Before he even got there, he heard the sound of flowing water, and a faint worry in his heart finally eased. As he got closer, the true appearance of the flowing sound was revealed.
A clear stream, about two meters wide and only a few centimeters deep, flowed rapidly. Xu Xin dipped his hand into the stream, the water icy to the bone, making him shiver all over from the sweat on his body.
[Freshwater (Green): Directly drinkable freshwater resource, but it's still recommended to boil it before drinking. Remember to drink more hot water.]
Xu Xin didn't hesitate, immediately dunking his head into the stream to drink deeply. As someone who regularly drinks soda with ice and never drinks hot water at home, cold water doesn't affect his stomach too much, as long as the water quality is fine.
After drinking his fill, Xu Xin wiped his mouth and stood up.
In the stream, fish and shrimp swam about, so clear you could easily see the stones at the bottom.
[Pebble (Green): Stones washed by the stream, seemingly a material for making some kind of tool.]
Why is it always "seems to be"? What kind of tool is it exactly?
Xu Xin felt a bit uneasy but then thought that things akin to a "workbench" in this world should be inside the treehouse. For now, he should focus on finding fertile soil to cultivate a treehouse.
He examined the land next to the stream, still barren soil.
Xu Xin didn't get discouraged. At least he had found a stream; maybe by following it, he could find a river or lake or even the sea.
Sitting on a rock by the stream, Xu Xin pondered for a while and then looked up at the sun in the sky. It was already approaching noon. Despite skipping breakfast often, after walking for so long, Xu Xin started to feel hungry.
He needed to complete the tasks quickly.
Having determined a direction, he followed the stream downstream.
Soon, a green glow appeared in Xu Xin's sight again. He didn't hurry forward but stopped, squinted, and carefully checked the distance between the green glow and himself.
Approximately... about a thousand meters, probably the range of his item identification ability.
Far enough, with an unobstructed view, he could have all the resource levels within a thousand-meter radius in his grasp. Xu Xin was immediately more satisfied with this ability.
A thousand meters wasn't far and he soon reached the place. Looking at the green resources, he was overjoyed.
"Something tasty!!" As a foodie, the happiest moment was finding food, especially food he had never tasted before.
The green resources were buried in a bush, and if not for the glowing green, Xu Xin might not have noticed there were green resources here.
[Red Berries (Green): Edible fruit directly, tastes sweet and sour, not very filling, but thirst-quenching and tasty.]
The red berries shrub, buried in a bunch of bushes, was full of small berries. Xu Xin picked one, rubbed it clean with his hand, and eagerly popped it into his mouth.
"Mm~ really good!" Xu Xin showed a satisfied smile. A taste he'd never experienced before but really nice — sweet and sour, full of juice, even bursting in his mouth.
This shrub had several dozen red berries. Xu Xin picked them all, rinsed them with stream water, ate a dozen, and put the rest in his pocket. Without a bag, it was inconvenient, but he had to be careful not to crush the berries in his pants.
Xu Xin walked on, occasionally tossing a sweet and sour berry into his mouth, feeling quite leisurely.
After who-knows-how-long walking, the sky gradually darkened. Though Xu Xin hadn't found nothing in half a day; as he moved forward, the frequency of green glows in his vision increased.
Besides the stream that kept glowing green, he found an apple tree about four or five hundred meters from the stream, picked three apples, some edible mushrooms from the forest, and some herbs that could be crushed to apply on wounds. Without a backpack, Xu Xin had to use his short-sleeve, washing it in the stream, tying the neckline and cuffs to form a makeshift bag.
Other green resources were things he couldn't take, like stones and trees, with no use for them presently.
The sky gradually darkened, and without a light source, Xu Xin couldn't continue. Though his item identification seemed to let items glow, it was merely an illusion in his vision without actual lighting capabilities.
Strangely, the item identification worked better at night, as without the interference of sunlight, Xu Xin could more clearly see the white and green glows around him.
Need to find a place to rest before it's completely dark. Though during the newbie protection period, there aren't supposed to be any external dangers, it would be impossible to move in total darkness.
Otherwise, he'd have to sleep by the stream. That wasn't impossible; however, Xu Xin still felt uneasy. The protection period only meant no biological attacks, not no dangers at all. Sleeping here just didn't feel safe.
If it rained, he'd get soaked and sick.
Walking a bit further, he finally found a cave before it got completely dark. Guided by the green glow, it wasn't far from the stream, only about two or three hundred meters, and the entire cave emitted a green glow.
[Black Bear Cave (Green): Habitat of black bears, once inhabited by fierce black bears, but a recent mysterious force made them disappear. They won't reappear for at least three days.]
"Holy crap!" Xu Xin was startled by the description, a black bear!
Luckily, according to the description, the black bear wasn't there due to the newbie protection period; otherwise, Xu Xin might have been in real trouble.
A little frightened, but Xu Xin believed he could trust the description. This feature was created in creator mode; if it deceived him, he might as well try dying to see if he could return to his original world.
Walking into the cave, Xu Xin didn't go deep inside as it was pitch black with nothing to see. He just sat near the entrance, leaned against the cave wall, and took out the items from his shirt.
After eating an apple, Xu Xin began to treat the minor injuries he had sustained today.
Wearing shorts and short sleeves, while walking through the woods, his legs and arms got scratched quite a bit. Now they were sore and itchy, with red welts, some areas even oozing blood that had crusted over.
Not serious injuries but in this world, inflammation could lead to severe consequences. Luckily, Xu Xin had the foresight to gather some herbs.
[Hemostatic Grass (Green): When crushed and applied to wounds, it effectively prevents inflammation and speeds up healing.]
This herb looked similar to ordinary grass; had it not been for Xu Xin's ability to see the green glow, he wouldn't have gotten this precious herb.
Before finding the cave, Xu Xin had cleaned two flat stones by the stream. Using these stones, he crushed the herbs and carefully applied them to his calves and arms, feeling the cool and soothing sensation as consciousness gradually faded.
It had been a really tiring day of walking.