Hank Fowler turned to the entrenching tool and silently commanded, "Unmute."

"Dude, heal me up, quick! I'm in agony!" the entrenching tool wailed like a banshee.

"Alright, alright, keep your shirt on. Healing coming right up," Hank muttered, grabbing the entrenching tool. He activated his healing ability, and a soft, milky light bathed the tool. The dents and dings on its surface smoothed out as if they were never there.

"Oh yeah, that's the stuff!" the entrenching tool sighed in relief.

Hank set the tool down, chugged a bottle of purified water, and flopped onto his straw mat. Time seemed to slip away as he rested.

Suddenly, the Hut spoke up, "Hank, the straw curtain is ready."

Hank opened his eyes and saw a thirteen-foot-long straw curtain. Two straw stools were also neatly placed on the ground.

"Not bad," Hank nodded, grabbing the curtain and heading out of the hut. He set it up around the hole he'd dug earlier. And there it was, a makeshift toilet.

"Human, aren't you going to take a dump yet?" a stalk of corn suddenly asked.

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Corn: "After you poop, you can feed it to me. I really want to eat poop."

Hank felt a chill run down his spine. "Sure, you'll get it when I'm done!"

"We want some too!" the other plants chimed in.

"You'll all get your share!" Hank said, feeling utterly speechless.

After dealing with the peanut gallery, Hank picked up the Machete and started working on the tree branch he'd brought back.

"Whatcha doing with that branch, boss?" the Machete asked curiously.

"Making a weapon!" Hank replied casually.

The branch was about six feet long and perfectly straight. If he sharpened the end, it could serve as a decent spear. And if he coated the tip with the black beetle's poison and added a giant hornet's stinger... well, that thing would be seriously deadly. It might even be enough to take down that big black wolf in one shot!

The Machete scoffed, "With me around, why do you need other weapons?"

"You wouldn't understand!" Hank chuckled, focusing on shaping the branch.

Stolen novel; please report.

An hour later, he was finally done. It looked just like a real spear. Hank swung it around, feeling pretty satisfied with his handiwork.

Of course, it was still just a prototype. He needed to add the poison to make it truly lethal. Hank went back into the Hut and retrieved the leaf-wrapped beetle corpse and stinger. Carefully, he attached the stinger to the spear's tip. Then, he plunged the tip into the beetle carcass, twisting it a few times.

When he pulled it out, the tip was coated in a nasty-looking black goo. The poison had definitely soaked in.

With this venomous spear in hand, Hank felt a surge of confidence. His eyes gleamed with determination. Tonight, if that big black wolf dared to show up, it would be its last night!

Hank glanced at the sky. The sun was setting, and darkness was creeping in. Time for dinner.

Hank grabbed the Magnifying Glass and started a fire. He set up the frying pan, poured in two bottles of purified water, and tossed in the red rock crabs, one by one. They were dead, but still relatively fresh.

Fresh ingredients called for simple cooking. Soon, the air filled with the mouth-watering aroma of seafood. Hank eagerly grabbed a crab and dug in. Each bite was pure bliss. The size of these red rock crabs was insane, every mouthful was a feast. He savored the deliciousness, lost in the pleasure of the meal.

As much as he loved the taste of the red rock crab, his stomach had its limits. After three, he was stuffed.

What to do with the leftovers? In this weather, they'd spoil overnight. What a waste!

Hank pondered for a moment, then decided to sell them. He opened the trading hall and listed the remaining red rock crabs and some purified water.

After tidying up the yard, he went back into Thatchy, flopped onto his straw mat, and opened the regional chat group.

Jeff Johnson: "Anyone got any food? I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving to death."

Eddie Drumpf: "Didn't I tell you? If you're really desperate, eat some grass roots."

Jeff Johnson: "Tried that, it's disgusting. It's all spicy and made my throat burn. I almost threw up after one bite."

Eddie Drumpf: "Then you're not hungry enough. When you're really starving, you'll eat anything, even dirt."

Wally Cox: "Didn't we all get ten seeds? Just eat a couple to tide you over. Don't starve to death."

Jeff Johnson: "Ate them all yesterday."

Wally Cox: "...."

Jeff Johnson: "Anyone got any food? I can trade you some resources."

Stan Strong: "If you have resources, why not use the trading hall? There are people selling food there."

Jeff Johnson sighed: "I contacted them, but they don't want what I have!"

Sue Lynn: "What resources do you have?"

Jeff Johnson: "Fifty logs, each about three feet long."

Lou Yang: "Where'd you get so much wood?"

Jeff Johnson: "Don't even ask. Found a bronze chest this morning. Thought I'd hit the jackpot. Opened it up, and it was just wood. What a load of crap!"

Lee Lightman: "Food is super valuable right now. No one's gonna trade food for wood."

Jeff Johnson: "Seriously, so unlucky. I would have settled for a few steamed buns."

Hank's eyes lit up. Others might not want the wood, but he could definitely use it. The wooden fence could level up after devouring those logs.

Hank typed: "Jeff Johnson, I'll trade with you."

Jeff Johnson: "Really? What are you offering?"

Hank: "Two freshly cooked giant crabs for your fifty logs."

Jeff Johnson didn't hesitate: "Deal!"

He would've agreed to just one crab, let alone two. Those logs were useless to him anyway.

Lou Yang: "Hank, did you kill those two crabs?"

The crabs here were a totally different breed than those on Earth. They were not only huge but also incredibly aggressive. Even Lou Yang wasn't sure he could handle them. How did Hank manage to hunt them? Did he have some kind of overpowered ability?