Starting Off Survival With A Small Treehouse
Chapter 74: Special Items

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Special Items

Back in the treehouse, Xu Xin took off his gear and tossed the previously mined salt ore into the salt distillation extractor. Currently, no one was selling salt on the trading platform, and apart from Ji Chaoyang, no one else could make a salt extractor. He could definitely make a fortune from salt.

While preparing dinner, Xu Xin checked the newly appeared [Points Exchange Mall].

For some reason, the mall was still greyed out and couldn’t be entered at the moment.

Shaking his head, Xu Xin opened the regional channel.

"Whoa, Boss Xu has over 2000 points! I only have 20 points. Boss Xu is worth a hundred of me!"

"Boss Xu is amazing!"

"Boss Ji also has over 1800 points! It’s unbelievable!"

"Have you guys noticed that the top three haven’t changed since last time? It’s still the same three people."

"Wow, this girl called Wen Guixin is really strong, nearly a thousand points higher than the fourth place!"

"What girl, call her Big Boss, how dare you call her a girl?"

"The gap between the top three and everyone else is too much..."

"The latest batch of hemostatic herbs from [Penny Savior] is now available! Injured survivors can now exchange for them on the trading platform! Limited quantity, first come, first served!"

"The timing of this ad is perfect, I just got injured and already bought some."

"Are you a shill? Isn’t this price too high?"

"Brothers, I’m in the top 100, I can get extra rewards, and the Big Boss is actually me!"

"Big Boss, please take me with you!"

"I’m gauze! I’m gauze! I’m gauze! I’m..."

"? What’s going on above, isn’t that Wang Lei, the tenth on the leaderboard?"

"Do all Big Bosses have such unique hobbies?"

This time, the regional channel had fewer spiteful comments from those in the bottom 50 of the previous event, probably because they had given up resisting.

However, seeing Wang Lei’s message on the regional channel made Xu Xin burst into laughter.

The [Explorers] group also became lively.

Zhao Xiaochuan: "Congratulations Boss Xu, Boss Ji, and Miss Wen on once again achieving first, second, and third place. I can’t believe you guys are so much ahead of me! And Wang Lei, am I higher than you?"

Wang Lei: "I’ve already posted that message on the regional channel!"

Zhao Xiaochuan: "Whoa, you really posted it? So straightforward?"

Wang Lei: "A bet is a bet!"

Zhao Xiaochuan: "You rock, bro. But posting once is enough, don’t post it ten times so honestly."

Wang Lei: "...I’ve already posted them all."

Zhao Xiaochuan: "...Respect, big brother."

Li Wenxi: "I can’t believe I’m only eighth, last time I was fourth. I even told Xu Xin I’d do better this time, how embarrassing..."

Ji Chaoyang: "This time, all nine of us in the organization are in the top 20, and we occupy the top five. Our organization has truly established a reputation now, let’s strive even harder, everyone."

Zhao Xiaochuan: "Got it, Boss Ji!"

Wang Lei: "Boss Ji talks like the leader of our company..."

...

Meanwhile, in a double-decker treehouse, a woman clad in bloodstained iron armor was gnashing her teeth as she looked at the leaderboard.

Even though her head was encased in an iron helmet, it couldn’t conceal her beautiful face. At this moment, her eye twitched, her expression somewhat distorted.

"Why! Hunting should be my domain, why are these two guys still ahead of me!"

Wen Guixin repeatedly exited and re-entered, finally accepting reality, slumping onto the floor. The crisp clash of armor and floorboards slightly woke up her tired mind.

"Could it be, aside from contracts to make advanced weapons and armor, the golden chest contains other resources?"

She was unwilling, so much so that she hadn’t even gone to say hi to the [Explorers].

For the past two days, she used her abilities obtained upon entering this world, along with blue-grade fruit, to hunt beasts day and night. At this moment, her body was utterly exhausted, standing only by the excitement of wanting to clinch first. But seeing this result, she couldn’t accept it at all.

"Could it be these two also have abilities like mine?"

Ultimately, Wen Guixin, exhausted to the extreme, gave up thinking and sighed.

She needed to find an opportunity to ask those two guys.

...

Xu Xin sat in front of the grill, petting Keke in his arms while grilling meat. Keke squinted comfortably, enjoying the moment.

Ten minutes have passed, and the last fifty people in this event have disappeared from the regional channel. At this moment, the mysterious voice rings out again.

[Now announcing the rewards for the top 100 on the leaderboard]

[First place: Permanent 30% discount at the points exchange mall.]

[Second to tenth place: Permanent 20% discount at the points exchange mall.]

[Eleventh to one-hundredth place: Permanent 10% discount at the points exchange mall.]

[The points exchange mall is now open!]

[We encourage other survivors to keep striving to break into the top 100!]

[With this event concluded successfully, to reward the survivors who performed outstandingly, the reward activity "Dungeon Treasure Hunt Event" will officially start at 9:00 tomorrow. Survivors, please stay tuned.]

Well, there’s not even a day’s rest, and a new event starts the next day, all under the guise of being a reward event.

Looks like dealing with the piranha problem will have to be delayed.

However, a "Dungeon Treasure Hunt Event"?

Xu Xin is now very sensitive to the word "underground," as tomorrow’s event will take place in a dungeon, and Xu Xin is well aware of the kinds of monsters that lurk below the surface.

This event is sure to be a mix of danger and opportunity, and it’s likely to be the most dangerous event encountered so far, probably even more dangerous than the initial beast rampage.

"I must prepare today."

Xu Xin opens the points mall page. He has the first-place reward of a 30% discount and the most points.

The items in the points mall surprise him. The mall actually sells functional tools.

Xu Xin immediately notices a blue-grade item.

[Large Flowerpot (Blue): Furniture, a flowerpot that can hold fertile soil (Blue) and can be placed inside the treehouse to accelerate plant growth. Remember to place it by the window! Points needed: 300 (210)]

A flowerpot! A flowerpot for growing plants inside the treehouse! It can even speed up plant growth!

You should know that plants are very vulnerable during their initial growth stage, and with so many beasts outside, even a small mistake could lead to them being trampled and dying. These days, Xu Xin has put a lot of effort into protecting the not-yet-grown apple tree, frequently replacing the fence.

Xu Xin plans to, when he has time, clear a circle of trees around the treehouse, then use a fence to enclose a territory of his own where he can plant his crops and materials.

But currently, he doesn’t have the ability to build a proper wall, and ordinary fences can’t stop beasts from coming and going, so this plan hasn’t been implemented yet.

However, with a flowerpot where he can plant inside the treehouse, he can prioritize moving the precious "fertile soil" indoors.

Great stuff! With 300 points, it only costs him 210 points, which is totally acceptable.

Looking further down.

[Natural Organic Fertilizer (Blue): Fertilizer that can convert ordinary soil (Green) into fertile soil (Blue). When spread on fertile soil (Blue), it speeds up plant growth. Usable once. Points: 500 (350)]

Fertilizer that can create fertile soil!

This is simply a perfect match with the flowerpot!

Xu Xin has only encountered two patches of fertile soil so far, one is planted with his treehouse, and the other is under the treehouse, already planted with an apple tree, which has grown into a three-meter-tall small tree entering its fruiting phase. In a few days, it will bear fruit, and he can’t guarantee a successful transplant, so he doesn’t want to move that tree.

But with this fertilizer, he could completely make a patch of fertile soil.

But this blue-grade fertilizer sure is expensive, costing 500 points without a discount, only those in the top ten of the leaderboard can currently afford it.

Xu Xin also saw green-grade fertilizer in the mall, a bag that can be used once is 5 points, which is one percent of the price of blue-grade fertilizer, affordable for most people.

Continuing to browse the items, Xu Xin saw an interesting thing.

[Beast Statue (Blue): Furniture, can be placed inside the treehouse. Enhances the combat strength of allied beast-type mounts and pets within the protective range of the treehouse, not stackable. Points needed: 500 (350)]

Is this a statue that can enhance the strength of mounts and pets? So there’s such a mystical item.

Xu Xin glanced at Keke, who was squinting and enjoying his petting in his arms. This little guy doesn’t show up on the map yet, while the Silver King shows up as a blue light spot. So currently, only the Silver King is recognized as an ally.

This statue might not be of much use on Keke. However, increasing Keke’s combat strength a little more is not really necessary. Its ability lies in its keen premonition of both danger and opportunity.

Besides, there’s also a [Humanoid Statue (Blue)], which can increase the combat strength of survivors. This item is good and a must-redeem because personal strength is the greatest guarantee of survival.

Xu Xin also saw many interesting small gadgets, which are relatively strange and don’t enhance survival ability, but if on Earth, they would absolutely sell well.

For example, [Hair-Growing Comb (Blue)], which can make hair thick in just a few days; [Natural Whitening Face Mask (Blue)], effective with just one application; [Height-Increasing Shoes (Blue)], which can slowly make you grow taller when worn. There are even items like [Mysterious Papaya (Blue)] and [Permanent God Oil (Blue)].

And they all require a considerable number of points, mostly above 300 points, which ordinary people at this stage can’t afford.

Honestly, some of these things slightly tempt Xu Xin.

"These things aren’t here just to tempt survivors into spending their points, are they!" Xu Xin thought with exasperation.

These items look alluring, but they basically serve no purpose for survival.

Oh, there’s one item that might be useful, [Weight Loss Pill (Blue)]. It takes effect immediately, slimming you down to a standard body type, but you’ll be weak for a day. This is not useful for Xu Xin, but for those who are too fat to run easily, it could be good. But in this perilous world, being weak for a day could be deadly.

"There are so many expensive tools, it’s impossible that this is the only opportunity to earn points. Probably in future events, killing beasts or monsters will also earn points." Xu Xin pondered.