tomorrow with things like wild grass.]

Because her ID number was quite unique, her words stood out in the chat channel.

[666, are you serious?]

[Oh, whether it's true or not, just try it tomorrow. I don't think 666 would lie.]

[Surely no one actually believes this? There's nothing in the house; if you just throw things on the ground, they won't be refreshed? You're not just trying to troll us, are you?]

[Hey, what reason would 666 have to lie? Besides, just try it with some trash yourself and you'll know.]

While some believed, there were naturally those who were skeptical.

Ning Yun saw this but did not feel angry.

She simply felt that since everyone was a fellow inhabitant of Blue Star, having been inexplicably pulled into this game, sharing some trivial tips cost her nothing.

On the contrary, the more people who survived, the more advantageous it would be for her.

Because this was not a single-player game; it was about the survival of Blue Star.

Humans were the foundation of all civilization.

If everyone else died and only she remained, what would be the point?

Some observant players, after seeing Ning Yun's reminder, attempted to take out small items they didn't currently need and place them on the ground.

They didn't even need to wait until tomorrow; if the items weren't refreshed tonight, it would prove Ning Yun was right.

Perhaps because Ning Yun had started it, more players began sharing their own tips.

[If you find a water source, you can refill a half-drunk bottle of mineral water, but empty bottles will be refreshed away by the system.]

[Upgrading the thatched hut requires wood. If you don't have an axe, you can dig up small saplings to obtain wood.]

[I have a lot of stones here. I've also tried it—tiny pebbles can't upgrade the house, but once you collect more than ten, the system will prompt you that they can be synthesized into a stone.]

Others were even teaching people in the chat how to find water, how to make fire by friction, and some players had even discovered gourds and crafted them into water containers, which the system recognized.

Message after message flashed by, making one's eyes dizzy.

Ning Yun only regretted that she didn't have paper and a pen to write them all down.

In the channel, some people also expressed their admiration.

[The big shots are too strong. I don't know how to do anything; I can only shout 666 for everyone.]

[There are still many good people in the world.]

[We are all from Blue Star; let's help each other.]

For some reason, aside from a few confused people at the very beginning, everyone seemed to have become rational and intelligent on the first night.

Occasionally, a few troublemakers, realizing that trading was not possible in the game, could only set aside their ill intentions and open chests to find supplies to avoid starving to death.

When faced with a threat to survival, the mind always tends to clear up.

Ning Yun ate two rice balls and drank some water.

It was only seven o'clock; the remaining time could be used for exercise.

Fortunately, she had taken Tai Chi as an elective in university for credits, and she had continued practicing with her grandfather, so she still remembered the movements.

Although she didn't know if it would be useful, it was a good way to pass the time.

Meanwhile, in another location, a man took all the food and water from his backpack and placed them in his house.

"Hmph, I'll see for myself what kind of monsters and demons are out there tonight!"

He brandished the long sword in his hand, brimming with confidence.

(End of Chapter)