Chapter 31: Provoking No One

Liu Hen slept soundly that night, free from any nightmares.

With the protection of his homestead structure, he felt an overwhelming sense of security. Inside, the campfire provided warmth, creating a world entirely different from the extreme cold outside. Even without a bed, sleeping on the bare floor felt incredibly comfortable. It was the best night's sleep he had experienced since crossing over into this world.

When he finally woke, it was already the "shallow night."

"My Lord, you’re awake." Little Heishi seemed to have stayed up all night, dutifully keeping watch.

"Yes. You should get some sleep now. We need to continue our journey soon, so you must get your rest," Liu Hen said.

"Mm-hmm, alright." Little Heishi nodded obediently and immediately collapsed into sleep.

Liu Hen stretched and walked toward his workbench, thinking to himself, *I thought I heard thunder last night. It must have been an illusion, right? Does it even rain or thunder in this world?* He peered through the slats of the blinds, but saw no signs of water on the perimeter walls. *It must have been a hallucination, or perhaps just a dream brought on by grogginess.*

Dismissing the thought, he checked the upgrade status. As expected, the workbench had finished upgrading to level six. And just as he had guessed, the level six Creation Workbench had unlocked a new recipe: [Insulated Hood].

*Finally, I’ll be able to complete the set. This hasn't been easy.* Liu Hen felt a surge of excitement; he was incredibly curious to see if this warm clothing set would trigger a "set bonus."

*But... I hope the crafting materials aren't something I don't have.* Impatiently, he opened the crafting interface to check the requirements for the hood.

[Insulated Hood Recipe: A hood providing insulation; size can be selected during crafting. Materials: Three pieces of tree bark (minimum), one tree core (the effect of the hood varies based on the type of tree core used), one magic crystal.]

*A tree core? Varying effects?* Liu Hen’s heart skipped a beat. *Does this mean the hood has special properties?* His anticipation grew.

However, he currently lacked the materials. He had collected a tree core previously, but because he hadn't found a use for it and his inventory space was limited, he had left it behind in his original cave shelter.

*Seriously? Why am I exactly one tree core short? Items like that are rare and difficult to harvest.* Liu Hen gritted his teeth and decided to return for it. After all, good things take time. He was now almost certain that once the hood was crafted, it would trigger a set bonus, making the tree core indispensable.

He woke the recently slumbering Little Heishi. "We're heading back to that cave."

It was about five kilometers away; it wouldn't take long to reach. Liu Hen immediately packed up his workbench and campfire. The moment the fire vanished, icy winds began to seep through the gaps in the blinds.

He suddenly realized that as long as the campfire was burning, the blinds—despite their gaps—seemed to block out everything except essential air, preventing harmful gases from entering. With the fire gone, his homestead was now nothing more than an ordinary structure.

*If I leave the campfire behind, will the homestead continue to be protected even after I leave?* His "golden finger" truly was miraculous. However, he couldn't afford to be wasteful; he had to take the campfire with him. As for the building materials, he wouldn't bother gathering them again.

Just as he crawled over the perimeter wall, he found the Wu siblings waiting outside.

"Lord Liu Hen," Wu Yuanming said respectfully. "Do you have time to craft the tree-bark insulated clothing? We would like to buy... three more sets."

"I have one set right here, but it’s only sized for a child." Liu Hen hadn't wanted to waste time, but a thought occurred to him. He pulled out the set Little Heishi had just replaced. "It’s a four-piece set: shirt, pants, shoes, and gloves. Heishi has worn these. If you want them, I’ll charge you three hundred magic crystals."

"There’s a complete set of this tree-bark insulated clothing?" Wu Yuanming looked pleased, but then frowned. "It’s so small." It was true; the set was only suitable for a seven or eight-year-old.

"Forget it if you don't want it." Liu Hen had no time to waste; he was desperate to craft that hood.

Wu Yuanming gritted his teeth. "My Lord, would two hundred be acceptable?"

"Deal." Liu Hen tossed the four-piece set, which was only taking up space in his inventory, toward them. The siblings were stunned by his swiftness, wondering if there was a trap.

"Give me the crystals; I’m busy," Liu Hen said flatly.

The siblings quickly inspected the clothing. It was indeed the tree-bark set, and aside from the small size, there were no issues. They handed over the two hundred magic crystals. They wouldn't dare stiff him, especially after having seen his supernatural abilities multiple times.

With the crystals in hand, Liu Hen and Little Heishi resumed their journey, eager to retrieve that tree core. It was now the "shallow night," and his field of vision had improved; he could see up to fifty meters away. This greatly increased his sense of security, as he could now spot potential dangers much sooner.

Five kilometers wasn't terribly far. Even by avoiding all the monsters they encountered, they covered the distance in just over half an hour.

"Ah..."

As they neared their former cave shelter, a sudden scream startled them both. Liu Hen pulled Little Heishi away from the direction of the sound. He wasn't interested in anything other than crafting that full set of gear; he didn't want any last-minute complications.

But they hadn't gone far when a large horse appeared in his line of sight. On its back sat a man in armor, his gaze cold as he looked toward them, appearing as if he had been searching for them specifically.

*He spotted us in advance? Could it be those people from last night?* He had heard the sound of galloping hooves last night, but they had faded quickly, and he had assumed they were just passing through.

Seeing the horse charging closer, Liu Hen quickly pulled out his "All-Purpose Pickaxe" and began digging. Large chunks of rock flew out, and a deep pit appeared in an instant. The man in the distance held something that began to glow, seemingly preparing to fire a projectile. Liu Hen pulled Little Heishi into the hole and used his "Free Build" ability to seal the entrance with large iron ore blocks.

*BOOM!*

A loud explosion echoed outside.

*An esper? Or a humanoid monster?* Liu Hen was both shocked and furious. He hadn't provoked anyone, yet this guy...

He didn't dare stop. He continued placing iron ore blocks to reinforce the seal and kept digging inward.

Outside, Zhang Wuyou fired a shot and continued on his way, not even glancing at the spot he had blasted. They had suffered heavy losses the night before; although they had caused significant casualties at the Red Conch Camp, they hadn't fared well themselves, and only five of them had escaped alive. Now, he just wanted to kill; he slaughtered every survivor he came across just to vent his rage.

...

*Damn it...*

Underground, Liu Hen continued to dig, his anger burning. He had just been passing through, and now he was being attacked for no reason.

*Thwack...*

Gritting his teeth and plotting his revenge, he swung his pickaxe. Suddenly, the rock gave way, revealing a gap. To his surprise, it led directly into the tunnel he had previously dug. He was now only two hundred meters away from the cave shelter.

*Lucky.*

He felt a surge of joy and hurried with Little Heishi through the tunnel toward the cave. Soon, they returned to their old shelter, and he immediately spotted the tree core he had been forced to leave behind.

"Rest for a moment. I have something to make." Liu Hen placed and lit the campfire to ward off any potential threats, then retrieved the tree core and opened the crafting interface.

Sure enough, he had enough materials now. With a thought, he began the process. A one-minute countdown appeared.

*One minute!* Liu Hen took a deep breath. *After waiting so long, I can finally complete the insulated set. I hope the set bonus doesn't disappoint me!*