When Ethan woke up, he found himself lying under a grass hut.
It was the kind with a thatched roof, and the whole thing was supported only by four thin bamboo poles.
In the center, there was a pile of campfire ashes, and two smooth thin wooden sticks placed next to it.
And all around was a hazy mist, he couldn't see anything outside the hut at all, couldn't tell what was out there.
"Wha-what is going on?"
Ethan held his head, 'He clearly remember I was taking a nap at home. How did I wake up in this place?'
And the clothes on him were still his own, but the bed beneath him had turned into a pile of dry grass.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, on Ethan's left, a golden light streaked by.
He turned his head and saw a heavy book lying nearby. The golden light had come from this book.
"What is this thing?", Ethan opened the book.
On the first page, he saw:
[Welcome to the world of mist. Here, you no longer have to worry about debt, relationships, work, or anything else that troubles you.]
[Because the only thing you'll have to worry about is how to survive in this misty world.]
[In the world of mist, only fire can give you enough safety.]
[Pray that your campfire never goes out. Otherwise you will be taken away by the monsters hiding in the mist.]
[Next…]
[Please enjoy everything about the misty world.]
These words were written out one character at a time.
After Ethan finished reading, the text began to fade away as if being erased by an eraser.
Then, after all the text was erased, new content appeared.
[Mist Survival Magic Book.]
[Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Next, remember the following content well. It will be your only means of survival.]
[Each day after the sun rises, part of the mist will be dispersed. This is your chance to explore your surroundings.]
[But do not go far, because there are still a few monsters hiding in the thin mist, and they can take your life at any time.]
[Of course, you must also remember the time the sun sets.]
[Because once night falls, the dense fog will return. The monsters hidden deep in the mist will roam everywhere. Once they discover you, they will not hesitate to treat you as their food. You will leave no remains.]
[If you die here, you really die. Do not doubt it!]
[There are many good things hidden in the mist, including food and water sources you will need, as well as all kinds of treasure chests, ranked Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Supreme, Legendary, and Mythical.]
[Each treasure chest contains some good things, but of course, also some dangers. Good luck.]
[PS: A drafty grass hut will leave you in a low temperature state. Please build a house capable of keeping out the cold within three days. Otherwise you will very likely freeze to death on the cold night that is coming.]
The text above was erased again.
But Ethan firmly remembered every sentence. Just as the book said, every line inside concerned life and death.
Especially the final reminder about freezing to death if he didn't build a cold-proof house within three days.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Regional Chat Channel]
[World Channel]
[Trading Channel]
[Upgrade Tree]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
After all the text disappeared, four new options appeared on the magical book.
Ethan focused on the Regional Chat Channel, and soon the page was replaced by chat messages from everyone.
["What the hell is this place? I just walked out of my bamboo hut and suddenly a giant hand reached for me. I was so scared I rushed back! That hand was at least one meter big. Is this Attack on Titan?"]
["I think this place feels like the movie The Mist, too scary! I keep feeling like something in the mist is watching me!"]
["Someone take me home, this place is too terrifying! As long as you take me home, my dad will thank you, you can have money or a car or whatever!"]
["You upstairs, you think you can still go back?"]
["Are your campfires lit? Why is mine out? But I found two sticks next to the fire. Don't tell me they want me to make fire by friction?"]
["Luckily my campfire is burning, but why is there nothing to eat here? I'm starving!"]
["I looked at the time table on the book cover. It says it's 7:30 now, with 00:29 left until sunrise. Am I supposed to go explore? But it looks so dangerous outside, I don't dare go."]
["…"]
The Regional Chat channel kept refreshing with all kinds of messages, most of them asking how to go back or what this place was.
Some people even suspected it was a prank.
But a small number had accepted the situation and were already studying survival strategies.
Ethan saw someone mention that the book cover had a time display.
He quickly flipped back to the cover, and sure enough, at the center of the cover was a line of time information.
[Time 7:32, 00:28 until sunrise. The weather is good today, suitable for exploration.]
So sunrise was coming soon, no wonder the mist felt like it was thinning.
Ethan looked at the thin mist around him. Even within that fog, he could feel many gazes locked on him and his hut. It felt like if he stepped into the mist now, he would be attacked by monsters.
'I should check if there is anything useful inside the hut.'
"Hm?"
"What are these red exclamation marks?'
Ethan noticed countless red exclamation marks appearing inside his hut. When he focused on them, prompts appeared beneath.
[Shabby Grass Hut: Cannot withstand monster attacks. Please upgrade the hut quickly.]
[Dry Wood(2): Can be used to start a fire.]
[Burned-out Campfire: Only a few embers left. Add wood quickly.]
[Low-quality Straw Bed: No comfort at all. Only preserves a little warmth to prevent freezing.]
[Broken Stone Axe: Can be used to chop trees, but very inefficient. Durability 1/5]
[A bottle of mineral water 500 ml: Spring is a bit sweet, one bottle just sweet enough for you. Survive one day at a time.]
'So these are the functions of the mist world?'
Ethan quickly opened the magic book and made a query in the Regional Chat channel.
He only had to think the question and the book would generate the text automatically, but before sending, a prompt appeared.
[Each person can only send ten messages per day in the Regional Chat channel (private messages not limited). Having a horn card increases the limit.]
[Send?]
"Yes!"
Very soon.
His message appeared in the chat.
["Ethan: Can everyone see prompts on the items inside your huts?"]
Soon, someone replied.
["What prompts? You mean the survival guide on the magic book?"]
["I only have a pile of extinguished firewood here, nothing else!"]
'Could it be?'
"Only I can see these prompts?"
Ethan's eyes brightened. And at that moment, the sun rose, and the mist around the hut began to disperse.