Natsuyu carefully sensed his own body; unlike what Kushida Kikyo had said, activating his ability did not consume physical strength.
The Law of Conservation of Energy had once again lost its effect on him.
Sir Isaac Newton's coffin lid was about to fly off.
"It seems my ability is a notch higher than Kushida Kikyo's and the others'. I can consider replenishing my arsenal with zero consumption, never having to worry about 'firepower deficiency phobia' again."
The prerequisite was that the materials kept up.
[Congratulations on achieving the Achievement "This is? A Crafting Table!". Please shout the incantation "I am a hardworking little Palu" loudly to receive the rewards: Wooden Axe Crafting, Wooden Pickaxe Crafting, Simple Backpack Crafting, Experience 10.]
[The Basic Achievement Tree has unlocked new achievements:
...This is? A Crafting Table! — Stone Age! (Craft a Wooden Pickaxe) — ?]
No Wooden Swords, leather armor, or things like that?
Natsuyu was a bit annoyed; his system had been nerfed. If he had seen such a hollowed-out system in his previous life while reading novels at Tokyo University, he definitely would have cursed at it.
However, Natsuyu quickly shifted his attention to "Simple Backpack Crafting."
A backpack!?
With a backpack, he could unlock Equipment Slots.
As long as he could unlock Equipment Slots and allow himself to gain Experience to perform Leveling up and allocating stat points, he was willing to do it!
He had to recite the incantation immediately.
Hesitating for even a second would be a sign of disrespect toward Equipment Slots and stat upgrades.
Natsuyu glanced at Yukinoshita Yukino in the far distance; in a pleasant mood, he shouted loudly:
"I am a hardworking little Palu~ my working skills are strong~"
He subconsciously started singing it.
[You have received the rewards: Wooden Axe Crafting, Wooden Pickaxe Crafting, Simple Backpack Crafting, Experience 10.]
In Natsuyu's mind, a wealth of knowledge once again surfaced, as if he had known it since birth:
Wooden Axe: 1 Wood + 1 Twig, crafted at the Crafting Table. Can chop trees quickly.
Wooden Pickaxe: 2 Wood + 1 Twig, crafted at the Crafting Table. Can be used to gather Stone.
Simple Backpack: 4 Cut Grass + 4 Twigs, crafted at the Crafting Table. Provides 8 Backpack slots with a Stacking Limit. Items placed inside have zero weight. Cannot store living creatures.
Wait, why does this feel a bit off?
Natsuyu fell into deep thought.
An 8-slot backpack with stacking... isn't that an item from Don't Starve?
The pedigree of this MC System isn't pure; it actually contains elements of Don't Starve.
Natsuyu looked toward the sky.
Shadow Monsters, the Gorgeous Door...
Find something to eat before dark...
Could this place actually be the world of Don't Starve?
[Natsuyu: Level 2 (Experience 5/20)
Free Attribute Points: 0.1.]
Since things had come to this, he might as well add the points first.
As usual, Natsuyu allocated the attribute point to his Physique.
A warm current surged, bringing a light, ethereal sense of comfort. Every cell in his body was strengthened, radiating a sense of joy.
It felt even more refreshing than being on ice!
After a short while, the rush from the Physique upgrade faded.
Natsuyu checked the Attribute Panel.
[Natsuyu: Level 2 (Experience 5/20)
Physique: 1.1 (A youth with the body of an athlete)
Soul: 1.3 (High level of mental fortitude)
Charm: 1.3 (Hostile to All Living Beings)
(The average optimal attribute for an adult is 1)
Abilities: Resource Acquisition, Item Crafting (Click for details).]
The brute-level physique of an athlete?
Natsuyu clenched his fists a few times, feeling his body filled with power!
He could now kill a bull with one punch... or a yellow-haired Minotaur!
"1.1 is an athlete's Physique. Looking at it this way, the value of my 1.3 Soul and Charm is incredibly high."
"I really am a handsome guy with a powerful mind."
Natsuyu always had a clear understanding of his own handsomeness.
After a moment of narcissism, Natsuyu looked at the Oak Trees to the left and the green grass beside them.
Logs could be obtained from Oak Trees;
Cut Grass was everywhere.
What about Twigs?
In the Don't Starve world, twigs were resources that grew on the ground, but Natsuyu hadn't found any.
Wait, that's not right.
Natsuyu looked at the lush branches on the Oak Tree and the green leaves with slightly yellowed tips.
Aren't these Twigs?
Natsuyu smiled:
"Excellent, let's get to work!"
He pulled the grass with force, but because his Physique had become stronger, he pulled the green grass up without much effort.
As a blade of green grass was pulled up, the patch of grass suddenly became bald.
In the blink of an eye, the green grass turned into a bundle of golden-yellow Cut Grass; counting carefully, there were 10 strands in total.
Resource obtained: Cut Grass * 1.
He climbed the Oak Tree and reached out to forcefully snap a branch.
With athlete-level strength, even a branch as thick as a baby's arm could be easily snapped and torn off as long as he found the right leverage point.
The torn-off branch immediately took on a forked appearance, roughly an arm's length.
Resource obtained: Twigs * 1.
After gathering a batch of Twigs and Cut Grass, finally—punch the tree!
Bang bang bang bang bang...
Natsuyu punched frantically, losing all track of time and space, immersed in the pleasant harvesting experience of "punching" without being able to pull himself away.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps approached. Natsuyu turned his head while still punching and saw it was Yukinoshita Yukino, so he continued punching (the tree).
Yukinoshita Yukino watched with wide eyes as Natsuyu punched with passion, seeing the ground covered in resources and stumps. She witnessed with her own eyes as the tree in front of Natsuyu suddenly turned into 3 rounded Logs.
This scene, which defied common sense, plunged Yukinoshita Yukino into silence; her brain stalled slightly.
After Natsuyu finished his satisfying punching session and dodged the falling wood, he turned and asked, "Have you finished exploring the surroundings?"
"Mm."
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't ask questions about Natsuyu's Ability but instead said directly:
"We need to go deeper. Do you need me to help organize the Logs? With this much wood, it seems we won't be able to carry it all away."
"No need, take a break first."
Natsuyu saw a healthy flush on Yukinoshita Yukino's fair face from the exercise, with steam rising from her, looking like a ripe peach after being washed—simply delectable.
"I'll handle the organizing here; you recover your strength first. In a few minutes, we'll go explore further away."
"Alright."
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't force herself. Having walked all over the vicinity in a short time, the burden on her physical strength was a bit heavy. She found a Stone to sit on, watching Natsuyu carry the resources to the square Crafting Table.
Is it time for woodworking?
Can this cube really produce weapons?
Amidst her confusion, Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze was curious.
She saw Natsuyu push the Twigs and Logs onto the Crafting Table. The wood automatically twisted and changed, wood chips flew, and a half-person-high Wooden Pickaxe made its grand debut.
"Ah?"
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but make a small sound of surprise.
This wasn't scientific!
But then she remembered she could turn into a cat, so it seemed that unscientific things were acceptable...
Natsuyu glanced back, and Yukinoshita Yukino pretended to toy with her hair, as if the person who had just made a fuss wasn't her.
Once Natsuyu turned back, Yukinoshita Yukino stopped her movements and watched seriously.
She saw Natsuyu craft Wooden Pickaxe * 1 and Wooden Axe * 2. Then, using Cut Grass and Twigs, he made a shoulder bag that was clearly made of fabric—having absolutely nothing to do with the raw materials. She didn't let out another zako-like sound of surprise.
She was already a superpower user who had seen big scenes; she wouldn't be shocked by this small display.
Then, Yukinoshita Yukino saw Natsuyu stuff a meter-long piece of wood into the forty-centimeter-high Backpack. It went in completely. She couldn't help but open her thin lips slightly:
"Ah?"
Natsuyu turned back again.
Because she was too shocked, Yukinoshita Yukino didn't have time to pretend to touch her hair and met Natsuyu's gaze directly.
"..."