Starting Off Survival With A Small Treehouse

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Event Ends, Rankings

Sitting under the treehouse, Xu Xin looked speechlessly at the sun gradually setting in the west.

He knew why he couldn’t go up.

The root that pulls him up is actually the aerial root of the banyan tree, a type of adventitious root. Essentially, it’s still a root, and since the roots are undergoing secondary development, this aerial root naturally has temporarily stopped functioning to access the treehouse.

It’s so difficult; even lying up there doing nothing is impossible.

After sitting for a while, Xu Xin decided to do something.

Xu Xin looked at his backpack, which contained a stone spear, stone axe, stone pickaxe, stone shovel, a golden treasure chest, a few bottles of water, and several kinds of fruit. Just these few items nearly filled up all ten slots in his backpack.

Because of this, he left the fertilizer and seeds in the treehouse when he went out last night, meaning he couldn’t plant birch and pine trees now.

”The slots are still not enough, need a more advanced backpack.”

”...Let’s cut out an area first, otherwise there’s no place to plant these two kinds of trees.”

Xu Xin first took the golden treasure chest out of his backpack and placed it next to the base of the treehouse. Even inside the backpack, it was heavy enough, affecting his work if carried on his person.

He then took Keke, who was drowsily sleeping, off his shoulder and placed her on top of the golden treasure chest.

Keke let out a weak whimper, slightly opened her eyes.

”Help me watch the golden treasure chest, don’t let anyone take it.” Xu Xin joked to Keke, knowing there was nobody else around.

Keke slightly nodded her little head and curled up again, continuing to sleep.

Xu Xin then pulled out a stone axe, found an area with a lot of green-level soil near the treehouse, and began indiscriminate chopping. The chopped wood was directly packed into his backpack.

His stone axe was blue-level, meaning he could chop very quickly, taking one hit for a white-leveled poplar tree, two for a green-leveled one. Soon enough, he cleared a section.

70% of this area consisted of green-level soil; the remaining 30% white soil, Xu Xin decided not to deal with, because the size of a soil patch was about one square meter. Considering planting spacing, not every patch could have trees, so this setup was good enough.

Xu Xin then ran to the lakeside, harvested some reeds, and dug out a few lotus roots for tonight’s dinner.

Lotus root with bear meat, perfect.

Before leaving the lakeside, Xu Xin looked toward the center where the piranhas were.

...Indeed, he still felt the activity range of the piranhas seemed to have expanded a bit, not much, but definitely closer to him.

Looks like he needs to think of a way to deal with these piranhas.

If he lets the situation develop, and piranhas expand their range across the entire lake, not only other fish and shrimp would be completely doomed, but getting water and gathering by the lake could also be affected.

If these piranhas swim into the creek... Xu Xin didn’t dare to imagine that scene.

He wondered if the giant crocodiles in the creek could resolve these piranhas.

[Treehouse root system secondary growth complete, treehouse protection range expanded to a radius of six kilometers.]

Suddenly, a notification sounded in Xu Xin’s ears, and he rejoiced, finally he could go home!

Having slept for two hours, Keke was now awake, sitting dazedly on the golden treasure chest.

”We’re going up, Keke, going home.”

”Whimper.”

Xu Xin placed the golden treasure chest back into the backpack. The wood and treasure chest inside made him feel overwhelmed, so he quickly grabbed Keke and entered the treehouse.

He placed all the chopped wood on the first floor, then went back to his third floor.

”Comfortable!” He tossed his backpack onto the ground, letting himself fall onto the wooden bed. The bed had a fast-recovery feature for energy and mental strength, just lying on it relieved a bit of fatigue for Xu Xin.

Keke curled up on the bed, sleeping once again.

However, Xu Xin didn’t rest too long, only laying down for a bit before sitting up.

Just as he sat up, the mysterious voice sounded again.

[Jungle exploration event concluded, congratulations to all survivors who found treasure chests and obtained exclusive resources during this exploration event, you are outstanding treehouse explorers.]

[Survivors who didn’t find a treasure chest, don’t lose heart; this is only the first step, there’s still a chance to catch up to them.]

[Now announcing the regional ranking from this event, the top one hundred will receive corresponding rewards, survivors are invited to check on the screen inside the treehouse.]

[Survivors in the last fifty spots, you have ten minutes left to bid farewell to the world.]

Xu Xin quickly approached the screen, and upon opening it, he saw another option unlocked, [Ranking].

Opening this option, it only contained one event, [Jungle Exploration Event], which could be selected.

Continuing to open, a ranking list was displayed in front of him.

[First Place: Xu Xin, opened gold, silver, copper treasure chests, and obtained several other resources, highest blue level.]

[Second Place: Ji Chaoyang, opened gold, silver, copper treasure chests, and obtained several other resources, highest blue level.]

[Third Place: Wen Guixin, opened silver, copper treasure chests, and obtained several other resources, highest blue level.]

[Fourth Place: Li Wenxi, opened silver, copper treasure chests, and obtained several other resources, highest blue level.]

...

[7132nd Place: Lu Ren Jia did not obtain treasure chest or any other resources.]

The last one was the 7132nd place.

”Can’t stay anonymous anymore.” Xu Xin actually didn’t want his name to be on the first place of the rankings, as it might attract unnecessary trouble, ”Well, let’s go with real name then.”

Xu Xin looked down, his eyes fixed on the person in second place.

Ji Chaoyang.

This name was too familiar to Xu Xin, during the newbie protection period he was already scheming for everyone, during the beast riot he posted strategies in the regional channel that kept the death rate much lower than the world average, saving many lives.

”Did he really find the golden treasure chest? Does that mean he also knows the secret of this world?” Xu Xin murmured.

When the secret was discovered before, the mysterious voice had said, [Do not share the secret of the world with those who don’t know it], but what if it’s someone who knows it?

If it’s someone who knows it, can you exchange some information with them?

”Is this person like me with special abilities, or did he simply obtain the golden treasure chest through his own efforts? Either way, he is worth befriending as a major figure.” Xu Xin thought quietly.

Continuing to look down, Xu Xin saw Li Wenxi’s name at fourth place.

Goodness, did this little beauty open a silver treasure chest?

Seeing Li Wenxi’s name at fourth place, Xu Xin fell into thought.

Until now, he always thought this little beauty was just a cheerful rich kid blessed by luck, but now it seems, that’s not the case, solely relying on luck couldn’t have ranked fourth among ten thousand people.

When he talked to her before, she seemed to downplay the process of obtaining a copper treasure chest in one sentence. Despite being covered with injuries, she didn’t show weakness like an injured person, rather she was somewhat enthusiastic.

Now she has become the owner of a silver treasure chest.

Xu Xin didn’t know how others obtained their silver treasure chests but judging from the complete rankings, including him and Ji Chaoyang, only nine people obtained silver treasure chests, and Li Wenxi ranked fourth among the nine.

She definitely isn’t as simple as she appears, much like himself, certainly hiding something.