The mist dispersed.
Instantly, the regional chat channel exploded.
["The mist's gone! I can see I'm in some kind of forest, what the hell is this place? Why are there only trees?"]
["Forest? You're already lucky, okay? I'm in a desert, nothing but sand! Not a single damn thing alive!"]
["Wuwuwu~ I think I'm on a cliff! My hut's right on the edge, what should I do?"]
["Then I'm super lucky, I'm by a river, there are mountains, water, and even fish!"]
["I think I'm in some kind of abandoned building. It looks like a city, but not quite."]
["Jealous of you, brother! Quick, go see if there are any people nearby. If you find the police, please report it for me, tell them to come find me! I'll reward you greatly!"]
["..."]
The chat channel's messages were refreshing faster and faster.
But Ethan had no time to pay attention to any of that, because he realized that the area where the mist had cleared was only about ten meters wide.
Beyond that, everything was still shrouded in white haze. The fog was thinner than before sunrise, but if this were a city, it would still count as heavy fog.
The place he was in happened to be right at the border between a forest and a grassy plain.
He couldn't see anything beyond that range.
Which meant…
'Is my exploration range limited to just ten meters around the hut?'
He picked up the only weapon inside the hut, a broken stone axe, and stepped outside.
But just as he was about to move forward, words appeared before his eyes.
[Go straight ahead: You can gather some dry grass. Fifteen meters ahead there are some dwarf pines, can be cut down. No danger.]
'What the heck is this?'
'Does it even warn about danger?'
Ethan quickly turned to look in other directions.
Sure enough...
[West: There's a dead tree with a squirrel hole, filled with pine cones. But I don't think you'll want to go there, because under that tree, there's a cheetah fast asleep. With only a broken stone axe, you're no match for it. If you're willing to lose a hand or a leg, maybe you can take the risk.]
"..."
'I would have to be brain-dead to fight a cheetah barehanded.'
'If I had a gun, or even a bow, then maybe I would have thought about it.'
'What about other directions?'
[East: Lots of dry branches, perfect for fueling your bonfire. But under the pile, there's a Gale Snake waiting for a chance to strike. Be careful.]
[South: There's a bronze treasure chest hidden in the tall grass. No danger.]
[Bronze Treasure Chest: What could be inside? Only by opening it will you find out what kind of surprise awaits.]
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!"
"So this is my "golden finger," huh?"
He could see clearly where danger lurked and where treasure was hidden.
And besides…
He noticed that in the middle of the grassy plain, a bronze treasure chest was concealed there.
If it weren't for those red exclamation marks, he'd never have noticed it. It was completely hidden among the waist-high grass.
Compared to the other directions, Ethan naturally chose the treasure chest first.
Very soon, he arrived at the spot the prompt indicated.
He pushed aside the tall grass, and sure enough. There it was, a bronze chest glinting with metallic light. On top, a thick copper lock sealed it shut.
[Bronze Treasure Chest: Contains some ores. No danger. Open it?]
'Since there's no danger, of course I'll open it.'
Click!
The moment Ethan thought the word "open," the large lock on the chest vanished by itself, and the bronze lid popped open automatically, revealing a pile of stones inside, gleaming with metallic luster.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.